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|"Are you a wizard or not?"
The title of this article is conjectural. Although it is based on canonical information, the actual name is conjecture and may be supplanted at any time by additional information released from canonical sources. If this occurs, please move this page to the appropriate title.
Behind the scenesEdit
- As the text of the film prop in which this duodecimo is mentioned is derived from the book Alchemists Through the Ages, the work in question is presumably "The Elixir of the Philosophers, or the Transmutatory Art of Metals", a treatise attributed to Pope John XXII.
- The city of Lyon is only mentioned in the book on alchemy in which Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger learn about the Philosopher's Stone in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The excerpt mentioning Lyon can only be seen in the American edition, as in the British edition the sentence is cut off the top of the screen.
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (film) (Mentioned only) | <urn:uuid:cd99a7e1-fcc7-4bc1-bb1f-73c3147e5056> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Alchemical_duodecimo | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920774 | 223 | 2.21875 | 2 |
The Creation Wiki is now operating on a new and improved server.
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
Cosmic chronology is an attempt to interpret the record of events in the cosmos to determine the order of their occurrence (timeline). In particular, it addresses the temporal sequence of events that occurred during the formation of the cosmos. Cosmic chronologists determine the dates of events (such as the Big Bang, the formation of stars, galaxies and planets), then arranges them in the order in which they occurred.
While much work is being done by creation scientists to develop a model of the creation of the cosmos, it should be noted that because a supernatural act was involved, we might never understand aspects of the universe within the Biblical timeframe. For example, physicists say that light from far off galaxies must have traveled through space for billions of years to reach us, and events such as supernovas occurred before life ever existed on Earth.
Although these astrophysical measurements might be accurate we must understand that God created the universe in a manner that simply defies naturalistic explanation (See: Miracle). The Bible says that the universe was stretched out. This might be consistent with observations, such as red shift, that indicate expansion.
"By the word of God the heavens existed long ago ..." - 2_Peter 3:5 (NASB)
Furthermore, Isaiah 42:5 says that the Lord "stretched out ... the heavens."
Creation scientists study astronomical processes and attempt to explain stellar phenomena from the presupposition that celestial bodies were created by God. Most creationists also draw from religious texts (such as the Bible) for insight. The Bible dates the universe as having the same age as that of the Earth or just over 6000 years. There is indeed much evidence to support the contention that our solar system, galaxies and even the entirety of the universe was recently created.
In contrast, secular scientists date the universe as being approximately 13.7 billion years using standard cosmologies. The universe is believed to have begun with a cosmic inflation known as the Big Bang, which is then followed by the formation of stars and then galaxies and planets. Based on this chronology the Earth is believed to have formed after our Sun and is dated to be near 4.6 billion years old.
- Main Article: Creation cosmology
The age of the universe is far beyond what a typical creation scientist would countenance. In response several creation cosmologies have been proposed to explain the existence of a recently created universe with the appearance of great age.
Due to progress in the theory of general relativity, it is now understood gravity and velocity can affect the passage of time. Dr. Russell Humphreys' White Hole Cosmology shows that, given the right starting conditions, time on Earth could have run significantly more slowly than in the rest of the universe, or even stood completely still while continuing to pass elsewhere. This would allow star light from deep space to reach Earth, even though Earth was still young. The cosmological relativity of Dr. John Hartnett shows the same.
White Hole Cosmology
- Main Article: White hole cosmology
A white hole near the earth at the beginning of the universe has been proposed to explain the existence of distant starlight in a young universe. This would cause, due to relativistic considerations, a change in apparent time. While this setup is acceptable to those assuming a creationist paradigm, it can be attacked on anthropocentric grounds by secular science. Russell Humphreys, the author of this cosmology, has been criticized by those upset by his model. A repository of criticism and his response can be found here.
- Main Article: Cosmological relativity
Dr. John Hartnett has developed a young Earth creation cosmology based on Dr. Moshe Carmeli's theory of cosmological relativity. Like Russell Humphreys' white hole cosmology, it uses time dilation in a bounded universe. But this dilation results from a rapid expansion of space rather than the gravity of a white hole. Thus it explains a persistent criticism of the white-hole model, namely that if our galaxy were at the bottom of a gravity well, then incoming light should display a blue shift, not a red.
Hartnett’s cosmology readily explains the large scale structure of the universe without either dark matter or dark energy. In addition, it readily explains how starlight from far-distant objects can reach a young earth.
C-decay proposes a continuously changing speed of light, which would explain both the age of the universe (and earth) due to radiometric dating, and also indicates that the doppler shift, the common method of dating far objects, is not caused by kinematic or relativistic red shift. This cosmology has the merit of explaining quantized red shift, which present cosmologies fail to do. However, John Hartnett points out that c-decay would predict that the stars would "disappear" from our sky and then "reappear," something to which that neither the Bible nor any other historical record testifies.
- Main Article: Progressive creationism
Alternatively, the day-age creation cosmology holds that the account of Genesis is true, but argue that the Creation "days" were not 24-hour days. Instead it is believed they lasted for long periods of time—or as the theory's name implies: the "days" each lasted an age. According to this view, the sequence and duration of the Creation "days" is representative or symbolic of the sequence and duration of events that scientists theorize to have happened, such that Genesis can be read as a summary of modern science, simplified for the benefit of pre-scientific humans.
However, many argue that this perspective conflicts with the Biblical account wherein it says that the lights in the heavens were created on the 4th day of creation. This is especially significant because it establishes a stark inconsistency with the chronology put forth by big bang cosmology, which places stars to have evolved first, then planets after billions of years.
Young universe evidence
- Main Article: Supernova remnants
When a star runs out of nuclear fuel, it collapses on itself in a mere two seconds, creating a brilliant explosion of energy that is mind-boggling (enough to fuel eighty million stars the size of the sun for nearly a century!). When astronomers apply physical laws to the expanding cloud of gas and debris, known as a SuperNova Remnant (SNR), they can predict in three basic stages what should occur. If the Milky Way galaxy were really billions of years old as evolutionary astronomers claim, then many SNRs should be observed. Mounting evidence however, reveals a wide discrepancy between the number predicted and the number observed. In fact, the numbers are far close to a galaxy of thousands rather than billions of years old. The numbers for the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Milky Way's satellite galaxy, also supports a young universe. The utter dearth of SNRs is a baffling mystery to secular astronomers but an affirmation to God's creation of the cosmos less than 10,000 years ago.
Danny Faulkner suggests that one major challenge to the standard model is the lack of old supernova remnants. Theory suggests that supernovae should be visible for several million years, but yet we find almost none that are more than a few thousand years old.
Opponents however, assert that the dating method Faulkner uses for SNRs can only be used for young ones, and claim that using a different dating method older SNR have been identified.
Spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are massive collections of billions of stars, dust, and interstellar gas in a spiral shape. Spiral galaxies rotate very slowly, but the outer regions spin far slower than the inner regions. Thus, spiral galaxies wind tighter and tighter until, after several hundred billion years, their spiral structure would no longer be evident. The big bang theory states that all galaxies are many billions of years old, yet spiral galaxies are found throughout the universe, indicating that they must be much younger than secular scientists claim.
Some evolutionists assert that galaxy and planet formation take millions of years. However, in 2004, the Spitzer Space Telescope detected a clearing of dust around a star that is "only" a million years old. They theorize that the object that cleared the dust is a planet at least as large as Jupiter. This would be (by evolutionary standards) the youngest planet ever observed. According to Alan Boss, an astronomer for the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the find "has profound implications for the prevalence of planetary systems similar to our own. That means you can make gas giant planets - a major component of our own solar system - in a short time scale, in even the shortest-lived disc." The discovery suggested scientists would have to rethink their models about planetary formation.
In 2002, scientists at the European Southern Observatory used an extremely powerful telescope and discovered what appeared to be fully formed galaxies. Considering the extreme distance (and the time it would take for visible light to travel that distance), scientists believe they are looking at an ancient view of the region and are surprised to find the galaxies already fully-formed. This, scientists say, was having "a profound impact on current attempts to understand the formation and evolution of galaxies."
Speed of Light
- Main Article: Speed of light
The speed of light in vacuum is held to be constant at 299,792,458 m/s. Designated by the symbol "c", it is a fundamental quantity of the universe. According to Special Relativity it is the universe's speed limit and it is part of the relation between mass and energy:
It has been proposed that the speed of light has decayed since the Creation. While this theory opened the door to scientific solutions to the distant star light problem, it is not generally accepted by creation scientists.
- Main Article: Stellar measurement
Astronomers measure stellar distances by employing parallax for the closest stars and redshift for stars, galaxies, and other objects further out. Because these distances are quite vast, secular astronomers assume that the universe is at least as old as the time required for light from the most distant objects to reach the earth. The current estimate of that time is 13.7 billion years.
- Astronomical dating
- Cosmological relativity
- Gravitational time dilation
- New Redshift Interpretation by Robert Gentry
- Red shift
- White hole cosmology
- ↑ Wright, Edward L. "Age of the Universe." Department of Astronomy, University of California at Los Angeles, July 2, 2005. Accessed August 18, 2008.
- ↑ Exploding stars point to a young universe by Jonathan Sarfati. Creation 19(3):46–48. June 1997.
- ↑ A Review of Stellar Remnants: Physics, Evolution, and Interpretation by Danny R. Faulkner CRSQ 44(2):76-84. Fall 2007.
- ↑ Supernovas, Supernova Remnants and Young-earth Creationism by Talk.Origins
- ↑ Does the Bible say anything about astronomy? Dr. Jason Lisle, War of the Worldviews. 2005.
- ↑ Mullen, Leslie. "Young Planet Challenges Old Theories." Astrobiology Magazine online, May 28, 2004. Accessed March 7, 2008.
- ↑ Whitehouse, David. "Distant galaxies break record." BBC News, December 13, 2002. Accessed March 7, 2008.
- Exploding stars point to a young universe: Where are all the supernova remnants? by Jonathan Sarfati. Creation 19(3):46–48 June 1997
- A Second Look at Supernova Remnants
- So Long, Eternal Universe; Hello Beginning, Hello End!” by Bert Thompson, Ph.D. Apologetics Press.
- Geo and Cosmic Chronology by R. H. Brown. Origins 8(1):20-45 (1981). | <urn:uuid:f509d9b8-b5f9-44b7-b088-320739219a57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://creationwiki.org/Age_of_the_cosmos | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941625 | 2,452 | 3.890625 | 4 |
Communities of Practice (AKA Learning Communities)Lessons from Latin America
Knowledge and organisational learning are already recognised themes in the private sector. The debate focuses on ‘intelligent organisations’, which learn from their internal and external environments. It identifies knowledge as a distinct part of an organisation’s resources, which can be managed and increased. This, in turn, has created the concept of ‘management of knowledge and learning’ through communities of practice.
In recent years these ideas have started to become adopted and adapted by civil society organisations, including development agencies. The main reasons for this include:
• Competition between organisations
• Acknowledgement that knowledge can also be derived from our own practise, as well as that of other organisations and individuals
• Pressure not to repeat previous mistakes
• Efforts to strengthen our own and other organisations as quickly, effectively, and economically as possible
• Improved access to communications technology
Communities of practice are thus becoming a new means of strengthening interchange and learning between individuals and organisations. It is not surprising that increasing resources are being allocated to establishing new communities of practices, which are seen as a low-cost option for promoting continual learning.
However, there are still many questions to be answered. What do we really mean by communities of practices? What are their main characteristics? When do they work most effectively? And how do we evaluate their results and impact? These questions and many others were discussed at a workshop held in Mexico City at the beginning of 2005.
Participants included SNV Bolivia, Pact Inc., and Pact Peru. It was hosted by the Mexican Conservation Learning Initiative – IMAC – as part of a self-evaluation held by IMAC three years into the project. The workshop was supported by the Impact Alliance and Fortaleza. The organisations involved all used communities of practice as a key part of their strategies.
This paper presents a number of reflections drawn from the workshop, which serve as an introduction to the theme of communities of practice. Also presented are a series of criteria for analysing when they are appropriate and how they should be initated. Five case studies presented at the workshop are included as appendices.Website (URL): http://www.intrac.org/pages/PraxisNote16.html Author(s): Brenda Bucheli & Gabriela Romo | <urn:uuid:e1ec9454-9503-4f4a-bb9c-006590333d83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.impactalliance.org/ev02.php?ID=11865_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969611 | 480 | 2.765625 | 3 |
INDEPTH: FRASER INSTITUTE|
The Fraser Institute at 30
CBC News Online | October 12, 2004
The Fraser Institute was founded in 1974 by a group of academics and business executives who were concerned that government was getting too big, and that debate on the best way of meeting the economic and social aspirations of Canadians centred on heavy government involvement.
There are those who say the organization's birth was not completely benign; they charge that Michael Walker, an economist from the University of Western Ontario, helped set up the institute after he received financial backing from forestry giant MacMillan-Bloedel, largely to counter B.C.'s NDP government.
To counter charges that it had an agenda, the Fraser Institute said that:
The Fraser Institute is clear about its focus. Its website and all its major publications state:
- Its research priorities would be determined by its staff, not its funders.
- Its research would be based on sound methodology and facts. To ensure this, an Editorial Advisory Board would be established.
- No institute staff would engage in political activity, and the institute's conclusions would not be modified to favour any political or economic group.
The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian economic and social research and educational organization. It has as its objective the redirection of public attention to the role of competitive markets in providing for the well-being of Canadians. Where markets work, the Institute's interest lies in trying to discover prospects for improvement.
Where markets do not work, its interest lies in finding the reasons. Where competitive markets have been replaced by government control, the interest of the Institute lies in documenting objectively the nature of the improvement or deterioration resulting from government intervention.
The institute which came to be known as a "right-wing think tank" didn't attract much attention nationally in the early years, mainly because the prevailing notion in most of the western world was that government had a large role to play in improving the social and economic conditions of citizens.
High interest rates, soaring government deficits and public debt began to change some minds by the late 1970s. In Britain, Margaret Thatcher swept into office with a promise of getting the country's finances in order and the government off people's backs. In the U.S., Ronald Reagan's promises of tax cuts and a return to prosperity through smaller government also led to a big win.
In Canada, the Fraser Institute began to attract a lot of attention in the second half of the 1980s, as the debate about free trade with the United States heated up partially because of the reports it was releasing and partially because of the people who were attracted to the organization. Among them was Conrad Black, who controlled the Southam newspaper group.
Ontario Premier Mike Harris describes the success of his government to members of the Fraser Institute at a luncheon in Vancouver in 1997. (CP Photo)
The Fraser Institute identified hot button issues early and got into the debate. Some of the reports it published include:
The Fraser Institute has called for changes such as a flatter tax system, private involvement in health care, and allowing parents more choice in their children's education (vouchers that can be used to help pay the cost of a private school education).
- Caring For Profit: Economic Dimensions of Canada's Health Care Industry (1987)
- Privatization: Tactics and Techniques (1988)
- Waiting Your Turn: Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada series (1990-present)
- Economics and the Environment: A Reconciliation (1990)
One issue the Fraser Institute has paid considerable attention to is taxation. It has consistently called for tax relief for corporations and individuals, to bring taxes more in line with those of the United States, Canada's largest trading partner.
For years, the institute's researchers have determined which day of the year you would have to work until to meet all your tax obligations to all levels of government. The Fraser Institute's Tax Freedom Day is generally towards the end of June, although the day varies depending on which province you live in. The institute has been very successful in attracting media attention to the annual announcement.
The Fraser Institute has come under harsh criticism from several groups. Trade unions have lambasted the organization for its recommendations to abolish minimum wage regulations and to end rules that force workers covered by a union agreement to pay union dues.
In 1999, the Fraser Institute raised the ire of scientists and health professionals when it sponsored two conferences on the tobacco industry. They were titled "Junk Science, Junk Policy? Managing Risk and Regulation" and "Should government butt out? The pros and cons of tobacco regulation." The institute was accused of putting its credibility on the line by allying itself with the tobacco industry's efforts to undermine credible scientific research.
The institute has also come out with some surprising recommendations: it declared the war on drugs to be lost and called for the decriminalization of marijuana. Its researchers argued that illegal pot meant a boost for organized crime, as otherwise-law-abiding people went underground to make their purchases.
The Fraser Institute has a history of attracting high-profile people. Michael Walker remains at the head of the organization. Former Ontario premier Mike Harris and Reform party founder Preston Manning are both senior fellows with the institute.
CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites. Links will open in new window.|
The Fraser Institute | <urn:uuid:ed3f5857-22ab-439e-ac95-4159acd0604e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/fraserinstitute/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968921 | 1,096 | 2.296875 | 2 |
by Walter Stünkel, Hong Pan, Siew Boom Chew, Emilia Tng, Jun Hao Tan, Li Chen, Roy Joseph, Clara Y. Cheong, Mei-Lyn Ong, Yung Seng Lee, Yap-Seng Chong, Seang Mei Saw, Michael J. Meaney, Kenneth Kwek, Allan M. Sheppard, Peter D. Gluckman, GUSTO Study Group, Joanna D. Holbrook
Babies born at lower gestational ages or smaller birthweights have a greater risk of poorer health in later life. Both the causes of these sub-optimal birth outcomes and the mechanism by which the effects are transmitted over decades are the subject of extensive study. We investigated whether a transcriptomic signature of either birthweight or gestational age could be detected in umbilical cord RNA. Methods
The gene expression patterns of 32 umbilical cords from Singaporean babies of Chinese ethnicity across a range of birthweights (1698–4151 g) and gestational ages (35–41 weeks) were determined. We confirmed the differential expression pattern by gestational age for 12 genes in a series of 127 umbilical cords of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicity. Results
We found that the transcriptome is substantially influenced by gestational age; but less so by birthweight. We show that some of the expression changes dependent on gestational age are enriched in signal transduction pathways, such as Hedgehog and in genes with roles in cytokine signalling and angiogenesis. We show that some of the gene expression changes we report are reflected in the epigenome. Conclusions
We studied the umbilical cord which is peripheral to disease susceptible tissues. The results suggest that soma-wide transcriptome changes, preserved at the epigenetic level, may be a mechanism whereby birth outcomes are linked to the risk of adult metabolic and arthritic disease and suggest that greater attention be given to the association between premature birth and later disease risk. | <urn:uuid:1795a784-712a-4019-8c54-cc34b56f5661> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biospace.com/collaborative/PLos_Article.aspx?id=18031 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924273 | 406 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Is it because this multinational corporation pioneered some enormously successful genetically engineered crops, including corn, soybeans, and cotton?
Maybe, but I suspect that much of the passion is inspired by Monsanto’s hard-line approach to ownership of those crops. Monsanto claims those seeds — and all offspring of those seeds — as its intellectual property. Farmers aren’t allowed to save and replant any part of their harvest; if they do, Monsanto takes them to court and demands large damages. Critics call the company bullying and ruthless. | <urn:uuid:3f434854-4031-4085-a1da-1f69006325e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stateimpact.npr.org/idaho/jp/farmer-tackling-monsantos-seed-policy-gets-a-day-in-supreme-court/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948481 | 107 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Exxon’s Stealth Moves to Run Tar Sands into New England
from Wildlife Promise
We’ve written before about Big Oil’s new playbook on tar sands: using stealth tactics to make it harder for the public to figure out what dangerous projects they have in mind and trying to pull one over on the public. Bearing locally-based labels like “Portland Pipe Line Corporation” and “Montreal Pipe Line Limited,” the proposed Trailbreaker tar sands pipeline is actually owned by ExxonMobil, via its Canadian Subsidiary Imperial Oil, with tar sands giant Suncor Energy having a minority stake in the company.
Imperial and Suncor are among the largest developers of Canadian tar sands oil. This convoluted corporate maze of oil behemoths is in bed with Enbridge, the company behind the Kalamazoo River oil spill, the most costly onshore spill in U.S. history. Now, it apparently wants to pump tar sands oil from Alberta through Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine to the port of Portland for overseas markets. Tar sands oil is a heavy, corrosive, diluted bitumen and is known as one of the dirtiest, most-polluting, hardest-to-clean-up fuels on the planet. The tar sands business is booming in Canada and the corporate hawks are positioning to pounce on the profits they see in this dirty product by using New England communities as conduits to export markets.
It’s no wonder ExxonMobil doesn’t want to come clean. The company’s not clean. It was ExxonMobil that caused the infamous 1989 Valdez spill, a disaster that spewed 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s pristine waters. In July 2011, the company’s Silvertip Pipeline dumped 42,000 gallons of oil into Montana’s Yellowstone River.
And the plot thickens. Exxon’s apparent partner in the Trailbreaker tar sands plot is Enbridge, the company that owns the line from Ontario to Montreal that could connect to the line to Portland. In 2010, an Enbridge pipeline rupture poured a million gallons of oil into Michigan’s Talmadge Creek and Kalamazoo River, an incident which an independent review found was due to extreme negligence.
The New England Trailbreaker project would reverse the flow of the current Portland-Montreal Pipe Line (PMPL) going from Portland, Maine, to Quebec. Under the Trailbreaker scheme, tar sands would flow across Canada and through Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine through this pipeline. And this oil flowing to Portland would not help the people of those states even if they wanted it because the most likely would be exported or sent to refineries by ship. The people of New England would be left with all the harm – ruptures and pumping station breakdowns that could threaten thousands of clear lakes and rivers and unspoiled forests.
The people of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine have a long history of valuing their forests, rivers and lakes. They deserve straight talk and full disclosure, not backroom deals shrouded in a complicated a corporate structure that hides the true identity and motives of the real players who see these states as just a “pass-through” to the coast and a pass-through to easy profits.
“This pipeline presents a double whammy. ExxonMobil’s apparent partner in this tar sands pipeline scheme is Enbridge, which has disastrous safety record and is responsible for the devastating Kalamazoo River tar sands spill in 2010,” said Jim Murphy, Vermont-based Senior Counsel with National Wildlife Federation. “Enbridge spilled a million gallons of tar sands oil into the Kalamazoo River, the most expensive domestic pipeline spill in history that will mar the river for years, maybe decades. Independent review found that extreme negligence led to the spill. Vermont doesn’t need this type of disaster.”
These oil giants have a dirty track record. Let’s not let them add to that record.
Get the Facts: Final Corporate Fact Sheet | <urn:uuid:c6844aa5-8b22-4b93-889e-d3aca9780ce4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.nwf.org/2012/10/breaking-through-the-corporate-cover-of-the-trailbreaker/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945489 | 829 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Regardless of the theme that you might choose for your bedroom, there are methods of ensuring that your decorating theme remains environmentally friendly. By creating an eco friendly bedroom, you will help the environment by reducing the amount of human waste. For example, you might want to consider decorating your bedroom with bamboo.Read more ›
Post Tagged with: "bamboo"
Bamboo is a beautiful and environmentally responsible material that is currently quite popular in home decor. Bamboo is a very fast-growing plant, which means it is a more easily renewable product as compared to materials such as hardwood. Although bamboo is a relatively new home decorating material, it has quickly grown in popularity. As such, you’ll find a wide variety [...]Read more ›
Window blinds made of bamboo were traditionally in use for centuries in Japan and other parts of Asia. Now days, these bamboo window binds have seen a revival and have become increasingly popular in rest of the world too. The inspiration behind these classical bamboo window blinds is the desire to make our houses look more natural. Bamboo window blinds [...]Read more › | <urn:uuid:cdd7d734-b109-4f50-84ee-c5ddb8043423> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.interiordesignonadime.com/tag/bamboo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965386 | 227 | 1.75 | 2 |
Former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed dead at 84 0
Peter Lougheed, the 10th premier of Alberta, has died.
He was 84.
"Although he was known to many for his contributions to Alberta and to Canada, his first dedication was to his family," read a family statement released Thursday.
"He was a deeply caring and loving husband, father and grandfather. We will miss him terribly.
"Thank you to all Albertans and Canadians for their outpouring of support which has deeply touched our family."
Lougheed served as premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985.
Lougheed's health had deteriorated in recent months and he was recently hospitalized in Calgary at the northeast hospital named after him.
"Those of us who have had the honour of working with him are deeply saddened by his passing," said Ron Ghitter, one of the original 49 MLAs elected with Lougheed in 1971, the start of the Conservative government's dynasty in Alberta.
"He was an immense influence on all of us who had the good fortune to work with him and we learned so much from him.
"Him passing is a loss from our point of view and from the province and Canada's point of view because he was such an important figure in Canada's history."
Ghitter said the province likely won't see another politician like Lougheed.
"He was of a special breed and they only come around once in a lifetime," he said. "There was something very special about him.
"He was the consummate politician but with a tremendous insight and a very hardworking, ethical man.
"He didn't plan days ahead, he planned years ahead. People of that nature are few and far between."
Lougheed was a "master politician" and "gifted lawyer," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement.
"The former premier was instrumental in laying the foundation for the robust economic success that his cherished province of Alberta enjoys today," it read.
"He was a driving force behind the province's economic diversification, of it having more control of its natural resources and their development, of Alberta playing a greater role in federation and of improving the province's health, research and recreational facilities.
"He was also instrumental in the creation of the Canadian Encyclopedia.
"Mr. Lougheed did all of these things for his province while also working tirelessly towards a strong and united Canada."
Along with being a member of the Privy Council of Canada, and a Companion of the Order of Canada, Lougheed was inducted in the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and was made an honourary Chief of the Cree First Nation.
In June, Lougheed was named Canada's greatest premier of the last 40 years by the Institute for Research and Public Policy.
On Twitter: @SUNDaveDormer | <urn:uuid:5b661af4-3032-4440-88a2-3eb7b1bc6f3b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crowsnestpasspromoter.com/2012/09/13/former-alberta-premier-peter-lougheed-dead-at-84-2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.99215 | 585 | 1.625 | 2 |
When : Always April 25th
It's East Meets West Day.... time for a few introductions.
Many kinds of sports team hold annual East vs. West games. Most often, its held by high school sports teams. It does not have to be limited to sports teams. It could be any club or organization that holds competitions, and can be geographically separated into and east and west groups.
These special games usually serve a number of purposes, including:
- for charitable benefits
- Sports booster club
- to honor and/or showcase the best players of the season
Celebrate "East Meets West Day" by holding an East Meets West game or competition. Participate or attend one of these games, if possible.
Origin of "East Meets West Day":
Our research did not find the creator, or the origin of this day. This day most likely took hold and grew from annual "East vs. West" sports competition. | <urn:uuid:15f23a58-ddba-40ec-b92f-33805ea3ded8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://asiarecipe.com/forum/index.php?app=calendar&module=calendar§ion=view&cal_id=1&do=showday&y=2012&m=04&d=25 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963289 | 196 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Burgers from Stem Cells?
As I was looking through the headlines at CNN I found this interesting news blurb:
One stem cell burger: $330,000
If you're concerned about the ethics of livestock production but don't want to become a vegetarian, consider this: It may be possible to grow meat in a petri dish.
Dr. Mark Post, professor of vascular physiology at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, is working on creating meat from bovine stem cells. And he's planning to unveil a burger created this way in October, he said Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Vancouver.
Croplands and pastures occupy about 35% of the planet's ice-free land surface, according to a 2007 study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
"Meat consumption is going to double in the next 40 years or so, so we need to come up with alternatives to solve the land issue," Post said.
Post's financial backer, whose identity Post would not disclose, is providing 250,000 euros (about $330,000) toward the development of this hamburger. And the financier has the right to choose who will be the lucky person to taste this futuristic burger, Post said.
To get the samples bigger and more burger-looking, scientists may grow them on a spherical surface. Eventually they'd like to be able to create big slabs of meat, Post said.
The color is pinkish-yellowish, and Post and colleagues would like to make it look more appetizing in a natural way. Meat in typical hamburgers gets its color partly from blood. One way to make the stem-cell meat more authentic-looking is to use caffeine to coerce the cells to produce more myoglobin, a type of protein that carries iron and oxygen.
Apart from the "meat," scientists need to grow fat separately, for the juiciness and taste of the final product.
Right now the process doesn't involve harming animals – researchers are using leftover materials from slaughterhouses. But in the future, the process could use animals that would be killed so that all of their stem cells could be harvested, he said.
You could get about 1 million times as many burgers from a single cow using these stem cell methods as you would from traditional processes, Post said.
But obviously Post's process is expensive and requires a lot of effort.
So how long will it take until the process of making stem cell burgers becomes more efficient than regular burgers?
With the resources Post and colleagues have right now, it's never going to happen, he says. With unlimited resources, it would still take 10 to 20 years.
What do you think??
Do you think this is the food wave of the future? How much would you be willing to pay for this 'meat'? Vegetarians - Is this something that would be suitable for you to eat? Animal rights activists - Do you feel this is an awesome alternative to how we get our meat now? If this proves successful should we entertain the idea of using the same process for other types of meats?
Tell me thoughts on this subject in a comment below. | <urn:uuid:bf0150ce-af63-46c0-8e7c-54da25f5138a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nicolieoliesmeanderings.blogspot.com/2012/02/burgers-from-stem-cells.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958626 | 666 | 2.59375 | 3 |
What is community radio?
A studio at Radio Adelaide. Image courtesy of Radio Adelaide.
The word 'community' can mean many different things. In terms of community radio, 'community' means people who listen to the same kind of music, who live in the same area, who have the same cultural background or who have the same educational needs.
Community radio offers the listening public access to a more diverse range of music, information, news and views than would otherwise be available from commercial or government-based stations. It also provides communities with locally-produced content that is immediately relevant to their daily lives. It allows individuals and community groups to participate in producing their own programs and to maintain their local culture. It also fulfils an important role in providing basic media training for over 7,000 Australians annually. Community radio encourages participation in all aspects of running a radio station from scheduling and producing programs to administration and fundraising.
Community radio stations
Peter Barr, presenter on RTRFM. Image courtesy of RTRFM.
Community radio stations are non-profit, which means that any money they make from the service they provide goes back into the station. Community radio stations receive government funding through the Community Broadcasting Foundation, which was established in 1984 as an independent, non-profit funding body for community broadcasting in Australia.
Community radio stations are limited in how they can use advertising or sponsorship to raise funds and all stations must follow a standard Code of Practice. The Code guides all Australian community stations in their operations and helps them maintain a community focus.
Many community stations rely on subscribers to help raise money to pay for their day-to-day expenses. A subscriber is a person or an organisation that donates money toward the station's running costs.
The people who work in community radio stations are mostly volunteers. This means that they don't get paid for what they do. They work in radio for other reasons: because they believe that the information that they present is important; because they want to develop the skills associated with radio production; or just because working in radio is fun.
Different types of community broadcasters are represented by different national peak bodies. The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) represents general community radio and television broadcasters, the National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters' Council (NEMBC) represents ethnic community broadcasters, the Australian Indigenous Communications Association (AICA) represents Indigenous community broadcasters, and RPH Australia represents Radio for the Print Handicapped (RPH) broadcasters.
The history of community radio
4ZZZ crew (Jim Beatson pictured front row left). Image courtesy of CBOnline.
Radio has been in Australia since the 1920s, but until the 1970s all radio stations were either commercial organisations or run by the Government.
In the 1960s, Australia's social, political and cultural landscape began to change and people wanted the Australian media, in turn, to reflect these changes. Many specialist groups, including ethnic and Indigenous communities, political activists, students, academics and classical music consumers, began to lobby for their own radio broadcasting licences. This community radio movement was an important force in the birth of community radio and remains a vibrant force in the Australian media today.
Community broadcasting licenses
In the 1970s, the Australian Government made a number of community broadcasting licences available, establishing what it called the 'third tier' of radio. This meant that now there was a third kind of radio station operating in Australia as well as the existing commercial and government-funded stations.
3CR in Armadale. Image courtesy of CBOnline.
5UV, or Radio Adelaide as it is now known, was Australia's first community station. It was established in 1972 and continues to broadcast today.
The Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) was established in 1992 to deal with issues associated with radio and television. The ABA was responsible for issuing broadcasting licences until 1 July 2005, when the ABA and the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) merged to become the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
ACMA regulates the way Australian radio stations behave and decides who qualifies for the various kinds of broadcasting licences. For a radio station to qualify for a community licence it must address a perceived need within the community and it also must be a strictly non-profit organisation. Community radio licences are made available in different areas of Australia, depending on the needs of those areas as determined by ACMA.
The purpose of community radio
Community radio stations provide a voice for communities to address issues relevant to their local areas and their lives. The stations also provide training opportunities so that people can learn what is involved in all aspects of radio production.
Most community radio stations define themselves as 'generalist', which means that they play a wide range of music and information programs. Some community radio stations, however, are more specialised. They target specific audiences or feature specialised content. Stations like 2000FM in New South Wales present programs in languages other than English.
CAAMA Radio logo. Image courtesy of the CAAMA Radio.
Indigenous stations such as CAAMA (Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association) Radio in central Australia aim to promote Aboriginal culture and to educate the wider community.
The Broadcasting for Remote Aboriginal Communities Scheme (BRACS) was introduced in 1987 to give Indigenous people access to, and control of, their own media at a community level. The scheme gave communities basic production and broadcasting equipment. The program finished in 1991, and the BRACS services are now known as RIBS (Remote Indigenous Broadcast Service).
2XX Community Radio Station, Canberra. Renaldo Portillo from El Salvador presenting the Latin American program. Image courtesy of National Library of Australia: an12942889-71.
Other specialist stations
Some stations specialise in other areas. Melbourne's JOY FM, for example, is a gay and lesbian station, and RPH Australia (Radio for the Print Handicapped) provides newspaper and magazine reading services for blind people and people with reading difficulties through its network of radio stations throughout Australia.
The Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP) is a community radio initiative that began in 2000. The project links Australian contemporary music with community radio to get Australian music national airplay.
AMRAP mails out compact disks (CDs) every month to 200 community stations. Since 2000, the CD mail out service has sent out 2400 titles every conceivable music genre: bush music, country, jazz, folk, electronic and world music. AMRAP has also commissioned live recordings of jazz, rock, pop, country and classical.
The AMRAP website allows users to browse programs, music and broadcasts by music genre. Community radio stations now have access to AirIT, AMRAP's online catalogue of Australian music digital download is free for stations and broadcasters, although tracks are not intended for sharing on the Internet.
Digital radio platforms
Audiences can now access radio content through methods other than traditional analogue signals. Digital broadcasting is being rolled out to supplement the existing analogue signals. Opportunities now exist for radio to be streamed online, which in turn provides the scope to offer additional features and extra information through the online environment.
- Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA)
- Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF)
- Community Broadcasting Online (CBOnline)
- Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA)
- National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters' Council (NEMBC)
- Southern Community Media Association (SCMA)
- Radio for the Print Handicapped Association (RPH)
- Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP)
- Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
- Community radio - Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
History of community radio
Community radio station links
- CBAA member stations
- Triple R FM, Melbourne, Victoria
- ArtSound FM, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
- 2NSB, Sydney, New South Wales
- 4ZZZ, Brisbane, Queensland
- RTR-FM, Perth, Western Australia
- PBA-FM, Adelaide, South Australia
Last updated: 16th February 2010 | <urn:uuid:ca83dee3-d75c-4104-ac22-7ca130fc895a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/community-radio | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944934 | 1,659 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Window blinds recalled after kids strangle
All Roman-style shades and roll-up blinds are being recalled for repair due to strangulation hazards, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced this week. Since 2001, eight children have died and 16 have been injured after becoming entangled in the cords, according to the commission.
The recall affects about 50 million units nationwide. Homeowners are urged to stop using the blinds until they receive a free retrofit repair kit, available at windowcoverings.org or by calling the Window Covering Safety Council, 800-506-4636.
Nat Klein, a spokeswoman for the Window Covering Safety Council, says no corded window coverings should be used in homes with children.
"If you've got kids in the home, go cordless. Period. That's our message and that's been our message," Klein says. "Throw up a drape, throw up a curtain or you can go buy from a retailer some kind of cordless product."
Corded coverings are no different than other hazardous household items like knives, stairs and electricity, Klein says. "Are we going to take the electrical sockets out of the house? No. We are going to baby-proof them. How do you baby-proof a window covering? You go cordless."
Kathy Kent-Knurek, a pediatric nurse practitioner in Fishers, Ind., says many infant and child deaths are preventable. The former Chicago emergency room nurse has started her own child safety company, The Baby Squad. She works in conjunction with highly rated Home Safe Homes in Noblesville.
“We like to think of child-proofing as layers of protection,” Kent-Knurek says. “The top layer is parental supervision. Anything above and beyond that just keeps our children that much more safe.”
