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Colorado lawmakers want to make medication dispensing more secure by requiring biometric verification when patients fill prescriptions, but critics of the plan worry that with the amount of data lawmakers want to collect, information breaches could be more damaging to patients than ever before.
A retinal scan to verify that the person filling the prescription is the same person it was prescribed to, patient data sent over encrypted communications to check for drug interactions and preventing doctor shopping--all of this information, plus some, in a statewide database. This could be the future of medicine access control.
Colorado lawmakers want to make medication dispensing more secure by establishing a new medical database and requiring biometric verification when patients fill prescriptions, but critics of the plan worry that with the amount of data lawmakers want to collect, information breaches could be more damaging to patients than ever before.
HB12-1242 is under consideration by the Colorado General Assembly. If passed into law, the bill would require doctor’s offices and pharmacies to install biometric scanning devices to verify a person’s identity before dispensing prescription drugs or restricted over the counter items. The scanning devices would be used “to obtain a biometric scan of a person’s biometric identifier, such as a fingerprint or retinal scan, and to submit the scan to the database.” The bill is sponsored by Reps. Ken Summers and Tom Massey and Sen. Betty Boyd who say it is “necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.” The technology to implement the biometric verification will be donated to the state by Biotech Medical Software Inc. if the bill passes.
“One of the reasons [for HB12-1242] was to prevent doctor shopping by patients. Once you scan your finger when you’re at the pharmacy, all the medicine you should have, and your doctor’s visits or your medications would come up. They’re made aware at the doctor’s office and also at the pharmacy. If you have any medication that could create harmful interactions they’d be aware of that and where it was prescribed,” said a staffer from Summers’ office on Monday.
Summers’ office also says it would help confront Colorado’s meth problem by providing additional safeguards against people trying to obtain large amount of medications used to make meth.
“We see the future of America going in that direction, so we could be a leader by getting on board with that technology and software ,” the aide said.
Before prescribing or dispensing medication, medical providers would be required gather to information including the prescribing doctor’s name, office address, medication instructions, and the name and address of the patient, in addition to their biometric identifier -- a fingerprint or retinal scan. In other industries, facial and vein recognition have also been used for verification.
The patient’s data would be converted into a unique identifier and sent (encrypted) to the pharmacy. Only the receiving pharmacy could decrypt the information. That’s how it should work. But privacy advocates say gathering so much data would provide dangerously detailed information about patients if hackers decided to target the database.
Linda Gorman and Amy Oliver of the Independence Institute, a conservative think tank based in Colorado, say mandating fingerprints and taking retinal scans forces people to choose between getting adequate medical care and privacy.
“Data kept in paper files in separate offices is hard to steal. It becomes insecure when it is uploaded to an electronic database,” they wrote in a joint letter to The Gazette . “Under that bill, you won’t be able to get prescription medications or controlled over-the-counter medications without providing a biometric identifier…. Failure to comply would be a Class 1 misdemeanor, a crime as serious as the possession of child pornography or third degree assault.”
Steve Siegel, CEO of Biotech Medical Software said the company developed the technology not to mine data, but to plug holes in the prescribing process that allow drugs to be obtained illegally.
“We’ve discovered some flaws in the State of Colorado that some people don’t realize,” said Steve Siegel, CEO of Biotech Medical Software by phone on Monday. “For example, their Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) doesn’t require ID verification for someone to fill a prescription so a lot of information in the system is probably erroneous. And most pharmacies don’t require ID. They just ask for the person’s address verbally…Why is it called a controlled substance if you you’re not verifying who’s getting it?”
Siegel says it impacts people trying to fill prescriptions legally too. “If a patient forgets their apartment number and the pharmacist just enters the building number, well that patient could be denied a prescription because someone else is using that address,” he said.
Gorman worries that the biometric database will be combined with other databases to dictate they type of health care people can get. "Our concern is that they will eventually link these [biometric] databases to something you can't opt out of...[this bill would require] I have to give them something before I get health care that I didn't have to before because they're bad at monitoring their programs?"
The biometric system and database would also provide data in real time. “Federal law requires verification for pseudoephedrine, but it’s not in real time. So once they arrest you, they look back at the record to build a case against you. Our system would tell a pharmacy or doctor right then where that medicine was filled already,” he said.
Siegel says the database would be completely anonymous. If someone was to hack the system, they would see a biometric signature and a medication, but not a patient associated with that information, he said.
Based on available government incentives for sending prescriptions electronically, Siegel says he sees biometric prescribing going nationwide by 2014.
Gorman hopes not. "They're wanting people to do this for a prescription when they don’t even require ID to vote? Are they going to have retinal scans on the vending machines that hold Plan B?"
Lawmakers will discuss the bill on Thursday. The hearing will be broadcast live on the Colorado General Assembly Web site.
photos from flickr by frostnova and zenliorac | <urn:uuid:88109439-de89-4eb3-a933-72fa9a7511c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.securitymanagement.com/print/9665?page=0%2C1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945512 | 1,327 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Government, nonprofit helping landowners restore trees ravaged by Katrina
by Associated Press
Published: March 13,2012
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI — The federal government and a nonprofit organization are working to help private landowners restore stands of oaks, cypress and other hardwoods ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Hurricane Katrina killed or severely damaged about 320 million trees in less than 24 hours when it swept through Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama in August 2005, according to The United States Department of Agriculture.
The program offers six-foot seedlings to re-plant and restore 600 acres of hardwoods over the next two planting seasons, Wesley Kerr, NRCS South Area conservationist, told the Hattiesburg American.
For the past three years, its Natural Resources Conservation Service and Restore the Earth Foundation Inc., have helped reforest about 30,000 acres of private land with 1.5 million hardwood seedlings in Mississippi’s lower six counties and five Louisiana parishes.
NRCS is now offering the same chance to landowners in Mississippi’s Pine Belt,
“This is a golden opportunity for landowners who want to diversify their forest stands by planting some bottomland, hardwood species,” Kerr said.
Henry Hudson, who owns Turkey Pine Plantation in Sumrall, says the program sounds promising.
“The trees were just decimated by Katrina,” Hudson said. “This is a healthy thing.”
In February, USDA said its 2012 plans include $2.7 million to rebuild the longleaf pine ecosystem in the DeSoto National Forest. Planting those trees should mean work for local foresters, Hudson said.
The hardwood project is another attempt to mitigate environmental damage, though this one focuses on private rather than public land.(equals)
A $540,000 grant from USDA’s Farm Service Agency to Restore the Earth Foundation is allowing the hardwood project to move into the Pine Belt.
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- Entrepreneurs want ordinance change to add micro-brewery | <urn:uuid:4f15660d-7127-495d-a59a-e780e324972a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://msbusiness.com/blog/2012/03/13/government-nonprofit-helping-landowners-restore-trees-ravaged-by-katrina/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926535 | 534 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Here is my perspective essay. Could you please give me a grade on a scale of 1 to 6 with 6 being the best? I am looking forward for your comments! Thanks
“Complete disclosure of facts by a country’s leaders is not always in the best interest of
Although the public has the right to be told the truth by their leaders regarding the various aspects of the nation to which they pledge allegiance, certain pieces of information are better kept below the radar for all the right reasons. Some may argue that in an ever expanding media coverage it will prove difficult to hide anything really, but such measures may be deemed necessary at times when the benefit of their secrecy greatly outweigh those brought about after their divulgence.
When it comes to the preservation of classified information, the CIA and former KGB set extraordinary examples. All the nations worldwide have their own versions of such entities, whose primary aim is to increase the awareness and the intelligence of one country regarding its neighbors. Possessing such knowledge in itself is considered classified because a country’s greatest strength might lie in the fact that its enemies are not aware that their systems are being breached. Imagine how it would be if the CIA released a report each day of the new intelligence gathered about countries worldwide! It would not only jeopardize the safety of its undercover agents, but also basically make the information completely useless.
An arabic axiom states that you should never spread out your dirty laundry in front of the neighbors. The truth can sometimes be ugly and very aceric. This is especially crucial nowadays, as news crosses all borders. Since it is widely known that nothing travels faster than bad news, when released out in the open, a single episode may paint a disturbing image about the behavior of an entire population and cause them to be perceived in a fallacious manner worldwide. For the interest of those citizens, such scandals need to be handled with discretion and as long as the culprits receive an appropriate punishment for their deeds, the civil rights will have been fulfilled and no moral obligation will necessitate its release.
In addition, at times of war, it is sometimes a good idea to keep the public in the dark. Embedded among those citizens are spies, who pass on every little piece of information they encounter to the enemy lines. It would hardly be a wise decision to discuss the army’s plan of attack or how the defense lines are constructed on national television. Surely, sharing some information is essential so as to involve the public in the atmosphere of the battlefield, but certain vital tactics need to be in covert. In the 6th October War, fought by the Egyptian army who surprised the enemy with an afternoon attack, the public didn’t hear about it until late that evening.
In conclusion, I believe that elected leaders should exercise their rational thinking to discern between the importance of candour and the welfare of the people. Once a line has been demarcated, news agencies should freely wander within the indicated green zone, yet deter from crossing the red line. | <urn:uuid:8568050f-50de-446a-bb7c-227e627a0d3c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/1007751-scale-1-6-a.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964636 | 611 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Angered the Canadian military was in Afghanistan, Saad Gaya and Saad Khalid joined a terrorist group that plotted truck bombings in downtown Toronto. Caught in 2006, they are now imprisoned for terrorism.
But not necessarily for much longer.
Gaya became eligible for unescorted temporary absences in September, while Khalid will be eligible next week, which has some asking questions about what the government has been doing to help convicted extremists like them abandon their violent beliefs.
From the guilty pleas and convictions of the Toronto 18 ringleaders to the return of Omar Khadr from Guantanamo Bay, Canada is experiencing a bulge in the number of prisoners behind bars for terrorism-related offences.
Although they still number only a handful, they are a growing part of the inmate population and their imprisonment has created fundamental challenges for the government — foremost how to rehabilitate them so they don’t continue their terror campaigns once they are released.
While the Correctional Service of Canada declined to comment, those familiar with the issue said in interviews they were concerned not enough was being done. “There’s zero help,” said Ibrahim Downey, who has counseled prisoners in Toronto since the 1980s. He said extremist inmates needed more support, both in prison and after they are released. “If they’ve come now to change themselves and they’ve left behind some of this radical behaviour, don’t they deserve a second chance?”
The government itself has been raising alarms about those it calls radicalized offenders. “Given their unique risk factors, standard correctional programs are unlikely to meaningfully influence the recidivism of violent extremists,” Public Safety Canada wrote in 2009.
The CSC’s 2011 annual planning report warned that, “Adequate resources that are required to address the risks posed by radicalized offenders may not be in place.” The 2012 report said the CSC “cannot sustain results with regard to radicalized offenders.”
Canadians need only read the headlines to see what is at stake: rather than reforming terrorists, prisons have a record of breeding them, from the planner of the 2004 Madrid bombings to the members of the Assembly for Authentic Islam, which formed in a California prison and was planning attacks in the U.S.
There are signs it is happening in Canada as well. While awaiting trial, Ali Mohamed Dirie, a member of the Toronto 18 terrorist group who considered white people “filthy” and said he hated non-Muslims, tried to indoctrinate other inmates and recruit them into his terrorist group. He was released last October.
The Correctional Service’s former chief psychologist sees it as a growing problem. Dr. Wagdy Loza authored a 2009 study that found some Canadian offenders held extreme Middle Eastern ideologies characterized by support for the establishment of non-democratic government, hatred for Western culture and a belief in violence for the revival of Islam.
‘This is all based on their fundamental belief that they’re doing the right thing, they’re doing God’s will, so that’s a really challenging thing to overcome’
Prisons are fertile ground for spreading extremist views, said Dr. Loza, past chair of the Canadian Psychological Association’s extremism and terrorism section. “The majority of them are young, frustrated, angry at whatever or maybe at the system. They feel that they are hard done by society. So when you have this, it’s very easy to convert to a radical view.”
Not including Khadr, seven inmates convicted of Anti-Terrorism Act offenses are currently in federal institutions. Five more are awaiting trial in Ontario and Quebec and two Winnipeg men who joined al-Qaeda are wanted on outstanding RCMP warrants. Canada also routinely detains terror suspects pending deportation and extradition.
All those now serving sentences were convicted of crimes motivated by what could be loosely categorized as Islamist extremism, an intolerant anti-democratic and virulently anti-Western worldview that preaches that violence against non-believers is a religious duty and a path to paradise.
“This is all based on their fundamental belief that they’re doing the right thing, they’re doing God’s will, so that’s a really challenging thing to overcome for a correction service,” said Ray Boisvert, a retired former senior CSIS official.
The Correctional Service and CSIS are currently finalizing a joint study on prison radicalization but a government source familiar with the issue said there were signs it may not be as bad as feared and terror convicts were having little success recruiting other inmates.
The government has opted to keep convicted terrorists together rather than spreading them across the prison system. Most are held at the Special Handling Unit, the super-max prison in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Que., which houses about 90 inmates considered the most dangerous in Canada.
“You run the potential they can conspire,” Mr. Boisvert said. “That’s the problem with organized criminal groups when they spend too much time together in federal penitentiaries. By the time they get released they’re ready to roll. But on the other side, ultimately you can keep a better handle on them and they don’t infect others.”
The most contentious debate is whether corrections officials should be striving to de-radicalize inmates, so they will reject extremist ideology, or whether it is enough to disengage them so they at least abandon violent methods.
The CSC’s current approach is to focus on changing violent behaviour rather than ideological or religious beliefs, the government source said. Each offender has a customized correctional plan — a mix of spiritual counseling and social and educational programs. The CSC works with the Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy to provide religious support for offenders.
“This focus is appropriate, given that while some extremists never give up the ideology they may nevertheless be convinced to abandon pursuit of acts of violence through existing correctional programs,” said the source. “That said, the CSC approach contains many of the elements that the programs of other countries highlight as essential.”
‘De-radicalization often entails digging deeply into the religious and ideological roots of political violence, and challenging their legitimacy’
But Dr. Loza said the CSC was making the mistake of assessing and treating those imprisoned for terrorism as if they had committed traditional crimes like thefts and assaults. “This is a unique population and you need unique treatments for them.”
Treating terrorists means tackling the belief system that got them involved in terrorism in the first place — everything from their us-versus-them outlook to the view that their religion is superior to all other faiths and the skewed sense that Muslims suffer disproportionate injustice and that violence is therefore justified, he said.
To do that, the corrections system needs expertise in religion, culture, language and world political events that it currently lacks, he said. “If you don’t have that, you don’t have a clue what you are dealing with,” said the Queen’s University adjunct assistant professor of psychology.
But even a well-funded Saudi program has had mixed success. To reform captured al-Qaeda adherents, the Saudis use a combination of religious instruction, psychological counseling and assistance after release that includes money to buy homes and help finding wives. But it doesn’t always work. One graduate of the program went on to become the leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen.
By contrast, Canada has relatively few terror convicts but that should allow the government to build a “tailored and highly-individualized” program for each one, said Alex Wilner, a senior researcher at the Center for Security Studies in Zurich.
“Doing so should greatly improve the odds of proper rehabilitation and diminish rates of recidivism,” said Mr. Wilner, who wrote a paper on Canadian prison radicalization published by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
The paper recommended: denying extremist inmates access to other prisoners; excluding radical religious leaders from prison; screening prison libraries for radical literature; and investigating de-radicalization and disengagement programs to see what works.
“Effective de-radicalization is more difficult to achieve than disengagement, so Canadians may not have much of a choice in the matter,” Mr. Wilner said. “But more importantly, de-radicalization often entails digging deeply into the religious and ideological roots of political violence, and challenging their legitimacy. I’m not sure Canada will be particularly effective in that regard.”
Khalid and Gaya were “helpers” in the plot to bomb the Toronto Stock Exchange, the CSIS office on Front Street and a military base. Both university students, aged 18 and 19 at the time, they were unloading three tons of ammonium nitrate from a delivery truck when they were arrested. Police found literature about jihad in Khalid’s bedroom.
At their sentencing, the judge was optimistic about their chances of rehabilitation. He said they were young, had no previous record and were remorseful. Gaya said he was ashamed and denounced violence in the name of political and ideological causes.
While the details of their correctional plans are not known, the government source said one Anti-Terrorism Act offender’s rehabilitation program includes psychological counseling to address his extreme thinking, radical ideological beliefs, emotions and thought processes about the perceived injustice towards Muslims. Spiritual counseling is also helping him challenge his extremist religious views. Canadians will find out soon how well it worked.
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American ingenuity – and the quest for sustainability -- is alive and well.
Last week Weyerhaeuser announced it had found a new market for tree fibers. The forestry giant developed a new thermoplastic composite that incorporates specially engineered cellulose fiber, sourced in part from the company's 20 million acres of sustainably managed forests.
Called THRIVE, Weyerhaeuser says the composite material can be used in a variety of applications including: automotive parts, office furniture, household goods, appliances and industrial goods. The cellulose fibers are used in place of fiberglass or mineral reinforcements in the thermoplastic material.
According to Don Atkinson, vice president, marketing and new products for Weyerhaeuser’s Cellulose Fibers business, THRIVE offers excellent tensile strength and flexural properties. “These composites can improve molding cycle times up to 40 percent. Products made with THRIVE require less energy to produce and can reduce wear and tear on processing equipment when compared with those containing abrasive short glass fibers. These substantial benefits create significant advantages for companies looking to reduce their carbon footprints while enhancing performance and productivity,” Atkinson said in a statement.
click image to zoomFord Motor Co. Weyerhaeuser is already working with Ford Motor Co. on ways to incorporate the new material into interior and exterior vehicle components – a move which the automotive company says could lessen the environmental impact of the vehicles. “Specifically, replacing fiberglass, minerals and/or petroleum with a natural, plant-based material can sequester CO2 and ultimately lead to a smaller carbon footprint, among other benefits,” a statement from Ford says.
“Our responsibility to the customer is to increase our use of more sustainable materials in the right applications that benefit both the environment and product performance,” John Viera, Ford global director of Sustainability and Environmental matters, added.
In addition, the automotive company reports the prototype “components weigh about 10 percent less and can be produced 20 to 40 percent faster and with less energy when made with cellulose-based materials compared with fiberglass-based materials.”
What's next on the horizon for wood in cars to reduce the auto's carbon footprint? A comeback of the Woodie? | <urn:uuid:1d74350e-759b-4a12-bde0-86158eb4dade> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood-blogs/karen-koenig/No-Pulp-Fiction-Wood-Fiber-Composite-Can-Thrive-in-Automotives-172029431.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926684 | 466 | 2.109375 | 2 |
When President Obama and Mitt Romney sit down Monday night for the last of their three debates, two things should be immediately evident: there should be no pacing the stage or candidates’ getting into each other’s space, and there should be no veering into arguments over taxes.
This debate is about how America deals with the world — and how it should.
If the moderator, Bob Schieffer of CBS News, has his way, it will be the most substantive of the debates. He has outlined several topics: America’s role in the world, the continuing war in Afghanistan, managing the nuclear crisis with Iran and the resultant tensions with Israel, and how to deal with rise of China.
The most time, Mr. Schieffer has said, will be spent on the Arab uprisings, their aftermath and how the terrorist threat has changed since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. No doubt the two candidates will spar again, as they did in the second debate, about whether the Obama administration was ready for the attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed J. Christopher Stevens, the American ambassador, and three other Americans. Mr. Romney was widely judged to not have had his most effective critique ready, and this time, presumably, he will be out to correct that.
The early line is that this is an opportunity for Mr. Obama to shine, and to repair the damage from the first debate. (He was already telling jokes the other night, at a dinner in New York, about his frequent mention of Osama bin Laden’s demise.)
But we can hope that it is a chance for both candidates to describe, at a level of detail they have not yet done, how they perceive the future of American power in the world. They view American power differently, a subject I try to grapple with at length in a piece in this Sunday’s Review, “The Debatable World.”
But for now, here is a field guide to Monday’s debate.
LIBYA AND BENGHAZI Both candidates will come ready for a fight on this topic, but the question is whether it is the right fight. Mr. Obama already admitted mistakes on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” and promised to get to the bottom of them, but the White House has been less than transparent about what kind of warnings filtered up from the intelligence agencies before the attack on the consulate, and whether there was a way that American security forces could have arrived sooner, perhaps in time to save some of the American lives. No doubt the argument will focus on a narrower issue: why the administration stuck so long to its story that this was a protest against a film that turned into something worse, rather than a preplanned attack by insurgents. For Mr. Romney, the task is to show that the Benghazi attack was symptomatic of bigger failings in the Middle East, a road he started down in the last debate, but an argument he never completed.
IRAN With the revelation in The New York Times on Sunday reported by Helene Cooper and Mark Landler that the Obama administration has secretly agreed in principle to direct, bilateral talks after the election, the urgent question for the candidates is this: in a negotiation, what would you be willing to let Iran hold onto in return for a deal that gave the United States and Israel confidence that Tehran could not gain a nuclear weapons capability? It’s a hard question for both men.
Mr. Romney has said he would not allow Iran to have any enrichment capability at all — something it is allowed under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as long as it is abiding by the treaty’s rules — a position that would kill any talks. But Mr. Obama does not want to say the obvious: that he is willing to allow Iran to hold onto some face-saving enrichment capability as long as it does not retain its stockpiles of medium-enriched fuel, which can be converted to bomb-grade. Also, look for answers to the question of whether the United States would back up Israel if it decided to conduct a military strike against Iran. Mr. Romney wants to show that Mr. Obama has created “daylight” between the United States and Israel; Mr. Obama wants to demonstrate that while he has Israel’s back, he is trying to protect the country from taking an action he considers unwise, at least at this stage.
CYBERWAR Mr. Obama cannot talk about “Olympic Games,” the covert program that the United States has conducted against Iran, with Israel’s help, using a cyberweapon against another country for the first time in history. But do Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney consider cyberweapons a legitimate tool in America’s arsenal, or too risky, since the United States is the most vulnerable country in the world? We have never heard either candidate answer the question.
AFGHANISTAN There was a time when Mr. Romney declared that America should not be negotiating with the Taliban, but that it should be killing all the Taliban. He stopped saying that after his aides suggested that it sounded like a prescription for endless war. Now both Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama say they think that America should be out of Afghanistan by 2014, the internationally agreed deadline for the withdrawal of forces, though Mr. Romney has the caveat that he wants to hear from his generals first. (The generals thought that Mr. Obama’s insistence on setting a clear deadline for withdrawal was a bad idea — as did Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and many others.) So what do we want to hear from the candidates?
For starters, if it looks as if Kabul could fall back into Taliban hands in a few years, do either of them think the United States should re-intervene? It would be nice to know if Mr. Obama agrees with his vice president, Joseph R. Biden Jr., that all American troops should be out by the end of 2014, since the White House plan calls for an “enduring presence” of 10,000 to 15,000 troops that would back up the weak Afghan security forces and keep an eye on Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. (The remaining base would also be a place to launch drone strikes into Pakistan and Afghanistan, when necessary.) And for Mr. Romney, if he believes the pullout in Iraq was too hasty, and the pullout in Afghanistan risks making the same mistake, what kind of continuing presence would he have in mind?
THE ARAB UPRISINGS Afghanistan is already in America’s rearview mirror, but the Arab uprisings are not. Mr. Romney says that the rise of Islamic governments is an Obama administration failure. The White House says that if you have free elections in Islamic nations, you cannot be surprised when the Muslim Brotherhood and the harder-line Salafists win control of the government. The question is how to deal with these governments: conditional aid, to ensure American values are respected? Trade restrictions? Gentle persuasion?
This would also be the area to understand when and why each man would advocate future interventions. Mr. Obama joined in the Libya strike, which Mr. Romney thought was a mistake. But Mr. Obama has been hesitant to do much in Syria — a very different kind of conflict — while Mr. Romney says he would arm the rebels with heavy-duty antiaircraft and antitank weapons. Since the light weapons are already going into the wrong hands, how exactly would he find a way to overthrow Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad?
CHINA Perhaps the most important long-term subject of the debate. Mr. Romney promises a hard line, saying he would declare China as a currency manipulator from Day 1 of his presidency. But he has not said much about Day 2, or Year 2. This is the moment for each candidate to describe how he would counter China’s growing claims in the South China Sea and other disputed territories, how he would handle trade tensions, and how he would manage a world in which the United States, for better or worse, is going to be reliant on Chinese investment in American debt for years to come. And it is the moment for each to give his view of the leadership change under way in China, where three-quarters of the top political posts are about to change hands. | <urn:uuid:a4441d0c-6828-4f1d-b3ba-2f619680fb9d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/21/mondays-debate-puts-focus-on-foreign-policy-clashes/?src=twr | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969583 | 1,713 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Common Land: Overview
In general terms, common land is land owned by one person over which another person is entitled to exercise rights of common (such as grazing animals or cutting bracken for livestock bedding), and these rights are generally exercisable in common with others. However, in legal terms, the situation is inevitably more complex. There is no single definition of the term 'common land', or indeed of 'common' or 'common rights'.
Perhaps the most transparent approach today is to consider common land to be all the land which was registered under the Commons Registration Act 1965 and which is shown as such in the registers held by the commons registration authorities. However, this definition is seldom adopted in any legislation (an exception is liability for livestock on highways crossing common land in the Animals Act 1971). Furthermore, some common land was exempted from registration under the Act, and so is not registered as such, even though it is widely recognised as common land today.
Last updated: 12th April 2010 | <urn:uuid:43b423a6-9ecd-4d8f-9321-badf4c931635> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.southend.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=649&documentID=303 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966918 | 201 | 3.703125 | 4 |
IPCC rejected a proposal for anonymous peer review – see document here (page 12 on).
We haven’t discussed this topic previously (in an IPCC context). On reflection, the adoption of a form of anonymous peer review by IPCC seems to me to be a very good idea and might somewhat mitigate some problems. There is no doubt in my mind that review responses are strongly conditioned by who is making the suggestion. The experiences of Ross and myself are vivid examples.
In the IPCC’s Special report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage of WG III of the Fourth Assessment Report, reviews were anonymous. The review document described the results of anonymous review as being entirely positive:
The TSU prepared a list of Review comments with numbers. The TSU had a conversion table linking the numbers to the Reviewer’s names. During the treatment at the lead author meetings and the formulation of the authors’ responses the authors only saw the numbers. The authors knew that in case they would need to consult an Expert Reviewer for getting some clarifications about his comments, the anonymity could be lifted and the coordinates of the Expert Reviewer would have been made available to the authors. In practice it turned out they did not need to use this provision. The anonymity was continued until finalization of the final draft report.
The Reviewers and authors have been informed beforehand about this procedure. The number of comments was normal compared to other special reports. No Reviewer used improper or inappropriate language. The WG III co chairs and TSU held an enquiry among the authors and Review Editors. They considered the anonymity an improvement, because it made them concentrate fully on the content of the matter, disregarding the persons and their background, which was more time efficient.
The review document summarized the advantages of anonymous review as follows:
• Authors will concentrate on the content of the matter, excluding (subconscious) biases.
• There is positive experience in WG III AR4 – also the Task Force on the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Program (TFI) has practiced anonymous reviews with a positive judgment of the authors and Review Editors.
• Authors cannot be criticized anymore of ignoring comments of specific individuals or representatives of scientific schools or interest groups, as happened in the past.
• It remains possible for authors to contact Expert Reviewers if there is a need for clarification.
These seem pretty convincing arguments. Here are the arguments against:
• The Task Group on Procedures was installed in order to consider the recommendations of the InterAcademy Council (IAC). The IAC did not recommend anonymous Reviews, so there is no compelling reason to address this.
• There is a risk that Exper Reviewers could take advantage of their anonymity by burdening authors with unprofessional or inappropriate comments.
• Measures against biases are already sufficiently taken by having Review Editors and by having a authors working as a group.
• Transparency is crucial to the IPCC process. There would be an imbalance in transparency when authors are known by name and Reviewers are not.
• IPCC needs a consistent approach with regard to its Expert Reviews. Changing the approach to require anonymous Review comments would imply that there is a problem with the named Reviewer approach, which is not the case.
• Named Expert Review is more efficient as it allows writing teams to liaise with Reviewers when there is a need for clarification.
In my opinion, none of these reasons stands up.
The Task Group on Procedures was installed in order to consider the recommendations of the InterAcademy Council (IAC). The IAC did not recommend anonymous Reviews, so there is no compelling reason to address this.
The first argument starkly shows the hypocrisy and opportunism of IPCC. IAC did not recommend (or even consider) Jones-Stocker enhanced confidentiality. This was not not mentioned in the briefing documents for the Jones-Stocker amendment. Worse, they represented the changes as addressing issues raised by the IAC.
There is a risk that Exper Reviewers could take advantage of their anonymity by burdening authors with unprofessional or inappropriate comments.
The IPCC’s own experience with the Carbon Dioxide Task Group was reported to be the opposite. To the extent that accountability was an issue, the reviewer names could be removed from the version given to authors for comment, but restored in the final publication of review comments, thereby ensuring accountability.
Measures against biases are already sufficiently taken by having Review Editors and by having authors working as a group.
Neither of these measures had the slightest deterrent to AR4 author responses. In practice, authors seem to have divided up responsibilities in their chapter and to have been busy handling their own sections without worrying too much about how, for example, Briffa handled review comments in his section.
Transparency is crucial to the IPCC process. There would be an imbalance in transparency when authors are known by name and Reviewers are not.
I agree that transparency is “crucial” to the IPCC process. As discussed elsewhere, IPCC has opposed transparency in favour of confidentiality, with the situation getting worse with the furtive adoption of the Jones-Stocker amendment. In addition, it would be easy enough to add back the reviewer name when the review comments were published. The present system is designed not for transparency, but to enable authors to decide how to respond, depending on who the reviewer was.
IPCC needs a consistent approach with regard to its Expert Reviews. Changing the approach to require anonymous Review comments would imply that there is a problem with the named Reviewer approach, which is not the case.
This is perhaps the stupidest argument – even by IPCC standards. Once again, the pretence of infallibility. There are problems with the named reviewer approach. I can understand an argument that, after considering a balance of problems, an institution might choose one method rather than another. But worrying about the impact on infallibility is not a valid reason.
Named Expert Review is more efficient as it allows writing teams to liaise with Reviewers when there is a need for clarification.
Again, this is a fatuous argument. Their own experience with the Carbon Dioxide Capture Task Group permitted authors to locate reviewers for follow-up if necessary. In addition, there is little evidence from the Climategate emails that AR4 reviewers bothered to do this. Briffa, for example, didn’t try to clarify things with me or Ross. | <urn:uuid:59be33c8-8fc8-4dee-814f-00e3a2ea90cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://climateaudit.org/2012/02/02/ipcc-rejects-anonymous-review/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=f9365a8c97 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961464 | 1,309 | 1.773438 | 2 |
It is a common mistake we make as leaders, thinking we have to have all of the answers all of the time. Here is a newsflash for you – we don’t! In fact it is better for our teams if we don’t. If we are always supplying the answer to “what now?” our teams have no motivation to problem solve on their own and the team’s success is limited by our scope of knowledge. Neither is beneficial for peak performance. Here are a few things to consider the next time you are asked to jump in and “save the day”.
- Does your team have the knowledge they need to make good decisions? If you are doing a good job of mentoring your team, they won’t need you for everything. They will know how to weigh the options and will have valid, logical reasons for their decision – even if it turns out to be the wrong one.
- Does the answer have major consequences? Especially if the decision is small, push your team to decide without involving you. It is very possible that valuable information will be learned if they head down the wrong path for a short while and then have to change direction. If there are no earth shattering consequences with either choice, let them go with the one they think is best.
- Are you willing to stand behind their decision? Even when you aren’t involved in the decision making process it is your job to support your team – including when they are wrong. If you are going to throw them under the bus, then by all means, please make all the decisions for them. And plan on losing all of your best talent because they won’t put up with that for long.
For those decisions that you can’t delegate to your team, relax, you still don’t have to know all the answers. You just have to know where to find them. And sometimes that is the best answer.
Do you struggle with trying to have all the answers and make all the decisions? What challenges or benefits to you have with it? I would love to read you comments. | <urn:uuid:cb841f15-1ad5-4dc0-a02a-e6d7343e835d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://champperformance.com/archives/1357 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976438 | 437 | 1.5625 | 2 |
In today's classroom, religious diversity is common. Even within your own culture, students might have different value systems according to religious belief.
Christmas is coming closer and during your English course you have been working with traditions comparing ways of celebrating. You have, together with some of your students, planned to 'play Christmas' exchanging little gifts and a meal with typical Christmas food. Your English class seem to look forward to this.
All of a sudden a student reacts very harshly and starts to shout at you. The student accuses you of being an ignorant racist and that there are Muslims and Jehovah's Witnesses in the class.
Do you know which different religions are represented in your class and what special festivals and events they celebrate?
Have you used 'religious beliefs and festivals' as a topic for general discussion in the class?
How can you use the religious diversity in your class as a resource to develop learning? | <urn:uuid:6470a851-b457-47f5-b0ab-d38db3922251> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.assetproject.info/valuing_diversity/religion.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965578 | 183 | 3.78125 | 4 |
Bill Protecting Public Access To Fishing Streams Passes Legislature
Today Representative Les Gara’s legislation to ensure future public access to Alaska’s fishing streams, House Bill 144, passed the Senate. It now goes to the Governor. The bill passed the House last year with a vote of 38 Yeas, and today passed the Senate by a vote of 20 to 0.
“We want to protect fishing stream access for this and the next generation. In other states you have to pay access fees, into the thousands of dollars, to fish a stream. We don’t ever want that to happen in Alaska,” said Rep. Les Gara (D-Anch.), an avid fisherman and fishing writer. The legislation will inexpensively promote access to important fishing streams by encouraging voluntary land trades or purchases with willing landowners so Alaskans have public easements to travel to and along fishing streams that will otherwise be lost over time. According to the Department of Fish and Game, prized roadside streams including Montana Creek, the Anchor River and the Salcha River, which Alaskans fish for trout and grayling, have between one and three miles of land that, when developed, will no longer allow for public access so fishermen can fish up and down those streams. Other streams face the same potential fate.
“By working cooperatively with interested landowners now, we can make sure Alaskans have access to our great fishing waters for generations to come,” said Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage).
In some states significant public access has already been lost. For example, in Montana public access is greatly impeded along the Ruby River, a noted trout stream, as well as along 180 miles of the Missouri River. Montana is known for waters that cannot be accessed unless large fees are paid to lodge owners or ranchers.
“As we have seen recently in several western states, stream access cannot be taken for granted. Annual reporting by DNR on Alaska stream access will go a long way towards assuring stream access for future generations,” said Mark Huber, President of the Alaska Fly Fishers Association.
House Bill 144 is supported by the Alaska Fly Fishers Association, the Alaska Sportfishing Association, the Alaska Outdoor Council, and the Kenai River Sportfish Association. | <urn:uuid:b5c90bc6-cf9f-42ec-99f2-7bc01b66e5b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.akbizmag.com/Alaska-Business-Monthly/February-2012/Bill-Protecting-Public-Access-To-Fishing-Streams-Passes-Legislature/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947036 | 475 | 1.882813 | 2 |
If you ask a kid, any kid, to name a famous basketball player, you’re more than likely to see the kid light up with excitement, maybe dunk an imaginary b-ball and run off names with a smirk like Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Jordan, even if they know the latter only by his sneakers. Ask the little one to name a singer: “Beyonce”, “Willow Smith”, “Nicki Minaj.” Now ask her to name a famous Black doctor.
