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21 Nov 2012 at 09:27
Bell is getting a sneak peak at the internal parts of a computer. Did you know that each silver spot on this circuit board has a job so the computer runs? It's like a brain telling the computer what to do. HP provides special instructions that are unique to HP computers, so you can get things done faster. | <urn:uuid:3eba7229-b211-4ccb-b457-57e854034b93> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.flatstanley.com/photo/detail?guid=447770 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945895 | 72 | 2.296875 | 2 |
|Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
||New International Version (NIV)
14 I have given to them Thy word, and the world did hate them, because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world;
14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
|Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain. (Young's Literal Translation - The Bible Online)
||Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) | <urn:uuid:4082f23f-7972-48bf-804f-ac4146a6af81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biblestudytools.com/parallel-bible/passage.aspx?q=john+17:14&t=ylt&t2=niv | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926896 | 167 | 1.609375 | 2 |
A remarkable first occurred recently at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History when ornithologists Carla Dove and Storrs Olson used 700- to 1,100-year-old feathers from a long extinct species of Hawaiian ibis to help determine the bird's place in the ibis family tree. The feathers are the only known plumage of any of the prehistorically extinct birds that once inhabited the Hawaiian Islands.
Discovered with a nearly complete skeleton, the feathers retained enough microscopic structure to allow the scientists to confirm the classification of the bird, known by its scientific name Apteribis sp, as a close relative of the American white ibis (Eudocimus albus) and scarlet ibis (Eudocimus buber). DNA analysis confirmed this classification.
Remarkably, the feathers also retained enough pigmentation for Dove and Olson to determine that the bird was brown-black to ivory-beige in color. This is a first―the plumage color of any prehistorically extinct Hawaiian bird up until now had been speculation.
Apteribis sp. is one of only two species of flightless ibis, both now extinct. Its skeleton differs so much from its mainland ancestors that the bird's relationship to other ibises could only be determined through the study of its feathers and DNA analysis.
"This find is highly unusual because feathers do not preserve well and often decay before a bird is fossilized," Dove said. "These weren't fossil imprints in a rock, but feathers and bones we could actually pick up."
Exceptional geologic circumstances led to the preservation of the feathers inside a lava cave on the Hawaiian Island of Lanai. The floor of the cave was partially covered in a deep layer of flaky gypsum crystals, which, for hundreds of years absorbed humidity in the cave and created an arid environment ideal for preservation of the feathers.
From a taxonomic standpoint feathers are significant because the shape of microscopic barbs on specific areas of a feather have distinct features that taxonomists can use to determine what bird group it belongs to.
"The barbs are unique only on the downy, fluffy part at the base of the feather, not at the tip," Dove said. "These microstructures are similar among orders of birdspigeons, ducks, songbirds, for example.
Using specimens from the Smithsonian's collection, Dove compared the microscopic structures of the ancient feathers to those of modern day birds. Her analysis confirmed that Apteribis sp. is most closely related the New World ibises of the genus Eudocimus. Apteribis sp. was first described from fossils found on the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Maui. It is one of dozens of bird species known to have gone extinct following the arrival of humans on the Hawaiian Islands.
"Fossil Feathers from the Hawaiian Flightless Ibis (Apteribis SP.): Plumage Coloration and Systematics of a Prehistorically Extinct Bird," by Carla Dove and Storrs Olson appeared in the September 2011 issue of the Journal of Paleontology.
Explore further: Remote US village abuzz over shipwreck search | <urn:uuid:eed268e3-4b5d-4a72-8512-8cf0b3ee6fae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://phys.org/news/2011-11-scientists-fossil-feathers-reveal-lineage.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940686 | 653 | 4.21875 | 4 |
Venezuela's Chavez: Free, Quality Healthcare Priority for the Revolution
Speaking to Venezuelan health minister Eugenia Sader this Sunday, president Hugo Chávez confirmed that creating a “totally free and quality” national health service was a current priority for the revolutionary government.
Chavez made the comments during a televised phone call to Sader, who was touring the Candelaria Garcia maternity hospital in Carúpano in celebration of the centre’s first anniversary.
“We have to accomplish our goals and quicken our pace, so that every state, city and town has that kind of national public healthcare system, high quality and totally free for all our people,” stated Chávez.
The Venezuelan mandate also commented that the government’s attempt to provide a free and comprehensive healthcare system was for the “lives” and “happiness” of the Venezuelan people.
“This is what the socialist motherland is about,” added the president.
Based in the Venezuelan state of Sucre, the maternity hospital forms part of the government’s Baby Jesus mission. Launched in 2009, the mission focuses exclusively on the health of pregnant women and newborn babies, and guarantees Venezuelan women the right to a dignified birth.
In the past year, the hospital has delivered over 5,500 newborns and attended to over 11,000 women, confirmed hospital Director, Hanoi Yanez.
“We are trying to humanise that beautiful moment of giving birth, we are trying to give Venezuelan women what they deserve,” said Yanez to the president.
During the telephone conversation, Chávez also congratulated the new mothers on the births of their children and thanked staff at the hospital for their dedication to providing a national service.
“He who abandons everything in order to be of use to his country loses nothing, and wins what he has devoted himself to,” said Chávez, quoting the Liberator of Venezuela, Simón Bolivar.
Early last month, the Venezuelan government announced that it would be expanding the national health service by constructing over 1,200 public healthcare projects throughout the country.
Following Sader’s visit to the maternity hospital, the government also opened two new neo-natal units at the centre, specialising in intensive and intermediate care. | <urn:uuid:e1cdb6a7-1515-461c-a37d-b6b996cac654> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.zcommunications.org/venezuelas-chavez-free-quality-healthcare-priority-for-the-revolution-by-rachael-boothroyd | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947414 | 489 | 1.554688 | 2 |
July 17, 2012
DEEP Offering Training to Volunteers for Monitoring Boat Launches to Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species – Training to be held in New Hartford
The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) is continuing to offer training for people interested in volunteering their time to monitor local boat launches for the presence of invasive plants and animals, such as zebra mussels. Zebra mussels were discovered in Lake Zoar and Lake Lillinonah in 2010 and Lake Housatonic in 2011. These were the first new reports of zebra mussels in Connecticut since 1998 when they were discovered in East and West Twin Lakes in Salisbury.
The training session will be held Saturday, July 21, 2012 at the New Hartford Town Hall located at 530 Main St in New Hartford, CT from 9:30am-12:00 pm. For more information or to volunteer, contact Gwendolynn Flynn of the DEEP at 860-447-4339 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
The training will educate volunteers on how to identify and detect invasive species and also to instruct boaters on how to do the same. Volunteers will also be talking to boaters about ways they can prevent the spread of invasive species. Volunteers will receive a handbook, supplies and a t-shirt that identifies them as volunteers.
The zebra mussel is a black and white-striped bivalve mollusk, which was introduced into North American waters through the discharge of ship ballast water. Since its discovery in Lake St. Clair in 1998, the zebra mussel has spread throughout the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River system and most of New York State, including Lake Champlain and the Hudson River. More recently both zebra mussels and quagga mussels (a related species, and also highly invasive) have been expanding their range into a number of western and southwestern states.
Like the Zebra Mussel, numerous invasive plants have been introduced into Connecticut waters. These invasive plants can form dense mats, making boating, fishing, swimming and other recreational activities nearly impossible. Through education, boaters can help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive plants and animals, and with the help of volunteers, we can ensure that boaters across the state are receiving the proper information about invasive species.
Actions anglers and boaters must take to prevent the spread of invasive plants and animals, including zebra mussels are as follows:
Before leaving a boat launch:
- Clean: all visible plant, fish, and animals as well as mud or other debris. Do not transport them home.
- Drain: all water from every space and item that may hold water.
At home or prior to your next launch:
- Dry: anything that comes in contact with water (boats, trailers, anchors, propellers, etc) for a minimum of 1 week during hot/dry weather or a minimum of 4 weeks during cool/wet weather.
If drying is not possible, you must clean your boat prior to the next launch. The techniques listed below are for decontaminating your vessel:
- Wash your boat with hot, pressurized water.
- Dip equipment in 100% vinegar for 20 minutes prior to rinsing.
- Wash with a 1% salt solution (2/3 cup to 5 gallons water) and leave on for 24 hours prior to rinsing.
- “Wet” with bleach solution (1oz to 1 gallon water) or soap and hot water (Lysol, boat soap, etc) for 10 minutes prior to rinsing.
Do not dump your bait bucket or release live bait! Avoid introducing unwanted plants and animals. Unless your bait was obtained on site, dispose of it in a suitable trash container or give it to another angler.
Do not transport fish, other animals or plants between water bodies. Release caught fish, other animals and plants only into the waters from which they came. | <urn:uuid:14c425b4-46ef-4687-97d9-51d0e817b504> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?Q=508068&A=4173 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952208 | 821 | 2.625 | 3 |
The Ford Foundation is a charitable organization based in New York. The fund was established to support programs that promote democracy, contribute to reduce poverty and contribute to dialogue between different peoples and to improve human achievement.
Ford Foundation operated since its launch in 1936 as an independent. The Foundation gives grants through corporate headquarters in New York and a dozen sub-offices spread throughout the world. In fiscal year 2005, she gave five hundred and twelve million dollars for a grants to projects that have focused on strengthening democratic values, community and economic development, education, media, arts and cultural, and human rights.
In Israel the Ford Foundation contributes to several organizations, including Adva Center, a line worker, ACRI , B’Tselem and the legal clinic at Tel- Aviv University. Israel Ford Foundation was founded in 2003 under the auspices of the New Israel Fund, part of the collaboration between the Ford Foundation funds grants transferred $ 40 million New Israel Fund, since its establishment in Israel Ford Foundation gave grants to more than 40 organizations working in her opinion of the New Israel Fund promoting “civil society, human rights and peace.” ( wikipedia) | <urn:uuid:3de5215c-eff0-48f6-bf76-12b2311226d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bahavatyisrael.org/the-ford-foundation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949382 | 232 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Today marks the tenth anniversary of the last fatality during a Formula 1 event.
Graham Beveridge, a marshal working at the Australian Grand Prix, died when he was struck by a wheel following a crash during the race.
That F1 has gone so long without another death is a tribute to the efforts of the FIA and competitors to improve safety standards.
Cars have been made stronger and have to withstand tougher tests. Helmets can withstand huge forces. And tracks have been made safer with larger run-off areas and better barriers.
Protection for marshals has improved as well, in reaction to the deaths of Beveridge and Paolo Ghislimberti, who lost his life during the Italian Grand Prix six months earlier.
The ever-improving safety standards have been tested to some astonishing extremes. Robert Kubica’s crash at Montreal in 2007 and Felipe Massa’s at the Hungaroring in 2009 would not have been survivable in earlier seasons.
While at times we may feel that the pursuit of safety has sapped some of the spectacle from the sport, preventing needless endangerment of life clearly has to take priority.
The challenge for those involved in running Formula 1 is to make it demanding for competitors, yet as safe as is realistically possible, in a sport where humans drive machines that cover almost 100 metres per second.
Other disciplines have not been spared tragedy. Days before Massa’s crash in 2009 John Surtees lost his son Henry in a Formula Two crash.
Motor racing is dangerous and despite best efforts that danger can never be removed entirely. The pursuit of still higher safety standards goes on.
It is a reflection of the level of safety in Formula 1 that people now question whether it’s appropriate for F1 drivers to compete in other forms of motor racing at much lower speeds.
The appalling injuries suffered by Kubica during a rally last month – in the kind of accident F1 hasn’t seen since the 1970s – are a reminder that the commitment to safety demanded in F1 must be reflected throughout the world of motor sport.
- 25 years ago today: Senna’s first win for McLaren
- Today in 1993: Senna’s last great race at Donington
- Ex-Fangio Mercedes W196 tipped to fetch high price
- F1 fans’ classic Grand Prix videos: 1992
- F1 circuits history part 17: 2008-2012
- “I should have won ’86, he should have won ’87″ – Piquet and Mansell on their rivalry
- Today in 1953: Peron’s Grand Prix ends in carnage
- F1 fans’ classic Grand Prix videos: 1991
- F1 fans’ classic Grand Prix videos: 1990
- Today in 1987: Mansell defeats Piquet at Silverstone
Browse all history articles | <urn:uuid:abeeda08-f7c2-4ad0-8d11-104049ad911d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/03/04/f1-ten-years-fatality/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938363 | 598 | 2.359375 | 2 |
We just released Pex v0.11.40421.0, which you can download here. This release brings support for Delegates as Parameters, a new Exception Tree View, Stubbed Events, and Recursive Stubs. This also release fixes a blocking issue (incorrect registration of the Stubs Visual Studio Add-in), and it brings Pex in sync with the latest Code Contracts release.
Update: This release may still require a separate download of OpenMP dlls, which part of the vcredist.
Delegate As Parameters
Pex now understands Parameterized Unit Tests that take delegates as parameters. Pex will automatically generate a delegate instance and its behavior: if the delegate returns a value, Pex will generate a new symbolic value for it, track its use, and then generate different values depending on the program behavior. Let’s consider a simple method to illustrate this new feature. I wrote the following Parameterized Test method which takes a Func<int> delegate and throws an exception if the delegate returns a particular value:
When executing Pex on Test, Pex will generate a Func<int> which ‘asks’ Pex to choose the returned int (it uses PexChoose under the hood). Therefore, for each call to that delegate, Pex has the liberty to return a diferent value. Based on how it is used, Pex will generate different values to increase coverage. In this case, Pex ‘chooses’ to return 123 on the first call, which is exactly what we need to cover the exception branch. The following code is generated by Pex; it starts by setting up the desired values, and then it calls the parameterized unit test.
Pex Explorer: Exception Tree View
We have started to work on improving the experience when applying Pex to a large number of explorations. To this end, a new window called Pex Explorer will show various views over the events produced by Pex. The Exception Tree View provides the tree of exception types that Pex found. This is really helpful to quickly drill through the (really) bad exceptions first.
Pex Explorer: Contract Failures Tree View
If you are using Code Contracts, Pex also provides a specialized view to sort the contract failures kind.
Events in Stubs
Stubs now support events: the stubs simply expose the backing delegate fields (which hold the event delegate) as a public fields. As a result, one can clear, set, and invoke the event as any other member. Let’s see this with an example:
In order to raise the SomeEvent in a test, we would simply have to invoke the backing delegate field, which happens to have the same name as the event:
It’s that simple.
Another common feature of mock/stub frameworks is to support nested invocation of members. Stubs now lets you recursively invoke property getters. Instead of assigning the property getter delegate, you can use new helper methods ending in ‘AsStub’ that take care of allocating the nested stub, assigning it to the property getter and returning it. Let’s see this with an example: assume we want to test the little snippet below.
In order to set up our stub, we would need to have IParent.Child return a stub of IChild, then set up IChild.Name to return ‘joe’. For property getters, Stubs generates a helper method that does just that:
The ChildGetAsStub call instantiated a SIChild instance, assigned to the Child property and returned it. It’s that simple. | <urn:uuid:14be7499-bf91-46b2-9345-c318b1b3c39f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.msdn.com/b/nikolait/archive/2009/04/21/pex-0-11-released-delegates-exception-trees-and-stubs.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905205 | 763 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Are You Ready
To Strike Out On Your Own?
See how you score on your motivation to really become your own boss.
How To Do It
1. Print off this webpage.
2. Select one choice for each question. Circle the letter identifying your choice ("a", "b" or "c").
Use the scoring key at the bottom of the chart to see what your entrepreneurial attitude (or lack thereof) suggests you do next.
|I dream of starting my business mostly because of:||a. I'm unsatisfied in my current job and my boss is a jerk.||b. I'd like to work less to spend more time with my family.||c. I have a burning desire to execute a great idea and build something of my own.|
|The idea that has inspired me to start a business:||a. Isn't quite formed yet.||b. Is so amazing that I will surely make millions.||c. Hasn't been done in the way I plan on doing it, and the market research I've completed proves there are customers willing to pay for it.|
|The trait that will help me most as an entrepreneur is:||a. My drive is to make a lot of money.||b. Excellent organizational skills plus an idea of detail .||c. The desire to be in control of my destiny.|
|I hear people say that entrepreneurs are inherent risk takers. To me, risk is:||a. A four-letter word.||b. The only way to get anywhere-I find it's best just to take the plunge .||c. Kind of like red wine or dark chocolate-a good thing in moderation.|
|The following best describes me:||a. I enjoy having a routine and get stressed when things don't go as planned.||b. I like to know what to expect but can appreciate that some of the best opportunities happen when you least expect it.||c. I thrive on change and can adapt quickly and easily to new circumstances.|
|When I have to make big decisions:||a. I'm a total proscrastinator.||b. Sometimes, I worry about making the wrong choice, and sometimes I have trouble sticking to what I decide.||c. I can make decisions quickly and easily, and I don't second-guess myself.|
|This is the way I feel about being a position of power:||a. I don't like to have everything weighing on my shoulders.||b. I don't have any direct experience being the boss, so I'd consider putting together an advisory board to give me input.||c. I have practice from previous jobs managing people, building relationships and making decisions. I like to lead.|
|I am most productive when:||a. I have plenty of me-time to unwind.||b. I am able to focus on one thing at a time.||c. I have a lot going on.|
|When I hear people mention the importance of a business plan, I think:||a. What's a business plan and where do I buy one?||b. It sure is tedious, but I have it partially completed.||c. I've done it-and it really gave me a sense of what I can realistically expect.|
|For cash reserves, I have:||a. Yikes, not much-we all know how expensive kids are!||b. A stash that will last several months and a 401(k) that I can always borrow against, just in case.||c. Enough savings to cover my contribution to our personal bills for at least one year.|
|I just heard that business lenders will expect me to contribute financially to my new business with cash and/or collateral. My reponse:||a. I wonder what the heck collateral is.||b. I have a good credit rating.||c. I own my own home and have some savings.|
|I will operate my business by:||a. Hiring a team of consultants who can do everything for me.||b. Doing everything by myself, with little or no outside help.||c. Seeking the advice of friends and friends of friends (and their friends).|
|When I talk with my spouse about opening my own business, she:||a. Laughs and says she doesn't really get it.||b. Is supportive of my ideas but thinks this isn't the right time for us to commit to something new.||c. Believes I should go for it and is willing to make accommodations to make my dream a reality.|
|I've thought about the worst-case scenario if the business doesn't make it, and:||a. It's bleak. My family will be living on ramen noodles.||b. I can always go (crawling) back to my old boss.||c. I'll have options. I'm still a smart person and can always get a job or even think about starting something else.|
|If I don't start my own business:||a. It's because I'm listening to my gut, which tells me this isn't for me.||b. It's because the timing isn't right.||c. I know that I will always regret it.|
Scoring Pat yourself on the back. You've completed your first step-taking an honest look at yourself and seeing if you have what it takes to become an entrepreneur! Give yourself 1 point for every a answer, 3 points for every b answer, 5 points for every c answer. Then read on to see where you stand.
15-41 POINTS Buy your boss flowers! The entrepreneur lifestyle isn't a good fit for you. If your current job makes you miserable, maybe it's time for a new job. In that case, buy yourself a new suit and call your headhunter.
42-59 POINTS You might have what it takes, but you need to plan more. If you're passionate about starting your own business, pour your energy into defining your niche, researching the market and investigating what it will take to get your idea off the ground. Reach out to someone who can serve as a mentor, and consider joining a networking group to help you get started.
60-75 POINTS Congratulations! You have a passion for building a company, understand the market and have figured out the finances. You're as prepared as you can be to take this big step. So register that URL and get those business cards printed: it's time to launch your business. | <urn:uuid:e90a717b-13f4-4e99-bb08-51777e71de1a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bizstarters.com/SUquiz.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949575 | 1,368 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Odessa student wins international science award
Saturday, May 28, 2011
ODESSA, Wash. (AP) -- Kira Powell's high school science fair project focused on finding a way to save more scarce rainwater on dry land wheat fields before it can evaporate or flow away. The 16-year-old found a simple solution: Spread the powdery material used in disposable diapers on a wheat field and it will soak up and hold water.
That discovery has won some international attention for the junior at Odessa High School.
Powell presented her research at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in San Diego, winning first prize, a $12,000 scholarship and a July trip to London. Earlier this month, Powell presented at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles. She won the top prize in the plant science category and $8,000 in prizes.
Powell also just won her second consecutive Class 2B/1B state golf championship. | <urn:uuid:4eaf883e-c4b3-4e49-9dc1-9531769bf2a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/may/28/odessa-student-wins-international-science-award/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928083 | 201 | 2.046875 | 2 |
The Information Warfare Monitor just released a new blog report, “Syrian Electronic Army: Disruptive Attacks and Hyped Targets.” The report analyzes the ongoing computer network exploitation activities of the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA).
The report is a follow on to a prior report released last month: The Emergence of Open and Organized Pro-Government Cyber Attacks in the Middle East: The Case of the Syrian Electronic Army (http://www.infowar-monitor.net/2011/05/7349/) In that prior report, the Information Warfare Monitor’s Helmi Noman started documenting the activities of the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), which appears to be a case of an open and organized pro-government computer attack group that is actively targeting political opposition and Western websites. That report documented how Syria has become the first Arab country to have a public Internet Army hosted on its national networks to openly launch cyber attacks on its enemies.
In our new report, the Information Warfare Monitor continues to examine the Army’s activities, their online targets, and the impact of their attacks.
Some key findings:
* After a 4-day countdown meant to build anticipation, the SEA announced the defacement of over 130 websites and has continued to release the URLs of more defaced pages every few days. Although we verified that most of the websites were indeed defaced, the vast majority of the affected pages were online businesses and blogs with no apparent political content.
* Many of these defaced sites share IP addresses, indicating that far fewer compromises actually occurred than what appears to be the case upon first glance.
* The group and its affiliates continue to disseminate denial of service (DoS) software that targets websites of media organizations, including the websites of Al Jazeera, BBC News, Syrian broadcaster Orient TV, and Dubai-based al-Arabia TV. A group calling itself the “Syrian Hackers School” has a Facebook page that promotes the DoS tool, recruits members, and provides links to resources for learning how to compromise vulnerable websites. We have acquired and analyzed the software.
* On June 20, 2011, the president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, stated his appreciation for the SEA’s efforts and described it as “a real army in virtual reality” in a televised speech to the nation. Although we have no concrete evidence linking the SEA to the Syrian regime, the President’s statement, and the fact that the group is able to operate with impunity over Syrian networks, shows at least tacit support for their activities.
The SEA’s actions, undertaken with the endorsement and tacit support of the Syrian regime, raise questions about the legal responsibility and international consequences of activities that manipulate and disrupt online businesses and personal websites in foreign jurisdictions.
The full report can be found here: http://www.infowar-monitor.net/2011/06/syrian-electronic-army-disruptive-attacks-and-hyped-targets/ | <urn:uuid:9110d3bd-a78c-47c1-9835-c01d356181bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://deibert.citizenlab.org/2011/06/syrian-electronic-army-disruptive-attacks-and-hyped-targets/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947582 | 616 | 1.710938 | 2 |
The manor court was the lowest court of law in England and governed those areas over which the lord of the manor had jurisdiction; it applied only to those who resided in or held lands within the manor. The court was to meet every three weeks throughout the year, although meetings could be more irregular than this. This was the court baron or manorial court, which all freeholders whose terms of tenure included suit of court and copyholders were obliged to attend. These courts dealt with copyhold land transfers, managing the open fields, settling disputes between individuals and manorial offences. There was, in addition, a twice-yearly court leet, or tourn, held after Michaelmas and after Easter, which all residents of the manor were obliged to attend. Business included a view of frankpledge, at which all men over the age of twelve were bound to appear and make their "pledge" to keep the king's peace. A suit roll was kept for the homage sworn by tenants; if they were absent, a fine would be imposed. In addition, the court leet dealt with the election of graves, the election and swearing of the jury, election of constables and the presentment of offences, including those relating to matters of Crown jurisdiction franchised to the manorial lord (e.g., brewing and baking for sale). However, there was often an overlap in the type of business conducted in the court baron and court leet. In a large manor, the steward would summon the court by instructing manorial officers to fix a notice to the church door or have it read out in church. While in theory all men over 12 attended each court, it is likely that in practice only the manorial officers, offenders, jurymen, witnesses, litigants and pledges and those involved in land transfers came to the court.
Although the manor court was the lord's court, and everything was done in his name, it was usually presided over by his steward, who was appointed by the lord, or the steward's deputy. In addition to the steward, there were other officers of the court. The bailiff was responsible for matters relating to the manor as a whole, especially freeholders. From the manor court rolls of Conisbrough, it is clear that the bailiff was responsible for inquisitions, for the amounts owed at the two courts leet, for suits of court, fealty and respite of service, failing to appear at court and manorial offences relating to freeholders.
Other officers of the court, graves, were elected annually from amongst the copyholders, one grave for each of the graveships in the manor. In the manor of Conisbrough, there were three graveships: Conisbrough, Braithwell and Clifton. The graves were responsible for making presentments, for entry fines of land within their graveships and for amercements and distraints. Bailiff
closes and graves were also responsible for collecting the lord's rents. During the medieval period, graves also supervised labour services on the lord's desmesne. After each court session, the roll records the sum to be paid to the lord from that session, with subtotals "upon" the bailiff and the graves, and therefore the sum that each is to ensure reaches the lord's steward. Given the small amount of coin about, and the fact that many transactions were conducted on the basis of credit, it is doubtful that all of these fines and dues were paid in coin at the time of the court. The formulaic "he gives to the lord for entry" need not necessarily mean a handing over of coin, but rather an undertaking to pay. There was an annual reckoning around Michaelmas by the bailiff and graves, in which rents, court profits and sales of produce were accounted, along with expenses of the manor for the year, and presented to the steward for audit. Additional officers were pinders for rounding up stray animals, foresters for protecting the lord's forest against encroachment and poaching, aletasters to check the quality and price of ale, and heywards to watch over crops. Constable
closes were elected, one for each vill, or township, to keep the peace. They were assisted by "sworn men" to help them compile their six-monthly report to the court leet. This consisted of an account of various offences committed within the village, or "nothing to present", brought before the jury.
While the steward or his deputy presided over the court, he did not judge. Decisions were made by a jury of twelve elected copyholders, sworn. In any contested case, unless an agreement was made outside the court, an inquisition would be held in which the jury would make a decision and then apply a penalty in accordance with the custom of the manor. Juries were made up of local men, who had usually lived their lives in the manor, and so were considered to have the necessary knowledge to judge the matter concerned and to be familiar with manorial custom. It was possible for the steward to intervene if he felt the lord's interest was at stake, but custom was a powerful force.
As the court was the lord's court, an important aspect of it involved the profitable and peaceable operation of his estate. The recording of transfers of copyhold land holdings and sub-lettings allowed the steward to keep rentals (lists of rents due from each tenant) up to date. Before anyone could claim a tenancy by inheritance, he or she had to appear before the court and prove their succession, by descent or by a will and then pay a heriot, a sum due to the lord upon taking up the tenancy. If tenants wished to sell, mortgage or sublet their holdings, the existing tenant had to "surrender" the land to the lord in court, acknowledging the lord's ownership of the land; the land was then granted by the lord to the new tenant, who swore fealty to the lord and paid the entry fine. The terms of the tenancy were recorded as being "according to the custom of the manor". This form of tenure became more secure by the sixteenth century. As villein status had altered greatly by this stage, the tenure of copyhold land came to be regarded by the royal courts as similar to freehold. The recording of land transfers in the manor court roll, with a copy held by the tenant, became increasingly important for tenants as a record of their right to the land. When the 1483 and 1536 Conisbrough manor court rolls are compared with that of 1349/50, it can be seen that copyhold land transferred permanently tends to be described somewhat more precisely. In the 1605 roll it is described in much greater detail, similar to the title deeds of freehold lands.
Other business of the court, while producing useful profits for the lord, could also have benefits for the community of the manor. The enforcement of village or manor bylaws and regulations through the presentment and amercing of offenders enabled the open-field system to operate effectively and discouraged breaches of the peace. The court also offered arbitration in disputes between individuals (debt, trespass, detention or breach of agreement). Each case was brought by a plaintiff, and both the plaintiff and defendant would often produce named pledges, especially in the medieval period, to stand surety. Most defendants were allowed three summonses, three distraints (for failing to appear) and three essoins (excused absences) before being required to defend the case, so that cases could be pending for months. The jury would finally decide the outcome, but many times the case was agreed out of court before the final stage was reached; if so, there was still a fee to be paid for licence to agree. | <urn:uuid:ab6893a8-f149-454d-a8c3-87d93f3fa0e8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hrionline.ac.uk/conisbrough/find/manor_court.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985869 | 1,614 | 3.625 | 4 |
LIFE IN ST. LOUIS DURING WORLD WAR II
At the start of World War II in 1941, only eleven or twelve Japanese families were known to have settled in St. Louis. No evacuations to internment camps took place in Missouri. Life was closer to normal for Japanese families living in St. Louis, although surely it was not business as usual. Although racism was probably not as bad as it was on the West Coast, it was likely existent in St. Louis during the war.
In the following excerpt, Mae Marshall, a life-long St. Louis resident, explains how the FBI came into her father's store on Market Street.
1948 Family Photo
Mary Alyea Beck, Ben Kadowaki, Bob, Herb, and Mae | <urn:uuid:6669bb1a-c4ed-4d19-b9be-83293b8aa094> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.umsl.edu/~whmc/exhibits/japanese/LIFE%20IN%20ST.%20LOUIS%20DURING%20WORLD%20WAR%20II.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980145 | 158 | 2.84375 | 3 |
If you’ve ever shopped for perennials you’ve undoubtedly seen the plant tags that growers stick in the pot. You know the ones. On one side they have a colorful photograph and on the other side they tell you to plant your plants in full or partial sun, in moist well-drained soil.
Chances are good that the tag also includes information on the height of the plant, its bloom time, and “proper” spacing. Here’s a tip for using that information on plant spacing: ignore it.
I’m willing to bet that most sources you consult will tell you to space your perennials approximately 18-24” apart. Don’t do it. If you do, you’ll probably regret it. Plan instead for a spacing more like 8-14 “ apart.
The farther apart you space your new perennials, the more you will find yourself battling weeds. The two feet that Walmart or White Flower Farm wants you to put between your Black-eyed susans is two feet of prime territory for weed seeds: lots of light, plenty of water, and no competition for soil nutrients.
Farmers figured this out decades ago: increased plant density, as a means of reducing weed pressure, has been standard practice in agriculture for many years. Study after study shows that the easiest way to prevent invasive weeds is to avoid giving them an opportunity to germinate to begin with. In prairie plantings, spacings of less than one plant per square foot (i.e. 12″ spacing) had greater susceptibility to weed invasion.
Planting your perennials more densely has additional benefits: the garden or meadow will look “filled in” much more quickly and, more importantly, will begin supporting wildlife much more quickly. Many of the mammals, insects, birds, and amphibians that wildlife gardeners want to encourage depend on having relatively dense cover. These animals much prefer the cover of your carex or goldenrod to empty exposure of mulch that would result from placing the plants two feet apart.
For the most part, when we are dealing with well-chosen native plants, you can forget the “plants need room to grow” myth: it just isn’t true. Claudia West, of North Creek Nurseries, likes to say, “Plants are social”. In nature they grow right beside each other, and have evolved strategies such as different bloom times, different root depths, and so on to do so. I’ve worked with Claudia on designs where the specification is one plant every 8 to 10 inches, and this approach almost always leads to a higher rate of planting success.
In fairness, the deep-rooted and relatively inexpensive landscape plugs that North Creek Nurseries sells make this kind of density feasible: a spacing of 8” requires nine TIMES as many plants as a spacing of 24”. And many prairie or meadow installations work just fine with a more economical 12”-14” spacing, which still results in using twice as many plants as the 18-24” suggested by most sources.
But even for a small project, if the budget is small the outcome is probably going to be better if you concentrate on getting the right density in a smaller area.