Most parents aren’t aware of the danger posed by inner cords on Roman and roll-up blinds, she says.
“If the blind is down, that inner cord is on the window side. If a toddler gets in between the blind and the window to look out — that’s what kids do — that cord is very accessible to them,” she says.
The Baby Squad audits the entire home for child safety, Kent-Knurek says. A crew from Home Safe Homes makes the changes or installs safety features. “We tell them how we can make it the safest environment possible and they pick and choose," she says. "Oftentimes it is driven by budget. Some parents don't see it [window blinds] as much of a risk for them.”
The Roman and roll-up shades typically consist of cloth panels rather than slats, with long cords threaded through the back of the blind. Oftentimes, the cord is invisible from the front.
Linda Kaiser of Elgin, Ill., experienced the horror firsthand when her twin daughter, Cheyenne, got entangled in a cord and died in 2002‚ 18 days after her first birthday. The tragedy prompted Kaiser to form the nonprofit Parents For Window Blind Safety.
Kaiser says many parents understand the choking and suffocation hazard of pull cords but still overlook inner cords.
"The death rates are not decreasing," Kaiser says. "That is why I have to continue doing what I'm doing."
Her website shows eight ways a child can be strangled by a window covering.
This week’s action by the safety council is the latest in a decades-long string of recalls involving corded window coverings. Since 1990, more than 200 infants and children have been strangled by all types of window cords, according to the CPSC.
Unlike a window blind recall in 2000 that also mandated a change in the way the cord is built, the commission is not requiring an immediate design change, a commission spokeswoman says.
"We are looking now to strengthen the standards to make it mandatory," says Nychelle Fleming.
As to why the choking hazard was not noticed before 50 million blinds were sold, Fleming acknowledged that the commission needs to improve its methods.
"We've worked directly with the standards community and enough has not been done," she says. "That is why we are moving forward with strengthening standards." | <urn:uuid:c804a412-85b2-4f50-9fc5-aaf800e2e67b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.angieslist.com/comment/5450/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96438 | 887 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Right, this page is for all those not Dutch people out there, who want to know what it was that I nearly blew my head of doing this new years eve (2002). Something called Carbid Schieten in Pigeuropean (ie. Dutch).
Well, firstly, Carbid Schieten translates to English like this: Carbide Shooting. But I suppose most people won't go like "Ooh! Carbide Shooting! I know what you mean now!", so let me go into this a bit deeper. Let us start with the Carbide.
Carbide is a rocky material, called CAC2 in the language of people like my girlfriend. It's made of coke and slacked lime, by heating the two in an electric oven. It used to be used in eg. carbide lamps or to make acetylene gas which can be used for welding.
Right, the whole idea is contained in this: CAC2(s) + 2H20(1)----> HCCH(9) + CA(OH)2(s), which basically means, that if you put water with the carbide is produces (amongst something else which I haven't got a slightest idea what it might be (ask my girlfriend, she should know)) acetylene gas; an explosive gas!
Now you take a milkcan (with a nicely fitting lid) and drill a tiny whole in the back of the milkcan. Now all you need is something like a torch, or alternatively attach in some way (consult someone about this with who does knows what he is doing...) a nut (and they say Dutch words are silly...) over the hole on the back and get some firecrackers which fit the nut and get lighter. Oh, and fill a empty bottle or something with water. That's all really, so here we go.
Now, put the milkcan almost flat on the ground with the front a bit higher as the back (don't put it upright, unless you have a pressing deathwish), get the lid off, and dump some amount of the carbide in milkcan. Now put some amount of water into the milkcan too, and quickly put the lid back on. (a (rubber!) hammer might be useful here...)
Okay, now you make sure nobody you like is in front of the milkcan, and nothing valuable resides there either, and then carefully put the tip of the torch near the hole in the back of the milkcan.
The shooting then follows.Right, and this is what people (especially redneck farmers) do all over the north of the Netherlands around the new year. And we (mainly scouting people - a kind of people who like to blow up stuff anyway) like to do it too on new years eve.
Oh, and about that nut and firecracker thing, what you do (well, what we do) is to brake the firecracker in two (this makes the firecracker burn, but not explode, since it's now open at one end) and stuff the part with the fuse on it into the nut. Now you can light the whole thing and still have some time to take cover.
The only thing is, that the firecracker must fit well, so none gas can escape past it. Because else it's not very healthy to crouch down right besides the milkcan and light your lighter! This is about what happened to me this year. The recoil made the milkcan flip over backwards with great speed and it hit me straight in the face. Auch! I was very lucky all I got was a very big lump and a headache.
Right, now I have to disclaim some stuff, before somebody gets himself killed.
I extremely dissuade anyone from trying this all, after just reading this page. This page is an description of carbid schieten, not (I say NOT) a guide to carbid schieten!!!
Also, trying to headbud the oncoming milkcan lid is not recommended. People have actually died of such a lid encounter of the frontal kind. Get everybody behind the milkcan, when you are about to fire.
And last but not least, terms on this page might be completely wrong, all the Dutch words that I didn't know the English word for were translate just by dictionary or by #aglami / #wizzfizz. Not at all by research. And none of the photos used are mine. They are ripped from the internet using the almighty Google.com and are therefor probably used without any permission. Yeah. Live with it.
Death by Milk
(or an explanation of Carbid Schieten)
This information was subtracted from the internet LINK
© 2001-2012 Carbidbus.nl | <urn:uuid:0d715fb0-a5fd-44f9-8b6c-c7fa8434d317> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.carbidbus.nl/html/carbid_shooting.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945177 | 988 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Melissa Harris' Chicago Confidential
September 16, 2012
The clash between Northwestern University and preservationists over the fate of Bertrand Goldberg's old Prentice Women's Hospital is expected to climax as early as Oct. 4 when the Commission on Chicago Landmarks could begin weighing the merits of preserving the Streeterville structure.
Northwestern, which owns the now-vacant hospital, and preservationists opposed to its demolition have hired well-connected strategists to guide their advertising and PR campaigns.
It's obvious how Northwestern can afford it all. The university sat atop a reported $7.2 billion endowment as of August 2011, among the largest of its kind in the country.
Less obvious is the primary source of funding for the preservationists: the Washington-based National Trust for Historic Preservation, which put old Prentice on its list of America's 11 most-endangered sites in 2011 and has named it one of its "national treasures."
Christina Morris, a senior field officer in the preservation trust's Chicago office, declined to disclose how much the trust is spending on its campaign to save Prentice.
IRS records show that the trust held about $230 million in assets at the end of 2010. That amount still paints Northwestern as a goliath. But the trust's participation would seem to deny preservationists the label "David."
"This is definitely the most involved we have been in a Chicago site to my knowledge," said Morris, who pushed to get old Prentice recognized as endangered within her own organization. "That's the point of our national treasures approach. We get involved very, very intensely in a specific number of locations."
The preservationists — Morris, Bonnie McDonald of Landmarks Illinois, architect Gunny Harboe and Jonathan Fine of Preservation Chicago — hired Eric Herman, managing director of issue- and corporate-advocacy firm ASGK. He's also a Northwestern alumnus and former Chicago Sun-Times reporter. The team has worked to poke holes in a university poll conducted via telephone, which found — not surprisingly — that nearly three-quarters of those surveyed supported putting a new medical research center on the old Prentice site.
The Chicago Reader also pointed out that architects Northwestern lined up in support of demolition have all done work for the university or its teaching hospital in Streeterville, Northwestern Memorial Hospital. (The list of pro-demolition architects has since grown to include people whose connections to the university aren't as obvious.)
Although both sides continue to pit architects against each other — preservationists recently enrolled Renzo Piano — university officials have honed their message around the estimated 2,000 jobs the new research center would create. The university's strategy is being crafted with the help of Chris Mather, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's former communications director who recently opened a Chicago office for Purple Strategies, a Virginia-based public affairs firm.
Mather is in regular contact with Eugene Sunshine, Northwestern's senior vice president for business and finance and the school's point person on this matter.
University leadership is also involved. William Osborn, a retired banking executive and chair of the university's board of trustees, said in a Thursday interview that trustees would be briefed at their board meeting the next day. He also said he is aware of "everything that's going on," whether his approval is needed or not.
Osborn also is a board member at Tribune Co., parent company of the Chicago Tribune. He and other senior Northwestern officials recently met with Emanuel to discuss their plans.
"When you get down to it, what is the right thing to do?" Osborn said. "This is our property. We're trying to do the right thing for Chicago. We're trying to build more research space. We're trying to bring good jobs to Chicago. We want something that looks nice. We're wanting to be a great corporate citizen. And it seems ironic that we're getting push-back on that, particularly in these economic times."
Preservationists argue, however, there's nothing standing in the way of Northwestern creating jobs in Streeterville. The old building is easy to repurpose, given Goldberg's use of open floor plans, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital owns a vacant tract across the street.
Goldberg is best known for designing the two corncob-shaped towers on the Chicago River, called Marina City. Old Prentice also has a barreled style but it's a less unified one. It looks like a Martian spaceship landing atop a Mies van der Rohe building. The style fell out of vogue long ago, yet no one could argue old Prentice is anything but one of a kind.
"Prentice represents a larger threat to modern architecture, not just in Chicago but across the country," Morris said. "We're seeing more and more of these buildings that are 30 to 40 to 50 years old essentially being threatened with the wrecking ball because that's a really delicate time frame for buildings. They're not quite old enough for people to consider them historic, but they're old enough that people don't feel like they're new and that it's time for them to be upgraded or replaced."
Copyright © 2013, Chicago Tribune | <urn:uuid:30501bda-4985-4a06-8d9f-c2c4a99aa9f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.portlandscw32.com/ct-biz-0916-confidential-prentice-20120916,0,5955905,print.column | 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 | 0.96987 | 1,056 | 1.5 | 2 |
-- St. Matt., xiii. 44.
He that findeth Jesus findeth a good treasure,
yea, a Good above all good.
-- The Imitation of Christ, ii. 8.
As the clearness of the vision varies, so does the intensity of the desire. For some men it is dim, as the reflection in a mirror that is cracked and tarnished. The shape is uncertain and its lines wavering. Jesus is not so seen as to shut out the possibility of seeing the other things which present themselves within, behind, or beside the mirror which reflects Him. Men who behold Hun thus, desire to see Him in a very real way; yet their desire does not become the master passion of their lives, so that all other desires grow faint or are excluded altogether. They wish for other things as well as the vision of Jesus. Certainly they will only wish for those other things whose possession is not inconsistent with the seeing of Him. Yet they do wish for other things. For a few men the mirror is more perfect and the reflection much clearer. To them the vision is so desirable that having once seen Jesus they thenceforth see nothing but Jesus, hope and strive for nothing else of any sort except to see Jesus.
The difference between these two ways of seeing is a difference in vocation. We cannot explain it. We no more seek either to explain it or to alter it than we seek to explain or alter the fact that it was St. John and no other who saw "in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle." We simply recognise that they who see clearest are they who have the higher vocation, and we know that their way in life must be the harder way, as our human nature reckons hardness. It is they who when they have found the treasure hid in the field are so absorbed with the desire of possessing it that they sell all they have; that is to say, they, having seen Jesus, see nothing else in life at all desirable except Jesus. It must always seem to most men a strange and very hard thing to give up everything for the sake of a spiritual gain. To those who have seen the vision and heard the vocation it is, save for the weakness of the flesh, not a hard thing. It is written in the gospel of them that "for joy thereof" they go and sell all that they have.
Among those who have had the vocation none have had it more certainly than the hermits of the Egyptian deserts. They, because they had seen very clearly, and in their daily lives continued to see very clearly, were, of all men, most absorbed in the desire of seeing Jesus. The stories and sayings in this chapter show us the intensity and the meaning of their desire. To the hermit Macedonius the pursuit of his God was a toil like a hunter's, but inexpressibly more absorbing. He cannot think of ceasing from his hunting. The abbot ,John knew that no enticements could seduce away his soul from entering upon the fruition of Jesus. The abbot Arsenius, who had been once a courtier in the Emperor's palace, recognised that all other desires must give way before the desire of seeing Jesus. Very wonderful is the perception of the abbot Allois of the remoteness of the soul which dwells with God from all else except God.
The lives of the hermits supply us with a very perfect example of the paradox of religious experience. They, if ever any men, grasped the true value of the hidden treasure. They, more than most men, realised the condition of obtaining it, and sold all that they might purchase it. Yet their lives afford an almost terrible example of the intensity of the continuous struggle which the purchasing entails. They saw Jesus, therefore they desired to see Him, and their desire forced them to pursue that holiness "without which no man shall see the Lord." This is the keynote of their lives. They were determined, at all cost, in some way to become good; because having seen Him very clearly, they knew that they would not get to see Him unless by His grace they grew to be like Him.
How the hermit Macedonius witnessed that it is not strange to do for the sake of possessing the Lord what men do willingly for smaller gains.
A certain captain of soldiers, who took a great delight in hunting, once came in search of wild animals to the desolate mountain where Macedonius dwelt. He was prepared for hunting, having brought with him men and dogs. As he went over the mountain he saw, far off a man. Being surprised that anyone should be in a place so desolate, he asked who it might be. One told him that it was the hermit Macedonius. The captain, who was a pious man, leaped from his horse and ran to meet the hermit. When he came to him he asked, "What are you doing in such a barren place as this is?" The hermit in his turn asked, "And you? What have you come here to do?" The captain answered him, "I have come to hunt." Then said Macedonius, "I also am a huntsman. I am hunting for my God. I yearn to capture Him. My desire is to enjoy Him. I shall not cease from this my hunting."
A word of St. Basil to one who was unwilling to sell all that he had in order to buy the field wherein the treasure is.
A certain Syncletius, a senator, renounced the world. He divided his property among the poor, but kept back some of it for his own use. To him St. Basil said, "Truly you have spoiled a senator, but you have not made a monk."
A word of the abbot Arsenius, him who left the emperor's court for the desert, seeking God; and resigned his wealth that he might take the hidden treasure.
"If we seek God, He will appear to us. If we hold Him fast, He will remain with us."
The word of one who knew how good a thing it is to know of nothing in the world, but to know of Jesus.
The abbot Allois said "Except a man say in his heart, 'I and God are alone in the world,' he will not find peace."
How the enticements of the world have no power to lure back again the soul that has once possessed Jesus.
The abbot John said: "There was an exceedingly beautiful woman who dwelt in a certain city, and she had a multitude of lovers. A great man, one of the nobles of the city, came to her and said, 'Promise that you will be mine and I will wed you.' She gladly promised, and being his wife went to dwell with him in his palace. Afterwards her other lovers came seeking her and found her not. When they heard that she had become the nobleman's wife, they said one to another, 'If we go up to the door of the palace, it will be plain that we are seeking her, then, without doubt, we shall be punished. Let us go to the back of the house and whistle to her, as we used to do when she was free. When she hears our whistling she will certainly come down to us.' They did as they had planned, and the woman heard their whistling. Hating greatly even to hear them, she went into the inner parts of the house and shut the door upon herself. Now this woman is the soul of a man. Her husband, the nobleman, is Christ. The palace is the eternal mansion of the heavens. They who whistle for her are the demons."
A comparison of one who desires to attain the eternal treasure to an archer who turns his eyes away from everything except his mark.
A man will despise all things present as being transitory when he has securely fixed the gaze of his mind on those things which are immovable and eternal. Already he enjoys, in contemplation, the blessedness of his future life. It is as when one desires to strike some mighty prize -- the prize is virtue -- which is far off on high, and seems but a small mark to shoot at. The archer strains his eyesight while he aims at it, for he knows how great are the glory and rewards which await his hitting it. He turns his eyes away from everything, and will not look save thither where the reward is placed. He knows that he would surely lose the prize if his strained sight were turned away from the mark even a very little.
How a man cannot possess the heavenly treasure and at the same time cling to the pleasures of earth.
The abbot Arsenius was once asked by the abbot Mark why he fled from the society of men. He replied, "God knows it is not that I hate men. I love them well. But I cannot dwell both with God and with men. There are multitudes of heavenly beings and many virtues, but all their wills are one, and they come of one will. Among men it is otherwise. Their wills are many, and they pull us different ways. I am in this strait. I cannot leave God, for that is how I think of it, to dwell with men." | <urn:uuid:ae263ce2-c23e-45bb-9578-d08d59f14576> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www3.nd.edu/Departments/Maritain/etext/wd01.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983411 | 1,945 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Detarium senegalense J. F. Gmel. Leguminosae. Dattock.
Tropical Africa. The fruits are about the size of an apricot. Underneath the thin outer covering there is a quantity of green, farinaceous, edible pulp intermixed with stringy fibres that proceed from the inner and bony covering which encloses the single seed. There are two varieties; one bitter, the other sweet. The latter is sold in the markets and is prized by the negroes.
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World, 1919, was edited by U. P. Hedrick. | <urn:uuid:bb657c45-f4e7-40d0-bd17-a3226016500c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/sturtevant/detarium.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906872 | 134 | 2.734375 | 3 |
|hê·rê·‘ū — 3 Occurrences|
BIB: אֶת־ עָרְפָּ֔ם הֵרֵ֖עוּ מֵאֲבוֹתָֽם׃
NAS: they did more evil than
KJV: their neck: they did worse than their fathers.
INT: stiffened their neck evil their fathers
BIB: אֲדֹנִ֣י הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ הֵרֵ֜עוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֤ים הָאֵ֙לֶּה֙
NAS: men have acted wickedly in all
KJV: these men have done evil in all that they have done
INT: my lord the king have acted men these
BIB: הַהִ֔יא כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵרֵ֖עוּ מַעַלְלֵיהֶֽם׃ פ
NAS: Because they have practiced evil deeds.
KJV: from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.
INT: he Because have practiced deeds | <urn:uuid:153514bb-c6de-4d08-a643-7460ecc61202> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://biblesuite.com/hebrew/hereu_7489.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911287 | 338 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Ngangaruku country lies along the lower Murray River near Murray Bridge immediately east of the Mount Lofty Ranges.
It lies east of the Mount Lofty language Peramangk and south of the closely related Murray River language Ngayawang. It is also north of the Ngarrindjeri language.
AIATSIS id : S.06
Meru, Náŋurúku, Ngangaruku, Ngangurugu (used by AIATSIS), Nganguruku, Nkanguru.
We apologise, there is no information available at this time
approximate location of Ngangaruku
There is no contact person known for this language. Please contact us if you know of a suitable person or organisation.
The locations of the languages of SA, as stated on the this website, are based on the 1994 AIATSIS published Horton map. They are not intended for Land Claim use, and are an approximate guide only. Individual language project locations are based on information from publicly available MILR (ILS) documents. | <urn:uuid:a18beb9b-66a8-4bdd-94ed-c183f7655ce8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mobilelanguageteam.com.au/languages/ngangaruku | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906206 | 220 | 2.4375 | 2 |
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DPRK Propoganda Art
This is some of the most difficult artwork in the world to buy, as most of it cannot be legally exported from North Korea--and it's not easy to get the legal artwork out, either.
To some, this artwork is viewed as a permanent reminder of what life was like--and still is like--behind the Iron Curtain of totalitarian communism that has been at loggerheads with the "Free World" for the latter half of the Twentieth Century.
To others, this artwork bears testament to a proud country that desperately wants to take charge of its own destiny without the plague of foreign interference that has infested the Korean peninsula since the Japanese occupation that began nearly one hundred years ago.
With its unique blend of Confucianism, Maoism and Stalinism, North Korea--which is officially recognised by the UN as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea--is the last bastion of Cold War Era communism that has little evolved since the 1950s. It is one of the least visited countries with only about 1,500 Western tourists a year.
Propaganda art has been used throughout history the world over to control the hearts, minds and actions of citizens. In North Korea, these never subtle, yet artistic, propaganda messages are as commonly displayed on billboards and murals throughout the country as advertising is in the industrialized world.
Many political observers in the West view the North Korean leadership's penchant for brinkmanship as destabilizing not only North-East Asia, but also the world. However, North Korean sympathizers argue that the country is protecting itself from Western corruption, particularly that from the U.S.
In the West, North Korea is seen as a serious military threat, with one of the world's largest standing armies, significant dug-in heavy artillery, and likely biological, chemical and possibly a few nuclear bombs, plus medium-range ballistic missiles. However, North Korea regards this build-up as taking a strong defensive stand, promoted as the "Army First" or "Songun" policy "to maintain independence or become the colonial slaves of imperialism."
Despite the significant sacrifice the allied countries made on the Korean peninsula against what was regarded as incursions of totalitarian communism, the Korean War in the West is just as often the "Forgotten War". By bearing witness to state-sanctioned propaganda art from a political system as far different from our liberal democracies as is possible, we can reflect upon the ideologies, political metaphors and myths disseminated by the Hermit Kingdom, while we ponder and question those broadcast from our own governments.
Many Western observers question how much longer this reclusive country will exist. We question how much longer will this powerful and aesthetically appealing artwork be produced. Note that authentic printed Chinese propaganda posters have recently been sold at action for thousands of dollars.
Insight into DPRK Propaganda & Social Realist Art
If the pen is mightier than the sword, then the paintbrush is perhaps mightier.
Throughout the world, the propaganda poster has been used as a medium for communicating political and ideological direction to a country's population, to the extent of brainwashing that population into fidelity and blind obedience.
The North Korean style of propaganda is highly developed and as ubiquitously displayed in all public places as advertising is in our industrialized society.
The similarities between socialist propaganda art and capitalist style advertising are noteworthy; both attempt to create dreamers, both with their strategies for selling a lifestyle and a brighter future.
These propaganda posters are intended as short-lived pieces, each predominantly consisting of a slogan reinforced by a painted image that reveals the cultural, political and sociological ideals of the country. Even though the artistic input in making the propaganda poster is high, the finished piece is rarely seen as an art form, that is, a piece of work to be considered for its aesthetic; rather it is the use of art to extol the virtues of how to strive for or how to defend the construction of an ideal society.
Ideology aside, many artists and art critics find this art to be a fascinating and even a beautiful means of expression. These works immediately convey state-sanctioned messages and can invoke the strong emotions that conjure up pride, loyalty and even anger.
The Creation of North Korean Propaganda Art
The original artwork is commissioned from the various art studios in Pyongyang and there is also a specific university course and studio dedicated to "poster art". The artists are chosen or compete to portray the selected slogan and their aim is to enforce its message with strong visual language. The artwork is not signed though a record of the artist's name is kept.
The originals are painted in gouache normally on card or heavy grade paper. Depending on its intended, use the artwork is either copied by hand or put into print and distributed around the country where it is used in such institutions as schools, factories and offices, or re-painted on massive billboards in the city and countryside. Since 2000, a number of "Western style" advertising billboards have been erected along the streets in Pyongyang and are often backlit for impact in both the day and night. Usually hand painted propaganda pieces or computer-generated posters are displayed.
While it is possible to identify individual artists' work, the posters have almost no personal artistic expression or individual subtext. They are purely functional, aimed at getting across official ideas, values and norms. The realities of DPRK society cannot be read through propaganda art.
Deciphering North Korean Propaganda Art
Posters vary dramatically in their imagery depending on the content of the slogan; some posters are used to promote public health and social campaigns as well as to encourage people to behave like model citizens, while others are to inspire vigilance and to promote hatred of the "American aggressor". The human figures in these posters (workers, military and educationalists) are shown as young, fresh, robust and enthusiastic, verging on the superhuman.
The characters are painted to reveal such characteristic as youth and vigour, action (construction of a "strong country"), stature (often larger than life; an embodiment of perfection) and emotion (often resolve, pride, effort, joy, strength, determination or aggression). The figures therefore portray exemplary behaviour, they are there to inspire the workforce, show self-sacrifice, working for the greater good, devoted to the government, the Juche philosophy (the uniquely North Korean ruling ideology of self-reliance, where man is the master of his destiny), building a "strong country" and support for its "army first" doctrine.
Images put forth a desired reality. Female and male characters are often depicted as youthful superwomen and supermen, with large hands, muscular figures, faces that look like they are from one mould, but differentiated by poise and hair length, with perfect skin and teeth. The posters portray the three classes: the military, the worker intellectual and the laborer. The military are portrayed as sacred heroes, sacrificing themselves for the benefit of society, completely devoted to the cause of the Juche ideology.
These images provide youth with an identity as fighters for the socialist revolution, workers and intellectuals embody the collective spirit deriving joy not just from his/her own work but in his/her ability to participate in the collective effort under the wise guidance of the Party. All paintings are designed to reflect the un-hierarchical unity and single-minded heart of the people.
DPRK propaganda posters have developed their own style: sharp, block colours with two tones depicting light and shade with objects and figures outlined in a heavy black line. They are highly stylised, strident, graphic images. The figures do not confront the viewer rather they stare into a more perfect future. Colour symbolism is present: red is of course used as a colour to identify the sacred, the revolution, while black is often used to express evil. Of note is that the gaze of the figures is not directly at the viewer (as in many Russian and Chinese propaganda posters), the gaze into the far distance is an invitation to participate in a glorious future, in building and realizing the dreams of Kim Il Sung's utopia, the "People's Paradise".
Read our answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
Copyright © 2013 DPRKcool North Korean Art. All Rights Reserved. All prices are quoted in $US.
We make every effort to ensure that all items are accurately described and will correct any discrepancies brought to our attention. | <urn:uuid:2fe933f1-19e0-4fc9-a22b-7eb85b97a7eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dprkcool.com/servlet/the-template/dprkpropagandaart/Page | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951928 | 1,761 | 2.25 | 2 |
Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA) has complained that it lacked funds and tools to effectively undertake inspection of industries.
The Authority’s chief executive officer Dr Akwilina Kayumba told a Parliamentary Committee on Community Development that the authority had insufficient funds and vehicles in the five zones, rendering it unable to carry out its responsibilities.
She was responding after the committee rejected the Authority’s report for 2011/12, saying it lacked authentic and comprehensive statistics.
Dr Kayumba said: “We have four vehicles only which were obtained last week. They operate in Northern, Southern Highland and Coastal zones. Hence the Lake and Western zones have no means of transport,” she said.
She noted that there was insufficient working equipment such as spiral meters, saying there currently were only two which are used in measuring the magnitude of noise.
The other challenge is lack of trained and skilled human resource, saying most able employees had resigned to seek greener pastures due to low salaries offered by OSHA.
Earlier the committee acting chairman, Said Mtanda, told the OSHA management: “The report is not comprehensive. OSHA management should work on it again before presenting it to the committee. We can’t receive a two-page report that shows a year's implementation and another on the following year's expectations.”
He said the report was supposed to indicate a number of issues that need to be analysed, including the number of inspections previously undertaken with their locations and those expected to be undertaken.
Deputy minister for Labour and Employment, who is also a member of the committee, Dr Makongoro Mahanga, addressed complaints by OSHA employees, saying there was a dispute between the management and staff.
Dr Mahanga noted that the employer does not provide working equipment such as gloves, masks, boots and other safety gear for workers.
Elaborating on inspections he said: “OSHA has no capability to inspect all the industries in the country, therefore inspections are often done following a tipp-off by the media, for instance the recent Jambo Plastic saga.” | <urn:uuid:dac4655a-0fae-4097-ad0e-4c20703832d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php/milk39odmanor.co.za/73o.za/73/function.mysql-select-db?l=42129 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976965 | 435 | 1.742188 | 2 |
[Sca-cooks] Queens Tea
Laura C. Minnick
lcm at jeffnet.org
Mon Jan 28 17:02:29 PST 2013
On 1/28/2013 9:51 AM, Robin Carroll-Mann wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 12:10 PM, David Friedman
> <ddfr at daviddfriedman.com> wrote:
>> I don't suppose you could persuade the relevant authorities to find a period
>> label for what they want to do?
> "Collation", meaning a light meal, dates back to the 16th century.
Goes back much further than that. 'Collation' began in the 9th century,
as a Lenten practice. The monks were allowed a drink of water and a
light snack (called the Parvitas materiae) after labor, while listening
to a reading of a text of the _Collationes_ (Conferences) of an early
Christian monk named Cassian. How and when this practice became
associated with women in frilly garments sipping tea, I don't know.
Liutgard, who sees Ash Wednesday on the horizon and beginning the Lenten
"It is our choices Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our
abilities." -Albus Dumbledore ~~~Follow my Queenly perambulations at:
More information about the Sca-cooks | <urn:uuid:f27829aa-0d6d-4619-9abf-b247e87f062e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lists.ansteorra.org/pipermail/sca-cooks-ansteorra.org/2013-January/042315.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905198 | 302 | 2.046875 | 2 |
- Home » Auto Insurance, Life Insurance, More news » Report: More than 5,000 died in ’09 from distracted driving accidents
- Report: More than 5,000 died in ’09 from distracted driving accidents
- September 20th, 2010 5:05 PM
The U.S. government is calling attention to its upcoming summit on distracted driving by reporting that in 2009, some 5,474 Americans lost their lives to this easily avoided safety problem.
The government held its first distracted driving summit last fall and is following up on it at a time when numerous state legislatures have already enacted their own bills to crack down on cell phone use and texting behind the wheel.
According to the Department of Transportation, distracted driving accidents accounted for 16 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2009 – a figure that remained unchanged from 2008.
“These numbers show that distracted driving remains an epidemic in America, and they are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
While many people have gotten the message about distracted drivers, public opinion surveys indicate that millions continue to jeopardize themselves and others by using electronic devices behind the wheel. Another thing to consider is that with so many unsafe drivers on the road, even young and healthy individuals may want to consider carrying a life insurance policy.
- Category: Auto Insurance, Life Insurance, More news
Life Insurance Quotes
Leave a Reply | <urn:uuid:ab3ecb78-3847-4431-9acb-2c77937af778> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lifequotes.com/articles/lifeinsurance/report-more-than-5000-died-in-09-from-distracted-driving-accidents/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954045 | 287 | 1.742188 | 2 |
From the In Memoriam of the December 2004 Perspectives
Robert A. Pois
Robert A. Pois, professor in the department of history at the University of Colorado at Boulder, died in Boulder on January 18, 2004. The cause of death was pneumonia. He was 63 years old.
Born in Washington, D.C., in 1940, Pois grew up in Chicago and graduated with a BA degree from Grinnell College in 1961. Having decided to specialize in modern German history, he went on to do graduate work at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, studying with, among others, professors George L. Mosse and Theodore Hamerow. After completing his MA degree in 1962 and his PhD degree in 1965, Pois accepted a position at the University of Colorado where, with the exception of a one-year appointment at UCLA in 197778, he taught for the next 38 years. At Colorado, Pois compiled one of the most impressive teaching records in recent memory. He received nearly every teaching award the university confersover a half-dozen all toldincluding the university's two most prestigious titles, that of Presidential Teaching Scholar and Distinguished Teaching Professor of History.
Known above all for his droll, witty classroom style, his mastery of the telling anecdote, and his deep concern with the moral dimension of historical events, Pois drew hundreds of students to his classes every year. Whether teaching a course on Western civilization, modern European history, or Nazi Germany, he exhibited both an exceptional command of his material and a keen awareness of the tragic-comic dimension of history. As one of his former students put it in a printed interview, Pois's classes "were symphonies that would take you from a moment of elation and wonder, to tears, to uproarious laughter, all in the same lecture." It is not surprising that Pois became one of the most esteemed members of the faculty, not only because of his eloquence as a teacher, but also because of the unfailing kindness, compassion, and generosity he showed toward others, students and colleagues alike.
In addition to his skills as an educator, Pois produced a solid body of scholarly work. Between 1967 and 2004, he published six books and over 30 articles and essays on a wide variety of topics, including historiography, 20th-century Europe, World War I, Weimar Germany, Expressionism, Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust.
Pois's first book, Friedrich Meinecke and German Politics in the Twentieth Century, dealt with the renowned historian's response to his country's defeat in two world wars, including his significant (but flawed) re-thinking of German history and politics in light of those defeats. His second work, The Bourgeois Democrats of Weimar Germany, investigated the liberal German Democratic Party during the 1920s and early 1930s. According to Pois, the GDP, despite its ostensible support for pluralism and republicanism, contained strong elements of statism, political romanticism, and anti-Semitism, which, however inadvertently, helped prepare the way ideologically for Hitler's accession to power.
In 1982, Pois struck out in new directions by publishing a psychohistorical study of the German Expressionist artist, Emil Nolde. In this work, entitled simply Emil Nolde, Pois drew on his long-standing interest in psychoanalysis in general and Freudian theory in particular to produce a penetrating analysis of Nolde: one that explained not only the themes of many of his paintings, but also his conflicted relationship with National Socialism. Four years later Pois completed his fourth book, National Socialism and the Religion of Nature. Here he mapped out the Nazi view of man's place in nature, arguing that it was chiefly characterized by a "rejection of transcendence" on the one hand, and a strong adherence to certain ineluctable "laws of life" on the other.
The last two books Pois wrote saw a turn toward military history, a field that had been of interest to him since the beginning of his career. The first, entitled The Great War, is a broad political-military history of World War I, and the second, Command Failure in War: Psychology and Leadership (co-authored with Philip Langer and published posthumously this past summer), is a study of the crucial role that psychological and emotional factors have played in the success or failure of military commanders.
As those who knew him were well aware, Pois's interests and expertise extended far beyond the matters discussed in his books and articles. He could also hold forth at length on topics as far removed as the history of the steam locomotive and the "truth" of the Loch Ness monster. The numerous set-piece stories he told in and out of classsome perhaps apocryphalwere famous throughout the university community, and will surely be repeated, no doubt with further embellishments, well into the future.
Bob Pois is survived by his wife, Anne Marie, and three daughters, Rebecca, Erica, and Emily.
University of Colorado at Boulder
Copyright © American Historical AssociationLast Updated: January 23, 2008 3:20 PM | <urn:uuid:3a2954b5-10db-4e21-ab98-1c32c2504030> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.historians.org/perspectives/issues/2004/0412/0412mem2.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973542 | 1,054 | 1.9375 | 2 |
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Clothespin Angel 1 4" peg clothespin 1 3/4" wooden ball for head 1 yd. 4" wide lace cut into 2 18" pieces 1/2 yd. 1 1/2-2" lace cut into 2 pieces Place the 2 pieces of 4" wide lace on top of each other. Gather top, pull thread tight leaving a small hole. Knot. This is the dress. Slip dress onto round part of clothespin, glue. Glue ball on top. For the wings, join each piece of 1 1/2" lace with glue to make a tube. Overlap the 2 pieces in the center, gather up the middle, wrap thread around and tie tightly. Glue wings onto dress just below the head. Make a halo by forming a small circle from a piece of shiny pipe cleaner. Tie a piece of thread or ribbon through this for a hanger and then glue halo on to head. Decorate with ribbons, etc.
Pasta Angel Rigatoni pasta elbow pasta wood ball (I have heard you can use a lima bean?) small star/alphabet noodles --very small for hair bow tie pasta-for wings white spray paint
Glue the wood ball on top of rigatoni. Glue the tiny pasta on the wood ball (I used tacky glue). Glue two elbow pastas for arms coming toward each other in front of angel. Add bow pasta in back for wings. Paint white. Can add facial features if desired. Can add a gold halo of various materials.
Footprint angel We use that new "foamy board" stuff, but used just poster board before that was available. Trace each of your children's foot once, using white (for dress) and both hands (using yellow for wings). Cut out each part (Make sure they're labeled who they belong to on back). Let the children glitter and glue the hands to make wings sparkle. Take each child's picture focusing on their head and face. Help the children glue hands (wings) to the feet (body). Cut their face from picture and glue to body. Add string to make it hang. Add a piece of the sparkly pipe cleaner for a halo. Using a paint pen, date the bottom The tag reads as follows: This little angel is special you see; Because she is a part of me!! Her wings are my hands, Her body my feet!
And on our tree she'll look very sweet!!!!
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One of our favorite holidays is Easter. We love the religious and non-religious alike. There is much joy to be had in spring and no matter how you celebrate, we are sure that you can find something for everyone in our Easter section. Click here to get started. | <urn:uuid:c45ed43b-027f-48be-b54f-d5c02be9e57c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.childfun.com/index.php/holidays/winter-holidays/christmas/282-angel-christmas-crafts.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911781 | 719 | 1.78125 | 2 |
The family of physicist Stephen Hawking said today they were looking forward to him making a full recovery after he fell ill and was admitted to hospital yesterday.