If the year was 1989, she might say “Dr. Huxtable.” In 2013, you’ll hear crickets.
With the debut of Disney Junior’s animated Doc McStuffins last year, kids age 2-7 got to see a portrayal of a little Black girl aspiring to be a doctor. Not a singer. Not a reality TV star. Not a princess. But a doctor. And those aspirations were made even more of a possibility with the network’s introduction of real life African American women who dreamt of becoming and then became…doctors. The series inspired a group of female African American physicians to begin a "movement" they coined, "We Are Doc McStuffins." Seeing a reflection of themselves in the Doc character and the opportunity to inspire young girls, the group grew to form the Artemis Medical Society, an organization of over 2500 female African American physicians and medical students representing 39 states and six countries. The organization’s mission is to serve, nurture and celebrate a global sisterhood of women physicians of color through mentoring, networking and advocacy.
In celebration of Black History Month, Disney Junior will air "We Are Doc McStuffins" interstitials, or shorts, featuring Doc McStuffins alongside three real life female African American physicians and founding members of the Artemis Medical Society: Dr. Myiesha Taylor, Dr. Aletha Maybank, and Dr. Naeemah Ghafur. The doctors will be featured sharing what their jobs entail, and saluting their heroes.
Dr. Taylor says, “Doc McStuffins is important to me because I am that little girl. And it’s not just me. My female friends who are physicians have all been talking about Doc. We love what she represents…We didn’t have Doc or anything close to her on television when we were growing up. Many of the cartoons we watched contained stereotypes regarding minorities that would never be aired today.”
She continues, “In 20 years we should see the first group of medical school graduates who will say their dream of becoming a doctor began when they saw their first telecast of Doc McStuffins. Then someone can write the story or thesis about the Doc McStuffins effect on healthcare. Won’t that be amazing?”
[WATCH] "We Are Doc McStuffins"
Disney's "We are Doc McStuffins" Black History Month Campaign featuring Dr. Myiesha Taylor, Emergency Physician
Indeed it will be. A typical Artemis member is likely to be between the ages of 26 and 40 years old. She is likely to have at least one child and her household income is between $125,000 and $400,000 per year. The segments the doctors filmed provide a kind of “reality television” for little girls, a reality where women are celebrated for promoting healthy habits and positive behavior; a balance to the reality TV we see today that oversells sex and cat fighting. It is a reality that enables children to answer when asked about a famous doctor, “Dr. Helen Dickens, Dr. Alexa Canady, Dr. Regina Benjamin.”
“It's important that children see physicians that have backgrounds similar to theirs,” says Dr. Ghafur. “The percentage of African -American physicians in this country is so small (less than 3%). There were real voids that are beginning to be filled with the establishment of the Artemis Medical Society (a direct result of The We Are Doc Mc Stuffins Movement). Our presence in different types of media influence children (young and older) as well as their parents. If no one ever tells you that you are capable of something or you never see anyone that looks like you or is from a similar background as you making great accomplishments you might never believe that you can make the same thing happen.”
Dr. Maybank reminds us, “Doc McStuffins provides this wonderful opportunity for young black children to see, believe and eventually become a physician, however our goal in a society that truly values diversity is not a message that Black people can be doctors too but that rather ANYONE can become a doctor if that is your desire and you work hard for it.”
The shorts began airing on Disney Channel and Disney Junior on Friday, February 1 following a new Doc McStuffins Valentine's Day themed episode and will air throughout the month of February.
Herina Ayot is a freelance writer in the New York Metropolitan area. Follow her on Twitter @ReeExperience. | <urn:uuid:65e78bbb-5b21-40e1-aaeb-f1e8914dec15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ebony.com/entertainment-culture/disney-celebrates-black-history-month-with-we-are-doc-mcstuffins-305 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956775 | 1,061 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Posttransplantation Dental Treatment
Caution should be exercised when considering dental treatment for transplant patients until immune reconstitution has occurred; the time frame for this reconstitution can vary from 6 months to 12 months. Although hematologic parameters, including complete blood count and differential, may be documented as within normal limits, functional immune abnormalities may still be present. Patients should not resume routine dental treatment, including dental scaling and polishing, until adequate immunologic reconstitution has occurred; this includes recovery from graft-versus-host disease. The aerosolization of debris and bacteria during the use of ultrasonic or high-speed rotary cutting instruments can put the patient at risk for aspiration pneumonia; additionally, bacteremias often occur as a result of dental treatment, and their impact can be noticeable.
For patients who need urgent or emergency dental treatment, prophylactic antibiotics and strategies to reduce the potential influence of aspirating dental aerosols should be used. Additional administration of antibiotics should be determined by the patient’s risk of infection caused by the presenting condition or as a sequela of treatment.
Appropriate supportive care—including antibiotics, immunoglobulin G administration, adjustment of steroid doses, and/or platelet transfusions—should be comprehensively considered before invasive oral procedures are undertaken. | <urn:uuid:b31c741d-17c1-417b-a09d-3043c8930b0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/oralcomplications/HealthProfessional/page11/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919595 | 270 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Researching Local Agencies (Non-Profits) addressing the Social Causes
Once you have identified the types of social causes that interests your group(s), you will then need to identify Non-Profit Organizations that are meeting those needs. One effective way is for students to have a brainstorming session to name as many non-profits as they can in the area. Asking parents and other adults can help increase the size of this list as well.
The challenge is finding the agencies that are off of the radar of the students. We want students to try to find those smaller, less visible organizations where $1000 can make a huge difference. These tend to be smaller organizations that don't necessarily have a strong web presence.
To help non-profits get on your radar screen, we have set up a registration form that will let you know about them. Click the Community Needs page to see which agencies have registered to date. Note: This is clearly not a comprehensive list and should not be the primary source of exploration, but rather should one of the many places students go to explore community needs.
Here are some other web resources for your exploration.
211 Community Resource Directory A searchable database of service providers in the UWGC area
United Way of Greater Cincinnati A list of the local organizations that receive United Way (UWGC)
Manta.com An alphabetical list of non-profits in Cincinnati area - dealing with social issues
Cityatlas.net A very abbreviated list of non-profit agencies that serve our area
ExpressCincinnati.com An list of non-profit agencies and art organizations
Cincinnati Better Business Bureau Excellent information on non-profits in the area
GuideStar.org Great source of info about non-profits including tax forms - requires free registration
Directions for using GuideStar.org Information assembled by Missy Gish with Campus Connects
Charity Watch American Institute of Philanthropy's guide to helping you give wisely to charity
Charity Navigator Evaluates financial health of thousands of America's largest charities
Non-Profit List A list of non-profits by state and region | <urn:uuid:ee71ffb6-bff2-4c26-92a4-be32d2640c5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.magnifiedgiving.org/nporesearch | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918782 | 434 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Much of my experience of this place over the years, like that of many washashores, has been pure romance. "Washashore" is what natives in these parts call non-native residents. There are worse things to be called than washashore. You could be, and most of us were earlier in our evolution, a "summer complaint", the old term for varieties of summer people, part-time residents, summer renters, tourists and creatures still lower in the local hierarchy. In the big picture, washashore status is something of an achievement. Nevertheless there is in the term a bit of insult, an implication that, like the flotsam, jetsam, and driftwood that wash up on the beach, you occupy marginal space and might just wash away on the next tide.***
With our move here ten years ago the honeymoon begun in 1959 in a tent on the beach was over. My education in the reality of small towns, this small town, began. I think at first in some fuzzy way I thought that by choosing to live fulltime in this town we would be getting an even stronger dose of the romance of our part-time experience—isn't that too often the motive for marriage: Fulltime access to the charms of the beloved? Real life here has of course proved otherwise.
Raising a child in a place is one sure cure for the disease of romance. Since we live only a third of a mile down a beautiful sand road from the elementary school, we imagined that our five year old, who started kindergarten the very week we moved, would walk every day down the sand road to school-perhaps, in season, barefoot, like Tom Sawyer; and surely the local teachers, being Wellfleet teachers, would approve. As it turned out he never once made that walk, barefoot or not. Refusing from the start to cooperate with our romantic vision, he chose to walk up to the paved road to catch the bus for that two-minute ride, his motives bodily ease and social opportunity.
"Brent Harold writes about his adopted town with uncommon wit and
literary grace. Though the issues and principles that Harold writes
about in Wellfleet and the World are local, the behavior and
principles they shed light upon broadly reflect the current American
—Robert Finch, author, The Cape Itself and Death of a Hornet and Other Cape Cod Essays
"Consider what San Francisco's Herb Caen, Chicago's Mike Royko and New
York's Joseph Mitchell did for their towns. Out on the farther reaches
of the Cape, Brent Harold demonstrates that civic journalism is as vital
to small towns as it is to large cities."
—Ray Oldenburg, author, The Great Good Place
"In Wellfleet and the World, Brent Harold paints a charming portrait
of a charming little town on the sea... His book will make the
expression 'washashore' familiar and enticing to many readers...a
good read for all seasons."
—Howard Zinn, author, A People's History of the United States | <urn:uuid:1d10878f-caac-40d1-ae72-69554ca6c341> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brentharold.com/well_world.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951581 | 633 | 1.546875 | 2 |
trustArticle Free Pass
trust, in Anglo-American law, a relationship between persons in which one has the power to manage property and the other has the privilege of receiving the benefits from that property. There is no precise equivalent to the trust in civil-law systems.
A brief treatment of trusts follows. For full treatment, see property law: Trusts.
The trust is of great practical importance in Anglo-American legal systems. Consciously created trusts, usually called “express trusts,” are used in a wide variety of contexts, most notably in family settlements and in charitable gifts. Courts may also impose trusts on people who have not consciously created them in order to remedy a legal wrong (“constructive trusts”).
Fundamental to the notion of the trust is the division of ownership between “legal” and “equitable.” This division had its origins in separate English courts in the late medieval period. The courts of common law recognized and enforced the legal ownership, while the courts of equity (e.g., Chancery) recognized and enforced the equitable ownership. The conceptual division of the two types of ownership, however, survived the merger of the law and equity courts that occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries. Thus, today, legal and equitable interests are usually enforced by the same courts, but they remain conceptually distinct.
The basic distinction between legal and equitable ownership is quite simple. The legal owner of the property (the “trustee”) has the right to possession, the privilege of use, and the power to convey those rights and privileges. The trustee thus looks like the owner of the property to all the world except one person, the beneficial owner (“beneficiary”). As between the trustee and the beneficiary, the beneficiary receives all the benefits of the property. The trustee has the fiduciary duty to the beneficial owner to exercise his legal rights, privileges, and powers in such a way as to benefit not himself but the beneficiary. If the trustee fails to do this, the courts will require him to account to the beneficiary and may, in extreme cases, remove him as legal owner and substitute another in his stead.
The divisions between legal and beneficial ownership are normally created by an express instrument of trust (usually a deed of trust or a will). The maker (“settlor”) of the trust will convey property to the trustee (who may be an individual or a corporation, such as a bank or trust company) and instruct the trustee to hold and manage the property for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries of the trust.
While trusts are normally created by an express instrument of trust, courts will sometimes imply a trust between people who have not gone through the formal steps. A simple example would be the situation in which one member of a family advances money to another and asks the second member to hold the money or to invest it for him. A more complicated example of an implied trust would be the situation in which one party provides money to another for the purchase of property. Unless such provision was explicitly made as a gift or as the natural expression of a close relationship (e.g., parent-child), the acquired property is held in trust for the person who provided the money even though the second party holds the legal title. (This type of trust is frequently called a “resulting trust.”) Finally, courts will sometimes impose a trust relationship upon parties where there is no evidence that such a relationship was intended. For example, where one party obtains property from another by making fraudulent representations, the defrauding party is frequently required to hold the property in trust for the defrauded party. (This type of trust is a constructive trust.)
Private express trusts are probably the most common form of trust. They are a traditional means of providing financial security for families. By will or by deed of trust, a testator or settlor places property in trust to provide for his family after he is deceased. The trustee may be a professional or may be a member of the family with experience in managing money, or a group of trustees may be chosen. The trustees will invest the property in a way that allows them to make regular payments to the deceased’s survivors. In some situations, such as where the deceased left minor or incompetent survivors, a court may create a trust for such persons’ benefit, even if the deceased did not do so. Hence, statutory guardianships for minors and incompetents are sometimes called “statutory trusts.”
Public express trusts are created to benefit larger numbers of people, or, at least, are created with wider benefits in mind. The most common public trusts are charitable trusts, whose holdings are intended to support religious organizations, to enhance education, or to relieve the effects of poverty and other misfortunes. Such trusts are recognized for their beneficial social impact and are given certain privileges, such as tax exemption. Other public trusts are not considered charitable and are not so privileged. These include holdings for public groups with a common interest, such as a political party, a professional association, or a social or recreational organization.
In the commercial sector, trusts have come to play important roles. Trusts may be established to manage various funds designated for special purposes by businesses and corporations. Such designations might include funds deposited against bonds issued by the company or liens on property that are being used as collateral against bonds. Money for employee-pension funds or profit-sharing programs is often managed through trust arrangements. Such commercial trusts are almost always managed by corporate trustees.
Some modern civil-law systems, such as that of Mexico, have created an institution like a trust, but this has normally been done by adapting trust ideas from the Anglo-American system rather than by developing native ideas. In civil-law jurisdictions, many of the purposes to which the Anglo-American trust is put can be achieved in other ways. For example, the charitable trust of Anglo-American law has a close analogy in the civil-law “foundation” (French fondation, German Stiftung). Regarding the purposes for private express trusts mentioned above, lawyers in European countries get professional management for assets by turning them over to managers who are paid a fee for their services. There is, however, a greater preference in civil-law countries than there is in Anglo-American ones for the administration of property by the person who owns and benefits from it.
What made you want to look up "trust"? Please share what surprised you most... | <urn:uuid:35e311e3-a783-466f-b688-5142e52faaa9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/607352/trust | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969361 | 1,334 | 3.46875 | 3 |
The University of Maryland Medical Center researchers had
study participants choose music that made them feel good and brought them
a sense of joy. It turned out that listening to their selections actually
caused tissue in the inner lining of blood vessels to dilate (or expand)
in order to increase blood flow. Specifically, the diameter of blood vessels
grew by 26 percent when a person listened to happy music.
I’m not suggesting that you replace exercise with music to
improve your heart health, but it’s still a cool factoid. Couple that
with my main man, Daniel Levitin’s research that shows that music can lift your
spirits, good music is obviously good “medicine.”
And you know what else is good for your circulation?
Laughter! What? Yeah, all those jokes at the gym actually improve my
“We had previously demonstrated that positive emotions, such
as laughter, were good for vascular health. So, a logical question was whether
other emotions, such as those evoked by music, have a similar effect,” says
principal investigator Michael Miller, M.D., director of preventive
cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center and associate professor
of medicine at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine.
All this hard research simply underscores the real value to
a business in aligning itself with an All-Music radio station like Jazz 88.3.
You get the 'Halo Effect’ of listeners patronizing your business because they
appreciate your company helping us do what we do, coupled with the
fact that you are actually encouraging your customers’ cardiovascular health!
Wow, what a tremendous public service your business is doing.
Oh, by the way, listening to anxiety-triggering music
caused the diameter of the subject's blood vessels to decrease by
6 percent. So be careful what you listen to.
People often refer to Jazz 88.3 as a “radio station.” Forty years ago, when we started playing Jazz
and Blues, that was a perfect description of the services we provided to the
community. Today, however, we are much
more than an entertainment-service-formerly-known-as-a-radio-station.
Sure, we present endlessly varied, interesting music al
statements of time, space and being, seen through the lens of the American
experience to San Diego and Southern California via our traditional terrestrial
broadcast. But we also offer the same
insight to listeners across the country and around the world via our online
stream, and our mobile apps. And it
doesn’t stop there. (I know I’m
preaching to the choir, but there’s a reason for this.)
We present 14 live concerts in the acoustically perfect Lyman
Saville Theatre at San Diego City College.
We host eleven Happy Hours a year where people gather to enjoy one
another’s company accompanied by terrific local artists’ performances, as well
as roof-top gatherings during the summer at the Westgate, and other incidental
events around the county.
Besides all this, we support the interest of new people in
Jazz and the Blues, and by “new” I mean newly hatched humans. Kids, of all ages. That is the purpose of this long intro. We
have four on-going, long term music education programs that connect this music
to children today. And connect it
does. You know the toe-tapping, mood
changing power of these sounds. The
syncopations, melodies and improvisations that never grow old, and always bring
a smile. We believe that kids need to
know that there are musical alternatives to the thumping bass line or the
electronically enhanced vocal. And that
those alternatives can be very spiritually satisfying. (Okay, so the kids don’t realize that it’s
emotional satisfaction that they crave, but we
can talk about it when they’re not here.)
All this being said, I present a letter we received in
response to our sponsorship of Jazz: An American Art Form, for Title I
schools. JAAAF is a 45-minute enrichment
program, based on the spontaneous evolution of this music, presented by four of
San Diego’s most outstanding musicians.
Title I schools rarely have the budget for enrichment programs, so,
working with our private donors, we have arranged funding for these
presentations for more than 18,000 area students in the past 3 years. Why bother?
What’s the big deal? The note
from a Title I parent below tells you.
Read full article at: ARE WE RADIO?
|Jazz is Presidential! Research about the neuro functionality of the brain as it absorbs, understands and relates to music is exploding. Technology is now able to identify the exact areas of the brain where these processes take place, and we understand that music ignites at least seven different areas of the brain. A preeminent scientist in this field is Daniel Levitin, the author of This is Your Brain on Music. He is a former musician/producer/turned neuroscientist, so he's got a 360-degree point of view about music in general. And his passion is clear in all his work. |
So, am I the only one who didn't pay much attention to the
stunt when the guy broke the sound barrier? I guess 8 million people
watched it live, but when I saw the story on the web, I thought, "Ho
hum." It's not that it wasn't a feat, and must have been incredibly
frightening and cool at the same time, but I was hardly overwhelmed with
excitement. And, here's the kicker, I didn't even read the writing all
over the guy's suit. There. I said it. I didn't even notice
it. Sponosors' logos on sportswear have become ubiquitous. Like
graffiti, they make people's eyes glaze over.
And yet, marketing people are all abuzz about the marketing genius
of Red Bull Stratos further blurring the lines of differentiation between
advertising, cause marketing and blatant self-promotion.
Was this a brilliant was to sell more product?
Probably. As a non-user of energy drinks in general, my loss is no
big deal to them. Besides, I'm hardly in the demo.
But from another point of view, I can't think of much that
would make me less likely to ever consider the purchase of a
Red Bull can. I find this stunt environmentally offensive. The
author of the post says, "The beauty of Red Bull Stratos is that it's
not just a sensational stunt, but a business move that could translate into
estimated sales of tens of millions of dollars, according to Ben
Sturner, founder and CEO of Leverage Agency, a New York City-based sports,
entertainment and media marketing company." Ick.
|So, am I the only one who didn't pay much attention to the stunt when the guy broke the sound barrier? I guess 8 million people watched it live, but when I saw the story on the web, I thought, "Ho hum." It's not that it wasn't a feat, and must have been incredibly frightening and cool at the same time, but I was hardly overwhelmed with excitement. And, here's the kicker, I didn't even read the writing all over the guy's suit. There. I said it. I didn't even notice it. Sponosors' logos on sportswear have become ubiquitous. Like graffiti, they make people's eyes glaze over. |
And yet, marketing people are all abuzz
about the marketing genius of Red Bull Stratos further blurring the lines of differentiation between advertising, cause marketing and blatant self-promotion.
Was this a brilliant was to sell more product? Probably. As a non-user of energy drinks in general, my loss is no big deal to them. Besides, I'm hardly in the demo.
The author goes on to brag about the excellence of the Red Bull Air Race. Again, Ick. Why?
The Air Race is loud, intrusive and annoying. And it wastes a ton of fossil fuel! Sorry, I just can't get behind the "genius" of a company that pollutes the air all in the pursuit of tens of millions of dollars. Yes, I think free enterprise is a good thing. And no, I don't think that profit is inherently bad. I just think that being environmentally respectful is everyone's responsibility. I also resent the subliminally intended advertising. That's no good for anybody.
Last night, Candidate Romney had no trouble at all promising
to eliminate all Federal funding for public broadcasting. He didn't even
blink as he looked at the debate moderator, whose paycheck comes from a public
entity. Here's a link to the
television side's response to Romney's comments. But this post is not
intended to be political. I'm not trying to direct votes.
Read full article at: Beyond Big Bird
Pat Launer's Center Stage
|Click +1 if you like this song |
Listen to Jazz 88.3 with our FREE
|Click on the +1 button|
if you like this page | <urn:uuid:63da1f9e-6667-4286-90e1-9e87b7243bc0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jazz88.org/authors/Ann_Bauer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953534 | 1,981 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Figuring It Out
Figuring It Out: Giving Back Is Integral
Published: Tuesday, November 6, 2012 at 2:40 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 6, 2012 at 2:40 p.m.
Giving back: What does it mean?
When someone says "service to give back," it's actually quite normal to wonder what exactly it is you are giving back. Where is it going and why should we feel obligated to give anything to anyone? Well, let's discuss.
Community service is something one will face at least once in their lives. It's not because of punishment or strange motives, but this powerful force tends to act as it wishes. When we think of service, we often like to imagine working in third-world countries to end HIV -- or something along those lines.
The truth is, service comes in all shapes and sizes and particular flavors as well. When choosing projects to embark on, you must keep in mind what your interests are. If you like food and culinary work, you can work at a soup kitchen to help make food for the homeless.
Not always do we have the resources to do the grandest of actions for the bettering of the world. Instead, start small and think big. Taking methodical steps from a small goal to a bigger goal will result in success in the long run. Yet, what does "giving back" entail?
In your community, friends, family, teachers and maybe even your mailman work to provide you some things in your life that cannot be found anywhere else. These people make up your community, which gives you the TLC you need all through life. It is important to think about reciprocating those actions. Take the same TLC the community gave to you and return it to the community itself; Host fundraisers, walks and car washes to raise money for arts programs, sports events, and even more efforts than you could possibly imagine.
Charity does really start at home. Your community really is your home. Most of all, work to spread the word. Organize your friends and collaborate on some ideas you are passionate about.
As Muhammad Ali once said, "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth".
[ Kriyana Reddy, a ninth-grader at International Baccalaureate school in Bartow, can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. ]
This story appeared in print on page B7
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:75112f7a-564b-4417-b115-39e94be719d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theledger.com/article/20121106/NEWS/211065000/1005/NEWS02?Title=Figuring-It-Out-Giving-Back-Is-Integral | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965801 | 548 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Last Wednesday, March 20, the Connecticut Assembly's Public Health Committee began its consideration of a bill modeled after Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. My heart swelled as I sat with them and heard the witness of these decent, altruistic, dedicated people.
If "the people" does not, and cannot, mean all people, and if the Founders did not further specify which people -- then that is a question we are obligated to ask and answer. Which people? And, similarly, what arms?
The states have the power to allow and regulate assisted suicide or to prohibit it, and with enough pressure from critical thinkers we will someday have the freedom to end our lives with dignity. If enough critical thinkers band together, someday we'll be able to live and die on our own terms.
People of conscience weigh key moral issues. They study and struggle with the questions at hand. They engage in a lifetime effort to develop the fine-tuned moral sensitivity needed to understand deeply Church teaching on critical issues.
Eighteen years ago, Dr. Peter Goodwin led the fight to grant Oregonians the right to end-of-life choice. Terminally ill with a rare, fatal brain disease with no known cure, Peter exercised the right to a peaceful death he helped secure.
The dictionary defines suicide as "the act of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally." The intent was clear in both cases. Both John and Mary wanted to end their lives as quickly as possible. Why did the method matter? | <urn:uuid:c20cb471-a919-457b-9f71-5a6fde8b90c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/assisted-suicide | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962448 | 305 | 1.867188 | 2 |
It costs less than $50 to grow an ounce of pot, according to folks I've met who engage in that practice for fun and profit. Street prices are inflated because of the associated legal consequences. Since dispensaries won't face that expense, they ought to be able to offer cancer patients and people living with AIDS a little relief for no more than $75 to $100 an ounce and still cover their overhead.
But government bureaucrats are concerned that if the dispensaries price their pot that cheaply, those sneaky sick people won't smoke it themselves. Instead, they'll sell it on the black market, where they could allegedly receive as much as $450 an ounce. So to prevent diversion, these forward-thinking officials made sure the dispensaries set the price of their grass at levels equal to or above the street value.
It apparently never occurred to them that if people in need of medical marijuana (who already have to purchase a $100 license just to be allowed to shop at the dispensaries) could buy the drug at a reasonable cost, they'd stop doing business with illegal suppliers, which is how many of them currently get their medication. To compete, the street would have to cut its prices (Rebates! Newspaper coupons! Discounts for ordering online!). But there's no danger of that happening, because the alternative-universe clunkheads in charge have crafted what amounts to price guarantees for illegal marijuana producers.
You have to wonder what they're smoking.
Angry? Take a deep breath. Hold it. Hold it. OK, exhale. There, don't you feel calmer? Now, tell me all about what's harshing your mellow by firstname.lastname@example.org.
: Talking Politics
, Politics, Marijuana, humor, More | <urn:uuid:dbe3e5b9-dd44-4083-afc5-33413b9923b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thephoenix.com/Boston/news/106631-illegal-smile/?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975869 | 362 | 1.570313 | 2 |
¡Si, si se puede! - yes, it can be done!
The name of this column - "Never Ourselves Alone" - demands of me, I think, some ink space about the successful ending of the UCC-supported Taco Bell boycott. It's a people-powered victory worthy of widespread church applause.
When the four-year boycott ended on March 8, with Taco Bell's no-longer-entrenched president saying, "We will be the first in our industry to directly help improve farm workers' wages," the church of Jesus Christ stood tall on the shoulders of countless, martyred saints of the faith - and of the fields.
It's been about four years ago since I stood at the simple, but monumental grave of United Farm Workers' founder Cesar Chavez in La Paz, Calif. There, at the UFW's historic campground and headquarters - a living museum of sorts to Chavez's lifelong witness for justice - I saw firsthand how Chavez taught that solidarity is both a political strategy and a religious value.
Chavez knew that impoverished, often-invisible farmhands alone could not change the economic and political system that rendered them society's throw-away workers. Traditional strike tactics would not succeed. Instead, what was needed was a steadfast coalition of people of good will - people with the capacity of mind and heart to learn of the farm workers' plight and stand with them.
The UFW's strategy has been successfully modeled again and again by farm worker organizations, including Florida's Coalition of Immokalee Workers which launched and led the more-than-uphill Taco Bell effort in April 2001.
Similarly, the Toledo, Ohio-based Farm Labor Organizing Committee, led by the courageous Baldemar Valesquez, waged a hard-fought effort against the Mt. Olive Pickle Company on behalf of North Carolina's cucumber pickers. It also ended successfully less than six months ago.
In both instances, the UCC was the first national religious body to join the farm workers' campaigns. And, fortunately, we were not the last. One by one, as communities of faith signed on, the balance of power tilted in God's favor.
In the case of Taco Bell, those in Florida who picked tomatoes for the fast-food giant were paid only 40 cents for every 32-pound bucket, the same per-piece rate offered 30 years ago. At that wage, farm workers would have to pick and haul two tons of tomatoes daily to earn $50.
But, in defiance of this injustice, countless congregations and members did what they could, when they could. Youth groups refused to get off buses when unsuspecting drivers stopped at Taco Bell restaurants. Churches held weekly or monthly vigils outside Taco Bell outlets. UCC members flooded the chain's corporate offices with cards and letters, especially at Christmas. Pastors raised the issue from their pulpits, and parishioners participated in rallies and "truth tours."
"[It's] a bit like David confronting Goliath," said Edith Rasell, the UCC's national staffperson who gave much time and energy to the boycott on our collective behalf.
Yes, I know, there were some in our churches who grumbled. A vocal few argued that we shouldn't be involved in such controversial things. But, in the end, God's poorest ones got a much-needed raise - and a good measure of dignity. I think Jesus would be proud of our wise-as-serpents, gentle-as-doves approach.
"For a lot of people, these complex issues seem very distant - half a continent away. But the [boycott] put a human face on this one," said a pastor to United Church News in 2002. "Time and time again, when we put a human face on something important, people own it."
Yes, in solidarity, we owned it. And it made all the difference.
See related news story. | <urn:uuid:b43fc5d4-b4b4-4d8e-8383-d046b64f8633> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ucc.org/ucnews/apr05/tacos.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966923 | 816 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Mornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly
, 1549-1623, diplomat and publicist for the French Protestants, or Huguenots
, during the French Wars of Religion (1562-98; see Religion, Wars of
); also known as Philippe Du Plessis-Mornay. After narrowly escaping the massacre of French Protestants in 1572 (see St. Bartholomew's Day, Massacre of
), Mornay became the chief diplomatic agent for the Huguenot leader Henry of Navarre, retaining that position after Henry was made (1589) king of France (see Henry IV
, king of France). For his service he was made governor of the Huguenot stronghold Saumur
, where he built the greatest of the Huguenot academies. His power waned after Henry's conversion to Catholicism (1593), but Mornay continued to exert a moderating influence on turbulent Huguenot affairs. Mornay was instrumental in the drafting of the Edict of Nantes (1598; see Nantes, Edict of
), which established political rights and some religious freedom for the Huguenots. Louis XIII ousted Mornay from Saumur (1621). Mornay wrote many religious and political works, and is credited with writing the Vindiciae contra tyrannos
(1579), an early tract advocating the people's right to resist an evil king.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press | <urn:uuid:33670dc4-1003-4fde-9eaf-c8636a980140> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reference.com/browse/Mornay | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921804 | 323 | 3.296875 | 3 |
I am forever adding new gardening blogs to my reading list. I mean how could you not, there are so many gardeners out there producing great blogs. Follow one and you discover 5 more. After a while though the list got a bit unruly. Add to that all the work related sites and news feeds and, even with RSS (Really Simple Syndication) through my bookmarks, things were becoming a little overwhelming. Then I discovered Google Reader.
So what is Google Reader?
A free, web-based reader for RSS feeds, technically Google Reader is a news aggregator. It let’s you follow your favorite websites, blogs and news feeds all in one easy to use location. New content appears in your Google Reader feed when it’s posted, so you don’t need to visit individual sites. Once you’ve read an item it disappears from your feed (unless to decide to keep it), so you only see unread items every time you come back. Items are organized by site, allowing you to decide what to read first.
Think of it as something like having a separate e-mail basket for your blog feeds and news sites. Everything in one location, you choose what you want to read, delete the rest.
Another great benefit of Google Reader is the ease with which you can follow blogs. Even if they don’t have an RSS feed button it’s easy to add most sites. Any blog you want to follow must have an RSS or Atom feed associated with it, but nearly all blogs do. Just copy the URL of your favorite blog. The address of the feed associated with that blog is usually a more than just the blog’s address, but that doesn’t matter. Google will find the feed associated with that page for you. Click on the Subscribe button in Google Reader, paste the URL of your blog into the entry box and Google will add that feed to Google Reader for you. It’s that simple.
While I won’t bother writing about how to use Google Reader (there are lots of posts out there about that already) I will say that you need a Google account to use it. Mine is integrated with my Google Plus account but you don’t have to have Google Plus to use Google Reader.
So if you are an avid follower of blogs (gardening or otherwise), or are looking for an easier way to follow more and aren’t using RSS yet, why not try out Google Reader. Whether you log in once a day or once a week, I’m sure you’ll find it a great way to keep in touch. | <urn:uuid:d695179c-f9cc-47b2-9a9a-2843ad5b5cf3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.everchanginggarden.ca/wpblog/2012/02/03/follow-your-favourite-blogs-in-google-reader/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932501 | 545 | 1.617188 | 2 |
NASA knows. In fact, the MODIS instruments aboard its Aqua and Terra satellites are so sensitive that they can detect even small wildfires that carbonize the earth's surface. The two spacecraft, launched in 1999 and 2002, respectively, have been logging the location of every fire to spring up across the world as a service to fire-management professionals and to scientists studying how climate change affects wildfire development. Now, thanks to the whiz kids at the NASA Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio, you can ingest the fruits of the space agency's labor in this slice of moving, blazing history.
The below video shows every fire that MODIS has detected from 2002 until July 2011, beginning from a vantage point over Australia and ending in North America. NASA has also chosen to include vegetation and ice changes in its animation to show how fires respond to the changes of the seasons.
The bulk of the video settles in Africa, where furious rivers of fire chew at the country year 'round. The continent is the cradle to more than 70 percent of the fires on earth, according to NASA's data. The blazes are created by farmers to maintain crop and grazing land, as well as to keep pesky, plant-eating animals away. Mother Nature also strikes a few matches: The region has more lightning strikes than anywhere else on earth. The African fires move north and south with the rainy and dry seasons, creating the impression that this titanic belt of Hades is breathing.
The flavors of flame are as diverse as the samples at Baskin-Robbins: There are cooler waves of fire rippling in central Australia's grasslands, and hotter (and minty-scented) fires rising from the continent's northern Eucalyptus forests. Agricultural fires dominate in Asia, while the tactics of slash-and-burn farmers are evident in the Amazon. Infernos ravish drought-plagued Texas and the American West, although North American fires add up to a paltry 2 percent of the worldwide charred acreage. As far as I know, NASA has ignored fires caused by the burning of crocodile carcasses, a shocking omission. | <urn:uuid:b2100ae1-ccae-49ef-8ea1-c70aaa368b4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wjla.com/blogs/weather/2011/10/the-earth-is-burning-10-years-of-wildfires-mapped-video--13308.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94261 | 434 | 3.703125 | 4 |
1. disclosures under accounting standards
1.1 Retirement benefits to employees
(i) Defined Contribution Plan Provident fund
Eligible employees receive benefits from a provident fund, which is a
defined contribution plan. Aggregate contributions along with interest
thereon are paid at retirement, death, incapacitation or termination of
employment. Both the employee and the Company make monthly
contributions to the Employee''s Provident Fund scheme administer by
Government of India equal to a specified percentage of the covered
The Company recognized Rs 5,44,911/= (2011 : Rs 4,99,151/-)for provident
fund contribution in the statement of profit & loss. Further an
additional contribution of Rs1,87,103/- (2011 : Rs 2,51,675/-) has been
made to the Trust to meet the shortfall in managing the trust, being
the excess of expenditure over income. The Company has registered
with the Regional Provident Fund Organisation with effect from March
(ii) Defined benefit plan Gratuity
The Company provides for gratuity, a defined benefit retirement plan
(the Gratuity Plan) covering eligible employees. The Gratuity
Plan provides a lump sum payment to vested employees at retirement,
death, incapacitation or termination of employment, of an amount based
on the respective employee''s salary and the tenure of employment.
Vesting occurs upon completion of five years of service. Liabilities
with regard to the Gratuity Plan are determined by actuarial valuation
as of the balance sheet date, based upon which, the company contributes
all the ascertained liabilities to the Elnet Technologies Ltd
Employees'' Gratuity Fund Trust (the Trust). Trustees administer
contributions by means of a group gratuity policy with Life Insurance
Corporation of India.
