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| ||Food for Thought || |
Four Food Myths -- Busted
Last reviewed by Faculty of Harvard Medical School on January 16, 2013
By Beth Klos, R.D., L.D.N.
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Oh no. I just found out I have high cholesterol and diabetes. Worse yet, my spouse just told my relatives.
At family dinner the advice starts flowing: "Put down that shrimp!" "Don't eat carrots. They're loaded with sugar!" "You're not still eating eggs are you?" "Don't drink soda. Here, have this natural juice instead. It's better for you."
What should I eat? Will carrots really hurt me?
Help is on the way. Read on to find out which healthy foods have gotten undeserved bad reputations and deserve to be back on your plate, and how to avoid being deceived by one sugary drink with a squeaky clean reputation.
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Myth #1: Never eat shrimp if you have high cholesterol
Even for people with elevated cholesterol, these small, tasty shellfish add panache to a healthy diet. Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program allow 200 milligrams of cholesterol daily. So there's room to eat shrimp. Three ounces of shrimp (about the size of a typical computer mouse) has 166 milligrams of cholesterol. The TLC guidelines recommend having shrimp occasionally. Vegetarians who eat fish and shellfish can eat shrimp more often, as long as they're within this daily cholesterol limit. That's because they normally eat few, if any, foods containing cholesterol (meat, eggs, cheese).
This small crustacean has many benefits in spite of its slightly high cholesterol content. Shrimp is very low in saturated fat, a key type of unhealthy fat that can drive up your LDL or "bad" cholesterol. Shrimp is even lower in saturated fat than white chicken without the skin, which has 0.9 grams in three ounces. The amount in shrimp is slight, with just 0.2 grams in three ounces. Grilled, baked and steamed shrimp or shrimp cooked in a small amount of heart-healthy oil (not battered or deep-fried) are healthy choices. In addition, shrimp are low in calories, rich in protein and contain a significant amount of selenium. So to those who beat up on shrimp: Pick on someone your own size.
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Myth #2: Carrots are rich in sugar, so everyone should avoid them, especially people with diabetes
This myth comes from a misinterpretation of the glycemic index. This is a relatively new way of measuring exactly how quickly or slowly carbohydrates (sugars and starch) are digested. The sugar in carrots is like a race car. It gets digested quickly compared with other foods. That's why carrots have a high glycemic index. Yet carrots have very small amounts of sugar. A whole pound of boiled carrots contains only about three teaspoons of sugar. So although the sugar in carrots moves into the blood stream very quickly, the amount is relatively insignificant when it is eaten in typical amounts. This information is of more interest to scientists, not someone selecting a vegetable to serve at dinner.
A more refined concept called "glycemic load" takes both the speed at which the sugar moves into the bloodstream and the quantity of sugar into account. This information is more practical, because low glycemic-load foods have health benefits. Carrots have a very low glycemic load. In short, carrots are a wonderful, healthy vegetable, rich in fiber and beta carotene and low in calories. Like other vegetables, filling up to half of your plate twice a day is a great choice for most people, including many people with diabetes. Include other vegetables for variation and a broad range of nutrients.
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Myth #3: Eggs are a heart attack on a plate never eat even one
True, one egg yolk has 185 milligrams of cholesterol, less than a day's supply according to the TLC guidelines. However, even the TLC guidelines allow two egg yolks per week. The humble egg has numerous redeeming qualities. The yolk contains less than 2 grams of saturated fat, the main culprit in driving up the LDL or "bad" cholesterol. The white and the yolk both contain high quality protein, which supports healing. Enhanced eggs are now available that contain omega-3 fatty acids, for extra nutritional value. Therefore, even if your cholesterol is high, two eggs per week is safe. Another option is egg substitute egg whites with added ingredients to substitute for the flavor and texture of the missing yolks. Since egg substitutes do not contain cholesterol, they can be eaten more often. They are ideal for those who like to have scrambled eggs every morning.
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Myth #4: 100% fruit juice is natural, so it's healthy. It's OK to drink a lot.
This myth probably got its start when fruit punches became popular. Fruit punch typically has even more sugar than fruit juice. However, 100% fruit juice is still high in sugar. In fact, you may be shocked to find out that natural fruit juices usually have about as much sugar as soda, or even more. The sugar content is so high because fruit juice is made by straining out the liquid portion of fruit, so the sugar is concentrated. And in liquid form, the sugar can be digested more quickly. According to one reference, a typical orange yields 2.9 ounces of juice. So, a 16 ounce bottle of orange juice would contain the sugar extracted from over 5 pieces of fruit almost nine teaspoons of sugar. In the process of making juice smooth and palatable, most of the naturally-occurring fiber ends up in the trash. Surprisingly, even juice with pulp does not contain fiber. This kind of fiber is helpful for weight loss, blood sugar control and lowering cholesterol.
People with diabetes who test their blood glucose after having "natural" juice are often shocked to find it has skyrocketed. Orange juice has twice the glycemic load as an orange. The bottom line is that it is much healthier to eat two to four medium-sized pieces of fruit a day and choose low-calorie beverages or refreshing iced water. If you choose to drink juice at all, limit it to four ounces a small juice glass.
In conclusion, carrots in healthy portions will not overload your sugar intake. On the other hand, innocent looking "natural" juice will spike your blood glucose levels and possibly your weight, especially in medium to large amounts. For egg yolks and shrimp, it's not all-or-nothing. Moderation rather than elimination is a reasonable strategy.
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Beth Klos, RD, LDN, is a Senior Nutritionist at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She completed her undergraduate degree at University of Rhode Island and her dietetic internship at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She enjoys providing nutrition counseling to her patients and teaching counseling to Brigham and Women Hospital's Dietetic Interns. | <urn:uuid:9f0c4c20-a2d1-4397-8d7b-7ccc5aac3a8f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSRNM000/35320/35327/821704.html?d=dmtHMSContent | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956046 | 1,454 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Get ready to pay a few more bucks for gas.
Prices are again on an upward march in California -- and could hit $3.80 to $3.95 a gallon by Valentine's Day -- as refineries across the state convert to the more expensive summer blend of fuel while coping with sporadic outages.
The statewide average stood at $3.68 Monday, and that was up 12 cents from a month ago, according to AAA. By the end of this week, that figure should be several cents higher.
"It looks bleak," said Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan of GasBuddy.com. "Spot prices continue to jump and could rise another 10 to 25 cents a gallon over the next week or two."
Petroleum Industry Analyst Bob van
The increases are related to the state's annual switch from winter to summer gas, a blend of fuel used from April to Oct. 31. To prepare for the switch, refineries start drawing down supplies now and complete maintenance upgrades.
The change will reduce overall supplies by 10 percent, while warmer weather leads to more driving and higher demand.
In addition, BP reported a power failure at its Carson refinery near the Los Angeles harbor, the second-largest in California. Although power has been restored, two units at the 266,000-barrel-a-day plant were off line for two days.
"It won't get to $4.50 again, will it?" asked Fran Munson, of Fremont, referring to the highest price she recalls paying last year, when records were shattered following several refinery problems statewide.
She paid $3.69 at a Chevron in Hayward on Saturday, a dime more than a week earlier. As for her fear of $4-plus gas, that could be a reality by Memorial Day, DeHaan said.
San Francisco-area drivers, for once, were not paying the most for gas in California. Los Angeles' average price of $3.77 was five cents more than San Francisco's, as the BP refinery shutdown sent prices there soaring.
Drivers in the South Bay were paying $3.64, a penny more than those in the East Bay. The national average was $3.35.
Despite the anticipated forecast, the American Petroleum Institute predicts that the average price for 2013 should be 20 cents a gallon lower than last year across the country.
The reason: We are burning less gas and producing more.
U.S. oil demand fell to the lowest level in 16 years in 2012 as economic growth weakened while domestic output surged. A combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has unlocked supplies trapped in shale formations in states including North Dakota, Texas and Oklahoma.
The Associated Press and Bloomberg contributed to this report. Contact Gary Richards at 408-920-5335. | <urn:uuid:76ff2dda-fd67-4aa6-9cba-69f03c9b20c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_22467952/gas-prices-rise-again | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959638 | 573 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Well this was the last in the series by Francesca Stavrakopoulou on the Bible’s Buried Secrets. I have already reviewed the previous two episodes Did King David’s Empire Exist? and Did God have a Wife?
So, what did I make of this episode? Well funnily enough I thought that this one had more of substance and interest than the the previous two. I certainly didn’t agree with everything that she said. Certainly some of her stock phrases start to jar a little:
It’s a revolutionary theory which challenges some of the most cherished preconceptions about Eden in both Christianity and western culture.
It’s a view that turns upside down the views of the Bible
But lets get to the positives first.
She points out that many of the details that we have read into the story of the Garden of Eden aren’t actually in the text. This can only be a good reminder. Just as we need to remind ourselves that we don’t know how many Wise Men in the Nativity story there are (there are three gifts) or what colour dress Mary wore (most certainly not blue as it was VERY expensive). So she reminds us that we don’t know the fruit that was eaten and that the apple often used in greek can also mean breast and therefore the linking of women and the fall is dangerous. She points out that ancient Cherubim guarding the Garden of Eden weren’t the cuddly Christian types but looked far more ferocious (such as the Assyrian winged creatures).
These are great reminders for us.
She also comes up with some theories about the significance of gardens in Ancient Near East societies. Now I don’t have the expertise to comment too much on this but it sounded reasonable. That gardens were symbols and signs of power and the king was normally the person who mediated between the gods and humanity. The garden was the place that god dwelt and the king was able to build it and maintain it because of wisdom given him by the gods.
She also makes the point that she sees the story and the exile from the garden as the exile from Jerusalem and the king failed in wisdom by rebelling against Babylon (the state to which Judah paid tribute at the time) and actually its a story about a particular king at a particular time.
Now scholars have, for years, seen the story of Eden as a mix of different bits and pieces from different times. Many have thought that it is a critique of Solomon style royal rule. Some have seen it as a story of the exile. In this story of exile Dr Stavrakopoulou really is not saying anything new although some bits were interesting.
She tries to link this with a debunking of original sin and the idea the humanity has fallen and is in need of a saviour. Now this where I am really not sure that she comes out with integrity. None of the people that she directly tackles are professionals in the field. They are a lay person in Snowdonia (presumably because he was the only one that didn’t realise that it was going to be a hatchet job), a Salford Catholic priest and a Manchester Rabbi.
The Priest is quoted as saying
If you don’t have original sin then you don’t need a saviour, you don’t need Christ
We then hear Dr Stavrakopoulou intoning
The very foundations of Christianity is built on the story of Eden
Of course what she is really tilting at is the
bleak view of human nature
as she says that is envisaged in Christianity.
Really the heart of her argument is that the story of Eden is the story of a particular king about 2,500 years ago who’s foolishness led to Judah’s exile and downfall and the destruction of the Temple. It therefore has nothing to do with human nature and with how we should see humanity and that in essence we are not in need of a saviour.
Of course the trouble with her argument is that it is so limited. This isn’t the way that the bible works. The bible takes a story and re-tells it with greater detail and with new insight. So the story of creation gets re-told through the bible in various ways – Creation in Genesis 1, the Exodus, John 1 etc. each time the story is enriched with new meaning and understanding.
So for a Christian it is quite ok to say that the story of Genesis is both a story of creation and exile on several levels. It matters not one jot that Adam is both a king who leads Judah into exile AND the archetypal man who leads humanity into exile. In both cases many people are affected. It is a story of pride and fall. Out of this story the people of God reflect on the God that they worship and tell the stories that inform them of this God. So, it bothers me not one whit as to whether she is right to identify Eden with the Temple and Adam with the last King of an independent Judah.
The point still remains. Adam means man. There is still the point not only from the bible that humanity is in need. People such as the agnostic Terry Eagleton makes the point that the problem with atheists is that they believe in some great path of human progress and don’t take seriously enough the problem of humanity. The World Wars, the Holocaust, the problem of continued war and struggle and inequality. In Christian theology, some believe in original sin (the idea came from St Augustine in the 4th Century) and some don’t – but either way Christians do believe in sin – structural, societal and personal. These things that break relationship between us and each other and with God. The essence of Christian belief is in no way affected by Dr Stavrakopoulou’s theory – and it very much is just that a theory.
In terms of the role of Eve in the story she is right to point out (as many many have) that the role of Eve is not the main role in the story – Adam has the main role and he fails and has the main part. It has, shamefully, been used to subjugate women. But the bible is also a source of liberation for women. As I said in my last review women did not have a better place in other polytheistic cultures of the time. Indeed we see with Jesus his welcome and inclusion of women in a quite radical and new way.
Where I think that she is naive is to assume that Christianity holds humanity back and that somehow we would be liberated into some Eden type future if we could only rid ourselves of the old prejudices. Or even that the old gods were so much better than monotheism. Still when she was least polemical she was most interesting. When she was most polemical she was least interesting and had the least insight.
Update 30th March
Just an overall view of the series. I think that overall it wasn’t a great series. Not because it tackled issues of faith or might have been uncomfortable for some but because it was so polemical and just plain wrong on various issues. It was being used to tilt at several areas that Dr Stavrakopoulou wanted a go at – the political legitimacy of Israel (or the separation of politics and religion), the dis-empowering of women in monotheism and how dreadful that was and in the final one how there is nothing wrong with humanity and it isn’t in need of saving.
This is the series weakness. It isn’t trying to just get to the archaeological truth. These episodes were chosen with a view in mind – to undermine Christianity and Judaism. They don’t do that – but they try. There is no real balance. Most of the time when she wants to be most polemical she has tended to bring in the non-experts (with them not realising that they are being set up).
Another review of the programme on Bible Film Blogs worth reading.
A good review from Psephizo that is well worth reading | <urn:uuid:50ff534b-006c-447d-b023-c06a2813c6c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://willcookson.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/review-bibles-buried-secrets-the-real-garden-of-eden/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977752 | 1,677 | 1.953125 | 2 |
Tai Chi for Health, Meditation, and Self-Defense
Would you like to learn Tai Chi, but don't know where to start? Or perhaps you're an experienced practitioner looking to enhance your skills. Maybe you're just wondering, what is this Tai Chi stuff about, anyway?
Well, you've come to the right place!
Since 1970, the Patience T'ai Chi Association (PTC) has taught Tai Chi and other Martial Arts to thousands of students. Today, we are dedicated to teaching Tai Chi exclusively in all of its aspects: as a moving meditation, for its health benefits, and of course, the sport of Push Hands, and as a high level Martial Art. We also invite practitioners of other Martial Arts to study with us to improve skills in their chosen Art.
At PTC, we teach Cheng Man-Ch'ing style Tai Chi, as it was taught to William C. Phillips by Professor Cheng in the 1970's. However, we are committed to teaching solid Tai Chi principles that can be applied to any style.
So please, enjoy our site and discover why it has been said that whoever practices Tai Chi diligently, twice a day over a period of years, will attain the pliability of a child, the health of a lumberjack and the peace of mind of a sage.
A few links to get you started...
New to Tai Chi? Looking for the basics?
Try our Intro to Tai Chi.
Interested in more in-depth info?
See our Learning Tai Chi section.
Are you past the basics and ready for the really good stuff?
Check out our Tai Chi articles.
Finally, if you'd like to be notified when we make a major update to our site, add new products, or wish to tell you about a Tai Chi event you might be interested in, Join our Mailing List. | <urn:uuid:796515a5-3872-40e5-8599-38153de56a80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://patiencetaichi.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957264 | 381 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Business Functions Approach To Innovative And Non-Innovative Business Comparison In Latvia
AbstractState system of innovative business support was created in Latvia during last years and the first conclusions about the efficiency of this system can be made at present time. To evaluate the efficiency of innovative business support system it is necessary to compare in some way innovative and non-innovative companies. The main task of this article is to provide the frame for innovative and non-innovative business comparison and describe on the base of this frame the main differences between innovative and non-innovative companies in Latvia at present time. The main result of investigation is the conclusion that at present time innovative business has certain advantages for development in Latvia, especially in regions, because the main weak point of innovative business - high risk - is oppressed by general business risk growing due to economic crisis.
Download InfoIf you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
Bibliographic InfoArticle provided by Prague Development Center in its journal Perspectives of Innovation in Economics and Business (PIEB).
Volume (Year): 5 (2010)
Issue (Month): 2 (June)
Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://academicpublishingplatforms.com/journal.php?journal=PIEB
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Innovative business; business functions; regional economic development.;
Find related papers by JEL classification:
- O31 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change; Research and Development; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
- O32 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change; Research and Development; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
- R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy
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Think of an aquarium as an intensive care unit, and the filtration system as the life support for your fish.
Sometimes we are not aware about the things we do that require power. It's not uncommon during a power outage, that we find ourselves trying to use electrical equipment, ending up in slapping ourselves thinking "Oh yeah, no power".
Aquariums are treasures, not only the sometimes high values but also the time and care you spent to make it look and work right.
Years of work, pleasures, and some hassles can be ruined by a power outage. There are a few important aspects we have to focus on when the power fails at rates exceeding 1 hour.
Fish are cold-blooded animals. We have to provide them with the water temperature best suited for them, either through a heater or a chiller.
Glass is a bad insulator, which means the tank will quickly adapt to the room temperature when our heater fails due to a power outage.
In order to keep the temperature as stable as possible blankets or Styrofoam come in handy. You can actually "wrap your aquarium with blankets or Styrofoam in order to slow the temperature loss.
The risk of overheating can be avoided by placing ice cubes in a sealed plastic bag in the aquarium.
Once the power is restored make sure to slowly adjust the temperature back to normal as extreme changes can cause extreme stress for your fish.
Oxygen levels in your aquarium will decrease with the increase in water temperature. Oxygen enters the water through a gas exchange at the water surface. If you think about blowing air into the plastic tube connected to your air pump, the effects will be very limited. The air stone actually provides little to no oxygen.
To increase oxygen levels you should extract some water with a cup and pour it back in the tank. This should be repeated at least once per hour, or as soon as you notice your fish gasp for air.
Lower tank temperatures will not only hold more oxygen, but also slow down the fish's metabolism.
The most important part of concern during a power outage is the filtration system. Remove the biowheels and submerge them in the tank. Filter media in trickle filters can be placed in a mesh bag and placed in the tank as well, or you can pour water over the media in regular hourly intervals.
Canister and other closed filters should be disconnected. These filters turn anaerobe rather quickly, producing highly toxic substances, which are deadly for the fish. One of these substances is hydrogen sulfite which smells like rotten eggs, the other ammonia. All filters should be cleaned, before they are restarted.
Other Things to Consider
Do not feed your fish during a power outage. Fish can survive 3-5 days without food. If you have to feed, do it sparingly. When the power comes back on, siphon the gravel, replace the carbon and do a 20% water change.
Another important part is to watch out for diseases. Many parasites and bacteria are already in the water and can attack a weak fish at any time. A power outage is extremely stressful and the chance for diseases to take foot hold are very high.
We recommend placing Algone in the filter during and after a power outage. Algone will control ammonia, and hydrogen sulfite in the filter and help minimize the possible release into the aquarium.
A power back-up system in the form of a car or boat battery will provide energy for at least one filter. Considering expensive fish, corals, live rock and other animals, this relatively small investment may be worth it. | <urn:uuid:a3bdbcc6-b32a-49a8-afe8-e8f659c339b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.algone.com/articles/fish-health/aquarium-power-outage | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942891 | 743 | 3.15625 | 3 |
The following information is from the Red Cross:
Health officials are reporting widespread influenza outbreaks in 47 of 50 states, up from just a week ago. One age group hit particularly hard is children, and the American Red Cross has some steps parents can teach their kids to help them avoid getting sick.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health urged residents last week to get vaccinated, saying emergency room visits for fever, cough and sore throats have been on the rise over the past several weeks. A health offical told the Los Angeles Times they expect cases to increase within the next month.
Kids have a way of picking up colds and other illnesses. Parents should teach children proper hand washing techniques and how to correctly cover coughs or sneezes. Wash hands withsoap and warm water. When using soap and water:
- Wash for at least 20 seconds, covering the entire hand including fingernails and under jewelry.Younger children can be taught to sing a short song like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," or the "Happy Birthday" song a few times, which will ensure they wash for at least 20 seconds.
- Rinse and dry thoroughly with a disposable towel.
- Use the towel to turn off the faucet.
If using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:
- Rub thoroughly over the entire hand, including nail areas and between the fingers.
- Continue to rub until the product dries.
The most important thing parents can do is get children six months of age or oldera flu vaccine as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. Children’s caregivers should also get vaccinated. Other steps parents can take include keeping surfaces disinfected and keeping a sick person in a separate room in the household if possible.
IF THE CHILD BECOMES ILL
If a child gets sick, parents should consult their doctor. They should also make sure their child gets plenty of rest and fluids. If the child is breathing fast or having trouble breathing, has bluish or gray skin color, refuses to drink, is vomiting, is irritable or has trouble staying awake, parents should get the child medical help right away.
Information on what to do if someone has the flu is available on the free Red Cross First Aid mobile appavailable for iPhone and Android devices. Visit redcross.org/FluTips for more information. | <urn:uuid:06791d36-be79-442a-ad1d-9295b56eb482> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://brentwood.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/red-cross-offers-tips-for-preventing-flu-in-kids-c27c4587 | 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 | 0.946048 | 483 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Sony announced today that it plans to release a Linux developers' kit for its PlayStation2 console.
Sony releases global Linux kit for PlayStation2
The development kit, 'Linux (for PlayStation2) release 1.0', includes an internal 40GB hard disk drive for the console, ethernet adapter, Linux kernel 2.2.1, computer monitor adapter, USB keyboard and mouse and other software, said Sony in a statement.
This means that any PS2 owner could get a triple-purpose computer that plays high-quality games, is a DVD player and limited PC for, potentially, well under £500.
The kit is initially geared towards the Linux development community and will allow full access to the PlayStation2 runtime environment and systems manuals.
A beta version of the development kit was made available in Japan in the middle of 2001 and is currently being used by 7,900 domestic developers, said Yoshiko Furusawa, a spokeswoman for Sony. The kit went on sale as a result of pressure from the Japan Linux Association, which compiled a petition, signed by 7,000 members, to demonstrate support for the concept of Linux on the PlayStation2.
"Since we released the beta version we have been receiving feedback and many requests for the kit so we decided to make it more widely available," she said. Since the beta kit went on sale in Japan, the company has received related enquiries from 28,000 people.
On top of running computer applications written for Linux, PlayStation2 owners who are Linux enthusiasts can also create original Linux programs and applications designed to run on version 1.0 of Linux for PlayStation2, the company said.
Because it is targeted at games developers, the kit won't be available in stores. Sony will be selling it on the web and has dedicated websites www.playstation2-linux.com and (www.ps2linux.com) for Linux for PS2 to handle customer queries and to support the development community.
Orders will be accepted via the websites from February with delivery scheduled for around May. Expect to pay around £180 plus VAT. | <urn:uuid:912c9fc1-0b31-4195-9630-ca7a9be4cacd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/desktop-pc/1945/its-here--turn-a-ps2-into-a-pc/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949899 | 425 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Jefferson County bankruptcy gives municipal bond market jitters
Stephen Foley is a former Associate Business Editor of The Independent, based in New York. He left in August 2012. In a decade at the paper, he covered personal finance, the UK stock market and the pharmaceuticals industry, and had also been the Business section's share tipster. Between arriving with three suitcases in Manhattan in January 2006 and his departure, he witnessed and reported on a great economic boom turning spectacularly to bust. In March 2009, he was named Business and Finance Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards.
Friday 11 November 2011
Alabama's Jefferson County, covering the state's largest city of Birmingham, has become the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history after failing to break free of debts incurred in the rebuilding of its sewer system.
The $3.14 bn (£1.98bn) bankruptcy, the most significant since Orange County of California went bust in 1994, came after more than three years of financial struggle and allegations of widespread corruption, and it threw the spotlight once again on the difficulties facing local authorities across the US in a time of austerity.
County commissioners voted for a bankruptcy filing after the collapse of a putative refinancing deal agreed under pressure from the state Governor, Robert Bentley, in September. He said he feared the filing would send interest rates higher on other municipal debt from the state.
Jefferson's collapse into bankruptcy is the legacy of controversial bond swap deals almost a decade ago, which led to dramatically increased interest payments and threatened to send sewer charges for residents much higher. Several county officials were convicted of corruption over the use of these derivatives, and JPMorgan Chase, the bank, paid $722m to settle claims that it had paid bribes to win the financing business.
As the county's largest creditor, JPMorgan Chase said it had offered substantial concessions to try to avoid bankruptcy: "We will continue to work toward a fair and reasonable solution for the county and all creditor constituents involved." Brokers in the $3tn municipal bond market, which is popular with small investors in the US because of its tax-exempt status and the perceived low risk of default, raced to insist that Jefferson's collapse was the result of factors unique to that county.
None the less, municipalities across the US have borne the brunt of the recession and sluggish recovery, with tax receipts down and aid from state government also under pressure.
IoS exclusive: MI5 'tried to recruit' Woolwich attack suspect Michael Adebolajo
French soldier stabbed in the neck in Paris
EDL marches on Newcastle as attacks on Muslims increase tenfold in the wake of Woolwich machete attack which killed Drummer Lee Rigby
Fallen angel: Winona Ryder on bouncing back from her decade in the wilderness
Hurricane season fears as warning satellite fails
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world
Nook is donating eReaders to volunteers at high-need schools and participating in exclusive events throughout the campaign.
Get the latest on The Evening Standard's campaign to get London's children reading.
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page. | <urn:uuid:53588082-852b-4788-9ad2-5f5d8b262320> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/jefferson-county-bankruptcy-gives-municipal-bond-market-jitters-6260363.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958913 | 673 | 1.5 | 2 |
Originally published as Opening up climate science can cut off the skeptics as a guest post on the Guardian‘s Lay Scientist blog.
It’s not uncommon to find lists of scientists who hold alternative viewpoints being promoted by those who disagree with established scientific theories. Minority groups use these lists as part of the ‘proof’ that the vast body of evidence in support of a theory is somehow wrong, or to imply a greater amount of controversy or confusion within academia over a topic than there is in reality.
In my belief, this comes from the mistaken view that the scientific community need to agree on a single world view for a theory to have a solid grounding. After all, most people’s education of science is of established principles in a school textbook, which are then examined in
a situation where there is usually a single correct answer. This, in turn, leaves those outside of the community to see even a small division of belief on controversial theories as evidence that the leading explanation does not hold up to scrutiny.
Of course, this isn’t true: those in academia are constantly debating and modifying their ideas over time as new evidence comes to light, and those who hold minority viewpoints are valued for their opinion, but only when they can provide evidence for their stance, not for their ability to sign a petition.
The body of science is like a branching tree of concepts and theories: those at the trunk of the tree are concepts for which there is little debate, such as the existence of gravity or that the world is round, while the periphery of the tree is where the research happens, where new ideas develop and grow or die, and as the evidence gets stronger so the branch thickens.
In contrast, issues are presented to the public as if they are black or white. Headlines often read as if scientists have proved or disproved a whole subject in a single study. In reality, topics are sets of theories that evolve over time with the advancement of knowledge. The important thing to understand, though, is that the core of the research is generally a constant; it’s the fine details that keep developing and moving forward.
Of course, sometimes, a result will shatter preconceived ideas, but this is incredibly uncommon. When it does happen, it is also normally the result that will define an individual’s career, not something to be covered up. For example, Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity eventually superseded the concept of the luminiferous aether.
If we want people to respect the scientific community and understand its own confidence in its output, we have to also accept that it’s not the individual scientists or skeptics who hold weight. We need to tear down the ivory towers of the past and remove the walls dividing the public and academia. Journals need to be open, and in complex cases, such as the evidence for climate change, we need to provide the skills and tools that people need to discover the answers for themselves. If we ask them to to accept our viewpoints just because we are the experts, we have already lost. We would be no different than anyone who stands on a pedestal and proclaims the truth.
Climate change is a massively complex topic and it is often assumed that dissemination of the body of evidence is beyond the understanding of the public. Professor Andy Parker, who is leading the ATLAS project in Cambridge, recently stated “[We should] give the public a bit more credit, they may not have the mathematical training, but they have the desire, interest and logic to understand”. If Andy believes he can explain the theories behind something as complex and abstract as subatomic particle physics to a lay audience, we should take note.
Scientific inquiry will not always provide the right answers first but, unlike other methods, it will eventually get there even if it has to admit its mistakes. There is plenty that we don’t know yet, but what we do know is that, given the same resources, tools and time, there is no reason for the public to disagree with the established consensus. | <urn:uuid:e12a0da3-e755-47fc-9058-aa3aa473a5da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lonechemist.wordpress.com/2010/11/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963777 | 830 | 2.390625 | 2 |
ISSUE: Budget and Authorization Environment
At the end of December, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 spending, and the President immediately signed it into law. The CR extended funding for federal programs through March 4th 2011 at FY 2010 levels with virtually no waivers. This action was necessary because the lame duck session of Congress could not reach agreement on a FY 2011 omnibus spending bill. A CR extending through the entire fiscal year is very likely, possibly containing rescissions of 5 percent or more.
As in 1995, there is a threat of a government shutdown, if the new Republican House members make substantial budget cuts a prerequisite for raising the “debt ceiling.”
America COMPETES Reauthorization
In a last-minute act before wrapping up the 111th Congress, the Senate passed, by unanimous consent, the Reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act (S. 3605) on Friday December 17th. However, the Senate bill significantly scaled back authorizations contained in the version the House had passed in May.
APS News, "COMPETES Act Signed Into Law"
With the 111th session of Congress set to conclude, the House had little choice but to accept the Senate language. The House passed the bill by a vote of 228 (212D, 16R) to 130 (0D, 130R). The President signed the bill into law on January 4th without any ceremony. But, in one of her last acts as House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi held a rare ceremonial enrollment of the bill following House adoption, underscoring her commitment to science. While passage of COMPETES is a symbolic victory for science, the real fight will take place during the appropriations process.
Final Vote Results for Roll Call 659
The year-long process to pass the Reauthorization of COMPETES portends difficulties for scientists for at least the next two years. The House of Representatives is now controlled by fiscal conservatives who campaigned on a pledge to cut Federal spending. And in the Senate, science proponents have slimmer margins than they did in the last two years.
In a forecast of the coming fiscal environment, recent Past APS President Curt Callan wrote to APS members in December indicating that science is no longer seen as a special case in the House and that the science community will have a far more difficult time keeping science on the COMPETES prescribed ten year doubling track.
Curt Callan's December Letter
APS Washington Office’s Blog
Check Physics Frontline, the Washington Office’s Blog, for the latest news on the FY11 and FY12 Budgets.
ISSUE: POPA Reports
The Energy Critical Elements (ECEs) Study Group finished its report, which examines the scarcity of critical elements for new energy technologies. The Group will publicly release its findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The report includes policy recommendations on: the coordination of departmental efforts where ECEs are concerned; the gathering and analysis of information on ECEs; research, development and workforce issues; efficiency and recycling efforts; possible market interventions.
The Direct Air Capture Report will be reviewed and voted on at the February 2011 meeting of POPA.
Two draft statements, one on healing energy that was suggested by the APS Division of Biological Physics, and one on the misuse of quantum mechanics brought to the panel by the POPA Physics & the Public Subcommittee are being reconsidered by POPA after the APS Executive Board provided feedback. POPA will review both statements again at its February 2011 meeting.
The NRC docketed an APS petition to include proliferation assessments as part of the licensing process. It is open for public comment until March 8th.
Comment on NRC Licensing Regulations
If you have suggestions for a POPA study, please send in your ideas.
Suggest Future POPA Studies
You can nominate an APS member for a seat on the Panel of Public Affairs in 2012.
APS Governance Nominations
ISSUE: Media Update
New Scientist quoted APS Director of Public Affairs Michael S. Lubell in a Jan. 4th article, “Battle looms over U.S. Science Funding.” In the news story, Lubell stated that “there’s going to be a big fight” over boosting funding for science.
In a Dec. 27th blog post published by ScienceInsider, Lubell was quoted in the piece, “Why Didn’t Obama Mention Landmark Science Legislation?” He stated that President Obama “should have mentioned” the passage of the reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act.