© 2012, Vincent Vizachero. All rights reserved. This article is the property of Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens. If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us | <urn:uuid:3a9cee0c-3ec7-4f59-986e-e2e612f008c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/native-plants-the-more-the-merrier/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942278 | 723 | 2.6875 | 3 |
- Economic Impact
- Nano Network
Professor, Portland State University
Nanoscale Metrology and Nanoelectronics
John L. Freeouf received his Ph. D. in Physics from the University of Chicago in 1973 (Thesis advisor: Professor H. Fritzsche). He spent a year as a Research Fellow at Harvard University, then worked for over 20 years at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center. He left IBM to form Interface Studies Inc., which performs research and development in semiconductor devices, materials science, and characterization. He joined academia as a Professor in 2000. He has worked extensively in surface science, crystal growth, solid state devices, and the optical characterization of solids. He is an expert in Fermi level pinning, Schottky barriers, and passivation of semiconductors. He is a Fellow of both the American Vacuum Society and of the American Physical Society. He is a past Chairman of the Division of Electronic Materials and Processing of the American Vacuum Society. He served on the Editorial Board and as Associate Editor of the Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A. He has published over 100 papers on surface science and semiconductor science and technology, and is the co-holder of fifteen issued patents. | <urn:uuid:38dac7ad-49b5-4999-b1c1-403928232e4a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onami.us/John_freeouf | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945811 | 254 | 1.726563 | 2 |
It’s no secret that the UDID has been a topic of controversy in recent weeks. Recent reports that Apple is rejecting some apps that utilize the UDID have generated significant levels of confusion and debate. Exacerbating matters are conflicting reports and escalating rumors of what apps Apple is or is not approving leaving app developers and marketers struggling to answer the question of how best to grow their business in the face of UDID deprecation.
Our goal in this post is to fill you in on what the current situation is – what is known fact, what is rumor, and finally, to answer the question: “what’s an app marketer to do?” as our industry progresses beyond the UDID.
Apple announced its plans to deprecate (retire) the UDID last August. Based on past Apple history, many in the industry interpreted this as an early warning, so UDID alternatives have not progressed much until recently. It now appears that Apple is increasingly utilizing the app approval process to influence UDID usage and how such usage is communicated to consumers.
The difficulty for developers is knowing what is and is not acceptable to Apple relative to UDIDs.
Kim-Mai Cutler of TechCrunch, who originally broke the news, about apps being rejected clarified what is acceptable in a subsequent posting. She cited the current confusion in the market, and provided an example of an actual rejection, in which Apple cites the use of UDIDs without disclosure as the cause for the rejection. She further notes that some apps are still getting through the approval process, even if they access UDIDs. “The distinction is that they need to disclose this fact to users and ask for permission.”
Getting Apps Approved - Strategies for Success
Flurry has also done a similar client audit, and VP of marketing, Peter Farago, was quoted as saying, “There is literally not one developer’s app that we could find that had a rejection due to UDID alone.”
So What Does This Mean for Mobile App Marketers?
It’s increasingly clear that the UDID is on its way out. What’s not yet clear is the exact timeline for elimination, which technologies are going to replace it and which will receive widest adoption. As such, savvy marketers need to manage multiple technologies during this difficult transitional stage.
Here is a review of the major technologies currently being proposed in the market:
- HTML5 1st Party Cookie Tracking: This technique tracks ad performance by setting the Safari equivalent of a first party cookie. This results in accurate ad attribution with no room for ambiguity. Cookies are not device identifiers and cannot be shared with other apps. This method has the advantage of being the mobile equivalent of a commonly used and widely accepted web tracking solution, and does a good job of balancing the need for ad performance attribution with user privacy. Because it provides a direct link between clicks, installs and post-install events, it is well-suited for identifying ad sources that attract loyal users. Its major drawback is a redirect to a Safari page on the first launch of the app, which shows up as a short animated flash. It should also be noted that such an experience may be branded and integrated into the user experience. Cookie tracking is an effective solution for those focused on getting the best quality attribution for measuring ROI on media spend.
- Digital Fingerprinting: This technology matches attributes such as a user’s IP address, OS level and other data to “fingerprint” the user and statistically estimate conversions. For example, if a particular IP address clicks on an ad for an app, and then the same IP address creates an install of that app 60 seconds later, chances are good the user who clicked and the user who installed the app are one and the same. Where this gets tricky is that the data points used are not unique and can change, so there can be errors. Though this method works well for tracking simple conversions, it is not sufficiently reliable for tracking post-install events, which are critical to identifying ad sources that generate high quality, loyal users.
- MAC Address Tracking: A number of ad networks have viewed substituting the UDID with another unique identifier tied to the hardware device, the MAC Address. Some variants encrypt the address or use it as a key. The major benefit of this method is that it requires minimal change to existing infrastructure – MAC Addresses are handled in a similar manner to UDIDs. Many in the market believe that MAC Addresses carry similar privacy issues as the UDID and thus are not viewed as a long-term solution.
- OpenUDID and SecureUDID: These are technologies that offer open source implementations, a unique id, and the promise of an explicit opt-out for users. These implementations utilize the device copy/paste buffer as the location for storing this ID. Since the copy/paste buffer wasn’t intended for long-term storage, there is concern that this method may ultimately be frowned upon by Apple, but there appears to be support amongst some of the ad networks for these methods.
What’s the Right Choice?
Each of the methods above has advantages and drawbacks. Some vendors have lined up behind particular technologies and are pushing them hard as the best choice. Ideally, a single solution supported by Apple would be the best solution.
Very recently rumors have been circulating that Apple will not fully deprecate UDIDs until the launch of iOS 6, and at that time advocate a first party cookie option. But this is unconfirmed. Even if accurate, developers still need alternate solutions between now and then.
Ultimately it is the availability of traffic on the ad networks, and the corresponding technologies chosen by the networks that may drive decisions for developers.
How Are Ad Networks Voting?
Most app developers we speak to hope for one solution that will be widely adopted by the ad networks.
Fiksu works with more than 35 networks covering 90 percent of available impressions and has been actively surveying the market.
Right now, the ad networks are extremely fragmented on the best way forward. Some are taking a “wait and see” approach. Some have already invested time and effort in support of the MAC option. A number have implemented or have committed to providing changes needed for cookie tracking, and there has also been some support expressed for OpenUDID. Finally, a few are even supporting multiple technologies.
Given this state of fragmentation, we expect to see continued evolution and change across the iOS ecosystem in the coming months. As a result, finding the right mix of tracking and attribution – while ensuring sufficient market reach – has become much more difficult for marketers.
So What’s an App Marketer to Do?
First, app marketers should contact the networks or vendors they partner with, and understand what SDK changes they need to implement in order to move beyond the UDID.
For the short term, developers who want to maximize available traffic should continue to support the UDID. Despite the numerous technology and tracking announcements, the reality is that most traffic available on the market today utilizes UDID tracking – it is going to take the ad networks and the publisher sites time to settle on new solutions and to implement them.
Developers should at the same time be reviewing their ad partnerships and determine the impact to their code.
Ultimately this will be a difficult transitional stage, but one which will leave the industry with stronger user protections.
Fiksu’s Plans – Provide Full Coverage
To ensure we stay ahead of these market changes and to provide our clients with the widest range of traffic, Fiksu is rolling out a multi-prong solution, one that balances consumer privacy with the market need to attribute ad spend to identify the most profitable sources of downloads.
Rather than limit capabilities or reach by mandating use of one particular technology, we will provide a range of solutions including:
- HTML5 First Party Cookies;
- Digital Fingerprinting;
- MAC Address attribution;
- OpenUDID and SecureUDID initiatives.
Clients will have access to all of these methods, eliminating difficult decisions and tradeoffs. This will enable us to maximize reach, support the widest variety of ad networks and meet our clients’ specific needs. Stay tuned for more soon as our industry moves beyond the UDID. | <urn:uuid:d3084294-f3b5-44fb-988d-07caf730726a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.profnetconnect.com/fiksucraig/blog/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945155 | 1,700 | 1.632813 | 2 |
University of Kansas Multidisciplinary Research Building
Client: Kansas University Endowment Association
Architect: Cannon Design, Gould Evans
Size: 113,000 SF
The University of Kansas Multidisciplinary Research Building is a 4-story facility on the University of Kansas Lawrence Campus. The building is divided into three research floors and a mechanical central plant in the basement that supports potential future expansion of research facilities on the West Campus.
The first floor holds Class "100", Class "1,000", and Class "10,000" clean rooms. The second floor houses bioinformatics lab space. The third floor is dedicated to laboratory space (BSL-3, BSL-2+ and BSL-2 laboratories). Multiple chemistry lab types were constructed including pharmaceutical, analytical, bio-geo, medicinal, and biochemistry. | <urn:uuid:d505bd20-3b62-44cc-840d-db7523e45dde> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jedunn.com/portfolio/14/403311 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906518 | 169 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The facility has wide spans offering maximum assembly space while the basement is used for storage and machinery and a mezzanine offers a view of the production line.
High-performance sports cars are manufactured, painted and tested on a linear production line that dictated the building's rectilinear form.
The McLaren Technology Centre's curved surfaces and horizontal aluminium cladding reference the existing buildings on the site in Woking near London.
An underground tunnel will link the production centre to the McLaren Technology Centre, which was also designed by Foster + Partners.
Trees screen the building from the nearby road and the whole structure is sunk into the incline of the site, reducing its visual impact on the landscape.
Foster + Partners recently completed another transport facility – the world's first commercial spaceport – and also unveiled a proposal for a massive transport hub in the Thames. See all of our previous stories on Foster + Partners.
All photography is from McLaren. The drawings below are from Foster + Partners.
Here's some more information from Foster + Partners:
The McLaren Production Centre is the second building designed by Foster + Partners at McLaren’s rural site on the outskirts of London. The 34,500-square-metre facility is intended for the manufacture of a range of high-performance road cars and is located to the south-west of the existing McLaren Technology Centre. The two buildings will be connected by a subterranean walkway, lined with interactive exhibition spaces. Sharing a common language of details and materials, the new building is clad in aluminium tubes, the rounded corners of its rectilinear plan reference the curves of the Technology Centre and the entrance, echoing the existing building, is a circular glass drum beneath the overhang of the roof canopy.
The state-of-the-art McLaren Production Centre is located to the south-west of the existing McLaren Technology Centre. The two buildings are connected by a subterranean walkway and share a common language of details and materials. The entrance, echoing the existing building, is a circular glass drum beneath the overhang of the roof canopy.
As a manufacturing facility, the building is inherently flexible, with a wide span between columns and fully integrated services. The linear arrangement of the two-storey structure mirrors the flow of the production line: components are delivered; the cars are assembled, painted and tested, and then pass through a rolling road and car wash, before leaving the building. Beneath this floor there is a full basement level for storage and plant and above is a mezzanine floor with views over the production line. Every stage of production takes place under the same roof. Initially it will take 10 days for an MP4-12C to be assembled; at peak production it will be possible to build one in five days, with a new car joining the line every 45 minutes.
Although the McLaren Production Centre represents a major increase in McLaren’s capabilities at its Woking campus, the building is dug into in the gentle incline of the site, to give it a discreet presence in the landscape. The lower floor is sunk completely below ground and the superstructure is almost invisible from the nearby road, with further screening provided by extensive tree planting.
The new McLaren Production Centre is designed to be environmentally efficient. The roof collects rainwater and has been designed to integrate photovoltaic panels in future; and the building incorporates a low-energy system of displacement ventilation. No soil was removed from the site, and all excavated material has been used to conceal the building within the green-belt landscape.
Lord Foster, Founder and Chairman, Foster + Partners: “The McLaren Production Centre is a further leap forward in the evolution of industrial buildings, both socially and in terms of working conditions and technologically in its flexibility and the sophistication of its services integration. The scale and grandeur of the main hall is a fitting complement to the purity of the McLaren cars, which will emerge from its production line. This project has been a wonderful opportunity to work once again with Ron Dennis, who is a great patron and friend. It is a testament to a fantastic team effort that this production centre was achieved in just twelve months.”
David Nelson, Head of Design at Foster + Partners, said: “It has been great to have the opportunity to build on the success of the Technology Centre by continuing our collaboration with McLaren, particularly our close working relationship with Ron Dennis. The project presented a unique set of challenges, from the constraints of the site to the operational demands of the different processes. McLaren’s work is incredibly precise – in many ways, the production line is like an operating theatre – the architecture reflects this with an industrial building of the highest quality in every detail. As well as drawing on the understanding we gained with the Technology Centre, the Production Centre echoes its minimal aesthetic – visually, they can be seen as a family of buildings, unified by a common language of finishes and a consistent materials palette.”
Nigel Dancey, a design director at Foster + Partners, said: “It is a privilege to design two companion buildings for the same client and it has been a great experience. While the McLaren Technology Centre took six years to design and build, the fast- track programme meant that the McLaren Production Centre was completed in a third of the time. The same team has worked on both buildings and this continuity has helped to make this ambitious timescale possible. We were also able to draw on the wider capabilities of our studio: the McLaren Production Centre is a great example of integrated design, with services built into the structure to create a highly flexible space.”
Click above for larger image
Iwan Jones, a partner at Foster + Partners, said: “Our intention was to design a new kind of industrial building, which would be an elegant addition to the McLaren Technology Centre. The two buildings are physically connected by a 100-metre- long tunnel and unified by a common architectural language – we established a ‘kit-of-parts’ system for the project, a family of finishes and details. By optimising structural spans to allow a largely clear floor space, we have essentially created a big empty box, with services integrated within the structural zones, wall and floor voids.
Click above for larger image
This flexible form ensures that the building is also highly cost efficient – it will support McLaren’s production needs today and in the future. And the experience of the finished McLaren Production Centre is equally impressive. You don't realise its scale until you are actually inside the assembly hall, where visitors will have a fantastic view of the different processes from the viewing gallery.” | <urn:uuid:491d83a2-e8f5-4f61-b405-62587947e1b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dezeen.com/2011/11/17/mclaren-production-centre-by-foster-partners/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954848 | 1,354 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Editor's note: Richard W. Pound was the founding president of the World Anti-Doping Agency and is a member of its Foundation Board.
(CNN) -- Now that Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, has been thoroughly disgraced, one must ask: Has anyone learned anything?
In August, the United States Anti-Doping Agency announced that it had disqualified Lance Armstrong for his use of performance-enhancing drugs. His Tour de France victories were canceled, and he was banned from further competition in all Olympic sports. The agency announced that it would soon release its "reasoned decision," which it did on October 10.
Shortly before the anti-doping agency announcement, Armstrong announced that he would not respond to any decision taken. He was, he said, putting cycling behind him and moving on with his life promoting the fight against cancer.
Interestingly enough, however, Armstrong had mounted an aggressive and desperate legal campaign to prevent the arbitration process (to which he is subject pursuant to cycling rules and the provisions of the World Anti-Doping Code) from proceeding. His first attempt in the district court in Texas was thrown out. The judge found that the lengthy document, filled with purple prose, was unacceptable, both as to length, but, more important, content and tone. An abbreviated document was then filed. The action was defended by the agency. Armstrong lost.
The anti-doping agency's reasoned decision is a well prepared, well written, compelling document. Its statements and conclusions are supported by documentary evidence, scientific data and sworn affidavits -- more than a thousand pages in all. It is a shocking indictment of the conduct of the U.S. Postal Service cycling team and the riders and officials surrounding it. According to the agency report, Armstrong was not only complicit, but a leader who enforced the use of the performance-enhancing drugs. The conclusions of the report appear unassailable. Armstrong, who had an opportunity to challenge the findings, abandoned the field, in a complete reversal of all his previous conduct.
The International Cycling Union has until Halloween to decide whether it will accept the agency's decision. The World Anti-Doping Agency has a further three weeks to intervene, should the cycling union act in a manner which it believes to be incorrect. But the cycling union has already compromised itself by declaring in advance that the United States Anti-Doping Agency process was unsatisfactory. Any appeal which it might institute will lead to a far more searching investigation into its own activities than it is likely to relish.
While we wait for the outcome of that end-game, there are already some lessons to be learned.
1. This day of Armstrong's disgrace has been coming for some time. It would undoubtedly have come sooner but for the fact that the United States is arguably the most litigious country in the world. In order to make its statements regarding Armstrong, the U.S. anti-doping agency had to be more than certain of its facts. That takes time and careful research. There had been too much smoke for too long for unbiased observers not to believe that there must be some fire, as well. What they perhaps did not expect was the resulting conflagration.
2. You can intimidate some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time. Some who would have been willing to talk about Armstrong could not afford to defend against actual or threatened lawsuits. Some needed the jobs they had, which would be at risk or disappear if Armstrong wanted that to happen. Others were not willing to risk the harassment and abuse that came from crossing him.
3. The cheating involved was highly organized, well financed and well-coordinated. It was not simply a few athletes trying to get an edge by surreptitious use of banned substances. Instead it was an essential part of the USPS team strategy, and it involved participants in several countries, all working to achieve better competitive results by deliberately breaking agreed upon rules at the expense of athletes who competed clean.
4. The Armstrong and USPS revelations are so well documented that the cycling union officials have an all but insurmountable challenge if they seek to deny them or to try to sweep them under the carpet. Some of the claims in the report raise questions about whether there was involvement or awareness of the part of the union itself. What will the union do about that? A tougher question yet is whether they can credibly believe that the USPS team was the only team in the peloton that used drugs.
5. But the real question is how -- how? -- could the leading cycling officials, those most familiar with the sport and its riders, not have been aware of the nature and extent to which their sport was compromised?
Stay tuned. This is far from over, and there likely will be even more to be learned from this sordid affair.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Richard W. Pound. | <urn:uuid:942b2ad9-4b3e-4b7b-99de-e0c07c223f04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/17/opinion/pound-armstrong-doping/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981891 | 1,020 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Last month, it was the little wind farm. A week ago, the waste management infrastructure. Now, it's a 427-foot wind turbine once slated for Olympic Park. Everywhere you look, London's 2012 Olympics have scrapped or hedged on some aspect of their environmental goals, casting doubt on whether there's even such a thing as Green Games.
London won the Olympic bid in
2005 on a platform of sustainability, pushing itself onto the
International Olympic Committee as a model of eco-chic and onto the
British public as a chance to redevelop the seedier parts of the city.
The government vowed to "transform the heart of East London" and "make
the Olympic Park a blueprint for sustainable living." It would be, they
said, the "greenest games in modern times."
Five years on, there've been plenty of incremental successes -- Hopkins Architects's velodrome (above) is light as a feather and NORD's recently completed substation (below) made clever use of demolition scrap from Kings Yard -- but there've also been plenty of failures. Olympic Park's energy hub will run on gas, instead of biogas. Wind-power ambitions have been scaled back. And the roof of Zaha Hadid's feted aquatic park (top image) is made out of ungodly amounts of steel, each ton its own little environmental nightmare. Same story with Anish Kapoor's Orbit tower (bottom image).
The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 released a report last week (which you can download here) applauding the Games's progress on environmental issues at the same time that it expressed serious reservations. With few exceptions, there is "no comprehensive plan" for new waste management in east London or for Olympic Park's so-called "blueprint for sustainable living," the report says -- which were big selling points for London in the first place. "Having an Olympics is an inherently unsustainable thing to do. To build all this stuff to watch some people run around – what's sustainable about that?" commission head Shaun McCarthy told the UK Guardian. "We have to ask ourselves is it good enough just to have some great sustainable venues and put on a sustainable games which we are increasingly confident about, or will the Olympics really make a difference?"
In many ways, it's an old story. Ask anyone in Montreal or Athens, and they'll tell you, the Olympics are a high-stakes gamble, and the house almost always wins. London, with its lofty environmentalism, was supposed to be different. It still might be. But time's starting to run out. And Almost Green Games just doesn't have the same ring.
[Via UK Guardian] | <urn:uuid:1dc173c2-73b4-43e8-8fe5-808484ad19f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fastcompany.com/1656533/will-london-olympics-live-its-green-ambitions | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959755 | 546 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Ocean State Voters Give Higher Priority to Investments in Children Than to a Large Tax Cut
For more information, contact
May 2, 2001, Providence, RI --
A majority of Rhode Island's voters- 83%- would be willing to support a smaller tax cut by Congress in order to fund programs that reduce child abuse and neglect, according to a public opinion poll released today by the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA). The survey, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, found that residents of the Ocean State would be willing to give up potential large tax cuts if it meant that the needs of Rhode Island's most vulnerable children, youth, and families would be better served.
The poll sampled voter attitudes toward funding levels for various children's services in the state, such as child protection, Head Start, and after school programs, in relation to proposed tax cuts now before Congress. Regardless of their age group or party affiliation, the state's voters favored investing in programs to help children and families. Three out of four voters (79%) said they would support a smaller tax cut if it meant more funding for after school, child care, and school readiness programs such as Head Start. In contrast, less than half (48.6%) would support a smaller tax cut in order to build new highways, and only about one-third (37.9%) would support a smaller tax cut if it meant more funds for advanced military weapons and the national missile defense shield.
"This poll confirms our belief that most people would prefer helping distressed children and families to taking the largest tax cut possible. It's about investments in all of our futures. Once again, the public is way ahead of many politicians," commented CWLA Deputy Director Michael Petit. Seventy-seven percent of those responding believed that "government has a role in preventing and treating child abuse and neglect."
Petit was joined by Sanford Newman, president of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a national, anti-crime organization. Newman said Rhode Island Senators Jack Reed and Lincoln Chafee may hold the balance of power when it comes to deciding how much Congress will spend on children next year and for many years thereafter. Last month, Rhode Island's Senators voted to restrain the tax cut's size so America could invest in helping its kids get the right start in life. Law enforcement and crime victims know every American has a stake in asking Rhode Island's Senators to hold their ground and put kids first.
The more than 1,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and victims of violence who make up Fight Crime: Invest in Kids believe America can dramatically reduce crime and violence by helping kids get the right start in life so they never become criminals.
Other participants were James Harris, Executive Director, Rhode Island Council on Residential Programs for Children and Youth; Rene M. Lafayette, High Sheriff, Providence County Sheriff's Department; Chief Gary Dias, East Providence Chief of Police; and Rhode Island General Assembly Member Antonio J. Pires. Several of CWLA's Rhode Island-based member agencies also participated in the event.
The polling took place between April 23 and April 25 and involved more than 600 registered voters throughout Rhode Island. The poll is accurate to ±4 percentage points for the entire sample.
Established in 1920, the Child Welfare League of America is the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization. Headquartered in Washington, DC, CWLA strives to advance sound public policy on behalf of the more than three million abused, neglected and vulnerable children served by its more than 1,150 public and private member agencies. To further its mission of preserving, protecting, and promoting the well-being of all children and families, CWLA conducts research, develops standards of best practice, hosts regional and national conferences, provides comprehensive, field-based consultation and professional development services, and is the largest publisher of child welfare materials in North America.
For additional information, please contact the CWLA Press Office at 202/942-0244 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org.
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The Lung (9781872468013)
Publisher: Monkey Press
This book begins with a look at the second chapter of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, Neijing Suwen chapter 2, and discusses the movements of heaven and earth in autumn, and the lung's need for clarity and abundant qi at this time.
The five phase resonances of metal and lung as set out in Suwen chapter 5 are examined in detail, showing the movement of condensation and concentration through the west, dryness, acrid and so on, right up to the diffusion of qi and fluids at the level of skin and body hair.
The description of the lung as minister and chancellor in Suwen chapter 8 is discussed, as are its relationships with the seven po and the jing. The lung's mastery of qi is discussed fully with particular reference to the sea of qi in the chest, and to ancestral (zong), nutritive (ying) and defensive (wei) qi. Its roles as a 'canopy', as a leader, and as a judge are also presented,
An appendix summarizes the lung's functions and pathology, and an index is given for all Chinese characters and main concepts.
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People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often have trouble dealing with emotions. The way people with BPD deal with unpleasant emotions may affect their recovery.
Depression may get in the way of a person’s ability to work. A recent study asked people with depression about their work history.
There are many types of therapy out there. It can be hard to know which one to choose. A recent study looked at emotion regulation training for teens with borderline personality symptoms.
If making an appointment to see the psychiatrist or therapist for your regular therapy is a hassle, here's some good news. A phone therapy session may be just as helpful.
Doesn’t watching TV make people couch potatoes? But it feels so good to sit and chill out for a while. Maybe it’s not all bad and there’s something to enjoying the occasional re-run. | <urn:uuid:d8e6077d-c338-44dd-b095-6aaca289a270> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailyrx.com/conditions/borderline-personality-disorder | 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 | 0.959346 | 181 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Protecting the local water supply
“Complejo El Playón” near San Salvador is a protected area which is important for the natural water recharge of the aquifer which supplies local communities with water. However, in recent years the area has witnessed environmental degradation due to deforestation and the creation of new human settlements within the park. This poses a significant risk to the local water supply.
In response to the increasing degradation and recognising the environmental importance of the park, Industrias La Constancia has worked with a number of local partners to implement an environmental payment scheme.
The scheme aims to recognise the environmental benefits of sustainable land use. This includes water protection and promoting biodiversity conservation. As part of the project, indigenous trees have also been planted and rangers have been appointed to monitor land use within the park.
Our priorities: Water
Strengthening local entrepreneurs
Near to one of Industrias La Constancia’s distribution centres in Soyapango, the Veracruz community is an area of high levels of poverty and crime. To help address some of the problems, Industrias La Constancia has begun a programme to develop local entrepreneurs.
Working in partnership with a local NGO (ASISTEDCOS) a community survey was initially conducted to identify suitable beneficiaries for grants. During 2010, 25 new businesses were created in the programme, benefiting approximately 75 individuals and their families. The businesses were predominantly small retailers selling food and beverages.
In addition, the programme also includes the promotion of healthy activities for younger members of the community. This has included the donation of sports kits, footballs and goals for and equipment for music and dance lessons in the Community Centre.
Our priorities: communities
Human rights in the supply chain
Industrias La Constancia (ILC), in El Salvador, which has brewed Pilsener for more than 100 years, has worked in partnership with the El Salvador Sugar Association and the local government to ensure appropriate labour standards - and, in particular, a prohibition on underage labour – are in place within sugar cane plantations throughout the country.
We have worked in partnership with Coca-Cola to build awareness of the issue, monitoring the cane plantations and supporting education and alternative production projects. These are particularly important as they create viable alternatives for generating family income without relying on children's wages. Nearly 6,000 underage workers have so far been withdrawn from work as a result. | <urn:uuid:8f0f566c-622b-428d-a79d-f7b42ef79f4b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sabmiller.com/index.asp?pageid=625&year=2011 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949783 | 494 | 2.15625 | 2 |
Nothing Says Love Like Great Public Policy
While cards and flowers are fine Mother’s Day gifts, public policies that make life better for moms are the best way to honor all they do.
3 Facts About Religion and Violent Extremism
In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, it’s important to keep the facts straight about the complexities of terrorism.
Advocates Continue Efforts to Prevent Gun Violence
In the wake of last week’s Senate vote against legislation to prevent gun violence, Americans must remember that their efforts to reduce gun violence are a marathon, not a sprint.
Thou Shall Not Kill: Faith Groups and Gun-Violence Prevention
Issue Brief In this brief, we examine the efforts of faith-based groups to prevent deaths caused by firearms through their work as first-responders, advocates, and prophetic voices against the scourge of gun violence.
Is Creativity or Obedience More Important?
Probing and honest conversation is key to fostering real understanding between people.
Reproductive Justice, Religious Liberty, and Pluralistic Democracy
Sally Steenland talks with Rabbi Dennis Ross, a religious advocate and congregational rabbi, in the third interview in a podcast series discussing the current state of the reproductive health, rights, and justice movement.
The Dark Side of ‘Bright Young Things’
Progressives should speak out about the commercial targeting of youth instead of shying away from a fight about deregulation and the “nanny state.”
Faith Leaders Calling for an End to Gun Violence
Voices in faith communities across America are loudly speaking out about how gun violence affects them and why we need a real solution now.
‘Girls’ Needs to Glance Away from the Mirror
Even the created reality of a television show can benefit from a diverse worldview.
Selection of New Pope Underscores a Shortcoming of Church Rules
A leadership devoid of women seriously undermines the Catholic Church’s mission and future.
13 Progressive Faith Leaders to Watch in 2013
These faith leaders can be expected to continue leading the progressive charge for economic, social, and environmental justice in 2013 and beyond.
Misusing Religious Freedom to Cloak Intolerance
Opposing gay and transgender equality under the guise of religious freedom has deep roots stretching back more than 50 years.
The Rise of ‘New Values Voters’
Issue Brief The election results in November were a sign that faith aligned with progressive values is alive and well in the public square. Likewise, the results underscore the rejection of religious and political extremism.
Searching for Answers After the Sandy Hook Tragedy
The senseless shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, has forced all of us to confront unspeakable tragedy and unanswerable questions.
Muslim Americans Bridging Communities Through Art and Music
A number of Muslim Americans are using art as a point of connection, not discord, between Muslims and non-Muslims in the United States. | <urn:uuid:874bf4d8-ff2a-4274-8dbd-824d3798f4f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americanprogress.org/projects/faith/view/?tag=public-life | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911711 | 606 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Chronicles of Oklahoma
Volume 17, No. 3
THE STATUE OF WILL ROGERS
Paula McSpadden Love
Once again Oklahoma was privileged to participate in one of those rare historical occasions when the state's highest ranking
officials, citizens, loved ones and devoted friends gathered in Washington, District of Columbia, June 6, 1939, to unveil
the Jo Davidson statue of Will Rogers.
Events had been carefully planned because this day was important not only to Oklahoma but to the nation at large. Will Rogers,
though a native Oklahoman, belonged to the world and this fact was quite evident by the vast throng that crowded the Rotunda
of the nation's Capitol long before the hour set for the program.
At 2:30 the Navy band opened their program in which they featured such numbers as "Will Rogers" by Pryor; "Oklahoma I Love
You" by Opal Willifred Harrison; an arrangement of "Old Faithful" and several other well known airs.
Presiding over the assembly was Walter Harrison, Secretary of the Will Rogers Memorial Commission, who spoke in clear, distinct
tones as he announced and introduced each number.
The Reverend Ze Barney Thorne Phillips, Chaplain of the U.S. Senate opened the program with a prayer of inspiration. His deep,
resonant voice put into words the sentiment of the people, as they sat with heads bowed and listened to the words of praise
and thanksgiving . . . . "We thank Thee for this priceless heritage of splendid Christian manhood bequeathed to us, his fellowmen,
for his unsullied ideals, his devotion to his home and loved ones, his never failing humor, transfiguring his nature and potent
thought, and above all his vibrant personality, weaving its wholesomeness into the warp and woof of myriads of lives. And
as we unveil and dedicate this statue in this holy shrine at the Nation's capitol, accept we beseech Thee, the dedication
of our lives unto Thee and to the service of our country and grant us to live in such a state that we may never be afraid
to die, so that the living and dying, we may be thine through Jesus, Christ, our Lord."
Mr. Norris Henthorne, Chairman of the Will Rogers Memorial Commission was the first speaker on the program. He gave a brief
but very comprehensive review of the state's activities in connection with perpetuating the memory of Will Rogers. He made
mention that, "twenty-two years ago today, at this same hour, citizens of Oklahoma came to Washington and gave to the nation
a statue of
Sequoyah, native American, Cherokee Indian and author of the Cherokee alphabet. This morning citizens of Oklahoma, including
members of the old Cherokee Indian nation, placed a wreath at the base of this statue, thus again honoring that other eminent
Oklahoman who has been counted among the great of the nation by being placed in Statuary Hall." He told of the Will Rogers
Memorial at Claremore and concluded his address by the following: "The ceremony today exemplifies the feeling of all of Oklahoma.