Hawking, 67, was taken by ambulance to Addenbrooke's hospital, Cambridge, for tests after he fell "very ill", but his condition appears to have improved and he was said to be in a "comfortable" condition today.
"Professor Hawking is being kept in for observation at Addenbrooke's hospital this morning," a spokesman for Cambridge University said. "He is comfortable and his family is looking forward to him making a full recovery."
Hawking has been unwell for a couple of weeks, and earlier this month pulled out of a headline appearance at a science conference in Arizona to recover from a chest infection.
A Cambridge University spokesman said Hawking was still having tests for a condition that was not related to his respiratory infection, and was not life threatening.
The scientist, who rose to wider public prominence in 1988 with the publication of his bestselling A Brief History of Time, began to develop the symptoms of incurable motor neurone disease in the 1960s, gradually losing the use of his limbs and voice.
He has worked at the university's department of applied mathematics and theoretical physics for over 30 years, but is due to step down as Lucasian professor of mathematics, a post once held by Sir Isaac Newton, at the end of the academic year. It is customary to retire from the post at 67, though Hawking intends to continue as professor emeritus.
In a career spanning almost 50 years, Hawking has wrestled with some of the most puzzling questions in cosmology. With Sir Roger Penrose, at Oxford University, he used the physics of collapsing stars to argue that space and time could begin at points in the universe called "singularities".
In a lecture he gave in 2007 in honour of Nasa's 50th anniversary at George Washington University in Washington DC, Hawking suggested primitive alien life might be common.
In 2002 Hawking, one of the most recognisable figures on the streets of Cambridge, drove his high-powered wheelchair into a wall while in a rush to get into town. He broke his hip and almost missed his 60th birthday celebrations.
In 2007 he became the first disabled person to experience weightlessness aboard a Boeing 727 that replicates the freefall conditions of being in orbit. The plane, which flew from Nasa's Cape Canaveral site in Florida, performed eight steep dives over the Atlantic, allowing the physicist to float freely for 25-second spells.
Hawking has since signed up to fly to the edge of space next year as one of Sir Richard Branson's first space tourists aboard the Virgin Galactic spacecraft.
His progressive disease has left Hawking reliant upon a computer screen and a voice synthesiser to communicate. His cultural reach has led to appearances in The Simpsons, Futurama and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Motor neurone diseases steadily destroy the nerves that control muscles. Doctors usually give patients three years to live after their first symptoms appear. Hawking, who is thought to have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is one of the world's longest-surviving MND patients and has round-the-clock care from a team of nurses.
Brian Dickie, director of research at the Motor Neurone Disease Association, said only 5% of people diagnosed with ALS survive for 10 years or longer. Hawking "is at the extreme end of the scale when it comes to survival", Dickie said.
Peter Haynes, head of the department of applied mathematics and theoretical physics, said: "Professor Hawking is a remarkable colleague. We all hope he will be amongst us again soon."
Hawking was born in Oxford and grew up in St Albans, Hertfordshire. He studied at Oxford University before moving to Cambridge to carry out research in cosmology. He was awarded the CBE in 1982, made a Companion of Honour in 1989 and is a fellow of the Royal Society. | <urn:uuid:a3ae050b-e8c2-4b93-99c0-f488052aabf2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/apr/21/hawking-stephen-hospital | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974759 | 812 | 1.851563 | 2 |
If you are like me, you are probably thinking about taxes right now so to help get us all in the right state of mind, I’d like to share with you some home tax breaks for homeowners. Some you may be familiar, like the mortgage interest deduction or energy tax credits. Either way, you could save money and hopefully time. Please see each link below for IRS references.
Mortgage Interest Deduction
One of the neatest deductions itemizing home owners can take advantage of is the mortgage interest deduction, which you claim on Schedule A. interest you pay on a mortgage is deductible when you use the loan to buy, build, or improve your home. Try the Calculator here.
PMI & FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums
What’s PMI? If you have a mortgage but didn’t put down a fairly good-sized down payment (usually 20%), the lender requires the mortgage be insured. The premium on that insurance can be deducted. Calculate yours with PMI calculator.
Prepaid Interest Deduction
Prepaid interest (or points) you paid when you took out your mortgage is 100% deductible in the year you paid them along with other mortgage interest. If you refinance your mortgage and use that money for home improvements, any points you pay are also deductible in the same year.
Energy Tax Credits
The energy tax credit of up to a lifetime $500 had expired in 2011. But the Feds extended it for 2012 and 2013. Here are some of the systems eligible if installed.
Home Buyer Tax Credit
There were federal first-time home buyer tax credits in 2008, 2009, and 2010. f you claimed the home buyer tax credit for a purchase made after April 8, 2008, and before Jan. 1, 2009, you must repay 1/15th of the credit over 15 years, with no interest. The IRS tool to calculate what you owe is available at their website.
Property Tax Deduction
If you bought a house in 2012, check your HUD-1 Settlement statement to see if you paid any property taxes when you closed the purchase of your house. Those taxes are deductible on Schedule A, too.
Here are some other items that may be of interest, compliments of Realtor.com or the Homeowners Guide to Taxes.
More helpful tax tips at MardelliRealEstate.com. | <urn:uuid:134b429a-5231-4940-8bff-6aced9044579> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sanmarino.patch.com/groups/norma-mardellis-blog/p/bp--homeowner-tax-breaks-dont-forget-these | 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 | 0.950278 | 487 | 1.5 | 2 |
Mark Pendergrast, Local Nonfiction Author of Inside the Outbreaks: The Elite Medical Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service.
This week's Write The Book Prompt has to do with detail. Gustave Flaubert was so concerned with getting every detail right that he often spent days struggling to arrive at exactly the right word. In her book, Mystery and Manners, Flannery O'Connor wrote, "Fiction operates through the senses, and I think one reason that people find it so difficult to write stories is that they forget how much time and patience is required to convince through the senses. No reader who doesn't actually experience, who isn't made to feel, the story is going to believe anything the fiction writer merely tells him. The first and most obvious characteristic of fiction is that it deals with reality through what can be seen, heard, smelt, tasted, and touched." This week, stop struggling to come up with details in your work, and just look around. Go to any corner of your house or garage or barn or place of work, and take in the details that are there. Touch that square of decorative carpet, and put into words what it feels like. Smell that candle, and write down what-if any-scent it has, and what you associate with that smell. Remember when you got that camera for your birthday, and how you were disappointed, because you'd wanted another brand? Look at that photograph of your cousin. What is he wearing? Why does he dress that way? Is his collar poking out from his jacket on one side? Is his shirt wrinkled and un-tucked? Or is he meticulous, beyond physical criticism? And if so, what does that say about him? How does that characterization fit with your experiences of being around him? This week's prompt is about re-educating yourself in the art of noticing details, so that you might more easily access them as you work.
A COPY OF THIS PROMPT WILL BE INCLUDED in the description to this week's Podcast. Good luck with this exercise and please listen next week for another.
Excerpt from Mark Pendergrast's Inside The Outbreaks read with permission.
Music credits: 1) “Dreaming 1″ - John Fink; 2) “Filter” - Dorset Greens (a Vermont band featuring several South Burlington High School students) | <urn:uuid:087b0fab-e9a2-4025-a759-51ccac3b011c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://writethebook.podbean.com/2010/10/13/write-the-book-114-101110-mark-pendergrast/trackback/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9778 | 492 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Basalite was made mixing pumice with sand and cement to produce a block that would be light, making it easy to use and providing greater insulation than other blocks.
Also making the Blomberg story unusual is this: their goal was never to build or sell houses at all. The firm’s name was Blomberg Building Materials, and its purpose was to sell Basalite blocks.
“We were primarily a building materials business,” Ralph says. “The houses were built primarily to demonstrate the value of a concrete block house. We would hold each house open for a time, and then sell it eventually.”
The homes, Jerry says, were a “minor” part of the operation.
Besides blocks, the company sold other building materials. Later, Blomberg shifted to windows and sliding glass doors.
The Blombergs had a secondary goal as well—selling land, which Gus subdivided into lots.
Throughout the neighborhood—and in town, where several other homes were partially developed by the Blombergs—concrete homes can be spotted. Many are ranch-style, a few are modern, others are what Jerry calls “just like houses”—built by building contractors or individuals using various types of Blomberg block.
The Blombergs even had their own drafting service, Jerry says. “People came in and got their hopes and dreams designed,” he says, “then took it to the building department.”
If you see a concrete house in Sacramento, he says, “there’s a 99 percent chance they were our blocks.” The Blombergs’ best residential customer was a builder named Manuel Jacinto (of Portuguese heritage, so he understood masonry, Jerry says), who built more than 1,500 block homes in the Sacramento area. They are “just houses,” Jerry says.
But what’s really fascinating about the houses built by the Blombergs themselves is how modern they are. If the goal was simply to push product and land, why make them so stylish?
Ralph Blomberg says it’s because modern was attractive—and attracted attention.
“It was just a philosophy of creating a stylish use of the material,” he says. “To show concrete block wasn’t limited to barns and garages.”
Many buyers considered concrete block a cheap material, not suitable for homes. Jerry remembers when buyers shied away from his father’s earlier homes, which he built in the late 1930s and early 1940s. “Oh man,” they’d say, “that’s terrible. How can you live in that chicken house?”
“That’s why the house on Tradewinds Avenue was important,” he says, referring to the house with the bomb shelter basement he built in 1961. “Because it didn’t look cheap.”
It is, in fact, quite a wonderful house, designed by George Muraki. Jerry raised his family there. A recent remodel spearheaded by Jerry gave it a more traditional interior while preserving its modern bones—an open plan with every room opening onto a patio through sliding glass.
The exterior has a decorative concrete screen, and a long carport supported by concrete block pillars.
One cool detail that remains, though in a damaged state, is a patio mural in stucco relief by Jerry’s brother Harold, the artist of the family who also handled concrete block sales.
Southern California photographer Julius Shulman was brought north to shoot the Tradewinds Avenue home when it was new, and many of those photos found their way into the December 1961 issue of House & Home magazine, billing the home as the ‘House of Light.’
Jerry, who read Arts & Architecture, the Los Angeles magazine that pushed modernism in the 1940s and ‘50s, says he regarded the homes as a way “to express yourself. But it was modified and organized around making a living.” | <urn:uuid:306bcdf7-62fc-4c74-a6a4-17043b55718b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eichlernetwork.com/article/built-blast?page=0,2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979421 | 864 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Syrian Rebels Secure Another Crossing With Turkey
Originally published on Fri September 28, 2012 8:29 am
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
And I'm David Greene. Good morning.
Rebels in Syria are making slow but steady advances in the north of their country. Last week, they captured a third major border crossing between Syria and Turkey, and they claim to now control a similar border crossing with Iraq. The rebels say it's all part of a strategy to secure a kind of safe zone in the north, as they try to topple the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
NPR's Kelly McEvers was among the first reporters to cross into Syria at the new rebel-controlled border crossing with Turkey, and she sent this report.
KELLY MCEVERS, BYLINE: OK. We are walking, just about to cross the border. There's a guy holding up a piece of barbed wire fence. Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Welcome to Syria.
MCEVERS: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Syria new, Syria jadida.
MCEVERS: The new Syria.
There's actually not a whole lot that's new at this border crossing - not yet, at least. The government flag has been replaced with the flag of the Syrian revolution. There's revolutionary graffiti all over the guard house. It's clear that government forces have fled, and a dozen or so armed rebels now live here.
(SOUNDBITE OF CANS BEING DRAGGED)
MCEVERS: There's also a handful of guys dragging garbage cans, the revolution's first efforts at providing services that stopped when rebels drove the government out of the area. Next step is turning the electricity back on.
Men in civilian clothes sit us down to tell us the town just beyond this border crossing - a town of about 20,000 people called Tal Abyad - will be run by civilians, not by guys with guns.
SAAD AL-FAHAD: (Foreign language spoken)
MCEVERS: This man, Saad al-Fahad, says he was elected just yesterday to head up a new town council. He talks about building a pluralistic, civil society. But first, the area needs security. Regime forces are still shelling here every day.
This was the main customs building here. You know, a third of this building has just been shorn off by a shell.
Inside the building, we sit down with Abu Azzam, one of the rebel commanders who helped liberate the border crossing and the town beyond.
Abu Azzam used to study Arabic literature. He says he hopes to get a PhD and teach at a university someday. Now he wears a medium-length beard, fatigues, a pistol at his waist and a small prayer cap.
ABU AZZAM: (Foreign language spoken)
MCEVERS: He says the regime's army is trying to take the border crossing back again. It recently sent a column of 15 tanks and a thousand soldiers who are now surrounding the area.
AZZAM: (Foreign language spoken)
MCEVERS: Abu Azzam says if the rebels can hold the crossing and the town, the idea is to create a 30-mile-deep safe zone all along the Turkish-Syrian border, where rebels can plan operations as they move to try and take Syria's capital, and where civilians can feel safe from the regime's army.
But how safe is it? Not only is the regime's army still present here, but foreign fighters are now entering Syria through these liberated border posts, sometimes with jihadist agendas.
Once inside the town, the only civilians we see are a handful of people in a pickup truck, and they're on their way out. The bakeries have reopened, but apparently just to make bread for the fighters. One of two functioning stores clearly caters to the rebels, too.
This is a store that sells cigarettes. You must be doing a good business.
Otherwise, the town is almost completely empty.
ABU YAZEN: (Foreign language spoken)
MCEVERS: Our guide, Abu Yazen, shows us the blackened, pockmarked government buildings that were taken by the rebels. We ask Abu Yazen why the town is so empty. He says it's because 80 percent of the people in town actually sided with the government, not with the rebels.
What happens when those 80 percent of the people come back and they want their houses back? What's going to happen to them?
YAZEN: (Foreign language spoken)
MCEVERS: Those who have blood on their hands will be tried, he says. The others will come back and help us build a new country.
We've stopped at an elementary school that now serves as a kind of media center, where activists upload videos of rebel conquests.
UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: What? (Foreign language spoken) What?
MCEVERS: Someone rushes in to tell us they've spotted a column of trucks with mounted machine guns that belong to the regime's army.
(SOUNDBITE OF TRUCK MOTOR)
MCEVERS: We have to hurry out of town before we know the end of the story.
Kelly McEvers, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | <urn:uuid:64cdf6b6-6c17-445a-81ce-36aaf8d3d233> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wcbe.org/post/syrian-rebels-secure-another-crossing-turkey | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950507 | 1,139 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Egypt TV channel gives veiled women a face
CAIRO (Reuters) - Abeer Shahin graduated from the prestigious American University in Cairo but struggled to find a job because of employers' aversion to her full Islamic face veil, or niqab.
But now she has found a job she hopes will change how Egyptian society views niqab wearers once and for all: she is going to work as a TV anchor for a new channel being managed and run exclusively by women who wear the full veil.
"It's unfair to deal with veiled women as a standard religious housewife. No, she can be a doctor, a professor and an engineer," said Shahin, wearing a loose black robe and a black head scarf that reveals only her eyes.
"I was told that it (TV anchorwoman wearing niqab) won't work because of the body language. Well, the tone of my voice can convey my emotions and reactions."
In an age of new freedoms in the post-Hosni Mubarak Egypt, niqab-wearing women long oppressed socially and politically are hoping for a new place in society.
Though Egypt is a deeply conservative and predominantly Muslim society, niqab wearers have cited discrimination in the job market, education and elsewhere.
There have been instances where some were even prevented from sitting their university exams.
Shahin hopes the channel, to be launched this weekend on the first day of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, will let people know "that there are successful women wearing niqab".
Stationed in a small apartment in the working class district of Abassiya, Maria TV is named after a Coptic Christian woman who was married to the Prophet Mohammad.
Three veiled women sat in a salon earlier this week waiting to submit their job applications, while others were receiving television training ahead of the launch.
Islamists have moved to the heart of political life and government since Mubarak was removed from power last year, though the founders of Maria TV said that had nothing to do with their own channel, which had been planned as far back as 2008.
Maria TV will be broadcast for six hours a day on al-Ummah channel, a religious station run by ultra-orthodox Salafi Islamists, who have emerged as a potent political force since Mubarak was deposed.
"I am sure it will be attacked ...They will say: 'Why didn't they start a radio station instead?'" said Shahin. "This amounts to the exclusion of a sector in society that shouldn't be excluded."
(Editing by Tom Perry and Mark Heinrich)
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Here an explanation done by Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, about the Master – student relation in Bon Dzogchen.
Explained are some qualities as well from the Master as well his/her student.
Nyam zhag Gom pai Lag len – The teachings of Equipose.
It is taken out the Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyud Dzogchen cycle of Teachings and explained by: H.E. Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, the Rigdzin of the Bon Zhang Zhung Nyen Gyud Lineage.
Here is by Lopon Lak explained that a Dzogchen Master must have the 4 qualifications namely:
1) The Master has received transmission purely in an unbroken lineage
2) The Master knows the meaning of the text without mixing it with others like Sutra, Tantra or other Dzogchen Teachings. It should be kept pure.
3) The Master is not merely able to repeat the text but also has experience and has all practised
4) The Master is not influenced by other lineages or texts, but keeps this lineage purely
Those who listen and receive Teachings from such a Master must know what they are listening to, which text it is and what its contents are. Then you have devotion to the / this text, purely, without influence from other texts or lineages.
So these are the qualities from the students:
1) To know the meaning of the text
2) To have devotion to the text and meaning
3) To have belief, trust, patience and determination to practice
4) While studying, learning and practising, you have to take compassion as the base
5) Always keep faithfully vows to Masters and Yidams. Honour them always respectfully.
The general mentality of the student would be that the Dzogchenpa must be open, not sectarian. | <urn:uuid:f5a91228-6137-4637-8675-17fb92a39065> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=8084&start=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932313 | 399 | 2.375 | 2 |
Please wear a helmet! Helmets help to prevent traumatic brain injuries from falls such as this. They are such a simple thing that has such a huge pay off. Thank you!
Little girl is unconscious after falling off her bike on Lewis Place in the city
Submitted by Billie Owens on July 7, 2012 - 7:07pm
A young child fell off her bike and struck her head on the pavement at 4 Lewis Place in the City of Batavia. She is unconscious. Mercy medics and city fire are en route.
UPDATE 7:19 p.m.: The girl is 12 years old and lost consciousness for about 30 seconds. She is now conscious, alert and in stable condition. She has elbow and knee pain and pain on her right side. She was not wearing a helmet. Mercy Medic #1 is taking her to UMMC. | <urn:uuid:9af2055b-bb9a-47e5-9ade-12ac6920cb20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thebatavian.com/billie-owens/little-girl-unconscious-after-falling-her-bike-lewis-place-city/32741 | 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 | 0.974078 | 174 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Employer Health Reform Issues Brief: Health Savings Account Reimbursements
Smart first steps
Distributions from Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to pay for a medicine or drug will not be qualified medical expenses unless the medicine or drug:
- can be obtained only with a prescription
- is available without a prescription (i.e., “over-the-counter”) but the individual obtains it with a prescription, or
- is insulin.
Any distributions from an HSA for nonqualified medical expenses are includable in the HSA beneficiary’s gross income and subject to a 20% excise tax. However, the excise tax does not apply if the HSA beneficiary is at least 65 years old.
The requirement to have a prescription will apply only to medicines and drugs. As a result, medical equipment (e.g., crutches), supplies (e.g., bandages) or diagnostic tests (e.g., blood sugar test kits) can still be qualified medical expenses even if purchased without a prescription.
Effective date: Medicines or drugs purchased after December 31, 2010. HSA reimbursements for over-the-counter medicines or drugs purchased on or before December 31, 2010 generally will not be includable in gross income or subject to the 20% excise tax even if the actual HSA distribution occurs on or after January 1, 2011.
Employee purchases over-the-counter drugs on December 31, 2010, but does not submit a claim for reimbursement to her HSA trustee until January 15, 2011. The HSA distributes the reimbursement to Employee on January 31, 2011. Assuming the over-the-counter drugs otherwise meet the requirements for qualified medical expenses, the distribution will not be includable in Employee’s gross income or subject to the 20% excise tax because the over-the-counter drugs were purchased before January 1, 2011
Key implication: Plan design
The inability to receive tax-free reimbursements from HSAs for over-the-counter medicines and drugs may affect the economics of consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) designs for participants. In order to avoid adverse tax consequences, either a prescription will be required or these expenses will have to be paid out-of-pocket, with after-tax money. This could make the CDHP less appealing to participants who are accustomed to using their HSAs to purchase over-the-counter medicines.
What is a “qualified medical expense”?
Under the Internal Revenue Code, a “qualified medical expense” generally means any expense incurred for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, or treatment of disease, or for the purpose of affecting any structure or function of the body. Examples include payments for medical services, equipment, supplies and diagnostic devices. Items that are merely beneficial to the individual’s general health or wellbeing, such as a vacation, are not medical care.
Insurance premiums generally are not “qualified medical expenses,” subject to specific exceptions for COBRA premiums and qualified long-term care insurance premiums, among others.
What is a “prescription”?
The new rules define a “prescription” as a written or electronic order for a medicine or drug that meets the legal requirements of a prescription in the state in which the medical expense is incurred, issued by someone legally authorized to issue prescriptions in that state.
Smart first steps for employers to consider
Plan design: Identify and assess possible modifications to CDHP designs to address potential employee concerns about the new tax treatment of distributions for over-the-counter medicines and drugs. For example, slightly increasing employer contributions to employees’ HSAs could help offset any negative reaction to this rule change.
Communications: Develop and implement a communications strategy to educate employees about the new rules and remind them of the tax consequences of using their HSAs to pay for nonqualified medical expenses.
As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. | <urn:uuid:be412115-e2de-495f-aaad-220f2e441157> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_US/us/Services/consulting/human-capital/all-offerings/employer-health-issues-briefs-library/d3c65af06176b210VgnVCM1000001956f00aRCRD.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929878 | 859 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #153
This is the one-hundred and fifty-third in a series of examinations of comic book urban legends and whether they are true or false. Click here for an archive of the previous one-hundred and fifty-two. Click here for a similar archive, only arranged by subject.
Special Theme Week! Today’s theme is “What’s in a Name?”
COMIC URBAN LEGEND: Rob Liefeld bought the rights to Fighting American under legal pressure from Marvel.
The story of Rob Liefeld’s transition from Captain America at Marvel to Fighting American at his own Awesome Comics is pretty interesting in the way that the story overlooks a fairly significant part of the story, in my opinion.
Here is Wikipedia on the situation:
At Awesome, Liefeld and Loeb attempted to resurrect their unused Captain America plots for a new character, Agent America. This character was nearly identical in appearance and background to Captain America. Under legal pressure from Marvel, Liefeld scrapped Agent America and acquired the rights to Jack Kirby and Joe Simon’s Fighting American, updating the design.
Okay, so the part where Liefeld does Captain America for Marvel is correct.
He then left the book, along with a number of stories that he and writer Jeph Loeb had finished, but Marvel was not going to use.
So Liefeld decided to turn the unused pages into a new comic book, with some changes.
Now here is where the story takes a bit of a twist – the first place Liefeld went was to GET the rights to Fighting American. He knew that he’d be better off using an established character with these unused pages, so that’s what he went to do.
He could not strike up a deal at the price he wanted, and that’s when he created Agent America, which was more a matter of compelling the Fighting American rights holders to give him the rights to Fighting American, which they did. He did a pin-up or two using the character. It was the Fighting American people who first considered taking legal action, but in the ensuing negotiations for Fighting American, Marvel then sued Liefeld.
Before the trial started, Liefeld finalized the deal to license Fighting American, which bolstered his claims, and at the end of the trial, both parties had what they felt to be a “victory.”
Liefeld was able to reuse his Captain America pages as Fighting American, but Marvel got the judge to rule that Fighting American could not throw his shield, and that there must be some cosmetic changes (like more brown in the costume).
International Hero has a great display of the three characters (click to enlarge)- Captain America, Agent America and Fighthing American.
They also have a display of the three sidekicks (click to enlarge)…
Thanks to Luke Y. Thompson of The OC Weekly for the information!
COMIC URBAN LEGEND: Bug of the Micronauts got a name change so Marvel could own him.
Last year, Christopher Mah asked me:
If the Micronauts were licensed characters from Mego, why can Marvel use “Bug” (=Galactic Warrior) in their new “Annihilation” stories??
I am going to take a bit of a leap from standard practices and just answer this one without any actual confirmation from anyone as I’m just about positive that I am right, so who needs confirmation?
Anyhow, here (courtesy of the awesome Micronauts website, Inner Space) is a picture of the Micronaut toy, Galactic Warrior…
Okay, now here’s Bug…
They barely look alike, right?
Okay, so when the Micronauts comic came out…
Bug IS referred to as Galactic Warrior for the first three issues, then he’s Bug for the rest of the run.
So here’s what I’m pretty sure happened – Marvel felt that they had created a pretty interesting character on their own, and he really did not have that much of a connection to the Galactic Warrior, figure, so instead, Marvel just said he was NOT the Galactic Warrior, but rather, a brand new character named Bug.
So when their license expired, Marvel still owned Bug.
And that’s that!
Thanks for the suggestion, Chris! And thanks to Inner Space for the picture.
COMIC URBAN LEGEND: DC created a black version of Zatanna for a project called Conjura.
A reader named John asked me about this character awhile back, to see if this was seriously just Zatanna as a black woman named Conjura, or if it was some other obscure character, but yes, it’s true, DC really did turn Zatanna into a black character for the sake of a project!
Warner Educational Services did a Super Dictionary (plus some spin-off educational books for schools, where they would have simplified stories of DC heroes, with questions at the endl) in the 1970s, with artwork by the great Joe Kubert.
In the Dictionary, as with the educational books, on top of creating some multi-cultural characters, Kubert also changed some characters up so that they would be more multi-cultural – one of them was the Superman supporting character Lola Barnett, and one of them was Conjura!
Here, from Mike Kooiman’s amazing collection The Obscure DC Characters website, is a description of the story by Xanadude:
The middle story is the most important to us, since it stars the covered featured Conjura in “The Magic Piper”. The story is a reprint of the Zatanna story from SUPERGIRL #2, with all of the Zatanna and Jeff Sloane figures redrawn to be Conjura and her friend Biff (both are African- American). Again, it’s kind of disconcering to have these Kubert drawn figures set into a Don Heck drawn story. Conjura has the exact same powers as Zatanna, with the addition of her having a magic carpet (in The Super Dictionary, she also has a time tunnel). Basically, a tenement building is infested with rats that will not go away, even with Conjura’s magic. So Conjura goes back through time to get the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Her magic isn’t able to bring him forward in time, but in the last panel, a man looking exactly like him appears, saying “My name is Pete Piper. But I come from a long line of rat catchers!”
Here is the back cover, and I am pretty darn sure that that is Conjura in the purple, but if someone has a scan from inside the comic that is better, PLEASE send me it! I’ll love you forever for it.
David Farrell and Kari won my love by sending me some scans of Conjura. David sent me a piece from the actual dictionary, while Kari sent me scans of copies her sister had of the aforementioned educational storybooks (if anyone is interested – she’s selling them!).
As a last tidbit, this Dictionary was where the classic “When no one was looking, Luthor took forty cakes. He took 40 cakes. That’s as many as four tens. And that’s terrible” bit came from!
Thanks to John for the question and Matt Kooiman for the information!!
Okay, that’s it for this week!
Thanks to the Grand Comic Book Database for this week’s covers!
While you’re here, check out the Top 100 Comic Book Runs countdown (you can follow it here)!
Feel free (heck, I implore you!) to write in with your suggestions for future installments! My e-mail address is email@example.com.
See you next week! | <urn:uuid:279e3ecf-eb87-4ff4-ba53-d367c7faa2a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2008/05/01/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-153/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954853 | 1,681 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Earth Near Tipping Point, Climatologist Warns
WASHINGTON-James Hansen returned to Capitol Hill a hero yesterday, but certainly not a conquering hero.
The soft-spoken scientist, hailed as the "whistle-blower for the planet," tried to quiet a standing ovation from environmentalists here with a typically blunt admonition.
"It is not a time to celebrate," said Hansen, 20 years to the day since he became the first leading scientist to warn of the dangers of global warming before a congressional committee.
He returned not to bask in any adulation, but to warn that the Earth is nearing a tipping point, to call for a national carbon tax and to say that CEOs of energy companies may be guilty of crimes against humanity and nature.
On June 23, 1988, by most accounts, the temperature in the committee room hovered at 38C and the U.S. was in the midst of a historic drought when Hansen told a Senate committee he was "99 per cent certain" that humans were warming the global climate.
His comments brought the issue to American consciousness.
The following day, The New York Times carried an account under the headline:
Global warming has begun, expert tells Senate.
Although global warming alarms had been sounding for more than a decade and Canadian scientists were warning of the greenhouse effect in the early 1980s, Hansen's testimony seemed to crystallize the concern and provide the first jolt to the mass media in this country.
Two decades later, now 67 and director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, his message has not changed.
"We have reached a point of planetary emergency," he said.
"There are tipping points in the climate system, which we are very close to, and if we pass them, the dynamics of the system take over and carry you to very large changes which are out of your control."
During a speech at the National Press Club, he rambled, as if his ideas were sprinting well ahead of his words, but he kept an overflow ballroom audience rapt.
Already, he said, the world's safe level of atmospheric carbon dioxide has been exceeded.
Yet, in the 20 years since he first testified, no major U.S. law restricting greenhouse gas emissions has been passed, 21 new coal-fired generating units have been built at power plants in this country and total U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide have climbed by about 18 per cent.
"If there is any single moment that marked the turning point where the climate issue became a serious public policy issue, June 23, 1988, had to be seen as that moment," said Christopher Flavin, president of the Worldwatch Institute.
"(Yesterday) may mark a second kind of turning point."
Tim Wirth, the onetime Democratic Colorado senator who organized the hearing that day, said he knew he had made much progress with Hansen's testimony when a report made the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated.
"It was a brave and lonely leadership role he played then, and he hasn't stopped one day since," Wirth said.
Hansen's second Capitol Hill appearance in 1989 was before a committee chaired by a Tennessee senator named Al Gore, but the White House edited his statement before Gore's committee, throwing into question his certainty about the link between human activity and global warming.
Hansen was told he could accept the revisions, or he would not be able to testify.
So, in advance of the hearing, he asked Gore to question him on the edited parts, he then revealed the White House edit and the story led all U.S. network newscasts that evening. Hansen then moved out of the political spotlight for 15 years.
Yesterday, Hansen warned of greater forest fire risk in Canada, the extinction of polar and alpine species, danger to the coral reefs and the ocean life that depends on them because of carbon dioxide in the oceans, and refugees from melting ice sheets in Greenland and the western Antarctic.
He called for a phase-out of all coal-burning power plants by 2030 except those in which carbon dioxide is captured and buried and he called for a carbon tax on coal, oil and gas.
The tax, he said, should be returned in full to the public - not used by government - in equal amounts for each adult and a half-share for children, deposited directly into bank accounts or credited to debit cards.
Such a non-regressive tax, Hansen says, will spur low and middle-income people to limit their tax while profligate users will pay for their excesses.
He also accused corporate America of a "greenwash" in which their environmentally friendly words are not backed by actions and he supported criminal charges against CEOs of corporations such as ExxonMobil who are smart enough to know the situation but are intent on continuing their fossil fuel ways.
"When their descendants look back on them, they should not to be able to pretend that they didn't know," Hansen said.
"They do know."
They are also guilty of funding and promoting contrarian views from scientists, furthering a charade that confuses the public into believing there is debate among scientists in this country, Hansen said.
"There is no debate," he said.
Next year, with a new president, a new direction is desperately needed, Hansen said.
He said a call for offshore drilling, sounded last week both by U.S. President George W. Bush and Republican presumptive nominee John McCain is "crazy."
"To go around drilling for the last drop of oil on the continental shelf will extend our addiction a little bit, but it will put us past the tipping point," he said. | <urn:uuid:43d515d3-94b8-46be-8c97-7452188c4e38> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/37492/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975081 | 1,160 | 2.671875 | 3 |
The Information Technology (IT) provides technical services to DPS in networking, mainframe, desktop/server support, technical support, data processing, web applications, policy and procedures, and project management. Included in the IT responsibilities are Strategic Planning, Data Security, and Biennial Operation Planning for Information Technology. In addition to supporting DPS, other law enforcement agencies benefit from the technical services provided by IT by using our satellite network and data services to meet their individual agency mission.
The Chief of IT is responsible for providing the leadership in technical support to DPS in various hardware and software applications and ensuring the Department is effectively managing its information technology resources including strategic planning and management.
The two Assistant Chiefs are responsible for supporting the operations and policy management of the information technology systems deployed within the agency.
IT is logically divided into seven areas; each led by an area manager. The following is a brief description of each area:
Plans and Controls Section– The Plans and Controls Section consists of our Customer Account Representatives (CARs), a project standards group, Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity, Strategic Planning, and policy development.
Overall, this group provides support for policy, project, and disaster recovery planning. The CARs act as 2-way advocates between IT and the customer area. They provide consulting in terms of technical solutions and project development for the business customer. The project standards group supports change management, project planning, project reporting, and our project management methodologies to ensure compliance with the Texas Project Delivery Framework implemented by the Department of Information Resources. In addition, the Plans and Controls Section provides technical writing services.
Applications Section – This section provides custom application development and support for applications that are housed on the enterprise server (mainframe). In addition, this group provides database support for the large databases (DB2 and M204) that run on the mainframe. The applications supported include Computerized Criminal History (CCH), Texas Crime Information Center (TCIC), National Crime Information Center (NCIC), the Driver License System (DL), and the Agency’s fiscal and human resource systems. These applications provide critical information to the Agency, as well as all law enforcement agencies across the state and nation. The fiscal business of an Agency this size is a large operation as well.
Client/Server Applications Section – In the client/server environment there is usually a mix of custom developed applications and purchased applications. This is true for this Agency. This group develops and supports custom and purchased applications. This includes the Agency’s website and related applications. This section also provides administrative support through the applications that run in this environment, which are growing in importance for the critical business of the Agency.
Operations Section – This area operates, monitors, and maintains the enterprise mainframe and associated equipment. This section also provides support for the operating system and related software that runs on the mainframe. Capacity planning and performance monitoring are also functions of this group. Thousands of programs execute daily in support of the Agency’s online and batch processes. In addition, this area prints more than 1.5 million pages a month in support of such things as driver license issuance, criminal history rap sheets, and triplicate prescription forms for controlled substances.
Telecommunications Section – This group has responsibility for the networks that attach to external customers, including all law enforcement agencies in the state and federal agencies such as the FBI. These connections are mainly through the Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (TLETS) and the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS). TLETS handles more 1.1 billion transactions a year (more than 3 million transactions a day). Most of this traffic is running on our satellite network that provides broadband service to even the most remote locations in the state. This area also maintains the core network routers that support additional wide area connections to the DPS network. There is 24x7x365 support for the users connected to our network.
Information Technology Services Section – This section provides desktop support, server support and data security for the Agency. They maintain agency wide mission critical applications including the agency’s Exchange E-mail servers.
The Depot leverages best practices in procurement and deployment of information technology resources across all divisions of the agency including the purchase, setup and deployment of workstations, laptops, and servers. The training group provides training on common software tools as well as training for Project Management and other custom solutions. The Enterprise Help Desk serves as the focal point for all information technology questions and issues. | <urn:uuid:8bfe6c7d-4ba3-48d6-8fbd-32e1fb6a0a7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/InformationTechnology/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927 | 908 | 1.625 | 2 |
President Obama Kicks Off “Educate to Innovate”
Finally! A President who gets it! Check out this video in which Obama kicks off the the Educate to Innovate initiative. In another video, he speaks about the FIRST Robotics competition and the importance of getting our students excited about Science and Technology:
FIRST Robotics Competition – Waterloo 2010
One of the most life altering experiences for me was being one of the judges for the FIRST Competition last year. Fast forward to 1:03:00 to see us judges making a fool out of ourselves in front of thousands of spectators. Ahem….we’ll do anything for FIRST. :) I’m so proud of all the kids who choose to participate in this awe inspiring competition.
In fact, last year, I had the good fortune of getting to meet Dean Kamen at the ASME conference in Boston. If you don’t know this by now, Dean Kamen is my HERO!!!
|Sunny Ray & Dean Kamen|
For the past few weeks, I’ve been travelling around Colombia and Brazil to promote Quanser’s Mechatronic Control and Robotic Solutions for teaching and research. Here are a few videos which summarize the highlights of our travel.