Global Security Newswire published an article on Jan. 12 titled, “U.S. Nuclear Body Weighs Proliferation Appraisals for Facility Licensing,” which quoted APS Associate Director of Public Affairs Francis Slakey. He pointed out that an APS petition to the NRC requests a rule change to elevate the non-proliferation assessment of small, more efficient nuclear fuel technologies. The NRC docketed the petition, which is available for public comment until March 8.
APS Public Affairs Website | <urn:uuid:82115fbd-693b-43f2-8e08-05cf91b48e64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/201102/washdispatch.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936532 | 1,076 | 1.984375 | 2 |
K12 Virtual Curriculum: Love It!
Visitor K12 Review: I currently have two students using the K12 virtual curriculum. We were looking specifically for curriculum that could meet or surpass the high standards of the private school the children had previously attended. The K12 curriculum gave us just that. My younger child was able to complete an entire grade level in math and begin a new one before Christmas. She is thrilled to work at her own pace. To quote her, "Mom, now I don't have to wait on everyone else."
My older child was also previously a straight "A" student, but had to be reminded constantly to complete and turn in homework assignments. We no longer have this battle. She can see her results instantly when she completes an assignment. She has been able to change the order of her lessons to suit her. Somehow this program has removed the nagging burden from me. She is able to see a direct relationship between her completed work and her weekly goals.
The questions we are most often asked about are social activities. My children are still participating in sports, music and other activities with children their own ages. They have always been very outgoing and that has not changed at all. They will tell you that they do not feel isolated at all.
We are making a commitment to K12 for another year. We never know what the future opportunities will be, but at this moment, I can not imagine going back to a regular brick and mortar school.
The flexibility in scheduling accommodates medical issues without a child feeling left out or left behind.
One of my children had an emergency procedure during the first quarter. This would have created a snowball effect in a regular school, but as she was able to do a few lessons while in bed and then continue when she was well, she did not feel so lost. She simply did the next lesson.
This does require some organization and commitment on the part of the adults, but it is so much easier than I imagined.
Top Computer-based Curriculum for Grades 3-12
Online Homeschooling Programs
Great Independent Study Curriculum Choices
We would LOVE more K12 Homeschool Reviews!
Click here to share yours! | <urn:uuid:51846748-7935-447f-9fb3-e1a492d8809d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.homeschool-curriculum.org/k12-virtual-curriculum-love-it.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985433 | 454 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Our search efforts on the harbor floor continue. Thus far we has been searching for signs of ancient shipwrecks for about 10 days and have thus far, come-up empty handed. Our searching methodology is a combination of technology and tradition. The technology part comes from the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to place us precisely over the targets generated by our state of the art sensors. The traditional part comes from the use of SCUBA divers to probe into the mud of the harbor to confirm the presence of ancient artifacts.
“Is it man made or natural?” is the first question, followed quickly by if it’s man made, “is modern or ancient?” Thus far we have identified the remains of a harbor defense screen left over from WWII and an apparently naturally occurring rock formation. We’ve also investigated a number of targets whose burial depth may exceed our ability to hand probe.
Though we use GPS to establish a reference line fastened to the harbor floor (some 23meters below the surface) so the divers have a physical guide, there is no other clue on the bottom that suggests the presence of a buried artifact; the muddy bottom is uniformly flat and featureless where we have concentrated our efforts. To detect the presence of an object of interest, the diver must push a 2 meter long probe into the bottom in hopes of making contact with the target detected by our sub-bottom profiler.
The process is hampered by swirls of fine silt stirred up by the diver’s efforts working on the harbor floor obscuring all visibility and making it difficult to ensure a comprehensive search. The diver often must rise up in the water column to check his gauges and computer. We have reconfirmed our positioning data and feel confident in our ability to identify the targets which lie buried within 2 – 3 meters of sediment (calculated to be the probable depth of deposit since the 415 – 413BC battle took place). Could the estimate of deposition be wrong? This could be tough one for the team!! We’re thinking about some new technology solutions to this problem. | <urn:uuid:08418e42-c81d-4bbe-89c4-951b52a6245b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.auroratrustblog.com/?m=200907 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924792 | 434 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Today, Israel and Hamas agreed to an Obama administration and Egypt-brokered ceasefire with the following conditions:
a. Israel shall stop all hostilities on the Gaza Strip land, sea and air including incursions and targeting of individuals.
b. All Palestinian factions shall stop all hostilities from the Gaza Strip against Israel, including rocket attacks, and attacks along the border.
c. Opening the crossings and facilitating the movement of people and transfer of goods, and refraining from restricting residents [sic] free movement, and targeting residents in border areas and procedures of implementation shall be dealt with after 24 hours from the start of the ceasefire.
d. Other matters as maybe [sic] requested shall be addressed.
2. Implementation Mechanism:
a. Setting up of the zero hour for the Ceasefire Understanding to enter into effect.
b. Egypt shall receive assurances from each party that the party commits to what was agreed upon.
c. Each party shall commit itself not to perform any acts that would breach this understanding. In case of any observations, Egypt – as the sponsor of this understanding – shall be informed to follow up.
Some sources report that Israel will ease the blockade on Gaza after a “brief cooling off period.” Other sources say that the blockade will continue unabated.
The agreement does not cover violence from the Palestinian Authority-controlled Judea and Samaria (West Bank), which may have been the source of today’s bus bombing in Tel Aviv. Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack; the Brigades are a wing of Fatah, which is the Palestinian Authority. Fatah and Hamas have agreed to act in coordination against Israel.
The Obama administration claimed credit for the ceasefire in unusual language:
The President expressed his appreciation for the Prime Minister’s efforts to work with the new Egyptian government to achieve a sustainable ceasefire and a more durable solution to this problem. The President commended the Prime Minister for agreeing to the Egyptian ceasefire proposal – which the President recommended the Prime Minister do – while reiterating that Israel maintains the right to defend itself …
The President said that he was committed to seeking additional funding for Iron Dome and other US-Israel missile defense programs.
It’s obvious from this language that the President leveraged Netanyahu into the ceasefire agreement. Not only does the statement emphasize that Obama told Netanyahu to agree to the ceasefire, it goes out of its way to link that with additional funding for Iron Dome and other missile defense programs.
Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor did say that Israel accomplished its goals in Operation Pillar of Defense: “We reached a ceasefire agreement within days. Now we have to see that things remain quiet … We still see Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority as the official voice of the Palestinian people.”
But the political effect of the ceasefire is to legitimize two groups: the current Egyptian regime, which is openly associated with Hamas, and Hamas itself, which attacked Israel with rockets over and over again, and now remains the power in the Gaza Strip with effective international approval.
Meanwhile, Iran, which has supplied weapons to Hamas, gets off scot free. And if Israel loosens the Gaza blockade in response to this ceasefire agreement, Hamas will have won a great victory by giving itself the ability to rearm via Turkey and Iran.
Another horrendous side-effect of the ceasefire is the incentivizing of the Palestinian Authority to unilaterally seek United Nations statehood recognition in violation of every existing agreement with Israel. Said Chief PLO Negotiator Saeb Erekat today:
President Abbas told Clinton that we have taken a decision [to go to the UN]. We are not interested in a confrontation with the US or any other country. We are practicing our right to establish a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital. This will happen on November 29.
The Palestinian Authority feels the pressure to move this forward both because President Obama is president, and because Hamas has pushed itself forward as the dominant spokesgroup for the Palestinians.
This is a ceasefire, not a peace agreement. Israel’s statement acknowledged the possibility of future action:
(Netanyahu) spoke a short while ago with President Barack Obama and agreed to his recommendation to give the Egyptian cease-fire proposal a chance, and in this way provide an opportunity to stabilize the situation and calm it before any more forceful action would be necessary.
The ceasefire is supposed to go into effect at 9:00 p.m. tonight, Israel time. Meanwhile, the rockets keep flying from Gaza. | <urn:uuid:6b38d0fb-4a18-47df-8efe-612811de9e49> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/11/21/Ceasefire-Egypt-Israel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952813 | 934 | 1.617188 | 2 |
In 1896, Homer Goodwin was the oldest practicing attorney of the Erie County Bar. He was born on October 15, 1819 in Burton, Ohio in Geauga County, the son of Doctor Erastus Goodwin. Before entering the practice of law, Homer Goodwin was a teacher in the public schools of Sandusky, and was an 1844 graduate of the Western Reserve College. He married Marietta Cowles on October 3, 1849, in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
Rush Sloane wrote in the July 1888 issue of the Firelands Pioneer that Homer Goodwin was a conductor on the Underground Railroad in Sandusky. He was among a group of individuals who gave money and personal aid to help fugitive slaves escape to freedom. A brochure which gives details about the Underground Railroad in Sandusky, available from the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Visitors Center, lists the former home of Homer Goodwin, at 327 Hancock Street, as a “safe house” for those individuals seeking freedom via the Underground Railway.
On July 6, 1896, Homer Goodwin died suddenly at his home on Columbus Avenue in Sandusky. A physician was called to his assistance, but nothing could be done, and he died at 6:15 a.m. The funeral for Home Goodwin was held at his residence on July 8, 1896. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery. Mr. Goodwin was survived by his brother Lewis H. Goodwin, a judge of Erie County Probate Court; a sister, Mrs. Ross of Wabash, Indiana, and a daughter, Mrs. Denver J. Mackey.
The Follett House Museum owns a suit that once belonged to Homer Goodwin. | <urn:uuid:aecddbe5-fd42-4e68-8ca9-3134de145268> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sanduskyhistory.blogspot.com/2009/06/homer-goodwin-attorney-and-conductor-in.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985881 | 338 | 2.796875 | 3 |
§ Mr. David Steel
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those in Scotland who have made representations to him on the abolition of SET, indicating those in favour of abolition and those against; and whether he will publish this evidence.
§ Mr. Gordon Campbell
My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 31st March 1971 his intention of halving SET in July 1971 and abolishing it on 1st April 1973. Since the Chancellor's announcement 1 have received no representations on the question of the abolition of SET. Two representations were made in 1970, both seeking abolition of SET. These were from the Scottish Council of Retail Traders and Largs Burgh Council. | <urn:uuid:e1e997eb-6c30-41c3-a0d9-c6e33799b73a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1973/feb/26/selective-employment-tax | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976058 | 144 | 1.546875 | 2 |
So many of our wonderful clients, both past and present, have come to us because of an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. And they’re not alone. Last week, the CDC released findings that raised estimates about the number of children in the U.S. with autism to 1 in 88 (previously, it was estimated at 1 in [...]
Archive for the ‘Aquatic Therapy’ Category
If you haven’t already, take a look at the teasers for our new video training products. First up is our Swim Whisperers DVD, which shows you how to overcome the various obstacles that prevent teaching children with sensory and motor issues how to swim … Next is our Pediatric Group Therapy DVD, which walks you [...]
As the year draws to a close, we here at Angelfish Therapy are busier than ever. In addition to the time we and our therapists/instructors spend in the pools providing aquatic therapy and swim lessons for children with special needs, we’re also creating training DVDs and setting up new training workshops for 2012. Training Workshops [...]
Of course, we already knew that aquatic therapy was a relevant and valuable addition to the therapy regimen for children with a variety of special needs. Well, the people over at ItsRelevant.com apparently agreed, and ran this wonderful video, featuring Ailene and some friends, having fun in the water. Click here (or the image above) to [...]
Angelfish Therapy has a great opportunity for you. Join our team as an OT or PT aquatic therapist. Work with children to improve their motor planning, strength and coordination. You will be in a motivating, dynamic multi-sensory environment. Weekends and afternoons in Fairfield and Westchester County. See our locations where we work. Please contact us [...]
Remember our First Timer back in January? Well, here she is 3 months later and having a blast interacting with other children and working with our therapist on motor skills. [swf]http://www.youtube.com/v/JZzDZa3GFIw,425,344[/swf] See more of her and other videos here.
Maybe not full action shots, but we wanted to show different styles of techniques and our kids. Click the photos to view larger images.
We are focusing this month on progressions with our therapist one on one. Listed below are a few different techniques we use to help with this progressions. This video demonstrates one on one righting reactions. You will see how the child will work on righting his trunk and work to have reciprocal motion in his [...]
Angelfish Therapy is featuring First and Second Timers during the month of January. These sessions showcase children with a variety of diagnosis who are experiencing aquatic therapy for the first time. Beginning Treatment – 2nd Session [swf]http://www.youtube.com/v/O1oL5hNvB4g,425,344[/swf] In this second visit, this child has already improved from clinging to the therapists neck when she first started. The OT [...]
Working in the water allows children to perform and learn movements that would otherwise be too difficult to do on land. | <urn:uuid:416c5e55-163b-41db-8475-a67d16bb9d70> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://angelfishtherapy.com/category/aquatic-therapy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951829 | 664 | 1.585938 | 2 |
General Rules of Play
GENERAL RULES OF PLAY: A Guide to Playing Cards
The following set of rules was taken from The Oxford Guide
to Card Games by David Parlett;
Appendix I, pages 316-320. (Please see
the References for a full citation.)
There are few specific rules associated with all card games,
but general codes and regulations apply when playing cards. (Parlett,
(1) Although novelty decks of cards can have very interesting
faces, card players often shun upon them.
(2) It is important to keep a new and fresh deck of cards on hand. Old
cards can often times become torn and worn to the point where particular
cards can be identified by other players. Thus, cheating and unfair moves
(3) Shuffle cards from two different packs together and keep an extra set
of shuffled cards on hand to avoid player superstition if one "bad luck"
card repeatedly shows up in his or her hand.
(1) Cards are cut to determine things like choice of seating, partners,
and first deal.
(2) The rank of cards proceeds in which King is high and Ace is low.
(3) When two or more players cut the same card they can either cut again
or randomly take a card from the pile.
(1) Partners can be chosen by random, by cutting and or drawing, from the
deck. Or the two highest ranks can play the two lowest rank.
(1) Like partners, seating can be randomly chosen. This is to keep
players from fighting over "lucky seats" or "unlucky seats."
(1) It does not matter whether or not rotation between players occurs
clockwise or counterclockwise, unless specified by specific game
(1) A soft-score game (with a pencil and paper), can be scored by a
player who is know to be neat, honest and reliable. However, no one is
infalliable, so someone should frequently check the score to ensure that
it is accurate.
(2) In a two sided game, both teams or players should keep score of both
(3) When playing with money everyone must agree on the final basis
of the settlement before the game begins.
(4) When playing with money provisions must be made for players to
retire from the game when they run out of money.
(1) Unless otherwised specified, players take turns dealing.
(2) The first dealer will be selected at random.
Shuffle and Cut
(1) The pack should always be shuffled before being dealt.
(2) Any player may shuffle, but the dealer has the right to shuffle
(3) While one can improve their skill and performance in shuffling, the
quality and randomness of the cards after being shuffled is most
(1) Unless otherwised specified, cards are dealt face down.
(2) When being dealt, card distribution is rotated among players.
(1) Players should pick up their cards only after the last card is
(2) While playing a game, there should be as little conversation as
possible. Conversation in between games is appropriate.
(3) Make bids clearly and audibly.
(4) Players should be decisive and smooth. Hesitation can be thought of
as cheating and signaling to other players.
(5) Don't complement or criticize your own play or another players
(6) Don't insist on seeing a winning hand if the rules don't specify that
the winner do so. Also, unless specified, players are not obligated
to show cards played or discarded.
(1) When a player cheats, the appropriate action to take is to simply
eliminate the problem.
(2) In some cases, points can be taken off of the cheater's score, as the
penalty or punishment.
(3) Punishments must be a unanimous decision by all players.
(4) If the wrong person deals, let it stand. The correct dealer can only
"redeal" if no player has looked at his/her cards yet.
(5) If a card is exposed while dealing, bury it in the pack. Only redeal
if a player insists.
(6) If a player has been dealed the incorrect number of cards, redeal the
deck to all of the players. Otherwise each player is responcible for
keeping track and counting their cards.
(7) If a card is led or played out of turn, it will remain face up on the
table. It will be played the next possible, legal turn.
(8) A card cannot be taken back after it has been played unless:
a) every player agrees to take it back
b) the card's play was illegal
c) the next player in turn has not yet done so.
(9) The card speaks for itself when there is a discrepancy of what the
card is and what the player claims it to be.
(1) It is recommended that a group of players write down for reference,
how a card game is played. (i.e. rules)
(2) Players can also opt to use the rules described in the closest
available rule book or guide book.
(3) The best thing is to have an experienced and knowledgable player on
hand who is not participating in the current game being played.
The Deck of Cards in the Museum
Playing Cards in Greenbelt, Maryland
Playing Cards in America
Popular Card Games | <urn:uuid:d34595fd-3451-416d-94bb-8aac8ae80d82> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://otal.umd.edu/~vg/amst205.F97/vj14/cards/rules.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953935 | 1,169 | 2.3125 | 2 |
I think if we humans communicated better with each other and understood each others motivations, the world would run smoother. Yes, there would still be conflict as people disagree on methods of solving problems, but I think it'd be clearer how much we all want the same things.
Food, happiness, health, peace, goodwill, etc.
Do I sound naive? Is this unrealistic?
Growing up on a ranch in the country, we had live-in help and ranch hands. The most memorable live-in that I remember was a young woman from El Salvador who didn't speak English.
She started taking English classes while she lived with us, and my mom worked on increasing her own Spanish vocab so she could communicate back. In fact, my mom started labeling the entire house with English/Spanish flashcards. Pretty soon, it was normal to me to see flashcards taped to the drawers, to the refrigerator, the trashcan, EVERYTHING.
But, what an ingenious idea! It sure helped everyone's communication.
I remember once telling our live-in that I was hungry and wanted a hot dog. She didn't understand that, so I switched to Spanish. I knew the Spanish word for "hot" was "Caliente" and the word for dog was "perro." So, I told her I wanted "un caliente el pero!" She looked confused and mildly horrified. I think what I saw is translated as "a hot the dog." Confusing, yes? Si!
We moved to this town a year ago, and I was immediately confused by our neighbors. We had one neighbor that would park their cars sideways across their driveway. The message seemed clear, "no one use our driveway." We had some guests turn around in their driveway, so it seemed they didn't like that. But we didn't get why?
It just seemed rude of them. We didn't understand.
Then one day the neighbor came over to talk. And then I understood. They worked from home and were on the phone a lot. AND, whenever someone used their driveway, their small inside dog would bark like crazy, causing problems with their home business calls. Now their actions made more sense.
Men and women operate so differently. I truly believe there are just some innate differences that are hard to overcome. I think we need classes on communication. How to do it best, how to be better at it, etc.
I could promote world peace, I tell ya, if I had a chance.
Have I told you that my bed communicates with me? It teases me and tempts me to climb back in. Except today, since someone had an accident in it (and I woke up soaked in said pee). Now it's telling me it needs to be washed, desperately.
Have you had some miscommunication in your life lately? Have you made funny mistakes while trying to speak a foreign language? Does your bed talk to you? | <urn:uuid:de675b9e-ca2c-416d-a55c-4c5453cbdd4f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.texaswordtangle.com/2008/10/garbled-transmissions.html?showComment=1223007540000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98962 | 606 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Posts Tagged ‘columbus zoo and Aquarium’
Have you read The Tiniest Tiger Story?
This holiday season, I have a special offer for members of The Tiniest Tiger community. When you buy The Tiniest Tiger Paperback, you will get a The Tiniest Tiger Coloring and Activity Book FREE!
Buy THE TINIEST TIGER PAPERBACK
Children and adults will revel in this charming and brilliantly told tale of a forlorn and scruffy little kitten with a black stained nose and a striped tail that tries to find a home among the “big” cats that reside at the local zoo. Young readers will especially delight in this truly literary and fully illustrated lesson that advocates the protection of endangered species. When a stray kitten loses her way and is displaced from the only alley she has ever known, she squeezes her tiny body under the fence at the zoo and begins a long and tireless hunt for a home. Her search leads her to a tiger and into a lion’s den by way of a cheetah, clouded leopard, puma, jaguar, bobcat, and an ocelot. She learns a lot about what she isn’t, but gets no closer to finding a home until she is spotted by the zookeeper’s daughter and learns that there is truly a special spot for every cat—even the tiniest tiger—under the sun.
“In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.”
Friends, Let’s teach our children well, so that they will do a better job of protecting all of earth’s creatures than this generation has done.
This is my Christmas Wish.
This image is by our Friend Tripp Braden, www.artistslight.com.
Tripp captured this image at Columbus Zoo & Aquarium while visiting with one of the Amur Tigers.
The Tiniest Tiger is super proud to be the Adoptive Friend of the Columbus Zoo’s Amur Tigers.
Friends! I am super excited to introduce you to my new Friend! He was sent to me as a thnk you for supporting The Columbus Zoo’s Amur Tigers
I named him Cubby! Isn’t he cute?
His papers said he is from the Wild Republic!
Proceeds from the sale of The Tiniest Tiger enable us to support the
Columbus Zoo and Aquaruim’s Tiger Conservation program.
Thank you to everyone of you for helping all cats both big and small.
- Heartbroken and Healing
- The Most Endangered River in America
- The Overview Effect How the View from Space Might Save Our World
- Lions to Live Better Lives Thanks to Genetic Testing
- Win $25 Gift Card to Target from Project Pet Slim Down
- Internet Cat Video Festival 2013 Call For Entries Ends May 1
- Making Peace with Lions Richard Turere is a Wildlife Hero.
- Remembering Mr. Collins. Dear Friend and Animal Lover
- True Nature of Cats by Purina One
- Night Falls on The Tiniest Tiger’s Sun Room | <urn:uuid:3d76b243-2358-427a-859a-aeec5f51c957> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://conservationcubclub.com/tag/columbus-zoo-and-aquarium/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906489 | 681 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Building Standards and Public Safety
Our main purpose is to ensure that building work complies with the Building Standards (Scotland) Regulations. These regulations are set by the Scottish Parliament and are designed to:
- make sure people are safe in and around buildings
- ensure access and facilities are provided for people with a disability
- further the conservation of fuel and power
- further the achievement of sustainable development.
We aim to provide professional and high quality services to our customers. Our services include:
- processing building warrant applications and completion certificate submissions
- dealing with dangerous buildings
- tracking the progress of an application on-line.
We are committed to supporting sustainable development to ensure a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come.
Our service formerly known as qualified statement or letter of comfort has recently been revised. There are new fees in place for property inspections, copy documents and other related services. Please see our page 'Property Enquiry and Inspection Services' (in drop down list under 'Building warrant and Completion Certificates') for more information.
As from the 1st February 2013 we are no longer accepting cash or cheques as payment methods. For more information please click on 'Building Warrants and Completion Certificates', 'How to apply for a building warrant' then 'Fee's and how to pay' on the left hand side drop down lists. | <urn:uuid:7f626f34-44b5-4dc0-baab-38e80f0eb379> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/topics/index.cfm?fuseaction=subject.display&subjectid=30641F22-65BF-00F7-DAFA6DBF1CA8CFFF | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951389 | 285 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Yes, you read that correctly. According to scripture, the only begotten Son of God is wealthy beyond belief. And He wants to share some of His riches with you.
Now, please don’t jump to conclusions — I’m not getting ready to launch into a “prosperity gospel” sermon here. In fact, we spent the last article in this series discussing the shortcomings of prosperity teachings as a spiritual and financial philosophy. But one of the things that makes the prosperity gospel so enticing is that the Bible has a lot to say about money, and the New Testament in particular talks an awful lot about having riches in Christ. If we’re going to truly enjoy riches in Christ, though, we should probably stop and consider what that really means.
First, let’s review some foundational concepts. Perhaps the most basic principle in a biblical study of money is the fact that God owns everything. He is the sovereign creator of the world, and possesses everything therein. This means that all of the world’s wealth and material things really belong to Him; although we like to think that we own our possessions, we are really just managing resources for Him.
When we manage God’s money, we’re not just doing it to support our families, or even to build the church, support good causes or finance the work of the Kingdom (though we should be doing all of those things). We’re also laying a foundation for things that will happen in eternity. The things that we do with our money on earth have important ramifications in Heaven.
The Bible also tells us that if we handle our worldly wealth well, God will entrust us with “true riches” (see Luke 16:11). So what are these true riches? It’s not large quantities of silver or gold. It’s the glorious riches of Christ.
The New Testament talks a lot about Jesus’ riches. One of the better-known verses on the subject is Philippians 4:19:
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
We like to quote this verse a lot, especially when we’re facing a physical or financial need. Yes, God owns the wealth of the entire world, and it’s conceivable that He is able to direct some of it your way to help you out of a bind. But I don’t think that this verse is really talking about money. After all, the text says that God meets our needs “according to the riches of his glory.” And the glory of God is much bigger than money.
If we’re going to understand what true riches are, we need to learn more about the riches of the glory of Christ. Fortunately, the Bible gives us a lot of material to study. Here are some of the characteristics of Christ’s riches that we find throughout the New Testament:
- He is rich in kindness, forbearance and patience (Rom. 2:4)
- He has deep riches of wisdom and knowledge (Rom. 11:33)
- He has the riches of understanding the knowledge of God (Col. 2:2-3)
- He is rich in grace (Eph. 1:7)
- He is rich in the inheritance of His people (Eph. 1:18)
- He is rich in power and love (Eph. 3:8-16)
I could go on and on with more scripture, but hopefully you get the point. Although God is the owner of all of the physical world, He doesn’t value any of the world’s wealth. God says that true riches are in Christ. And when we live in Christ, we have access to the limitless riches of His kindness, wisdom, grace, knowledge, power and love.
In this earthly existence, we can so easily become distracted by money. There seems to be no end to the ways that money can enslave us. And though money is important and can be useful to us, it pales in comparison to the true riches of Christ. The prosperity gospel falls short because it emphasizes worldly wealth instead of the true riches that we have in Jesus. And every time that we let money take a place in our hearts that rightfully belongs to God, we fall prey to the same deception.
You might think that I’m talking out of both sides of my mouth, saying both that money matters and yet that doesn’t matter at all. But here’s where it all comes together: If we don’t properly handle our relationship with money, it will rob us of a proper relationship with God. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 — “You cannot serve both God and Money.”
The only way to ensure that we don’t become slaves to money is to become masters of money. We work hard and discipline ourselves, we spend time planning where our money will go, and we make it work for us according to God’s plan. That takes a lot of time, and it’s very important. But it’s only important because it give us access to true riches — the ones that we have in Christ.
In the end, Christ is the greatest treasure of all, and He is the source of all of the true riches in this life. Managing your money matters because it keeps you in right standing with Him. And a deep relationship with Christ is far more valuable than any thing you can ever own.
Photo by Mykl Roventine. Used under Creative Commons License. | <urn:uuid:74433223-d1e3-4e0a-a429-9059326323a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://godmoneyme.com/2012/07/22/riches-in-christ/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946959 | 1,166 | 1.726563 | 2 |
University College of London
Prehistoric Farmers Made Cheese Back in 7,000 BCE, But Thankfully Not from Mammoth Milk
No other food in the world induces such rabid hunger and adoration than the mere utterance of the divine dairy product otherwise known as cheese. Since time immemorial, everyone from the lowliest commoner to the most powerful of emperors indulged in the oftentimes smelly delicacy. Historians have debated the issue of the exact point in time in which man had taken to cheesemaking, some arguing that it happened as early as 8,000 BCE when prehistoric farmers began taming livestock. Others say it happened as late as 3,000 BCE. However, archeological findings in Poland suggests that cheese was made and prepared around 7,000 BCE, a bit farther up the time scale.Read on... | <urn:uuid:76150348-42b2-42d5-9ae9-db04305c8ba0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geekosystem.com/tag/university-college-of-london/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95943 | 169 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Just a few days ago, my friend sent a link to my inbox. When I opened it up, I was greeted by something that looked very similar to this:
It’s a full snapshot of a webpage, complete with annotations showing me exactly what she wanted me to focus on. Of course, there was also a hyperlink to the original page on the web. I thought to myself, “Self… this is neat-o!” I mean, how many times have you sent someone a link, followed by a little message explaining the most essential part of the article or webpage? All the time, right?!
This new add-on, Capture and Annotate lets you markup web pages any which way you please, and then share them fast! It fits easily right into your Firefox or Chrome browser.
Today I’ll be demonstrating the functionality of Capture and Annotate in Firefox 4, but it is nearly equivalent in Google Chrome.
Follow, the installation procedure for the add-on and, in just a few moments, you’ll have a nifty little icon in the top right corner of your browser. So what can it do for you?
Navigate to an article, and press the Capture and Annotate button. A panel of tools will appear, allowing you to crop, insert shapes, lines, drawings, and text. It’s just like using Microsoft Paint – just point, click, and draw!
You are free to scroll up, down, left and right across the entire webpage to make annotations; you’re not limited to just what you see on the screen, which is a great feature of Capture and Annotate.
When you’ve finished marking up the document, select Done from the toolbar. Now you have some sharing options: to download, or upload to the web.
It really depends on where the annotated webpage needs to go, and with whom it needs to be shared with. For example, if you want to share with family and friends over the Internet, select Upload.
Within seconds, you will receive a link to share via email or instant message. Not to mention a plethora of other communication portals such as Gmail, Facebook, and Twitter.
Your other option is to save the file locally to your hard drive. Utilize this option if you want to save a copy for backup, or to save to a removable media like a flash drive. For example, I recently had to send a copy of a bunch of webpages, so I fired up Capture and Annotate and saved all of the image files to my hard drive. Then, I just inserted the images into a Word document, before sending it to my brother. Easy!
Give Capture and Annotate a spin, and let us know in the comments if it’s made your life just a little bit easier.
~Jay Neil Patel
Tags: free download | <urn:uuid:5e15a063-3635-4c41-b739-5613d8809942> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.worldstart.com/capture-and-annotate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928573 | 601 | 2.265625 | 2 |
By Diana Zuckerman, PhD
There is growing evidence that ALCL, a type of cancer of the immune system, can be caused by breast implants that are filled with either silicone or saline, and that the sooner the implants are removed, the more likely that the woman will recover. A study by doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston published in 2012 described 13 patients with ALCL and breast implants. Most of the patients had excess fluid around the breast implant, but not a tumor, and those patients usually recovered well after the implant and the scar capsule around it were removed by the surgeon. In contrast, patients who had a tumor next to the implant as well as excess fluid may have more advanced disease that should be treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy in addition to surgery to remove the implant and scar capsule.
Since the women had been diagnosed before it was known that the breast implants caused the ALCL, several had their implants replaced with new ones. Those women had subsequent serious health problems, including a recurrence of ALCL in one patient and the need for a mastectomy in a second patient.
For more information:
Tariq Aladily, Jeffrey Medeiros, Mitual Amin, et al, Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Associated With Breast Implants: A Report of 13 Cases,
American Journal of Surgical Pathology. 2012;36:1000–1008, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22613996#%23 | <urn:uuid:8d22554f-586b-4fb7-b70f-8b4b62a2497c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://center4research.org/medical-care-for-adults/breast-implants-and-other-cosmetic-procedures/update-on-alcl-lymphoma-for-women-with-breast-implants/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958292 | 310 | 2.9375 | 3 |
The American labour movement is once again facing a most controversial issue -- the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. While the KXL debate has largely centered around the environmental risks, from labour's perspective opening up the Canadian tar sands is often seen as an economic, not an environmental, issue.
And it's no wonder: Construction unemployment is double the national average and, from a worker's perspective, Keystone jobs will be good-paying union jobs in an economy that increasingly offers up only minimum-wage service work.
As AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka explained last year, "mass unemployment makes everything harder and feeds fear ... opponents of the pipeline [need to] recognize that construction jobs are real jobs, good jobs." KXL advocates have worked hard to capitalize on this fear by arguing that labour must choose between creating jobs and protecting the planet.
While labour leaders weigh the pros and cons of building KXL, they should keep in mind that the pipeline is as much a threat to our economy as it is to our planet. After a year of extreme weather -- at an extreme cost to the economy -- this age old jobs vs. environment debate is emerging as a false choice. Hurricanes, floods, and droughts are already having a devastating effect on American jobs, and that is nothing compared to what will happen if we throw open the spigot to the tar sands from Canada, considered the dirtiest oil in the world.
Here are five reasons why building the Keystone pipeline is bad for the economy -- and workers.