We are proud to have the nation share with us the respect in which Will Rogers was held by our people. No more suitable words
could be used in portraying the feeling of Oklahoma towards Will Rogers than the words carried in the bronze on the door of
the Memorial in Claremore: 'Built by the people of Oklahoma in tribute to Will Rogers, Native Son and World Citizen.' "
Chairman Harrison then called on the Governor of the State of Oklahoma, the Honorable Leon C. Phillips.
The state's chief executive felt the grave responsibility of the hour and in his address conveyed the deep respect, high esteem
and genuine appreciation for Oklahoma's favorite son. He characterized Will Rogers as "the archtype of the American people,
the plain and kindly spokesman of the inarticulate." Continuing he said, "Will Rogers was born with the elements of greatness
in him. He is one more irrefutable example of the fact to which we as citizens of a democracy unwaveringly adhere, that out
of the humblest heritage and simplest circumstances can come great characters who will revive our faith, enlighten our thinking
and fire our souls to action." He cited examples of the love Will Rogers had for his home state; he spoke of his loyalty to
family and friends and recalled how his great heart was torn when the nation was in trouble and his fellowmen in distress.
"He developed a personality from which the false, the pretentious, the silly and the ostentatious fell away," Governor Phillips
commented. "Neither carping criticism nor scorn marked his judgment of his fellows, but only a kindly tolerance edged with
illuminating wit." The climax of his address reached a note of grandeur as he concluded with the following tribute, "When
the great Winnower of human achievement has sifted out the truly great from the chaff of contemporary heroes; when the Great
Recorder has penned the record of those whom the Winnower has chosen, the name of Will Rogers, the great American, beloved
of his fellows, will be etched in the Book of Fame, imperishable and undimmed. There, writ large neath it in letters that
gleam with the idealism and reawakened faith he fostered, will be inscribed the qualities that brought him from the obscure
village on the frontier plain to the forefront of human love and affection everywhere . . . . Simplicity, understanding, loyalty,
and love of his fellow man. It is with this conviction that I commend Oklahoma's, America's, Will Rogers to the timeless ranks
of the immortals."
Chairman Harrison called on Mrs. Sallie McSpadden, the 75 year old sister of Will Rogers of Chelsea, Oklahoma, to unveil the
bronze. In his introduction of this typical Oklahoman who is so well known and loved in her state, Mr. Harrison remarked,
"Among the living none merits participation in the ceremony more than Mrs. Sallie McSpadden, the elder sister of the late
Will Rogers. She filled as best she could the departed mother's place; she moulded Will's early years. She was always Will's
devoted love. Sister Sallie will unveil the bronze with the assistance of Mr. Will Hays, representing the Motion Picture Producers
of the United States."
As the American flag was drawn slowly aside to reveal the remarkable likeness of America's most beloved citizen, a hush of
deep veneration fell upon the interested spectators. After a dramatic second, the Navy band burst into "The Star Spangled
Banner" and the crowd rose simultaneously in loving respect and heartfelt emotion.
Mr. Harrison then presented Senator Allen Barkley of the U. S. Senate. He first brought out the fact that out of the 72 statues
occupying places in the Hall of Fame, 60 were office holders of one type or another and only 12 out of the 72 were private
citizens of the United States. "The statue which we are unveiling today," remarked Senator Barkley, "is the twelfth among
those which have been placed in the capitol by the states which have selected the representative to honor them in this American
Hall of Fame. Will Rogers represents, in this capitol the twelve men or women who never held official position under any state
or under the nation, and as I look upon this wonderful statue, which I had the privilege to see in Paris just as Jo Davidson
completed it, it seems that I am standing in the presence of Will Rogers."
Senator Barkley was talking about his friend; he was speaking of one whom he loved or he could not have put such feeling into
words as he soared in his declamation. "Not only was he an intimate and a confidant of kings and of presidents and of governors,
senators, members of the House of Representatives, and members of the Legislature; not only was he the friend and the confidant
of the humbler men and women, not only of our country but of the world. But even greater than these, he was the friend of
the children, and no man was ever a friend of children in this world who was not a good man, a noble man. He gave of his wealth,
he gave of his time, he gave of his talents, he gave of his great heart to make America a better place in which to live and
he carried to every nation which he visited, and he visited nearly all the nations in the world, that same spirit of nobility
and of comradeship which made those who could not speak his language understand his heart and appreciate his soul.
"And so today, Governor Phillips, ladies and gentlemen, I have
the honor and the privilege as Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library, to accept this beautiful statue of this great
American, not only in the name of the Joint Committee on the Library, but in the name of the American Congress, in the name
of the American Government, and in the name of the American people, and I accept it in gratitude not to Oklahoma alone, not
for this beautiful statue which represents Will Rogers but I accept it in gratitude for the noble and immortal life which
Following this address the audience listened to Joe Benton, native Oklahoman, and a member of the Metropolitan Grand Opera
Company, sing two numbers, "Good Will to Men" by Geoffrey O'Hara and "The Lord's Prayer" by Melant. He was accompanied by
After taking a panorama of the vast crowd that packed the Rotunda Walter Harrison introduced, Luther Harrison, a former Oklahoma
legislator, educator, and at present editorial writer on the Daily Oklahoman. In his address he traced the development of Statuary Hall and emphasized the fact that the statue of George Washington was
the only one placed there by the unanimous choice of all America.
"But today, sons and daughters of Oklahoma," the slender orator continued, "Oklahoma presents a companion to George Washington,
who is the unanimous choice of the people of the United States." A spontaneous and vigorous applause greeted this remark and
Mr. Harrison went on in his discourse. "Speakers more gifted than I have attempted this afternoon to explain why this man,
who never held an office, became so preeminently great. Perhaps that itself is the explanation, who knows? But if you would
understand Will Rogers, you will have to go back 500 years to the Southern Passes of the Appalachians. For 500 years before
the star of Oklahoma burst forth in the firmament, 500 years before this preeminent American was born out on the plains of
Oklahoma, the Cherokee people as proud, as grave, as courteous, as dignified as any race that ever walked the earth, were
maintaining republican government, which is democratic government in the fair land of the Southern Appalachians." He spoke
at length of the Indian heritage which was in the Rogers blood, the "Trail of Tears," the movement from the Mississippi, on
to the Arkansas, the Grand and finally the Verdigris. He spoke of the call of the "Northern Lights" and how Will Rogers with
Wiley Post left his home "in the land of the sunset, away from the sandy shores and the orange groves of mystic California,
out beyond the primeval forest that guards the Columbia, out beyond the harbors of Vancouver, and beyond the frozen tundras
of Alaska, up to the very verge of the polar ocean" to meet his destiny. And in a voice steeped with emotion he completed
his remarks. "And
we who knew him can hardly doubt that when the call came for him to meet his Maker, he entered the presence of his Maker with
a stainless heart and with his inimitable whimsical smile.
"We present today, the companion of George Washington, the greatest private American citizen, a man of whom there are all
too few, a man whose kindly spirit is looking down in sympathy on us this afternoon. So God accept him and Christ receive
Luther Harrison's address was the fitting climax of a beautiful and meaningful program. He had put into words that poetical
aspect of the nature of Will Rogers that others had omitted. With the pronouncing of the benediction, the Navy band played
"Stars and Stripes Forever" and the ceremonies were adjourned.
And so Will Rogers in bronze is in the Hall of Fame, placed there by the acclamation of the American people who loved and
honored him. Standing in the characteristic pose fashioned by the artistic hands of Jo Davidson, he will look down upon an
admiring public in the years to come. Who better deserves a place in the nation's Hall of Fame, than this kindly philosopher
who will live forever in the hearts and minds of the people for he wrote his own opitaph in those immortal words, "I never
met a man I didn't like."1
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The Competition Commission (CC) has decided to clear the proposed merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation in the UK.
Both Ticketmaster and Live Nation operate in the live music and entertainment industry. Ticketmaster is a ticketing agent, whilst Live Nation is a live music promoter and venue operator. The companies are headquartered in the USA and, in addition to the CC inquiry, the merger is being investigated by competition authorities across the Atlantic.
Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the Office of Fair Trading may refer to the CC completed or proposed mergers for investigation and report which create or enhance a 25% share of supply in the UK (or a substantial part thereof) or where the UK turnover associated with the enterprise being acquired is over £70 million.
In its final report, the CC has concluded the Ticketmaster / Live Nation merger will not result in a substantial lessening of competition in the market for live music ticket retailing or in any other market in the UK, including live music promotion and live music venues.
Prior to the proposed merger, Live Nation signed an agreement with Ticketmaster's largest global competitor, CTS Eventim (Eventim), headquartered in Germany, consequent to which Eventim is planning to enter the UK for the first time. Under the agreement, Eventim will provide Live Nation with ticketing software and services, enabling Live Nation to sell its own tickets. Eventim will also be allocated a proportion of Live Nation's tickets to sell to consumers.
The CC found the merger will make little difference to the prospects of Eventim's success in the UK. Although Live Nation's incentives will change as a result of the merger, the CC reports the merged entity will have little scope to affect Eventim as, under the agreement, Eventim will continue to receive a fee for every Live Nation ticket sold and Live Nation will continue to be obliged to allocate a minimum number of tickets to Eventim.
In clearing the merger, the CC's conclusion has changed from its provisional decision, published for consultation in October, in which it expressed concern that the merger could inhibit the entry of Eventim into the UK. In response to this consultation, the CC received significant new evidence and arguments.
When considered alongside the existing evidence, the CC found, among other things, that prior to the announcement of the merger Live Nation had never intended to support Eventim's entry into the UK beyond its obligations under the agreement, which would remain unchanged by the merger.
The CC also concluded that although the merged entity might be able to use its position as a ticket retailer, promoter and venue operator to harm its competitors in different parts of the supply chain - either by reducing the supply of its services or by supplying its services on worse terms - it would not have the financial incentive to do so. Specifically, the CC found that if the merged entity tried to harm its competitors in these ways, it would suffer significant short-term losses in pursuit of very uncertain long-term gains. | <urn:uuid:40741cc8-8067-4a1d-938c-a55a0a9765a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.findlaw.co.uk/solicitor/2009/12/ticketmaster-live-nation-merger-approved.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960948 | 599 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Funding for a portion of this collection came from a Local History Digital Resource Project grant . The Local History Digital Resource Project is supported by the U. S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. For more information, please visit: http://www.califa.org/lhdrp.php
Brownson Settlement House,Nov.29, 1919. Is it the least bit interesting and pregnant with meaning to an American tohear that his dark skinned brother from Mexico is reading the classics, is reading about the same heroes, and is living in the same books as his American brother is? It was at the Brownson Settlement House on Friday afternoon that I watched the children in the library department. Most of the children came into the libra-ry ready to change their books for [strikethrough: another] others just as good. One little group sat on the floor enjoying the highly colored picture book, another group of larger boys were enthusiastically talking about Tom Sawyer and how he got his fence whitewashed, while another group of girls were talking how they had formed a story reading club-- the largest of the group having read after school to the smaller ones.Upon investigating [strikethrough: o] I discovered that fairy tales are in greatest demand. That Brownson House with its capable librarian who knows the children and what they most enjoy from her eight hundred volumes,that Brownson House is able to furnish dreams and air castles for children who live in mere shacks andhave so little of material luxury is rather significant. It is the dream that helps one to live down the unhappy present condition; it is the dream that helps one to rise and find that air castle in some form or other later on. It is therefore significant that our Mexicans are given an op-portunity to dream and live in castles in the sky, and one day from those dreams they will rise up above the shacks into the realms of America's highest ideals. | <urn:uuid:3a8906dc-2c11-4d51-95e0-2373d6353f3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digitalcollections.lmu.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/catholic/id/3/rec/4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960498 | 416 | 2.625 | 3 |
Laurence Aurbach's blog
Most CNU members know that CNU partnered with the US Green Building Council to produce LEED-ND. But did you know the USGBC also created a new category of credits (Location and Transportation) in all of its other rating systems? And that the USGBC set up a new committee (Location and Planning Technical Advisory Group) to administer and revise those credits?
Intersection density makes surprising news in a study by the formidable academic duo of Reid Ewing and Robert Cervero.
Dense and Beautiful Stormwater Management
By Laurence Aurbach
Ped Shed Blog, Friday May 14, 2010
To encourage informed participation in the LEED-ND vote, the CNU DC Chapter has released An Introduction to LEED-ND for CNU Members.
The essay "Towards a Functional Classification Replacement" is online in three parts at the Ped Shed blog.
This essay discusses the reasons for neighborhood ratings, which can be grouped into six broadly overlapping categories: communication, recognition, planning, marketing, research and investing.
This essay is the first attempt (to the best of my knowledge) to mount a comprehensive counterargument to intersection spacing standards on the grounds of crash safety. Comments and feedback are requested.
Redwood City's Free-Market Parking Meters
By Laurence Aurbach, 3 Apr 2007
At first glance the notion of free-market parking meters seems impossibly arcane. But as Donald Shoup pointed out in a recent NY Times editorial, "cruising for curb parking generates about 30 percent of the traffic in central business districts." Shoup studied Westwood Village, next to the UCLA campus, and found that drivers searching for curb parking created 950,000 excess vehicle miles of travel per year. That's equivalent to 38 trips around the earth, taking place in just one retail district in L.A. | <urn:uuid:ffb42c24-b1ae-4375-80f3-f953d896044c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnu.org/blog/1869 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917703 | 386 | 1.695313 | 2 |
The amount of electronic information that can be delivered is dizzying — electronic medical records, test results, imaging. But one company believes it has found a way to deliver this information in the context of educational materials to ease patients into a better understanding of a newly diagnosed or updated condition to ensure they process it at a pace that’s manageable. Irish company Lincor Solutions seeks to capitalize on the growing digital footprint patient carry around with them thinks the bedside is a good place to start to help hospitals manage the dissemination of that information.
Edison Ventures in Lawrenceville, New Jersey pumped $9.5 million into Lincor Solutions so the nine-year old company can expand its platform across the US. It will locate its US headquarters in Nashville, TN and maintain research, development and sales offices in Cork, Ireland. The funds will also be used to to support product development, and to provide liquidity for existing shareholders.
Lincor’s MEDIVista platform has secure image archiving, integration to communication, medical records and hospital management systems for hospitals and providers. The company offers patients multimedia entertainment, education and communications services.
“A big challenge in healthcare is data integration,” noted Edison Ventures Principal Lenard Marcus in a phone interview. “What Lincor does is act as a point of consolidation with one window [through] which patients can receive firsthand data and learn more about their disease state and condition and enable physicians and nurses to have bedside conversations with them. In my view…it enables you to have a point of consolidation and the bedside is an ideal place.”
Marcus added that Lincor’s tool can also help boost reimbursement for providers because it can improve adherence, engage patients and reduce the likelihood of needless readmission. Lincor’s products are currently deployed in over 100 hospitals around the world.
Health IT has been a big priority for Edison Ventures in recent years and marks its 30th investment in health IT companies. Health IT businesses that currently number among Edison Ventures’ portfolio companies include pharmaceutical interactive marketing business Cadient, Web-based life science education company ClearPoint, customer data integration provider Health Market Science, Life science contract solutions iContracts, cost management business PHX and Verilogue — a physian patient communication business. | <urn:uuid:cc771195-bcc5-4b4d-ad74-7f5ff13085d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://medcitynews.com/2013/03/irish-co-that-delivers-patient-education-in-context-to-captive-audience-gets-9-5m-from-nj-venture-firm-video/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935022 | 471 | 1.570313 | 2 |
- A new standard of enforcement for existing rules.
The league promises zero tolerance for hooking, holding, tripping, slashing, cross checking and interference. Players who use their stick or free hand to slow any opposing player will be penalized.
The Case: Time to put an end to the grappling, wrestling and bear-hugging that sucks the speed and skill from the game.
Impact: Initially it means way more penalties, which turns the power play into the most important tool on any NHL team. If the new standard is permanent, it will definitely open up the offensive play.
Down Side: What good is a hockey game if you can't hit anybody? Half the appeal is watching the stars succeed in a physically brutal environment. And who needs the constant parade to the penalty box? Do we want every night to look like the annual NHL All Star Game, always a contact-free, wide open, high-scoring, and painfully boring affair?
- Tie games are decided by a shootout.
Regular season games continue as before: 60 minutes of regulation time followed by five minutes of 4-on-4 overtime to break a tie. If it remains tied, a shootout determines the winner.
The shootout explained
The Case: Nobody likes ties. Everybody loves penalty shots. Or so it's said.
Impact: Should be a big hit with the fans. Goal scorers will enjoy it. Tie games are eliminated, though the NHL will continue to award one point for a shootout or overtime loss.
Down Side: Most NHL execs used to dismiss the shootout as a cheap gimmick. The shootout remains controversial, with some concern that its novelty will fade if fans see it too often. And what effect will it have on the preceding game? Might some teams play a conservative defensive style, prefering to guarantee one point and take their chances with a shootout?
- The two-line pass is legal.
The red line at center ice remains, but used for icing calls only. A pass from the defensive zone all the way to the opposing blue line is legal. This is also the rule in the NCAA, international hockey and Europe.
The Case: The dreaded neutral zone trap clogs the ice and destroys hockey's entertainment value. With the long pass, defending the neutral zone becomes harder. The game needs more breakaways and more speed.
Impact: Longer passes favor teams with speed and skill, creating quick attacks and more end-to-end action in general.
Down Side: Some say the two-line pass leads to a more conservative game: defending teams abandon the forecheck and spread players back through the neutral zone to guard against the long pass. Also, teams can use the long pass as a sort of "legal icing" - the defenseman throws the puck up ice, and the forward simply chips it into the opposing zone.
- Goaltender leg pads, blockers, catching gloves and jerseys are all cut down in size.
The Case: Compared to his forebears, today's goalie fills far too much of the net. The limit on leg pads was increased from 10 to 12 inches in 1989. They are now reduced to 11 inches. Sweaters and otehr pads also shrink.
Impact: Hard to say. Today's great goaltending is mostly due to athleticism and good coaching. But smaller leg pads could expose more of the bottom half of the net. After a couple of months, the NHL's best shooters should be asked if they see any more room down low.
Down Side: Some goaltenders complain that smaller equipment leaves them more vulnerable to injury. The move also fuels a persecution complex among goaltenders.
- Goaltenders cannot handle the puck behind the goal line, except in a restricted area.
The Case: Goalies have too much control in their zone. They play the puck like defensemen, handing it off to teammates, shooting it out, making forward passes. They do so with immunity, protected by goaltender interference rules. Many say the goalie should be declared "fair game" - outside his crease, he should be open to bodychecking and puck battles. But NHL GMs will never increase the injury risk for their most important assets.
Impact: The idea is to encourage forechecking. If the goalie can't play a shoot-in, the attackers have a better chance to retrieve the puck. But this rule still allows goalies to play the puck in a zone directly behind the net. The restriction is a minor one and its effect on scoring will likely be negligible.
Down Side: Defensemen won't like it, as they count on the goalie to help them win races for the puck. This rule also encourages a dump-and-chase attack, not always the most exciting style of hockey.
See Also: Save This Game: A comprehensive list of ideas to reinvigorate NHL hockey. | <urn:uuid:2643eee9-1b6f-46b4-bc35-944a3b476e5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://proicehockey.about.com/cs/rules/a/04_rule_changes.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941603 | 1,000 | 1.640625 | 2 |
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Cby Tom Mccarthy
Synopses & Reviews
C has been shortlisted for the 2010 Man Booker Prize.
The acclaimed author of Remainder, which Zadie Smith hailed as “one of the great English novels of the past ten years,”gives us his most spectacularly inventive novel yet.
Opening in England at the turn of the twentieth century, C is the story of a boy named Serge Carrefax, whose father spends his time experimenting with wireless communication while running a school for deaf children. Serge grows up amid the noise and silence with his brilliant but troubled older sister, Sophie: an intense sibling relationship that stays with him as he heads off into an equally troubled larger world.
After a fling with a nurse at a Bohemian spa, Serge serves in World War I as a radio operator for reconnaissance planes. When his plane is shot down, Serge is taken to a German prison camp, from which he escapes. Back in London, hes recruited for a mission to Cairo on behalf of the shadowy Empire Wireless Chain. All of which eventually carries Serge to a fitful—and perhaps fateful—climax at the bottom of an Egyptian tomb . . .
Only a writer like Tom McCarthy could pull off a story with this effortless historical breadth, psychological insight, and postmodern originality.
From the Hardcover edition.
Opening in England at the turn of the twentieth century, C is the story of Serge Carrefax, whose father experiments with wireless communication while running a school for deaf children. Serge grows up amid the noise and silence with his brilliant but troubled older sister, Sophie: an intense sibling relationship that haunts him as he heads off into an equally troubled larger world. As Serge goes from a Bohemian spa to the skies of World War I, and from a German prison camp into the tombs of Egypt, we follow his life through the tumultuous course of the nascent modern era. Tom McCarthy—acclaimed author of Remainder—has created a truly singular character, and a world that sparkles with historical breadth and postmodern originality.
About the Author
Tom McCarthy was born in 1969 and lives in London. He is known in the art world for the reports, manifestos, and media interventions he has made as General Secretary of the International Necronautical Society (INS), a semi-fictitious avant-garde network. His previous books are Remainder and Tintin and the Secret of Literature.
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Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z | <urn:uuid:0f3cd659-a959-4607-8868-2a740bb927bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.powells.com/biblio/73-9780307388216-0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937639 | 616 | 1.5 | 2 |
The Boston Indicators Project offers new ways to understand Boston and its neighborhoods in a regional, national and global context. It aims to democratize access to information, foster informed public discourse, track progress on shared civic goals, and report on change in 10 sectors: Civic Vitality, Cultural Life and the Arts, the Economy, Education, the Environment, Health, Housing, Public Safety, Technology, and Transportation.
Transportation is the movement of cargo -- people, animals or material goods – from one place to another. Modes of transportation in contemporary life include walking, bicycling, cars, buses, trucks, aircraft, freight and passenger trains, subways, ships and boats.
Children mirror a community’s values, progress and challenges. If a community’s children are thriving, it is likely that the whole community is doing well. The Boston Indicators Project tracks progress through 2030—Boston’s 400th Anniversary - when many of today’s children and youth will be civic, political and business leaders and their children will be in school.
The Greater Boston region has a long history as a birthplace of revolution and innovation and is packed with firsts - the nation’s first public park and public library, breakthroughs in medicine and “green” building. With a newly revitalized waterfront and some of the nation’s - and the world’s - top colleges and universities, the region - with Boston at its core - attracts students from around the world and top-tier talent in all fields to its dynamic and diversified knowledge economy.
Sustainable development refers to patterns of growth that integrate environmental and human health, economic dynamism, and social cohesion and equity. Sustainable development is multi-dimensional by definition: biodiversity health; the availability of jobs at a living age; regional and per capita carbon dioxide emissions; the availability of fresh water and open spaces; etc. All of these factors increase the quality of life.
The Boston Indicators Project’s comprehensive Framework of indicators and measures reflects an intensive, participatory selection process that included hundreds of Bostonians and reviewed by thousands more. Beginning with positive goals for the future, these data-rich indicators and measures provide an objective way to assess current conditions, trends over time and patterns of relationships, as well as outcomes for specific groups, neighborhoods, the City of Boston and the Metro Boston region. The Complete Project Framework can also be re-sorted into crosscutting topics and civic agenda goals.
View the Complete Framework of Indicators
The 2012 Boston Indicators Report shows that standard top-level economic indicators don't tell us everything we need to know about the state of jobs and equity in our local and regional economy. We need to reinvent Boston's innovation economy through greater opportunity and shared prosperity.
The Boston Indicators Project produces biennial reports chronicling Boston's accomplishments and the full array of challenges facing the city and region. These reports build on expert and stakeholder convenings, data analysis, and reviews of recent research. Over the years, they have helped to catalyze an on-going set of conversations throughout the community about our region's economic competitiveness and the key challenges facing Boston.
The Measure of Poverty was released in September 2011. Findings show that the rates of poverty in Boston changed very little over the last twenty years, but is more deeply concentrated in single-parent families in particular neighborhoods. State and local budget cuts due to the recession may have long-term consequences in mitigating the effects of poverty. The Boston Indicators Project released another special report in 2008, Boston’s Education Pipeline: A Report Card, which provided a comprehensive view of the entire arc of Boston’s system of educational opportunities and outcomes, with an update in 2011.
The City of Boston is comprised of 16 Planning Districts and 26 neighborhoods, each with a unique history and identity.
This portion of the site is coming soon. For facts and figures about Boston Neighborhoods see the Boston Neighborhood Topic Crosscut Page.
This portion of the site is coming soon. In the meantime check out the MetroBoston DataCommon for facts and figures about Massachusetts.
Nominate a breakthrough!
What are the best ways to solve the pressing challenges of our city, region, country and planet? The Hub of Innovation profiles a set of breakthrough solutions from the region, nation and around the world. Nominate an innovation!
A global digital library of cultural, historical and heritage image collections
Global Memory Net is a model for all heritage image collections and encouraging global access to cross-cultural information.
Neighborhood revival through community arts
Treating the whole person and educating the community
The Codman Square Health and Education Center is a community-based, outpatient health care and multi-service center. The Center does not simply provide clinical solutions, but promotes a culture of health.
Opening the doors of the State House
The Commonwealth Legislative Seminar opens the doors of the State House to underrepresented populations by providing in-depth training on legislative advocacy.
Creatively improving the prominence of women in state government
The Massachusetts Government Appointments Project (MassGAP) works to help close the gender gap in state government.
Age mimicking suit aids in designing products for the aged
Joseph Coughlin's AgeLab at MIT has managed to design something rare - empathy. That is the objective behind a suit named AGNES, an acronym for the Age Gain Now Empathy System.
The world's first magnetic levitation train
Reaching speeds of up to 430 kilometers per hour (260 mph), the Maglev is the world's fastest form of public ground transport. The futuristic train rushes commuters between the airport and downtown Shanghai.
Helping to conserve the last great mountain ecosystems on Earth
The Northern Rocky Mountains span two countries. Now a single conservation effort aims to preserve this precious region - “the most intact mountain ecosystem remaining on Earth”.
Gardening in the curriculum
CitySprouts is a model for school garden programming that is integrated in public school curriculum. The program operates in all 12 of the Cambridge public elementary and middle schools. | <urn:uuid:160e6977-c832-40e9-be7c-f3327c9da8ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bostonindicators.org/shaping-the-future/hub-of-innovation?FilterTopic=Cultural%20Life%20&%20The%20Arts | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91469 | 1,245 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Anita McBride Former Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush :
If you are 18 years old or older, you can remember September 11, 2001, and answer the one question everyone is asking today, “where were you?"
I remember it was going to be a relatively quiet day at work in the White House. The president was out of town, and the first lady was heading up to the Hill. Driving in that morning, I took note of the fact that the weather was spectacular - one of those rare end of summer sunny days with a cloudless blue sky and crisp, cool air.
This was my third time working in the White House over a 20 year period for three different Presidents, but within an hour of arriving there that day, it was the first time I ever had been commanded to lead an evacuation of the building I always believed was the safest place you could work.
Among the many memories I have of that day, are vivid pictures in my mind of the Secret Service with drawn weapons in the White House West Wing commanding me to go through West Wing offices and tell everyone to “get out” and stay put in the windowless senior staff dining room called the White House Mess. We knew the World Trade Center towers were hit but we knew little else. It wasn’t long before new commands from the agents turned more urgent. “Run and get out of here”, are words you never expect to hear when you work at the White House.
Both the southwest and northwest gates of West Executive Avenue were flung open and staff from the West Wing and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building ran in both directions out of the complex.
Run. That was the evacuation plan.
Working at the White House is great training and instincts to think clearly and act, kick in quickly. I remember looking around in Lafayette Park and seeing several very senior White House staff as well as some very new-to-Washington young staffers standing there not knowing what to do. I made a quick call to my husband, telling him I was on my way to his office, and I gathered those around me and led them two blocks to the Daimler Chrysler building on 14th and H Streets, NW.
Within a very short time, 72 members of the White House gathered, worked, and watched the events unfold in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania in that downtown D.C. office. It was the largest number of White House staff gathered in a single location. I made another quick call to the White House Situation Room and alerted officials to who was with us. We soon made arrangements for a few senior staff to get back to the White House.
For the rest of us who stayed together that day, the atmosphere was subdued, yet professional, and we quickly set up operations in offices, conference rooms and cubicles.
The quietest offices were set aside for the president’s speechwriters and it was there that they began to draft the remarks that the president would deliver that night.
The Secret Service locked down the building and only those with White House passes were able to gain access. The agents came to brief us periodically on what was going on in Washington and elsewhere.
When word came that the president was headed back to the White House, the speechwriters headed there to join him, and other staff began to go home. I went through every office, cubicle and conference room gathering any papers, notes, sign-in sheets and office diagrams knowing all of this were presidential records that would be necessary to turn over for archiving.
Walking back to the White House to get my car, I was eager to get home and see my children, ages one and four. Throughout the day it weighed on me that my husband and I were in the same place and what would happen to them if something happened to us?
Now 11 and 14, they don’t have the vivid memories we have of September 11, 2011, but they have learned about 9/11 stories of bravery. They have heard us talk about tough and unpopular choices made by President Bush and other leaders to keep the country safe. They have seen pictures of my and my husband’s several trips to Afghanistan and they have volunteered at events for wounded warriors and their families.
As parents we know their childhood is defined by circumstances so different than our own. On September 11, 2011, we hope and pray our children’s generation, and those that follow, will not have another event in their lifetime so horrific as that day 10 years ago, and we hope that they never have to answer the question “where were you?” | <urn:uuid:4339b028-4768-491d-86d0-df425022b148> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.politico.com/arena/perm/Anita_McBride_30DA3D1C-F6E4-40BF-B07E-99954282A0E8.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986694 | 943 | 1.757813 | 2 |
DVT is a topical issue for passengers (not for flight deck crew who stay awake!) and there is an increasing amount of information available.
For the best overview, an article by Dr Mike Bagshaw written for the Aerospace Medical Association is the most helpful and this can be found at www.aeromedical.org . Go to 'Home' and then to 'Articles' and it is one of the most recent additions.
The UK Department of Health published some advice on the subject on the 30th November 2001 which is a reasonable contribution. Go to www.doh.gov.uk/dvt/index.htm to see it.
There is a technical site that has considerable detail in it and is run by the Thrombosis Research Institute in London. It is being updated and so may not be online at present. It should be at www.tri-london.ac.uk.
Finally, Dr Stanley Mohler(an eminent and respected aviation medicine expert in the USA) had a short summary article published in the British Airways Safety Magazine in Spring 2001 and this is reproduced below for easy access.
If you are a passenger, follow the advice offered!
What is a Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)?
As well as the veins we can see on our hands and arms, we also have deep veins. Sometimes when we cannot take normal exercise, for example on a long flight, after an operation or during pregnancy, the blood in these deep veins flows so slowly that it actually clots solid. This process is called thrombosis, hence Deep Venous Thrombosis.
What is phlebitis?
Clotting can also occur in veins we can see, e.g. varicose veins. When we can see and feel the inflammation on the surface it is called phlebitis.
How would I know if I had DVT or phlebitis?
Usually one leg (rarely both legs) swells fairly suddenly, over a period of hours, and usually becomes painful. In the case of phlebitis, you can often feel the tender area on the surface.
What should I do?
If you suspect you have a problem, you need to see your GP urgently. If he/she diagnoses a DVT or phlebitis you will probably be sent immediately into hospital for a test.
This is usually carried out with an ultrasound (Duplex) scanner - it's a bit like a baby scan. Jelly is placed on the leg, to improve the contact between the scanning instrument and the skin, and sound waves check out the veins. It is a simple out-patient procedure, does not hurt and will take about thirty minutes. In cases of doubt, an x-ray called a venogram is used; during this procedure a dye is injected into the suspect veins and x-rays are taken to check the flow of blood.
Can it be treated?
Yes. In mild cases like phlebitis the affected leg usually needs only a support bandage and painkillers. In the case of DVT, patients usually have their blood thinned, either with tablets or a fluid called Heparin. One such tablet (Warfarin) is often continued for three months, whilst the blood in the circulation finds an alternative route around the blocked vein.