Investment details of plan assets :
Deposited with Life Insurance Corporation of India (Group gratuity
iii Leave encashment
The employees of the Company are entitled to compensated absence. The
employees can carry forward a portion of the unutilized accrued
compensated absence and utilize it in future periods or receive cash
compensation at retirement or termination of employment for the
unutilized accrued compensated absence for a maximum of 180 days. The
Company records an obligation for compensated absences in the period in
which the employee renders the services that increase this entitlement.
The Company measures the expected cost of compensated absence as the
additional amount that the Company expects to pay as a result of the
unused entitlement that has accumulated at the balance sheet date based
on actual valuations.
1.2 ACCOUNTING FOR LEASES
During the year 1995-96, the Company has completed the construction of
its IT Park at Taramani, Chennai and leased out the entire completed
portion of the premises. The disclosure required for operating leases
under AS 19 is given below:
1.3 Deferred Tax Liability /Asset
As per the Accounting Standard AS 22 issued by the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the Company is required to make
a provision for deferred tax liability/ asset. During the year
an amount of Rs15,83,577/-has been recognized for deferred tax asset.
2. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
2.1 Secured Loans
The Company closed its secured loan on 8th March 2012. The Company
filed Form 17 in respect of Satisfaction of Charges with the Registrar
of Companies through the Ministry of Company Affairs portal and got the
2.2 Wind Mill
During the financial year the Company sold 10,98,647 units to Tamilnadu
Electricity Board. (2011 : 13,11,299 units).
2.3 Disclosures required under Section 22 of the Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006:
i) There were no dues to Small Scale Industrial undertakings to whom
the Company owes any sum which is outstanding for more than 30 days.
ii) There were no dues either principal or interest remaining unpaid to
any suppliers under The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development
Act, 2006, which came into force with effect from 02.10.2006 as at the
end of the accounting year. Similarly, no payments have been made to
the suppliers beyond the appointed day without adding interest, no
interest is accrued and remaining unpaid during the year.
2.6 Current Liabilities
(i) The company continues to hold the amount of Rs1,46,503/- (2011 : Rs
1,46,503/-) on account of Interest payable on FD made out of disputed
dividend for the years 2000-01 and 2001-02.
(ii) There are no amounts due to the Central Government on account of
Investor Education and Protection Fund as on 31.3.2012. The balance
amount lying under the Unpaid Dividend Account 2004-2005 declared on
7.5.2005 for the year 2004-05 falls due on 6.5.2012.
(iii) Provision for taxation has been netted off against advance tax
paid and tax deducted at source.
2.7 Statement of Profit and Loss
Electricity Expenses have been reduced to the extent of Rs 43,94,588/-
(2011 : Rs 48,64,920/) from sale of electricity generated from windmill.
There is no impact on the Statement of Profit and Loss.
2.8 Estimated amount of liability on capital contracts as on 31.03.2012
not provided for is Rs 45,19,886/- (2011 : Rs 28,48,967/-)
2.9 Contingent Liabilities in respect of:
Claims against the Company not acknowledged as debts.
(i) Claim by Department of Telecommunications
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) filed a claim against the
company for Rs 20,82,233/- (2011 : Rs 20,82,233/-)before the Sole
Arbitrator in the matter of payment towards license fees and interest
thereon. The Arbitrator''s award was made in June 2005 according to
which a sum of Rs5,48,288 and interest there on is payable by the
company to DoT. The company accepted the award and decided to effect
the payment after waiting for the appeal period. However DoT has filed
an appeal in the High Court of Delhi against the Arbitrator''s award.
The Company accordingly recognized the total liability at
Rs10,37,762/-as at 31.3.2012. The difference in claim amounting to Rs
10,44,471/- is shown under claims against the Company not
acknowledged as debts.
(ii) Income Tax demand
There is a dispute with regard to the treatment of income of the
company by the Income Tax Department as Income from House
Property, whereas in the opinion of the Company, the income should
be treated as Income from Business, which has been confirmed by
the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal.
In respect of assessment years 1996-97, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02 and
2003-04, the Income Tax Department has preferred appeal before the High
Court of Madras against the orders issued Income Tax Appellate
Tribunal. In the event the High Court reverses the Order of the Income
Tax Appellate Tribunal, there will be a contingent liability of Rs
415.56 lakhs (2011 : Rs 264.23 lakhs).
(iii) Service Tax:
The company received show cause notice in 2009-10 from the Office of
the Commissioner of Service Tax on the applicability of service tax on
Electricity charges reimbursed from the occupants including generation
from Generator. As per legal opinion, the company has been advised
that, it is not liable for service tax on this issue. The company has
obtained an interim stay from the High Court of Madras on 28.08.2009
against the show cause notice. In view of this, there is a contingent
liability of Rs 2,13,34,807/- (2011 : Rs 1,69,52,681/-).
(iv) The Company received a communication from ELCOT claiming a sum of
Rs 9.56 crores towards difference in the computation of Lease Rent for
the period from 14.02.1991 to 14.01.1999. The Company prima-facie has a
strong reason that the claim is not tenable and is evaluating various
options, including legal recourse. Pending any such actions no
provision has been made.
(v) Other pending items under dispute - Nil (2011 : Nil)
4. The Revised Schedule VI has become effective from 1st April, 2011
for the preparation of financial statements. Previous year''s figures
have been regrouped / reclassified wherever necessary to correspond
with the current year''s classification / disclosure. | <urn:uuid:b9ebb955-15cc-45d8-888f-cc6740f83183> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.moneycontrol.com/annual-report/elnettechnologies/notes-to-account/ET03 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91349 | 1,879 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Wolves. Guns. Trees. Bar pilots. Teen dating.
Before the recently completed legislative session in Salem, you would not have expected those subjects to make the short list of issues to be considered during the four-week sojourn at the Capitol. But they all came up.
To many observers, the list of not-so-important, complicated and controversial issues made for a confusing session. Every legislator had the freedom to introduce two bills each and almost all used it, meaning there were 180 bills in the hopper at the start of the session. Each interim committee had authority to introduce five bills each, which is how you get to nearly 300 bills.
Governor Kitzhaber, for his first official experience with a short, regular legislative session, came to the Capitol with the next steps on four ambitious reform proposals — health care transformation, education, early learning and health care exchange. Those four measures would tax any legislative session, regardless of length
Officials who pushed for the annual session would have called out three issues that should occupy legislators for those four weeks — rebalancing the sometimes-volatile state budget, handling emergencies (fires, floods, other natural disasters) and fixing unintended problems in bills passed the previous session.
To veteran Salem observers, those issue priorities made sense, especially adjusting the budget at a time when tax revenues dipped more than expected, caseloads for some state agencies grew and federal revenue vaporized. | <urn:uuid:018e4e93-836e-48e9-8189-6ed4599a832f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cfm-online.com/state-lobbying-blog/tag/annual-legislative-sessions | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953963 | 293 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Reading Classics Together - Holiness ("Assurance")
“We know that we are of God.” (1 John 5:19)
Today we come to the final chapter of the first classic we’re reading together. You can read more about this effort here: Reading the Classics Together. Even if you have not participated in this effort, please keep reading. I'm sure there will be something here to benefit you. At the very least read the end to see how you can join in our next effort.
The book’s previous chapters have covered Sin, Sanctification, Holiness, The Fight, The Cost and Growth. The final chapter concerns itself with Assurance—the believer’s privilege of being assured that he is a Christian. This is a doctrine that today, like in Ryle’s day, was too often neglected or, if not that, was the cause of much dispute. It is a doctrine, he is convinced, that has much to do with holiness. He approaches the subject cautiously and humbly, acknowledging that “the road between truth and error is here especially a narrow pass.”
He defines assurance in this way: “A true Christian, a converted man, may reach such a comfortable degree of faith in Christ, that in general he shall feel entirely confident as to the pardon and safety of his soul, shall seldom be troubled with doubts, seldom be distracted with fears, seldom be distressed by anxious questionings and, in short, though vexed by many an inward conflict with sin, shall look forward to death without trembling, and to judgment without dismay. This, I say, is the doctrine of the Bible.”
Ryle follows this outline:
- An assured hope is a scriptural thing
- A believer may never arrive at this assured hope, and yet be saved
- Reasons why an assured hope is exceedingly to be desired
- It provides present comfort
- It tends to make a Christian an active working Christian
- It tends to make a decided Christian
- It tends to make the holiest Christians
- Probable causes why an assured hope is never attained
- A defective view of the doctrine of Justification
- Slothfulness about growth in grace
- An inconsistent walk in life
- If you are not a Christian, learn from the privileges and comforts of a Christian and come to Christ
- If you are a Christian and do not have an assured hope, then resolve today to seek it.
As with one or two of the other chapters in the book, this one was perhaps a bit unexpected. I would not have thought a chapter on assurance would merit a place in such a book. But because Ryle does a superb job of showing the close connection between assurance and holiness and because he proves the importance of this doctrine, I can understand why it was good and necessary to include it.
Ryle is, in his own right, a master of illustration and analogy. Yet at one point he turns to another author to suggest why some true Christians never receive assurance of pardon. “‘A letter,’ says an old writer, ‘may be written, which is not sealed; so grace may be written in the heart, yet the Spirit may not set the seal of assurance to it.’” He goes on to speak of a child who is the heir of a great fortune, yet is never made aware of the riches and wealth that are rightfully his. In this way a Christian may never come to know that assurance is his birthright and that he may have full confidence in the validity of his salvation.
But the illustration that most gripped my soul as I read this chapter had to do with the importance of the doctrine of assurance. This is a doctrine that few people regard as having any great importance, but listen to what Ryle says.
Take, for an illustration of this, two English emigrants, and suppose them set down side by side in New Zealand or Australia. Give each of them a piece of land to clear and cultivate. Let the portions allotted to them be the same, both in quantity and quality. Secure that land to them by every needful legal instrument; let it be conveyed as freehold to them and theirs forever; let the conveyance be publicly registered and the property made sure to them by every deed and security that man's ingenuity can devise.
Suppose then that one of them shall set to work to clear his land and bring it into cultivation and labor at it day after day without intermission or cessation.
Suppose in the meanwhile that the other shall be continually leaving his work and going repeatedly to the public registry to ask whether the land really is his own, whether there is not some mistake, whether after all there is not some flaw in the legal instruments which conveyed it to him.
The one shall never doubt his title but just work diligently on. The other shall hardly ever feel sure of his title and spend half his time in going to Sydney or Melbourne or Auckland with needless inquiries about it.
Which now of these two men will have made most progress in a year's time? Who will have done the most for his land, got the greatest breadth of soil under tillage, have the best crops to show, be altogether the most prosperous?
Anyone of common sense can answer that question. I need not supply an answer. There can be only one reply. Undivided attention will always attain the greatest success.
Those who dwell secure in their relationship with the Lord, taking confidence not in their own rightness but in the grip of the One who holds them—these people are free to focus on the things that need to be done. Rather than spending much of their time in deep concern that they may not be saved; rather than continually studying the Scripture to discern whether or not God has done His work in their lives, these people are free from the tyranny of uncertainty and are thus free to be active, working Christians. But for reading this chapter, I would not have considered the practical importance and the practical ramifications of getting this doctrine right and having it applied to my soul. That is my “take home” application this week.
Holiness has been a joy to read and has given me much to think about. It is a book I know that I will return to often. I’m grateful that it is more than a classic I can cross of my list—it is a book that is as relevant and as important today as the day Ryle penned it. And it spoke to me as it has spoken to generations of believers before. Thank you for reading it with me!
Now that we’ve finished this book, I guess it’s time to choose another. I think we’ll begin the next reading project in a few weeks and, in all likelihood, will read some John Owen. Stay tuned for more information in the next couple of weeks.
I am interested in hearing what you took away from this chapter. Feel free to post comments below or to write about this on your own blog (and then post a comment linking us to your thoughts). Don't feel that you need to say anything shocking or profound. Just share what stirred your heart or gave you pause or confused you. I’d also be glad to hear your comments about the book as a whole. | <urn:uuid:aaed2334-1927-4bc2-be26-f1fdeff3b232> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.challies.com/reading-classics-together/reading-classics-together-holiness-assurance?quicktabs_1=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974158 | 1,507 | 2.390625 | 2 |
The San Diego City Council is due Monday to consider doubling the fee charged to commercial developers to underwrite affordable housing.
Critics of the "linkage fee" say it should be higher to account for higher construction costs or remain unchanged because it would be unfair to builders. Opponents also argue that it is an unstable and reliable source of funds.
The San Diego Housing Commission recommends raising the fee schedule, starting July 1, 2013, back to where it stood when first set in 1990 and then from 2017 forward, automatically adjusting it, based on a building cost index.
Richard Gentry, commission president and CEO, said two years of outreach produced what he considers a fair compromise that takes into account the current slowdown in the local economy and the need to produce more affordable housing generated by job expansion.
"We came up with an approach we think is reasonable and fair and represents concerns on both sides," Gentry said.
The fee, which last year generated $256,000 and at its peak in 1999, $5.4 million, has produced $51.15 million since 1992. The income, deposited in the city's housing trust fund, has helped provide 6,389 rentals, 914 home purchases, 1,958 rehabilitated properties and other housing benefits, according to last year's Keyser Marston Associates consultant study ordered by the housing commission.
The fee is predicated on the idea that there is a link or "nexus" between development, jobs and affordable housing units -- hence a linkage fee.
However, the San Diego Taxpayers Association called the fee an "unstable" source because of the unpredictable building cycle and called for another source.
Alternatives mentioned have included increasing the property transfer tax, currently set at $1.10 per $1,000 in value, or the transient occupancy tax charged to hotel visitors, currently 10.5 percent. But each alternative brings with it a set of opponents.
And so the city settled only on the commercial builder fee and later added an inclusionary housing requirement for certain residential builders to include affordable units in their projects or pay a fee.
San Diego is the only local jurisdiction that charges a linkage fee, while inclusionary requirements are more common.
For office buildings, the fee would go from $1.06 to $2.12 per square foot by 2017. Warehouses would rise from 27 cents to 54 cents per square foot. Other charges falling between the two would apply to hotels, research-and-development buildings, retail space and manufacturing.
For a 500,000-square-foot high-rise office building, the fee would go from $530,000 to just over $1 million added to the $79.2 million base construction costs if the project were built today, according to RS Means that provides construction cost estimates.
A 250,000-square-foot warehouse fee would go from $67,500 to $135,000.
After 2017, the proposal would automatically adjust the fees according to a building cost index.
Keyser Marston indicated in its study that the new fee should actually be much higher to account for inflation since 1990. For offices, the fee should be $3.83 per square foot, meaning the 500,000-square-foot office development fee could justifiably bet set at $1.91 million. | <urn:uuid:98ed4b8c-1b39-447e-8ca0-c157486aff7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/07/doubling-housing-fee-goes-council/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956907 | 677 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Trailblazer. How many cars fit that description? Vehicles that changed the face of motoring, led by example, showcased new technology and new thinking. The Porsche 911, while easily the world's most successful sports car, was never a trailblazer-otherwise other manufacturers would have slung heavy engines over their cars' rear axles. The Lamborghini Miura definitely blazed a trail. It defined an entirely new genre: the mid-engined supercar. The Range Rover, likewise, changed the car scene forever. It was the first luxury SUV and proved you could drive almost anywhere in complete comfort. The original Mini and the first Golf (or Rabbit) GTI should probably be on the list. And then there's the Audi Quattro.
To say the Quattro shook things up when it came along in 1980 would be doing it a huge disservice. It tore up the rulebook and started over, setting a template for the uture of car design. Yet anyonelooking at a Quattro in 2008 might be forgiven for wondering what the big deal is. It's boxy, looks dated and, judged against today's cars, not all that fast. Quite different from the new S5, which is a stunning amalgam of swoops, curves and in-your-face attitude. The S5 is also mighty quick, but, if it weren't for the original Quattro, cars such as this wouldn't exist.
It's been dubbed by many as the 'Ur-Quattro' to differentiate it from the herd of all-wheel-drive Audis that emerged after it, as they've all been given the Quattro moniker. 'Ur' is often used in the German language to mean 'first' or 'original' and the Germans sometimes refer to these Quattros as 'Uris.'
The Ur-Quattro brought four-wheel drive to the masses, redefining expectations en it came to safety and stability. Never before had a car been able to grip like his. It was a revelation and stole the 1980 Geneva Motor Show.
The Quattro name became ubiquitous. It turned motorsport on its head, particularly on the world's rally stages, and dominated all comers, thanks to its colossal grip and unbreakable build quality. Picking up the gauntlet that Audi threw down, other manufacturers jumped onto the four-wheel-drive bandwagon for their rally cars and soon Group B was upon us. Rally cars with previously unheard-of power tore through the world's forests. Casualties were inevitable. Drivers and navigators sometimes met their maker in a ball of flames, while spectators, who weren't as quick on their feet as the cars were on their tires, were killed with alarming regularity.
To end the carnage, Group B finished, but the Quattro legend lived on. Because, ultimately, it did more good than harm. Four-wheel drive and anti-lock brakes save lives-lots of them. But the Ur-Quattro is where it all began. And I feel incredibly privileged to be handed the keys to this rally replica, as well as a brandnew, out-of-the-box S5.
Ur-Quattros still quicken the pulse 4 when occasionally seen on the road. Yes, they look like they were designed using a ruler rather than in free hand, but they have plenty of presence, thanks to those blistered fenders and low ride height. | <urn:uuid:61a04d7c-c105-490f-bac0-96dfb1240608> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.europeancarweb.com/features/epcp_0803_2007_audi_s5_and_1983_audi_quattro_turbo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974371 | 718 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Since the publication of “Take Control of Apple Mail in Mountain Lion,” several people have asked me about changes in the way Mail in Mountain Lion handles the From address in outgoing messages. At first I didn’t know what to say, because I hadn’t seen anything surprising in my own testing, but as more and more complaints have poured in (including many in Apple’s discussion forums), it became clear something was screwy. So I set out to investigate. It turns out Mail in Mountain Lion does handle outgoing mail differently than before, and for some users, it can be frustratingly difficult to predict what account Mail will send messages from.
Apple Mail lets you set up as many different accounts as you need, each with its own outgoing mail server and one or more associated email addresses. When you create a new message or reply to an existing message, Mail picks a default From account for you, although you can choose a different account from a pop-up menu in the header area of the message. That’s all entirely appropriate, and has been the case for as long as I can remember.
However, in Mountain Lion, Apple significantly changed the rules by which Mail chooses the default From account for outgoing messages. As a result, if you don’t carefully (and manually) check each outgoing message, you might find that you’re sending messages from an unintended account. This can have serious consequences if, for example, you end up sending work email from a personal account or vice-versa. I didn’t notice this during my first couple of weeks using Mountain Lion because I nearly always send email from the same account, and I don’t lose any sleep if I accidentally send mail from a different address. But for many users, this change is a big deal.
How exactly has the behavior changed? Here’s what I’ve found, based on well over 100 experiments covering as many combinations of variables as I could think of.
In Lion and earlier, the behavior is as follows:
When replying to messages, Mail always sends replies from the account to which the message was addressed. This is true regardless of your preferences or where the message was stored.
When composing new messages, Mail uses the account specified in the Send New Messages From pop-up menu on the Composing preference pane (in other words, exactly what the command says). The default choice, Account of Selected Mailbox, means that the account associated with whatever mailbox is currently selected in Mail’s sidebar is the one that should be used for outgoing messages. However, if a local (On My Mac) mailbox is selected, or if no mailbox at all is selected, Mail chooses a From account according to some rule I’ve been unable to nail down, even after many tests. And, if you have a particular message selected, then regardless of where it is, Mail may choose yet another From account — again, without any immediately obvious logic.
In short, although Lion has some indeterminacy with the Account of Selected Mailbox setting, the behavior is mostly predictable — and when it comes to replies, it’s both consistent and logical.
On the other hand, in Mountain Lion, here’s what I’m seeing:
When replying to messages:
For messages stored in a server-based (e.g., IMAP or iCloud) mailbox, Mail uses the account associated with that mailbox — regardless of the account to which the message was sent or your preferences. That makes reasonable sense as far as it goes, and even though it’s different from before, it should yield the same result most of the time. But…
For messages stored in a local (On My Mac) mailbox, if Account of Selected Mailbox is chosen in the Send New Messages From pop-up menu on the Composing preference pane (as it is by default), Mail uses… um… some seemingly arbitrarily selected account. As with composing new messages in Lion, I’ve tried dozens of tests, and every time I think I’ve guessed the pattern (such as the topmost account enabled in the Accounts preference pane; iCloud first, then Gmail; the last account you sent mail from, etc.) I find an exception. I truly don’t know; all I can say is that Mail seems to pick the same account consistently as long as your account preferences remain unchanged. On the other hand, if a single account is specified in the Send New Messages From pop-up menu, Mail uses that account — regardless of the account to which the message was sent. (In other words, it treats replies the same way as new messages.)
When composing new messages, Mail uses the account specified in the Send New Messages From pop-up menu on the Composing preference pane. As in Lion, Account of Selected Mailbox is the default choice, and for server-based mailboxes, it appears to work the same way. But if no mailbox is selected, or if a local (On My Mac) mailbox is selected, Mail uses the account whose Inbox appears first (under the unified Inbox in Mail’s sidebar); you can drag Inboxes up or down in this list to change their order.
To illustrate why this might be a serious problem, consider a user who has three different POP accounts — say, a home account, a work account, and a family account. Messages from all those accounts are filed into various local mailboxes, perhaps automatically by rules. When it comes time to reply to one of these messages, the user should be able to count on the fact that the reply will be sent from the same account that received it, without further intervention. That used to be the case, but it isn’t now. So outgoing messages may be missed or discarded because they come from the wrong account, messages can cross between business and personal domains, and so on.
I have no idea why Apple made this change, whether it was intentional, why it wasn’t documented, or whether it might be changed back in the future. Because the change might have been deliberate, and might have happened for some good reason that I simply can’t discern, I hesitate to label it as a bug. But in any case the change requires more thought and effort for users, and on the whole I think it was a pretty bad move. If you think so too, choose Mail > Provide Mail Feedback and share your thoughts on the matter with Apple. We can only hope Apple changes this in an update to OS X.
In the meantime, I’m sorry to say I know of no way to return Mail to its pre-Mountain Lion behavior. Choosing a single account from the Account of Selected Mailbox pop-up menu will keep Mail’s behavior fairly consistent, although that may not suit your needs. Likewise, using only server-based mailboxes, if you can do so, avoids the most serious part of the problem. Apart from those admittedly weak suggestions, I can’t offer any advice other than to be aware of the change and remain vigilant when sending messages.
One final tip, courtesy of Christopher Stone on the TidBITS Talk mailing list: In Mountain Lion, you can assign a keyboard shortcut to change the From account of the message you’re currently composing, which may be slightly easier than using a mouse or trackpad to choose the account from the From pop-up menu. To assign a keyboard shortcut, open the Keyboard pane of System Preferences, click Keyboard Shortcuts, and then select Application Shortcuts. Click the + (plus) button and select Mail from the Application pop-up menu. In the Menu Title field, type the exact name and email address as they appear in the From pop-up menu — for example:
Joe Kissell <email@example.com>
Enter the keyboard shortcut you want to use and click Add; repeat if necessary for multiple accounts. The next time you’re composing a message and realize you want to switch the From account, press the corresponding keyboard shortcut. | <urn:uuid:1f425b73-397d-40ac-aa25-56a9a3f9b783> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tidbits.com/article/13189 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92004 | 1,667 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Off-campus UMass Amherst users: To download campus access theses, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your UMass Amherst user name and password.
Non-UMass Amherst users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this thesis through interlibrary loan.
Master of Regional Planning (M.R.P.)
Year Degree Awarded
Month Degree Awarded
community land trust, renter, displacement, gentrification, community control
Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are an affordable housing model based in the principles of community control of land and housing, as well as the permanent affordability of home ownership. Because of their membership-based governance structure and limited-equity formula, they are uniquely positioned to target reinvestment in communities of color and low-income communities without perpetuating cycles of displacement. Though focused on home ownership, many CLTs have adapted the model to include rental housing. This addition has the potential to expand affordability and opportunities for community governance to lower-income renters; however, it also challenges CLTs as organizations with little experience developing or managing rental housing. CLTs interested in providing rental units also find limited sources of research guidance on the topic.
This thesis intends to evaluate the reasons CLTs do or do not provide rental housing, the obstacles to providing rental housing, the strategies they use to overcome those obstacles, and the resources available to them. To achieve these objectives it assesses interviews with staff at 22 CLTs around the U.S.
The research finds that CLTs begin providing rental units to meet the housing needs of low-income people who do not qualify for mortgages, and when the resources available to them supports this strategy. It also reveals that CLTs face significant challenges taking on large rental projects early in their rental careers, but may succeed with smaller-scale rental development and management.
The findings suggest that CLTs require much more technical assistance in developing and managing rental properties. The modification of the CLT model to include renters also necessitates some re-thinking of how to provide the full benefits of the model to these new tenants, as well as how to best market the organizations to municipal officials.
Lastly, this research aims to encourage planners to reevaluate housing policies biased toward home ownership, especially given the instability of the housing market and the increased demand for rental units. CLTs’ success with rental housing should also prompt these public officials to challenge the typical stereotypes of renters and understand the stability, flexibility, and sustainability that CLTs can bring to affordable rental housing.
Advisor(s) or Committee Chair | <urn:uuid:7d606e2e-e7dc-4f73-a5e2-599aaa6b56b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/859/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936589 | 530 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The sales tax discount that draws many customers to save money by shopping online instead of down the street faces its greatest threat yet with bills pending in Congress intended to eliminate that tax break.
Backers of the bills, one pending in the House, one in the Senate, said they are optimistic that they can pass a law this year that would permit North Carolina and other state governments to collect sales taxes from online retailers such as Amazon.com and Overstock.com.
The bills are called the Marketplace Fairness Act and the Marketplace Equity Act of 2011. North Carolina Reps Renee Ellmers, Brad Miller and Heath Shuler have co-sponsored the legislation. Ellmers is a Republican; Miller and Shuler are Democrats.
Amazon.com has endorsed the proposal, but other online retailers are fighting it.
Local retailers including music store owner Matt Crump of Fayetteville said a new sales tax law is long overdue. The tax disparity puts him at a severe disadvantage, he said.
At his Sandhills Music Center in Bordeaux Shopping Center, Crump by state law must collect a 7 percent sales tax from his customers; online retailers don't collect that tax.
"It's difficult to compete with something like that and people don't see the value in buying local," he said.
Crump tries to price-match his online competitors but can lower his prices only so far. Otherwise, "I either break even, or I would have to pay a customer to take a product out of my store," he said.
Crump is further frustrated by customers who engage in a practice known as "showrooming." They visit his showroom to get a good look at the guitars, he said, then buy the same model online.
In a tax break that is sometimes called the "Amazon loophole" after online mail-order giant Amazon.com, a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling says that mail-order retailers are constitutionally excused from collecting local sales taxes.
The ruling said that a company must have a physical presence in a state in order for the state to collect taxes on its mail-order sales to state residents.
That same court ruling said Congress could pass a law to allow the states to impose the sales taxes on out-of-state vendors.
Local governments have sought since the 1990s to collect taxes from online sales, but Congress has been slow to pass a law.
Meanwhile, the states have struggled to balance their budgets as the recession cut their tax bases.
Annual online sales were $27.6 billion nationwide as of 2000, according to data from the Federal Reserve. They had grown to $193.4 billion as of 2011.
Sales at offline retailers declined from a peak of $2 trillion annually as of the start of 2006 to $1.8 trillion at the start of 2009 during the recession. By the start of 2011, offline sales were $1.9 trillion annually.
Quarterly data over the past several years indicates that online sales have grown since the recession, while offline sales have been largely flat.
North Carolina collected $8.7 billion in sales taxes last year. Some of that was from offline sales, and some was from online retailers that have physical stores in North Carolina or that have voluntarily elected to charge sales tax.
In North Carolina, if a customer buys a mail-order product and is not charged sales tax, the customer by law must calculate the sales tax and pay it when he files his state income taxes.
But most people don't do that. According to the N.C. Department of Revenue, only about 2 percent of filers include mail-order sales taxes, generating about $5 million.
A University of Tennessee study estimated in 2009 that online shoppers in North Carolina owed the state $130.4 million in sales taxes. The study predicted the state would see $213.8 million in uncollected taxes from online sales in 2012.
In 2010, the N.C. Department of Revenue tried to force Amazon.com to turn over records of customer purchases so it could collect sales taxes from the customers. It was stopped by a federal judge.
Although Amazon.com has fought North Carolina and other states that have attempted to collect mail-order sales taxes, it favors the federal legislation, said Amazon spokesman Scott Stanzel.
"We have said the time for Congress to act is now," Stanzel said. A coalition of offline and online retailers favors "a fair, national approach to sales tax collection."
"This is one action that Congress can take to empower states to require collection that will help the states' fiscal situation without spending a single dollar from Washington, D.C. That is a shift in the landscape that is forcing policy-makers to take another look at this issue," he said.
Other online retailers continue to fight the plan.
"We're all for a level playing field, but what's being proposed is not a level playing field. It puts us at a disadvantage," said Mark Griffin, the general counsel for Utah-based Overstock.com.
The nation has 10,000 sales tax districts, plus various products are taxed differently in most of those districts, he said. He argued that it's expensive and difficult to develop software to accurately calculate the sales tax for customers in all those districts.
"If this type of legislation were in effect when we started up back in the early-2000 range, we never would have grown to a billion-dollar company," Griffin said. "It just would have been a very, very difficult process to implement tax collection in all 50 states."
The Internet sector has been a huge growth sector in the U.S. economy "and therefore it might deserve some special treatment when we're talking about being fair in how we impose the obligation of tax collection."
Overstock.com would be more amenable to the sales tax, Griffin said, under several conditions, including:
The tax schedule should be simplified to make it easier for the retailers to figure the tax.
States should pay the retailers for the cost of collecting the tax and provide them with software for collecting it.
The law should declare the retailers immune from lawsuits for errors in tax collections. | <urn:uuid:8cd99896-933b-46cb-b55a-c7046faed6a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2012/03/15/1163812?sac=fo.business | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975636 | 1,267 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Revista de Saúde Pública
Print version ISSN 0034-8910
SCHMIDT, Maria I. et al. Validity of self-reported weight: a study of urban brazilian adults. Rev. Saúde Pública [online]. 1993, vol.27, n.4, pp. 271-276. ISSN 0034-8910. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0034-89101993000400007.
In order to evaluate the validity of self-reported weight for use in obesity prevalence surveys, self-reported weight was compared to measured weight for 659 adults living in the Porto Alegre county, RS Brazil in 1986-87, both weights being obtained by a technician in the individual's home on the same visit. The mean difference between self-reported and measured weight was small (-0.06 +/- 3.16 kg; mean +/- standard deviation), and the correlation between reported and measured weight was high (r=0.97). Sixty-two percent of participants reported their weight with an error of < 2 kg, 87% with an error of < 4 kg, and 95% with an error of < 6 kg. Underweight individuals overestimated their weight, while obese individuals underestimated theirs (p<0.05). Men tended to overestimate their weight and women underestimate theirs, this difference between sexes being statistically significant (p=0.04). The overall prevalence of underweight (body mass index < 20) by reported weight was 11%, by measured weight 13%; the overall prevalence of obesity (body mass index > 30) by reported weight was 10%, by measured weight 11%. Thus, the validity of reported weight is acceptable for surveys of the prevalence of ponderosity in similar settings.
Keywords : Obesity [epidemiology]; Body weight; Validity. | <urn:uuid:31a85bf2-4385-4854-8db3-0c53d5928b91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S0034-89101993000400007&lng=en&nrm=iso | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933446 | 391 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Presidential Lecture Series
Presidential Lecture Banner
Self-made millionaire and author of the autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness
"Breaking the Cycle"
Monday, September 10, 2007
WSU Student Union
Christopher Gardner, who told his story of rising from poverty to self-made millionaire in his autobiography The Pursuit of Happyness, presented "Breaking the Cycle" as part of Wright State University's Presidential Lecture Series on Monday, Sept. 10, at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union Apollo Room.
In The Pursuit of Happyness, Gardner tells how he overcame a lack of education, the struggles of being a single parent and homelessness to become CEO of Gardner Rich LLC, an institutional brokerage firm. His autobiography quickly became a New York Times #1 bestseller and was made into a movie of the same name starring Will Smith.
In the early 1980s, Gardner became homeless in San Francisco and the sole guardian of his toddler son, Chris Jr. Unwilling to give up on his son or his dream of financial independence, Gardner started at the bottom of the financial industry ladder with very little pay, spending nights in homeless shelters or the bathroom of a subway station. With no college degree and no experience in the stock market, he worked his way up the ranks at Dean Witter Reynolds and Bear Stearns & Co. before starting his own company.
In his presentation, Gardner shared his story of hard work, tenacity, struggle, faith, entrepreneurialism, fatherly devotion and breaking the cycles that hold you back.
The Wright State University Presidential Lecture Series was developed to advance human justice and promote the university's commitment to creating a diverse university community and learning environment.
A board member of the National Fatherhood Initiative, which aims to improve the well-being of children by increasing the proportion of children growing up with involved, responsible, committed fathers, Gardner received the group's Father of the Year Award in 2002. He has given his time, assistance and financial support to many programs serving the homeless and at-risk individuals. He received the 2006 Friends of Africa Award from the Continental Africa Chamber of Commerce.
This free-to-the-public lecture was sponsored by the Office of the Provost, Student Affairs, the Raj Soin College of Business, the College of Education and Human Services, the Office of the Senior Vice President for Curriculum and Instruction, University College, the Office of Student Activities and the Office of Communications and Marketing.
Visit http://www.chrisgardnermedia.com » for more information on Christopher Gardner.
Office of the President
260 University Hall | <urn:uuid:e7c474c2-c60f-48d1-aa7c-b7fc6f8d620b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wright.edu/presidential-lecture-series/archive/christopher-gardner?alt-style=text-only | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955415 | 539 | 1.59375 | 2 |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The Institute for Community and Rural Health at West Virginia University is getting $400,000 for programs designed to help reduce obesity and curb deaths from stroke and heart disease.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says its Community Transformation Grants support promotion of healthier lifestyles in small, rural communities.
Larry Rhodes, director of rural programs at WVU's Health Sciences Center, says the funding will help support a partnership with communities that are medically under-served.
Overall, the government awarded $70 million in prevention grants to 40 recipients who work on improving the health of small communities of fewer than 500,000.
The transformation grants were launched in 2011 and funded through the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare." | <urn:uuid:552f790e-de03-4642-8fe9-a92f9cdf3c12> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201210230031 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961566 | 160 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Principal offers parenting principlesWhen my son, a Denfeld student, heard I was having coffee with Tonya Sconiers, the school’s recently appointed principal, he blanched.
By: S.E. Livingston, Duluth Budgeteer News
When my son, a Denfeld student, heard I was having coffee with Tonya Sconiers, the school’s recently appointed principal, he blanched. Discipline and high expectations have garnered Sconiers’ consistent respect from the Denfeld student body. As the gregarious principal and I sat outside a local coffee shop, one would never guess at the response of fear and trembling from her charges. Every person who passed by our table stopped to greet her, and she heartily received them with a sunny smile, handshake or hug.