1. Building the Keystone pipeline and opening up the Tar Sands will negatively impact national and local economies
Burning the recoverable tar sands oil will increase the earth’s temperature by a minimum of two degree Celsius, which NYU Law School's Environmental Law Center estimates could permanently cut the US GDP by 2.5 per cent. At the same time state and local economies are already buckling under the real-time economic effects of our nation's dependence on fossil fuels. In the past two years, the vast majority of U.S. counties -- 67 per cent -- were affected by at least one of the eleven $1 billion dollar extreme weather events. Superstorm Sandy alone caused an estimated $80 billion in damage. The drought that affected 80 per cent of U.S. farmland last summer destroyed a quarter of the US corn crop and did at least $20 billion damage to the economy.
2. The same fossil fuel interests pushing the Keystone pipeline have been cutting, not creating, jobs
Despite generating $546 billion in profits between 2005 and 2010, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP reduced their U.S. workforce by 11,200 employees over that period. In 2010 alone, the top five oil companies slashed their global workforce by 4,400 employees -- the same year executives paid themselves nearly $220 million. But at least those working in the industry as a whole get paid high wages, right? Turns out that 40 percent of U.S oil-industry jobs consist of minimum-wage work at gas stations. Instead of bankrolling an industry that is laying off workers and threatening our economic future, isn’t it time to take the billions in subsidies going to oil companies and invest instead in a sector that both creates jobs and protects the planet?
3. Unemployment will rise
According to Mark Zandi, the Chief Economist of Moody's Analytics: "Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on the job market in November, slicing an estimated 86,000 jobs from payrolls." In the wake of Hurricane Irene, the number of workers filing unemployment claims in Vermont went from 731 before Irene to 1,331 two weeks afterwards. Hurricane Katrina wiped out 129,000 jobs in the New Orleans region -- nearly 20 per cent. For the U.S. economy as a whole, 2011 cost U.S. taxpayers $52 billion.
4. Poor and working people will be disproportionately affected
KXL and projects like it result in disproportionately negative impact on already struggling working families. According to a recent report by the Center for American Progress called "Heavy Weather: How Climate Destruction Harms Middle- and Lower-Income Americans," lower-and middle income households are disproportionately affected by the most expensive extreme weather events. Sixteen states were afflicted by five or more extreme weather events in 2011-12. Households in disaster-declared counties in these states earn $48,137, or seven percent below the U.S. median income.
5. Building the sustainable economy, not the Keystone pipeline, will create far more jobs
Our nation is in desperate need of jobs. Approving the Keystone XL pipeline locks our nation into a trajectory of guaranteed job loss and threatens the stability of the U.S. economy. Why keep the "job-killing" course, when the alternative-energy path is already out-performing other sectors of the economy. For example, the solar industry continues to be an engine of job growth -- creating jobs six times faster than the overall job market. Research by the Solar Foundation shows a 13 percent growth in high-skilled solar jobs spanning installations, sales, marketing, manufacturing and software development -- bringing total direct jobs to 119,000 in the sector. And according to the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst, investment in a green infrastructure program would create nearly four times as many jobs as an equal investment in oil and gas.
A study by Synapse Energy Economics developed a Transition Scenario for the electric power industry based on reducing energy consumption, phasing out high-emission power plants, and building new, lower-emission energy facilities. The study estimated the number of "job years" -- one new worker employed for one year -- that would be created by the Transition Scenario over a decade:
- 444,000 job-years for construction workers, equivalent to 44,400 construction workers working full time for the entire decade.
- 90,000 job-years for operations and maintenance workers, equivalent to about 9,000 full time workers employed over the decade.
- 3.1 million indirect jobs for people designing, manufacturing, and delivering materials and jobs in local economies around the country induced by spending by workers hired in the Transition Scenario.
Organized labour is right to demand that public policy pay attention to our desperate need for jobs. But the Keystone XL pipeline will only make our jobs crisis worse by making our climate crisis worse. Plus, there are lots of pipelines that need fixing. Construction workers can be put to work rebuilding our crumbling natural gas transmission pipeline system -- this will create good union jobs and cut carbon emissions. And these same workers can rebuild our crumbling water infrastructure.
If labour is going to fight for jobs, let's fight for jobs that build the future we want for ourselves and our children, not ones that will destroy that future.
Brendan Smith is an oysterman and green labor activist. He is co-founder of the Labor Network for Sustainability and Global Labor Strategies, and a consulting partner with the Progressive Technology Project. He has worked previously for Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) -- both as campaign director and staff on the U.S. House Banking Committee -- as well as a broad range of trade unions, grassroots groups and progressive politicians. He is a graduate of Cornell law school.
This article was originally published at Common Dreams and is reprinted here with permission. | <urn:uuid:7ce5488f-1df6-4894-97c8-71eca183161b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rabble.ca/news/2013/02/five-reasons-keystone-xl-pipeline-bad-jobs-well-environment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940052 | 1,502 | 2.84375 | 3 |
by Faine E. Greenwood
New Orleans lost one of its longest-standing food legends in January with the passing of 78-year-old Richard H. Collin, otherwise known as the Underground Gourmet. Collin died in Birmingham, where he relocated after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. But the Philadelphia-born Collin was a consummate New Orleans man, and his contribution to the food culture of the city was defined by his game-changing “Underground Gourmet” guidebook to the city. Arguably the city’s first real restaurant critic, beginning at the New Orleans States-Item in 1972, Collin’s legacy will loom large in NOLA’s culinary world for a long time to come.
The first Underground Gourmet New Orleans guidebooks first appeared in 1970, as part of a series originating in New York City, published by Simon and Schuster. The ambitious and food-obsessed Collin wrote to the publishing company to ask if he might do a New Orleans version, and to his surprise, the publishers awarded the as-yet-unproven restaurant critic the contract.
Collin enthusiastically rose to the challenge, tirelessly researching, eating, and exploring the food of his adopted city, drawing from luxury epicurean palaces, low-rent poboy joints, and ethnic restaurants in almost equal numbers. The resulting guide was written in Collin’s characteristically laissez-faire style, perfectly suited to the character of the Crescent City – the book proved an immediate success. Opinionated, hyper-intelligent, and adventurous, the Underground Gourmet books provided a fantastic introduction to the city’s food for tourists and locals alike.
Collin was an adventurous eater. His book was one of the first to devote attention and affection to the city’s smaller hole-in-the-wall restaurants, moving beyond the traditional French-Creole stalwarts into the soul food joints, poboy houses, and working man’s lunch-spots of the general public. Collins didn’t mince words or hang fire on lousy restaurants, either: one chapter is, after all, entitled “The Great Center City Disaster Area,” enumerating Collin’s justifiable disdain for the poor food served to the business lunch set (one can only hope that matters have improved). Collin’s disapproving descriptions include such damnations as “Keystone Kops levels of amateurism,” “watery Northern coffee,” and just plain “absolutely awful.”
But Collin’s praise could be as potent as his criticism: when a restaurant really got something right, The Underground Gourmet’s enthusiasm was marvelously obvious. As he explained in the introduction to the guide, he approached restaurants as an “incurable optimist,” and was capable of waxing rhapsodic about a “heady” shrimp remoulade at Galatoire’s, an “exquisite” raw oyster, or a “beautiful” dish of butter-soaked barbecued shrimp at Pascal’s Manale. Needless to say, New Orleans restaurateurs of the era quickly learned to both respect and fear the Underground Gourmet’s criticism.
New Orleans food buffs of all stripes will appreciate a browse-through of the easy to find 1973 revised edition of the guide: the book provides a fascinating time capsule into what New Orleans cuisine was and represented in that particular era, and Collin’s remarks on still-existent restaurants are illuminating and often highly entertaining. Antoine’s, Pascal’s Manale, the Camellia Grille and other modern-day stalwarts are addressed here, as well as a cotorie of gone-but-not-forgotten eating emporiums, some dearly missed and some not so much. Collin’s dining world in 1970′s New Orleans contained considerably more aspics and “tropique” salads then our own does, and startlingly cheaper prices. One cannot help but long for the days when you could still order a nice sirloin steak for the princely sum of $5.50. (One also wonders where the remarkable assemblage of fine Chinese restaurants the city used to possess has gone).
Collin’s notion of a “platonic” dish was perhaps his trademark eating thesis and the most fascinating idea to come out of his food writing: to the Underground Gourmet, a “platonic dish” was “the best imaginable realization of a particular dish,” a preparation that perfectly captured the essence of New Orleans cuisine, a dish that could not (and would not) be equaled anywhere else or in any other locale. Commander’s Palace’s Oysters Bienville, Galatoire’s Trout Meuniere Amandine, and Casamento’s New Orleans Oyster Loaf were all awarded this philosophically-meaningful honor: Collin’s was not afraid to make it clear when a dish did meet his always-stringent expectations.
Richard Collin’s wife, Rima, was herself a formidable food authority. A former Fulbright scholar in France, she founded the New Orleans Cooking School in 1980, and provided counsel, advice, and delicious food to her husband for the entirety of their long and prosperous marriage. The two self-described “oddball academics” worked well together inside and outside the home: Richard and Rima authored the classic New Orleans Cookbook in 1975, an ambitious tome that gathered what the couple felt to be the most authentic Creole recipes in existence. The two tirelessly researched the book’s contributions, attempting to gather, test, and perfect “platonic” versions of iconic Creole preparations, ranging from gumbos to oyster loaves to baked quail and other classic Creole specialties. Their efforts paid off. The resulting two hundred and eighty-eight recipes included remain excellent examples of real-deal Creole cuisine, a quality the public immediately recognized upon the book’s release. The Collin’s couple’s “New Orleans Cookbook” remains in print to this day and is estimated to have sold over 100,000 copies. Another little known fact: the book was edited by legendary editor Judith Jones, best known (of course) for her work with Julia Child.
Richard and Rima Collin also collaborated on “The Pleasures of Seafood,” an extensive treatment of seafood preparations from around the world. After Rima’s passing in 1998, Collin wrote the 2002 “Travels with Rima,” a celebratory and poignant elegy in travelogue form, a book that remains a testament both to the couple’s love and to their shared adventuresome spirit.
Collin’s expertise ranged further than food. He served as a well-loved emeritus professor of history at UNO, and was a highly regarded Theodore Roosevelt scholar, publishing Theodore Roosevelt’s Caribbean in 1990. He delighted in travel (especially with Rima), the opera, and fine art, as well as the many delights of his native Crescent City. Collin’s life was not one lived without a consideration of pleasure.
The multi-faceted and multi-talented Richard H. Collin will doubtless be fondly remembered and revered for his contribution to New Orleans’s food culture. Let us hope that the Underground Gourmet’s platonic dishes will be enjoyed in the city he loved for a long time to come. | <urn:uuid:dc397520-01eb-4f75-ae2a-de6b1d4b369d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://southernfoodandbeveragemuseum.wordpress.com/tag/faine-e-greenwood/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944798 | 1,605 | 1.921875 | 2 |
In its 25 missions spanning nearly two decades, the space shuttle Endeavour circled the Earth more than 4,600 times, spending a total of 299 days in space.
It carried the crews that assembled the first U.S. component of the International Space Station, and would go on to dock at the station a dozen times. By the time Endeavour completed its last mission a year ago, the shuttle had logged nearly 123 million miles beyond Earth.
But the shuttle's final journey — a measly 12 miles — might just be its most memorable.
Officials Wednesday unveiled some of the details surrounding the 170,000-pound shuttle's carefully coordinated move from Florida's Kennedy Space Center to its permanent home at the California Science Center in Exposition Park. After arriving at LAX on the back of a Boeing 747, the shuttle will make a two-day trek through the streets of Los Angeles, the first time a space shuttle has been moved through the heart of a city.
"In six weeks, Endeavour is coming back home to California," California Science Center president Jeffrey Rudolph said at a news conference Wednesday. "This will mark the first, last and only time a space shuttle will travel through 12 miles of urban public streets. It's not only one of the biggest objects transported down city streets, it's an irreplaceable national treasure."
Weather permitting, Endeavour will arrive at LAX Sept. 20, Rudolph said. There, a team of NASA engineers will lift the shuttle off the plane using cranes and a giant sling, and move it to a United Airlines hangar, where final preparations will be made for its ground transport.
The big move will continue Oct. 12 when the shuttle — nestled on the back of computer-controlled modular transporters — will begin its crawl along a route that includes Manchester Avenue and Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr.boulevards. The next day, the shuttle will stop at Inglewood City Hall and again at the intersection of Crenshaw and MLK, where a performance produced by actress and choreographer Debbie Allen will take place.
But moving the shuttle — which measures 57 feet tall at the tip of the tail and has a wingspan of 78 feet — will be no easy task, Rudolph said. Trees will be pruned back or taken out. Power lines will be raised. Traffic signals will be removed.
At its top speed, the transporters carrying the shuttle will travel about 2 mph along the city streets. At some points along the route, Endeavour will have less than a foot of clearance on either side and will creep even slower, Rudolph said.
For Angelenos, the move recalls the 105-mile journey a 340-ton granite boulder made from a remote Riverside quarry to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in March. The 11-day move drew hundreds of onlookers and international media attention.
Endeavour's move, Rudolph said, will be a far greater spectacle.
"That was a rock," he said.
"This is an amazing thing with an amazing history — and it's a lot bigger."
NASA awarded Endeavour to the California Science Center last year after a fierce competition between museums nationwide. It was one of three retired orbiters that will go on permanent display; the others — Atlantis in Florida and Discovery at the Smithsonian outsideWashington, D.C. — have already reached their final destinations. A shuttle prototype, the Enterprise, is on display in New York.
The state-run California Science Center will house the shuttle in a temporary exhibit — open to the public Oct. 30 — until construction of a new air and space addition is complete.
Costs for the move and construction of the temporary and new exhibits will total about $200 million, Rudolph said. The money will come entirely from donations.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who also spoke at Wednesday's news conference, said he anticipates people coming from across California and the U.S. to witness the shuttle's move.
"Building the Endeavour was a marvel of ingenuity and engineering," he said. "And moving the Endeavour will also be a marvel of ingenuity and engineering."
Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. said Endeavour's arrival in Los Angeles would mark a "great historic event for our children."
"Space exploration represents that space between the confines of earth and God in his heaven," he said. "It represents the opportunity to gain answers and insight beyond this pale existence we have.... I really am thankful, and our city is thankful, to be part of this piece of history." | <urn:uuid:e388ee5b-5ed9-4a5d-ac22-dc4060fdcc0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-endeavour-20120809,0,96489.story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936067 | 948 | 2.375 | 2 |
“We are definitely in uncharted waters, particularly given that the spent fuel pool appears to either not have water or have very little water. It’s completely exposed to the atmosphere.”
David Biello is Scientific American’s energy and environment editor. He appeared earlier today, March 17th, on WNYC radio’s morning program, The Takeaway.
“So if that does indeed begin to melt down, which it seems it may have already done, that radiation would be released directly.”
Even in the best-case scenario from this point onward, is the Fukushima site now a radioactive waste dump for years to come?
“Yes. There’s no question that the contamination is significant. That’s why the workers had to cease their efforts and take cover at various periods. This is going to be like Chernobyl.”
[The above text is an exact transcript of this podcast.] | <urn:uuid:012a9116-bc6b-452b-91ec-e1f6045d9fbd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=fukushima-will-be-wasteland-11-03-17 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969209 | 198 | 2.53125 | 3 |
- Customer Type
- Title Insurance & Settlement Solutions
- Mortgage Services
- Products and Services
- Stewart Companies
On July 21, 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank”) was signed into law. Under the law, a new federal regulator was created – the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
The CFPB is an independent bureau housed in the Federal Reserve charged with regulating a wide range of consumer financial products and services including credit cards, payday loans, reloadable gift cards, mortgage servicing and mortgage origination.
Under Dodd-Frank, the CFPB is mandated to propose regulations integrating the consumer disclosures required under RESPA and the Truth-in-Lending Act (TILA). This mandate is what led to the proposed rule released on July 9, 2012. | <urn:uuid:6956bb5f-ac36-4168-bf50-da0de35093c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stewart.com/cfpb/background | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949732 | 174 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Earlier today I ran a half-day workshop entitled “Introduction To Blogs And Social Networks For Heritage Organisations“. This workshop was commissioned by ASVA (Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions, following a seminar I gave on “Exploiting The Potential Of Blogs And Social Networks” at the Museums and Heritage Show.
The workshop made use of a series of briefing documents which have been developed to support the cultural heritage sector. As well as the documents which have been published the workshop also provided an opportunity to receive feedback on a number of additional documents we have produced, including An Introduction to Twitter and An Introduction to Seesmic (the video micro-blogging tool).
A number of other briefing document were used in two day-long workshops which were commissioned by CyMAL to support staff working in museums, libraries and archives in Wales. These events, entitled Sharing Made Simple: A Practical Approach To Social Software, provided a broader overview of the potential of Web 2.0 in cultural heritage organisations, and also addressed barriers to the take-up of Web 2.0 and strategies for addressing such barriers.
The feedback we receive on the documents (and on the need for additional documents) is an important part of the quality assurance processes for the resources. It should also be noted that we are making these documents available under a Creative Commons licence and encourage their reuse.
This approach to use of Creative Commons for resources I’ve created over the past few years has been taken primarily in order to maximise the impact of the content of the resources. And I would encourage others to do likewise. However, as Scott Leslie has recently described in a blog post on “Planning to Share versus Just Sharing” there is a real danger of encountering “frustration with ineffective institutional collaborations“. The summary of Scott’s post exhorts readers to “grow your network by sharing, not planning to share or deciding who to share with“.
This approach reflects the views expressed by Mike Ellis and myself in a paper entitled “Web 2.0: How to Stop Thinking and Start Doing: Addressing Organisational Barriers” presented at the Museums and the Web 2007 conference. As I described in blog post back in July 2007 back then the cry was “Just do it!“. A year on, despite the economic problems we’re facing, the recent US election result seems to have resulted in a more positive approach to the world and a willingness to makes changes. So perhaps our cry should now be “Set up a blog? Use Creative Commons for our resources? Yes, we can!“ | <urn:uuid:47375e18-997b-4ddb-adfd-01ea9dccf5b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/2008/11/12/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944364 | 546 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Tutor/Mentor programs rely heavily on individual donations and government funding. Although government funding varies on both the location and size of the program, individual donations remain steady with a stable economy. As the economy has weakened, spending habits have changed for families of all income levels. Donations have decreased as a result, and Tutor/Mentor programs are feeling the effects.
After another election has come and gone, millions of dollars have once again been thrown into slanderous campaigns that deliver the same messages over and over. Attacking one another, no candidate ever escapes with a positive image, and those millions of dollars have gone to waste. One can only imagine the thousands of lives affected if this money was used towards struggling non-school tutor/mentor programs. Facilities upgraded, capability to accept more students, newer books, and possibly even the establishments of new tutor/mentor programs entirely.
If future candidates wanted to do something to positively benefit their image, they could use their money promoting their willingness to help the community as opposed to ripping other candidates. For example, the Daley political machine of the last few decades has put a focus upon using scare tactics to sway votes in their direction. While this was more prominent during the previous Daley administration, funds were constantly being thrown towards these tactics instead of being used to effectively benefit the community. Unfortunately, public funding will never account for a large percentage of dollars for tutor/mentor programs. Government funding and donations have long since provided the financial support for tutor/mentor programs, and in a struggling economy, public funding is unlikely to change for the better. Our hope is that elected leaders will realize the countless benefits of supporting tutor/mentor programs and focusing their attention on helping the community as opposed to their most common strategy of making each and every one of the candidates look unqualified.
As for the future Explore Chicago students that will take the time out of their lives to spread knowledge about tutor/mentor programs in the Near North Side area, you are researching a much different area than most neighborhoods that will be assigned to other groups in class. This neighborhood is full of wealthy families that pay higher taxes for stronger schools. The need for tutor/mentor programs is lesser on the North Side than the South Side. However, the need to spread information and provide assistance for these programs remains the same no matter what neighborhood is being researched. Good luck, and don’t forget that ‘real’ people are relying on your information.
P.S. Ask not what Dan Bassill can do for you, but what you can do for Dan Bassill. | <urn:uuid:edd8b2bd-5916-4791-80f7-268bb06d7156> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://isp111group1.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/the-future/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966093 | 532 | 1.882813 | 2 |
An ASCO Cancer Treatment Plan and Summary is a form that provides a convenient way to store information about your cancer, cancer treatment, and follow-up care. It is meant to give basic information about your medical history to any doctors who will care for you during your lifetime.
Using the treatment summary, your current oncologist can enter the chemotherapy dose you received, the specific drugs that were used, the number of treatment cycles that were completed, surgeries done, and any additional treatment that was given (such as radiation therapy or hormonal therapy).
ASCO also offers a form called a Survivorship Care Plan based on specific clinical practice guidelines for certain types of cancer. This document guides your follow-up care after cancer treatment is finished.
Please note that none of these forms are intended to provide a complete medical record, and no single treatment plan or summary is appropriate for all patients. Talk with your doctor for more information on your individual treatment and follow-up care. The ASCO Treatment Plan and Summary should be used with the guidance of your doctor. Learn more about the ASCO Treatment Summaries and Survivorship Care Plans .
Watch a patient education video led by Dr. Julie Gralow explaining ASCO Cancer Treatment Summaries.
Livestrong Care Plan | <urn:uuid:64c48c2f-a1cc-4ed4-9c49-4f3a7f82c504> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cancer.net/print/25394 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939993 | 260 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Safety On Board the Ferries of TT-Line
Safety and the protection of the lives of humans at sea have always been the central aspect of all human endeavours to navigate the oceans. Accordingly the great seafaring nations of the world developed deeply rooted traditions and an entire culture surrounding safety at sea. This applies particularly to the ferrying of passengers across the sea.
In line with this safety culture, TT-Line has been operating a ferry service in the Baltic Sea since the early 1960s. Our Safety Concept rests on three main pillars: modern, safe vessels that are in peak condition, competent and well-trained staff both on board and on land, as well as optimal organization of operational processes.
As a minimum standard, all safety measures must conform to the requirements of the international, regional and national safety regulations for ocean-going vessels which form the basis of the SOLAS Convention (Safety of Life at Sea) of the International Maritime Organisation IMO, a United Nations body.
TT-Line operates one of the most recently built and most state-of-the-art ferry fleets in the Baltic Sea today. The ships have been designed and constructed in accordance with the latest technological developments, and they meet all the safety requirements in force, including the special requirements in terms of watertight integrity which came into force for the North Sea and the Baltic Sea following the "Estonia" disaster. To maintain the high technological standard of the fleet, ongoing and scheduled maintenance is an absolute requirement. For this reason, all ships of TT-Line have their own computer-assisted maintenance and repair program by means of which all necessary work can be scheduled and monitored.
However, technology alone is no guarantee for safety. It is the optimal interaction between humans and technology which ensures that emergency situations do not arise in the first place. If incidents do occur, however, it is imperative that safety is maintained through direct, prompt and correct human intervention. Competent and well-trained personnel is therefore a crucial factor in the safe operation of a vessel. Ongoing personnel training programmes and frequent drills guarantee that the crew are capable of responding quickly and correctly to unforeseen events.
Complex operational sequences require an effective organisation. All the important safety-related operational sequences are laid down in TT-Line's Safety Management System. The system meets the requirements of the International Safety Management Codes of the IMO and has been regularly tested and certified by the relevant authorities since 1996. The most important aspect of the system is the process of constant monitoring and improvement which is designed to raise our safety standard further still.
If you have any questions regarding safety, please feel free to contact us info@TTLine.com | <urn:uuid:1283291f-b59f-4432-89d4-6950678463fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ttline.com/en-GB/Cargo/About-us/Sicherheit/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946781 | 539 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Paul Lowe and Chris Follows will be leading an Interactive scenario based collaborative design workshop based around the NAM project at the Designs on E Learning conference in Helsinki from Sept 26-30. The conference is innovative in that there will be a 3 week pre conference period where participants are invited to debate and discuss online in advance of the actual event itself. We are asking for participants to join us to work on the usability and design of the site as detailed in our conference proposal below:
Interactive scenario based collaborative design workshop led by Paul Lowe and Chris Follows of the University of the Arts London
Conference Topic Theme : All of them
Authors : Paul Lowe, Chris Follows
Keywords: collaboration, reuse, open, resources, practice, OER, open educational resources, scenario based design, design, Scenario Based User Needs Analysis, SUNA, user led, user needs analysis, archives, open educational resources, Living Labs
This session will provide an opportunity to collaborate and contribute as part of a ‘Living Lab’ to the development and design of the AFTERNAM project, an online interactive archive and research tool focusing on the media representation of the war in Vietnam. Participants in the session will be invited to act as potential users of the resource, and to engage in a scenario based user centric design process to explore innovative ways in which the resource might be deployed in teaching and learning. Given the nature of the participation, this will give insights into working collaboratively in a virtual environment on a design process for a real world application. The pre conference online activities will include an exploration of the project design and interface so far, and an opportunity for participants to act as potential users in a Scenario Based User Needs Analysis (SUNA). The actual workshop itself at the conference will give an opportunity for the participants to reflect on how suitable this kind of user centered open innovation approach is to developing 21st century learning technologies.
The Afternam Project
‘Afternam’ brings together the photographic archives of Phillip Jones Griffiths, the film archive of Stanley Kubrick, and the journalistic archive of Phillip Knightley in an interactive multimedia resource that looks at the resonances of the conflict in Vietnam today, and draws connections between different areas of practice around the issues of the ethics of war reporting and the media’s role in covering and representing conflicts. This is an innovative resource for teaching and learning that combines an archive of the material with an experimental research area that integrates images, audio, video and multimedia pieces in a researcher led creative ‘mash up’ of these resources.
The research methodology for the project has adapted the collaborative research project approach already developed by the MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography (LCC) which involves using postgraduate students as co-researchers on the project directed by the project team. The individual research artefacts have all been produced by the postgraduate student cohort themselves and include a dynamic timeline and location map, as well as multimedia pieces and video interviews,
The project utilises a flexible Drupal based web interface that has been designed in conjunction with the student cohort and other potential users and stakeholders by using a ‘Living Labs’ approach to collaborative design. We have used the JISC UIDM to structure the work of the project along with elements of the Socio Cognitive Engineering Model. The Scenario Based User Needs Analysis (SUNA) approach this entails has been particularly useful in working with potential users to test our understanding of their needs, brining an ethnographic perspective to understanding user behaviour and socio-technical system design and development. An agile approach has been used to create rapid prototypes to get user feedback and check on the feasibility of the technical goals we have set in order to inform development The design and functionality of the site has therefore been driven by this user needs analysis using an agile approach to programming and development rather than by a preconceived idea of the project team. This concept will be used as the basis of the conference workshop and the extended discussion before and after the actual meeting in Helsinki, and participants will have the opportunity to actively contribute to the development of the project in real time.
Developing a ‘Living Lab’ as an open innovation model with the student cohort
The Afternam project takes from the very beginning an approach that positions the end user at the heart of the process, making them central to determining the design and functionality of the site. Sharples et al argue that educational design should ‘aim to define human-centred systems that are based a sound understanding of how people think, learn, perceive, work and interact’ (2002, p2) and that
usability is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the design of good human-centred technology. Technology should also be useful, elegant and desirable (people should want to use it, rather than being compelled to do so as a condition of their learning or work). (2002, p2)
To achieve this aim, rather than the project team deciding on the feature set of the archive, the potential users are instead involved in exploring what kinds of activities they would envisage engaging in using the site. This approach has similarities to the open innovation model of business development in that it is user centric rather than developer centric. Leminen and Westerlund note that open innovation approaches by necessity are unpredictable but equally creative, arguing that
As opposed to the traditional models, the development work in the open innovation model is based on the needs and co-creation activities of the users and user communities, and the end result of the development work is often unforeseeable. Thus, it is obvious that traditional project management models, where fundamental assumptions of the management are based on a clear measurable goal of a project fail to apply in the open innovation model. (2009, p4)
One approach to dealing with this unpredictability that has proven successful is that of the ‘Living Lab’, The Living Lab concept originates from Prof William Mitchell of the MediaLab at MIT, Boston, as a user-centric research method for real life environments to identify and build prototypes, and to evaluate multiple solutions. Schumacher and Feurstein identify them as a ‘research methodology for sensing, validating and refining complex solutions in multiple and evolving real life contexts’ (2007, p1), whilst Schaffers and Kulkki describe them as
experimentation and validation environments characterized by early involvement of user communities, closely working together with developers and other stake- holders, and driving rapid cycles of ICT- based innovations. Living labs thus can be considered as user-centric environments providing a concrete setting for open collaborative innovation.
The Living Lab concept is characterized by the “users as innovators” approach. This means that “the basic idea is not about using the users as ‘guinea pigs’ for experiments, it’s about getting access to their ideas and knowledge” (Eriksson et al. 2006). This becomes a creative dialogue between the project team and the potential users of the resource, the shape of which is determined by the process of engagement itself. As Leminen and Westerlund explain
The living lab project targets to an undefined objective with the exception of loose guidelines or directions to initiate the collaboration. Thus, the final objective is merely based on interaction and co-creation processes with firms, customers and end users, as well other possible actors. It is essential to understand that there may emerge also several different results or targets, which may not be seen at the beginning of the development project. (2009, p5)
Scenario Based User Needs Analysis (SUNA)
SUNA is an approach to developing e learning resources based on an engagement with the user as central to the process. According to the team at the University of Essex who developed the concept, it is ‘not an exact science nor is it prescriptive’ but it ‘provides a series of structured activities that help designers and other stakeholders come to a common and shared understanding of what they are developing, and to provide some tools and techniques to support design decisions and record design rationale. (2000, p1). A SUNA is based on 4 steps, and is usually run as a series of workshops with intervening interaction, typical with small groups of users. This format builds a ‘Needs Hierarchy’ that can inform the development process,
1. Scoping and writing of key scenarios
2. Scenario Validation
3. Eliciting the needs
4. Use-Case Description and Story Boards
This brings a very useful ethnographic perspective to understanding user behaviour and socio-technical system design and development, while also providing a useful structure for detailed planning and user analysis. An agile approach is being used to create rapid prototypes to get user feedback and check on the feasibility of the technical goals we have set in order to inform development.
For the DeL conference we plan to run a SUNA workshop based on the AFTERNAM project in the lead up to the conference and then evaluate the process and its usefulness at the conference itself.
Eriksson, M., Niitamo, V.-P., Kulkki, S, Hribernik, K. A. (2006): State of the Art and Good Practice in the Field of Living Labs. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Concurrent Enterprising: Innovative Products and Services through Collaborative Networks. Italy: Milan. 26 – 28 June. pp. 341 – 348.
Fowler, C.J.H, van Helvert, J; Gardner, M.G, and Scott, J.R. (2007) The use of scenarios in designing and delivering learning systems. In H. Beetham & R. Sharpe, Rethinking Pedagogy in a Digital Age: Designing and delivering e-learning.London: Routledge.
Michael Gardner, Chris Fowler and John Scott (2000) A process for bridging technology and pedagogy for the design of e-learning systems citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.116.8844…
Hackos, J.T. & Redish, J.C. (1998) User and Task Analysis for Interface Design. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Leminen, S and Westerlund , M (2009) From innovation networks to open innovation communities: Co-creating value with customers and users 25th IMP Conference, September 3-5, 2009
Niitamo, V.-P., Kulkki, S., Eriksson, M., Hribernik, K. A. (2006): State-of-the-Art and Good Practice in the Field of Living Labs. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Concurrent Enterprising: Innovative Products and Services through Collaborative Networks. Italy: Milan. 26 – 28 June. pp. 349-357.
Schaffers, H and Kulkki, S (2007) Living labs: An open innovation concept fostering rural development TECH MONITOR Sep-Oct 2007 pp31-38
Schumacher, J and Feurstein, K, (2007) Living Labs – the user as co-creator , ICE Conference Proceedings 2007
M. Sharples1, N. Jeffery, J.B.H. du Boulay, D. Teather, B. Teather, G.H. du Boulay, (2002) Socio-cognitive engineering: a methodology for the design of human-centred technology European Journal of Operational Research 2002 vol 132 p310-323 | <urn:uuid:649beef8-8bb3-475e-95af-46866a543d3b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/conflictandmedia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915496 | 2,381 | 1.789063 | 2 |
It’s not enough, Russ Simnick says, for a charter school to be simply better than other schools nearby.