Are DVT's and phlebitis dangerous?
Phlebitis, no - DVT's, sometimes, yes, even fatal. Occasionally, clots drift from the legs to the lungs causing what is known as a pulmonary embolus. The treatment is then more complicated and prolonged.
Can DVT's be prevented? Can I help myself?
Yes, many can. Exercise, even if it is simply moving your legs in bed after an operation (if at all possible) helps keep the blood flowing and stops the formation of clots. Similarly, on long coach or air journeys, it is important to wear support stockings and, whenever possible, make use of comfort stops, or periodic strolls round the plane, (see below) to exercise. This is especially important if you have suffered with leg problems before.
Despite recent press interest the risk of a serious problem when flying or going on long journeys is still small. The following advice issued by British Airways seems to us sensible:-
British Airways offers this advice to avoid the development of DVT:
Recent published research suggests that wearing light support (travel) stockings also helps.
Airport Medical Services Limited | <urn:uuid:0fa7da03-8bf6-4d93-a71a-a55e75d4b5d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.amsgatwick.com/dvt.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948495 | 930 | 2.296875 | 2 |
February really is the cruelest month because, on top of all this snow, one is forced to start contemplating death, or at least filling out one's taxes. (The distinction was always lost on us.) You might be left scratching your head, and wishing you had a better accountant, when you hear how Facebook is getting hundreds of millions in a tax refund this year.
Thanks to a statement from Citizens for Tax Justice, Bloomberg Businessweek's Peter Coy brought an interesting little nugget of information from Facebook's public filing to our attention. Because of the way Facebook treats stock options distributed to investors and employees instead of cash compensation on its balance sheets, the company is able to claim paying a tax liability worth hundreds of millions of dollars when the reality is they're getting paid:
You won’t find any $429 million tax refund in Facebook’s financial statements. Indeed, the company says it had a $559 million federal tax liability in 2012. But that liability isn’t an actual payment. In a footnote, the company also said that it had a $1.03 billion “excess tax benefit” last year related to “stock option exercises and other equity awards.” That benefit is what flips the federal tax liability into a refund. (A small portion is applied against state taxes.)
So, y'know, hope your return this year is that big. You can read more about the mechanics behind Facebook's accounting in Coy's explanation. | <urn:uuid:a88cf9a6-2d8a-4a1b-a988-0daacb03e74f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tvnewslies.org/tvnl/index.php/news/economy/27274-facebook-is-getting-a-429-million-tax-refund-this-year.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951117 | 302 | 1.65625 | 2 |
This writeup is going to be related exclusively to the event that happened on Friday, July 20th, 2012. Early in the morning of the showing of a Batman movie in the movie theater in Colorado there was a shooting. At the time of reading the reports, there were at least 12 killed in this horrible tragedy.
This post will be related to the tear gas that was used by the killer in the movie theater. Based on the reports and witness testimonies that we are reading, it seems to be a tear gas. Some reports are calling it a “smoke bomb”, which doesn’t completely make sense. If a person, like this one, had a detailed plan to murder people, tear gas would be a better option since it would be more effective. The smoke bomb would essentially cause smoke, while tear gas would cause smoke and more. It would cause the people that were hit near it to tear up (hence the name “tear” gas), it would cause them to cough uncontrollably, and more reactions that are non-voluntary, which is why it is commonly used for self defense.
So, which tear gas was used in this shooting? While we are not 100% sure as the only people that have access to the actual canister(s) are law enforcement, we’re fairly certain that we know the type of tear gas used. According to witness reports, it was thrown, meaning it was some type of pressure release, similar to a grenade. Yes, there are tear gas grenades.
There is a consumer grade tear gas, which can be commonly bought, although it isn’t that effective against multiple people, which is making us think that it isn’t this one, but it’s a possibility. Picture seen below:
A more likely possibility are a military type of product. As you are probably aware, the military and law enforcement use tear gas a lot. While they are not easily available online, you can buy them on the black market if you are not part of law enforcement. Here are a couple of products that would fit this criteria:
As you can see, they are labeled as either “riot smoke” or “flash bangs”, which have a little bit of tear gas chemical in them, but focus more on the smoke/flashing of your eyes. There were shots fired, so we don’t know if the tear gas let out a bang or not, if so, it could of been a flash bang.
This is all of the information we have right now, but we can assure you it’s closely related to one of the products listed above.
UPDATE: We have been asked if tear gas is legal in Colorado, yes, consumer grade tear gasses, like the ones we sell are legal in Colorado.
To see the laws on tear gas (which are very similar to pepper spray), go here: http://www.buy-pepper-spray-today.com/pepper-spray-laws.html
To see the laws strictly based on Colorado, go here: http://www.buy-pepper-spray-today.com/pepper-spray-by-state/colorado/
***Our consumer grade tear gasses are nearly the same as pepper sprays, so they follow the same laws as pepper spray.
We give you full permission to use this content, but please link back to us as a source, thank you.
To contact us, you can e-mail us directly at firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:06222027-d3cc-4419-9733-ddeeb02077f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.buy-pepper-spray-today.com/blog/tear-gas-colorado-movie-theater/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97469 | 748 | 2.078125 | 2 |
record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours,
40 minutes during a rocking chair marathon. The record holder reported
hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory
and concentration lapses.
impossible to tell if someone is really awake without close medical
supervision. People can take cat naps with their eyes open without
even being aware of it.
Anything less than five minutes to fall asleep at night means you're
sleep deprived. The ideal is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning
you're still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not so exhausted
you feel sleepy by day.
A new baby typically results in 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents
in the first year
One of the best predictors of insomnia later in life is the development
of bad habits from having sleep disturbed by young children.
The continuous brain recordings that led to the discovery of REM
(rapid eye-movement) sleep were not done until 1953, partly because
the scientists involved were concerned about wasting paper.
REM sleep occurs in bursts totalling about 2 hours a night, usually
beginning about 90 minutes after falling asleep.
Dreams, once thought to occur only during REM sleep, also occur
(but to a lesser extent) in non-REM sleep phases. It's possible
there may not be a single moment of our sleep when we are actually
REM dreams are characterised by bizarre plots, but non-REM dreams
are repetitive and thought-like, with little imagery - obsessively
returning to a suspicion you left your mobile phone somewhere, for
Certain types of eye movements during REM sleep correspond to specific
movements in dreams, suggesting at least part of the dreaming process
is analagous to watching a film
No-one knows for sure if other species dream but some do have sleep
cycles similar to humans.
Elephants sleep standing up during non-REM sleep, but lie down for
Some scientists believe we dream to fix experiences in long-term
memory, that is, we dream about things worth remembering. Others
reckon we dream about things worth forgetting - to eliminate overlapping
memories that would otherwise clog up our brains.
Dreams may not serve any purpose at all but be merely a meaningless
byproduct of two evolutionary adaptations - sleep and consciousness.
REM sleep may help developing brains mature. Premature babies have
75 per cent REM sleep, 10 per cent more than full-term bubs. Similarly,
a newborn kitten puppy rat or hampster experiences only REM sleep,
while a newborn guinea pig (which is much more developed at birth)
has almost no REM sleep at all.
Scientists have not been able to explain a 1998 study showing a
bright light shone on the backs of human knees can reset the brain's
British Ministry of Defence researchers have been able to reset
soldiers' body clocks so they can go without sleep for up to 36
hrs. Tiny optical fibres embedded in special spectacles project
a ring of bright white light (with a spectrum identical to a sunrise)
around the edge of soldiers' retinas, fooling them into thinking
they have just woken up. The system was first used on US pilots
during the bombing of Kosovo.
Seventeen hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in
performance equivalent to a blood alcohol-level of 0.05%.
The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, the Challenger space
shuttle disaster and the Chernobyl nuclear accident have all been
attributed to human errors in which sleep-deprivation played a role.
The NRMA estimates fatigue is involved in one in 6 fatal road accidents. | <urn:uuid:471f5caf-1dcd-4dca-b9c3-20c206d58853> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc.net.au/science/sleep/facts.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920262 | 772 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Photographer brings unique perspective
UAs Laura Shill shares collection at Kentuck museum
Published: Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, July 10, 2009 at 10:31 p.m.
Laura Shill, director of photography for the University of Alabama, may be young, but she’s already amassed years of professional experience.
Before she was hired as a photographer at UA, the 2003 UA graduate took photos for magazines and publications across the United States. In college, Shill was the photo editor of the student newspaper, the Crimson White, and she did freelance photography for Newsweek and USA Today.
Her college mentor, Chip Cooper, the former UA director of photography, recognized her talent early when Shill was growing up in Birmingham.
“I knew even 15 years ago that Laura was a big talent and that she could do something with it. She was persistent in wanting to be a photographer,” he said.
After serving as UA’s art director for more than three decades, Cooper left his job about a year ago to pursue photography outside of UA and committed to teaching the art form. Before he announced his departure, Cooper already had Shill in mind to replace him as director.
For Shill, it was the opportunity of a lifetime.
“I grew up really fast when I was thrust into that leadership position. The people I work with are all fantastic. I’m working in a job where you get to learn all these things that you would never have exposure to — these brilliant people doing interesting work,” Shill said.
Shill and her small staff of photographers have come across some unusual assignments since she became director of photography about seven months ago.
“I’m going to Selma Saturday to look for this ancient battle site off the Alabama River. Supposedly, [American Indian] Chief Tascaluza lured [Spanish explorer Hernando] de Soto there, and it turned into a bloodbath. A team of archaeologists are going, and I’m going to tag along,” she said.
Shill’s collection of photos featuring endangered or extinct animals from the Alabama Museum of Natural History is this month’s exhibit at Kentuck Museum of Art.
Working with Michael Dressler, the collections assistant for the University of Alabama’s museum collections department, and Mary Beade of the Alabama Museum of Natural History, Shill unified different species of animals based on a theme of beauty and distress. Some of the photos feature flies, butterflies, moths, an elephant’s foot, a lynx, bats and mice.
In all the photographs, the animals are shown with some sign of post-mortem decay or disfiguration.
For example, one photo shows a turtle with its neck arched. Shill said she could see the turtle’s distress and noticed that one of its toes was bent backward.
Another photograph of an egret shows pieces of the bird, instead of the way it looked before it died.
“It’s not a normal thing that we typically do, but it makes for an interesting exhibit. She does a really great job,” Dressler said.
Shill also worked on a project in which she took pictures of artists throughout the Black Belt. She said the project exposed her to original styles and works of art across the Southeast.
“I’m always trying to capture what it is about Alabama that I can’t put into words. It’s the stuff on the landscape and the people,” she said. “It was a good opportunity to get outside of Tuscaloosa and what I’m used to.”
Deborah Lane, the assistant vice president of media relations at UA, said Shill’s work and reputation are invaluable.
“Laura is a perceptive and gifted photographer who has generously shared her outstanding talents and gentle spirit with the University of Alabama for the past five years. Her beautiful photographs have artfully captured so many memorable events in the life of the UA family,” she said.
Cooper said that during her time as art director, Shill has taken the job to a new level, never losing her energy.
“There are only a few colleges and major universities today with directors of her caliber. A lot of photographers at the end of the day are just tired. It takes a very special individual to go the extra mile,” he said. “She has never lost sight of her photography, which is her heart and soul.”
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.
Comments are currently unavailable on this article | <urn:uuid:1fc0ed2f-9083-4b9d-81ed-3f57e15bb15f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20090711/NEWS/907109916/1007?Title=Photographer-brings-unique-perspective | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974928 | 1,007 | 1.617188 | 2 |
We have found in Asian country especially in rural sectors new mothers are unaware about baby's health care issues therefore...
IT HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA,
GREAT JOB MR. PARMAR
it is good to eat as many as vegetables and fruits (totally vegetarian), but my aurvedic doctor asked me to stop eating every...
Study shows antioxidants reduce ovulation in women
ANTIOXIDANTS are a part of health food products like Kellogg’s cornflakes, Protinex and Horlicks. But claims of these being healthy and nutritious are likely to fall flat as antioxidants have been found to have adverse health reactions. A research has shown that antioxidants like vitamins C and E could be harmful to women planning to have a baby.
The two vitamins were studied by biologists from Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Both these vitamins are promoted as elixirs for youth—they keep wrinkles at bay by neutralising the action of reactive oxygen produced in the body in response to variables like pollutants and stress.
The researchers found that these antioxidants reduce ovulation. This happens because the process of ovulation requires free radicals. Free radicals are produced by the cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils, which are recruited to the ovary during the initiation of the ovulation process. Macrophages and neutrophils are also produced during inflammation. As vitamins are known to reduce inflammation, the team wanted to find whether the vitamins would also affect ovulation. They conducted experiments on mice and on isolated follicles from the ovary.
They used hormones to induce ovulation in mice and then injected vitamins in the sac around the ovary. The vitamins reduced the rate of ovulation as they prevented production of the luteinising hormone necessary for the process. Studies on the cultured follicles showed the expression of genes involved in ovulation was also impaired when they were exposed to antioxidants— these are the same genes involved in inflammation.
Nava Dekel, the lead author, noted the findings could prove useful to women having trouble getting pregnant. The understanding might also show that certain antioxidants could be an effective means of birth control and replace the prevalent hormone-based methods, the researchers contend in their paper published in the January 25 issue of PNAS.
Antioxidants’ fertility role in doubt
What makes the study paradoxical is that antioxidants are prescribed by fertility experts world over. Antioxidants are used as pro-fertility agents in many medicines, said Abha Majumdar, infertility expert at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi.
She pointed out that the main drawback of the study was that it was not carried on humans but accepted the study has some substance. “High doses could affect ovulation and lower fertility. Further research must be done to see if normal levels of the vitamins would interfere in the process,” she said. This would be significant as fruits and vegetables have vitamins C and E, though in lower amounts, and eating them would not compare with having a 400 mg vitamin E capsule.
“It is a matter of degree, as everything in life and biology is. Not too much, not too little,” said Frank Comhaire, antioxidant expert and a professor at the Ghent University in Belgium. “The antioxidants must be given in correct dose and combinations exactly in the same way as is the case for any medication,” he added. The rule should be not to exceed the recommended daily dose of vitamins and minerals and to use only “natural” vitamins present in fruits and vegetables, he suggested.
The Weizman team is yet to study the effect of the antioxidants on fertility when they are part of the diet. Oral consumption of antioxidants has also been linked to increased fertility in men. Experts with Cochrane Collaboration, which prepares healthcare database, reviewed the evidence linking fertility in men and use of antioxidants. They found that around 80 per cent of male subfertility cases could be due to the damaging effects of oxidative stress on sperms. Consuming antioxidants reduced damage to sperms.
None of the studies included in the review showed any adverse effects of the antioxidants on men similar to that seen in women.
With inputs from Ipsita Sarkar | <urn:uuid:d548e5a4-9366-46bf-a7d7-a4ccf951bd06> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/good-health-bad-fertility | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964318 | 868 | 3.078125 | 3 |
3D TV Without Glasses Just Isn't Happening
ARTICLE DATE : May 31, 2012
At CES 2012, Toshiba had prototype screens showing glasses-free 3D technology. Through special filters and electronics, you could look at the screen and see a 3D picture without putting on glasses. They weren't perfect, but they were prototypes, and they showed off a promising new technology, especially in the face of the success of the Nintendo 3DS, which uses similar technology on a smaller scale.
There hasn't been much word on the glasses-free 3D HDTVs since CES, and there's a reason for that: glasses-free 3D isn't happening any time soon. The technology isn't close to ready and in an age where even conventional 3D is still relatively unwieldy and expensive, the glasses are going to stay on.
The Nintendo 3DS proved to be a fun novelty with its glasses-free 3D, but I found myself playing games with 3D turned off more often than not just from the convenience. The device's screen depth can enhance your games, but it forces you to keep your head and the device very still to keep your eyes aligned with the filtered screen. If you move your head or the 3DS slightly in any direction, the images separate and flicker.
The glasses-free 3D HDTVs I saw at CES had the same problem. Getting in the "sweet spot" was difficult, and even for the Toshiba HDTV that boasted eye-tracking technology that could adjust the filters to meet your eye positions, the 3D effect didn't work well. Even with the screen fixed in place, I had to keep my head in just the right position to get the 3D effect, and watching the HDTV from any other direction than straight-on in that position is difficult because of the image separation.
According to a spokesman at Sony, no glasses-free 3D screens are commercially available outside of the small ones used in the company's 3D Handicams, which are about the size or smaller than the Nintendo 3DS's own screen. Larger screens, like notebooks and HDTVs, are still securely in the "future tech" category of technology being previewed as a concept, not a product. Toshiba has been similarly quiet about glasses-free 3D HDTVs, with no news about the technology since it was shown off at CES.
Part of the problem is in developing the technology, but it's also the convenience and ease of use of it. 3D glasses can offer a solid 3D picture across a wide viewing angle depending on the HDTV and 3D technology used (passive 3D glasses tend to display more crosstalk when watched from the sides). Glass-free 3D requires users to keep their heads in the sweet spot where the two images align to their respective eyes. Toshiba previewed eye-tracking that would adjust the filter accordingly, but it was even less developed than the 3D displays themselves.
We might see a lot of promise in what the technology could be given time and resources, but for now it simply is unworkable for most users. When gamers quickly turn off 3D on their 3DS because it's easier than enjoying the depth of a game, how can we assume even more casual consumers will have the patience to sit stock-straight in just the right position for two hours at a time to watch a 3D movie? Even with eye-tracking, we're several generations away from a screen that's responsive enough to make watching 3D TV without glasses comfortable.
Las Vegas and the Nintendo 3DS gave us glimpses at what 3D HDTVs could give us in the future, but for now glasses-free 3D will stay on small screens, and very few of them. Even then, it's a limited technology that has gelled even less than wearing glasses to watch 3D on your HDTV. | <urn:uuid:1eb68af1-4db7-4a19-8299-0496d4839117> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcmag.com/article/print/298333 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968311 | 807 | 1.890625 | 2 |
This Group was created for anyone wishing to learn, chat or share information relating to MTHFR. Many woman have suffered Miscarriage(s) and have no idea why. For some of us, a genetic mutation called MTHFR is the reason. MTHFR (or 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase NADPH) is a genetic mutation that has 24 known variants that affects the ability to absorb Folic Acid and can cause more severe problems in health and also in pregnancy. There is much debate and dispute within the medical community regarding MTHFR and it's relationship to pregnancy loss or Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL). In all the confusion, there are many ideas and treatments along with schools of thought on how to treat or deal with MTHFR. | <urn:uuid:3813e354-aecf-4c19-ab90-3c18a341958b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medhelp.org/posts/MTHFR-Methylenetetrahydrofolate-reductase/no-mthfr-mutation/show/1725066 | 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 | 0.97771 | 165 | 2.5 | 2 |
For Dr. Gabriella Mondini, there is no other option besides following in her father’s footsteps into a life of medicine in Regina O’Melveny’s debut, The Book of Madness and Cures. She is passionate about healing the citizens of Venice. For a woman residing in this part of the word in the late 16th Century this proves to be a challenging feat. In the male dominated Italian medical society, Gabriella gains credibility with her father’s colleagues by assisting him with research on “The Book of Diseases.”
A few years prior, Gabriella’s father, the elder Dr. Mondini, disappeared unexpectedly with only an occasional letter as to his whereabouts. In addition to the sporadic correspondence, his writings are cryptic and give little clue to Gabriella and her mother of his condition, which has a tendency to gravitate toward madness. With the prospect of continuing her medical career in jeopardy without her father’s guidance, Gabriella, her maid and a few additional servants embark on a journey to solve the mystery of what happened to her father. The journey takes them across Europe to France, Germany, England, Spain and south to the tip of Morocco, all the while encountering danger while traveling and encountering locals who met her father and are able to provide clues to the group of travelers.
While in Morocco, Gabriella finds out the shocking truth about her father, his nearly completed book on diseases and her own future. O’Melveny’s debut provides a rich look at late 16th century day to day life, the logistics of cross continent travels and the lives of women during this time. | <urn:uuid:a191a38b-c86a-4867-af59-93624481b0b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.davenportlibrary.com/reference/2013/03/11/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966567 | 346 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Steps you can take to help your child with bedwetting
As you wait patiently for your child to outgrow bedwetting, here are a few things the Mayo Clinic recommends parents do to help move things along in that direction:
Limit pre-bedtime liquids: While you don’t want to limit your child’s overall fluid intake – particularly if the weather is hot or your child has been particularly active during the day, in which case dehydration is a danger – you might try to shift the timing of your child’s total fluid intake during the day so that the bulk of it is not in the evening. In general, about 8 ounces is a good rule of thumb for evening beverages. Some experts recommend that children have about 40 percent of their liquids in the morning, another 40 percent in the afternoon – before 5 p.m. – and the remaining 20 percent after 5 p.m. But again, if your child has a sports event at night or is feeling particularly thirsty, those guidelines may need to be relaxed a bit.
Skip the caffeine: Caffeinated foods and beverages (cola, chocolate) increase the need to pee. Avoid giving them to your child, particularly in the evening.
Encourage a pre-lights-out bathroom visit: Even if your child has used the bathroom before changing into pajamas, brushing, washing and enjoying a bedtime book, encourage him to make one final visit to empty his bladder right before turning out the light.
Light the way: Remind your child at bedtime that, if he needs to pee in the middle of the night, he should try to make it to the bathroom. Leave a light or nightlight on to make a middle-of-the-night bathroom visit easier.
Encourage regular daytime bathroom visits: Remind your child, during the day and in the evening, to pee once every two hours, or at least before his bladder is full and there is a sense of urgency.
Alleviate constipation: Constipation can exacerbate bedwetting. Talk to your child’s pediatrician if you need help treating the condition. | <urn:uuid:ed01e215-27db-4e78-961f-7f1d915d7d5f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://babble.com/kid/kids-health-safety/parenting-guide-bed-wetting-children-sleep-problems/parenting-guide-bed-wetting-stop-tips-for-parents/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952605 | 438 | 2.578125 | 3 |
What is Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational diabetes refers to the condition where non-diabetic women during pregnancy develop high blood sugar. Gestational diabetes affects about two to four percent of pregnant women and their unborn baby. But, in 90 percent of the cases, gestational diabetes resolves after the baby's birth.
Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes
How can you tell if you have gestational diabetes during pregnancy? In general, this condition produces no symptoms. But some pregnant women with gestational diabetes may experience a few symptoms, including:
- Extreme fatigue
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
If you experience these symptoms you should visit your doctor, who can run a blood test to confirm the diagnosis of gestational diabetes. The blood tests are given between 24 to 28 weeks into pregnancy.
Some of the risks a woman with gestational diabetes faces if she doesn't treat her condition includes:
- Excessive fatigue
- Higher risk of getting an infection
- Higher risk of getting a C-section
- Higher risk of having a premature birth
Some of the risks her baby may face includes:
- High birth weight
- Low blood sugar levels at birth
- Severe jaundice
- Infant respiratory distress syndrome
Risks After Pregnancy
The blood sugar levels for women who have gestational diabetes usually returns to normal. But, women who have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes during their lifetime and their baby also experiences a higher risk of developing this illness.
What treatment options are available for women with gestational diabetes? A healthy diet and lifestyle often will be able enough to control blood sugar levels. This doesn't mean you have to make drastic changes to your lifestyle. But do take time to rest, sleep, and exercise regularly. Also, consult your doctor regularly about your condition, and if the gestational diabetes worsens, your doctor may recommend that you insulin injections.
Chat with other women about common pregnancy problems, like pregnancy obesity which can lead to gestational diabetes, in our pregnancy forum. | <urn:uuid:512f866c-fe67-4663-ad7d-12bcd7435e30> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.womens-health.co.uk/diabetes.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932847 | 425 | 2.9375 | 3 |
That’s a shame, because a compelling case can be made that George Washington truly was the father of our country. He was the man who, more than any other, made possible our republican form of government.
James Flexner, considered by many to be George Washington’s greatest biographer, called him the “indispensable man” of the American Founding.
Without Washington, America would never have won our War of Independence, observes Matthew Spalding, an American studies authority at the Heritage Foundation.
Washington’s strategy was unheard of at the time — simply not to lose. He knew the tired and stretched British forces could eventually be defeated, but not by a glorious European-style battle of lines of force against lines of force. Washington simply didn’t have the resources to win in that manner. So he did the next best thing — he didn’t lose. And that proved to be enough.
“He (also) played the central role in the Constitutional Convention and, as the first president, set the precedents that define what it means to be a constitutional executive: strong and energetic, aware of the limits of authority but guarding the prerogatives of office,” Spalding contends.
Washington’s birthday was celebrated as early as 1778, but Congress did not officially recognize it as a national holiday until 1870. It’s still a federal holiday.
At no time did Congress ever change Washington’s birthday to Presidents Day. The Monday Holiday Law in 1968, which established the federal calendar, kept Washington’s Birthday, as it’s kept to this day.
A popular misconception is that Washington and Lincoln were bumped from the calendar to make room for Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. That’s also false. King’s holiday, in January, wasn’t observed until 1986 (under a Republican president).
That doesn’t prevent even some government agencies from perpetrating the myth that Washington was demoted; the holiday is referred to as Presidents Day (not the correct Washington’s Birthday) on numerous federal websites. The U.S. Postal Service website has had it listed as both.
Legislation to direct all federal government entities to refer to the holiday as George Washington’s birthday has been introduced several times, but without final action. Congress should try again.
The U.S. Senate, by the way, has a commendable tradition of its own. It has Washington’s Farewell Address read aloud on or near his birthday.
Washington, the man who wouldn’t be king, is worthy of the respect we show him today. | <urn:uuid:123b7ca4-b794-4c04-ab2c-e3ade3c2ff58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20130218/OPINION01/130219806 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971519 | 554 | 3.5 | 4 |
Eastern Michigan University and the Autism Collaborative Center are interested in interventions that are supported by research evidence and represent the best known practices in the field of autism. Because there are a wide range of purported strategies for use in evaluating and treating autism spectrum disorders, the ACC helps guide families and individuals in determining the most appropriate interventions that have been shown to be beneficial and cost-effective.
Our center offers many opportunities for expanding the understanding of ASD and determining effective interventions through its research endeavors. Families and individuals are often willing to participate in ongoing research projects that may be beneficial for persons with autism. Flyers and announcements of ongoing research projects are often posted for persons who may wish to enroll in an investigation.
A Research Proposal Review Committee examines all research proposed to involve either ACC participants or the ACC facility. ACC participants include those receiving services and their families. The Committee determines if the proposed research is consistent with the values, mission, and vision of the ACC, its research priorities, and resources and assures the protection of research participants. The ACC research committee operates under the direction of the Eastern Michigan University Human Subjects Review Committee (UHSRC). Researchers may submit proposals, using the available application, and must have a sponsor affiliated with EMU and the ACC to support and facilitate their efforts. | <urn:uuid:5c1df63c-a895-40f4-afb0-156b03301c5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.emich.edu/acc/research/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945685 | 255 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Road Safety Tips for Beginner Cyclists in Australia and New Zealand
Keeping safe on the roads is vital. You can be vulnerable on a bicycle, but here are a few tips to help keep you out of harm’s way:
Visibility is key: Wear bright clothes and make sure you stay in a position where other traffic can see you.
Get some company: If you’re new to riding on roads, get a friend with a bike to show you how — there’s always safety in numbers.
Car doors: When riding alongside parked cars, be wary of doors flying open in your path. Slow down and keep your eyes peeled.
Don’t hug the kerb: Don’t let other traffic think it’s safe to squeeze past you in the same lane — it’s not. Stay a metre from the kerb and you can be seen more easily from every direction.
Eye contact: You can’t be sure a driver knows you’re there until you make eye contact. Don’t be afraid to wave just to make sure you’ve been seen.
Hook turns: If you’re planning to turn right, but you’re not sure about the other traffic, make a hook turn (move to the left, stop in front of traffic waiting to go the way you wish to travel and go straight ahead when the lights change) to avoid crossing lanes.
The rules: The road rules for cyclists vary slightly around Australia and New Zealand. You’re much safer if you know what they are. Look online to find out what the rules are for you.
Stay safe: No matter what the rules are, if you think a junction isn’t safe for you, get off your bike and make your way round as a pedestrian. | <urn:uuid:78b9bd5c-d1f5-46f2-b1ae-4829f2f6a4cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/road-safety-tips-for-beginner-cyclists-in-australi.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914772 | 380 | 2.65625 | 3 |
David K. Williams, Contributor
A life long entrepreneur, I write about my life and business lessons.
Last week I wrote a Harvard Business Review column with Mary Michelle Scott, the president of Fishbowl and the other member of my own paired leadership team (more about that concept here.) We talked about the cost of a bad hire and how we use our seven Non-Negotiables to identify and sustain winning players. You can read that article here.
In short, we noted that of nearly 2,700 employers surveyed, 41% estimate a single bad hire cost $25,000. A quarter of respondents estimate a bad choice has cost $50,000 or more, not to mention the demoralizing affect of the issue on other employees.
Our strategy to avoid bad hires is to look for—and adhere to–the principles we call the seven Non-Negotiables: Respect, Belief, Loyalty, Commitment, Trust, Courage and Gratitude.
A hire that is going the wrong direction is bad for everybody involved. A dismissal is bad for the morale of the entire team. It’s even worse for the morale and future of the person you fire, who faces one of the most stressful events in human experience.
What should you do and when should you act? We have a radical suggestion: Consider the ways you can teach a struggling employee to grow and adapt, rather than immediately moving to fire.
In our company, when someone makes a mistake, we don’t punish. Mistakes that are learning experiences should be celebrated and cherished for the benefits they create.
In the case of a seeming character lapse, we work with the individual to determine if the situation was perhaps in actuality a mistake. If so, we can move directly to support the learning involved. If not, we’re still not finished – we determine if there might be an opportunity to help the individual identify a blind spot in their thinking and behavior. Is the person receptive to being coached? That growth and improvement could produce a favorable outcome as well.
However, if the situation exposed a fatal character flaw in one or more of our non-negotiable traits, we would encourage the person to leave, and to do so quickly. We’d even assist. (All of our practices are strictly legal. That priority remains first.)
In practice, however, while we’ve had several of these conversations in our company of approximately 100 employees, we’ve never fired an employee for the breach of a Non-Negotiables principle yet.
In fact, our entire turnover for any reason is negligible (less than 2 percent) since we implemented our current program at the beginning of 2011. Granted, we’ve gotten well ahead of the game by making the active search for these characteristics our highest priority during hiring. We consider it even more crucial than direct background and skills.
Time will tell if our own record continues. Still, we maintain—do you really need to fire? Perhaps some mentoring or coaching on your own Non-Negotiable principles could turn around that “bad hire.”
Additional reporting for this article provided by Mary Michelle Scott, Fishbowl President | <urn:uuid:0e33c904-520c-45ac-bb3e-46f8f8c454e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkwilliams/2012/06/05/dealing-with-a-bad-hire-the-case-to-teach-and-adapt-rather-than-fire/?commentPage=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951501 | 656 | 1.578125 | 2 |
How the Hangman Lost His Heart
by K. M. Grant
Review by Mel Jacob
Walker Books for Young Readers Hardcover ISBN/ITEM#: 9780802796721
Date: 18 September 2007 List Price $16.95 Amazon US / Amazon UK / Show Official Info /
In her latest young adult novel, How the Hangman Lost His heart, Katie Grant offers a tongue-in-cheek, rollicking romp through 18th Century London as she follows the adventures of teen-age Alice Towneley, niece of the traitor Colonel Towneley. Alice sneaks out to witness her beloved uncle Frank's execution for supporting Bonnie Prince Charlie in the Jacobite rebellion against George II, King of England. For these actions, the King condemns Colonel Towneley, to hanging followed by drawing and quartering with the traitor's severed head to be mounted on the Temple Bar as a warning to others.
