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Welcome to New York City, 1609
Have you ever wondered what New York was like before it was a city? Find out here, by navigating through the map of the city in 1609. You can find your block, explore the native landscape of today’s famous landmarks, research the flora and fauna block by block, and help our team continue to rediscover 1609. Launch the application below (requires Flash player).
“The goal of the Mannahatta Project has never been to return Manhattan to its primeval state. The goal of the project is discover something new about a place we all know so well, whether we live in New York or see it on television, and, through that discovery, to alter our way of life. New York does not lack for dystopian visions of the future…. But what is the vision of the future that works? Might it lie in Mannahatta, the green heart of New York, and with a new start to history, a few hours before Hudson arrived that sunny afternoon four hundred years ago?”
- from Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City
Why ‘Welikia’? And Where’s Mannahatta?
We’re going beyond Mannahatta in 2010, launching the Welikia Project to encompass all of New York City, including the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island, and surrounding waters. Welikia means “my good home” in Lenape, the original Native American language of the region. But Mannahatta hasn’t gone anywhere. For all who have come to love Mannahatta, the same block-by-block data is available above by clicking anywhere on Manhattan Island after pressing the “Launch the Map Explorer” button above. For those who want to know more about Welikia, press the button, then click on any of the other four boroughs on the map, where you can support Welikia and become a “Landscape Ecology Insider,” with exclusive access to the research materials and developing results from the Welikia Project. | <urn:uuid:0a34f3c6-abd5-4503-9bdb-02bb819f96f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://welikia.org/explore/mannahatta-map/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91326 | 435 | 2.75 | 3 |
My Experiences with Ignorance and Poverty and How our Effort Can Make a Change
Here’s a very moving piece by a Buddhist nun on her experiences with violence against women. I hope we can all try to be more aware of these terrible problems and do what we can to overcome them.
When I was a child, sometimes our neighbor came to take shelter in our house. She often came with her small children (2-5 of them). This happened from time to time because whenever her husband was drunk he would hit his wife cruelly and chase away their children. This usually happened late at night.
One day he ventured into our house to snatch his wife and children to his house in order to do whatever he pleased with them, but my mother and all my brothers and sisters stood up to protect poor women and her children. When I asked my elders to report this matter to the local authority, they told me that it is an in-house or family matter and nobody cared about it. For many decades, in Vietnam, a country ruled by purely communist party, who claim to promote gender justice along with total equal right in society, still there were no laws to protect victims of domestic violence.
When I grew bigger, I came to know that there are many cases of domestic violence and rape (often incest), but nobody talked about this matter publicly. It is considered shameful, therefore the people who suffer, mostly women and children, keep silent. The result is that many of them either commit suicide, become mentally disturbed, or suffer depression for many years. I felt so helpless in such a society and culture.
Just in 2008, the Vietnamese government made some effort to discuss this matter in their parliament and eventually some laws were issued to punish the perpetrators and provide some measure to protect the victims. This has nothing to do with Buddhism, because the context I experienced was in a non-Buddhist region.
In a conference on the theme of domestic violence held in Bangkok in March 2007, I came to know that an estimated 3 000 to 5 000 Vietnamese young girls were sold every year through the borders to Cambodia or China to become child-prostitutes.
I met a girl of 14 years of age in Bangkok. She had been rescued by a Thai woman social worker from a brothel where more than 100 children from different countries were kept. She told me that her parents who lived in Cambodia had sold her to a man for only $200 US!
As I knew further through other sources, there are about 10 000 to 20 000 Vietnamese young women were forcibly married to foreigners (mostly to Taiwan, Korea, and Malaysia) every year, and sadly most of them become sex-slaves in their strange husbands’ houses. In this kind of marriage, the family of the poor woman gets about $US 200 to 1000. This is how young girls and young women from the poorest areas of the world sacrifice themselves for the benefit of their family.
The number I cited above are only estimates, because no formal and legal investigations were authorized by the local government. It is noteworthy that young girls and women who are sold or deceived to go to other countries for a job are from rural provinces where people are predominantly either Theravada Buddhists or without religion. Most of them are totally ignorant about the sex industry and their fate.
When I asked some monks from these areas to give religious talks concerning these problems, they appeared very uncomfortable at my idea and the information I gave them.
And they told me: “It is their Karma (i.e., fate in this context), we have nothing to do with that.” At that point, I felt some indignant at Buddhist monks who supposed to be compassionate and caring persons.
I started thinking to make Buddhist nuns (Bhikkhuni) more involved in this matter. This works better. Many nuns feel concerned and indeed, many nuns’ monasteries in Vietnam have become havens for the destitute, especially poor women and girls. I tried to get more nuns involved and encourage them to go to rural areas to establish Buddhist centres for education to help poor and uneducated people to live a better life.
Unfortunately, this was obstructed by the very Buddhist administration in the only legal Buddhist organization in Vietnam.
I myself went to some rural areas in Hatinh, Nghe An and Hagiang provinces. I got in touch with some of the women’s associations in these areas, gave religious talk and distributed booklets concerning the welfare and happiness of individuals and of family and society in general. This is just an individual effort, but fortunately, I was welcomed by the local people and community’s administrators. I wish we can do this in a more organized way, especially concerning financial and spiritual support.
In 2007, a layman from Malaysia asked us: “What can you, Bhikkhunis, do for us?” At first, many Bhikkhunis around me were puzzled! His question becomes a Koan (a subject to contemplate upon) to me for years, especially concerning domestic violence.
Most of the perpetrators are husbands or fathers; how can I tell them not to use violent means to get their wife or children to obey their will? What can I do to change a cultural context where husbands have the right to do whatever they pleased with their wives and children? This is a very crucial point because unless we get men to be aware of the evil consequences of their violent actions, they would just act out their impulses.
Sadly, there is no organization or institution in South East Asian that gives a formal education to men concerning the standard of moral relationship. Most of the people who come to listen to religious talks in Temples or Churches are elderly women.
Last year, some of my Buddhist friends in Kula Lumpur, Malaysia reported that they have organized pre-marriage courses based on Buddhist valuation of a moral marriage life. I felt thrilled and on my part, I edited a very important Buddhist text on social relationships named Singalovada Sutta (DN 31) to publish for free distribution in Vietnam. This works very well, as soon after the books come to the readers, many report to me that it helps them a lot in understanding their responsibilities toward family as well as to society. Some men even say that if they knew this discourse earlier, they would have not committed many mistakes or sins in their lives. | <urn:uuid:a2eef0ab-f008-471e-b084-faeebaedbece> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sujato.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/my-experiences-with-ignorance-and-poverty-and-how-our-effort-can-make-a-change/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981601 | 1,309 | 1.71875 | 2 |
There is new hope for a disease that affects one in 88 American children. Autism is a condition that impacts thousands of Valley families, but now there's breakthrough therapy and support available at Fresno State.
Dr. Amanda Adams director of autism center
On the Fresno State campus, among the classrooms, sports centers, and fields... is a little known treatment and research facility for autism. Its curriculum is nationally recognized and gives parents hope.
Dr. Amanda Adams is the Director of the Central California Autism Center. Dr. Adams is in charge of the behavior therapy program for children as early as 18 months.
There are thousands of lesson activities, worksheets, visual aids and more, but it's the one on one with Dr. Adams that ultimately helps manage children's behavior and gets them to a place where they can live independently. "It's the advanced cognitive skills so you get beyond just naming objects and responding to instructions. Those are pretty basic skills, but when you get into what they're thinking... there's even a lesson on lying," said Dr. Adams.
The model pulls from years and years of international research, into a user friendly package. It sounds basic but it's a breakthrough. "It's really breaking down all of the behaviors that we take for granted with typical children," said Dr. Adams.
The therapy takes place on-site, rather than at home.
The facility opened in 2007, but had only one student for the first few months. A year later, there were six students, including 5-year-old Kurtis Sweeney. His mom didn't believe he'd be able to walk into a classroom and sit still. "His way of expressing himself was to lay dead on the ground and scream until people came to pick him up and said go mom go just keep going," said his mom, Christy. She says he's night and day from when he started and getting ready for life as a teenager. "Transition is hard for him. You know autistic kids are consistently inconsistent. And we just don't know, but I think we have a lot of foundation, knowledge, help and support... We lose the center, we can get the help we need in times of not knowing what to do," said Christy.
Kurtis is graduating from the autism center and moving onto public school where he will attend special education classes.
Dr. Adams says one of the most important skills Kurtis acquired is perspective. "The most basic forms are something like, you and another child have an ice cream cone. That cone falls on the floor and they cry, sometimes they can't answer the question. So there's not an ability to see another person's perspective," said Dr. Adams.
Some children she sees fall on the lighter side of the so-called autism spectrum. They're functional, yet unable to communicate. Zeke Crowder fell into this category. We visited Zeke at home where he showed us what a bright child he is. "My favorite president is Abraham Lincoln, because he's the tallest president. And he's the one that helped free the black people," said Zeke.
Zeke is really into technology, hanging out on Google Plus, sending emails, producing YouTube videos and more. Zeke just turned 7-years-old and celebrated at Blackbeard's in Fresno. It's hard to believe today, but just a few years ago, Zeke didn't speak at all. "The words weren't coherent. You couldn't make any sense. You point and you kind of get the idea that that's what he wants. What he's trying to express," said his dad, Matthew.
Zeke was only 3-years-old when he started attending the autism center five days a week, after regular school hours. Just a few years later, Zeke is talking about going to college. "I want to go to Berkley to college," said Zeke.
Dr. Adams has no doubt that will happen for him, Kurtis, and forty other kids now under her wing. She'll continue writing a new model for training research, which she's been working towards as long as the center has been around. "We have thousands of lessons that will be taught in any one of the areas that we work with, so the assessment is quite intense," said Dr. Adams.
Dr. Adams says she's driven to do everything in her power, no matter the odds. For example, when it comes to funding behavior disorders, things get complicated. The center is primarily funded through the Central Valley Regional Center, which is a state agency. But more so now through medical insurance. There are also some donations. $10,000 was recently raised at the "Look Past the Mask" gala this winter. A Valley parent group launched the campaign to encourage the community to look past autism to see the individual.
"You know, you think you understand everything and you know how to deal with everything. But stuff like this... It's real," said one parent.
Parents in need of the center's services can click on the related link for more information.
Central California Autism Center at California State University, Fresno
Mailing Address: 2576 E San Ramon Ave Fresno, CA 93740
Physical Address: 5005 N Maple Ave Fresno, CA 93740 | <urn:uuid:6739f5dd-df86-42f1-95de-1b026d4c05e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story/Special-Report-Breakthrough-Autism-Treatment/7q7seu9M90GkC8PGCapAfQ.cspx?rss=153 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978296 | 1,083 | 2.4375 | 2 |
What Is It?
Whenever a bone breaks or cracks, the injury is called a fracture. The leg has three bones that can fracture -- the femur (the thighbone) and the tibia and fibula in the lower leg. When a fracture involves the knobby end portions of bones that are part of the hip, knee and ankle joints, the fracture is more complicated. This article describes only fractures of the straight shafts of the three long leg bones.
The femur is very strong, so it takes a lot of force to fracture this bone in healthy people. The femur usually fractures during high-impact trauma, especially in automobile accidents, industrial accidents, falls from high places or gunshot wounds to the thigh. If a low-impact bump or fall causes a femur to fracture, this may be a sign that the femur has been weakened by an illness, such as osteoporosis or cancer.
Femur fractures have the potential to cause dangerous, sometimes life-threatening complications, such as significant bleeding inside the thigh, with blood loss of one quart or more. A femur fracture also may cause blood clots to form within the large veins of the thigh. If these clots break free and travel through the bloodstream, they may eventually lodge in the lungs, creating a life-threatening condition called a pulmonary embolism.
Among children, femur fractures tend to happen because of a fall from a high place, such as a tree or the top of a slide. In adults, these injuries usually are related to motor vehicle accidents (either as a passenger or pedestrian) or to on-the-job trauma. The number of femur fractures caused by gunshot wounds has risen significantly in recent years.
The tibia (shinbone) is the larger of the two bones of the lower leg. Like femur fractures, tibia fractures often occur because of direct, high-impact trauma, especially during motor vehicle accidents. However, the tibia also can fracture from a low impact, even in healthy people, if the lower leg is bent or twisted at just the right angle.
Of all the body's long bones, the tibia is the most likely to be fractured and the most likely to break through the skin when it fractures. This greatly increases the risk of bacterial contamination and infection at the fracture site. It also may prevent normal healing. The sharp ends of a broken tibia can cut into nearby nerves and blood vessels and cause serious damage to soft tissues inside the lower leg.
In 75% to 85% of patients with tibia fractures, the fibula (the thin bone at the outer side of the lower leg) is fractured as well.
The fibula runs parallel to the tibia on the outside of the lower leg, but is smaller. The fibula usually fractures at the same time as the tibia. When only the fibula fractures, it is usually because of a direct blow to the side of the leg or an extreme sideways bend at the ankle or knee.
When only a fibula fractures, it usually does not cause long-term complications. Rarely, when the segments of broken bone are separated significantly by the injury, one of the nerves to the foot may be injured, causing foot drop, a condition in which the foot hangs limp at the ankle and drags on the ground during walking.
If you have fractured the shaft of your femur, your symptoms may include:
- Pain, swelling, tenderness and bruising in your thigh
- Inability to bear weight on your injured leg
- Inability to move your hip or knee on the affected side
- Visible portions of the fractured bone, if the fracture causes a break in the skin
If you have fractured the shaft of your tibia, or both your tibia and fibula, you may see:
- Pain, swelling, tenderness and bruising in your lower leg
- Deformity in the shape of your lower leg
- An abnormal alignment or positioning of your foot on the affected side
- Visible portions of the fractured bone, if the fracture causes a break in the skin
A fibula fracture that occurs alone usually causes:
- Localized swelling and tenderness at the fracture site, along the outside of the lower leg
- Pain at the outside of the lower leg that becomes worse when you walk
Your doctor will examine your injured leg, checking for swelling, deformity, abrasions, bruising and tenderness. To help determine whether a sharp edge of broken bone has damaged your leg's blood vessels or nerves, the doctor also will feel the pulses along the length of your injured leg, will assess how you respond to touch and will check for normal muscle strength in your leg and foot. If the physical examination suggests that your leg's arteries or large veins may have been injured, the doctor will order specialized tests called Doppler studies to measure the leg's blood flow more precisely.
Your leg will be X-rayed to confirm the location and severity of your fracture, and to check for less-obvious fractures and dislocations in nearby joints.
A leg fracture may take two or more months to heal depending on whether surgery is necessary; whether there were multiple fragments; and whether there were complications, such as infection.
The best way to avoid fractures is to prevent accidents. Supervise children and encourage safe play. Drive carefully and always wear a seat belt. For information about how to prevent work-related injuries in construction and other occupations, visit the website of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Prevention of osteoporosis can reduce the risk of related fractures.
In most cases, doctors prefer to repair the fracture surgically. Surgical repair usually requires a shorter hospital stay and creates less disability than other treatment methods, such as wearing a plaster cast that covers the entire leg and hip.
To repair your fracture, the surgeon will join the segments of your broken femur using a special metal rod that is inserted into the bone's inner cavity. This rod will stabilize and reinforce the fracture site, allowing the femur to heal quickly and firmly. Once healing is complete, the metal rod may be removed or left in place.
After surgery, you will need to use crutches to avoid bearing weight on the leg, followed by a program of physical therapy. The goal of physical therapy is to restore normal strength in your leg muscles and normal range of motion in your leg joints. The entire process of healing and rehabilitation usually takes months.
Treatment depends on the severity and location of your tibia fracture. If you have an uncomplicated fracture that is not near your knee or ankle, the doctor may be able to treat your injury by immobilizing your leg in a cast. More severe fractures usually have to be repaired surgically with a metal rod, wires, or plates and screws.
In general, a fibula fracture that occurs without a tibia fracture can be treated without hospitalization. Your doctor probably will tell you to rest the injured leg, apply ice to the injured area, and take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin and others), to ease pain and relieve swelling. If bearing weight on your injured leg is very painful or if the fracture is near the ankle, your doctor may apply a cast and recommend that you use crutches temporarily.
If your fracture breaks the skin, you also will be given antibiotics intravenously (into a vein) to prevent infection. If you have not had a tetanus shot within the past 10 years, a tetanus vaccination will be recommended.
Once your fracture has healed enough, your doctor will prescribe a program of physical therapy to restore full strength and function in your injured leg.
When To Call a Professional
Seek emergency help if you have significant lasting pain and suspect you may have a leg fracture after a fall, a motor vehicle accident or other trauma involving the leg.
The outlook for leg fractures varies, depending on the type of fracture and its severity:
- Femur fractures. Almost 100% of all femur fractures heal well, and most patients are able to return to their normal activities after about 6 months of treatment and rehabilitation. Among elderly patients with weakened bones, the rate of repeat fractures is high, ranging from 1% to 15%.
- Tibia fractures. Tibia shaft fractures also have a good prognosis. Fractures that are closer to the knee tend to heal faster than those near the ankle. Fractures in children tend to heal faster than those in adults.
- Fibula fractures. Almost all fractures of the fibula shaft heal very well with no complications.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institutes of Health
1 AMS Circle
Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)
8201 Corporate Dr.
Landover, MD 20785
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30333 | <urn:uuid:14123b28-0df3-4262-8de3-010e90ad60c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/c/9339/31082.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912663 | 1,867 | 3.796875 | 4 |
Thursday, May 24, 2012
I was listening to Purcell's KING ARTHUR and there came this part where the chorus seemed to be chuckling bawdily I suppose and it sounded like the kind of song where there should be some tankards clanking together though I didn't hear any, but I thought it deserved further investigation and the name of the air turns out to be "Your hay it is mow'd" so there's an opera song about hay for you, I thought you'd want to know. Another in our investigative series on cultural representations of hay. Libretto by Dryden! "For prating so long like a book-learn'd sot,/ Till pudding and dumplin burn to pot." Ha ha, take that book-learn'd sots, I guess. Gets 5.8 out of 10 on something called "poem hunter.com." That strikes me as hilarious for some reason - the idea of angry people on their computers voting against it. Like, "I give this seventeenth-century opera hay song two stars!" Also contains corn. | <urn:uuid:463529d2-dee0-44a0-9662-0d0a6c3e921d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jackpendarvis.blogspot.com/2012/05/hay-opera.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969381 | 224 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Environmentalists laid out their agenda Monday for this year’s legislative session, giving one of their top priorities to banning mountaintop removal coal mining.
Under pressure from coal companies, the legislature has refused for two straight years to prohibit this method of mining, in which ridgelines are dynamited to gain access to coal seams, but environmentalists said they will try again in 2010 to enact the ban.
“Our beautiful landscapes are as much a part of our Tennessee DNA as singing 'Rocky Top.' But sadly, some would steal our heritage and this natural beauty and leave us rocky topless,” said Mary Helen Clarke, a member of the Tennessee Conservation Voters board. “The time is now for our General Assembly to pass legislation banning mountaintop removal mining. This is an obviously needed protection with bipartisan support whose time has come.”
The environmentalists also called for the legislature to restore the state’s fund to buy and preserve wetlands and state parklands. The fund’s estimated $20 million annually was diverted two years ago to help balance the state budget and has yet to be redirected to land conservation.
“We have wonderful landscapes all over Tennessee at risk,” said Kathleen Williams, director of the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation. “We need the full restoration of these funds. Land conservation cannot wait. This is the defining moment for our state.” | <urn:uuid:b5f5de10-c2c5-4083-be06-d03248183364> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/environmentalists-outline-legislative-agenda | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957195 | 288 | 2.25 | 2 |
BELDANGI REFUGEE CAMP, Nepal -- Bishnu Maya Mainali wondered if her sons were right about California, but it was too late to fret.
She would find out soon enough.
Neighbors hoisted her luggage onto a bicycle. Boys gathered around, eager to steer the cargo down the long dirt path. At the end of the road, outside the barbed-wire gates, a bus waited to take her away from the refugee camp that had been home for 18 years.
It was time to go to Oakland.
"I've heard nothing of the place. My son told us we don't have to worry," she said, speaking through an interpreter. "He said, 'Relax. Eat whatever you get there. Eat well and you will be calm.' "
Well-wishers were milling around the bamboo hut as dawn brought another
Soccer star David Beckham seemed to watch benevolently from a faded poster as the Mainalis made their final arrangements inside the dark hut. Devi dressed in a prim kurta and then sat on the bed, thinking about what else to do. He turned around, lifted the pillow, confirmed there was nothing he left behind.
Former farmers, the couple never intended to spend so many years living in Hut No. 50 of Sector G, Subsector 3,
The Mainalis counted on returning to their homeland when the tensions calmed. Their old village was slightly more than 100 miles away in southern Bhutan, across a narrow arm of northeast India that separates Nepal from Bhutan. Hopes of going back faded as the government of Bhutan, for two decades, resisted calls for repatriation. And the refugees' dreams moved elsewhere when a coalition of foreign nations, led by the United States, opened their doors to the stateless Lhotshampas.
The camp had served its purpose, but was now being depopulated. About a thousand refugees move out each month, heading to new homes in new lands.
On the morning of May 13, it was the Mainalis' turn.
For all those years, they made a decent home out of their tiny plot in the United Nations refugee camp, getting by in the four-room hut that was surrounded by others like it.
They raised a family
"I am told I cannot meet all the neighbors," said Devi, a 67-year-old who liked to meander languidly around the refugee camp, talking to friends. He knew most of the families in Beldangi camps 1, 2 and 3, a sprawling collection of huts that house more than 30,000 people. Who would he know in Oakland?
Bishnu, a chatty 62-year-old, had similar worries.
Neither of them spoke a word of English. The couple could not read or
"I think I'll have problems," she said. "I also heard we're not supposed to open the door. If somebody knocks on the door, we won't understand. To spend the whole day not speaking is not good for us. I'm kind of talkative, so I'm nervous about that."
With a steady stream of casual visits from friends and neighbors in Beldangi, there was no need for doors or locks or safety protocols.
"I would be so happy if some neighbors or friends would visit us or talk with us," Bishnu said with a grin. "Anyone: Americans, Nepalis, anyone who comes."
But the most pressing concerns were practical in the week before their departure as they packed their belongings or gave them away.
"Don't play in the
Mainali consulted several sources to find out how many packs of Bijuli cigarettes, his favorite cheap Nepali brand, he could take in his luggage without breaking any rules.
His wife was nervous about the upcoming flight. They had never seen an airplane up close.
"I heard that when we go to the toilet, if you press a certain button, people get stuck in the toilet," she said, as eavesdropping children laughed. She joined them in the laughter.
Fortunately, they had Benu, their 28-year-old son, and his 20-year-old wife, Leela, coming with them. The younger couple spoke near-perfect English they had learned in the refugee camp schools.
Benu was sophisticated in the ways of urban life, and once left the camps to work at a call center in New Delhi, India, introducing himself to foreign customers as Stephen. He was a go-getter, his parents knew. He earned a scholarship to study math and science at a private Indian college and, after graduation, taught the subjects in high school. He would lead the way in America, where he could apply all his skills.
But on the morning of May 13, as the crowd around their hut bloomed with neighbors, relatives, and curious children, it was Bishnu who finally made the move to leave Nepal forever. Her youngest daughter was inside, too tearful about the pending send-off to come out. She and her husband and baby would take over the family hut, but soon would leave it behind in exchange for a new life in Tasmania.
"Let's go," Bishnu said, propelling herself down the road toward the gates. Wrapped in an elegant pink sari, one of her finest, she walked past the towering sal tree that loomed above the block. The tree was a survivor from the days, just 20 years ago, when all of this land was a forest, not a labyrinth of crowded bamboo walls and thatch roofs.
"Goodbye, Beldangi!" she said. She thanked everyone for all their help over the years, apologized for any past slights.
A caravan of people and bicycles followed. It was then, as she led the pack, marching forward with two friends by her side, that Bishnu finally put her hands over her face and cried.
More than 100 people would be leaving the camps that day for North America, Australia and Europe. Hundreds more had come to bid them farewell. The crowd gathered around several parked buses and many helped to load luggage on the roof racks.
This was nothing new for the camp. Since early 2008, an organized resettlement coordinated by the International Organization for Migration had been plucking out willing families, several at a time, and sending them abroad. More than 30,000 have moved to the United States in two years, out of a total camp population that surpassed 108,000 at its height. By 2014, resettlement workers expect the camps will be cleaned out of everyone who wants to leave. Abandoned huts are already being dismantled.
It was a familiar, fine-tuned operation, and yet for everyone who boarded a bus that day it was also a life-changing moment. As the vehicle parted through the throng and then bounced down the road to Bhadrapur airport, there was a chorus of sobs inside the bus, and then, for a while, silence.
Bishnu Maya, already recovered from an uncharacteristic burst of sadness, was first to break the solemnity.
"Did you pay the Subedis for the milk we took from them on credit?" she asked her family, loudly.
Yes, her son assured her, they had paid back their neighbors.
Across the aisle, two boys, 5 and 8, on their way to Salt Lake City, looked out the window. The youngest was under the impression they were all taking a trip to the local market, until his mother corrected him: They were going on an airplane.
"They will remember this, I think," said Benu. "That's how old I was when I left Bhutan."
Flight from Bhutan
The Mainalis could not have imagined, when they fled Bhutan in a panicked rush in 1992, that the journey would ultimately take them to California.
If they had their way, they would be back in Bhutan. Life was good in the village of Ittaghare in Tsirang district, where they made money selling cash crops, mostly oranges.
"I was very happy. I could cook myself, eat the things I made. I could eat milk, ghee, curd, everything was made by ourselves," Devi said.
They had a brick farmhouse surrounded by an orchard with hundreds of orange trees. When the monsoon season came, water trickled down from the roof to sustain a vegetable garden on the sloped grounds below.
"Everybody knew it if you said the brick house," Bishnu said. "We had very good cultivated soil, good land, you could say the best one in the village. We had a big orange grove. We had a small garden. We had a cow -- a good cow -- that gave lots of milk."
Born in the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, the Mainalis practiced Hinduism and were of Nepali ancestry. That, and their proximity to the Indian border, characterized them as Lhotshampas, Bhutan's word for the people of the south. In their village, they said Lhotshampas coexisted peacefully with the Buddhist Drukpa people who were Bhutan's dominant ethnic group. The family was too busy to pay attention to the festering political and cultural tensions between the two groups, spurred by a 1988 census that stripped many Lhotshampas of their citizenship.
The Mainalis stayed away from the 1990 protests when thousands of Lhotshampas protested the government's moves to disenfranchise them. But as the political crisis mounted between Lhotshampa dissidents and the royal government, it became harder to avoid. Armed police began patrolling their village. They were threatened and told to leave the country.
"They told us we are Nepali. Go back to Nepal," Bishnu said. "They told us we are Nepali people. I told them I don't want to go. I don't know where Nepal is. I didn't like to leave the place. I was crying. But every day the (Drukpa) people were coming to my house, ordering us to leave the country."
They left in 1992, crossing the border into India. Their youngest child, Yadhu, was 5 at the time. Benu was turning 10. India did not allow Bhutanese refugees to stay, so the Mainalis took a taxi to Nepal where thousands of Lhotshampas had already gathered.
They moved into a makeshift camp along the banks of the Kankai River, using tarp as shelter. The available food was meager and sometimes rotten. Camp residents became sick with dysentery and diarrhea, and some died. Benu grew severely ill. His parents feared he might not survive.
The United Nations had already begun setting up a cluster of refugee camps nearby, and once the Mainalis moved to the Beldangi camp in fall 1992, their lives vastly improved. The food and shelter were adequate, and their children -- whose schools had been shut down during the crisis in Bhutan -- were able to enroll in new classrooms built with bamboo for the refugees. No one was pleased to be living in a gated camp, surviving on weekly rations of rice, lentils, water and kerosene, but for 18 years they made the best of it.
Failed diplomatic talks between Bhutan and Nepal offered little hope that the Lhotshampas would ever get out of their camps. At first, when the United States and other wealthy nations offered to take them in 2006, there was little about these foreign places that attracted Bishnu and Devi, but their children envisioned great opportunities there -- and the parents wanted nothing more than to be with their children.
"I thought I'd be living in an 11-floor building," said Yadhu, 22, their youngest son, who was first in the family to sign up for resettlement. His parents expected to join him, but a health complication -- and then, Benu's surprise engagement to a pretty refugee from a nearby camp -- delayed their departure by a year. How about San Francisco, Yadhu was asked when he visited the resettlement office in Nepal. He knew of Hollywood, and California seemed an alluring destination. Sure, he said.
He moved to Oakland more than a year ago, found a job at a Hayward thrift shop and beckoned for the rest of his family to join him. He was struggling, he told them in desperate phone calls, to get by alone.
Final Nepal days
In the days before it was time to leave Beldangi, Benu had much to do. There was the funeral of Tilla Rupa Poddyel, his wife's aunt.
The 80-year-old woman spent more than three quarters of her life in Bhutan, and nearly a fourth in exile. Family members carried her body a half-hour's walk through the woods to the Ratua River to be cremated.
There were classes to take, taught by Nepalis who had spent time in the United States, that would orient the emigrants to American life. The discussions were practical but also philosophical. Would they assimilate? Lose their culture? Benu and most of his classmates hoped for some kind of balance. His parents declined to take the class, leaving the responsibility to their son and his wife to absorb and pass on the knowledge they acquired.
There were things to buy -- Benu bought gold jewelry for his wife and mother, an investment worth more than the paper cash he would bring. There were friends and relatives to visit. Fortunately, some came to him.
Bishnu Bhakta Kadraya, 45, bicycled six hours and 40 miles from the Khudunabari refugee camp -- in the midst of a Maoist strike that had shut down almost all business and motor vehicle traffic in Nepal -- to say goodbye to the Mainalis, his cousins.
"A little bit sad, I am feeling," Kadraya said. "I have requested to go to the same place, but what will happen, I do not know."
Peers who looked up to Benu were sad to see him go, but were convinced he would do well abroad -- he was a natural leader.
"From childhood, he was quite talented in his study," said Pancham Tamang, a close friend since fourth grade. "In the absence of the teacher, he used to teach us mathematics, science. We requested him instead of the teacher. 'You teach,' we said. And we understood him clearly."
Tamang remembers when, in 1994, he and his friends watched as a patch of forest was leveled to build a soccer field. He said Benu was "good in football, good in study, simple. He helps other people."
"We are going to miss him when he's gone. He's my best friend," Tamang said. "But we'll see him in the U.S., maybe. Hope so."
Yadhu was waiting in Oakland for his brother and parents, as was Kapil, 40, the oldest brother who arrived early this year with his wife and three children. The brothers were living in a Laurel district apartment complex, struggling to pay rent and navigate a strange city, but they knew if they were all together, their roots firmly planted in a new place, it would be easier.
Interpretation in Nepali was provided by Pasang Sherpa from the International Organization for Migration. Read about the Mainalis' arrival in America on Sept. 5, when our two-part series continues.
Bay Area News Group staff writer Matt O'Brien and photojournalist Jane Tyska traveled to Bhutan and Nepal in the spring to report on the little-known experiences of Bhutanese refugees who'd left their homes amid a political and ethnic conflict. This is the first of a two-part series exploring the conflict and the experiences of the new immigrants. The series, funded by a fellowship from the South Asian Journalists Association, continues Sept. 5.
life in the camps
About 78,000 Bhutanese refugees live in seven camps in the southeastern corner of Nepal. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, has run the camps since establishing them between spring 1992 and early 1993. The agency gets most of its funding from member nations, including the United States.
The largest camp, Beldangi, which is actually three connected camps, houses about 38,000 people. The smallest camp, Goldhap, has a little more than 5,000 residents, in part because a fast-moving fire in 2008 destroyed most of the huts there. The farthest camps -- Sanischare in the west and Timai in the east, near the Indian border -- are more than 40 miles apart from each other. The camps are all situated in the eastern Terai, part of a fertile plain that stretches from the southern foothills of the Himalayas to the Ganges River in India.
Each refugee family lives in a hut made of bamboo walls and a thatch roof. Although the huts are packed tightly together, many refugees have room for a small garden outside. The United Nations World Food Programme provides basic food rations, such as rice and lentils, that refugees take home to cook. Refugees also get drinking water and fuel rations. They do not have electricity or running water. The Association of Medical Doctors of Asia provides them medical care. The Lutheran World Federation helps refugees with supplies and assistance to repair their huts. There are Hindu and Buddhist temples and other places of worship in the camps.
Refugees are allowed to walk in and out of the camps freely, and they often visit the nearby towns but are not allowed to work legally in Nepal outside of the camps. Because they are hard to distinguish from the local Nepali population, many still work in nearby farms, businesses, construction sites and schools, where they are prized teachers because of their English-language skills. Some have found work in India.
The UNHCR maintains security for the gated camps and funds the primary education of refugee children. Caritas Nepal, part of a Catholic international aid group, runs the secondary schools through the help of foreign donors. Some refugees have studied at private schools in India, usually with help from donors.
Most refugees have signed up to be resettled. What will happen to refugees who wish to stay after everyone else moves is unknown. It is predicted that Nepal will allow some refugees to locally integrate into the communities that surround the camps. Nepal also continues to hold diplomatic talks with Bhutan, pressuring the Bhutanese government to take back some of the refugees. | <urn:uuid:097b5f8d-cead-47b9-9e9c-b5bd870cec41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.contracostatimes.com/news-special-reports/ci_15905996?source=pkg | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98586 | 3,842 | 1.8125 | 2 |
What is a history lecturer who becomes a pioneering tabloid cartoonist, who becomes a broadsheet newspaper caricaturist, who becomes a children’s storybook illustrator, who becomes a multimedia graphic artist called?
Answer: B.G. Gujarappa.
After nearly three decades of experimenting in the various styles of art, “Gujjar” as he is better known, is now a full-fledged painter, “romancing lines, colours and the beautiful order found in nature”, and paying tribute to the eternal potmaker who shapes Man out of Earth: God.
Read the full story here: Gujjar, the potmaker | <urn:uuid:7875e9e7-d05f-4c2d-be0e-ec88bd1e4ad4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wearethebest.wordpress.com/2007/06/30/a-painters-tribute-to-the-eternal-potmaker/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=55af120d89 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959426 | 136 | 1.914063 | 2 |
A great discussion on the psychology behind how pedestrians, cyclists, and cars interact.
… the lack of understanding of the cyclist outgroup seems to produce measurable changes in other road users’ behaviour. A few years ago I did a study which showed that changing the appearance of a cyclist led to notable changes in how much space drivers left when passing the bicycle. The specific changes seen make sense given the small body of research on non-cyclists’ stereotypes of cyclists. The two extant studies – the Lynn Basford et al. one, and research by Birgitta Gatersleben and Hebba Haddad, in 2010 – both found that non-cyclists view bicycle helmets as an indicator of an experienced rider, and in my data we saw riskier behaviour from drivers when they passed a cyclist who was wearing a helmet, which fits the idea they saw the rider as more capable.
The positive lesson from this, I feel, is that drivers do adjust their behaviour to the perceived needs of the non-drivers they are interacting with. The problem is that they do not always understand how to read these other people and judge their needs.
What is the psychology behind most accidents involving bikes?
If you look at taxonomies of car–bicycle collisions – or, indeed, car–motorcycle collisions, which tend to be very similar – you see that the majority of collisions happen in just a few circumstances.
One of the key issues is where the rider is going straight along a main road and are hit by a driver turning right (in the UK), either into a side street or out of one. There’s actually a (very) small psychological literature on this, particularly the ‘looked-but-failed-to-see phenomenon’, which is where the right-turning driver looks at the rider but does not consciously become aware of the hazard. Unfortunately, this literature is so small it doesn’t provide very hard answers, but it’s likely the problem is drivers’ expectations, making it a top-down processing problem. The hypothesis is that drivers don’t expect to encounter cyclists at junctions and so their visual search patterns go to the parts of the road where cars and trucks are to be found, skipping the parts of the road where cyclists (and, to an extent, motorcyclists) are found. The way totest this is incredibly simple: behavioural analysis of drivers in, say, Cambridge or York (where one would expect cyclists at each junction) and Basingstoke (where one would not). We expect to see different visual search patterns – and fewer conflicts with cyclists – where cyclists are more prevalent.
Of course, there are also relatively low-level visual processes at work in car–bicycle collisions. David Shinar in Israel has recently been doing studies to suggest that riders’ smaller physical size plays a role in throwing off drivers’ judgements. Most interesting of all, he found that the visibility of riders depends very heavily on the background they happen to be passing at any given moment: if you’re riding in front of a white house it’s far better to wear black than so-called ‘high-visibility’ gear. To a psychologist, it’s pretty obvious that visual contrast between figure and ground, rather than the rider’s clothes per se, is what will matter. But this seems to be a difficult message for wider audiences to swallow – they won’t let go of the idea that ‘high-visibility’ clothing is always the best thing.
Incidentally, there are other reasons to be suspicious of high-visibility gear, not least that it transfers responsibility from the driver of the metal box that creates the danger to the victim of that danger. | <urn:uuid:69f57a89-8cd5-4b2f-ad07-af95876f38f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2012/09/the-psychology-behind-how-pedestrians-cyclists-and-cars-interact/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962433 | 780 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Writing in 1972, J. I. Packer sheds light on the contemporary debate over how to translate the term “Son of God” in Muslim contexts. A common Muslim misconception is that Christians believe Jesus was God’s Son by procreation with Mary, so that there are at least two gods — the Son and the Father.
Motivated by a desire to remove unnecessary stumbling blocks for Muslims, some have advocated translating the Greek behind “Son of God” in a way that does not carry such biological connotations. That means avoiding such Father and Son language. But historically, the problem of ambiguity in Jesus’ Sonship has been solved by context and teaching, not translation.
What Packer contributes to the debate is the observation that the apostle John already faced this ambiguity when he wrote his Gospel. And he points out that the way John dealt with it was not by rejecting the terms Father and Son, but by making clear in the context what they mean. My conviction is that we should take the risks John did, and let the New Testament context do its work the way he intended.
Packer writes, “John knew that the phrase ‘Son of God’ was tainted with misleading associations in the minds of his readers. Jewish theology used it as a title for the expected (human) Messiah. Greek mythology told of many “sons of gods,” supermen born of a union between God and the human woman.”