If charter schools don’t succeed on their own terms — conditions for academic performance their leaders spell out in the school’s founding documents — their authorizers must revoke their charters, Simnick says.
“Unfortunately, sometimes that means you shut down the best school in the neighborhood,” says Simnick, the president of the Indiana Public Charter Schools Association. “It still might be an underperforming school that needs to be shut down, but it might be the best option in the neighborhood at that time.”
—Rev. Michael Nickelson, Timothy L. Johnson Academy
It’s not clear whether the seven schools whose charters Ball State University revoked last month are, in fact, the best schools in their neighborhoods. All seven schools’ passing rates on statewide tests are lower than the traditional public school districts surrounding them.
But supporters of the schools facing closure say the numbers also show students making significant academic gains, and some parents are struggling to reconcile data showing their schools underperforming with evidence their children are succeeding.
Quality, From The Parent’s Perspective
Lanonya Jackson’s daughter wasn’t unhappy in the Gary Community Schools. But she was sick of bringing home D’s and F’s on her report cards.Something had to give. So at the insistance of her husband, Jackson says she pulled her daughter out of the district school and enrolled her in Charter School of the Dunes.
After the switch, her daughter started bringing home A’s, B’s and maybe a C or two. Jackson thinks she knows why — her daughter loves the charter school’s teachers, which is a huge contrast from what she saw in the district’s staff.
“Some of the teachers really just didn’t care about their job anymore. They really lost hope,” Jackson says. “And so we arrive here, the teachers have so much love and so much hope and so much confidence that no matter who your child is, they can succeed.”
Where Jackson sees success, Ball State officials see academic underperformance.
Judging from their passing rates on the ISTEP+, Charter School of the Dunes parents would do better enrolling their kids at the school around the corner — a school in the Gary Community School Corporation.
Bob Marra, head of Ball State’s Office of Charter Schools, says he’d prefer to see the schools succeed. But he says the data don’t show enough signs that the seven schools are making progress.
“While I understand it may cause some short-term difficulty for families, it is a decision made in the long-term best interests of their students,” he said in a statement last month.
What About Safety?
But Jackson says she’s worried about violence in the traditional school district — and she isn’t the only parent concerned.
“I’m not just thinking about [my daughter's] scores in school, but I’m thinking about her safety,” says Daniel McKinney, another Charter School of the Dunes parent.
“The smart kids, the kids that want to learn,” McKinney adds, “they’re here [at the charter school] and they don’t have that fear factor.”
But Simnick says “it’s not good enough just to provide a safe school” — or unique programming or curriculum for that matter — if students’ test scores don’t meet goals spelled out in the school’s charter.
Closing these schools down can be tough in the short term, Simnick says.
But it’s better for students in the long term, Greg Richmond of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers says, because it offers families the opportunity to find better schools. He told StateImpact:
You have to be at the bottom of the barrel to get closed. You’re not a middling school. You’re not an excellent school. You’re at the bottom. And the kinds of things you’re hearing these people say are that we should pay no attention to whether kids can read at grade level or not, because, ‘Well they like it here’… We’ve got to help kids prepare to succeed in life, be able to graduate, be able to go on get a good job, be able to go on and succeed in college, be successful. Not just be comfortable.
Students Who Fell Through The Cracks
But leaders at some of the schools slated for closure dispute Richmond’s contention.
As Charter School of the Dunes’ principal told us, most of the students who enrolled in the school this year came in well below grade level. (We have more data on the seven charter schools’ academic performance here.)
At Timothy L. Johnson Academy, a Fort Wayne charter Ball State also slated for closure, school leaders say they serve a population of students who have difficulties in traditional settings — or even alternative schools.
With scarce resources in the school district, Johnson Academy board president Rev. Michael Nickelson says difficult students often fall through the cracks.
“The [school district] teacher has to make a decision, and that decision’s really clear,” Nickelson says. “‘Do I sacrifice the education of 20 so that I can educate two?’ And what happens generally is the two are generally removed from that setting, and the 20 are educated. For us, we take the two.”
Thirty-eight percent of Johnson Academy’s African American students passed the ISTEP last year. That’s a higher rate than in East Allen County Schools, where one in three African American students passed. But in Fort Wayne Community Schools, nearly half of all black students pass.
But Nickelson says it takes time to turn a student’s academic performance around. Johnson Academy staff members say students who have attended the school for at least three years pass the ISTEP at much higher rates — 73 percent in English, and 72 percent in math.
“Yes, we’d all love for our schools to do extremely well and the bottom to be as good as the top,” Nickelson says. “But there is a bottom. And someone has to care for it. And we’re that people. That’s our mission. We care.” | <urn:uuid:9cc41a8a-b97e-4e30-b2cb-a3fbfa79ac97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stateimpact.npr.org/indiana/2013/02/14/should-an-underperforming-charter-be-closed-even-if-its-the-best-school-in-the-neighborhood/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960376 | 1,381 | 1.726563 | 2 |
On August 12th, 1981, IBM announced its first PC. That makes today the thirtieth anniversary of the platform that’s sometimes been called the PC clone, IBM PC compatible, or Wintel…but is most often simply called the PC. We started our celebration on Thursday with Benj Edwards’ look at PC oddities such as Bill Gates’s donkey-avoidance game. But thinking about some of the weirdness that the PC inspired got me to thinking: what if IBM, which took a long time to decide to do a PC at all, had decided not to do one? What if it had decided that microcomputers were a blip and it should stick to mainframes?
The announcement of the PC was one of the most important moments in tech history, since computers based on the PC’s design quickly flooded the market and established a standard which lives on to this day in every Windows PC. As I played around with the idea of the IBM PC suddenly vanishing from the history books, I started asking myself questions, and trying to come up with answers. (Hey, the whole subject is so unknowable that there’s no such thing as a wrong answer…)
1. Is there any chance that PCs just wouldn’t have taken off if the IBM PC hadn’t been such a hit?
There was a time when people thought that some sort of communications device other than a PC would change the world–maybe an interactive TV or a terminal of some sort. I’ve written about a 1967 Popular Science article which explicitly says that the PC was not going to happen.
But it’s vital to remember that the PC revolution was well underway by the time IBM noticed and reacted. The PC that started the PC revolution was MITS’ Altair 8800 from 1975. Like IBM’s PC, it had an Intel processor and Microsoft software, and inspired clones. And the Apple II and TRS-80 and other important PCs existed before the IBM PC did. It’s possible that the PC would have evolved in a different direction if the IBM PC hadn’t existed, but it wouldn’t have just gone away.
It is possible, though, that the PC would have reached every business and every home a bit more slowly than it did. For many people, the first time that they heard of PCs at all was when they heard that IBM was going to start making them.
2. Would another standard have emerged?
Boy, that’s a toughie. For years, the conventional wisdom was that standards were inevitable. If so, some operating system available on multiple machines would have come to achieve 90+ percent market share. Today, though I’m not so sure: with mobile phones, it seems possible that Android and iOS and BlackBerry and Windows Phone and WebOS will all coexist for years to come.
This much seems certain, though: if MS-DOS didn’t exist, the earlier OS it shamelessly cloned, Digital Research’s CP/M, would have continued to be as important as it was in the pre-DOS era, at least for a while. It’s just not at all clear that DR would have been as intrepid as Microsoft was at pushing its software onto the vast majority of the planet’s computers, and evolving its product to keep up with the times. DR didn’t have the world-conquering gene that Microsoft did.
Alternate scenario: UNIX, which dates back to 1969, ends up playing a role similar to that of DOS. That seems like a stretch, though, given that attempts to popularize Unix (and its offshoots, such as Linux) as mainstream operating systems have gone on for years without even truly taking off.
3. Would Microsoft have become the most important company in technology?
People who think that Microsoft’s rise was a lucky accident stemming from the company happening to be in the right place at the right time to sell DOS to IBM don’t understand Microsoft. It was the most important personal-computer software company from the moment that there was a personal-computer software business. In the pre-PC era, its wares were already on most computers, because most systems shipped with Microsoft BASIC on board.
I tend to think that no matter how computer history panned out, Bill Gates would have figured out a way to be at the center of it. I see no scenarios under which Microsoft had a nice little BASIC business and then folded in the 1990s. It’s entirely possible that BASIC, already deployed on an array of machines, would have evolved into something like MS-DOS (and then something like Windows) even with IBM out of the picture. Which means that it’s conceivable that the PC of 2011 would have come to be even without IBM’s involvement.
4. What would have happened to Apple?
You can certainly come up with some interesting alternate-universe scenarios here! If the IBM PC and its clones didn’t dominate the computer business when the Mac debuted in 1984, the first Macs might have sold better. If the first Macs had sold better, John Sculley might not have had the necessary leverage with Apple’s board to arrange for the ouster of Steve Jobs. If Steve Jobs had never left Apple in the first place, we might have gotten the iPod in 1988, the iPhone in 1994, and the iPad in 1997.
Then again, things might not have turned out that much different. For the most part, Apple did very little to directly react to the PC. It didn’t build PC compatibles, it built relatively few boring beige boxes, and it generally priced its machines a whole lot higher than run-of-the-mill PCs. It might have done most of the things it ended up doing even if had been competing against something other than the PC.
5. How about Commodore, Atari, Radio Shack, and other early PC companies?
It’s hard to imagine that the mere absence of IBM in the market would have inevitably led to some other existing PC company dominating the market for years. Commodore and Atari both played mostly in the home-computer ghetto, which had serious problems in the 1980s unrelated to IBM’s rise. Radio Shack, meanwhile, did quite well as a maker of PC compatibles into the early 1990s.
Still, it’s not unthinkable that the absence of IBM would have led to the early fracturing of the personal computer business lasting longer than it did. Maybe incompatible Apples and Commodores and Ataris and TRS-80s would have continued on into the 1990s–a situation akin to that of the mobile OS business today. Maybe one of them would have licensed their OS to other hardware makers and created a standard. (It’s fun to toy with the idea of us all using computers directly descended from the Commodore 64.)
6. And other companies beyond those ones?
I think a lot of well-known companies of the 1980s and 1990s might not have succeeded–or even existed–without the booming PC standard. Such as Compaq, Lotus, and WordPerfect, all of which did so well because they were so good at pleasing owners of PC compatibles. It’s also not a given that Intel would have come to dominate the CPU market: if a PC-less world led to Apple doing better, it might have been Motorola, the maker of the processors in early Macs, that racked up monopolistic share.
7. Would PC hardware have been substantially different?
Possibly. The classic desktop PC–CPU box, keyboard, monitor–wasn’t yet the default configuration when the PC came along. And other form factors, such as laptops, tended to be defined by major makers of PC compatibles. In general, the commoditization of PC hardware resulted in commoditized design. If the market had continued to be more fractured, we might have continued to see more proprietary designs (like the Atari 800 with its ROM cartridges) rather than largely standardized approaches to most things. Maybe the all-in-one design of the original Macintosh would have been more influential than it was.
8. What would have happened to IBM?
IBM was a very successful maker of PCs, for a time. But it turned out that the high point of its history in the business came at the start, with the PC and its blockbuster follow-ups, the XT and AT. By the late 1980s, IBM was no longer very influential: its OS/2 operating system and Micro Channel architecture were supposed to replace the PC, but fizzled. By the 1990s, Big Blue was making some nice computers, such as the ThinkPads–but it was just another PC maker, not the center of the universe.
Today’s IBM doesn’t make PCs at all. It’s mostly a service company and while it’s doing well, its business doesn’t have that much to do with the PC revolution it created. It might have gotten here–or some place close to here–even if it had never introduced a PC.
9. Would Moore’s law have applied sans IBM PC?
When Intel cofounder Gordon Moore famously explained that the number of transistors that can be squeezed on an integrated circuit doubles every two years, the IBM PC didn’t yet exist. Actually, neither did Intel: Moore noticed the phenomenon in 1965, a decade before the personal computer industry began. But the immense scale that the standard set by IBM’s PC brought to the business has been the driving force that’s ensured that computing just keeps getting faster, better, and cheaper. Even Apple piggybacked on it starting in 2005, when it switched Macs over to Intel processors. In a less standardized business, change wouldn’t have come so quickly.
Wondering about a world without the IBM PC has been fun. But I keep coming back to a notion I wrote about back in 2008 when I toyed with the idea of a world without Google:
McCracken’s Eleventh Law of Technology Innovation famously states that anything that’s ever been invented would have been eventually invented even if the person or persons who invented it had never been born. If Thomas Edison hadn’t come up with the light bulb and phonograph, for instance, we wouldn’t be without ‘em in 2008–somebody else would have invented in due time.
Things that the world needs and is capable of creating tend to get created. My final answer: If the IBM PC had never existed, the world would have been different for a while in the 1980s. But by 2011, I’ll bet, it would have gotten to a situation very much like the one that did come to be.
You, of course, are free to disagree–and I hope that at least some of you will, in the comments. | <urn:uuid:3156b90a-2b08-4d55-8c0d-707352b2d4bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://technologizer.com/2011/08/12/a-world-without-the-ibm-pc/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975638 | 2,285 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Don’t let summer draw to a close without snapping some action shots with your digital camera. Take a break from posed portraits and start snapping action-packed images of your kids swimming in the pool or your partner running down the beach. However, before you wear out your finger pressing your camera’s shutter button, be sure to keep the following tips in mind:
Aperture: Manipulating my camera’s aperture in order to stop action has been one of my biggest downfalls this summer. Using a low aperture will allow the most light into the camera. This is extremely important if you are taking action shots. Improper lighting can cause blurring, and in some cases underexposure. Experiment with your camera’s aperture before taking aim at your child doing back flips off the diving board.
Shutter speed: Shutter speed is also crucial in action photography. If you are shooting your son on the soccer field, you want your camera’s shutter to move quickly (at least 1/250) to keep up with the action. Anything less and you’ll end up with an unrecognizable blur in place of your little kicker.
Camera setting: Most digital cameras come with an “action” setting. However, it’s not a fail-free feature. I used it to capture my daughter flying down a waterslide this summer, but it only improved the shot marginally. According to my camera manual, the “action” setting helps control your shutter speed for you and will often “prefocus” your lens to optimize the best chances of a great shot. Remember: this is a general rule and doesn’t mean that you are assured the perfect action shot simply because you have selected the auto-feature.
Shutter lag: Action shots and camera lag time are mortal enemies. Most high-priced SLR cameras have very short shutter lag times. You will have to decide whether investing in a $1,000-plus camera is worth it in order to reduce shutter lag time. | <urn:uuid:bf30d8d7-21cd-4497-a1bc-9b25bc8d1535> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.families.com/blog/lights-camera-action | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931158 | 420 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Last week, Pennsylvania’s Republican candidate for Senate, Pat Toomey, touted his plan for privatizing Social Security, without actually using the word privatization. “I’ve got a whole chapter in a book that I wrote that deals with how I think, one of the ways I think we could reform Social Security to make it viable,” Toomey said. “That would be a very important start.”
A section of the chapter which Toomey referenced is called “Personal Accounts Lead to Personal Prosperity.” And when President Bush released his plan for privatizing Social Security, Toomey said, “I have been arguing for many years in favor of Social Security personal retirement accounts. “I’m thrilled that the President is taking up this critical issue,” Toomey added.
But when directly asked at the Pennsylvania Press Club yesterday whether he still favors privatization, Toomey actually replied, “I’ve never said I favor privatizing Social Security”:
Q: Do you continue to favor privatizing Social Security?
A: I’ve never said I favor privatizing Social Security. It’s a very misleading — it’s an intentionally misleading term. And it is used by those who try to use it as a pejorative to scare people…[T]hat doesn’t mean that we must perpetuate exactly this structure for future workers and for very young workers. So I’ve advocated that we consider offering young workers an alternative — a reform within Social Security that would give them the opportunity to take a portion of their payroll tax and actually save that and own that and allow that to accumulate over the course of their working years and for that to provide a portion of their retirement benefit. I think that’d be a very constructive reform, and that’s what I’m going to advocate.
Toomey seems to be under the impression that if you aren’t in favor of privatizing all of the Social Security system then you aren’t in favor of privatizing, period. But make no mistake, Toomey absolutely favors privatizing a portion of the program, as he makes painfully clear through his advocating that young workers “own” an account. Such privatized accounts would have experienced sharp negative returns in the market turmoil of 2008.
As Josh Dorner noted, a recent CNN poll “found that 59 percent oppose privatizing Social Security and Medicare.” 46 percent of voters said such a plan would make them “very uncomfortable” and a further 21 percent had reservations about it. Toomey tries to dress this up by not calling it privatization, but his formula is the same one that was roundly rejected when President Bush tried it in 2005. | <urn:uuid:7232ccf2-2554-4321-94e9-8a874811d457> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thinkprogress.org/economy/issue/?m=20100824&mobile=nc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969702 | 582 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The Greenough Society acts as the backbone for socialising for members of the UCL Earth Science department, organising a number of events throughout the academic year including coffee club, parties, dinners, lectures and geological field trips (for a complete list of events: see calendar). The society was named after geologist and UCL founder George Greenough.
He was educated at Eton, and afterwards (1795) entered Pembroke College, Oxford, but never graduated. In 1798 he proceeded to Göttingen to prosecute legal studies, but having attended the lectures of Johann Friedrich Blumenbach he was attracted to the study of natural history, and, coming into the possession of a fortune, he abandoned law and devoted his attention to science.
Elected fellow of the Royal Society in 1807, he was the chief founder with others of the Geological Society of London in 1807. He was the first chairman of that Society, and in 1811, when it was more regularly constituted, he was the first president: and in this capacity he served on two subsequent occasions, and did much to promote the advancement of geology.
In 1819 he published A Critical Examination of the First Principles of Geology, a work which was useful mainly in refuting erroneous theories. In the same year was published his famous Geological Map of England and Wales, in six sheets; of which a second edition was issued in 1839. This map was to a large extent based on the original map of William Smith; but much new information was embodied. In 1843 he commenced to prepare a geological map of India, which was published in 1854. He died at Naples on the 2nd of April 1855.
Phoebe Smith - 2008-2009
Alistair Walker - 2007-2008
Sebastian Perceau-Wells - 2005-2006
James Scotchman - 2004-2005
Thom Allen - 2003-2004 | <urn:uuid:ddbd05fd-f286-4445-9b00-30cba2445b4b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.es.ucl.ac.uk/Greenough/history.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97597 | 393 | 2.25 | 2 |
If you missed the Republican debate last night on CNN, you essentially missed every Republican candidate telling us that the states and the private sector can do everything better than the federal government — even though the federal government landed a man on the moon, defeated the Nazis and Imperial Japan at the same time, preserved the Union, provided a safety net for senior citizens, and has a pretty solid track record of making sure a Happy Meal doesn’t contain asbestos.
The states? They can barely pave roads or avoid bankruptcy. And the private sector shoved us to the brink of the Second Great Depression and is currently responsible for nine percent unemployment. Let’s hand them the keys to the economy!
Meanwhile, the moderator, CNN’s John King, was as robotic as usual. Nothing overly challenging. No real insight into the issues. And he asked the candidates various “this or that” questions. For example, he asked Newt whether he liked American Idol or Dancing with the Stars (Newt prefers Idol). He asked Herman Cain, the founder of Godfather’s Pizza, whether he preferred thin crust or thick crust. Very serious.
We’re facing some of the most critical times in the history of the United States and the world — much of this due to the policies of the Republican Party, and we’re asking them whether they like iPhones or Blackberries? Unfeakingbelievable. They all stood up there repeating the same myopic conservative bumper sticker solutions that created the recession — Reaganomics, supply side, deregulation, tax cuts, and all the rest of it. And CNN treated it like a game show.
Now, in CNN’s defense, when Fox News Channel hosts a debate, the theatrics will be more ridiculous and the topics a thousand times more silly. | <urn:uuid:ca79f98e-5062-43e6-9d61-8a4c8f9df9f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bobcesca.thedailybanter.com/blog-archives/2011/06/the-republican-debate-and-cnn-sucks.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927284 | 369 | 1.5 | 2 |
Design News accelerates sales with integrated solutions. Our connected products give you the power you need to drive your marketing programs easily, and our unique ROI performance reports give you the metrics to track progress. Design News's specific role is turning potential buyers into valuable customers. For the marketer, Design News is the one information resource that provides the tools you need to educate buyers and move them through the sales funnel faster.
Design News online enables your marketing message to be seen by thousands of OEM design engineers. Design News online delivers the very latest news on technologies, trends, products, and materials and includes an extensive archive of articles with valuable how-to information for engineers.
Design News delivers more than 145,000 qualified subscribers in the manufacturing market or who work for key system integrators, testing laboratories, process industries, and industrial design services.
By experimenting with the photovoltaic reaction in solar cells, researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in energy efficiency that significantly pushes the boundaries of current commercial cells on the market.
In a world that's going green, industrial operations have a problem: Their processes involve materials that are potentially toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive. If improperly managed, this can precipitate dangerous health and environmental consequences.
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is | <urn:uuid:df39259e-7a1c-4bc3-9771-d0620c6fa16a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=208724 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923441 | 387 | 1.546875 | 2 |
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Is aricept used for anything else other than Dementia and Alzheimer`s disease?
Aricept is only approved by the FDA for mild to severe Alzheimer's disease. However, physicians may use the medication for any other purpose they feel it would be useful. It has been used for other dementia conditions such as vascular related dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia. It has been tried in Mild Cognitive Impairment and for people with significant attention or apathetic conditions. All of these and other uses are "off label" and the data to say that it is helpful for any of these other uses is limited.
Douglas W Scharre, MD
Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology
Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University | <urn:uuid:0e7e1199-1207-4ae2-921d-4a4bc0ef3351> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.netwellness.uc.edu/question.cfm/77816.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931301 | 206 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Kids & Families
See Tentative Schedule Below | Registration Opens July 1st
The Millard Oakley STEM Center offers STEM FAB FRIDAYS, for 4th through 12th graders and their families. FAB Fridays are fun, interactive experiences for kids and parent/guardians to explore hands-on technology, science and engineering equipment and activities.
FAB Fridays 2013-2014
The evening events are from 6-8pm; families may come and go as their schedules allow.
2012-2013 FAB Fridays / Topics
September 28: All About Flight
November 9: Investigating Material Properties
February 22: Featuring NASA SLS (Space Launch System) Project Debut
April 12: Multiple Moving Mechanisms
See Tentative Schedule Below; Registration Opens July 1st
The Millard Oakley STEM Center offers young learners and their families a variety of fun, engaging learning experiences. Children PreK-3rd grade, and their families (older siblings are welcome), are invited to attend STEM Safari Saturdays.
Safari Saturdays 2013-2014
The events are from 9am-12pm; families may come and go as their schedules allow.
2012-2013 Safari Saturday Topics
- October 27: Magnificent Magnifiers
- December 1: Majestic Measurement
- March 2: Marvelous Motion
- April 20: Multiplication Madness
3rd Annual Longest Day of the Year Family Workshop
Want to learn more about the Earth’s longest day of the year on June 21, the Summer Solstice?
Join the Oakley STEM Center’s astronomy expert Marc Robinson and explore the mysteries of space, seasons, planets, observe the stars by telescope, and more on the evening of the longest day of the year – the summer solstice.
The free-admission event is a family-centered educational, open-house allowing visitors to experience a variety of activities and learning stations.
- Learn about the reasons for the seasons and why we have a “longest day”;
- Use telescopes and solarscopes, and more!
Reservations & Info for Parent/Guardians
- Reservations are required, but admission is free.
- Parent/guardians must remain on-site with children during the workshops.
- Workshop Permission/Photo Release (PDF)
- Parent/Guardians please complete the above Permission/Photo Release and bring with you when you check in for the Longest Day. | <urn:uuid:cccb7ff4-35b8-429f-ba19-0955cc47939a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tntech.edu/stem/kids-families/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913635 | 512 | 2.25 | 2 |
When did making museums start to become an art form in its own right? Sometime in the last two decades, as wealthy patrons began flooding museums with donations so they could expand their collections, the architecture of museums around the world became nearly as important as the art and history they contain.
Here are some of the most unusual and artistic museum designs around the globe. I hope you will like it.
Royal Ontario Museum Extension, Toronto
Royal Ontario Museum is a creation of communicative, stunning and unexpected architecture which signals a bold re-awakening of the civic life of the museum and the city.
The Rosenthal Contemporary Arts Center
Made of concrete and matte black aluminum, the 85,000 square foot building houses temporary exhibits of contemporary art. With this building Zaha Hadid became the first woman architect to complete a major museum project in the United States.
The Akron Art Museum
A soaring glass and steel structure is strikingly juxtaposed with a late nineteenth-century brick and limestone building at the Akron Art Museum. It has an exhibition space that seems to float on air and the “Roof Cloud”, a cantilevered steel armature that extends over both the old and new buildings.
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
It’s often said that the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao started the trend of making the building that houses are just as important as the art itself. The design is both fluid and geometric, with its reflective titanium-clad walls sparkling in the sun.
National Museum of Art, Osaka
Osaka’s National Museum of Art resembles a giant metal insect, crouched on the ground with its wings extending into the air. Constructed of titanium-coated steel tubes, the outer shell of the building serves as an eye-catching sculptural form that belies the museum’s contents
Museum of Middle East Modern Art in Dubai
Though it has not yet been built, the planned Museum of Middle East Modern Art in Dubai definitely has people talking. Naturally, opinions vary, with some lauding its fluidity while others say it looks like a giant air conditioning unit.
Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis
The Weisman Art Museum is among the American Midwest’s most well-known buildings. The side that faces the University of Minnesota Twin Cities is brick to blend in with the rest of the buildings, but the opposite side is a glittering abstraction of a waterfall and a fish.
The New Museum on the Bowery, NYC
The New Museum on the Bowery looks like a stack of white baker’s boxes rising into the sky, clad in aluminum mesh that disguises the windows.
The Denver Art Museum, Denver
Design reflects the nearby Rock Mountain peaks and consists of large geometric shapes clad in titanium. The dramatic expansion, which houses the Modern and Contemporary art collection as well as the collection of Architecture and Design, doubles the size of the museum and now serves as its entrance.
Burke Brise Soleil, Milwaukee Art Museum
It’s a moveable, wing-like sunscreen perched atop the museum’s vaulted Wind hover Hall. It has a wingspan comparable to that of a Boeing 747-400 – spreading 217 feet at its widest point.
Published By Ahsan Mukhtar | <urn:uuid:dda2ae69-082b-4830-b129-8c319f3d2d9c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://listphobia.com/2009/05/07/10-most-artistic-and-unusual-museum-designs/ | 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 | 0.95178 | 673 | 2.875 | 3 |
m Possible reasons for oranges' color
Q: Being a newcomer to Florida, I am frustrated with the lack of information regarding orange trees. My orange tree provided large fruit and plenty of juice a few years ago but since then the fruit has ripened with a rusty rough surface on it. The juice is still good, but the fruit looks lousy. I cannot find anyone or anything to try to remedy this disease on the fruit. Please help.
Tom Mathews, Largo
A: This rusty roughness could be caused by several critters, depending on what variety of orange you have.
I will start with the most common probability. Various mites attack fruit and leaves, leaving both with a rusty appearance, but rather smooth compared with fungus problems. Mites reproduce very quickly during warm, dry weather starting right after fruit set. Mites will reduce fruit size a bit and make it unsightly, but cause little harm to the tree. Mites can be managed by spraying with a horticultural oil after fruit set, in early summer, late summer and fall.
If the rustiness is more corky and bumpy, it is a disease that can appear just on the fruit or on both fruit and leaves. Temple oranges are very susceptible, but all sweet oranges are good candidates. Once again, it causes ugly fruit but little harm to the tree. Scab can be managed by spraying the tree with copper right at fruit set in the summer and again in the fall.
Finally, trees that are in slow decline with rough, corky projections on the fruit and leaves have citrus canker, a bacterium. The only control is to call a reputable pest control company for correct identification and control throughout the year or destroy the tree.
. Artichokes, capers don't like our climate
Q: Is it possible to grow artichokes and capers (caper berries) in St. Petersburg? I have successfully germinated seeds for both only to have them die upon transplanting. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Peggy MacLeod, St. Petersburg
A: You have chosen two plants that don't care for Florida's climate. They are both native to southern Europe and prefer cool, foggy summers, a good candidate for California. Sorry.
. Sooty mold causes crape myrtle blackness
Q: We enjoy your column and would like to know about disease of crape myrtle. Our trees have black branches and leaves. They still make flowers, but why do the branches and leaves turn black. Can we prevent it or is it okay to ignore it?
Francesco Mannino, Port St. Lucie
A: Usually if you have black on plants, it is sooty mold. This is a fungus that lives off of honeydew, the excrement given off by sucking insects, most notably aphids, whitefly and some other scales. It is not harmful nor parasitic, but it does cut down on photosynthesis and is unsightly. You need to control the pest to control the problem. A strong spray with the garden hose will usually do the trick. Watch closely this spring on the new growth and "nip it in the bud"! | <urn:uuid:d18f7baa-1d71-4646-8146-468c00a6e137> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tampabay.com/features/homeandgarden/ask-dr-hort-possible-reasons-for-oranges-unsightliness/1068898 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954613 | 663 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Security from the very beginning To stay healthy and happy, babies need a lot of body contact during their first months of life. When you carry your newborn in the baby carrier, close and high up on your chest, you are helping him or her make the dramatic transition from life inside the womb to the world outside. Your body heat, the sound of your heartbeat and your voice are familiar and reassuring. Being close toy ou becomes a safe haven in a world of new impressions, and your baby learns to feel trust. More on Infant Development and Babywearing
Closeness contributes to high self-esteem Being seen, heard and carried are fundamental needs for babies - as crucial as eating and sleeping. When you carry your child in a BABYBJORN Baby Carrier, you learn to see, interpret and meet your child's needs. Eye contact and physical closeness create an emotional bond between you and your baby that in invaluable for your baby's development and for your future together. The sense of security you give your child is an excellent foundation for high self-esteem later in life.
Recommended by pediatricians and child psychologists In the beginning of our collaboration with leading pediatricians, in the 70s, their insights regarding the importance of physical closeness between child and parent were revolutionary. Today, pediatricians, as well as child psychologists all over the world agree on the vital role of this closeness, especially during the child's first six months. That is why they recommend that you keep your newborn close to you during this crucial first period of life.
Also, carrying a child with colic in our baby carrier may help alleviate symptoms. The child is held in an upright position that makes burping easier. Moreover, the child can move his or her arms and legs and feel the parent's body heat - all of which are good for a baby's little tummy.
Aside from baby carriers, Baby Bjorn also manufacturers several other items such as potty chairs, travel lite cribs and more! Baby Bjorn's current range of products has been developed, down to the last detail, to suit the lifestyle of modern families with small children - all over the world. | <urn:uuid:e863fce0-9e94-4d84-b96a-d0698d8a89aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.babysupermarket.com/BABYBJORN/under-20/_P10_20/search | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965203 | 442 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Richard Nixon selected Gualberto Rocchi of Milan, Italy, to sculpt his bust for the Senate’s Vice Presidential Bust Collection. The artist previously had executed likenesses of other Republican leaders, including then-Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York. Rocchi, after six sittings with Nixon in the sculptor’s studio in New York City, sent the plaster model to Washington, D.C., for official approval in 1965. Nixon himself had already approved the model by letter, and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration did likewise on January 26, 1966. Although some senators expressed dissatisfaction with the Nixon likeness, the committee deferred to Nixon’s judgment, and the model was returned to the sculptor for translation into marble. Nevertheless, in response to the criticisms of committee members, Rocchi arranged a follow-up sitting with his subject and made modifications to his model. “With a fresh eye, after almost one year, within an hour’s [sitting] time only, I felt that the perfection an artist always strives for was achieved.... I should thank those Senators,” wrote Rocchi in a letter to the architect of the Capitol.
The marble bust was executed in Italy, and the finished work was accepted by the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration in 1967. Because Nixon believed it inappropriate for his bust to be displayed before his return to private life, the work was stored. It was placed on view in the Senate wing in May 1979, at the same time the bust of Lyndon Johnson was installed. | <urn:uuid:a03568c1-aebb-44e2-b317-97469e6e1e9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/Sculpture_22_00036.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981 | 315 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Two reports, from Loughborough University and from TRL, have been published linking offence history data to active road users involved in OTS (On The Spot) investigated collisions. The OTS studies ran from 2000 - 2010 and saw Loughborough University and TRL record data from 500 crashes every year.