I met with Sconiers not to discuss my son (to his relief), but to dig into some parenting advice I heard her give. As a parent, she had implemented a practice of having her children pay for their school supplies with their own money. With the school season approaching, this is an idea all of us can pull into our bag of parenting tricks.
When Sconier’s son was two years old, she rewarded him with small coins for his chores. Taking his pile of coins to the store, she demonstrated to him that if he got what he wanted, that pile would be gone. Even at that tender age he decided his coins were worth more than whatever the store offered.
Sconiers began to look for more opportunities for her children to practice thrift, saving and responsibility. She found a fertile ground in the annual school supplies shopping trip.
At the onset of the academic year, her kids make a list of what they are going to need. As the Back-to-School ads hit the newspaper, a ruthless hunt begins for the most extreme bargains on everything school-related. This has become such a positive routine that the young Sconierses hunt for bargains all summer long as they vacation.
They invest energy into this hunt because it is their own money they are using — and saving. Everything they buy has more value because their own sacrifice earned it. One year was a challenge, Sconiers said, when her son needed a $110 calculator. She let him know he needed to pay for it with his own money. He worked hard and was able to save for it despite his friends spending on movies and junk food.
“He treated that calculator well,” she said.
Sconiers has been pleased with the paradigm of thrift her children have adopted. At the end of the school year when other kids were cleaning out their lockers by tossing everything in the garbage, her kids were pulling out notebooks and pencils, assessing them for damage and saving them for the next school year — saving a bit of their cash and showing that appearance doesn’t always matter.
I asked Sconiers about the parents who don’t have the money for this.
“Find a way to teach the lessons you want them to practice. Find a way to help them learn about savings, thrift and responsibility,” she said. “This is a gift to your children.”
When they use their own money to buy necessities, they learn not to take for granted what is given to them. The expectation of entitlement is eradicated.
A parent of three young adults, Sconiers knows of what she teaches. “My parents always used to say, ‘Watch out for the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves,’” she said.
This pennies-to-dollars principle carries out in her school too. If you are a student at Denfeld and you drop a candy wrapper on the floor, you have to know that if Principal Sconiers is behind you she’s going to shout, “Pick it up!” She wants to help you watch out for your pennies.
Monthly Budgeteer columnist S.E. Livingston is a wife, mother and teacher who writes for family and education newsletters in northern Minnesota (and lives in Duluth). E-mail her at elivingston firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:1631b07c-bf1a-4011-a5de-9c07f33ce5c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/239753/publisher_ID/36/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98253 | 879 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Failure Must Always Be An Option
“Deb-ra, it’s 10:00, get to bed!” I’d been in the basement for hours learning how to use the pogo stick my parents had given me that day for my birthday. Throughout my childhood there were many skills I practiced for hours or days. There was the set of stilts my father made for me after we’d seen a kid walking downtown on a pair and the requisite hula hoop and soon to be discontinued clacker balls that had the unfortunate tendency to shatter and take out eyeballs. I gave up on yo-yo’s after mastering the basic up and down motion, but kept up with putting my face underwater and never stopped improving my swimming strokes.
Now as an adult I think about the skills I gave up trying to get better at. I learned how to read music but was never good at practicing the piano. This led to embarrassing lessons and the anxiety that accompanied them. I learned to add, subtract, multiply and divide but soon math became one of the subjects I ‘wasn’t very good at’. When homework or test answers were incorrect they were marked with a big red X that you could see coming before the teacher handed the paper back to you. Get too many wrong and as if the word FAIL wasn’t enough, it was circled with exclamation points.
When failure is painful we are less likely to risk trying again. When it’s a behavior that our life depends on, this might be the right decision, but more often it’s not. Having the opportunity and more importantly, the desire, to try again is how we, and our dogs, learn new skills and behaviors. Failure gives us the opportunity to try again and be successful, or move closer to success. I’d rather see my dogs get it wrong then have them give up trying to get it right. Punishment that is too painful or scary ends more than just the behavior you want stopped. Be careful how you use it. | <urn:uuid:68c35887-f83c-495d-8c48-9228c3353224> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fearfuldogs.wordpress.com/2012/09/24/failure-must-always-be-an-option/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979452 | 425 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Local farmers still prepare for possible dry conditions
The 17 westernmost counties of North Carolina have not been under drought conditions since May 8, according to data gleaned from the U.S. Drought Monitor of North Carolina.
And the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources recently announced that the entire state was free of drought conditions for the first time in nearly two years.
Experts struggle to define drought, but Deke Arndt, chief of the climate monitoring branch of the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, said drought simply is a period “when there’s not enough water to meet demand.”
Arndt said the balance depends on the amount of water available and the amount of water expected at any point in time. But the main determinate of drought conditions, he said, “is tied to the climate of a place.”
“Drought basically emerges when serious impacts come into play,” Arndt said. Serious impacts include intense water conservation, low levels of lakes and rivers and stress on agricultural producers.
“Those kinds of impacts haven’t been observed, reported or communicated widely from the region,” he said.
Western North Carolina tends to have an overall drier climate, Arndt said. But the region’s climate is complicated and some individual counties and regions receive more precipitation than others. For example, while Brevard tends to be a very wet region, Ardnt said Weaverville is comparatively very dry.
When looking at climate in the short term, storm systems and other transient conditions contribute to the day-to-day weather and are enhanced through the warm and largely unpredictable summer months.
“It’s the hit-or-miss nature of precipitation,” Arndt said. “Rain patterns by and large are ‘splotchy.’”
Farmers cope with water challenges
For Polk County organic farmer Lee Mink, water retention and conservation is imperative to a successful crop. He said he employs various practices to ensure steady production and the development of what he calls a “healthy living soil.”
Mink grows more than 20 species of tomatoes, a variety of squashes and zucchinis, and a diverse selection of lettuces, peppers, okras, cucumbers, blueberries, figs, peaches, apples and sunflowers.
A walk around Mink’s Leap Farm reveals his water retention methods. He uses a cover crop, such as rye or wheat straw, to cover the soil and beds around his plants. Mink said this reduces the soil temperature and also protects the soil from drying out in the sun.
But some of Mink’s techniques hide within and beneath the soil. He plants his crops low to the ground to encourage vertical root growth, which allows the plants to soak up more water from below. Mink also uses compost as a fertilizer.
“Compost is the life blood of farming and water retention,” he said.
Mink said scientists have found that there are more than “a billion life forms in a handful of healthy living soil.” When you have that energetic of a soil, he said, there is a significantly reduced need for water.
“I’m not a great farmer,” Mink said. “I’m just good at building soil.”
Lynn Sprague, director of the Polk County Office of Agricultural Economic Development, who was a force behind creating the Mill Spring Agricultural Development and Community Center, works with farmers in the area to encourage water conservation and healthy production. However, he said it’s difficult to conserve in such a typically dry region as Polk County.
“A lot of our farmers irrigate out of the streams,” Sprague said. “(But) down here it’s almost impossible to grow without irrigation.”
Polk County Extension Director John Vining said the county’s “pastures have really taken a beating. We’ve had four drought years out of five.”
Drought conditions impact pastures because the groundwater isn’t replenished enough to recharge the grass and pasture, Vining said, so livestock raisers end up having to buy hay or reseeding their land so their animals have enough to eat. The lack of rainwater also means the ground isn’t wet enough for seeds to germinate, he said.
Vining also said stream flow in Polk County is less than what it was 10 years ago, which has a direct effect on many farmers in there since they hydrate their crops with stream water.
“So far, our spring rain’s been pretty good,” Vining said. “I don’t want to jinx it.”
For Mink, seasonal precipitation dictates whether he will continue planting, because with his sustainable farming commitment, Mink said you can’t put large amounts of water into a field to keep it up.
“If we don’t get this big rain, I’m going to have to make a decision,” he said. “It’ll take thousands and thousands of gallons of water if (the soil) gets that dry.”
Mink said he knows water is the most important element of a successful garden, but that it is imperative to observe, listen and decide what is best for the land and for the future when farming.
“In sustainability farming, you’re not controlling and manipulating,” he said. “You’re adapting and assimilating.”
Online drought resources
Various state and federal agencies share a variety of drought-related information online, including:
- North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council
- North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources Division of Water Resources Drought Monitoring
- State Climate Office of North Carolina
- North American Drought Monitor of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data Center
- National Integrated Drought Information System’s U.S. Drought Portal
For a time-lapse map showing historical drought information for all of North Carolina from April 24, 2007 through June 12, see WRAL.com’s animated map of statewide drought conditions. | <urn:uuid:3120050b-00c0-4d00-949d-4ccf5717cd5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.carolinapublicpress.org/10138/western-north-carolina-no-longer-in-drought | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947077 | 1,319 | 3 | 3 |
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Pioneer of environmental ethics Holmes Rolston III to speak at conference March 28 and 29
GOSHEN, Ind. – At the eighth annual Goshen College Religion and Science Conference on March 28-30, the keynote speaker will be Holmes Rolston III, regarded as the pioneer of environmental ethics. Rolston will speak on “Generating Life on Earth: Five Looming Questions” on Friday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. and on “Human Uniqueness: Spirited Mind” on Saturday, March 29 at 10:30 a.m. in the Church-Chapel. The lectures are free and open to the public.
Rolston, University Distinguished Professor at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., was the 2003 winner of the Templeton Prize given by Prince Philip in Buckingham Palace which is the world’s most prestigious award in religion. This award recognized Rolston’s work on the intrinsic value of nature and on the relationship between science and religion. He is a past president of the International Society for Environmental Ethics.
Rolston received a divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va., and a doctorate in theology from the University of Edinburgh. He also holds a master’s degree in philosophy of science from the University of Pittsburgh.
While serving as a minister in the Appalachian Mountains of western Virginia, Rolston attended classes at East Tennessee State University, explored the biology, mineralogy and geology of the southern Appalachian Mountains, becoming a recognized naturalist and bryologist (the study of mosses). There he worked to conserve wildlife, preserve Mount Rogers and Roan Mountain, and to maintain and relocate the Appalachian Trail.
Rolston’s books have been acclaimed in professional journals and the national press. The more recent are: “Genes, Genesis and God” (Cambridge University Press, 1999), “Science and Religion: A Critical Survey” (Random House, McGraw Hill, Harcourt Brace, with a new edition, Templeton, 2006), “Philosophy Gone Wild” (Prometheus Books), “Environmental Ethics” (Temple University Press) and “Conserving Natural Value” (Columbia University Press). He was an editor of the Encyclopedia of Bioethics.
Past conference speakers have included Ted Peters, Philip Hefner, Robert Russell, John H. Haught, Antje Jackelen, George Ellis and Nancey Murphy. Conference participants include pastors and interested lay persons, as well as academic scientists, mathematicians, theologians and students.
Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or email@example.com.
Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu. | <urn:uuid:cd38ba87-e27f-4f8f-9c99-5c520bd093ce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goshen.edu/news/pressarchive/03-26-08-science-religion.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920963 | 771 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Given the difficulties and ambiguities in delineating the BE in QSOs at low and moderate redshift, it is not surprising that only limited attention has so far been given to the possibility that the BE evolves with time. Francis & Koratkar (1995) combined IUE data and optical spectra of LBQS quasars to study the evolution of quasar spectra with redshift over the interval from 0.4 to 2.2. Both the low- and high-redshift samples displayed a BE of comparable amplitude, as measured for C IV and Ly. However, these researchers found that the UV spectra of radio-quiet quasars do evolve between redshift 2 and the present in the sense that the high-redshift quasars have a population with weak-line cores that is not seen in the IUE sample. The question of evolution of spectral properties with redshift is important for at least two reasons: 1) any evolution would affect conclusions drawn from the BE about cosmological parameters, and 2) spectral evolution could provide clues about the evolution of quasars and AGNs themselves. One difficulty in the interpretation of the findings by Francis & Koratkar rests with the IUE sample, which was not well-defined in any sense, but rather represented what was available in the archive. A similar analysis with better sample selection criteria would be preferable. This is a topic that definitely needs continued study. | <urn:uuid:5dfcec19-d6a5-40fa-a15e-ae026f7e486c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Osmer/Osmer7_1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94691 | 292 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Hello future Dirigible races and design competition contestants! I recently received a question from one of the groups who will making an entry into the RC Dirigible Races portion of the Symposium Games this year, and I thought I would give an answer publicly to benefit other groups who may be considering making an RC Dirigible themselves.
The Question was in regard to the concept of negative buoyancy in a dirigible, and the effect of a heavy powerplant on the rule that says:
“2. Type: All Dirigibles should be of helium filled/lighter than air type. No hot air dirigibles,
flammable gas dirigibles (no Hydrogen) or heavier than air vehicles (helicopters or airplanes)
allowed. This is to keep the field competitive speed and maneuverability wise, but also for
spectator and facility safety.”
The group in question is worried that their gondola and powerplant is too heavy to qualify for the specification “lighter than air” because it doesn’t float unassisted in mid air (the powerplant is powerful enough to lift the vessel even though the balloon can’t hold it up on it’s own). So in the interest of fostering some creative hobby engineering, I will make a clarification for rule 2 as quoted above.
All RC Dirigible entered in the races and design competition must have a helium filled envelope/balloon, that is at least capable of slowing it’s decent in the case of a power loss, or a cut throttle. Basically, if you have it flying near the ceiling, and your battery dies or your motors stop working, it shouldn’t fall straight to the floor. I would like to be able to give a specification on “fall time”. But at this point I will have to wait until my OWN Dirigible get’s closer to finished before I can make a spec for that. (Something along the lines of “fall time from 5 foot must be X seconds or more”)
So to sum up, don’t worry if your Dirigible design doesn’t allow for a free floating blimp, just so long as it doesn’t drop like a rock with a loss of power.
Also, I need to clarify that the use of toy grade RC airplanes, helicopters and quad copters as “powerplants’ in your dirigible is perfectly acceptable, as long as you didn’t just attach a balloon to one and call it done. If you are going to use an RC plane, helicopter or quadcopter as your powerplant, it must be integrated with a gondola of some kind.
Anyway, I hope to see plenty of RC Dirigibles this year, and remember to contact me as soon as you know what kind of remote control you’ll have and the frequency (if applicable). (See the RULES for more info) | <urn:uuid:d3a7df5a-9617-49a5-bd5e-01127c42015f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.steampunksymposium.com/2013/02/18/answering-an-rc-dirigible-races-question/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939883 | 613 | 2.421875 | 2 |
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© St. Petersburg Times, published May 18, 2001
But ask actor Sam Neill how his dad felt about that war, and whether that has affected his performance in an NBC movie Sunday set near that time, and he'll draw a most conspicuous blank.
"It was only a couple of weeks before he died that he actually mentioned the war at all," said Neill, who plays U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charles "Swede" Momsen, the only man to rescue men successfully from a submarine trapped on the ocean floor, in NBC's TV movie Submerged.
"All of my father's contemporaries . . . I never heard them mention the war, and I've never entirely understood why," added the actor, perhaps best known for his roles in films such as Jurassic Park and The Piano. "But I was brought up with World War II movies, my father was of that generation, and it has always been very vivid in my imagination."
And soon, Neill will have plenty of company. A virtual flood of TV and film projects focused on incidents from the World War II era is set for release in weeks to come, from the big-budget theatrical release Pearl Harbor on May 25 to a special VHS and DVD release of the 1970 film on the Pearl Harbor attack, Tora! Tora! Tora!
On television Saturday, HBO presents Conspiracy, a dramatization of the 1942 meeting by 15 top Nazi officials to develop Adolf Hitler's "Final Solution" to eliminate the Jews. One day later, ABC starts Anne Frank, a two-day, four-hour miniseries based on the life of the Jewish teen who kept a diary while living for more than two years inside hidden rooms within a building in German-occupied Amsterdam.
Why all this interest in World War II right now?
"I don't think there's any set answer," says Stephen Goldman, director of the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg.
"This generation of (World War II-era) witnesses is dying, and the children of that generation have the wherewithal and the influence to tell these stories," says Goldman, who relishes the prospect of a new generation learning the details of these historic events. "That's what we (Americans) do . . . use popular culture to teach lessons about history."
Indeed, these projects offer a fresh look at long-documented incidents, teaching significant lessons about the way Americans view their own history, and the way Hollywood chooses to retell it.
Those looking for reasons behind this tide of projects have their pick of potential catalysts:
It's not Vietnam
As politicians are mired in scandal, and movie stars struggle publicly with addictions, it's understandable that storytellers might choose to focus on a less ambiguous time in America's history.
For moviemakers, World War II presents a scenario free from concerns of political correctness -- no author could create villains as extreme as the Nazis or heroes as virtuous as the Americans who helped stop them.
NBC's Submerged shows Neill's "Swede" Momsen struggling to use then-cutting-edge technology to rescue sailors from a crippled submarine. Momsen does what needs doing, barely aware that risking his own life in just-invented pressure suits and diving bells might be considered praiseworthy.
The movie offers a taut, unadorned story of Momsen's efforts to save the Squalus, then the newest U.S. submarine, on the eve of World War II.
"There are no Momsens in American culture today," said Stanley Brooks, executive producer of Submerged. "It was a day when you could have acts of heroism because battles were hand to hand and there was great risk in exploration. When magazine journalists can hike Mount Everest and a California millionaire can go up in space, where will our next heroes come from?"
Vietnam also suffers when its historical image is compared with that of World War II. While the goals of World War II were clear and generally supported by the public, Vietnam was a confusing conflict, fought in unconventional ways for unspecified goals.
And in World War II, everyone from John F. Kennedy to Clark Gable served in uniform. Twenty years later, those who could often used connections at the National Guard or enrollment in college to stay out of harm's way.
"For all its flaws in terms of segregated (armed forces), World War II was a democratic war," said Gary Mormino, a professor of history at the University of South Florida and author of a book on the Tampa Bay area during World War II. "Japan and Germany were totalitarian states, and nearly everyone served (in the armed forces). Vietnam was a working-class war."
Spielberg, Spielberg, Spielberg
The 54-year-old director virtually has reinvented the way modern filmmakers look at the World War II era with his haunting Holocaust drama, Schindler's List, and realistic look at warfare, Saving Private Ryan.
The black-and-white cinematography of Schindler's, paired with a brutal, almost matter-of-fact depiction of Nazi atrocities, influenced a number of productions, including ABC's Anne Frank (during scenes of Anne in a concentration camp, the film slowly loses color until her death).
And the brutal realities of infantry combat shown in Ryan -- including American GIs gunning down German troops after they surrendered -- proved that a post-Vietnam eye for showing moral ambiguity in combat can be both compelling art and big business.
"There is a huge appetite for authenticity . . . not some rose-colored rearview mirror," said NBC's Brokaw, shrugging aside criticisms that his three books about the World War II generation -- which he calls history's "greatest generation" -- indulge exactly that kind of hero worship. "It makes me realize how important it is to do this kind of work as a journalist."
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd recently wrote that such efforts reflect the baby boomers' penchant for navel-gazing, turning "the Greatest Generation" into "the Gabbiest Generation." But that's a charge Brokaw, who said he tried to talk Dowd out of writing that column, disputes.
"I am worried that we're going to overexpose them . . . but we're forcing these stories out," said the 61-year-old news anchor. "We're saying, 'We're in awe of what you did. Tell us more.' "
In the spirit of finding new layers of meaning, HBO's Conspiracy dramatizes a top-secret meeting among 15 high-ranking members of Hitler's Third Reich at an ornate mansion outside Berlin. The purpose: to map out plans for a series of gas chambers that could kill thousands of prisoners per day, allowing the Nazis to wipe out the Jewish people within a year.
Henry V's Kenneth Branagh plays top Nazi Reinhard Heydrich; Big Night's Stanley Tucci is his assistant, SS Maj. Adolf Eichmann (the odd dissonance between Branagh's British accent and Tucci's American one while playing German soldiers is one of the movie's many curious distractions).
As this group debates the issue -- with some Nazis unwilling to support wholesale genocide -- the pressure of the mob mentality, the unreality of Nazi logic and the precise cruelty of the German war machine emerge in sharp relief.
"I am reading a book about Rwanda, and it is remarkable how many parallels there are," said Colin Firth (Shakespeare in Love), in press materials HBO provided on the film. Firth plays Dr. William Stuckart, co-author of the Nuremberg Laws, which systematically disenfranchised Jews in Nazi Germany.
"The people who were committing these murders were doctors, parish priests, research scientists and all other sorts of professional people," he added. "They weren't doing it in a spirit of passion, but because they felt . . . their lives would be better if they got rid of an entire race of people."
That's why the Holocaust Museum's Goldman supports the effort to bring movies such as Conspiracy to television.
"To show ordinary human beings, in this highly evolved culture -- which Germany was (in the 1940s) -- doing this, even with misgivings, shows anybody can do it," he said. "It shows you can't order people to do this kind of thing . . . but you can lead them to it."
It's about heroism
Ben Kingsley is actually the English-born son of a father who was an East Indian physician and a mother who was a British actor. But he has played Jewish heroes in three notable films: Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal in the 1989 TV movie Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story, accountant Itzhak Stern in Schindler's List and Anne Frank's father, Otto, in Anne Frank.
"They all come under the collective Yiddish noun of mensch," Kingsley said. "There's something Old Testament prophetic in their strength and something so admirable in the face of terrible things they endured. In a crisis, I'd like to be a mensch."
ABC's Anne Frank fleshes out Anne's tragic story, showing a happy childhood in Amsterdam clipped off by Germany's invasion and deportation of Jews into concentration camps. Based on the 1998 book Anne Frank: The Biography and developed without support from the Frank family estate, the movie doesn't include any excerpts from her famous diary, which ended with her capture by the Nazis in 1944.
Anne's relatives needn't worry. Anne Frank casts its heroine as an almost impossibly perceptive, optimistic and precocious child, able to keep her head even as the adults who joined her in hiding fall into bickering and depression.
In a too-slow setup of the story, Kingsley shines as Anne's level-headed father, joined by a heavyweight cast that includes Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn (Secrets & Lies), Lili Taylor and 14-year-old phenom Hannah Taylor Gordon as Anne.
Not until the show's second night, when Anne is sent to a concentration camp with her family, does the miniseries take flight, electrified by her ultimately unsuccessful struggle to survive hunger, disease and exposure.
It's an approach that addresses criticisms from some scholars that The Diary of Anne Frank may not be the best way to introduce students of history to the Holocaust.
"Her story is not at all typical, because (her dairy) was not kept through the concentration camps," said Goldman, who does not agree with the criticisms. "Her statement that 'In spite of everything, I really believe that people are good at heart' . . . We don't know if she would have felt that (in the camps). But I think anything that brings the worst of the human condition to light . . . is a positive."
"The taste that these films leave for me as a storyteller is one of triumph -- that we told the story and people stayed to (absorb) it," Kingsley says. "That's the best you can expect from a film like this. That people leave the cinema saying, 'Okay, this did happen. I believe you.' "
-- Material from Times wires was used in this report
At a glance
Conspiracy airs at 9 p.m. Saturday on HBO. Grade: B-plus. Rating: TV-14.
Anne Frank airs at 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday on WFTS-Ch. 28. Grade: B-plus. Rating: TV-PG (first night), TV-14 (second night, some nudity).
Submerged airs at 9 p.m. Sunday on WFLA-Ch. 8. Grade: B-plus. Rating: TV-PG.
© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:8fb53650-e053-45d8-b477-3f336e8be7ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sptimes.com/News/051801/Floridian/Replaying_WWII.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959323 | 2,481 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Date of Award
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Dr. Zhen Huang - Committee Chair
Dr. Alfons Baumstark - Committee Member
Dr. Giovanni Gadda - Committee Member
Nucleoside 5-triphosphates are the building blocks to synthesis of nucleic acids. Nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) participate in many important biological functions in living systems, including genetic information storage, gene expression, and catalysis. Nucleoside 5- triphosphates have many important therapeutic and diagnostic applications. To understand how these triphosphates are utilized in living systems, numerous synthetic mimics have been prepared and used as active metabolites of certain drugs and molecular probes. Over the years, nucleic acids have been modified at the nucleobase, sugar moiety and phosphate backbone with the aim of understanding their structures and functions. We have site-specifically replaced selected oxygen atoms of nucleosides and nucleotides with selenium atom in order to enzymatically synthesize selenium-derivatized DNAs for obtaining insights into the DNA flexibility, duplex recognition and stability. Although triphosphates have important biological and medicinal significance, they are however, very difficult to synthesize and isolate in high purity and yield. There are many approaches to the synthesis of nucleoside 5-triphosphates, but there is no general strategy that allows simple and direct synthesis of nucleoside triphosphates. To face the challenges, we have developed a new approach in the absence of protecting groups to quickly and efficiently synthesized native deoxynucleoside 5-triphosphates and deoxynucleoside 5-(α- P-seleno)- P-seleno)triphosphates. Syntheses of the triphosphates containing selenium-derivatized nucleobases were also successfully accomplished. After replacing the oxygen atoms at the 4-position of thymidine and uridine, and the 6-position of guanosine, we observed most strikingly, a large bathrochromic shift of over 100 nm, relative to their native counterparts of UV absorbance of 260 nm. Consequently, the synthesized selenium base modified triphosphates are yellow. We also synthesized 2-selenothymidine and 5-methylseleno thymidine 5-triphosphates. We conducted stability study on the colored 4-selenothymidine and used the 5- triphosphate analog (4-SeTTP) as substrate for polymerase recognition. The Klenow polymerase incorporated the 4-SeTTP with efficiency equal to that of the native counterpart. Finally, 4-SeTTP was used to demonstrate UVdamage resistance of selenium-derivatized DNAs and plasmid.
Caton-Williams, Julianne Marie, "Synthesis and Enzymatic Studies of Selenium Derivatized Nucleosides, Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids" (2009). Chemistry Dissertations. Paper 42. | <urn:uuid:6cfbc37a-a9ab-46f5-9c58-05f7ff3707e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/chemistry_diss/42/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904764 | 637 | 1.679688 | 2 |
This page and related links last reviewed on July 17, 2012
Board of Governors
Charge: To prepare amendments requested
by the Board of Governors or House of Delegates as provided for in the
Constitution and Bylaws; address constitutional issues referred by the
Board; and provide interpretation and periodic review of Constitution
and Bylaws as may be required. | <urn:uuid:64ed8d79-0014-4381-910d-f3231d4e2974> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cap.org/apps/cap.portaL?_nfpb=true&cntvwrPtlt_actionOverride=%2Fportlets%2FcontentViewer%2Fshow&_windowLabel=cntvwrPtlt&cntvwrPtlt%7BactionForm.contentReference%7D=committees%2Fconstitution_description.html&_state=maximized&_pageLabel=cntvwr | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946219 | 74 | 1.632813 | 2 |
There was just one single, solitary red orb, positively radiating life like a bright beacon in the night; it stuck out like a sore thumb in that sea of emerald green foliage. Though only the size of a marble, it weighed heavily in my mind, as every day it grew redder and more ripe. Grown from microscopic seeds, those supporting vines were the plants that no one believed would even grow. Sewn in unfriendly New England soil, known in particular for its abundance of large rocks, in a postage stamp-sized garden with moderate sunlight at best, planting them was a long shot from the start. By some miracle, and no small amount of love and long hours of weeding by my mother, those historically fickle plants not only grew, but eventually flowered, and then- Get this- Fruited. Such an ordinary act of nature that thousands upon thousands of gardeners must witness every year, but every time I gaze out at that patch of prolific greenery, I can’t hide my awe. We have our first tomato, perfectly shaped and colored, albeit of miniature size. But heck, size doesn’t matter. It could be as small as the head of a pin for all I care. That fact that it came into existence right here in my backyard, and is undeniably, utterly alive, well… I can’t think of anything that would taste quite so sweet. | <urn:uuid:9da294db-043b-4024-81d2-22e671fda6fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bittersweetblog.com/2010/08/11/the-first-tomato/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=1ba466d084 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961186 | 291 | 1.804688 | 2 |
|ETCSLtranslation : t.22.214.171.124|
1-10. May Lord Nanna, king of heaven and earth, your good protective deity, accept the holy food offerings that you prepare, and the holy pure drink offerings that you proffer with holy hands; the sacrifices that you bring, what you say in your heart, what you utter out loud, your reverent gestures and your holy hands raised in prayer. May the august queen Ningal, your queen of favourable signs, accept them also. O king, they who have suppressed famine, the great gods Nanna and Ningal, have conferred abundance on you, King Rīm-Sîn, in the temple of the gods.
11-21. O king named with a name by Enlil, the destiny of whose reign is abundance, a time of richness and years of happiness! May a destiny of stability and a destiny of abundance be your lot. O king, day and night, even at dead of night, time shall pass for you in endless abundance, and be agreeable and stable for you. O king, since you have offered your food offerings first offered in the abzu; O king, since you have offered your food offerings afterwards in the great courtyard, there shall be no end to the abundance. O king, the temple shall be well-organised for you. Rīm-Sîn, king of Urim, has restored the august divine powers of the Ki-ur.
22-38. May Nanna, the king of heaven and earth, fit perfectly onto your head the legitimate august headdress of kingship. May the august queen Ningal, who has saved you from famine thanks to her benignity, let you live (?) an agreeable life for these days. As you receive from her holy hands the great splendour of kingship, may she place the august sceptre of heaven and earth in your hands like a ceremonial robe. Rīm-Sîn, king of the Ki-ur, endowed with abundance, constant attendant! O king, may the Tigris bring you abundance, and may the upper (?) Nun canal be filled for you with flowing water in its full flood. May the Nun canal, the good Nun canal, the life-bringing canal of the Land, bring you fish and fowl; from the ocean, the wide sea, from the standing reservoirs, may it bring an unending supply of creatures for your kingship. In the wide open spaces of the wide desert, the four-footed animals ……. May water levels rise for you in the irrigation ditches, with their levees, and the water-channels.
39-51. May there be life for you, and may there be a favourable response to your prayers. May there be joy for you, and may there be favourable signs for you. May your heart be satisfied, may your body be satisfied; may your mood and your definite signs from the gods be good. May there be favourable omens in the heart of Nanna and Ningal, and a destiny of life be granted for ever. Rīm-Sîn, seemly king, who holds abundance in his hands from the great gods, may the country be stable for you, and may the foundations of the country be secure for you. May Nanna, king of heaven and earth, cause the Land to respond to you with a single voice. Rīm-Sîn, you are my king!
© Copyright 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 The ETCSL project, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford | <urn:uuid:25dfc5b4-136b-4744-a7af-15588e2c947c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.2.6.9.7&display=Crit&charenc=gcirc&lineid=t2697.p2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939417 | 745 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Commelina angustifolia ? Commelinaceae.
The rhizomes contain a good deal of starch mixed with mucilage and are therefore fit for food when cooked.
Commelina coelestis Willd. Blue Spiderwort.
Mexico. The rhizomes are used as food in India.
Commelina communis Linn.
China. In China, this plant is much cultivated as a potherb, which is eaten in spring.
Commelina latifolia Hochst.
Abyssinia. It is used as a potherb.
Commelina striata ?
The rhizomes are suitable for food.
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World, 1919, was edited by U. P. Hedrick. | <urn:uuid:7ec60c87-00b8-4b97-a0b4-e6da504b395e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/sturtevant/commelina.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906915 | 164 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Saint Lucia Government
St. Lucia is an independent member state of the British Commonwealth with a Westminster style parliamentary democracy. This status was achieved on February 22, 1979 under the provisions of the St. Lucia Constitution Order 1978. The British monarchy, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State (since Feb. 6, 1952) and is being represented by an appointed Governor General based in St. Lucia, Her Excellency Dr. Calliopa Pearlette Louisy (Sept. 18, 1997).
The House of Assembly consist of 17 elected members (elected every five years) which represents a similar number of single-member constituencies, and the Senate comprises 11 Senators who are appointed by the Governor General. The Cabinet is led by the Prime Minister the Honourable Stephenson King and his other selected Ministers of the United Workers Party (UWP) who are also the majority party of the House of Assembly.
The leader of the opposition is Honourable Dr. Kenny D. Anthony who leads the St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP - founded in 1946).
The legal system is based on English common law and "Code Napoleon", and the highest judicial body is the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. The administration of the law is under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court which is led by His Lordship the Honourable Chief Justice [Ag.] Adrian Saunders. | <urn:uuid:177aae76-0f09-4e04-8af4-b3bd6b94e566> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.visitslu.com/about_slu/facts/gov.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963734 | 276 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Where You Can Find Your Bank's CRA Public File
A bank's entire public CRA file must be available at its main office. If your bank operates in more than one state, it must keep a file at one branch office in each of these states. You can ask to inspect this file, at no charge to you, any time the bank is open.
If you do your banking at a branch office, you can ask to see its CRA file, which contains a copy of the public section of the bank's most recent CRA performance evaluation and a list of services provided by your branch. Upon request, your branch must also provide for inspection, within five days, all the information in the public file relating to your branch's assessment area.
You may also ask a bank to provide you with a copy of its public CRA file for you to read at your convenience. The bank is allowed to charge you a reasonable fee, though, to cover the cost of copying and mailing.
Each office or branch of a bank must post a notice in its lobby that describes the purpose of the Community Reinvestment Act. This notice also explains that the public has a right to review a bank's CRA file and to make written comments about the bank's CRA performance. In addition, the notice names the federal regulator of the bank and states whether the bank is owned by a holding company. | <urn:uuid:ce3fa7b6-e896-4734-9b61-54ed867bf752> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.frbatlanta.org/pubs/cra/where_you_can_find_your_banks_cra_public_file.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966443 | 277 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The center said that according to its research, Pyongyang has carried out "a military provocation of some form within weeks of every South Korean presidential inauguration dating back to 1992."
A military clash could risk drawing in the United States, which has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as part of the security alliance between the two countries.
The most recent skirmish between the two Koreas took place in November 2010, when the North shelled an island on the South's side of the border, killing several people. Pyongyang claimed Seoul had provoked it by carrying out training exercises off the countries' shared coast.
The United States is using satellites, radar and aircraft near the Korean Peninsula in its recently stepped-up surveillance of North Korea, U.S. military sources said.
So far, though, there are no signs of unusual military moves by North Korean forces, according to the same U.S. military officials.
A week of strong threats
The North's comments on Friday reiterated statements it had made earlier this week promising to abolish the armistice agreement that stopped the Korean War in 1953 and threatening strikes on the United States and South Korea.
Claiming its enemies are "hell bent on confrontation and war fever," Pyongyang said it was now revoking "all agreements on nonaggression reached between the North and the South," a declaration it has made in previous years.
It also said it was nullifying the joint declaration on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The North, which conducted its third underground nuclear test last month, had said recently that denuclearization of the region was impossible because of what it described as the United States' hostile policy toward it.
It also stated that it was immediately cutting off the "North-South hot line," three days after it had already said it planned to terminate its military telephone line with the United States. | <urn:uuid:99ae096c-2311-4c33-b1bd-79feb18ee615> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wgal.com/news/national/N-Korea-issues-fresh-threats-after-U-N-vote/-/9360498/19232174/-/item/1/-/6pucad/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984987 | 378 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a VND3.7 trillion (US$168million) programme to combat HIV/AIDS in the 2012-15 period.
The programme is expected to contribute to the successful implementation of the national strategy for fighting the disease by 2020 with vision to 2030, reducing the HIV infection ratio in communities to less than 0.3 per cent and lessening its impact on socio-economic development.