But, Packer observes, “John wanted to make sure that when he wrote of Jesus as the Son of God he would not be understood” in those wrong ways. He wanted “to make it clear from the outset that the Sonship which Jesus claimed . . . was precisely a matter of personal deity and nothing less.”
To make sure of this, he did not reject the language of Father and Son. Instead, Packer says, he wrote his famous Prologue (John 1:1–18). “Nowhere in the New Testament is the nature and meaning of Jesus’s divine Sonship so clearly explained as here.”
- In the beginning was the Word. “Here is the Word’s eternity. He had no beginning.”
- And the Word was with God. “Here is the Word’s personality. The power that fulfills God's purposes is the power of a distinct personal being, who stands in an eternal relation to God of active fellowship.”
- And the Word was God. “Here is the Word’s deity. Though personally distinct from the Father, he is not a creature; He is divine in himself, as the Father is.”
- All things were made by him. “Here is the Word creating. . . All that was, was made through him.”
- And the Word became flesh. “Here is the Word incarnate. The baby in the manger at Bethlehem was none other than the eternal Word of God.”
Now after showing us who the Word is, John reveals him as “God’s Son. “We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father” (John 1:14). “Thus John . . . has now made it clear what is meant by calling Jesus the Son of God. . . [It is] an assertion of his distinct personal deity.” (J. I. Packer, Knowing God [London: InterVarsity Press, 1973], 48–50.)
The difficulties of Bible translation are enormous. My veneration for men and women who have given their lives to it is deep. The debt we owe them is profound. I also have spoken with Muslim background believers who are risking their lives for believing the truth that Jesus is the Son of God. Some feel betrayed by the removal of this language from the Bible.
J. I. Packer shows us that the potential misunderstanding of “Son of God” was there from the beginning. The remedy for it was not the rejection of the term. The remedy was the New Testament itself — in all its controversial and self-interpreting fullness.
In addition to context, there are teachers. The ascended Christ gave teachers to his church to explain things (Ephesians 4:11). And he sent us to the nations to proclaim and to teach (Matthew 28:20). And if we are to teach like Paul (five hours a day in the hall of Tyrannus in pagan Ephesus for two years, Acts 19:9–10) we will need a solid, accurate, reliable text that can bear rigorous scrutiny.
Lord, raise up an army of translators and teachers like this.
[This article also appears in the March 10th issue of World Magazine.]
Recent posts from John Piper — | <urn:uuid:696537f8-6daa-486d-b9ea-25f55dda5249> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/forty-year-old-light-on-how-to-translate-son-of-god-for-muslims?turn_off_admin_bar=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977454 | 1,006 | 2.5 | 2 |
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For more homework help, information sheets and tips go to www.schoolatoz.com.au | <urn:uuid:40ec1611-8432-4220-838d-c8808a220972> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/technology/cyberbullying?p_p_id=58&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_state=maximized&p_p_mode=view&saveLastPath=0&_58_struts_action=%2flogin%2flogin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941176 | 95 | 1.554688 | 2 |
May Marks Building Safety Month
Annual Campaign Co-Sponsored by ASTM
May was 2012 Building Safety Month, presented by the International Code Council and with sponsors including ASTM International, AMCA International, BASF, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency and others.
Building Safety Month is an annual public awareness campaign offered each May to help individuals, families and businesses understand what it takes to create and maintain safe and sustainable structures. The campaign reinforces the need for the adoption of building codes, an efficient system of code enforcement and a well-trained, professional work force to maintain the system of standards and code updates and revisions.
U.S. President Barack Obama issued a proclamation in honor of Building Safety Month in which he recognized the value of public-private collaboration to ensure public safety, stating:
“In neighborhoods and workplaces across America, professionals throughout government and industry work to implement building safety solutions that strengthen resilience and meet community needs. By designing and implementing state-of-the-art building safety, energy efficiency, and fire prevention codes and standards, they help save lives and prevent disruptions in the wake of disasters.”
Many standards development organizations, including ASTM International, and code developers collaborate to ensure that stakeholders have the best resources and tools to address their safety and sustainability needs. ASTM standards help to ensure the strength, safety, energy performance and other attributes of buildings.
Overall, the 2012 Building Safety Month was an opportunity to increase public awareness about utilizing standards and codes to properly construct safe and sustainable buildings and homes.
This article appears in the issue of Standardization News. | <urn:uuid:dd2f602c-7250-437e-b242-8b1f9bee75d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.astm.org/standardization-news/outreach/may-marks-2012-building-safety-month-ja12.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940944 | 331 | 2.484375 | 2 |
With their fiery volcanoes, palm-fringed beaches, verdant valleys, glorious rainbows and awesome cliffs, the islands of HAWAII boast some of the most spectacularly beautiful scenery on earth. Despite their isolation, two thousand miles out in the Pacific, they belong very definitely to the United States. Pulling in 6.5 million tourists per year, the fiftieth state can seem at times like a gigantic theme park.
Honolulu, on Oahu, is by far the largest city in Hawaii, while Waikiki, its resort annexe, is the main tourist centre. Three other islands attract sizeable numbers of visitors: Hawaii itself, also known as the Big Island in a vain attempt to avoid confusion, Maui and Kauai. All the islands share a similar topography and climate. Ocean winds shed their rain on their northeast, windward coasts, keeping them wet and green; the southwest, leeward (or “Kona”) coasts can be almost barren, and so make ideal locations for big resorts. While temperatures remain consistent all year at between 70°F and 85°F, rainfall is heaviest from December to March, which nonetheless remains the most popular time to visit. Although a visit to Hawaii doesn’t have to cost a fortune, the one major expense you can’t avoid, except possibly on Oahu, is car rental.Read More | <urn:uuid:f14f12de-32a4-48b6-8323-3ab0e7bbfc33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/north-america/usa/hawaii/?wpfpaction=add&postid=27762 | 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 | 0.94794 | 288 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Photographing nature poses unique challenges and demands that you have special skills and a working knowledge of how to work in—and with—nature. This Photo Workshop is a must-have how-to guide for shooting nature images in nearly any situation you might encounter.
You’ll learn which equipment is right in different settings and why it should be used, how to get an amazing photo of a fast-moving animal, and how to handle a myriad of tricky weather scenarios. This book covers composition, exposure, fill-flash, special creative techniques, and more. Plus, assignments at the end of each chapter sharpen your skills to for taking unique, artistic nature photographs.
- Shows you what equipment to use in different settings and why to use it
- Offers essential advice for photographing a fast-moving animal and dealing with weather obstacles
- Provides a clear understanding of the basic fundamentals of photography
- Addresses composition, exposure, fill-flash, creative techniques, and more
- Shares Photoshop tips for sharpening and improving photos you’ve already taken
Packed with inspirational color photos throughout, this workshop guide encourages you to improve your technique for taking nature photographs.
Fancy having a thumb?
Can't blame you, but then I'm biased, of course: I'm proud of all the books I've worked on. You'll probably be completely, deeply unsurprised to find out that copies of Nature Photography are available from all sorts of places.
Most big book shops worth their salt will have a copy or two on the shelves. If they don't it may be that they have a couple of books tucked away under the counter (Cheeky, but I guess they just want to keep them to themselves). Smaller book shops should be able to order you a copy - all you need is to give them the ISBN number (It's 978-0470534915), and they'll sort you right out.
Stay in touch
Comments & Questions...
If you have any comments or questions about Nature Photography, pop 'em in here, and we'll see if I can't help you along! | <urn:uuid:8b0336f5-74fa-428c-bccd-e47cf3d8999a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kamps.org/nature-photography/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922966 | 435 | 1.9375 | 2 |
KOLKATA: The Mamata Banerjee government has further shrunken the land where industries can come up. Her colleague in the agriculture department, Rabindranath Bhattacharya, has ruled out setting up industries in the districts of North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and parts of Burdwan, Nadia and Murshidabad.
The stand has further restricted the scope for investors to set up projects in Bengal, which is already hand-off in acquisition for private purpose. Bhattacharya said at Writers' Buildings on Thursday, "There will be a huge food crisis if industries are allowed to come up in North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and parts of Burdwan, Nadia and Murshidabad because these districts have fertile land. Under no circumstances, can we allow industry on fertile land. Industrialists, interested in investing in the state, can look for land, leaving these areas."
The agriculture minister, who is the MLA from Singur and had been one of those who had spearheaded the agitation to banish the Tatas, said, "The main reason for our opposition to the Tata Nano factory at Singur was fertile land which was being misused for industry. They (the Tatas) could have set up their factory at some other place, where the land was not fertile," said Bhattacharya.
Ironically, the state land policy, which is the basis of the Mamata's draft of the amended Land Acquisition Act, had identified five districts - Burdwan, Birbhum, Bankura, West Midnapore and Purulia - for industrialists to look for land. The policy said, "Considerable land is available in these districts to set up industries. It is the government's responsibility to create infrastructure for the purpose." On Thursday, Bhattacharya said, "The investors can look for land in Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum and West Midnapore. There is ample land there."
Again, the districts of Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore have been categorised as left-wing-extremism infested districts. In fact, it was during the foundation laying ceremony of the Jindal steel plant at Salboni in West Midnapore when the cavalcade of erstwhile chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was attacked. The incident led to the Lalgarh uprise, which was reined in only after joint forces were deployed.
Interestingly, the amended Land Acquisition Bill by the centre allows industry on 5 % of multi-crop irrigated area in any district in any state of India or where land cumulatively exceeds 10 % of the single-crop net sown area in any district.
The condition laid down by the bill requires that whenever multi crop irrigated land is acquired an equivalent area of culturable wasteland shall be developed by the state for agricultural purpose.
The Mamata Banerjee government would not be interested in offering these conditions because it has taken a thumbs down stand towards private projects in most of the districts near Kolkata and even those a little far away, like Nadia and Murshidabad. | <urn:uuid:0102cb24-f79e-4086-9502-74507b2664a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-19/india/32745829_1_fertile-land-land-acquisition-bill-jindal-steel-plant | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96317 | 658 | 1.578125 | 2 |
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed common-sense standards to ensure kids get balanced meals, but a group of Senators is trying to undermine the USDA’s authority and ability to enforce those standards. More than 4,000 members (including you!) have sent messages to their Senators urging them to support healthy lunches. Thank you!
Let’s send an even stronger message: Tell your friends so more people can speak up for healthy meals and healthy kids. »
The USDA’s new standards would include more fruits, a greater variety of vegetables, whole grains, more fat-free and low-fat milk, and would limit salt, unhealthy fats and excess calories. But some in the food industry are fighting against their proposal.
Please spread the word to help keep our kids healthy and strong. You can send a message with our tell-a-friend tool, post the petition to your Facebook profile, tweet it or copy and send the sample message below:
I am writing to encourage you to join me in urging U.S. Senators to support the USDA’s new healthy school meals recommendations.
The USDA’s new standards would include more fruits, a greater variety of vegetables, whole grains, more fat-free and low-fat milk, and would limit salt, unhealthy fats and excess calories, but some in the food industry are fighting against their proposal.
America’s children deserve the chance to grow up strong and healthy, and they deserve the best school meals that we can give them, but if the Senators who oppose USDA’s efforts are successful, the goal of seeing healthy school lunches in cafeterias across the country will be in serious jeopardy.
Please help send a strong message to these legislators. We need your help to send a loud and clear message to Congress that we want to see healthy menu items in school cafeterias.
Please sign this petition and join me in urging Congress to support healthy meals for healthy kids.
Thanks for taking action! | <urn:uuid:57b00b90-1d07-473b-8f73-2133ae5a1084> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eslkevin.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/u-s-department-of-agriculture-usda-has-proposed-common-sense-standards-to-ensure-kids-get-balanced-meals-but-a-group-of-senators-is-trying-to-undermine-the-usdas-authority-and-ability-to-enforce/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92361 | 416 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Dear Dr. Don,
I have money sitting in a glorified checking account earning 1 percent interest. My husband and I have money put aside for emergencies and have money invested at higher risks. But today's low CD rates have left me wondering what to do regarding a CD investment.
I want to buy a three-year CD at 2.7 percent. I've been advised to buy several CDs that don't tie this much money up for three years. I don't see interest rates rising in the near future and I'd rather see us get as much as we can while we "sit and wait."
If interest rates rise a lot, can't we just do the math and see if it would be worth paying the six-month penalty to pull out early and reinvest?
My husband is 62 and retired. I'm 55 and enjoy working. We own our home and pay the balance off on our credit cards every month.
-- Faith Fulcrum
While you can always do the math to determine whether it makes sense to pay the early withdrawal penalty, the idea behind a laddered CD portfolio is to avoid trying to time the market and to reinvest in longer-term CDs as the nearby maturities roll off.
A savings strategy that doesn't require you to pay an interest penalty to reinvest should keep your yields higher, on average, over time than a strategy of investing in longer-term CDs until it makes sense to cash out and reinvest.
The Bankrate feature "Laddering: How to build a CD ladder" explains this approach in greater detail. This approach keeps you from being "long and wrong"-- tying up money long term in a rising interest rate environment -- or "short and suffering," where you wait for yields to go higher.
Get more news, money-saving tips, and expert advice about CDs and investing by signing up for a free Bankrate newsletter.
Ask the adviserTo ask a question of Dr. Don, go to the "Ask the Experts" page, and select one of these topics: "Financing a home," "Saving & Investing" or "Money." Read more Dr. Don columns for additional personal finance advice.
Create a news alert for "CDs" | <urn:uuid:f6cd868a-a5ee-4a45-bb29-baeb6c0157df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bankrate.com/finance/cd/use-ladder-to-climb-above-low-cd-rates.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95603 | 456 | 1.914063 | 2 |
The Overby Center hosted a panel discussion Friday for the documentary “An Ordinary Hero” and the book “We Shall Not Be Moved” concerning the 1960 Woolworth sit-in in Jackson.
The Overby Center held a panel discussion for the documentary “An Ordinary Hero” and Michael J. O’Brien’s book, “We Shall Not Be Moved,” on Friday.
The film tells the story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland at a sit-in in the Woolworth diner in Jackson during the civil rights movement. The panel featured Joan Mulholland, civil rights activist, freedom rider and participant in the sit-in; O’Brien; the Rev. Ed King, University of Mississippi Medical School faculty member and organizer of the sit-in; and Loki Mulholland, son of Joan Mulholland.
“The panel is all-white because we wanted to show you all that there were white Americans involved in the civil rights movement as activists,” said Bill Rose, leader of the panel discussion and Overby Fellow.
Loki Mulholland created the documentary, and it wasn’t until a few years ago that he knew of his mother’s deep involvement with the sit-in movement and realized there was a story to be told.
“I have no regrets,” Joan said.
“I was a Southerner, and Southerners are determined folks, we all know that. I was actually safer at the counter than I would’ve been had I been recognized in the crowd. I never realized I was in big trouble. We knew once we got there what we were getting ourselves into, and once you accept that, you just think, what’s the worst that can happen?”
Joan revealed that she never talked about her involvement in the civil rights movement in the past, and it was not until recently that she started sharing with good friend Michael O’Brien.
Throughout the 20 years of research for his book related to the Woolworth sit-in and the civil rights movement, O’Brien talked with demonstrators in the sit-in, protesters of the sit-in, policemen and reporters at the time and wove the stories together.
“By the students reading the book and seeing the documentary, they are able to get the full story,” O’Brien said.
“That iconic picture (of the Woolworth sit-in) doesn’t tell it all. What the picture doesn’t show is that there were more demonstrators on the other side of the counter experiencing just as much as the others were that are in that picture.”
O’Brien’s book was released this past month and can be found on display at Square Books.
The role of the media during that time was also discussed at the panel.
“They chose to let some people stay ignorant,” King said.
“It wasn’t just white or blacks or just men. It was women, too, serving on the front line as well as children and elders. There were students from Germany who said, ‘We know what our parents failed to do. Can we come to Mississippi and work with you?’” | <urn:uuid:a7ebadb4-6200-4af7-879b-c42cade5281c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thedmonline.com/panel-held-at-the-overby-center/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977362 | 695 | 2.21875 | 2 |
It's something that drives me crazy, when you see newspapers or TV scream about, say, an explosion of shark attacks in Florida, when in reality it's three people attacked in a 100-mile stretch of coastline, or some such.
For us, that kind of reaction can manifest itself if we chase a "trend" story or another hot national story and try to localize it, thinking that, of course, the same thing must be happening here. Sometimes it is, but not always, of course. Doing some thinking at the story-idea/assignment phase might help us tell better stories when these hot stories come up, because they'll always come up. Perhaps we can find a more nuanced angle, or perhaps we should be writing the counter-trend story.
The specific example in Revkin's blog entry was that two studies came out, one saying global warming contributed to more hurricanes, the other saying it wasn't much of a factor. A political scientist counted 79 media stories on the global-warming-affects-hurricanes study (the hot story) and 3 on the minimal-factor study (not the hot story). Here's Revkin:
"(There is) an institutional eagerness to sift for and amplify what editors here at The Times sometimes call 'the front-page thought.' This is only natural, but in coverage of science it can skew what you read toward the more calamitous side of things. It’s usually not agenda-driven, as some conservative commentators charge. It’s just a deeply ingrained habit. ...
"As I’ve said many times, in a couple of book chapters and talks, one danger in this kind of coverage — not accounting for the full range of uncertainty or understanding in dealing with very important environmental questions — is that it ends up providing ammunition to critics charging the media with an alarmist bias. And once the coverage corrects, it results in what I call “whiplash journalism” (coffee causes cancer; coffee helps your sex life…) that could disengage readers entirely from the value of journalism." | <urn:uuid:6d3caa83-4b3d-42e7-8d62-4c8fd37a106f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ydrstorytelling.blogspot.com/2008/07/deeper-thinking.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941233 | 432 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Audubon's unprecedented analysis of forty years of citizen-science bird population data from our own Christmas Bird Count plus the Breeding Bird Survey reveals the alarming decline of many of our most common and beloved birds.
Since 1967 the average population of the common birds in steepest decline has fallen by 68 percent; some individual species nose-dived as much as 80 percent. All 20 birds on the national Common Birds in Decline list lost at least half their populations in just four decades.
The findings point to serious problems with both local habitats and national environmental trends. Only citizen action can make a difference for the birds and the state of our future.
Which Species? Why?
The wide variety of birds affected is reason for concern. Populations of meadowlarks and other farmland birds are diving because of suburban sprawl, industrial development, and the intensification of farming over the past 50 years.
Greater Scaup and other tundra-breeding birds are succumbing to dramatic changes to their breeding habitat as the permafrost melts earlier and more temperate predators move north in a likely response to global warming. Boreal forest birds like the Boreal Chickadee face deforestation from increased insect outbreaks and fire, as well as excessive logging, drilling, and mining. | <urn:uuid:07dc4d82-1b05-4d97-9d22-87aa82488b42> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://web4.audubon.org/bird/stateofthebirds/cbid/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926294 | 260 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Ontario Government Needs to Act: Environmental Commissioner
Tuesday, November 29th 2011 10:11:39am
(Toronto, November 29, 2011) Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner is worried that Ontario has lost momentum when it comes to the province’s pressing environmental issues.
In his 2010/2011 Annual Report “Engaging Solutions” released today, Gord Miller says there’s no shortage of talk about the problems such as climate change, waste diversion, and the loss of biodiversity. “But when it comes to doing something” says Miller, “there doesn’t seem to be a lot actually happening.
The Environmental Commissioner cited a number of examples of this lack of action in his annual report:
• On waste, the Ministry of the Environment has written four different reports and discussion papers outlining options for increasing waste diversion in the province. But this has resulted in little action on what Miller says should be one of the government’s top environmental priorities.
• On species-at-risk, the Ministry of Natural Resources is not doing enough to protect and recover species at risk. Much of what the ministry is doing has become an empty bureaucratic exercise that does little on-the-ground to tangibly benefit endangered species.
• On funding, the Government of Ontario has passed notable legislation such as the Lake Simcoe Protection Act, 2008, the Endangered Species Act, 2007 and the Green Energy Act, 2009, but has not given the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of the Environment the additional resources they need to oversee and monitor new legislation while also covering their previous core responsibilities.
• On the Great Lakes, lengthy negotiations between Ontario and the federal government threaten to paralyze progress towards further clean-up, and Ontario is allowing its existing policy tools to idle. Meantime, the Obama administration has promised $2.2 billion over 5 years.
Miller says this lack of action is not accidental: it’s actually the goal of critics of environmental protection. “We respond to people who say they don’t believe there’s a problem”, says the Environmental Commissioner, “by going back to the research findings to debate and explain it all over again. And then, when it looks like progress is being made, others say the proposed solutions won’t work, or are too costly. And so we go back to the beginning again.”
“We have to find a way to get to a point of action on these issues” says the Environmental Commissioner. “We don’t see ourselves as having a culture of inaction and procrastination. Yet that would be a fair criticism from any impartial observer.”
The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario is appointed by the Legislative Assembly to be the province's independent environmental watchdog, reporting publicly on the government's environmental decision making.
For the full report, visit http://www.eco.on.ca
Accompanying media releases:
MOE and MNR Can’t Handle Core Responsibilities
Ontario Government Failing Endangered Species
Government Failing to Reduce Ontario’s Waste
For more information or to schedule interviews, contact:
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario
416-325-3371 / 416-819-1673
For French language release and bilingual support, please contact Jean-Marc Filion, 705-492-6997
The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario is appointed by the Legislative Assembly to be the province's independent environmental watchdog, and report publicly on the government's environmental decision-making.
Aussi disponible en français. | <urn:uuid:76b617f8-30d0-4bb9-9a72-1c98d7f7c6f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://csrwire.ca/article/2402/Environmental-Commissioner-of-Ontario/Ontario-Government-Needs-to-Act-Environmental-Commissioner.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922674 | 752 | 1.75 | 2 |
On the occasion of what would have been Milton Friedman’s one hundredth birthday (July 31, 2012), the Hoover Institution launched a website dedicated to the lifework of the Nobel laureate and Hoover fellow and his partner in life and in public policy research, Rose Friedman.
Visitors to the site (http://uncommoncouple.org) will find complete lists of all their writings, spanning seventy-five years; links to their groundbreaking PBS series Free to Choose; finding aids to Milton’s personal papers and correspondence, which are held in the Hoover Institution Archives; and lists of and links to a variety of other audio, video, and written material. The last bibliography that Milton compiled is included on the site.
Milton, who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1976, is recognized as one of the twentieth-century’s leading economists. An educator at heart, Milton was a leader of the Chicago School of economics at the University of Chicago, where he served as an economics professor for thirty-five years. He revived and championed the theory that monetary policy—not fiscal policy—was the engine of economic stability and growth and the best vehicle with which to control inflation.
Later in life, Milton and Rose turned their attention to public policy. Always teaching, they advocated school choice as the answer to America’s education woes and insisted that free markets were imperative for the success of the emerging democracies of East and Central Europe.
Milton attained a cultural status that few academics have achieved. In development is a section dedicated to the Friedman legacy that focuses on the personal lives of Milton and Rose, with personal photos and correspondence; on Milton’s public stature, including his being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, appearances on The Phil Donahue Show and The Dinah Shore Program and a Playboy magazine interview; and on the numerous tributes and awards they both received from around the world. | <urn:uuid:17b2ada5-e510-4d26-adbc-5f9dc27051c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hoover.org/news/123961 | 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 | 0.967693 | 391 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Cybercrime scares Americans
Self-serving survey claims
Two thirds of Americans - that must be, oh, around 180 million people - feel threatened, or are concerned, by cybercrime.
And more than 60 per cent reckon that Internet consumers are not protected enough from cybercrime, and around the same number say they are less likely to do business on the Internet as a result of cybercrime.
Boy, that means there must be more American cybercrime scaredy cats than there are Americans actually connected to the Internet.
This "sobering" survey, culled from the responses of 1000 people, is produced by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and EDS.
From the survey, it looks like the representative sample are more concerned with getting their credit cards ripped off than with crackers, cyberterrorists, virus writers and the like.
The findings were released at a "high-level meeting of industry and government hosted by ITAA at EDS' regional office here (Herndon, VA) to discuss cyber crime fighting".
In a statement, Harris Miller, ITAA President, said: "The New Economy cannot operate like the Wild West, and ITAA has a multi-faceted campaign to better protect data and users from security threats."
EDS Chairman Dick Brown told reporters at a news conference yesterday: "EDS takes the issue of cybersecurity very seriously, which is why we have pledged to take a leadership role in developing protections for Internet and computer users from illegal online behaviour."
Some of you with long memories may recall a minor contretemps many years ago when EDS was caught ordering American employees to lie to British immigration officials about the purpose of their visits to the UK.
As we say, it was a long time ago. But doesn't EDS have better things to do than assume leadership positions for itself in an ethical quagmire like cybersecurity? ® | <urn:uuid:e3d712c5-8534-459d-8822-1092ac7b8687> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/06/20/cybercrime_scares_americans/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957988 | 392 | 1.601563 | 2 |
A picture-perfect pure-disk galaxy
Recent research suggests that bulge-less, or pure-disk, spiral galaxies like NGC 3621 are actually fairly common.
February 3, 2011
The bright galaxy NGC 3621, captured here using the Wide Field Imager on the 2.2-meter telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) La Silla Observatory in Chile, appears to be a fine example of a classical spiral. But it is in fact rather unusual — it does not have a central bulge and is therefore described as a pure-disk galaxy.
This picture of spiral galaxy NGC 3621 was taken using the Wide Field Imager at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile. NGC 3621 is about 22 million light-years away. It is comparatively bright and can be well seen in moderate-sized telescopes. The data from the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope used to make this image was selected from the ESO archive by Joe DePasquale as part of the Hidden Treasures competition. ESO and Joe DePasquale
NGC 3621 is a spiral galaxy about 22 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra the Water Snake. It is comparatively bright and visible through moderate-sized telescopes. This picture was taken using the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-meter telescope at the La Silla Observatory. Joe DePasquale as part of the Hidden Treasures competition selected the data from the ESO archive. Joe's picture of NGC 3621 was ranked fourth in the competition.
This galaxy has a flat pancake shape, indicating that it hasn't yet come face to face with another galaxy, as such a galactic collision would have disturbed the thin disk of stars, creating a small bulge in its center. Most astronomers think that galaxies grow by merging with other galaxies in a process called hierarchical galaxy formation. Over time, this should create large bulges in the centers of spirals. Recent research, however, has suggested that bulge-less, or pure-disk, spiral galaxies like NGC 3621 are actually fairly common.
This galaxy is of further interest to astronomers because its relative proximity allows them to study a wide range of astronomical objects within it, including stellar nurseries, dust clouds, and pulsating stars called Cepheid variables, which astronomers use as distance markers in the universe. In the late 1990s, NGC 3621 was one of 18 galaxies selected for a Key Project of the Hubble Space Telescope: to observe Cepheid variables and measure the rate of expansion of the universe to a higher accuracy than had been possible before. In the successful project, 69 Cepheid variables were observed in this galaxy alone.
Multiple monochrome images taken through four different color filters were combined to make this picture. Images taken through a blue filter have been colored blue in the final picture; images through a yellow-green filter are shown as green; and images through a red filter as dark orange. In addition images taken through a filter that isolates the glow of hydrogen gas have been colored red. The total exposure times per filter were 30, 40, 40, and 40 minutes respectively. | <urn:uuid:cc9bce3d-4681-4365-aa7c-20d12ac6b79f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www2.astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/News/2011/02/A%20picture-perfect%20pure-disk%20galaxy.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944292 | 669 | 3.21875 | 3 |
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HEALTH > DIET AND DIET REFORM > PART II > SECTION II : RICE, WHEAT AND GUR > Potentialities of Palm Jaggery
62. Potentialities of Palm Jaggery
Ingredient Kind of Jaggeries
sucrose or (1) Sugar-cane 71 p.c.
(2) Date 57.57 p.c.
Cane sugar (3) Cocoanut 85 p.c.
(4) Palmyra 83.8 p.c.
This shows that the jaggery made from the palm juices is akin to sugarcane jaggery.
Comparison of Date-Palm and Cane Jaggery
Sjt. I. S. Amin, Chief Chemist of the Alembic Chemical Works of Baroda, says the following in his criticism of the foregoing comparative analysis made by him:
"The date palm gur compares favourably with the best known Kolhapur sugarcane gur. The percentage of Ash, i.e. minerals in case of date palm gur is greater than that of sugarcane gur. In spite of high percentage of minerals in date palm gur, it will not be felt too saltish in food preparations. Some sugarcane gur prepared in Charotar (Baroda State) is found to contain a very high percentage of minerals on account of the high contents of salts in irrigation water from wells. Higher mineral contents in gur should not be a cause of prejudice against it. Potassium in the gur is fairly good. Potassium intake by human beings is important as it functions actively in the metabolisms of cell control and cell growth. Toddy (sweet) gur is superior to sugarcane gur on account of its containing vitamins B and B1, as these vitamins are associated with the yeast cells and which are sufficiently present in toddy (sweet). It is possible to maintain the activity of Vitamin B and B,, at a higher degree if rapid concentration in suitable shallow pans by skilful hand stirring is carried out at low heat." | <urn:uuid:49a8ba8b-a69c-44a2-bdf4-2614af43cd57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mkgandhi.org/health/diet_reform/62palm_jaggery.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902723 | 435 | 2.296875 | 2 |
A demonstration against obligatory teaching of Swedish in Finnish-language medium schools took place today outside Parliament in the capital.
According to the organisers, the protest was to alert the electorate in April’s parliamentary election to the issue of language. The demonstration was arranged by the nationalistic organisation Suomalaisuuden liitto, the ”Finnishness Association”. The organisation has in the past called for the eradication of Swedish at all levels in Finnish society, including on the unilingual Åland islands. The organisers have arranged free bus transport to Helsinki for protesters.
Counter-demonstrators in favour of diversity and the Swedish language are also attended. Päivi Storgård, a parliamentary candidate for the Swedish People’s Party in Helsinki, called the counter-demonstration. The association of Swedish-speaking history students at the University of Helsinki is also participated with the aim, according to Hufvudstadsbladet, of ensuring that there were also ”living Swedish-speaking Finns there, not just language radicals and politicians”.
The clearly intolerant and discriminative nature of the demonstration was confirmed when shouts of “Finland for the Finns” were heard from the anti-Swedish protesters, one can only assume that they don’t believe Swedish-speaking Finns belong in Finland.
This must be the first time in history that a demonstration has taken place against education and knowledge.
Video source: Hufvudstadsbladet, hbl.fi | <urn:uuid:7f0cb44e-b836-49f1-a8b6-72a0f7ff556b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://svenskfinland.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/demonstration-against-education-taking-place-outside-parliament/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941382 | 320 | 1.882813 | 2 |
On the western end of the park, there are pockets of exposed limestone surrounded by older Precambrian rock layers that were thrust over the younger Paleozoic formations 200 million years ago when the continents collided. Cades Cove and Wears Cove are two limestone “windows” and between them is a lesser known opening called Whiteoak Sink. There are no maintained trails into the sink, and park officials would probably prefer people stay out of this unique habitat. However, Whiteoak Sink is one of the worst kept secrets in GSMNP. A well-worn manway off Schoolhouse Gap leads to the floor of the sink and the waterfall that disappears underground amid the karst features of caves and sinkholes.
The trail descends through a typical Smokies forest – dying Hemlocks, Dog-hobble, Rosebay Rhododendron, Umbrella and Fraser’s Magnolias, Tulip Tree, Partridgeberry, Pipsissewa, Indian Cucumber Root, Hearts-a-bustin, and various Oaks. As you approach the sink floor, however, the forest character changes and the types, numbers, and sizes of plants indicate that this is no ordinary place.
The richness of the herbaceous layer is testament to the fertility of limestone-derived soils. Robust, tall plants thickly cover the ground. Even species that are often demur and retiring grow with exceptional vigor in Whiteoak Sink. Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), for example, cascades down a small bluff and works its way among the other plants with foliage twice to three times normal size. Because of the higher pH soils, plant species uncommon in the Smokies grow in lush quantities. Guyandotte Beauty (Synandra hispidula), Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata), and Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia) wow visitors at the height of their flowering in spring.
A few years ago at the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, a pilgrim asked what the sweet and heavenly fragrance he noticed in Whiteoak Sink might be. It is the Phlox. Few plants are as delightfully fragrant and able to infuse their entire surroundings with perfume quite like Wild Blue Phlox. Resurrection Fern (Pleopeltis polypodioides var. michauxiana) is found in the sink, and the limestone loving Purple Cliffbrake (Pellaea atropurpurea) and Bulblet Fern (Cystopteris bulbifera) are growing near the Blow Hole, a narrow cave opening that continually pumps out air in the mid-50-degree range. The Blow Hole has been caged to protect curious humans and threatened bats alike, but hot and weary hikers can cool off quickly just standing next to it.
Other interesting finds include Hazelnut, Orange-fruited Horse Gentian, Huger’s Carrion-flower, Green Violet, and perhaps a distinct variety of Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata var. humilis). Dr. Pat Cox extensively studied the genus Rudbeckia and, on our Friday visit to the sink, discovers compelling evidence in support of this variety. We spot neat snails, grasshoppers, and a very weird fungus. Along Schoolhouse Gap Trail, we see a Northern Green Frog cooling off in Spence Branch, Dung Beetles grocery shopping for the family in fresh piles of horse manure, an Ebony Jewelwing Dragonfly, colorful Centipedes, and lots of Tiger Swallowtails.
On our way out of the sink, I am in the lead and stepping carefully on my swollen ankle when I spy a slender, 3-foot Copperhead stretched across the trail and blending frighteningly well with the color of the soil about 5 feet in front of me. A member of our party irritates him from a safe distance with a trekking pole and convinces him to move out of the way, but not before he strikes two or three times at the annoying pole. I’m rather grateful now for the hurt foot, for without it I might well have provided, completely unaware, an annoying provocation to strike by stepping on him! | <urn:uuid:2b288813-3787-45c5-be02-162fb40e91bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hikinginthesmokies.wordpress.com/2010/07/03/whiteoak-sink-june-18-2010/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925347 | 871 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Vacheron Constantin is a name reckoned by such collectors for their penchant for developing art inspired time machines. Having a keen eye and passion for the applied and decorative arts and incessantly driven by artistry, Vacheron Constantin's Métiers d'Art collection has written an extraordinary and unique chapter in the annals of watchmaking history. The collection bears witness to the brand's profound attachment to culture, travel-which is deeply rooted in their genes-and discovery. Alchemy among the cultural, artistic and fine watchmaking crafts, the Métiers d'Art series was born with the vision of creating timepieces as a cultural bridge between countries.
An Inspired Line
In 2004, the first ever Métiers d'Art collection was created in a limited series to honour the great explorers of the world. The first models of the 'Tribute to the Great Explorers' series were dedicated to the Chinese admiral Zheng Hé and to Magellan, with his discovery of the strait bearing his name.
In 2005, to commemorate 250 years of their existence, the Métiers d'Art, "Les 4 Saisons" collection took shape where the dials reflected the four seasons, which symbolised Vacheron Constantin's majestic progression from the 18th to the 21st century and paid homage to the professions exercised within the art of horology and the ancient hand-craftsmanship techniques that remain alive within the brand.
Thus began a mystical and philosophical story that was conveyed through the mysterious watch faces year after year. Breathing new life into the 'Primitive Arts' was the Métiers d'Art "Les Masques" collection, which was created to pay a glowing tribute to the human spirit. Launched in April 2007, the Metiers d'Art "Les Masques" is an opus of 12 masks in a limited edition of 25 pieces, created over a period of three years, with a total of 300 pieces.
Amazingly lifelike, the first four masks reproduced on the dials of these collectors' timepieces took inspiration from the primitive masks of China, Alaska, the Congo and Indonesia and embodied an exceptional kind of savoir-faire, combining 21st-century techniques with the rigour of traditional craftsmanship. In 2008, the second boxed set of timepieces reproduced four primitive masks, but this time from Mexico, Japan, Gabon and Papua New Guinea from the Barbier-Mueller collection. The third and final set was released in 2009 with timepieces representing the four different continents (the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania) for a total of 100 pieces. Breathtakingly beautiful and enchanting, all these timepieces demonstrated the painstaking skills and expertise of the craftsmen, along with their proficiency in the traditional and quintessential skills of the highly specialised decorative arts-enamelling, engraving, guilloché, and gem-setting. In 2008, the Métiers d'Art Tribute to Great Explorers series, saw two genuine works of art in grand feu enamelling, this time paying tribute to Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus.
A New World
Unfolding a whole new horizon for combining watchmaking and decorative techniques across the world, Métiers d'Art "La Symbolique des Laques" collection launched in 2010 combined the traditional ancestral Japanese lacquer techniques. Born of a collaboration with one of the oldest Japanese lacquer companies, Zôhiko, the "La Symbolique des Laques" theme is set to change over a period of three years, each year bringing a new set of three watches, in a limited series of 20. The timepieces will feature motifs selected from the vast symbolic treasure trove of Far Eastern artistic traditions. The first set explored the theme of long life with "The Three Friends of Winter"-the pine tree, bamboo, and the plum tree. Unfurling the brilliance of the art of lacquer, the 2011 series saw Kame Kaeru Koi watches, dedicated to the aquatic realm. Incarnations of longevity, luck and strength; the turtle, frog and carp disclose their attributes in stylised waters on the enamelled dials.
This collection is a treasure trove of exceptional one-of-a-kind creations that portrays the natural affinities between Vacheron Constantin and the world of the arts.
POST A COMMENT | <urn:uuid:d17dd9a9-f4e9-4542-80f1-080caefdb80f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://luxpresso.com/news-time-n-style/the-masks-of-time-vacheron-constantins-m233tiers-dart/7927 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925968 | 893 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Dr Barbara Bompani explains why this programme is offered at the University of Edinburgh.
We are living in a complex, uncertain and rapidly changing world, facing challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, economic downturn, new political movements and poverty.
These challenges have been and will continue to be most keenly felt in Africa.
Unfortunately, international development has often not brought about the changes hoped for.
This is an exciting time for the subject of international development at the University of Edinburgh. We are constantly building new ways of harnessing and enhancing our development expertise.
This is an exciting time for the subject of international development at the University of Edinburgh.
Dr Barbara Bompardi
Programme Director, MSc/Diploma in Africa and International Development
The University of Edinburgh’s great strength is the quality of its internationally-focused teaching and research across all three of its Colleges.