The findings showed that 46-47% of active road users involved in the crash had an offence record. This underlies the theory that people who take risks by offending may take greater risks as drivers.
The Loughborough report can be downloaded from above.
The TRL report can be accessed here.
Posted 2:46 pm October 6, 2011 | <urn:uuid:6bebc1fd-ed26-42dc-b901-89d387a2aa64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pacts.org.uk/research.php?id=71 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959556 | 135 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Public Service of New Hampshire is a state-regulated utility. It can nary eat or breathe in corporate fashion lest the N.H. Public Utilities Commission be found peering over its shoulder deciding what rates to approve, if any. Then there is the Legislature which can mandate, as it has, that some of the power churned out by PSNH be green, clear, or otherwise even at greater cost.
For all this control, PSNH has been all but guaranteed a profit. Assuming it can justify its costs, the PUC has seen fit to approve charges which have and will continue to get passed onto customers.
But as we noted in a Jan. 14 editorial, PSNH with its high-cost electricity is facing competition from providers such as ENH Power and North American Power, which play by unregulated rules. This has resulted in customers fleeing what may be a sinking ship, unless New Hampshire and the PUC make some changes.
To that possible end, news has come the PUC is opening an investigation that will look at PSNH rates along with what is driving those higher rates.
It was in 2003 that the Legislature passed a law allowing PSNH to retain its generating plants and supply lines, while all others would need to divest.
In the early years, it was primarily the business community that went hunting for lower rates — and found them. Of late, however, ENH Power and North American Power have aggressively and successfully courted residential customers.
The PUC has now heard the call to take a closer look at what is driving PSNH rates and what can be done about it before PSNH loses so many customers that either the company breaks or its remaining electric customers do.
So that readers have a context for what is to come, we reprint a telling portion of a news report appearing in the Union Leader newspaper on Jan. 20:
The (PUC) order states: “This is an inquiry to be conducted by Commission Staff to explore the market conditions facing PSNH in the near term, PSNH’s proposals to maintain default service at just and reasonable rates in light of those market conditions, and the impact, if any, of continued ownership and operation on the competitive electric market.” The commission notes with the abundance of natural gas, the cost of electricity has been reduced substantially below the company’s generating costs.
It is the abundance of electric power primarily generated by natural gas that has allowed ENH and North American Power to undercut PSNH rates. This is because ENH and North American are not regulated utilities. They buy their power where it is cheapest — on the open market.
On the other hand, PSNH has been made to play by rules drafted, redrafted, bent and twisted by the Legislature then interpreted by the PUC.
It is a game gone bad due, in large part to, overregulation.
Note we use the term overregulation, not simply regulation.
There is no challenge that the state has an obligation to support dependable electrical service. As an individual must use New Hampshire’s highways and byways, so too must we as a community depend on electricity.
But the question raised by PSNH’s overregulation is finding a responsible level of regulation. It is not, as we fear some will suggest, in drawing ENH and North American into the web of government regulation. Rather the solution lies in releasing PSNH enough from regulatory chains so it can compete.
We believe that should include lifting mandates of where and how PSNH gets its power and potentially getting PSNH out of the generation business completely, thus letting all electric providers compete equally in the marketplace. | <urn:uuid:f86a4ec0-e066-4549-8d26-d51980dbd7de> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130127/GJOPINION_01/130129377/-1/FOSNEWS0413&CSProduct=fosters&CSProduct=fosters | 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 | 0.966811 | 746 | 1.882813 | 2 |
The ultimate weapon of mass destruction
H5N1 may be out of the headlines for now but the threat is greater than ever, says Robert Fox
The threat to this country from a pandemic caused by bird flu or some such virus is greater than the threat from international terrorism in the view of Gordon Brown and his Downing Street advisors. This is why pandemics are ranked alongside terrorism and other major global ills in the National Security Strategy unveiled last month.
On the face of it, the briefing seems alarmist. The World Health Organisation has recorded only 238 deaths proven to be from a human variant of the H5N1 virus. Yet scientists and security specialists are more in agreement on the risk of a pandemic than on climate change and global warming.
The argument is based on a hypothesis, a short-odds scientific bet. Sir David King, who's just stepped down as the UK's Chief Scientific Adviser, puts it like this: "It is more a question of when rather than if the H5N1 virus mutates into a virulent human form. So far we have noted more than 20 mutations of the virus in only a few years."
His view is supported by every public health official or doctor I have met in recent months. Only last week, three former heads of the Defence Ministry and the Joint Intelligence Committee told me without hesitation that they thought the PM was right to flag the potential menace.
The H5N1 virus may have dropped out of the news headlines just now, but it hasn't gone away – far from it. Last week Egypt recorded the 21st human death from avian flu in about a year. As with a quarter of all human cases, the virus had been passed between members of the same family.
The Lancet has just reported that a 52-year-old man in Nanjing, China picked up the virus from his 24-year-old son, who caught it after visiting a poultry market. The old man survived thanks to the prompt application of antiviral medicines.
Currently there are major outbreaks of the virus in the bird populations of China, India, Bangladesh and South Korea. In Pakistan and Egypt the authorities are worried about the spread of the virus in the dog and cat population.
In Britain and the US, public health studies suggest that a full-blown pandemic of bird flu or something like the respiratory disease SARS could knock out a critical mass of the working population. Some sixty per cent of the nursing and medical services could be out of action within 10 days, according to a study at the Defence Academy of the UK Staff College. This would mean the armed services would have to be called in to help.
The threat to public order - a scenario out of the Day of the Triffids or the Quatermass Experiment - is what really alarms Downing Street. An American study has suggested that in a worst case, half the population would go down with bird flu – roughly the scale of Europe's Black Death of 1348. Half of those would have to go to hospital and millions would die in the first wave.
The government has laid in stocks of 14.6m courses of Tamiflu, one of two known medicines capable of combating H5N1. However, pharmaceutical competitors have claimed that Tamiflu would only be effective for a very short time, and the WHO says the virus appeared to be resistant to Tamiflu in at least two known cases.
A glimmer of hope has been raised by research in America and the UK that suggests that there is something about humans that means the bird flu virus would have to mutate twice in order to 'unpick the lock' in the glycans, or sugar chains that line human airways and lungs.
But for Gordon Brown the problem is to warn and prepare, without causing public panic. Security experts are pretty sure a new version of the Black Death is odds on to happen. Their biggest concern now is that terrorists could use the viruses as a new weapon of mass destruction. Leaders like Brown know they have been warned. ·
Comments are now closed on this article | <urn:uuid:07e1de86-29a3-4b99-b720-56175924cf0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theweek.co.uk/27239/ultimate-weapon-mass-destruction | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969935 | 833 | 1.890625 | 2 |
hat significance does the event of the Ascension of Jesus Christ have for the Christian? We should understand why we celebrate any feast, and its inner meaning.
In the gospel reading for liturgy on the Ascension, two gifts are mentioned by Christ. One is given and one is promised. What are they? Comment on their importance and meaning for a Christian.
What mountain did Christ ascend from? How will this mountain be involved in another, cataclysmic event?
There is a significant occurrence in the Ascension story that can only be understood in the context of the church, and the absolute need for apostolic succession of bishops and priests. This occurrence, properly understood, should cause everyone who trusts his own interpretation of the bible outside of the context of a visible, authoritative and dogmatic church to flee from his false, individual understanding and seek out the church.
What is this occurrence? Comment on it, and try to specify other scriptures which point out or support this critical Christian teaching.
If the "LISTEN NOW" link does not work, copy this URL into your browser: http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pascha-thursday-06_2009-05-28+ascension.m3u
If this file does not work for you, try the direct link to the actual mp3 file:http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pascha-thursday-06_2009-05-28+ascension.mp3 | <urn:uuid:1a71cffa-5a32-451e-a43c-17772dfcb88b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://orthodox.net/redeemingthetime/2011/06/01/ascension-11-questions-and-answers-and-the-whole-of-our-faith-is-jesus-christ-two-prophesies-one-fulfilled-one-being-fulfilled/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925574 | 300 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Many criminals in the city are becoming more sophisticated, like using high-tech tools for identity theft and other forms of computer crimes. The city’s response?
Become more tech savvy than the criminals.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office on Tuesday announced plans for the construction of a cybercrime lab, which will centralize efforts to target crimes and criminals involving the use of technology.
The lab, to be housed in the district attorney’s office, will be staffed by about 50 current employees, including computer forensic staff members, specialized prosecutors, analysts and investigators.
The City Council provided about $4.2 million to pay for construction of the lab, said the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., at a news conference on Tuesday at City Hall, where he was joined by the City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn.
Ms. Quinn said, “In this day and age, we need to be as sophisticated as criminals are, using every tool we can to fight these complex crimes that are often taking place on the Internet — the new crime scene of the modern age.”
The facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2013 and will expand on the efforts of the Manhattan Cybercrime and Identity Theft Bureau, which currently handles much of the forensic analysis of cellphones, smartphones, computers and other electronic devices.
Holding up a bank card scamming machine that criminals use to steal credit card information from A.T.M.’s, Mr. Vance said the device was one example of the kind of technology that is increasingly being used to commit crimes.
The district attorney’s office said it sees about 200 to 300 new identity theft cases in Manhattan every month, and the number of computers analyzed in criminal cases rose by 195 percent from 2010 to 2011.
“Our office, in order to do its job, needs to stay ahead of the curve,” Mr. Vance said. “Things are happening at Internet speed. As we figure out how to combat individuals who are utilizing this type of relatively unsophisticated but nonetheless tricky and effective trickery, they’re moving onto something else.” | <urn:uuid:989e4ca9-3558-44d0-8686-e53a2a15a389> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/manhattan-prosecutor-to-centralize-efforts-against-cybercrime/?src=twr | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949598 | 447 | 1.859375 | 2 |
HRC Honors Transgender Day of Remembrance
November 20, 2012 by HRC staff
This post submitted by Hyacinth Alvaran, HRC Diversity Program Associate
Today HRC commemorates the 14th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance as a solemn tribute to those who have lost their lives to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.
TDOR is a time to help raise awareness of the constant threat of brutality faced by the transgender community. Through its steering committees, HRC is partnering with local organizations to support remembrance events in 25 cities.
"Today we commemorate our transgender brothers and sisters we’ve lost, and stand in solidarity against hate-based violence," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "Transgender people face violence at unfathomable rates and we must keep all those affected by these crimes in our memory so that we can see an end to this brutality."
Statistics on anti-transgender violence are startling. This year alone, over 60 individuals worldwide have died because of anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. Twelve percent of reported hate crimes were against transgender people, according to a 2008 report from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Program (NCAVP). NCAVP also found in 2011 40 percent of murders against the LGBT community were against transgender women, particularly women of color. Seventy-eight percent of transgender children in grades K-12 reported being harassed in school, 35 percent physically assaulted and 12 percent sexually assaulted, according to a 2011 report from the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Because of such staggering statistics, HRC continues to observe Transgender Day of Remembrance in its 7th year of participation, and works year-round to mitigate such violence. The landmark passage of the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009 added sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability as protected categories under existing federal hate crimes laws. An important component of this law comes into effect next year, when the FBI will start collecting data on hate crimes based on gender identity. This data can be used to more effectively convey to our policymakers and law enforcement officers the gravity of this problem. Furthermore, the Welcoming Schools program works with teachers and administrators to address bullying and create a safe and welcoming environment for all elementary school students, including transgender and gender non-conforming children.
The first Transgender Day of Remembrance was held to memorialize Rita Hester, whose unsolved murder in 1998 led to the "Remembering Our Dead" web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Since then, the event has expanded to hundreds of cities across the country - and around the world - as an annual memorial for transgender hate crime victims.
For a list of vigils and remembrances worldwide, please visit www.hrc.org/tdor.
May 17, 2013 | <urn:uuid:cd533348-809f-45ab-8b73-f70a75517bf7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/hrc-honors-transgender-day-of-remembrance | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942353 | 574 | 3.0625 | 3 |
The Blues, Black Vaudeville, and the Silver Screen, 1912-1930s
In the early 20th century, Macon, Georgia's Douglass Theater was one of Georgia's primary entertainment venues for blacks outside of Atlanta. Over the course of its more than 60-year history, the theater featured famous vaudeville acts, singers such as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith, boxing matches, as well as both silent and talking films. This website features 100 documents from the files of the theater's owner, Charles Henry Douglass, a prominent black businessman in Macon. Letters, financial statements, contracts, theater newsletters, and advertisements shed light not only on events and business transactions at the Douglass Theater, but on the wider business community supporting African American theaters in the South. A good place to begin is the "Introduction to the Douglass Theater in Macon," a detailed background essay with links to a variety of documents from the collection, including account book pages detailing one week's profits in 1923, and a series of letters exchanged between the theater's temporary manager in the late 1920s and his brother documenting the challenges of the theater business. The materials are transcribed and annotated, and browseable by author, date, type, subject, and title. | <urn:uuid:608a4c71-e0cc-4399-8495-6115510ee6c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/website-reviews/22618 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958608 | 260 | 2.703125 | 3 |
FREE and fascinating stuff below. Click here for Vicki’s Childbirth Class
WELCOME to the joy — and responsibility — of bringing a new person into the world!
YOU HAVE CHOICES to make that will matter far into the future: how to take care of your pregnant body, how to plan for your birth, how to feed your baby, how to raise children, how many children to have, how to make a living while raising kids, how to nurture yourself, your partner, and your whole family, how to cope with spilled milk, the flu, and junior high.
YOU OWE IT to yourself, your baby, and your family to make those choices as carefully and consciously as you can.
YOUR CHALLENGE is to sort through the overload of information — and misinformation — that surrounds all of us.
WHAT’S REALLY TRUE FOR YOU, and what’s coming from friends, relatives, TV, and movies? What’s the best way to make sure you and your baby are healthy and safe? How can you keep yourself peaceful when your life is changing so fast? How can you overcome your worries, your past history, your relationship problems, and your circumstances to be the best possible parent?
I like to boil things down to the essentials. Here are some nuggets for you.
Laboring Under An Illusion: Mass Media Childbirth vs. The Real Thing is a 50-minute DVD that you can buy, rent, or download for as little as $1.99. It’s hilarious, but it will also get you thinking about what birth is really like and what you really want.
FREE EBOOK! Everybody’s Birth Book: What REALLY Works includes stories, articles, worksheets, and the initial results of our survey of moms from around the world. So far, 248 women have told us: What REALLY worked for you in labor? What surprised you? What do you wish you had known?
There’s another ebook coming soon: Birth in a Nutshell. Meanwhile, here are some free printable super-short summaries to make your life easier:
RESOURCES, STORIES, AND SUGGESTIONS:
A short RESOURCE LIST will point you toward no-nonsense books, films, and websites that can help you learn what to expect, how to prepare for surprises, how to make satisfying choices, and how to tell fact from nonsense. | <urn:uuid:3fd81b07-4b85-4c5a-9514-f27c9393c58f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://birth-media.com/for-pregnant-people/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941232 | 509 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Posted 23 November 2009 - 09:53 AM
I'm having a bit of a problem trying to make a buffer I need to follow a protocol I'm trying out. The protocol calls for a buffer containing 20 mM Tris-acetate (pH 7.9), 50 mM potassium acetate, 5 mM Na2EDTA, 1 mM dithiothreitol (DTT), 200 uM S-adenosyl-L-methionine, and some protease inhibitor.
I'm having trouble making the this buffer. I have some Tris-acetate (Sigma T1258), but when I make try to make it up, it's at ~pH 6.4. I would normally think that acetate buffers should be pH'ed with acetic acid, but that won't work here. I'm hesitant to use NaOH to raise the pH...
On the other hand, when one makes 50X TAE buffer, one combines 242 g Tris base and 57.1 ml glacial acetic acid (thus ~2 M) and 100 mL of 0.5 M EDTA at pH 8.0 (thus, ~50 mM) in a liter , and my recollection is that this buffer, when diluted to 1X, is around pH 8.3. Perhaps I should be making my Tris-acetate buffer up this way (by combining Tris base and acetic acid) rather than using the Tris-acetate powder from Sigma? Googling anything with Tris-acetate is overwhelmed by TAE and restriction enzyme buffers, I can not find an "add this much acetic acid to this much Tris base to make a Tris-acetate buffer of this pH" table...
I've already decided to forgo the DTT and add it to the reaction from a 10 mM stock just before use, and the SAM and protease inhibitor will likewise be added just before use. So, I'm trying to make a base buffer (probably 10X) that at 1X will be 20 mM Tris-acetate (pH 7.9), 50 mM potassium acetate, and 5 mM Na2EDTA.
I don't know why I'm so brain-dead this morning -- anyone got any advice?
Posted 23 November 2009 - 09:56 AM
Posted 23 November 2009 - 10:05 AM
Posted 23 November 2009 - 10:38 AM
2.43 grams of Tris base
0.6 ml of glacial acetic acid
pH this to 7.9 with additional glacial acetic acid, and bring it to a final volume of 100 ml, and call this 10X Tris-acetate (pH 7.9)?
Posted 23 November 2009 - 11:38 AM
remember, your buffer contains potassium acetate and sodium edta as well as tris-acetate, so either way of preparation should be fine (but, be consistent).
me, i would adjust the pH of tris base with acetate.
Edited by mdfenko, 23 November 2009 - 11:39 AM.
genius does what it must
i do what i get paid to do | <urn:uuid:b558569c-2175-4522-830f-315dcdb395a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.protocol-online.org/forums/topic/11737-tris-acetate-buffer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927254 | 659 | 2.15625 | 2 |
The year was 1920. Karl Binding, Chief Justice of the German Reich, and well-respected psychiatrist Alfred Hoche posited the question "Are there lives that have forfeited their individual legal protection because their continued existence has permanently lost all value for the person himself, and for society as well?" This was the question behind Binding's and Hoche's famous treatise Allowing the Destruction of Life Unworthy of Existence. They argued that one of the groups to be "considered for killing" are "...incurables dying from disease or injury, who, fully understanding their situation, urgently wish to be released and have given some sign of this...." Unwittingly, this work, among others, became a philosophical foundation for Germany's euthanasia program implemented when Hitler took power 13 years later.
Before Hitler started the euthanasia program, he supposedly commissioned his infamous Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels to make a film that would promote euthanasia to the general public. Goebbels appointed 39-year-old Wolfgang Liebeneiner to make the film, and in 1941 Ich Klage an ("I Accuse") hit German cinema. Considered by some to be one of the best films of the Third Reich, it was subtle and powerfully acted--so much so that as of October 2001 the film was still banned in Germany because of its relevant and dangerous content. The film depicts the story of a brilliant doctor's young wife who falls ill to multiple sclerosis and insists that her husband kill her before she succumbs to her agony. After viewing the film, Robert Jay Lifton, author of The Nazi Doctors (1986), understood "why doctors [he] interviewed still felt [the film's] impact and remembered the extensive discussion it stimulated among their colleagues and fellow students about the morality of a doctor's aiding incurable patients to achieve the death they long for."
I recently learned of a documentary made in 1998 which was screened at the Tiburon International Film Festival in Tiburon, California on March 14-20, 2003. It premiered successfully in 2002, has already been screened at 3 major film festivals, and seems to have gained quite a following. The video is now available through the Hemlock Society.
After viewing Live and Let Go: An American Death, I was struck at how simple and even charming--if not disturbingly macabre--the film is. Film makers Jay Niver and Jay Spain make no substantive statement about or defense of physician-assisted suicide. They largely appeal to the exemplary life of the hero, Sam Niver, and his decision and right to take his own life. Most of Sam's family are very supportive of his decision and in many ways articulate his desires much better than even Sam himself. Through a series of vignettes about his life as a war veteran and family man, we are exposed to the epitome of the good American. He is a self-assured, no-nonsense, take-the-bull-by-the-horns sort of guy. He loves his family and his community and is depicted as being deeply involved with both.
On the day of his suicide, Sam has to take a regimen of pills and drugs purchased from the Hemlock Society that are designed to slowly and methodically shut down his system. Sam is further instructed to place a plastic bag over his head near the end of the dying process in order to insure his death by suffocation should the pills and drugs fail. Sam must do this himself so as not to incriminate his family, who support and encourage him throughout the day.
Besides being shocked by the film, many viewers may think that Sam's method of ending his life is not the best defense for the right-to-die movement--considering that the image left in their minds is that of a man suffocating himself with a plastic bag. However, something more subtle is going on here. The question implicitly being asked is: "Is this how you want to die? It's your choice: a bag over your head, or a simple, quick, lethal injection." Can you see how similar this is to another debate that raged a couple of decades ago before abortion was legalized? The question and emotions behind it are essentially the same: Is abortion by hanger or suicide by plastic bag really the best for society?
This film should give us great pause. We ought never be naive enough to assume that popular media has little effect on society. Whereas Ich Klage an is a fictional depiction of physician-assisted suicide, this documentary allows viewers to see with their own eyes Sam Niver expire by his own hand. They are cajoled into believing that this is everyone's right. The film provides us with a fresh challenge not only to articulate and defend, but to vividly portray, a very different, Christian vision of what it truly means to die with dignity.
Paul van der Bijl is a staff member of The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity
Copyright © 2003 by The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity
Permission to reprint granted as long as The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity and the web address for this article is referenced.
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For the first time, researchers at Aalto University in Finland have located where the sounds associated with the northern lights are created. The auroral sounds that have been described in folktales and by wilderness wanderers are formed about 70 meters above the ground level in the measured case.
Researchers located the sound sources by installing three separate microphones in an observation site where the auroral sounds were recorded. They then compared sounds captured by the microphones and determined the location of the sound source. The aurora borealis was seen at the observation site. The simultaneous measurements of the geomagnetic disturbances, made by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, showed a typical pattern of the northern lights episodes.
"Our research proved that, during the occurrence of the northern lights, people can hear natural auroral sounds related to what they see. In the past, researchers thought that the aurora borealis was too far away for people to hear the sounds it made. This is true. However, our research proves that the source of the sounds that are associated with the aurora borealis we see is likely caused by the same energetic particles from the sun that create the northern lights far away in the sky. These particles or the geomagnetic disturbance produced by them seem to create sound much closer to the ground," said Professor Unto K. Laine from Aalto University.
Details about how the auroral sounds are created are still a mystery. The sounds do not occur regularly when the northern lights are seen. The recorded, unamplified sounds can be similar to crackles or muffled bangs which last for only a short period of time. Other people who have heard the auroral sounds have described them as distant noise and sputter. Because of these different descriptions, researchers suspect that there are several mechanisms behind the formation of these auroral sounds. These sounds are so soft that one has to listen very carefully to hear them and to distinguish them from the ambient noise.
The Aalto University researcher's study will be published in the proceedings of the 19th International Congress on Sound and Vibration. The congress is held in Vilnius, Lithuania from 8 to 12 July 2012.
For more information, please contact:
Professor Unto K. Laine
Aalto University, School of Electrical Engineering
tel. +358 9 470 224 92
Researcher's website: http://www.acoustics.hut.fi/projects/aurora
Press photos: http://media.digtator.fi/digtator/tmp/2f997f88173f74909d1d162cf235839c/preview.html
Link valid until 4 August 2012.
Aalto University Communications
PL 17800, 00076 AALTO, FINLAND
Aalto University, Finland is a new multidisciplinary science and art community in the fields of science, economics, and art and design. The University is founded on Finnish strengths, and its goal is to develop as a unique entity to become one of the world's top universities. Aalto University's cornerstones are its strengths in education and research. At the new University, there are 20,000 basic degree and graduate students as well as a staff of 5,000 of which 350 are professors. aalto.fi/en | <urn:uuid:4f67c7fd-d928-42ef-b559-12c916c01b1a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=37775 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946749 | 679 | 3.90625 | 4 |
AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to millions of articles from top publications available through your library.
Back in April, when Xerox Corporation rolled out its grand plan for digital delivery for printing of books at multiple remote sites, Paul Allaire, chairman and CEO spoke of a "Document Superhighway," a revolutionary way to get information from publishers to readers that would change the way people think of books and booksellers.
Announced at the conference of the Association for Information and Image Management in New York City, Xerox's systematic approach, which it referred to as its "initiative," included hardware, software and conceptual innovations aimed at digitizing the entire publishing operation, so that information can be captured, edited, structured, sent, stored, retrieved and printed, all at remote sites. According to Xerox Document Production Systems president Colin O'Brien, the heart of the initiative is a software package called the Document Services Platform (DocuSP), which is supposed to guarantee that desktop computers, scanners, storage devices and printers can exchange information no matter who manufactured the devices or where they are located. There is also a "document management application" called Xerox Documents on Demand for editing and assembling books, and software for tracking use and copyright of materials printed.
The new DocuSP framework will open up the Xerox DocuTech laser printing system to a wide range of information sources, including networks such as Ethernet and Netware, hardware platforms such as DOS Windows and Macintosh, and page description languages like Adobe Post-Script.
The idea behind the Xerox initiative was to strike at the waste and inefficiencies in publishing caused by the currrent method of editing, printing, storing and distributing books. Warehousing and shipping, particularly, cause expenses that can be eliminated by distributing the printing of certain classes of books to the place where they will be used. One of the target markets Xerox named was textbooks.
Xerox's plan sounded like the perfect answer to a tough problem. The comprehensive, systematic approach to publishing industry conundrums; the high-speed, highquality Xerox scanners and printers; the "open architecture" allowing other manufacturers' … | <urn:uuid:2f8c85df-9b97-4ad5-9163-595ca1d11e56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-16029054/textbooks-terminal-demand-custom.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936281 | 439 | 2.078125 | 2 |
The following is a full text of Gavyn Davies' resignation statement.
Gavyn Davies has been in the post since 2001
When I became chairman of the BBC in 2001, I said that this appointment was
the greatest privilege of my professional life. It will remain so.
The BBC is the finest entity in world broadcasting.
It has a deep regard for
It is trusted and respected by hundreds of millions of people
It is staffed by thousands of programme makers instilled with the
values of public service.
They must let themselves feel no shame about the Hutton Report.
No one at the BBC in the past year has deliberately misled the public, and no one has
acted out of malign motivation.
The BBC is not owned by any government, but is held in perpetuity by its governors and management for the British people.
The public should not take its existence entirely for granted.
It is frequently under attack, both from competitors, and from others who do not share
or understand its principles.
Its friends are too often silent when it is under threat.
In the charter debate now under way, the massive silent majority which loves the BBC needs more often to make its voice heard.
Otherwise its future may not be secure.
The governors and executive of the BBC are put there to serve the British
public and no one else.
They are able to do this because the constitution of the
BBC makes its governance independent of any political or commercial interest,
and because the licence fee ensures secure funding for five years at a stretch.
If these twin pillars are undermined, the whole edifice could come tumbling
On these twin pillars rests the independence of the BBC from political
influence, and on that rests the trust that it wins from the British public.
Because the BBC is so widely trusted, it is crucial that its chairman should
take personal responsibility for ensuring that the highest standards of accuracy
and impartiality are maintained in its news output.
Licence payers cannot
maintain their trust in the output of the BBC unless they can have confidence in
The Hutton Report will undermine that confidence.
Lord Hutton has concluded
that much of Andrew Gilligan's report on weapons of mass destruction was wrong.
He has said that the BBC's editorial and managerial processes were flawed.
If true, these would be serious failings.
Many of the Hutton criticisms of BBC
managerial procedures were accepted by the BBC during the Inquiry.
We have now taken steps to remedy them.
More serious still, Lord Hutton has criticised the actions of the governors.
He has, in mitigation, recognised that the governors found themselves in a
difficult position last July, not least because they faced an intemperate attack
from Mr Campbell, which undoubtedly scrambled our radar screens at the top of
Lord Hutton has said that the governors were right to defend the BBC's
independence in the face of Mr Campbell's charge that the organisation's war
coverage was biased.
Importantly, his Lordship has not suggested that the governance of the BBC
has systemic defects which need to be remedied.
Critics of the system should
take careful note of this.
But he has concluded that in the highly unusual
circumstances of last summer, the governors should have conducted their own
investigation of Mr Campbell's complaints, on top of that which had been
conducted by management.
I wish we had asked for such a special investigation last summer.
doubt whether this would in practice have made much difference to the course of
the tragic events which were then unfolding (since a decisive verdict could not
have been reached without seeing the successive drafts of the dossier), even an
inconclusive inquiry would have protected the governors from subsequent attack.
In my evidence to the Inquiry, I said that the chairman should accept
ultimate responsibility for everything the BBC does.
That is even more true of
the actions of the board of governors than it is of the rest of the
I am happy to accept that ultimate responsibility.
So it is unavoidable that Lord Hutton's report, which was prepared with
diligence and care, has created a new situation which needs to be addressed.
But before coming to that, I wish to raise some important questions about the report
Freedom of the press
First, is it clearly possible to reconcile Lord Hutton's bald conclusions on
the production of the September 2002 dossier with the balance of evidence that
was presented to him during his own Inquiry.
Second, did his verdict on Mr Gilligan's reports take sufficient account of
what was said by Dr Kelly on tape to Susan Watts?
Third, did his criticisms of the BBC take sufficient account of the
extenuating circumstances which were created by the public attacks on the BBC
during and after the war?
Finally, are his conclusions on restricting the use of unverifiable sources
in British journalism based on sound law and, if applied, would they constitute
a threat to the freedom of the press in this country?
I am sure that these questions will be widely debated.
But, whatever the
outcome, I have been brought up to believe that you cannot choose your own
referee, and that the referee's decision is final.
There is an honourable tradition in British public life that those charged
with authority at the top of an organisation should accept responsibility for
what happens in that organisation.
I am therefore writing to the Prime Minister
today to tender my resignation as chairman of the BBC, with immediate effect. | <urn:uuid:1cfe2055-0c8e-4dd9-9104-efa9081013b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3439595.stm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973085 | 1,152 | 1.570313 | 2 |
March 21, 2013
Findings to help in design of drugs against virus causing childhood illnesses
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - New research findings may help scientists design drugs to treat a virus infection that causes potentially fatal brain swelling and paralysis in children.
The virus, called enterovirus 71, causes hand, foot and mouth disease and is common throughout the world. Although that disease usually is not fatal, the virus has been reported to cause fatal encephalitis in infants and young children, primarily in the Asia-Pacific region.
Currently, no cure exists for the infection.
New findings show the precise structure of the virus bound to a molecule that inhibits infection. The findings are detailed in a paper appearing this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"These results provide a structural basis for development of drugs to fight enterovirus 71 infection," said Michael G. Rossmann, Purdue University's Hanley Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences.
Rossmann is co-author of a paper with Purdue postdoctoral research associate Pavel Plevka; research scientist Rushika Perera; postdoctoral research associate Moh Lan Yap; Jane Cardosa, a researcher at Sentinext Therapeutics in Malaysia; and Richard J. Kuhn, a professor and head of Purdue's Department of Biological Sciences.
The researchers had previously used a technique called X-ray crystallography to determine the virus's precise structure. A small molecule called a "pocket factor" is located within a pocket of the virus's protective shell, called the capsid. When the virus binds to a human cell, the pocket factor is squeezed out of its pocket resulting in the destabilization of the virus particle, which then disintegrates and releases its genetic material to infect the cell and replicate.
Researchers led by Rossmann have developed antiviral drugs for other enteroviruses such as rhinoviruses that cause the common cold. The drugs work by replacing the pocket factor with a molecule that binds more tightly than the real pocket factor, inhibiting infection.
In the new work, the researchers obtained a near-atomic-scale resolution three-dimensional structure of enterovirus 71 binding with an inhibitor called WIN 51711.
"We show that the compound stabilizes the virus and limits its infectivity, probably through restricting dynamics of the capsid necessary for genome release," Rossmann said. "Our results provide a structural basis for development of antienterovirus 71 capsid-binding drugs."
At a resolution of 3.2 angstrom, the images show nearly atomic-scale structural features.