Determined to bury her uncle with his head, Alice tries to recover his head from high atop Temple Bar. While she succeeds in dismounting it, escaping with it presents an even greater challenge. Thus begins Alice's adventures and a long odyssey to reunite Uncle Frank's head and his body. Two men become her allies in the process, Dan Skinslicer, the hangman, and Hew Ffrench, a captain in the guards. Nasty Major Slavering, Hew's superior, hounds the trio in his quest to return the traitor's head to display on Temple Bar
The gore of drawing and quartering and a severed head should satisfy the most blood-thirty pre-teen. The eccentric characters and non-stop action draw the reader into the adventures of Alice and Dan Skinslicer.
Grant manages to hold the reader's interest and at the same time to explore serious issues about different forms of love and relationships. While history provides a setting, some readers may question the accuracy of the characters actions and reactions, but the rapid pacing pulls the intended audience along. Humor and misadventure enlivens the tale. The severed head that gave rise to Grant's story belongs to her ancestor.
She also wrote the successful and acclaimed De Granville Trilogy: Blood Red Horse, Green Jasper, and Blaze of Silver. | <urn:uuid:a381afe9-a589-4074-ba7c-76bed7cde685> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.php?id=5977 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922878 | 464 | 1.671875 | 2 |
As a state science agency, we have to take the science we produce, get it into the hands of those who need the results, help non-technical users understand it, and work with them to deal with the consequences of what we learned. To that end, the AZGS has formed a Geologic Extension Service to integrate our publications, map and bookstore, library, website, outreach, inquiries, and education functions into a coordinated program to more effectively transfer our work to those who want to use it.
The GES is modeled on the well recognized concept of the Agricultural Extension Service that helped bring the best technologies to farmers across the country, helping make
Dr. Michael Conway is newly hired as Chief of the GES. Mike joins us after 9 years as a professor of geology at | <urn:uuid:5d289cda-bdbb-44a7-9b5b-979cd686bdaa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arizonageology.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960312 | 159 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Feb. 25, 2013
— The second of NASA's contracted cargo flights to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) is set to launch later this week, and like most spaceflights, it has its own mission patch.
In fact, it has two.
The dual designs underscore the commercial nature of the unmanned mission, which uses a rocket and a spacecraft built and operated by Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, under a contract with NASA. SpaceX is headed by Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal and Tesla Motors.
Both the Hawthorne, Calif.-based company and the space agency have designed their own emblems to represent the flight, which is scheduled to launch on Friday (March 1) at 10:10 a.m. EST (1510 GMT) from Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The mission will deliver 1,268 pounds (575 kilograms) of crew supplies
and science equipment to the space station packed aboard SpaceX's third Dragon capsule to visit the orbiting laboratory. The gumdrop-shaped freighter
will ride to orbit atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Almost a month later on March 25, the Dragon will return to a parachute-assisted ocean splashdown, repacked with 2,668 pounds of science experiment results and no longer needed hardware.
SpaceX's Dragon capsule stands in its processing hangar at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (NASA/Kim Shiflett)
The mission will be the second to launch
under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program, which in 2008 awarded a $1.6 billion contract to SpaceX to fly 12 Dragon cargo capsules to and from the station. Virginia- based Orbital Sciences was also contracted by the space agency for cargo delivery using its Cygnus craft.
In addition to the Dragon mission's two patches, the flight also goes by two names: Commercial Resupply Services- 2 (CRS-2) and SpaceX 2 (SpX-2).
Two for one
NASA's patch for SpX-2 — the mission designation that appears on the agency's emblem — centers on SpaceX's Dragon as it nears a rendezvous with the space station from below. On the insignia, the sun shines brightly in the distance as it rises over Earth's horizon.
NASA's insignia for the Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) or SpaceX 2 (SpX-2) mission to the space station. (NASA)
SpaceX's patch, which is labeled CRS-2, also includes the Dragon and space station orbiting over the Earth, but its central design element is the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The sun is not to be seen, but several more stars are in the sky, including one that is four-pointed and green — a "lucky" four-leaf clover that has become a staple on all of SpaceX's patches
since its first successful Falcon launch in 2008.
Both emblems depict the Dragon from behind, highlighting one of the ways that this mission differs from past flights. For the first time, the Dragon's unpressurized trunk will be used to carry equipment to the space station. Two grapple fixtures, or bars, will be brought to the orbiting complex to assist astronauts with future repairs to the space station's thermal control system.
SpaceX's patch for the Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) or SpaceX 2 (SpX-2) mission to the space station. (SpaceX)
The pair of heat rejection subsystem grapple fixtures can be seen on the patches as they are on the real spacecraft, mounted inside the Dragon's open-ended rear section.
What goes up
The CRS-2 (SpX-2) mission is not the first flight to have two separate patches. Among many others, SpaceX and NASA also created individual emblems for the company's first two flights to the space station in May and October 2012.
The station's crew members, who will grab the Dragon
with the outpost's robotic arm to berth it to the station, and will work to empty the capsule — also have multiple mission patches. In addition to the emblems representing their two overlapping station expeditions, they also have a patch for the Russian Soyuz aboard which they launched to space and will later land on when they return to Earth.
As the Dragon flies without astronauts — at least for now; NASA has separately awarded SpaceX to further develop the spacecraft into a crew-carrying space taxi as well — there isn't a concern about which patch needs to be sewn on a spacesuit or other crew gear. The multiple mission patches for CRS-2 (SpX-2) are primarily for the benefit of the separate SpaceX and NASA teams on the ground.
NASA's patches for the Commercial Resupply Services-1 (CRS-1) mission, as seen before they launched in October 2012. (NASA)
But that does not mean one or both of the CRS-2 (SpX-2) mission patches won't also launch into space. For CRS-1 (SpX-1)
, NASA packed in the mission's Official Flight Kit a number of embroidered emblems as mementos
for their distribution after the capsule safely splashed down.
According to SpaceX, none of its patches made it onboard that same mission, but previous Dragon missions did fly to space with the company's emblems. | <urn:uuid:bd008b57-99f4-4de5-b422-0087b75244a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-022513a.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943448 | 1,120 | 2.453125 | 2 |
The Group of Seven were a group of Canadian landscape painters in the 1920s, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A. Y. Jackson, Frank Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J. E. H. MacDonald, and Frederick Varley. Tom Thomson (who died in 1917) and Emily Carr were also closely associated with the Group of Seven, though neither were ever official members. The Group of Seven is most famous for its paintings of the Canadian landscape. It was succeeded by the Canadian Group of Painters in the 1930s.
The Group of Seven was strongly influenced by European Impressionism of the late nineteenth century in the Montmartre district of Paris.
Tom Thomson, J. E. H. MacDonald, Arthur Lismer, A.J. (Alfred Joseph) Casson, Frederick Varley, Frank Johnston and Franklin Carmichael met as employees of the design firm Grip Ltd. in Toronto. In 1913, they were joined by A. Y. (Alexander Young) Jackson and Lawren Harris. They often met at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto to discuss their opinions and share their art.
This group received monetary support from Harris (heir to the Massey-Harris farm machinery fortune) and Dr. James MacCallum. Harris and MacCallum jointly built the Studio Building in the Rosedale ravine to serve as a meeting and working place for the new Canadian art movement.
MacCallum owned land on Georgian Bay and Thomson worked as a guide in nearby Algonquin Park, both places where he and the other artists often travelled for inspiration.
The informal group was temporarily split up during World War I, during which Jackson and Varley became official war artists. A further blow to the group came in 1917 when Thomson died while canoeing in Algonquin Park. He appeared to have suffered a blow to the head and showed no signs of drowning. The circumstances of his death remain mysterious.
The seven who formed the original group reunited after the war. They continued to travel throughout Ontario, especially the Muskoka and Algoma regions, sketching the landscape and developing techniques to represent it in art. In 1919 they began to call themselves the Group of Seven, and by 1920 they were ready for their first exhibition. Prior to this, many artists believed the Canadian landscape was either unpaintable or not worthy of being painted. Reviews for the 1920 exhibition were mixed, but as the decade progressed the Group came to be recognized as pioneers of a new, Canadian, school of art.
After Frank Johnston left the group in 1921, A. J. Casson seemed like an appropriate replacement. Franklin Carmichael had taken a liking to him and had encouraged Casson to sketch and paint for many years beforehand. A. J. Casson was invited to join in 1926, and accepted.
The Group's champions during its early years included Barker Fairley, a co-founder of Canadian Forum magazine, and the warden of Hart House at the University of Toronto, J. Burgon Bickersteth.
The members of the Group began to travel elsewhere in Canada for inspiration, including British Columbia, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and the Arctic. These painters were the first artists of European descent who depicted the Arctic. In 1926 A. J. Casson joined the group which soon numbered ten members with the additions of Edwin Holgate and LeMoine Fitzgerald.
The Group's influence was so widespread by the end of 1931 that they no longer found it necessary to continue as a group of painters. At their eighth exhibition in December of that year they announced that they had disbanded and that a new association of painters would be formed, known as the Canadian Group of Painters. The Canadian Group held its first exhibition in 1933.
A large collection of work from the Group of Seven can be found in the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinberg, Ontario. This gallery contains over 6000 pieces of art from the Group of Seven, Tom Thomson and their contemporaries, and First Nations, Inuit and other artists who have made a contribution to Canada's artistic heritage.
The gallery was founded by Robert and Signe McMichael, who began collecting paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries in 1955. | <urn:uuid:710fa969-fe0d-43e3-9ebc-0ded11c08f5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/Group-Of-Seven.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980637 | 865 | 2.734375 | 3 |
CBS to televise interfaith special on poverty
NCC partners with Catholic, Jewish, Muslim groups on April 26 program
April 22, 2009
The response of a variety of faith groups to poverty in Africa, Asia and Latin America is the subject of a television special to be aired by CBS on April 26.
“Poverty: A Time for Sharing” documents the work of Protestant, Catholic and Mennonite Christians, Jews and Muslims in responding to immediate need and empowering indigenous people to control their own lives on three continents.
The special is produced with the cooperation of the National Council of Churches — which includes the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — as well as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, The Islamic Society of North American, The Union for Reform Judaism and the New York Board of Rabbis.
Half of humanity lives on less than $2 a day. A billion people worldwide cannot read or write. Poor children die in great numbers from preventable diseases. Global poverty and its killing effect is on the rise despite ongoing efforts by governments, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including religious groups.
For example, many Americans think malaria has been wiped out, but in Africa a poor child dies of the disease every 30 seconds. The UN Foundation started the “Nothing But Nets” campaign in 2006 in which a $10 contribution buys a mosquito net to protect youngsters while asleep. Numerous faith groups — including Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans and the Union for Reform Judaism — have joined the effort.
In the documentary, United Methodist Bishop Tom Bickerton, an official spokesperson for the “Nets” campaign, Elizabeth McKee Gore of the UN Foundation, and sports columnist Rick Reilly of ESPN take an up-close look at the nets’ effectiveness.
Another segment illustrates the self-help work of American Jewish World Service (AJWS) with some 400 grassroots groups in 36 countries. AJWS president Ruth Messinger says, “They need a partner to provide financial and technical assistance and, from time to time, wonderful, skilled volunteers.”
AJWS’s work with children in India and women and teenage girls in El Salvador — which parallels work done by the PC(USA)’s Self-Development of People program — is depicted in the special.
The work of Mennonite Christians is presented by Arli Klassen, executive director of the Mennonite Central Committee, and Jim Bowman, former MCC representative in Kenya. Their work with the poor and war-afflicted in 66 countries is illustrated by a mobile health clinic in Laos, which gives vaccinations and medical attention to mothers and newborns. Bowman also describes in the show how building a dam to trap water-retaining sand provides a Kenyan village with drinking water during the dry season.
Islamic Relief uses donations from American Muslims to serve the world’s poor in 35 countries. Natasha Issak, a fundraiser in the northeast United States, and Yousef Abdullah, operations manager of the Northeast Regional Office of Islamic Relief, take viewers to Afghanistan, where they set up training programs to empower that country’s enormous number of widows and orphans created by decades of war.
Abdullah also describes a refugee camp in Sudan where Islamic Relief has dug wells and built clinics and schools serving 11,000 people.
Annemarie Reilly, chief of staff of Catholic Relief Services — the worldwide relief arm of the U.S. Catholic Church — shows viewers the service’s work in response to the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, community development projects drilling wells in Ethiopia, working with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity caring for the poor and dying, and holistic approaches used to serve HIV-positive people in Zambia.
Check local TV listings for broadcast time of “Poverty: A Time for Sharing” in your area.
Information for this story furnished by Jeremy Murphy, CBS Television Network. | <urn:uuid:3cb90f71-ca2f-4454-9a91-85727356a232> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcusa.org/news/2009/4/22/cbs-televise-interfaith-special-poverty/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935113 | 812 | 1.78125 | 2 |
a narrow alley blind,
Touch and vision, heart and mind,
Turned sharply inward, still we plod
Till the calmly smiling God
Leaves us and our spirits grow
More thin, more acrid, as we go.
Creeping by the sullen wall
We forego the power to see
The threads that bind us to the all,
God or the immensity,
Whereof on the eternal road
Man is but a passing node.
conscious, all awake,
Let us clear our eyes and break
Through the cloudy chrysalis—
See the wonder as it is.
Too blind we are, too little see
Of the magic pageantry,
Every minute, every hour,
From the cloud-flake to the flower,
Forever old, forever strange,
Issuing in perpetual change
From the rainbow gates of time.
he who through this common air
Surely knows the great and fair,
What is lovely, what sublime,
Becomes in an increasing span
One with earth and one with man.
One, despite these mortal scars,
With the planets and the stars;
And nature from her holy place,
Bending with unveiled face,
Fills him in her divine employ
With her own majestic joy.
charming book, and well got up as to letter press, is
Dr. George Stewart's "Essays From Reviews."
The subject matter, the four great New England poets,
Longfellow, Lowell, Whittier and Holmes, has found a
kindly and appreciative treatment at the hands of the
genial pen of our well-known essayist. Though much has
been written concerning this famous quartette, yet all
who take up Dr. Stewart's little book will be charmed
by the style and treatment of these interesting studies.
The most notable fact to be drawn from these pages is
that independence as to livelihood and ease from the
cares of life are certainly helpful to a literary career.
They cannot supply the place of genius, but they certainly
give genius a chance to develop so far as the artistic
side of literature is concerned. It is a grave question
whether Longfellow would have attained such signal success
if he had had to struggle for his daily bread. Would
not his naturally sensitive and effeminate nature have
sunk under the strain? It is interesting to notice that
all of the most noted poets who have produced a great
bulk of work and have lived to a good old age have been
comparatively independent as to means of livelihood.
Longfellow, Holmes and Lowell in America, and Tennyson,
Browning and Swinburne in England, are good examples
of the result of ease from care in its influence on
a literary career. On the other hand, there is no doubt
that in most cases while these men gain on the artistic
side, and in the bulk of work, they lose on the human,
and fail to impress with that strong lyrical quality,
that deep, passionate originality that perhaps after
all is the supreme quality of genius. A certain amount
of suffering is essential to all true genius, the mark
of pain is found on all the greatest work, and it would
be wrong to say that these men did not suffer; but it
was not the dread reality that shrouded Poe, Burns and
Coleridge, the awful loneliness that separated Byron,
or the necessity that pinched poor Hood. After all,
every man is in accordance with his own inner nature.
So it is hard to judge. Meanwhile Dr. Stewart can be
congratulated on his charming addition to the study
of the lives of the poets.
interesting addition to our essay literature is Mr.
J.E. Wetherell's "Over Sea," a brief account
of his impressions gathered from a trip to England and
Scotland, with special reference to the localities made
sacred by the memories of Shakespeare, Burns, Wordsworth
There is a
simple directness of touch about Mr. Wetherell's style
and matter, as of one who was his own guide, and not
as of one who might have written as well before he started.
The chapter "In Westminster" suggests Irving,
but is perfectly free from any likeness more than a
kinship of spirit. Without any great pretence, Mr. Wetherell
has given us a sincere addition to that Canadian culture
and literary refinement which is, we are glad to say,
slowly but surely growing in our midst.
is a term in the loose literary criticism of the day
which has become hopelessly hackneyed, and that is the
word "singer" as applied to a poet. Even in
the beginning it was an exceedingly namby-pamby expression,
but, now that every skimble-skamble sentimentalist who
takes to stringing verses dubs himself and is dubbed
by his admiring friends a "singer," the word
has become simply preposterous. It is impossible to
apply it otherwise than in derision. Let us, therefore,
respect the feelings of the poet, and refrain from shocking
him with a sudden sense of the absurdity of his position
by calling him a "singer." Let him be plain,
sensible "poet" or nothing.
the Christmas number of The Dominion Illustrated we
find one of Professor Roberts' patriotic outbursts.
It is eminently well done. Where Professor Roberts undertakes
anything seriously in verse he rarely fails to do it
well. Many of the lines in this poem are very grand
lines in a way. They have a kind of bold, broad-browed
strength that is admirable, yet they seem to come shouldering
up with a conscious and premeditated effort. In the
midst of our present political conditions Mr. Roberts
in his patriotic vein is a voice crying in the wilderness,
and he seems to have set himself in a premeditated pose
to cry there with all his might. He is like one who
has said to himself that there ought to be a prophet,
and he will be that prophet at whatever cost of effort.
It seems to me, however, that the times can hardly carry
patriotic verse, particularly of a boastful character.
Satire would appear to be the species of verse most
applicable to the present emergency.
is constantly surprised by the ideality of the men and
women who sometimes pride themselves upon their matter-of-factness,
but oftener repress any expression upon the subject
of their "feelings," leaving one to think
that the sentiments play no part whatever in their lives.
But sooner or later, if you watch them closely, or perhaps
you may discover it by chance, you will find them cherishing
some little piece of sentiment, some ideal treasure
of experience, which they bring out of that casket of
the heart which they imagine is clamped with iron, and
turn over with a lingering fondness. We are all possessed
of the springs of feeling that never run dry, and which
assert their presence by keeping our lives more or less
green, as they are ample or meagre. I was reminded anew
of this rather trite observation on human nature by
discovering one of the springs of feeling which was
keeping the life of one of my acquaintances green. He
is a man who has a family "growing up," as
the phrase is, and he had been telling me of the difficulty
of living on his income, the one good quality of which
was that it was sure. He was devoted to his family,
but he confessed to not being quite happy, as he had
not been as successful in life as he had hoped to be.
I may remark that he had the appearance which a conscientious
paterfamilias with a limited income who has his daughters
"growing up" always wears—an appearance
which seems to say for him, "It makes very little
difference how I look." "But," he said,
"I have one source of never-ending pleasure in
life, which seems to be mine, I mean especially mine,
as distinguished from any pleasure I have in my family
and in which they can have no part. I mean the friends
of my youth, or rather the memory of them. They are
away now; some of them are dead; others, God knows where
they are. But they are as near to me now as if they
lived in the next square. You know the world is a very
wide place, indeed, to the man who always stays at home,
and I never could keep track of them, where they went
or what they did. I think at one time in my life I forgot
all about them, but lately they have been coming back
to me, as it were, and I have been living over again
those old days and taking a real pleasure in them. When
I am bothered about things and a little worried it is
curious how the memory of those old friends of mine
comes in and gives me some comfort. I am getting old,
I suppose," he closed with a short laugh. I ventured
to express the hope that he might see some of them again,
but it was not in his mood to think of that; he had
idealised them, and he wanted to cherish his memories.
"No," he said, "I think it is better
so." And it probably is. He had done his duty by
his family and by society in the most matter-of-fact
way, so he protested; and he had told me but a moment
before that life had no illusions for him, and yet he
had shown me the little blade of grass that was greening
in his heart, from which I could argue to the whole
boundless savannahs of ideality and love which stretch
through human nature. | <urn:uuid:3844b967-6c53-4468-9011-ad26fb9a099a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uwo.ca/english/canadianpoetry/confederation/mermaid_inn/nov_19_1892.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974972 | 2,119 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Each fall High Desert Test Sites invites artists to create experimental projects adjacent to California’s Joshua Tree National Park. This year HDTS invited Ball Nogues Studio to create a structure in a remote region of the Mojave Desert. This presents a unique opportunity to draw upon an unfettered landscape at a grand scale. Expanding on theories developed by earthwork artists Yucca Crater will re-imagine these concepts through new methods of production linked to their cross-disciplinary artistic, architectural, design and fabrication practice.
As an engineered oasis and climbing structure, Yucca Crater will stand 24 feet tall, towering above the desert plane. Positioned along the slopes of its interior shell, rock-climbing holds will make their way into and out of 8 feet of water. Heated with solar power and pumped through a wind powered turbine, the cavernous pool awaits climbers and weary desert travelers.
This elevated crater and its aquatic basin are a nod to the abandoned suburban swimming pools scattered across the Mojave. While the piece is decidedly man-made, it recalls the works of the land art movement by using materials at hand to construct the final product. By this, we mean that the massive structural formwork of Yucca Crater is the by-product of another Ball Nogues work: Talus Dome. Situated along the embankment of a freeway in Edmonton, Alberta, Talus Dome is an enormous mound constructed of stainless steel spheres. The elaborate formwork we will use to assemble Talus Dome is a feat of design and engineering in its own right. Our plan is to repurpose the formwork for High Desert Test Sites to become Yucca Crater.
This unique approach utilizes our artistic waste stream to create a public artwork in its own right. It is an important aspect of the project as it addresses a critical point in our understanding of the environment today— the need to eliminate waste and encourage re-use.
Upon completion of the Talus Dome in Edmonton this summer, the formwork will be transported to California’s high desert. There, we will invert the structure and transform it into Yucca Crater, an artificial aquatic land mass both incongruous to and reminiscent of the Mojave Desert.
We need the support of US Artists donors to make this project happen. Transporting and repurposing a structure of this scale will be a great undertaking. It will require support from those interested in enriching the California landscape with ecologically minded and imaginative architecture. Our goal is to maximize the use of material and to convert the solar and wind resources naturally available. Funds will provide transportation, delivery of water, liner materials, hand holds for climbing, assembly equipment, paint,lumber, water filtration, a Savonius (wind) Turbine and lighting (solar powered).
Yucca Crater materializes the surreal — echoing and contrasting the earth through architecture. Its dramatic silhouette reconfigures the landscape while welcoming physical interaction from viewers. Rather than passively observe the art, visitors will be encouraged to climb and descend the walls of Yucca Crater for a moment of respite in the cool, tranquil pool below. As a contributor to High Desert Test Sites, Ball Nogues Studio is eager to illuminate the California desert.
To donate or learn more visit the US Artists Project by clicking here. | <urn:uuid:53f62aa1-96c3-4079-a32f-04b0d57ad9e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.archdaily.com/150776/yucca-crater-ball-nogues-studio/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9022 | 684 | 2.484375 | 2 |
The Curiosity Cycle: Preparing Your Child for the Ongoing Technological Explosion
Through curiosity, children carve out concepts from the environment that they assemble into models to describe the world. Children then test those models to see how well they predict what they observe, and they use the results from those experiments to form new concepts and models---leading to the next round of the curiosity cycle. However, our children are more than passive observers. They are an embodied part of the world and have brains that are predisposed to see the environment in particular ways. To get the most from their curiosity, children must build models about the intentions of those around them and the tendencies within themselves.
These curious minds will be entering a world that is increasingly dominated by computation. Computers are becoming better at understanding the physical environment, and this will transform the workplace and alter how we spend our free time. This book explains how your child can understand how a computer thinks and how your child can leverage his or her curiosity to thrive in a world with intelligent computers where human creativity is valued above all else.Praise for The Curiosity Cycle
"If Mugan starts his book with wisdom that would have been familiar to our grandparents, he ends it with wisdom that seems to come from our future grandchildren." Singularity Hub
The Curiosity Cycle "offers very helpful 'games' or strategies that parents can use to encourage not only curiosity, but critical thinking in their children. . . . If you have an interest in fostering your child's curiosity (and what parent doesn't), then take a look at this book." The Thoughtful Parent
I talked about The Curiosity Cycle as a guest on The Future and You podcast.
Jonathan Mugan is a research scientist focusing on machine learning. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Texas at Austin. His thesis was centered in developmental robotics, which is an area of research that seeks to understand how robots can learn about the world in the same way that human children do. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Texas A&M University.
Contact me at email@example.com or
on Twitter at jmugan. | <urn:uuid:7b0588e6-1717-47d0-9ce7-8b311c58a9d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jonathanmugan.com/CuriosityCycle/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964579 | 446 | 3.703125 | 4 |
Myanmar asylum seekers in limbo
Group rescued by Sri Lankan navy after two months at seaMyanmar asylum seekers rescued last week receive medical treatment at an immigration detention center
- ucanews.com reporter, Colombo
- Sri Lanka
- February 22, 2013
A Buddhist monk serving as an intermediary for a group of Myanmar nationals rescued off the coast by the Sri Lankan navy this week said the group has refused to be repatriated and is appealing for political asylum.
Venerable Maligawila Assaji Thero, a monk fluent in the Myanmar language, said the 32 ailing refugees who fled the Bangladesh-Myanmar border area two months ago were en route to Malaysia to avoid religious and political persecution.
The group has identified themselves as Muslims from Rakhine state in western Myanmar, Assaji said on Friday.
“They have said they do not want to return there because they are being harassed.”
Thousands of asylum seekers from western Myanmar, many of them from Rakhine state's Rohingya Muslim minority, flee the country by boat each year, according to UN reports. Most are bound for Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.
Sri Lankan authorities have said the navy rescued 32 asylum seekers on the brink of starvation, and that an additional 98 had died during the group’s two months at sea.
The survivors are being held in an immigration detention center, where they are receiving medical attention pending repatriation.
The Myanmar embassy in Colombo has so far refused to claim them as citizens and has refused to repatriate them, according to immigration chief Chulananda Perera, who added that discussions about what to do with the survivors is ongoing.
Earlier this month, another group of 138 Myanmar asylum seekers were rescued by the Sri Lankan navy from a sinking fishing vessel off the eastern coast of the country. | <urn:uuid:eb409964-ff38-47a4-bfc7-e9f6f83394f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ucanews.com/news/myanmar-asylum-seekers-in-limbo/67491 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968842 | 379 | 1.757813 | 2 |
|Uploaded:||August 23, 2009|
|Updated:||January 15, 2010|
Hello everyone and welcome back to a new day on DragoArt.com. I have been getting into sketching faces, and I sketched out a very popular face that was painted by the very talented Leonardo da Vinci. Her name is thought to be Lisa Gherardini and she was twenty four years old when she posed for the picture. Of course everything I just stated about this young woman is only a theory. The other theory is that the woman in the painting is in fact Leonardo himself in female form. Now a belief like that would have to be second guessed because why on earth would such a man paint himself as a woman. The lesson that I will be teaching you today is going to be on “how to draw Mona Lisa” step by step. The only real fact about the painting is that it was definitely painted by Leonardo da Vinci, but the woman remains a mystery. Right now as we speak the priceless painting resides in a room that was specially made just for the Mona Lisa. There is no other paintings in the room with her and it is said that the room cost over seven million dollars to build. Why so much money you ask? Well, unfortunately I am no painting expert, but I think it is because the painting was once stolen back in 1911 by a museum employee. The employee stole the painting when the skies still shined from the sun. The Mona Lisa was found and retrieved two years later and placed back in the Louvre Museum in Paris France. Did you know that a man by the name of Ugo Ungaza threw a rock at the mysterious painting leaving a mark on the left elbow of the painting? It’s true, back in 1956 the Mona Lisa suffered an imperfection in the form of a puncture hole. No one really knows the exact date that the painting was made, but experts speculate that da Vinci painted the young woman between the years of 1503 and 1506. The whole canvas in size measures in at thirty by twenty one inches. The paint used was oil based and the canvas was a wooden panel. But, how did this painting become the property of France? Well back in 1517, King Francis I bought the painting from da Vinci himself. The famous piece of art is called “La Joconde” by the French people and “La Giaconda” by the Italians. The last time the painting left the museum was in 1974 I think, when it took a trip to Japan. An interesting fact about the Mona Lisa and it’s display case is that, it is protected by a bulletproof box that is one hundred fifty seven by ninety eight inches in size. The box was a gift from Japan and since then there it has stayed. The temperature in the box is kept at a constant sixty eight degrees, and the humidity levels are at a perfect fifty five percent. The painting only comes out of its box once a year to get a routine checkup. Almost like a doctors visit. Did you know that the museum is unable to insure the Mona Lisa? Yup, that’s also true. Because the painting is considered priceless it cannot be insured. So if someone steals the painting or it gets destroyed in any way, there is no way to collect any kind of royalties from the damage or the theft. It is strange that such a remarkable painting is only viewed and admired because of the mystery behind the smile. You see, people that view the Mona Lisa will see her smiling, but then the smile will fade and turn into a straight face. But then the smile comes back again. This was broken down and studied by a neuroscientists because the smile was just so baffling. It was explained that the visual system of a human is always adjusting when something is unclear and or blurry. The Italians believe that Mona Lisa’s smile is “sfumato” which basically means that it is up to the imagination. Anyways this sketch took me a long while to sketch out and draw. When you sketch the painting be sure to use a light sketching technique and also be sure to take your time. I hope you will have fun with this lesson on “how to draw Mona Lisa” step by step. | <urn:uuid:b65fa4e8-bad1-4ac3-a02c-4e8038a5bc64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/2892/1/1/how-to-draw-mona-lisa.htm?cmID=2 | 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 | 0.977221 | 891 | 2.609375 | 3 |
Midnight Snacking - An Eating Disorder
It’s been found that some people often visit their fridge or cupboard at midnight to snack on something. This midnight snacking was thought to be indulgence but a recent study by the doctors at Sion hospital have indicated that midnight snacking is a disorder which if not controlled may lead to many diseases. The urge of eating at midnight is so strong in people suffering from this disorder that they are not able to control it. They often snack on sweets and oily food, which later on becomes the root cause of complications like diabetes, tooth decay, arthritis, obesity and obesity related problems. This disorder is also been termed as Night Eating Syndrome.
Signs And Behavior Of People Prone To Midnight Snacking
- In their study, doctors found that people who tend to eat at midnight often suffers with morning anorexia which is the most common eating disorder found in today’s generation. The sufferer generally skips breakfast and progressively feels hungrier as night sets in.
- Signs of melancholy during evening are often noticed in the sufferer.
- People having the habit of eating at midnight consume at least 25% of their calories after dinner.
- This late night binging is mostly carbohydrate based and spread over several hours throughout the night.
- A disturbed sleep pattern is another major symptom found in people who have a habit of eating at midnight. With an average of two times, they go for night walks. They experience a strong urge to eat for a sound sleep.
- Tendency to binge in the evening and at midnight typically brings guilt in the sufferer. They often suffer with depression, anxiety and are very much disturbed as they become obese.
Recurrent late night binging affects both the sexes and people of all age group though it is most commonly found in young women who have low esteem and self confidence levels. It has been demonstrated that eating at midnight is associated with low nocturnal levels of hormones melatonin and leptin. Awareness about this disorder is very low, but it should not be overlooked as it can be problematic for health. If effective treatment plan is followed, one can control the situation and get rid of midnight snacking habit.
Image Credit: nydailynews.com | <urn:uuid:24432433-6ae5-472e-8c30-3c8484def648> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ifood.tv/blog/midnight-snacking-a-disorder | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970143 | 458 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Chocolate Gingerbread Cake with Marshmallow Frosting Recipe. (translated from Swedish)
Aurora Borealis’ Dancing Northern Light Display
During fall and winter in the northernmost parts of North America, Europe, and Asia the night sky comes alive with dancing soft green, blue, or red curtain-like lights. These lights—called aurora borealis (or the northern lights)—are the result of the sun’s solar winds, which are made up of light particles entering the Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere. When the light particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere they collide with existing gases that cause the particles to glow!
Though aurora borealis is best viewed through naked eyes, many photographers are able to capture the brilliance of these lights by using long exposure settings or applications with their cameras so that others can experience the beauty of aurora.