One of the programme’s goals is that by 2015, 60 per cent of people from 15 to 49 must understand how to protect themselves from the disease and be able to argue against common misconceptions. The programme also aims to lower the HIV infection ratio to less than 5 per cent for prostitutes, less than 10 per cent for gay men and less than 15 per cent for intravenous drug users.
By 2015, the programme also aims to provide 70 per cent of people living with HIV with ARV treatment and reduce the HIV infection ratio of children born to mothers living with HIV to less than 5 per cent.
The programme will be implemented in 63 provinces and cities across the country. It has four components: education on HIV/AIDS, prevention, surveillance, support for treatment and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission, and strengthened capacity for HIV/AIDS controlling centres.
At the end of March 2012, Viet Nam had 201,134 HIV carriers and 57,733 AIDS patients. The number of new HIV cases fell by 1,065 against the same period of 2011. | <urn:uuid:f766d6ab-72b5-4734-8663-22cede70b1d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nguyentandung.info/168m-pledged-to-battle-hivaids.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944737 | 305 | 2.09375 | 2 |
A European view from Iceland
An article published in the Hungarian newspaper, Magyar Hírlap 12 July 2010
Iceland expects to begin her negotiations on membership of the European Union in the first half of 2011. It is a happy coincidence that Hungary will then have assumed the presidency of the union. Our two nations have always enjoyed a warm relationship. In Iceland we remember with fondness the Hungarians which settled in Iceland after the tragic events of 1956. They enriched our society, not least with their musical talents. Hungary still sends us gifted musicians which have been instrumental in enriching the musical culture of our nation. We repaid in kind by strongly supporting Hungary´s membership of Nato. Lately, our relationship is being strengthened by an emerging cooperation on geothermal energy, where Hungary has a much greater potential than most of its citizens realize.
Membership based on merit
Iceland has no expectations on preferential treatment in her dealings with the EU. We only ask to be judged on merit. The fact that it took less than a year to reach the status of a candidate country last month, only reflects the fact that Iceland has for fifteen years been engaged in the integration of Europe through her membership of the European Economic Area and of Schengen. Iceland therefore already had adopted 70 percent of the EU regulations at the time she put in her application for membership. Olli Rehn, the EU-comissioner, has likened the accession process to a marathon. Iceland had thus covered more than two-thirds of the distance when she started the run.
An accident of size
It is not difficult to argue for Iceland´s seat at the European table. The settlers that set sail to Iceland in the 9th century, at the same time as the Hungarians were emerging as a nation, were Europeans of strong Celtic and Norwegian origins. They possessed the desire to write and create, and started the literary tradition that led to the most famous contribution of Iceland to the common European heritage, the Icelandic Sagas. The Sagas describe vital parts of the medieval history of the Nordic nations that otherwise would be lost. They document the early religious beliefs and poetic ideas of the Vikings on the creation of Man and Earth. When Europe changed and her languages developed or disappeared we, on behalf of Europe, became the keepers of the original tongue of the Viking. It still is the mother-tongue of every Icelander.
Interestingly, champions of classical prose as diverse as the two famous writers, Jorge Luis Borges and William Faulkner, trace the origins of the contemporary novel to the Icelandic Sagas. The Celtic art of poetry and the Nordic tradition of telling complex tales still run in our blood. It is only an accident of size that the modern day writers of Iceland are not regulars in the bookshelves of the Hungarian homes – but that is a problem easily solved with money for translations from the European funds!
Strong democratic values
Our democratic values are similarly steeped in the European tradition. Our parliament, founded in 930, is the oldest in Europe and is a descendant of the Viking parliaments that I maintain were the forerunners of modern parliamentary democracy. The rule of law, strong democratic institutions, respect for human rights and a welfare society that despite temporary financial difficulties ranks among the best in the world, are the characteristics of the modern day Iceland. And it is noteworthy, that we adopted the Christian faith as early as the year 1000, or about the same time as Hungary.
A sense of justice is not a question of size and Iceland has not been afraid to stand up in defense of the rights of other small nations to choose their future. A witness to that is the fact that Iceland was the first nation to recognize the sovereignty of the Baltic states in the beginning of the Nineties. It was a controversial decision, hailed by some but hated by others. History shows, however, that it was the right decision and that it made a difference.
Financially, we have put our house in order after the banking collapse in 2008 by strong fiscal measures. Only last week the International Monetary Fund declared that technically the economic recession in Iceland is over, and that in five years time Iceland could be among those nations in Europe with least debt.
The art of sustainability
In the world of today, where pollution and overexploitation of resources is endemic, Iceland has been very successful in creating a sustainable society. In two fields especially, renewable energy and sustainable fisheries, Iceland has experience and techniques that can be of great value to the European Union.
A brief look at the fishing stocks of the EU reveals a dark picture of overfishing that in far too many cases borders on decimation. Whilst the EU has failed to create a system of sustainable fishing, most stocks in Icelandic waters are either stable or growing in size. An example of that is our well known cod that is one of only two such stocks in the world that presently is on the increase. Europe could do worse than build the future of her fisheries on the Icelandic model. Every European country would gain from that – even the landlocked Hungary!
In renewable energy Iceland leads the world with more than 80 percent of her energy needs being met by renewables, either hydro or geothermal power. We have for years preached the geothermal gospel to the European Union, and repeatedly pointed out that the geothermal potential in Europe is considerably greater than realized by Brussels. It is the cheapest and the least polluting energy source still available, and could be very useful in reaching the ambitious energy goals of the the EU for 2020. Currently, Iceland is developing a breaking-edge technology based on deep-drilling that in cooperation with the EU could enhance the energy security of several European nations. Our geothermal experience is of special interest for countries with significant geothermal potential, such as Hungary, where indeed it is presently being put to use in places such as Miskolc and Szentlörinc.
It´s the fisheries, stupid
In Europe, Iceland seeks the security of a strong currency, an environment that is inducive to the development of hi-tech industries that already contribute 25 percent of Iceland´s export earnings, a democratic right to influence the decisions that affect our future, and the long-term security a small nation without a military may find in the shelter of a strong European family.
There will be hurdles along the way of Iceland to become a part of the EU. The Icelandic public is with ample reason highly sceptical of the Common Fisheries Policy and fears that membership might weaken our control of the fishing stocks. In Iceland, fishing has been our bread and butter since settlement and has a vital importance in the national psyche. In the negotiations that will begin under the Hungarian Presidency, it must be realized that an acceptable solution to the fisheries question is eventually what will make – or break – the deal.
Össur Skarphéðinsson the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Iceland, currently on an official visit to the Hungarian government. He has an english Ph.D. in fisheries biology. | <urn:uuid:90f4b982-3421-4031-bee8-eec7f5f77047> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eng.utanrikisraduneyti.is/minister/speeches-and-articles/nr/5740 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963713 | 1,433 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Phlebotomy program involves learning about learning venepuncture, blood sampling techniques and specimen collection. Students under the program also learn how to operate equipment and tools used in phlebotomy, and the necessary safety procedures.
Phlebotomy certification is a requirement for registration, or licensing of phlebotomists in some states. It opens the door to phlebotomy job opportunities in hospitals, private clinics and healthcare centers.
Tacoma WA is one of the best places where you can undertake phlebotomy course in the country. Many technical schools, colleges and universities in Tacoma WA offer phlebotomy courses, and most of them have campuses in multiple locations.
Voted as one of the best places to live, Tacoma is also a great place to stay while attending phlebotomy school. The city is characterized by many beautiful parks, walkways and other recreational facilities. Its peaceful environment, breathtaking architecture, historic landmarks and cultural attractions provide a perfect setting for a study destination.
The other great thing about studying phlebotomy in Tacoma WA is the ease with which you can access various colleges and universities that offer this course. The city has one of the most advanced intercity transportation in the country. The Greyhound inter-city bus is accessible from the Station. Amtrak operates daily train services from Tacoma to other cities or states, including Seattle, California, Sacramento, Emeryville, Portland, Olympia-Lacey and Eugene, Oregon. This means that you don’t have to be stay in Tacoma WA while studying for your phlebotomy certification.
Phlebotomy programs in Tacoma WA have become very popular, especially with young people with interest in pursuing a career in the healthcare industry. This is because working as a phlebotomist in reputable healthcare institutions can be very lucrative. Some phlebotomists are known to earn as high as $4,000 per month.
Pursuing phlebotomy training and certification is very important for anyone working in this area. This job is challenging since it involves drawing of blood from patient without causing them pain. During training, students learn the best techniques to carry out this task.
Candidates who are interested in lucrative job openings in reputable healthcare centers are thoroughly tested during the interview. You can only get one of these jobs if you are well-trained and certified. This is the other main reason why you should undergo a phlebotomy training program in Tacoma or any other place. The training and certification offered in Washington will enable you to get the recognition you need in a good hospital. It will also equip you with the skills to deliver quality services.
Note that, aside from working as a full-time phlebotomist, you can work part time as you pursue further education or any other interest. Many students who are planning to become nurses, paramedics and doctors work as part-time phlebotomists while pursuing their studies. This allows them to earn some decent pocket money to take care of their needs.
Part-time phlebotomy technicians are in high demand, especially in research laboratories and private clinics. They usually work on shift basis, and can earn good money just like their counterparts who work full-time.
If you would like to pursue phlebotomy in Tacoma, you should make use of the internet to locate a good training center. Read through reviews of Phlebotomy programs offered by various schools. This will help you to determine the one that is best suited for you.
You could also opt for an online phlebotomy course. Many schools in Tacoma offer online phlebotomy certifications. This online program offers a very convenient and cost-effective way of getting certification. | <urn:uuid:9d033aba-684b-4553-9dbd-adb21e8b6433> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://learnlinc.com/phlebotomy/phlebotomy-training-in-tocoma-wa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962562 | 761 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Reviewed by Bryce L. (age 7)
Ms. Frizzle?s class went up in space and my dad works for a Space Center. I got interested in space the Christmas when I was six, when I got a space model from my dad. Ms. Frizzle is an unusual teacher. She?s odd and interesting and likes to see things close up. Ms. Frizzle wants the fieldtrip to be real. My favorite fieldtrip was to the Art Museum. It made me want to be able to draw like that when I grow up.
My favorite kid in Ms. Frizzle?s class is Janet. She will make you want to read her speech bubbles again and again! I have read them so many times that I memorized them! Janet is a brag, brag, bragger. I am very happy that Janet is not in my class.
The illustrations are so helpful that you could figure out almost everything without the writing! The notepages give you lots of interesting facts. I learned that the sun is so hot it can heat planets millions of kilometers away.
I recommend this book to people who love space. It would make a good book for any time of the day. You learn a lot from this book, and the story is really funny. | <urn:uuid:d553c368-5d31-4781-8b8f-b0ae7918e0d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spaghettibookclub.org/review.php?review_id=7205 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973171 | 263 | 1.945313 | 2 |
With medical advances, people are living longer than ever before, and in many cases, with a higher quality of life for much of that time. Despite the potential of a long, healthy life, however, many individuals find themselves facing end-of-life issues they never anticipated. And to Christians, those decisions may be especially difficult.
In My Hope Is Built ...: Christian Perspectives on Decisions at the End of Life, author F. Walton Avery examines critical writings about available options for those facing end-of-life decisions for themselves or for someone they love. He looks at Christian responses to vital questions that come at the end of life. Avery looks closely at whether the prohibition against suicide or assisted death can be suspended and, in the name of Christian faith, the suffering individual be permitted to commit suicide or be party to assisted death.
Regardless of circumstances, making end-of-life decisions are likely to be difficult. My Hope Is Built ...: Christian Perspectives on Decisions at the End of Life can help one make those decisions in light of their Christian beliefs. | <urn:uuid:d81f87f1-c3ee-4b24-86c4-22d5d291f581> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ebookmall.com/ebook/my-hope-is-built-christian-perspectives-on-decisions-at-the-end-of-life/f-walton-avery-md-mts/9781462064137 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937549 | 218 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Welcome to the guidebook of Rare Birds of the Painted Asphalt. For all watchers of rare birds of the asphalt this guide will try and outline the distinctive look and attitudes to the serious hobbyist. You will be able to correctly spot and identify these rare foul that appear mostly, at that mundane of locations, the parking lot.
The Spot-Craving Vulture - This particular specimen is easy to identify, it can be found loitering near other birds’ nests waiting for them to vacate. This bird is scared of long treks and requires a conveniently positioned nest, even if it inconveniences other animals. Other less perfect nesting spots can be open, but the spot craving vulture is blind to anything but its prize. Normally seen with a rather long row of birds behind it, it watches instinctively for bright white glowing.
The Skittish Circling Whirlybird - Similar to the Spot-Craving Vulture, the skittish circling whirlybird is very particular about its choice of nest. That is where the similarity ends; this creature is agile, impulsive, and elusive. They are normally only seen as a blur. They tend to weave in and out and can spot an open nesting spot from miles away. It is not uncommon for the whirlybird to zip in front of an unsuspecting nester and take an open spot that appeals to them. They believe it is their right, and pretend the opponent is not there, or sometimes they chose to believe the other invited them.
The Proud Painted Spot Eater- This bird is a real photo hog. If you are lucky enough to see one, snapping its picture will be simple. Additionally the spot eater believes that due to its beautiful coloring and what it considers superior shape, it will buffer itself with extra protection. The spot eater is known for building its nest in an area that could easily accommodate two birds. As a result other species are forced to nest in less inviting areas. The proud painted spot eater cares little about this and in fact considers the other birds less worthy of a nesting spot then himself.
The Hulking Compact Nest Builder –This enormous bird is twice the size of the other afore mentioned rare birds of the painted asphalt, but it is unaware of this fact. For some unknown reason this bird will build it’s nest in the smallest tightest spot possible. Moving itself in and out of the nest over and over to get a snug fit. This process can take eternity to perfect. Once in, it has little room to move. This will not stop the creature from spreading its wings, even if that means encroaching on other nests. Be aware that this bird will pay little attention to you, so observation, and possibly a picture or two should be a snap.
This is but a brief primer of the known Rare Birds of the Painted Asphalt. As always watchers, keep your eyes and ears open, and enjoy the viewing in this most humble of natures preserves. | <urn:uuid:1c5aadb9-ad00-4fd5-8fe7-d3bd964dfa61> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kludgespot.blogspot.com/2006/09/rare-birds-of-painted-asphalt.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949445 | 610 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Not to be outdone by New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, a California archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story in the LA Times read: “California archaeologists report finding of 200-year-old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than New Yorkers.”
One week later a local newspaper in Tennessee reported the following: “After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture in Meigs County, Bubba Hampton, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Bubba has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Tennessee had already gone wireless.”
This joke, I received from a friend, made me laugh. It also made me think. As funny as that punchline is, I wondered if the same people laughing at old Bubba are also laughing at the archaeologists who publicized their conclusions. After all, none of them had any sound basis for making such ambitious assumptions based on a single item.
Such theories, based on little or no evidence, are not uncommon if you watch the news. Take reports that scientists announced the discovery of artificial megalithic structures found among released NASA photos taken by the Mars Global Surveyor.
UFOTV studios said “These artificial structures are stunning proof that Mars was once inhabited by an intelligent civilization.” Viewers were invited to see “remarkable monuments, T-shaped craters, gigantic glass tube systems, ancient forest remains and grand edifices that will leave you speechless.”
If you’ve ever seen the NASA photo of what appears to be a huge human face on Mars — some two miles from end to end — on a planet that has never had human contact on it, you might wonder if these assumptions are true, or could there be another explanation?
According to NASA, as reported on http://science.nasa.gov, “The huge rock formation which resembles a human head was formed by shadows, giving the illusion of eyes, nose and mouth.”
This illusion was said to be “a good way to engage the public and attract attention to Mars.” The report added, although few scientists believed the “face” was an alien artifact, “photographing it again became a priority.”
“We felt this was important to taxpayers,” explained Jim Garvin, chief scientist for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. “We photographed the Face as soon as we could get a good shot at it.”
When Mars Global Surveyor flew over the “face” again in 1998, and the Mars Orbiter Camera team snapped a picture 10 times sharper than the original Viking photos, it revealed a natural landform. NASA concluded “There was no alien monument after all.”
The “evidence” can be weighed and viewers can decide for themselves by Googling “the face on Mars” or similar topics. The problem with this kind of “evidence” is that it has to have a theory, a story, to support it.
That story can be true or false. It can be reasonable or unreasonable. To the person who wants to believe the story, the evidence is simply a byproduct. It does not have to be conclusive. It only has to be believable.
Such conviction, stemming from credulity, often becomes more persuasive than the evidence. If that’s all the proof needed to grab a few headlines, I guess the joke is really on us. Shouldn’t care be exercised in deciding what we choose to believe?
In the case of Mars, the simple explanation of winds, erosion and even enhanced pictures revealing nothing artificial, but completely natural landforms, cannot dissuade believers in extraterrestrial life on Mars. No real evidence — only theories and assumptions.
It reminds me of a similar mindset of the woodcutter described at Isaiah 44:16-17. It says, “With some of the wood he makes a fire; he roasts meat, eats it, and is satisfied. He warms himself and says, How nice and warm! What a beautiful fire! The rest of the wood he makes into an idol, and then he bows down and worships it. He prays to it and says, You are my god — save me!” — Good News Translation.
Believing a piece of wood is a living god does not make it so. Believing there is life on Mars, because time and winds have created certain designs, does not make it so. Discovering copper wire does not a telephone system make. An honest search for the truth should be supported by real proof, not unreliable evidence.
Like Bubba, we all have vivid imaginations. They can run wild at times. I certainly don’t mind discussing life in outer space, creation, evolution or quantum physics, if I can keep up. But make no mistake about it, what we believe can make the difference in people laughing with us or at us. | <urn:uuid:8fcf114d-be6f-4c79-8ee2-eb32f6b7f917> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://clevelandbanner.com/pages/full_story/push?article-WRIGHT+WAY-+Proof+of+alien+life-%20&id=15673767&instance=main_article | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966871 | 1,056 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Nkonyana, 19, was stabbed to death in the South Afrian city
after refusing to use a male toilet in 2006. She was allegedly
murdered because of her sexuality.
The nine defendants, who are pleading not guilty, have had their
trial postponed over 30 times since the incident.
They are Lubabalo Ntlabathi, Sabelo Yekiso, Anele Gwele, Mbulelo
Damba, Sicelo Mase, Luyanda Londzi, Zolile Kobese, Themba Dlephu
and Mfundo Kulani. Each were charged with murder.
Now, after a request from the men's lawyers to have all charges
against them dropped, two of them - Kobese and Gwele - have been
The requests were on the basis that witnesses had contradicted
each other, according to local news website Times Live.
The decision has drawn global criticism from LGBT activists.
Following the postponement, local activists began protesting
outside Khayelitsha Regional Court - as they have since the trail
Previosuly, Treatment Action Campaign activist Mary-Jane Matsolo
said: "As a community we need to be proactive in making sure this
type of travesty is seen as completely unacceptable, something that
will not, under any circumstances, be tolerated.
"Zoliswa was a proud and open member of the lesbian community.
[She] was the victim of a murder […] for no reason other than that
she was a lesbian." | <urn:uuid:9ca2c652-2b84-4eaf-bbcc-952cd3e26964> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.divamag.co.uk/category/news/two-men-walk-free-from-lesbian-murder-case.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970225 | 322 | 1.507813 | 2 |
NEW DELHI: India has made it clear that developing countries will consent to a system of "international consultation and analysis" only if industrialised countries agree to certain conditions.
India made a unilateral proposal for a system of "international consultation and analysis" at the Mexico ministerial meet earlier this month.
At the ongoing Major Economies Forum meet in Washington, India has fleshed out the proposal by listing what developing countries want in return for acceding to a global monitoring system. This includes improved emission reduction commitments by industrialised countries particularly the US, actual disbursement of finance and a technology mechanism.
The proposal doesn't represent an official position but a starting point for discussion "to provoke debate". In putting it together, India has sought to put on the table elements it considers to be essential for a bargain or "balanced package" that could be agreed to at Cancun. This could include agreements on forestry, finance, technology and mitigation commitments of industrialised countries.
According to the Copenhagen Accord, "international consultation and analysis" refers to a global system for monitoring efforts that developing countries make to counter climate change by using domestic resources. This was agreed to by developing countries like India, China at Copenhagen as part of the political "grand bargain"—the Copenhagen Accord.
In order to ensure that developing countries are not held to a system that is more onerous than that for industrialised countries, environment minister Jairam Ramesh has outlined a system for industrialised countries as well. In doing so, Mr Ramesh may have gone beyond the political agreement hammered out at Copenhagen.
In the reworked proposal, all countries with more than one per cent share of global greenhouse gas emissions will be required to submit reports for ICA. Originally, it had been proposed that countries with more than 2 per cent share would submit reports.
This tweaking brings into the net a larger number of countries, including individual members of the European Union, and developing countries like South Korea, Indonesia.
Mr Ramesh has stressed that this system would not blur the distinction between developed and developing countries. Reports by industrialised countries will comprise an emissions inventory, progress on emission reduction commitments, disbursement of financial commitments, and pledges made in the Copenhagen Accord.
For the industrialised countries, the ICA will provide the process through which measuring, reporting and verification is undertaken. Reports by developing countries will include emission inventory, actions to deal with climate change and anlysis of these actions, and the progress made on meeting the pledges made in the Copenhagen Accord.
The proposed system will not be "intrusive and infringe upon national sovereignty". Mr Ramesh has stressed that reports for the consultation will be prepared internally by each country.
In a move that would address concerns of developing countries, Mr Ramesh has said that countries will have to right not to engage in discussion on issues which it considers "intrusive" or "infringing on national sovereignty".
The environment minister has made it clear that for developing countries to agree to an ICA system, the US will have to improve on its emission reduction pledges, and industrialised countries will have to agree to a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol.
The rich countries will have to make a firm and tangible commitment on fast start finance "with a focus on actual disbursement of new and additional resources". The industrialised countries will also need to commit to the establishment of a technology mechanism with a network of climate innovation centres.
The need to suggest a system for international consultation and analysis emerged once it became clear that the US would continue to demand a tougher regime for China as a precondition for taking on substantial emission cuts. Sources close to the developments said that the US finds the proposed monitoring system acceptable.
However, for the system to be acceptable to developing countries and find domestic acceptance, the US too needs to make a counter offer. | <urn:uuid:e4a78ca7-0563-45a3-ab71-195843c60ba2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-11-19/news/27606973_1_copenhagen-accord-countries-international-consultation-and-analysis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946486 | 790 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Since 1919, Veterans Day has stood as an opportunity for the United States, as a nation, to pause and honor American veterans of all wars. In 2010, the 91st Veterans Day promises to be no different, with events scheduled across the country.
American Legion officers are scheduled to take part in some of these events. National Commander Jimmie Foster will speak at the National Veterans Award Dinner on Nov. 10, part of National Veterans Day in Birmingham, Ala. Foster’s speech will be covered on the Legion's website. The National Veterans Day schedule includes a memorial service, parade and World Peace Luncheon, as well as the dinner the night before. The National Veterans Award, instituted in 1954, is given “to honor an outstanding veteran in the United States each year who has made the greatest contribution to further the patriotic interests of veterans and veteran organizations throughout the country.” This year’s recipient is Gen. Charles C. Krulak, retired as a commandant of the Marine Corps and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; previous winners include several of the Legion’s Distinguished Service Medal recipients.
National Vice Commander William Schrier will attend several events in the Washington area as the representative of The American Legion. Included are a breakfast reception at the White House hosted by Vice President Joe Biden; the wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery, part of the Veterans Day National Ceremony; and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Ceremony at the Wall.
Other events surrounding this Veterans Day include the New York City Veterans Day Parade. Put on by the United War Veterans Council, the parade has made its way up Fifth Avenue every Nov. 11 since 1919. This year's parade, under the theme "Freedom is Not Free", will pay special tribute to the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. More than 3,000 active-duty soldiers, the largest group in several decades, will march with 20,000 others (including many Legionnaires) in front of up to 600,000 spectators. And on Nov. 10, Washington will be the site of the groundbreaking ceremony for the American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial. The memorial is supported by the Legion per Resolution 48, adopted at the 2009 National Convention in Louisville. The Department of Veterans Affairs has named a list of “model” regional Veterans Day observances; the contact information for those events can be found here.
On a more local level, Jeff Davis Post 18 in Centreville, Md., is coordinating the fourth annual Veterans Day Waterfowl Weekend. From Nov. 11-14, the post and community will welcome injured veterans from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington for shooting, meals and banquets, and ceremonies honoring their service. They will even each receive a new 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun to use and keep. For more information or to donate, call Bob O’Connor at (410) 808-8514.
A guidelined Legion Veterans Day speech, prepared by the Public Relations Division, is available here. All posts are encouraged to upload recaps and photos of their Veterans Day celebrations and other community activities to the blog Legiontown USA. Legiontown is a place for Legionnaires to tell the stories of all the good they do, every day, and see how other Legionnaires across the country are doing the same.
To see what national businesses are offering Veterans Day promotions, click here. | <urn:uuid:d41fe068-ed25-47cc-9961-cf59b12b9511> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.legion.org/veteransday/92516/veterans-day-2010-be-busy-one | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926862 | 692 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The most northerly town in the world
Trip Start Dec 23, 2012
56Trip End Jan 23, 2013
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Where I stayed
Started the morning well with my customary bowl of porridge. It really makes my tummy a happy camper. I understand now why the three bears got so grumpy with Goldilocks. I'm really surprised how well I'm coping with travelling on a ship. I imagined I'd be popping pills the whole time, but no need.
Today's main stop is Hammerfest which has the title of most northerly town in world. Unfortunately it was yet another place that the Nazis completely burnt down. All the buildings therefore are post WW2, predominantly the 60s. Only one building stands pre-war & that's a chapel built in the 30s. It used to mainly be a fishing town, but over the last 5yrs it's experienced a boom from natural gas reserves being discovered in the nearby sea
The biggest challenge today is that all the streets are covered in a thick layer of ice that it looks like an ice skating rink. I'm getting much better at handling it though that I only did 2 wobbles. No falls yet (knock on wood).
Highlight of this visit was seeing the Meridian column. Think back to your geography lessons.
I'll let the Norwegian tourist board explain; The Meridian Column was raised to commemorate the first international measurement of the earth. In 1840 the astronomer W. von Struve took measurements along a meridian in Russia. In 1844 he proposed to King Oscar I of Norway and Sweden that the two countries should join the Russian effort and complete the measurement from points as far north and south as possible. The measurements were concluded in Hammerfest in 1852. The distance measured was approx. 2000 kilometres.
Okay so I may be a science dork but I found this interesting.
Another interesting thing here is that the whole town is surrounded by a Reindeer fence. Apparently in the summer they try to come to the coast to escape the mosquito swarms inland. However, hungry reindeer tend to eat anything green especially people's gardens. As there's only a short growing season here the locals want to make the most of it, so now the reindeer are banned.
No Northern Lights again :( too cloudy! | <urn:uuid:9522397d-588e-4eca-8e55-0d325c03e1bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sonia72/1/1357654245/tpod.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968019 | 485 | 1.726563 | 2 |
TILLAMOOK, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is completing a winter steelhead creel survey on the Nestucca River in northwestern Oregon to compare the performance of two hatchery broodstocks—wild Nestucca winter steelhead broodstock and steelhead derived from Alsea River broodstock.
In the winter of 2001-02, ODFW instituted a hatchery program that used wild Nestucca River winter steelhead as broodstock in an effort to develop an in-basin hatchery stock that could provide angling benefits from fish more locally adapted to the river. The first adult fish from the wild broodstock program began returning to the Nestucca River during the winter of 2004-05. Historically, the winter steelhead hatchery program used steelhead derived from Alsea River broodstock.
To determine the level of contribution that each stock is making to the fishery, ODFW has been contacting anglers during the winter steelhead season to count how many fish have been harvested. Adult returns are also monitored by counting fish captured at two trap sites in the river basin. In previous years, ODFW crews captured adult fish in spawning areas to document the presence of hatchery fish spawning in the wild.
Although there is still another year to go, the data collected so far shows a clear trend in favor of the fish with wild broodstock ancestry. “We can say that the wild broodstock component contributes as much as two to three times more fish to the harvest than the Alsea stock,” said Robert Bradley, ODFW Assistant District Fish Biologist.
One reason for this is that the Nestucca River stock arrive from January into April—later than the Alsea stock which move into the river in December and January—when river conditions are more conducive to successful angling as water levels are lower and clearer. They also remain in the river longer before spawning so are available to catch for a greater period of time.
“We catch substantially more Alsea fish at the traps than we do wild broodstock fish,” said Bradley. “That’s due, in part, to the fact that the wild broodstock component is being harvested more frequently by anglers.”
The five-year project, partially funded by a $40,000 grant from the ODFW’s Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program, is in its final phase and is scheduled to end in May 2009.
About the Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program
Created by the Oregon Legislature in 1989, the Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program is funded by a surcharge on sport and commercial fishing licenses and commercial poundage fees. The program’s seven-member citizen board reviews fish restoration and enhancement project proposals and makes funding recommendations to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. For more information on the Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program, visit www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/RE or contact program coordinator Laura Tesler at (503) 947-6259. | <urn:uuid:a1515d99-ed8d-4480-b4ea-7b1329245494> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2008/february/022908.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929689 | 616 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Wildlife rehabilitation is a lifestyle and a 24 hour job. The busiest time is spring and summer when you may be feeding baby birds every 20 minutes or bottle feeding infant mammals every couple of hours around the clock, and working an average of 70 hours/week, depending on your number of animals. Attending to the needs of animals in your care is your primary concentration.
We recommend starting with one or two common or straightforward species, or those with which you are familiar. You will need to learn natural history, rehabilitation requirements, proper caging, and appropriate diets. Set realistic goals; consider your time and financial commitments before expanding to other species. You may also choose to specialize in only one or two species in which you are most interested; however, you will still need to take the General Wildlife Rehabilitation Exam for all species.
As you become known in your community you may experience increased communication with the public, humane societies, veterinary clinics, animal control, nature centers, pet stores, and WDFW personnel regarding a wide variety of wildlife-related issues.
Networking with other rehabilitators can ease some of the responsibility. In addition to information and equipment sharing, this network is necessary when it is in an animal’s best interest to be transferred to another facility, such as to place single orphans with conspecifics, or when an animal is in need of a larger space.
Wildlife rehabilitation is a volunteer activity that can often cost hundreds to thousands of dollars per year depending on the number and species of animals served. The WDFW does NOT pay for wildlife rehabilitation nor is it responsible for any costs incurred by a licensed rehabilitator. By Washington State law, Wildlife rehabilitators cannot charge for their services. Establishing a not-for-profit organization with an IRS 501 (c) 3 designation (tax exemption) helps with wildlife rehabilitation-associated costs. Some expenses you will incur are:
- constructing appropriate caging and enclosures for each species
- handling and capture equipment
- large equipment (incubators, autoclave, etc)
- appropriate diets
- comfort and enrichment supplies
- veterinary advice and treatment services
- volunteer and employee inoculations
- increased use of personal vehicles, telephone, and household utilities
- reference materials, magazine and journal subscriptions covering natural history, ecology, and animal care techniques
- membership in both international and national wildlife rehabilitation organizations
- continuing education
Many wildlife rehabilitators network with local stores for goods and services and seek donations of used gear from human hospitals which frequently discard equipment. Wildlife Rehabilitators may fund raise and seek monetary donations. Also, the WDFW offers Grants to Wildlife Rehabilitators.
Releasing the animal
Wildlife rehabilitators must remain professional when it comes to emotional involvement with their patients. Rehabilitation and release should only be undertaken when the animal has a reasonable chance for survival in the wild. To ensure the highest success rate possible, rehabilitators must consider all release criteria.
Animals’ release survival needs vary depending on the time of the year, age, sex, natural habitat association, and breeding condition. These considerations are as important to its long-term survival as is proper medical management of the animal’s injury/illness. It is usually best to release the animal where it was found.
Death and euthanasia
Euthanizing an animal is never emotionally easy. While your goal is to rehabilitate and release the animals that come into your care, you can expect that possibly one half of admitted animals die or must be euthanized. As with all rehabilitation efforts, euthanasia must be performed in the most humane way possible. As a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, you need the ability to put your personal emotions and beliefs aside and look rationally and responsibly at the quality of life for the animal. Euthanasia is one of the hardest tasks a rehabilitator must perform and is another reason the WDFW advises volunteering with an experienced wildlife rehabilitator.
An animal must be euthanized if:
- It is unable to recover from injuries or illness;
- It has a terminal illness;
- It is imprinted on humans;
- It is tamed due to improper care during the rehabilitation process
By accepting a Wildlife Rehabilitation Permit, your name, address and phone number are made public on our Wildlife Rehabilitator Referral List posted on our website. The public will be delivering wildlife to your facility. One of the most time consuming activities for a wildlife rehabilitator is answering telephone calls and other inquiries. Much of your time will be spent trying to convince people not to interfere with wildlife. It is essential that you are knowledgeable about rehabilitation activities on a variety of wild animals or know to whom to refer the caller. Make sure you and your staff have a good understanding of wildlife identification, life histories, behavior, and habitat requirements, as well as regulations and laws pertaining to wildlife rehabilitation. Do not give callers information on caring for wild animals. It is unlawful for them to possess a protected (native wild) animal. Knowing how to refer calls to the appropriate public agency and organizations associated with wildlife activities will be very beneficial to you as a wildlife rehabilitator.
Animals in rehabilitation may not be housed in areas where they are subject to public viewing, display or exhibit.
Wildlife rehabilitators are neither trained nor licensed to diagnose and treat animal diseases. Permitees are not allowed to practice veterinary medicine, unless they hold a current Washington Veterinary Medical License. As a condition of their permit, wildlife rehabilitators must establish and maintain a good working relationship with a cooperating veterinarian (Principal Veterinarian). Medical or surgical treatments, drug prescription and administration, injections, vaccinations, and anesthesia must occur only under the direction and supervision of a licensed veterinarian. Veterinarians are not required to have a wildlife rehabilitation permit to consult with or provide advice on care and treatment of wild animals undergoing rehabilitation. Veterinarians may treat wild animals for initial short-term care in their clinic without possessing a wildlife rehabilitation permit. Veterinarians that retain wild animals as a wildlife rehabilitator are required to have a wildlife rehabilitation permit.
Negotiating a good working relationship with your Principal Veterinarian will help to avoid conflicts and clarify expectations. You as the wildlife rehabilitator are responsible for negotiating an agreement with a licensed Veterinarian who will serve as your medical consultant. It is extremely important that you and your Principal Veterinarian are compatible.
- Contract with Principal Veterinarian (Form available soon) | <urn:uuid:afb1802d-1e98-4a3e-af4f-7a134607bb41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/rehabilitation/how_to_become.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938691 | 1,324 | 2.046875 | 2 |
The Black Fan (Portrait of Mrs. Talcott Williams)Made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Thomas Eakins, American, 1844 - 1916
Oil on canvas
1929-184-30Gift of Mrs. Thomas Eakins and Miss Mary Adeline Williams, 1929
LabelThe subject of The Black Fan, Mrs. Sophia Wells Royce Williams (c. 1850-1928), was the wife of Eakins's friend, Talcott Williams, a journalist at the Philadelphia Press. Shortly after their arrival in Philadelphia in 1881, the Williamses met Eakins, who shared the couple's interests in archaeology and photography. Eakins painted The Black Fan around the time that he was working on The Concert Singer (Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1929-184-19 ), which it resembles in scale and composition. In the manner of many society portraits, the picture shows the attractive Mrs. Williams at leisure in an evening gown, with the partially folded fan in her hand adding an elegant touch. For reasons that remain unclear, Eakins never finished the portrait, but he exhibited it to much acclaim in 1914.