May 2 – 6, 2011: Week 1 in Colombia (Quanser & ICL)
May 9 – 13, 2011: Week 2 (Quanser & ICL) | <urn:uuid:f3fb0bd3-1e7f-41d4-845e-b489e32c4d58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.infonetenergy.com/tag/obama/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936109 | 298 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Babies were eligible for randomisation in the EUNO trial if they were born inside the tertiary hospital, had a gestational age at birth of between 24 weeks and 28 weeks plus 6 days (inclusive), weighed at least 500 g, and required surfactant within 24 h of birth (prophylactically or for signs of respiratory distress). Unlike the US trials, gestational age was used instead of birthweight, since it is generally considered to better reflect the level of maturity and also to be accurately assessed in the European tertiary centres because the health systems generally allow a high level of prenatal care.
Indeed, many clinical studies have shown that being born small for gestational age (SGA) increases the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), including the MOSAIC cohort study1
which showed a wide variety of BPD between European countries that could be explained by different local practices. Since the EUNO trial took place in nine European countries, we looked for the reference growth charts for premature babies currently used in Europe.2—5
Although reference growth charts were issued from different European populations of neonates, 10th centile birthweights (currently chosen as a cut-off value to define SGA) were remarkably similar. Since in our study the most important group of enrolled babies originated from Germany (231 of 800 [28·9%]), we applied the German data (derived from 2·3 million neonates) to the 800 enrolled infants. Although SGA clearly decreased survival without BPD compared with not SGA, there was no effect of inhaled nitric oxide treatment (table
Proportion of neonates alive and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia, by small-for-gestational-age (SGA) status (birthweight <10th centile)
Thus, inhaled nitric oxide at 5 ppm, started within the first 24 h after birth and continued for a median of 3 weeks, does not improve survival without BPD in very preterm neonates, including the ones born SGA.
HH has received speakers' fees from Linde Gas Therapeutics. MS-L, VC, and MH have received advisory board consulting fees and travel support from INO Therapeutics. JB and JL are employees of Ikaria. J-CM has received advisory board consulting fees from Ikaria and INO Therapeutics. | <urn:uuid:18f68b1c-fe0f-4048-87da-ee66c7a529b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)62258-1/fulltext | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971119 | 492 | 1.992188 | 2 |
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin health officials have released a sweeping package of sweeping Medicaid reforms designed to save more than half-a-billion dollars.
The state budget directs the Department of Health Services to identify $444.6 million in Medicaid savings. Agency officials say they'll actually have to save $554.4 million to balance the program.
A major portion of the package calls for asking the federal government for a waiver to restrict eligibility for people if they have access to employer-based insurance, require young adults to join their parents' insurance rather than BadgerCare Plus and require recipients to be state residents.
DHS officials didn't immediately release an estimate of how many people would lose coverage under the proposals, but said the changes would not impact anyone making less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level. | <urn:uuid:73cf5d43-e49b-4851-80f5-b6faf3744860> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wsaw.com/news/health/headlines/Health_Officials_Sweeping_Medicaid_Changes_130867728.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957684 | 168 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Authorities alleged that the 25-year-old Ukrainian was responsible for losses totalling tens of millions of dollars worldwide through his criminal activities. He was arrested by authorities in Turkey in July 2007 following a secret service operation.
"Yastremskiy will certainly have plenty of time to ponder whether his hacking activities were worthwhile," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "The length of this jail time should also make others engaged in cybercrime think again - the rewards may be large, but you risk ruining the rest of your life, and causing years of misery for your family and friends. It may seem like the chances of being caught are small, but there are more and more convictions happening all the time, and the authorities are getting better than ever at co-operating at an international level to catch the bad guys."
By subscribing to our early morning news update, you will receive a daily digest of the latest security news published on Help Net Security.
With over 500 issues so far, reading our newsletter every Monday morning will keep you up-to-date with security risks out there. | <urn:uuid:876f3ec9-5f40-4bd5-aaa7-a76e37b336f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=6901 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975948 | 226 | 1.84375 | 2 |
In our never-ending quest to profit from the works of others, we here at Running of the Bulls present to you two papers on the Canadian housing market, which is a bubble, or kinda bubble-like, at least in some places.
Canadian home prices in May 2010 (Exhibit 1.1) were up 13.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the Teranet - National Bank National Composite House Price Index™. The 12-month gain was strongly influenced by Vancouver, up 17.1 percent, and Toronto, up 16.0 percent. In the other four markets surveyed, the 12-month rise ranged from 5.6 percent in Halifax to 11.4 percent in Ottawa. In Calgary it was 7.8 percent and in Montreal 8.5 percent.
During the 10-year span between May 2000 and May 2010, housing prices increased 96 percent nationwide, 118 percent in Calgary, 116 percent in Montreal, 69 percent in Toronto and 126 percent in Vancouver. Doubling of housing prices over the 10-year period coincided with the all-time highs in nominal terms in the three major cities except Calgary where prices remain 8.6 percent below their stratospheric highs set in August 2007. Year-over-year and from May to June 2010, nominal home prices edged higher in all key markets without any surprises.
Home prices should rise at the nominal rate of GDP, plus or minus variations in local markets. Home prices are also affected by other factors, such as mortgage costs. Doubling of home prices in 10 years implies a compound rate of 7% per year, above the long-term trend in nominal growth.
The significant decline in sales year-over-year was observed uniformly across Canada ... The new mortgage regulations and exhaustion of an adrenaline boost from the HST scare in British Columbia and Ontario inflated sales volumes in the months preceding June 2010, and led to very disappointing, albeit predictable, results in June.
In June, volume from a year ago fell 40% in Calgary, 19% in Montreal, 23% in Toronto and 30% in Vancouver.
It is an old adage in trading that a market rising on declining volume is a market not to be trusted. It is a hallmark of a market top. That does not mean that the Canadian housing market is topping, but it is a sign that it may be. The exact same thing happened in America at the top of the US housing bubble when prices continued to rise even though volume fell off a cliff.
Commencing 2007, the new dwelling starts, completions and units under construction experienced a sizable correction. Despite these changes, the number of units set to be constructed in 2010 now exceeds the long-term average, indicating a continuous oversupply of homes. The sharp reduction in number of new starts and completions was softened by the 2000-2007 swelling of dwellings under construction. The number of units remaining in the pipeline will fuel additional supply of homes released into the market and in spite of the declining dwelling starts the overbuilding is expected to continue for into foreseeable future.
Supply is increasing whle demand is decreasing.
In one of my first Econ 101 classes, I learned about the elasticity of supply over the short and long run. Elasticity of supply means how supply changes based on the change in pricing. My professor used housing as an example. In the short run, housing is very inelastic, i.e. small changes in demand for housing has a disproportionate affect on pricing since homes cannot be built in a day or two. It takes a while to build a house. Over the long-run, however, the supply of housing is very elastic. As home prices rise, builders respond by building more homes. There is a lagged response but the supply gets built. This is what can make homes a bad investment. Demand for housing can change dramatically while supply is being brought onto the market, exacerbating negative shifts in pricing.
Not only is home supply rising, so are vacancy rates. Apartments add to the supply of housing. When vacancies rise, supply has risen faster than demand.
Affordability has improved but it is still expensive to buy a house.
It is more affordable to buy a house now compared to the 1990s only because mortgage rates are so low.
Carrying costs continue to rise.
Any increase in interest rates will have a dramatic affect on the affordability of homes.
That is because incomes have not kept up with home prices.
On annual basis, Demographia compiles a report to cover price-to-income ratios in 270-plus markets in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey employs median house price divided by gross annual median household income in each market to rate housing affordability values. Demographia uses the following scale to rate housing affordability:
- Severely Unaffordable 5.1 & Over
- Seriously Unaffordable 4.1 to 5.0
- Moderately Unaffordable 3.1 to 4.0
- Affordable 3.0 or Less
The scale calibration is derived from historical values observed over a period of time. According to Demographia, the Median Multiple has been remarkably similar among the nations surveyed, with median house prices being generally 3.0 or less times median household incomes. In late 2009, Calgary and Montreal were rated ―seriously unaffordable‖, scoring 4.6 and 4.9 respectively. Toronto made it to the ―severely unaffordable‖ hall of fame with a score of 5.2. Vancouver ranked the most unaffordable city amongst the 272 markets surveyed with a price-to-income ratio of 9.3 (Exhibit 4.1).
And the price of a home relative to rental income in Canada is amongst the highest in the developed world. Not good.
Pestov compares Vancouver real estate to the Nasdaq
Though I think the two markets are not entirely analogous - the Naz fell 80% top to bottom after the bubble collapsed, a decline that would shock me if it occurred in Vancouver real estate - I sympathize. Some argue that such comparisons are facetious but I think they are a good representation of human psychology.
Pestov concludes that a crash in Canadian real estate is not necessarily pre-ordained, and I agree with that. Prices can instead stagnate for many years. However, the risks of a crash are high, particularly given the enormous problems and imbalances in the global economy, from which Canada is not immune.
Pestov does good work. Take some time and read the whole paper.
A recent paper from the IMF differs somewhat. The conclusions tend to be more sanguine.
Canadian house prices have increased significantly between 2003 and early 2008, with a marked downward trend since mid-2008, especially in the resource-rich western provinces. This paper estimates the evolution of equilibrium real home prices during this period in key provinces and finds that, following recent declines, home prices are now generally close to equilibrium throughout Canada. However, house prices in Alberta and British Columbia remain around 8 percent overvalued at the end of the sample (second quarter of 2009). Despite the limitations of econometric estimates of house-price dynamics, the measured small degree of overvaluation suggests that the Canadian housing market is essentially at equilibrium.
Frankly, I do not put stock in their conclusions. The paper uses an equilibrium model. Here are the assumpitons of the model.
The error-correction model postulates that the growth rate of real houses is explained by a combination of the following factors (depending on the province considered) ... :
- Past growth rates of real house prices. For most provinces, we find that the current growth rate is positively correlated with the past growth rate.
- Reversion to fundamentals implied by the long-run equation. We find that for most provinces (with the exception of Quebec and British Columbia, which is not statistically significant), the growth rate of house prices shows long-run reversion to the equilibrium prices derived from the model, implying that prices would tend to fall when they are out of line with fundamentals.
- Economic fundamentals. For all provinces (except Quebec which is statistically insignificant), we find that the growth rate of house prices is positively affected by (per capita) real income growth, which increases households’ purchasing power and borrowing capacity. The growth rate of house prices is positively affected by mortgage credit growth (higher rates indicate that households are less credit rationed) in the case of Alberta. Population growth (as a proxy for the growth rate of households) positively affects house prices only in Saskatchewan.
In other words, their model of current home prices is at least partly based on past home prices.
In 2006, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke testified in front of Congress that he didn't think housing prices were overpriced. He doubted that home prices would fall much since home prices had not fallen for 60 years. As we now know, that reasoning was an enormous logical fallacy.
Given that home prices are nine times income in Vancouver, the highest in the English-speaking world, it is hard to believe that home prices in Vancouver are only 8% over-valued. Investors should ignore this paper. | <urn:uuid:5fb0d056-8c6e-4b0e-bf31-5fe21d80fe0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://runningofthebulls.typepad.com/toros_running_of_the_bull/2010/08/canadian-housing-bubble-update.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95543 | 1,896 | 1.851563 | 2 |
There has been much activity lately dealing with the Georgetown Branch portion of the Capital Crescent Trail on which the Purple Line transit will run. Let's see if I can recap.
1. The Town of Chevy Chase commissioned a study, given to the state of Maryland, of running rapid buses off of the CCT on the western half of the trail. They would instead use Jones Bridge Road (through the town of Chevy Chase). Richard Layman writes:
A report by the Town's consultant, Sam Schwartz PLLC, argued that transit could move almost as quickly on Jones Bridge Road as along the light rail by having lights turn green whenever a bus approaches
2. Maryland Secretary of Transportation John Porcari wrote them a response in which he points out that the air quality analysis relies on discredited methods, the fare assertions are not based on fact, and that the buses would either move too slowly or slow traffic on cross streets. He also makes the point that the right-of-way "was purchased for and included in the master plan by Montgomery County for a transitway and trail." (emphasis is mine)
4. This elicited a response from those opposed to the Purple Line on the trail.
Did anyone expect that Michael D. Madden, the Maryland Transit Administration's project manager on the Purple Line study, would not come up with the numbers needed to push the Purple Line? Isn't that his job?
While politicians cited "better service to lower-income workers" who can't afford cars, and the article mentioned "slow and unreliable buses," neither raised the issue of developers' interest in the project. Until The Post investigates this issue, the story belongs on the editorial page, not in the Metro section.
And those for it
A Purple Line would also attract car owners like me: I would love to trade my 25-minute driving commute for a transit commute that takes the same amount of time or less. But a so-called rapid -- yet actually slower -- bus line would give Terps and east-west drivers little reason to ride.
5. A "walkshop" was hosted by "Pro-Capital Crescent Trail activists", to "show that a Purple Line transit system would destroy the popular walking and biking path between Silver Spring and Bethesda."
Mary Anne Hoffman, a Chevy Chase resident and event organizer, said the tour will show the "practical challenges" of running side-by-side tracks while preserving the trail in a narrow right of way. It will focus on the trail's unique qualities as an "urban park," including its many species of trees and birds, she said. A study by the Coalition for the Capital Crescent Trail found that the trail attracts 10,000 weekly users during good weather.
State transit planners have said it would be too expensive to tunnel a rail line beneath the trail. They point to other cities where they say aboveground transit lines operate safely along bike and walking trails, where users have heavy landscaping as a buffer.
They held up the train-sized banners shown here to give an idea of the scale of the trains.
Finish the Trail makes the point that the "10,000 weekly users" refers only to the far western end of the Georgetown Branch, but that that number drops by 75% on the east side. Furthermore, trail ridership on the paved portions west of Bethesda average double the unpaved portions. This could mean - they assert - that completing the trail would double use. This ignores the fact that the CCT is paved and the GBT is not, but it's reasonable to believe that extending the trail into Silver Spring would increase use.
In contrast to the "Pro CCT" activists claims, I'd point out that the purple line will not destroy the trail. It will forever change it, making it less parklike no doubt. But the trail would remain and would be extended into Silver Spring. That's the trade off. In addition the right-of way is not as narrow as it appears. It's just that the neighbors have encroached on the land. There is room for two rail lines, a trail and trees.
I'll say it again, reasonable people could decide that the price ($, parkness, etc...) is too high, but let's not be dishonest.
So that's where we stand now.
For those looking for some history: | <urn:uuid:841d20a3-c241-4f0d-b3fc-41b8f54d6f7b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://washcycle.typepad.com/home/2008/06/dc-purple-line.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96676 | 884 | 1.695313 | 2 |
It is ironic that addiction to cocaine can come so easily and quickly when overcoming the addiction can seem daunting. No matter how much cocaine an individual uses or how often they use it, they can break free from the drug. It takes a multi-faceted approach and is best done in a treatment center by professionals who are trained in overcoming drug use.
The first step in overcoming cocaine addiction will be to talk to a drug counselor and be completely open and honest with them about your drug use. Their goal is to help you succeed and they cannot do this unless you are honest with them. The next step is usually detoxification. This is one of the most difficult parts of overcoming cocaine addiction but many have gone through it and succeeded. You’ll want a detox program that does not use any drugs and has a holistic approach to detox and rehabilitation. You should have plenty of help during the detox phase. It is not like the days gone by when you were strapped to a bed to suffer it out.
During detox and rehabilitation, you will be offered a lot of support and help understanding what is happening to you. You will have a team of professionals to rely on to help you get through it. The person you will deal with most will probably be your rehab counselor. Once detoxification is successful, you will move on to the next part of your treatment.
In rehabilitation, you will learn how to rethink things. Stress is a big trigger for many people, so users must relearn how to handle stress and the things that trigger their need for drugs. There will also be relaxation techniques taught. Keeping yourself off of drugs does take some work, but you can succeed. Many have before you. You will probably have to make some new friends if your old friends are still addicts. This will come easy once you begin looking for new employment or move to a new area. There are many things you will be taught in the course of rehabilitation, including how to deal with your old friends who still use drugs.
Overcoming cocaine and any other is a step by step process and at rehab, the counselors and other professionals will give you the tools you need to make it through. There are plenty of people on your side through the entire experience. | <urn:uuid:8e41eadd-b979-49db-87a8-c72e9cf498ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://narconon.ca/blog/overcoming-addiction/overcoming-cocaine-addiction.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974498 | 452 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Black Abolitionist Archive
Subtitle: Colored Orphans.
Speaker or author: editor
Newspaper or publication: Colored American (1837 - 1842)
The editor comments on an editorial previously printed regarding a plea for funding to establish a "Colored Orphanage." While he believes this is motivated by good people seeking to help orphaned black children, he wondered why a separate institution must be established to divide children by race. There are many already established orphanages that would be suitable if it weren't for an underlying racial prejudice in this plan.
Description of file(s): two scanned newspaper pages (three columns)
The material featured on this site is subject to copyright protection unless otherwise indicated. The documents may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium, provided it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The source of the material, the University of Detroit Mercy Black Abolitionist Archive, must be identified and the copyright status acknowledged. | <urn:uuid:bd842bff-80ee-43a2-a710-b0a32dc6d7a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://research.udmercy.edu/find/special_collections/digital/baa/item.php?record_id=581&collectionCode=baa | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920135 | 202 | 3.5 | 4 |
UNH Crimes Against Children Research Center
UNH Professor to Speak at White House on Child Safety
By Erika Mantz
UNH News Bureau
September 26, 2002
DURHAM, N.H. -- David Finkelhor, professor of sociology and director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire, has been invited to address the first-ever White House Conference on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children Oct. 2, 2002.
Finkelhor will discuss a new study he co-authored for the U.S. Department of Justice that is the first to provide a unified national estimate of the number of missing children in the United States. The second National Incidence Study of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Thrownaway Children is to be released in conjunction with the conference.
Finkelhor, who has been involved in federally funded studies on the issue of missing children since 1986, is a nationally recognized expert who has published extensively in the field of child molesting, juvenile justice and the prevention and treatment of child abuse.
The all-day conference will focus on a wide range of topics related to children's safety, including missing and exploited children, runaway and homeless youth, international child abduction, sex trafficking of children, child pornography, and child Internet safety.
According to the White House, the conference will bring policy makers, experts, key officials, community leaders, teachers and law enforcement together to share progress made and generate news ideas to help prevent the victimization of children. | <urn:uuid:54ad44d8-4808-4442-9783-1b8ff31da574> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unh.edu/news/news_releases/2002/september/em_20020926whitehouse.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925759 | 312 | 2.03125 | 2 |
The state of Georgia is lending a helping hand to McDuffie County and its fight against teen pregnancy.
An after-school program called "Abstinence is the Best Choice" will be offered to McDuffie County children using a $52,374 federal grant.
The grant, awarded to the McDuffie County Board of Education, will allow school officials to teach abstinence and provide general character education, mentoring, tutoring and parent involvement, according to Dr. Pete Colbenson with the Children and Youth Coordinating Council (CYCC).
The program will benefit nearly 200 children ages 10-16 years old. According to McDuffie County school officials, the targeted group of students will be Thomson Middle School students.
In McDuffie County, 72 teenage girls became pregnant in 2002. That includes 31 who were between the ages of 15 and 17. In 2001, there were 84 teenage pregnancies; including five who were age 10 to 14, according to the Georgia Division of Public Health.
The grant was made available through the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. It is one of five being used in the area to support youth prevention programs. | <urn:uuid:3994e360-c9a9-4cc9-aeb8-c2e877935149> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mirror.augusta.com/stories/061704/new_061704_1706_6.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965957 | 247 | 2.09375 | 2 |
14K Gold Jewish Star Of David Magen David Pendant
14K Yellow Gold Jewish Star Of David (Magen David) In Circle Pendant
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Metal Type: 14K Yellow Gold
Dimensions: 13MM x 20MM
Weight: 1.16 Grams
The Magen David (shield of David, or as it is more commonly known, the Star of David) is the symbol most commonly associated with Judaism today, but it is actually a relatively new Jewish symbol. It is supposed to represent the shape of King David's shield (or perhaps the emblem on it), but there is really no support for that claim in any early rabbinic literature. In fact, the symbol is so rare in early Jewish literature and artwork that art dealers suspect forgery if they find the symbol in early Jewish works.
Scholars such as Franz Rosenzweig have attributed deep theological significance to the symbol. For example, some note that the top triangle strives upward, toward G-d, while the lower triangle strives downward, toward the real world. Some note that the intertwining makes the triangles inseparable, like the Jewish people. Some say that the three sides represent the three types of Jews: Kohanim, Levites and Israel. Some note that there are actually 12 sides (3 exterior and 3 interior on each triangle), representing the 12 tribes. While these theories are theologically interesting, they have little basis in historical fact.
The symbol of intertwined equilateral triangles is a common one in the Middle East and North Africa, and is thought to bring good luck. It appears occasionally in early Jewish artwork, but never as an exclusively Jewish symbol. The nearest thing to an "official" Jewish symbol at the time was the menorah.
In the middle ages, Jews often were required to wear badges to identify themselves as Jews, much as they were in Nazi Germany, but these Jewish badges were not always the familiar Magen David. For example, a fifteenth century painting by Nuno Goncalves features a rabbi wearing a six-pointed badge that looks more or less like an asterisk.
In the 17th century, it became a popular practice to put Magen Davids on the outside of synagogues, to identify them as Jewish houses of worship in much the same way that a cross identified a Christian house of worship; however, I have never seen any explanation of why this symbol was chosen, rather than some other symbol.
The Magen David gained popularity as a symbol of Judaism when it was adopted as the emblem of the Zionist movement in 1897, but the symbol continued to be controversial for many years afterward. When the modern state of Israel was founded, there was much debate over whether this symbol should be used on the flag.
Today, the Magen David is a universally recognized symbol of Jewry. It appears on the flag of the state of Israel, and the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross is known as the Red Magen David.
The Star of David
The Star of David in the oldest surviving complete copy of the Masoretic text, the Leningrad Codex, dated 1008.The Shield of David or Magen David in Hebrew, with nikkud or without, pronounced Mahgayn Daveed in Modern Hebrew and Mogein Dovid or Mogen Dovid in Ashkenazi Hebrew and Yiddish is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish Community and Judaism. It is named after King David of ancient Israel; and its usage began in the Middle Ages, alongside the more ancient symbol of the menorah.
With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 the Star of David on the Flag of Israel has also become a symbol of Israel.
As a Jewish symbol
According to some Judaic sources, the Star/Shield of David signifies the number seven: that is, the six points plus the center. The earliest extant Jewish text to mention it is the Eshkol Ha-Kofer by a Karaite named Judah Hadassi, from the 12th century CE:
"Seven names of angels precede the mezuzah: Michael, Gabriel, etc. ... Tetragrammaton protect you! And likewise the sign, called the 'Shield of David', is placed beside the name of each angel."
The number seven has religious significance in Judaism, e.g., the six days of Creation plus the seventh day of rest, the six working days in the week plus Shabbat, the Seven Spirits of God, as well as the Menorah in the ancient Temple, whose seven oil lamps rest on three stems branching from each side of a central pole. And so on. Perhaps, the Star of David came to be used as a standard symbol in synagogues because its organization into 3+3+1 corresponds to the Temple's Menorah, which was the more traditional symbol for Judaism in ancient times.
Exact origins of the symbol's relation to Jewish identity are unknown. Several theories were put forward. According to one hypothesis, Star of David comprises two of the three letters in the name David. In its Hebrew spelling, it contains only three characters, two of which are "D" (or "Dalet", in Hebrew). In ancient times, this letter was written in a form much like a triangle, similar to the Greek letter Delta (?), with which it shares a sound and the same (4th) position in their respective alphabets, as it does with English. The symbol may have been a simple family crest formed by flipping and juxtaposing the two most prominent letters in the name.
Some researchers have theorized that the hexagram represents the astrological chart at the time of David's birth or anointment as king. The hexagram is also known as the "King's Star" in astrological circles, and was an important astrological symbol in Zoroastrianism.
The earliest archaeological evidence for the Jewish use of the symbol comes from an inscription attributed to Joshua ben Asayahu in late 7th century BCE Sidon.
"Practical" Kabbalah makes use of this sign, arranging the Ten Sephiroth (sefirot, spheres) in it, and placing it on amulets. However, the sign is nowhere to be found in classical kabbalistic texts themselves, such as the Zohar and the like. Therefore, its use as a sefirotic diagram in amulets is more likely a reinterpretation of a preexisting magical symbol. According to G.S. Oegema,
"Isaac Luria provided the Shield of David with a further mystical meaning. In his book "Etz Hachayim" he teaches that the elements of the plate for the Seder evening have to be placed in the order of the hexagram: above the three sefirot "Crown", "Wisdom", and "Insight", below the other seven".
M. Costa wrote that M. Gudemann and other researchers in the 1920s claimed that Isaac Luria influenced the becoming of the Star of David a national Jewish emblem by teaching that the elements of the plate for the Seder evening have to be placed in the order of the hexagram, but Gershom Scholem proved that Isaac Luria talked about parallel triangles one beneath the other and not about the hexagram.
Kabbalistically, the Star/Shield of David symbolizes the six directions of space plus the center, under the influence of the description of space found in the Sefer Yetsira: Up, Down, East, West, South, North, and Center. Congruently, under the influence of the Zohar, it represents the Six Sefirot of the Male (Zeir Anpin) united with the Seventh Sefirot of the Female (Nekuva).
A popular folk etymology has it that the Star of David is literally modeled after the shield of the young Israelite warrior David (later to be King David). In order to save metal, the shield was not made of metal but of leather spanned across the simplest metal frame that would hold the round shield: two interlocking triangles. No reliable historical evidence for this etymology exists.
The Shield of David is not mentioned in ancient rabbinic literature. Notably, not a single archaeological proof exists concerning the use of this symbol in the Land of Israel during BCE. Scientists say that it probably was not a widely recognized symbol in the Israel of the Second Temple era. A supposed David's shield however has recently been noted on a Jewish tombstone at Taranto, in Southern Italy, which may date as early as the third century CE. Likewise, a stone bearing the shield from the arch of a 3-4th century synagogue in the Galilee was found.
The earliest Jewish literary source which mentions the "Shield of David" is the Eshkol Ha-Kofer by Judah Hadassi from the middle of the 12th century CE, where seven Shields are used in an amulet for a mezuzah. It appears to have been in use as part of amulets before it was in use in formal Jewish contexts.
A manuscript Tanakh dated 1307 and belonging to Rabbi Yosef bar Yehuda ben Marvas from Toledo, Spain, was decorated with a Shield of David.
In the synagogues, perhaps, it was associated with the mezuzah. Originally, the hexagram may have been employed as an architectural ornament on synagogues, as it is, for example, on the cathedrals of Brandenburg and Stendal, and on the Marktkirche at Hanover. A pentagram in this form is found on the ancient synagogue at Tell Hum.
Keywords: gold, charm, pendant, Judaica, Jewish, Hebrew, Kabbalah, Jews, Judaism, Star, Symbols, Numerology, David, Magen, Shield, chai, life, mizpah, torah, lchaim, tolife, medal, religious, religion, hamsa, bar, mitzvah, bat, Ketubah, Mezuzah, Ani l'Dodi, ayala, Shofar, Tallit, kippot, Mahgayn, Daveed, Mogein, Dovid, Mogen, Zionist
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|Metal Type||14K Yellow Gold|
All measurements are approximate and may vary slightly from the listed dimensions. T.W. (total weight) is approximate. For Example: 1/2 carat T.W. may be .45 to .58 carat, 1 carat T.W. may be .95 to 1.10 carat. JewelryByNET.com is not responsible for typographical errors. Images represent style only and are not actual size. Product Images are not actual size. Please read the size specifications displayed with the product.
Note: Due to the daily fluctuation of the market price of precious gems and metals, our pricing and availability on items are subject to change without notice. Items in your Shopping Cart will reflect the most recent price. | <urn:uuid:65a9edc1-4494-40a7-bb2b-9f73df59981a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jewelrybynet.com/14k-gold-jewish-star-of-david-magen-david-pendant-14.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938798 | 2,737 | 1.960938 | 2 |
Wayzata Nice Twitter Account Uses Social Media For Good
Tweets from the account are all about saying nice things about students at Wayzata High School.
Social media has an impact at any age, but especially for high school students.
Facebook and Twitter are two of the heavy hitters. Millions use such social media to reach out, communicate, share stories, photos, video, opinions and more recently—compliments.
That's right. Following in a few other schools' footsteps, one person (who wishes to remain anonymous) is maintaining a Wayzata Nice Twitter account.
"This summer I had heard about the MinnetonkaNice twitter account and was going to start something like that for Wayzata, but found that someone had already started a WayzataNice account," said the account moderator who is a junior at Wayzata High School.
But that account was retired as the moderator left for college. So the#WayzataNice2 Twitter account was created.
The purpose of the account is to anonymously send out compliments "to people who deserve it." But why remain anonymous as the moderator?
"I want to remain anonymous because it's not something that I want recognition for," the WHS student said. "It's something that should just be about sending out compliments to people instead of 'who's saying what about who.' Wayzata has enough of that."
The moderator believes the account is good for the Wayzata school community because it helps "bring more positivity to Wayzata."
Tweets like: "@WearingJoy is a walking ball of sunshine! She will always make you feel special!" or "@micaela_kuehn is always a light if you're in a dark place, this girl can always cheer you up," are just some of the examples of what the moderator hopes helps people feel good.
Remaining anonymous has been the only real challenge with maintaining the account and simply getting more followers so it becomes more of something people talk about at school.
"I've learned that sometimes people are just having really bad days and by only saying a few nice things about them you can turn their day around," the high school junior said. "I've gotten quite a few replies from people after I've tweeted about them saying that I've completely made their day and for me that's the best feeling in the world."
The moderator tries to post at least once a day if not more. There is no set criteria for what tweets will be posted or how things are said. Suggestions are made for people to tweet about which get posted, but often tweets are about a random person the moderator believes deserves to be recognized.
The account is not a part of a social media experiment or class project. There is no goal for how many followers to get or tweets to do, just the simple goal of brightening someone's day and bringing something positive to WHS students and the community. | <urn:uuid:6ab2d088-51d7-42ea-b9d6-7b80c490a167> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://plymouth-mn.patch.com/articles/wayzata-nice-twitter-account-uses-social-media-for-good | 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 | 0.973428 | 601 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Like many other jobs around, logistics jobs involve a lot of dedication and expertise from the executives in order to carry out the complete responsibilities better. Before getting to the core of the logistics log description deeply, it is good to be cognizant of the logistic industry. Logistics, in general, is a type of business that is all set to coordinate and manipulate the different material resource of a business as well as analyzing and keeping a tab on the process how these materials are ordered, stored and transported from start to finish. By and large, streamlining the logistic business operations and making its productivity as scalable, reliable and cost effective is the basic goal of the logistics job managers.
Because of having lots of responsibilities to carry out in the logistics jobs, the selection of a logistics job manager is done carefully considering a lot of points in the candidature of the applicant. The incumbent must be versatile and competent enough to coordinate the responsibility thoroughly. After all, these entities are responsible to take entire care of moving different goods from the production to shipment base from start to finish.
The logistics coordinator job description as a manager refers the incumbent to be full blown and he/she must also have the qualities of a team leader so that they can skillfully control the whole personnel of the employers involved in the organization. They are required to have sound experience in dealing with managers involved in other supply chain process. This overall means that their administrative responsibilities should not be restricted to their own workforce, but also to others.
The incumbents must be ready to work in pressure-inclusive environment and must work impeccably to live up to the standards of the job. The overall factors strengthen the fact that logistics jobs are crucial and challenging and so only specific individual are given the chance to serve the respective organization.
As a part of the logistic job description, the logistic job manger must also dig ways and means out to streamline the most favorable and budgetary mode for transporting a company or organization's merchandise, thus maintaining the company's economic level. Also, to cater to the consumer's demands, the experienced logistic job managers tend to analyze the data carefully and resolve the facets liable to be improved. At times, they also need to streamline the working policy within their personnel and by applying specific strategies in a company's supply chain process.
Another important facet of the logistic job description, the manager must also have solid legal expertise in compliance with the diverse terms and conditions pertinent to the transportation of the merchandises. This basically holds good for the managers that directly deal with the clients living abroad. At times, these entities also have to ensure if the competence level of the workforce lives up to the standards of health and safety because the logistic jobs often involve life-threatening risks.
The following are some of the more typical current logistics job titles include:
Logistics Manager: He/she must be having solid proficiency in different subjects like geography, analytical science and mathematics, and must be a smart Aleck who can coordinate the different jobs efficiently on a daily basis. Providing efficient customer support service, management, and people skills are also the necessary parts of the logistic job description. The incumbent have to work under pressure and strict deadlines. As in all logistics job designations, having basic knowledge about the computer and Internet usage is again must.
Logistics Analyst: As the job title suggests, the analyst is basically required to evaluate the all inclusive facets comprised in the logistical processes and make necessary improvements in efficiency and/or diminution of cost. He should also be good at both verbal and written correspondence totally and interact well with other people of the department.
Supply Chain Manager: His sole responsibility is to keep a careful eye on organization's complete supply chain from start to finish. As a part of this logistic job description, the incumbent also entails expertise in employee administration, customer service, purchasing, and coordinating the elements of warehousing. Once you get some experience carrying out the job, you might find the position engaging and worth doing at all levels. A consultant might be utilized by one of the third party logistics providers (3PLs) or he could be in the trade for himself, which will appeal to those of you with an industrial bent. These are just a handful of the popular logistic job titles out there in the logistics industry these days. You can find out more scouring on the internet and follow one that suits best to your interests or aptitude. | <urn:uuid:6afca4cc-451f-48d4-9442-013d24985e4f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://logisticsjobdescription.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958281 | 900 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most common and serious forms of cardiovascular disease and causes more deaths in the U.S. than any other disease.
Risk factors for CAD include high total cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, and low levels of HDL cholesterol. Proper nutrition, exercise, and daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be crucial for maintaining optimal cardiovascular health and are an important step to reducing the risk of death, subsequent heart attacks, and stroke. The American Heart Association has stated that “there are significant beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with preexisting cardiovascular disease as well as in healthy individuals.” As shown in the Physician’s Health Study, achieving therapeutic levels of omega-3 EPA and DHA reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death by up to 90%.
Physician's Health Study
An abundance of scientific evidence supports the fact that taking omega-3 EPA and DHA also substantially lowers triglycerides. A study from the University of Maryland published in the American Heart Journal shows that taking omega-3 EPA and DHA daily reduces triglyceride levels at least 25% to 30%.
Choosing to take an omega-3 will provide your body the necessary nutrients for optimal cardiovascular health and overall well-being. Choosing the right omega-3 is just as important. Omega-3’s rich in EPA and DHA, in their natural triglyceride form will enhance your therapeutic outcome. PRN Physician Recommended Nutriceuticals® provides the purest, most therapeutically potent omega-3 based nutriceuticals possible. All of PRN’s omega-3 based products, when taken as recommended, deliver a therapeutic amount of omega-3 EPA and DHA as recommended by the American Heart Association.
Improving Metabolic Health
Elevated blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and obesity comprise the markers of “Metabolic Syndrome.” There are 47 million adults (nearly 25% of the adult population in the United States) with Metabolic Syndrome. Based on a study of over 4,000 people, Metabolic Syndrome was shown to triple the risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, or heart attacks.
The American Heart Association also reported that omega-3 EPA and DHA intake in a natural from assists in the decrease of cardiovascular disease not only by modestly lowering blood pressure but also triglyceride levels. Additional benefit is gained by the antithrombotic and antiarrhythmic effects of omega-3 EPA and DHA.
PRN omega-3 products are in a natural triglyceride form unlike many of the other available omega-3 products on the market. PRN’s triglyceride form is the same as the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA we absorb when eating fish, but without the impurities like dioxin, PCBs, or mercury. Each capsule contains a high concentration of EPA and DHA, key nutrients for reducing inflammation in blood vessels that frequently accompany heart disease. | <urn:uuid:ad6c82ef-714f-45d5-a9fa-f4f0e8c02bf1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prnomegahealth.com/Your-Health/Cardio-Health/34/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912797 | 634 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Dan Siroker (upper right corner) helped build the Obama campaign's analytics team, shown here in 2008.