I wish I could visit Neverland, even if just for one night. Peter Pan was my favorite story as a kid… and I have had more dreams of Neverland in my life than all my other dreams combined.
William just sat at the mirror and laughed at his own reflection, haha! Then he tried going behind the Tele.. I told him not to even think about it, he looked at the Tele then me and gave me the most cheeky grin ever! My cheeky wee prince! <3
David teaching William how to play the Xbox. He acc sat and explained what each button was for :) <3 #topuncle | <urn:uuid:4a0bc4b4-2db5-47b9-82eb-119aab3f1b22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dariaak.tumblr.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940154 | 309 | 1.875 | 2 |
Touting YouTube's Catholic Potential
New Medium Offers Pro-Life Sound Bites
| 4387 hits
FRONT ROYAL, Virginia, NOV. 13, 2007 (Zenit.org).- YouTube has been a great boon to the nonprofit community because with it, a video can be instantly available anywhere in the world, says media producer Colin Mason.
Mason, director of media production for the Population Research Institute (PRI) in Front Royal, spoke to ZENIT about the success the organization has had using the medium to spread its Catholic message.
PRI launched its first YouTube video in June as an introduction to its work and research. Its effectiveness led to a new effort called the "Viral Video Campaign."
The first video of the campaign, a 51-second pro-life video called "The Human Race" asks the question: "Humanity is rushing toward the future. But where are we headed?"
Mason said: "We've been having a good deal of success with YouTube and it has been responsible for a big chunk of the traffic on our Web site. People have expressed a lot of support for the videos -- their quality, message, etc.
"We believe that these short, punchy videos are crucial in raising the YouTube generation's awareness of life issues."
Width and breadth
Inside Catholic, formerly Crisis Magazine, has also just released a 57-second spot on YouTube with a pro-life message, "The Baby in the Box."
Brian Saint-Paul, editor of Inside Catholic, told ZENIT: "YouTube provides both a stable video format that anyone can watch, and a means of getting your video out to a huge audience.
"We've had a great response. I watch the viewer count tick up each day [...] and it will continue to do so as long as YouTube exists."
"Thirty years from now," Saint-Paul explained, "people could still be watching -- and benefiting from -- our videos. That's a wonderful thought."
Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia, is the first prelate to use the new media to reach his flock. During Lent 2007, a series of reflections on the Gospel given by the cardinal were posted on YouTube.
"The first video the cardinal posted was one of the most watched on YouTube," Donna Farrell, communications director at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, told ZENIT. "The reaction to the cardinal's reflections was amazing. We heard from people all over the world, Australia, the Philippines, Italy, and many in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, including one self-described '15-year-old skateboarder.'"
Since that initial success, more homilies, statements for the archdiocese, and even Cardinal Rigali's appearance at Theology on Tap have been posted.
"YouTube is a place where people communicate a multiplicity of things, and certainly, from the viewpoint of the Church, we have a desire to communicate Christ." Cardinal Rigali said. "We have the message in the Gospel -- the uplifting message of Jesus, a wonderful message of hope, of love, and of faith."
As with any public media, YouTube is a mixed bag, but many great resources can be found among its hundreds of thousands of videos.
Among them are the tributes to the life of Pope John Paul II after his death, while footage of the historic announcement of the election of Benedict XVI is also available.
"When it comes down to it, people like media," concluded Mason. "They like sound bites and video clips that entertain them during breaks or off-hours. So, if we can harness that power, the power of the short, pithy video clip, we can use it to raise awareness of our cause." | <urn:uuid:f6d2ec01-8c81-44e6-bd84-b46fcbf7d4ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/touting-youtube-s-catholic-potential | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958875 | 774 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Smartphones are too ’smart’ for most users in UKBy ANI
Friday, December 24, 2010
LONDON - Smartphones allow their users to do anything from checking their bank balance to booking a flight - courtesy hundreds of thousands of ‘apps’.
However, a new UK research showed that 71 per cent of owners use them simply to make a call, text or check Facebook.
In fact, the study of 2,000 users revealed that a typical person exploits only 10 per cent of their phone’s functions.
The survey also found more than half had felt pressured to get the latest or most popular smartphone, such as Apple’s iPhone4 or a BlackBerry.
The research by Envirofone, which recycles mobiles, estimates there are 11 million smartphones in the UK.
“The latest phones have become status symbols which look flash but aren’t fully utilized,” the Daily Mail quoted Jon Butler, of Envirofone, as saying. (ANI) | <urn:uuid:2626564b-f78a-48b7-96e8-7990a6ba13f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://breakingnews.gaeatimes.com/2010/12/24/smartphones-are-too-smart-for-most-users-in-uk-65528/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943314 | 214 | 1.882813 | 2 |
Appendix 1: Background information on One World Week
One World Week is an opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to come together to learn about global justice, to spread that learning and to use it to take action for justice locally and globally, by:
• working together in caring for the Earth and its resources
• taking action for justice, equality, peace and fullness of life for all
• building relationships of mutual respect that cross boundaries
• running local events that celebrate the diversity of cultures in our communities
One World Week (OWW) was founded in 1978, by the World Development Movement, out of a desire that, for one week in every year, the churches should draw the attention of their communities to the fact that the world consists of one human race which shares one planet in which all may enjoy fullness of life.
Over the years OWW has broadened its approach to include people from all backgrounds. In a series of projects including ‘Voices from the South’ and ‘Reaching Out and Reaching South’ or ROARS, OWW focused on incorporating the perspectives of people from developing countries though providing mentors (from the diasporas) to local OWW organising committees and involving people from varied ethnic and religious backgrounds in planning and writing resources.
OWW has become known throughout the UK and developed an international reputation for bringing people together to learn about global issues, and to take action locally on things which have an impact on the whole world. One World Week now involves people of many nationalities and has events all the year round.
Thousands of local organisations and schools use OWW as a focus for a range of activities, events and celebrations to raise awareness and take action on issues of global justice. OWW is constantly reaching out to new groups from different faiths and cultural backgrounds in the UK and beyond. We now estimate that almost half a million people each year will take some part in One World Week.
OWW is a development education charity; it is non-political and non-sectarian. OWW’s Vision, Mission and Aims emphasise the importance of working inclusively with everyone to address global and local challenges to achieve justice, peace and sustainability for all. For more details about OWW, history, current developments, resources, contact details and how to get involved, look at www.oneworldweek.org.
Britain now has a richly diverse cultural landscape. Most of the major cities in particular now have organisations addressing inter faith issues and racial equality networks. Some local One World Week events already embrace the opportunities this offers for mutual understanding and developing shared values to address the challenges facing us all.
Appendix 2: Resources
Rather than list references and websites here which may become out of date we suggest you refer to the websites of One World Week and the Inter Faith Network where they will be updated regularly.
If you do not have good access to the internet, or confidence using it, we suggest that you find a volunteer either within or from outside your group who does. Your local CVS may be able to help you find a volunteer. Local libraries will have internet access, and often people to help you use the computers if you are unfamiliar with them.
The One World Week Web Site [www.oneworldweek.org] gives links to the websites of many faiths which indicate what they are doing about global poverty, and about global education both in and out of schools. It has links to the work of faith based aid organisations on, for example, poverty, trade, environment, which will help OWW organisers interest people of other faiths in global issues. Many have resources available to download or order, and some have speakers from the UK and international visitors who may be able to come and contribute to your events.
The Inter Faith Network produces a good practice booklet, with background information, case studies, and advice on setting up groups, available free to download on their website [www.interfaith.org.uk ]. It focuses on partnership working between different inter faith structures and local government, and you will find it an excellent resource to complement these guidelines. Some OWW planning committees have already taken up ideas from this source – for example inter faith walks - the OWW website has a photo gallery showcasing one in Portsmouth.
But remember that, while these are good sources for the methodology of getting people together, YOU the OWW organisers need to ensure that there is a focus on global issues through local understanding and action.
Appendix 3: The OWW project team
National Project Co-ordinator:
Helen Garforth, Director of consultancy Just Ideas.
Alistair Beattie, Sufi, is a Heart Rhythm Meditation teacher; he has worked for over 30 years in the voluntary sector and currently works for Faithnet South West.
Claude Muya, Evangelical Christian, originally from Democratic Republic of Congo, is an architect, consultant, and was previously involved with One World Week as a Voices from the South Mentor, and then as Project Co-ordinator for Reaching Out and Reaching South.
Dr. Rosemin Najmudin is from a liberal Gujerati (Indian) sect of Muslims called B(V)ohras. She came as a refugee with her family from Uganda in 1973 and grew up in Worcester. She is an international educationalist and a health trainer.
Saleem Oppal, Muslim, works for the Black Environment Network in Manchester.
OWW Management Team involved:
Stephen Harrow, Treasurer
Sarah Hirom, Trustee
Milind Kolhatkar, OWW Chair
Ingrid Wilson, Trustee and Project Manager
OWW staff team involved in the project:
Administration: Vartika Mishra to 31st Jan 08; Almenia Comrie from 1st Feb 08
Finance: Julie Marshall to end Oct.07; Anna Palmer from Nov 07
Appendix 4: Swapping Culture: an example of a ‘getting to know each other’ tool used in Worcester
© Dr. Rosemin Najmudin
Getting to know each other…
(Time 15 minutes)
Spend time listening and letting each other speak. Use as many questions as you can in the time allocated to learn more about each other.
1. Tell your partner your name, do you like your name and who gave you your name?
2. Where were you born?
3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
4. What do you like most about yourself?
5. Do you have any religious or spiritual beliefs?
6. What irritates you the most?
7. What qualities in a person do you think make a good friend?
8. How would you describe your cultural background?
9. Do you find it challenging to talk to other people about your beliefs or culture?
10. As a child, what did you want to become when you grew up?
11. In your area of work, what gives you complete satisfaction?
12. What makes you laugh?
13. If you had the opportunity to create a diverse community group, what would it ideally look like for you?
14. If you had your ideal diverse group, what would you want to achieve with them?
15. How do you want other people to see you?
16. What gives you inner peace?
The Same, Similar and Different…(5 minutes)
From your discussions, take a few moments to reflect with each other what things you shared were the same, similar and different.
Now join with another group and introduce your partner to the other pair. Were there things you learnt about each other surprising to you?
Sharing Ideas…(10 minutes)
As a group of four people, share with each why you have come today, and what would you like to take away from today. Then as a group share one thing you would want a community group, such as the one you are in today, to begin to achieve for people locally and globally.
Please prepare one person to share the group idea with the whole group. | <urn:uuid:d894e345-fd5f-4cdd-90e2-095174514652> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oneworldweek.org/v2/appendices-2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946658 | 1,658 | 3.0625 | 3 |
This article is about the Chilean telecommunications company. For the similarly named media company, see the article on CTC Media (CTCM).
Compa a De Telecomunicaciones De Chile S.A. (CTC), or Telefonica CTC Chile, is the largest telecommunications company in Chile. The company provides local fixed-line telephony, as well as domestic and international long distance services. It also offers value-added services, such as Internet access, networking and software sales, telemarketing, and information system services. There are six providers of broadband services in Chile. Two of the six (VTR and Metropolis Intercom) provide broadband access via cable modems, three (Telefonica CTC Chile, Telefonica del Sur, and Telefonica Manquehue) provide access via ADSL (asynchronous digital subscriber line), while Entel provides connections with ADSL and wireless local loop technology. The company sold its mobile communication services business to Telefonica Moviles for $1.3 billion in July 2004 as the Chilean wireless market was approximately 60% penetrated, and the company was expecting intensified competition resulting in lower levels of profitability. In 2006, CTC derived 76.5% of its revenue from fixed telecommunications, 13.2% from corporate communications services and 10.3% from long distance operations.(Read more at Wikinvest ) | <urn:uuid:78e5234e-bc86-4ce9-8b44-11f501a93322> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wnd.com/markets/quote/community/wikinvest?Symbol=321%3A18379354 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928034 | 279 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Repairing Hearts with Stem Cells
Reported July 15, 2011
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Do you ever wonder what illnesses you might inherit from
your parents? According to a new study, people are significantly more likely to
inherit a predisposition to heart attack than to stroke.
"We found that the association between one of your parents having a heart attack
and you having a heart attack was a lot stronger than the association between
your parent having a stroke and you having a stroke. That suggests the
susceptibility to stroke is less strongly inherited than the susceptibility to
heart attack,” Peter M. Rothwell, M.D., Ph.D., senior author, and professor of
clinical neurology at Oxford University in England, was quoted saying.
Even when the researchers analyzed patients’ siblings as well as parents, they
found the same result: Family history proved a stronger risk predictor for heart
attack than for stroke.
"We had found previously that much of the heritability of stroke is related to
the genetics of high blood pressure, which doesn't seem to be the case for heart
attack," Dr. Rothwell said. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, appears to be
closely related with stroke rather than heart attack, which is why a family
history of hypertension is related to a higher risk of stroke.
The study began in 2002 to study strokes, heart attacks and other acute vascular
events. The researchers used data from 906 patients with acute heart ailments
and 1,015 patients who suffered acute cerebral events. The team found that in
the heart patients, 30 percent had one parent who'd had a heart attack, 21
percent had at least one sibling who had suffered a heart attack. Seven percent
had two or more siblings who had heart attacks and 5 percent had two parents
with heart attack.
Among the patients with a stroke or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), which are
often called mini-strokes or warning strokes, 21 percent had one parent who had
a stroke, and 2 percent had two parents with stroke. Eight percent had at least
one sibling with a stroke and 14 percent had at least two siblings with stroke.
The risk of a sibling developing acute heart problems was similar for those with
heart attack or stroke. The risk for an acute cardiac event was six times
greater if both parents had suffered a heart attack and one-and-a-half times
greater if one parent had a heart attack. In contrast, the likelihood of stroke
did not change significantly with parents' stroke history.
Dr. Rothwell believes the findings hold two implications, "First, the way
physicians predict the odds of a healthy person suffering a heart attack or
stroke needs refining. Currently, most risk models lump a patient's family
history of stroke and heart attack together. We probably should model family
history of stroke and heart attack separately in the future,” he said.
He noted, the study also indicates that using the same criteria to predict both
medical events overestimates the risk of stroke. "The knowledge of genetic
factors in stroke lags behind that in coronary artery disease. The discovery
that genes play a significantly smaller role in stroke could mean that genetic
studies of stroke may not be critical to the field,” Dr. Rothwell said.
SOURCE: Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics, July 27, 2011 | <urn:uuid:aead5d85-c1d9-4220-8149-cc4d1a4e82bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.womenfitness.net/news/cardiovascular_health/inheriting_heart_attacks.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96322 | 717 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Sign of the times
Orangutan iPad An orangutan named Mahal plays with an iPad at the Milwaukee Zoo.Orangutan Outreach
Orangutans living in captivity will soon start using iPads for primate play-dates, using Skype or FaceTime to interact with their brethren in other zoos, according to zookeepers. The great apes have been playing with iPads for about six months at the Milwaukee County Zoo, and they’ve been such a hit that other zoos plan to introduce them, too.
The “Apps for Apes” program started after a zookeeper commented online about getting some iPads for her gorilla charges. Someone donated a used iPad, and it turned out the gorillas didn’t care for it. But the orangutans loved it, as the LA Times says. | <urn:uuid:d8e5fcf1-3141-48b4-b233-285c89756683> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pbokelly.blogspot.com/2012/01/facetime-for-apes-orangutans-use-ipads.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919475 | 174 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Posted by ESC on April 24, 2002
In Reply to: Re: "Patch hell a mile" posted by paula on April 24, 2002
: Clarence grew up in a music-loving family; it seemed natural to him that he should sing: "The whole family was singing and my old man could sing some and of course I being the youngest of the family Ijust followed suit I guess." Clarence's father, William Henry Blois, knew "more songs than'd patch hell a mile," and was the major source of Clarence's own repertory.
: The above is a quote from an article using the expression. I found it using the yahoo search engine...
This is a guess. I think it's "patch" as in patch a road. Since hell is on fire, repairing a through road would take a lot of patching material since the material would tend to be consumed by flames. So "more songs than'd patch hell a mile" would mean "a lot." I thought I was on to something with the following expression, but maybe it's a whole different thing.
hell a mile - "An exclamation. 'Hell a mile, he ain't been out of hearing long enough to done that.' (William Faulkner, 'The Hamlet,' 1940)" From the Whistlin' Dixie section of the "Facts on File Dictionary of American Regionalisms: Local Expressions from Coast to Coast" by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 2000). | <urn:uuid:efd769b7-fd20-4ef7-9e83-2a49b2c4415e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/13/messages/1327.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976073 | 312 | 2.15625 | 2 |
CHICAGO- Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today awarded $726,000 to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago for renovations to the museum’s central heating and cooling plant. The Governor also recently announced a $5 million grant to the Field Museum for a 200,000 square foot expansion and renovation project.
“The Field Museum has been fascinating and educating children and adults alike for over 110 years and this work will ensure the facility can continue to handle the hundreds of thousands of people who visit each year in a safe, comfortable and energy-efficient environment,” Governor Blagojevich said.
The Field Museum launched a multi-million renovation to the central heating and cooling plant in order to provide adequate levels of climate control throughout the existing parts of the museum and for the new expansion. The renovations will also provide lower cost and environmentally low impact heating and cooling using state-of-the-art technology.
“I’d like to thank the Governor for helping us preserve the history at the Field Museum. These renovations will make sure the thousands of artifacts, collections and exhibits that are the museums’ main attractions remain protected through proper climate controls,” said State Representative Lou Jones. | <urn:uuid:f3d2de2b-71b7-41fe-a710-7bda65216506> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www3.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=1&RecNum=2999 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934544 | 253 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Illustration: Kevin Lincoln/Business Insider
Launched about two years ago, the site already has more than 10 million monthly visitors and, among social networks, is ranked below only Facebook and Tumblr in terms of average time-spent-per-user per month.
But with massive growth comes major scrutiny.
Pinterest is a place where users upload photography – sometimes professional, copyrighted photography – that they found elsewhere on the Internet.
We talked to media law attorney Itai Maytal, who's an associate at Miller Korzenik Sommers LLP, to try and understand: Is Pinterest theft on a massive scale? Using what we learned from him, we've created an FAQ to try and answer this question. (Note: this is not an interview with Maytal. Both the questions and answers are ours, unless Maytal is quoted.)
Q: First off, what is Pinterest?
A: Pinterest is a social media site that involves "pinning" pictures you like to 'boards' that you create. Its users are heavily female — maybe as much as 95 percent.
Q: Sounds fun.
A: It is! People love the visual element. Because you can combine pictures from all over the web, as well as your own, and put them in one place, it's sort of like an interactive collage.
Q: But wait: You can use other peoples' photos?
Q: Isn't that illegal?
A: It's not clear. Pinterest definitely allows users to post other photographers' work to the site. But it's not clear that this is illegal.
It's all about complying with the DMCA, or the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Q: That's how YouTube works, right?
A: On YouTube, you're only allowed to post videos you own the rights to. If a copyright holder sees that you posted one of his or her videos, YouTube will take it down upon complaint.
Q: But is it illegal?
A: Pinterest could be in Fair Use territory (meaning, legally protected). Fair Use law allows people to use work they do not own the copyright to. There are four elements to consider when determining if something is Fair Use:
- The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
- The nature of the copyrighted work [is it fictional or factual]
- The amount and substantiality of the portion [of the work] used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
- The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work
The big one is that first question. If the use is transformative — if something new is being created by using the picture — then it can be construed as Fair Use.
One of the most famous cases of this, and one that Maytal pointed to as likely to be a major precedent, is Perfect 10 v. Google. A nude-image subscription service. Perfect 10 sued Google because Google's Image search showed pictures that Perfect 10 hid behind a paywall. It claimed that Google was doing it irreparable harm by showing the pictures in its search.
Google won the case. The courts ruled that Google Image search is Fair Use because it's transformative.
Maytal told us, "The use of the thumbnails was highly transformative, allowed users to get to a source of information that they couldn’t otherwise get." Google Image search becomes a social benefit and a reference tool.
Q: So how does Pinterest stack up in these Fair Use conditions?
A: Not well. On question 2, photography is inherently creative — photos are not facts — so that's a point against Pinterest. On question 3, Pinterest, in many cases, allows users to see photos from other sources in their full, original form on Pinterest's site. That's the work in its entirety.
On question 4, if users are able to see the work in its entirety, then they have no need to click through to see it at its source, potentially affecting the market. Also, even if you argue that Pinterest helps photographers or businesses sell products, that doesn't necessarily help.
Q: Isn't helping someone sell their stuff always good?
A: No. A case involving J.D. Salinger's attempt to stop his letters from being published established that a copyright holder always has the right to control the use of his work, even if that means he'll make less money.
Q: What about that first question, of whether Pinterest is transformative?
A: This will be the big issue, and what will likely determine Pinterest's legality. The fact that Pinterest isn't making any money yet definitely helps. Once it starts monetizing these pictures, it will become harder to argue that it's Fair Use.
Money isn't the biggest issue, though. The biggest issue is whether the use is a public service, or creates something new. Pinterest could potentially argue that it's a search or reference tool. But Google only provides thumbnails, which is transformative; you have to go to the original source to see the full picture. That's not the case with Pinterest, and that could be the killer.
Q: Couldn't Pinterest just take down the pictures that are infringement?
A: Yes, and they're supposed to. But they're not doing that. And the question of whether it's up to the service or the users to guard copyright is still being hashed out in the courts.
Q: How is this any different than Tumblr? I post stuff that isn't mine there all the time.
A: Good question! It's not really different. This could be an issue for Tumblr soon enough as well. The difference is that Pinterest seems designed almost entirely for the theft of others' copyrighted material, whereas Tumblr's a blogging service like any other on the Internet, just easier to use.
Q: So, is Pinterest illegal?
A: Quite possibly. Until there's a legal challenge against the site, it'll be hard to know. Pinterest could have some legitimate arguments in favor of itself: Claiming it's a search tool, saying it drives traffic elsewhere, arguing that the way it shows pictures is transformative.
But the big problem is that it grabs entire copyrighted works to re-post. This could be hard to overcome, especially as Pinterest starts growing and becomes more of a destination for a greater audience. The more time users spend on Pinterest, one assumes, the less likely they are to click out to other sites. And why click out when you can see the whole picture right there? | <urn:uuid:f071c4f2-f597-40d6-9cec-d853f63db3f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.businessinsider.com/pinterest-illegal-faq-2012-2?pundits_only=0&get_all_comments=1&no_reply_filter=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957018 | 1,350 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Changing your car’s colour will no more be illegal. The ministry of road transport and highways has put forth a proposal to allow four-wheeler owners to change the original colour of their car. A draft cabinet note from the ministry has been released amending the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) 1988.
There is, however, a catch to this proposal. The owner will be required to get the colour-change endorsed on the vehicle’s registration certificate. The go-ahead for permitting change in car colour has been part of recommendations given by the Sundar Committee on Transport. The committee was set up to review sections of the MVA since it is illegal to change the colour of your car from what is already recorded on the registration document.
The government also plans to double or treble the amount of fine payable for offences such as speeding and jumping traffic lights – a move meant to make Indian roads safer.
“The amount payable for offences such as speeding, crossing the stop line and jumping the light, etc will be doubled or trebled if the proposal is approved,” a senior government official associated with the process has been quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
Penalty for talking on the mobile phone will also be brought under the legal ambit by amending Section 177 of the MVA, entailing a fine amounting to almost Rs. 2,000.
The proposal is also keen on imposing a ban on the use of devices such as Bluetooth headsets and iPods while driving. Conforming to the recommendation of the committee, unauthorized persons driving a vehicle will be forced to shell out heavy penalties and could even invite serious legal consequences.
Driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while being mentally unfit, driving without a licence (number) plate are offences which will likely invite imprisonment. Deaths caused due to drunken driving will be considered culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the proposal as reported in a Financial Express article.
On the other hand, causing an accident would be treated as a premeditated crime instead of being seen as rash and negligent driving once the amendment passed in the Parliament. | <urn:uuid:12130e9e-91cc-44ed-9fac-c1041576bf9a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cartoq.com/changing-car-colour-likely-to-be-legalized-in-india/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961631 | 432 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Proofreading RNA: Structure of RNA Polymerase II's Backtracked State
For genes to be expressed, a complementary strand of RNA must be produced from a DNA template. During this process of transcription, a special class of enzyme called RNA polymerase moves along the DNA template, reading the DNA and producing an RNA complement. This process operates with amazingly high fidelity—the error rate is as low as one mistake for every 100,000 DNA base pairs transcribed—thanks in part to error correction by an RNA polymerase known as pol II, which "backtracks," or reverses, along the transcript to remove misincorporated or damaged nucleotides. A group from the Stanford University School of Medicine has solved the structure of pol II in the backtracked state, providing structural insights about a key mechanism for ensuring accurate transcription. Read more...
Publication about this research: D. Wang, D.A. Bushnell, X. Huang, K.D. Westover, M. Levitt, and R.D. Kornberg, "Structural basis of transcription: Backtracked RNA polymerase II at 3.4 angstrom resolution," Science 324, 5931 (2009).
X-Ray Imaging of the Dynamic Magnetic Vortex Core Deformation
Magnetic thin-film nanostructures can exhibit a magnetic vortex state in which the magnetization vectors lie in the film plane and curl around in a closed loop. At the very center of the vortex, a small, stable core exists where the magnetization points either up or down out of the plane. Three years ago, the discovery of an easy core reversal mechanism at the ALS not only made the possibility of using such systems as magnetic memories much more realistic, it also initiated investigation of the core switching mechanism itself. Now, a Belgian–German–ALS collaboration has used high-resolution, time-resolved, magnetic x-ray microscopy to experimentally reveal the first step of the reversal process: the dynamic deformation of the vortex core. The group also measured a critical vortex velocity above which reversal occurs. Both these observations provide the first experimental support for the postulated reversal mechanism. Read more...
Publication about this research: A. Vansteenkiste, K.W. Chou, M. Weigand, M. Curcic, V. Sackmann, H. Stoll, T. Tyliszczak, G. Woltersdorf, C.H. Back, G. Schuetz, B. Van Waeyenberge, "X-ray imaging of the dynamic magnetic vortex core deformation," Nature Phys. 5, 332 (2009).
Call for General User Proposals: Deadline January 15
The User Services Office is accepting general user proposals from scientists who wish to conduct research at the ALS in the next cycle.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE (physical sciences beamlines):
Cycle: July–December 2010
Deadline: January 15, 2010
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE (structural biology/biological SAXS):
Cycle: March–April 2010
Deadline: January 15, 2010
NEW PROPOSALS: To submit a new proposal, please complete the appropriate online form.
ACTIVE PROPOSALS: Proposals for physical sciences beamlines are considered active and may be renewed for up to three, six-month cycles after the initial submission. After a total of four cycles, a new proposal must be submitted. If you have an active proposal for which you would like to request beam time during the July–December 2010 cycle, please submit a Proposal Renewal Form.
The following resources have been recently updated and are available for further information:
General information on the proposal process
Advice on what to include in the scientific case
Proposal scores for the current cycle
The proposal form now includes a section on publications from previous ALS work. The publications will be pre-filled automatically from the ALS publication database by searching for the principal investigator's name. Please make sure your publications are entered into our database.
ALS Job Posting: Deputy Division Director, Operations
The ALS is accepting applications for a Division Deputy for Operations to serve as the Chief Operating Officer for the ALS. This critical position offers the challenge and opportunity to be a part of a world-renowned center for scientific research. The deputy's primary role is to manage the overall operation of the ALS. High-impact responsibilities include handling business, project, and facility management and long-range planning related to Berkeley Lab's mission. The deputy will also assume the day-to-day responsibilities of the division director, as needed. Required qualifications include substantial experience managing a scientific program/project and knowledge of a national scientific user facility; demonstrated ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams; demonstrated ability to recruit, retain, and develop staff; and experience with financial and budget oversight and development. Substantial knowledge of the synchrotron radiation community is highly preferred. Read the full job posting.
Light-Source Safety Officials Meet for Two-Day Workshop
Attending the meeting to discuss user experiment and safety issues were, from left: Ken Goldberg, Mike Martin (LBNL); Zoe Van Hoover, Matthew Padilla (SLAC); Nena Moonier (APS); Jim Floyd (LBNL); Cathy Knotts (SLAC); Sue Bailey (LBNL); Ian Evans (SLAC); Susan Strasser (APS); Deborah Smith, Liz Moxon (LBNL); Andrew Ackerman (NSLS); David Malone (LBNL); and Mohamed Benmerrouche(CLS).
Safety and User Services staff from the five Department of Energy light sources met at a workshop at the ALS on November 16–17. The purpose was to present each facility's user safety program and to identify best practices and potential areas of collaboration. In all, eleven different issues were found for further work. The most significant of these was to work towards a more common experiment review process. The eventual goal, where practical, is to have a consistent web tool for users such that similar work would have a consistent review and authorization process across all of the light sources. The meeting paved the way for staff at the ALS to overhaul the current paper-based Experiment Safety Sheet (ESS), replacing it with an electronic system based on the Advanced Photon Source's Experiment Safety Approval Form (ESAF).
UEC Corner: New Members for 2010, Survey Results
I'm very pleased to announce the four new members of the ALS UEC, the next UEC chair, and the results of the user poll. 156 users voted. See results.
The new UEC members are Hendrik Bluhm, David Kilcoyne, and Brandy Toner.
The new student representative is Holly Barth.
Their terms begin January 1st, 2010.
David Osborn (Sandia National Laboratories) has been elected as the next UEC chair for 2010. Many thanks to Peter Fischer, Franz Himpsel, Anne Sakdinawat, and Hendrik Ohldag, who will all be rotating off the committee in 2010.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Users' Meeting opinion poll and charter amendment vote. Here are the results.
Welcome: Shauna Kanel and Clyde Lewis
Shauna Kanel is excited to be joining the ALS communications team. She comes to us from the Stanford School of Medicine, where she was the communications coordinator in charge of marketing, Web design, and news for the Biomedical Informatics Research division and the National Center for Biomedical Ontology. Shauna did her undergraduate and graduate studies in molecular biology at the University of California, San Diego. She will be writing and editing ALSNews and science highlights, helping redesign the ALS Web site, and improving the ALS's social marketing strategies. "If you have any exciting research coming down the pike, contact us and we'll get the news out," Shauna said. You can reach her at
and 510-486-6376. Her office is in Building 4, Room 210.
The User Services Office would like to welcome Clyde Lewis to the ALS. Clyde will be working as the ALS's proposal administrator. He recently completed a term as a writing instructor with Berekely Lab's Center for Science and Engineering Education, assisting undergraduates with internship writing requirements. Clyde's Masters Degree in Educational Administration and experience derived from creating a Center for Foreign Language Study at Keio University, Japan, will be an asset to the ALS. "I couldn't have asked for a better position; all the people I'm working with are phenomenal," Clyde said. His open and friendly personality will make him a great addition to the ALS support staff, where he hopes to build relationships and gain a better understanding of the Lab. You can contact Clyde at
Around the Ring: Science Cafe, High-Profile Visitors
A second Science Cafe was held on Tuesday, November 10, again attracting an overflow crowd interested in hearing about energy-related research taking place on ALS beamlines. Speakers for this event included Simon Teat, who spoke about investigating molecular structures for gas sequestraion using small-molecule crystallography on Beamline 11.3.1; Martin Kunz, who presented recent lithium-ion battery research on Beamline 12.3.2, and who also proposed several ideas to develop new energy-research user communities at the ALS; and Jinghua Guo, who rounded out the program with his presentation about metal-oxide clusters as photocatalysts for water splitting. Division Director Roger Falcone moderated the discussions that followed each talk. The next Cafe will take place on Wednesday, January 20, 2010.