* Works in the collection are moved off view for many different reasons. Although gallery locations on the website are updated regularly, there is no guarantee that this object will be on display on the day of your visit. | <urn:uuid:2d6553d5-21c8-4099-9e45-1eb42c7a717b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/42511.html?mulR=28930%7C16 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930517 | 282 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Construction workers and music – you’ll have an idea about the possible implications of this combination. Surprisingly, Mike Redman lets the men who, over seventy years ago, built Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, make their own music. This video is a short edit of a film of 53 minutes about the construction of the museum. The originally silent film was made in the between 1932 and 1935 by G.L. Theijssen. Now Mike Redman, director and composer from Rotterdam, tells the story in less than 5 minutes. Moreover, Redman gives us the music that was locked into the silent images for all these years. | <urn:uuid:90f6d502-d113-46ee-9df7-e9e63e8c5c9f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artbabble.org/video/boijmans/project-object-building-museum-boijmans-van-beuningen | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957626 | 133 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Cat purring: What are some possible underlying mechanisms behind purring and bone remodeling and formation?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-do-cats-purr The article above says that cats purr mostly when they're wounded or under duress. They hypothesis that cats purring leads to ...
Are there any lectures available on Patch-Clamping? Were can I find a mathematical model of Patch-Clamp? (that can be easily implemented in matlab). I have found some step-by-step protocols on ...
Most tissue is comprised of cells. Why? It would seem inefficient to have so many individual nucleus, membranes, etc.? Specifically: Not all tissue is cellular. Much tissue is extracellular matrix. ...
Other than CO2 and Methane what other gases do humans produce or emit? For example, does skin decomposition, or aerobic respiration emit any special gases that people don't normally realize or know ...
What exactly at the molecular level is itching? What physiological function does itching serve, if any? I cant remember the reference but a PLCb3 null mice lost the itch phenotype, so presumably it is ...
What specific biochemical processes are involved in inducing meiosis rather than mitosis? Why are gonadal cells the only cells in the human body which do undergo meiosis? | <urn:uuid:3871fd02-7e0e-4d3d-ba4c-1d255325ced0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/cell-biology+physiology | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917797 | 281 | 2.578125 | 3 |
New Poet Laureate Philip Levine’s ‘Absolute Truth’
Filed by KOSU News in Art & Life.
August 14, 2011
“The truth of poetry is not the truth of history,” says Philip Levine, the newly-named poet laureate of the United States.
Levine is 83 years old. He grew up in Detroit, working at automobile factories in his youth, and published his first book of poetry in 1963, at the age of 38.
He went on to win the 1991 National Book Award for his collection What Work Is, and the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for poetry for The Simple Truth. His appointment was announced by the Library of Congress on Wednesday.
Levine tells NPR’s David Greene that when James Billington, the librarian of Congress, called him earlier this week, he didn’t know what was in store.
“I thought he was probably going to ask my advice as to who should be the next poet laureate and then he said, ‘We would like you to be the next poet laureate,’ and asked me if I would accept the position. And I said, ‘Sure.’”
Levine’s work is most famous for its urban perspective, and its depiction of blue-collar life in Detroit. But while he was working in the factories, he found nothing poetic about them.
“I found the places hateful.” His job at Chevrolet Gear and Axle was hard, he says, “and the work was exhausting.”
Even though he was writing poetry at the time, he couldn’t bring himself to write about his day job.
“Even in my imagination I didn’t want to spend time where I was working,” he says. “I didn’t want to talk shop. So no, even after I left — because I left Detroit at age 26 — I was unable to write anything worth keeping about Detroit for years. I wrote things and I threw them away.”
Why was it so hard? Levine quotes another poet laureate, William Wordsworth: “‘Poetry is made up of emotion recollected in tranquility.’ I didn’t have any tranquility,” Levine says. “I was full of anger. I was very aware of the fact that I was being exploited and the people around me were being exploited. There was a mythology about us: We were stupid and lazy and we deserved what we were doing, our dumb work.”
Levine’s anger at the way he and his fellow workers were treated is apparent in many of his poems, including the title poem from his National Book Award-winning collection, What Work Is.
We stand in the rain in a long line waiting at Ford Highland Park. For work You know what work is — if you’re old enough to read this you know what work is, although you may not do it. Forget you. This is about waiting, shifting from one foot to another. Feeling the light rain falling like mist into your hair, blurring your vision until you think you see your own brother ahead of you, maybe ten places. You rub your glasses with your fingers, and of course it’s someone else’s brother, narrower across the shoulders than yours but with the same sad slouch, the grin that does not hide the stubbornness, the sad refusal to give in to rain, to the hours wasted waiting, to the knowledge that somewhere ahead a man is waiting who will say, “No, we’re not hiring today,” for any reason he wants.
That poem is based on a real experience, Levine says, of waiting in line for two hours for a job at Ford’s Highland Park plant in Michigan.
“I needed work. There was an ad in the newspaper that Ford Highland Park was hiring and they gave the hour — at eight o’clock — when they would open for our applications. And I got there around eight o’clock and there were quite a few guys ahead of me, and it turned out that they weren’t opening until 10,” Levine says.
He waited anyway. “I began thinking about why the hell did they advertise for eight? And then it occurred to me: they wanted us to wait two hours because they wanted men who were willing to wait two hours. In other words, people of sufficient docility to become robots.”
Levine says he’s still angry today — “It’ll never leave me” — but adds that he discovered something else, in addition to the anger, as years passed.
“I had been in contact with people of enormous character and sweetness and affection and courage and strength,” he says.
These people made it into his poetry as well, as in the poem “He Would Never Use One Word Where None Would Do” from his 1999 collection Mercy, where Levine writes about “My friend Frankie,” who,
If you asked for a smoke or a light,He’d hand you whatever he foundIn his pockets: a jackknife, a hankie–usually unsoiled–a dollar bill,a subway token. Once he gave meHalf the sandwich he was eatingat the little outdoor restauranton Laguardia Place.
Levine won’t say who Frankie is. “Frankie is still my friend and I really don’t want him — I’ve changed his name — I really don’t want him to know that I write about him. He doesn’t know how I see him. He knows I care enormously about him and he cares about me. You know, in tennis they say, ‘Never get off a winning game.’ Well, I have a winning game with Frankie and I’m not going to screw it up. But I don’t want people to know, really, that I’m using them in this way. And so I disguise them,” he says.
When asked if that means we shouldn’t assume he’s bent on capturing the absolute truth of those days in Detroit, and those people in the factories, Levine offers a correction.
“That’s what I am trying to capture,” he says, “the absolute truth, not the accidental truth.”
Personal perspective, he says — emotion — is a key to that absolute truth.
“The assumption that you could give the absolute truth simply by observing is nonsensical,” Levine says. “It is, in a way, in almost obedience to my emotions that I shape the experience so that I can express how I felt and what it was I felt about.
“It is the imagination that gives us poetry,” he says. “When you sit down to write a poem, you really don’t know where you’re going. If you know where you’re going, the poem stinks, you probably already wrote it, and you’re imitating yourself.
The real challenge is when language, instincts, technique and practice come together. Then, he says, “you have to follow where the poem leads. And it will surprise you. It will say things you didn’t expect to say. And you look at the poem and you realize, ‘That is truly what I felt.’ That is truly what I saw.”
Excerpt from the poem “He Would Never Use One Word Where None Would Do,” from The Mercy. Copyright 1999 by Philip Levine. Excerpt from the poem “What Work Is” from What Work Is. Copyright 1991. Both selections excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt my be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. [Copyright 2011 National Public Radio] | <urn:uuid:3936413c-e903-4c14-8718-a1ea32f7a58c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kosu.org/2011/08/new-poet-laureate-philip-levines-absolute-truth/ | 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 | 0.982187 | 1,683 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Follow posts tagged #how to care for introverts in seconds.Sign up
HOW TO CARE FOR INTROVERTS
* Respect their need for privacy.
* Never embarrass them in public.
* Let them observe first in new situations.
* Give them time to think. Don’t demand instant answers.
* Don’t interrupt them.
* Give them advanced notice of expected changes in their lives.
* Reprimand them privately.
* Teach them new skills privately rather than in public.
* Do not push them to make lots of friends.
* Respect their introversion. Don’t try to remake them into extraverts.
Introverts are wired differently from extraverts and they have different needs. Extraverts get their energy from interaction with people and the external world. Introverts get their energy from within themselves; too much interaction drains their energy and they need to retreat from the world to recharge their batteries.
Contrary to public opinion, success in life is not dependent upon extraversion. (x)
‘Hell is other people at breakfast’ — Sartre | <urn:uuid:990ed62c-1e83-482c-b7ac-2c9de407e157> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/how-to-care-for-introverts | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951064 | 232 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Editorial: The Rising Cost of Water
Using It and Flushing It
This article deals with a simple subject: how water is used in single-family homes in California. This topic has important consequences for the future of the state of California. The state’s official goal ... [continue reading]
Projections say that by 2015, 36 U.S. states will have some degree of water shortage. Graywater can be reused as a solution to this pending problem. [continue reading]
It’s a huge success? It hasn’t gone anywhere? Actually, it’s a little of both. Fifty states and six territories have launched Cash for Appliances programs since late last year. ... [continue reading]
Canadian building scientists and a family of four set out to build a home that uses nine times less energy than the average - and half the water. [continue reading]
Q. John Koeller notes how the plumbing industry has taken advantage of the lack of any prohibition against multiple head and body spray luxury shower installations resulting in many very high flow installations (“... [continue reading]
On average, water heating accounts for 15% of residential energy consumption. In the past few years, there has been an explosion of interest in meeting domestic hot water needs more efficiently. New hot-water-generating technologies, structured plumbing ... [continue reading]
Many people know that there are ways to save on your utility services, however there are plenty of people who ...
The Pumpkin Ridge Passive House is one of six super energy-efficient homes being highlighted this year by Northwest Energy Homes&... | <urn:uuid:56fffbb7-0627-4217-bff9-bac6b0e7e7a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.homeenergy.org/newsite2011/public/index.php/list/topic/nav/waterefficiency/id/1855 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916601 | 330 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Majumdar Joins Materials Engr. Faculty, Dec. 6, 1999
SOCORRO -- Bhaskar S. Majumdar recently was named to the full-time, tenure-track position of associate professor of materials engineering at New Mexico Tech.
Majumdar enters his new position at the state-supported research university after having spent the past seven years as a senior scientist at the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. In that capacity, Majumdar served as principal investigator on several research contracts involving metal-matrix composites and interfaces.
Prior to that, he was a principal research scientist at Batelle Laboratories in Columbus, Ohio, where he conducted and marketed research on materials for government and industry contracts.
Majumdar earned his technical bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India, and his doctorate in materials science from the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y.
At New Mexico Tech, he currently is teaching Advanced Composite Materials, a graduate-level course offered by Tech's materials and metallurgical engineering department.
"The greatest leaps in technology are taking place in materials science--it's the most exciting area of research today," Majumdar asserts. "Materials science requires an enormous team effort; and because of its interdisciplinary nature, the possibilities are just endless in terms of synthesizing materials with new mult-functional capabilities, spanning the range from structural to electronic to biomedical applications."
Majumdar describes his own research background as "having been mostly involved with the mechanisms and mechanics of materials," although his numerous research projects also included synthesis of new microstructures and interfaces. Some of those projects requireed inter-disciplinary collaborations with solid-state physicists and polymer chemists.
One of Majumdar's current research projects focuses on interfaces in metal-polymer composites, which have practical applications in electronic chips, corrosion prevention of metals, and the burgeoning field of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS). The latter are fascinating electro-mechanical devices, such as movable mirrors or gears, which are the size of microscopic dust mites.
Another project involves the development of thermal barrier coatings, which are often used to enhance the reliability of surfaces in high-temperature environments, such as fan blades in turbine engines.
"But, regardless of whether you are worried about the failure of MEMS components or the fracture of turbine blades, you have to first understand why and how these failures occur," Majumdar points out.
New Mexico Tech's latest addition to the ranks of materials engineering faculty also mentions that trying to improve funding for undergraduate research will be one of his immediate priorities in his new position: "Providing state-of-the-art laboratory equipment can only serve to give undergraduates
here at Tech an enhanced educational experience," Majumdar says. | <urn:uuid:f80686f1-e338-4385-b3b1-de75dd8dbbb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nmt.edu/nmt-news/102-1999/2253-6dec01g | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958962 | 596 | 1.75 | 2 |
Cross-linked at Bertelsmann Stiftung – Future Challenges’ site
The permanent secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Dr. Bitange Ndemo has planned Konza City, which will be built on a 2,000 hectare plot of land 60 kilometers from Nairobi. This project is part of “Kenya Vision 2030”- a development blueprint which aims to “middle-income country providing a high quality life to all its citizens by the year 2030.” Currently, the government of Kenya is searching for a master developer, and investors. Konza City is modeled after Silicon Valley in Northern California (US), with the aim of attracting technology companies, innovative thinkers and entrepreneurs in order to further establish Kenya’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry.
A scale-model of Konza City sits on Dr. Ndemo’s desk. It displays the international financial district, office buildings, manufacturing plants, housing developments, schools, churches, mosques- and even an artificial river, which would serve as a water source to the “Silicon Savannah.” The project would take about 20 years to complete, and cost about $10 billion ($1 billion of which would be provided by the Kenyan government).
Konza City would join a list of planned cities in Africa that includes Gaborone, Botswana’s largest city, located along the Notwane River, home to 10 percent of the nation’s population. Gaborone, recognized as one of the world’s fastest growing cities, is where the Southern African Development Community (SADC) headquarters are located.
Also, on this list is Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast’s official capital, and Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) headquarters. In East Africa, Konza City joins Raphta City, Tanzania, an ICT park in Dar es Salaam. Globally, Konza City also joins Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Shenzhen City, China- both planned cities that serve industry.
The question of Konza City’s ecological sustainability has been raised- especially in regard to its location in the savanna, a transitional area between the rainforest and the arid steppe. As we’ve seen in China, a proliferation of planned cities has left what has been called “forests of skyscrapers” where there are no buyers for over 64 million empty housing units. Planned cities do not necessarily guarantee urban population growth or investment.
In this sense, Brasília, the federal capital of Brazil, was a failed planned city. Built in 41 months between 1956 and 1960, Brasília fell short of its planners’ expectations and resulted in 2 billion USD in debt. The city was designed for unrestricted automobile movement (thus no street corners for pedestrians) and the city’s roads are largely superhighways. Because Brasília is so compartmentalized and unwalkable, residents complain of not being able to organically meet one another for leisure- an essential factor to city life. With this example, I add that planned cities do not guarantee urban workers and dwellers a satisfactory experience.
Furthermore, Kenya’s ongoing water shortage, largely due to mismanagement, and flawed water rationing, has affected Kenyans in rural areas as well as Kenya’s urban dwellers. In the aftermath of the 2008 post-election violence, two of the Kenya’s central hydro-electricity power plants at Masinga and Kiambere were shut down due to inadequate water for electricity generation. Additionally, there have been problems with the provision of safe water. To the north in the Turkana region, water shortages and contaminated water sources contributed to a cholera outbreak between August and October 2009; and in the northeast, dysentery cases among the people of the Laisamis area.
In sum, the planners of Konza City could well learn from other cities across the world, and contrast the urban population growth (and resultant policies) of the “organic “ cities like Los Angeles or Johannesburg with those of planned cities like Shenzhen, Brasília and Abu Dhabi. As Africa and Asia’s urban populations are expected to increase 271 percent (from 1.7 billion to 4.6 billion) between 2000 and 2050, it will become increasingly important to build sustainable cities with access to safe water sources.
Furthermore, as urban population growth continues in this current economic climate, it will be necessary to implement policies that prevent and address the price-induced food insecurity to which urban dwellers are susceptible. | <urn:uuid:cf92d7ef-48d3-4ae6-87f3-96fe82a657b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aconerlycoleman.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/the-new-city-kenyas-konza-technology-city-lessons-from-other-planned-cities/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94344 | 969 | 2.453125 | 2 |
Arizona Standing in Civil Actions, Proposition 102 (2006)
|Preamble • I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VI.I • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII • XIX • XX • XXI • XXII • XXV • XXVI • XXVII • XXVIII • XXIX • XXX|
Arizona Proposition 102, also known as the Standing in Civil Actions Act, was on the November 7, 2006 statewide ballot in Arizona as a legislatively-referred constitutional amendment, where it was approved. It prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving punitive damages in state lawsuits filed in Arizona.
|Standing in Civil Actions|
Text of measure
The language that appeared on the ballot:
A person who wins a civil lawsuit may receive two types of damages-compensatory and punitive. Compensatory damages are awarded to compensate the injured party for the injuries sustained by making good or replacing the loss caused by the injury. Punitive damages are awarded in excess of compensatory damages to punish the person sued for a serious wrong and to discourage others from engaging in similar wrongful conduct.
Proposition 102 would prohibit a person who wins a civil lawsuit from receiving punitive damages if the person is present in this state in violation of federal immigration law related to improper entry.
The Honorable Russell Pearce, Arizona House of Representatives, Mesa stated:
Illegal aliens can not be allowed to exploit our court system. Winners in a civil lawsuit receive two types of rewards: They can be compensated for their losses or they may receive punitive damages in addition to compensation. This referendum properly denies illegal immigrants from receiving punitive damages or rewards in any civil lawsuit. It makes no sense for a person who breaks the law by illegally entering and remaining illegally in the United States to profit from a civil proceeding. Plain and simple: courts of law should not reward lawbreakers. We discourage illegal immigration when it is broadly known that the courts of Arizona will not overlook any person's illegal status. By enacting this referendum we discourage illegal aliens from suing American citizens with the expectation of receiving big rewards.
Kevin G. Rogers, President, Arizona Farm Bureau, Mesa Stated:
We understand and share the mounting frustration Arizona citizens have regarding the failure of the federal government to act in a responsible and comprehensive fashion regarding border security and immigration. We tend to want to lash out and do something. This measure would block undocumented immigrants from being able to obtain punitive damages. Punitive damages are reserved for gross negligence or willful and malicious conduct. This proposition says that for a certain class of people, gross negligence against them can be excused. We think most Arizonans would consider that unfair and look beyond their frustration with federal lawmakers that are not adequately dealing with border security, enforcement and visa reform and vote NO on this proposition.
Donors to the campaign against the measure:
- Fairness and Accountability in Insurance Reform (FAIR): $138,665
- Campaign for Community Change Oppose Propositions 100, HCR 2028-102, HCR 2001-103 & 300, SCR 1033: $61,300
- Arizona State Senate
- Arizona House of Representatives
- Arizona 2006 ballot measures
- 2006 ballot measures
- List of Arizona ballot measures
- List of ballot measures by year
- List of ballot measures by state
- Information for voters regarding Prop 102
- Voting totals for Prop 102
- National Conference of State Legislatures Ballot Measures Database | <urn:uuid:d2f98d57-ccb9-40d5-b3ac-b9cb47a9f594> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Arizona_Proposition_102_(2006) | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924873 | 720 | 1.875 | 2 |
Photophobia or Light Sensitivity
Although in most cases photophobia is harmless, sometimes it may indicate a more severe problem. Learn about this condition that makes it hard to see clearly in bright light environments.
Light sensitivity, or photophobia, is an intolerance of light. Some only feel discomfort from bright lights, while others in extreme cases can not stand any type of light. Sources can range from sunlight, fluorescent light, incandescent light or flames of candles or fires. Some people tend to squint or close their eyes if their sensitivity is too strong. There are many different reasons why someone could have a sensitivity to lights, but the biggest issue is the underlying cause, as photophobia is a symptom, not a condition or disease. Photophobia is known to happen to all ages, young and old.
Symptoms of Photophobia
There are a few obvious symptoms to recognize your sensitivity to light has increased, such as:
- Need to close eyes
- Need to squint
- Excessive tearing
In some cases, there might not be any sort of symptoms except the sensitivity to light itself. People have reported nothing one day, then sensitivity the next day. Each individual is unique and experiences different symptoms. Again, it depends on the underlying cause. In other cases, people will suffer many other types of symptoms, depending on the condition or disease that is causing the light sensitivity.
Causes of Photophobia
There are several different reasons why someone might be suffering from photophobia or sensitivity to light. It’s not a disease, disorder, problem or condition. In fact, it’s a symptom of many different diseases, disorders, problems and conditions. For example, an infection or inflammation that irritates the eyes can cause photophobia. Also, it can be a symptom of an underlying disease such as a viral illness or a severe headache or migraine.
A person’s eye color can also affect ones sensitivity to light. People with lighter colored eyes experience different levels of light sensitivity versus people with darker colored eyes. It’s said that this is due to lack of pigment in lighter colored eyes, and more pigment in darker colored eyes is said to protect against harsh lighting such as bright sunlight.
Sometimes photophobia is accompanied by problems and conditions like color deficiency, botulism, conjunctivitis, keratitis, iritis, and more. Common causes include:
- Corneal abrasions
- Detached retina
- Contact lens irritations
- Refractive surgery
When it comes to medications, there are a few that are known to causes photophobia, such as belladonna, quinine, tetracycline and doxycycline.
Treatment for Photophobia
The number one and best treatment method for relieving the discomfort of photophobia is to address the underlying cause. In most cases, if you treat the underlying cause, the sensitivity levels decrease and the photophobia disappears. If the cause is due to medications, talking with your prescribing doctor or replacing the medication with another effective one could help. If someone is naturally sensitive to light, wearing sunglasses, especially with UV protection, brimmed hats or avoiding bright light situations all together could be the only resolution. In other cases, a prosthetic contact lens that mimics the color of your eye can be used. Always inform your eye care doctor or ophthalmologist about issues you may have, including sensitivity to light, even if you don’t think it’s that bad.
- R. Abel, Jr., MD “The Eye Care Revolution” (Kensington Books, 2004) 41-48
- J. DiGirolamo, MD “The Big Book of Family Eye Care” (Basic Health Publications, Inc. 2011) 71-73 | <urn:uuid:bb9144ea-9f9e-45b4-ad19-e627652223a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eyehealthweb.com/photophobia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929731 | 779 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Budget – Consumer Prices IndexThursday, March 24th, 2011
The June 2010 Budget announced that the default indexation for direct taxes, including income tax and NICs, will be the (lower) Consumer Prices Index (CPI) instead of the Retail Prices Index (RPI) from April 2012. However, to ensure employers and older people do not lose out, the Government has confirmed that there will be some exceptions to this general policy.
For the duration of the current Government (assumed to be 2016), the following thresholds and allowances will be increased by the equivalent of the RPI:
- the secondary NICs threshold (ST)
- the starting rate limit for savings income
- income tax age-related allowances
- age-related income limits
- married couples allowance
- blind persons allowance.
The NICs upper earnings limit will remain aligned with the higher rate tax threshold.
The indication, therefore, is that the lower earnings limit (LEL) and the primary NICs threshold (PT) will be increased by the CPI, with the effect that, in coming years,
- the gap between the LEL and the PT, which widened considerably for 2011/12, will narrow, and
- the ST, which is currently a little lower than the PT, is likely to be higher than the PT. | <urn:uuid:cfd44388-83f7-4701-8e6b-21a057e758af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.payroll-help.com/2011/03/budget-consumer-prices-index/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947474 | 272 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Cars that run in the IndyCar series currently use a normally aspirated (non-turbocharged) 3.5 liter V8 engine built by Ilmor Engineering but branded as a Honda. The motors make approximately 600 horsepower and have proven to be very reliable; since the series began using these engines in 2007, not a single engine has failed in competition.
In 2012, the IndyCar series will revise the engine rules substantially. Engine size will be limited to a maximum of six cylinders, with a displacement not to exceed 2.4 liters. Turbocharging will be allowed, so cars will make the same (or more) horsepower than they do today. | <urn:uuid:ec33f201-86e7-48e7-9191-74f18067ffdb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://brainz.org/what-kind-engines-do-indycars-use/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930927 | 134 | 1.835938 | 2 |
With the advent of possible new CPU manufacturing processes and materials come an interesting article saying that they GPU may reach its limit by 2020.
The article is not an Intel product (in response to nVidia's repeated claims that they CPU is dead). No this is from Tim Sweeney, CEO and Founder of Epic Games.
In a recent presentation Sweeney says that by 2020 developers will move away from the highly optimized GPU and push for more flexible code. Thie code will take advantage of parallel processing and move most hardware "fixed functionality" features to software.
The core argument is that processing technology will move forward considerably and that Intel will have success with Larrabee and also factors in nVidia move away from the traditional GPU. Instead working on a GPGPU style.
Sweeney also dives back in time to when many 3D Engines were rendered completely in software this includes games like UnReal, HalfLife and many others. He foresees a future where rendering engines will move back to software eliminating the need for highly specialized architectures and pipelines present in today's GPUs.
If everything can come together (including improvements in storage and memory) then we can expect to see some impressive changes to the PC as we know it in the next 10 years.
Further Reading: Read and find more Business, Financial & Legal news at our Business, Financial & Legal news index page. | <urn:uuid:a36a1141-b924-4d70-bd77-6386d217c9bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tweaktown.com/news/13001/tim_sweeney_predicts_the_end_of_the_gpu_roadmap/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941573 | 279 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Kenneth O. Elvik, Editor IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen A. Zeff, (ed.), Asset Appreciation, Business Income and Price-Level Accounting: 1918-1935, (New York: Arno Press, Reprint Edition, 1976, pp. 208, $28.00).
Reviewed by Louis Goldberg, Professor Emeritus Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia
When Henry W. Sweeney's book, Stabilized Accounting was re-issued in 1964, that author included as a prefatory essay a paper entitled "Forty Years After: Or Stabilized Accounting Revisited." Among the many points that he made in that essay, was one to the effect that "the literature of even the 1920's was often superior to many of the pseudo-scientific 'vanity' outpourings since 1936." Sweeney's observation is borne out by the papers on accounting problems arising from changing price levels which are reprinted in this volume, all of them having appeared between 1918 and 1935.
The papers are reproduced by a photographic process from the original publications, complete with some few misprints, which are not serious in themselves, and the original page numbering, which results in the absence of consecutive numbering of pages through-out the volume. The need to reduce the size of the various journal pages to the format of an octavo book has resulted in different sizes of type, that of one article being so small as to be difficult for any but the sharpest eyes to cope with.
Of the eighteen papers included, nine are by Sweeney himself, two by W. A. Paton, two by Fritz Schmidt, and one by each of Living-ston Middleditch Jr., H. C. Daines, Max J. Wasserman, Ralph Cough-enour Jones and Solomon Fabricant.
For the most part, these early articles are written in readily under-standable English, uncluttered by jargon or verbiage, and the argu-ments are clear, direct and forceful. In an introductory essay, the editor, Dr. Zeff, explains that when Stabilized Accounting was pub-lished in 1936 it represented only a portion of Sweeney's doctoral thesis, from which, because of publishing constraints, much of the | <urn:uuid:e023b730-2725-48af-84ea-e3a513325612> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://clio.lib.olemiss.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/aah/id/2755/rec/5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957159 | 458 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Another day, another round of Apple patents.
Today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded Apple a patent for "Microperforation Illumination." According to the patent, which Apple applied for in 2010, the technology handles how light can pass through a device through minute perforations built into the product.
It was one of 29 patents that Apple was awarded today.
If "Microperforation Illumination" seems rather technical (and it is), think of it this way: Apple has been awarded a patent that describes how light could be used to illuminate its iconic logo on the top panel of a MacBook Pro, along with other areas of a device.
So, how does it work? According to the patent, Apple's technology requires a light source that can pass through a layer built into a computer or touch-based device that has extremely small perforations. Depending on how the light source hits the apparatus, the perforations could be smaller or larger to ensure uniformity of the light passing through a product.
Apple already has a technology in place that allows it to send light through a screen on the back of its laptops to illuminate its logo. However, the new patent provides for greater control over the light source and the way in which it passes through the device. In addition, this patent would allow for the lighting source to go completely blank when turned off, effectively eliminating any view of what is being illuminated unless the device is on.
As with all other Apple patents, there's no telling if this one might eventually make its way to the company's devices. Today's patents follow several dozen Apple has won in the last several months, including 34 last month that ranged from Apple TV to 3D. | <urn:uuid:b308b39f-b6d3-4650-af14-8f2ff36d3fb4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57545637-37/apple-wins-patent-on-illumination-across-devices/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965857 | 353 | 2.296875 | 2 |
A Dodongo Snake
|First appearance||Link's Awakening (1993)|
Dodongo Snakes are mini-bosses from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. A pair of these creatures appear in Key Cavern, Face Shrine and Turtle Rock. It is unknown whether they are an actual species of Dodongo or if they were named after them for their similar weakness to Bombs. In addition, because they only appeared on the dream world known as Koholint Island, it is unknown if Dodongo Snakes even exist anywhere else.
Dodongo Snakes are destroyed by Link's Bombs. Link must feed each snake three bombs to defeat it. He must carry a sufficient number of bombs into the room with him before the battle begins; if he leaves to acquire more, he must start the battle from the beginning when he returns.
There is a glitch in the game which sometimes removes the necessity of this particular battle. Although not guaranteed to happen in every game, it will sometimes come to pass that if Link leaves the room after defeating one of them and returns, both of the Dodongo Snakes will be dead when he comes back. | <urn:uuid:f5c2707d-7adb-47c6-8719-07888e94168a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://zelda.wikia.com/wiki/Dodongo_Snakes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951349 | 232 | 1.664063 | 2 |
March 2012 Article of the Month
This month's article selection is by Chaplain John Ehman,
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center-Penn Presbyterian, Philadelphia PA.
Ai, A. L., Wink, P. and Shearer, M. "Secular reverence predicts shorter hospital length of stay among middle-aged and older patients following open-heart surgery." Journal of Behavioral Medicine 34, no. 6 (December 2011): 532-541.
SUMMARY and COMMENT: This month's article reports important data but also puts forward a significant concept: secular reverence. The lead author, Amy L. Ai, PhD (psychology), who was at the University of Pittsburgh at the time of the study but who is now at Florida State University, is a very active researcher whose work has previously been featured as Articles-of-the-Month [--see: January 2003 and May 2005]. Attention to conceptual issues in spirituality & health -- so necessary for the development of this nascent field of study -- is characteristic of Dr. Ai's investigations, and so it is with this research into "secular reverence."
Ai and her colleagues here build upon previous research [especially "Prayer and reverence in naturalistic, aesthetic, and socio-moral contexts" (2009) --see Items of Related Interest, §I (below)], to delve deeper into secular reverence and its role in the hospital courses of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft patients, more than doubling the sample size from that earlier study for an analysis with greater statistical power. A total of 481 Midwestern cardiac patients consented for enrollment (61% of those approached). An interview with questionnaires collected data approximately two weeks before surgery, covering Optimism, Perceived Social Support, Depression, Religious Denominations, Religiousness Involvement, Spiritual Experiences, Medical Comorbidities, Demographics, and Reverence, both Religious and Secular.
Secular reverence -- its conceptual background and nature -- is explicated quite well in an introductory section [pp. 532-534] but may be defined generally as a "feeling or attitude of deep respect, love, and awe, as for something sacred" [p. 532, abstract], or "a form of spiritual emotion that concerns deep respect, love, sublime, or awe for something sacred " [p. 533]. The operational understanding of the concept rests in its measure:
Reverence was assessed with sum of answers to a question "Under what conditions do you feel reverent?" on a checklist of eight contexts, developed by a team of multidisciplinary investigators [Ai, et al., "Prayer and reverence...," 2009]. Patients responded with Yes or No to each of the eight contexts and, in addition, could list additional contexts under the “other” category. The contexts included both religious and non-religious settings: (a) attending religious services, (b) reading the Bible or watching religious programs, (c) private prayer, (d) meditation, (e) sight-seeing or being in nature, (f) enjoying music or art, (g) being loved or supported, and (h) serving others. Principal axis factoring supported the hypothesized two-factor solution (eigenvalues > 1.0): religious reverence (attending religious services, reading the Bible or watching religious programs, private prayer, meditation; M = 2.67, SD = 1.38, α = .75), and secular reverence (sight-seeing or being in nature, enjoying music or art, being loved or supported, and serving others; M = 2.76, SD = 1.31, α = .70). [p. 535]
Among the findings:
[In a four-step hierarchical regression model,] among all of the religious/spiritual variables, only secular reverence was inversely related to hospital length of stay. [p. 537] ...The model indicated that female gender, older age, more medical comorbidities, low hemodynamic information scores, longer perfusion time, and CABG predicted longer hospital length of stay. Yet, after controlling for all of these factors, patients who experienced reverence in secular contexts had shorter hospitalization. [pp. 537-538] ...In the present study the salutary effect of faith factors on hospital length of stay was driven by the participants’ ability to experience a sense of deep respect, love, and the sublime in their relationships with others, nature, and/or artistic setting. In contrast, reverence experienced in religious settings and traditional religious beliefs and practices did not have the same salutary effect unless they were accompanied by secular reverence. [p. 538] ... The present study thus suggests independent protection of secular reverence for cardiac patients, though it does not find a similar role of traditional faith factors. [p. 538]
The effect size, however, was "moderate" [p. 538] in the final regression equation. The authors speculate on possible mechanisms and comment on the "the potential influence of reverence as a positive affect exercised through biophysiological pathways" [p. 539].
The practical implications of the findings are that they...
- ...invite health researchers to include reverence in different contexts into research on multidimensional spirituality to reflect the increasingly diversified religious landscape [p. 538]
- ...suggest that a meaningful connection based on reverence or deep respect for the sublime of a non-traditionally religious or even non-religious nature might enhance health outcomes equally well as more traditional forms of religious beliefs and practices [p. 538]
- ...[i]f replicated by future research, ...point to important health benefits that can be derived from elevating experiences of the sacred in secular contexts [p. 539].
The article offers a number of suggestions for future study, including better measurement of reverence. The authors emphasize the limits of the Yes/No checklist for reverence, but for this reader, other limits come to mind: prompting patients' responses with the admittedly complex term reverent itself, and approaching the concept as a function of settings rather than the qualities by which the concept has been defined. Perhaps chaplain researchers could help develop other methods to capture the phenomenon generally and secular reverence in particular. Still, the idea that patients might be able to address an explicit question about reverent feelings, and the contexts for those feelings, may be useful for pastoral interaction and spiritual assessment.
Suggestions for the Use of the Article for Discussion in CPE:
The sophistication of this study's statistical analysis would likely be stumbling block for all but the most advanced students, so supervisors might want to suggest that the article be read in the following order of sections: 1) introductory material [pp. 532-534], 2) Discussion [pp. 538-539], 3) Method [pp. 534-535], and Results [pp. 534-538]. The most engaging focus for discussion would probably be the concept of reverence and its division into secular and religious aspects. The intellectual roots of the conceptualization, as outlined on p. 533, deserve close attention. In light of this, students may want to debate the items in the measure of reverence on p. 535. Also, students should consider the proposition that secular reverence can be at play even when religious reverence is a salient phenomenon for a person -- and may be the crucial factor for certain health effects.