Hand, foot and mouth disease, an infection most common among young children, sometimes arises in a daycare setting. Of the 427,278 cases of the disease recorded in mainland China between January and May 2010, 5,454 cases were classified as severe, with 260 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Writer: Emil Venere, 765-494-4709, email@example.com
Sources: Pavel Plevka, 765-494-8712, firstname.lastname@example.org
Michael Rossmann, 765-494-4911, email@example.com
Richard J. Kuhn, 765-494-4407, firstname.lastname@example.org
Rushika Perera, email@example.com
Note to Journalists: A copy of the research paper is available from Emil Venere, Purdue News Service, at 765-494-4709, firstname.lastname@example.org
Structure of Human Enterovirus 71 in Complex with a Capsid-Binding Inhibitor
Pavel Plevkaa,1, Rushika Pereraa,1, Moh Lan Yapa Jane Cardosab, Richard J. Kuhna, and Michael G. Rossmanna*
aDepartment of Biological Sciences, Purdue University
bSentinext Therapeutics, Malaysia
* To whom correspondence should be addressed: email@example.com
Human enterovirus 71 is a picornavirus causing hand, foot and mouth disease that may progress to fatal encephalitis in infants and small children. As of now, no cure is available for enterovirus 71 infections. Small molecule inhibitors binding into a hydrophobic pocket within capsid viral protein 1 were previously shown to effectively limit infectivity of many picornaviruses. Here we report a 3.2-Å-resolution X-ray structure of the enterovirus 71 virion complexed with the capsid-binding inhibitor WIN 51711. The inhibitor replaced the natural pocket factor within the viral protein 1 pocket without inducing any detectable rearrangements in the structure of the capsid. Furthermore, we show that the compound stabilizes enterovirus 71 virions and limits its infectivity, probably through restricting dynamics of the capsid necessary for genome release. Thus, our results provide a structural basis for development of antienterovirus 71 capsid-binding drugs. | <urn:uuid:97c85b78-63b0-4fed-8cdd-cf5781eb9384> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2013/Q1/findings-to-help-in-design-of-drugs-against-virus-causing-childhood-illnesses.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90415 | 1,053 | 3.09375 | 3 |
In another move to put a fresher face on the British monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II has told Parliament that she approves of plans to end the ages-old tradition of having the eldest son ascend to the British throne.
Word of the Queen's view emerged during a debate in the House of Lords with none of the drama one might expect of an endorsement to change centuries of royal practice, and it caught peers and royal-watchers by surprise.
According to the BBC Court correspondent, Buckingham Palace officials said it was unprecedented for the Queen to make her views known before legislation.
The news that the Queen is willing to abandon the custom know as primogeniture was delivered by the Junior Home Office Minister, Lord Williams of Mostyn. The Queen, he said, ''had no objection to the Government's view that in determining the line of succession to the throne, daughters and sons should be treated in the same way.''
This means that Prince William's eldest child, if he has one, will follow him to the throne, whether girl or boy. The change, if passed by both houses of Parliament, would make no difference to the right of the current heirs, Prince Charles and William, his eldest son. If William's first child were a daughter, however, she may rise to the throne.
Elizabeth II became the monarch only because her father, King George VI, died without sons.
The Queen's announcement immediately gave rise to speculation that it was a step to address public longing that she modernize the monarchy after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, on Aug. 31 after an automobile accident in Paris.
In the emotional aftermath of that convulsive event, the royal family was accused of being out of touch with its subjects and challenged to make the institution more accessible. One of the most noted characteristics of the crowds that flocked to the sites associated with Diana was the fact that so many were women.
Hearing of today's development, Harold Brooks-Baker, director of Burke's Peerage, said, ''This is just one more step on the way to modernizing the monarchy and bringing it from the 18th century into the 20th century.''
In recent years, the royal family has reduced its expenditures, limited the people living in its residences and devoted itself more publicly to charitable causes. Prince Charles, long a remote figure, has tried in recent trips abroad to present himself as a more relaxed and accessible figure.
Lord Williams, a Labor peer, conveyed the Queen's sentiments during a debate on the Succession to the Crown Bill, which is being handled by Lord Archer, better known as Jeffrey Archer, the novelist and former Conservative Party deputy chairman.
''Who among us would say on balance that our kings have been more impressive and have more impressive records than our queens,'' Lord Archer asked. ''Queen Elizabeth II is respected and admired from one side of the globe to the other, and the idea that her great-grand-daughter should not be allowed to ascend to the throne ahead of a younger brother is not only farcical but insulting to over half the population of this country.''
Lord Williams said a bill introduced by an individual peer was not an ''appropriate vehicle'' for ''such a major constitutional measure'' and should properly be the focus of a Government bill.
Lord Archer, a Conservative peer, promptly withdrew his measure in the assurance that the Labor Government of Prime Minister Tony Blair would follow through with a formal measure.
He said he was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events. ''I am delighted both to hear what Her Majesty has said and to hear what the Government has said.''
Earlier Lord Archer had argued: ''We have in Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II three magnificent monarchs. If you put up the three best kings against the three best queens, the queens more than hold their own.''
Lord Williams said the Government had consulted the Queen before going on record as favoring the change. ''We will be considering how to carry this through within government and in consultation with the Royal Family,'' he told the Lords.
The basis for the succession was determined in the constitutional developments of the 17th century, which culminated in the Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Act of Settlement of 1701. The succession is regulated not only through descent, but also by statute.
The monarchies in Sweden and Belgium have already instituted such changes.
It was not immediately clear how a change in lines of succession will affect customs of inheritance among the old families of Britain.
If the House of Lords was an unlikely place for a change of such constitutional importance to come up, Lord Gainford rose to supply the quaint touch more commonly associated with the ancient forum.
''Women are beautiful and wonderful creatures,'' the 76-year-old Tory peer said. ''I enjoy their company. I am not a dirty old man. I am a very sexy senior citizen. They can drive men proverbially up the wall, across the ceiling and down the other side, and we love them.'' | <urn:uuid:65e88f95-4593-4a88-932b-a046f62a3d0b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/28/world/equal-rights-to-english-throne-firstborn-would-be-first-in-line.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971774 | 1,016 | 2.25 | 2 |
FBI finds additional materials on Waco gas cannisters
September 1, 1999
Web posted at: 10:26 p.m. EDT (0226 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- CNN has learned the Justice Department has discovered "additional materials" relating to the 1993 siege of the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas -- materials previously undisclosed.
"Earlier this afternoon senior Justice officials learned from the FBI the FBI has found additional materials in its possession regarding the shooting of military CS (gas canister) rounds on the morning of April 19 (1993)," the Justice Department said in a written statement late Wednesday.
According to a senior law enforcement official, the materials -- which have been transfered to FBI headquarters in Washington -- include video and audio tapes, which allegedly show the request and the approval for the use of CS gas devices, which have been described by FBI officials as possibly pyrotechnic.
Last week, the FBI revealed that pyrotechnic tear gas canisters were fired at a bunker near the central compound occupied by Branch Davidian leader David Koresh and 79 of his followers. That revelation contradicted earlier claims that no such devices were used in the final assault on the compound on April 19, 1993.
Despite the new admissions by the FBI, officials continue to insist that the Davidians started the fire that consumed the compound. The agency says the tear gas canisters could not have contributed to the blaze.
According to the source, the tapes show the request and approval decision appears to have been made in the field by field commanders -- which seems to support the early contention by senior FBI officials they were not involved in the decision to use the CS gas canisters and did not know about it at the time.
A senior law enforcement source said FBI officials characterized the disclosure as both a "good-news and bad-news" scenario. The good news, say officials, is that it sheds additional light on what happened at Waco, but also paints an embarrassing scenario because the materials should have been discovered earlier.
White House favors independent investigation
While the House Judiciary Committee is drafting a proposal for a "blue ribbon" commission to investigate the incident, a senior administration official tells CNN the White House is pushing for an independent investigation of the matter.
Sam Stratmen, a spokesman for the committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-Illinois), said the commission would be sanctioned by Congress but said its five participants would not be members of either body. Instead, the commission members would be appointed by the House and Senate leadership.
There already are several ongoing congressional inquiries, and the commission would not replace the investigations being conducted by the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"A commission offers us an opportunity for a much more thorough, dispassionate, thoughtful response," Stratman said.
House Judiciary Committee officials said they are anxious to avoid what Stratman called "the political theater swamp" that critics claim have been the case for previous congressional committee inquiries into Waco.
Both the House and Senate would have to approve a bill sanctioning such a commission before it could be established. If approved, the panel would have subpoena power and a staff of investigators.
The House could consider the proposal as early as next week when it returns from recess.
On Tuesday, FBI Director Louis Freeh informed U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno that someone outside the Justice Department should head the investigation into the final assault on the Branch Davidian compound.
A source close to Freeh said he wants an outside probe that would operate similar to that of an independent counsel or special prosecutor.
The White House supports an independent investigation of the FBI's failure to disclose the use of pyrotechnic devices during the siege and has made its support for such an investigation known to Reno, a senior administration official tells CNN.
The official predicts an announcement about the investigation would come from the Justice Department soon, most likely on Friday.
Both Reno and Freeh, according to two officials, are of the opinion an independent investigation is necessary to explore the controversy.
CNN's John King, Kevin Bohn, Pierre Thomas and Chris Plante
contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:dd851a5f-6afa-492a-8b49-96bf4a70a425> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/09/01/fbi.waco/index.html?_s=PM:ALLPOLITICS | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968183 | 848 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Irish Mince Pies
These are not perhaps as traditional in Ireland as they are in England, from where they originally came, but are widely made and enjoyed just the same.
The most important thing to understand is that although the pies are filled with what is known as ‘mincemeat’ there is NO actual meat in it. It is a rich mixture of fruit, nuts, spices and fat.
In England, where there is no doubt the recipe originated, suet is the only fat used, and often in a higher quantity than is used in this recipe. That may make it more authentic, but personally I think too much suet makes the mincemeat stodgy and heavy.
My mother always substituted half butter and in talking to other people in Ireland it seems that is is quite commonly done. So I am sticking with the version more likely to be made at home in Ireland.
Making Irish Mince Pies
Of course you could shorten this considerably by buying mincemeat and frozen pastry and just assembling the lot at home. But it is so easy to make the mincemeat part at home from scratch and it’s much nicer than most of the commercially produced ones.
But, I am not giving a recipe for the pastry – just use your favourite short crust pastry recipe or use frozen pastry.
This recipes uses weight rather than American cups for the ingredients. The best conversions list I have found is this one.
1. Mincemeat Recipe
If you cannot get candied peel just leave it out.
Use all butter if you can’t get suet – or if you prefer the taste.
Mixed spice is made from approx equal amounts of ground allspice, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
- 1/2 lb sultanas
- 1/2 lb raisins
- 1/4 lb currants
- 2 oz candied peel
- 2 oz chopped almonds
- 1/4 lb shredded suet
- *1/4 lb Irish butter
- 1/2 lb soft brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
- grated zest & juice of 1 lemon
- grated zest & juice of 1 orange
- 3 tablespoons brandy (cognac)
You will also need more brandy for later.
*American butter is lower in fat and higher in water content than Irish butter. Kerrygold Irish butter is available in some places in the USA, if you can find it use that. Otherwise Plugra is a good alternative.
Tp prepare the butter for this recipe, put it into the freezer for about half an hour before you start, then remove and finely grate it.
Sterilized glass jars with a tight sealing lid.
How to Make
This is the easiest thing to make! Just mix all the ingredients well in a bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with a cloth and leave it somewhere cool for 4 days. Every day, twice or three times a day, give it a good stir, and if it seems to be getting dry add a couple of tablespoons of brandy.
After the 4 days, pot it into sterilized glass jars, top with a circle of silicone paper and seal the jar well, just as you would for jam. It lasts for ages, up to a year anyway. You may need to add more brandy from time to time to keep it moist.
2. Making the Pies
This recipe will make about 15-18 pies.
- 1 lb prepared short crust pastry
- Mincemeat as required
- I egg beaten with a dessertspoon of milk (to glaze)
- Fine sugar for dusting
How to Make
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Roll out about 2/3 of the pastry to about 1/8 inch thick. Keep the left over trimmings.
Cut the pastry into rounds large enough to line your cake cases. Spoon about a dessertspoon of mincemeat into each pastry case – don’t overfill.
Now roll out the remaining pastry to about 1/8 inch thick. Again keep the trimmings. Now cut rounds large enough to cover each little pie.
Use the pastry trimmings to cut small decorations – Christmas tree or holly leaf shapes maybe. Place one on top of each pie. Brush the entire surface of each pie with the egg/milk glaze.
Place in the oven for 30 minutes, until the pies are golden brown on top. Remove and shake a little fine sugar over them while they are still warm.
Serve now, or store and reheat in the microwave when needed. Mince pies freeze very well so can be stored for quite a long time.
They are usually served hot with cold whipped cream. Yum!! | <urn:uuid:3582fa71-949a-40c1-8f62-556d826ea0f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dochara.com/the-irish/irish-christmas/irish-mince-pies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941149 | 999 | 1.71875 | 2 |
To the editor:
Driving around town recently I’ve noticed the road signs imploring citizens to “Stop the Desal”. This is in reference to United Water’s (UW) proposal to construct a desalination plant in Haverstraw Bay, which according to a UW 2010 estimate could cost between $139 million and $189 million. Independent experts calculate the cost to be significantly higher once hidden factors are taken into consideration. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is currently reviewing all comments and the larger questions of true cost are being asked.
This got me thinking about the numbers behind this. As an engineer, I am naturally drawn to numbers and looking at things in an analytical light. While there are many technical reasons why desalination is not the most cost effective or environmentally sound water source, I want to focus purely on the numbers of what is at play.
United Water’s Annual Water Quality Report issued in May 2012 included some interesting statistics. On page three of this report UW states: “In 2011, United Water produced 10.63 billion gallons of water. We determined that 25 percent of the water we produced is non-revenue producing. This is water lost due to leaks, main breaks, under-registering meters, fire fighting, hydrant flushing and theft of service.” This is a rather interesting percentage. When you look at what that translates into you find the following:
- 25% of 10.63 billion gallons is equal to 2.658 billion gallons for the year
- Taking that 2.658 billion gallons of water and dividing it by 365 days (for a year) yields 7.28 million gallons of Wwater per day.
- In 2011, United Water LOST 7.28 mILLION gallons of water per day. While a portion of that number is related to fire fighting, a larger percentage is related to leaks in pipes and water main breaks.
United Water’s proposed desalination plant at full build out is proposed to provide 7.5 million gallons of water per day. At United Water’s current annual lost water rate of 7.28 million gallons per day, the net increase from the proposed desalination plant would be approximately 219,000 gallons of water per day at a cost of between $139 million and $189 million (in 2010 dollars). So each gallon of water would cost between $634 and $862 per gallon. This would rival some of the most premium aged scotches available.
The United Water proposed desalination project does nothing to improve or enhance the existing water transmission/supply system. Instead it creates a brand new plant that does not currently exist that will provide an additional burden of infrastructure (pumps, pipes, controls, electrical equipment, buildings, etc.) that will have to be operated, maintained and replaced as part of a capital improvement program. Once it is built we are stuck with it and the operating costs forever. That means every 15 years or so the pumping systems, motors, controls, etc. will have to be upgraded at the cost of millions of dollars. All of this would be funded by us -- the rate payers.
In addition, pushing more water through the already aged system of pipes will likely result in yet more water main breaks and leaks. So, after spending close to $200 million dollars we may not have increased our water supply at all. Instead we are just trying to cover the losses of what United Water already “produces” or actually takes from the surrounding environment. This is United Water’s proposal instead of spending money on improving the existing infrastructure to prevent these unreasonable losses of a precious resource. What other business do you know of that can lose 25-percent of their product and still be profitable?
This does not make any mathematical sense at all. There are several options and alternatives that can provide additional water sources that would not include such a foolish use of rate payer dollars. Many of the alternatives would create construction jobs and if we invested more on fixing existing infrastructure would also result in more construction jobs. Let’s think about a more robust and sensible solution to our water needs and protect our existing infrastructure and environment.
It should not be forgotten that UW is a private company with a corporate interest; the goal is making profits, not to spend on improvements to existing infrastructure, leaving us poorly served. Maybe this is why Paris has elected to not renew their contract with Suez Environment (French parent company of United Water) and take back their public water supply to return to municipal ownership and operation.
-Rich Feminella, Upper Nyack | <urn:uuid:f4a3bd56-0189-4577-8f9e-ff7f6f996e42> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nyack.patch.com/groups/opinion/p/opinion-desalination-plant-doesn-t-add-up | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955002 | 948 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Green Initiatives at the Raisin Rack
The Raisin Rack just doesn't talk the talk when it comes to being part of the green movement and protecting the Earth. We walk the walk in our commitment to Earth-friendly endeavors. We strive to be good stewards of the valuable resources we are blessed to have on the planet.
Our stores incorporate a number of environmentally conscious management practices that we would like to highlight.
Both stores participate in American Electric Power's green product program, purchasing the maximum number of renewable energy certificates that will represent up to 100,000 kilowatt hours per month.
The Raisin Rack recycles its cardboard and plastic bags. The bags in our checkout lanes are made from post-recycled plastics and recycled paper, and we offer reusable polyprophylene bags. Our Westerville cafe and Canton juice bar use corn-based containers. Our lighting is energy efficient and is being converted to low-wattage lamps, and in Westerville the heating and air conditioning system reclaims the heat generated from its operation to heat the water used in the store. We also have on-site containers for our customers to recycle paper and plastic.
For more information on recycling in the Columbus area, contact SWACO at 614-871-5100 or email@example.com. Our customers at the Canton store can visit www.plaintownship.com or call 330-451-7808. For those who live outside Plain Township in the Canton area, contact the Joint Solid Waste Management District at 1-800-678-9839. | <urn:uuid:ad0f8beb-5e31-48d0-b2d0-e23e8b0988af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.raisinrack.com/common/news/store_news.asp?task=store_news&sid_store_news=37&storeID=13T859V47NGF9N44EB2PFAB7J308BJT1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900534 | 325 | 1.742188 | 2 |
The summer months generally produced below average temperatures and below average rainfall, according to Karl M. Loeper, weather specialist at the National Weather Service at Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Airport.
The average temperature in June was 69.1 degrees, 0.1 degree less than normal for the month. The high temperature was 90 degrees on June 1, and the low was 44 degrees on June 3. June's rainfall totaled 2.51 inches, 0.94 inch less than normal for the month.
Total heating degree days were 20, eight more than normal, and total cooling degree days were 152, 14 more than normal.
The average temperature in July was 73.9 degrees, 0.1 degree greater than the norm. The high temperature was 96 degrees on July 7, and the low, 50, on the 4th. July's total precipitation was 4.46 inches, 0.33 inch greater than normal for the month.
There were no heating degree days in July and a total of 282 cooling degree days, nine more than the average for the month.
The average temperature in August was 69.6 degrees, 2.5 degrees less than normal for the month. The high temperature was 87 on the 10th and the low, 41 on the 30th. August's total rainfall was 3.77 inches, 0.67 degree less than normal. | <urn:uuid:b1c60d22-6d26-45bc-8511-1e7c70dfc2d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.mcall.com/1986-09-22/news/2533217_1_heating-degree-degree-days-average-temperature | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980239 | 281 | 1.929688 | 2 |
Energy Department Announces $5.2 Million to Advance Heating and Cooling Systems and Other Building Efficiency Technologies
March 09, 2012
As part of the Obama Administration's blueprint for an American economy built to last, Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the availability of up to $5.2 million in fiscal year 2012 to develop improved building efficiency technologies, including advanced heating and cooling systems and high efficiency insulation, windows and roofs. This funding will advance the research, development, demonstration, and manufacture of innovative building technologies to speed the commercialization of affordable, high performance products that will save money for American families and businesses.
Homes and commercial buildings consume approximately 40% of the energy used in the United States, costing American consumers more than $400 billion, and nearly a third of that energy is used for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). Advancing HVAC building technologies and improving the design and materials that make up a building's "envelope," or air seal, will significantly reduce the cost of heating and cooling residential and commercial buildings, while providing a tremendous opportunity to cut carbon emissions and reduce the nation's reliance on fossil fuels. This effort supports the department's commitment to an all-out, all-of-the-above approach to American energy, which includes saving businesses and families money by saving energy.
The department seeks applicants for up to $5.2 million in funding to support breakthroughs in energy-saving HVAC systems and building envelope solutions. Eligible mechanical HVAC system projects should aim to increase the efficiency of cost-effective systems and components suitable for both existing buildings and new construction. Eligible building envelope projects will focus on advancing high performance, cost-effective and attractive solutions to minimize energy loss in homes and commercial buildings. The Energy Department is particularly interested in proposals for innovative technologies for use in existing buildings, especially if they can help accelerate adoption of energy efficient building upgrades.
As part of a planned three-year initiative, Congress has appropriated an initial $5.2 million in fiscal year 2012, including $1.2 million for HVAC and building envelope projects that develop advanced manufacturing processes or equipment to help lower the life-cycle energy cost of manufactured products and improve the performance of energy efficient building technologies. The Energy Department plans to make additional requests totaling $10.8 million to Congress over the next two years to support these innovative building efficiency technologies.
Applications will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 17, 2012. For more information on this funding opportunity and others, see DOE's Funding Opportunity Exchange website.
The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) speeds development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. Learn more about EERE's efforts to develop and promote efficient, affordable, and environmentally friendly building technologies, systems, and practices. Find out more about EERE's work to increase energy productivity and foster innovations in advanced manufacturing that will bolster U.S. technology leadership and global competitiveness. | <urn:uuid:b791dd04-6d28-4e62-a917-56f45a9409c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=693 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934872 | 634 | 1.742188 | 2 |
The professional expertise and personal contacts a board member brings to a nonprofit organization can be invaluable. For example, introductions from a board member can open doors to new sources of funding or to more cost effective suppliers. Committed board members are always on the lookout for ways they can help the organization.
Certainly, ethical violations or other improprieties are hardly, if ever, on the minds of those who agree to serve an organization that is dedicated to doing charitable, educational, or humanitarian work. But busy individuals have numerous interests and may be engaged in activities that create conflicts of priority. A board member has a duty of loyalty to the organization on whose board he or she serves. When personal interests collide with organizational interests, they need to be managed appropriately.
These kinds of activities may involve but aren’t limited to financial dealings. Wanting the organization to save some of its precious dollars, for example, a board member may offer his or her legal expertise to draft contracts or agreements. The board chair may capitalize on the position’s high profile and be named to the board of a funding agency to keep an eye out for the organization. An employee may suggest channeling business to a startup firm, which happens to be owned by a family member. Or the organization may make a large purchase from a company owned by a board member. If due diligence is not part of hiring processes, vendor choices, or the signing of any contracts, the nonprofit risks losing its good reputation, and the board members may appear to fail to meet the legal standard of putting the organization first before their own personal gain. Lapses in ethical or moral behavior can instantly attract media attention and draw the ire of the community: when people “on the inside” profit from a nonprofit’s activities, this may lead to private inurement or personal benefit. The public’s trust is violated, and the organization’s nonprofit status may be put in jeopardy.
Conflicts of interest, sometimes referred to as duality of interest, happen all the time. In fact, they’re inevitable. But they are also manageable. Following are practices to help avoid any appearance of impropriety, which can be as damaging as an actual occurrence of it.
ConflictS’of’interest policy. Start with a written policy for both board and staff that outlines standards of conduct that reflect personal and organizational integrity. This policy should require full disclosure of a board member’s connections with any individuals, groups, and companies doing business with the organization. The majority of nonprofit organizations surveyed by BoardSource 75 percent have a conflict-of-interest policy, and 57 percent of them have referred to the policy in the preceding two years.
In the document, provide examples of actual and perceived conflicts of interest specific instances when a board member might find it difficult to make an objective decision. An awareness of what potentially constitutes a conflict of interest and subtle reminders of board members obligations can keep everyone focused on what’s best for the organization.
Disclosure statement. Work with legal counsel to develop a statement for each board member to sign that identifies, or discloses, potential conflicts of interest. In signing this disclosure statement, typically once a year, board members also signify their understanding of and agreement with the standards of conduct. Assure board members that the statements will remain confidential and would be disclosed only to an attorney or auditor should a serious problem arise. The statement, in a nonthreatening manner, should ask the board member to
Disclose personal or professional affiliations (including those of immediate family members) with companies the nonprofit organization does business with. Board members should report, for instance, whether they hold a sizable amount of stock or have other financial interests in a company.
Disclose any personal business dealings (including those of immediate family members) he or she has had with the nonprofit organization in the previous twelve months.
List other corporate or nonprofit boards on which he or she (or an immediate family member) serves. This helps reveal whether a board member may be put in the position to raise funds for competing organizations or handle confidential information in an inappropriate manner.
Policy review with new members. When recruiting new board members, identify conflicts of interest that may arise and explain the disclosure policy they will be asked to sign. If a major conflict of interest seems likely to arise during his or her term in office, you may want to postpone that person’s election to the board.
(guidelines for handling potential conflict. Develop guidelines for identifying potential conflicts of interest among both board and staff and for handling any situation that arises. Following are some examples:
Before voting on an agenda item related to an expenditure or the awarding of a contract, the board chair should ask all directors whether a real or potential conflict of interest exists.
When a conflict of interest has been identified, the board member should excuse himself or herself from the discussion and the decision. The board chair may need to issue a reminder for the board member to leave the room.
If a conflict of interest comes to the attention of the organization, designate who will discuss it with the board member involved (for example, the board chair or the executive committee). Include a provision for addressing conflicts of interest that involve the board chair.
Establish procedures for obtaining competitive bids on outsourced jobs. For instance, require that every job costing $1,000 or more be put out for bid to at least three vendors. This step shows that employees have conducted cost-comparison research and provides supporting documentation if the contract is ultimately awarded to someone having ties to the organization.
Ask staff members to update their conflict-of-interest forms annually. These forms should be similar to those signed by the board of directors.
Prohibit staff members from serving on the board of directors, which sets policies and makes financial decisions that affect their livelihood . One exception is the chief executive, who often is designated as an ex officio and often nonvoting member of the board .
Prohibit staff members from devoting time on the job or using office equipment to pursue projects for personal gain, whether financial or professional. If an employee writes a book, operates a business, or runs for public office, for instance, he or she must do it outside the workplace to avoid any appearance of impropriety.
Ultimately, an organization must trust its judgment in selecting board members on whom it can depend to do the right thing: be loyal to the organization and promote its best interests rather than their own personal agendas. Few conflicts of interest in themselves are illegal; they simply need proper attention and handling.
SUQQESTED ACTION STEPS
1. Board members, establish board guidelines for identifying and handling potential conflicts of interest; communicate these to incoming board members.
2. Board members, develop a statement of full disclosure for each board and senior staff member to review and sign annually.
- What should we do if the finances seem amiss?
- What is the boards role in the annual financial audit?
- What is the boards role in strategic planning?
- What is the boards role in the budget?
- What does the board need to know about reserves and investments?
- How does a board help ensure the organizations long term viability?
- How can technology improve board and committee meetings?
- How should board minutes be written, approved, and kept?
- What if a board member opposes a board decision?
- What are the different ways boards make decisions?
- How should staff members participate in board and committee meetings?
- Who should attend board meetings and what are their roles?
- How is a retreat different from a board meeting?
- When should an organization consider revising its mission statement?
- How can we improve our meetings?
- How often and where should we meet?
- Is a board legally required to hold open meetings?
- How can our board assess and improve its own performance?
- Should board members be evaluated periodically?
- Should board members be compensated? | <urn:uuid:6b8e7629-868d-4811-b7e2-2f71b3f82d45> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://guidewhois.com/2011/01/what-conflict-of-interest-policies-should-we-adopt/ | 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 | 0.960305 | 1,637 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Royal Wedding Date: Prince William & Kate Middleton To Marry April 29, 2011 At Westminster Abbey
The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton will take place on Friday, April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey, according to the British Monarchy Twitter. The couple's engagement was also first announced on Twitter.
Royal officials said Tuesday the couple chose the date because they wanted a spring wedding. It also the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena, whose name Middleton shares.
Queen Elizabeth II married at the abbey, the 1,000-year-old church in central London where British kings and queens are crowned.
William and Kate decided against celebrating their nuptials at St. Paul's Cathedral, where William's parents married in 1981.
Prime Minister David Cameron already declared the wedding date to be a bank holiday, the Daily Mail reported.
British brides-to-be were worried about the wedding date. The Associated Press tracked down ladies trying on wedding dresses to find out what they had to say:
"If their wedding was on my wedding day, I don't know what I would do!" said Anna Whitcomb, 28, trying on wedding dresses at a London department store. "I know all my family members and guests would want to watch the celebration and would be distracted."
"I'm supposed to be the princess, and now I have a real princess to compete with," she added.
Chelsea Slipko, also looking for a wedding gown at the store, said she couldn't deal with sharing a date with the royals.
"It's like having your birthday on New Year's or your anniversary on Valentine's day," she said. "It's not just your day anymore."
In fact, one mother of a bride-to-be actually asked Prince Charles to keep her daughter's date clear:
"My daughter said, 'please keep June 18 free, no one will come to mine," Nila Gosrani told the heir to the British throne as he was touring a museum. Charles said he would pass the message along.
Looks like she lucked out! | <urn:uuid:374aa9ca-1cf8-49d4-814c-28424e79bc77> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/23/royal-wedding-date-prince-william-kate-middleton-april-29-westminster-abbey_n_785963.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976273 | 434 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Colby Hamilton, Writer, WNYC News
Colby Hamilton is a general assignment reporter. He originally joined WNYC as a political blogger. He's a proud graduate of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.
Columbia University is the latest school partnering with the Bloomberg administration to expand its science and engineering footprint in the city.
City and school officials held a press conference on Columbia’s campus Monday to announce the creation of the new Institute for Data Sciences and Engineering. It’s the third educational partnership created since the announcement of a competition a year and a half ago to bring a new tech campus to Roosevelt Island.
“[Columbia’s new program] will encourage the growth of the tech sector in northern Manhattan and in the process solidify our city’s leadership in the innovation economy for decades to come,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
The city plans to provide Columbia with $15 million in financial assistance, including discounts on energy transmission costs and debt forgiveness. Columbia plans to invest $80 million of its own money to create 44,000 square feet worth of space for the Institute for Data Science and Engineering by 2016.
“Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement and the city’s support for the data science institute means that the only constraint that prevents Columbia engineering from being in the very, very top echelon of engineering schools in overall ranking…will essentially be overcome,” said Donald Goldfarb, the dean of Columbia’s School for Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Columbia’s new program with the city is the third announced by the Bloomberg administration since it launched the Applied Sciences Initiative a year and a half ago. Initially, the plan was to have schools compete for the rights to build a new tech campus on city-owned land. In December of last year, Cornell University, with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, its partner, eventually won the rights to build a $2 billion, 2 million square-foot campus on Roosevelt Island with a $100 million provided by the city. In April, the city announced a second partnership, led by NYU, to build a new science center in downtown Brooklyn.
“The applied sciences initiatives that we launched eighteen months ago continue to pass all of our expectations,” said Seth Pinsky, the head of the New York City Economic Development Corporation “New York City is today well on its way to becoming the global center for innovation in the 21st century.”
Columbia plans to create a five-discipline institute that will ultimately result in 75 new faculty positions. The Institute for Data Sciences and Engineering will house centers on new media, smart cities, health analytics, cybersecurity and financial analytics.
Facilities will be located on both the current campus in Morningside Heights, as well as in the new campus being constructed in west Harlem.
The institute will be located at Columbia's Morningside Heights and West Harlem campuses.
Among other things, the university will hire dozens of new faculty in its Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. | <urn:uuid:c6f3c7bc-ff56-45ae-a572-62767c317dfc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2012/jul/30/city-chips-15-million-columbia-science-institute/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942608 | 630 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Hand Hygiene Compliance
The number one defense against healthcare-acquired infections is hand hygiene. In fact, the CDC says that hand washing alone could prevent up to 20,000 patient deaths per year 1.
The biggest hand hygiene barriers we hear from customers are lack of education, behavior challenges and poor skin condition. That’s why Medline has developed a comprehensive program to help increase hand hygiene compliance. Our solution includes a product bundle with soaps, sanitizers and lotions and an educational program. | <urn:uuid:813b0d59-67e8-4143-bc7f-7176376b3d5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.curadusa.com/programs/hand-hygiene-compliance-program?page=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934025 | 103 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto
Updated 22 June 2009
The Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) initiative has developed
significantly over the past three years.