Representative Bill Foster, one of only three physicists in the U.S. Congress, spoke on "What It's Like to be a Scientist in the U.S. Congress" at Berkeley Lab on Monday, November 9. Foster, who represents the 14th District in Illinois, was a researcher at Fermilab for 22 years. While there, Foster helped discover the top quark, the heaviest known form of matter. Foster currently serves on the House Financial Services Committee. As part of his visit, Rep. Foster toured the ALS with Director Roger Falcone. The congressman was particularly interested in Alastair MacDowell's effort on measuring CO2 transport through rock on Beamline 8.3.2, in connection with the Lab's work on energy and climate change related to carbon sequestration. Foster was also interested in Berkeley Lab's proposed new x-ray free-electron laser source, and his knowledge of particle accelerators from his previous life's work at Fermilab led to some probing questions.
Congressman Bill Foster (IL-14 with Alastair MacDowell (ALS).
Members of the Australian Parliament also toured the ALS with Roger on Monday, September 28. The delegation was led by Senator John Hogg, President of the Australian Senate (equivalent to the U.S. Speaker of the House). In addition to visiting the ALS, the delegation toured the National Center for Electron Microscopy (Uli Dahmen) and heard presentations on advanced biofuels development (Jay Keasling) and energy-efficient buildings (Arun Majumdar/Steve Selkowitz).
Ring Status Notifications to Cell Phone
You may now receive text message notifications to your cell phone of the ALS ring status. Send a text message from your phone to
containing the letters "als" in the body of the text. You will get a response with the current status and, if the beam is down, it will send a follow-up text as soon as the beam is back. James Glossinger of the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology (BCSB) developed the application, with help from Eric Berryman of Engineering Division. Thanks to Leif Steinhour (also BCSB) for suggesting the project.
For the user runs from October 21 to November 15, the beam reliability [(time scheduled - time lost)/time scheduled)] was 92.6%. For this period, the mean time between failures (MTBF) was 29.6 hours, and the mean time to recovery (MTTR) was 143 minutes. A failure within the SR01C SD power supply November 3–4 resulted in a loss of over 14 hours of scheduled beam time (eight of those hours during a scheduled special operations shift.)
More detailed information on reliability is available on the ALS reliability bulletin board, which is located in the hallway between the ALS and the control room in Building 80. Questions about beam reliability should be directed to
Long-term and weekly operations schedules are available here. Requests for special operations use of the "scrubbing" shift should be sent to Rick Bloemhard (
, x4738) by 1:00 p.m. Friday. View the ring status in real time here. | <urn:uuid:2aa662b8-f2cb-45a9-9ed3-d98aa7e96ef3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www-als.lbl.gov/index.php/user-information/user-services/142-alsnews-vol-304.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934658 | 2,647 | 3.40625 | 3 |
The Klein Star is a device for storing EMC for use in Transmutation Tablet, Antimatter Relays, Energy Collectors, Dark Matter Furnaces, Red Matter Furnaces and for Power Items. A fully charged Omega is required to craft five items - the Gem Armour set and the Alchemical Tome.
Klein Stars do not provide any reductions or cost breaks. It is basically an EMC Battery.
In order to build a single Omega Klein Star, one must possess 1,024 Diamonds (16 Stacks), as well as 8,192 Mobius Fuel (128 Stacks).
[8 x 2,048 (Mobius Fuel)] + [1 x 8,192 (Diamond)] = 24,576 EMC for Klein Star Ein.
The total cost for a Klein Star Omega is [8,192 x 2048 (Mobius Fuel)] + [1,024 x 8,192 (Diamond)] = 25,165,824 EMC. This is equal to approx. 54 Red matter, or 3072 (48 stacks) of diamonds. That's your entire inventory filled with stacks of diamonds, plus 12 more stacks.
Klein Stars can be charged from the Transmutation Tablet by placing it on the left, adding any form of Matter or Fuel to generate EMC, and then removing the Star from the grid. Doing so leaves the table with 0 EMC in it, and the equivalent amount of EMC in the Klein Star. No EMC is lost from the tablet if it has a higher amount of EMC than the Star's storage capacity. Klein Stars can also be charged directly from an Energy Collector or Anti-Matter Relay.
There is, however, a bug with the Transmutation Tablet that targeting a copy with a Charged Klein Star (any type), only costs a fraction of the amount it should do (SMP). The cost of the Stars varies on the charge level of the Targeted Star. An Ein can cost 5,548 - or lower, and a Zwei costs 2,535 - and often as low as 1,271, and a Drei costs 34,175 - but can be made lower. The glitch appears to arise from the Tablet attempting to draw EMC from the targeted Star, but with none being taken from it. Cheaply Transmuting Klein Star Eins is most efficient when the targeted Ein is charged with around 2,000-2,200 EMC.
The production of Klein Star Omegas can be automated with factories like a Klein Tower. This will save players the manual labor of performing each step in the crafting process (which involves up to 2047 iterations when working from mobius fuel and diamonds as the components). However, the Omega still requires huge amounts of EMC both to craft from base components, and then to charge to capacity.
This can also be used to charge the Swiftwolf's Rending Gale simply place it somewhere in your inventory and it will charge it, this does NOT need to be in your hotbar.
Upgrading a Klein Star increases its EMC capacity. If a Klein Star has EMC stored in it when it is used to craft the next tier, the EMC is not lost, and will be stored in the new Klein Star.
Stored EMC is conserved between levels. Upgraded Stars not only store more EMC in a single slot, they also store given EMC faster - useful when you begin upgrading Relays and Collectors, as lower tiers may get backlogged.
|Klein Star||EMC Storage||Eins Required||Total Build Cost||EMC in Diamonds||Filled Cost|
|Vier||3,200,000||64||1,572,864||192 (3 Stacks)||4,772,864|
|Sphere||12,800,000||256||6,291,456||768 (12 Stacks)||19,091,456|
Klein Star Omegas are also used in the crafting of other items, such as the gem armor and alchemical tome.
The conventional way to charge a Klein Star is to put it into a Antimatter Relay being supplied with EMC.
A faster way to charge the Klein Star Omega is to put it in the left grid of a Transmutation Tablet (The portable one works too). The Tablet will dump its EMC into the Star immediately. You may then add things into the burn slot to immediately charge the Klein Star.
Due to the extreme amounts of EMC required for Klein Stars, and the Omega in particular, it is likely that some form of large scale automatic EMC harvesting will be required, such as the Power Flower. | <urn:uuid:13df5699-8c99-4038-ad79-398511f0a01d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thetekkit.wikia.com/wiki/Klein_Star | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903529 | 970 | 1.632813 | 2 |
An infographic by the team at CouponAudit
This infographic indicates how smartphone evolved this generation and how many users do we have in the world. There are an estimated of 7 Billion population in the world and it took about 16 years before it reached 1 Billion smartphone users. With fast technology upgrade nowadays, it will only take another 3 years to reach 2 Billion users. As the population rises and smartphones enhance its features, more individuals will opt to get one. These smartphones has been used by many adults in the United States. There is an estimated of 45% adult smartphone users and 85% use cellular phones. Smartphones being mostly used are Apple iPhone, Motorola, HTC, Nokia, Samsung, LG and a lot of tablets are now available. In a study conducted showing device ownership by age group, there are 628 people ages 16-29 years old and 2, 309 people ages 30 plus was involved. These percentages show how many of this population own high-end gadgets. It shows that 11% of 16-29 years old age group are using tablets and 10% are 30 plus years old. 95% of these people have smartphone 85% of them are over 30 years old. 80% of lower age group have desktop/laptop but only 73% from people aged 30 plus have this. Only 7% of younger individuals own an e-reader but 11% of older ones use this. In the US, smartphone owners had been studied in specific age groups. There are 14.6% users aged 55 plus, 15.2% users between 45-54 years old, 20.7% from age group between 35-44 years old, a higher percentage of 25.6% from age group between 25-34 years old. 17.2% from ages between 18-24 years old and a lower number of users which is 6.3% from ages between 13-17 years old considering the price and the income of each household.
This infographic also shows the market share of operating systems of smartphone subscribers from top smartphone platforms with 3 month average ending July 2012 vs. 3 month average ending April 2012 from US subscribers ages 13 plus. Google has the highest point of change between April and July, next is the Apple which has 2% point of change, -2.1% for RIM users, -4% for Microsoft users and -5% for Symbian users. Android have as high as 68.1% of its operating system, 16.9% for iOS, and lower percentages for other operating system like Windows, Linux, RIM and Symbian but in 2006 before iOS and Android came out, RIM has the highest usage followed by Linux, Windows and Symbian. PalmSource had also been used as well as other operating systems.
The biggest global manufacturer is Samsung with 32.9%, ZTE has 32.6%, Apple has 16.9%, Nokia has 6.6%, HTC has 5.7% and other brands have 5.2%. Device manufacturers that include smartphones and non-smartphones show that Samsung has the highest share of smartphone subscribers but with a point of change of -3% between April and July 2012. Apple shows to have a 1.9% point of change, LG has -8%, Motorola has -1.3% and HTC has 0.4%.from the top mobile OEMs. Smartphone applications per platform show that Android and iOS are nearly equal with 100K difference in its number of users and Windows has the lowest among the three. More and more people are using Android and just recently, Android hit 25 Billion downloads where Apple has as much 6 months ago. There has been more than $100 Billion spent on mobile media globally in 2011 alone and it will continuously grow. American households has an average spending of $1,110 in 2007 for phone services alone and a little much of $1,226 in 2011 with $67 rise in each family for phone services while food spending went down to $48, apparel fell by $141 and $126 for non-phone entertainment like books and other gadgets. This shows how smartphones have been dominating more on expenses of each household that family members could sacrifice other necessities to sustain their phone services monthly.
Copy & Paste the code below to your favorite website or blog.
An infographic by the team at CouponAudit
Coupon Audit provides working coupons for different online stores, we update and verify coupons on daily basis. It’s our guarantee that all coupons provided by us will work, we have millions of coupons for different stores like: Toms, Teleflora, Target, Teavana, Wag, Converse, Overtons, Naturalizer, Nasm, My Jewelry Box, Lacoste, Dr. Jays all stores can be found here. | <urn:uuid:efc24eed-b90a-4508-a7d2-76919bdfcc86> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.couponaudit.com/blog/smart-phone-users-by-the-numbers-infographic/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962867 | 966 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Kyle Kinkade speaks at MacTech on the power of AirPlay
Kyle Kinkade, you may remember, is one of the original developers of Tap Tap Revolution (one of the iPhone’s biggest early hits), and was last seen working on Bartleby’s Book of Buttons, a beautiful and interactive book for the iPad. This week at the MacTech IT and developers’ conference here in Los Angeles, Kinkade took the stage to talk about AirPlay, a technology that he says has some major ramifications and consequences for both Apple and the entire interactive entertainment industry going forward. “By 2014,” Kinkade said of AirPlay integration, and multiscreen interaction, “this will be a very common thing.”
Kinkade began by showing off some examples of AirPlay integration, and how developers had learned to use the service so far. The core function of AirPlay is simply to send a video signal from your Apple device up to a larger screen, either out to a television or to your computer. Apps like Netflix and the TED talks app, for example, are simply kicking out video to the larger screen. But Kinkade also pointed out that AirPlay is being used more and more in other ways as well: Some games are using AirPlay to send a larger signal to then be controlled by the handheld device, and other apps (including Kinkade’s own Bartleby book) are actually creating two different experiences, whether you’re playing on just the smaller screen, or with the large screen also showing other context and information.
In fact, said Kinkade, lots of AirPlay functionality is actually not just being shown on a bigger TV or a computer screen, but on a full 5.1 home theater system. Developers, he said, shouldn’t just think of AirPlay as a fun gimmick to see iPhone graphics on the big screen, but they should start thinking about it as a larger experience, as an entire second app or maybe even as the primary function of all kinds of apps, from games to productivity apps to anything else. Devs should not only think about sound as they design, and “do more than mirror” information on both screens, but they should “consider multiple dual screen paradigms” as they code, realizing that users are going to be appreciating and even expecting functionality like this going forward.
For his own app, Kinkade says he’s not yet seeing anywhere near a majority of users investing in AirPlay, but the numbers are growing, from about 5% of users a year ago, to more than 11% at the current time. Kinkade also said that as other “second screen” technologies get more and more popular (like Microsoft’s Project Glass functionality, and Nintendo’s Wii U game console), AirPlay will have a chance to really lead the industry. “When it’s no longer nerdy to have a screen in your hands as you play a game,” said Kinkade, then AirPlay will become hugely important.
And finally, Kinkade suggested that Apple was thinking along these lines already. “Apple’s taking AirPlay pretty seriously,” said Kinkade. “You just don’t know it yet.” The company has been adding more and more functionality to AirPlay already (including the mirroring function), and Kinkade says that when Apple does reveal its final plans for AirPlay, developers already familiar with how it works and how it can be used will have a distinct advantage. His talk was definitely convincing: AirPlay is already a very fascinating technology, and it’s easy to see how Apple, developers, and eventually users will have lots of fun and useful ways to take advantage of it in the future.
Kyle Kinkade speaks at MacTech on the power of AirPlay originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sat, 20 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
You may also like to check out:
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- How To Downgrade iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4G From iOS 6 To 5.1.1 Using Redsn0w | <urn:uuid:f07e39ab-bcc2-4e2a-acfe-8f263ef642d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iphonefirmware.com/kyle-kinkade-speaks-at-mactech-on-the-power-of-airplay/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945573 | 1,025 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Theophilos Argitis and Jeremy van Loon
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is gaining support among Canadians for his plan to ship oilsands crude to China after President Barack Obama rejected TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline to the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Harper will meet President Hu Jintao in China next month, when he may tout Enbridge Inc.’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline that would let crude flow to Asia from Alberta’s oilsands via a Canadian port.
“The Keystone decision was a slap in the face to Canada and it’s making Canadians rethink the relationship,” said Jack Mintz, head of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary. “Harper probably wants to put out a sign that we’re open for business for Asia.”
Harper is pushing energy exports to Asia to reduce the country’s reliance on the U.S. and make Canada a global energy “superpower.” Tapping markets in Asia may raise the price received by Canadian producers by $13.60 a barrel by 2030, according to a University of Calgary study. About 99 percent of Canada’s crude exports go the U.S…
…Harper expressed his “profound disappointment” Jan. 19 after the U.S. rejected Keystone, telling Obama that Canada will “continue to work to diversify its energy exports,” according to details provided by Harper’s office…
The entire article is at Bloomberg.
Related: Congress Pushes Keystone XL.
…What is forgotten in the debate over Keystone XL is building a pipeline like this isn’t new. It would join the thousands of miles pipe that already crisscross the country. As Rob Port at Say Anything writes, “We already have pipelines like the Keystone XL in the United States. This would be an expansion of existing infrastructure.” | <urn:uuid:76005857-432a-43ce-ab31-ed51d84d850f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://commonamericanjournal.com/harper-builds-oil-link-with-china-after-obama-keystone-%e2%80%98slap%e2%80%99/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933827 | 409 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Too bad they don’t cancel out.
1. The index of Albrecht Dihle’s Greek and Latin Literature of the Roman Empire from Augustus to Justinian (Routledge, 1994) includes one entry for Lucilius and one for Lukillios. Too bad they are actually three different people: five of the six page references under ‘Lucilius’ refer to the founder of Roman satire, while the sixth (page 93) refers to the addressee of Seneca’s letters, who lived (if he is not a fiction of Seneca) two centuries later. And shouldn’t the name of the Greek epigrammatist be spelled ‘Loukillios’ if it’s not Latinized as Lucillius? ‘Lukillios’ seems to fall between two stools.
2. The index of Brill’s Companion to Hellenistic Epigram, edited by Peter Bing and Jon Steffen Bruss (Leiden, 2007) includes two entries for Argentarius and three for Marcus Argentarius (under M, not A). Too bad they are the same person. There may in fact be two different writers named Marcus Argentarius, but if so one is an orator, frequently quoted by the Elder Seneca, the other a Greek epigrammatist, and all the Brill references are to the latter. The next entry after Marcus Argentarius is also disconcerting: ‘Mark Anthony’ is a spelling worthy of Catullus’ acquaintance Arrius. I was also disappointed to see that the discussion of poets of the Garland of Philip who were of “high standing and fame in their time’ (160-61) does not mention Marcus Argentarius. He most likely was an eminent orator as well as a poet: the name is rare, the dates match, and the “pointed and sardonic style” of the poet “well suits the irreverent cynic”, the orator. He also may well have been Lucan’s grandfather-in-law, as argued by R. G. M. Nisbet, whose words I quote. See “Felicitas at Surrentum (Statius, Silvae 2. 2)”, JRS 68 (1978) 1-11, reprinted in Collected Papers on Latin Literature, 29-46.
No Comments »
No comments yet. | <urn:uuid:b7a1b733-2df7-45e9-9bee-05b8bb189785> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://curculio.org/?p=202 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941898 | 514 | 1.976563 | 2 |
I just received a new credit card that has an RFID chip in it, but I've heard reports that thieves might be able to steal my account information from it. Should I be worried?
It depends on whom you ask. The new RFID-enabled credit cards and key fobs do have unique security risks -- foremost being the chance that some twerp with a souped-up scanner will read your card information from afar. But I wouldn't go so far as to say that they are less secure, on the balance, than magnetic-stripe credit cards.
Companies such as Chase (which issues the Blink card) and American Express (ExpressPay) claim that RFID chips are built with strong encryption -- 128-bit and Triple-DES (Data Encryption Standard) -- to protect information. Additionally, the chips are supposed to send unique, one-time use codes for each transaction -- codes that do not match the number printed on the card. Chase senior vice president Tom O'Donnell says the combination of unique tokens, switched-on readers and transaction processing is like "tumblers in a lock."
However, a team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, was recently able to construct scanners capable of skimming both the cardholder name and card number from a variety of first-generation RFID credit cards. Then they found a way to transmit that data back to a card reader, tricking it into accepting a "purchase." We spoke with assistant professor Kevin Fu, who worked on the project. He wasn't willing to divulge which credit card issuers were compromised, but he said that many of the supposedly encrypted cards sent card numbers, expiration dates and cardholder names in plain text -- which could be read through the envelopes the cards were mailed in.
Relatively speaking, the risks are low. No one we spoke with had actually heard of RFID "skimming" occurring outside a lab. Any time you remove a card from your wallet, you already are showing your credit card info to anyone within eyeshot, and much of conventional skimming occurs when customers either lose their cards or hand them over in restaurants and stores. There, waiters or cashiers can swipe the card through their own card readers as well as the store's.
According to Fu, however, RFID cards do have a unique vulnerability. "Your card can be read surreptitiously. Unless you were paying attention to the guy behind you with a reader, you'd never know you were being skimmed."
As with most credit card fraud, the risks are borne primarily by the card issuers, which generally will cover all fraudulent charges. However, if the reassurances of the credit card industry aren't enough to calm your nerves, there are other options. You can try the old tinfoil-in-the-wallet trick, or you can get a wallet lined with nickel-impregnated nylon that blocks all RFID transmissions. In our tests, it worked. | <urn:uuid:0d893168-c393-431d-b6b7-7ebe047f1d23> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/4206464 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973857 | 613 | 2.25 | 2 |
[Jalview-discuss] about tree
jprocter at compbio.dundee.ac.uk
Sat Jun 25 11:58:46 BST 2011
On 24/06/2011 18:57, Chen, Xianfeng (CDC/OID/NCIRD) (CTR) wrote:
> Thanks for your kindly response.
you're very welcome !
> Jalview is perfect in presenting alignment, but I want to sub-group sequences in multialignment based on their similarity, in the other words, I will take look at the phylogenetic tree and decide what sequences to be selected, therefore I need to know some parameters building the tree. Dendroscope and others are good tree viewer, but could allow you to sub-group sequence and re-multiple-alignment.
Ah - I see, so Jalview is certainly what you want. However, it sounds
like you should calculate the tree using another program and import it
onto the source alignment in Jalview (which is probably what you are
doing already). You can then use Jalview's tree-based subgrouping
features to explore the variation and conservation patterns between the
subgroups (there's an exercise in chapter 2 of the jalview manual at
Co-incidentally, I have been in a few discussions with people here in
Dundee about introducing 'real' phylogenetic methods into Jalview, and
hope that we'll have at least one phylogenetic method available in a
release by the end of the year. Until then, you'll have to use another
program to calculate a reliable tree. For this, I'd normally prefer to
use TOPAli or SplitsTree - which both allow trees to be saved in newick
format for import to Jalview.
More information about the Jalview-discuss | <urn:uuid:ae062856-8d30-4085-b48f-e0f55b1277b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.compbio.dundee.ac.uk/pipermail/jalview-discuss/2011-June/000630.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924916 | 386 | 1.625 | 2 |
GOD CREATE MAN?
A needless conflict that has been generated between
science and religion is a conflict over the antiquity of man. Like
all conflicts of this nature there has been some bad science and
some bad theology which combined have caused a great deal of
As in many disputes, there are some vested interests in the question
of time. Some atheists and some religionists believe that if you
allow enough time, anything is possible. The problem with this idea
is that the amount of time actually required for some of the things
that have happened in the earth's history is far greater than any
possible age of the earth. Calculations based on various theories of
the origin of life suggest ages such as ten to the 200th or more
power*. The second problem is that there are natural events that
will stop any natural process. Asteroid collisions, comet
collisions, major solar changes, magnetic reversals, and any number
of other catastrophic events are recorded in the rock record of the
earth. Any and all of these events would put a stop to any
naturalistic, gradual process of massive change.
There are also vested
religious interests in the question of time. Over 50 percent of
American protestant denominations teach some form of dispensational
millennialism. This denominational teaching claims that God is using
seven 1,000-year periods to conduct human history. The current
period is said to end with something called the rapture in which all
the Christians will be swept off the earth and a seven-year
tribulation will occur with war between the forces of Israel and the
anti-Zion forces. This will end, according to this belief, with
Jesus returning to David’s throne and reestablishing Jewish worship
complete with animal sacrifice and a final 1,000-year reign. This
interpretation ignores the fact that Jesus said His kingdom was not
of this world (John 18:36). It proposes a physical kingdom concept
that is inconsistent with the entire New Testament. It is not our
purpose to discuss this denominational teaching here, but simply to
say this teaching forces a very limited age to the Earth--something
less than 10,000 years.
The major scientific problem has been the underlying assumptions of
all dating processes. Dating methods are based on the assumption of
uniformitarianism. This assumption, in simple terms, states that the
present is the key to the past. In this belief system, nothing has
ever happened to affect the earth that is not going on right now.
Since processes like erosion, glaciers, volcanism, earthquakes, and
the like, are occurring today, it is assumed that they have always
been the forces shaping the earth. Massive asteroid collisions,
man-made influences, global floods, and nuclear war would be
examples of events that would not be uniformitarian.
An example of how such a principle is
used can be seen in estimating how long it would take to produce a
foot of limestone. The process that produces limestone today is
called chemical precipitation, and it is a very slow process.
Measurements indicate that it takes thousands of years to make a
foot of limestone in quiet areas of today’s seas. In the Permian
Basin of Texas, there is a deposit of at least 22,000 feet of
limestone. How long did it take to produce this formation? If
limestone forms at the rate of one foot in 2,000 years, the time
x 22,000 feet or 44 million years
What assumption has been made in this calculation? Obviously the
assumption is that the limestone was made as limestone is made
today. Is there a fast way of making limestone? There are such
things as super-saturated solutions, but these are difficult to
sustain and do not occur in natural situations. It may be, however,
that there is a fast way of making limestone. If such a method were
discovered it would cast considerable doubt on the veracity of this
With over 600 different methods of dating available, it seems
difficult to believe all of them could be wrong in the same way, and
to the same degree, making them all totally unusable. These methods
are useful in locating oil and other natural resources, but this
kind of predictive use is more dependent upon the sequences of
events than on the absolute correctness of the time involved.
How old does the Bible say man or the earth is? The answer is
similar to our discussion of dating methods. Only by making certain
assumptions can a biblical date be determined.
These assumptions are:
Unfortunately for biblical chronologists all of these assumptions
are incorrect. There are numerous undated and un-timed events in the
biblical narrative. An example is verse 1 of Genesis 1. "In the
beginning God created the heaven and the earth" is an undated and
un-timed event. Since the Dark Ages, men have assumed that this
verse was a summary verse. The idea was that verse one stated the
fact and the rest of Genesis explained how it was done. Verse one is
not a summary. It is written as a historical narrative and is
followed in verse two by other historical events. This means that
verse one is outside or before the creation week and is an undated
and un-timed event. It could have taken no time at all, or God could
have chosen to use trillions of years. God created time, so He
cannot be limited by time. There are other verses which also are
undated and un-timed throughout the biblical narratives, but this is
perhaps the most relevant example.
It is also important to realize that biblical genealogies are not
complete, order dependent, or written for chronological purposes.
Matthew 1:1 says, for example, "Jesus, the son of David, the Son of
Abraham." It is obvious by reading the rest of the chapter that the
author did not intend to convey that Jesus was Abraham's grandson.
The purpose is to show descendancy, not chronology.
In the following chart, two genealogies are given for the same
family lineage. One is 16 generations long, and one is 22
generations long. Obviously, the genealogies cannot be used to
Even when numbers are used you cannot use the numbers as clocks or
calendars. In Matthew 1:17 (NIV) we read, "... there were fourteen
generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the
exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ."
14 + 14 + 14 = 42, does it not?
But if you read the genealogies carefully you will see numerous
omissions. Joash and Jehoikim, for example, are omitted in Matthew
(1:2-16). Luke’s account (3:23-38) gives 55 generations for the same
lineage through Mary. Thirteen missing generations can hardly be the
product of a hardier genetic makeup. The purpose of the genealogy is
clearly not to establish age.
It is important in the genealogies of Matthew and Luke to look at
who wrote the passages, to whom, and why. Matthew was a Jewish
writer writing to a Jewish audience. He uses numerical symbols (14
which is twice seven) which would have special significance to a
Jewish reader. Luke is a Greek writer sending his message to a
Gentile audience. Naturally he will use different methods of stating
genetic relationships than would a Jewish writer. It is important to
understand that the Bible is not written for twenty-first century
Americans with scientific backgrounds. It is written for all people
of all ages and is rooted in the cultures of the authors.
The Bible does not address itself to the age of the earth. Any
attempt to determine the age of man biblically is doomed to failure
because of the assumptions that must be made. This does not mean
that man is necessarily of great age; it just means that the
question is not a relevant biblical question. God has the patience
to accomplish the earth’s creation and all that is in it over a
period of billions of years. God also has the power to create the
earth two seconds ago--with you reading this document, the memory in
your head, all of man’s history and artifacts in place and
functioning. The evidence is that you have been here more than two
seconds. The evidence is that the earth and man have been here more
than 6,000 years. The question is not the patience of God nor is it
the power of God. To say God created the earth with the appearance
of age is certainly within the power of God. However, doing so would
make God deceptive in creating something that would mislead man.
This is inconsistent with God’s nature and provides man with a way
of abrogating his responsibilities.
The solution to the question of man's antiquity is to speak where
the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent. Pitting
assumptions and speculations against one another generates confusion
and appears to make science and the Bible contradictory. If the
Bible is silent on the subject, there can be no contradiction. Let
us allow the Bible to be silent where God intended for it to be
*Bibliographical listings of recent articles on this subject are
available upon request.
Lesson 8 Questions
© 2009, John N. Clayton
Lesson 8 cover picture: iStockphoto.com/ImagineGolf
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Page for the Intermediate Correspondence Course. | <urn:uuid:398cf2a4-9c9d-4927-a9bb-22ca94ac8d3d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.doesgodexist.org/Courses/2009-Course/L8_files-2009/L8-2009.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949417 | 2,038 | 2.125 | 2 |
There are over 10 textbooks of veterinary physiology published since 2005 and currently in use in schools throughout Europe
and North America and there are probably a similar number used in Asia and South America. Indeed, physiology is the breathe
of medicine and is as much a requirement in the curricula of medical schools in 2008 as it was in 1908. All these texts include
chapters on the circulatory, respiratory, and nervous systems, along with the latest advances in cell biology, yet there is
not a single chapter on the immune system in any of them, with the possible exception of descriptions of the lymphatic organs.
Quite strikingly, if one reviews any of the several dozens of textbooks of medicine, whether in family practice, surgery,
orthopedics, or internal medicine, the term "immunology" is found throughout multiple areas of these specialties. This statement
takes on added significance based on the growing realization that autoimmunity in the canine is considerable more common than
The history of immunology as a discipline per se can be traced back to the spectrum of infectious diseases and allergy. It
was not until later that the conceptual revolution began in defining the nature of tolerance and the distinction between self
and non-self thanks to the Nobel laureate Paul Ehrlich. Ehrlich became famous not so much for his contributions in autoimmunity,
but rather because he coined "The Horror Autotoxicus" stating that an immune response against one's own body elements would
necessarily lead to death; the concept of autoimmunity can be traced back to these years. Following the 1947 discovery of
LE cells and later of serum antinuclear antibodies (ANA), it became clear that there are not only multiple autoimmune diseases,
but also that autoantibodies are more numerous than autoimmune diseases. Our knowledge on autoimmunity has paralleled the
fast pace of discovery for new diagnostic tools and we are currently in the era of microarrays to diagnose and ideally predict
For several decades now autoimmune diseases, were often lumped under the vague term of 'collagen vascular pathology'. In earlier
years, autoimmune diseases were considered rare and the appearance of autoantibodies was often considered pathognomonic until
the dissection of serum ANA drastically changed the scenario. The increased serological sophistication demonstrated that autoantibodies
were detected also in a fraction of otherwise normal dogs without developing clinically overt autoimmunity during follow-up
and in some cases autoreactivities occurred naturally. In this latter case, autoantibodies may further provide new links to
unsuspected comorbidition. Similarly, it became clear that ANA subtypes provided clues not only to clinical correlations but
also to the etiology of autoimmunity.
Autoimmune diseases are believed to cumulatively affect 1-3% of the general canine population and are a significant cause
of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Indeed we recognize in dogs systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune
anemia/thrombocytopenia, myasthenia gravis and several dermatologic diseases to name just a few.
The classification of a clinical condition as autoimmune poses several dilemmas. In this talk I will emphasize the following:
1. What is autoimmunity?
2. How is autoimmunity diagnosed?
3. What are the most frequent autoimmune diseases of dogs?
4. Is autoimmunity in the canine increasing in incidence?
5. What is the future of diagnostic tools?
1. I.R. Mackay, The etiopathogenesis of autoimmunity, Semin Liver Dis 25 (2005), pp. 239–250.
2. P.I. Martin, A.I. Malizia and E. Rewald, A propos time and autoimmunity, Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 34 (2008), pp. 380–384.
3. E. Tonutti, D. Visentini and N. Bizzaro, Interpretative comments on autoantibody tests, Autoimmun Rev 6 (2007), pp. 341–346 | <urn:uuid:3c58311c-9c28-440c-808e-41deafbba9cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/avhc/Immunology/Common-canine-autoimmune-disorders-Proceedings/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/644233 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924174 | 863 | 2.484375 | 2 |
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Fri June 29, 2012
Facebook responses: Top three foods for life
In a recent Michigan Radio Facebook post, we asked followers:
If you could only eat three basic foods for the rest of your life, what would they be?
Responses filled up our wall, ranging from the responsible:
Alison- Kale, eggs, and nuts...if I had to chose one I would say almonds
...to the indulgent:
Kyle- Pizza, Donuts, and McDonalds
...to the bizarre:
Paul- Bacon, wrapped in ham, wrapped in bacon
Bacon, it turns out, was the most popular food item with 13 votes.
The CDC recommends that we fill half our plates with fruits and vegetables, and the other half with mostly grains and protein, with a serving of dairy on the side.
Empty calories should be reserved as rare treats, much to the chagrin of Facebook fans who named sugar, beer and ice cream as staple foods.
See how responders' collective answers stacked up in the chart below.