Related Items of Interest:
I. For previous studies using the same measure of reverence used in our featured article, see:
Ai, A. L. and Hall, D. E. "Divine love and deep connections: a long-term followup of patients surviving cardiac surgery." Journal of Aging Research (2011): online journal article ID 841061, available from the journal website. [(Abstract:) We examined experiencing divine love as an indicator of affective spiritual growth in a prospective cohort of 200 patients surviving cardiac surgery. These patients previously completed two-wave preoperative interviews when standardized cardiac surgery data were also collected. The information included left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association Classification, baseline health (physical and mental), optimism, hope, religiousness, prayer coping, religious/spiritual coping, and demographics. We then measured divine love at 900 days postoperatively. Hierarchical linear regression indicated the direct effect of positive religious coping on experiences of divine love, controlling for other key variables. Postoperatively perceived spiritual support was entered at the final step as an explanatory factor, which appeared to mediate the coping effect. None of the other faith factors predicted divine love. Further research regarding divine love and spiritual support may eventually guide clinical attempts to support patients' spiritual growth as an independently relevant outcome of cardiac surgery.]
Ai, A. L., Ladd, K. L., Peterson, C., Cook, C., Shearer, M. and Koenig, H. G. "Long-term adjustment after surviving open-heart surgery: the effect of using prayer for coping replicated in a prospective design." Gerontologist 50, no. 6 (December 2010): 798-809. [(Abstract:) Purpose: Despite the growing evidence for effects of religious factors on cardiac health in general populations, findings are not always consistent in sicker and older populations. We previously demonstrated that short-term negative outcomes (depression and anxiety) among older adults following open heart surgery are partially alleviated when patients employ prayer as part of their coping strategy. The present study examines multifaceted effects of religious factors on long-term postoperative adjustment, extending our previous findings concerning prayer and coping with cardiac disease. Design and Methods: Analyses capitalized on a preoperative survey and medical variables from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ National Database of patients undergoing open heart surgery. The current participants completed a mailed survey 30 months after surgery. Two hierarchical regressions were performed to evaluate the extent to which religious factors predicted depression and anxiety, after controlling for key demographics, medical indices, and mental health. Results: Predicting lower levels of depression at the follow-up were preoperative use of prayer for coping, optimism, and hope. Predicting lower levels of anxiety at the follow-up were subjective religiousness, marital status, and hope. Predicting poorer adjustment were reverence in religious contexts, preoperative mental health symptoms, and medical comorbidity. Including optimism and hope in the model did not eliminate effects of religious factors. Several other religious factors had no long-term influences. Implications: The influence of religious factors on the long-term postoperative adjustment is independent and complex, with mediating factors yet to be determined. Future research should investigate mechanisms underlying religion–health relations.]
Ai, A. L., Park, C. and Shearer, M. "Spiritual or religious involvement related to end-of-life decision in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery." International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine 38, no. 1 (2008): 111-130. [(Abstract:) Settling one's end-of-life affairs in the face of coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) can be both distressing and beneficial for individuals who are facing imminent threat of death. Religious thoughts, common in this context, may offer some comfort and support for facing this process. However, few empirical studies have addressed the role of religious or spiritual involvement in the settling of one's end-of-life affairs in cardiac patients. This prospective study investigated the effect of religious and spiritual factors on whether decisions regarding end-of-life had been made in a sample of middle-aged and older patients undergoing CABG. In particular, we expected faith factors of an intrinsic nature would promote this decision. Two weeks pre-operatively, patients (mean age = 65 years) were recruited for interviews. One hundred seventy-seven CABG patients completed the pre-operative and post-operative follow-up one month after surgery, while 96 offered information regarding their engagement in settling end-of-life affairs. Cardiac indicators were obtained from the computerized Society of Thoracic Surgeons' Adult Cardiac Database (STS). Multiple regression analyses revealed that private religiousness increased the likelihood of having engaged in end-of-life decision planning by nearly half again (OR = .1.47, 95% CI = 1.10, 1.96, p < .05) and that experiencing reverence in secular contexts nearly doubled the likelihood (OR = .1.99, 95% CI = 1.16, 3.44, p < .05). The reduced likelihood of having made plans was observed among those who scored higher on experiencing reverence in religious contexts (OR = .44, 95% CI = .23, .87, p < .05) and among patients using petitionary prayer (OR = .21, 95% CI = .04, .98, p < .05). These effects manifested after controlling for age, impacted functioning, and number of diseased arteries. Therefore, faith factors appear to have independent but complex effects on end-of-life decision making in middle-aged and older cardiac patients.]
Ai, A. L., Wink, P., Tice, T. N., Bolling, S. F., Wasin, A. and Shearer, M. "Prayer and reverence in naturalistic, aesthetic, and socio-moral contexts predicted fewer complications following coronary artery bypass." Journal of Behavioral Medicine 32, no. 6 (December 2009): 570-581. [(Abstract:) This prospective study explores prayer, reverence, and other aspects of faith in postoperative complications and hospital length of stay of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Alongside traditional religiousness measures, we examined sense of reverence in religious and secular contexts. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 177 patients 2 weeks before surgery at a medical center. Medical variables were retrieved from the national Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ Database. Logistic and multiple regression models were performed to predict outcomes. Prayer frequencies were associated with reduced complications but not hospitalization. Sense of reverence in secular contexts predicted fewer complications and shorter hospitalization. Controlling for complications reduced the initial influence of reverence on hospitalization, suggesting the potential mediation of complications. No interaction between demographics and faith factors was evident. The role of faith in medicine is complex and context-dependent. Future studies are needed on mediating factors.]
II. In the discussion of the background and nature of reverence, Ai and her co-authors note that awe is a "relevant component of reverence" though "unlike awe which can produce both a sense of elation and fright, reverence tends to invoke primarily positive emotions" [p. 533]. For more on this related concept, see:
Keltner, D. and Haidt, J "Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion." Cognition and Emotion 17, no. 2 (March 2003): 297–314. [In this paper we present a prototype approach to awe. We suggest that two appraisals are central and are present in all clear cases of awe: perceived vastness, and a need for accommodation, defined as an inability to assimilate an experience into current mental structures. Five additional appraisals account for variation in the hedonic tone of awe experiences: threat, beauty, exceptional ability, virtue, and the supernatural. We derive this perspective from a review of what has been written about awe in religion, philosophy, sociology, and psychology, and then we apply this perspective to an analysis of awe and related states such as admiration, elevation, and the epiphanic experience.]
III. This month's article is part of a special theme issue of the The Journal of Behavioral Medicine, on Spirituality in Behavioral Medicine Research. A table of contents of the issue is available from the journal website. Dr. Ai is one of the guest editors. | <urn:uuid:493aca6f-fad1-4547-aa92-3a478fa75861> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.acperesearch.net/mar12.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929537 | 3,268 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Career-ending musculoskeletal injuries can be prevented with simple measures.
Studies have shown that 84% of ultrasound professionals have experienced some degree of pain related to their profession. Of these, nearly 90% have experienced work-related pain for more than half of their careers.
Awkward postures, static positioning, repetitive motion of scanning and a “pinched” transducer grip are just some of the risk factors that a Sonographer encounters on a daily basis. These factors, combined with increasing workload and demanding schedules reinforce the need for ergonomically designed equipment and practices.
Treatments for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) range from rest to reduced workload to surgery. However, the Sonographer is usually sent back to the same job hazards that initially caused the injury. PREVENTION is the key.
There are simple steps that you can take to minimize your exposure to this career-ending injury…
Scanning Posture & Technique
Here are some simple steps to integrate into your scanning procedures:
- Typically, the more a joint deviates from neutral position, the greater the risk for injury. Keep your scanning arm as close to you as possible. Elbows should be at your side, with your thumb facing up. Forearm should be parallel to the floor.
- Position the patient as close to you as possible.
- Use a comfortable and relaxed grip on the transducer. Four to five times more muscle & tendon force is needed to “pinch” something than to "grip" it.
- When viewing the ultrasound machine from a seated position, maintain approximately a 24-inch distance from the monitor. The normal viewing angle should be no more than 15 degrees below the horizon (seated); viewing angles from left to right should be 30 degrees.
Exercises & Stretches
- During the procedure, it’s recommended to stop about every eight minutes to take mini breaks. Relax your muscles with activities like opening and closing your fist, rolling your shoulders and turning your head from side to side. Remember, your eyes are muscles too! Focus your eyes on a distant object to take a break from screen viewing.
- Relax muscles periodically throughout the day – stretch hand, shoulder and back muscles frequently.
- Take a few minutes to warm up before lengthy, or complex, scans.
- Consider purchasing exercise posters to hang up in common rooms of your department to encourage frequent exercise breaks and stretching among your colleagues.
Incorporating ergonomics into your workstation doesn’t have to break the bank! These are just some of the cost-effective ergonomic solutions available through Cone Instruments:
- Many Sonographers drape the transducer cord around their neck, or trap the cord between their hip and the exam table. Both techniques cause muscle strain and awkward positioning during scanning. Use a cable brace to reduce the torque applied to your scanning hand, and scan in comfort.
- Wrist support braces help alleviate the stress of extreme wrist flexion during scanning.
- Adaptive Positioning Support Cushions support your scanning arm and reduce the physical effort it takes to scan. Muscle activity can be reduced by up to 78% when the elbow is supported during the scan.
- Exercise accessories such as resistance putty and exercise tubing are simple ways to increase your body’s flexibility and strength.
Administrative & Work Practice Changes
- Reduce the risk of injuries by frequently changing workflow, scheduling and task rotation among the staff. Scan different types of procedures whenever possible.
- Ensure that Sonographers participate in education or training to reduce the risk of injuries, such as workshops, conferences, lectures by professional organizations or manufacturers.
- Provide adjustable lighting in procedure rooms to eliminate monitor glare. This also increases the monitor contrast so images can be seen comfortably.
Tables with Ergonomic Features
Despite an initial investment, imaging and exam tables with ergonomic features will save your department thousands of dollars due to reduced production, sick leave absences and costs associated with hiring temporary staff or full time-replacements.
Here are some ergonomic features to consider when researching your next table purchase:
- Height adjustable from 22-44 inches
- Retractable stirrups and dropping foot board (for endovaginal exams)
- Retractable side rails that fold underneath the table (rather than along the side) – this decreases distance between Sonographer and patient
- Electric height control (no pumping or braking for trendelenburg or height adjustments)
- Easy-to-move casters suitable to the flooring
- Adequate braking system
Cone Instruments has a wide variety of imaging tables from industry leading manufacturers. We also have a wide array of stools, chairs and carts to outfit your exam room.
Remember, injuries should not be part of your job description! Our account managers and customer care associates are availabe to help you find the right solution for your clinical needs, while staying on budget. Contact us today by email or at 1-800-321-6964.
Scanning Ergonomics and Your Safety, Biodex, December 2003
Murphey SL, Coffin CT, The Value of Ergonomically Designed Ultrasound Systems. Biosound Esaote | <urn:uuid:d5696c9e-7993-4340-8e1c-f85e0f33c2f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.coneinstruments.com/ergonomic-tips/a/136/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924617 | 1,092 | 1.976563 | 2 |
July 3, 2001
Dear Jim Scott,
We are writing in response to the memorandum that you sent to Tom Yelvington on July 2, 2001 regarding McMurdo Asbestos Issues that in turn was forwarded to us. In this letter we wish to correct some inaccuracies in the memorandum specific to the remodel project at 203A.
In addition to the vestibule that had 100 square feet of asbestos containing vinyl flooring, we also removed vinyl flooring from 4 bathrooms (16′x12′ each = 640 total square feet) and the laundry room (16′x 14′ = 224 square feet). 964 square feet is approximately 10 times the amount of square footage listed in your memo. In the 1992 AECOM survey the vinyl flooring in the rest of the building was never tested, but was stated to be homogenous with the vestibule flooring.
In your memo you stated that the asbestos containing vinyl flooring was “removed as a single sheet”. We know as workers who participated in removing the flooring that this is not correct. We cut, ripped, and scraped the floor off causing the flooring to be torn in numerous pieces as well as greatly increasing (not minimizing) the airborne exposure during handling. This will be proven if the asbestos sheet vinyl is removed from the construction debris flat racks.
We have a discrepancy concerning the statistic you listed for the field tests in which you state 9 out of 10 samples tested negative for asbestos. On June 14th 4 field test were performed, two of these tests came back positive for asbestos in the bedroom drywall and joint compound. On June 16th 4 field tests were done, 1 field test came back positive for asbestos in the vinyl floor, of the 3 negatives, 1 test was a control done on new uninstalled drywall implying a degree of accuracy to the field tests. The following week a field test was performed in which drywall joint compound from another bedroom tested positive for asbestos. The correct statistic is 6 out of 10 samples tested negative, 4 were positive.
In regards to the recent air samples taken in 203A this is not representative of the poor air quality throughout the remodel process. Multiple penetrations were cut in each bedroom and lounge with circular saws emitting clouds of drywall dust which permeated the entire building. Additionally, the dust from these cuts and other drywall alterations was swept on a daily basis intensifying the amount of airborne particles to the point of low visibility. We are sure that anyone who worked on the building will attest to this. We are confused at how you determined that during renovation the exposure levels were low and well below the permissible level. Could you please explain this?
In closing, we recognize that you took proper action after the asbestos containing materials were identified. However, it is obvious that the facts are being misrepresented regarding the quantities of asbestos containing materials involved, the levels of exposure, and the validity of air sampling after a vast majority of the renovation has been done. This letter highlights many of those misrepresentations. It is important in assessing a situation of this magnitude that the facts and the amount of exposure should be represented accurately by workers involved in the project. Considering the information that we have now provided you with and the serious nature of asbestos exposure, we hope the situation will be handled in a more appropriate and professional manner.
Below is a letter from [FEMC manager] addressing the asbestos issue, pertinent passages from the Raytheon Supervisors Safety Handbook, and attached you will find the memorandum written by you in which we have been discussing.
S. Wilson Blake | <urn:uuid:52361720-077c-4648-a480-e751611af593> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bigdeadplace.com/documents/workcrew-memo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968822 | 733 | 1.515625 | 2 |
In a ceremony today, Nov. 25, Cindi Kunz was awarded the first Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness Division individual award in the Natural Resources Protection category by Rear Adm. Mark Rich commander, Navy Region Northwest, and by Capt. Chris LaPlatney, commanding officer of Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest.
“The award is a testament to the dedication of Kunz and her coworkers who strive on a daily basis to protect and preserve the environment and support the Navy mission.” said LaPlatney.
Kunz was selected for this award because of her leadership of a multi-discipline, multi-agency and non-agency panel of experts to determine the most appropriate acoustic level for the onset of injurious impacts to the marbled murrelet from impact pile driving. This panel included underwater acoustic technical experts from academia and scientists affiliated with non-Navy federal agencies.
It was through her leadership of the panel that Kunz advanced the understanding of the marbled murrelets’ biology, physiology and enhanced the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services’ ability to manage and conserve the species, and placed criteria for monitoring and recovery of the species on firm scientific footing.
Kunz demonstrated that partnerships between the U. S. Navy and regulatory agencies can be successful in developing scientifically based solutions to ecological and operational challenges.
Kunz is a certified wildlife biologist and has worked for NAVFAC Northwest since 2009.
The Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness, N45 focuses on developing solutions that will allow U.S. naval forces to train for combat and effectively carry out their military missions while minimizing impacts on the environment. With carefully developed policy, planning, science and technological advances, environmental
readiness directly supports fleet combat readiness.
The marbled murrelet is a small coastal seabird that has a geographic range as far north as the Kenai Peninsula and as far south as San Diego. They were listed as ‘threatened’ in 1992 by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. | <urn:uuid:1cea1068-6704-425a-a7f3-357dd038067e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bremertonpatriot.com/news/180925461.html?mobile=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955429 | 421 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Today’s markets are dominated by professional traders employing high-speed algorithmic trading systems. Individual traders need to equip themselves with equally strong analytical muscle and risk management procedures. Traders can design algorithms with these elements at their core.
Computer automation and human intelligence are complementary. Traders need computers to execute trading strategies at ultra-fast speeds in a disciplined manner. Computers need humans to mitigate model risk. Performance is delivered through human traders controlling computer programs. We will discuss how to find trading strategies best adapted to the current environment and executing those strategies through timing triggers.
Key to the success of computer-based trading is selecting the right strategy. Many algorithm-based systems implement their own proprietary trading strategy in a static manner. Unfortunately, there is no mathematical proof that any one strategy is profiting all the time. Model risk can be great when an incorrect trading strategy is automated in large scale.
To create the best strategy, modelers and programmers work to implement as many diverse strategies as possible. The best strategy is selected similar to the evolution process, where the system best suited to the current environment thrives. One approach puts all strategies in a dry run, or theoretical, state to select the best adapted system. This also can determine the optimum holding period.
Say you are trading a large block of stock or futures positions. First, the block is broken into a number of small units. The size of unit is determined by volatility of the market and trading cost. Each trade is conducted at a triggering event. Each strategy is conducted in a separate computer process.
In a real-time trading system, each trading process interacts with the brokerage to finish the transaction. In a dry run state, the national best bid and offer (NBBO) prices are logged and the trade is conducted in a simulated fashion. Alternatively, data can be purchased so that dry run is performed off trading hours without human intervention.
Both quantitative criteria and qualitative assessment can be applied to determine the best trading strategy. For example, a daily score based on profit and loss can be kept for each system. By combining daily scores, we can determine both the best holding period and best performer for the period.
You can devise as many trading strategies as you need, which can be based on fundamental as well as technical inputs. Some strategies work for a certain period of time and then break down. This is reflected in academic studies of past decades, many of which are devoted to the efficacy of these strategies. No conclusions have been reached about correctness of any one strategy all the time.
However, what you can do is dynamically and efficiently discover the strategy best adapted to the current market sentiment. Through constant dry runs and frequent comparisons, the winning strategy can be identified and employed in a timely manner (see "Testing and review," below).
In practice, there are two types of performance results you should be concerned with when consuming the data log. One is action related. The other is performance result without action. The former corresponds to buy or sell action. The latter is just for scoring. Triggers determine buying and selling.
There are two types of triggers: one is event-based, for example, an earning report can be a triggering event; the other is a technical trigger, such as a bear cross, which happens when the 50-day moving average crosses below the 200-day moving average. This is a technical sell signal. Both types of triggers can be used to execute strategies.
For the event-based trigger to work, the system may choose to subscribe to a news service that may supply 200-400 pieces of news a day. Users may choose to focus on a subset of news through a list of events of interest. A calendar module is needed to help prepare the list in advance.
Based on the list, a parsing module can be used to decipher news events. However, parsing news is only part of the job. Catching proper market reaction is much more difficult. For example, a beat on both top line and bottom line should result in a buy trigger. However, market reaction to the news is different in different times.
When JP Morgan reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue on April 14, 2010, the stock advanced 3.1% to $47.27. However, when the company reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue on July 15, 2010, it led to a 2.2% drop in the stock. Parsing news does not guarantee catching market reaction properly. JP Morgan is a bellwether stock, and a 2%-3% move in the stock affects major U.S. stock indexes. If a trading system cannot reliably catch market reactions to these events, it cannot be trusted.
This is where the human element thrives. Upon observation that JP Morgan advanced 11% the week before the July report, a trader may conclude that optimism has already been priced into the stock. In this case, JP Morgan would need much better-than-expected earnings for even further advancement. Behavioral finance is at work here. Behavioral finance combines cognitive, emotional factors with market statistics in making decisions. Behavioral finance at times plays an important role in forming direction. To account for this, human input is needed to determine buy or sell triggers.
A weight applied to a trigger is one way to accomplish this. When the weight is above system default triggering level, the trigger is executed. If the weight falls below the default triggering level, the trigger is in a "wait" state. A human operator can intervene at any time to alter the weight of the trigger. The weight is effective even after the trigger is executed. By strengthening or weakening the weight, a human operator can affect trading in action.
Assuming the system default triggering level is 0.6, the human operator can set the default weight for all triggers. Sensing market-wide optimism, the operator can set the default weight at 0.7. As a result, all triggering events as generated by the program will be executed as long as news parsing is satisfactory. Alternatively, if the operator believes the market is pessimistic, the default weight can be set to 0.5. Under this circumstance, trading is executed only when the operator adds weight to a selected set of triggers.
Note that weight still exists even after the trade is triggered. What is implied here is that the trade is always broken into a number of sub trades. The rule for breaking the trade is determined by the trading cost. Each sub trade is executed only when the weight is above the system default triggering level.
Take the JP Morgan trade. With lingering concerns about the European sovereign debt crisis and Federal Reserve concerns about the U.S. economy, the operator may choose to set the system default weight at 0.5. No trigger is executed without supervisor approval. If the operator decides that good earnings have already been priced in, the weight might remain as is. A buy is not triggered. Alternatively, if the operator assigns a weight of 0.7 for the stock, buying would be started as the earning news is parsed. Sensing a drop in price, the operator may lower the weight. No further trades are executed. With flexible weight intervention, the JP Morgan trade can be prevented or limited at various levels.
By breaking a trade into smaller sets of sub trades and controlling the weight, human traders exert influence on triggers. Because trades are indirectly controlled through triggers, traders must monitor both market and triggers. As a result, this design calls for a wider monitoring of indexes, stocks of interest, news flow, trading results and triggers. When confident, traders delegate trading to computers. In times of precaution, trades can be controlled.
Of course, all of this can fail if it is not executed in an orderly fashion. This calls for an optimized design.
From a business point of view, trading is the centerpiece of the system. At the same time, the system also needs to be scalable. Scalability means the system can add modules without affecting performance. The system must support different type of services (news service, calendar service, technical analysis service, any service you might want to add to the system), potentially large number of users with different privileges, transaction support, etc. As a result, it must leverage a state-of-the-art relational database such as Oracle or SQL server.
As a result, the system is centered around two parts: trading and the database. Somewhat like 19th century Russian literature where stories are developed around parallel themes (see "Building the system," below), the diagram does not contain a human user interface. A web interface is assumed. In recent years, system design has followed a three-tier architecture where web interface, database and business logic are the tiers. This system design follows that architecture.
The trading block includes the trade agent, the exchange/brokerage router, trading rules pool, trade queue and trade logger. The trade agent executes bid/sell orders based on specified volume. The exchange/brokerage router supports load balancing on exchange/brokerage interfaces. The trading rules pool includes rules such as stop loss, limit order, etc. The trade queue interacts with the database (symbol, volume, buy/sell instruction, weight), and the rules pool generates trades ready for execution. The trade logger records every trade transaction in full detail.
The online support block includes market surveillance, candidate formulation, trade division, trade monitoring, candidate state formulation, news service, real time technical analysis, fundamental analysis, calendar service, etc. Market surveillance includes tracking intraday movement of index, active stocks, stocks and commodities of interest, etc. Candidate formulation derives trading candidates from asset and offline output in the database. Trade division breaks up big trades into sub trades.
Trade monitoring determines whether post trade the market deviates from intention. For example, if the market price goes up after the stock is bought, the post market aligns with trading intention. On the other hand, if post-trade market drops, a signal is generated to negatively feedback to the trade weight. When the trade weight drops below a defined threshold, no further buy is carried out (or a stop loss is triggered).
The news service parses an intraday news feed. Real-time technical analysis provides signals such as breaks of support or resistance. The fundamental service especially is useful for a big price movement. Calendar service helps the trade to analyze price not only in terms of existing events, but also future expectation such as how important announcements like employment numbers carry weight based on the prior direction of the stock price.
Offline supports include strategy selection and trading audit. Trading audit stores necessary information for reconstructing trades. This module is useful in an error situation, such as the "flash crash," and to test a what-if scenario. Scenario study is useful for improving trading.
The administrator block is self evident. This system follows standard IT practice.
The database is the main depository of transaction records, module outputs, events, signals, etc. Almost all modules need to interact with the database to perform. In the process, intertwining between programs is reduced. Every time a new proprietary code is added to the system, most of its input and output are from a database and not from other parts of the system. This way, the introduction of new codes minimally affects existing codes.
Telecommunication, air traffic and finance are different applications, each with its own central purpose. The soul of telecommunication is high reliability. The soul of air traffic is safety. The soul of trading automation ought to be performance generation and risk control. The flash crash on May 6 highlights the importance of risk control in the era of algorithmic trading. As trading activity is dominated by machine traders, the adequacy of risk control (or lack thereof) determines frequent profit and loss on a large scale.
It is in this light that we focused first on a trading strategy to leverage the current market trend, then on risk control and finally on the overall framework. The key is dual centerpiece arrangement. Traditional design revolves around trading activity. With dual centerpiece arrangement, the system becomes scalable. A scalable system performs well even as new functionality is added. For the automated trading to perform well, new functionality needs to be added constantly.
In contrast to some automated trading programs, human traders play an important role in this design. Human traders can modify trades at both the macro and micro level. This arrangement helps facilitate an automated system’s conformation to the management style and implementation of the portfolio management strategy.
At the same time, this design offers tools for the evolution of portfolio management. Through constant testing and evaluation of trading strategies, portfolio management can absorb winning elements in a timely fashion. The system is a lab where ideas are tested and validated.
Yong Liu holds master degrees in physics and computer science and has worked at Nortel networks and Nav Canada Inc. Liu consults on trading automation for financial institutions in China. Reach him at email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:3203981d-04f5-4367-bab3-53809ab94b56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.futuresmag.com/2010/12/01/algo-trading-systems-need-the-right-approach?t=options | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928871 | 2,636 | 1.992188 | 2 |
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Biological Threats and Terrorism: Assessing the Science and Response Capabilities - Workshop Summary Appendix J Testimony of Kenneth I. Shine, M.D. President, Institute of Medicine, The National Academies For a Hearing on Risk Communication: National Security and Public Health Before the Congress of the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations Committee on Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives November 29, 2001 I am Kenneth I. Shine, President of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. For the last three years I have also served as a member of the congressionally mandated Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction, chaired by Governor James Gilmore of Virginia, otherwise known as the Gilmore Commission. My comments reflect the opinions of the National Academies, as represented by Bruce Alberts, President of the National Academy of Sciences, and William Wulf, President of the National Academy of Engineering, whom I joined in signing a statement on October 3, 2001. In this statement, we advised the American public and health professionals to seek authoritative information on anthrax from three websites, those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The National Library of Medicine, and the Johns Hopkins University. We made the statement because of our concern about the amount of misinformation being conveyed about the anthrax incidents and the confusion that had resulted from multiple sources of analysis, commentary, and advice. Mr. Chairman, in 1988 the Institute of Medicine issued a report called The Future of Public Health. The report described the state of infrastructure for public health in America as in “disarray.” The report recommended renewed national attention to the infrastructure, human resource needs, educational capacity, and programs in public health in America. In 1992, the Institute of Medicine issued a report on Emerging Infections: Microbial Threats to Health in the United States, from a committee chaired by Nobel Laureate, Joshua Lederberg, and Dr. Robert Shope. In that report, additional recommendations were made for
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Biological Threats and Terrorism: Assessing the Science and Response Capabilities - Workshop Summary strengthening the capacity of public health and medicine to deal with new and emerging infections including those presented by terrorism. Although some additional resources were provided to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in response to these reports, these were limited. Over the past decade the overall condition of the public health system in America has continued to erode. Many of these weaknesses were graphically displayed during the anthrax episodes. Laboratory capabilities, adequate staff for investigations, the relationship and responsibilities of public health to law enforcement and, especially for purposes of this hearing, the effectiveness of communications to the public and to health professionals about the anthrax terrorism were found wanting. Key to the role of public health is education and information for the public and for health professionals. Whether an epidemic is a naturally occurring one such as that involving West Nile virus, or whether produced by a terrorist, public health professionals and public health departments around the United States need timely, accurate, and reliable information. Every epidemic results in new knowledge as it is studied and understood. In the case of anthrax, information about the inhalation form of the disease was limited to a very small number of cases over an extended period of time. Medical practitioners and public health officials in the United States never had direct experience with inhalation anthrax. Not only is it important to learn in an ongoing way as such an epidemic develops, but it is also important to rapidly translate that knowledge into reliable guidance to health professionals and to the community. In this testimony I will focus on two critical methods of communication about these issues in the 21st century: verbal communication—particularly via television—and the Internet. I begin with remarks concerning verbal communication. Within the Department of Health and Human Services, there must be a single credible medical/public health expert spokesperson who reports regularly, most likely daily, to the American people in regard to any outbreak with national significance. This is analogous to the situation in local communities where there is a need for such an individual to communicate on behalf of the local health department. Several months before the anthrax outbreak, uninformed statements on local television in a community with two cases of meningococcal meningitis resulted in thousands of individuals taking antibiotics or seeking immunizations that were not indicated. Local stores of antibiotics were depleted and many people were subjected to risk from unnecessary treatment. This episode emphasizes the need for credible medical/public health information during natural events, as well as during those that are produced by terrorism. In the case of the anthrax episodes, the media responded by interviewing countless numbers of individuals. Among them was a self-professed pundit who announced he was an expert on the “anthrax virus.” Anthrax is a bacterium, not a virus. In many cases, well-intentioned infectious disease specialists who knew a good deal about the literature on anthrax could provide accurate retrospective information, but when pressed about the current events, they were not privy to
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Biological Threats and Terrorism: Assessing the Science and Response Capabilities - Workshop Summary information about the cases that had occurred. They were then forced to either acknowledge their limitations, which the responsible experts did, or in the case of others less responsible, to speculate based on news reports, rumors, and a variety of other kinds of incomplete or false information. In a national emergency, such as that experienced with anthrax, the regular appearance on television of a credible medical/public health expert spokesperson who has up-to-date knowledge of the outbreak is important. Such a responsible individual can of course consult with law enforcement agencies with regard to information that might be important in an ongoing criminal investigation. However, the goal of the terrorist is to produce terror. Terror arises from fear magnified by an exaggerated sense of risk, and perpetuated by misinformation and rumors. In these episodes, the balance should be biased in favor of providing good information to protect the public health. In addition to the Department of Health and Human Services, the other major stakeholder that must provide public information in the case of terrorism is the Office of Homeland Security. The Gilmore Commission has urged that one of the associate directors of that office be an Associate Director for Health. We know far too little about the availability of hospital beds, burn units, decontamination capability, and a variety of other parameters required by the health system to deal with terrorism. Moreover, the necessity for dramatically improved communications among the public health system, the medical care system, and law enforcement all require a high level of coordination and communication. If this individual is also to be a spokesperson on such episodes as the anthrax outbreak, it is critical that his or her statements should be carefully coordinated with the principal credible medical/public health spokesperson within the Department of Health and Human Services. These messages must be well thought out and consistent to avoid confusion and misdirection. And clearly both individuals must be kept completely up to date with the most recent information, including the complete results of scientific and forensic analyses. It is understandable that political leaders and Administration officials wish to be the spokespersons for their departments or agencies in the face of a threat to the national security or to the nation’s health. It is important that they do so. But the impact of their communications are not diminished when they are joined by a credible medical/public health expert spokesperson who is knowledgeable about the nature of the disease and is also privy to up-to-date information about the outbreak. Turning to such an individual when technical questions are raised does not diminish, but rather enhances, the authority of the non-medical leader in addressing the public’s concerns. For example, the presence of Dr. Anthony Fauci at hearings and press conferences came late in the sequence of events but his appearance was extremely valuable. Furthermore, his interviews by the media were paradigms of clarity, accuracy, and relevancy. It is noteworthy that, in one of his appearances with a number of so-called experts, he was forced to correct inaccurate statements made by others during the program.
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Biological Threats and Terrorism: Assessing the Science and Response Capabilities - Workshop Summary The other major issue that was identified by the October 3 statement from my colleagues and me is the importance of authoritative, well-presented, up-to-date websites where health professionals, the public, and others can quickly obtain good information. The Internet has been flooded with multiple websites concerning anthrax. Many are reliable. But, as noted in our message, many are incorrect, inaccurate, misleading, and in some cases downright scams. Identifying the most reliable during an emergency is important for those who seek such information. The CDC maintains a website for this purpose. Ultimately, as we indicated in our statement, excellent information appeared at that website, though it was not as well organized as it might have been. The capacity of the CDC website to respond to inquiries was, for a period of time, limited. Access was limited by the large number of inquiries. In view of the importance of credible and accurate information, accurate resources should be made available so that the CDC can provide information using the most modern technologies and the most professional presentations, and have both the bandwidth and the human capacity to respond to a large number of inquiries. The spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services/and or the office of Homeland Security should regularly remind the public and health professionals that they can get such reliable information at the CDC website. There is an important lesson in this experience for other government agencies. We do not know where other terrorist events may occur. Does the Department of Energy have the capacity to respond to inquiries from the public and professionals with high-quality, rapidly updated information should there be an incident involving radiological materials or a nuclear event? Can the Department of Agriculture respond with the type of credible expert to whom I refer and have a website with the capacity required for all inquiries, should there be any problems in the areas of agriculture or animal husbandry? Where will the appropriate website be located for information about an episode involving terrorism using a chemical agent? There are many agencies involved in these issues, but if information for the public is crucial the principles that I have outlined for the Department of Health and Human Services and the office of Homeland Security should also apply in each of these other areas. A single preferred information source should be assigned now to a single government agency in each case, and resources must be dedicated by this agency to maintaining this capability on high alert. Mr. Chairman, many individuals in both the public and private sector work very long hours, seven days a week in coping with the anthrax episodes. They deserve enormous credit for their efforts in this regard. As the Institute of Medicine reports have emphasized for 13 years, the public health infrastructure at the state, federal, and local levels requires substantial upgrading. Strengthening the size and configuration of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, the facilities at the CDC, and the surveillance capacity of the federal, state, and local public health
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Biological Threats and Terrorism: Assessing the Science and Response Capabilities - Workshop Summary and medical entities are crucial. The Gilmore Commission has recommended that the Associate Director for Health in the Office for Homeland Security have an advisory panel consisting of representatives from a wide variety of hospitals, medical organizations, and first responders who can develop methodologies to rapidly communicate throughout the country the information required about how to meet emergencies in a timely way. The Institute of Medicine has published a preliminary report (to be followed by a full report next year) on the methodologies by which we can assess the capacity of local communities to respond to an episode of terrorism. The American Medical Association has developed an excellent plan to create educational programs and disaster planning efforts through their state and local societies. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has developed a plan for hospitals to improve their capabilities to cope with disasters. Resources will be necessary to make these happen, some of which will require federal help. Additional research to deal with biological agents is essential. For example, the current anthrax vaccine requires six doses over 18 months. While studies are underway to determine the efficacy of fewer doses we desperately need a much better, purer, and more effective vaccine against anthrax. The Council of the Institute of Medicine has called for the establishment of a national vaccine authority or its equivalent to ensure supplies of vaccines that are not available through the market or that require public/private collaborations to ensure adequate supplies, as exemplified by shortages of anthrax and smallpox vaccines. This should include vaccines for childhood diseases, adult infections, and, in the case of preventing the spread of hoof and mouth disease, for animals. Improved diagnostic and therapeutic options are also required. Central to all of these efforts is information and communication: information, which the American people can understand, and information about the concepts of risk and how to apply them. In the case of anthrax, less than 20 cases resulted in thousands of people taking antibiotics that were not indicated. Perhaps 20 percent of these individuals experienced some side affects from these drugs. These antibiotics changed the bacteriological environment and may have rendered some organisms resistant to the antibiotics employed. Several effective antibiotics were available and better early information might have prevented the exhaustion of stores of ciprofloxacin. A clear recommendation that one not take ciprofloxacin unless one is a member of a specifically defined high risk group, for example, postal workers or those with potential exposures on Capitol Hill, would also have been very helpful in this situation. The debate about smallpox vaccination will be much more straightforward if the American public understands the concept of risk/benefit. Smallpox was controlled throughout the world by vaccination of the populations who had been potentially exposed to a case—that is, by surrounding the cases as soon as they were observed with vaccinations. Even two or three days after exposure, vaccination will prevent the disease. The public needs to be informed that this repre-
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Biological Threats and Terrorism: Assessing the Science and Response Capabilities - Workshop Summary sents an excellent alternative to mass vaccination—which is likely to kill hundreds of people and seriously damage many more. We also need additional research to determine how many Americans who were vaccinated years ago have persistent immunity. This would help further refine the risk/benefit analysis and the needs for vaccine. In summary, I have emphasized the critical role of a credible medical/public health expert spokesperson, knowledgeable about the current events, who speaks for the Department of Health and Human Services and stands side by side with the secretary in his or her communications. If a similarly qualified spokesperson on bioterrorism is to be designated in the Office of Homeland Security, the credible medical/public health expert spokesperson(s) must carefully coordinate their statements so that they are accurate, authoritative, and understandable, and consistent. Much more serious attention should be paid to the role of well-organized, well-presented, and technologically sophisticated websites for providing information to the public, health professionals, the media, and others. Such sites should be developed and be on alert (and when needed be well advertised) for each of the areas relevant to a potential terrorist attack. Thank you Mr. Chairman, for this opportunity and I would be happy to answer any questions. SOURCE: http://www4.nationalacademies.org/ocga/testimon.nsf/By+Congress/2d04c080a441cbbf85256b130064a736?OpenDocument
Representative terms from entire chapter: | <urn:uuid:5ca8cdea-71b0-4e53-b339-11d8c5eebfdc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10290&page=269 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957547 | 3,301 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Won’t stand for it
Each day as I read about the activities in our state, I become more concerned as one group after another becomes the target of discrimination. I say to myself, “But it is not me personally, so I do not need to stand up.” Then I go on about my life.