We engage with an enormous range of topics, issues and research problems, from religion to sleeping sickness, from the history of colonial science to the politics of the Africa state, from the anthropology of health and illness to the technologies of bioenergy, and more.
This article was published on Jun 15, 2010 | <urn:uuid:543f7c68-fa3d-4678-8e59-efda37dc79b9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ed.ac.uk/about/edinburgh-global/teaching/msc-africa/programme-director | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934808 | 244 | 1.703125 | 2 |
2. Outbreak of Minamata Disease
Report of the first patient
In 1956, in Minamata City located on the Yatsushiro Sea coast in Kumamoto Prefecture, the first Minamata Disease patient was reported as a patient suffering from neurological symptoms of unknown cause.
Investigation of causes
After the report of the first patient, Minamata City established the Committee on Unknown Disease immediately for taking measures against the patients and investigating to find out the cause. The investigation was carried out energetically mainly by Kumamoto University, and in November 1956, the university reported that the disease is a certain type of heavy metal poisoning transmitted via fish and shellfish. However, because knowledge and experience about environmental pollution were not enough at that time and technology for analysis of very small amounts of chemical substances was insufficient, a great deal of time was required until the cause was made clear.
Fig.1: Map of the Areas with Outbreak of Minamata Disease
Outbreak of Niigata Minamata Disease
In 1965, Minamata Disease patients were also reported in the Agano River basin in Niigata Prefecture.
The government's announcement
In 1968, the government sorted out the knowledge related to Minamata Disease that had been collected by that time, and announced its opinion. According to this, Minamata Disease is a poisoning disease of central nervous system caused by methylmercury compound, which was produced as by-product in the process of manufacturing acetaldehyde at Chisso Co., Ltd. in Minamata City and Showa Denko Co., Ltd. located upstream of Agano River, and was discharged with the factory effluent and polluted the environment, and then, through the food chain, it was accumulated in fish and shellfish. Consequently Minamata Disease occurred when the inhabitants ate high amount of these seafoods.
The conditions of the occurrence
As for Minamata Disease patients, by the end of March 2001, 2,265 persons have been certified on the Yatsushiro Sea coast and 690 persons in the Agano River basin based on the relief system described later. Even now, a small number of patients are certified, but all of them became the disease in the past, and according to the various investigations, it is thought that no conditions exists for a new occurrence of Minamata Disease at least since the early 1970s. | <urn:uuid:30b301b3-6f84-4bad-bc2c-062e8bb5b06a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.env.go.jp/en/chemi/hs/minamata2002/ch2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974788 | 491 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Aristarchus (Ἀρίσταρχος) (310 BC - circa 230 BC) was a Greek astronomer and mathematician, born in Samos, Greece. He is the first recorded person to propose a heliocentric model of the solar system, placing the Sun, not the Earth, at the center of the known universe (hence he is sometimes known as the "Greek Copernicus"). His astronomical ideas were not well-received and were subordinated to those of Aristotle and Ptolemy, until they were successfully revived and developed by Copernicus nearly 2000 years later.
The only work of Aristarchus which has survived to the present time, On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon, is based on a geocentric worldview. We know through citations, however, that Aristarchus wrote another book in which he advanced an alternative hypothesis of the heliocentric model.
Aristarchus thus believed the stars to be infinitely far away, and saw this as the reason why there was no visible parallax, that is, an observed movement of the stars relative to each other as the Earth moved around the Sun. The stars are in fact much farther away than was assumed in ancient times, which is why stellar parallax is only detectable with telescopes. But the geocentric model was assumed to be a simpler, better explanation for the lack of parallax. The rejection of the heliocentric view was apparently quite strong, as the following passage from Plutarch suggests (On the Apparent Face in the Orb of the Moon):
"[Cleanthes, a contemporary of Aristarchus] thought it was the duty of the Greeks to indict Aristarchus of Samos on the charge of impiety for putting in motion the Hearth of the universe [i.e. the earth], . . . supposing the heaven to remain at rest and the earth to revolve in an oblique circle, while it rotates, at the same time, about its own axis."
Size of the Moon
Aristarchus observed the Moon moving through the Earth's shadow during a lunar eclipse. He estimated that the diameter of the Earth was 3 times the Moon's diameter. Using Eratosthenes' calculation that the Earth was 42,000 km in circumference, he concluded that the Moon was 14,000 km in circumference. The Moon has a circumference of about 10,916 km.
Distance to the Sun
Aristarchus argued that the Sun, Moon, and Earth form a near right triangle at the moment of first or last quarter moon. He estimated that the angle was 87°. Using correct geometry, but inaccurate observational data, Aristarchus concluded that the Sun was 20 times farther away than the Moon. The Sun is actually about 390 times farther away. He pointed out that the Moon and Sun have nearly equal apparent angular sizes and therefore their diameters must be in proportion to their distances from Earth. He thus concluded that the Sun was 20 times larger than the Moon. This is also incorrect, although logical. It does, however, suggest that the Sun is clearly larger than the Earth, which can be taken to support the heliocentric model.
See also: Aristarchus, a bright crater on the Moon, and asteroid 3999 Aristarchus, both named after the astronomer.
Aristarchus of Samos (http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Aristarchus.html)
Biography: JRASC, 75 (1981) 29 (http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/JRASC/0075//0000029.000.html)
Sir Thomas Heath , Aristarchus of Samos : The Ancient Copernicus Dover Publications, ISBN: 0486438864
Βρέθηκε χαμένο έργο αρχαίου αστρονόμου Ένα χαμένο έργο του Αρίσταρχου τού Σάμιου (2ος αι. π.Χ.), φαίνεται πως περιέχεται σε αραβικό κώδικα που εντοπίστηκε πριν σε βιβλιοθήκη της Τεχεράνης
We are told that Aristarchus of Samos was a pupil of Strato of Lampsacus, a natural philosopher of originality, who succeeded Theophrastus as head of the Peripatetic school in 288 or 287 B.C., and held that position for eighteen years. Two other facts enable us to fix Aristarchus's date approximately. In 281 -280 he made an observation of the summer solstice ; and the book in which he formulated his heliocentric hypothesis was published before the date of Archimedes's Psammites or Sandreckoner, a work written before 216 B.C. Aristarchus therefore probably lived circa 310-230 B.C., that is, he came about seventy-five years later than Heraclides and was older than Archimedes by about twenty five years.
Aristarchus was called "the mathematician," no doubt in order to distinguish him from the many other persons of the same name ; Vitruvius includes him among the few great men who possessed an equally profound knowledge of all branches of science, geometry, astronomy, music, etc. " Men of this type are rare, men such as were in times past Aristarchus of Samos, Philolaus and Archytas of Tarentum, Apollonius of Perga, Eratosthenes of Cyrene, Archimedes and Scopinas of Syracuse, who left to posterity many mechanical and gnomonic appliances which they invented and explained on mathematical and natural principles." That Aristarchus was a very capable geometer is proved by his extant book, On the sizes and distances of the sun and moon, presently to be described. In the mechanical line he is credited with the invention of an improved sun-dial, the so-called scaphe, which had not a plane but a concave hemispherical surface, with a pointer erected vertically in the middle, throwing shadows and so enabling the direction and height of the sun to be read off by means of lines marked on the surface of the hemisphere. He also wrote on vision, light, and colours. His views on the latter subjects were no doubt largely influenced by the teaching of Strato. Strato held that colours were emanations from bodies, material molecules as it were, which imparted to the intervening air the same colour as that possessed by the body. Aristarchus said that colours are " shapes or forms stamping the air with impressions like themselves as it were," that " colours in darkness have no colouring," and that " light is the colour impinging on a substratum ".
THE HELIOCENTRIC HYPOTHESIS.
There is no doubt whatever that Aristarchus put forward the heliocentric hypothesis. Ancient testimony is unanimous on the point, and the first witness is Archimedes who was a younger contemporary of Aristarchus, so that there is no possibility of a mistake. Copernicus himself admitted that the theory was attributed to Aristarchus, though this does not seem to be generally known. Copernicus refers in two passages of his work, De revolutionibus caelestibus, to the opinions of the ancients about the motion of the earth. In the dedicatory letter to Pope Paul III he mentions that he first learnt from Cicero that one Nicetas (i.e. Hicetas) had attributed motion to the earth, and that he afterwards read in Plutarch that certain others held that opinion ; he then quotes the Placita philosophorum according to which " Philolaus the Pythagorean asserted that the earth moved round the fire in an oblique circle in the same way as the sun and moon ". In Book I. c. 5 of his work Copernicus alludes to the views of Heraclides, Ecphantus, and Hicetas, who made the earth rotate about its own axis, and then goes on to say that it would not be very surprising if any one should attribute to the earth another motion besides rotation, namely, revolution in an orbit in space : " atque etiam (terram) pluribus motibus vagantem et unam ex astris Philolaus Pythagoricus sensisse fertur, Mathematicus non vulgaris". Here, however, there is no question of the earth revolving round the sun, and there is no mention of Aristarchus. But Copernicus did mention the theory of Aristarchus in a passage which he afterwards suppressed : " Credibile est hisce similibusque causis Philolaum mobilitatem terrae sensisse, quod etiam nonnulli Aristarchum Samium ferunt in eadem fuisse sententia ". It is desirable to quote the whole passage of Archimedes in which the allusion to Aristarchus's heliocentric hypothesis occurs, in order to show the whole context.
" You are aware [' you ' being King Gelon] that ' universe ' is the name given by most astronomers to the sphere the centre of which is the centre of the earth, while its radius is equal to the straight line between the centre of the sun and the centre of the earth. This is the common account as you have heard from astronomers. But Aristarchus brought out a book consisting of certain hypotheses, wherein it appears, as a consequence of the assumptions made, that the universe is many times greater than the * universe ' just mentioned. His hypotheses are that the fixed stars and the sun remain unmoved, that the earth revolves about the sun in the circumference of a circle, the sun lying in the middle of the orbit > and that the sphere of the fixed stars, situated about the same centre as the sun, is so great that the circle in which he supposes the earth to revolve bears such a proportion to the distance of the fixed stars as the centre of the sphere bears to its surface."
The heliocentric hypothesis is here stated in language which leaves no room for doubt about its meaning. The sun, like the fixed stars, remains unmoved and forms the centre of a circular orbit in which the earth moves round it ; the sphere of the fixed stars has its centre at the centre of the sun.
We have further evidence in a passage of Plutarch's tract, On the face in the moon's orb : " Only do not, my dear fellow, enter an action for impiety against me in the style of Cleanthes, who thought it was the duty of Greeks to indict Aristarchus on the charge of impiety for putting in motion the Hearth of the Universe, this being the effect of his attempt to save the phenomena by supposing the heaven to remain at rest and the earth to revolve in an oblique circle, while it rotates, at the same time, about its own axis ".
Here we have the additional detail that Aristarchus followed Heraclides in attributing to the earth the daily rotation "about its axis ; Archimedes does not state this in so many words, but it is clearly involved by his remark that Aristarchus supposed the fixed stars as well as the sun to remain unmoved in space. A tract " Against Aristarchus " is mentioned by Diogenes Laertius among Cleanthes's works ; and it was evidently published during Aristarchus's lifetime (Cleanthes died about 232 B.C.).
We learn from another passage of Plutarch that the hypothesis of Aristarchus was adopted, about a century later, by Seleucus, of Seleucia on the Tigris, a Chaldaean or Babylonian, who also wrote on the subject of the tides about 150 B.C. The passage is interesting because it also alludes to the doubt about Plato's final views.
" Did Plato put the earth in motion as he did the sun, the moon and the five planets which he called the ' instruments of time ' on account of their turnings, and was it necessary to conceive that the earth 'which is globed about the axis stretched from pole to pole through the whole universe ' was not represented as being (merely) held together and at rest but as turning and revolving, as Aristarchus and Seleucus afterwards maintained that it did, the former of whom stated this as only a hypothesis, the latter as a definite opinion ? "
No one after Seleucus is mentioned by name as having accepted the doctrine of Aristarchus and, it other Greek astronomers refer to it, they do so only to denounce it. Hipparchus, himself a contemporary ot Seleucus, definitely reverted to the geocentric system, and it was doubtless his authority which sealed the fate of the heliocentric hypothesis for so many centuries.
The reasons which weighed with Hipparchus were presumably the facts that the system in which the earth revolved in a circle of which the sun was the exact centre failed to "save the phenomena," and in particular to account for the variations of distance and the irregularities of the motions, which became more and more patent as methods of observation improved ; that, on the other hand, the theory of epicycles did suffice to represent the phenomena with considerable accuracy ; and that the latter theory could be reconciled with the immobility of the earth.
ON THE APPARENT DIAMETER OF THE SUN.
Archimedes tells us in the same treatise that " Aristarchus discovered that the sun's apparent size is about part of the zodiac circle " ; that is to say, he observed that the angle subtended at the earth by the diameter of the sun is about half a degree.
ON THE SIZES AND DISTANCES OF THE SUN AND MOON.
Archimedes also says that, whereas the ratio of the diameter of the sun to that of the moon had been estimated by Eudoxus at 9 : 1 and by his own father Phidias at 12 : 1, Aristarchus made the ratio greater than 18 : 1 but less than 20 : 1. Fortunately we possess in Greek the short treatise in which Aristarchus proved these conclusions ; on the other matter of the apparent diameter of the sun Archimedes's statement is our only evidence.
It is noteworthy that in Aristarchus's extant treatise On the sizes and distances of the sun and moon there is no hint of the heliocentric hypothesis, while the apparent diameter of the sun is there assumed to be, not 1/2 degree , but the very inaccurate figure of 2 degree. Both circumstances are explained if we assume that the treatise was an early work written before the hypotheses described by Archimedes were put forward. In the treatise Aristarchus finds the ratio of the diameter of the sun to the diameter of the earth to lie between 19:3 and 43 : 6 ; this would make the volume of the sun about 300 times that of the earth, and it may be that the great size of the sun in comparison with the earth, as thus brought out, was one of the considerations which led Aristarchus to place the sun rather than the earth in the centre of the universe, since it might even at that day seem absurd to make the body which was so much larger revolve about the smaller.
There is no reason to doubt that in his heliocentric system Aristarchus retained the moon as a satellite of the earth revolving round it as centre ; hence even in his system there was one epicycle.
The treatise On sizes and distances being the only work of Aristarchus which has survived, it will be fitting to give here a description of its contents and special features.
The style of Aristarchus is thoroughly classical as befits an able geometer intermediate in date between Euclid and Archimedes, and his demonstrations are worked out with the same rigour as those of his predecessor and successor. The propositions of Euclid's Elements are, of course, taken for granted, but other things are tacitly assumed which go beyond what we find in Euclid. Thus the transformations of ratios defined in Euclid, Book V, and denoted by the terms inversely, alternately, componendo, convertendo, etc., are regularly used in dealing with unequal ratios, whereas in Euclid they are only used in proportions, i.e. cases of equality of ratios. But the propositions of Aristarchus are also of particular mathematical interest because the ratios of the sizes and distances which have to be calculated are really trigonometrical ratios, sines, cosines, etc., although at the time of Aristarchus trigonometry had not been invented, and no reasonably close approximation to the value of PI, the ratio of the circumference of any circle to its diameter, had been made (it was Archimedes who first obtained the approximation 22/7 ). Exact calculation of the trigonometrical ratios being therefore impossible for Aristarchus, he set himself to find upper and lower limits for them, and he succeeded in locating those which emerge in his propositions within tolerably narrow limits, though not always the narrowest within which it would have been possible, even for him, to confine them. In this species of approximation to trigonometry he tacitly assumes propositions comparing the ratio between a greater and a lesser angle in a figure with the ratio between two straight lines, propositions which are formally proved by Ptolemy at the beginning of his Syntaxis. Here again we have proof that textbooks containing such propositions existed before Aristarchus's time, and probably much earlier, although they have not survived.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/" | <urn:uuid:d052c783-a081-4aec-9d65-2ebc78853564> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Bios/AristarchusSamos.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963195 | 3,824 | 4.3125 | 4 |
VolunteeringTo: All volunteers, everywhere From: The bottom of our hearts Subj: Thank you!! Helping people. Helping animals. Helping the environment. Helping make the world a better place. And helping for free because a cause demands it. That’s what volunteers do, all over the world, every day. April 15-21 is National Volunteer Week, and AARP wants to say ‘thank you!’ to each and every volunteer. We see you volunteering in shelters, schools,
John Briley 'sPosts
WorkHas the economy finally crawled out of the bog? Things may be looking up but – right now – 4 million older Americans are either unemployed or not able to find full-time employment. Many are struggling to meet their everyday needs and having to choose between which necessity to buy – groceries or medicine. That’s a choice no one should have to make. If you’re an employer or a workforce development professional, you can help. How?
VolunteeringAstute readers of this blog will recall that, in a recent post, I chided readers to view volunteering as a year-round pursuit, not just something to be done on certain special days of the year. While I am sticking to that stance, a certain special day is upon us so I must chide you to volunteer now, even if only for one day. That day is Monday, Jan. 16 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
VolunteeringYou are, no doubt, expecting to spend the next three minutes reading about how you should, in this season of thanks and giving, find time to volunteer to help those less fortunate. And, yes, that is one of my themes today. But I also want to suggest something today that – I hope – will help you be a more empathetic and consistent volunteer throughout the year.
VolunteeringI was in Rio de Janeiro last month and went into one of the city’s favelas, slums known primarily as vast zones of poverty, drug dealing and subsistence living. I went into the Vidigal favela on my own – not on the guided tours that typically bring tourists into the slums – because I’d heard of an unusual new guest house where tourists volunteer to help kids in the community. | <urn:uuid:cf5c3716-3d75-4fff-b13a-481e1a388e4a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.aarp.org/author/aarpjbriley/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944632 | 478 | 1.664063 | 2 |
of prey (raptors) face a variety of human-induced
threats such as habitat loss and degradation, illegal
shooting and poisoning, collisions with aerial structures
and electrocution by power lines. Climate change
may further add to these problems. Migratory raptors
are particularly at risk due to the often long and
arduous annual journeys from their breeding grounds
to wintering areas and back. Moreover, some
species either migrate in large groups or form major
concentrations along their flyways, for example,
at narrow land bridges or sea crossings, which enhance
the potential impact of some threats.
2004 © Nick P. Williams
In 2005, a year-long study commissioned by the United Kingdom (UK) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) found that more than 50% of migratory birds of prey populations in the African-Eurasian region were in poor conservation status, and many species were showing rapid or long-term declines. The Defra study was prompted by Resolution 3 of the 6th World Conference on Birds of Prey and Owls, held two years earlier in Budapest, Hungary.
Development of the international instrument under CMS
UK presented the results of the Defra study to the
8th Conference of Parties (COP8) to the Convention
on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wildlife
Animals (CMS), held at Nairobi, Kenya in November
Resolution 8.12 was adopted by COP8,
which urged Parties to explore whether the development
of a CMS instrument would assist in promoting the
conservation of African-Eurasian migratory birds
of prey. The Governments of the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) and the UK jointly led an initiative
to act on this Resolution.
Osprey 2003 © Nick P.
A meeting to identify and elaborate an option for international cooperation on African-Eurasian migratory raptors under CMS was held in Loch Lomond, Scotland, on 22-25 October 2007. It was co-sponsored by the Defra, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and CMS. The Scottish Executive hosted the event in conjunction with the UK Government.
2003 © Nick P. Williams
Good progress was made which led to a second meeting of Range States being convened. The aim of this meeting was to negotiate and conclude a Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia (now referred to as the ’Raptors MoU’). It was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE on 20-22 October 2008 and hosted by EAD and co-sponsored by Defra. The meeting was a success and the Raptors MoU was concluded and was signed by 28 Range States on 22 October 2008. It came into effect on 1 November 2008.
The Raptors MoU extends its coverage to 76 species of birds of prey and owls, which occur in 130 Range States and Territories. It has 40 Signatories (as of 1 October 2012) comprising 39 Range States and the European Union. There are also 3 Co-operating Partners that have signed the Raptors MoU – CMS Secretariat, BirdLife International and the International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey.
A summary sheet on the Raptors MoU can be found here.
Due to the generous support of EAD, on behalf of the Government of the UAE, an Interim Coordinating Unit (ICU) was established in 2009, as a key component of a new UNEP/CMS Office in Abu Dhabi.
The 1st Meeting of Signatories (MoS1) is to be held from 9-11 December 2012 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Full details are available here.
The Raptors MoU and Action Plan
The overall aim of the Raptors MoU is to promote internationally coordinated actions to achieve and maintain the favourable conservation status of migratory birds of prey throughout their range in the African-Eurasian region, and to reverse their decline when and where appropriate.
An Action Plan is included in the text of the Raptors MoU with the following key objectives:
- To halt and reverse the population declines of globally threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable) and Near Threatened birds of prey and ot alleviate threats to them such that they are no longer globally threatened or Near Threatened;
- To halt and reverse the population declines of other birds of prey with an Unfavourable Conservation Status within Africa and Eurasia and alleviate threats in order to return their populations to Favourable Conservation Status;
- To anticipate, reduce and avoid potential and new threats to all bird of prey species, especially to prevent the populations of any species undergoing long-term decline.
Signatories to the Raptors MoU commit to adopting and implementing measures to conserve migratory birds of prey and their habitats, for example, by providing a legal framework to protect migratory species and a network of habitats and sites along their flyways; identifying important habitats, congregation sites and favoured routes; supporting relevant research and monitoring of populations, sharing results internationally; and, developing cooperative international projects and initiatives to promote effective conservation efforts. | <urn:uuid:464d5022-d220-4ed4-abfc-577b5e0f4176> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cms.int/species/raptors/index.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945184 | 1,075 | 3.453125 | 3 |
A survey of Norwegian literary and cultural history from the Vikings to the present. Authors read include Bjornson, Ibsen, Hamsun, and Roĝlvaag.
The purpose of this course is to offer an introduction to the literary and cultural history of Norway, starting with the Viking age and carrying through to the present time, but with major emphasis on the second half of the 19th Century. Our focus will be on reading and interpretation of representative literary texts, and these cultural artifacts will be placed in their historical context. Political history will be touched on only briefly and then only as it is necessary to properly situate the works that are studied.
Student learning goals
Learn about the historical development of Norwegian literature/culture: 10 percent
Learn about specific Norwegian literary texts: 60 percent
Develop your ability to analyze texts orally and in writing: 30 percent
General method of instruction
Lecture/discussion based on texts that the students have read in advance.
Class assignments and grading
I will use a point system that will allow you to earn up to 100 points. Low-stakes paper: 10 points Class participation: 20 points Midterm exam: 30 points Final exam: 40 points
The low-stakes paper: The paper should be approximately 2.5-3 pages in length and is intended to give you a chance to practice writing the type of essay you will be asked to write on the midterm and the final (you will get an e-mail with detailed instructions later). To get full credit (10 points) for it, you will need to turn your paper in to me by a specified deadline and be willing to revise the paper, if I ask you to. For those who wish to get W-credit for SCAND 150, the low-stakes paper should be 5 pages long.
Class participation: To receive your full 20 points for class participation, you will need to provide brief un-graded written responses to a series of not previously announced questions given you in class. You will have 10 minutes of class time to write your responses each time a question is given, and some of the responses will be shared with the class by being read aloud by me or via e-mail to the class list (your identity will not be revealed). There will be nine such mini-essays, and you will earn 3 points each time you write one (up to a maximum of 20 points). If you miss a mini-essay, you will not have an opportunity to make it up later.
Midterm and final exams: Both the midterm and the final will be essay exams. You will have 50 minutes for the midterm, and the final will last for 1 hour and 20 minutes. For each exam you will get a list of 3-5 questions, of which you will choose one or two. (Those who write on one question will be expected to provide a fuller discussion of the topic than those who write on two topics.) Study questions will be handed out in advance of each exam.
Substitute paper: Under certain conditions (see the end of this paragraph) you may write a 3-4 page paper (5 pages for those who wish to get W-credit) in lieu of the midterm and/or the final exam. The paper must be written in advance, and it will be due at the beginning of the exam in question. This paper cannot be used to make up a poor test grade; it has to be written in advance of the test. While there may be a small amount of overlap between your low-stakes paper and a substitute paper, the substitute paper cannot be a revised and expanded version of your low-stakes paper. If you use the paper as a substitute for the final exam, a significant part of the material discussed in the paper must be connected with readings covered in class after the midterm. You earn the right to write a substitute paper for the midterm by missing no more than one of the mini-essays written in class before the date the midterm is given. If you did not write a substitute paper for the midterm, you may write a substitute paper for the final if you still have not missed more than one mini-essay. If you have not missed any mini-essays, you may write a substitute paper for both the midterm and the final exam.
W-credit You may earn ad hoc W-credit in this course by writing two 5-page papers, which you will have an opportunity to revise. The easiest way to get W-credit is to use the low-stakes paper as one of these two 5-page papers. The second 5-page paper can be a paper written in lieu of the midterm or the final, but you may also write a separate un-graded paper, if you wish. This option may be attractive if you prefer your course grade to be based mostly on tests rather than on papers. If your record with regard to the mini-essays does not qualify you for writing a paper in lieu of the midterm or the final, you can get W-credit by writing a second paper solely for that purpose (in addition to your low-stakes paper).
Please scroll down the lengthy text in the previous window, where you will find detailed descriptions of the low-stakes paper, what is meant by class participation, the midterm and final exams, the possibility of writing a paper in lieu of the midterm and/or the final, and how you can get W-credit for this course. | <urn:uuid:f0ad1f13-76e7-4cc8-8d75-d88fd55eaa39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.washington.edu/students/icd/S/scand/150sjavik.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931651 | 1,113 | 3.078125 | 3 |
< / > Click here to embed this graphic on your website
The recent earthquakes that have pounded Japan, New Zealand and Chile all have one thing in common: They were caused by the movement of a massive piece of Earth known as the Pacific Plate.
The Pacific Plate is one of nine giant tectonic plates that cover the Earth’s surface. But it’s bigger, faster and more deadly than the others. And Japan sits right on top of the most active section. | <urn:uuid:1f397a6d-c1e0-45cf-ad93-2f29dff2e522> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://visual.ly/node/16342 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963485 | 99 | 2.75 | 3 |
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
I was recently in France at a Seminar on Human Rights. The focus of the conference was to examine the current trends in Europe and Asia regarding the criminal justice systems. And how can the effectiveness of the respect and protection of Human Rights in the Criminal Justice Systems be evaluated? What rights must be observed in pre-trial procedure and detention? In what stages of trail are human rights violations more likely to occur and how can these vulnerabilities be addressed. Is the number of prisoners increasing? How effective are the existing measures for social reinsertion? Are his/ her rights as a citizen diminished in prison? Hence the main objective of the seminar was to discuss ways of better protecting human rights in the various stages of criminal justice systems. With specific focus on identifying trends on how individual rights are being protected in two continents; find common priorities in meeting international human rights standards on pre-trial, trial, post-trial as well as sentencing /punishment. And then formulate recommendations for relevant institutions at a national level, regional and inter-regional level. I was invited to be a keynote speaker on the plenary day. And I am quite certain that I was perhaps the only person from the police profession therefore probably had a different perspective. The conference was over flowing with eminent lawyers, judges, non profit organizations, academia, and other human rights activists. I posited some basic questions before the participants which have been agitating me for all these years and assumed a sense of urgency in current times of brutal terror attacks.. Here is the one question I posited before the august gathering- “Who is looking at the rights of the victims”? For the victim/s is suffering in innumerable ways. Be it by loss of life or his possessions; children getting orphaned; dependent families their earning members; country losing precious resources; investors their hard earned life savings; aging parents their most loved ones; and in assault on women, permanent scars of rape on their mind and body? And what about the endless wait for the prosecution and the trials? Accused is mostly on bail and in serious cases may be in jail. But so are the victims and the witnesses. Sometimes delayed trials help the accused to wear out the victims. And at times the accused too lose by delayed trials. But the fact is that in every case there are victims and victims. The accused with muscle and money power is open to hire expensive legal support while the victim is dependent on the over worked government prosecutor. Undoubtedly there are issues of rights on both sides. But how can we ignore one at the cost of the other? Who is speaking for the victim created by the accused? The same police who are always under pressure to deliver, despite huge constraints. The accused has a right to be quiet; defended, medically cared for; legally protected; safely lodged; even educated and reformed; to the extent that he can study and take an examination and qualify for the UPSC examination. What about the good cops who are exhausted, tired, ill equipped, most of the time no money to travel and dispose off the corpses.---When we want the maximum out of the police for the protection of human rights of the accused, (which they must), who will address their right to appropriate resources; legal support; forensics, better availability of information technology; laws, training, fitness; departmental support, material support, newer skills; their security; modern weaponry; living conditions; family and their children needs; their future? I am in no way proposing lowering of standards of human rights of the accused. They must have a right to all humane treatment and legal defense for us to remain a civilized society. All I am asking for is for how long will we continue to ignore the hapless victims who are left to themselves, scarred, injured, maimed, orphaned, deprived, impoverished, neglected, isolated, defamed? Who is going to walk the talk, legislate and implement victim’s rights? We need a more comprehensive approach to human rights and human responsibilities. We cannot just begin and end with the accused. We have to address the serious issue with that of the Accused+ Victim. In order to do that we have to dissect all the criminal justice and social processes which are impacting our trust in the justice systems? The A+V+CS, i.e. Accused +Victim +Civil Society is looking for speedy and effective justice. All three are, ‘we the people’. And amongst us are the accused and victims. But we as a society are also the resource providers as also problem solvers. We need to put out heads together to take these issues head on and strike a careful balance. Any thinking forum which ignores holistic comprehension of human rights may just be aggravating or postponing the problem while believing it is solving it. | <urn:uuid:dd25ba75-2af5-4ffc-850d-342e854498d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kiran-bedi.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961355 | 983 | 1.929688 | 2 |
What about the Separation of Faith and Politics?
By Rev. Linda Hanna Walling
Freedom of religion is one of the pillars of our nation’s belief system. Searching for freedom of religious expression was among the driving forces behind our forebears’ willingness to give up everything and risk life itself in the journey to the New World . With the writing of the U.S. Constitution, citizens were guaranteed the government would not interfere with the practice of religion or impose a “state” religion.
Unfortunately, that freedom has been misinterpreted over the years. What was intended to be protection from government intervention in the affairs of religion has come to be misinterpreted as complete separation of the state and religious practice. Internal Revenue Service rules for charities have further confused the issue. Even so, the IRS issue is one of tax-exempt status, not of separating faith and politics.
The truth. The truth is that people of faith and the faith communities to which they relate have the right to participate in advocacy activities. Permission is grounded in understanding that lobbying usually refers to protecting one’s self-interest, while advocacy is speaking for those whose voices are not heard.
Non-profit faith-based groups may engage in:
Non-profit faith-based groups may not:
Let our voices of faith be heard!
Excerpt from Seeking Justice in Health Care: A Guide for Advocates in Faith Communities, Chapter 7. | <urn:uuid:236fbe1f-0754-4fae-96ab-d5fdd6aa4cd3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.faithfulreform.org/index.php/Members/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=73&Itemid=72 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955722 | 296 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Free professional, anonymous support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week across Victoria
Thinking about suicide?
How to talk about suicide
Self-help for suicidal feelings
Suicide: where to get help
How to make a suicide safety plan
Recovering from a suicide attempt
Self-help for self-harm
Bereaved by suicide?
Have you been bereaved by suicide?
Accessing support after a suicide
Supporting children bereaved by suicide
Worried about someone?
Recognising suicide warning signs
When someone you know is thinking of suicide
Supporting someone after a suicide attempt
Estimating the risk of suicide
Assessing support for clients at risk
You've requested a page that doesn't exist. | <urn:uuid:df09daac-a44e-4587-be93-3c7d8c04c573> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.suicideline.org.au/Error/PageNotFound | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912599 | 156 | 1.53125 | 2 |
February is Black History Month in the United States. This game in extra-large print features words pertaining to African-American history and heroes as well as the abolition of slavery and the civil rights movement. Play it on your computer or print and solve.
Black History Month Word Search
Easy Crosswords from The New York Times
These easy crossword puzzles from The New York Times puzzle archives are offered in three solving formats: solve them online, in AcrossLite, or print and solve.
Today's Puzzle - Tuesday Crossword #389 | <urn:uuid:2eaf992c-ed70-43d2-be74-7c8ad13766f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://puzzles.about.com/b/2013/01/29/printable-word-search-puzzles-2.htm | 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 | 0.917321 | 109 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Reader-Inspired Course Corrections From YMB
The willingness to listen with humility, to accept correction, and to engage in self-correction are qualities that I value. In that spirit, I’ve decided to imitate one of my favorite bloggers, Fabius Maximus, by doing an ongoing series of posts documenting instances (as they occur) where readers have either corrected my misconceptions or pointed out blind spots in my thinking. As I’ve always stressed, I’m definitely not any sort of guru, and I learn a lot from listening to the readers. Here’s the most recent reader-inspired course correction in my thinking―a reader named YMB pointed out something I had missed.
During a recent post, I said,
WHEN YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE DOING SOMETHING, THAT’S A CLUE THAT WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING IS NOT A GOOD IDEA
Here and at the previous blog, we’ve discussed a number of self-defeating behaviors that only African-American women engage in on a mass level:
. . . African-American women are alone on this planet in characterizing all romantic interest from men outside their racial group as a negative “fetish.” As I said during this post,
Faith, blog host of Acts Of Faith In Love And Life, is currently having an extremely important conversation. She’s raising points that need to be repeated among African-American women and girls who want to live well. And among those African-American women who want to maximize the odds of their future children living well. She asks the question, Are Asian Woman Trophy Wives, Or Just Smart At Picking Quality Husbands?
I would answer “both.” Yes, non-Asian men have stereotypes about Asian women. However, Asian women are shrewd enough to work those stereotypes to their individual (and indirectly to their collective) advantage! This is a lesson that more African-American women need to learn. We’re so preoccupied with issues of political correctness that we cut our own throats in terms of maximizing our marriage options. Nobody else operates like this. Certainly not Black men, including the many Pan-African Black male activists who talked “Black” this and that, and married White women. Including that scholar-hero of the ultra-Black, “Blacker than thou” crowd,
Cheikh Anta Diop (yep the very one considered one of the greatest African historians of the 20th century a senegalese) married Louise Marie Maes, a French woman in 1953 in Paris.
Many African-American women worry about nonblack men having a so-called “fetish” with the traits that these men find attractive. Let’s think about this for a moment. We’re actually bothered and offended when a nonblack man finds our West African-derived skin tones, features, and hair textures attractive. Why is it called a “fetish” if a nonblack man is able to appreciate Black women’s beauty? Meanwhile, we live among a collective of African-American men who are open about their hatred of those same West African complexions, features and hair textures in women! [See statements by creatures such as Yung Berg, NeYo, and so on. See statements and actions by countless other African-American men.]
And instead of calling these Black men the anti-Black racists that they are, we water down the language we use to describe what these racist Black males refer to as their “preferences.” So, there’s a post that asks, Does Hip Hop Like Light Skinned Girls Too Much? I need not say much more about how that question is being framed. It’s sort of like asking, “Does the Klan like white sheets and hoods too much?” In both cases, phrasing the question and the so-called “preference” that way deliberately misses the point.
Back to “fetishes.” Does it still count as a so-called “fetish” when the nonblack man is willing and eager to make a particular Black woman his wife first, and then the mother of his children? This type of “fetish” seems so much more respectful of the woman involved than a male who never offers marriage, and is willing to see his children by that woman born out of wedlock.
Instead of screening, dating, and possibly marrying nonblack men who might have a so-called “fetish” about their undiluted West African features that operates FOR them, many African-American women restrict themselves to dating Black men who have openly-declared fetishes that operate AGAINST them. How crazy is that?
YMB MENTIONED AN IMPORTANT POINT THAT I MISSED ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF BLACK WOMEN’S “FETISH” PARANOIA ABOUT NONBLACK MEN APPRECIATING THEIR BEAUTY
During this same conversation, YMB said:
I don’t think that BW concocted the whole “fetish” and “exotic” paranoia, although I think the lack of belief of our own worth and beauty is why so many BW have bought into that mindset. We are the only race of women that castigates rather than celebrates their uniqueness.
The “fetish” tactic was thought up by WW in an effort to tar and stifle WM’s noted interest in AW. The difference being that when AW were presented with this, they rejected it wholesale as a ploy to paint genuine attraction to non-white women as freakish and wrong and to block WM from elevating AW to the same status as WW. Meanwhile BW got the same message and thought, “he likes my kinky hair, brown skin, and African features– how unnatural!”
She’s right. This “fetish” talk was originally a weapon that White women forged to block Asian women’s access to marrying quality, “Alpha” White men. It was a real-world example of attempted “inception.” Asian women were smart and self-confident enough to turn that “fetish” idea to their own individual and collective advantage. Only African-American women (and similarly situated Western Black women) were mentally beaten down and silly enough to get caught in that worrying about a “fetish” snare. It’s yet another example of how easy it is for outsiders to successfully perform “inception” on African-Americans. As I mentioned during this post,
The pity is that, unlike in the movie, most African-Americans don’t have to be drugged to be vulnerable to inception. Simply hearing somebody else say something is enough to influence most of us.
ONE SAFEGUARD AGAINST INCEPTION IS TO ALWAYS ASK “CUI BONO?”
More African-American women must learn to constantly ask themselves the question: “Cui bono?” ["Who benefits?"]
Who benefits from the suggestion or argument that Person X is giving me? Now, it is possible to have win-win situations where Person X benefits along with Person Y with whom they’re speaking. But most African-American women are not presented with win-win sort of advice or political arguments. Usually it’s I Win, And You (African-American woman) Lose advice. Most African-American women are surrounded by people who are operating a zero-sum game—people who win when that Black woman loses.
So, we need to learn to constantly ask ourselves, “Cui bono?”
- Who benefits from things (including my actions) remaining the same?
- Who benefits from me making a change of some sort?
- Who benefits from the arguments that are being presented to me?
- Who benefits from the course of action being advocated?
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PONDERED “CUI BONO”?
I’d like to hear from the audience about the most recent examples in which you thought through the question “Cui bono?” My most recent incident was during a previous conversation when I discussed the case of Ms. Kelley Williams-Bolar and said,
Non-African-American outsiders (such as the libertarians) who give verbal support to thieves like this woman usually have some sort of ideological axe to grind. They wouldn’t support this woman stealing the benefit of their property taxes. They don’t want this woman or her daughter reaping the benefit of the taxes they paid into their personal school districts. White libertarians verbally support this woman because they want to destroy the unions. They are supporting this woman’s thievery only as a means to an end (destroying unions).