The Obama 2008 campaign's pioneering technology use gave rise to a batch of Silicon Valley startups that are commercializing tools created for the campaign. This article is the first in a series, "America's Choice 2012: The Data Edge," covering those startups and the role they're playing in the 2012 presidential election.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- In late 2007, Dan Siroker -- one of the masterminds behind Google's Chrome browser -- heard then-Senator Barack Obama speak at the Googleplex. That talk prompted Siroker to leave behind his job at Google (Fortune 500) and join Obama's campaign as its director of analytics.,
"He talked about all the great things he wanted -- taking what we were doing at Google, with evidence and science and feedback, and bringing that to the government," Siroker recalls.
Siroker took Obama's vision literally. Using the campaign as his lab, he began experimenting with how technology could give a candidate an edge. The former Googler introduced the idea of "A/B" testing to Obama's staff, using live Web trials to find out how different website colors, messages, and pictures affected donations and volunteer sign-ups.
"He built a team of analytic experts who had these giant monitors," says Sam Graham-Felsen, Obama's former chief blogger. "They were turned sideways and had all these numbers that people like me had no idea what they were doing, but what they were doing was testing every possible combination or iteration."
Those subtle tweaks raised the site's sign-up rate and ultimately added millions to Obama's fundraising haul, Graham-Felsen estimates.
Siroker was a leader in the Obama campaign's pioneering use of data-crunching. Now, he's at the forefront of another trend: Ex-Obama staffers who have turned their technology creations for the campaign into Silicon Valley startups.
Edward Saatchi is another volunteer-turned-entrepreneur. The internal social networking and progress-tracking tools he built for Obama's election effort have turned into National Field, a startup whose software boosts communication between field offices and their headquarters. Its clients include Northwestern University and the Sierra Club.
Saatchi recalls the freewheeling, try-anything approach the campaign's organizers had to adopting new technology tools.
"When there was a good idea, when there was a good piece of technology, people were really willing to embrace it," he says. "Afterwards, there were a lot of people who though politics was a really exciting place for technology."
Siroker launched Optimizely in early 2010, backed by a $1.2 million funding round from many of Silicon Valley's most prominent angel investors. (Ron Conway, Chris Sacca and Ashton Kutcher are among the backers.) The San-Francisco-based company now has a staff of 16.
"Optimizely is the product I wish we had in 2008 to make it really easy for anybody to do A/B testing," he says. "It doesn't require a developer, it doesn't require an engineer."
Sam Altman, a tech investor who holds a small stake in Optimizely, says the election was a great "proof point" for emerging new technology.
"It's such an intense period," he says of the campaign's relentless pace. "They had done this really impressive thing for Obama, and it had worked in a big way. They were really good at articulating why people were going to need this."
Customer IGN Entertainment calls the service a gamechanger.
When IGN launched a YouTube channel, it used Optimizely to test where to place a "subscribe" feature. Trying various options, the company saw a 65,000% increase in user engagement when it hit on a winning placement.
"The smallest change can make an incredible difference," says IGN business intelligence analyst Lizzie Allen.
Meme master Ben Huh, CEO of the Seattle-based Cheezburger Inc., is another fan. His blog network has been using the service for six months.
"We have a very data-centric perspective at how we look at our user behavior," he says. "You can theorize about what feature will work and how people will use it, but it's not until you put it into reality that it matters."
The Obama 2012 campaign is also a returning customer -- and this time, it's paying for the service.
Siroker says he doesn't know exactly what projects the campaign is using his software for, but he expects both candidates to up their tech game this time around.
"There's a huge opportunity to take things like Facebook data or offline donation data, put that together into one cohesive system, and then run experiments and optimize across that," he says. "I think this election is going to be a lot more about personalization."
|McDonald's gives Charles Ramsey free food for a year|
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|Where your donation dollars go|
|The 'chicken poop' credit and other bad tax breaks|
|Investors consider life after Fed stimulus| | <urn:uuid:abdfef0f-bb2b-4e0c-92f0-54c74009a9c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/23/technology/startups/optimizely-election/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975421 | 1,077 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Laws of the State of Delaware. Passed at a Session of the General Assembly, Commenced and Held At Dover, On Tuesday, the Fourth Day of January, In the Year of Our Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-Three. Volume XI.
African American slavery, Bible knowledge, biblical illiteracy, biblical literacy, Black church, Christian education
Although the Bible is the world's best-selling book, the magnitude and scope of biblical illiteracy among Americans has been observed and documented by pastors, researchers, and Christian educators. This general decline in biblical literacy in...
Includes essay by Mrs. Estellena Johnson Spencer of Wilmington, Del., Subject-"Natural and Acquired Ability to Preach." Read before the Preacher's Meeting of the Philadelphia District, Held in Wilmington, Del., June 12-14, 1877. | <urn:uuid:7c725c9d-05d8-40a8-9660-47ce1282bb5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cdm16397.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/search/searchterm/church/mode/all/page/2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90442 | 170 | 2.328125 | 2 |
And as an added bonus, you'll add a little spice to the mail carrier's routine when they get to deliver something other than a bill, magazine or piece of junk mail.
Our next selection shows that manners and texting don't always mix ...
No. 2: Ignore the phone, not your friend
The image of two people walking side by side engrossed in their own text messages is sad. When it's one person yakking on the phone while a friend is sits across the table picking at her salad, it's just rude.
Cell phones have become a necessity we let run our lives. We've been trained to respond to every little beep or vibration, whether important or trivial, no matter what.
If the phone interrupts something you're doing, that's one thing. But when you spend time with someone and decide to take a phone call, you let that other person know they're not as important as whoever is calling.
Sure, there are certain emergencies when you need to stay glued to your phone, but how many messages and calls can wait until later? We survived without being constantly online before the advent of the cell phone. You can wait half an hour to check the direct message you just got through Twitter.
Last up, if you can't say anything nice...
No. 1: Online doesn't mean 'free-for-all'
The anonymity of the Internet makes it easier for people to say what's on their mind without fear of retribution. That can be a good thing in certain situations, but this cloak of the online world is too often used as a cover for spewing bile that most people would never let slip in face-to-face conversations.
You don't need to look much further than most local news sites or blogs to see tirades based on race, politics or assumptions.
After all, it's easy to just type out what's on your mind a push the post button when you don't have to worry about an immediate, in-person confrontation.
That anger-inducing comment may appear only in cyberspace, but at the other end of a computer, it's making someone mad in real life.
Instead of adding to that anger, just remember what your mom told you before making your next online comment: If you can't think of anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. | <urn:uuid:9c716acc-1191-49d9-9399-32c37692bcc4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clickondetroit.com/lifestyle/new-years-resolutions/5-Basic-manners-that-time-forgot/-/5907072/8920152/-/item/1/-/80ekw8/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964434 | 484 | 2.109375 | 2 |
With humans, sex is viewed with duality, serving as a biological necessity for continuity of species and as a source of pleasure.
The question, however, is what drives men and women to have sex. We have heard that most animals have sex only during their respective mating seasons. There are men who want to have sex all the time and some who want it only at times. The percentages may differ but the same is true for women, although they are generally understood to be less interested in sex than men. Apart from a general predisposition, desire to have sex is also dependent upon extraneous factors like stress, fatigue and illness.
Poor sex drive almost always drives people towards sexual performance products even attempting to gain an understanding of the underlying cause(s) behind it. Although stress and fatigue are two major factors behind a poor sex drive, medicines may also be having a negative affect on your desire to have sex.
Men who use prescription enhancements often suffer long-term negative consequences from prolonged use, with studies published across the world indicating effects such as deterioration of the ‘natural sex drive’. Herbal or natural treatments can be very effective alternatives to improve sexual performance for men having erectile dysfunctions and problems with untimely ejaculations often take premature ejaculation treatments.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men over forty is a common condition. The prostate gland situated just near the penis enlarges and strangulates the urethra. Prescription medicines for treatment of this condition can also cause problems with erection and a lower sex drive in men. In rare cases, this condition can also occur in younger men too.
There are female-specific medicines that can also have a negative impact on sex drive. Contraceptive pills and intra vaginal devices to control pregnancies can reduce sex drive in women. If taken on a regular basis, emergency contraceptive pills can also affect sex drive.
Antidepressants like SSRI’s, beta-blockers used for treating hypertension, sedatives, and drugs taken for stimulating hair growth have side effects that ultimately reduce sex drive in women and men alike. Some medicines are necessary and cannot be avoided, but still be sure to carefully read the label and instruction sheets. However, alcohol and smoking are avoidable, and both affect genital blood flow and reduce sexual urge. | <urn:uuid:5bc34483-4a52-4482-bfef-b792cdea4919> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nativeremedies.com/articles/beware-medicines-cause-poor-sex-drive.html?mobile=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94428 | 473 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Stretching may not be able to prevent acute injury, but what about ordinary muscle soreness that sometimes occurs as a result of physical activity, otherwise known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, or DOMS? Just about everyone has had at least some experience with DOMS. After finishing a workout session without any noticeable discomfort, you develop increasing soreness and stiffness which peaks anywhere between 24-72 hours and then gradually subsides over the next couple of days. In the early 1960′s, researchers believed that exercise-induced muscle soreness was the result of restricted blood flow due to muscle spasm, and that normal blood flow could be restored to the muscle by stretching.
By the mid 1980′s, the muscle spasm theory was discredited but stretching continues to be recommended for the prevention and treatment of DOMS.Regardless of the actual mechanisms involved in producing DOMS, can stretching prevent or at least reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness? Again, rather than relying on anecdotal evidence, we’re going to take a brief look at a couple of research reviews which have examined the effects of stretching on the DOMS phenomenon…
Stretching for the prevention of DOMS is not supported by research
The Cochrane Collaboration published an updated 2011 review of 12 stretching studies, including one large study with 2377 participants (Herbert et al.) Their conclusion was that stretching either before, after, or both before and after exercise has an insignificant effect on muscle soreness. How insignificant? The pooled results averaged a 1-point reduction in soreness on a scale of 100, with little variation within or between individual trials. This lack of any noticeable effect of either static stretching or PNF stretching (involving an isometric contraction followed by a passive stretch) on DOMS is truly uninspiring. The authors comment that “the best available evidence indicates that stretching does not reduce muscle soreness.”
Another paper which reviewed many of the same stretching studies came to a similar conclusion: “Studies which have investigated the effect of stretching prior to, after, or before and after… exercise have shown no preventative effect of stretching on DOMS” (Cheung et al.) The researchers also reviewed an additional study which showed that soreness can actually be induced by lengthy sessions of intense static and ballistic stretching, with static stretching producing greater soreness than ballistic stretching. So much for the common belief that the more you stretch, the less soreness you will experience.
What if you already have DOMS? Well, stretching won’t “cure” any pre-existing muscle soreness, but it may provide some temporary relief. There’s certainly nothing wrong with seeking that relief, but this effect isn’t necessarily unique to stretching and you will likely find that any gentle movement through a gradually increasing range of motion will provide the same temporary tolerance to that movement. Unfortunately, the soreness will return and continue to run its full course.
Instead of stretching the muscle, let’s try squeezing it
Compressive garments have been gaining attention as a potential recovery tool as highlighted by Cheung et al., but more research needs to be conducted in order to validate this approach. It would be interesting if compression clothing can be shown to provide a reliable reduction in muscle soreness, but not all studies have shown this effect (Trenell et al.) I’d also encourage a healthy skepticism of the typical explanations for how this might work, which focus on mechanical support or the elimination of metabolic toxins. As with the application of kinesiotape, any positive effect probably has more to do with the novel sensory input that compressive garments can provide rather than any supposed “healing” effect on the underlying soft tissues.
Even if compressive garments can reduce exercise-induced swelling, there’s still a potential downside to any method which inhibits the type of inflammation that is part of the normal response to training: perhaps you can recover faster in terms of perceived soreness, but you might hinder your overall progress because you’ve compromised the adaptation process. The longer-term consequences of interrupting that training effect would be an unwelcome trade-off for any short-term convenience.
Interestingly, other more common treatments like NSAIDs and icing which aim to reduce inflammation have little or no effect on DOMS, so wearing compressive garments for that purpose seems misguided. By the way, as great as a muscle-squeezing massage might feel, that hasn’t been shown to have any appreciable effect on exercise-induced muscle soreness either. Bummer. Does anything prevent muscle soreness?
Muscle soreness is a normal response to a newly imposed stress
It’s known that DOMS is precipitated by unfamiliar, high-force or long-duration physical activity with an eccentric muscular component. Therefore, sudden, drastic changes in your training program are much more likely to produce muscle soreness than smooth transitions. With that in mind, you should be able to ease your suffering by gradually adjusting the intensity and duration of your workload and cautiously introducing new movements or training methods into your routine. While complete avoidance of muscle soreness is an unrealistic goal for anyone who is seeking to improve their current physical condition, applying a little patience and good sense should help to reduce the occurrence and severity of DOMS without wasting too much valuable time on stretching.
Even though stretching has not been validated by research as an effective strategy for preventing or treating DOMS, it’s part of our human nature to swear by certain methods that we just know work for us. Often times, the seemingly positive effects of a particular intervention may be ascribed to placebo or confirmation bias. To illustrate: we might be convinced that chicken soup has particular healing properties that help us recover from a cold. After all, we always eat chicken soup when we’re sick, and we always get better! The mistake is in assigning cause when there is merely correlation. The simple fact is that every cold runs its course, unaffected by whether we eat chicken soup or not. Likewise, as long as you don’t needlessly challenge a sore muscle, DOMS will run its course and then subside on its own, regardless of whether you stretch or not. No amount of stretching will make the soreness dissipate any faster, and too much stretching might even make it worse.
Of course, stretching is still useful for increasing flexibility, but is more flexibility always better? The next post in this series will look at the effects of stretching on performance.
1. R. D. Herbert, M. de Noronha, S. J. Kamper. Stretching to prevent or reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD004577. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004577.pub3
2. K. Cheung, P. A. Hume, L. Maxwell. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: Treatment Strategies and Performance Factors. Sports Med 2003; 33 (2): 145-164.
3. M. I. Trenell, K. B. Rooney, C. M. Sue, C. H. Thompson. Compression Garments and Recovery From Eccentric Exercise. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine 2006; 5, 106-114. | <urn:uuid:ee75bd83-59fc-40c7-bcad-35a4ac0d28db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biomechfit.com/2012/10/08/stretching-science-part-2-muscle-soreness | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937401 | 1,512 | 2.625 | 3 |
CHETWYND, George (1783-1850), of Brocton Hall, nr. Lichfield, Staffs. and Grendon Hall, nr. Atherstone, Warws.
Available from Cambridge University Press
Family and Educationb. 23 July 1783, 1st s. of Sir George Chetwynd, 1st bt., of Brocton and Jane, da. of Richard Bantin of Little Farringdon, Berks. educ. Harrow 1798-1802; Brasenose, Oxf. 1802; L. Inn 1808, called 1813. m. 30 Aug. 1804, Hannah Maria, da. and coh. of John Sparrow of Bishton Hall, Staffs., 2s. 3da. suc. fa. as 2nd bt. 24 Mar. 1824. d. 24 May 1850.
Sheriff, Warws. 1828-9.
Col. commdt. Central Staffs. militia ?1808-13.
Chetwynd’s father, clerk to the privy council and an authority on the magistracy, was knighted in 1787 and created a baronet in 1795.1 He shared common ancestry with the Irish peerage family of the Viscounts Chetwynd and inherited the seat of Grendon Hall on the expiry of a distant branch of the family in about 1800. After Chetwynd had been called to the bar in 1813 he practised on the Oxford circuit. For many years chairman of the Staffordshire quarter sessions, he was considered ‘a very able magistrate’, but was ‘not generally popular with his brother justices’. On succeeding to his father’s estates in 1824 he ‘made a tender of his resignation of the chair, as he was about to leave the county and live in Warwickshire’.2
At the 1820 general election he stood for the venal borough of Stafford, where members of his family had been intermittently returned since 1661. He secured the backing of the corporation and the Gower interest and ‘considered himself safe’, although there were reports of ‘a probable desertion from his ranks for want of that ... which the other candidates were dispensing with a liberal hand’. This was evidently forthcoming, and with the assistance of the corporation, who enrolled 80 new voters on the eve of the poll, he was returned in first place, ‘to the satisfaction ... of nearly all the town’.3 At his dinner he claimed to be ‘unconnected with any party’:
It was almost grown into a maxim, that a Member who does not attach himself to one of the two great parties that divide the House of Commons, can be of no use there ... Their present Member had a very different idea of his duties. He was not indebted for his situation to any nobleman, or to the influence of any other individual ... being returned by their uninfluenced votes.4
Chetwynd was described by the radical Whig Henry Grey Bennet* in 1821 as ‘a government Member’ and was reported to have ‘usually voted’ with the Liverpool ministry in a commentary of 1825; but he often divided with the Whig opposition, notably on matters of economy, retrenchment and reduced taxation.5 He was in their minority against the appointment of an additional Scottish baron of exchequer, 15 May 1820. He spoke in favour of a ‘change of system with regard to Welsh judges’, 1 June, when he was appointed to the select committee on the subject, as he was again, 21 Feb. 1821. He voted for inquiry into Anglo-Irish trade, 14 June 1820. He criticized the king’s bench proceedings bill for increasing the workload of the puisne judges without providing ‘any additional remuneration’, 20 June, and proposed amendments which were rejected by the attorney-general, 3 July. On 29 June he introduced a bill to abolish the whipping, in private, of female offenders in ‘workhouses, houses of correction, and lunatic asylums’. Edward Littleton recalled that at its third reading, 6 July, Chetwynd ‘persisted in dividing the committee, and was appointed teller for the ayes’, whereupon he
refused to take a stick and count, but the committee, which seemed to think he was assuming and pertinacious, insisted ... They then made him count the 50 or 60 Members on the left side, which he did with gestures of repugnance and shame which made us all die with laughter.6
The bill received royal assent, 15 July 1820 (1 Geo. IV, c. 57). On 30 June Chetwynd welcomed a bill to prohibit stealing in shops and recommended an additional clause. He ignored treasury requests to attend and assist ministers during the Queen Caroline affair that August, but refused to sign a Staffordshire requisition condemning their conduct in December and divided in their support, 6 Feb. 1821.7 On 19 Dec. 1820 he wrote to ask Lord Liverpool if ‘any augmentation of the salaries of the judges’ was contemplated and whether ‘a proposition to that effect ... would meet with the sanction and support of your Lordship’. Liverpool agreed to discuss ‘what may appear reasonable and practicable to be done’ and they met early in the next session.8 He was absent from the division on Catholic relief, 28 Feb. 1821, but present to vote against it, 30 Apr. 1822, 1 Mar., 21 Apr., 10 May 1825.
Chetwynd, believing that the country was overrun ‘by idle vagrants, who did not wish to work, and who made a subsistence out of their vagrancy’, secured the appointment of a select committee on the subject, 14 Mar. 1821, and was appointed to another, 22 Mar. 1822. He introduced bills to consolidate the vagrancy laws, 24 May 1821, 12, 29 Mar. 1822, when he observed that his bill to facilitate legal proceedings against ‘idle and disorderly persons, rogues and vagabonds, incorrigible rogues and other vagrants’ had earned him some unpopularity, particularly from ladies who thought ‘the minstrels who perambulated the streets would be prevented from serenading them’. It received royal assent, 24 June 1822 (3 Geo. IV, c. 40). Littleton claimed, 4 Feb. 1824, that it ‘had saved the counties of England and Wales the sum of £100,000 annually, which had been heretofore expended in passing vagrants from one part of the country to another’. Chetwynd spoke in favour of reducing the pressures on county courts, 16 Mar. 1821. On 11 Apr. he unsuccessfully moved an amendment to cut the salary and expenses of the judge advocate: he had ‘no idea whatsoever of making a personal allusion’ to him, but ‘considered the whole system to be one of profligate expenditure’.9 Resuming his attack the next day, he explained that ‘though no man was more inclined to support ministers, he could not do so when he saw them resist every proposition that tended to retrenchment’. He demanded further military economies, 18 May, when he warned that ‘if the House did not reform itself within, a revolution must take place without’, and was a minority teller for his own amendment to ‘enforce a system of the most strict economy’. He divided against parliamentary reform, 9 May 1821, and reform of the Scottish representation, 2 June 1823, 26 Feb. 1824, but for the exclusion of subordinate placemen from the Commons, 31 May 1821. He voted against the forgery punishment mitigation bill, 23 May 1821. On 27 Mar. 1822 he called for a reduction of the time spent by prisoners awaiting trial and endorsed a petition from the grand jury of Essex highlighting judicial delays. He spoke in support of the poor removal bill and against the bastardy laws, arguing that the ‘present system of poor laws was one of the greatest curses under which the country laboured’, 31 May 1822.
On 27 Feb. 1824 a petition was presented by Thomas Denman impugning Chetwynd’s conduct as a magistrate in the conviction of Charles Flint, a solicitor who had been helping to investigate the conduct of Stafford corporation during the 1820 election. Chetwynd had sentenced Flint to three months’ hard labour following a riot, but a full bench of Staffordshire magistrates had subsequently ‘pronounced a panegyric on the conduct of the party accused’. The petition alleged ‘personal motives’ for the conviction, and hoped that Chetwynd’s ‘gross abuse of magisterial authority would receive the serious animadversions of the House’. Speaking ‘under the influence of very strong feelings’, Chetwynd asked for the charges to be investigated fully and received strong backing from Peel, the home secretary, and Littleton. In the event the matter went no further in the Commons, much to the annoyance of John Stuart Mill, who derided the ‘unpaid magistrates and their nominees of that House’, but statements in the London papers similar to those in the petition prompted Chetwynd to launch proceedings in king’s bench against the ‘atrocious libels’ impugning the ‘unjustifiable severity’ of his sentencing and his motives ‘as the author of the Vagrant Act’. Despite receiving the private support of Peel, who hoped the trial would ‘punish your cowardly defamers’, the length and negative publicity of the case ‘necessarily tended to cast a shade over the character of Sir George’.10 As Robert Slaney* noted in his diary, ‘it looks suspicious to say the best of it’.11 Meanwhile, as a result of the separate inquiry into Stafford corporation, king’s bench issued a writ of quo warranto against Chetwynd in April 1824, requiring him to show by what authority he claimed to be a burgess of the borough. After a protracted case heard before Lord Tenterden, in which the corporation spent thousands resisting John Campbell II’s* prosecution, judgement eventually went in Chetwynd’s favour in 1828.12 He was granted leave of absence for one month following the death of his father, 26 Mar. 1824. He voted for the suppression of the Catholic Association, 25 Feb., and against the Irish franchise bill, 26 Apr. 1825. He spoke against the game laws amendment bill, 29 Apr. On 12 May he criticized a bill prohibiting the payment of labourers’ wages from poor rates, but was challenged in his assertion that such payments were already illegal and the measure therefore unnecessary. He voted against the grant to the duke of Cumberland, 6 June. In November and December 1825 he corresponded briefly with Peel, suggesting suitable candidates for police magistrates.13 He welcomed plans to consolidate the criminal laws, although he ‘objected to the expense likely to be cast upon each county by the prosecutions for assaults and certain other offences’, 9 Mar. 1826. In his last known speech, on the spring guns bill, 27 Apr., he argued against making the use of gun traps inside ‘a dwelling house, garden or hot house’ illegal. His only recorded vote of that session was against the emergency admission of foreign corn, 8 May 1826.
At the dissolution of 1826 Chetwynd retired, citing ‘the various duties which have devolved upon him subsequently to the death of his father’.14 His failure in 1824 to secure an injunction against the creation of further voters by Stafford corporation, in order to ‘leave the electorate balanced in his favour’ and prevent others from establishing an interest, may also have been a factor.15 He was spoken of as a candidate for the vacancy there later in the year, but did not stand.16 He proposed Sir Edward Scott* at the Lichfield election of 1830, and was again rumoured for Stafford in 1832, when he declined in favour of his younger brother Captain William Faulkener Chetwynd, who was elected as a Liberal.17 He tentatively offered for North Warwickshire, ‘and would probably have been returned, had he not ... become alarmed at the necessary expense of a contested election’ and withdrawn. He ‘restored and beautified’ Grendon church in 1825 and ‘expended very large sums’ making ‘alterations and additions’ to Grendon Hall. He took an interest in buying ‘works of art and virtu’ and his collection of ‘provincial coins and tokens, was especially complete’, with a catalogue of his numismatic acquisitions being printed privately in 1834. He joined Brooks’s in 1835 and was ‘one of the most constant frequenters of the Reform Club’ established the following year.18 Chetwynd died at Grendon Hall in May 1850. By his will, dated 19 Feb. 1850, the mansion and estates of Grendon were settled on his grandson George Chetwynd (1849-1917). His eldest son and successor in the baronetcy, George Chetwynd (1809-69), had married Lady Charlotte Hill, daughter of the 3rd marquess of Downshire in 1843, and was given the option to buy the furniture at Grendon, much of which had been purchased from Downshire by Chetwynd’s father. Chetwynd’s four other children each received £7,500 and an equal share in the Bishton Hall estate of his late father-in-law. Two codicils provided for care of his ‘favourite cats’ and legacies to servants. Ever mindful of economy, he left instructions to ‘limit the whole expenses of my funeral to the sum of three hundred pounds’.19
Ref Volumes: 1820-1832
Author: Philip Salmon
- 1. R. Burn, The Justice of the Peace and Parish Officer (1824) ed. Sir G. Chetwynd.
- 2. Dyott’s Diary, i. 320, 352, 358.
- 3. Hatherton diary, 21 Mar.; S. M. Hardy and R.C. Baily, ‘Downfall of Gower Interest in Staffs. Boroughs’, Colls. Hist. Staffs. (1950-1), 282; Staffs. Advertiser, 11 Mar. 1820.
- 4. Staffs. Advertiser, 8 Apr. 1820.
- 5. HLRO, Hist. Coll. 379, Grey Bennet diary, 83; Black Bk. (1823), 146; Session of Parl. 1825, p. 456.
- 6. Staffs. Advertiser, 8 July; Hatherton diary, 4 July 1820.
- 7. Hatherton diary, 21 Aug., 11-14 Dec. 1820.
- 8. Add. 38288, ff. 323, 337; 38289, f. 66.
- 9. The Times, 12 Apr. 1821.
- 10. Mill Works, xxvi. 273-4; Add. 40369, ff. 62-63; The Times, 12 Feb. 1825.
- 11. Salop RO 6003/4, Slaney diary, 28 May 1824.
- 12. Hardy and Baily, 287-93; Boroughs and Municipal Corporations of the United Kingdom (1835) ed. H.A. Merewether and A.J. Stephens, iii. 2215.
- 13. Add. 40358, ff. 149-52.
- 14. Staffs. Advertiser, 27 May; Aris’s Birmingham Gazette, 29 May 1826.
- 15. Hardy and Baily, 284; J.C. Wedgwood, Staffs. Parl. Hist. iii. 59.
- 16. The Times, 8 Aug. 1826.
- 17. Wedgwood, iii. 69; F. N. Rose, ‘An Exercise in Bribery and Corruption’ (N. Staffs. Polytechnic BA dissertation, 1968/9), p. 6.
- 18. VCH Warws. iv. 77; Dyott’s Diary, ii. 65; Gent. Mag. (1850), ii. 215-16.
- 19. PROB 11/1690/505; 2116/502; IR26/1862/481. | <urn:uuid:1c80e77e-534e-45a0-948d-e9304530eb37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/chetwynd-george-1783-1850 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967228 | 3,569 | 1.757813 | 2 |
616 vs. 666: Which Is the Real Number of the Beast?
A recent Greek fragment discovery has brought an old issue back into focus.
Don't Be Confused By Bible Prophecy Another Minute!Breakthrough teaching video! What are the two overlooked keys in the hard sayings of Jesus? Leave traditional "anything goes" allegorical interpretations behind that disregard Jesus' only statement on how to interpret Scripture correctly. Learn these keys of Jesus in this free video...
(Read more testimonials...)
You may have seen in the news recently that a fragment of the "oldest NT manuscript" was found to say in Revelation 13:18 that the number of the beast was 616 instead of 666. Since several people have asked me about this topic, I'd like to comment on it.
Report: 616, Not 666 The Real Number of the Beast
First, here's an excerpt of the report of the discovery:
A newly discovered fragment of the oldest surviving copy of the New Testament indicates that, as far as the Antichrist goes, theologians, scholars, heavy metal groups, and television evangelists have got the wrong number. Instead of 666, it's actually the far less ominous 616.
The new fragment from the Book of Revelation, written in ancient Greek and dating from the late third century, is part of a hoard of previously unintelligible manuscripts discovered in historic dumps outside Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. Now a team of expert classicists, using new photographic techniques, are finally deciphering the original writing.
Professor David Parker, Professor of New Testament Textual Criticism and Paleography at the University of Birmingham, thinks that 616, although less memorable than 666, is the original. He said: "This is an example of gematria, where numbers are based on the numerical values of letters in people's names. Early Christians would use numbers to hide the identity of people who they were attacking: 616 refers to the Emperor Caligula."
The Book of Revelation is traditionally considered to be written by John, a disciple of Jesus; it identifies 666 as the mark of the Antichrist. In America, the fundamentalist Christian right often use the number in sermons about the coming Apocalypse.
They and satanists responded coolly to the new "Revelation". Peter Gilmore, High Priest of the Church of Satan, based in New York, said: "By using 666 we're using something that the Christians fear. Mind you, if they do switch to 616 being the number of the beast then we'll start using that."
Don't Write 616 over 666 In Your Bible Just Yet!
So, if you did not know better, you might already be heading to your Bible with a red marker to cross out the 666 and write in 616. After all, we have an textual critic of the New Testament telling us 666 is wrong. But not so fast!
I have a few reasons to keep this one on the shelf, and even to doubt it. Note that none of these are proofs that 616 is wrong. They are just my thinking on why I believe 666 is correct still at this point.
Reasons To Still Prefer 666 over 616
1. The article cites just one man's conclusion. But I'm the type of person who likes to check things out for himself, rather than trust someone else to do my thinking. I want to see the data and reasoning he used to conclude 616 is correct, even though it's in the minority of manuscripts. For example, when I decided that Y'hovah was probably the correct transliteration for God's name in the Old Testament, I did not do so because Nehemia Gordon said so. I did so after looking through the Old Testament manuscripts myself, looking at the vowel points and carefully reasoning out what they likely were telling us were the original vowels. Until I see the proof myself for 616, I'm not likely to switch from 666 based on one man's opinion.
2. One thing that would settle this question would be if a man appeared on the scene fulfilling everything else for the "First Beast from the Sea" in Revelation 13 and other prophecies related to what is (erroneously) called "the Antichrist". If we "calculated" the "number of his name" as instructed and it came to either 616 or 666 we would have our answer. There is such a man. Prince Charles of Wales' heraldic achievement (coat-of-arms) literally consists of the very beasts described in Rev 13 and Dan 7, he is a Prince (Dan 9:27) and he is from the old Roman Empire that destroyed the Temple (Dan 9:27). So what does his name add up to? Rather than 616, his name adds up to 666 using the ancient gematria system. And not only does this work in the English, but also in the official Hebrew transliteration (Nasich Charles Mem Wales). What are the odds anyone would have a name that calculates to the same number in two languages (without tampering with the transliteration like is done to Javier Solana's name to make it equal 666 in Hebrew)?
3. The Book of Revelation introduces very little that is new and tends to mostly expand on concepts or symbols that have already been used elsewhere in the Bible. You must use the rest of the Bible to decipher much of Revelation. It is noteworthy therefore that 616 appears nowhere else in the Bible while 666 appears four times. It very interestingly appears in this verse related to another exalted and adored king, one whom no doubt the coming Antichrist will want to emulate in many ways.
1 Kings 10:14 -- The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,
If anyone gets a good textual criticism report on 616 vs 666 please let me know as I'd like to get to see why someone would conclude 616 is the original.
4. Irenaeus in the second century, a century before the manuscript Parker relies on, already knew of the 616 variation and discounted it as an error:
Such, then, being the state of the case, and this number being found in all the most approved and ancient copies [of the Apocalypse], and those men who saw John face to face bearing their testimony [to it]; while reason also leads us to conclude that the number of the name of the beast, [if reckoned] according to the Greek mode of calculation by the [value of] the letters contained in it, will amount to six hundred and sixty and six; that is, the number of tens shall be equal to that of the hundreds, and the number of hundreds equal to that of the units (for that number which [expresses] the digit six being adhered to throughout, indicates the recapitulations of that apostasy, taken in its full extent, which occurred at the beginning, during the intermediate periods, and which shall take place at the end), - I do not know how it is that some have erred following the ordinary mode of speech, and have vitiated the middle number in the name, deducting the amount of fifty from it, so that instead of six decads they will have it that there is but one. [I am inclined to think that this occurred through the fault of the copyists, as is wont to happen, since numbers also are expressed by letters; so that the Greek letter which expresses the number sixty was easily expanded into the letter Iota of the Greeks.] - Adv. haer. 5.30
In this rather obscurely expressed passage, Irenaeus was proposing (even in the second century - a century BEFORE this oldest surviving copy!) that old, Greek copies of Revelation contained an error of copying in which the Greek letter xi with gematraic value 60 was wrongly copied into the Greek letter iota with number value 10.
Meanwhile, I hope this helps you keep this one on the shelf as well.
Feedback / Questions (e.g., "Tim, what does the Bible say about...").
Articles on 616 vs. 666: Which Is the Real Number of the Beast?
- 666 - Number of the Beast - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- 666 (number) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
More articles on End Times Bible Prophecy
An Ipsos poll found that 25% of adults believed it was at least "somewhat likely" that "Jesus Christ will return to Earth" in the coming year. Among white evangelical Christian adults surveyed, a whopping 46% believed this. Now six years after that poll in 2006 Jesus still has not returned. Why not? Want to know why Jesus did not come in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, or 2012 as so many expected—and still won’t come in 2013? The reason has to do with several overlooked prerequisites to the rapture, until which the “end is not yet” according to Jesus. Read Featured Article
Gain Biblical DiscernmentUnderstanding of Bible prophecy blesses you (Rev 1:3) and helps you to discern the news, views and predictions you wonder about (Dan 12:10). In my newsletter, I share rare insights from my ongoing Bible study. As a reader, you will quickly and easily gain discernment and find answers to questions you had given up on or forgotten about.
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Pulitzer Prize-winning historian says Walmart site is hallowed ground-an integral part of Wilderness battlefield
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|PDF: Summary of the testimony|
In August 2009, the county Board of Supervisors approved the special permit Wal-Mart needed to build its big-box store.
Its decision is being challenged by Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield, which maintains a historic estate in the national park, other groups, and some residents who live within three miles of the project site.
McPherson's testimony isn't certain, Orange County Attorney Sharon Pandak said last night. "It's premature to say [McPherson] will testify," she said. "He's been identified as an expert by the plaintiff, and that's it."
Both sides must submit lists of their expert witnesses, and then it's up to the court whether to allow each one, Pandak said.
Rosenbaum said he could not conceive on what grounds Orange would object to McPherson's testimony.
A 240,000-square-foot retail center, anchored by Walmart, is planned north of State Routes 3 and 20--a cannon shot away from Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.
Walmart has noted that its supercenter would be built in an area already home to two retail strip centers.
McPherson told the AP that maps and new research shed light on what happened on and near the Walmart site, which is a short distance from the historic intersection of Germanna Plank Road and the Orange Turnpike.
The Union Army's 5th and 6th Corps situated their field hospitals on or near the Walmart site, his testimony states. Surgeons treated about 8,300 wounded Federal soldiers there and at 2nd Corps hospitals about a mile away, in addition to Confederate wounded brought back by ambulance.
In his testimony, McPherson calls the crossroads area "the nerve center of the Union Army during the Battle of the Wilderness."
The Walmart site is part of the battlefield as defined by the federal Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, on which he served years ago, he wrote.
"This site is important for understanding the Battle of the Wilderness because of its centrality during the entire battle for Union troop movements on the roads through that intersection, artillery emplacements, infantry deployments, communications and care of the wounded," McPherson wrote.
Clint Schemmer: 540/368-5029 | <urn:uuid:b9898a78-7a21-42dc-bf05-cbaa3c0d2df7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/102010/10132010/581905/index_html?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958326 | 521 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Friday, January 6, 2012
Everyone Needs a Niche, Right?