-Elaine Ezekiel, Michigan Radio Newsroom
Arts & Culture | <urn:uuid:3cefe46b-edf9-4462-9c32-ddd65ecb28d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.michiganradio.org/post/facebook-responses-top-three-foods-life | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937932 | 244 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Discussing physical distribution in the beverage arena can be complex and endless; however, finished product distribution is the final step in the supply chain, is under daily vigilance and incurs ‘non-value added’ cost to the product that is a constant concern to producers and distributors. Countless observations and analysis of distribution operations concluded that variable distribution definitions exist leading to inaccurate cost evaluations/comparisons. Where does the operation begin and where does it end and what is an acceptable distribution cost per case under variable conditions? The purposes here 1) relate variations in physical distribution activity at selected beverage segments, 2) show how responsibility variations affect cost and 3) clarify the realistic scope of ‘distribution’.
Defining where distribution operations begin requires defining the preceding pre-distribution operation at warehouse or distribution centers. Separating the operations is necessary because combining the two distorts true distribution cost. And, pre-distribution differs from warehousing because it involves 1) moving cases from storage, manually, semi-automated or fully automated, 2) case picking, pallet make-up and order staging and 3) loading route vehicles. Loaded vehicles ready for dispatching to various routes creates the actual physical distribution starting point. The distribution methods vary and will affect delivery and order completion at retail or commissary locations where the distribution operation ends.
With distribution clearly defined, a good basis is created to analyze responsibilities, calculate costs and establish controls. Some beverage segment overviews illustrate the point.
Soft drinks, franchises, producers/distributors: In this segment, producers/distributors usually have fleets and have distribution responsibility to retail. Franchisees can calculate delivery costs according to distribution methods (conventional, pre-sell, tell sell, bulk) and execute operational controls.
Beer, Brewery Producers, Wholesale Distributors: Most breweries produce product and do not operate distributorships. Although breweries may ship product to wholesalers via staging areas or third party operators, the wholesalers absorb the shipping cost from the brewery. In addition, wholesalers usually deliver to retail via their own fleet and incur local distribution costs. In this scenario, wholesalers can exercise control options from the brewery and to retail.
Wine and Spirits, Vintners and Distillers, Distributors: Other than on site stores at vintners or distillers, under control by state laws, most wine and spirit producers ship product to distributors. Distributors in most instances incur the hauling costs and may utilize owned or leased carriers with the possibility of product pricing negotiated with the hauling costs. In many situations laws do govern pricing and distribution costs cannot be negotiated; therefore, distributors have limited options for controlling and affecting the costs.
Beverage variable distribution costs are a critical issue, require operational knowledge and should be a top managerial priority.
John Peter Koss, a beverage operations advisor, is a licensed registered professional engineer and has 50-plus years of beverage business experience. He can be reached at email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:265c54cc-54b4-4a46-aab4-d12972b63955> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.beverageworld.com/articles/full/15446/defining-distribution-costs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914029 | 623 | 2.265625 | 2 |
The Debate: Should we be doing more to combat climate change?
Read the opinion of Bjorn Lomborg and Tony Jupiter.
By Laura Davis
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Fifty years ago, few people cared about pollution, deforestation, whaling or the Ozone layer. But even with an increasing awareness of issues concerning the environment, there is still a long way to go.
This week The Independent is looking at the successes and failures of the Green Movement at 50, with a series of blogs and features centred around the question: “Has the environment movement been a success?” | <urn:uuid:b30c0bda-06c3-466d-973f-9963a5670c04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lomborg.com/news/2012614_debate-should-we-be-doing-more-combat-climate-change | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939877 | 123 | 2.015625 | 2 |
It's a tense moment for Tehran. The country today opened its first nuclear power plant in Bushehr, prompting fears of a pre-emptive strike by Israel and the US.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Air Force is conducting a simulated, 10-day air war. The skies over the northwestern city of Tabriz are filled with most of Iran's fleet, with the notable exception of its surviving Grumman F-14s. Perhaps they are standing guard at their base in Shiraz in the south.
Instead, the exercise includes the Northrop F-5s and McDonnell F-4s acquired from the US in the early 1970s, as well as the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29s and Sukhoi Su-24s acquired from Russia in the last two decades. As the above video shows, one of the F-5s was lost on Saturday. The status of its pilot, who is briefly glimpsed still strapped to his ejection seat, is unknown.
The indigenous Sa'eqeh fighter, an F-5 modified with a V-tail, also is involved in the exercise. Although the FARS news agency declared today that the Sa'eqeh is operational at squadron strength, we tend to doubt this claim -- FARS is never very reliable. More likely, the Sa'eqeh remains a testbed for a follow-on production aircraft -- this stealth fighter perhaps. | <urn:uuid:9e48f803-764c-4508-b0c4-768f3deaea9c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2011/09/video-an-f-5-crash-scene-in-a.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972362 | 291 | 1.890625 | 2 |
London, United Kingdom – Magic Town and The Little Gym are teaming up to offer a unique arrangement to their customers around the globe. Magic Town is the first virtual world based on popular picture books, and The Little Gym is the world’s premier experiential learning and physical development center for kids aged 4 months through 12 years, with over 300 locations in 28 countries. This partnership provides children a chance to discover new ways to learn, grow and develop a love for reading.
Magic Town is available as both a website, www.magictown.com, and an app for iPad on the App Store. Designed for children aged 2-6, Magic Town features nearly 100 interactive stories licensed from the world’s leading children’s book publishers including Hachette Group, Simon & Schuster and Random House. When children enter Magic Town, they meet Max and Izzy, animated guides who explain how to explore the town. Each house in the town is based on a popular picture book character and holds interactive stories and related games. There are fairy tales, original titles, and well-known series.
Members of The Little Gym will get a free one-month subscription to Magic Town, and Magic Town subscribers will have the opportunity to take one, free introductory class at a The Little Gym location.
Mayra San Martin, VP Digital Publishing, Mindshapes: Magic Town and The Little Gym are a great fit and we’re very excited to be working together to help families find new opportunities for young children. Reading and playing with stories in Magic Town can inspire kids to develop a lifelong love of reading and learning. And The Little Gym offers an equally stimulating opportunity for children to learn and grow through exercise and movement.
Bob Bingham, President and CEO, The Little Gym International: The Little Gym and Magic Town share a core value of providing children with highly interactive activities that help them learn and grow. At The Little Gym, our primary focus is building confidence in children by helping them develop skills that will benefit them at home, in the classroom and throughout life. This partnership supports our efforts to provide a well-rounded learning experience and is a natural fit with the Brain Boost’ component of our core curriculum that focuses on helping children develop a love of learning.
Mindshapes is the creator of Magic Town. Mindshapes’ mission is to change the way children and adults learn through interactive game-play. The company was founded in 2010 and has offices in London, New York and San Francisco. Mindshapes has produced 10 educational iPhone and iPad apps for children. For adults, Mindshapes has created Language City, an interactive world for learning English as a foreign language. Copyright (C) 2012 Mindshapes. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. | <urn:uuid:8a1ac8da-430f-4fba-b0bf-c2eb97b21eba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.macmegasite.com/2012/09/13/magic-town-and-the-little-gym-partner-to-help-kids-learn-and-grow/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940339 | 591 | 1.59375 | 2 |
New Zealand Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia
Indonesia, New Zealand boost ties in energy, education
Indonesia and New Zealand agreed to enhance cooperation in education, energy, counterterrorism and trade during a meeting between Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and his New Zealand counterpart Murray McCully in Jakarta on Tuesday 19 October.
Both countries also launched Tuesday the “Indonesia New Zealand Friendship Council”, which will consist of eminent persons from both countries working to boost cooperation and iron out issues between both countries. The council will consist of senior diplomats, scholars and society figures.
Marty said New Zealand had committed to increasing scholarships for Indonesian students from 15 to 50 annually in the coming years. “In return, we will host New Zealand diplomats for training at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta,” he said.
In the energy sector, Marty said that Indonesia and New Zealand would look into collaboration in geothermal energy.
Indonesia’s geothermal potential is estimated to account for 40 percent of the world’s total or around 28,000 megawatts. Indonesia has set aims to become the world’s largest user of the energy source with some 5 percent of national energy needs coming from geothermal energy by 2025.
The government has estimated that this will require at least US$12 billion in investment, mostly from foreign sources.
The two ministers did not mention the potential amount of investment for the geothermal cooperation during the media briefing but McCully said his country would consider cooperation in the energy sector a priority.
McCully added that both countries would increase trade in the future, especially under the umbrella of the ASEAN-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.
Under the FTA and by 2020, Jakarta will scrap tariffs on imported dairy and meat products from Australia and New Zealand, which are currently subject to tariffs of 5 percent on average. Australia and New Zealand are the largest exporters of meat and dairy products to Indonesia. In return, New Zealand, which has already near-zero tariffs on most imports, will open its labor market for a quota of Indonesian chefs, teachers and semi-skilled workers.
Indonesia has also been negotiating an agricultural technology transfer from New Zealand and for a wider labor market for Indonesian skilled migrant workers in exchange for opening its local market.
Concerns have arisen that unless local meat and dairy producers are equipped with sufficient technology and knowledge, the FTA would have an adverse impact on similar local industries, which the Agricultural Ministry estimates employs around 20,000 workers.
“The relations with Indonesia is going forward and we expect to increase trade, enhance cooperation in the education sectors as well as security and energy,” McCully said.
After the meeting with Marty, McCully is also scheduled to meet with ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan. New Zealand is the member of the 16-strong East Asia Summit, which is set to expand membership to include Russia and the US next year.
Story by Lilian Budianto Jakarta Post | <urn:uuid:ae234da9-d0ec-4f41-a202-9e8d91000796> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nzembassy.com/indonesia/news/indonesia-new-zealand-boost-ties-in-energy-education | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961185 | 613 | 1.65625 | 2 |
DITA is an emerging XML standard that has been embraced by the technical documentation community. Beyond ‘single source publishing’ (which all XML standards provide), DITA facilitates content reuse (or ‘single source authoring’) in a straight-forward manner. DITA segregates content into topics which once created can be used in multiple instances in the documentation set. DITA is similar to the S1000D construct used in military and commercial aerospace applications, but is much simpler to implement and utilize.
When migrating to a DITA environment, you have many things to consider. How do I prepare the organization for DITA? (It is a very different paradigm – especially if coming from a monolithic word processing format like Microsoft Word™ or Adobe Framemaker™.) What should my roadmap look like? What tools should I use? What about my legacy content?
JANA can support the largest or smallest organization with DITA implementations. Our experienced staff can support all aspects of your journey, from building a business case for budget approval to accounting for business processes and change management to helping you communicate the project needs and status to key stakeholders to implementing a reuse strategy. And content reuse is the lynchpin that takes DITA from a ‘good idea’ to a major cost savings for the organization. At a 2011 Conference, Medtronic (a medical device manufacturer) reported that 95% of their content is reused – a major cost savings and a strategic advantage.
If you would like to open the dialog to understand how JANA can support your DITA implementation, please contact us at http://www.janacorp.com/contact_us | <urn:uuid:98c14392-bdf3-45d9-9da1-15f816f6be50> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.janacorp.com/dita_ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904956 | 344 | 1.578125 | 2 |
With over 100,000 copies in print, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
has proven that people want to bake their own bread provided they can do it easily and quickly. Knowing that people are changing the way they eat and bake because of health concerns or lifestyle choices, the authors took their established method and applied it to breads rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. That is where Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day
comes in. Health-conscious bread eaters need homemade options more than anyone else. They want delicious bread, but they can't find the healthy ingredients they'd like to use in traditional bakeries, or in traditional recipes. Whether you are looking for more whole grains, whether you're vegan, gluten-free, training for a triathlon, trying to reduced your cholesterol, or just care about what goes into your body, this book delivers.
For all who discovered artisan bread through the first book and for health-conscious breadlovers everywhere, this book is a must-have.
Includes Recipes for:
• Whole Grain Pizza with Roasted Red Peppers and Fontina
• Turkish-Style Pita Bread with Black Sesame Seeds
• Cherry Tomato Baguette
• Gluten-Free Rosemary Parmesan Bread Sticks
• Spicy Chile Whole Grain Snack Crackers
• Quinoa Bread
• Pistachio Swirled Brioche | <urn:uuid:aa89cd9e-d49c-4c3e-beb2-2d376342499d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bookphaze.com/food-recipes/1564-isbn-0312545525.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932352 | 284 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Photographs and text explore the anatomy and life cycle of trees, examining the different kinds of bark, seeds, and leaves, the commercial processing of trees to make lumber, the creatures that live in trees, and other aspects
When fall comes, two brothers enjoy catching the falling leaves, stomping on them, kicking them, jumping in piles of them, and using them to make pictures. Includes a description of how leaves change through the year. Suggested for ages 1-6.
An illustrated introduction to trees and woodlands with information on how to identify the bark and the leaves, the many ways that animals use trees, and how to read the individual history that shapes every tree. | <urn:uuid:9a4d289e-4ada-4190-b61c-a3c89fb1ba9a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://history.librarypoint.org/taxonomy/term/3262 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925366 | 138 | 3.671875 | 4 |
Looking for ways to save on your average electric bill? While Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) have definite advantages over standard incandescent bulbs when it comes to electricity usage, money savings and longevity, they pale in comparison to the new Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs. That’s right. The new CFL is the LED.
LED bulbs use less electricity than CFLs, and they last 25 times as long as a standard incandescent bulb. They’re also great for outdoor use because they stand up to all types of weather. The cold doesn’t even seem to bother them.
Of course, this sort of energy efficiency comes at a price. Some LED bulbs sell for close to $80.00 online. But, with a lifespan of about 50,000 hours, you’re looking at almost six years of constant light. And, since the LED equivalent to a 60 watt incandescent bulb only uses six watts, you can see how that would save on your average electric bill over time.
Over 50,000 hours of usage, a series of 25,000 (assuming an average lifespan of 2000 hours) 60 watt incandescent bulbs will use 3,000,000 watts – 3,000 kilowatts – of electricity. Let’s say you bought those bulbs in bulk, and only paid $0.50 each. That’s $12,500 spent on light bulbs to equal a single LED bulb. And, that’s not even taking into consideration that the LED bulb is only using one-tenth of the energy that the incandescent bulbs and doesn’t emit nearly the amount of heat.
The only problems with LED bulbs, other than the prohibitive cost, is that they shine light in one direction and the color temperature of the light is a bit stark and cold. This does make them ideal for use in spotlights outside, since you are looking for light to be in a certain direction and color temperature isn’t really a concern.
LEDs are also great for lighting up the landscaping around your home. Their directional light can produce some very dramatic effects, and they stay cool, so they won’t harm any delicate plants that they may be placed near.
Right now, based on cost and energy usage, CFLs are still the clear winner, but as technology advances and LEDs become cheaper to produce and can generate a warmer, more flattering light, look for them to take the lead. And, get ready to go for years, maybe even decades, without changing a light bulb. That’s where the real savings shine. | <urn:uuid:8604d592-778e-4a32-9de9-a0baa472142a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.allconnect.com/resources/category/utilities/electricity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94615 | 544 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Monday, May 28, 2012
Fixing 4th Edition
What is a role-playing game? While a complete definition would be hard to find, we can at least make one empirical observation: In the large majority of games which call themselves role-playing games there is a series of combat sequences, embedded in something like a story or a world. That is as true for let’s say World of Warcraft as it is for Dungeons & Dragons. And because of RPGs having a combat part and a non-combat part, there is a fundamental conflict about what the relative weight of each of these parts should be. The main problem many people have with 4th edition D&D is that the combat part appears heavier than in previous editions and the non-combat part lighter. So how can we fix 4th edition, other than reverting to previous rule editions, which is what D&D Next is doing?
One important thing to notice is that “the game” of D&D is *not* the product you buy in a shop. You only buy a rule-system, which is a necessary but not sufficient part to make a game. The rest of the game is made up by the DM and the players, so that the same adventure of D&D played by two different groups with different DMs can be very different from each other. How the DM prepares his adventures, and how the interactive story-telling with the players goes makes up a significant part of the D&D experience.
At the core of most RPG combat systems is an exchange of blows between player(s) and monster(s). Each side has a number of hit points (life), a probability to hit the enemy, and a way to determine how many hit points to remove from the enemy in case you hit him. Now you can make a very simple combat system which just has those basic elements, and relies on the imagination of the players to fill this combat with life and excitement. In reality you will always get some players who will just roll their dice and do the numbers, and some players who are swinging from the chandelier, or trying other interesting combat moves.
Thus having a very simple combat system makes life easy for the unimaginative player, who can quickly find out what dice to roll; and it makes for a light form of combat in which the imaginative player has the opportunity to come up with all sorts of interesting moves. But there is a reverse side to that as well: The unimaginative player will play a very boring game in which he just performs very simple dice rolls. And the imaginative player is in constant conflict with the Dungeon Master, because his interesting combat moves aren’t covered by any rules, and thus the outcome relies on judgment calls of the DM.
The alternative, which is what 4E is doing, is to have a more complex combat system. If they want, the unimaginative player and the imaginative player can still continue as before: The unimaginative player can use the same at-will power every round of combat, the imaginative player can swing from his chandelier. But the advantage is that the unimaginative player has a list of options on his character sheet (or in the form of cards, which is what I use), making it easier for him to try something else. And the imaginative player will find more of his interesting ideas actually covered by the rules, removing a lot of conflict. Of course there is also a downside: Combat can get more complicated, slower if badly executed, and characters and their roles can be harder to understand. Some people feel that if they have five options in front of them, that is all they can do, and won’t think of inventing a sixth one.
Although it isn’t called “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons” any more, 4th edition could be said to be for advanced dungeon masters and players. It would be easy for a dungeon master and group who are new to role-playing to get bogged down in rules and power descriptions. When given an official adventure in which three quarters of the pages are about combat encounters, it is easy to fall into the trap of running an adventure which is just a string of just those combat encounters with too little story and roleplay in between. There were good reasons for me to start my 4E campaign with house rules for zero level characters, having just a single at-will power. And the following 1st-level adventure of my campaign had only 5 combat encounters to level 2, and not the standard 10.
But that was all it took for me to “fix” 4th edition at the lower levels: Make a slightly less complicated introduction to get the players used to the rules, and reduce the number of combat encounters in the adventures. By spending some time with rules study and preparation of combat encounters, I didn’t have problems with fights being too slow or complicated. In fact I get a better degree of engagement, more interest, from my players than evidenced in previous campaigns with other rule systems. And it hasn’t stopped my more inventive players from trying out things. At the higher levels it is possible that I will need to intervene again, because there appears to be a problem with the complexity caused by too many interrupts and powers triggering each other. But then, I'm a Level I certified DCI judge for Magic The Gathering, so I should be able to handle complicated interrupt rules. ;)
I think of the 4th edition rules as being very modern, and there being a conflict of those modern rules with adventure modules which are often still very old-fashioned. A rules system which offers very interesting tactical combat instead of just a series of simple to hit rolls can live with there being less combat encounters in an adventure. Which is a better solution than keeping the number of fights high and lowering the complexity. What 4th edition needs is better adventures, with more roleplaying, more interesting stories, memorable NPCs, and better flow. Having lots of combat and making it very simple is not such a good solution, because it becomes boring too quickly. I’d rather have a few memorable fights than lots of uneventful ones. And the 4th edition rules system fully supports such an approach, with just a few minor tweaks in handing out quest xp for roleplaying needed. It isn’t the rule system which needs fixing, but the adventures. | <urn:uuid:2c797fc6-9204-4a05-a711-17a26214b3ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2012/05/fixing-4th-edition.html?showComment=1338188133855 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974391 | 1,304 | 1.796875 | 2 |
ANSYS ICEM CFD on Supercomputer Helps Designers 'Cut Corners' in Race Car Design
It’s not just how fast a racecar goes that makes a design a winner, it’s also how fast it goes around the curves. In large part, speed in the curves is a function of how much “down force” is created by air flowing over the car’s surfaces. Thus, much of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of race cars has to do with making sure the airflow pushes down on the car as it does with how smoothly the car slips through the air. The major benefit of CFD in auto racing: Cutting down the high costs of building prototype cars and physically testing in them in wind tunnels and on race tracks.
View Now (PDF) | <urn:uuid:499f07eb-53ee-4cde-8310-af989b0f2ad2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ansys.com/Resource+Library/Case+Studies/ANSYS+ICEM+CFD+on+Supercomputer+Helps+Designers+'Cut+Corners'+in+Race+Car+Design | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963451 | 168 | 3.515625 | 4 |
|Responding to Drug and Alcohol Problems in the Community (WHO, 1991, 109 p.)|
|3. Organizing primary health care services to combat drug and alcohol abuse|
Services will operate effectively only if the resources are appropriately assigned. This does not imply extensive financial outlay. On the contrary, an effective alcohol and drug service can reduce overall health costs.
Drug and alcohol services do not demand expensive methods, but rather the deployment of simple skills to the primary health care workers, broadening their approach, and improving their efficiency. The following activities will need to be funded:
· training activities;
· supervision and support from higher levels;
· appropriate means of transport;
· support of coordinating groups (most of them voluntary), e.g., the CAT;
· provision of essential medication;
· establishment of key, multidisciplinary staff members, such as a coordinator or community nurse.
In summary, the primary health care worker deals with drug and alcohol problems within the primary health care setting, but works within the wider community and looks to the hospital specialist for support. This may appear to be too much work for a primary level worker. It should be remembered, however, that the system described here is an ideal to be worked towards. The PHC worker should attempt to obtain help from both the community and specialist workers to work out effective ways of providing a primary health care alcohol and drug service within the community. | <urn:uuid:5bb3ba78-83d0-4fc8-8eb6-7362a95a7c8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0fnl2.2--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-0l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&c=fnl2.2&cl=CL2.6&d=HASHd5ce3b6e918e38cac0a207.6.11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959001 | 292 | 2.59375 | 3 |
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Silver intros call for early voting in NYS
- Staff Business First
Less than half those eligible to vote in New York state this past November bothered to cast a ballot and a top state representative is proposing a plan to ring up higher returns.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has introduced a pair of bills to institute early voting in New York state and require independent expenditures to be subject to state disclosure rules thereby enabling voters to learn the source of money being spent on behalf of candidates.
“Our democracy thrives when we have as many citizens as possible participating in the electoral process,” said Silver, D-Manhattan. “With the deluge of money being spent on campaigns today, it is especially important for voters to know who is behind campaign messages so they can fairly evaluate them. Taken together, these two measures will encourage voter access and participation and help create a more informed electorate.”
New York topped just two other states in voter turnout in the last election.
He proposed a bill to institute early voting for all elections in the state. If enacted, New York would join 32 other states and the District of Columbia that already permit an alternative to in-person voting on election days. Voters would be permitted to vote at designated locations beginning 14 days prior to any general election and seven days prior to any primary or special election.
When it comes to campaign financing, Silver seeks legislation to ensure that entities supporting candidates are subject to the same registration and disclosure provisions that are now required of candidates and their campaigns. Under current law, New York requires financial disclosure only for organizations engaging in election-related communications which advocate for or against candidates using specific language.
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Tuesday, June 18, 2013
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Start your morning with business news essential to Western New York's leaders. | <urn:uuid:1a84de6b-f47b-40b8-93b0-6cb690e4f212> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/blog/morning_roundup/2012/12/silver-intros-call-for-early-voting-in.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_buffalo+%28Business+First+of+Buffalo%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927891 | 797 | 1.65625 | 2 |
updated 01:16 am EDT, Fri September 7, 2012
Apple suspected of building its own noise reduction processor
Audience Inc, a voice quality chip manufacturer for Apple's iPhone, has said that its technology is unlikely to be used in the newest model from Apple, triggering a stock slide. The chips, which filter out background noise, are supplied to Apple manufacturers including Foxconn and Protek. Audience has been supplying chips to Apple since 2008, and the sales have accounted for up to 37 percent of its total revenue.
Audience Chief Executive Peter Santos said that "events of the last week in the normal course of business led us to believe that our technology is not likely to be enabled in Apple's next-generation mobile phone." Royalties are still expected from older iPhone models that use the technology.
Diversification into other computing markets, such as notebooks, is planned to help with the loss of Apple's business. "We now expect these markets to generate in the range of $15 to $20 million of incremental revenue in 2013, partially offsetting the expected loss of royalty revenue from Apple," Santos said. The company stated in a regulatory filing that a reduction in orders from one or more of its major customers such as Apple or Samsung could "significantly damage its financial condition and cash flow."
A previous S-1 filing noted that Audience was receiving royalties from Apple that were less than in previous quarters, after it was thought that the Audience-derived EarSmart technology was embedded in the iPhone 4S A5 processor. Audience noted that Apple had assembled its own noise reduction team, which is the likely cause of the removal of Audience's technology. | <urn:uuid:354229f6-e48d-4c14-a09e-c975cc865c90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.electronista.com/articles/12/09/07/apple.suspected.of.building.its.own.noise.reduction.processor/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977864 | 339 | 1.5625 | 2 |
|Link to BBC web site|
"The new framework streamlines more than 1,000 pages of policy into just 52, transforming a system whose 'volume and complexity have made planning increasingly inaccessible to all but specialists', according to the Department for Communities and Local Government.
"Main points include:
- A commitment to public transport, as well as encouraging provision of charging points for electric cars and welcoming other low-emission vehicles
- Emphasis on tackling noise pollution, as well as light pollution 'affecting the beauty of the night sky'
- Facilitation of a new generation of renewable energy projects, as part of an acknowledgment of the role of planning in tackling climate change."
"Dramatic simplification of planning guidance to encourage sustainable growth"
|Link to DCLG web site|
"A new, simpler framework for the planning system that safeguards the environment while meeting the need for sustainable growth has been published for consultation today by Planning Minister Greg Clark.
"National planning policy, which is the basis for every local plan and decision, has accumulated to over one thousand pages during the last decade. Its volume and complexity have made planning increasingly inaccessible to all but specialists.
"The Government in the Coalition Agreement committed to turning this thicket of national planning policy into a clear, tightly focused document, setting out national priorities and rules.
"Today Ministers are inviting views on the draft National Planning Policy Framework - which streamlines national policy from over 1,000 pages to just 52 pages of policy - as part of a consultation to get the planning system right for current and future generations. The draft Framework draws on responses to an initial call for evidence earlier in the year. The Government intends to consult on simplifying other guidance on national policy as the next step." | <urn:uuid:751e4bf0-5c18-4083-b312-151f6b6b9973> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://brentcrosscoalition.blogspot.com/2011/07/bbc-planning-system-overhaul-damage.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928145 | 360 | 2.625 | 3 |
Devotee: What is the difference between a man who makes no attempt and remains an ajnani, and another who gains a glimpse and returns to ajnana?
Ramana Maharshi - M: In the latter case a stimulus is always present to goad him on to further efforts until the realisation is perfect.
Devotee : The Srutis say, ‘this knowledge of Brahman shines forth once and for ever’.
Ramana Maharshi : They refer to the permanent Realisation and not to the glimpse.
Devotee : How is it possible that a man forgets his own experience and falls back into ignorance? Sri Bhagavan illustrated this with the following story.
There was a king who treated his subjects well. One of his ministers gained his confidence and misused the influence. All the other ministers and officers hit upon a plan to get rid of him.
They instructed the guards not to let the man enter the palace. The king noted his absence and enquired after him. He was informed that the man was taken ill.
The king deputed his physician to attend on the minister. The king desired to see the patient. But the pandits said that such an action was against the dharma.
Later the minister was reported to have died. The king was very sorry when he heard the news.
The arrogant minister was kept informed of all the happenings by spies of his own. He tried to foil the other ministers. He waited for the king to come out of the palace so that he might report himself to the king. On one occasion he climbed up a tree, hid himself among the branches and awaited the king.
The king came out that night in the palanquin and the man in hiding jumped down in front of the palanquin and shouted his identity. The companion of the king was equally resourceful. He at once took out a handful of sacred ashes (vibhuti) from his pocket and scattered it in the air so that the king was obliged to close his eyes.
The companion also shouted victory (jai) to the king and ordered the band to play so that the other man’s shout was drowned in the noise. He also ordered the palanquin-bearers to move fast and he himself sang incantations to keep off evil spirits.
The king was thus left under the impression that the dead man’s ghost was playing pranks with him. The disappointed man became desperate and retired into the forest for tapasya (austerities).
After a long time the king happened to go hunting. He came across the former minister seated in deep contemplation. But he hastened away from the spot lest the ghost should molest him.
— Ramana Maharshi | <urn:uuid:ff25d4e4-7c9e-4bb0-ad3d-0388dbacafa8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.afternoondc.in/editorial/the-king-and-his-ministers/article_58410 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984707 | 575 | 2.390625 | 2 |
The weeks and months after a heart attack or open-heart surgery can be a scary and overwhelming time for people who are recovering and the loved ones who care for them at home. Support and encouragement are right here, at St. Mary Medical Center, which offers a variety of helpful resources for people with heart and vascular disease.
Heart Ambassadors: St. Mary Medical Center Heart Ambassadors are former cardiac patients who provide peer-to-peer support to other cardiac patients and their families. Heart Ambassador volunteers make daily bedside visits to heart patients at St. Mary. In addition, Heart Ambassadors provide consultations by telephone and e-mail to help with concerns that may arise during an individual's recovery at home. To get involved, contact Volunteer Services at 215.710.2027 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
Zapper Club: The Zapper Club at St. Mary Medical Center provides education and support for individuals with implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD) for the management of irregular heartbeats or other electrical imbalances in the heart. The group meets twice a year (usually June and November) to hear informative presentations by St. Mary heart-health experts and to share personal stories and advice. Call 215.710.2191 for more information.
WomenHeart Support Network: The mission of WomenHeart is to improve the health and quality of life of women living with or at risk for heart disease. WomenHeart Support Network meets from 11 am to 1 pm on the second Tuesday of every month at St. Mary Medical Center. Meetings are held in the Cardio-Pulmonary Rehab Conference Room on the first floor of the Outpatient Care Facility. Contact Glenda Mendelsohn at 215.710.4182 to find out more. | <urn:uuid:450e0bc8-2281-438e-a94a-bf3026a8dd0d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stmaryhealthcare.org/body.cfm?id=556409 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919375 | 364 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Back in June, Haitian peasants threatened to burn any vegetable seeds showing up in seed stores that were donated by the Monsanto Co. Peasant leaders said the hybrid seed, not bred for local conditions, would upset agricultural environments and make farmers more dependent on unwanted seed varieties from outside of the country.
Monsanto defended its contribution, which included varieties of corn, cabbage, carrot, eggplant, melon, onion, spinach, tomato and watermelon, saying it came to help Haitian farmers who may have been unable to purchase seed because of shortages in the months after January’s devastating earthquake.
While the controversy has died down with no major altercations, a recently completed assessment of seed availability found that plenty of seed for traditional crops exists. The report recommended that seed from outside of the country not be introduced unless thorough testing is conducted and that local markets be allowed to function normally.
The assessment, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance, involved 10 relief and development agencies, including Catholic Relief Services. The 124-page final report offered 44 recommendations to help Haitian farmers, including ways to invest in small farmer-driven variety, seed and agricultural marketing systems.
A key finding is that plenty of seed is available as farmers finish planting traditional crops such as corn, beans, squash and melons this month. The major challenge facing farmers, however, is household finances and the ability to afford the cost of seed.
The cash shortage among farmers is fueled by the relocation of people who fled earthquake-ravaged regions and moved in with family or friends in rural communities.
Any seed donations should be adapted to local conditions, fit farmer preferences and be “at least as good” as what farmers normally use, the report recommended.
The assessment also suggested that investing to assist women’s groups in agricultural enterprise efforts will help build the rural economy.
A USAID spokeswoman said the full report is expected to be posted soon. | <urn:uuid:b37a8392-4c34-421a-9003-fb3f17ab988d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cnsblog.wordpress.com/2010/09/09/aid-assessment-finds-vegetable-seeds-are-plentiful-in-haiti/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=20ee2ea151 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957977 | 403 | 2.765625 | 3 |