Cultivating critical thinking skills can mean the difference between abundant life and a needlessly diminished life.
I forgot to mention the following:
IF THERE’S SOMETHING YOU WANT ME TO RETHINK, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND ME SOME INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF YOUR VIEWS
As you can see, at times I make course corrections in my views in response to readers’ input. I’ve never been in training to be Joseph Stalin. I prefer to focus the conversations on our own thought processes and actions, since those things are under our direct control as individuals. So, I’d rather not spend a lot of time rehashing what “they” (whoever “they” might be) are doing to “us.”
However, I am inviting audience members to use this and future Reader-Inspired Course Correction posts to raise other points (of disagreement or otherwise) that you want me to rethink and reconsider. This ties into my overall policy about dissent: I have no problem with dissent about the means that are suggested for achieving the goal of lifestyle optimization for African-American women and girls. However, I refuse to engage in lengthy discussions with people who are opposed to the very goal of lifestyle optimization for African-American women and girls. Of course, there’s no guarantee that I’ll change my mind; but I will consider all information that’s put forth.
PLEASE ALSO CONSIDER THIS AN “OPEN FORUM” OPPORTUNITY
This invitation doesn’t only include points of disagreement. Feel welcome to bring up issues you’d like to discuss that I haven’t talked about. Please consider these Reader-Inspired Course Correction posts as “open forum” posts. | <urn:uuid:d2d74b1d-228a-4480-9296-48eb441930e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sojournerspassport.com/reader-inspired-course-corrections-from-ymb/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959559 | 2,243 | 1.773438 | 2 |
NM counties concerned with forest travel planning
Posted at: 02/16/2013 1:48 PM
By: The Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Leaders from New Mexico's 33 counties want to make sure the federal government gives them a seat at the table as the U.S. Forest Service decides which roads and trails should be closed to motorized traffic.
County leaders are expected to vote Saturday on a resolution addressing the agency's effort to establish travel management plans for millions of acres in New Mexico.
The resolution drafted by the New Mexico Association of Counties says the closing of some byways could have significant impacts for communities.
Travel management plans are already in place across the Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico and some districts on the Carson and Cibola forests.
The plan for the Santa Fe forest has spurred a lawsuit, and Gila forest is preparing to release its final plan this spring.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) | <urn:uuid:04b9ed63-a22d-4009-befa-14ce40aedec8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S2934458.shtml?cat=11687 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935443 | 221 | 1.921875 | 2 |
I have looked up a problem I have and cannot find information on it. I think it may be a very unique "phobia," if you can call it that. It's an eating problem, but it does NOT relate to any worries about weight, health, choking, or appearance. I don't have any problems with my sense of taste. I think it MAY relate to depression, but in a very unique way:
I find I am OFTEN unable to eat--even when I'm hungry!--simply because the act of eating itself is absolutely disgusting and abhorrent to me. Putting food into my mouth, crunching it around to a disgusting pulp, sitting there, like a stupid monkey, chewing food--I simply cannot deal with this!! It makes me feel primitive, disgusting, monkey-like, and perhaps worst of all--completely trapped by this process for the rest of my life. It's so embarrassingly human--I feel I might as well sit at the table with someone and go to the bathroom together. Why not--we're already sitting there revolving mush around in our mouths like idiots, and when someone says, "mmmm!" I'm about ready to vomit. When I see people eating on TV, I have to look away. I have to eat alone, because I can't stand being around other people eating. A single crunching sound makes my skin crawl and can kill my whole appetite. It doesn't matter at all what the taste of the food is, though I find I can stomach soup or liquids better because they don't require crunching. When I eat, it's a fast as possible; I am so anxious to get it over with. Looking at other people in a restaurant makes me anxious, depressed, and angry: we're all a bunch of monkeys stuck with the same stupid problem to deal with EVERY single day. I can't take it, and I look at food in front of me--even if I'm STARVING!--with such disgust I sometimes cannot pick it up and put in my mouth.
Outside of feeding myself with an IV drip, what in the world do I do about this?? There's no info online, and my problem seems to circumvent the usual eating problems you might have in tandem with anxieties or mental health issues. Help!!
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Do not consider WebMD User-generated content as medical advice. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your care plan or treatment. WebMD understands that reading individual, real-life experiences can be a helpful resource, but it is never a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified health care provider. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately. | <urn:uuid:c2c1390c-3966-47e5-922a-793afe1630d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://exchanges.webmd.com/eating-disorders-exchange/groupstory/7075927?post=forum | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968474 | 726 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Dennis Pallett, PHPit: Totally PHP
As PHP developers, we all like to create our PHP scripts as fast as possible, and we try to take any shortcuts that we have. In some sense we are quite lazy, and we hate doing all the grunt work. That's why I'm going to give you five tips to really speed up your PHP development, and save some serious time. If you're an experienced PHP developer, these tips will probably seem very obvious to you, so this article is geared more towards beginners.
Tip #1 - Use a good editor or IDE
Using a good editor can really save you time. If you're still stuck on using Notepad to edit your PHP scripts, switch right now. There are plenty of free alternatives around, such as PHPEdit or EditPlus 2 (Shareware). The biggest advantage you get with a proper editor is code highlighting (automatically coloring your code). Code highlighting can help you debug your scripts, or follow code logic. Most editors support code highlighting, and if yours doesn't, then you know it's not suited for coding.
Another great advantage of using a good editor is the ability to do powerful search-and-replace operations. I know for a fact that EditPlus 2 supports regular expressions in their search-and-replace functionality, and I bet most editors do. It just makes it so much easier to replace a snippet of code. Imagine having to replace something by hand hundreds of times. Think of the time that gets wasted.
You can also use a full-blown PHP IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Unfortunately, there aren't many PHP IDE's, and most of them are quite steep in license fees. The best one on the market is Zend Studio, by Zend (the company backing PHP). An IDE can really save you time, by making the debugging process easier, and some IDE's (such as Zend Studio) also include IntelliSense, which will help you with function names and such (e.g. you start typing file_get.. IntelliSense shows a dropdown that matches what you were typing. It's brilliant).
In short, use a good PHP editor or IDE, and you'll save a massive amount of time!
Tip #2 - Use a framework or skeleton
Most of your PHP scripts will probably do many of the same tasks, such as database functionality (insert, update, select, delete), and have many of the same functions. You could re-write these functions and tasks every time you start a new project, but that seems a bit pointless. Instead, you could use an existing framework or skeleton, and base your new scripts on that.
You can either use a full-blown PHP framework, like CakePHP or the Seagull Framework, but you can also use a very simple skeleton that you create yourself. It doesn't have to be complicated at all, and can even be just one file which contains all the functions you commonly use.
If you've already written part of your new script, you've already saved time, no matter how much or little you've already written. If you use a framework, the structure of your script has also been determined already (largely), which can also save time.
In short, you should try to re-use as much code as you can, and try to create (or download) some short of skeleton or framework to really speed up development.
Tip #3 - Don't re-invent the wheel
Continuing the previous tip, something that really speeds up development is using existing solutions. I'm not talking about a skeleton or framework, but using a full-blown script, and customizing it to your needs.
If you're going to build a CMS for your website, which is actually one of the most common things PHP developers create, then you should first look at existing scripts. There are plenty of great scripts already, and many of them are completely free, often licensed under an open source license, such as the GPL license. A good example of this is WordPress. Originally, WordPress is a blogging tool, but it can easily be used as a CMS for your website, and you can even extend it using template hacks, plugins or code modifications. This will save you a significant amount of time, which means you can focus your time on other tasks.
Of course in some situations, when you have really specific needs, it won't be possibly to use an existing script, but before you start, try and find something that resembles your needs. Have a look on HotScripts and search Google. There's a big chance that it already exists.
Tip #4 - KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)
During the development of a new script, you will probably run across many problems, and you'll have to think of a good solution. The best way is to keep the solution as simple as possible, and as soon as you notice that your code becomes 'filthy', you should consider re-doing it in another way. By filthy I mean overly complicated, and believe me, I've written plenty of filthy code myself. You get started on some solution, but along the way, you discover more problems, and instead of taking a step back and looking at what the actual problem is, you furiously code along. This might seem to save time, but in the long run you will only end up with thorny code, that is hard to understand.
The best way is to make everything as simple as possible. I keep everything as short as possible, and my if-statements and loops are never longer than 10-20 lines. If they become longer, I will first look if I can't do it simpler, and if that's not possible, I break it up in blocks, to make it easier to follow. In some cases I rewrite a particular block of code 3 or 4 times. This might seem a huge waste of time, but it will save you a huge amount of time in the long run.
So in short, try to keep everything as simple as possible. You should be able to immediately understand what's happening, without having to read a huge API guide or the comments.
Tip #5 - Document your code
Another great way to speed up development is to properly document your code, especially the complicated parts. However, you shouldn't over do it. The style of comments below is ridiculous, and completely pointless:
As you can see, the comments add no value at all. Just by quickly glancing, you can figure it everything the comments say, so the comments don't serve any purpose at all. Better would be something like this:
This is already much better, because we immediately know what the purpose is a of certain code block. From there we can then figure out how the code actually works.
Even this style of commenting isn't perfect, but there isn't a "perfect" style of commenting. Each developer has his or her own style, but make sure that other developers can read your code as well. This is especially important when you work in a team.
If you properly document your code, you will be able to understand it much easier later on, which means you won't have to spend (much) time on figuring out what the code actually does, and can immediately start writing new code. Good documentation can really save you a good deal of time.
In this article I have shown you five ways to shorten your development time and being able to release faster. I must tell though you that the above tips don't always work, but even if you only use one or two shortcuts, you've already saved precious time.
If you have any tips yourself, or would like to comment on one of the tips above, feel free to leave your comments below. | <urn:uuid:648ffe7e-634e-49c0-ae7a-dd1fe473816a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/articles/speed_php_development.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961494 | 1,597 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Home > Hematology > CML-Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Get the Flash Player to see this player. Rate: (Click the stars to rate) Published on May 29, 2010 by RubenMesa, Views: 1856 CML-Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: CML can be a fatal disease if it goes untreated, however recent breakthroughs in treatment have been very successful. CML is caused by a genetic change that occurs in your body with a switch in chromosome 9 and 22, this is called the Philadelphia Chromosome. This causes a buildup of a certain protein. Imatinib (gleevec) is a medication to prevent buildup of this protein. | <urn:uuid:23076d32-702a-43f7-92df-3192818d7750> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.videomd.com/CML-Chronic-Myeloid-Leukemia-fv-4744.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931813 | 142 | 2.921875 | 3 |
As one of the unhealthiest substances to be introduced into the human body, cigarette smoke not only contributes to the development of lung cancer and heart disease but also to tooth decay, gum disease, chronic dry mouth and severe bad breath. Tobacco is rich in a volatile alkaloid called nicotine, which is considered even more addictive than methamphetamine. Nicotine is initially colorless until the process of preparing cigarette tobacco turns it brown. This sticky, thick brown nicotine is the reason a cigarette smoker's teeth are often discolored around the gumlines where dental plaque tends to accumulate as well. Smoking deposits concentrated levels of nicotine as well as thousands of other harmful chemicals into the mouth that erode teeth and gums. These chemicals include:
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- Radioactive-polonium 20
Because nicotine is so highly addictive, over 70 percent of people who smoke but want to quit are never able to stop smoking. Additionally, nicotine acts as a depressant and stimulant by promoting the release of epinephrine while reducing peripheral nervous system actions. By making smokers feel relaxed and energized, nicotine accommodates any emotional need which greatly enhances its attractiveness as a drug. For help on how to quit smoking, visit http://www.quitwa.com.
Clinical research has shown repeatedly that smoking can be a direct cause of the following dental problems:
- Bad breath
- Discoloration (yellowing and blackening) of the teeth
- Gum and teeth disease (gingivitis, dental caries)
- Salivary gland inflammation
- Promotes build-up of tartar and plaque
- Increases the risk of developing leukoplakia (a precancerous fungal disease associated with smoking)
- Contributes to bone loss of the jaw due to advanced periodontitis
- Inhibits proper healing following oral surgery, tooth extractions or comprehensive treatment for periodontitis
Smoking directly obstructs the ability for oral tissue cells to function normally. It also interferes with healthy blood flow to the mouth, tongue, gums and teeth roots. Combined with the destructive effects that nicotine has on tooth enamel, smoking may be the most damaging habit in which a person can indulge (other than poor diet and poor oral hygiene practices) that directly destroys and consumes teeth and gum health.
Smoking and Dry Mouth
Constant inhaling and exhaling will normally dry out the mouth due to excess air inhibiting the ability for saliva to remain. When coupled with the thousands of desiccating chemicals found in cigarette smoke, the problem of chronic dry mouthis severely aggravated. A mouth that consistently exhibits a dry, stagnant environment where oral debris such as mucus, food particles and dead tissue cells remain without the assistance of saliva to wash them away promotes the rapid growth of anaerobic bacteria.
Anaerobic Bad Breath Bacteria and Smoking
Anaerobic bacteria are bacteria that do not thrive in oxygenated, moist environments and therefore cannot live in a mouth where there is sufficient saliva flow and lack of mouth debris to consume. Moreover, this bacterial strain is directly responsible for tooth decay, gingivitis and other serious oral diseases due to the bacteria's ability to erode teeth enamel and infect gum tissue. Additionally, anaerobic bacteria emit odorous, sulfurous gases that produce the severe bad breathso common to habitual smokers. Fostered by a consistently dry mouth, accumulations of plaque and tartar encouraged by a regular supply of nicotine and lack of proper oral care, anaerobic bacteria are given free rein to overwhelm a smoker's mouth and inflict tooth decay, gum disease and the possibility of irreversible damage to the bone structure supporting the jaw and teeth.
Gingivitis and Smoking
Another oral disease associated with smoking is acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (ANUG). This occurs due to excessive amounts of anaerobes swarming in the mouth that target gums and cause a severe, bleeding infection. Unless treatment is initiated, an ANUG infection can destroy the periodontal ligaments responsible for supporting teeth and produce extreme tooth loss. In addition to smoking, ANUG sufferers are commonly affected by sudden emotional stress, long-term lack of sleep and poor nutritional habits which exacerbate the negative oral health effects of smoking. While antibiotics can sometimes reverse and cure a case of ANUG, dentists must frequently perform extensive periodontal treatments or even surgery to totally reverse the damage inflicted by massive amounts of anaerobic bacteria.
Smokeless Tobacco and Bad Breath
Smokeless tobacco products are no better than cigarettes in regards to causing oral diseases. In fact, chewing tobacco and snuff contain over 20 more chemicals than cigarette tobacco does and increases the risk of esophageal, throat and mouth cancer. Additionally, smokeless tobacco enhances gum irritation and expedites shrinkage of gum tissue away from the tops of the teeth. Exposing even a small portion of teeth roots facilitates the ability of anaerobic bacteria to accumulate in these "pockets" and avoid removal by saliva flow or even regular brushing. Tooth decay is unavoidable when this occurs, along with increased tooth sensitivity to cold and hot food items.
Treatment for Smokers Breath
For smokers who are experiencing difficulty with quitting the habit, TheraBreath's line of specially formulated oral hygiene products offers highly effective toothpastes, oral rinses and chewing gums that help eliminate bad breath, dry mouth and anaerobic bacteria. These products work to counter the detrimental effects of smoking by introducing a patented ingredient called OXYD-8 into all areas of the oral cavity that thoroughly oxygenates the mouth and stimulates saliva flow in order to neutralize corrosive oral acids responsible for tooth and gum disease.
Dr. Harold Katz, world famous bacteriologist and dentist, created TheraBreath oral health products while researching ways to alleviate his daughter's chronic halitosis. His scientific investigations led him to discover the primary reason behind bad breath (anaerobic bacteria) and how these bacteria directly lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Therabreath Dry Mouth Treatment Products Recently, Dr. Katz improved the ability of TheraBreath's PLUS Rinse Formula to eliminate smoker's bad breath and dry mouth by adding xylitol, green tea and aloe vera - all natural ingredients that have been tested and validated to promote oral health. Another of Dr. Katz's products smokers will find helpful are TheraBreath's Mouth Wetting Lozenges. These lozenges provide a cool, refreshing citrus mint flavor enhanced with the bacteria-fighting ingredients xylitol and zinc to effectively rid your mouth of foul odors and destructive germs. The lozenges also work in three distinct stages to increase one's saliva flow. While refraining from smoking is best for overall health, the highly addictive quality of nicotine makes it extremely difficult for most smokers to quit. However, using TheraBreath toothpaste, mouthwash, rinse and lozenges as part of your daily oral health routine will help reduce the risk of developing teeth and gum disease as well as eliminate bad breath and dry mouth associated with smoking cigarettes or chewing smokeless tobacco.
Video on Smoking and Oral Health | <urn:uuid:90348295-433d-42f2-80ac-22127a5b148c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.therabreath.com/smoking-and-oral-health.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925033 | 1,466 | 3.453125 | 3 |
The Dominican Republic is expecting to turn its mining profits into its major source of income in the next couple of years. With an abundant resource of untapped gold, the country is virtually sitting on swathes of gold mines that are yet to be explored.
The Pueblo Viejo mine, located in the central part of the island, was abandoned by the state owned Rosario Dominicana almost 13 years ago after creating an environmental mess which led to green activists fuming over ecological nightmares. Not much has changed in the nation where politicians have long been known to be corrupt, bureaucratic and almost exploitative in nature when it comes to foreign mining companies. The toxic legacy of the Pueblo Viejo mine still causes a lot of people to fume and get angry. Any talk of the mine being opened to digging causes arguments from all sides involved.
While the officials at the mine and the government insist that this time the operations are going to be foolproof and there would be no environmental accidents, green activists fear that the cyanide used to treat golden ores may contaminate soil and water, especially with the island's history of hurricanes, earthquakes and natural disasters. Pueblo Viejo Dominicana is all set to begin operations under two of the largest gold mining companies in the world. The project is a joint venture in which Barrick Gold (ABX) owns 60% and Goldcorp (GG) own the remaining 40%.
The joint venture is expected to begin processing gold later this year, and in the next 18 months, the venture is expected to produce one million ounces annually. There are also plans to process nickel, copper and silver among other metals. The Dominican Republic has been very pushy in getting investors to start exploring and mining, though resources are expected to be higher in neighboring Haiti, where infrastructural and political hurdles dissuade mining companies from operations. With a 60% stake in the project, Barrick's mining prospects are likely to become well established in the Caribbean nation.
The project is going to create 2,000 jobs directly and another 11,000 jobs indirectly helping Dominican Republic to boost its economy. Invariably, the government in the Dominican Republic will become favorable to Barrick Gold's future ventures in the nation. Meanwhile, the company has denied that the usage of cyanide in its mines would harm environment in any manner. With an exceptional infrastructure and a really admirable mining experience that spawns nations across the world, Barrick is one company that environmentalists can trust, when it comes to handling the environment safely.
It is understandable that investors will point out that Barrick's growth rate is below average when we compare it with the industry average. However, its debt equity ratio is below 0.5 and its operating margin has decreased by one percent. This news can be taken with a pinch of salt but we need to understand that the company is keeping a positive cash flow even in a period when most mining companies are going through a bad phase. Barrick is currently valued around $39 and is undervalued, which makes it a very attractive investment for most buyers. Considering how Barrick has been dealing itself with respect to debt and cash flow, it can prove to be a very reliable long term investment.
Goldcorp, which is Barrick's direct competitor, has a 40% stake in the Dominican mine. However, it does not pose a significant threat to Barrick's investors as its gold production has shrunk by almost 17% in the last year. This clearly tells us that Barrick is in a very strong position when it comes to gold stock. With the development of the mines in the Dominican Republic, Barrick will be able to establish as the largest gold producer in the Caribbean, and that will certainly reflect in its quarterly reports. Barrick has a net income of $4.5 billion and cash of $2.7 billion. With a debt of $13.4 billion, it is not doing too badly. Barrick is the only gold company to have an "A" rated balance sheet.
Other competitors like Rio Tinto (RIO) have their strengths in diamonds and coal, which leaves Barrick with its own space to mine gold and benefit substantially. Rio Tinto has announced the development of a diamond mine in India, which is expected to help the company become the world leader in diamonds. BHP Billiton (BHP) has faced a lot of problems due to questions related to how it handles environment, especially in Australia. That has marred its image across the world. The only company that seems like a significant opponent is VALE (VALE), with its excellent finances.
However, we need to remember that when it comes to gold, Barrick certainly is the king. It shall continue to be so as long as it maintains its squeaky clean image. The only factor that the company must consider is making sure that the soil and water of the Dominican Republic is not polluted by cyanide, and I am sure that Barrick will make every attempt to make sure that nothing will go wrong.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. | <urn:uuid:e625958f-a823-4401-a957-d2877ca50c6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://seekingalpha.com/article/736341-barrick-dr-mine-to-provide-growth-in-2013 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974306 | 1,048 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Title: I’m Chocolate, You’re Vanilla (ISBN 0375705899)
Author: Marguerite A. Wright, EdD.
Publication Year: 2000
Review Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
There are some books that cause you to re-evaluate everything you have ever been taught. For me, there are a relative few. There are books that cause me to think and others that cause me to ponder, but there are few that really make me re-evaluate how everything I have ever been taught. “I’m Chocolate, You’re Vanilla” definitely classifies as one of those few books. Written by a Black educational psychologist and consultant, this book challenges our society’s view of how children learn about skin color and race. In writing this book, she seeks to offer guidance to parents, teachers, and anyone who interacts with young children on her insights based on clinical and anecdotal research.
The book boils down to three main concepts:
- Unlike what is commonly assumed, children have a very different view of skin color and race than adults.
- Unlike what has been reported in textbooks and popular media, Black children have an overall positive appraisal of their race.
- Children learn about race in stages and in conjunction with their parent’s behaviors, the media, and the community around them
Using these three concepts, Wright goes through how children process race and skin color from pre-school to adolescence. Along the way, she provides guidance, stories, and strong evidence to back her claim. While this book is heavily influenced by clinical research, the language in the book is geared more toward the parent or educator. Wright is more interested in helping share the message in a way that is easy to follow along and engaging. Instead of providing a long list of experimental studies, White presents actual interviews with children and case studies to provide her point.
Reading through the chapters, you will undoubtedly see (as I did) how different adult concepts of race differ from children. There are stories of children who believe that skin color is not permanent or children who don’t understand the difference that people who are “brown” are considered “black”. You also get a chance to see how strong adult beliefs can lead to erroneous or even dangerous beliefs. You will read about children who refuse to deal with people or act irrationally around another race. In either case, you will see from the children themselves, the author’s point that adults need to be concerned with how they choose to discuss race with their children.
The book’s strength comes its simple, down-to-earth advice coupled with the professional advice provided by the author. This advice is not only for the typical reader, like the parent or the teacher, but for everyone in our society (school administrators, neighbors, etc.). The author’s point is that everyone needs to reevaulate how they view race and how this is communicated to children. One of the ways that I think that the author does this brilliantly is by telling the story of her own children in a critique on her child’s education. Wright described on page 147 how her child’s first knowledge of Martin Luther King, Jr. was of being shot. Her son couldn’t understand why he was shot. The author shared her opinion:
“The more he talked, the more obvious it became that he was more focused on the gory details of the King’s death than anything that the teacher mush have told him about King’s achievements…..As yet, he did not talk about people in terms of their skin color and I was saddened that one of the first bits of information that he learned about ‘whites’ is that they are “bad” people who killed Dr. King.” (Wright 147-148)
Those are sobering words indeed.
The only criticism I have would be a minor one. The book focuses an overwhelming majority on the issue of Black and White relations, without the same attention paid to the other topic mentioned in the title-biracial children. There are a few paragraphs on the topic of biracial children in some of the chapters, but not in a comprehensive manner.
In either case, the author does an incredible job of showing adult readers how our beliefs and attitudes reflect in our own children. Reading this book caused me to evaluate my own thoughts about race. I was able to look back at my own childhood and see instances where my ideas were created. Knowing that, I have to make a strong effort to ensure that I pass on a healthy awareness of race to my own children. I need to shield them from people and media who could potentially provide them an unhealthy view of race, while at the same time instilling pride in their own race. It is tough work, but it must be done because the cost is worth it.
Wright, Marguerite. I’m Chocolate, You’re Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World. 1st edition. San Francisco: Josey-Bass Publishers, 1998. Print. | <urn:uuid:311cf077-0aac-4c85-a52a-e9bbf7db6298> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mixedamericanlife.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/im-chocolate-youre-vanilla-book-review/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965846 | 1,067 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Diabetics Get Kidney Protection From ARBs
May 20, 2001 (San Francisco) -- Five million Americans have both type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, a one-two punch that can seriously damage the kidneys and the heart. Now results from three landmark studies of almost 4,000 diabetic patients suggest that a specific class of blood pressure drugs called angiotensin receptor blockers, or ARBs, can protect kidneys and reduce the need for kidney dialysis or transplant.
Results from all three studies were released Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension.
Among the findings were the following:
- A 28% reduction in the risk of kidney failure among diabetics with established kidney disease.
- A slowing of the progression of kidney disease.
- A 20% reduction in death.
None of the studies evaluated how well the drugs protect the heart.
Nonetheless, in an impassioned presentation to several thousand high blood pressure experts packed into a hotel ballroom, one of the researchers, Hans-Henrik Parving, MD, DMSc, shouted "I call this victory!" Parving is chief physician at the Steno Diabetes Center in Gentofte, Denmark.
"There is an epidemic of progressive [kidney] disease in the United States, and it is due to type 2 diabetes," says Barry M. Brenner, MD, one of the study authors. "If one lives for 15 years with type 2 diabetes, the number of complications looms very large." Brenner is a professor at Harvard Medical School.
Avapro, a drug marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Sythelabo, was the subject of two linked studies. In the first study, researchers tested the drug's ability to slow the progression of diabetic kidney disease in people who have very early signs of kidney failure. The second study tested Avapro in diabetics with established kidney disease to see if it could prevent progression to kidney failure or death. The drug companies funded the studies.
In both studies, the drug protected the kidneys, says Edmund J. Lewis, MD, who lead the study of more than 1,700 diabetics with established kidney disease. Lewis is a professor at Rush Medical College in Chicago.
The third study evaluated another ARB called Cozaar. Merck is the maker of Cozaar and paid for the study. Brenner, who was the lead investigator of this study, tells WebMD that Cozaar also was effective at slowing kidney disease. This study evaluated more than 1,500 diabetics.
In all three studies, all patients achieved good blood pressure control even if they required additional drugs to do so.
Although the findings for these ARBs are impressive, not everyone is convinced of their superiority. George L. Bakris, MD, a professor at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, tells WebMD, "For [kidney] disease it's a slam dunk for the ARBs, but it is not so clear for [heart] disease." | <urn:uuid:cff3efdb-c7bd-4592-ad93-18a1ce42c8d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20010520/diabetics-get-kidney-protection-from-arbs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954936 | 632 | 2.421875 | 2 |
CENTERBURG — The Centerburg Local School District is asking voters to renew a 1.5-mill permanent improvement levy. The cost to a homeowner with a property valued at $100,000 is approximately $20 a year.
Originally passed in the 1980s, and consistently renewed by the electorate, the levy generates roughly $78,000 a year. To avoid the costs of placing the issue on the ballot every five years, the board is asking voters to renew the levy for a continuing period of time.
The money generated by the permanent improvement levy goes toward maintenance and upkeep of grounds and facilities and the purchase of items that have a life-expectancy of more than five years — school buses, technology and textbooks, to name a few.
Contact Pamela SchehlEmail
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:927116b4-bc47-45ec-9619-36e66bcef506> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/12/election/issues/local-issue.php?id=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946282 | 183 | 1.726563 | 2 |
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As you are about to begin the semester, you might have some of the following questions:
When you meet with your department chair or head, bring along a copy of the Determining your Teaching Responsibilities checklist (pdf) in order to ensure that you find answers to your questions.
Refer to the University Syllabus Requirements to learn what the University requires you to include on your syllabus. The U of M's Syllabus Tutorial provides examples of each of the required sections for a syllabus.
This is indeed one of the most important days of the semester. The article "Quick Before It Dries" by University of Minnesota faculty member Steve Adams provides some useful suggestions.
For a quick answer to a question, contact us at email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:0b61fa0c-5d6f-4df3-8dba-23c79b2e2477> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/resources/jit/jit-day1fac/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920445 | 165 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Perhaps it is the psychological trauma caused by trying several times while your band score remains resolutely nailed at band score 5.
To achieve IELTS band score 7, a candidate’s discourse must be advanced. This means that your vocabulary must be broad and more sophisticated than most, for example using “however” instead of “but” or “competent” instead of “good”.
Your sentence structure must be complex to achieve the higher band scores: compare “Financial independence is not the only reason which explains why women delay marriage. Social recognition and opportunities single life offers also feature highly” with “Earning a lot of money is not the only reason why women don’t get married early but also the chances that they get.”
So, how can you make yourself competent enough linguistically to achieve 7?
Here are 7 skill improvement tips to help you on your way to higher IELTS band scores:
- Read lengthy articles found in more serious publications like Time, News week, Reader’s Digest and others instead of Cosmopolitan, fashion magazines and tabloids. Comprehend what you read by using some techniques like skimming and scanning. For more reading techniques see (www.passieltshigher.com)
- Listen to academic talks or news like those you can find in TED Talks, CNN, BBC and others for accent familiarization and pronunciation.
- Be politically, economically, environmentally aware. These are the topics that surely interest a candidate who desires band 7.
- Know and talk about issues the society has faced, is facing and will be facing. This will help you gather ideas for your writing and speaking on a daily basis without exerting much effort. A good stimulant for critical thinking. Your mind should be academically occupied.
- Imitate how professional speakers express thoughts and ideas. Gather many of the expressions they use and steal them for your own use.
- Take advantage of technology. Browse the net and look for band 7 writing samples and speaking answers. Make use of the marked and corrected IELTS Task 1 and 2 questions available on www.passieltshigher.com.
- Seek help. There are people who can help you to improve your language proficiency online. Spare an hour of your day to talk to them without spending a large sum of money.
Take one step at a time and use it well.
While it may be true that human brain is capable of accumulating vast information, physically you have limitations. You are only capable of doing one thing at a time. You can’t serve two masters at the same time. If you are working at daytime and doing a part time job at night, set a specific period of the day that is intended for your IELTS Test preparation.
To your IELTS success,
P.S.If you enjoyed this article sign up below for free updates: | <urn:uuid:97b21606-1a57-4767-bef3-e8f05a68278b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.passieltshigher.com/7-skill-improvement-tips-for-ielts-band-score-7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929249 | 605 | 2.640625 | 3 |
How Social Interaction and Teamwork Led to Human Intelligence
Scientists have discovered proof that the evolution of intelligence and larger brain sizes can be driven by cooperation and teamwork, shedding new light on the origins of what it means to be human. The study appears online in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B and was led by scientists at Trinity College Dublin: PhD student, Luke McNally and Assistant Professor Dr Andrew Jackson at the School of Natural Sciences in collaboration with Dr Sam Brown of the University of Edinburgh.
The researchers constructed computer models of artificial organisms, endowed with artificial brains, which played each other in classic games, such as the 'Prisoner's Dilemma', that encapsulate human social interaction. They used 50 simple brains, each with up to 10 internal processing and 10 associated memory nodes. The brains were pitted against each other in these classic games.
The game was treated as a competition, and just as real life favours successful individuals, so the best of these digital organisms which was defined as how high they scored in the games, less a penalty for the size of their brains were allowed to reproduce and populate the next generation of organisms.
By allowing the brains of these digital organisms to evolve freely in their model the researchers were able to show that the transition to cooperative society leads to the strongest selection for bigger brains. Bigger brains essentially did better as cooperation increased... | <urn:uuid:942cee53-d3e8-4508-988a-9c63c530a5c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marriageadvocates.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=226384 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968933 | 278 | 3.296875 | 3 |
A pilot who flies any aircraft, either commercial or private, under the influence of alcohol or drugs can be charged with flying under the influence, or FUI/FWI. Pilots who fly under the influence can be charged under federal and/or state law, and the potential penalties are severe. Anyone charged with FUI/FWI should consult with a Orange County DUI defense attorney with experience defending flying under the influence cases.
The laws surrounding FUI/FWI are complex and challenging, because pilots must follow both state law and the Federal Aviation Regulations, or FARS, governed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The laws governing FUI apply not only the pilots of aircraft, but also any crew members. The FAA has outlined strict rules regulating the consumption of alcohol by crew members of any civil aircraft, either commercial or private. The agency prohibits anyone from acting as a crew member if he or she has consumed alcohol within eight hours of a flight, while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .04 percent or greater. A pilot or crewmember who violates any of these provisions faces imprisonment, fines, and revocation of his or her pilot’s license.
Like drivers of vehicles, pilots operate planes under an implied consent law similar to the rules governing vehicles on the ground. Implied consent means that any pilot suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs must take a chemical test upon request. A pilot who refuses a chemical test risks a substantial fine and suspension or revocation of his or her pilot’s license.
A drunk driving conviction in a vehicle can also jeopardize a pilot’s flying privileges. DUI convictions must be reported to the FAA via the pilot’s first-class medical application, and to the Civil Action Security Division in Oklahoma City. This notification must be made within 60 days of the Driving Under the Influence (DUI) conviction.
The pilot is required to report any actions taken by the state as a result of the DUI conviction, such as a driver’s license suspension because of the pilot’s refusal to submit to a chemical test. Further, if the pilot’s driver’s license is suspended through DMV proceedings, this must also be reported to the FAA Civil Action Security Division in Oklahoma City within 60 days of the suspension.
Any pilot who fails to report either a DUI/DWI criminal conviction or a driver’s license suspension stemming from a drunk driving arrest risks further penalties. If the pilot’s driver’s license is suspended twice in a three year period, the FAA can deny an application for a pilot’s license, or revoke a current pilot license.
Because pilots face serious consequences from both FUI/FWI and drunk driving convictions, it is imperative to have competent legal counsel. An attorney experienced in drunk driving defense and aviation law can launch an aggressive defense and keep negative consequences to a minimum. | <urn:uuid:a880773a-ab22-4c91-b0ac-89978992eaa6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.orangecountyduidefense.com/operating-under-the-influence/flying/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92988 | 601 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Or will the largest investor in Cable & Wireless Worldwide block the deal?
Cable & Wireless Worldwide (LSE: CW), an erstwhile value portfolio losing play, is the subject of a 38p agreed bid from Vodafone (LSE: VOD). An agreed bid means that it has been accepted by the target's directors, as distinct from the hostile bids that occur sometimes where the acquirer proceeds in the face of opposition from the target's board.
In this case, CW directors own only a minuscule fraction of the shares -- in fact, so small that it is almost invisible at 0.09%. Much more importantly, therefore, other holders amounting to almost 19% of the issued capital have indicated their agreement to the bid.
The offer document containing the exact timetable has not yet been issued, so I don't know when the cash will be paid out -- assuming the bid succeeds -- but a reasonably conservative guess might be around, say, four months from now. 'Well, so what', you might ask.
Is the price right?
The point is this: CW is trading, as I write, at about 34p per share. This means that, with the takeover price at 38p, there is an automatic 4p gain less buying costs. There are no selling costs with bids like this -- the whole price is received by the shareholder without deduction.
I'll try and make it a bit more realistic. £10,000 would buy 29,228 shares of CW at 34p, totalling about £9,938. Add in the 0.5% stamp duty and £12 brokerage, and the total comes to the above. In due course, Vodafone will pay out £11,107, making a profit of £1,169 or 11.8% in the four months, equivalent on a simple interest basis to 35% per year. That's not a bad return by value standards or any standards.
It's a bit of arbitrage, defined as taking advantage of different prices that happen to occur sometimes in the markets. Here, we have likely 38p against a significantly lower current market price.
Most people, though, are bound to ask how come this is happening -- surely, such a wide price difference should never have arisen precisely because arbing by investors ought immediately to eliminate any such tendency? And it is an excellent question.
Mind the price gap
If this were cut and dried, as certain as it gets, the only price discount should be that attributable to the interest cost of tying your money up for the period concerned. CW has suspended dividends, so such payment in the period is not the explanation. Is this the free lunch thought by many to be a mere chimera? A complementary meal that, far from mythical, has always been available to those prepared to travel the difficult road of the dedicated value investor. Few are, so they don't eat.
The reason for the price gap is the degree of uncertainty surrounding the bid, owing primarily to the view of the largest investor in CW -- fund manager Orbis with some 19% -- being unhappy with the price offered by Vodafone. Apparently, they built up their stake over the last 10 years, which takes them well back to the days of the old Cable & Wireless before it split into two new companies about two years ago. Subsequently, with the collapsing price of CW, sources say that they increased their holding a lot further and it stands now at an average of 56p. Clearly, then, at 38p they would take a big hit.
In order for the bid to proceed, Vodafone has to obtain at least 75% of the CW shareholders vote at a meeting that has not yet been arranged, as far I know. Orbis has not said it will vote against the offer, but it could block the deal if insufficient CW shareholders actually bother to vote. It is this possibility, I believe, which has created the price discount.
Potential risk vs reward
The question for value players is one of potential risk against reward. Is the potential reward of this arb better than the risk of the bid failing? No clear answer can be given because, although we know the exact profit that would be made if successful, we don't know the odds of the bid failing.
My gut feeling, and it is only that because I haven't got much else to go on, is that this bid will succeed. But it has to be accepted that this is not without risk. What you have to ask yourself also is what would happen if it fails, bearing in mind that the bid price is some 100% over the pre-bid price. It could easily fall back to those levels of well under 20p, and then you'd either have to take the hit or decide to hang on for potential longer-term recovery or perhaps another future bid.
Note that I think this is only worth it, if you go for it at all, while the CW price is around the current figure I quote above or lower. Any worthwhile amount higher, though and I'd avoid because the arb margin would then be too low in my view for the risk. Once the bid becomes near certain by the shareholder vote, then naturally the price discount is likely to evaporate.
An interesting one, though, and a different proposition from the usual type of value play.