We tend to fall into them based on our family research or where we live. My niche is southern New England, which is where I live, not where most of my ancestors come from.
This morning I was directed via Twitter to the blog of The Two Nerdy History Girls by my friend, Deb Ruth. The blog post, "Modern Women of the 1890s", featured a youtube video of two elderly British women speaking about their days as young women in London in the 1890s. According to the youtube profile it originally came from the BBC.
The video was fun and interesting and informative to the point of discussing what the girls did for fun, work and even the slang they used. I couldn't help thinking this could be tremendously helpful for genealogists.
As I thought about it more I couldn't think of one genealogist who specializes in videos or documentaries for the genealogical community. I know of people like Dick Eastman and Megan Smolenyak who have created videos. I was at a loss to think of anyone who had expertise in finding documentary videos with historical content who advised or shared them with the genealogical community.
Reputations are often made on filling voids. People end up writing books because a book didn't exist on the topic that they were researching. I would love it if a video or documentary buff would pick up the mantle and become an expert on locating videos for the genealogical community. I can see a blog, a website and a book in their future! Maybe you're the one we've been waiting for?!!
Along the same lines, I would like to see a music buff pick up the niche of historical music. So much music is available online now. Where is it? How do we find it? And how do we tie it to the various generations of our ancestors?
If these topics get you going I hope you'll consider sharing your knowledge with our community.
Photo Credit: the image above is a screen shot of the Library of Congress webpage, America at Work, America at Leisure: Motion Pictures from 1894-1915.
Posted by Marian Pierre-Louis at 8:56 AM | <urn:uuid:14ce45f4-8f37-4646-9fce-8e01e5270c8a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rootsandrambles.blogspot.com/2012/01/everyone-needs-niche-right.html?showComment=1325889731652 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976209 | 456 | 1.929688 | 2 |
There’s no sugar-coating it: Building a retaining wall and steps like these is a big project. In my case it involved removing an old poured-concrete wall and steps and moving a lot of heavy materials, including dirt, compactable gravel, sand and 80-pound blocks. But although the work was physically challenging, it wasn’t as complicated as you might think.
Like most successful projects, this one starts with a good design. I’ve designed and built several retaining walls, patios and paths, but this project combined all three and added the complicating factor of a steep 7-ft.-high slope, so I sought help. A wall higher than 4 ft. requires additional structural reinforcement and should be designed by a professional who understands the structural engineering requirements. I sketched out a basic plan and then handed it over to Villa Landscapes, the design division of the landscape center where I planned to buy my materials, for completion.
Click here to download this complete article as a pdf.
The steps and the walls of this project are constructed from Versa-Lok standard blocks. We chose these blocks for multiple reasons. First, Versa-Lok provides many detailed drawings and thorough instructions on the company’s Web site. Second, the blocks use a pin system that makes alignment easy and results in a very strong wall. And finally, it’s surprisingly easy to build steps with these blocks. Once the base is formed, all you do is stack the blocks. Called the “base pedestal” installation method, it’s similar to building a pyramid. Several blocks are buried and seemingly wasted under the surface, but you’re trading the cost of those blocks for the time you save and potential errors you avoid by not having to compact and level multiple tiers.
Machines are essential to a job of this scale. A mini-excavator and skid-steer loader finished in one day what would have required a week of hard labor from two people to accomplish; their rental was money well spent. If you don’t have a place on your property to put the extra dirt, you’ll need to hire a dump truck to haul it away.
Because we had a professional design and Versa-Lok’s excellent installation instructions and drawings, we could have tackled the construction ourselves. But recognizing the value of experience, we hired installers at Highstone Landscapes Inc. to show us how the pros work and teach us a few tricks of the trade.
Watch a VIDEO slideshow overview of the retaining wall project.
Building the Retaining Wall
“The key to building any retaining wall or steps is getting the elevations [for the base pads] correct – the rest is just stacking blocks,” says Highstone’s owner, Jay Meyer. The bottom of the steps and the bottom wall are both built on the same level pad. We dug down approximately 10 in. below the grade in front of the wall and 4 ft. into the slope behind the wall so we could install the geogrid wall-reinforcement mesh. We also had to dig approximately 9 ft. into the slope for the steps. Make measurements as you excavate to check that your depths and layout are accurate. You must install the pad materials on undisturbed or compacted soil. If you dig a little too deep, do not replace the dirt. Instead, use more base materials to bring the pad up to final grade.
After the excavation is complete, drive stakes into the ground in several locations along the wall layout to establish the compacted pad elevation. Pound in the stakes, checking them with a surveyor’s level, until the top of each stake is at the final compacted gravel elevation. Lay down landscape fabric and compacted gravel until the pad is level at the final base elevation. The accuracy of the base pad is critical, so take your time to make the compacted pad level and smooth. Next, place two 1-in.-o.d. pipes on the compacted base and dump a layer of fine material such as sand over the pipes and base. The crew from Highstone prefers to use a driveway trap material instead of sand. Screed the fine material across the pipes to leave an even 1-in.-deep layer. Remove the pipes and carefully fill in the pipe tracks with more fine material.
Place the bottom course of blocks on the base material. Check each block to make sure that the top is level, and use a straightedge to align the back edges. Install the second course of blocks, staggering them so that the vertical seams do not align. The 3/4-in. setback distance is easy to maintain with the Versa-Lok wall blocks because pins connect and align with the course. The pins fit through holes in the top block and into a channel in the bottom block. Use a string line to align the back edges of each course. Backfill behind the blocks after each course is installed.
You must use alternating half blocks to build outside corners. We built one outside corner at the return wall (the wall section that turns 90 degrees back into the hill). The half blocks are broken rather than cut to create a rough face that matches the other exposed block faces. The corner blocks are secured with concrete adhesive.
We installed the first layer of geogrid on top of the third block course. Place the geogrid on top of the wall, making sure that it overlaps the pin channels. Then lay the next course of wall blocks. We installed another layer of geogrid on top of the sixth course of block. Backfill and compact the soil behind the wall as you install each course.
Providing a path for water to drain from behind the wall is critical to prevent potential damage caused by water pressure and water freezing behind the wall. Drain tile (perforated flexible drain pipe) provides the path for water to drain from behind the wall. We installed a drain-tile grate between two blocks in the third course. Then we graded the backfill behind the wall to slope down toward the grate. Lay the drain tile behind the wall and connect it to the grate with a coupling.
We built the upper wall following the same process that we used to build the lower wall. The upper wall is located behind the lower wall at a distance that is twice the height of the lower wall. The upper-wall blocks are connected to the lower return wall. The base elevation of the upper wall was determined by the elevation of the lower return wall. We excavated to a level so that the upper-wall blocks would match the elevation of the return-wall blocks.
Building the Steps
We used the same Versa-Lok wall blocks to build the steps as we used to build the wall. As with constructing the wall, the most important aspect is to first create a level base pad at the proper elevation. Once the base material was installed, building the steps basically involved stacking up a lot of blocks – a job that was laborious but not complicated.
The steps and walls in our project are connected, but you can also use this system to build steps without any walls. For example, this type of step construction would work well for the steps and stoop on the front of a house.
The bottom course of step blocks is the most important. The layout must be accurate, and the tops of the bottom-course blocks must be level and flush. In our case, the front row of the bottom-step course is a continuation of the bottom-wall course, and the return wall is the right side of the steps. We created the 44-in.-wide steps by placing two blocks facing forward and one block turned sideways to make the width of the steps.
The front edge of each course is set back 11 in. from the previous course. Each course of blocks is secured using concrete adhesive. Brush the tops of the block clean before applying the adhesive and placing blocks on top. Even a tiny pebble left under a block can prevent a good fit and cause the next block to rock.
The left side of the steps is partially exposed. The blocks for the left side are turned sideways to expose the front cut face of the block. The front block of the exposed side must be cut in half so that there is a rough face that matches the other front-face blocks – similar to an outside wall corner.
We capped the steps with bullnose pavers. You could also use wall cap blocks, but we preferred the round face of the pavers. We secured the caps with concrete adhesive and aligned them with a straightedge.
The landing and path at the top of the steps are made with pavers. The process is the same as building a patio. A gravel base is leveled and compacted and topped with a 1-in.-deep layer of leveled sand or other fine material so that the top of the pavers is flush with the top of the top step.
Though it was a lot of work, the finished project adds curb appeal and function that will last for many years – certainly worth a few days of heavy lifting. | <urn:uuid:894db665-f695-4fd6-81d0-03e17082ade4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.handymanclub.com/projects/articletype/articleview/articleid/6194/categoryid/2356/retaining-wall-and-steps-project | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940736 | 1,880 | 1.5 | 2 |
If you are looking for a different kind of book to introduce the Civil War to your students, try The Blue and the Gray by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ned Bittinger. The story revolves around two best friends whose houses lie on a battlefield from the Civil War. Readers follow the boy’s imaginations as the one boy’s father recounts the stories of the soldiers who fought on the battlefield that now remains as their back yard. After listening to his father’s story, the son explains: “It was the Civil War, the North against the South, the blue against the gray. White against black. White against white. Us against us, to tell it right. My dad says that’s the saddest kind of war there is, though every war is sad and most are bad.” Through the father’s story, these two best friends learn that friends just like them fought against each other in this devastating war. At the end of the book, as the boys look out at the old battleground, they realize that a place like this must be remembered: “And all those days…when we play football on the field and sled when there is snow. And we will know the way it was. And we’ll remember.”
This would be a great book to use to introduce a unit on the Civil War, because it discusses how it was a fight between men of the same country: North against South, blue against gray, white men against black men. While the language is simple, The Blue and the Gray correlates well with Virginia SOLs for 4th and 5th grade. It could be used with any of the Virginia studies SOLs related to the Civil War (VS.7 and VS.8), as well as the US History SOL for the same subject: USI.9.
- Listen to these Union and Confederate songs as a class and pretend that you are singing them with your fellow soldiers on the battlefield!
- Here is a great webquest where your students will learn what it was like to be a Union or Confederate soldier.
- The Civil War Preservation Trust is a wonderful website with a number of activities to use in a Civil War unit. Use their Reader’s Theater to better help your class understand what difficult decisions had to be made during the war.
Book: The Blue and the Gray
Author: Eve Bunting
Illustrator: Ned Bittinger
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: 1996
Grade Range: 4-5 | <urn:uuid:c1fcde5c-2588-48b7-87be-340c1ba27b43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.richmond.edu/openwidelookinside/archives/2091 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954392 | 522 | 3.578125 | 4 |
Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu
and the Gateway to South India, lies along the coast of Bay of Bengal
. A quaint fusion of ancient, imperial and modern, Chennai, earlier known as Madras, is the 4th largest city in India with a population of 6 million. Chennai was founded in July 1639, by the British, as one of the first cities of Britain’s Empire in India. With an area of 174 sq km, it is the headquarters of Chennai District
The riches of the Coromandel Coast, southern coast of India, attracted the colonial powers like Portuguese, the Dutch, the British, the French and the Danes. In their struggle for superiority, Britain was pushed south of the Coromandel Coast and they settled down and built a fort, on three miles long and a mile wide beach protected on two sides by rivers and on the third by the roaring sea. They christened it Fort St George in April, 1640 and the conquest of India by Britain began from this tiny settlement. As the fortunes of Britain changed, the settlement grew and took within its limits many ancient towns and port of the Coromandel and came to be known as Madras – the present day Chennai.
Any discovery of Chennai begins with Fort St George; within the fort are a museum, Clive House and the St Mary’s Church, the oldest Anglican Church in Asia. One of the longest beaches in the world, the
Marina Beach (Kamarajar Salai), stretches 5 km from the southeastern corner of George Town to San Thome Basilica. The northern part of Chennai, Mylapore, houses the Kapilashvara Temple, San Thome Basilica and the St Thomas Mount with a Portuguese Church. Silk sarees and cotton fabrics are traded along the famous Textile Street. One of India’s famous newspapers ‘The Hindu’ is located on the Mount Road (Anna Salai). Many ancient buildings and cathedrals created by the British in the Indo-Saracenic style can be seen at Chennai.
On the outskirts of the city are the Adyar River Estuary, the Theosophical Society, Elliot’s Beach, and the Crocodile Bank. Motion picture is a roaring industry in Chennai and the MGR Film City gives a glimpse of the tinsel world.
Chennai is well-connected by air to the rest of the country and the world and the
Chennai International Airport is located at Tirusulam, 7km south of the city. Chennai is the headquarters of Southern Railway and there are two major railway stations. Chennai Central Railway Station links North and West India, while the Egmore Railway Station connects South India. There are also separate stations for local trains. State owned and private transports are available for domestic and interstate transportation and the state owned buses operate from Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) at Koyambedu.
Best time to visit is from September to February. | <urn:uuid:2624395d-dbe6-4dca-b06d-f4584fc1e55c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.india9.com/i9show/-Karnataka/Bangalore/Chennai-17953.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95987 | 621 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Fisherman allowed into marine parks
- From: AAP
- March 12, 2013
FISHERMEN can now cast a line in once protected areas as part of the NSW government's overhaul of the management of marine reserves, but critics say the move is evidence of "another dirty deal".
Under the government's so-called "common sense" approach a panel will also advise the government on how to manage the reserves, taking into consideration socio-economic impacts as well as marine science.
Asked if this meant the number of current marine estates could be reduced, Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson replied: "That would be up to the panel itself."
Environment Minister Robyn Parker said the first change would be to open up an additional 85km of coastline to line fishing in all but one existing marine sanctuary.
"There is little or no scientific basis for preventing line fishing from land," she said.
Ms Hodgkinson said the government also remained committed to a five-year moratorium on any new marine parks, initiated in 2011 after the government supported a bill introduced by the Shooters and Fishers Party.
It sparked accusations the government was playing politics with the state's marine parks to get its controversial public sector wages laws passed.
Ms Hodgkinson on Tuesday denied the easing of restrictions on marine parks was the result of lobbying from the minor party.
But opposition environment spokesman Luke Foley accused the government of making another "dirty deal".
"The O'Farrell government has today ripped away protections for protected marine parks in NSW - against the advice of its own independent scientific audit committee," he said.
The government commissioned audit last year recommended the current system of marine parks be maintained and that steps be taken to increase protection in two marine bioregions.
Mr Foley said the audit had also supported the importance of 'no take' zones to rebuild the stocks of endangered marine life.
"A paltry four per cent was off-limits. Now, not even this is safe from Barry O'Farrell and the Shooters," he said.
Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said the new policy completely rejected marine science and was "simply pandering to an extreme element of the recreational fishing lobby".
Nature Conservation Council of NSW CEO Pepe Clarke said it was inconsistent with the intent and effectiveness of marine sanctuaries.
"It is clear from today's announcement that politics, not good policy, is at the heart of this government's approach.
He said the council was also concerned the review of marine zonings would result in a weakening of protections. | <urn:uuid:56b983b2-b2bd-4a27-b794-5851c482cfe8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/fisherman-allowed-into-marine-parks/story-e6frfku9-1226595611659 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962788 | 526 | 1.601563 | 2 |
10 weeks ago I wrote a post, “Paddling.” We had only just received our 8 ipads and I was experimenting with them. In the time since, our use has exploded. Teachers K-4, both homeroom and subjects, have been signing them out. The good news: they are in demand and overbooked. The bad news: we need more! We now have over 80 apps loaded on our ipads. See them here. A crucial part of this increased use amongst the faculty was involving them with the ipads. I did this a number of ways:
- Suggested teachers take an ipad home to play with them and investigate the apps.
- Find apps and make suggestions for the teachers as they reached different parts of their curriculum.
- Include iPad use at our faculty meetings. In one, as we were preparing for our integrated unit on Rivers Around the World, I gave them assignments using Rivers of the World and Easy Globe Lite. In another, I had them free explore in partners.
Here are 3 notable projects to share with you.
Science Project: Earthquakes
Music Project: Create!
Afterschool Photography Project: Strip Design
I began one of my afterschool classes by introducing the boys to Photo Shot. This helps them practice zooming in and out to take careful pictures. We then took pictures to use in the app Strip Design to make cartoons. A huge hit and easy for the boys (second through fourth) to use. | <urn:uuid:0d5397b8-daea-4433-902f-4ee0bb4be05a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.collegiateschool.org/ipad/2011/03/31/diving-deeper-a-progress-report/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98186 | 306 | 2.75 | 3 |
American Medics Save Afghan Boy's Leg
"WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2005 – A young boy will keep his leg, thanks to limb-saving surgery conducted in late September at the American hospital at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials announced today.
Abdul Salaam, a 14-year-old boy from the Paktika province, suffered a gunshot wound during a Sept. 19 ambush while he was traveling with a group near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, officials said. The boy received some initial treatment, but later developed an infection. Abdul's father brought him to a forward operating base in the Paktika province, where coalition medical personnel determined there was a strong chance the leg would be lost without immediate attention, officials said.
Abdul and his father were flown to Bagram Air Base, where doctors operated Sept. 29 to save the leg. The operation was successful and his prognosis for recovery is good, officials said.
"The doctors here at Bagram are glad to be able to help and support the Afghan people with medical care," said Dr. (Maj. ) Robert Swift, chief of orthopedics and one of the doctors who performed the surgery. "The surgery was extremely successful and he is doing fine now. "
In air operations over Afghanistan, coalition aircraft flew 24 close-air-support and armed-reconnaissance sorties Oct. 6 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. These missions included support to coalition and Afghan troops, reconstruction activities, and the conduct of presence route patrols.
U. S. Air Force A-10s and a B-52 provided close air support to coalition forces in the vicinities of Asmar, Gereshk, and Shkin. A-10s expended four rockets near Asmar.
In addition, six U. S. Air Force, British Royal Air Force, and French air force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Afghanistan. Royal Air Force fighter aircraft also performed in a non-traditional ISR role." (Compiled from Combined Forces Command Afghanistan and U.S. Central Command Air Forces Forward news releases. )
...girls of the U.S. Army...
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | <urn:uuid:3bbdbdf2-7161-4333-95a7-d1d59c6b8b16> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mobyrebuttal.blogspot.com/2005/10/in-sandbox_11.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969012 | 467 | 1.640625 | 2 |
|Did you know that insects are a healthy and environmentally friendly source of food? Insects are low in calories, high in protein and filled with all kinds of minerals necessary for a healthy diet. They're also environmentally friendly: To produce a pound of beef, farmers have to produce up to ten pounds of feed. Insect production is MUCH more efficient, which means we can devote our land and our resources to other things. With this in mind, Wabash welcomed noted Purdue entomologist Dr. Tom Turpin for a presentation on Insects as Food. Wait! You say you don't eat insects?! Well, that's simply not true. The average American eats well over a pound of insects per year. They come included (and free of charge) in everything from peanut butter to fruit juice to cereal. Basically, almost every processed food we eat is filled with them. Many came out to learn about how eating insects can save the planet! This event was sponsored by the Visiting Lecture Committee. Light refreshments (ahem!) were served. | <urn:uuid:7516e46b-f4c7-4af0-8b68-336c22dd5c0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wabash.edu/photo_album/home.cfm?photo_album_id=3396 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975169 | 212 | 3.1875 | 3 |
Maine Lawmakers Propose a Bill Targeting Medical Professionals with Substance Abuse Problems
A group of lawmakers has proposed legislation that seeks to update Maine’s existing law governing the reporting and discipline of health care providers with addiction problems.
Rep. Jane Pringle, a retired primary care physician who is serving her first term in the Main House, and six other legislators sponsored LD 411, an act that aims to amend the health care practitioner licensing, disciplinary and reporting laws regarding alcohol and drug abuse.
The legislation calls for updating certain terminologies in the Maine Health Security Act — replacing the term “habitual drunkenness” with “use of alcohol or drugs that may indicate a substance abuse disorder” — to appropriately reflect that substance abuse is a disease, Bangor Daily News reports.
Pringle said she sponsored the bill at the request of the Maine Medical Association, which represents about 3,800 physicians, medical residents and students in the state.
LD 411 would also allow licensing boards to take action if a medical professional’s alcohol or drug use “may” endanger a patient. Under the current law, licensing boards are only authorized to discipline a medical professional when their alcohol or drug use “is foreseeably likely to” endanger the health or safety of the patients.
Rep. Victoria Kornfield, a Bangor Democrat who co-sponsored the bill, said in a statement that the bill would provide the public transparency and give Maine’s licensing board the “flexibility they need to ensure public safety.”Tags: doctors drug problems, medical professionals addiction problem, physicians alcohol use, substance abuse by health professionals | <urn:uuid:683f9996-f2f4-4816-818a-2ad82692518b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hometestingblog.testcountry.com/?p=23739 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931402 | 339 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Human infections with a new avian influenza A (H7N9) virus continue to be reported in China. The virus has been detected in poultry in China as well. While mild illness in human cases has been seen, many patients have had severe respiratory illness and approximately 20% of cases have died. The new H7N9 virus has not been detected in people or birds in the United States.
For more information including current case counts and recommendations:
Influenza (the flu) is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Anyone can get sick from the flu, but certain people are at greater risk for serious complications from the flu, including:
- older people ,
- young children ,
- people with chronic lung disease, diabetes, heart disease, neurologic conditions, and certain other long-term health conditions ,
- pregnant women
For information on disease in Maine, see our Weekly Influenza Surveillance Reports
Flu vaccine for the 2012-2013 season is now widely available. Vaccination is recommended for all people older than six months. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for it to take full effect. To find a flu clinic, search the listings on 211maine.org or Flu.gov.
The Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) for this year's vaccine are posted online .
Ask Maine CDC your questions about the flu!
Because we receive many emails, you may not get an answer to your question right away. We invite you to check our FAQ, which may contain the information you need!
Resources and Information | <urn:uuid:f096ba0e-7e47-463b-8a7e-4a3989f58610> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/influenza/maineflu/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930982 | 322 | 3.375 | 3 |
Benjamin Franklin was a man of action. Over his lifetime, his curiosity and passion fueled a diverse range of interests. He was a writer (often using a pseudonym), publisher, diplomat, inventor and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
His inventions included the lightning rod, bifocals and the Franklin stove. Franklin was responsible for establishing the first public library, organizing fire fighters in Philadelphia, was one of the early supporters of mutual insurance and crossed the Atlantic eight times. Self-development was a constant endeavor throughout his incredible life.
Benjamin Franklin was clearly a man who knew how to get things done.
Read on to find out the 14 Lessons he learned to get what he wanted out of life.
Start Norfolk is a booming success for its second time around the block. The turnout tripled and the energy level of the people in this room are phenomenal. Entrepreneurs, Innovators, Business Gurus, Developers, Coders, and curious spectators have all flocked to the Ted Constant Center in Norfolk, Virginia. 11 teams have been selected to pitch out of over 72 applicants. Presentations are this evening at 6pm. $50K is on the line and a plethora of free services every startup will need that have a value of around $100K.
This is a remarkable event that is growing in popularity. Moreover, it was the launching pad for Vinylmint.
Tinychat, the web-based video chat service, just surpassed 20 million users. Founded in 2009, the company has been on a roll lately and is showing some impressive momentum. Just about a year and a half ago, after all, Tinychat only had about one million users. The company’s co-founder Dan Blake also tells us that the site currently sees about 400,000 daily users and signs up about 50,000 new users every day. The average user now spends a good 22 minutes on the site per session.
Tinychat allows its users to chat simultaneously with up to 11 of their friends (that is, 12 people can be on camera at the same time. There is no limit to how many people can see the videos and participate in the text chat). It is currently available for free on the desktop and runs in virtually any browser without the need to install an extra plugin beside Flash.
Hitting 20 million registered users wasn’t Tinychat’s only good news today. Blake also tells us that the company is now profitable. The service’s business model is based on a freemium model, where users can upgrade to a pro account for better video quality and an ad-free experience.
Tinychat started out as a bootstrapped startup, but just over a year ago, the company raised $1.5 million from a group of investors that included Naval Ravikant, Ashton Kutcher and Sean Combs.
Be sure to check out the cool info graphic in this article.
Meet Joey Hill of Norfolk, Virginia. He had an amazing story to tell John and Jordan of Techcrunch. Joey has two autistic sons who have had trouble communicating and he noticed that the world of tools for autism often overlooked a few things – aesthetics, usability, and customization, to name three. Instead of relying on ready-made utilities, Joe wanted to make something fun and cool.
He created Aeir Talk. It’s an app that allows parents to create and record their own content for use in a very simple but effective method for communications. The parents record a set of verbs and nouns and add pictures of themselves or of familiar objects. When the kids need to communicate, they select a noun and a verb and press a button. The app creates a simple sentence. “I want to go outside, please” or “I want a carrot, please.”
Check out the article above for more on the Aeir Talk app and Joey Hill’s remarkable story.
Rumors and reports of Google Drive’s imminent launch have been coming hard and fast lately, but this one may just take the cake. The folks at The Next Web managed to get their hands on a draft of Google’s official Drive announcement from one of the search giant’s partners, and have just revealed a few titillating details about the storage-service-that-almost-wasn’t.
Earlier reports noted that the long-awaited cloud storage service would make its official debut sometime this week, but that no longer appears to be the case. Instead, Google Drive will reportedly launch next week, bestowing all interested users with 5GB of free storage to play with right out of the gate.
A big domestic market of 92 million people, English as an official language, a large IT talent pool, and a strategic location in South East Asia: the Philippines surely has the potential to become the next webpowerhouse coming out of Asia. I traveled to the country last month (on a private trip) to realize that the startup scene is still in its infancy – but that’s poised to change very soon.
One pioneering startup from the Philippines is Twitmusic, a Twitter-based social music service aimed at artists and their fans. As an artist, having an account on Twitter is one thing, but Twitmusic allows them to upload and share songs (and other content) through Twitter in a matter of minutes.
Existing Twitter users can log in to leave comment on tracks, “love” them, re-tweet them, or share links with followers using the #nowplaying hashtag with one click. Users can also embed individual songs elsewhere, download them (here‘s a pretty popular, downloadable one), or buy tracks on Twitmusic via iTunes.
By all accounts, Y Combinator’s latest Demo Day held last month for its Winter 2012 class was a biggie. With 66 companies presenting their apps, it was pretty impossible to name a startup that was the clear star of the group. But judging from the industry and investor buzz over the past few weeks since then, Socialcam, a mobile app for shooting, editing, and sharing smartphone videos, has emerged as one of the standout companies from this latest YC batch.
Watch the interview above to hear Michael Seibel talk about how Socialcam looks at growth just two weeks at a time, why his team chose to work in Founders Den rather than renting out its own office, why now is an extremely good time to be a tech startup founder, and more. | <urn:uuid:5587137b-2015-4ca1-887a-b4933c5fe56f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thevinylmint.tumblr.com/archive/2012/4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959697 | 1,335 | 1.773438 | 2 |
My borrowed glove is moist with sweat, yellowed from use and about three sizes too big. But the moment I receive the foil and curl my clammy fingers around its grip, I'm transformed. The three-foot blade seems like an extension of my fingertips, magical.
I have no rational reason to feel like Madonna in Die Another Day -- my only experience even remotely related to fencing is whacking one of my brothers over the head with a ski pole. But that doesn't prevent me from lunging at the fencing instructor. Jim Knapp and I begin to shuffle across the floor of Marsh Dining Hall at the University of Vermont, our blades crossed in an exercise designed to teach speed and judgment.
We begin a bit of friendly assault. Since I don't have a chest plate -- not that there's much of a target -- Knapp takes it easy on me, but every time I get a chance, I jab at his torso.
"You're pretty good for a beginner," he tells me.
Fancy footwork? Quick blade? Soon, I shall be swinging from the chandelier and dashing through duel after duel! "Oh, yeah?" I ask through my mask.
"Yeah, you're not afraid to hit me hard," he says, rubbing his vest a bit.
Whoops. Clearly, I have a lot to learn about this sport. Practiced by the ancient Egyptians, it is one of only four events to have remained in the Olympic games since their modern inception in 1896.
Known by the French as l'escrime, fencing was employed to settle disputes until the mid-19th century, when the law started catching up with the swordsmen. Thinking about those Errol Flynn films, the flicking of gems from female throats? Well, most of what you know about fencing belongs, as they might say in France, in le garbage.
Here are a few truths about fencing, in no particular order.
1. There are three types of fencing weapons and corresponding disciplines: foil, epee and sabre. Foil fencers use the lightest and most flexible of the weapons, with the torso as the "valid target area." Epee fencers can go for the entire body, with a heavier and stiffer blade. In sabre, fencers use a more sword-like weapon, and can aim anywhere from the bend of the hips to the top of the head.
2. Neil Diamond went to New York University on a fencing scholarship -- the sabre was his weapon of choice.
3. At one time, the highest-ranked epee fencer in America was 72.
For all the simplicity of its premise -- clash swords until one person gets hit -- fencing is among the most complex and dynamic of sports. Many ballet stances actually derived from those in fencing: precise, balanced and elegant positions that require years to perfect. From "attack au fer" to "whip-over," the glossary of fencing terms is some five pages long, much of it in French.
Often called physical chess, fencing requires tremendous speed and agility and super-sharp mental acuity. The latter might help to explain a 72-year-old's prowess. "It's great exercise, mental and physical," says Hancock-based fencer Mike Kolesnik, 56, who took up the sport in 2000. "And if you're an older fencer, the mental part really pays off; we have to be sneakier."
Kolesnik is one of more than 100 members who comprise the Green Mountain Division of the United States Fencing Association, a group that's grown almost exponentially in the last couple of years. "I haven't got a clue why there's so much more interest now," says Knapp, who is the local vice president. "I guess it's like when I started taking karate lessons a long time ago -- it's just this new thing that starts to spread by word of mouth."
At a recent tournament, the Fall Foliage Open, some three dozen of these Vermont fencers gathered at the UVM tennis courts for more than eight hours of foil, epee and sabre competition. As rain drummed on the roof, competitors wiggled into the strait-jacket-like tops and white britches and tried to recruit fellow fencers for an upcoming Renaissance festival. Others milled about in T-shirts reading "I Fence, Therefore I Am." (More trivia: Philosopher Rene Descartes was a fencing master, as is vocalist Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden.)
Throughout the day of the tournament, fencers followed a round-robin format, facing each other in bouts of three minutes, or five points, until winners were determined by elimination. Each bout consisted of a formal salute to each other, the en garde! call from the referee, and a fast and furious, back-and-forth dance between fencers of various levels. Competitors range in age from 13 to nearly 60. The youngest swashbuckler present was a 2-year-old boy with flowing blond locks and a plastic sabre tucked under his arm.
"We've had people fencing in this division for 30, 40 years," says Knapp. "And every time they go to a tournament, they say they learn something new."
The atmosphere was electric -- literally. Since the 1930s, fencing tournaments have been scored electronically, with wires attached to the blade of each weapon; foil and sabre fencers also wear a metallic vest, called a lame, to register touches. At the Fall Foliage Open, a few fencers looked nervously from the leaky roof to the wires running across the floor to each competition area. While the voltage coursing through here is only enough to cause a tingle, a Hungarian fencer is rumored to have electrocuted himself by stepping onto an improperly grounded piece of equipment.
Which begs the question: Just how safe is this sport, anyway? "Very few people have been seriously injured in fencing," says Knapp. "And I've heard that only three people have died while fencing, since 1920."
With the protective gear, the design of the blade and the decorum of fencers, the sport is said to be safer than golf, and the injuries tend to be more cosmetic than serious casualties. "Scratches, black-and-blue marks," says Knapp. "But we call them trophies. That way, in a tournament, everyone goes home with a trophy."
At a fencing class the day after the tournament, Erin Burk, 17 and clad in green gym shorts, seems to want a few more "trophies." A former ballet dancer, she makes the 45-minute trip from her home in Stowe to take lessons in Burlington. "It's a romantic sport," she says. "It has such an elegance, and is very dignified. Anyone I tell that I fence, they're immediately intrigued."
American women fencers have begun to dominate the sport's headlines, with women's sabre set to debut at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. The Green Moun-tain Division boasts Viveka Fox, a former all-Ivy fencer and North Atlantic foil champion, and increasing numbers of women are showing up at classes and tournaments. "Sometimes it's hard to get girls interested," admits Burk. "I think it's much more appealing to men because of the idea of a sword. They're like, Woo-hoo, look at me, I've got a sword!'"
Which is exactly how I feel after some accelerated instruction from Knapp. Typically, a beginning fencer practices footwork, balance and hand positions for weeks before moving onto the blade work. If you practice twice a week, you should be ready to compete in just a few months. "Fencing is a game of the mind and body melded," says Knapp. "And when you get to the competitive level of fencing, you can't think. Your body has to know what it's doing and just do it." | <urn:uuid:7b13374c-54f5-4334-ae83-36042c416ca6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.7dvt.com/print/4731 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972847 | 1,654 | 1.875 | 2 |
The university recruitment circuit is alive with environment-friendly appointments.
Candy Snelling: “Our green ideas really have an impact”. Photograph: Graham Turner.
When Mark Warner started a new job at Leeds Metropolitan University, he faced a dilemma about his commute into work. “I was offered a parking space, but turned it down because taking it would lack credibility,” he says. As the university’s sustainability officer, it wouldn’t really do to drive to campus.
At first, he travelled by bus, but even that didn’t go down too well with staff. “I was constantly asked how I could support cycling if I didn’t do it myself.” So Warner bought a bike via the Cycle to Work scheme, and now rides into work, encouraging fellow staff and students to do so, too. | <urn:uuid:5209fc2e-e55d-49dd-98b7-7f6dc1b4452e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theenergysavingcompany.co.uk/blog/topics/media-news/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980681 | 179 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Friday, June 11, 2010
Bob Powell's original art is always a treat for me. The story, "It!" is from Heritage Auctions in 2004, and appeared in its printed form in Harvey Comics' Witches Tales #10, in 1952.
You can see the printed story as Karswell presented it in The Horrors Of It All here. Because the Heritage scans didn't include page 4, I have included that page scanned from the printed comic.
This story uses a lot of "Aieee!" and "Aggghrrr!" onomatopoeia. The anonymous writer didn't have to think up a lot of dialogue.
This story preceded the popular movie, The Blob, by a few years, but another blob story preceded "It!" "Spawn of Venus" appeared in Weird Science #6, in 1951, drawn by Al Feldstein. Maybe it inspired both the Witches Tales story and The Blob.
This panel is from Wallace Wood's 3-D version of "Spawn of Venus," done a couple of years later and unprinted until it appeared in Witzend magazine.
There's at least one puzzler; why does the victim on page two have only four toes on her right foot? Finally, this story has a classic phallic panel: page 3, panel 5. | <urn:uuid:c22140fa-1141-413c-90b3-a803a5a6a0c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2010/06/number-752-aieeeee-aggghhhrrr-bob.html?showComment=1276315956583 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964315 | 271 | 1.5 | 2 |
CIEH-Accredited Courses from Phoenix Health & Safety
CIEH courses offer candidates training in various integral aspects of health and safety. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) is a registered charity which gives advice and information to various bodies on health and safety policy. By undertaking these CIEH-accredited courses, candidates will acquire new knowledge which may prove vital in the workplace, giving them a valuable insight into assessing and managing various risks, as well as dealing with any potential mishaps.
At Phoenix Health & Safety, our goal is to solve your health and safety problems by providing the best training courses which cover all aspects essential to maintaining a safe workplace. Our CIEH training courses will leave delegates with a strong understanding of various key methodologies pertaining to health and safety in the workplace, whether through proper risk assessment or using equipment in the correct manner to reduce the likelihood of mishaps. If you or a delegate would like to attend one of our CIEH health and safety courses, simply contact our expert team today.
CIEH has a noble mission: to promote improvements throughout environmental and public health policy. Phoenix Health & Safety is honoured to have their accreditation for our courses, and believes companies throughout the UK will benefit greatly from what is learned. All delegates who complete the course will be awarded a certificate, which not only enhances their abilities for the current workplace but also gives them an extra transferable skill for the rest of their career.
Phoenix Health and Safety are accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) to deliver the following courses (please click the title of the course for further information): | <urn:uuid:da7681f0-d554-4eff-9a44-790cfca8e0a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.phoenixhsc.co.uk/training/cieh-training-courses | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96269 | 337 | 1.554688 | 2 |
April 1, 1989
"The Here and the Hereafter: Sin, Redemption and Afterlife," will be the subject of a series of three "interfaith dialogues" among theologians of the Catholic, Jewish and Protestant faiths, beginning Monday in the parish hall of St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church, Fullerton Avenue and Pershing Boulevard, Whitehall Township. The Rev. Denton Kees, director of ministry of the Lehigh Mission District, Northeast Pennsylvania Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Rabbi Alan J. Wiener, a member of Coalition for Alternatives in Jewish Education, a national group; the Rev. Lawrence Frankovich, pastor of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Bethlehem, will participate in the dialogues, which will focus on how our choice of language reflects what we believe.