After all, I am an old, retired white lady. What do I care about immigrants and their pink-striped driver’s license? Unemployment benefits decreasing? The public schools being dismantled? Assault guns being promoted for hunting purposes? Removing the “death tax” affecting less than 1 percent of the state’s population? Denying health care to the poorest among us? Highlighting only the potential negative outcomes of an abortion? Refusing to acknowledge the benefits of Planned Parenthood? Promoting fracking under the pretense that it helps the poor while also talking about storing the wastewater along the shore, perhaps hindering the tourist business? Promoting photo IDs to fix an imagined problem?
None of these affect me personally, so why stand up? But when they suddenly do, who will stand up for me?
Dr. Margie Maddox | <urn:uuid:2df13b27-4bcc-43b7-b201-941fd6cc4929> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/08/2735767/margie-maddox-wont-stand-for-it.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954919 | 244 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Electronic forms are an ever-growing method of retrieving information from consumers and participants. Forms contain a variety of elements and all must have accessibility attributes applied. Radio buttons, checkboxes, edit fields, submit and reset buttons, error messages, requirement constraints and many more items need proper labeling, grouping, instructions, and must be provided in a logical reading and tab order. Forms may seem like a complex topic, but managing each item individually simplifies the process of adding accessibility to a form. All step-by-step instructions in this topic are based on the features available in Acrobat Professional X.
Structure and Best Practice
The structure of form fields is actually quite simple. All that is required is a <Form> tag with a nested Field Name – OBJR tag. In the Tags pane the form tags need to appear after the tag containing the text label of the field. The <Form> tag distinguishes a type of element and allows AT to interpret how to handle the upcoming content. The Field Name – OBJR tag allows the field to be keyboard accessible. This is also where attributes, such as labels, need to be applied to make the field accessible.
It is best to not require a timed response on forms when possible. A disability can impact a person’s ability to navigate and fill out a form in a timely manner. Online auctions or activities, such as exams where the validity of the activity requires a time constraint, are exceptions to the rule. If it is necessary to require a time limit, the user should be permitted to turn off, adjust or extend the time allowance. If a mechanism is put in place to allow the user to extend the time, at least 10 seconds needs to be permitted for a response before the form expires..
Positioning and Grouping
Low vision users can have difficulty tracking items on the screen. Since they are only seeing a portion of their screen at any given time, it can be difficult to know where and whether actionable elements are present. Form elements need to be positioned to the left of each text label. When this is performed, users are able to track the items because the actionable elements are at the same position and spacing on each line.
Left positioning is essential for checkboxes and radio buttons. Other form elements should be to the right of the label, such as edit fields, list boxes and drop-down boxes, most of the time. These elements are usually found to the right of the label because they occupy different amounts of space; therefore, with them on the right the labels line-up. There are a few exceptions to the rule. As long as a search field properly indicates its purpose, a search edit field should be to the left of its corresponding button. In the case of drop-down boxes, depending on their purpose, they may be best served on the left or right. For example, a matching exercise where the answer options are A-E in the drop-down should appear to the left of its label. This is a valid practice because the form element is not utilizing a lot of space and all the controls will line up.
Often related fields are visually grouped together on a page or duplicate fields are provided for different purposes, such as billing and shipping addresses. It is important to remember in PDF forms to add the visual group name to the beginning of the tooltip name. For example, a field’s proper tooltip would say “Billing First Name” or “Shipping Zip Code”. How to apply a tooltip is discussed in the Reading Order and Labeling section. | <urn:uuid:9c3d5402-f3d8-4b80-a3bf-bb0f065f9a37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ehealth.va.gov/508/tutorials/pdf/13forms_1.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902989 | 725 | 2.65625 | 3 |
|Home / Perspectives / Dear Mr. President: Letters from Israel partisans that took America to war|
Dear Mr. President: Letters from Israel partisans that took America to war
"Commenting on Obama’s reluctance to intervene in Libya, Bill Kristol mocked the president’s “doubts and dithering” about “taking us to war in another Muslim country.” Declared the founder of the Emergency Committee for Israel, “Our ‘invasions’ have in fact been liberations. We have shed blood and expended treasure in Kuwait in 1991, in the Balkans later in the 1990s, and in Afghanistan and Iraq—in our own national interest, of course, but also to protect Muslim peoples and help them free themselves. Libya will be America’s fifth war of Muslim liberation.” In a follow-up note to the Weekly Standard, Paul Wolfowitz had “one minor quibble”: “Libya, by my count, is not ‘America’s fifth war of Muslim liberation,’ but at least the seventh: Kuwait – February 1991, Northern Iraq – April 1991, Bosnia – 1995, Kosovo – 1999, Afghanistan – 2001 and Iraq – 2003.” With Syria awaiting its “liberation” in 2012, perhaps it’s too early yet to say, “Shukran, Israel.”
According to its June 3, 1997 Statement of Principles, the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) was created to advance a “Reaganite foreign policy of military strength and moral clarity,” a policy PNAC co-founders, William Kristol and Robert Kagan, had advocated the previous year in Foreign Affairs to counter what they construed as the American public’s short-sighted indifference to foreign “commitments.” Calling for a significant increase in “defense spending,” PNAC exhorted the United States “to meet threats before they become dire.”
The Wolfowitz Doctrine
The idea of preemptive war also known as the Wolfowitz Doctrine—subsequently dubbed the “Bush Doctrine” by PNAC signatory Charles Krauthammer—can be traced as far back as Paul Wolfowitz’s Ph.D. dissertation, “Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East,” which was based on “a raft of top-secret documents” his influential mentor, Cold War nuclear strategist Albert Wohlstetter, somehow “got his hands on” during a post-Six Day War trip to Israel. The “top-secret” Israeli documents supposedly showed that Egypt was planning to divert a Johnson administration proposal for regional civilian nuclear energy into a weapons program. Among those who signed PNAC’s Statement of Principles were Wohlstetter protégés Francis Fukuyama, Zalmay Khalilzad, and Wolfowitz, who despite having been investigated for passing a classified document to an Israeli government official through an AIPAC intermediary in 1978 would be appointed Deputy Secretary of Defense in the George W. Bush administration, where he would be the first to suggest attacking Iraq four days after 9/11; Wolfowitz protégé I. Lewis Libby, who later “hand-picked” Vice President Dick Cheney’s staff mainly from pro-Israel think tanks; Elliott Abrams, who would go on to serve as Bush’s senior director on the National Security Council for Near East and North African Affairs, his mother-in-law, Midge Decter, and her husband, Norman Podhoretz; and Eliot A. Cohen, who would later smear Walt and Mearsheimer’s research on the Israel lobby’s role in skewing U.S. foreign policy as “anti-Semitic.”
On January 26, 1998, PNAC wrote the first of its many open letters to U.S. presidents and Congressional leaders, in which they enjoined President Clinton that “removing Saddam Hussein and his regime from power […] now needs to become the aim of American foreign policy.” Failure to eliminate “the possibility that Iraq will be able to use or threaten to use” its non-existent weapons of mass destruction, the letter cautioned, would put at risk “the safety of American troops in the region, of our friends and allies like Israel and the moderate Arab states, and a significant portion of the world’s supply of oil.” An additional signatory this time was another Wohlstetter protégé, Richard Perle, a widely suspected Israeli agent of influence whose hawkish foreign policy views were shaped when Hollywood High School classmate and girlfriend, Joan Wohlstetter, invited him for a swim in her family’s swimming pool and her father handed Perle his 1958 RAND paper, “The Delicate Balance of Terror,” thought to be an inspiration for Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove.
Having helped sow the seeds of the Iraq War five years before Operation Iraqi Freedom, PNAC wrote a second letter to Clinton later that year. Joining with the International Crisis Group, and the short-lived Balkan Action Council and Coalition for International Justice, they took out an advertisement in the New York Times headlined “Mr. President, Milosevic is the Problem.” Expressing “deep concern for the plight of the ethnic Albanian population of Kosovo,” the letter declared that “[t]here can be no peace and stability in the Balkans so long as Slobodan Milosevic remains in power.” It urged the United States to lead an international effort which should demand a unilateral ceasefire by Serbian forces, put massive pressure on Milosevic to agree on “a new political status for Kosovo,” increase funding for Serbia’s “democratic opposition,” tighten economic sanctions in order to hasten regime change, cease diplomatic efforts to reach a compromise, and support the Hague tribunal’s investigation of Milosevic as a war criminal. Now that “the world’s newest state” (prior to Israel’s successful division of Sudan) is run by a “mafia-like” organization involved in trafficking weapons, drugs and human organs, there appears to be much less concern for the plight of the ethnic Serbian population of Kosovo.
A New Pearl Harbor
One year after the publication of its September 2000 report, “Rebuilding America’s Defenses,” the “new Pearl Harbor” PNAC implied might be necessary to hasten acquiescence to its blueprint for “benevolent global hegemony” occurred on 9/11. Nine days after that “catastrophic and catalyzing event,” it wrote to endorse President Bush’s “admirable commitment to ‘lead the world to victory’ in the war against terrorism.” However, capturing or killing Osama bin Laden, the letter stressed, was “by no means the only goal” in the newly-declared war on terror. “[E]ven if evidence does not link Iraq directly to the attack, any strategy aiming at the eradication of terrorism and its sponsors must include a determined effort to remove Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq,” cautioned the PNACers. “Failure to undertake such an effort will constitute an early and perhaps decisive surrender in the war on international terrorism.” Disingenuously characterizing Israel’s enemy Hezbollah as a group “that mean[s] us no good,” the Israel partisans called on the administration to “consider appropriate measures of retaliation” against Iran and Syria if they refused to “immediately cease all military, financial, and political support for Hezbollah.” Touting Israel as “America’s staunchest ally against international terrorism,” they counseled Washington to “fully support our fellow democracy in its fight against terrorism.” The letter concluded by urging President Bush “that there be no hesitation in requesting whatever funds for defense are needed to allow us to win this war.”
PNAC’s concern for “America’s staunchest ally” was even more evident in its next letter to the White House. On April 3, 2002, it wrote to thank Bush for his “courageous leadership in the war on terrorism,” commending him in particular for his “strong stance in support of the Israeli government as it engages in the present campaign to fight terrorism.” Evoking the memory of the September 11 attacks “still seared in our minds and hearts,” the Israel partisans thought that “we Americans ought to be especially eager to show our solidarity in word and deed with a fellow victim of terrorist violence […] targeted in part because it is our friend, and in part because it is an island of liberal, democratic principles—American principles—in a sea of tyranny, intolerance, and hatred.” Returning to its favorite theme of regime change in Iraq, PNAC cautioned, “If we do not move against Saddam Hussein and his regime, the damage our Israeli friends and we have suffered until now may someday appear but a prelude to much greater horrors.” Prefiguring the cheerleading of Kristol and Kagan et al. for the “Arab Spring,” they assured Bush that “the surest path to peace in the Middle East lies not through the appeasement of Saddam and other local tyrants, but through a renewed commitment on our part […] to the birth of freedom and democratic government in the Islamic world.”
Having “developed, sold, enacted, and justified” a disastrous war over non-existent WMD, PNAC’s final report in April 2005 entitled “Iraq: Setting the Record Straight” claimed that “the case for removing Saddam from power went beyond the existence of weapons stockpiles.” Smugly concluding à la Madame Albright that “the price of the liberation of Iraq has been worth it,” PNAC soon after quietly wound up its operations. However, in 2009, PNAC co-founders Kristol and Kagan were instrumental in setting up its successor organization, the Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI), whose self-appointed mission is to address the “many foreign policy challenges” facing the United States “and its democratic allies,” allegedly coming from “rising and resurgent powers,” such as China and Russia, and, perhaps most significantly, from “other autocracies that violate the rights of their citizens.”
FPI’s February 25, 2011 letter to President Obama gave a clear indication of the significance of that mission statement. Approvingly citing the president’s declaration in his 2009 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech that “Inaction tears at our conscience and can lead to more costly intervention later,” they told him that he “must take action in response to the unfolding crisis in Libya.” Warning of an impending “moral and humanitarian catastrophe,” the letter recommended establishing a no-fly zone, freezing all Libyan government assets, temporarily halting importation of Libyan oil, making a statement that Col. Qaddafi and other officials would be held accountable under international law, and providing humanitarian aid to the Libyan people as quickly as possible. “The United States and our European allies have a moral interest in both an end to the violence and an end to the murderous Libyan regime,” averred FPI. “There is no time for delay and indecisiveness. The people of Libya, the people of the Middle East, and the world require clear U.S. leadership in this time of opportunity and peril.”
With Libya in the midst of a genuine catastrophe brought on by that “humanitarian intervention,” FPI turned its attention to the foreign-stoked strife in Syria. On February 17, 2012, it joined the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a think tank closely aligned with the Israel lobby whose leadership council is dominated by PNAC alumni, in urging President Obama “to take immediate steps to decisively halt the Assad regime’s atrocities against Syrian civilians, and to hasten the emergence of a post-Assad government in Syria.” Acknowledging that Syria’s future is “not purely a humanitarian concern,” the letter writers revealed their primary concern about Syria in their remark that “for decades, it has closely cooperated with Iran and other agents of violence and instability to menace America’s allies and partners throughout the Middle East.”
Wars of Muslim Liberation
Commenting on Obama’s reluctance to intervene in Libya, Bill Kristol mocked the president’s “doubts and dithering” about “taking us to war in another Muslim country.” Declared the founder of the Emergency Committee for Israel, “Our ‘invasions’ have in fact been liberations. We have shed blood and expended treasure in Kuwait in 1991, in the Balkans later in the 1990s, and in Afghanistan and Iraq—in our own national interest, of course, but also to protect Muslim peoples and help them free themselves. Libya will be America’s fifth war of Muslim liberation.” In a follow-up note to the Weekly Standard, Paul Wolfowitz had “one minor quibble”: “Libya, by my count, is not ‘America’s fifth war of Muslim liberation,’ but at least the seventh: Kuwait – February 1991, Northern Iraq – April 1991, Bosnia – 1995, Kosovo – 1999, Afghanistan – 2001 and Iraq – 2003.” With Syria awaiting its “liberation” in 2012, perhaps it’s too early yet to say, “Shukran, Israel.”
by courtesy & © 2012 Maidhc Ó Cathail
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Make a commitment to donate and/or place all of your book and other product orders from Amazon.com and thers through MMN Shopping web-site by clicking here. The percentage we get from these sales pays for maintaining and expanding MMN. | <urn:uuid:04497bc8-a3a1-4c6c-b868-e36949fc9327> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://world.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/94633 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955963 | 3,012 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Making transparency into a reality
There's been a lot of confusion this year over the difference between "things that fall under the category of government transparency" and "things that make government more transparent." For instance: Forcing the Senate clerk to read thousands of pages aloud does not make the government more transparent. Having C-SPAN film negotiations over the health bill may be a good idea, but it just means there will be a public event called "negotiations over the health bill," not a real window into the negotiation process.
But there are things that actually make the government more transparent. Posting the text of bills and amendments online is a start, for instance, The problem is that it only helps a small community of trained elites. Legislative text is impossible to read. But the next step forward is obvious, and Jon Walker writes it up this morning (alongside arguments to increase congressional staff and abolish the filibuster, both of which would also be good ideas):
The Senate Finance Committee has a tradition of writing every bill in understandable, plain English, then converting it to legislative language right before the committee vote. Every committee in Congress should copy this tradition by having every bill published in a plain language and legislative language version without in discrepancy in meaning. (Full disclosure: I believe Ezra Klein was the first person I heard suggest this idea, and I think it is fabulous.)
Democrats have made a point of publishing bills 72 hours before the vote, but what good is there in making a bill public if only one in every hundred thousand Americans can understand it. Having a plain language version of the bill would help greatly expand the pool of people who understand pending legislation. It would benefit congressional members not on the specific committee, journalists, and regular Americans who might care passionately about a subject. It could also help quickly stop nonsense rumors like “death panels.”
Big companies with high paid lobbyists already understand complex legislative language in a bill, having a copy of the bill written in plain English would put journalists and grassroots activists on a slightly more even footing. No law is needed to make this reform. Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid could effectively implement it tomorrow, and I would like to see it made part of a promise for even greater transparency in the 112th Congress.
I doubt I'm the first to have this idea, but it's still a good idea. To see the difference, compare the plain-English version (pdf) of Max Baucus's health-care bill to the legislative text (also pdf). Also notice that the page-count quadruples, or worse.
I don't begrudge anyone the right to use transparency as a partisan cudgel. There's no more bipartisan tradition than accusing the other party of secrecy and demanding all manner of disclosure and openness that you would never expect of yourself. But that shouldn't distract us from making the change that would lead to actual transparency and understanding of the legislative process.
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The comments to this entry are closed. | <urn:uuid:d608620d-b2b7-442a-9275-842f6de798c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/01/making_transparency_into_a_rea.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955108 | 814 | 1.984375 | 2 |
Facts About Hunger
Over 33 million Americans live in homes that experience periods of hunger or food insecurity.
13 million children live in these households.
The fastest growing segment of those relying on food banks and charitable food pantries are households with at least one adult working who have young children at home.
1 in 12 households in Massachusetts go hungry sometimes.
Food pantries, most of whom are staffed by volunteers and run on a food donation basis, face shortages on even basic supplies
There are 210,000 children living in poverty in Massachusetts.
A survey of food pantry clients in Connecticut revealed that 35% had to choose between paying for food or utilities.
33% had to choose between food or paying rent.
32% had to choose between food or medical care.
In Connecticut, 350,000 people are hungry or food insecure at some point during the year.
Of households receiving assistance in Connecticut, 27% have at least one employed adult.
One of Five children in Connecticut are hungry or at risk of hunger. | <urn:uuid:7bb04d67-a7a8-4230-872f-a3f8e39ee4b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://feedtheneed.org/hunger.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967041 | 211 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Chronic excessive exposure to lead is widespread in industrialized societies. In the United States, an estimated 3 million young children have a blood lead level of 0.50 μmol/L (10 μg/dL) or more, the level considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to indicate increased absorption.1 Also, more than 1.4 million industrial workers have the potential for chronic exposure through occupations such as stained glass manufacturing, battery making, and bridge demolishing.2
See also p 197.
Despite the extent of this exposure, great gaps exist in our knowledge of the chronic toxicity of lead.3 For example, we do not know the level of cumulative exposure in adults that is associated with chronic dysfunction of the central or peripheral nervous systems. We do not know whether chronic exposure is associated with motor neuron disease, parkinsonism, or other chronic neurological illnesses. We do not know the fraction of hypertension | <urn:uuid:2ec5bc20-5c36-4ae1-8e26-396dc472c909> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=362749 | 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 | 0.925034 | 183 | 3.015625 | 3 |
Catfish and taste: Imagine a big swimming tongue; in a way, that’s what a catfish is. The smooth scaleless skin of this fish is completely covered with taste buds – 250,000 cover a 6-inch-long catfish. (Humans, by contrast, have only 10,000!)
Most fish that have taste buds have only a few located in or near the mouth, but a catfish has dense concentrations of them in its mouth, as well as on its fins, back, belly, sides, and tail. Those covering the body detect chemicals to help locate food, even in dark, muddy water. The highest concentrations on the outside of the body are on its long, tapered whiskers, or barbels, which it uses as feelers to cautiously sample food before eating. | <urn:uuid:4d21f6bb-fc98-4acb-9b3a-6aa4c4e9fc63> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nationalaquarium.wordpress.com/2008/05/07/what-is-so-delicious-on-the-bottom-of-a-pond/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=7f81158ee4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983483 | 167 | 2.703125 | 3 |
If you're chemically sensitive to fragrances or have allergies or respiratory sensitivities, you may want to use natural cleaning products to avoid inhaling chemicals that can trigger your symptoms. But even if you have no sensitivities that might be activated by conventional cleaning products, you might want to rethink your use of those that contain carcinogens or suspected carcinogens. The danger these chemicals pose depends on the extent of your exposure - how often you use the products and how long you're exposed to the fumes.
Here are some common products that I worry about:
- Chlorine bleach. When mixed with ammonia, vinegar or other acid-based cleaners, chlorine bleach releases toxic chloramine gas; exposure can trigger mild asthmatic symptoms or more serious respiratory problems.
- Avoid mixing these substances.
- Metal polishes. Some contain petroleum distillates, which can irritate the eyes and lungs; long-term exposure can damage the nervous system, kidneys, eyes, and skin.
- Ammonia . Can irritate eyes and lungs and cause headaches. Furniture and floor polishes. Contain nitrobenzene, which if inhaled can cause shallow breathing; if ingested can cause death.
- Mothballs. Contains naphthalene, a suspected carcinogen, which may damage the eyes, blood cells, liver, kidneys, skin, and central nervous system.
- Toilet bowl cleaners. Contain hydrochloric acid or sodium acid sulfate, which can burn the skin and cause blindness if splashed in the eyes.
Instead of conventional products, you can buy all kinds of natural cleaning products, everything from nontoxic bathroom cleaner to environmentally friendly dish soap. You can even make your own cleaning products from such household items as vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, tea tree oil, and baking soda. A number of books describe how to make your own household cleaners from stuff we all have in the refrigerator or kitchen cabinets. One I particularly like is Clean & Green: The Complete Guide to Non-Toxic & Environmentally Safe Housekeeping, by Annie Berthold-Bond published in paperback by Ceres Press.
Some natural cleaning products I've tried have been great; others have failed to work as well as the conventional products. For example, I have not yet found a fragrance-free natural dishwasher detergent that works satisfactorily in my automatic dishwasher. In the near future I will be introducing a line of natural cleaning products endorsed by Weil Lifestyle. My first criterion is that they have to work.
Whether you choose to make your own environmentally friendly household cleaners or buy those already on the market, keep in mind that while these products are supposed to be nontoxic, they should be kept out of the reach of children and pets. Store them as carefully as you would conventional cleaners.
Andrew Weil, M.D. | <urn:uuid:c2709848-deff-412d-8ddb-99db9c4f7069> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA358077 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936507 | 585 | 2.484375 | 2 |
- n. Plural form of talisman.
“At its core, Dragonball Evolution is a quest film: a quest for the fabled title talismans; a quest for one character's true origins; a quest for butt-kicking martial arts fun; a quest for epic entertainment within a live-action anime dynamic; and most importantly,”
“James Hookway For their part, the clerics say the talismans were a distraction from Buddhist teachings.”
“Jewelry, and the stories behind them are the last of the great talismans," he said.”
“He waved his hand over the box of charms and talismans that had once belonged to Turiana.”
“The talismans must be melted down or smashed to pieces.”
“It was unthinkable that this creature had once been, with the help of her talismans, a legendary beauty.”
“The thornies sprang off of Lady Truden and scooped up the fallen talismans.”
“It was one of the talismans retrieved by the thorn imps.”
“But talismans are used to amplify those abilities.”
“The hero of romance moves in a world in which the ordinary laws of nature are slightly suspended: prodigies of courage and endurance, unnatural to us, are natural to him, and enchanted weapons, talking animals, terrifying ogres and witches, and talismans of miraculous power violate no rule of probability once the postulates of romance have been established.”
These user-created lists contain the word ‘talismans’.
Looking for tweets for talismans. | <urn:uuid:1adda8da-a5dc-4f35-b77c-bde3e3de0ccc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordnik.com/words/talismans | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917463 | 362 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Niger Families Face Drought and Rising Food Prices
A woman is assisted by the World Food Programme (WFP)'s food and cash distribution centre in Bargadja, Niger.
Prices at Niger‘s food markets are spiking in the aftermath of a patchy harvest, causing concern among food security experts that many could soon go hungry. The failed harvest, brought on by drought, has driven prices up. According to the Government of Niger, some 750,000 people across the country are severely food insecure, a number expected to reach one million by early 2012 as Niger moves towards its traditional lean season in March and April. In response to the looming food crisis, WFP is aiming to support some 3.3 million people over the coming year with life-saving food assistance. | <urn:uuid:77ec0d0f-b478-4fcf-865b-d04a91e3b92b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unmultimedia.org/s/photo/detail/505/0505604.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967761 | 160 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Colonel Bogey MarchThe "Colonel Bogey March" is one of the most successful marches ever published. It was written in 1914 by a bandmaster from the British Royal Marines, Lt. F.J. Ricketts (1881-1945).
Supposedly, the tune was inspired by a military man and golfer who whistled a characteristic two-note phrase (a descending minor third interval) instead of shouting "Fore!". It is this phrase that begins each line of the melody.
Ricketts wrote his music under the name "Kenneth Alford" because military officers were not supposed to have outside interests. The sheet music was a million seller and the march had been recorded many times before it was used in the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai.
In addition to the "Colonel Bogey March", Ricketts wrote the music to several popular Christian hymns, including "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come ("Harvest Home")". | <urn:uuid:71b160b0-57ea-4619-b595-2773b387936f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.encyclopedia4u.com/c/colonel-bogey-march.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983315 | 199 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Who Defames the Prophet?
by Ahmed El Aswany
Translated and Introduced by Raymond Ibrahim.
The following op-ed, written by Ahmed El Aswany, appeared in the popular news website El Bashayer, December 22, 2011, following several lawsuits against Egypt's Christians, most notably billionaire Naguib Sawiris, for "defaming Islam." Hard-hitting and self-critical, it deals with an important question: Exactly who is it that defames Islam and its prophet Muhammad? Many in the Muslim world insist it is the West—whether through cartoons, books, or simply free speech. However, as El Aswany boldly argues, no one defames Islam as much as "we Muslims, for imposing a terrorist, hypocrite, and life-hating Islamic model that feeds on killing others in the name of jihad and fighting freedom of expression…"
I do not believe that cartoons, books, or movies can defame any religion or affect the faith of its adherents and true believers.
Those who defame the Prophet are they who slaughter and bomb innocent people all over the world—in New York, Madrid, London, Bali, Riyadh, Cairo, Kabul and Baghdad—while citing the name of Allah and his Prophet and under the banner of Islamic jihad. Ongoing demonstrations follow in support of their acts, while Internet sites sing praises of the "knight" Osama bin Laden, the "hero of the two raids on New York and Washington [i.e., the strikes of 9/11]."
Those who defame the Prophet include men like [Yusif] Qaradawi [the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader], who incite killing Jewish babies in their mothers' wombs (his lecture at the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate in 1996), and who incite and support suicide bombings and declared jihad in Iraq, in the name of religion and the Prophet, leading to the killing of innocent people.
Those who defame the Prophet are they who demand the world to enact resolutions against the "defamation of religion," while they practice this defamation in every prayer in their mosques, schools, and satellite stations—especially against Christians and Jews, whom they curse in every prayer. (After the Islamic Human Rights Commission of the United Nations motioned this resolution against "Defamation of Religion," according to the Saudi internet site ArabiaNet, the Saudi Shura [Consultative] Council opposed the resolution—because defaming other religions is a rite and part of the rituals of Islam.)
Those who defame the Prophet are they who issue fatwas sanctioning "adult breastfeeding," who claim that drinking the Prophet's urine is a blessing, and allow such hadiths to be taught in schools and religious universities—including the hadith of the fly and other hadiths advocating humiliating the People of the Book [Christians and Jews] and treating them with contempt, the hadith of "paradise is under the shades of swords," and thousands of other hadiths, the mere existence of which defame the Prophet and Islam.
Those who defame the prophet are they who teach children in Islamic schools to hate Christians, that befriending them is forbidden ("your enemy is the enemy of your religion")—as one niqab-wearing teacher taught my friend's ten-year-old daughter at Al Fateh Islamic Schools in Maadi; and when the parents complained they were told "This is Islam."
Those who defame the Prophet are they who believe that outward appearances—such as beards, zibibas [callous mark, or "raisin," on forehead from prayer], and Islamic female dress—are part of the statutes of Islam, and they accuse people of being infidels and kill them in their cause.
Those who defame the Prophet are they who deem women defective, equating them with dogs and donkeys in that they invalidate prayer, as per the famous Sahih Muslim hadith. They believe that women are brainless and impious—forgetting that women are mothers, sisters, sweethearts, daughters, and wives, and are on an equal par with men. What is even sadder is that the majority of Muslim women believe in the authenticity of such hadiths that disparage them.
Those who defame the prophet are men like [Dr.] Zaghloul El Naggar, who have a claim to knowledge, yet proclaim natural disasters such as hurricanes, volcanoes, and floods as Allah's punishment for sinners, and denigrate both the Bible and Torah, claiming that they are fabricated books. And he does all this under the banner of the Prophet and in the name of Islam, and many rabble emulate him.
Those who defame the prophet are they who propagate myths among the Muslims—such as the "Prophet's medicine" and dream interpretation—and call their followers to replicate the Prophet's traditions [Sunna], thus promoting ignorance and retrogression among Muslims, who fall easy prey into their wicked web.
Those who defame the prophet are the rulers and Sheikhs of the Arab world who have transformed their countries into the last strongholds of tyranny and dictatorship in the world and who manipulate religious texts to justify their crimes.
Those who defame the prophet are not in the West, but rather we Muslims, for imposing a terrorist, hypocrite, and life-hating Islamic model that feeds on killing others in the name of jihad and fighting freedom of expression on the pretext of defending the Umma's [Islamic world's] precepts, which mean only regression and ossification.
They [Western people] only defame and combat the model that we—and no one else—created.
Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum. | <urn:uuid:b8769b38-4fe9-4945-92d1-9be1549e9a04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://israeljewsjudaism.blogspot.com/2012/02/who-defames-prophet.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946069 | 1,182 | 1.65625 | 2 |
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This NASA artist concept shows what the impact may have looked like.
It's a good thing you weren't standing on the moon's Mare Imbrium crater on March 17. You might have been ground into space dust. A meteoroid "the size of a small boulder" crashed into the lunar surface and exploded with a flash so bright, it was visible to the naked eye from Earth.
NASA has been keeping an eye on the moon for eight years, looking for explosions caused by meteoroids. The space agency has seen hundreds of detectable impacts, but none quite so spectacular as this one. "For about one second, the impact site was glowing like a fourth magnitude star," NASA says...
Read the full story here. Souce: CNET | <urn:uuid:0a3eca76-5943-4dde-8928-e314658ac189> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geekanoids.co.uk/news/tag/video | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971573 | 152 | 2.875 | 3 |
BENNINGTON -- A growing downtown population has the Bennington School District considering a full redistricting that could change the elementary schools some children attend.
The school board will see a proposal with redrawn attendance zones for Bennington's three elementary schools in January.
"There's two factors in my mind that are causing this issue. One of them is we're seeing a population shift into the center of town ... into the Ben El zone that we don't have physical space to send to Ben El, so we're having to bus them out," Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union Chief Financial Officer Richard Pembroke told the board Wednesday. "Another factor is the class size policy that you passed (for grades K-3 that caps enrollment at 18 students per class) that is creating some enrollment issues at that level that the buildings can't accommodate so we have to move those kids out to other schools."
Any changes would be made with the intent of impacting as few families as possible Superintendent Catherine McClure said, and likely only impact families who live near the borders of the existing zones and those who now attend a school outside the zone they live. Because it is Bennington Elementary that is seeing an influx of children, the proposed new attendance zones would likely send some families in Bennington Elementary's lines to either Molly Stark Elementary or Monument Elementary.
"If Ben El has too much of a population for that building to accommodate, that inner circle has just got to shrink a little bit somewhere," Pembroke said.
There remains a question whether redistricting would impact children who opted to attend Monument beginning years ago when it was the only school in the district that was meeting Adequate Yearly Progress. Monument no longer meets AYP so families outside the school attendance lines may no longer request their children attend the school under the No Child Left Behind Act.
The board did not discuss redistricting at length, but member Laurie Cohen said she hopes if it has to be done administrators can find a way for it to impact as few families as possible.
"We've certainly heard about transitions being difficult and there's a benefit for continuity, so to the extent we have to do this, and I'm not saying I'm against doing it, but to the extent we have to do this (we should) do it in a way that has the smallest impact and the fewest transitions," she said.
In recent years BSD has made minor tweaks to school boundaries for incoming kindergarten classes to allow for similar class sizes among all three schools. A full redistricting has not been done since 2007 following the closure of Catamount Elementary.
Similar to the process in 2007, Pembroke said any redistricting will keep children in the same neighborhoods attending the same schools and consideration will be given to maintain a balance in poverty levels and gender in each school.
McClure said Thursday there are still concerns and questions that need to be addressed, such as whether a child who has been in a school five years and is entering fifth grade next fall would have to change schools prior to their final year of elementary school.
Pembroke said it is important if the board decides to go ahead with a redistricting that it does so soon to allow months of notice to parents who will have to send their child to a different school.
Contact Dawson Raspuzzi at firstname.lastname@example.org or follow on Twitter @DawsonRaspuzzi | <urn:uuid:1a731b42-3717-4a96-bc81-1b1e157e81ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.benningtonbanner.com/news/ci_22150024/bsd-ponders-redrawing-district-lines?source=most_viewed | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974586 | 702 | 1.59375 | 2 |