Searching for dependable FTSE dividend shares? This free Motley Fool report -- "8 Shares Held By Britain's Super Investor" -- reveals the major companies favoured by high-yield legend Neil Woodford.
Further investment opportunities:
> Stephen holds shares of Vodafone. | <urn:uuid:133b4f12-93d8-43ce-9211-8acf8a468164> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fool.co.uk/news/investing/2012/05/10/does-vodafones-bid-hit-the-target.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969568 | 1,160 | 1.609375 | 2 |
How to Complete E-Form Job Applications
The e-form job application is a shorter version of a plain text resume, usually found on company Web sites. You add information to an e-form by entering the data within the designated fields of the form located on the company Web site.
Keep in mind the following information when filling out e-forms:
The e-form is almost like a paper job application form, except that it lacks the legal document status an application form acquires when you sign it, certifying that all facts are true.
You should follow the on-screen instructions given by each employer to cut and paste the requested information into the site’s template. You’re basically just filling in the blanks with your contact information that’s supplemented by data lifted from your plain text resume.
Spell check doesn't work on e-forms, so cut and paste your resume into the e-form body instead of typing it in manually. Because you spell checked your resume (of course, you did!), at least you know that everything is likely to be spelled correctly in the e-form.
Virtually all company Web sites now encourage you to apply online through their applicant portals. You’re asked to fill out an online form, upload, or cut and paste your resume. Most companies ask you to answer demographic questions about race, gender, and so forth as a way of collecting data for the EEOC. You aren’t required to include this information to be considered for employment. Nevertheless, women and minorities are well advised to oblige the demographics request.
E-forms work well for job seekers in high-demand occupations, such as nursing, but they don’t work so well for job seekers who need to document motivation, good attitude, and other personal characteristics and achievements that computers don’t search for. When you rely on an e-form to get an employer’s attention, you’re playing 100 percent on the employer’s turf. | <urn:uuid:2c27c23c-053a-4309-88bf-d5380b310d3e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/id-134943.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916864 | 415 | 1.703125 | 2 |
This article from the New York Times discusses how the Internet has effected how we percieve history, and how new information on the web outweighs historical data by an enormous number.\"It doesn\'t give any sense of time because almost everything on the Web is about events and articles in the last five years,\" Herring said. \"It doesn\'t give students the impression that they\'re sitting on the shoulders of giants. It gives them the impression that they\'re giants.\"
\"Although the scope of historical artifacts online is growing, the Web is still generally the domain of documents and photos that were created in 1995 or later. Many public libraries and countless private archives--such as those maintained by newspapers, law firms and private research companies--have digital collections that date to when their Web sites were developed.\"
\"A newspaper that created a Web site in 1996, for example, will likely have an online archive of articles and photos since that date. Earlier articles and photos--often stored on microfiche or in envelopes stuffed into file cabinets--are not likely to find their way onto the Web anytime soon.\"
\"The Library of Congress National Digital Library is one of the most aggressive programs to archive historical documents online. The goal is to have 5 million items from the library\'s vast collection digitized by the end of the year.\"
\"Although it will be one of the largest online collections in the world, the digital library will house only 4.2 percent of the library\'s 119 million items--from books and photos to historical papers and scraps of cloth. That means people who rely on the Internet will have access to a small subset of the Washington-based library\'s full collection.\"
\"Because of the Internet\'s modern focus, it tends to concentrate on popular culture instead of more far-reaching socioeconomic forces. A search on Yahoo found 76 Web sites dedicated to teenage rock icon Britney Spears--more than three times the 25 sites found on Yahoo dedicated to the Great Depression.\" | <urn:uuid:d0266b73-e55b-4f77-bd13-d8230dd9f0c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lisnews.org/node/867 | 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 | 0.935417 | 412 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Should the Marketing Dept or PR/Comm automatically get Social Media duties? Not necessarily.
The business logic for the reason why your business needs to produce video for use in social media.
Social / Digital Media Provides More Than Marketing. It provides opportunities for crowd-sourcing, product development research, and political capital gains.
Here's an example of how the web and search in particular is going to be affected by social media portals.
Gary finally catches up with me on the idea of brands becoming content providers to build their own audiences and reduce their conventional advertising. Wait until he realizes the new content producers will be more than just brands who typically advertise in mass media... opening new media and content opportunities to B2B, and non-traditional B2C companies...
Why should business care about Video Podcasting? It's the best bang for the marketing buck... by FAR!
Our take on the Superbowl Ads, some kudos, and some missed opportunities.
Consumers want more personalized marketing. There's a reason for that based in sale psychology. Do you know it?
Latest demographic reports from Deloitte.
NARAS eliminates Polka Album of the Year Grammy Award | <urn:uuid:314a6204-eff6-4d20-91fb-2c5dbdfbad58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.metacafe.com/channels/ShakeItUp+TV/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922862 | 242 | 1.53125 | 2 |
NVIDIA unveiled its Tegra 4 mobile chip at CES last month, and on Tuesday it unveiled a new version of the Tegra 4, one that finally integrates its Tegra processor with 4G LTE on a SoC (system-on-a-chip). The new Tegra4i chipset was previously codenamed "Project Grey," and includes 60 NVIDIA GPU cores, a 2.3GHz quad-core CPU based on the ARM R4 Cortex-A9 architecture, NVIDIA's stealth fifth low-power CPU core, and a version of NVIDIA's i500 LTE modem.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company hopes the Tegra 4i, its first integrated chip, will lead to wider adoption among handsets. While the Tegra series has been used in many different tablets, the company has had problems expanding into the handset market, largely because it didn't have such an offering.
Integrated chipsets are cheaper than those using separate designs. In addition, they are generally less power-hungry, a more important factor in a smartphone than a tablet.
The Tegra 4i is not simply a Tegra 4 with an i500 LTE modem "bolted on," though. There have been modifications made. For example, the Tegra 4 has 72 GPU cores, and the 4i only 60. In addition, the Tegra 4 sports ARM A15 CPUs running at 1.9Ghz as opposed to the previously mentioned 2.3Ghz A9s in the 4i.
Also, the 4i is limited to 2GB of LPDDR3 memory, while the 4 can have 4GB of DDR3L and LPDDR3 memory. The 4 supports up to a 3200 x 2000 display (once again, think tablets) while the 4i can support a 1920 x 1200 display resolution.
The 4 can support LTE -- for LTE tablets, naturally, but it is optional, not integrated as in the 4i.
The Tegra 4i is a big leap forward for NVIDIA, but its primary rival in non-Apple smartphones hasn't stood still. In January, Qualcomm unveiled two new processor lines, the 600 and 800 series. Both of them have much better performance than Qualcomm's prior processors, and also integrate faster LTE and wi-fi functionality.
It also faces competition from Samsung's home-grown Exynos processor line. The upcoming Galaxy S IV is expected to carry a Exynos 5 Octa eight-core SoC. | <urn:uuid:ccedb782-eb6d-4ab1-81e3-6879844d681e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.examiner.com/article/nvidia-unveils-tegra-4i-its-first-soc-to-integrate-4g-lte?cid=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948884 | 506 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Bulgarians vote for building nuclear power plant
The citizens of Bulgaria have come out in support of developing nuclear energy. The results of a national referendum on the construction of new nuclear power plants in the country held on 27 January have been counted.
The Bulgarians were asked to answer the question: “Do you support the development of nuclear energy by means of building a new nuclear power plant?” The vote was 61% in favour of the nuclear power plant and 35% against. The turnout, at 21.8%, was only just above the minimal threshold. This means that the question of building a nuclear power plant will now be tabled in parliament for its consideration.
The referendum was initiated by the opposition – the Bulgarian Socialist Party. The original plan was to pose the question more specifically and to ask about the need to build the Belene nuclear power plant, but later it was decided to make the question more general.
The tender for construction of the Belene nuclear power plant in Bulgaria was announced in 2005. The winner was Atomstroyexport, a subsidiary of Rosatom. In 2007 the Russian design was deemed to meet all the European technical requirements regarding power stations with new generation light water reactors, and on 18 January 2008 the contract agreement for construction of the power station was signed.
However, the Bulgarian side’s plans have now changed. It is now planned to build a gas-fuelled heat and power station on the site where construction of Belene is now underway. The Bulgarian authorities intend to transfer the almost completed Russian reactor from the Belene nuclear power plant construction site to the Kozloduy nuclear power plant, which is already operating, and thus to bring the number of power units at the country’s only functioning nuclear power plant up to three.
Bulgaria is currently operating the fifth and sixth power units at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant, the operating licences for which expire in 2017 and 2019 respectively. Delyan Dobrev, the Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, recently stated that the two power units at the republic’s only nuclear power plant, built in 1974, can be kept working until 2030 and even up to 2040. | <urn:uuid:cb065302-8918-4199-9549-c8c6eb0f1546> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rbth.ru/news/2013/02/04/bulgarians_vote_for_building_nuclear_power_plant_22469.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970487 | 448 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Rail Transportation Workers Career Information
At School Soup we want to help you on your Rail Transportation Workers Career path. Here in our Rail Transportation Workers career section, we have lots of great information to help you learn all about Rail Transportation Workers. If you're interested in other possible careers, please select a career from the dropdown menu below to learn more about that specific career.
Significant Points· Overall employment in the railroad transportation
industry is expected to decline due to productivity gains.
· Employment of locomotive engineers is projected to grow slowly, but all other rail transportation occupations are projected to decline.
· Nearly 8 out of 10 rail transportation workers are members of unions and many have relatively high earnings.
Nature of the WorkMore than a century ago,
freight and passenger railroads were the ties binding the Nation together and
the engine driving the economy. Today, rail transportation remains a vital link in our Nation's transportation
network and economy. Railroads deliver billions of tons of freight and thousands
of travelers to destinations throughout the Nation, while subways and streetcars
transport millions of passengers within metropolitan areas.
Locomotive engineers are among the most experienced and skilled workers on the railroad. Locomotive engineers operate large trains carrying cargo and passengers between stations. Most engineers run diesel locomotives, while a few operate electrically powered locomotives.
Before and after each run, engineers check the mechanical condition of their locomotive, and make minor adjustments on the spot. engineers receive starting instructions from conductors and move controls such as throttles and air brakes to drive the locomotive. They monitor gauges and meters that measure speed, amperage, battery charge, and air pressure both in the brakelines and in the main reservoir.
On the open rail and in the yard, engineers confer with conductors and traffic control center personnel via two-way radio or mobile telephone to issue or receive information concerning stops, delays, and train locations. They interpret and comply with train orders, train signals, speed limits, and railroad rules and regulations. They must have a thorough knowledge of the signaling systems, yards, and terminals on routes over which they operate. engineers must be constantly aware of the condition and makeup of their train. This is extremely important because trains react differently to acceleration, braking, and curves, depending on the grade and condition of the rail, number of cars, ratio of empty to loaded cars, and amount of slack in the train.
Locomotive firers, or assistant engineers, monitor instruments during runs and watch for dragging equipment, track obstructions, and train signals. In rail yards, they watch for and relay traffic signals from yard workers to yard engineers. Rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers drive switching or small "dinkey" engines within railroad yards, industrial plants, mines and quarries, or construction projects.
Railroad conductors coordinate the activities of freight and passenger train crews. Railroad conductors assigned to freight trains review schedules, switching orders, way bills, and shipping records to obtain cargo loading and unloading information. Conductors assigned to passenger trains ensure passenger safety and comfort. They collect tickets and fares, and coordinate crew activities to provide boarding, porter, maid, and meal services.
Before a train leaves the terminal, the conductor and engineer discuss instructions received from the dispatcher concerning the train's route, timetable, and cargo. During the run, conductors use two-way radios and mobile telephones to communicate with dispatchers, engineers, and conductors of other trains. Conductors receive information from dispatch or electronic monitoring devices that relay any equipment problems on the train or the rail. They may arrange for the removal of defective cars from the train for repairs at the nearest station or stop. Additionally, conductors may discuss alternative routes if there is a defect or obstruction on the rail.
Yardmasters coordinate activities of workers engaged in railroad traffic operations. These activities include the makeup or breakup of trains and switching inbound or outbound traffic to a specific section of the line. Some cars are sent to unload their cargo on special tracks, while other cars are moved to other tracks to await assemblage into new trains destined for different cities. Yardmasters inform engineers where to move the cars to fit the planned train configuration. Computerized switches divert the locomotive or cars to the proper track for coupling and uncoupling.
Other railroad brake, signal, and switch operators perform a variety of activities such as operating track switches to route cars to different sections of the yard. They may signal engineers and set warning signals, help couple and uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains, or inspect couplings, air-hoses, and hand brakes.
Traditionally, freight train crews included either one or two brake operators—one in the locomotive with the engineer and the firer and another who rode with the conductor in the rear car. Brake operators worked under the direction of conductors and did the physical work involved in adding and removing cars at railroad stations and assembling and disassembling trains in railroad yards. In an effort to reduce costs and take advantage of new technology, most railroads have phased out locomotive firers and brake operators. Many modern freight trains only use an engineer and a conductor, stationed with the engineer, because new visual instrumentation and monitoring devices have eliminated the need for crewmembers located at the rear of the train.
In contrast to other rail transportation workers, subway and streetcar operators generally work for public transit authorities instead of railroads. Subway operators control trains that transport passengers throughout a city and its suburbs. The trains run on rail-guided tracks in underground tunnels, on the surface, or on elevated platforms above streets. Operators must stay alert to observe signals along the track that indicate when they must start, slow, or stop their train. They also make announcements to riders, may open and close the doors, and ensure that passengers get on and off the subway safely.
To meet predetermined schedules, operators must control the train's speed and the amount of time spent at each station. Increasingly, however, these functions are controlled by computers and not by the operator. When breakdowns or emergencies occur, operators contact their dispatcher or supervisor and may have to evacuate cars.
Streetcar operators drive electric-powered streetcars or trolleys that transport passengers in metropolitan areas. Some tracks may be recessed in city streets or have grade crossings, so operators must observe traffic signals and cope with car and truck traffic. Operators start, slow, and stop their cars so passengers may get on or off with ease. They may collect fares, and issue change and transfers. They also answer questions from passengers concerning fares, schedules, and routes.
Working ConditionsMany rail transportation
employees work nights, weekends, and holidays because trains operate 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week. Nearly 40 percent work more than a 40-hour workweek.
Seniority usually dictates who receives the more desirable shifts.
Most freight trains are unscheduled, and few workers on these trains have scheduled assignments. Instead, workers place their names on a list and wait their turn to work. Jobs are usually handed out on short notice and often at odd hours. Those who work on trains operating between stations that are hundreds of miles apart may spend several nights at a time away from home.
Workers on passenger trains ordinarily have more regular and reliable shifts. The appearance, temperature, and accommodations of the passenger trains are also more comfortable than freight trains.
Rail yard workers spend most of their time outdoors in varying weather. The work of conductors and engineers on local runs, where trains frequently stop at stations to pick up and deliver cars, is physically demanding. Climbing up and down and getting off moving cars is strenuous and can be dangerous.
EmploymentRail transportation workers held 115,000 jobs in 2006—including 37,000 locomotive engineers and firers; 3,800 rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers; 45,000 railroad conductors and yardmasters; and 22,000 railroad brake, signal, and switch operators. Railroads employ more than 92 percent of all rail transportation workers. The rest primarily work for local governments as subway and streetcar operators, and for mining and manufacturing establishments operating their own locomotives and dinkey engines that move rail cars containing ore, coal, and other bulk materials.
Training, Qualifications, Adv.Most railroad transportation
workers begin as yard laborers, and later may have the opportunity to train
for engineer or conductor jobs. Railroads require that applicants have a minimum
of a high school diploma or equivalent. Applicants must have good hearing, eyesight,
and color vision, as well as good hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, and
mechanical aptitude. Physical stamina is required for these entry-level jobs.
Employers require railroad transportation
job applicants to pass a physical examination and drug and alcohol screening.
Under Federal law, all train crewmembers are subject to random drug and alcohol
testing while on duty.
Applicants for locomotive engineer jobs must be at least 21 years old. Frequently, employers fill engineer positions with workers who have experience in other railroad operating occupations. Federal regulations require beginning engineers to complete a formal engineer training program, including classroom, simulator, and hands-on instruction in locomotive operation. The instruction is usually administered by the rail company in programs approved by the Federal Railroad Administration. At the end of the training period, they must pass a hearing and visual acuity test, a safety conduct background check, a railroad operation knowledge test, and a skills performance test. The company issues the engineer a license after the applicant successfully passes the examinations. Other conditions and rules may apply to entry-level engineers, and these rules usually vary by employer.
To maintain certification, railroad companies must monitor their engineers. Additionally, engineers must periodically pass an operational rules efficiency test. The test is an unannounced event requiring engineers to take active or responsive action in certain situations such as maintaining a certain speed through a turn or yard.
engineers undergo periodic physical examinations and drug and alcohol testing to determine their fitness to operate locomotives. In some cases, engineers who fail to meet these physical and conduct standards are restricted to yard service; in other instances, they may be disciplined, trained to perform other work, or discharged.
Conductor jobs are generally filled from the ranks of experienced rail transportation workers who have passed tests covering signals, timetables, operating rules, and related subjects. Seniority usually is the main factor in determining promotion to conductor. On some railroads, conductors start in the yards, then move to freight or passenger service.
Newly trained engineers and conductors are placed on the "extra board" until permanent positions become available. Extra board workers only receive assignments when the railroad needs substitutes for regular workers who are absent because of vacation, illness, or other personal reasons. Seniority rules may also allow workers with greater seniority to select their type of assignment. For example, an engineer may move from an initial regular assignment in yard service to road service.
For subway and streetcar operator jobs, subway transit systems prefer applicants with a high school education. Applicants also must be in good health, have good communication skills, and be able to make quick, responsible judgments.
New operators generally complete training programs that last from a few weeks to 6 months. At the end of the period of classroom and on-the-job training, operators usually must pass qualifying examinations covering the operating system, troubleshooting, and evacuation and emergency procedures. Some operators with sufficient seniority can advance to station managers or other supervisory positions.
for available opportunities is expected to be keen. Many persons qualify for
rail transportation occupations because education beyond high school is generally
not required. Many more
desire employment than can be hired because the pay is good and the work steady.
Employment for a majority of railroad transportation occupations is expected to decline through the year 2010, with only locomotive engineers expected to grow. The need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or retire will be the main source of job openings. Employment in most rail occupations, other than locomotive engineers, will continue to decline due to consolidation of railroads and job duties. To remain competitive with other modes of transportation, railroads will strive to control labor costs.
Demand for railroad freight service will grow as the economy and the intermodal transportation of goods expand. Intermodal systems use trucks to pick-up and deliver the shippers' sealed trailers or containers, and trains to transport them long distance. This saves customers time and money by efficiently carrying goods across the country. For railroads, the benefit has been the increased efficiency of equipment use, allowing increases in the number of runs each train makes in a year. In order to compete with other modes of transportation such as trucks, ships, and aircraft, railroads are improving delivery times and on-time service while reducing shipping rates. As a result, businesses are expected to increasingly use railroads to carry their goods.
However, growth in the number of railroad transportation workers will be adversely affected by innovations such as larger, faster, more fuel-efficient trains and computerized classification yards that make it possible to move freight more economically. Computers help keep track of freight cars, match empty cars with the closest loads, and dispatch trains. Computer-assisted devices alert engineers to train malfunctions and new work rules have become widespread allowing trains to operate with two- or three-person crews instead of the traditional five-person crews.
EarningsMedian hourly earnings of locomotive engineers were $21.26 in 2009. The middle 50 percent earned between $15.77 and $25.30 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $12.84, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $29.67 an hour.
Median hourly earnings of railroad conductors and yardmasters were $18.86 in 2009. The middle 50 percent earned between $15.47 and $22.08 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $12.92, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $31.03 an hour.
Median hourly earnings of railroad brake, signal, and switch operators were $18.82 in 2009. The middle 50 percent earned between $14.60 and $25.26 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $11.87, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $31.83 an hour.
Median hourly earnings of rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers were $17.69 in 2009. The middle 50 percent earned between $14.43 and $20.38 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $11.70, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $24.66 an hour.
Most railroad workers in road service are paid according to miles traveled or hours worked; whichever leads to higher earnings. Full-time employees have steadier work, more regular hours, increased opportunities for overtime work, and higher earnings than do those assigned to the extra board.
According to the National Railroad Labor Conference (NRLC) in 2009, the average annual earnings for Class I railroad engineers ranged from $61,400 for yard-freight engineers, to $81,000 for passenger engineers. For conductors, earnings ranged from $53,500 for yard-freight conductors, up to $68,300 for passenger conductors. The NRLC reported that brake operators averaged from $40,800 for yard-freight operators, up to $58,700 for local-freight operators.
According to data from the American Public Transportation Association, in early 2009 the top-rate full-time hourly earnings of operators for commuter rail ranged from $17.50 to $30.10; operators for heavy rail from $16.20 to $27.70; and operators for light rail from $14.40 to $23.90. Transit workers in the northeastern United States typically had the highest wages.
Nearly 80 percent of railroad transportation workers are members of unions. Many different railroad unions represent various crafts on the railroads. Most railroad engineers are members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive engineers, while most other railroad transportation workers are members of the United Transportation Union. Many subway operators are members of the Amalgamated Transit Union, while others belong to the Transport Workers Union of North America.
Generally, building inspectors, including plan examiners, earn the highest salaries. Salaries in large metropolitan areas are substantially higher than those in small local jurisdictions.
Related OccupationsOther related
transportation workers include aircraft pilots and flight engineers, busdrivers, truckdrivers
and driver/sales workers, and water transportation occupations.
To obtain information on employment opportunities, contact either the employment offices of railroads and rail transit systems or State employment service offices. General information about the rail transportation industry is available from: General information about career opportunities in passenger transportation is available from: General information on career opportunities as a locomotive engineer is available from: General information on career opportunities as a conductor, yardmaster, or brake operator is available from:
Sources of Additional Information
To obtain information on employment opportunities, contact either the employment offices of railroads and rail transit systems or State employment service offices.
General information about the rail transportation industry is available from:
General information about career opportunities in passenger transportation is available from:
General information on career opportunities as a locomotive engineer is available from:
General information on career opportunities as a conductor, yardmaster, or brake operator is available from: | <urn:uuid:3c193711-bfcc-4dc6-a0e0-95f8fd57f36c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.schoolsoup.com/careers/career_info.php?career_id=220 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956852 | 3,597 | 3.109375 | 3 |
PHILADELPHIA - "The Mennonites: Photographs by Larry Towell," which opens at the University of Pennsylvania's Arthur Ross Gallery on July 31, offers 50 photographs documenting a rare visual history of an isolated cultural group. The exhibit, which runs through Sept. 23, illustrates the Mennonites' integrity and lifestyle simplicity, giving viewers access into a devout religious group living in insular Mexican colonies where photography is generally forbidden.
Towell, spent 10 years traveling with the group and documenting its migrant workers. His work identifies intimacy in different contexts, from armed conflict to rural life. His photography reveals the most important and human elements of its subject matter.
Known for his photographs and their social commentary, Towell will be the guest of honor at the Gallery's "Meet the Artist" reception on Sept. 11, from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Arthur Ross Gallery is located at 220 S. 34th St. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and weekends noon-5 p.m.
All exhibits are free and open to the public. Additional information is available at www.upenn.edu/ARG or 215-898-2083. | <urn:uuid:6b000dfc-ee11-435d-aec7-64c0f7866e77> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/mennonite-photographs-penns-arthur-ross-gallery | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951155 | 254 | 1.945313 | 2 |
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Susan Sontag (1933 - 2004)
Lifespan: 1933 - 2004
Related: American academia - American literature - cultural criticism
Susan Sontag was an American essayist who frequently wrote about the intersection of high culture and low culture. Her 1964 essay "Notes on "Camp"" examined an alternative sensibility to seriousness and comedy: Camp. Sontag also gestured to the "so bad it's good" concept in popular culture for the first time. [Apr 2006]
Essays: On Style (1965) - Against Interpretation and Other Essays (1966) - The Pornographic Imagination (1967) - Notes on Camp (1964)
Susan Sontag (January 16, 1933–December 28, 2004) was a well-known American essayist, novelist, intellectual and activist.
Sontag was in born in New York City, grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and attended high school in Los Angeles. She received her B.A. from the College of the University of Chicago and did graduate work in philosophy, literature, and theology at Harvard and Saint Anne's College, Oxford.
Sontag sparked controversy and later apologized for her remarks in the immediate aftermath of the September 11th attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Sontag wrote, "Whatever may be said of the perpetrators of Tuesday's slaughter, they were not cowards."
On October 12, 2003, Sontag received the Friedenspreis des deutschen Buchhandels (Peace Prize of the German Book Trade) during the Frankfurt Book Fair. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Sontag [Dec 2004]
A fatherless, bookish girl
In 1948, at the age of fifteen, Sontag, browsing at a newsstand just off Hollywood Boulevard, bought her first copy of Partisan Review. A fatherless, bookish girl, stranded amid the driver’s-ed and typing classes of North Hollywood High, she was happy only in the company of a few like-minded students or at home, listening to music or reading Thomas Mann and German philosophy—“sipping at a hundred straws,” she later wrote. Partisan Review, which was then at its peak, was more or less the house organ for the New York intellectuals, celebrants of high modernism, which, as they understood it, was marked by something unprecedented: an obsession with the physical means of making art (tone rows, dance movement, densely packed clusters of imagery), and by a formalism so radical that it carried art to the border of metaphysics. As a teen-ager, Sontag absorbed the doctrines and the canons. But by the time she came to write for Partisan, in the early sixties, the New York group believed that, with some exceptions—Balanchine’s plotless ballets, the Abstract Expressionist painters—the great, long moment of high modernism was over. --David Denby via http://www.newyorker.com/critics/atlarge/articles/050912crat_atlarge [Jul 2006]
It was as an essayist, however, that Sontag gained early and lasting fame and notoriety. Sontag wrote frequently about the intersection of high and low art. Her 1964 essay "Notes on "Camp"" examined an alternative sensibility to seriousness and comedy: Camp. Sontag also gestured to the "so bad it's good" concept in popular culture for the first time. She championed European writers such as Walter Benjamin, Roland Barthes, and W. G. Sebald, along with some Americans such as Maria Irene Fornes. Over the course of several decades she would turn her attention to novels, film and photography. In several books, she wrote about cultural attitudes toward illness. Her final nonfiction work Regarding The Pain of Others re-examined art and photography from a moral standpoint, speaking of how the media affects culture's views of conflict. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Sontag#Work [Apr 2006]
On photography"Like guns and cars, cameras are fantasy-machines whose use is addictive. However, despite the extravagances of ordinary language and advertising, they are not lethal. In the hyperbole that markets cars like guns, there is at least this much truth: except in wartime, cars kill more people than guns do. The camera/gun does not kill, so the ominous metaphor seems to be all bluff - like a man's fantasy of having a gun, knife, or tool between his legs." (from On Photography, 1977)
CampOne of the first people to give the concept of camp an academic treatment was the American intellectual Susan Sontag. In her famous 1964 essay "Notes on 'Camp'", Sontag emphasised artifice, frivolity, naïve middle-class pretentiousness and shocking excess as key elements of camp. Most of the popular culture references in Sontag's essay are fairly obscure and would be lost on most of today's readers. Less obscure examples cited by Sontag included singer/actress Carmen Miranda's tutti frutti hats and low-budget science fiction movies of the 1950s and 1960s. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_%28style%29 [Apr 2006]Many things in the world have not been named; and many things, even if they have been named, have never been described. One of these is the sensibility - unmistakably modern, a variant of sophistication but hardly identical with it - that goes by the cult name of "Camp."
[...] Many examples of Camp are things which, from a "serious" point of view, are either bad art or kitsch. Not all, though. Not only is Camp not necessarily bad art, but some art which can be approached as Camp (example: the major films of Louis Feuillade) merits the most serious admiration and study. [...] -- Susan Sontag in Notes on Camp, 1964, Partisan Review
- On Photography (1977) - Susan Sontag [Amazon US]
On Photography is a 1977 collection of essays by Susan Sontag. There are no illustrations.
In the book, Sontag expresses her views on the corrosive role of photography in affluent mass-media capitalist societies, and refutes the idea that photography is just a sort of note taking. Sontag uses Depression-era documentary photography commissioned by the Farm Security Administration as an example of the "predatory" nature of photographers, and claims that the FSA employees - most of whom were established photographers - "would take dozens of frontal pictures of one of their sharecropper subjects until satisfied that they had gotten just the right look on film --the precise expression on the subject's face that supported their own notions about poverty, light, dignity, texture, exploitation, and geometry." --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Photography [Apr 2006]
- Against Interpretation () - Susan Sontag [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]
Against Interpretation was Susan Sontag's first collection of essays and is a modern classic. The main essay was originally published in 1964 [Evergreen Review (New York, Dec. 1964)], it has never gone out of print and has influenced generations of readers all over the world. It includes the famous essays "Notes on Camp" and "Against Interpretation," as well as her impassioned discussions of Sartre, Camus, Simone Weil, Godard, Beckett, Lévi-Strauss, science-fiction movies, psychoanalysis, and contemporary religious thought.
Also features: "Notes on Camp"
- Styles of Radical Will - Susan Sontag [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]
Styles of Radical Will, Susan Sontag's second collection of essays, extends the investigations she undertook in Against Interpretation with essays on film, literature, politics, and a groundbreaking study of pornography.
Contains: "The Pornographic Imagination" (1967)
- Regarding the Pain of Others (2002) Susan Sontag [Amazon US] [FR] [DE] [UK]
Twenty-six years after the publication of her influential collection of essays On Photography (1977), Sontag (In America) reconsiders ideas that are "now fast approaching the status of platitudes," especially the view that our capacity to respond to images of war and atrocity is being dulled by "the relentless diffusion of vulgar and appalling images" in our rapaciously media-driven culture. Sontag opens by describing Virginia Woolf's essay on the roots of war, "Three Guineas," in which Woolf described a set of gruesome photographs of mutilated bodies and buildings destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. Woolf wondered if there truly can be a "we" between man and woman in matters of war. Sontag sets out to reopen and enlarge the question. "No `we' should be taken for granted when the subject is looking at other people's pain," she writes. The "we" that Sontag has come to be much more aware of in the decades since On Photography is the world of the rich. She has come to doubt her youthful contention that repeated exposure to images of suffering necessarily shrivels sympathy, and she doubts even more the radical yet influential spin that others put on this critique-that reality itself has become a spectacle. "To speak of reality becoming a spectacle... universalizes the viewing habits of a small, educated population living in the rich part of the world...." Sontag reminds us that sincerity can turn a mere spectator into a witness, and that it is the heart rather than fancy rhetoric that can lead the mind to understanding. --From Publishers Weekly, amazon.com
your Amazon recommendations - Jahsonic - early adopter products | <urn:uuid:65022c84-8e5b-48a1-b304-d293c92ede4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jahsonic.com/SusanSontag.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94772 | 2,073 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Teasing ... bullying .... excluding ... scapegoating … hazing ... ridiculing — these are behaviors that I will put in a category called “meanness”. More and more both popular and professional media are filled with profoundly unsettling stories of appalling and even shocking behavior of children and youth towards their peers. And as is the case with so many undesirable and unhealthy behaviors these days, the trend is moving downward in age so that we now worry about preschoolers who early on begin a pattern of rejecting certain others , saying, to put it in the words of the famous early childhood author Vivian Gassin Paley, “You can’t play !” Boys were once the traditional culprits in these behaviors but nowadays girls do these things just as much — perhaps in somewhat different ways. Somehow this meanness continues among some in an upward age trajectory so that any adolescent who somehow doesn’t fit or is different becomes the target of the asocial behaviors described above. Similarly, to be “accepted” some will undergo cruel initiation rites. Some would say, “This is the way kids have always been” and to some degree this may be so. But it is the incidence, the frequency, and the nature of the incidents and behaviors that seem to have gotten out of hand and are so disturbing. The fact that often adults turn the other cheek similarly is unsettling.
Some new research has cast some new insight into the “meanness” phenomenon and I will use that to offer a very general perspective. on a very complex issue.
What is the research ? Investigators studied the brain’s response to rejection and discovered that when we are excluded or separated from significant others, we not only feel emotional pain but also physical pain (See references).
So what might the connection to “meanness” be ? I think it’s all about fundamental attachment and whether a positive primary bond with a caregiving person occurs for children. If a child experiences multiple caregivers, with varying degrees of nurturing and acceptance, with continued separations from a parent — who the child knows should want to be with him, then the child interprets this as rejection. As the recent groundbreaking research shows, rejection is actually felt as a physical pain. So one can imagine a young child, daily constructing the theme of rejection in his life in the face of the repetition of the experience, and feeling continued pain. We know too that alternative sources of positive relationships other than parents can serve as a protective factor, but often where these exist they are broken in a transition period, or on occasion are terminated for the very reason they have meaning to the child. More sense of rejection and pain.
Let’s say that as the child gets older he or she increasingly is one of the ones who is left out, picked on, bullied and the like. Then the rejection based pain gets compounded. When one experiences continued pain, there is a desire to eliminate or at least master it in some way . Often this may be done in a way that is counter to pro-social and caring values. So a young person who has experienced a great deal of rejection may try to do so by inflicting it on others - in line with the psychoanalytic concept of “identification with the aggressor”. Perhaps such actions reduce the acute sense of pain experienced. Other youngsters who feel rejected in some way, perhaps from earliest childhood, simply become alienated and indifferent. Having tried to repress their own pain, perhaps it helps them stop feeling it if they inflict it on others.
These new research findings for me seem to offer some way to appreciate the seriousness of “meanness” and to consider how we can address it. The problem needs more than school worksheets and special groups. We need to think to the very core of our early child rearing practices, the supports that families get, the responsibility of adults to be much closer and attentive to all children as they are growing up and to ensure that their cumulative pain does not lead to hurtful behavior. Where there is a possibility that it will, adults must stop it and others must be utterly protected. As child and youth workers our attentive support and investment in both aggressors, potential and already underway, and victims, is urgent. We simply cannot tolerate “meanness”, and addressing it requires both attention to root causes and our immediate action.
Eisenberger, N., Lieberman, M., and
Williams, K. (2003). Does rejection hurt ? An fMRI study of social | <urn:uuid:25b7f05d-6a4b-493d-8158-9025f094ebd0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-1103-karen.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965103 | 929 | 2.625 | 3 |
4PM UPDATE: There is a total fire ban for all of Victoria on Friday.
The CFA declared the ban this afternoon.
No fires can be lit or be allowed to remain alight in the open air.
EARLIER: THE Border is set to sizzle with the temperature in the high 30s and low 40s for five days.
But forecasters said yesterday the hot spell would not match the heatwave of the Black Saturday summer in 2009.
The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting today’s top temperature will be 36 degrees, followed by 39 degrees tomorrow, 42 on Saturday, 40 on Sunday, 39 on Monday and 41 on Tuesday.
WEATHER: Local forecasts.
'WE EXPECT DELIBERATE FIRES': Cops coy but Nail Can Hill residents in no doubt
Senior forecaster Dean Stewart said it was the first real hot spell after clouds and rain had kept a lid on the temperature for the past two summers.
“Most summers you’ll get strings of days in runs of five to seven days in the high 30s, low 40s,” Mr Stewart said.
“But the past two summers it’s been broken up by a fair bit more cloud and rainfall. We haven’t had those extreme runs.”
The last heatwave was Black Saturday in 2009 where, for two weeks, the temperature hovered in the high 30s and low 40s.
“That was one of the hottest spells for a long time,” Mr Stewart said.
“This is unlikely to rival that sort of period.”
Mr Stewart said the week-long heatwave was caused by a build-up of hot air over the centre of the continent that was drifting south.
That hot air has joined up with a slow-moving high-pressure system south of the Great Australian Bight that isn’t allowing any cooler fronts to push across Victoria.
The expectation of such high temperatures has fire brigades on high alert with tomorrow carrying a severe danger warning.
CFA district 24 duty officer John Bigham said crews of officers would staff several incident control centres across the Hume region.
More planes are also on standby for the next five days, as well as heavy machinery including water carriers and excavators.
“There’s been a lot of time spent planning for this,” Mr Bigham said.
“We’re asking people now to have their fire plans ready.
“They must keep an eye on the CFA or RFS websites and stay tuned through the media.”
Mr Bigham said residents needed to think ahead and avoid mowing grass so their machinery didn’t spark fires.
He said people should also travel as little as possible.
“If the public doesn’t need to be on the roads on the very high-danger days, maybe plan around that,” he said.
He said if people saw even distant smoke they should check the websites for what was happening. And if they saw flames close by, he urged them to report it on 000. | <urn:uuid:06cafe0d-cfb3-4a31-8a9c-ace262d4ba52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/1214785/red-alert-heatwave-ahead/?cs=55 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956692 | 650 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Nothing is ever easily achieved in our lives. We have to work hard for everything. At times, we also have to make sacrifices so that we can make dreams a reality. These are sometimes hard choices to make. Depending on what you are after in life, you may be traveling far from your family and may also be giving up job security.
We sometimes question ourselves. How long do I pursue it? Am I too old to take a chance? When do I give it up?
Strength, courage and perseverance are what it takes. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Life is too short not to live it for you. We do what we have to do to survive, but our existence is about more than what we have to do. It's about what we want to do.
Whether you are able to fully achieve your goals or not, you are a champion. What you do on the way strengthens character and inspires others. When it's time to leave this world you know that no matter what you gave it your best, you never gave up and you lived your life for yourself. | <urn:uuid:c966f3ab-5b9a-4a73-98dc-71af576dd43d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.funnyordie.com/articles/f2f4a2166f/the-price-of-dreams | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980399 | 226 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Manufacturing & Logistics
Today's manufacturing and logistics sectors are dynamic and performance expectations are high. To be competitive, organizations must increase the pace of innovation, develop new revenue streams, and improve communications both internally and externally – all while reducing cost and improving efficiency.
Cordys solution frameworks for Manufacturing and Logistics include:
By adding a flexible and easily adaptable Business Process and User Interface layer on top of existing ERP applications, the lifetime of these applications can be extended without need for a big investment in the replacement of these systems or upgrades to newer versions. Connectivity of Cordys BOP to well-known CRM, ERP and DMS systems has been proven by many customers. Cordys adds agility to ERP.