June 3, 1991
An estimated 2,500 attended Bethlehem's 250th anniversary interfaith service last night, a rite that reflected in music, word and prayer the religious and spiritual heritage of the city. An hour before the service, people representing about 50 faith communities -- churches, synagogues and other religious groups -- carried banners through the city, symbolizing their individual faith. The procession started beneath the Hill-to-Hill Bridge, moved up Church Street and ended at City Center Plaza.
November 2, 1989
Operating with neither a budget nor support from the Diocese of Allentown, a local interfaith movement is producing religious television the old- fashioned way - by member tithing rather than on-air begathons - and is even looking to expand. Lehigh Valley Interfaith Television (LVIT) was born of the disenchantment that followed when Christian fundamentalists like Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart dragged the name of televised religion down with them during their fall from grace. The mainstream co-religionists who make up LVIT - Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Moravians, Baptists, Methodists and more - have set out on their sixth month of presenting what they call "head and heart television" - "The Interfaith Hour" from 8 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays on Service Electric Cable TV. Programming - provided or produced by participating denominations and agencies - usually has "a moral or religious message that needs to be heard," according to Bill Lewellis, LVIT chairman, who announces the voice- over introduction and conclusion of each program.
October 24, 1992
An AIDS activist urged people at a first-time interfaith gathering yesterday to use their voting power to show how they feel about the government's handling of the epidemic. "Use your vote in a way to renew life and renew our community," said Philip Deitch, chairman of the AIDSNET Coordinating Committee. Deitch spoke to 100 people -- Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Bahai's' and Christians -- who came together for interfaith worship services at the Congregation Keneseth Israel in Allentown.
May 11, 1998
For 30 years, ProJeCt of Easton has been a "last resort" sanctuary of learning and emergency assistance for people adrift without a means of support or self-reliance. The Ferry Street shelter has tried to liberate needy people in a city where, according to statistics it has gathered, 20 percent of its children live below the poverty level and one-third of its adults don't have a high school diploma. At noon today, the interfaith human services agency will kick off a yearlong 30th anniversary celebration of serving the needs of the Easton community though nine programs aimed at rescuing the disadvantaged and setting them on a path toward self-sufficiency.
May 11, 2013
The members of the Interfaith in Action Committee of the Lehigh County Conference of Churches wish to express our sentiments about the Boston Marathon bombings that occurred approximately one month ago. As all Americans, we too were shocked and horrified by what happened on April 15. It is our view that Islam, as well as the other great religions of the world, does not condone killing of innocent people anywhere in the world, whether near or... | <urn:uuid:d8147ddf-b6a8-4ae6-969e-6195513decfb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.mcall.com/keyword/interfaith | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945711 | 834 | 1.796875 | 2 |
FILE - In this March 14, 2012 file photo, a miner is roughed up by riot police during clashes in Puerto Maldonado, Peru. Civilian deaths are disturbingly frequent when protesters in provincial Peru confront police. Peru's crowd control tactics are unmatched in lethality according to the independent National Coordinator for Human Rights watchdog. (AP Photo/Miguel Vizcarra, File)AP2012
Lima, Peru – Sixteen-year-old Cesar Medina was returning home from an Internet cafe, his mother says, and got caught up in a crowd of demonstrators when police and soldiers opened fire. A bullet tore into his head, killing him instantly.
The youth was among five civilians killed in this month's outbreak of violence over Peru's biggest mining project, and while authorities have not said who fired the deadly shots, local journalists say it was security forces.
Civilian deaths are disturbingly frequent when protesters in provincial Peru confront police, whose standard means of crowd control appear to be live ammunition, typically fired from Kalashnikov or Galil assault rifles.
Since 2006, bullets fired by Peruvian security forces to quell protests have killed 80 people and wounded more than 800, according to the independent National Coordinator for Human Rights watchdog. Human rights activists say that reflects a disregard for human life unmatched in the region and argue that the government's routine use of deadly force against protesters could exacerbate violence.
"These numbers would be a scandal abroad. And I'm not talking about a comparison with Europe, but with Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, where there are protests but not so many deaths," said Jorge Mansilla, investigator for Peru's national ombudsman's office.
By contrast, police have killed 28 protesters in neighboring Bolivia since January 2006, according to its non-governmental Permanent Human Rights Assembly. Police in Colombia, a country plagued by guerrilla and right-wing militia violence, killed just six from 2000 through 2011, according to that country's human rights watchdog CINEP.
The use of lethal munitions in such situations is born out of ignorance and a lack of political will and an almost criminal disregard for the value of human life.
- Andy Mazzara, director of the Institute for Non-Lethal Defense Technologies at Pennsylvania State University
After the July 3 clash in the Cajamarca region in which Medina died, national police chief Raul Salazar commented tersely on the deaths, telling reporters that his officers' job is to "maintain order with the lowest social cost."
The protesters were pelting police with rocks and fireworks as they rallied against the $4.8 billion Conga gold mining project, which is majority-owned by Newmont Mining Co. of the United States.
The ombudsman's office counts 245 social conflicts across Peru, most of them disputes over mining in which fears over water contamination predominate. The mining industry accounts for more than 60 percent of export earnings and has been the engine of Peru's economic growth, but it inordinately affects the livelihoods of highlands farmers.
A congressman and former national police chief, Octavio Salazar, said security forces have no choice sometimes but to use live ammunition when protesters become unruly and endanger police.
"When these hordes attack and police are at a disadvantage, then, in those extreme cases, firearms are used," he said.
Government critics say not enough is done to avoid such situations.
Peruvian forces regularly employ tear gas and plastic pellets fired from shotguns against protesters, but a March report by the ombudsman's office called police training in nonlethal crowd control inadequate and said officers don't have sufficient nonlethal weapons. It cited interviews with riot police commanders in four major cities.
The Interior Ministry declined to provide details on the police arsenal, either to the ombudsman or The Associated Press. Ministry spokesman Angel Castillo said supplies of tear gas and rubber bullets are adequate: "There are always stocks to cover the needs."
Corruption has been a factor in the shortage of nonlethal equipment. In June, Interior Minister Wilver Calle canceled a $5 million contract for shields, helmets, gas masks and other equipment after determining the contractor was not going to deliver U.S. made goods as promised but Chinese-made items instead.
Officials in the Interior Ministry did not respond to AP requests for an explanation of why so many protesters are killed by gunfire in confrontations with police. Castillo asked that the AP's questions be submitted by email, but never answered.
The ombudsman's study, meanwhile, questioned why not a single police officer has been investigated for killing a protester and why no one wounded by police gunfire has been compensated by the government.
Rights groups including Amnesty International also have expressed concern about a bill introduced by Salazar, the former police chief now in Congress, that they say would rubber-stamp police use of lethal force against protesters by specifying that it is justified in self-defense.
Spanish human rights lawyer Mar Perez said the bill sends the message: "You can be at ease killing because nothing will happen to you."
Cashiered police Gen. Alberto Jordan says that's already true.
He was fired in 2008 for disobeying instructions to order his troops to fire on protesters who were blocking a bridge in the Moquegua region of southern Peru to demand higher royalties from local copper mining.
Sixty police officers were hurt in the struggle but no one died, Jordan said, who complained that police are poorly equipped to manage unrest.
"They send you to different parts of the country and when you open up the closets where tear gas is supposed to be stored you find them empty," he said.
So police use the only weapons they have, which are typically Kalashnikovs, weapons of war that fire 7.62-mm bullets.
The Americas director for Human Rights Watch, Jose Miguel Vivanco, said allegations of police abuses in the use of lethal force are "not properly investigated or sanctioned" in Peru.
He cited, by comparison, the case in which Chile's government fired nine police officers, including a general, in 2011 after a 16-year-old was killed in Santiago by a police bullet during protests demanding educational reforms.
The director of the Institute for Non-Lethal Defense Technologies at Pennsylvania State University, retired Marine Col. Andy Mazzara, said no country can justify using live ammunition to put down protests these days.
"The use of lethal munitions in such situations is born out of ignorance and a lack of political will and an almost criminal disregard for the value of human life," he said.
Modern nonlethal weapons such as sonic "cannons" that hurl pain-inducing tones can be expensive, but low-tech options are available. Rubberized "stingballs" and beanbags fired from shotguns and pepper spray are among options, Mazzara said.
In neighboring Chile, riot police regularly use water cannons to quell demonstrations.
The deadliest recent case of Peruvian police firing on protesters came during a 2009 protest against mining and oil development in the Amazon. Thirty-four people were killed near the city of Bagua, including 24 officers who were slain by Indians in retaliation for the initial police fusillade.
Three police generals were fired for dereliction of duty, which was the extent of all sanctions for the deaths and also for the wounding of more than 200 people in the incident.
Among those hurt was 63-year-old Filomeno Sanchez. He has spent more than $80,000 on three operations. But a bullet remains in his head and he still can't walk.
Elmer Campos, 30, was injured by police bullets in the spleen and right kidney and paralyzed from the waist down while among 3,000 people protesting the Conga project in November.
"I don't know how I'm going to work. Look how they've left me. I can't even move," the father of two said before he was released from a Lima hospital last week.
After three operations, doctors had done all they could for the farmer, who gave up civil engineering studies for lack of funds.
Campos is staying with an older sister in Lima, who now does his diaper-changing.
He is distraught over his inability to provide for his wife and children, who can't afford the $30 per person one-way bus fare to visit from Cajamarca.
"I don't understand how life can be so unjust," Campos said. "It would have been better if they had killed me. | <urn:uuid:452ef26a-48b1-4707-a7b6-13c828af89bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/07/14/peru-lethal-anti-riot-tactics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971936 | 1,752 | 2.046875 | 2 |
The public sector is increasingly involved in commissioning and procuring public services, rather than directly providing them. Effective procurement relies on strong competition. The government's procurement activities can also play an important role in shaping markets and supporting competition in the long term.
The aim of work within this theme is to provide practical guidance to policymakers and commissioners of public services in local, central and devolved government on how to leverage competition to provide high quality public services at a reasonable price.
We also aim to clarify how competition law applies to government procurement processes.
Responding to Department of Health call for evidence on procurement, and working with the Government Procurement Service to create some competition law training modules. | <urn:uuid:faa4771c-513a-4f65-ba41-f31443a3adcb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oft.gov.uk/OFTwork/public-markets/commissioning-and-competition/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942603 | 139 | 1.59375 | 2 |
- COMMUNITY LINKS
LAWRENCE TWP. – With this year's statewide bear season under way, Pennsylvania Game Commission employees at area bear check stations are examining harvested bears for signs of mange, a skin disease caused by mites.
"Mange is the disease of greatest concern right now," said Matt Lovallo, Pennsylvania Game Commission Game Mammal Section supervisor, on Saturday afternoon at the check station in Lawrence Township, Clearfield County.
Lovallo noted that mange is not typically seen statewide, and instead is primarily affecting bears in the Northcentral and Southwest regions.
"It's localized. We did a study in the late 1990s where we saw a prevalence of about four percent. The latest study used a different technique, but we saw a higher prevalence closer to eight or nine percent," Lovallo said.
Signs of the disease were apparent on bears brought to both the Lawrence Township check station and the Mt. Jewett check station in McKean County. At least one hunter at each location chose to turn their bear over to the Game Commission for a new tag.
Pick up a copy of the Monday, Nov. 21, 2011 edition of The Ridgway Record for more. | <urn:uuid:872cc395-1ee4-4d28-83c1-75a25b7eec9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ridgwayrecord.com/content/mange-concern-regions-bear-population | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928714 | 254 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Talk of curing AIDS made front-page news last year, in part due to an astonishing new gene-editing technology: lab-engineered proteins called zinc finger nucleases. The finger-shaped, zinc-containing molecules, developed by California-based Sangamo BioSciences, can enter cells and snip any desired gene. Using this approach, scientists were able to excise the gene for an all-important receptor, called CCR5, located on the surface of the CD4 immune cells that HIV primarily invades. Without CCR5, the virus cannot slip inside and do its damage.
In February 2011 virologist Jay Lalezari of Quest Clinical Research reported the first use of this technology in humans. He treated nine men who had been hiv positive for 20 years or more, were on combination antiretroviral therapy, and yet had persistently low counts of the cd4 cells, signaling the continued presence of the virus. To implement therapy, he separated cd4 cells from the rest of the blood and conducted zinc finger nuclease editing in the lab to delete CCR5. Then he grew more of those cells and infused them back into the body. Of six patients Lalezari has reported on, five have seen impressive results. “Their CD4 counts went up,” he says. “The ratio of CD4 and another type of immune cell, CD8, which is often abnormally reversed in HIV, normalized. The HIV-resistant cells even migrated to the gut mucosa, an important site for the virus.”
A similar trial launched at the University of Pennsylvania has shown equal promise. In that case, six patients suspended antiretroviral therapy for 12 weeks after infusion with zinc finger nuclease–altered CD4 cells. Without drugs to rein it in, HIV rebounded at first, but its levels subsequently dropped in all six; in one, the virus became undetectable by the end of the 12-week period, when antiretroviral treatment resumed. Future studies may involve infusion of higher numbers of altered cells. And in another advance, virologist Paula Cannon of the University of Southern California used zinc finger nucleases to create human stem cells that lack CCR5. So far she has treated mice with the engineered cells, which give rise to HIV-resistant immune cells. Human trials should follow. | <urn:uuid:da011f99-6d50-4287-8604-55a033621de6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://discovermagazine.com/2012/jan-feb/02 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958807 | 487 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Featured in Exhibitions
More about Collagraph for Color
Using a multidisciplinary approach to printmaking, students explore the color print. The plates are developed in the traditional techniques of collagraph (plates are made by adhering materials to a surface) or intaglio (metal plates are make through various techniques ranging from using acid to scratching). The emphasis of this class is color, and students can explore the quality and quantity they desire. | <urn:uuid:8ba329bb-21c0-4506-9159-6ead0a663dad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mica.edu/Browse_Art/Untitled_2_by_Amy_Buckler.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915559 | 91 | 3.09375 | 3 |
The Nitrogen Cycle
From The Aquarium Wiki
What is the Nitrogen Cycle?
Ammonia and nitrite are highly toxic to fish in very low concentrations, so establishing the bacteria colonies that quickly convert these compounds to nitrate is crucial to creating a healthy environment for fish. Nitrate are far less toxic, and can easily be removed through periodic water changes or consumption by live plants. Most fish mortality in new tanks can be traced to the lack of an established nitrogen cycle in the tank.
Fish excrete urea, which contains ammonia. In a new tank that does not have the necessary bacteria colonies, this ammonia will rapidly accumulate to the point where it is toxic to the fish. Depending on the size of the tank and the number of fish, the ammonia may become toxic within one day to a week or so.
New Tank Syndrome (NTS) describes a tank that does not have the necessary bacteria colonies, and which kills fish as a result.
Every new tank must under go what is known as Cycling. During this time you must closely watch your tank and monitor the levels of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. By monitoring these parameters you will be able to tell when your tank has become habitable for fish, or if it is still in the Cycling phase.
Steps of the cycle
The cycle is started when ammonia (NH3) is introduced into the tank as fish waste. This ammonia builds up until the bacteria that eat it start to form a colony (a bacteria bloom may be observed as white cloudyness within the tank), and can convert the ammonia to nitrite as fast as they are produced. When the amount of ammonia spikes, and starts to decline, you know you are going into the second phase of the cycle.
As your ammonia starts to decline, you will see the nitrite levels rise then spike. Nitrites are the byproduct of the ammonia-eating bacteria, and are also highly toxic to fish. Like the cycling in step one, you must build up enough nitrites to form a second colony of bacteria that will dispose of them as they are produced. These bacteria will in turn create nitrate. Once your levels of nitrites AND ammonia have reached 0ppm ("parts per million"), your tank is said to have been cycled.
Nitrates are the final product of the nitrogen cycle. Nitrates are not toxic to fish in low concentrations, although they become toxic somewhere above 20ppm depending on the species.
There are two methods of keeping the level of nitrates at acceptable levels. The first is regular partial water changes (20-50% every 1–4 weeks, depending on stocking levels). The second is adding plants to the tank - nitrate levels can drop to 0ppm in a heavily planted tank. However water changes are still necessary to remove other substances such as DOCs (dissolved organic compounds), solid fish waste and replenish dissolved minerals that aquatic animals and plants may need.
How to Start Your Cycle
Fishless Cycle Method
The fishless cycle is becoming very popular with aquarists because
- It is faster
- It is considered more humane
The fishless cycle consists of artificially adding ammonia to the tank instead of using fish waste straight from the animals. This can be accomplished in multiple ways.
One of the more popular methods for fishless cycling would be to pour straight household liquid ammonia into the tank (can usually be found at home improvement stores etc). This method is the fastest cycling method, however it takes more attention. You must make sure the product contains nothing but ammonia and water. You will need to constantly monitor your tank’s levels to keep them at an acceptable rate.
Another method that can work is the "Raw Shrimp Method", however while this is often successful, it also can introduce Saprolegnia into a new aquarium. Despite the many Internet sources that push this method, it is best to avoid for the many better methods.
For more details on Fishless cycling, please read this article.
Fish In Cycle Method
This is the most typical way tanks are cycled, usually because it is how it is recommended to the new aquarist if they are even told about the cycling process.
This method is accomplished by simply putting fish into a new tank, their waste breaks down into ammonia and your cycle will start. This cycle can easily take 50–60 days while fishless can take much less. Frequent partial water changes will be needed (at least every 2–3 days) in order to keep the fish alive.
- Not a recommended method as the animal suffers from ammonia burns and its immune and growth system will be compromised for many months afterwards. Delicate species can often die, if not during the cycle, often some time afterwards.
Seeding Material Cycle Method
If you already have an established tank, you can use the bacteria growing there to greatly reduce the time needed for a cycle. The fastest way to accomplish this is to take dirty filter media (sponge, floss, etc.) from the existing tank and use it in the new tank. The bacteria on the dirty media will instantly cycle the new tank. There is no need to clean the dirty media-doing so may reduce the beneficial bacteria. The dirty media should be left in place for one month or more before cleaning. Other methods include running a second filter on an existing tank for a month, then moving the second filter to the new tank, but this takes much longer than putting dirty media in the new tank's filter.
- Please note that it is always necessary to treat tap water with a dechlorinator such as Prime or Amquel, to deactivate chlorine/chloramines. Otherwise, these substances will kill the beneficial bacteria. Also note that filter media containing beneficial bacterial should never be cleaned in tap water, only in water drained from the aquarium during a water change, for the same reason.
- Many fish stores or fish friends will trade used filter media for clean media. Just ask!
Commercial Seeding Cycle Method
There are a few products available which greatly speed up the denitrification process by providing the necessary bacteria in huge quantities in a bottle. All these product claim you can add fish from day one.
- Stability - by SeaChem claim that their product allows fish to be added immediately as long as their product is added to the tank every 24 hours for the first 7 days. It also has a organic waste bacteria in it to clear up mulm.
- One and Only - by DrTim's Aquatics™. Dr. Timothy A. Hovanec - The inventor of BIO-Spira and SafeStart. Product instantly cycles your tank.
Cycle and other names - Various companies. This product is currently available in two types, the old and the new. The product has came under close scrutiny in 2005 due to claims by the other companies above. It would appear the old product may be based on wrong research done in the 1970s and misidentified the bacteria (Nitrobacter, etc.) causing nitrifying in the aquarium and does not actually reduce the cycle time of your tank significantly. The new version seems to work better.
- See Bacteria bottles, do they work?.
- majority users report that Tetra SafeStart is the only working live bacteria product currently available. All other products do not work.
- There may be trace amounts of ammonia exposed to the animals. So only stock or feed very lightly and monitor levels closely.
Hi-tech Cycle Method
Add one of the major three instantly cycling nitrifying bacteria bottles (see above) as per its instructions and dose daily for a week with a high quality water conditioner like Prime or Amquel+. The water conditioner will convert all ammonia or nitrite into a harmless form (for 24 hours) that the bacteria can still consume.
The bacteria in the bottle will instantly start to consume the ammonia or nitrite and begin to grow in population to match the tank's production of ammonia or nitrite. So in effect any leftover ammonia/nitrite caused by overstocking or overfeeding is rendered harmless.
- This method is highly recommended by the Aquarium Wiki Encyclopaedia as it rapidly renders the tank fully cycled within a few days regardless of the overstocking or overfeeding mistakes made by beginners. It is extremely unlikely to cause any harm to any aquatic pet.
- There are reports say Prime is not good for using with live bacteria product due to it temporary converts ammonia into ammonium.
Handy External Links
- Fish Forums.net Guide to Fishless Cycling
- Fish Forums.net Guide to Cycling with Fish
- Practical Fishkeeping Forums Diary of a Fishless Cycle
- PetsKeepersGuide.com Guide to Fishless Cycling with pure ammonia | <urn:uuid:39146bd7-5d4e-455c-b457-7b0319367799> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/The_Nitrogen_Cycle | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944828 | 1,793 | 3.9375 | 4 |
A graduate certificate or diploma (the terms are used interchangeably in North America) in veterinary medicine denotes specialization in a sub-field or discipline of veterinary medicine gained through intensive graduate-level study. As such, it supplements an already established area of expertise (in veterinary medicine or not related to the field) and adds value to a previously earned Bachelor's or graduate degree. Delivered in various formats from residential to online, graduate certificates in veterinary medicine comprise 4 - 6 courses (typically 12 - 18 credit hours) taken in a prescribed sequence at the graduate level.
The concurrent graduate certificate or diploma in veterinary medicine allows students currently enrolled in a Master's or Doctoral degree program in the field to pursue an in-depth exploration of one aspect of their field.
The stand-alone, direct-entry graduate certificate/diploma program in veterinary medicine provides an opportunity for graduate-level study of theory and research to students who are not interested in pursuing a full graduate degree. This could include professionals with a Bachelor's degree working in the field or anyone who does not have the time or interest in a traditional graduate program in veterinary medicine. Then too, some students who take the stand-alone certificate already have a graduate degree and use their certificate to augment a particular area of interest.
A selection, but not inclusive list, of graduate certificates/diplomas in veterinary medicine includes
Graduate Certificate in Aquatic Animal Health
Graduate Certificate in Food Animal Veterinary Medicine
Graduate Certificate in International Veterinary Medicine
Graduate Certificate in Management and Community Practice
Graduate Certificate in Physical Therapy for Large Animals (horses)
Graduate Certificate in Small Animal Surgery
Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Homeland Security
Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Public Health
Featured Grad Schools Offering graduate certificate in veterinary medicine Programs | <urn:uuid:25eb72f4-037f-4325-bfdc-ab8936476092> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gradsource.com/Graduate-Certificate-in-Veterinary-Medicine.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917994 | 361 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Costa Rica Beaches: The Nicoya Gulf and Islands boast a fortune in natural assets, including turquoise water and white sand beaches
These beaches stretch along Puntarenas’ entire coast between the mouth of the Río Barranca and the place known as La Punta (“The Point”), where this extensive length of shoreline ends. The area between the wharf (Cruise Ship Terminal) and La Punta is the preferred place for swimmers; running parallel to this stretch is the Paseo de los Turistas (“Tourist Strip”), with its numerous hotels, restaurants, bars and other services. Besides swimming, visitors can enjoy other water sports and activities, such as boat tours.
This island is located very close to and northeast of Isla Cedros. Its 30-hectare area shelters a tropical dry forest, transitioning to wet forest. On the northeast part of the island is a rocky coast and lovely beach. Another beach may be found on the south side of the island.
With an area of under 200 hectares, this island’s irregular coastline makes for very attractive scenery. It has two main beaches: Langosta and Gringo. Its forests are of fine wood, coconut palms and shrub. Organized tours to the island are available.
ISLA MUERTOS (GITANA)
Many years ago this island housed a cemetery, which is why it is called Isla Muertos (“Island of the Dead”). It is also known as Isla Gitana (“Gypsy Island”). Most of its small territory (some 30 hectares) is covered by tropical dry forest, transitioning to wet forest. Many seabirds visit the island, and the surrounding scenery is quite pleasant.
ISLA PAN DE AZÚCAR
This islet is located southwest of Isla San Lucas. The beauty of its marine landscape is centered on the shape of the rocks that give it its unique form, and its name: “Sugarloaf Island.” The island has a large population of seabirds, particularly brown pelicans.
Just under four square kilometers, this island is long and narrow. Separated from Isla Bejuco by the Peter Harley Canal, Isla Caballo has many trees and is surrounded by reefs and cliffs. The island’s highest elevation, less than 200 meters above sea level, is found towards its center.
Also long and narrow, this island is smaller than Isla Caballo and has a maximum altitude of 118 meters above sea level. Its irregular terrain hosts many different tree species.
This 440-hectare island stands out among the other islands in the Gulf of Nicoya because of its sea-green color. The island’s inhabitants live off agriculture and fishing. Abundant seabirds nest on the island and in the mangrove swamps near the Jicaral estuary.
The largest (43 km2) and most populous island in the Gulf of Nicoya, Isla Chira offers more services than the others, including schools and a college. There is a large mangrove swamp on the northeast part of the island. An ecotourism association made up of women from the island offers basic accommodations, food, and fishing and mangrove-swamp tours.
To arrive, you must get away from the the center, walking approximately 20 min. The waterfall, 20 meters height, forms a refreshing natural pool surrounded by an exuberant vegetation.
This beach forms a small, lovely cove ideal for swimming and enjoying the surrounding seascape. Numerous artisan-fishing boats can normally be seen anchored here.
A beautiful protected cove featuring diverse coastal vegetation, this beach is great for swimming, relaxing and sea-gazing.
This refreshing waterfall is located in the northeastern extreme of Cocalito Beach. With it’s 12-meter height, forms a pond where you can swim contemplating the marvelous natural environment, with the leafy vegetation and the blue sea. It’s an attractive landmark and a relaxing place.
This beach is located inside the Bahía Ballena, which at the same time has Playa Pochote in its northeastern extreme. It is a beautiful and extense beach, excelent for bathing and enjoying walks, horse ridings and aquatic sports. This bay has the particularity of having two alligator-shaped points. Tambor has leafy coastal vegetation, and a wide range of touristic services wich allow tourists to enjoy from cheap lodging to all-included luxury hotels. Therefore, there are many recreative facilities such as golf, sport fishing, aquatic sports and mountain biking among others.
Great scenic beauty, also has a cliff in it’s northeastern extreme from wich one has a wonderful view of all the coast sector.
PLAYAS COCAL, COCALITO Y QUIZALES
These beaches are located in a coastal sector of great scenic beauty, where it combines sandy beaches with rocky platforms and cliffs, surrounded by exuberant tropical vegetation. Playa Cocal is very extensive and appropriate for bathing, sunbathing and hiking or horseback riding. Toward the north of Cocal there is Balvina Point, which once flanked communicates with Cocalito beach. This beach is narrow and occupies a rocky seaboard, delimited by high slopes that form a cliff.
PLAYA SANTA TERESA
This beach is very extense, with surfing-appropiate’s swell. It has a wide coverage of coastal vegetatio and beautiful rocky sectors such as Peñón de Arío, located in the north. Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Preserve can be watched toward south of Santa Teresa beach. Besides bathing and taking the sun, this beach is ideal for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and camping.
Pochote is located towards the south of Manzanillo Point. It presents a small rocky inlet, plenty of vegetation and great scenic beauty. The place is great for hiking, enjoying the sea and taking the sun among others activities.
This beach is located four kilometers from Paquera. It presents a length of little less than two kilometers and has an estuary (Organos) and a mangrove swamp located in the north sector. The beach is very popular among the residents of the nearby towns. It possesses great scenic and natural beauty, Tortugas and Negritos Island can be seen from it coast.
This long beach is located 12 kilometers from administrative area of the Santa Rosa National Park. In its north sector it has a dark sand strip surrounded by the seawater and the rivers mouth’s form an extensive estuary and mangrove swamp rich flora and fauna. It is ideal for hiking, and to observe the magnificent surrounding landscape that includes the Peña de la Bruja, a popular small rocky island among the surfers. Also it is permitted to camp in this beach.
The rocky sectors and clear sandy beaches make this coast extremely beautiful. Plentiful vegetation is the habitat of numerous animal species, congos and many birds may be observed. The central beach of Montezuma is a beautiful and small inlet, the main beach is found towards the north of the central one, and is prolonged for hundreds of meters unitl it gets to a rocky sector, where a road communicates with other beaches such as Cocal. In Montezuma one can enjoy horseback rides, mountain bike, diving and sport fishing tours and other night time activities.
This beach has a very irregular rocky seaboard. It has great natural and scenic beauty, due to their coastal vegetation and it’s very pleasant wooded zones. Barrigona point can be found in the central part of this beach, and it’s nice for hiking and the observation of the beautiful surrounding maritime landscape. Toward the south extreme of Malpaís, Punta Cuevas can be found, an extremely beautiful place wich border the Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Preserve. In this beach other activities can be practiced: surf, horseback rides, dive, sport fishing, mountain bike, kayak’s rides, watch the dusk, etc.
This small beach, surrounded by abundantly vegetated mountainous slopes. It has a quiet swell and from its coast, Isla Muertos can be seen at south. Very pleasant conditions for rest, hike or horseback ride to nearby places for characteristics flora and fauna observation can be found here. From the nearby hills’, a magnificent landscape of the Gulf of Nicoya can be admired.
It is located inside the Curu National Wildlife Refuge and is a beautiful little inlet, with smooth swelling. It has coastal vegetation and a mangrove swamp, congos and carablanca’s monkeys as well as racoons, iguanas and many other animals can be found on it’s different types of forests. It possesses a very pleasant coastal landscape from where you can see the Tortuga Islands, two kilometers away. Is an ideal place for bathing, flora and fauna observation and resting in full contact with this beautiful refuge.
This beach is located in an intermediate point between Santa Teresa and Malpaís, exactly in the sector where the access road to this coastal sector forks: north to Santa Teresa and south to Malpaís. Besides enjoying the sun and the beach, this seaboard is great for hiking and horseback riding, as well as mountain biking and admiring the varied and rich coastal vegetation. Also very visited by the surfers.
It is located seven kilometers south of Montezuma and two kilometers north of the Absolute Nature Preserve of Cabo Blanco. Also communicates with Malpaís through a convenient, very picturesque road for double-tractioned cars. Is an open-sea and rocky beach. Has plenty coastal vegetation and strong swelling. It possesses a beautiful coastal landscape, where Cabuya Island, which has the particularity to be a pre-Colombian native cemetery stands out. During the low tide you can get there by foot, since there’s a rocky platform that unites it with the coast. It is an ideal beach to carry out walks and to observe the nature, especially in Cabo Blanco.
This beach is inside Murciélago of Santa Rosa National Park sector. It is located in the Peninsula of Santa Elena, geologically ancient zone of Costa Rica. It is a beautiful bay delimited in its south part by the Fila Carrizal, which is prolonged to the Santa Elena cape. It has plentiful coastal vegetation and because of its width and tranquil water is ideal for the rest, the walks, to bath and to observe interesting flora and bird life. Other nearby beaches can be visited like Santa Elena and El Hachal bays. Camping is permitted 17 km away of this beach, in the administrative area. | <urn:uuid:1541c494-a52c-49b8-adbc-a6ea2887da0b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://costaricavacationcr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=262&Itemid=213 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941918 | 2,257 | 2.015625 | 2 |
You know, this is is one of those things I've wondered about. This is a country full of immigrants, and all too frequently immigrants form closed communities. I know that there are Russian communities in this country that are disenfranchised from our justice system despite being the "right" color. They don't speak the language, they don't understand the customs, and they are at a distinct disadvantage when they try to maneuver through the legal system. Just because you're white (or Asian! As a Korean-American, I'll insert myself into this discussion) doesn't mean that you are not from a community that is under-represented. It seems to me that there are those of us who have the unique opportunity to serve under-represented communities by virtue of our heritage, and as such, deserve special recognition regardless of our skin color. | <urn:uuid:fad96606-8bb3-4133-8b15-ac7816fc9bc6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/index.php?topic=19463.0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983112 | 168 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Phil Simon is a technology cupid. Whatever your company’s issues or objectives, he can recommend the optimal platform, rollout strategy, and operational considerations. In his work as a tech consultant, he’s realized the days of “big iron” – solving problems with huge, expensive systems are gone. Now, it’s the nimble, inexpensive technology that rules. So much so, he wrote a new book (his third) about it called The New Small: How a New Breed of Small Businesses is Harnessing the Power of Emerging Technologies.
I interviewed Phil earlier this year about his previous book, and it’s great to have his sharp thinking back at Convince & Convert.
Historically, big technology had the advantage because it was safe and reliable. “Nobody ever got fired for hiring IBM” is the old saying. But now, it seems like small tech has the edge. How can that be? What changed?
Many things changed. Broadband exploded. Storage costs plummeted. Freemium took off as a business model. A massive wave of innovation occurred. Other tech events and trends made the New Small possible. Factor in a drop in job security and a desire for people to do their own thing and suddenly it’s hip to start your own company.
Are the companies you profile in The New Small using more technology, using technology to do more things, or just using the same amount of technology – but smarter?
That question gives me pause. In short, it depends. They certainly use collaborative tools to a much greater extent than many large organizations. Many big companies can’t get out of the way of themselves. They have too much technology but it no longer meets their needs—if it ever did. I’d probably say that they use fewer tools, but they use the ones that they have much more efficiently than lumbering behemoths.
What I love about many of the case studies in the book is that they demonstrate that smart use of technology makes the company’s life easier, but also reduces friction for their customers. It’s a double win. Is that a trend, or just a randomly occurring side benefit?
I’m so glad that you mentioned that. As I point out at the end of the book these companies have fewer layers. The traditional chasm between management and rank-and-file employees doesn’t exist, for example. Along these lines, employees can take care of customers much easier. You won’t find 800 numbers at most of the companies; it’s not hard to talk to an actual person.
Widespread adoption of nimble technology can give small/medium companies an advantage over bigger guys. But that’s only true if you have people that can master the technology at the task layer. How important is personnel in this technology equation?
I’m not so sure that a level of mastery is required. Plenty of partners and vendors are able to handle things traditional done in house. For example, the law firm that I profile got out of the IT business so its employees could practice on what they do best: practicing law. It sure helps to be a technical wizard, but that’s no longer table stakes at these companies.
A key theme in the book is The Five Enablers. Could you summarize that principle for us?
Sure. Five key technologies are driving an enormous amount of change: cloud computing, SaaS, open source, mobility, and social media and networking. Smart adoption of nimble tech is allowing the New Small to do much more with less. They can reach customers, lower costs, and find and retain top talent like never before.
It seems to me that the pace of innovation is really ramping up. It feels like 1999 again, but Bono has less hair. Is the amount of new technology a net advantage or disadvantage to business owners?
Bono’s sure not the only one.
It’s a great point and I make it in the book. Many small business owners are awash in a sea of technology, unsure about what to do. In a nutshell, that’s why I wrote the book. If managed intelligently, I believe that it’s an advantage. That’s an important disclaimer, however.
The book covers a ton of ground, and is very straightforward and usable. You’ll wear out a highlighter on it. The chapters are very self-contained, so much so that you probably wouldn’t have to read from the front to get a ton of value. Was that on purpose?
Yes. People are very busy. You might not care about a dental office, for example. I wouldn’t recommend skipping any chapter, however, because it might prompt a thought that would otherwise occur to you.
This is the first book you’ve written outside the “traditional” publishing realm. Why did you go this route this time?
Many reasons. My previous publishers were very interested but couldn’t meet my timeframe. One wanted to charge far too much for the book. I write about current trends and, should this book have been released in mid-2011, it simply would have been less relevant. I wasn’t willing to wait.
What’s more, I wanted to control the process, up to and including the cover. That’s key these days, as I saw recently on CBS. This is my third book and I know what I’m doing. I spent a great deal of money to get this book done right. I started Motion Publishing because I believe that I can produce a quality text, both inside and out.