Out and About Guidance and CPD modules for schools and other groups of young learners are now available at www.lotc.org.uk. These resources make clear that LOtC has significant learning benefits for participants and also explore how it can be successfully delivered so that more young people develop their knowledge, understanding and skills beyond the classroom walls.
The LOtC Quality Badge was launched in January 2009, providing for the first time a national accreditation combining the essential elements of provision – learning and safety – into one easily recognisable and trusted Quality Badge for all types of LOtC provider organisations. More and more providers are now signing up to the badge, giving schools and other groups of young learners a much better of idea of the great range of good quality learning experiences on offer. For more information, visit www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk.
The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom is now fully established as the leading voice for LOtC, committed to promoting and championing LOtC, to enable all young people to benefit from increased opportunities for high-quality and varied educational experiences. The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom works closely with its advisory group and the sector partnerships to ensure that the LOtC initiative continues to benefit from the experience and expertise of all its stakeholders.
GEM continues to be involved with the Heritage Sector Partnership and is the key point of contact for the heritage sector regarding LOtC and the Quality Badge. In partnership with the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, GEM has recently produced a Quality Badge Frequently Asked Questions document, which can be downloaded here. This should help to answer some practical queries regarding the badge scheme.
Note: This section of the website is currently being updated. | <urn:uuid:00334f72-be79-4f5c-8be9-02d5fc09776a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gem.org.uk/lotc/lotc_menu.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950139 | 393 | 2.53125 | 3 |
A viral video that captivated Internet viewers on Wednesday turned out to be fake.
The YouTube video of an eagle snatching up a toddler captivated millions of viewers, some of whom may not have immediately realized it was fake.
Uploaded on Tuesday, the clip shows a golden eagle swooping out of the sky to grab an infant in its talons, then dropping the child seconds later. Despite broad and immediate skepticism of its authenticity, it had more than 5 million views by Wednesday evening.
The Canadian digital-media school where the video was created issued a statement Wednesday afternoon clarifying the clip as a hoax and naming the students involved. However the school, Centre NAD, was unapologetic about its prank, even pointing viewers to another hoax video, created by students, of an unlikely penguin escape. (The penguin video had a paltry 37,000 views.)
Comments on YouTube and the school's website were mixed.
Sandra Bauer wrote, "... it would be a good idea to post some links to raptor rescue centres. This video will undoubtedly spawn irrational fear of eagles and others."
A YouTube commenter, DJ Mykee, had a more light-hearted view: "KIDNAPPING CHILDREN IS? ILL-EAGLE."
Warning: The clip contains one word of profanity. | <urn:uuid:22359ade-ac4e-4093-a71e-03cd6caddab2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.click2houston.com/news/Viral-video-of-eagle-was-fake/-/1735978/17845222/-/8pni98z/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962924 | 275 | 1.953125 | 2 |
The State of California, Department of Water Resources (DWR) officials announced their Proposition 50 desalination grant funding recommendations at a special public workshop held in Sacramento.
The Long Beach Water Department has been selected to receive $3 million for its seawater desalination research and development project, which includes design, construction and subsequent research of its Under Ocean Floor Intake and Discharge Demonstration System, the first of its kind in the world, focused on demonstrating an alternative to traditional open ocean intake and discharge practices.
Local agencies, academic and research institutions, and water agencies are able to use these funds for construction, pilot and demonstration projects, research and development, and feasibility studies to increase new water supplies utilizing desalination.
Funding for desalination projects is available through Proposition 50, the Water Quality, Supply and Safe Drinking Water Projects, Coastal Wetlands Purchase and Protection Act passed by California voters in 2002. Proposition 50 authorized the sale of $3.4 billion in general obligation bonds for a variety of water projects including coastal protection, the CALFED Bay Delta Program and integrated regional water management, among others.
In January 2005, DWR received 42 eligible applications requesting $71.3 million in desalination funding. The DWR is recommending that the available $25 million under the current desalination grant cycle be used to fund 25 projects. Approximately $11.5 million of the available funds will support seawater desalination related projects and $13.5 million will support brackish water desalination projects. Brackish water is a mixture of fresh and salt water, found in estuaries and some groundwater supplies.
"In Long Beach we see desalination as part of a very diverse water supply portfolio, made up of reclaimed water, conservation and conjunctive use projects. A diverse water supply portfolio keeps water supply reliability strong, water quality high and water rates low," stated Helen Z. Hansen, president of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners and city of Long Beach representative on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Board of Directors.
"I believe these funding recommendations not only validate the real potential for seawater desalination along the coast of California, but also the need for a meticulous approach to seawater desalination research and development," stated Kevin L. Wattier, general manager of the Long Beach Water Department. "This money will be spent on optimizing both the energy efficiency and environmental issues currently hindering implementation of full-scale seawater desalination."
High operating costs, due primarily to high rates of power consumption, and environmental issues related to open-ocean intake and discharge have rendered seawater desalination cost/environmentally prohibitive. Although significant advancements in technology have extended membrane life while lowering energy requirements, overall energy consumption remains extremely high due to the very high-pressure requirements of reverse osmosis membranes.
Using a small 9,000 gallon-per-day pilot-scale desalter, the Long Beach Water Department has reduced the overall energy requirement (by 20-30%) of seawater desalination using a relatively low-pressure two staged nano-filtration process, developed by Long Beach Water engineers, known as the "Long Beach Method."
This unique process is now being tested on a larger scale. With funding assistance from the United State Bureau of Reclamation, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power and now, the State of California, Long Beach Water will conduct research at a 300,000 gpd prototype-scale desalter incorporating the two-stage nano-filtration process. Construction of this facility will be completed in August 2005. This larger facility is needed to verify the energy savings when employing full-scale membranes and energy recovery units, among other things. The goal is to verify energy savings of the two-stage nano-filtration process and to optimize the process so that it can be duplicated.
Together with its funding partners, Long Beach Water is also undertaking design and construction of an Under Ocean Floor Intake and Discharge Demonstration System, the first of its kind in the world, that will seek to demonstrate that viable, environmentally responsive intake and discharge systems can be developed along the coast of California.
The Long Beach Seawater Desalination Research and Development Project is consistent with the findings and recommendations for seawater desalination of the United States Bureau of Reclamation, California Resources Agency, California Coastal Commission, California Desalination Task Force and the National Marine Sanctuaries at Monterey Bay. The Long Beach Water Department's pursuit of seawater desalination is also an integral component of the Southern California region's long-term water supply plan, included in the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. | <urn:uuid:c534c939-a579-482f-968f-c317411e4311> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wqpmag.com/print/5141 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921221 | 962 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Supreme Court to hear affirmative-action case
Case stems from white student denied admission to University of Texas
The Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear oral arguments in an important affirmative-action case -- whether the University of Texas' race-conscious admissions policy violates the rights of some white applicants.
The justices will decide whether and when skin color and ethnicity can be used to create a diverse college campus. CNN gathered comments from three current or former students with a direct interest in the case. Their comments have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Abigail Fisher, plaintiff in the Supreme Court appeal
Fisher was denied admission to the state's flagship university and filed a lawsuit challenging the selection process. She graduated this year from Louisiana State University, and issued a statement of her views, through her legal team.
FISHER: "I dreamt of going to UT (the University of Texas) ever since the second grade. My dad went there, my sister went there, and tons of friends and family. And it was a tradition I wanted to continue.
"There were people in my (high school) class with lower grades who weren't in all the activities I was in, who were being accepted into UT. And the only difference between us was the color of our skin. I took a ton of AP (advanced placement) classes, I studied hard and did my homework, and I made the honor roll. I was in extracurricular activities -- I played the cello, I was in math club, and I volunteered. I put in the work I thought was necessary to get into UT.
"I was taught from the time I was a little girl that any kind of discrimination was wrong. And for an institution of higher learning to act this way makes no sense to me. What kind of example does this set for others? A good start to stopping discrimination would be getting rid of the boxes on applications -- male, female, race, whatever. Those don't tell admissions people what type of student you are, or how involved you are. All they do is put you into a box, a theoretical box.
"I didn't do this for recognition. I just want to stand up and say this isn't right, because it isn't. I hope that by doing this other students in years to come won't have to worry about the color of their skin when applying to college. If people say anything about me, I hope they say I didn't take this sitting down. I didn't accept the process, because the process is wrong."
Catherine Rodarte, University of Texas senior
Rodarte graduated seventh in her El Paso high school class of around 350. For her, that meant automatic acceptance to the university, which has a race-neutral policy for almost all in-state high schoolers finishing in the top 10 percent of their class. For applicants outside that pool, race is one of several factors considered in the discretionary admissions process, and it is that policy being challenged at the high court. Rodarte spoke with CNN on campus.
RODARTE: "It is really unfortunate for someone to say that the only reason someone got into UT was because of their race. It really undermines the hard work ... these students of color like Latinos or African-Americans put into applying to come here to UT. I personally worked really hard in high school to ensure that I got into a top university with scholarships. To hear people saying that some of us Latinos got in here easily, and the only reason we got in here was because of our race, that's really disappointing. We worked just as hard as anyone else did to get here to UT.
"I applied to the University of Texas because I felt that it was one of the top-tier universities here in Texas. I felt that it gave a lot of opportunities to students to come and purse their education here, and I felt that the values of the University of Texas matched up with my own. The reason that I actually came to UT was because they offered me a scholarship, and coming from a humbled background the financial issue of college was a big deal. To have that support from UT and to have that scholarship was one of my biggest components and decision to come here.
"For me diversity is very important here on campus because it's important to see the different views and opinions of people from different backgrounds. So far, I feel that UT is doing a great job recruiting diverse student body. Currently the number of Latinos has increased from years before.
"I think that if UT didn't consider race as one of its holistic components, then we would have less representation, and that would inhibit the university from the potential it has to compete at a global spectrum because I feel that if UT didn't have the diversity, and didn't consider race one of the many factors to which they accept people, we wouldn't be one of the top 25 ranked universities like we were ranked recently. I feel that UT's ability to provide that diversity makes it a global competitor as a university.
"It's completely erroneous to say you didn't get accepted to a university based on race, because here at UT race isn't the only factor that goes into consideration at the admissions office. I feel that UT's admission process is completely constitutional, and it recruits high-caliber students not only from one background or homogenous population, but from diverse and well-rounded people."
Bradley Poole, University of Texas at Austin junior and president of the Black Student Alliance
The school's Black Student Alliance filed a so-called amicus brief with the high court, supporting UT's admissions policy. The brief was put together with the help of the NAACP's Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Poole spoke with CNN on campus.
POOLE: "The admission process for me was rather simple. I was in the top 10 (percent) of my class. However my school was 76 percent African-American, but where I'm from is generally a diverse area. I'm from Killeen, Texas, which is the sister city to Fort Hood, the largest military installation in the free world. There are people from all walks of life in Killeen, brought there by the military, so I did have a diverse background. So even if I weren't in the top 10 percent, I felt that UT would have taken that into consideration, especially my community involvement.
"I think it's important for everyone to have an equal chance so that is why the top 10 percent plan is set into place. There are things that need to supplement the top 10 percent plan, like a holistic review. One of those factors of a factor of a factor is race. I think it's important to stress diversity for this university, seeing how we are 50,000-plus students, and how we are not only the university that sets the standard for the state but for the region. I think it's important for us to stress diversity not only amongst each other, but in the fact that we are educating each other and there are professors who educate us. It's important to learn from your environment as well, especially in the fragile years of college.
"I think there were other factors that kept Abigail Fisher from being admitted. Race may play a factor into your admittance into UT, but it is a factor of a factor of a factor -- race is a factor of the whole holistic process. So if you weren't admitted into the university based on the top 10 percent plan, there is still hope for those not admitted under that plan to show their community engagement, to see what shaped your lives, and your views on your surroundings and things like that. And race is factor because there are signifiers of race that determine your personality and how others view you. To anyone who believes race was a detriment to them, any white student or any minority student who felt their race was a detriment to them getting into the university, they need to take into account they may have helped another student learn for their professional life.
"I think she's (Fisher's) fighting the wrong fight... To challenge the factor of race in the holistic review process, seeing that race is one of the least (applied) parts of the holistic review process, I feel like it's harping on one of the easiest things she could have argued against."
Copyright 2012 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:8cdea6cc-ccdf-46c0-a182-a4a8c7d952aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kcci.com/news/national/Supreme-Court-to-hear-affirmative-action-case/-/9357144/16918918/-/view/print/-/15foce7/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985088 | 1,725 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Video Surveillance Policy
The Jasper County Public Library strives to maintain a safe and secure environment for its staff and patrons. In pursuit of this objective, selected public areas of the DeMotte and Rensselaer library premises are under video surveillance and recording. Signage will be posted at the library entrances at all times disclosing this activity.
Images from the Library surveillance system are stored digitally on hardware in the Library. It is the intent of the Library to retain all recorded images for a minimum of 14 days, or until image capacity of the system is reached. Then, the oldest stored images will be automatically deleted by the system software to make room for new images.
Typically, images will not be routinely monitored in real-time, nor reviewed by library staff, except when specifically authorized by the Director or appropriate department head.
When an incident occurs on the Library premises:
- Video image recordings will be used to identify the person or persons responsible for Library policy violations, criminal activity, or actions considered disruptive to normal Library operations.
- Video records may be used to assist law enforcement agencies in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.
- Video recordings of incidents can be retained and reviewed as long as considered necessary by the Library Director.
- Images may be shared with other Library staff to identify person(s) suspended from Library property and to maintain a safe and secure environment.
- While it is recognized that video surveillance will not prevent all incidents, its potential deterrent effect, and resource as a means of identifying and prosecuting offenders is considered worthwhile. | <urn:uuid:f7b89d9a-f1ce-4fe4-b0b4-d303b1553dd1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jasperco.lib.in.us/about/policies/video-surveillance-policy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927102 | 312 | 1.929688 | 2 |
It's been only a week or so since the 10-year commemoration of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Already, the background static of American life has submerged thoughts of that terrible day and its appalling loss of life, instead turned to nattering about the small, immediate matters of the everyday, things like Netflix' doubling down on annoying business decisions by splitting itself in two.
I didn't want to tune in to the televised reminders of 9/11. It makes perfect sense to look back at that time, but the scarring trauma of that day is not something I wish to spend a lot of time replaying—it has felt too real and present ever since. I have watched the Towers fall too many times already. The day itself was bad enough, and in the months that followed, catastophe seemed all too nearby.
Thanks to the trauma and fear that became so real on 9/11, we as a nation steered exactly the wrong course. The wake of that terrible event saw even the absurdly maligned French declaring "We're all Americans now," a remarkable expression of the zeitgeist which might have continued had we but stuck to the ideals that used to define us. What happened instead was possibly the biggest squandering of good will in our history, a wholesale abandonment of what had been American ideals. Now, like it or not, we torture, engage in pre-emptive war, and have endured the politics of endless fearmongering. The fearmongers and architects of an impossible and endless war against an abstraction ("terror") have laid claim to 9/11 as their ultimate justification, but all of us went through that time, and none of us "owns" it.
Watching the unravelling of so much that had been American complicates the commemoration of a day that didn't "change everything," but which changed exactly the wrong things. It's very hard to feel anything but sadness at what America now unavoidably stands for. Even the election of a new president has changed little. The trampling of civil rights and the justification of the criminal act of torture have not changed; they've only become less central to the political debate.
I spent much of Sept. 11, 2011 at an art exhibition at the Canal Gallery in Holyoke. Art invariably offers something more useful in traumatic times than does watching televised ceremonies. Many of the artworks on display—paintings and collage panels of news and clipped images from the year following Sept. 11, 2001 by Mary Bernstein; an installation of sculptural elements in protest of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by Harriet Diamond—were concerned directly with the aftermath of 9/11. The third exhibition, Matthew Mitchell's first 50 portraits from the 100 Faces of War Experience, was concerned with the wars of recent years. The atmosphere was somber, but involved no thoughtless flag-waving, no unquestioning, blanket embrace of the justness of American actions. It felt like a space in which one's reactions could be personal and undirected.
After wandering through the exhibitions, witnessing a performance piece by Krista DeNio, and seeing a panel discussion with artists and veterans, I headed out. On my way to the door, I noticed something I'd somehow missed on the way in. It was a sculptural piece by Holyoke-based artist Bruce Fowler. Two bright plexiglass towers, maybe seven feet tall and a foot wide, stretched up in a dark corner. A few handfuls of light gray ashes filled a bottom corner of each. The ashes came from the Twin Towers, and were collected by the artist in 2001.
Fowler's sculpted response to 9/11 was uncomplicated, deeply affecting, and all too real. I stood transfixed for a few minutes, trying to come to grips with the reality of those ashes. It's often difficult, when faced with an object aeons old or an object of historical significance, to somehow feel that importance, to make the artifact seem like something other than a hunk of wood or random pile of ashes. Perhaps because Fowler devised a simple and evocative context for the ashes he collected, it was all too easy to look at them and feel the importance of the agonizing struggle for American ideals that has followed the rubble of that day, too easy to remember the terrible spectacle of towers full of people turning to ash.
Fowler's piece, unadorned with faux patriotism or political agenda, turned out to be the most useful remembrance of the event I have seen. Though I'm sure his work will resonate differently for others, it reminded me why the old American ideals are still worth standing up for, why it's worth resisting a helpless transformation to a terror-fueled shadow of our former selves. I wandered from the gallery into a warm night, glad to have been right there, right then. | <urn:uuid:08a3d327-1152-4344-b709-8945ab811916> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=14094 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972914 | 992 | 2 | 2 |
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The American Urological Association recommends men begin annual prostate exams and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests to help detect any prostate problems starting at age 40.
High risk - African-Americans, Hispanics and men with a family history of prostate cancer should begin annual screenings early or as recommended by their physician.
The prostate is a
When you are young, the prostate is about the size of a walnut and slowly grows with age. This becomes common after the age of 50. This condition is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cancer and other infections can also cause urinary problems.
Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas offers advanced treatment for men with prostate health issues including the daVinci Robotic Surgical System®, a minimally invasive treatment for prostate cancer, and the GreenLight PVP™ Laser treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or enlarged prostate.
For more information or referral to a urologist, call 1.800.4BAYLOR.
Prostate health concerns include more than prostate cancer. There are a variety of issues that can affect the prostate. Some of the prostate health concerns we treat are:
Symptoms of a variety of forms of prostate disease can be similar so it is important to check with your physician if you have any of these problems:
It is important for all men age 40 or older to have an annual prostate exam. This may aide in the early detection of any prostate health issues. Prostate cancer is most often diagnosed through several tests including a prostate exam, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a prostate sonogram and biopsy. Those at highest risk including African-American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer should begin this annual screening by age 40.
If you have benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or an enlarged prostate, you may be able to be treated with the GreenLight PVP™ Laser that uses a laser to vaporize excess tissue.
Prostate cancer is often treated surgically by performing a prostatectomy. Baylor Dallas now features this procedure performed with the daVinci Robotic Surgical System® that allows a urologist on the medical staff at Baylor Dallas to use robotics to more precisely remove tissue.
Other potential treatment strategies for prostate and other urologic cancers include:
Copyright © 2013 Baylor Health Care System All Rights Reserved. | 3500 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, TX 75246-2017 | 1.800.4BAYLOR | <urn:uuid:1f50a098-e64e-4368-86d0-6f9e50ea2693> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.baylorhealth.com/PhysiciansLocations/Dallas/SpecialtiesServices/UrologyUrogynecology/Pages/ProstateDisorders.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92151 | 597 | 2.296875 | 2 |
A consortium including Samsung Engineering and Shanghai Electric have won an SR11.3bn ($3bn) deal to build a water desalination plant on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi's state-owned Saline Water Conversion Corp (SWCC) said on Monday it awarded the contract to the South Korean and Chinese companies respectively as well as to Saudi Al Toukhi Co for Industry, Trading and Contracting, to build the fuel oil-fired plant, known as Yanbu III.
Water consumption in the desert kingdom is already almost double the per capita global average and increasing at an ever faster rate with the rapid expansion of population and industrial development.
The new plant will have a capacity of 550,000 cubic metres per day of desalinated water and a power capacity of 2,500 megawatts.
SWCC has said it plans to nearly double energy-intensive desalinated water production to almost 6 million cubic metres per day by the end of 2015.
SWCC's plants on the Red Sea coast burn oil - crude, fuel and cracked oil - while gas is used in those on the Gulf coast, the heart of the kingdom's oil wealth. The firm has 36 plants. | <urn:uuid:6c50733e-e422-4c38-80ed-3d1523e1f28c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.arabianbusiness.com/samsung-shanghai-electric-win-3bn-saudi-deal-480858.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925891 | 244 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Nature, Jewelry and Home Converge at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art
Atlanta’s High Museum of Art is set to present works by a Georgia-based jewelry designer.
The High will present "Gogo: Nature transformed" from Jan. 19 through June 23. The exhibition features the work of Janet "Gogo" Ferguson, who lives on Cumberland Island off Georgia’s Atlantic coast.
More than 60 pieces of Ferguson’s work and decorative home pieces will be on display. The exhibition will explore her evolution as an artist as well as the debut of two new pieces created specifically for the High: a 6-by-8-foot wall sculpture inspired by New England seaweed and an ottoman inspired by a sea urchin.
Ferguson has drawn inspiration from nature throughout her career. But her technique has changed from working with shells and bones to casting in gold and silver.
"’Gogo: Nature Transformed’ provides an opportunity for all who visit the High to be transported into an unexpected natural world inspired by Georgia’s own Cumberland Island," said Michael E. Shapiro, the High’s Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr., Director. "In celebrating this Georgia artist, we look forward to introducing many visitors to Gogo Ferguson’s work and welcoming her many enthusiastic supporters. From Georgia’s rural coast to the biggest cities around the globe, Gogo Ferguson’s iconic designs are now among the jewelry collections of many of the world’s most recognized women and men."
For the occasion of the High exhibition, Ferguson is collaborating with fashion designer Nicole Miller to create a unique scarf that will commemorate the exhibition and represent Ferguson’s personal passion for the natural world.
A publication of the same title will accompany the exhibition with a foreword from Ferguson’s long-time friend Mikhail Baryshnikov and an interview of Ferguson by Sarah Schleuning, High Museum of Art curator of decorative arts and design. | <urn:uuid:438ba29c-10c0-4607-8b9e-9356e6f3578f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.edgeatlanta.com/style/home/140584/nature,_jewelry_and_home_converge_at_atlanta’s_high_museum_of_art | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940091 | 415 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Most adults 75 and older undergo cancer screenings, even though the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against routine screening for certain cancers in that age group, according to a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Researchers led by Keith Bellizzi, an assistant professor of human development and family studies at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, found that among 1,697 adults between the ages of 75 to 79, 57 percent were screened for colorectal cancer, 62 percent were screened for breast cancer and 56 were screened for prostate cancer. Adults older than 80 were screened less often -- 38 percent of the 2,376 adults in this age group received screening for cervical cancer and 50 percent were screened for breast cancer.
"What we found, generally, was that a high percentage of older adults are continuing to undergo cancer screening, despite ambiguity regarding recommendations," said Bellizzi. "We even see those rates as relatively high in adults 80 years or older."
Other factors correlated with screening were physician recommendations, education level and certain medical conditions. Older adults were more likely to get screened if their doctors recommended it, if they were college educated and, regarding prostate cancer screening, if they had other medical conditions.
Bellizzi explained he and his colleagues wanted to get an idea of how many older Americans were still getting screened for cancer. The findings, he hopes, will lead to dialogue about what factors should be taken into account when making screening recommendations.
"The important question that is raised as a result of these findings is what are the factors physicians should consider in deciding to screen? he said. "And how do we decide whether to screen or not to screen?"
There have not been many studies evaluating how effective screening is in the older adult population. Most research has focused on younger adults, and recommendations are based on findings of these studies.
Cancer experts say there are a number of variables to consider when recommending screening, and relying solely on a person's chronological age may not be the best way to determine whether screening is necessary. Life expectancy and current health status are also important.
"For breast cancer, colorectal cancer and cervical cancer -- the cancers for which screening has been proved to be effective -- if a person has less than five years to live, then screening is not beneficial," said Dr. Locovico Balducci, program leader of the Senior Adult Oncology Program at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. "But if it's longer and if a patient can tolerate cancer treatment, they shouldn't be denied screening."
But determining life expectancy can be tricky, and patients may also have very strong beliefs about the need for screening, so doctors will often still recommend screening tests.
"There's no crystal ball -- we don't know what life expectancy is for sure, and patients may be really concerned about cancer. Doctors and patients may still want screening to occur, and that's a tough thing to fight," said Dr. David Penson, professor of urologic surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center at Nashville. | <urn:uuid:ff802d81-f6df-453b-bd4d-3b7e2a10e872> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://a.abcnews.com/Health/studies-debate-cancer-screenings/story?id=15139028 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975926 | 622 | 2.640625 | 3 |
If you are a first degree student and ordinarily resident in Scotland, you are eligible for your tuition fees to be covered by the Scottish Government.
For the 2013-2014 academic session there are not expected to be an upfront tuition fees for full-time Scottish students entering a higher education institution in Scotland.
Full-time Scottish domiciled students and non-UK EU students must apply for the payment of their tuition fees. You will need to complete an online application by the required deadline with the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
You can make your funding application from April 2013 onwards. We advise you to make your application early to ensure that your funding is in place for the start of the session.
For more information on tuition fees see the SAAS website.
Student loans are the main source of support towards living costs.
In 2013-2014 the maximum loan available to dependent students will be £5,500 and for independent students it will be £6,500.
The maximum non income-assessed loan has been increased to £4,500.
Bursaries are non-repayable grants made available to some students for living cost support. These replace part of the student loan and do not have to be paid back.
In 2013-2014 a Young Students’ Bursary of up to £1,750 is available for those students whose household income is up to £16,999. This reduces to £1,000 for those with a household income below £24,000, and £500 below £34,000.
In 2013-2014 an Independent Students' Bursary of up to £750 is available for those students whose household income is up to £16,999.
Eligibility criteria for these bursaries can be found on the SAAS website.
Students eligible for a loan or bursary for living costs should apply to SAAS. They will confirm the amount each student is entitled to.
You must apply to SAAS every year you are studying if you want help with paying your fees.
This article was published on Oct 24, 2012 | <urn:uuid:53154c2f-dab7-4d9a-ba2e-a16c2fddad02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-funding/undergraduate/uk-eu/loans-grants/scotland | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955848 | 431 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Re: Roger Costello: My Version of "Why use OWL?"
Thomas B. Passin wrote: > > Walter, even though I agree with your remarks generally, I do not think that > Roger's work here is as far off the mark as you say. Your counter example > of a Customs application is good and right on the point, but consider this. > If the Customs application knows what a "Camera" is - according to both > ontologies - then it probably has enough info to decide if the thing is a > dutiable good or not by consulting its own expertise. If it can use the SLR > ontology to bounce from SRL up to Camera, and __if__ it can find out that > the SLR's Camera is equivalent to the Custom's Camera, then the app is all > set. There are several ways to do this: 1) The Customs ontology uses the SLR ontology "camera" class directly using its URI. e.g. http://example.org/CameraOntology#camera 2) One can explicitly state the logical equivalence between two classes (the sets have identical members) as: customs:Camera owl:sameClassAs camera:camera . 3) With the appropriate "surrounding information" an OWL inferencing engine can *infer* that the classes are identical. i.e. given a bunch of triples/statements the OWL engine spits out => customs:Camera owl:sameClassAs camera:camera . > > The key is not for each ontology to clutter up the other (as you suggestesd > might have to happen), but to establish the equivalence. OTOH, I personally > think that is the hard part! One problem among many is to how to know when > two terms are in fact "equivalent" since that will usually imply a lot of > background knowledge that may or may not be articulated or shared. > Right, or just use the term directly and there is no question that customs is talking about a camera. That's the point of shared ontologies: you don't need to redefine everything in every ontology. Jonathan
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Subscribe in XML format | <urn:uuid:f8ece7d6-68ac-4e49-9f20-64d7d6dd1a5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stylusstudio.com/xmldev/200304/post00750.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912759 | 515 | 1.898438 | 2 |
We stopped for a short visit to the Fredericksburg battlefield, formally Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. The museum has a good sampling of artifacts from the battlefield that one might expect. There is a film with a dramatization of the battle that's pretty helpful. As far as the story, similar to Gettysburg, the main highlight of the story is a ridiculously miscalculated attack on a very defensible position, here along the Sunken Road. The Confederates had the high ground and held the Union troops coming across the river at bay.
The CCC rebuilt a good portion of the wall of the Sunken Road, but part of it is still original. You have to use your imagination to picture the federal troops coming up from the river, as modern buildings come right up to the park. What's not hard to imagine is how amazingly good that cover was for the Confederates. According to the park's website, "Of the 12,600 Federal soldiers killed, wounded, or missing, almost two-thirds fell in front of the stone wall." Lee lost just over 5,000.
One of the interesting features along the trail is the Innis House, a small, white house along the Sunken Road. The building got a bit shot up during the battle. Some of the bullet holes are still visible! There was also a white house cat lounging along the rock wall by the house.
Atop the hill is the Fredericksburg cemetery. Many of the graves have more than one person in them. | <urn:uuid:d3f74d8b-a659-429a-a91f-dd26bf447659> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rangernathan.blogspot.com/2009/10/fredericksburg-national-military-park.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96952 | 320 | 2.125 | 2 |
So just last week I posted an entry entitled “War Etiquette” that discusses whether it was morally right for the United States to invade Iraq. My dear friend and spiritual guide Kara, analysed whether the it is morally acceptable based on Jesus’ standards. I think her writings are very important and hits bang on. I’d love to hear your thoughts. For her full response, click here. Below is a summary.
Two precursor questions need to be answered first:
What is war? War comes from a term that originally means to mix things up, to confuse. Being at war then, is about being engaged in some kind of conflict. It has come to be defined in several ways: an active struggle against competing entities; to engage in armed conflict against an enemy; a concerted effort to end something considered harmful/injurious, among others things. Based on this, we know that not all wars are wrong; not all wars are right; not all wars are “all” wrong; and not all wars are “all” right.
What is morality? Or what does it mean to be morally acceptable? Morality is to behave with good or right conduct. Something is morally acceptable if the behaviour is done with good intent or the act is something good to do. If we can agree on these two things then we can answer your questions.
Your Question: “How can Jesus Christ’s standard of morals be used to judge whether the war in Iraq is morally acceptable?”
The war you are referring to is an armed/weaponised struggle against an enemy. Because the “golden rule” standard evaluates thoughts, motives, and actions right down to the individual level, the real question is: “How can Jesus Christ’s standard of morals be used to judge whether the US Administration’s motive(s) for going to war in Iraq are morally acceptable?”
The only overt clues we have as to the reasons are either: pre-emptive strike (i.e. get them before they get us), acquisition of resources (i.e. get their oil), depose the Iraqi head of state (oust him because he is no longer useful to them), protect the American way of life (i.e. maintain the American lifestyle by war-economy), promote democracy (i.e. setup a pro-American leadership in Iraq). The “golden rule” does not support any of these motives to justify starting an armed/weaponised struggle for the following reason: the circumstances under which the “golden rule” standard was produced.
Jesus grew up in a hostile environment, similar to what we now have in present-day Israel or Iraq: The country was ruled by corrupt officials; the country was under occupation and oppressed by the most powerful nation at that time (Rome); there were insurgents and insurrections left and right, and innocent civilians were constantly caught in the thick of it. Jesus could have existed today in any of these two places and the results would be the same. Anyone who practices this knows that the golden rule:
- does not support the use of weaponised offensive or “pre-emptive” strikes but says instead “love your enemy”, meaning live a life of non-retaliation
- does not support armed struggle for the sake of acquiring other peoples’ resources but says “watch out! be on your guard against all kinds of greed”, meaning don’t desire what belongs to someone else
- does not support armed struggle to overthrow leaders because we don’t like them anymore or don’t agree with their political model but says “Put your sword away. He who lives by the sword will die by the sword”, meaning live a non-violent life
- does not support the use of weapons against others in order to maintain/protect a certain lifestyle but says “do not store up treasures on earth where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal” and “be content with what you have”
- does not support weaponized struggle to promote an ideology but says “let your light shine in front of everyone that they can see your good works”
Jesus did not engage in or advocate any of these practices, although others around him did, yet the circumstances around him were egregious enough. Instead he advocated waging what he considered the right war: the war for the minds and hearts of human beings to see the solution to their destructive ways (both self-destruction and the destruction of others around them). His war or struggle was for love and justice – walking in the light versus living in darkness. His verdict against us says this:
“Light has come into the world but men loved the darkness rather than the light…everyone who does what is wrong does not come to the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” | <urn:uuid:eda09fa6-2303-4eb6-a33f-886b8a71b13a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theurbancountry.com/2006/06/what-would-jesus-do-in-iraq.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966889 | 1,020 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Read the full article from the PSU Vanguard.