Remote Services Platform
Remote Service Networks are now handling equipment and systems of increasing breadth and diversity. Almost every device of relevance and value has an IP-address these days, and can connect itself to the network or be approached by the network. Business processes are becoming automated, such as asset tracking, supply chain management and procurement. With Cordys, companies can realize the full value of the connected device, stripping out unnecessary costs in customer support, replace uninformed human activity with embedded intelligence in devices and develop new application value e.g. via cloud computing. | <urn:uuid:31a5e2b3-d302-4c99-b28a-938ecb491827> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cordys.com/manufacturing_logistics | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909685 | 262 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Fast-growing fish may never wind up on your plate
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — Salmon that’s been genetically modified to grow twice as fast as normal could soon show up on your dinner plate. That is, if the company that makes the fish can stay afloat.
After weathering concerns about everything from the safety of humans eating the salmon to their impact on the environment, Aquabounty was poised to become the world’s first company to sell fish whose DNA has been altered to speed up growth.
The Food and Drug Administration in 2010 concluded that Aquabounty’s salmon was as safe to eat as the traditional variety. The agency also said that there’s little chance that the salmon could escape and breed with wild fish, which could disrupt the fragile relationships between plants and animals in nature. But more than two years later the FDA has not approved the fish, and Aquabounty is running out of money.
The FDA said it’s still working on the final piece of its review, a report on the potential environmental impact of the salmon that must be published for comment before an approval can be issued. That means a final decision could be months, even years away. While the delay could mean that the faster-growing salmon will never wind up on American dinner tables, there’s more at stake than seafood.
Aquabounty is the only U.S. company publicly seeking approval for a genetically modified animal that’s raised to be eaten by humans. And scientists worry that its experience with the FDA’s lengthy review process could discourage other U.S. companies from investing in animal biotechnology, or the science of manipulating animal DNA to produce a desirable trait. That would put the U.S. at a disadvantage at a time when China, India and other foreign governments are pouring millions of dollars each year into the potentially lucrative field that could help reduce food costs and improve food safety.
Already, biotech scientists are changing their plans to avoid getting stuck in FDA-related regulatory limbo. Researchers at the University of California, Davis have transferred an experimental herd of genetically engineered goats that produce protein-enriched milk to Brazil, due to concerns about delays at the FDA. And after investors raised concerns about the slow pace of the FDA’s Aquabounty review, Canadian researchers in April pulled their FDA application for a biotech pig that would produce environmentally friendly waste.
“The story of Aquabounty is disappointing because everyone was hoping the company would be a clear signal that genetic modification in animals is now acceptable in the U.S.,” said Professor Helen Sang, a geneticist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland who is working to develop genetically modified chickens that are resistant to bird flu. “Because it’s gotten so bogged down – and presumably cost AquaBounty a huge amount of money – I think people will be put off.”
AGAINST THE CURRENT
The science behind genetic modification is not new. Biotech scientists say that genetic manipulation is a proven way to reduce disease and enrich plants and animals, raising productivity and increasing the global food supply. Genetically modified corn, cotton and soybeans account for more than four-fifths of those crops grown in the U.S., according to the National Academies of Sciences.
But there have always been critics who are wary of tinkering with the genes of living animals. They say the risk is too great that modified organisms can escape into the wild and breed with native species. Not that we don’t already eat genetically altered animals. Researchers say the centuries-old practice of selective breeding is its own form of genetic engineering, producing the plumper cows, pigs and poultry we eat today.
“You drive a hybrid car because you want the most efficient vehicle you can have. So why wouldn’t you want the most efficient agriculture you can have?” asks Alison Van Eenennaam, a professor of animal science at University of California, Davis.
Aquabounty executives say their aim is to make the U.S. fish farming industry, or aquaculture, more efficient, environmentally friendly and profitable. After all, the U.S. imports about 86 percent of its seafood, in part, because it has a relatively small aquaculture industry. Aquaculture has faced pushback in the U.S. because of concerns about pollution from large fish pens in the ocean, which generate fish waste and leftover food.
Aquabounty executives figure that the U.S. aquaculture industry can be transformed by speeding up the growth of seafood. The company picked Atlantic salmon because they are the most widely consumed salmon in the U.S. and are farmed throughout the world: In 2010, the U.S. imported more than 200,000 tons of Atlantic salmon, worth over $1.5 billion, from countries like Norway, Canada and Chile.
Using gene-manipulating technology, Aquabounty adds a growth hormone to the Atlantic salmon from another type of salmon called the Chinook. The process, company executives say, causes its salmon to reach maturity in about two years, compared with three to four years for a conventional salmon.
Aquabounty executives say if their fish are approved for commercial sale, there are several safeguards designed to prevent the fish from escaping and breeding with wild salmon. The salmon are bred as sterile females. They also are confined to pools where the potential for escape would be low: The inland pens are isolated from natural bodies of water.
And the company says that these pens would be affordable thanks to the fast-growing nature of Aquabounty’s fish, which allows farmers to raise more salmon in less time. Overall, the company estimates that it would cost 30 percent less to grow its fish than traditional salmon.
But getting the fish to market hasn’t been easy.
The company began discussions with the FDA in 1993. But the agency did not yet have a formal system for reviewing genetically modified food animals.
So Aquabounty spent the next decade conducting more than two dozen studies on everything from the molecular structure of the salmon’s DNA to the potential allergic reactions in humans who would eat it. By the time the FDA completed its roadmap for reviewing genetically modified animals in 2009, Aquabounty was the first company to submit its data.
After reviewing the company’s data, the FDA said in a public hearing in September of 2010 that Aquabounty’s salmon is “as safe as food from conventional Atlantic salmon.” The FDA also said the fish “are not expected to have a significant impact” on the environment.
But as the company has inched toward FDA approval it has faced increasing pushback from natural food advocates, environmentalists and politicians from salmon-producing states. In fact, following the FDA’s positive review of the fish, the House of Representatives passed a budget that included language barring the FDA from spending funds to approve a genetically engineered salmon.
“Frankenfish is uncertain and unnecessary,” said Rep. Don Young of Alaska, who authored the language. The Senate did not adopt the measure.
Despite such opposition, environmental groups such as the Food and Water Watch say that FDA approval seems inevitable. “We think there is a clear bias toward approving genetically modified animals within the FDA,” said Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit that promotes environmentally friendly fishing and farming practices. “This thing is trapped in a regulatory process that is predisposed toward approving it.”
But the delay could cause Aquabounty to go bankrupt before its salmon reaches supermarkets.
Aquabounty, which started in 1991 focusing on proteins used to preserve human cells, changed direction after acquiring the rights to gene-manipulation technology from researchers at the University of Toronto and Memorial University of Newfoundland. Initial financing came from Boston-area investors and biotech-focused venture capital funds, but the company has burned through more than $67 million since it started.
According to its mid-year financial report, Aquabounty had less than $1.5 million in cash and stock. And it has no other products besides genetically modified salmon in development.
In February, the cash-strapped company agreed to sell its research and development arm to its largest single shareholder, Kakha Bendukidze, a former Republic of Georgia finance minister turned investor, in return for his help raising $2 million in cash to stay afloat. Aquabounty’s CEO Stotish fretted that Bendukidze, who controlled nearly 48 percent of Aquabounty’s public stock, would move the company overseas. But in October Bendukidze’s investment fund sold its shares to Intrexon, a biotech firm headquartered in Germantown, Md.
Stotish views the sale as a positive development, but he still worries that the U.S. government is unwilling to approve the technology at the heart of his company’s work.
“This is about more than Aquabounty and more than salmon,” Stotish says. “And shame on us if we allow this to slip away because of partisan bickering and people who oppose new technology.” | <urn:uuid:52712c9e-8f88-4368-8c51-431f7ad48bba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20121204/AIK0103/121209800/0/AIK0107/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957496 | 1,908 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Officials in north Texas want a new hearing to determine whether they can buy water in southeastern Oklahoma.
The Tarrant Regional Water District late Wednesday asked a federal appeals court to reconsider their lawsuit that claims Oklahoma water laws are unconstitutional.
Earlier this month, a three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed a federal judge's dismissal of the district's suit against the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
The lawsuit, filed in 2007, argued that Oklahoma statutes governing its water rights posed burdens to interstate commerce.
The Tarrant water district serves more than 1.7 million people in 11 counties in rapidly growing north Texas. | <urn:uuid:8528a0d5-b48e-443f-9908-7cd508345f2d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Texas-Water-District-Wants-New-Hearing-on-Oklahoma-Water-130434373.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949298 | 134 | 1.5625 | 2 |
April 8, 2011
Police train at mock party
Agencies hold first coordinated underage drinking enforcement training at college
One student was passed out with a liquor bottle in hand when police officers broke up the party, fending off the rantings and protest of the inebriated hostess.
One underage drinker made a dash for the door, but was wrestled down and handcuffed.
The party was not real, the students did not have alcohol and were not underage drinkers. But police officers performing their training exercise Thursday on the SUNY Cortland campus had to handle it like the real thing.
Cortland County’s first collaborative party patrol training, run in part through the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, was geared to show officers from local police agencies a few new ways to handle underage drinking enforcement.
College volunteers who work in the SUNY Cortland Emergency Medical Squad played the “drunks.”
“It’s an interesting way to see how police respond to the situation from the side of the drunk people instead of from the people helping the drunk people,” said John Carlisle. He played the drinker who tried to flee.
With high school prom and summer concert season coming up, the timing was right for training on dealing with underage drinking, said Kimberly McRae Friedman, assistant director for Seven Valleys Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.
In a recent statewide survey of 92,000 students, 51 percent of Cortland County’s senior high school students said they used alcohol in the 30 days before the survey, McRae Friedman said — 2 percent higher than the state average of underage drinking.
Cortland is a college town, and local police agencies routinely handle underage drinking incidents – both on and off campus. Bill Patterson, senior program manager for law enforcement with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center, talked strategies Thursday with local officers for better ways to break up parties.
“Normally when they (police) get called to a party or noise complaint, they go up to the door and most of the time say: ‘Hey, keep the noise down. If we have to come back we’ll take action,’” Patterson said. “They don’t know further to say if this is an underage drinking party, if we’ve got kids in there that are passed out.”
Patterson said parents often associate underage alcohol problems with just drinking and driving, but it can carry other fringe problems like date rape or assaults.
“Either in this town or close by, you’ve had alcohol poisonings at parties and this is the thing we’re trying to prevent,” Patterson said.
Parents are urged to monitor their liquor and medicine cabinets, be aware of what their children are doing and who their friends are, set times they are expected home and know how to recognize signs of alcohol abuse, McRae Friedman said.
Cortland County Sheriff’s deputies, city police officers, state troopers, and officers from other local police agencies participated at Thursday’s demonstration.
A grant from the state Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funded the training. Future programs will be held, depending on more grant funding, McRae Friedman said.
To read this article and more, pick up today's Cortland Standard
Click here to subscribe | <urn:uuid:6bf169dc-b6c2-4055-8977-60204d8094e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cortlandstandard.net/articles/04082011n.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954325 | 714 | 1.679688 | 2 |
GOProud, the gay Republican Tea Party group, today “enthusiastically” endorsed de-facto Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, claiming the 65-year old is “light years better” than Barack Obama. Mysteriously, GOProud and its two co-founders, Jimmy LaSalvia and Chris Barron, neglected to mention that Romney is against same-sex marriage, the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the repeal of DOMA, does not support an inclusive ENDA, and this week appeared with some of the most virulently anti-gay religious icons of the Republican Party and proclaimed straight parents are better than gay parents.
Exposing their real agenda — being perceived as a source of financial capital – Lisa De Pasquale, interim Chair of the GOProud Board of Directors said in a statement, “GOProud is prepared to commit significant resources to help make Mitt Romney the next President of the United States.”
“The Board of Directors of GOProud voted to enthusiastically endorse Governor Romney’s candidacy for President,” De Pasquale, the former Director of CPAC, added.
“Most gay Americans – like their straight counterparts – are not better off than they were 4 years ago,” said Jimmy LaSalvia, GOProud Executive Director. “The truth is that gay people are living in the disastrous failed Obama economy too.”
Today, Bloomberg News reported on an in-house Bloomberg Poll that found that “Forty-five percent of those surveyed in a Bloomberg National Poll say they are better off than at the beginning of 2009 compared with 36 percent who say they are worse off.”
“President Obama and his friends on the left want this election to be about divisive social issues, because the President’s record on jobs and the economy is indefensible,” LaSalvia’s statement added. “At this critical juncture, we need a President with the experience and expertise to turn this economy around. Someone who knows how the free markets work – former Governor Mitt Romney is that candidate.”
President Obama, in fact, has decided to act in areas like women’s reproductive rights, civil rights for LGBT Americans, and implementing some of the policies the DREAM Act would have created had Congress done its job and passed it. President Obama also has overseen an economy produce 27 straight months of positive job growth.
“Not only does President Obama not understand how the free markets work – he is openly hostile to free market capitalism,” LaSalvia’s statement continues. “President Obama’s repeated attacks on Governor Romney’s private sector record underscore this President’s fundamental lack of understanding of how our economy works. Instead of demonizing free markets, President Obama should be focused on creating an economic environment that encourages free market investments and creates jobs.”
As the top image, right, shows, the DOW under President Obama has risen an amazing 54.66%. Under President Bush, the DOW dropped 21.78%.
“For far too long, the gay left in this country has been allowed to dictate what they believe qualify as ‘gay issues.’ We think that jobs, the economy, healthcare, retirement security and taxes are all ‘gay issues,’ and on every single one of those issues, Mitt Romney is light years better than President Obama,” said LaSalvia, who does mention that GOProud doesn’t agree with Romney on all issues.
While “jobs, the economy, healthcare, retirement security and taxes are all ‘gay issues’,” too, certainly, the chart above, “Obamacare” — aka the Affordable Care Act — the fact that President Obama has lowered taxes to rates not seen in six decades, and a host of other achievements, make it clear Jimmy LaSalvia, needs to do his homework.
The Advocate notes:
The statement did not mention Richard Grenell, the openly gay national security spokesman who resigned from the Romney campaign in May after an outcry from religious conservatives led by the American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer. Grenell denied that his sexual orientation played a role in his departure, but the tumultuous episode raised questions about the extent to which the candidate would associate publicly with gay advocates.
We invite you to sign up for our new mailing list, and subscribe to The New Civil Rights Movement via email or RSS. | <urn:uuid:3ada96c3-cf8a-4876-98ba-9578371463ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/goproud-endorses-romney-light-years-better-than-president-obama/news/2012/06/20/41853 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960623 | 929 | 1.507813 | 2 |
DePauw Institute for Girls in Science Welcomes 30 to Campus
June 25, 2008
June 25, 2008, Greencastle, Ind. - A total of 30 ninth grade girls from across Indiana are on the DePauw University campus this week for the annual DePauw Institute for Girls in Science (DIGS). The summer camp, which was started by a group of faculty members in the mid-1990s, brings teenage girls together for intensive, hands-on learning in biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, economics and computer science.
DePauw science students and faculty serve as camp counselors and instructors. Campers spend eight hours a day in a laboratory, field or classroom for five days; the camp culminates with small group presentations and a poster session for parents, teachers and the DePauw scientific community.
You're invited to attend the poster session, which will take place Friday at 10 a.m. in the atrium of the Percy Lavon Julian Science & Mathematics Center. It is free and open to all.
The DIGS program was created by a group of women science faculty to help increase the number of females in science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- fields where women professionals continue to be underrepresented.
"The transition from middle school to high school represents a notoriously leaky section of the pipeline that brings young women into science professions," says Dana Dudle, associate professor of biology and director of the DIGS camp. "For this reason, the DIGS camp is geared toward female students entering the ninth grade."
Participants were nominated to attend the free camp by their middle school teachers and selected to participate in DIGS. Most campers this year hail from Putnam County, but others have traveled from as far away as Fort Wayne.
Over the course of the week, DIGS campers will extract and identify DNA from bacteria, learn the physics behind toys, and search for fossils at Shades State Park. Fourteen faculty members from eight academic departments are participating in DIGS. The events provide a "fantastic opportunity for DePauw students to serve as role models and teachers," says Dr. Dudle.
The DIGS Camp is supported by DePauw's Women in Science program, the Women's Center, and the office of academic affairs.Back | <urn:uuid:1944d5d5-1818-4e7a-b2b2-16b9be2be62e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.depauw.edu/news-media/latest-news/details/21771/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956279 | 482 | 2.5625 | 3 |
How Technology Can Save Your Valentine's Day
Running Low on Date Ideas?
For those looking for a great Valentine’s for their significant other, why not let technology lend you a helping hand. One of the best brainstorming platforms is Pinterest. Here, people from all over the world post ideas for topics such as Valentine’s Day date ideas as well as gifts. For those people who “just aren’t that creative,” you no longer have an excuse. You can now gather ideas from all over the world, filter, and choose which you like best. With something like Pinterest, you can have the best Valentine’s Day possible.
For those who love taking photos, Instagram is a well-known application that allows you to post and share photos to your profile for others to see. However, as of last year, Instagram has a sister application called Lovestagram. Lovestagram creates a slideshow of all Instagram photos shared between you and your special someone. All you do is sign in through your Instagram account and enter the username of your significant other. Two of the frames place your photos in a still frame you can click through and one places all photos in one frame. For now, all of the frames are love themed.
Are You a Last Minute Person?
For those who let the holiday sneak up on them, don’t worry. There is a way to help prepare for the eleventh hour. With these tools at your disposal, you’ll look like a Valentine’s Day genius.
If you forget to check the movies beforehand, download the Movies by Flixter (or something similar) app to your smart phone. Apps such as Flixter will check local theatres for movie times thus making you seem that much smoother.
Do you need to make a last minute reservation? While this is not recommended since it is so difficult to find an open table on Valentine’s Day, there is an app that can help. With OpenTable, you can make reservations right from your phone. You can even sort through cuisines as well as price ranges.
For desert, check out Find Chocolate. This little app helps you find the nearest chocolate shop for that special someone. | <urn:uuid:de3f2813-028d-4da0-9074-b6c3b11aa5d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shsu.edu/~ucs_www/newsletter/Feb_2013/vday.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933786 | 459 | 1.523438 | 2 |
That could be especially important to Augusta and Georgia because of the higher toll that prostate cancer takes among blacks, said GHSU Cancer Center Director Samir N. Khleif, who developed the potential therapy.
The university has opened a clinical trial involving Provenge, the only therapeutic cancer vaccine yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The patient’s immune cells are taken out, cultured to recognize a prostate cancer protein, and then given back in a series of treatments.
The treatment is intended for those with advanced prostate cancer who already have had therapy and are not responding to hormonal therapy. It has been shown to prolong survival by a little more than four months.
“This is good because these are incremental changes, but they are small incremental changes,” Khleif said. The problem is, the tumor has developed what he calls a “tumor immune regulatory network, where the tumor is really through a network having multiple levels of strategies inhibiting the immune response,” Khleif said.
His lab is looking at an antibody that, when used in combination with the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide, inhibits a mechanism that tells T cells, which help in immune response, to go to sleep, which is a key part of the strategy.
Researchers must disrupt more than one tumor defense mechanism, which allows for an immune-boosting response for the immune cells rallied against the tumor, Khleif said.
He said that provides “a better environment with less obstacles (for the vaccine) to work and it also provides them a better environment to come to the tumor itself.”
The clinical trial using the GHSU potential therapy is exactly what Khleif is trying to promote at the cancer center.
“It is homegrown,” he said. “We discovered it, we developed it, we went forward with it.”
It is also a unique offering.
“This kind of trial, you don’t have it at other places in the country,” Khleif said. “People might come from other places outside Augusta to get this kind of therapy. It provides patients with an alternative therapy that they cannot get easily in this town or other places.”
The potential therapy is of particular concern for Augusta and Georgia because the death rate from prostate cancer in blacks is more than twice the death rate among whites, according to the American Cancer Society.
“This is why a therapy like this for the patients in Georgia and the citizens of Georgia would be very important,” Khleif said. | <urn:uuid:9a542b2a-7bc9-4fbd-bdfb-874d30864ef7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/health/2012-11-30/ghsu-approach-could-boost-vaccine-prostate-cancer?v=1354310267 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963107 | 537 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Question: What is the difference between management and leadership?
Tom Stewart: I don’t. I mean there is … There is a common differentiation that, you know, leadership is the
… is the “why” and the “where”, and management is the “how” and is sort of a lower … a lower arc. But I actually think it’s a distinction without a difference. In an important kind of way, I think there is an element that, you know, bosses – senior people – have that is a leadership element. And we’ve gotta decide where we’re gonna go and what this is all about. And we’ve gotta try to make meaning and make sense of things in sort of an inspirational role. That role doesn’t necessarily have to be held by somebody who’s the chief person in the hierarchy, too. The leader … there’s … that leadership role can be taken by anybody at any time. So there is that part of being a leader, but there’s also the … When I think of … In this leadership/management distinction, management becomes a lesser art. You know it’s “leadership is poetry and management is prose.” I … I think there’s a lot of poetry in the prose. When I think about it – and this is something that I’ve only come to recently but it motivates me strongly – is this idea that you spend … we spend … people who work in organizations spend … at least a third of their waking hours at work. They get most of their training and education after school – after they leave school – happens at work. They, you know, their relationship to their workplace is the most important workplace … relationship that they have except for that to their families. And in some cases it’s more important. So there’s a moral dimension to this. The decisions that managers make about whom to promote or whom not to promote, or the decisions the – the seemingly little decisions managers make about how to … whether to treat people rudely or kindly are … are decision with kind of large moral consequences for the … for themselves and for the individuals around them. And so I … I really think it’s a false distinction. I think that … that … that in this prose of management, there is some pretty important stuff.
Recorded on: 6/22/07 | <urn:uuid:6f875863-9a47-49e2-9dd9-6522ef5b92a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bigthink.com/videos/what-is-the-difference-between-management-and-leadership | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971894 | 508 | 2.453125 | 2 |
September 10, 2002
New simulation shows 9/11 plane crash with scientific detail
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Engineers, computer scientists and graphics technology experts at Purdue University have created the first publicly available simulation that uses scientific principles to study in detail what theoretically happened when the Boeing 757 crashed into the Pentagon last Sept. 11.
Researchers said the simulation could be used as a tool for designing critical buildings such as hospitals and fire stations to withstand terrorist attacks.
The simulation merges a realistic-looking visualization of the airliner approaching the building with a technical, science-based animation of the plane crashing into the structure.
"This is going to be a tremendous asset," said Mete Sozen, Purdue's Kettelhut Distinguished Professor of Structural Engineering. "Eventually, I hope this will be expanded into a model that we can use to help design structures to resist severe impact loads.
"Using this simulation I can do the so-called 'what-if' study, testing hypothetical scenarios before actually building a structure."
The simulation can be recorded on a DVD and played on an ordinary personal computer.
The software tool is unusual because it uses principles of physics to simulate how a plane's huge mass of fuel and cargo impacts a building. The plane's structure caused relatively little damage, and the explosion and fire that resulted from the crash also are not likely to have been dominant factors in the disaster, Sozen said.
The model indicates the most critical effects were from the mass moving at high velocity.
"At that speed, the plane itself is like a sausage skin," Sozen said. "It doesn't have much strength and virtually crumbles on impact."
But the combined mass of everything inside the plane particularly the large amount of fuel onboard can be likened to a huge river crashing into the building.
The simulation deals specifically with steel-reinforced concrete buildings, as opposed to skyscrapers like the World Trade Center's twin towers, in which structural steel provided the required strength and stiffness. Reinforced concrete is inherently fire resistant, unlike structural steel, which is vulnerable to fire and must undergo special fireproofing.
"Because the structural skeleton of the Pentagon had a high level of toughness, it was able to absorb much of the kinetic energy from the impact," said Christoph M. Hoffmann, a professor in the Department of Computer Sciences and at Purdue's Computing Research Institute.
Sozen created a mathematical model of reinforced concrete columns. The model was then used as a starting point to produce the simulation.
Hoffmann turned Sozen's model into the simulation by representing the plane and its mass as a mesh of hundreds of thousands of "finite elements," or small squares containing specific physical characteristics.
"What we do is simulate the physics of phenomena and then we visualize what we have calculated from scientific principles as a plausible explanation of what really happened," Hoffmann said. "We hope that through such simulations we can learn from this tragic event how to protect better the lives of our citizens and the civil infrastructure of the nation."
The simulation may be the first of its kind for merging realistic-looking animation with scientifically rigorous computations.
"Most of the computer-simulated crashes you see in movies or on TV are not realistic from the point of view of physics," said Voicu Popescu, an assistant professor of computer science. "They are designed to be spectacular rather than realistic. What hasn't been done much, or, to our knowledge hasn't been done at all, is to create a visualization that looks realistic in the sense that you would recognize the Pentagon and the plane and is, at the same time, true to physics."
The mesh of finite elements in the model require that millions of calculations be solved for every second of simulation. Creating only one-tenth of a second of simulation took about 95 hours of computation time on a supercomputer. Researchers originally used a bank of computers and also worked closely with Information Technology at Purdue (ItaP) to harness IBM supercomputers at Purdue and Indiana University.
"The majority of the work had to do with producing the right models and then setting up the particular mesh so that we could work out accurately how this scenario unfolded," Hoffmann said.
In the simulation, the plane crashes into the building's concrete support columns, which were reinforced with steel bars. In this simulation the columns were assumed to be "spirally reinforced," a technique popular in the 1940s in which steel bars were wound around columns in a helical shape. The coiled steel provided added strength to the columns and probably is responsible for saving many lives, Sozen said.
The simulation might be especially useful for engineers who are trying to design reinforced concrete structures that better withstand terrorist attacks or accidents involving aircraft crashes.
"Our focus was on modeling the impact effect of the liquid fuel in the tanks of the aircraft the amount of energy transferred to the building's structural load-carrying system, which is mainly the reinforced concrete columns, and the condition of those columns after the impact," said Sami Kilic, a civil engineering research associate who specializes in earthquake engineering.
A major challenge has been learning how to combine commercially available software with the special models needed to simulate an airliner hitting a building, Kilic said.
The Purdue team used commercial software that is normally used by auto manufacturers to simulate car crashes. But adapting the software to simulate the plane crash and then combining the realistic-looking graphics with scientific simulation has been especially difficult, Kilic said.
"Integrating these two animations is uncommon," he said. "We are discovering a new territory. We had some interaction with aeronautical engineers, and they had never heard of this kind of a simulation, with an aircraft hitting a building.
"This kind of a structure/aircraft interaction is not done commercially."
The work was funded, in part, by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; email@example.com
Related Web Site:
IMAGE CAPTION 2:
IMAGE CAPTION 3: | <urn:uuid:d11c3da3-1d25-4f27-b1e0-1f514583dfb0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.purdue.edu/uns/html4ever/020910.Sozen.Pentagon.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95843 | 1,252 | 3.4375 | 3 |
Graterford, Pennsylvania, December 2001
To photograph Friday prayers at the State Correctional Institution at Graterford, I needed the consent of the imam and the Muslim prison elders, who were serving life sentences. They were polite, respectful, and insisted on carrying my cameras. I was their guest, and they took it as a point of pride to safeguard me from the non-Muslim prisoners. I wore strict hijab both to show my hosts respect and also to send a stern message to the rest of the prison population that I was with—and protected by—the Muslims.
At this maximum-security prison, there were about 800 Sunni Muslims in a total population of 3,200. Most of them were African American. Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of the U.S. prison system’s Muslims today are mainstream Sunnis, not Nation of Islam members. | <urn:uuid:ffe2058b-a110-4815-807f-25a59af9f92b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alexandraavakian.com/galleries/windows_of_the_soul_gallery/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977525 | 178 | 1.726563 | 2 |
In the early 2000's the received wisdom was that central and northern Europe were populated by Palaeolithic peoples from 'ice age refuges' in Spain and Italy after the glaciers melted. These first people on the land stayed there, and the genetic makeup of Europe was fixed by 10,000 years ago. Subsequent invasions of Europe - by agriculturalists, horse nomads, Celts, Germans, Greeks, Italics, Slavs, Hungarians, and so on involved transfer of technology, culture, or ruling classes, and did not make a big imprint on the genetic makeup of Europeans.
However as more and more results of ancient DNA extracted from Palaeolithic skeletons were published, it became apparent that their y-dna and mtdna types were quite different from those of modern Europeans. Generally opinion shifted until it was taken that Neolithic agriculturalists and pastoralists that migrated into Europe via the Danube Valley, by sea in the Mediterranean, and later by horse and wagon from southern Russia, all displaced the earlier inhabitant - if not by war, then simply by outbreeding them due to the more intense exploitation of the land and higher populations densities of farmers and herders compared to hunter-gatherers.
W skeletons, as in the modern population, are rarer. However there are some results. No W has been found in Palaeolithic Europe so far. The oldest W's reliably reported are from the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK; 5,500–4,900 calibrated B.C.) site Derenburg Meerenstieg II in Germany. Two of the 22 individuals for which an HVS1 sequence could be obtained were W's with the 16093 16223 16292 motif. The basic motif itself is found in modern mutations 16093 is found (in combination with other HVR1 mutations) in modern populations as W3a1a (with the 13263G coding region mutation) and as W4 (with 13263A in the coding region and the infamous 194-143-196-192 in HVR2). The basic motif is currently reported from Turkey (2), Netherlands (2), Britain (1), Ireland (2).However 16093 plus some other mutations is much more wide ranging. 7000 years since the LBK is enough time for another HVR1 mutation or more to have occurred.
There is an even older W, which predates LBK, but this is a very doubtful result. This was from Unseburg Germany 6550 BC, but 'multiple sequences' were read from the skeleton (which was an isolated find from the 1930's), 'crystal outside of physiological range' had formed on the exterior, and 'ambiguous results' were obtained. So the idea that W was absent in Europe prior to the arrival of middle eastern agriculturalists is not disproven by this sample.
Ancient W's identified so far are listed below. The LBK German ones are probably W3a1 or W5a1. The Spanish Iberian ones have a contemporary match on the Azores, and with additional 16390 mutation, in France, but only HVR1 sequences are available and the subgroup can't be predicted. Potential ancestors with only the 16295 mutation are W1's; those with only the 16304 mutation are central European (Czech, Hungary, Poland) and are probably W3's. All other ancient samples are 'vanilla' 16223 16292 and could be W1, W3, W4, or W5.
Here are the results to date:
- Unseburg Germany 6550 BC, W 16223 16292, Bramanti 2009 - but 'multiple sequences' 'crystal outside of physiological range' 'ambiguous results'
- Derenburg Meerenstieg II, Germany [deb23], 5500-4900 BC, W3a1 or W5a1a, 16093 16223 16292, Haak et al 2010.
- Derenburg Meerenstieg II, Germany [deb34II], 5500-4900 BC, W3a1 or W5a1a, 16093 16223 16292, Haak et al 2010.
- Kromsdorf, Germany [grave 4a], 2,600–2,500 BC, W5a, 16223T 16292T 16362C; 073G 189G 194T 195C 204C 207A 263G; Lee 2012.
- Steppe nomads Kazakhstan Zevakinskiy 800-600 BC, W1 or W3 or W5, 16223 16292, Lalueza-Fox 2004
- Anglian England Norton, Cleveland Market [N20, N57] 400-600 AD, W1 or W3 or W5, 2 samples: 16223 16292, Töpf 2006, 2007
- Spain Cami de Can Grau Granollers, Barcelona 3500-3000 BC, W1e or W3, 16223T 16292T 16295T 16304C, Sampietro 2007
- Iberian Spain Torrelo Bonerot,Castellon [TORR2] 700-500 BC, W1e, 16223T 16292Y 16295Y 16304Y, Gamba 2008
- Iberian Spain Torrelo Bonerot, Castellon [TORR1] 700-500 BC, W1e, 16223T 16292Y 16295Y 16304Y 16311Y, Gamba 2008
- Jewish Israel Tomb of the Shroud, Akeldama, Jerusalem [SC7 M] M 0-100 AD, W1 or W3 or W5, 16223T 16292T, Matheson 2009
- Jewish Israel Tomb of the Shroud, Akeldama, Jerusalem [SC17 F] F 0-100 AD, W1 or W3 or W5, 16223T 16292T, Matheson 2009
- Jewish Israel Tomb of the Shroud, Akeldama, Jerusalem [SC4] M 0-100 AD, W1 or W3 or W5, (reported as T3) 16292T, Matheson 2009
- Jewish Israel Tomb of the Shroud, Akeldama, Jerusalem [SC7 F] F 0-100 AD, W?, (reported as T3) 16292T Matheson 2009
- Jewish Israel Tomb of the Shroud, Akeldama, Jerusalem [SC7 ?] ? 0-100 AD, W?, (reported as T3) 16292T Matheson 2009
Comments? Corrections? Questions? E-mail me! | <urn:uuid:36c1aaf2-5297-46cf-82f9-64a3bff388df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thecid.com/ancient.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922566 | 1,370 | 3.40625 | 3 |
Spore merges multiple run-of-the-mill building blocks into a big, entertaining game.
- Intuitive and comprehensive customization tools
- Oozes charm at every turn
- Impressively broad scope
- Great audio and art design.
- Individual gameplay elements are extremely simple
- Early stages aren't very engaging.
Spore is an enjoyable game that pulls off an interesting balancing act. On one hand, it lets you create a creature and guide its maturation from a single cell to a galactic civilization through an unusual process of evolutionary development. Because the tools used to create and revise this creature are so robust and amusing, and each creation's charms are so irresistible, it's hard not to get attached to your digital alter ego. On the other hand, this intimacy is abandoned in the long, later portions of the game, when you lead your full-grown civilization in its quest for universal domination. The idea sounds ambitious, though Spore isn't as much a deep game as it is a broad one, culling elements from multiple genres and stripping them down to their simplest forms. By themselves, these elements aren't very remarkable; but within the context of a single, sprawling journey, they complement each other nicely and deliver a myriad of delights.
Spore's greatest asset, by far, is its intuitive set of creation tools. If you've played the separate Creature Creator, released earlier this year, you're only seeing a small piece of the puzzle. At various stages, you'll construct, for example, town halls, land vehicles sporting cannons, and aircraft that spout religious propaganda. The creatures are the true stars though, and you can mix and match legs, arms, mouths, wings, and lots of other parts into a beautiful work of art--or a hideous monstrosity. Each part of your creation can be turned, resized, and twisted, so whether you wish to re-create a favorite cartoon character or develop an original concept, you'll probably find what you need in here. You don't need to be a budding Pablo Picasso to make an interesting creature, however; just slapping a bunch of random parts together can result in a truly hysterical beast. Yet even if your onscreen buddy is a three-armed ogre with scales running up his belly, you'll be spending some time getting to know him in the first few hours of gameplay, and you'll probably develop some affection for him in spite of his hideousness.
You will need to put some creative energy into Spore, but if you aren't the artistic type or don't find the building- and vehicle-creation tools as interesting as those for your creature, you can use premade designs that ship with the game. Even better, you can utilize Spore's extensive community tools, inserting other players' innovations into your own game in progress. It's actually a lot of fun to sift through others' creations, if only to marvel at the remarkable amount of imagination on display. And you can do this from within the game proper using an online database called the Sporepedia. In Spore, community and gameplay come together in a fresh and user-friendly manner. In fact, to get the most out of the game, you should be online whenever you play. Not only will doing so give you access to the Sporepedia, but most of the other creatures, vehicles, and even entire planets you encounter will have been created by other players. The early release of the Creature Creator has already proven that community involvement is a core aspect of the Spore experience, and the sharing factor is poised to give the game remarkable longevity.
In a game of Spore proper, however, you won't start off by molding the creature of your dreams. The game is split into five stages, starting with the cell stage. (However, once you unlock a stage, you can start a new game there and bypass any stage that comes before it). The creation tools at this stage are simple, limited to a 2D cell and a few odds and ends, like flagella and spikes. The accompanying gameplay is similarly minimal, and if you've played Flow for the PlayStation 3 or PSP, you will have a good idea of how it works. You choose the path of a carnivore or an herbivore at the outset, which determines what sort of food bits you can munch on. From here, you maneuver your cell about the screen using the keyboard or mouse, avoiding creatures that are looking to you for their next meal while grabbing a bite or two yourself. If you're an herbivore, you seek out the green algae; if you're a carnivore, you need meat, which means waiting for a fish fight to break out and gobbling up the remains, or starting the fight yourself.
You'll also uncover new parts as you swim about, and can then attach them to your organism. To enter the cell creator, you send out a mating call, which lets you get romantic with another member of your species. Then, you add a few bits that make you swim faster or jab harder, and jump back into the gene pool. However, it is all ultrasimple: You swim around eating so you can get bigger, and avoid being eaten. If you do fall victim to a sharp-toothed protozoan, you'll rehatch with no real punishment. All in all, the cell stage may last you 20 or 25 minutes, which is just as well, since it's not very interesting and wears out its welcome quickly.
Soon enough, you'll leave the environs of the sea, add some legs, and lumber into the creature stage. You'll still find new parts scattered about, this time hidden within the skeletal remains of other beasts. Again, the gameplay itself is pretty simple: You wander around exploring for other creatures and advance through the stage by either befriending other nests or conquering them. If you want to go the aggressive route, you should equip sharp claws, tusks, and spitters; if you want to make friends with the local duck-billed orangutans, you'll go with parts that let you charm, sing, dance, and pose. Should you decide on violence, the encounter plays out much like a very plain online RPG, in which you click on your target and use one of your four special abilities to do damage. If you want to make friends by singing and dancing, you'll play a little game of Simon Says, mimicking the actions of your hopeful buddies. As you progress through the stage, you build up a little pack of followers, and they will join you in your battles--and your posing routines.
The gameplay in the creature stage may be simple, but it's here that you start to see what can make playing Spore such a special and rewarding experience. Seeing your creature slowly evolve from a flat cell to an awkward, gangly land dweller is fun, particularly if he doesn't look as though such a beast in real life would be able to walk, much less bounce around the forest. This is where your relationship with the creature is most prominent, and that connection is what makes the exploration of the creature stage so interesting. When you encounter a towering six-legged atrocity charging at the locals, you'll hightail it out of there--yet still be in awe, just as if you were the little guy himself. It's more about the gawking than the playing, but whether you're joining a pack of polka-dotted parakeets in chorus or catching a glimpse of an overhead UFO, there are some legitimately appealing moments to be had.