What questions do you have about using technology in your business? Ask away, and Phil will help where he can. | <urn:uuid:d02c5104-af91-40d4-9baa-22aa352c0f56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.convinceandconvert.com/book-reviews/the-new-small-how-technology-levels-the-playing-field/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964784 | 1,210 | 1.796875 | 2 |
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The steel frame is rising for a new Concourse A and before too long the foundation work should begin for the new Concourse B at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, according to the project's general contractor.
The work is part of the first phase of project to modernize the terminal at Birmingham's airport.. The first phase is scheduled to finish by December 2012. The overall expansion and improvement project will cost about $201 million with a target of completion in 2014.
As part of the project, concourses A and B are being removed and replaced with a structure that will double the terminal's size. The renovation project also will add environmentally friendly elements to make Alabama's busiest airport more energy efficient and sustainable. | <urn:uuid:8f297720-7850-4aa9-aa55-7d12c7ed6039> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2011/08/birmingham_airport_modernizati.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914396 | 152 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Having two dynamic disks, i can do striped volumes then i get a improvement
on data transfer rate on the disks, but i need to to see the volumes from XP,
because my graphics card on vista doens't see my TV, i just want a solution
to the problem, both OS are using the same file system, but they read and
write data to mbr in diferent way, try to replicate the problem and maybe you
find an awser...
"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:
> There is absolutely no benefit to having dynamic disks unless you
> install a RAID configuration and mirror two identical hard drives.
> You'll need to delete all volumes on the dynamic disk and then
> create a new basic partition, then format that new partition NTFS. | <urn:uuid:d41c8561-aa4b-4c69-b200-c57801edf749> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vistax64.com/vista-hardware-devices/45412-dynamic-disks-dual-boot-windows-xp-windows-vista.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91103 | 169 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Marijuana Policy Project Responds to Former DEA Officials
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a response to a teleconference this afternoon featuring former drug czars and Drug Enforcement Administration officials calling on the federal government to vigorously oppose attempts to reform marijuana laws, the Marijuana Policy Project stated that marijuana prohibition is a failed policy and urged the Department of Justice to allow states to experiment with alternatives to arresting adult marijuana users.
In November, voters in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon will decide on ballot initiatives that would remove criminal penalties for adult marijuana use. Two of these initiatives, in Colorado and Washington, would replace current marijuana laws with tightly regulated systems similar to those used to control alcohol.
“These former officials are stuck in the mindset that we can arrest our way to decreased marijuana use,” said Morgan Fox, communications manager for the Marijuana Policy Project. “This policy has obviously failed and at great cost. We need to treat marijuana as a public health issue and stop wasting resources arresting adults for using something that is demonstrably safer than alcohol.”
“Unfortunately, people like these former officials, who have made careers out of keeping marijuana illegal, are promoting federal interference against reform efforts,” Fox continued. “Individual states need to be free to experiment with polices that give control of the marijuana market to legitimate businesses instead of criminals and that do not include arrest or incarceration. The federal government should be encouraging states to explore alternatives to ineffective policies rather than expensively and uniformly pursuing continued failure. ”
More states are reconsidering their marijuana laws as public opinion has continued shifting on this issue. A Rasmussen Report from May of this year showed that 56% of voters support removing criminal penalties for adult marijuana use and instead taxing and regulating the substance in a manner similar to alcohol. | <urn:uuid:5961d5ee-82f4-4606-b2bf-69362f2e3a9c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mpp.org/media/press-releases/marijuana-policy-project-2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952594 | 362 | 1.625 | 2 |
Print this Page Floor Statements
Camp Floor Statement: H.R. 6156, The Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal Act of 2012
(Remarks as Prepared)
Friday, November 16, 2012
Almost three months ago, Russia became the 156th member of the WTO. Since then, exporters from every WTO member but one – the United States – have been guaranteed to benefit from the concessions that Russia made to join the WTO. These benefits include increased access to Russia’s growing market in goods and services, improved protection of intellectual property rights in Russia, Russian animal and plant health rules based on international standards and science, and binding dispute resolution if Russia does not live up to its WTO obligations. If U.S. exporters want to be guaranteed these benefits as well, we must pass this bipartisan legislation and establish Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russia.
This bill would allow us to gain important rights and powerful new enforcement tools with respect to one of the world’s largest economies without giving up a single tariff or other concession. We could double or even triple U.S. exports to Russia within five years. But until we do, these benefits will go to our foreign competitors while our exporters fall further behind. With our high unemployment, we cannot afford to pass up any opportunity to increase our exports and create jobs, and the longer we delay in passing this legislation, the more ground our exporters will lose.
I do not dispute that our relationship with Russia has many challenges. On the commercial front, we face weak enforcement and protection of intellectual property rights as well as discriminatory standards for U.S. agricultural products. Russia’s recent adoption of the WTO’s rules should address many of these issues, but this bill goes farther by requiring the Administration to stay focused on Russia by making sure that it lives up to its WTO obligations, resolves outstanding trade issues with Russia, and improves the rule of law in Russia.
Many of us also have significant concerns with Russia’s foreign policy. Much as I believe that Russia does not always act responsibly, I also believe that this legislation cannot be seen as rewarding Russia. Instead, any benefit that is conferred is on U.S. job creators. I also fully share the concerns of many of my colleagues on Russia’s abysmal human rights record, and that is why I support adding the Magnitsky legislation to this bill, on the third anniversary of the murder of Sergei Magnitsky while imprisoned.
For all of these reasons, we urgently need to pass this important bipartisan legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it. | <urn:uuid:30b69979-077f-4dcb-899a-27efd022f7ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://waysandmeans.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=312440 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960669 | 537 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Teacher Appreciation Week is coming, and we here at Out of Office are grateful for the teachers we had and those who are inspiring young minds now. To that end, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite projects for teacher appreciation gifts. We hope one of these ideas will be the perfect fit to honor your child’s special teacher for a year of fun and learning. And keep a look out for another great project coming your way next week from guest blogger Patricia!
· Autograph book. Work together with the other kids in your child’s class to create a lasting keepsake for their teacher. Each child can have their own page with a school picture, where they can write a special note to the teacher, or even draw a picture of their favorite memory from the year. The book won’t take up too much space and can be cherished for years to come.
· Flash cards. Leave something behind to help your teacher and next year’s class by creating durable flash cards. These can be made for any topic, from colors and to multiplication tables. The lamination helps them stay clean and last through avid learners.
· Window clings. Another great leave-behind idea, these window clings can be used to list classroom rules or to help students master a topic. If you pick a certain subject, like the alphabet, your student can write a note to the teacher telling them how much they enjoyed learning about that topic during the year.
· Custom gift card holder. Help your child’s teacher indulge – whether it’s cookies or a pedicure – with this fun gift card holder. Using our template, your child can write a message or draw a picture thanking the teacher for a great year.
· Personalized gift tag. Use this to dress up a homemade gift, or even as a small token with a nice card of appreciation. Best of all, teachers will be able to use the tag on their school bags for years to come.
FedEx Office is proud to support teachers throughout the year with our National Educator Discount Program. Teachers can fill out an application here to start receiving 15% off most products and services offered at FedEx Office. There’s no limit to the savings and members even receive special offers via email. | <urn:uuid:48cff9ce-3228-449b-a528-9a8585ef075d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.outofoffice.fedex.mediacdt.com/blog/giving-thanks-successful-school-year-plus-special-discount?page=6 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946283 | 469 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Few countries attract less attention than Laos, and fewer still are as deft at repelling scrutiny. Over the years, the landlocked nation evolved into a perfect repository for secrets. Laos was the site of the CIA's largest paramilitary operation and the most extensive clandestine bombing campaign in history. The U.S. was defeated and Communists took power in 1975, but the tradition of secrecy held firm. Even today, grave incidents which would provoke outrage elsewhere – persecution, abuse, corruption, starvation – are easily shrugged off or quietly ignored. A potent blend of Leninist political theory and shady business practices keep the Communists firmly in power. Despite the end of the Cold War, the government of Laos continues to relentlessly hunt and kill ethnic Hmong people who collaborated with the U.S. more than three decades ago.
View the video presentation of this subject on VII The Magazine: | <urn:uuid:2cdd0efa-72c2-44f0-b637-c1331784b3df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://la.blurb.com/b/2247700-laos-open-secret?alt=Laos+%7C+Open+Secret%2C+as+listed+under+Arts+%26+Photography | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951244 | 173 | 2.609375 | 3 |
100 years ago …
In the Friday, March 7, 1913 edition of The Marietta Journal and Courier, it was reported that the Marietta Rifles, headed by Capt. W.A. Way, attended the inaugural ceremonies and participated in the inaugural parade for 28th President Woodrow Wilson and Vice President Thomas R. Marshall.
Also that week, the Seventh District Medical Society of Georgia was expected to hold its 11th semi-annual session in Marietta on Wednesday, March 12, at the Fraternity Hall in the Black Building with many well-known physicians in attendance. The program included 14 papers on important medical questions which were to be read and discussed by specialists in every line of medicine and surgery. Doctors Malone, Benson and Nolan, all of Marietta, were among those who would read papers before the assembly.
Another story reported that in the February issue of “Bonds and Mortgages,” a magazine published in Chicago and devoted exclusively to the bond and mortgage business, had a lengthy article paying tribute to Marietta’s town booster, Col. Moultrie M. Sessions of Sessions Loan and Trust Company.
50 years ago …
In the Friday, March 1, 1963 MDJ, the first piece of legislation limited to Cobb County was reported as having cleared both houses of the General Assembly. It was a bill creating a Cobb County Planning Department and allowing the county government to appoint a full-time planning engineer.
The combination of an Air Force ordered speed-up in the production rate of C-130E Hercules and an already-planned build-up of workers on the C-141 program was reported in the Sunday, March 3, 1963 paper as potentially adding several hundred jobs at the Lockheed-Georgia Co. by the end of the year. Some 15,400 people were working there at the time of the news, which made it the largest single industry in Georgia.
Two Smyrna policemen ordered to join a widespread search for four men suspected of stealing merchandise from some Cobb stores over the weekend were reported in the Monday, March 4, 1963 paper as making the quickest capture in county history. The policemen said they stepped out of the police station and immediately spotted the suspects driving towards them. Police said that the suspects were unfamiliar with Smyrna and mistakenly drove past the station.
New federal post offices were reported as being readied for Marietta and Austell in the Tuesday, March 5, 1963 paper. The Marietta facility on Lawrence Street cost $282,000 and was expected to be completed on April 27. A “folded roof” and concrete columns were part of the Marietta design, which was being constructed by Latimer and Associates.
The Austell post office on Mulberry Street cost $90,000 and would open on April 1. It had a glassed-in lobby with steel supporting beams outside and was being constructed by The Austell Cabinet Company.
Police theorized in the Thursday, March 7, 1963 paper that a burglar who stole a large quantity of narcotics from a Marietta drug store had hidden inside at closing time and waited for the employees to leave. City detectives said that morphine, codeine, dolophine and other drugs were missing. The store’s back door, which was secured at night with a lock and two iron bars, was found open when the manager arrived the next morning.
20 years ago …
In the Thursday, March 4, 1993 MDJ, Cobb schools were reported as asking local legislators to limit homestead exemptions for the elderly in an attempt to slow a growing budget deficit.
Another story that day reported how after some six years of stalled negotiations with property owners, Kennesaw State College turned to the state attorney general’s office for help in acquiring land for expansion. The state Board of Regents voted in October to acquire two tracts of land totaling almost 30 acres either through purchase or condemnation. The parcels were on Steve Frey Road east of the Kennesaw State campus on the opposite side of the road from the school.
Cobb’s House delegation, upset by the Senate for not requiring “Cobb” to have a prominent position in the name of the county’s new convention center, was reported in the Saturday, March 6, 1993 paper as having tossed the hot potato back into the Senate’s lap the day before. The original bill, sponsored by Rep. Roy Barnes, D-Mableton, required the name of the convention center to be “The Cobb Galleria Centre.” The Senate changed the legislation to require only that Cobb be permanently included somewhere in the name and that the county not be eclipsed by reference to Atlanta.
Damon Poirier is the Newsroom Administrator for the Marietta Daily Journal.
If you are interested in learning more about the stories that were presented in this week’s column, you can search the newspaper’s digitized microfilm archives online. NewsBank, which hosts the archives for the Marietta Daily Journal, charges a fee for retrieved articles and has various price packages available. If you have any trouble with your username, password or payment options, please contact NewsBank at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:a8f5619b-a030-4b04-9cd4-44296e6b7294> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/21923592/article-MDJ-Time-Capsule--The-Week-of-March-7th | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975661 | 1,083 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Back here at home, there is some encouraging news coming out of the first round of negotiations about the looming fiscal cliff crisis. After meeting with president obama, democratic and republican... See More
Back here at home, there is some encouraging news coming out of the first round of negotiations about the looming fiscal cliff crisis. After meeting with president obama, democratic and republican leaders say they were confident about reaching an agreement. About's david kerley has the details from the white house. David, we all remember how badly these negotiations ended in 2011. A lot of people wondering if this time will be any different. Reporter: We'll see, bianna. But you could hear it. There was a big difference. It was the tone. That doesn't mean we have a deal at hand to end the so-called fiscal cliff. It is big. And it affects every one of us. We have some urgent business to do. Reporter: After that big white house meeting, did it feel like someone took their foot off the gas pedal as we head toward a steep cliff? We had a constructive meeting with the president. It was a constructive meeting. Reporter: Sounds like some progress. And we need some because this is what happens january 1st if the ent and congress don't make a deal. First, those so-called bush tax cuts will expire. Which in essence means, a tax increase for every taxpayer. Oh, and that 2% cut in the payroll taxes we've had to pay for the past two year, will also go away. And the number of small tax cuts for businesses and individuals, disappear. As well as unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed. Now, if that wasn't enough, there's that poison pill, too. Mandatory cuts. 55 billion at the pentagon. Another $55 billion in domestic programs. Everything from the education department to the parks service. Altogether, this is $500 billion, which some say could send the country back into recession. For abc's "this week," martha raddatz asked the house democratic leader if there's room for compromise on that issue. Could you accept a deal that does not include tax increases for the wealthy? No. The president has been very clear that the higher-income people have to pay their fair share. Reporter: While wall street liked the constructive talks, main street businesses want a deal. They can't plan, hire or increase production without knowing what taxes they'll be paying next year. The president is off to a four-day trip to asia. Talks will continue. There's some predictions that something could be worked out before christmas. That may not be the big deal. But at least the framework that pushes a lot of this over into next year.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. | <urn:uuid:3adcb14a-d6c8-4c9e-a43f-085e492a7e33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/president-obama-john-boehner-confident-reaching-agreement-fiscal-17746626?tab=9482931§ion=2808950&playlist=2808979 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975259 | 577 | 1.578125 | 2 |
May 11, 2000(Key vote)
Title: Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999
Vote Smart's Synopsis:
Vote to pass a bill that would use approximately $45 billion in revenues from offshore drilling on the federally owned Outer Continental Shelf to fund land acquisition, conservation, and habitat protection programs over a period of fifteen years.
Requires that the Congressional Budget Office certify the following before any of the funding for this bill is distributed:
Congress is meeting goals to cancel all publicly held debt by 2013;
There is no on-budget deficit; and
Neither Social Security nor Medicare is likely to run a deficit within 5 years after enactment.
Prohibits federal government from purchasing private property unless the owner is willing to sell, or Congressional approval of that specific purchase is obtained.
$1 billion annually to 35 coastal states and territories, including those that border the Great Lakes, to mitigate the impact of offshore oil and gas activity.
$900 million to guarantee annual funds for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, to be split evenly between federal agencies and states, in order to conserve open lands.
$350 million annually for fish and wildlife conservation, restoration, and education programs.
$200 million annually for restoration of federal and Indian lands.
$150 million for conservation easements that facilitate the recovery of threatened and endangered species.
$125 million annually for continuing the provisions contained in the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act of 1978.
$100 million annually to the Historic Preservation Fund. | <urn:uuid:b1c34081-60a0-40ce-b76c-1407bdbbfbb9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://votesmart.org/bill/3049/7988/296/conservation-and-reinvestment-act-of-1999?flavour=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924016 | 305 | 2.421875 | 2 |
Iowa is a non-profit organization that's goal is
to end cannabis prohibition because Iowa has great potential to
(once again) produce a crop that would provide natural, non-toxic,
non-lethal, renewable, sustainable, fuel, fiber, food, medicine,
paper, plastic, and jobs. Iowa was encouraged to grow this crop in
support of WWII. This page is dedicated to raising public awareness
regarding Cannabis Prohibition in the State of Iowa. | <urn:uuid:afa2e996-c45b-4902-97af-58fc6d56df91> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://legalizeiowa.com/ | 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 | 0.932898 | 97 | 1.523438 | 2 |
No, I'm not homeless, and I didn't lose my mind. I decided to save my trashin my bedroombecause I started to realize how living in a consumer culture like ours means using a lot of "disposable" products.
We buy things, use them, then throw away the packaging, largely unaware that most of our trash ends up in landfills where it can sit for decades, contaminating the soil and ecosystems around it. Even recycling uses more energy than most people realize. Reducing the amount of garbage we produce in the first place is one of the best ways to save the planet. Keeping all my trash meant literally living with the impact of my daily decisions, which led me to make dramatic changes in my lifestyle.
I should clarify that I saved all my nonbiodegradable trashthings like glass, foam, and plastics, which don't rot naturally. I set aside banana peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and other biodegradable waste for composting, which returns nutrients to the soil and transforms waste into a valuable resource for growing more food.
Just as I washed my dishes, I scrubbed my soda cans, potato chip bags, and juice bottles with soap and water and hung them on my dish rack to dry. "Doesn't your trash stink?" people often asked. As long as I washed and dried everything, it didn't smell.
I believe that "waste" is actually a resource that can be used rather than discarded. Saving my trash allowed me to recycle or "repurpose" it into resources I value. I'm an artist, and I plan to use my glass bottles to create garden dividers, glass mugs, and wind chimes. My aluminum cans can be melted and used to make sculptures.
Rather than throw out my plastic bags and wrappers, I'll stuff them into plastic bottles that can be used as "bricks" to build bus stops, benches, and even houses. This spring, I was part of a group of students at the University of California, Davis, who used plastic bricks to create a bench for the campusa symbol of our commitment to helping eliminate waste.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average American produces 4.3 pounds of garbage a day, 30 pounds a week, and about 1,600 pounds a year. In 2010, I produced 215 pounds of trash, slightly more than half a pound a day.
Though I won't be saving all my trash again this year, my experience has permanently changed my consumption habits. Every trip to the grocery store is now an expedition. I bring reusable bags for produce, jars and containers to collect food from the bulk section, and cloth bags to carry it all back on my bicycle. I never leave home without my reusable mug. And I avoid consuming drinks from glass bottles; aluminum cans weigh less and therefore require less energy to recycle.
In short, I'll never again be able to buy anything without pausing to ask myself: Is this really something I need? Is there a way to get it that involves less waste? And how can I reuse or repurpose the packaging?
I just graduated, and I plan to get involved in the "zero waste" movement, which is gaining momentum in California and across the nation. Several cities, like my hometown of Palo Alto, California, and universities, such as UC Davis, have pledged to find alternatives to placing trash in landfills.
I'm hoping that one day all people will see "waste" as just a resource in the wrong place.
(The New York Times Upfront, Vol. 143, April 18, 2011) | <urn:uuid:72fd40f3-cc57-4e35-8d2d-a2e212c97bc0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/voices/index.asp?article=v041811 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948736 | 753 | 2.25 | 2 |
|2006||Extended||To include the Patriarchate of Pec Monastery, Gracanica Monastery and the Church of the Virgin of Ljevica|
|2006||Name change||From "Decani Monastery" to "Medieval Monuments in Kosovo"|
|2006||In Danger||To allow international support for protection|
|2004||Inscribed||Reasons for inscription|Jarek Pokrzywnicki (Poland):
Well known but currently a bit difficult to visit. All monuments are protected either by KFOR soldiers (Gracanica, Pec, Vysoki Decani) or Albanian-Kosovian policeman (Prizren). The road are completely unmarked (Serbian signs were removed) but you can ask people how to get there. First three sights are living monasteries under KFOR protection but they can be visited (secirity check necessary) while Prizren is currently unable to see from inside.
Date posted: August 2011 Bartosz Radojewski (Poland):
From all of those churches my favorite one would definitely be Our Lady of Ljevią. It is an outstanding example of late byzantine architecture. Throughout its long history it was a holly place for Christians and Muslims, who converted it during the Ottoman rule and named Friday Mosque (al-jumʿa xhamia in Arabic). This name is still in use among Muslim Albanians in the city of Prizren.
Unfortunately the devastation of the paintings inside the church - initiated during Ottoman times - reached its peak during the march 2004 riots. The restoration of the site is still in progress.
Date posted: October 2010 Joyce (The Netherlands):
This is probably one of the few WHS where you have to go through military checkpoints (if they even let you) and you’ll have several guns and a tank pointing at you before you enter; this place has a rich history with maybe not such a good location. The church looks beautiful on the outside with two different types of local stones. The walls and ceilings inside are covered with Byzantine paintings. There are about 30 monks living inside the monastery and their main task all day is praying. If you are lucky an English-speaking monk will open the church for you and will answer your questions. Father Ezekial speaks very good English, so if you go it might be worth asking for him. He was able to tell us about the history of the Serbian Orthodox church, the history of the monastery, daily life as a monk, and even some surprises: during the war in Kosovo, the (Serbian) monks at Dečani protected Alabanian Kosovar Moslems by allowing them to hide in the Monastery.
If you like this monastery you should definitely head over to the Patriarchate monastery near Peja: The paintings there are in even better shape and the Monastery is more important (in the Serbian Orthodox Church) than the Dečani monastery.
Date posted: July 2006 George Vaughan (Wales):
The extension of this site to cover other medieval monuments in Kosovo makes good sense from a number of angles. Whatever the political considerations, these other sites probably deserved to be listed from the outset and Gracanica, the only one I can actually speak of, struck me as World Heritage material as soon as I saw it. While Gracanica town, with its history of division, is rather a sad place, the walled monastic enclosure could be in a different country and you have to remind yourself, if you really must, that there is an armoured car - there more for the presence than anything else - outside the gate.
The church is very imposing from the outside but appears small and more personal from within. The frescoes - even including one of the foundation charter - are as magnificent as the building. This is one of the great sights of the Balkans and now has the world status it deserves.
Date posted: July 2006
Have you been to Medieval Monuments in Kosovo? Share your experiences! | <urn:uuid:889a15a4-b9f3-4644-a2cb-6ffa88c82f22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://worldheritagesite.org/sites/decanimonastery.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964987 | 833 | 2 | 2 |
Challenge America answered:
According to Sarah Williams Volf, Director of Challenge Aspen Military Opportunities (CAMO), “Therapeutic recreation can benefit a wide range of people with disabilities, but over the past several years, there has been a growing need for therapeutic recreation programs specifically for injured veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Volf explains that because of medical advances and changes in the technology of war, mortality rate has dropped, but the number of permanent disabling injuries has dramatically increased.
“We are seeing so many young men and women between the ages of 20 and 40 who are returning injured, and they’ve gone from being very athletic, active young men and women to suddenly having an amputation or brain injury or visual impairment. The nature of the population is very different from when somebody has an illness that causes disability over time. Veterans who have a blast injury may need to have limbs amputated within a matter of an hour, so it tends to be a sudden and traumatic event.”
Because many individuals among this new disabled veteran population had been part of a relatively young, active group within the forces, Volf felt they could benefit from more outlets for outdoor recreation, rather than just typical disability sports or clinical therapy. So she started the programs that led to CAMO.
“Our program is based on the belief that therapy happens as a result of individual goal setting with participants pre-program and then designing a unique program that will meet their needs - then finally identifying in the end ‘have we met those goals’ and ‘what are their future goals.’”
If you take part in one of the therapeutic recreation camps or experiences at CAMO, highly trained personnel will use adaptive techniques and adaptive equipment to help you successfully engage in fun activities such as fly fishing, whitewater rafting, camping, or skiing, so you can make progress in your recovery without thinking about it as therapy.According to Sarah Williams Volf, Director of Challenge Aspen Military Opportunities (CAMO), “Therapeutic recreation can benefit a wide range of people with disabilities, but over the past several years, there has been a growing need for... More | <urn:uuid:8108b79e-622c-4f7f-adf5-092315a55464> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sharecare.com/question/therapeutic-recreation-for-veterans | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962288 | 451 | 2.265625 | 2 |
New Light on Pius XII Cause?
BY John Burger
| Posted 5/11/11 at 8:21 PM
I will be posting an interview this weekend with the archeologist at St. Peter’s Basilica necropolis, Pietro Zander. He was at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, Conn., last week for the opening of an exhibit of Marian images from the Vatican.
Zander graciously gave me a personal tour through the exhibit and explained the significance of some of the paintings. He also talked a bit about his role in the beatification ceremonies for Blessed John Paul II a few days earlier.
Translating for us was Count Enrico Demajo, who heads the Knights of Columbus office in Rome. Count Demajo’s uncle was Count Enrico Galeazzi, an architect who was both the Knights’ representative in Rome and acting governor of Vatican City during World War II. Galeazzi was a friend of Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, who became Pope Pius XII and whose cause for canonization has been hampered by continuing controversy over his alleged inaction in protecting European Jews during the Nazi Holocaust.
Accompanying Zander and Demajo to New Haven was Salesian Father Agostino Corbanese, who oversees an archive of the Vatican Secretariat of State. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, asked Father Corbanese to inspect the Knights’ New Haven archives of Count Galeazzi’s papers.
I sat down for a few minutes with Father Corbanese, and we discussed what the Galeazzi papers might reveal about Pius XII and the controversy over his cause.
What brings you to New Haven?
The superiors in the Secretariat of State, Cardinal Bertone and the sostituto [assistant Secretary of State] … asked me to come and see, especially from the point of view if, due to the closeness of Count Galeazzi with, at the time, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, who later became Pope Pius XII, and they had close links of friendship, just to see whether there were documents, hand-written documents, or documents of any kind, coming from the desk of Cardinal Pacelli, or Pope Pius XII. And I went through all this material.
What did you find?
I found, interestingly enough, due to the difficulties of the time…Count Galeazzi was asked to bring with him a letter signed by Pope Pius XII addressed to President [Franklin D.] Roosevelt. We were more or less at the end of the war, and diplomatic channels were difficult to follow, and so on. And since Count Galeazzi was a man to whom Pope Pius XII gave much relevance and attention, he was asked to do that. ...
[The letter, which asked for a halt to the Allied bombing of Rome, was not delivered because the Italian government signed an agreement with the Allies while Galeazzi was on his way to Washington.]
Count Galeazzi died [in 1986], and the heirs — Enrico Demajo and, I suppose, the family — gave all this material to the Knights of Columbus, and they went through a tremendous amount of work in ordering all this material. Let’s say that 90%, 80% of the material there are plans, reports on what Count Galeazzi did. He was the engineer, he was the man responsible for building and restoration of the papal palace. He was in charge of a special commission created by the newly-elected Pope Pius XII to look after the maintenance and restoration of the buildings. The buildings are so old that they need continuous care. So, many of his papers are requests for restoration, how restoration was carried on, what the expenses were, what colleagues were involved in these works of the restoration, and this has nothing to do with the life of the Pope himself.
One letter carried the signature of Pope Pius XII, and it was a permit, an invitation to authorities of one country in Europe, to let Count Galeazzi go through, deliver what he had to deliver, and come back with something he was supposed to collect and bring it to Rome. So, it was a visa — let’s call it that.
What was it that he had to deliver?
The little card, bearing the autographed signature of Pope Pius XII, the size of an ordinary postcard, carried no indication whatsoever about the identification of what the envoy was supposed to carry with him through the boundaries of the neighboring country, in the terrible and frightening wartime in Europe.
Was there anything that you discovered here that might have some bearing on the cause of beatification of Pope Pius XII?
Yes. I know that the archives have been opened and will continue to be opened. The material may be of this kind: reports sent to Count Galeazzi from various people — articles, commentaries — not many — picking up criticisms, explaining situations, backgrounds, problems. They may be useful. There are a few hints to what the Pope did to help the Jews in Rome and in Europe, but, as I said, the purpose of the archives and the purpose of the collection of these papers by Count Galeazzi was not to make a study of that particular…he received letters to bring them to the attention of the Secretariat of State, and some of these letters had this kind of content. A number of these letters were typed — as they used to do in those times — in two or three different copies, carbon copies. Of course the original is not here because the original was meant to go to the pope’s office or the cardinal’s office, wherever. But they kept the copy. And they may be of some interest.
You have here in the States Sister Margherita Marchione, and she came, I was told by the archivist. The archivist told me unfortunately she remained only one day. ... And some of these materials were, can be, or will be, useful to her, because she continues to study and to present, to understand where these criticisms against Pius XII originated: where they came from, why, who picked them up for granted. That is her particular idea. That is her enterprise, and she wrote piles of books, collecting material, demonstrating that what was brought about like a flag — Pius XII didn’t do enough, he did too little, he kept silent, things like that — they’re not true because she goes on discovering witnesses and testimonies. So this material can be related to this kind of study she continues to carry on.
What is holding up the cause? Is there any movement on it?
I think that while the cause is going on, Pope Pius XII has already been proclaimed a venerable — meaning that his life, what he did, his attitudes, are ones of a real strong Christian — the virtues as they say have been studied and approved….There are some miracles being studied at the moment.
One of the major difficulties is the opposition against Pius XII from a number of Jewish groups, individual people, associations, who are still imbued with that kind of criticism: Pope Pius XII didn’t do enough, he kept silent, he didn’t defend the Jews.
Besides this, as I mentioned, is the fact of concretely, deeply, with serenity, with capacity, historical understanding, study the material, and of course the material dealing with the Second World War is as immense as the world is.
So I think any time, for any reason around the world, there is a discussion you have to take the points and calmly, nicely, with strength you have to analyze them, you have to come to a conclusion. You cannot say yes or no from the very beginning.
Especially since this seems to have stemmed from this play by Rolf Hochhuth, and who knows that that was not a smear campaign begun by the communists.
It would be extremely useful to go back to one of the latest books by Sister Margarita…. She maintains that, let’s call it, the “enemy” of Pius XII was the communist regime. Some people used to say that it was the Germans. She maintains it was not the Germans who put their loud voices and criticisms; it was the communists, it was Moscow — Moscow which tried to demolish the figure and authority of Pius XII, which was taken up by plays, by writers, media agencies and so on, for granted. Now Sister Margarita has clearly indicated that historical line of the Russians being behind the scenes because they saw in Pius XII the great enemy of the expansion of their power all over the world.
And, according to George Weigel, they tried to do the same with Pope John Paul II.
Exactly. Things keep repeating.
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A Quick SnapShot of Numbers
Author: Traditionally Moses
- Teaching to Prepare: Numbers 1.1-10.10
- Wandering in the Wilderness: Numbers 10.11-20.29
- Onward to Canaan: Numbers 21.1-36.13
Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch. Called by the Jews “In the Wilderness,” because it tells the story of Israel in rebellion to God even after such a miraculous deliverance. It tells the story of God’s judgment and their wandering, how the second generation traveled to the land promised them by God. There were two censuses recorded in the book. From the numbering of the people comes the title that we have in our Bible. There are many arguments about the size of the freed people from Egypt. Some estimations are fixed as high as three million. Whatever the number, the intent of the book of Numbers is to continue the story of how God took a freed, rebellious people, loved them, judged them, and brought them to the shores of his promise to them. The book falls into three discernible sections.
What Happened: An Expanded Outline of Numbers
Teaching to Prepare: Numbers 1.1-10.10
Before the second generation of Israel began her journey to the land of promise, Moses taught them about the acts of God in the life of the nation. He took a census which totalled 603,550 men who were old enough to serve in the military. Moses gave instructions about how the people should organize themselves around the tabernacle. The tribe of Levi was assigned its duties. A test was provided for a wife who was thought to be unfaithful to her husband. The Nazarite vow was established. The tribal leaders from each of the twelve tribes made an offering to God. Passover was celebrated with a pillar of fire which appeared over the tabernacle. The Israelites left Mt. Sinai.
Wandering in the Wilderness: Numbers 10.11-20.29
Verse 11 picks up the storyline from Exodus 19.2 when they camped at Mt. Sinai. They packed up and began the move toward the land promised to them. The people complained about their hardships and the food that was being supplied. God sent fire and an abundance of quail as a judgment. Miriam became a leper because of her speaking against the leadership of Moses. Twelve spies were sent into the land from Kadesh-barnea. The spies returned with reports that caused horror in their camp. That night they began to complain to Moses. God sentenced the generation to die in the wilderness. Moses was instructed to continue to give instruction about offerings to be presented to God when they reached the promised land. A man who broke the Sabbath was executed. Korah decided that Moses should no longer be the leader and rebelled against him. The earth opened and swallowed the agitators. The next day Israel continued its grumbling and accused Moses and Aaron of killing the Lord’s people. God struck the complainers with a plague. The staff of Aaron budded, which authenticated his priesthood. Moses defined the responsibility of the priests and how they would be paid for their services. Moses communicated instructions about being ceremonially clean. Moses struck the rock which produced water, which kept Aaron and him from entering the land with the Israelites. Israel wanted to travel through Edom, but they were denied. Aaron died.
Onward To Canaan: Numbers 21.1-36.13
A bronze snake countered a plague of poisonous snakes. The Amorites were defeated by Israel. The King of Moab tried to destroy Israel by using a prophet named Balaam. Balaam was warned by God, but failed to take heed. Instead of a curse, he blessed Israel. When Balak did not succeed with Balaam, he resorted to corrupt Israel with sexual immorality, which caused 24,000 deaths in a plague. The second census was taken in the new generation, which numbered 601,730 men who were old enough for the military. Moses established that women had the right to inherit property and announced that Joshua would succeed him. Moses provided more information about offerings to give and religious holidays that Israel should keep. He provided the rules for making and keeping vows. Israel defeated the Midianites. The Reubenites and Gadites asked for land in Transjordan. Moses recited the events that had happened from the time they left Egypt until their arrival at the Jordan River. The boundaries of the land were defined. The Levite towns were defined along with the cities of refuge. Finally, the daughters of Zelophehad’s inheritance were confirmed.
Questions Numbers Answers
- When we rebel, how does God react?
- How does God’s judgment and grace work together?
Theology of Numbers
A Theological Glance at Numbers
The book of Numbers demonstrates that in the face of rebellion, God still keeps his promises. He had made covenant with them and he was faithful to that covenant. We can see both the grace and judgment of God in this book, as God continued to woo Israel to have relationship with him. God judged a generation because they rejected his equipment to conquer the land (Num. 10.11-36), because of their constant desire to go back to Egypt (Num. 11.1-35). They rejected the leadership of Moses (12.1-15), who God had chosen to lead them to the land. They ultimately rejected the conquest of the promised land (Num. 12.16-14.45). These actions caused Israel to wander in the desert (Num. 15.1-22.1) until the disbelieving generation was dead.
In addition to these failures, there were other external and internal obstacles: the external threat of the curses of Balaam (Num. 22.2-24.25) and the internal threat of Israel’s idolatry and immorality (Num. 25.1-18). There will always be external and internal obstacles which try to distract us from continuing covenant with God.
- Rebellion exacts punishment.
- Punishment occurs to both leaders and followers.
- Even though we rebel, God still brings about what he desires, with or without us.
- Being organized is spiritual.
Toward the New Testament
Each generation must receive God. The previous generation can only pass on the possibility of acceptance of God. A generation can turn away from God, but the good news of Numbers is that God does not turn his back on his children in their rebellion. This is a running theme in the Old Testament. Man rebels and God reaches out and offers a path to return. The climax of this continued action of God is the crucifixion of Jesus. As a new generation of believers comes along, they can place themselves in the position of the new generation of Numbers. Our constant call is to respond to the call of God and to obey him.
The map below is the suggested route that Israel took from Egypt to the Mt. Sinai, to Kadesh-barnea, to the eastern side of the Jordan River.
Questions for Reflection
- Are Old Testament Priests and today’s pastors the same?
- If so, how so? If not, how not?
- What is your mental picture of Israel wandering in the wilderness?
- Is your picture realistic or is it based on “folk theology?”
- How does Israel’s journey to the shores of the land of promise parallel your journey?
- The Message of Numbers: Journey to the Promised Land (Bible Speaks Today)
- The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament
- Leviticus, Numbers (NIV Application Commentary)
- The Book of Numbers (New International Commentary on the Old Testament)
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