Walking tour showcases sustainability features at university
From the fifth-floor courtyard of the Academic and Student Rec Center, the stones that make up the outside flooring seem suspiciously far apart. Instead of drains, vegetation covers a good portion of the patio.
This isn’t a sign of shoddy building or dilapidation, though: Rather than sloshing onto the streets or into the city’s sewage system, water drains through the cracks and plants, supplying almost all of the non-potable water for this Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold-certified building.
As part of the fifth annual EcoDistricts Summit held at Portland State last week, the Vanguard went on a walking tour of sustainable features in the South of Market EcoDistrict on and around campus.
Led by Fletcher Beaudoin, partnerships director at PSU’s Institute for Sustainable Solutions, the tour highlighted some of the roughly 20 sustainability features in the EcoDistrict, one of five in the city defined by the ISS as “a neighborhood or district with a broad commitment to accelerate neighborhood-scale sustainability.”
During a brief respite from the rain, Beaudoin praised the recent weather to the tour group, which included members from England, Australia, Japan, Brazil and Italy, among others. “This is the time of year you can actually see the sustainable water features in action.”
From the sky bridge on Southwest Broadway, Beaudoin pointed out something else that might not be recognized as a sustainability feature: the bicycle lane pulsing with jacketed road warriors.
“If you guys can imagine, about 30 years ago this used to be a four-lane highway, essentially,” he said. A cycle track gives more safety to bicyclists by separating them from traffic, in this case with a row of parking. There was a dual purpose for the creation of the track, though, as Beaudoin pointed out: “We wanted to make it easier for our students to get across here without dying.”
Aside from the track, the district is a pretty hard place to bike to, Beaudoin said. The ISS is working with the city to find other avenues to get bikes and people into the south downtown area since Portland’s bike infrastructure, while good by U.S. standards, still lags behind other cities, especially some in Europe.
“I was giving a tour to the mayor of Copenhagen and a delegation, and when they came here and looked at our bike infrastructure they kind of laughed at us,” Beaudoin said.
The sky bridge itself is in a way a sustainability feature, carrying the piping for the district energy system that connects 17 buildings on campus, efficiently redistributing energy around campus for heating and cooling.
Electric Avenue, on Southwest Montgomery Street between Broadway and Sixth Street, is another sustainability feature that might be easy to miss if you’re not looking for it. Through a partnership with Portland General Electric, the city and a few others, PSU has helped set up a row of seven charging stations for electric vehicles. The stations have varying degrees of strength, from a quick 30-minute charger to a longer 8-hour one.
The electricity is free, while parking is paid for like any other spot in the city. The idea, Beaudoin said, is for people to drive their electric cars to the Avenue, hop on the MAX to go to work, and have their cars
charged by the time they’re ready to go home.
It’s also a response to the fact that chargers are currently placed somewhat sporadically throughout the city. The question, Beaudoin said, is, “How do we concentrate some of these charging stations and connect them to some of the best public transit in the state?”
That transit, along with bicycles and other modes of cleaner travel, has seen its share of student and faculty riders growing over the last decade.
From 2000 to 2011, the percentage of students driving alone to PSU has dropped from 41 percent to 19 percent, while mass transit usage has climbed from 32 percent to 44 percent, and bicycling from 3 percent to 12 percent. This prompted an English member of the tour to remark, “Students drive their cars to university? Strange.”
Standing in front of the Bike Hub on Southwest Sixth Avenue and Southwest Harrison Street, Beaudoin explained the significance of the center in PSU’s green plans.
“We’re taxing the bad,” he said, referring to parking prices, which have increased year after year. “And we’ve used that to support, I would say, the good, which is biking.”
For $30 a year, students and faculty can join the hub, which has tools and places to work on one’s bike, and technicians on site to lend advice.
“It’s the idea of ‘how do we empower students, faculty and staff to be able to take responsibility for fixing their bikes,’ which we think will increase our ridership,” he said.
While on the green roof of the Rec Center, built in partnership with the city, Beaudoin noted an interesting fact about the swimming pool: It’s bomb-proof because of the city’s archive right beneath it.
Looking east, where Mount Hood would be on a less-gray day, one of the tour members asked about a decidedly non-green feature in the EcoDistrict: a series of block-large surface parking lots.
“So, those are problems,” Beaudoin said. They’re located on what was going to be the site of the Oregon Sustainability Center, but the project hit hard times, and failed to get funding from the legislature. “It was going to be one of the world’s biggest living buildings,” he said.
Richard Kaneko, a member of the tour who is in his final year of the architecture program at the University of Oregon’s Portland campus, said a lot of people ask him if he’s studying some type of “green” architecture. “All of the topics in architecture sort of are trying to relate back to some sustainable goals,” he said. His thesis is on a sustainable topic: cleaning up the Willamette River. When asked if he thought the general public has misconceptions about sustainability and green building in general, he replied that though there has been some criticism about LEED and other certifications, if you look at the big picture, at least people are thinking about it.
“I can actually talk to people now and say ‘LEED,’ and they know what I’m talking about,” he said. “Everyone knows what sustainability is, even if it’s just the buzzword. I think people are at least conscious that something’s going on.”
Anyone can take the sustainability walking tour.
Here’s a link to the map, which is also available from the Campus Sustainability Office: | <urn:uuid:3f07cb10-5a55-43ca-b31b-e3aa64e218aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pdx.edu/wrc/news/vanguard-psu-hosts-ecodistricts-summit | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967726 | 1,486 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Search Results: Knowledge Sheets on 'enlightenment'
Back - Topicwise Knowledge Sheets
Impression And ExpressionDo not make an effort to impress others, or to express yourself. Your effort to express yourself becomes an impediment. Your effort to impress someone also becomes futile. If you do not try to impress, expression comes naturally. When you come from the......Read More
Special? Ordinary?Are you special or ordinary?
What makes you special on the path? (Everyone is silent) Your perception, observation, and expression have advanced. What makes you ordinary on the path is that you are special! (Laughter) . . . . Because everybody thinks......Read More
The Bodhi TreeBuddha got enlightened under the Bodhi tree. He then stood up and watched the tree from a distance for seven days. He took sixteen steps towards the tree and under each step, blossomed a Lotus flower. This is the legend.
The Bodhi tree is symbolic of......Read More
EnlightenmentEnlightenment is beyond seasons like the evergreen coconut tree.
Sometimes the question comes up "What's the use of all these courses? Your behavior has not changed!"
The Knowledge acquired by a human being cannot be measured or judged by......Read More
Perfection is the nature of the Enlightened OneIn a state of ignorance, imperfection is natural and perfection is an effort. In a state of wisdom or enlightenment, imperfection is an effort; perfection is a compulsion and is unavoidable! Perfection is taking total responsibility, and total responsibility......Read More
The Wisdom Of SecretsA wise person makes no effort to conceal a secret. But he does not make an effort to reveal a secret either. For example, you do not talk about menstruation, death, etc. to a five-year-old, but as they grow older these things are not hidden from them......Read More
Shortcut!If you think you are stupid
Then...... you know who you are. And if you know who you are......
You are enlightened!
And if you are enlightened ,
Then ......you are certainly not stupid .
If you think you are intelligent ,
Then you don't know who......Read More | <urn:uuid:08d3c211-0f65-4195-8dec-bb1503e03edf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/knowledge-sheet-search/enlightenment | 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 | 0.939512 | 457 | 2.75 | 3 |
“Hotness is not math”: Don’t let the scale define you or hold you back! The last time I did one of those “guess your weight or age” carnival games, the guy was off by over 30 lbs! What you weigh and how you look are not as related as everyone thinks. Yes a scale is good for tracking your health and progress. Pictures are probably the most accurate way to keep track (designate a day and time (such as right after you wake up Sunday morning) once a week for your cell-pic-progress-report. Hotness is not math, you can’t use a number to define it.
- Strikeforce Bantamweight World Champion in Mixed Martial Arts and Olympic Bronze Medalist in Judo, Ronda Rousey | <urn:uuid:51ba27bc-73f1-4d3e-a6a3-db13f402f964> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://perezhilton.com/fitperez/2012-05-11-quickfit-tip-of-the-day-hotness | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945272 | 167 | 1.539063 | 2 |
In yesterday's post, I discussed some of the evidence that Parkinson's disease is possibly caused by defects in the energy efficiency of the mitochondria of susceptible (and poisoned) individuals. I don't mean to do a whole Parkinson's series or anything, but the post did bring up some interesting questions.
We already know that a ketogenic metabolism seems to increase energy efficiency in the brain. But what else might do the same? Well, researchers are already looking into some trials of a few compounds of interest - Coenzyme Q10 (also known as ubiquinone) and creatine. There are a few published animal studies, a few small clinical trials of CoQ10, and human trials are ongoing for both CoQ10 and creatine.
CoQ10 is an interesting vitamin/molecule. Yesterday I compared mitochondria (our cells' energy factories) to a ski resort. There are proton pumping complexes in the mitochondria that pump against a gradient, rather like the ski lift carrying skiers up the hill. Eventually the energy is used to transport electrons across membranes in the "electron transport chain" and ATP is created (skiers set free to fly down the hill). To beat the analogy to death, CoQ10 is a bit like the attendants at the top of the ski lift, making sure everyone gets off the lift okay, and guiding skiers between lifts. While small doses of CoQ10 didn't seem to help symptoms of Parkinson's large doses (1200mg) seemed mildly helpful, and even larger doses are being tried now.
Creatine is a compound made from amino acids, and basically helps the body make ATP more easily. According to the Wikipedia article, we make a lot of creatine from dietary amino acids, but about half of our creatine is taken directly from eating skeletal muscle, and the muscles of vegetarians are lower in creatine. In animal studies, supplementation with creatine (combined with CoQ10) was helpful for Parkinson's symptoms.
Anyone who reads "statin skeptic" literature knows that statins lower CoQ10 levels. A pubmed search reveals a lot of papers on the subject - questions arise as to whether statins cause heart failure due to CoQ10 depletion - the heart, like the brain, is energy-hungry, and CoQ10 depletion over time might damage the heart (the study I linked showed lower CoQ10 in statin users and worse heart failure in people with low CoQ10, but no link between statin use and worsening of heart failure...) There are also questions if the CoQ10 depletion causes ALS (Lou Gerhig's disease) and whether the CoQ10 depletion causes the known (rare) statin side effect, diabetes.
So the obvious question is - would statins cause Parkinsons? This small study found that there didn't seem to be a link between Parkinson's progression and statin use, and this brief editorial notes that in population studies, higher LDL cholesterol levels are associated with lower risk of Parkinson's disease, but in the Rotterdam study, statin use seemed to have no correlation with Parkinson's disease risk, and other small studies showed the use of cholesterol-lowering drugs was associated with a decreased risk of Parkinson's. Turns out that serum cholesterol levels (and triglycerides) are the strongest determinant of serum CoQ10 levels - the reason being that CoQ10 rides along with the lipoprotein complexes in the body. Moderate alcohol use also seems to be associated with CoQ10 increases. And the best dietary sources of CoQ10? Meat, eggs, and certain vegetables such as broccoli. Dietary intake wasn't correlated that much with serum levels, though that could be because serum levels had more to do with how much cholesterol was floating around.
What can I make of this confusing mess? CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant, one of whose jobs is likely to protect cholesterol and triglycerides as they are transported through the scary circulatory system. People with lots of inflammation will have high triglycerides, high cholesterol, and high CoQ10. The high CoQ10 is probably protective against Parkinson's disease (and perhaps a robust amount of cholesterol is too). Statins are also antioxidant and antiinflammatory, so it is possible that those attributes make up for obliterating the cholesterol making machinery and depleting the body's CoQ10, at least in the case of Parkinson's disease. The jury, though, is still out. | <urn:uuid:45f057ef-7d57-488d-8e71-c2432fc7a34e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://evolutionarypsychiatry.blogspot.com/2010/11/coenzyme-q10-and-parkinsons.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956798 | 905 | 2.546875 | 3 |
How Should You Use This Guide?
First, feel free to jump around. This guide was made to be consumed in parts, and in no particular order. We’ll build some terminology early on, so if you find concepts that you’re unfamiliar with, navigate to the appropriate section to learn more. Going through the entire Guide—and playing with some of the examples—should take about 5-7 hours, so it’s a good idea to pace yourself (or skip to the good parts).
Second, we don’t require that you have a copy of SolidWorks Sustainability, or even SolidWorks, handy—we’ve designed this Guide to be interesting and informative (we hope!) without having access to our design software. However, we’ve also included examples that you can download into your copy of SolidWorks to make the theory come alive. As you go through the Guide, you’ll be alerted to such examples by one of the following two boxes:
|<<< Previous: Why Should You Read This Guide?||>>> Next: Chapter 2: Sustainability and Sustainable Business| | <urn:uuid:d7452c42-544d-46c8-ba23-9419a4c219f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.solidworks.com/sustainability/sustainable-design-guide/ch1-how-should-you-use.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922435 | 234 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute
Tele-Graffiti is a system allowing two or more users to communicate remotely via hand-drawn sketches. What one person writes at one site is captured using a video camera, transmitted to the other site(s), and displayed there using an LCD projector.
With Tele-Graffiti, the users write on regular pieces of paper that are tracked in real-time by the system. See the following movie for a demonstration of (1) the system hardware, (2) the Tele-Graffiti tracking algorithm, and (3) two users interacting using Tele-Graffiti.
We have also built a hand-based user interface and an automatic session summarization feature for Tele-Graffiti. Both of these features, as well as the basic system operation, are demonstrated in the following movie.
We have also analyzed the Tele-Graffiti feedback loop and derived a model for the Tele-Graffiti image formation process. We used this model to derive the final viewed image and the optimal gain with which to set up the system to optimize the image quality. We also derived an algorithm to separate the final viewed images into the two actually drawn components (without imaging them directly). Two examples of this process are shown below.
See the unofficial webpage for more details.
|The Robotics Institute is part of the School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University.|
Contact Us | Update Instructions | <urn:uuid:af320b20-05d4-4fdb-86f8-a34f0ca65dea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ri.cmu.edu/research_project_detail.html?project_id=423&menu_id=261 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904868 | 285 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Home Arts & Culture
Celebrating 100 years of Buddhism in Canada
The Buddhist Channel, May 3, 2005
Toronto, Canada -- A Exhibition and a film show on the Heritage of Buddhist Art of Sri Lanka entitled "Expressions of Buddhist Inspiration? will be held from May 20 to 31st 2005, at the University of Toronto?s prestigious Robarts Library. This is presented as a part of the grand celebration of 100 years of Buddhism in Canada. The exhibition will be inaugurated by Professor Vivek Goel, Provost, and University of Toronto on May 20th, 2005.
Comprising over 300 enlarged photographs this exhibition provides a comprehensive perspective of Sri Lanka?s heritage of Buddhist art spanning over a period of 2200 years. It takes us on a visual pilgrimage of many Buddhist sites with exquisite paintings including World Heritage Sites, providing a view of the richness of the Buddhist tradition.
Buddhist paintings are some of the gentle and most sublime art of mankind. These are among the oldest surviving art of the historic period in the Indian subcontinent from 3rd century BCE when the Great Indian Emperor Ashoka was instrumental in the spread of Buddhism to Sri Lanka and all over Asia. Sri Lanka became the centre of the earlier Theravada Order of Buddhism from where the Buddhist tradition traveled to the countries of South-East Asia. The religion and the art associated with it had a transforming effect on the countries which it reached and, till today, the art heritage of Buddhism flourishes in the Asian continent.
This is one of several exhibitions presented by the Traveling Exhibition Service (www.kalaava.com) based on the vast and varied photographic collection of Dr. Daya Hewapathirane and his son Sesath. With their pioneering low-light photography of ancient paintings, they have succeeded in capturing the true and luminous colours of the enchanting paintings more clearly than ever done before. Their work has been acclaimed for the sensitive photography of Buddhist art which provides a deep insight i nto the gentle and compassionate message of the art.
The exhibition has been facilitated by Nalanda College of Buddhist Studies founded by Professor Suwanda Sugunasiri and is being organized by the Traveling Exhibition Service of Brampton, Ontario. A group of Youth volunteers including several from the University of Toronto, York University and Ryerson University will conduct the exhibition.
The exhibition will remain open to the public free of charge, from Friday May 20th, 12:00 noon to 8 pm, and thereafter daily, from 10 am until 7 pm.
In parallel with the Exhibition will be the screening of the Documentary Film titled ?Arts of the Ancient World: Heritage of Buddhist Paintings of Sri Lanka?, produced by the Traveling Exhibition Service, with the outstanding Art Direction of young Arjuna Samarakoon (22) of Trillion Design of Canada.
Dr. Daya Hewapathirane is the Director General of Traveling Exhibition Service. He can be contacted at 905-460-9669 or visit www.kalaava.com | <urn:uuid:2f68a2e5-178e-4368-8a24-63a0dc03bedf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=5,1118,0,0,1,0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939323 | 624 | 2.265625 | 2 |
This report is submitted by the Commission on Sexual Orientation and the Law to the Eighteenth Legislature as requested by Act 5, Session Laws of Hawaii 1995. Act 5 is attached to this report as Appendix A.
I.Background and Authority
The Commission on Sexual Orientation and the Law was convened by the Legislature to address some of the issues that have arisen in the case of Baehr v. Lewin, 74 Haw.530, (1993).
A.Baehr v. Lewin: An Overview
A lawsuit filed in May 1991 by three same-gender couples against the State of Hawaii, specifically against John Lewin, in his capacity as the Director of Health, complained of an unconstitutional marriage law that prohibited same-gender couples from obtaining marriage licenses. The complaint alleged a violation of the couple's right to privacy and equal protection under the Constitution of the State of Hawaii(1). The trial court dismissed the case on the pleadings and the couples appealed to the Supreme Court of Hawaii. In May 1993 the Supreme Court reversed the trial court and remanded the case back for trial. Although the Supreme Court found that there is no fundamental right to same-sex marriage under the right to privacy(2), the court did conclude that the marriage law does deny the same-gender couples equal protection rights in violation of article I, Section 5 of the Hawaii Constitution(3). The Hawaii Supreme Court held that the discrimination is based on the "gender" of an individual and is a "suspect category." Therefore, for purposes of the equal protection analysis, the marriage law is subject to a "strict scrutiny" test(4). This places the burden on the State to show that the statute's gender-based classification is justified by compelling state interests and the statute is narrowly drawn to avoid unnecessary abridgments of the applicant couples' constitutional rights(5).
The Legislature reacted to the Supreme Court's decision in Baehr v. Lewin by holding public hearings throughout the State in September and October of 1993. At the next legislative session the Legislature proceeded to pass Act 217, Session Laws of Hawaii 1994. Act 217 accomplished several things.
First, Act 217 provided a venue in its purpose section for the Legislature to express its position. The purpose section of Act 217 has been interpreted to create legislative history after the fact while at the same time telling the Supreme Court not to interpret the law in a different fashion. Second, Act 217 also amended the marriage law to specifically require a man and a woman to be eligible for a marriage license, but it did not prohibit the private solemnization of any ceremony. Third, Act 217 created the prior Commission on Sexual Orientation and the Law.
The Commission as created by Act 217 (hereafter the " Act 217 Commission") was an eleven-member Commission that had representatives from an assorted group of organizations, some religious in nature. In December of 1994, a federal lawsuit was filed in United States District Court against the Governor concerning the appointment of certain members of the Act 217 Commission. The suit complained of a constitutional violation that was based on the separation of church and state. Judge Harold Fong ultimately granted the plaintiff's motion to permanently enjoin the participation of those members of the Act 217 Commission who represented the Catholic Diocese and the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints(6). In January of 1995 the eleven-member Act 217 Commission was left with seven members. The Legislature created a new Commission in Act 5, Session Laws of Hawaii 1995 (hereafter the "Act 5 Commission" or simply "the Commission").
II.The Commission Members
Act 5, Session Laws of Hawaii 1995 specified that a seven-member Commission be appointed by the Governor with at least two members selected from a list from the Senate President and two from a list provided by the Speaker of the House. In early August 1995 the Governor appointed Thomas P. Gill, Chairperson, and Morgan Birtt, Ku'umeaaloha Gomes, Lloyd James Hochberg, Jr., Nanci Kreidman, Marie "Toni" Sheldon, and Robert Stauffer to the Commission. Mr. Hochberg and Ms. Sheldon were selected from the Speaker's list and Mr. Gill and Ms. Kreidman were selected from the Senate President's list. Mr. Britt, Ms. Gomes, and Dr. Stauffer were Governor appointees.
The Act 5 Commission had their first meeting on September 13, 1995. A schedule was submitted and accepted that followed the structure of the authorizing Act, breaking the Commission's work into three tasks. Discussion on each task was planned for one meeting with voting on the issue at another. The Commission met at least every two weeks until the report was finalized December 8, 1995. The accepted schedule was adhered to as closely as possible. In order to stay on schedule and complete the tasks assigned, some meetings had to be recessed and continued to finish important matters on the agenda(7). In addition, subcommittees of the minority and majority were formed early in November, and each met to expedite the drafting of this report(8).
All meetings were open, noticed according to the Sunshine Law(9), and an opportunity for the public to submit oral testimony was scheduled on each agenda. The fact that all meetings were held on Oahu made the participation of citizens of the neighbor islands a concern to the Commission. Several members of neighbor island communities did, at their own expense come to testify, and others submitted written testimony(10).
There were no funds allotted to the Legislative Reference Bureau for the Commission to hold meetings on the neighbor islands. To allow as much participation as possible, the Commission used the State Library System in all counties to disseminate the draft report for public review and comment before finalizing the report(11).
Early in the Commission meetings it was apparent that all the findings and recommendations of the Commission would not be unanimous(12). The majority position was favorable to extending marital rights to same-gender couples in some form. The minority position was against such extension. In order to allow both sides to fully express their positions, it was agreed to allow the minority to prepare and submit a separate chapter. While the minority participated in the discussion of each issue before the Commission, the majority did not interfere with the wording or content of the minority chapter.
The parts of the report coincide with the authorizing Act as to each of the three tasks.
Chapter 1 addresses the first task:
"(1)Examine the major legal and economic benefits extended to married opposite-sex couples but not to same-sex couples."
Chapter 2 focuses on the issues surrounding the second task:
"(2)Examine the substantial public policy reasons to extend or not to extend such benefits in part or in total to same-sex couples."
Chapter 3 reviews the different options that were considered by the Commission in the exercise of their final task assigned:
"(3)Recommend appropriate action which may be taken by the legislature to extend such benefits to same-sex couples."
Chapter 4 of this report presents the findings and recommendations of the Commission.
Chapter 5 contains the minority opinion in full.
Chapter 6 is a response by the majority of the Commission to the minority opinion.
|Footnotes||Next Section||Table of Contents| | <urn:uuid:53695879-6ff1-43b4-82dd-8b708cddc8d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hawaii.gov/lrb/rpts95/sol/pref.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961058 | 1,476 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Storm Cunningham builds on this particularly in economics in his books with the idea of the “de/re” shift that is underway. De relates to a downward descent based on degradation and destruction, while re speaks of return, replenishing, rejuvenation, resiliency, etc. He adds these prefixes to wealth, to speak of the shift from making money based on deweath to economies based on rewealth.
And so, as Kirsten, reminds us we are stuck in an old story of education, desperate for a new one. I have offered an overall paradigm based on the 3 new R’s: restoration, rejuvenation, and resilience, which are easily applicable to humanity’s overall role on the planet and in line with The Universe Story, and Storm Cunningham’s work as well David Orr, E.O. Wilson, and others. So it comes naturally that if overall these ideas are to be our new cultural story then it must be that it is also educations. That’s easy to say. Mission statements are great on paper, but how does it operate? Here I will offer one new way to think of approaching education based on the design principles of permaculture. This is my rough application of the concepts, this is a developing concept for me. The bottom line for me is that we must begin utilizing systems thinking with an orientation towards holism. This is one perspective that does that.
For those not familiar, permaculture is born of the idea that instead of living within a throw-away, toxic culture, we must build more intelligently designed human environments which utilize ecological truths to maximize productivity, efficiency, and ease. Furthermore, these built environments increase biodiversity, strengthen ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, air and water purification, and flood and erosion control. These are built environments made to last through all the variety of experiences that is the biosphere. These are not built environments designed only to maximize human convenience while severely degrading the biosphere and thus or and its ability to exist within the demands of the ecological world.
So what does this mean for education? Just like in agriculture which is currently under shift from the industrial, green-revolution, model to one of agro-ecology, our education system must also shift; from an industrial, mono-culture to one that is attuned to human development and promotes diversity.
In the beginning stages of permaculture design an analysis is done, what are the inputs and outputs present in a given system. Permaculture design is always trying to close the loops such that inputs match needed outputs and the system takes care of itself. For example, the three sisters-beans, corn, and squash. The corn provides a natural trellis (output) for the beans to grow up (input). The beans fix nitrogen (output) in the soil, which builds soil health (input) and benefits the corn and squash (inputs). The squash creates ground cover (output) which helps to prevent weeds and retain moisture (inputs) in the soil. Inputs and outputs thus relates to the overall system (nutrient cycling, water purification, etc.) and the members (soil, plants, animals) of it. So how does this relate to education?
Well, this analysis potentially provides a more holistic perspective to even begin approaching learning with children. Instead of just throwing manufactured seed and fertilizer (curriculum and materials) around classroom, you first actually take inventory of who is in your classroom, what are their individual needs? Where do they come from, where are they in development (cognitively, emotionally, socially, etc)? How do they learn best? Right off the bat we will recognize that regardless of those answers an input necessary for any child is good, nutrient dense food, physical activity, respect, compassionate guidance, and free-play. We can also argue that now, digital access is also a necessary input. From there we can attend to individual differences.
Moving to outputs, we come to know the gifts and challenges of each student, what do they produce? Beautiful visual images? Kindness and sharing? Defensiveness?
So how can we begin putting these together? If we learn that Chelsea is a whiz in math and Tyron has a knack for big-picture business ideas, couldn’t the two work on a business plan together? We can find a plethora of such “companion plantings” in the classroom. The point is that instead of mandating that the classroom produce one thing only (standardized test scores), the intrinsic nature of each student is valued, and everyone is enriched by the diverse system that is created.
Just like in agriculture, a more resilient system is created. Instead of the entire crop (students) being vulnerable to a condition such as pests or weather, their ability to tap into the resources around them to creatively adapt to the situation is promoted. This means that not only will individual members be more likely to survive but that the greater population will be too.
So what do you think? Does this analogy prompt any new ways of looking at education systems in relation to human development? Have I lost it? | <urn:uuid:366ed5a7-5bf3-4827-8b68-0d06290b56b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://coopcatalyst.wordpress.com/2010/07/26/edu-ecologypermeducationpermaeducultureedupermaculture/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=81d32a40f7 | 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 | 0.953219 | 1,059 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Bhavik Bakshi is a Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Research Director of the Center for Resilience at The Ohio State University. His research is developing systematic and scientifically rigorous methods for improving the sustainability and efficiency of engineering activities. This includes new methods for analyzing the life cycle of existing and emerging technologies, and for understanding and including the role of ecosystem services in byproduct synergy and life cycle networks. He received his B. Chem. Eng. from the University of Bombay, and MSCEP and Ph.D. from MIT, all in chemical engineering.
|Accounting for Ecosystem Services in Strategic Business Decision Making| | <urn:uuid:c6546c8e-0bb4-4d49-b267-8e2a019560c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aiche.org/profile/bhavik-bakshi | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921821 | 132 | 1.640625 | 2 |
San Juan Capistrano may have its flocks of returning swallows, but Edwards Air Force Base in the Antelope Valley can boast of unlikely swarms of shrimp swimming in springtime desert pools.
In what scientists call a biological oddity, the heavy March rains have called to life masses of the tiny, dormant shrimp eggs. Many had been deposited long ago on the same clay lake beds where the space shuttles land--usually bone dry but amply flooded in recent months.
The shrimp appeared in large quantities for the first time in at least four years, base officials said, attributing their absence to the five-year drought. Scientists say the phenomenon probably has been occurring at Edwards and other western desert areas for millions of years.
For Mark Hagan, the base's civilian biologist, the unusual creatures, which can grow several inches long, are a reminder of the vagaries of nature.
"You don't expect a dry lake bed to have life in it. Then you put a little bit of water on it and it starts teeming with life," he said.
For officials at the base, in the Mojave Desert about 90 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, the shrimp are local legend--and even a bit of a hazard. The shrimp attract flocks of hungry birds, which can pose a safety hazard for the base's jets.
The shrimp have been around far longer than the 300,000-acre Air Force base, which got its start in the early 1940s. And during rainy "shrimp" seasons, pilots are commonly warned of the influx of birds and what the Air Force calls BASHs--Bird Air Strike Hazards.
At least four species of shrimp have been found at Edwards, including three types of so-called fairy shrimp, Hagan said. They tend to be the largest, with long, translucent bodies, spiny legs and the unusual habit of swimming upside-down. The base also has tadpole shrimp, a smaller, bottom-hugging variety.
The desert shrimp, freshwater cousins to the saltwater restaurant variety, have a life cycle ranging from less than two weeks to more than a month, scientists say. The eggs they lay during wet periods may lie dormant in dry soil for years until the next big rain brings them to life.
Scientists believe the desert shrimp, which appear to feed mostly on organic particles and algae in the water, evolved from the shrimp species that may have inhabited the Mojave Desert millions of years ago when it and the Antelope Valley were covered by the sea.
The shrimp do not pose any major problems at Edwards, where the threatened desert tortoise is more of a concern.
Some workers at Edwards recently were eagerly collecting water-filled jars of the shrimp to show off to their colleagues. But no one appeared to be rushing them home to barbecue. "I don't know if you can eat them or not," Hagan said. "But I'm not sure I'd want to." | <urn:uuid:471e72c6-fb7e-468a-8d6e-cf2544427cc1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.latimes.com/1991-04-26/local/me-587_1_mojave-desert | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967518 | 606 | 2.78125 | 3 |
Tango was the romantic rage of the 1920's in the US, introduced to millions by silent screen idol Rudolph Valentino in "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse". Born in the West Indies and stylized by the gauchos of Argentina, simmered in the brothels of Buenos Aires and brought to a boil in the elegant salons of Paris, the Tango is considered a "dancer's dance". Its unique rhythms offer fabulous training for timing and footwork, building a foundation useful in any dance.
It has recently become an amazingly popular dance here in America, due first to Al Pacino (of DanceSport fame !) and his sensitive rendition of a blind dancer in "Scent of a Woman" a few years ago, and then to the many Broadway shows that have featured tango in recent years (Tango Argentino, Tango x 2, Forever Tango, etc.). Madonna's "Evita" features tango dancing, and Julio Iglesias is promoting his tango album. Social Tango is not as intensely intimate as Argentine Tango, as the dancers maintain a regular social dance hold. In Argentine Tango, the dancers are often cheek to cheek, and this effect, coupled with intricate leg intertwining, gives Argentine Tango a much more sensual feel than American (Social) Tango. Tango is also a Competitive Style dance, both American and International.
Although it originated in Latin countries, American or International style Tango is not considered a "Latin" dance as it does not feature Cuban Motion . It is considered a "Smooth" or Ballroom dance, as dancers hold themselves erect and swing their legs from the hip, as with the Foxtrot or the Waltz.
No activities found. | <urn:uuid:d94b54d6-5981-441c-8c37-c44de280b62d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lbdance.com/class-schedule/argentine-tango/2012/June/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950131 | 358 | 2.421875 | 2 |