Once you reach the tribal stage, you will lose some of that connection with your creation. You will no longer be playing as an individual, but rather controlling a tribe, and the stage plays like a slimmed down real-time strategy game. It's disappointing that you can no longer make adjustments to your tribe's main features past this point; you can, however, adorn the creatures with different clothing items for the duration. Fortunately, the charm and personality of the creature stage is still very much evident, and you'll still have the same thrills as you encounter excellent and unusual creatures as you order about your small group of wacky travelers. Conceptually, the tribal stage is similar to the creature stage, only now you focus the violence on an entire village, including structures. If you like that sort of thing, you can go so far as to equip tribe members with torches and set the enemy village ablaze. If you'd rather woo your neighbors with the sweet, soothing sounds of song, there are a few instruments at your disposal.
You complain that the game is too simple, but that allows for a much broader scope of people to play it. Namely people who have never really played before. Namely, my girlfriend (lol). But seriously, it does allow for a much broader scope. And the early stages may not be too engaging, but they are still quite fun.
@Spartan8907 I understand that this is a good four years late, but... If you word the word below that "8.0" on the top right of this page, it says "great". That's why it got only an 8.0, c'mon man.
gamespot and their strange reviews. MGS4 got a ten but deserved an 8, Uncharted got an 8 but deserved waaaay better, and now spore has fallen victim to the unruly ratong system....
@tlow0678 uncharted 1 deserved a 6, at most. It was terrible. Uncharted 2 was amazaballs, but UC1? God f'ing awful.
@monicker @Leboyo56 That's the spirit. I just love how outrageously difficult it is compared to the other Uncharted's. On Normal, a Brute took six headshots from a shotgun to kill. My friend and I counted. I was only a few feet from him. Also the random zombie-vampire things that pop up halfway through the game has still got to be my favorite 'WTF?!' moment from any game as well.
Spore is going to become the "New Age" of gaming. I hope that soon games like Spore, were you can make almost every aspect of the game, will no longer be the minority of games but the majority.
@Owner34 You're right, and I kind of hate it. There's been a lack of very memorable characters lately.
actually sounds better than it did before. mind you i have been following spore since they first started talking about it. but each thing about it is making me think about getting it.
This is a tad disappointing. I was hoping for at least a 9. Oh well I still going to get this game, and it still a great score.
I think the reviewer is only judgiing the game based upon the mechanics of play. He isn't taking into account the deepth of the the things that are happening and the choices that you make along the way. Still, an 8 is not a bad score but I would not rate it under a 9 myself.
actually, the gameplay elements are rather shallow. but there 's alot of them. if the game was a bit deeper aswel it would probably have been a 10.
Nothing wrong with something looking "childish". Psychonauts, Creatures and the majority of Nintendo games are equally colourful and appealing, that doesn't mean they weren't good. | <urn:uuid:76565a59-378e-46d4-9ed2-c52c2602b3ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gamespot.com/spore/reviews/spore-review-6197206/ | 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 | 0.967198 | 2,363 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Salisbury University was ranked among the top 10 public
regional universities by U.S. News & World Report and as one of
the top universities nationwide by The Princeton Review.
Common Vocabulary Used on U.S. Campuses
Academic Advisor: A member of the faculty who helps
and advises a student on academic matters (selection of courses). S/he
may also assist a student during the registration process.
Academic Probation: A status resulting from
unsatisfactory academic work; a warning that a student must improve
academic performance or be dismissed after a specific period of time.
Academic Year: The period of formal academic
instruction, usually extending from September through May. At Salisbury
University it is divided into fall and spring semesters. Students may
also take classes during summer and/or winter sessions.
Add a Course: To enroll in a course for which a
student was not previously registered.
Advanced Placement: A waiver of some of the classes
normally required for an undergraduate degree, granted to a student
based on the prior study or experience (usually indicated by a student's
performance on a special examination).
Alumnus: A person who had attended or graduated from a
college or university.
Assignment: Out-of-class work required by a professor,
due by a specific time.
Assistantship: A study grant of financial aid to a
graduate student that is offered in return for certain services
(teaching, research). These services are supervised by faculty/staff
Associate Degree: A degree awarded upon the completion
of a two-year program of study, usually awarded by a community college.
Audit: Permits a student to take a class without a
grade or credit.
B.A.: Bachelor of Arts degree awarded upon completion
of a four-year program of study, generally focused on subjects related
to arts (Music), humanities (Languages), or social sciences
B.S.: Bachelor of Science degree awarded upon
completion of a four-year program of study, generally focused on
subjects related to professional disciplines, like Nursing or Business.
Blue Book: A small booklet of writing paper with a
blue cover, used for written examinations. Blue Books are available at
the University's bookstore.
Campus: The area where the buildings of a college or
university are located.
Cashier: The office (or person) where all the
University bills are paid.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is a
part of the US Department of Homeland Security): USCIS develops
regulations for all international visitors, including international
students. For more information, please refer to the Immigration
Information in this booklet.
Class: Referring to a number of credits earned
(Freshman: 0-29, Sophomore: 30-59, Junior: 60-89, Senior: 90 and above);
also, referring to a group of students who meet with the faculty member
on scheduled basis.
College: An institution of higher learning that offers
undergraduate programs, usually of four year duration, which lead to the
B.A. or B.S. degrees. The term "college" can be also used to describe
any post-secondary educational institution.
College/University Catalogue: An official publication
of a college or university, giving information about academic programs,
facilities, services, entrance requirements and student life. The SU
Catalogue is published every two years, for updated class schedules
please check each semester's Registration Bulletin.
Community College: An institution of higher learning
where the Associate Degree is awarded after students complete a two-tear
program of study.
Course: Regularly scheduled class session of one to
five (or more) hours per week during the semester. A degree program is
made up of a specific number of courses and is different at each
institution. All courses are assigned a name and a number for
Course Number: The number given to identify a course,
e.g., History 101. Numbers 100-499 usually refer to undergraduate
courses, and numbers 500 and above describe graduate courses.
Cram: Intense study at the last possible moment before
an examination. This is not a recommended way to study.
Credit by examination: Academic credit granted by a
college for a student's having demonstrated proficiency in a subject as
measured by an examination.
Credits: Units which most institutions use to record
completion of courses (with passing or higher grades), which are
required for an academic degree. The Undergraduate and Graduate
Catalogues define the amounts and kinds of credits each student must
complete to receive his/her degree (also called credit hours).
Dean: Director or the highest authority within
academic division of study (Dean of the School of Business, Dean of the
School of Liberal Arts).
Dean's List: The list of full-time, undergraduate
students whose GPA was 3.5 (out of possible 4.0) or higher for a given
Degree: Diploma or title awarded to a student who
completed a prescribed course of study.
Degree Program: A program leading to the Bachelor of
Arts, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, the Bachelor of Science and the
Bachelor of Social Work. Requirements for graduation require the total
of 120 semester hours, of which 47 must be from the General Education
courses, and the remaining from Electives and Required Courses.
Degree Requirement: A set of requirements which a
student must fulfill before s/he graduates (they include matriculation
and completion of approved degree programs.) Requirements for a degree
programs are different for each major. For more detailed information,
please consult the Undergraduate or Graduate Catalogue.
Department: Administrative subdivision of a university
or college, in which instruction in a certain subject is given (Biology
Department, Accounting Department).
Discussion Group: A group of students who meet with a
faculty member to discuss a certain academic topic.
Double Major: Any program of study in
which a student completes the requirements of two majors concurrently.
Drop: A process by which a student officially removes
himself/herself from taking a class.
Drop/Add Period: A period of time during the first
week of the semester, were students may change courses for the semester
by "dropping" or "adding" a course. Courses dropped during that period
will not appear on a student's permanent record. Courses dropped after
that period will appear on the permanent record, with the appropriate
International students must retain at least 12 (undergraduate) or 9
(graduate) credit hours for fall and spring semesters.
Electives: Courses that a student may "elect " (choose
freely) to take for credit toward his/her degree. (also see Required
Essay: A method of examination, or homework, by which
a student presents his/her knowledge of a subject in a written
Faculty: Members of the teaching staff, and
occasionally the administrative staff, of an educational institution.
Fees: An amount of money charged by institutions, in a
addition to tuition, to cover costs of certain services (health
services, laboratories, etc.).
Final: The last, and often most difficult, examination
of the semester.
Flunk: To receive an unsatisfactory grade for an
examination, or a course.
Fraternity: A social organization for male students,
with specific objectives, rules and regulations.
Full-time Student: A student who is taking a full load
of course work at an institution; at Salisbury University that number is
12 for undergraduate and 9 for graduate students (all
international students must remain full-time student during their stay.)
General Education Requirement: To graduate from
Salisbury University, each undergraduate student must take at least 47
credits from four General education groups: Group I - English and Arts,
Group II - History and Social Sciences, Group III - Sciences, Group IV -
GPA (Grade Point Average): A system of recording
academic achievement based on an average of a student's grades. The GPA
is calculated as follows:
1. To compute the quality points for each course in which a grade of A
(4 points), B (3 points), C (2 points), D (1 point) and F (0 points) was
earned, multiply the credit hours for the course by the grade points
assigned to that grade:
2. The grade point average for the semester is calculated by dividing
the total quality points earned by the number of hours completed; (34
quality points) divided by (16 credit hours) equals (2.125); GPA =
3. The cumulative grade point average is calculated by dividing the
total quality points earned in all semesters by the total credit hours
in which a grade of A, B, C, D or F was earned for all semesters.
Graduate: To complete a course of study prescribed for
a certain degree, also a person who graduated.
Honor Society: An organization honoring students for
achieving distinction in academic areas and/or service.
ID (Identification Card): A card with a student's
photograph, stating that an individual is a member of the University.
Each students receives an ID card at the beginning of his/her study, and
should keep it throughout their studies. The ID cards are used
throughout the campus: (in the library, computer labs, gym etc.) They
are also used as a cash card: once a student deposits a certain amount
of money into his/her account, that ID card can be used as cash around
Independent Study: A method of receiving credit for
study or research independent of the assignments of any specific
International Student Advisor: A representative of the
University whose job is to provide guidance and information to
international students in many areas of student life, including US
government regulations, visas, academic regulations, customs, language,
financial problems, housing, travel plans, health insurance, etc. The
International Student & Scholar Services office is located in
the Center for International Education, (410)
Internships: Short-term, supervised work experiences,
usually related to a student's major field, for which the student earns
academic credit. The work can be full or part time, on or off campus,
paid or unpaid. Student teaching and apprenticeships are examples of
Lab (laboratory): A classroom where practical learning
and demonstration in science subjects take place.
Lecture: The most common method of instruction in
university or college courses, when a faculty member provides
information by speaking to a group of students (class).
Major: The subject or area of study in which a student
concentrates (English, Business).
M.A./M.S.: Master of Arts/Master of Science awarded
upon completion of one or two year program of graduate study beyond the
Matriculate: To be formally enrolled in a university
Mid-term: The examination given in the middle of the
Minor: The subject or area of studies in which a
student concentrates to a lesser degree than in his/her major.
Multiple-choice Examination: An examination in which
questions are followed by two or more answers, from which a student
selects the correct answer.
Networking: Connecting with people in your chosen
profession. Many people are successful in obtaining employment
immediately after graduation using this technique.
Open-book Examination: An examination during which a
student is permitted to use his/her book.
Oral Examination: An examination during which a
student answers questions by speaking rather than by writing.
Part-time Student: A student who carries less than
full load of courses (all international students must carry a
full load; 12 credit hours for undergraduate and 9 credit hours for
Pass/Fail: A grading system that rates a student's
performance on a pass/fail basis, rather than on grades (A, B, C, D, F).
For more information on grading system, please refer to the SU
Ph.D.: The highest academic degree awarded by a
university to students who have completed at least three years of study
beyond their bachelor's and master's degrees, and who have demonstrated
their academic ability in oral and written examinations and through
original research presented in a form of dissertation (thesis).
Placement Test: An examination used to test a
student's academic ability in a certain subject, so s/he can be placed
in a course at an appropriate level. In some cases students may get
credit after scoring high on a placement test.
Plagiarism: The use of someone else's words or ideas
without acknowledgment of their source; it is not acceptable in the US
and can carry serious repercussions.
Practical Training: A period of time, up to 12 months,
of practical training in the field of study, permitted to international
students after completion of an academic program; written recommendation
of the University and approval of the USCIS are required.
Prerequisites: Courses that a student is required to
complete before being permitted to take more advanced courses.
Quiz: A short test, written or oral, usually less
formal than an exam.
Registrar: The office (or person), maintaining
students' academic and personal records.
Registration: A process during which a student
officially signs up for classes.
Required Courses: Classes that a student must take in
order to complete his/her degree.
Research Paper: A formal written report that includes
research findings and a student's own ideas.
Residence Hall: A building on campus where students
live during the school year.
Sabbatical: A period of time (usually one semester)
when a faculty member is not teaching, but concentrating on his/her own
Scholarship: A study grant, usually given at an
undergraduate level, to help a student with his/her tuition and fee
payments. International students at SU are eligible for departmental and
Rotary scholarships only.
Semester: A period of study of approximately 15 weeks,
usually half of the academic year (fall semester and spring semester).
Seminar: A form of class instruction, generally open
to seniors and graduate students. It combines independent research and
class discussion, under the instruction of a faculty member.
Sign-up Sheet: An informal way of registering for an
activity; usually a name, address and phone number are requested.
Social Security Number: A number issued by the US
government for identification, insurance and tax purposes. At SU it is
also a student number, shown on ID cards.
Sorority: A social organization for female students,
with specific objectives, rules and regulations.
Syllabus: An outline of activities that will take
place during each academic course; a syllabus will often describe a
faculty member's expectations and examination schedules.
Take-home Examinations: An examination which may be
completed at home.
Test: An examination, or any other procedure that
measures academic abilities of a student.
Transcript: A certified copy of a student's academic
record, containing course titles, credits and final grades for each
course. An official transcript will also state the date and the degree
awarded to a student, if any.
Transfer: Many American students begin their
postsecondary education at one institution and finish it at another.
They transfer from one institution to another.
True/False: An examination in which questions are
answered by marking "True" or "False".
Tuition: The money an institution charges for
instruction and training (does not cover "fees" or cost of books or
Tutoring: A method of providing help to students by
instruction outside of class. Advanced students will work with
individuals or small groups to increase understanding of the material.
Such help is provided in some courses at lower levels (100).
Undergraduate Studies: Two- or four-year program in a
college or a university, after high school graduation, leading to an
associate or bachelor's degree.
Withdrawal: The procedure in which a students
officially removes himself/herself from taking a class, or from an
Back to Top | <urn:uuid:d3ebc568-8602-4a4a-8a31-b7d4ad59a0c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.salisbury.edu/intled/iss/intlhdbk/acadinfo.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931835 | 3,467 | 1.742188 | 2 |
1. Lucky iron fish: When Cambodian villagers were hemorrhaging during childbirth due to a lack of iron, University of Guelph researcher Christopher Charles found an answer—throw a small chunk of iron, designed to look like a local river fish, into cooking pots. The result: a huge decrease in anemia. “The iron fish is incredibly powerful,” says Charles.
2. Double-red traffic light: One in 10 Canadian men are colour-blind, a potential problem when driving. But in Quebec, Omer Martineau’s double-red traffic light design helps drivers distinguish between frequency and shape, proving that two reds are probably better than one.
3. Water Bobble: Each year an estimated 100 million plastic bottles flow through Toronto’s waste system. But the Water Bobble bottle, by Karim Rashid, has a replaceable carbon filter able to filter chlorine and contaiments from up to 150 l of water, all for $9.99 a Bobble.
4. Palm fibre packaging: Earthcycle Packaging, based in B.C., with design company Tangram, created compostable palm fibre packaging. Earthcycle’s coffee holders and produce netting decompose in about six months.
5. The Nouse: The Nouse—or “nose as mouse”—is from the National Research Council of Canada and allows disabled users to control computers with the tip of their nose and to click with a double-blink.
Source: David Berman, author of Do Good Design
Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The answers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.
Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now. | <urn:uuid:806ef58d-f4b4-44b8-9c92-91ccb96743c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/12/07/top-5-canadian-designs-making-the-world-a-better-place/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942213 | 423 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Here are some fun, and timely ideas for the second week of October!
8th- R.L.Stine's Birthday- This spooky author has a birthday in the right month! Access his free writing program online (the link can be found at the end of this article) and encourage your child's writing. Try homeschooling on a rainy evening with the Rainy Night Theater stories, which can be found at his site (link below). Do keep in mind your homeschooler's age and interest, as even some adults might be too scared to hear these stories read aloud!
9th- Alphabet Day- Activities using the alphabet are fun for all ages! Some great activities to try at home are:
1. Have a scavenger hunt to find items for every letter in the alphabet. Write the words down as you go, too.
2. Brainstorm October words to represent every letter of the alphabet!
3. Alphabetize your spelling words.
4. Learn to use or practice using the dictionary, finding a word to represent every letter. Older children can get a vocabulary list from this activity, too.
5. Younger children in grades K-2 will love hearing and reading Dr. Seuss's ABC book. I enjoyed reading it along with my son for many years as it is full of rhymes and awesome pictures. You can find that book below:
10th- International Dinosaur Month- Visit www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/ to explore a free dictionary of dinosaur information-from A to Z. Challenge your homeschooler to identify any dinosaur figures he or she has based on the descriptions of these. Some cool field trips to take to learn all about these prehistoric creatures are listed below:
-Folks in Florida, Kentucky and Texas will find Dinosaur World an amazing adventure. Visit www.dinoworld.net/for more information on exact locations.
-Dinosaur State Park in Connecticut offers classes alongside their awesome park. Check out their website for detailed class descriptions and how you can sign up:
-The Dinosaur Park in Bastrop, TX is a great resource and outdoor excursion. Check out their site here:
10th- Columbus Day- Visit Scholastic.com (find the link at the end of this article) to get a free and comprehensive activity pack from Scholastic. Christopher Columbus (My First Biography) by Marion Dane Bauer is an excellent book for young readers to exploreand learn more about this famous explorer.
12th- World Egg Day- The Incredible Edible Egg has a day of it's own! This protein packed food is perfect for breakfast, or any meal! Challenge your homeschooler to create the perfect omelet, and then taste his or her creation. Yum!
13th- Energy Awareness Month- Take some time to have your homeschooler list ways that your family can help to save energy. Contact your local power company to inquire about any free materials they might have to add to your resources.
14th- National Field Trip Month- Take a field trip! Better yet, take a free field trip! Check out Field Trip Factory.com for free field trips offered across the nation. There are also free materials and enrichment resources as well.
15th- National Apple Month- Enlist your homeschooler and make homemade applesauce. Here is the recipe:
Applesauce in the Crockpot
10 large Gala or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut in chunks
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
After careful cutting (adult supervision required), put all of the ingredients into the crockpot. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours. Cool and chill before serving.
Makes 15 servings | <urn:uuid:bca15e6b-701c-40e5-b110-8848545583a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art16159.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920242 | 784 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Traditional Patterns and Symbols
�For you, it may look like a small unimportant detail, like your thumbnail. But for me, it is the whole vast world. Look at this jewel... here is the ant, here is the hyena, the jackal, the hoof of a horse, that of a gazelle, the sun, the moon, the stars, the good eye... this triangle, this is woman, and here are the eyebrows of the Malignant One, there, laughter... it is all of our lives in one piece of silver.�
(Translated from the French by Helene E. Hagan, from original Tuareg words of an artisan cited by J. Gabus, 1971) An extensive study of the symbolism of Tuareg jewelry has not yet been undertaken to date. It is this simple realization that brought the authors together in a decision to collect information on the topic, from past scholarly journals and books, contemporary articles and web sites, but also from Tuareg informants whose expert knowledge was sought. Though this book is small and does not aspire to be all encompassing, it is the first work totally dedicated to the presentation of the elaborate silver jewelry of Tuareg men and women of Northern Niger in the English language, and the only one we know that is solely dedicated to providing information concerning the function, meanings, and symbols of that jewelry.
The book introduces the reader to the culture of the Tuaregs, a remarkable group of African nomads of the Sahara Desert, which has fascinated the Europeans who came into contact with them in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In the last decade or so, as the Tuareg societies of Niger and Mali underwent major change, a number of American researchers began to document some of their ways. Research and publications in the English language are, however, lagging far behind those in the French language. Fortunately, the primary author of this book, Helene Hagan, was originally educated in the French language, and as an Amazigh (Berber) herself, is very familiar with North African scholarship in the Amazigh culture. Thus, as a bilingual anthropologist of Berber ancestry, born and raised in Morocco, and an activist for Amazigh cultural, linguistic and human rights, she benefits from a fourfold source of valuable information: French scholarship, American contemporary accounts, the latest Amazigh research emanating out of North Africa, and Northern Niger Tuareg informants she knows. This unique set of circumstances gives the book an extra dimension of depth and insight.
The book recounts the myth of origin of the Kel Tamasheq of Niger, and looks at the continuity and development of symbols from archaic inscriptions and rock art of the Sahara to present-day engravings on silver jewelry and the Tifinagh alphabet. The second chapter is entirely devoted to retracing this development and showing the correspondence between Tifinagh characters of the Amazigh alphabet and the elegant, clear lines of geometric designs, which characterize the silver jewelry of the Tuareg people. The two are deeply connected. Modern Tifinagh Calligraphic Art is also featured in this chapter.
The next chapter delves into the mystery of the famous Cross of Agadez and the various hypotheses that have been offered as to its meaning. It depicts the artisanal mode of production, and the functions the crosses hold for Tuareg people themselves. Nowadays, the production of crosses for the western world diminishes the role this cross, Tenghelet tan Agadez, had as a clan identifier. It has become, like other less well known pieces of Tuareg jewelry, a simple ornament or necklace devoid of any particular significance, and the markings on those crosses are losing some of their intentions of yore.
The book reviews specific masculine jewelry and feminine adornment in the next two chapters, and looks at the role various pieces of silver jewelry play in the relations between generations and rites of passage, between men and women, courtship customs and marriage, and more generally n terms of wealth, status, and rank.
Concluding remarks have to underline the fact that motifs belong to a body of representations or symbolic system which is not always known to the users themselves, and even sometimes escapes the knowledge of the artisans who perpetuate the symbolic memory of the group in their repertoire of designs. Traditional knowledge of original meanings and their relation to a world of nomadic lore is diminishing with each generation living under sedentary conditions. Once essential for survival, such knowledge has become the privilege of a few initiates while remaining in the hands of the gifted Tuareg metal workers and jewelers.
Helene Hagan was born and raised in Morocco. She came to the United States as a student at age 20. She holds two Baccalaureates in Classics and Philosophy from Rabat, Morocco, a BA. in Psychology and three Master�s Degrees, one from the University of Bordeaux, France in American Literature and Civilization, a second from Stanford University, California in French Literature and Education, and the third also from Stanford University in Cultural Anthropology. Helene Hagan lived in Palo Alto, California for seventeen years while raising three children, Jennifer, Marianne and Phillip Hagan. Her French Import Boutique, �La Ruche� was a well-known business there.
After doing research among the Oglala Lakota of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and directing a Photo Identification Project with elders of that reservation under the umbrella of the Oglala Lakota College, with a grant from the South Dakota Committee for the Humanities, Helene Hagan worked as University Associate Professor at John F. Kennedy University, while also managing an American Indian Gallery in Marin County, � Lakota Contemporary American Indian Designs� for several years.
Helene Hagan created a non-profit charitable and education organization, Tazzla Institute for Cultural Diversity in 1993, and has served as President of this organization for the past twelve years. She began her work as a community Television Producer after being certified by Marin Channel 31, and produced three important cultural series of programs as Executive Producer of Amazigh Video Productions. The first one consisted of ten programs under the main title of �We�re still here.� It focused on American Indians of Marin County and was nominated for an award. The second, which originally consisted of twelve programs, began her long journey into the background of her own Amazigh (Berber) culture of North Africa. After moving to Los Angeles, in 1998, Helene continued to produce television programs, including a short series titled �The Russell Means show� featuring the well-known American Indian activist and actor Russell Means as host of those programs.
Helene Hagan is the author of numerous articles published in various newspapers, journals and magazines. In 2000, she began her career as an author with the publication of her first book �The Shining Ones: an Etymological Essay on the Amazigh Roots of Ancient Egyptian Civilization.� Her second book, �Twareg Jewelry: Traditional Patterns and Symbols� will be available in Spring 2006, and she is looking forward to publishing another two of her completed manuscripts in the future, one entitled �Souls Piled Like Timber� which is an extraordinary collection of oral histories, dreams and visions of African American ex-slaves collected by Paul Radin in the 1920�s, and the other �Fable and Truth: The Legacy of Chief Seattle.�
Helene E. Hagan is also the author of two other books:
1. The Shining Ones, Etymological Essay... " published in 2001.
2. Tazz'unt Ritual, Ecology .... published in 2011.
Perfect Bound Softcover | <urn:uuid:43b2495f-5d66-4bff-9005-89789f31209f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-0032552037/default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946034 | 1,587 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Including access to the latest in travel advisories as supplied by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs through their Smartraveller service.
The Advice was issued on Wednesday, 10 August 2005, 12:04:04, AEST.
The terrorist attacks outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on 9 September 2004 and in Bali on 12 October 2002 underscore the ongoing threat to Australians across the world posed by international terrorism. The terrorist attacks against the public transport systems in the United Kingdom in July 2005 and Spain in March 2004 further highlight the world wide risk of terrorist attack against Westerners and Western interests. Over the past year, terrorist bombings have also targeted and killed foreigners in Egypt, and Qatar. We continue to receive reports that terrorists are planning attacks. Terrorist operations could range from kidnappings, hijackings, bombings, suicide operations or other acts of violence, such as drive-by shooting. Terrorists do not discriminate between official and civilian targets.
Violent and petty crime occurs in many countries. Australians should familiarise themselves with the types of crime that may occur and locations where you may be particularly at risk.
Australians can take a number of steps to prepare for travel overseas
- Organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy
- Register your travel and contact details, to help us contact you in an emergency
- Subscribe to the travel advice for your upcoming destinations to receive free email updates each time the travel advice is reissued.
Full and complete details and other important travel information and tips can be found at www.smartraveller.gov.au | <urn:uuid:64fcd01f-a760-41ed-9234-52c5909fa649> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.maturetraveller.com.au/news/travel%20-advice.asp?id=17 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95383 | 324 | 2.15625 | 2 |
How and in what way is the church prophetic?
By Dan Steigerwald
The church is arguably “prophetic” in a number of ways. It calls itself, its own House, back to faithfulness to God and being a fairer demonstration in the world of His Kingdom of righteousness, peace (shalom) and joy in the Spirit (Romans 14:17). This suggests more than the call to mimic certain behaviors of Jesus or Paul or others, but the call to live out of the fullness found in God and the Body of Christ as participants in the missio Dei (God’s mission to the world). In another sense the church is prophetic; it calls all people and human systems and organizations into harmony with God’s now and not-yet Kingdom (acting as a sign and a foretaste of the coming Kingdom which has broken into this “present evil age”, as Paul labels it, and will one day be experienced in fullness). These two ways of being prophetic are of course directly linked to one another, with the first call to the church itself being of foundational importance to the church’s effectiveness in carrying out the second (to the world). And because the church is made up of imperfect people (like myself) who only see in a mirror dimly, it will continually tend to stray or capitulate to ways of being and operating that reflect the entrapments of its host culture – not to mention sin within its own ranks. Much of time these entrapments and/or sin will not be clearly seen (the proverbial fish who cannot see the water in which it swims); but some are adopted perpetrated knowingly by church leadership. Hence, the prophetic call to return will need to be regularly heard and embraced (in the latter case, repentance too). To the extent that this happens, the church’s prophetic witness to culture will be strengthened.
In this brief paper, I want to focus on the call of the church to put its own house in order. I have chosen to use a recent book by David Fitch, The Great Giveaway, as a way to illustrate this specific operation of the prophetic (the church unto itself). In his book, Fitch, with prophetic fervor, identifies eight specific ways he believes Evangelicalism has capitulated to Modernism and drifted from its multi-faceted, God-given mission in the world. What I like most about the book is that Fitch does not simply use the book to rail against the church for its many ills, but actually suggests a host of useful correctives “to help us receive back being the church”.
In The Great Giveaway, Fitch argues that the Evangelical Church is guilty of accommodating various destructive “Modern maladies,” so much so that it has literally given away many of the functions (notae) that have historically qualified it to wear the title of “the Church.” Fitch relates this give-away as eight specific handoffs by Evangelicalism (devoting a chapter to each) “to modernity’s experts, techniques and sociocultural forces.” I briefly touch upon these below, also offering Fitch’s suggested corrective to each alleged capitulation (with my own occasional commentary too, including some closing thoughts).
Ways the Evangelical church in America has “given away” its mission
1. The way we define success. The invasion of church growth approaches has got the church focusing on the wrong measures of success – church attendance and decisions for Christ. Evangelicalism has seriously diminished the quality of disciples in its ranks by giving undue attention to numerical growth, efficiency structuring and effectiveness decision-making. Megachurches have gone even a step further and adopted an “economies of scale” approach, insuring that the church is able to deliver the best quality religious goods and services that its best hi-performance teams can deliver to the most people. With effectiveness as the bottom line, and with a focus on business technique, numbers and Sunday morning productions to attract and hold the attention of attendees, the church succeeds in reinforcing the cultural idols of consumerism and individualism. I would add that the way we conduct our Sunday gatherings (with the stage as a focal point and a small group of staff and church members creatively designing a quality experience week after week) and the energy required to pull them off also reinforces this consumerism. It is hard for attendees to avoid getting the message that “we are spectators gathered to take in a quality religious experience provided by those who are paid to do ministry” (as opposed to those paid to equip for ministry). Remedy: According to Fitch, we need to return to faithfulness to what it means to be the church as our measure of success. Are we creating growing, faithful communal followers of Jesus? He suggests that churches adopt better measures: the number of baptisms, church-plants and quality of discipleship taking place (the latter measured by answers received from a core of communal questions getting at the outworking of love of God and serving one another). At the risk of sounding trite, I would also say that churches must hold resolutely to faithfulness to Christ as their criteria for success – are they responding to Jesus’ leading, as best they can discern that, in the context He has placed them?
2. The way we do evangelism and present the gospel. The focus of the church too often is on proclaiming content in a monologue, rather than embodying the gospel in a lifestyle that validates the superiority of God’s Meta-narrative. Persuading individuals to finally surrender to our superior arguments and reasons-to-believe approaches no longer works among a postmodern culture that is weary/skeptical of words and propositions and sales-pitches. Taking the road of appealing to self-interest through a felt-needs oriented gospel also does not help us win followers to Jesus’ costly path (and many feel cheated when they discover that the church’s seeker-sensitivity is really a bait-and-switch strategy employed to get them in to allow our “other agenda” a hearing). The bottom line, as Fitch sees it, is that there is too much disconnect between the message we proclaim and the lifestyle we live out in community. Remedy: Fitch calls us to engage our neighborhoods through the practice of hospitality, which he sees as mostly about inviting people into our homes. He also exhorts us to be out among the pain of our neighborhoods, praying for people and actually visibly displaying Christ’s compassion and justice. Evangelism is most effective as a communal endeavor, meaning we (plural) need to be out in the Third Places of our neighborhoods and in the nucleus of social need. And church communities must release creativity and be artful in presenting the multi-faceted nature of the gospel. I would add that the church needs to see evangelism as the presentation of a layered gospel that converts us deeper into it over time; also that our “good-newsing” needs to cover the range of first decision thru initiation in baptism (which Fitch hints at too).
3. The way we lead our churches. The church has turned to the marketplace to help us get our house in order. Now we have pastors as CEO’s, who lead congregations to adopt the latest business techniques to achieve the “bottom-line” (which rarely is about quality of discipleship). Charismatic and personality-centered leaders who bring order to chaos are too often the norm in churches, rather than servant leaders who share the leadership load in facilitating the equipping and growth of the body (including a humble deflecting of attention to the body’s carrying out of ministry, as opposed to drawing attention to the leadership team’s performance). Remedy: Fitch argues for more shared leadership configurations; and getting back to leadership as a call and not simply as a profession. His own church, he notes, encourages leaders to explore their call thru bi-vocationality. Only after character and fruitfulness in ministry is observed are leaders moved to consider full-time service. At that stage, some ordination or commissioning process is involved, which invests communal sanction to the leader’s empowerment. Fitch notes the need for transformative community for leaders, and espouses communal expressions such as triads and missional Orders to effect leadership development. He also advocates seminary training that gives more attention to the leader’s spiritual formation in community. So much I might personally add here, but suffice to say that a continual immersion in Mark 10:42-45 would not harm many an Evangelical leader one bit!
4. The way we focus on producing intimacy and entertainment experiences in our gathered worship. We need to challenge the way Evangelicals’ minds and emotions are being shaped by the compelling images of America’s consumption-driven, materialistic, individualistic and hedonistic culture, Fitch argues. Churches must move away from over-valuing performance-based, feel-good worship experiences that put the worshipping self at the center of worship rather than God’s glory and goodness. The aim of worship is too narrowly viewed as helping people feel good or provoking a group of gathered individuals into personal feelings of intimacy with God. Remedy: Fitch argues for a return to liturgy, art and beauty in order to provoke appreciation of God and gratitude. He captures what the church needs to aim for in the phrase “immersive worship”, which he describes as “display[ing] the God of history with art, symbol and beauty, not just propositions. It rehearses the drama of God in Christ liturgically and invites us into this drama to participate in it, not just express ourselves cathartically.” I would go even further than Fitch and say we need to get beyond Sunday morning as the locus for worship, and equip disciples for a worship that is 24/7 (Romans 12:1-2).
5. The way we preach the Word. Evangelicals concentrate on “mastering the text” through expository teaching. Fitch’s contention is that exegesis and historical-critical studies give us a false assurance that we are able to accurately interpret and hear the word. With meticulous attention to exegetical technique, the text is made to yield its one meaning to and then packaged “for rhetorical delivery to an audience” who “gather before the Word with our imaginations and character formed out of the omnipresent culture of a post-Christian narcissism and consumerism.” The supposed objectivity of the expositor and the audience, in other words, is a fallacy (i.e. all expositors are interpreters who come with some agenda, either known or unrecognized, and the legion of varied interpretations for given texts using the same methodology attests to this reality). Remedy: Fitch suggests a return to communal discourse around Scripture, a greater emphasis on narrative preaching, and the creative public reading of Scripture (with emphasis on the lectionary). Fitch cites Solomon’s Porch and the way Doug Pagitt encourages communal interaction/exegesis, which I think is worth exploring further (see Pagitt’s book, Re-imagining Spiritual Formation).
6. The way we’ve farmed out social justice to parachurches. Instead of allowing our churches to be centers where social justice is demonstrated within (in the context of relationships), we send money and resources “out there” to address face-less needs. Fitch goes after the church’s propensity to be in and of Capitalism as opposed to being in but not of Capitalism. He chastises Evangelicalism for the way it circumscribes its ministry of social compassion and justice with consumer Capitalism, thereby subjecting the church to Capitalism’s rules. He argues that too often our efforts to improve the lot of the impoverished and/or disadvantaged involve pulling them into some level of stature and self-sufficiency so that they too might participate in the individualistic, narcissistic, entitlement-based consumerism (i.e. the American dream) that is corroding both our churches and culture from the inside-out. Remedy: Fitch’s call is for the church to bring the struggle, complexity and messiness of social justice within its own doors. Let church communities re-instill benevolence ministries within, where discernment committees wrestle together before God on how to best respond to specific social needs of the disadvantaged or oppressed that we allow to walk with us on the complex road of healing and relief from immediate distress. While I personally agree with Fitch, I think he needs to leave more room for the expression of some parachurch expertise, as long as it is done in sync with existing churches in a given locale (if there are in fact churches there!).
7. The way the church has farmed out spiritual formation to the professional shrink community. Fitch contends that modern psychotherapy has become an easy cop-out for the hard and often slow pastoral work of caring for the broken. Psychology and psychotherapy often accommodate the hyper-individualism of our culture, and too often disregard altogether the power of sin and selfishness in the counselee’s life. Therapy is also often conducted outside of any holistic formational regime, meaning there is often no bridge between the treatment plan of the professional therapist and the church’s own approaches to forming disciples in truth, wisdom and discernment, spiritual practices, etc. Remedy: The corrective to Evangelicalism’s sell-out to psychotherapy, according to Fitch, is to bring therapy back into the realm of the church, so that there is a holistic co-laboring for the person’s healing and growth. Also, greater value needs to be placed on micro-community triads and other forms of community, where a deep sharing of lives and pains and struggles can occur; and where prayer can be central. I felt this was Fitch’s weakest chapter, since authors like psychologist Larry Crabb (see his book, Connecting) have long been calling Evangelicalism away from the therapist’s office to the healing of one-another ministry in the body.
8. The way the church has outsourced the moral education/training of our children to the public school system. Fitch argues that a lowest-common-denominator approach to teaching virtues (i.e. let’s not offend any particular group), when employed against the backdrop of our American cultural ideals of Capitalism, democracy and liberalism, is not just a harmless, barebones attempt at moral education. Public schools socialize children into a way of life and thinking (including an American civil religion) that makes it all too easy for kids to dismiss any Christian signature instilled in them by their parents or churches. Home-schooling our children, starting parochial schools or challenging school systems on certain moral issues (abortion, prayer in school, evolution, etc.) are all insufficient ways of addressing the problem. Remedy: What is needed, Fitch argues, is a return to some form of communal catechesis, with practices and rites of initiation within the mainstream of smaller-church life (where kids are known and mentored and included in the communal rhythms and spirituality of the adults). I resonate with this, but wonder how the church can get back to this, given the transient nature of so many young families these days.
David Fitch identifies significant ways Evangelicalism is giving-away critical aspects of what it means to be the church. His call in this book is to a deeper ecclesiology – one that re-invigorates what it means to be the people of God, living as alternative communities that demonstrate the validity of the gospel they proclaim through transformational practices and lifestyles (I encourage readers to follow his blog and see his attempts to make the ideas of the book practical with his endorsing of a special missional Order, called The Order of Fiacre). I picked up a clear bias of Fitch’s in the book toward smaller churches (and the planting of smaller churches). When I consider his call to the church, I think he has a strong case that smaller churches and church plants really represent the strongest way for Evangelicalism to respond to his (and others’) prophetic correctives. But I am personally unsure of the wisdom of limiting the optimal ecclesial form for missionality to small churches, since context and discernment must determine what is best for a particular cultural subset. Also, social enterprising and other missional initiatives that may or may not form into churches are still worthy routes to direct leaders into (instead of church planting). All in all it is a great and challenging read!
Fitch, David. The Great Giveaway: Reclaiming the Mission of the Church from Big Business, Parachurch Organizations, Psychotherapy, Consumer Capitalism, and Other Modern Maladies (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 18. I have chosen this particular author and book, partly because I believe Fitch is one of the more mature and respected prophetic voices to the Church today. Consider the following traits which seem to make him a voice worth hearing: 1) he is well-acquainted with postmodernism; 2) he is a sound theologian who obviously loves Jesus; 3) he is also a church planter, which shows he can move his ideas out of the abstract into community-forming action; 4) he captures the imagination of many young leaders through his popular web-blog and his platforms as a teacher and writer and practitioner; and 5) he is careful not to berate his Evangelical heritage, and actually operates within a rather conservative denomination (CMA), which hedges his prophetic impact backwards into mainstream conservative Evangelicalism (where change is arguably most drastically needed).
Fitch devises his own comprehensive list of the historic marks or notae of the Church by blending those marks developed by Luther, the Anabaptist tradition and others. The way he ties each of the book’s chapters into his list seems somewhat contrived, as if he had the chapter themes already in view and then went back to attempt a tie-in with the list to add weight to his argument of a whole-sale give-away. NOTE: My underlined captions do not represent his specific chapter titles.
Fitch, p. 114.
Ibid, p. 141. | <urn:uuid:a5406c5c-fb54-440f-a5fd-f76ef185ca46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.opensourcetheology.net/node/1384 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95869 | 3,829 | 1.539063 | 2 |
As the world's eyes fell on Beijing during the 2008 Olympics, Chinese authorities scrambled to find a way to improve the city's notoriously low air quality. They shut down factories, closed roads down and even tried to disperse rain clouds. Now, New Delhi is facing a similar problem prior to hosting October's Commonwealth Games. But the world's fourth most polluted city is banking on some clean tech to get it done: a giant, half million dollar air purifier. This seven-ton machine, built by an Italian company, has a five-stage filtering process and can go through 10,000 cubic meters of air every hour. P.K. Sharma, health chief of New Delhi's Municipal Council spoke with Agence France-Presse:
"It is the first such project in India and if it works then we would acquire a number of them and place them at strategic locations," the health chief of the New Delhi Municipal Council, P.K. Sharma, said.
He said a state environmental agency will monitor the performance of the machine, which costs about 25 million rupees ($551,000 dollars) and works like a vacuum cleaner, sucking in air and releasing it purified form from a roof vent."
Like in the Beijing Olympics, pollution can be a major factor for the 8,000 or so competing athletes. Three months of testing will show whether the machine actually works or not, although there are already dozens of similar models installed in Spain, Switzerland and Italy. Let's just hope it's more effective than Beijing's measures.
Passport, FP’s flagship blog, brings you news and hidden angles on the biggest stories of the day, as well as insights and under-the-radar gems from around the world. | <urn:uuid:d09ecc85-bf50-41ce-8295-2078339e9cc7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/03/17/new_delhi_clears_the_air | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957133 | 351 | 2.21875 | 2 |
The healthy vending machines are becoming more visible and popular in our community. Some go as far as to call them ” Green Machines”. The recent article in Biz magazine highlights the importance of healthy vending in Oakville and surrounding areas.
These healthy state-of-the-art machines entice visitors to learn more about healthy eating with the built in high-resolution LCD display.
Schools, hospitals, sports facilities and other community buildings are increasingly implementing the healthy vending concept with the assistance of Healthy Fresh Vending.
Learn more about transforming your place of business or community building into a healthy vending environment by contacting us. | <urn:uuid:ccd75a2a-4298-4d67-9e8f-bd4b83fc6aeb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthyfresh.ca/healthy-vending-machine-snacks-go-green/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956627 | 128 | 1.617188 | 2 |
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Woman dialled 999 after stubbing her toe
10:00am Sunday 20th January 2013 in News
SOME of the most “ridiculous reasons” for patients dialling 999 for emergency health services have been revealed by the NHS.
Examples include a woman who called an ambulance because of a stubbed toe and a man who had run out of medication.
The incidents are being highlighted by NHS Merseyside to encourage people to use health services more sensibly.
Health chiefs are now urging residents to remember that the 999 service should only be used for life-threatening conditions, such as heart attacks, strokes, breathing problems and serious accidents.
Calls to emergency services in the north west numbered more than 1,159,887 during 2012, which is an increase of 72,444 calls on the previous year.
It is believed many were for reasons which could have been resolved by using alternative, non-emergency services.
GP Dr John Hussey said: “We are appealing to patients to use the NHS more responsibly to help ensure they are kept free for those who really need them.
“When people are taking up the time of hospital and ambulance staff with minor issues which could be dealt with closer to home, people with life-threatening illnesses are not able to be seen as quickly.
“It is vital to remember that the ambulance service and A & E should not be used as an alternative to your GP, if your surgery is closed.”
Patients who require medical assistance outside of normal surgery hours this winter are advised there are a wide range of alternative health services available.
They include: GP out-of-hours services, minor injury units with x-ray facilities, walk-in centres and extended hours pharmacists.
If patients are unsure which service they should be using, they can contact NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 in the first instance. | <urn:uuid:ef30dbf5-9e30-4d46-ac77-486439bd2250> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/10172580.Woman_dialled_999_after_stubbing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968571 | 411 | 1.734375 | 2 |
The centerpiece of Rick Perry’s economic plan, released this morning, is a pledge to create 1.2 million energy jobs. Mitt Romney has already promised to create nearly 1.5 million energy jobs. Why do we keep hearing numbers in this ballpark? And are they plausible?
A quick preview since this is a long post: I see about 620,000 jobs max, of which about 180,000 are actually in the energy sector. The real world numbers are almost certainly quite a bit lower.
Now back to the analysis.
The figures appear to come largely from a study prepared by the consultants Wood Mackenzie and published last month by the American Petroleum Institute (API). (Perry explicitly footnotes it in his plan.) That study found that “U.S. policies which encourage the development of new and existing resourses could, by 2030… support an additional 1.4 million jobs”. About 1.2 million of those are based on expansion of U.S. production by 6.0 million barrels per day of oil and 22.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day by 2030, along with approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. (The rest come from future U.S.-Canada pipelines). The study projects interim impacts of 700,000 new jobs by 2015 and 1.1 million by 2020.
WoodMac assumes five policy changes in order to generate this expansion, all of which are echoed in Perry’s and Romney’s plans:
- Open the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, parts of the Rocky Mountains, the Atlantic and Pacific Outer Continental Shelves, the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, the Alaska National Petroleum Reserve, and Alaska offshore to drilling. There is certainly a sharp contrast here with the Obama administration. Whether a new president could make all of these things happen is another question – in many cases, the nearby states would be strongly opposed.
- Gulf of Mexico permitting is returned to its previous pace. It isn’t clear, though, that this is actually a new policy – given the resources by Congress and a bit of time, the Obama administration might well do the same.
- Lifting of the drilling moratorium in New York State. Neither Perry nor Romney, of course, has any power over this, so it’s inappropriate to include it in estimates of federal policy.
- Forgo federal regulation of shale gas and tight oil development, including, in particular, tighter regulation of fracturing and water disposal. The assumption here is that federal rules would be stricter than state ones; WoodMac assumes that they would add 30 cents per thousand cubic feet to the cost of producing gas. It’s not clear that that’s true – states like clean water too.
- Approve the Keystone XL pipeline and other future U.S.-Canada pipelines. This may or may not be a policy shift from the Obama administration – we’ll have to wait and see what happens with Keystone XL first.
There are, in essence, two problems here: the estimates assume that the Obama administration will be harsh toward oil and gas, and that a new president could roll over the states and Congress to be much more permissive. To the extent that those beliefs aren’t true, the jobs estimates will be too high.
[UPDATE: I've tweaked the next two paragraphs to reflect a more careful state-by-state and policy-by-policy analysis of the numbers in WoodMac's appendix than I had in the initial post, and adjusted the bottom line numbers accordingly. The basic contours remain the same.]
Let’s put some numbers on this. Many of the projected jobs come from opening up new areas to production. As I noted above, though, many of the barriers to doing that may be at the state level and in Congress. How much might accounting for that blunt the jobs projections? Let’s assume that California blocks development, and that half of the Atlantic development (ex-Florida) is held up by states. I’m not sure how to handle Florida itself, which has a ban on drilling in state waters (there’s also a statutory bar on Eastern Gulf of Mexico development); let’s say, I think very generously, that half of the projected drilling materializes. Let’s also say that the assumptions about future Obama administration slowdowns on Gulf of Mexico permitting are probably overstated, but still assume that a new president would speed things up somewhat, as a result increasing production from Texas and Louisiana by half as much as WoodMac estimates. All in, we’ve cut the jobs projections by about 330,000. (Alternatively, if you want, you can think of this as loosely as letting production go ahead in much of California but having Florida drilling — the statutory bars to Eastern Gulf of Mexico development that make opening that up really hard – remaining out of bounds.)
Now lets look at the onshore numbers. About 40,000 jobs come from New York State, but as I noted earlier, that’s not a matter of federal policy, so scratch them all. WoodMac reports that onshore regulatory barriers cost another 300,000 jobs. I observed above, though, that the study probably exaggerates the likely stringency of Obama administration regulation relative to state policy, so it’s fair to slice this in half (actually, it’s generous not to set them closer to zero). So far, then, we’ve cut 520,000 of the projected jobs.
The final 270,000 projected jobs, or about 20 percent, come from new U.S.-Canada pipelines. This number is grossly overstated. According to WoodMac, “these jobs are primarily a result of U.S. services and the production of capital and intermediate goods exported to Canada for the development of the oil sands”. But blocking U.S.-Canada pipelines isn’t going to stop Canadian production from growing: it would slow things down, but ultimately, other export routes would likely materialize so long as oil prices were high enough. Those U.S. jobs wouldn’t disappear. To be generous, though, let’s say that delays and uncertainty associated with building other pipelines would kill 20 percent of the U.S. jobs, and that there’s a 25 percent chance that the Obama administration will kill all pipelines; credit 14,000 jobs to a new pro-pipeline policy, 256,000 fewer than WoodMac projects.
Let’s take stock. We started with 1.4 million new jobs; we’ve identified about 780,000 of those that either will exist regardless of what a new president does, or whose fate depends strongly on states’ decisions. That leaves us with a more realistic estimate of about 620,000 jobs.
But we’re not done yet. WoodMac estimates that for every direct job that the oil and gas industry generates, 2.5 jobs are created elsewhere, either in suppliers or in the broader economy as oil and gas workers spend the money they make. That 620,000 job estimate, then, corresponds to 180,000 jobs in the oil and gas industry itself. Some of those would come at the expense of jobs elsewhere in the economy — indeed, in the longer term, many of them would. The same thing goes for the induced and indirect ones.
The other caveat to the WoodMac estimates is that they assume high and steadily rising oil and gas prices. Oil prices start at $80 per barrel in 2012 and rise to $160 (in constant dollars) by 2030. WoodMac assumes that adding 6 million barrels per day of extra U.S. production won’t blunt that increase, but I don’t buy that – we’re talking about a lot of oil. In reality, if production were to start increasing the way WoodMac claims it can, the price impact would likely deter some of the other development it projects. Of course, lower prices would also help the rest of the economy, but that isn’t part of the WoodMac projections or of Romney’s and Perry’s jobs claims.
Natural gas prices, meanwhile, start at $6 per thousand cubic feet in 2012 in the WoodMac model (for what it’s worth, spot prices are barely half that today), and rise to $12 by 2030; once again, policy changes don’t affect that. That’s a pretty high price projection, particularly for a scenario where you’re expecting a huge boost in natural gas supplies. Alas, as with the oil case, lower prices mean that many of the projected energy sector jobs won’t materialized.
Which brings us to the bottom line. The numbers that Perry and Romney are offering for job creation in the energy sector are unrealistic. They assume that they will be reversing deeply anti-industry Obama policies that don’t actually exist (which is not to say that the Obama policies have no flaws), ignore real constraints at the state level, and don’t properly account for market dynamics. Six hundred thousand is a pretty hard upper limit for the number of jobs that a new policy might create by 2030, of which fewer than two hundred thousand might actually be in oil and gas. Taking into account market dynamics would lower those numbers further, quite likely much further; more generous assumptions about Obama administration energy policy would too. That’s still nothing to sneeze at – but it’s not 1.2 million jobs either. | <urn:uuid:6ffc485f-4d1c-4789-98c4-7f84175bad30> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.cfr.org/levi/2011/10/14/can-rick-perry-create-1-2-million-energy-jobs/?cid=oth_partner_site-atlantic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944142 | 1,952 | 2.09375 | 2 |
Historically, musicians have entered into recording contracts with record labels for the sale of music and publishing agreements with publishers for the licensing of music. When recordings are sold, musicians receive a percentage of the sale, and when a song is published, i.e. placed in a movie, tv commercial, etc, a musician receives a percentage of the licensing fee. Typically, the record label pays the musician between 10-15% of the money received per sale (minus an assortment of other deductions we need not discuss here), and a publisher pays the musician 50% of money received per license.
With that in mind, let’s think about downloading a song on iTunes or other online retailer. Often, the song is only available in DRM (digital rights management) format, meaning only the downloader can play the song on a number of approved devices. DRM is in place to fight online piracy. A question has arisen lately whether a digital download is a “sale” or a “license,” based on the DRM format and other contractual terms contained on websites that only allow the downloader to play the song. That restriction placed on the download can be argued is more like a license, than a sale.
Many of the older pre-digital recording contracts do not discuss complex digital issues such as this, creating massive problems for record labels. Many older artists, such as the Knack (muh muh muh my Sharona) are bringing lawsuits against their record labels arguing they should receive the higher licensing percentage from online downloads rather than record sales. Some musicians have been successful bringing these claims, while others have not. The success turns on how well and forward thinking the recording contract is written. Which brings us to your record deal. Defining exactly what constitutes a “sale” is becoming an incredibly important issue for all parties, as it could grossly limit potential income based simply on a definition. This is yet another reminder why any Artist needs an experienced intellectual property and entertainment attorney to review these types of contracts.
Bradley Legal Group, P.A. are Intellectual Property lawyers, Entertainment lawyers and Music lawyers servicing clients in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Nashville. We also affiliate with entertainment lawyers licensed in New York and Washington, D.C. © 2012 Bradley Legal Group, P.A. | <urn:uuid:c43368a0-d086-4462-bdd7-4c187b57e54f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bradlegal.com/cms/music/digital-music-sale-or-license/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95168 | 480 | 1.890625 | 2 |
For anyone who is used to it, living without electricity can be rough. You wouldn't be reading this right now without it; you wouldn't have had a shower recently without it; you couldn't even pump gas without it. Then there are institutions like hospitals, every major business, and your local municipality, which would all be lost without it.
It's hard to believe that a quarter of the world's population still has no access to this invaluable resource. But it's true, and while this remains the case, they remain as removed from the global economy as ever.
Fenix International is trying to do something about this. The award-winning company is now negotiating global distribution deals for their ReadySet renewable power center - a readily portable battery that can be charged from numerous sources.
According to the company's Business Development VP, Luke Filose, "The ReadySet contains a 12 volt, 9 amp hour battery, which stores 108
watt hours of energy. To extend the life of the battery, the ReadySet's
built-in charge control cuts off output at 50% state of charge, so the
user effectively gets 54 watt hours before needing to recharge. This is
sufficient to recharge around 10 mobile phones, or to provide light for
20 hours (with a 2.5 watt LED light)."
The nifty little device features two 12-volt power ports and two 5-volt USB ports, and can be charged at a peak rate of 100W from a bicycle, solar panel, or off the grid. Before long, you should also be able to charge it from small-scale hydro and wind power.
It also has a range of accessories that plug right into it, including lighting, a phone charger, and a lithium battery charger. They're working on developing a water purifier, a radio, even a micro-fridge, that should all help make life a little easier for people who have never had anything like this in their lives before. If you have an idea of "what you think is the next "Killer App" that's going to change the world," they would love to hear from you.
In this video, CEO Mike Lin talks about the ReadySet's potential, and explains why he calls Fenix International a 'triple bottom line company', focusing on people, prosperity, and the planet: | <urn:uuid:2454440a-61d9-4a63-adef-4177ce622815> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://inventorspot.com/articles/light_life_electricity_everyone | 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 | 0.965831 | 478 | 2 | 2 |
A memo obtained by the Financial Times says the U.S. military effort in Libya is costing hundreds of millions of dollars more than first estimated.
The Pentagon memo, which the newspaper says was given to some U.S. lawmakers, says the military is spending $2 million a day on air strikes, refueling operations and intelligence gathering missions. That adds up to a cost of $60 million a month.
Earlier estimates from the Defense Department said the U.S. was spending about $40 million a month on its Libyan operations.
The Financial Times says U.S. military operations in Libya could cost Washington almost $300 million more than the Pentagon anticipated.
The increased costs are a concern for the U.S. military because the money comes from its normal budget. Funding for the U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq come from separate, supplemental budgets.
NATO has been leading the air campaign against the forces of Libyan leader Moammar Ghadhafi. Earlier this week, outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged five key military allies to assume a greater role in the effort.
Last month, Gates said the total cost for U.S. operations in Libya had reached $750 million.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. | <urn:uuid:290f3c11-4f88-49dd-84a4-84864977dff5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.voanews.com/content/report--us-costs-for-libya-soaring-123543159/140511.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958811 | 265 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Google’s Highly Open Participation Contest was announced today at the Open Source Developers’ Conference in Brisbane, Australia.
Following on from the success of the Google Summer of Code program, Google is pleased to announce this new effort to get young people involved in open source development. We’ve teamed up with the open source projects listed here to give student contestants the opportunity to learn more about and contribute to all aspects of open source software development, from writing code and documentation to preparing training materials and conducting user experience research.
If you’re a student age 13 or older who has not yet begun university studies, we’d love to see you help out these projects. In return, you’ll learn more about all aspects of developing software – not just programming – and you’ll be eligible to win cash prizes and the all important t-shirt! You will, of course, need your parent or guardian’s permission to participate where applicable.
Almost any initiative the exposes students to collaboration and sharing while helping them build technical skill is all right by me. | <urn:uuid:19289594-9dd0-45b1-823f-f429dd9b3e5d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/715 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920457 | 220 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Intel, Logitech, Sony, and Google merge TV and the Internet like never before
If you think Hulu was a TV innovation, then prepare yourself for Google TV. Created by Google in partnership with hardware makers, Google TV aims to meld the hundreds of channels available on pay television with the virtually unlimited content—video and otherwise—available on the Internet. But what exactly is Google TV? How will it work? How much will it cost? Will it run on the hardware you already own?
Google TV isn’t expected to hit the market until sometime in October, but we’ve squeezed our sources at Google, Intel, and Logitech for answers to seven pressing questions.
In concrete terms, what the heck is Google TV?
According to Google, Google TV is an open platform designed to bring the power of the Internet to the TV-viewing experience. Think of an electronic program guide on steroids. It’s a menu interface that exposes not only what’s being broadcast on TV, but also what’s available on YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, or even on your DVR or the media server on your personal network.
Google TV will run on Google’s Android operating system and utilize Google’s Chrome web browser. It will use picture-in-picture technology to display your search results on top of live TV, so you never need to switch between experiences.
Google TV will also deliver content that’s relevant to whatever you happen to be watching—stats if you’re watching a sporting event, IMDb if you’re watching a movie, and so on. And it’s all in a picture-in-picture environment, so you don’t have to switch from one experience to the other. Potentially, it’s the perfect alternative to watching TV with a notebook or tablet balanced on your lap.
Google is providing the underlying operating system (Android) and web browser (Chrome). Logitech will offer a set-top box called the Revue—more on this later. Sony is working on incorporating Google TV into its new HDTVs and Blu-ray players. Intel is providing the silicon (the Atom CE4100 system-on-chip) for the Logitech and Sony products.
How Does Google TV Relate to Intel's Smart TV?
Intel had been thinking of ways to blend TV and the web for several years, all before Google approached them looking for hardware to run Google TV.
“Smart TV isn’t a product,” says Intel Consumer Experience Architect Brian David Johnson. “It’s more of a type of TV experience. When we started working on the concept four or five years ago, we figured the number-one thing people would want in the future is movies on demand. But our focus groups revealed that what people really wanted on their TVs was Internet access. It was more about personalization. Your Internet is very different from my Internet, but it can give you as a consumer whatever you’re looking for. People saw the Internet as a way they could get whatever they wanted on demand.”
Johnson’s new book, Screen Future, explores how computers, TVs, phones, and even cars are being connected and reshaped into personalized entertainment platforms. One chapter discusses an interactive TV concept called “poker night” that Intel conceived three years ago. “The TV becomes the poker table,” says Johnson, “and the consumers’ handheld devices become their private screen [so they can see the hands they’ve been dealt]. And each TV has a webcam attached to it, so the players can see each other. This is a very natural experience and people got the concept instantly.”
Illustration by Brian David Johnson
"Poker night" is just one portion of Intel's 3-year-old "Smart TV" concept. The TV serves as a card table and webcams let the players see and interact with each other.
But no idea happens in isolation, says Johnson. “Google had an understanding early on that they wanted a way to tie TV into Internet search. They’re Google, and search is what they do. We had the platform and we would have discussions about the user interface. Google TV is very much a Google product, but Intel saw early on that there were a lot of synergies.”
What are the Hardware Requirements?
Dish Network subscribers will be able to run Google TV on that company’s existing set-top boxes. Everyone else will need a Google TV device or a TV with integrated Google TV. Google TV will not run on a Mac or PC—not even with one of those fancy new CableCARD tuners. Besides the fact that Google TV runs on the Android OS, the software requires hardware with an HDMI input so that it can overlay its graphical user interface on top of the TV signal.
“All Google TV devices include an HDMI input that allows us to blend traditional television content with that of the Internet,” says Google TV Product Manager Larry Yang. “Dish Network customers will have the full integration experience and will be able to access all of their DVR and video-on-demand content directly from the Google TV interface. Users without Dish will still have a seamless experience bringing the web and TV together in one easy-to-use, searchable experience.” According to Yang, this will also apply to consumers using over-the-air HDTV tuners.
So Google TV will really work with over-the-air broadcasts?
Google says it will, but Kevin Simon, director of product marketing for Logitech’s Digital Home Group, told us Logitech’s Revue device will not work with OTA tuners because they lack an electronic program guide. “You can use the browser and the applications,” says Simon, “but without an EPG, you won’t know what’s being broadcast.” What’s more, the vast majority of TVs don’t have HDMI outputs, so there’s no way to route a live TV signal through a Google TV set-top box.
How much will Google TV cost?
You’ll need to buy the hardware, of course, but it won’t cost anything extra to use Google TV. It’s easy to see the other players’ business models, but what does Google get out of Google TV?
“Google TV will be a free, open-source platform,” says Yang. “This is an opportunity for Google and many third-party developers to distribute existing content and services through a new category of devices. For example, users will now be able to easily access Google search, Google Maps, and YouTube.”
Yang says Google TV won’t be a platform for selling additional advertising—at least for now. “At this time, there are no advertising products directly integrated into Google TV,” says Yang. “Traditional advertising over broadcast TV, as well as online display ads, can be viewed as normal through Google TV, and will continue to function as before.”
Logitech and Sony have been exceedingly tight-lipped when it comes to discussing pricing for their Google TV products. Sony wouldn’t discuss the subject at all, but Logitech’s Simon did say there are no subscription fees tied to the Revue.
What can we expect from the Logitech Revue hardware?
Logitech demoed the Revue when Google TV was announced, but has been reticent to show the product to the press since then. Logitech’s Kevin Simon did, however, reveal a few key details during our conversation.
The box is based on Intel’s Atom CE4100 SoC, of course, but it will also incorporate Logitech’s Harmony Link engine and Unify receiver technology. Harmony Link will enable the Revue’s universal remote to control all the other devices in your entertainment center, and Unify enables the pairing of the remote and other controllers without the need to plug them into a USB port. The remote itself will have a touchpad and a full QWERTY keyboard.
Logitech’s Revue is based on Intel’s Atom CE4100 system-on-chip. It features an HDMI input and overlays Google TV’s user interface over live TV.
“Harmony Link enables the integration between the web and broadcast,” says Simon. “Imagine you’re searching for a TV show, such as Friday Night Lights. You’ll see a number of results pop up—some from the web and some from TV. If you select something that’s on TV right now, the channel on your set-top box will change to that channel.” Simon told us Logitech also plans to offer Android and iPhone apps that enable you to use those phones to control the Revue and the rest of the hardware in your entertainment center using your Wi-Fi network and infrared emitters (the Revue will have both a hard-wired Ethernet NIC and an integrated IEEE 802.11n adapter).
Logitech is also putting its Vid video chat software inside the Revue. Plug in a webcam and you’ll be able to make video calls to another Revue box or to any PC with a webcam. Throw in a smartphone or tablet with the right app, and Intel’s “poker night” concept becomes real. | <urn:uuid:6b1bce1e-858b-49b7-90da-bb3e831d28d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.maximumpc.com/article/google_tv_we_faq_googles_bid_merge_tv_internet | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932163 | 1,986 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Teenagers raised by lesbian mothers show no developmental differences compared to those brought up by heterosexual parents, according to the first large national study in the US.
Previous research has focused mainly on younger children and found no significant disparities in child welfare between same-sex and heterosexual families.
But few studies have been done on adolescents, who some researchers think may be more prone to - or conscious of - discrimination against their families. Others have speculated whether a teens' own sexuality is affected by that of their parents.
"There's been this debate about whether being raised by single-sex couples is good or bad for children," says Stephen Russell, a sociologist at the University of Arizona in Tucson, US. "We would call into question suggestions that growing up with single-sex parents is somehow problematic."
Russell and colleagues Charlotte Patterson and Jennifer Wainright at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, US, came to this conclusion after sifting through interviews from 1995 with about 12,000 US teenagers and their families. The teens were part of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the largest and most comprehensive study of the age group in the US.
"This is the best available evidence to date about how adolescent children fare in families with single-sex parents," Russell told New Scientist.
The researchers found 44 teens being raised by two women in a "marriage-like" relationship. Only six teens reported living with two gay men, so male single-sex families were excluded from the study.
Each teen studied was matched with a counterpart from a heterosexual family, who shared the same sex, age, ethnicity, adoption status and family income, among other factors.
The researchers found no differences between the two groups in terms of depression, anxiety, self-esteem and school grades. Exactly the same proportion of both groups also reported having had sex (34%).
But while a previous study suggested children of gay parents were more likely to consider homosexual relationships, this study was unable to provide such information because so few teens reported same-sex attractions and romances.
The single most important predictor of the teens' well being, the study showed, was their relationship with parents - regardless of family type. "What's really important is the quality of the relationship," Russell told New Scientist.
As a result, the authors write that their findings "provide no justification for limitations on child custody or visitation by lesbian mothers" and "do not support the idea that lesbian and gay adults are less likely than others to provide good adoptive or foster homes".
Russell says future studies could see how the same group of teens fared in young adulthood.
Journal reference: Child Development (vol 75, p 1886)
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Mon Mar 31 04:43:43 BST 2008 by Cherelle Jennings
Children will always make their own choices growing up whether from same-sex or straight couples. Yes, i think a child from a same-sex relationship may have more thoughts about being with someone of their own sex, but they may choose not to be interested as well. I myself am a female with a wife getting prepared to have a child and both my parents are straight. Lesbian couples, I think, do a great job of raising their children. Some even better than a straight couple because now-a-days all you hear are fathers not being around and mothers being on drugs. Not saying that a lesbian couple is better because we also have our problems. My point is that all same-sex couples are very capable of successfully raising a beautiful baby boy or girl just as well as straight couples.
44 Out Of 12000 Interviews?
Thu May 01 13:49:10 BST 2008 by Seriously. . . . .
44 out of 12,000??? I would have to say that this is hardly newsworthy. And what is the status of the other 11,950? (as 6 were excluded having been raised by two homosexual males)
I would say this actually serves to hurt rather than help, being there was no information on the 11,950 others revealed here, we are left to assume that there are issues that the writers did not want to share. At least that is what I will gather from the lack of information on 11950 other teens in the same situation that were interviewed compared to a completely biased report on a mere 44. Surely you realize that this is appears as a desperate attempt to grasp at straws and is in way able to be treated as credible, right?
Fri Jun 06 02:35:47 BST 2008 by Kayla Harper
I need some help explaining why it is no different for two woman to raise a child together then it be man&woman
Also finding out about donating&explaining that process...I really need help and support right now...please and thank you
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If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support. | <urn:uuid:08fcf2a1-06f9-4158-9c07-4a4db87e3b69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn6670-lesbian-couples-raise-welladjusted-teenagers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969356 | 1,109 | 2.671875 | 3 |
RTS Scheduler Wiki-Page's description on Switching Context
marlowsd at gmail.com
Fri May 20 09:55:04 CEST 2011
On 19/05/2011 10:18, 吴兴博 wrote:
> Thanks! Now I have sense about the switching.
> There are more confusion. Please help me make it clear:)
> See this words in the quotation:
> "If the foreign call is short, we don't want to incur the cost of a
> context switch on returning"
> -> "but since we marked the Capability as free there's a good chance
> the returning Task will be able to re-acquire it immediately and
> So dose the "good chance" means "the re-schedule can make the T1 get
> back ASAP, but OS-Thread's context switch cannot be avoided"
> Or "a OS-thread context switch can be skipped".
> I think the former is more close to the meaning of Wiki pages and your reply.
The OS thread context switch will still occur at some point after the
call has returned.
However, if many calls are taking place rapidly, then we don't get one
context switch per call, some of them will be aggregated. I fear I may
have confused you further now :)
> 2011/5/19 Simon Marlow<marlowsd at gmail.com>:
>> Let's say T1 is the running OS thread, and it is currently holding
>> Capability C. It makes a safe foreign call, so the scheduler releases C (C
>> is now marked free), and wakes up T2. Now, T1's call returns, T1 acquires C
>> again, and continues. Meanwhile, T2 will still wake up, observe that C is
>> not free, and sleep again. The two context switches are T1->T2 and T2->T1
>> (these are OS scheduler context switches, not RTS context switches).
>> I'm not sure if this is actually a problem in practice or not. I think we'd
>> need more instrumentation in ThreadScope to be able to analyse it. However
>> I *have* observed strange unexplained performance effects in the test
>> callback001 (http://darcs.haskell.org/nofib/smp/callback001).
More information about the Cvs-ghc | <urn:uuid:7095f598-f747-4ecf-9f3d-39f116e33632> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/cvs-ghc/2011-May/062319.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91062 | 520 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Functional Vision Assessment (FVA)
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The functional vision assessment is a pivotal assessment for children who have low vision. It is an assessment of how a child uses the vision he or she has in everyday life, so it is usually not done with children who are totally blind or have light perception only. Since a child's visual condition and abilities can change over time, the functional vision assessment needs to be repeated periodically.
A functional vision assessment will investigate how your child uses his vision for
- near tasks, closer than 16 inches
- intermediate tasks, 16 inches to 3 feet
- distance tasks, more than 3 feet away
This assessment is conducted by the teacher of students with visual impairments or sometimes an orientation and mobility specialist, who uses a combination of formal tests and informal measures, which may differ depending on your child's age. He or she will review your child's records, spend time observing your child as he goes through his day, and may interview you, your child, and the regular classroom teacher. Formal tests will include tests to assess
- visual acuity, or how clear and sharp your child's vision is. It is likely that both your child's near and distance visual acuity will be measured.
- visual field, or the area your child sees to the sides, above, and below (known as the peripheral area of vision)
- contrast sensitivity, or the ability of your child to detect differences in grayness and between objects and their background—that is, how clearly your child can see the elements of an image
- color vision, or the ability to detect different colors and also hues within a color
- light sensitivity, or resonse to light (sunlight or artificial light), which can be extreme for some children with eye conditions such as aniridia and albinism
Informal measures might include observing your child to see what eye he prefers to use when looking at materials or if he can locate an object in a picture that has a lot of detail.
Based on the information gathered through these various activities, the teacher of students with visual impairments can make recommendations about ways to help your child learn to use his vision more effectively. The recommendations may include
- modifications, or changes to the environment, such as providing additional lighting for certain tasks or seating your child with the glare from the window behind him
- areas of specialized instruction for your child, such as learning to use a magnifier to read print
- adaptations or materials that may assist your child, such as the use of a black marker to increase the contrast between the letters and the paper being used when he writes, or additional time for completing a test
- instructional strategies, such as teaching your child to use his vision to scan all the paint choices at art time, instead of always picking the paint in the container on the right side of the easel because he sees best out of his right eye
- referrals to other professionals, such as an assistive technology specialist or an orientation and mobility instructor, for example if your child often doesn't see branches or other objects on his right side that could hurt him
You should receive a copy of the report written by the teacher of students with visual impairments summarizing the information gathered and the recommendations. It's important to review your child's most recent functional vision assessment report before you meet with the other members of his educational team so that you'll be ready with any comments or questions you want to discuss with them. | <urn:uuid:2037a413-4974-49ed-a3aa-dfd368c85f87> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsite.asp?SectionID=72&TopicID=369&DocumentID=4067 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957425 | 718 | 3.390625 | 3 |
What capital-ist Tea Partiers fail to realize, however, is that their orthography imitates not Thomas Jefferson and James Madison but the far less famous Timothy Matlack and Jacob Shallus—a couple of secretaries. No one played a larger role in crafting the Declaration and the Constitution than Jefferson and Madison, respectively, but it was Matlack and Shallus who hand wrote the official, signed versions of these documents and freely recapitalized them as they saw fit. By contrast, in Jefferson's drafts of the Declaration, there's a striking absence of caps—he writes "life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness," for example. As H.L. Mencken noted, "nature and creator, and even god are in lower case."Nice. And the author ID promises more language fun to come: "Jon Lackman is writing a doctoral dissertation on the use of invective in art criticism."
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Tea Party orthography: A Capital Idea?
In the latest "Good Word" column at Slate, Jon Lackman skips the "Teabonics" wisecracks and instead theorizes that the Tea Party members are capitalizing their nouns -- Freedom, Republic, etc. -- in imitation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. | <urn:uuid:87f9e98f-5dec-4b5a-9a05-f2fc7f796752> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://throwgrammarfromthetrain.blogspot.com/2010/11/tea-party-orthography-capital-idea.html?showComment=1288800477057 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936268 | 265 | 2.03125 | 2 |
The USGS Surface-water quality and flow Modeling Interest Group (SMIG) is interested in surface-water quality and flow modeling activities with links to articles, model archives, data archives, clearinghouse, mailing list, classes, and meetings.
Explains 16 distinct types of scientific information that are needed to understand climate change, including the specific parameters measured, why they are needed, who measures them, and the type and amount of information that are not yet available.
Upcoming interagency study to assess status of ecological conditions, their relationships with contaminants and nutrients, anthropogenic factors affecting these, and develop models that may predict these ecological conditions.
Homepage describing The National Map, which will produce a seamless, continuously maintained set of public domain geographic base information, with links to map viewer, pilot projects, reports, fact sheets, and national atlas.
Techniques of computer-based representations of areal geology to construct three-dimensional geologic maps that retain all the information of traditional geologic maps while providing a more detailed picture of the subsurface.
To assess the effectiveness of ecological carbon sequestration, we plan to define ecosystem reporting units, model baseline and potential carbon sequestration, develop spatial models that simulate ecosystems, and integrate remote sensing data. | <urn:uuid:59e4eea4-ec29-42be-a333-4c21fda1fc80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usgs.gov/science/science.php?term=189&b=110&n=10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901678 | 257 | 3.125 | 3 |
Connect A Million Minds: Middle School Students Have A Blast With Harlem "Space Day" Competition
Updated: 07/18/2012 11:49 AM
By: NY1 News
More than 50 middle school students took part in a recent "Space Day" competition as part of the Exxon Mobil Bernard Harris summer camp program in Harlem.
Students built their own space suits using different materials like foam and plastics, then tested them to see whose was the most durable.
The students also got to meet an astronaut -- Dr. Bernard Harris, the first African-American to walk in space.
"If you look at the jobs these days, 90 percent of the jobs, in fact I say 100 percent of the jobs, require expertise in math and science and we want them to be prepared," said Harris.
"I really love discussing the universe. I really want to be a cosmologist, someone who discusses the fate of the universe," said a program participant. "So I love learning about what I could be and what I could do with that unique idea."
For more information on programs about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), visit connectamillionminds.com.
Back to list | <urn:uuid:3e2ade1b-8e7a-4bc6-b144-0bb918bae007> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ny1.com/text/?ArID=165052&SecID=16000 | 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 | 0.947241 | 246 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Asallam alaykum. I'm about learning modern standard arabic. Now i also want to look a little deeper into a specific dialect. Tunisian or egyptian. But i have no idea which one to choose.
My overall purpose for learning arabic is the spoken. That i want to be able to communicate with people, understand music and television and because i love the language and the culture. Then some plus sites is that i also want to be able to read and understand the qu'ran.
My reasons for considering these dialects specific are that my lovely man is tunisian, and when i'm with him i would love to be able to keep up when arabic with the local dialect is spoken and communicate in the language good.
About the egyptian dialect, i think about this because it's so big. Many speaks it, many movies and much television is in this and also lots of music.
There is just so much more material on learning the egyptian dialect online, than there's on the tunisian. So what do you think i should start learning along msa online now, egyptian or tunisian?
I just think also if i learned the egyptian, because i think it would be easier for me online(i dont know?), but i then think that it would be good because i understand more also in the media, and i could still comunicate with the tunisian locals in this or what? And when i am in Tunisia it would then become easier to communicate in the arabic i know, msa and egyptian if i started with this dialect, and understand eachother and then be able to pick the tunisian language easy up by just simple beeing there and listeting to it.
I'm very confused about where to start, as you can hear, so please help me out. :) | <urn:uuid:9b140499-be80-4ab5-9043-14d30505a3f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.islamicity.com/forum/printer_friendly_posts.asp?TID=24432 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969304 | 393 | 1.515625 | 2 |