text stringlengths 213 24.6k | id stringlengths 47 47 | dump stringclasses 1 value | url stringlengths 14 499 | file_path stringlengths 138 138 | language stringclasses 1 value | language_score float64 0.9 1 | token_count int64 51 4.1k | score float64 1.5 5.06 | int_score int64 2 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
'60s British pop trio the Ivy League consisted of members John Carter, Ken Lewis (previous members of Carter-Lewis and the Southerners), and Perry Ford. All three members were session singers who possessed high-pitched singing voices, forming the group in 1964. Although an initial single quickly disappeared from sight, their second single, "Funny How Love Can Be," turned out to be a surprise U.K. Top Ten hit. Further hits followed, including "That's Why I'm Crying" and a cover of "Tossin' And Turnin'," the latter of which hit number three on the U.K. charts. The original trio managed to only release a single full-length album, 1965's This Is the Ivy League, before both Carter and Lewis left the group a year later. With replacement members Tony Burrows and Neil Landon taking the recently departed original members' places, the Ivy League issued two more full-lengths, 1967's Sounds of the Ivy League and 1969's Tomorrow Is Another Day. They scored another minor hit, "Willow Tree," before changing their name to the Flowerpot Men. In the '80s, fans of the group were confused by a band going by the name of the Ivy League which performed the group's hits at nightclubs, even though none of the group's earlier members were involved. During the '90s, several best-of compilations surfaced, including 1998's 43-track Major League: the Collectors' Ivy League. | <urn:uuid:f28fa50a-8146-4848-bc08-42bfe1c7c63b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://calgary.virginradio.ca/Music/Artist.aspx?id=188198 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973429 | 309 | 1.828125 | 2 |
What teens are saying about cheating
“I usually cheat on homework [because] I’m usually too lazy to do it or … I just don’t want to do the extra work.”
—Lana, a sophomore at Wheaton North
“I hate it when I put in all the work to prepare for an exam and a classmate asks to look off my paper.”
—Smaritha Ponnala, a senior at Plainfield North
“There is a difference between cheating on homework and tests. On tests it’s just wrong. When you’re not learning anything from homework being assigned then why should you do it?”
—Andrew, a senior at Wheaton Warrenville South
>> In the 1940s, only 20 percent of college students say they cheated in high school. In recent years, the percentage ranges between 75 and 98 percent.
>> Cheating most often occurs in science and math classes.
>> According to National Public Radio, two-thirds of parents think cheating is no big deal and say that “all students do it.”
>> In the past, students who were struggling were the most likely to cheat. Today, the above-average students cheat so they can get ahead and make sure they go to their college of choice.
>> According to a survey by Donald McCabe, a professor of management at Rutgers University:
47 percent of students believe teachers sometimes choose not to confront students they know are cheating
26 percent said they believed teachers simply don’t want to be bothered by reporting suspected academic dishonesty.
Source: Educational Testing Service, The Center for Academic Integrity, Rutgers University
March 03, 2011
February 02, 2011
May 07, 2012
March 01, 2012
June 07, 2012 | <urn:uuid:5ec5f0db-2a59-4bd6-bdc9-14b501b6f737> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://themash.com/blog/news/2011/10/27/do-you-copy-the-lowdown-on-cheating/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965929 | 373 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Installing an egress window
An egress window in a basement dramatically brightens an otherwise dark, dingy room, but it also has a more serious purpose. It's large enough to offer a safe exit from the basement in the event of fire or other emergency. Adding an egress window is essential any time you remodel your basement to make a new bedroom, office or other living space.
In this article, we'll show you how to cut through a concrete block wall and install an egress window. If you have solid concrete walls, the process is similar, except we recommend you hire a professional for the wall cutting (more on this later).
The egress windows we installed (two 2947 Pella ProLine casement windows for $325) are substantially larger than the minimum requirement because we wanted to bring strong natural light into this basement. But you don't have to add ones this large. An egress window must have a clear opening of at least 5.7 sq. ft.—large enough to allow a firefighter, with equipment, to enter the home through the window. In addition, the window must be at least 20 in. wide and 24 in. high (while still meeting the 5.7-sq.-ft. requirement). Finally, the bottom of the opening can be no more than 44 in. from the floor. See “Egress Window Choices” at the end of this article for more details.
Prepare for a big project
Allow at least three full days to install the window, plus time for finishing the interior. Hiring a contractor to install an egress window and window well like the ones shown will cost from $6,000 to $8,000. If you do the projects yourself, expect to spend $1,500 on materials, tool rental and refuse container fees.
Good planning simplifies the job
First, find the best location and size for the window. Consider: (1) which wall offers the best light; (2) the effect on the exterior look of the home; and (3) the obstacles you'll have to deal with for a particular location.
The best natural light comes from the east first and then the south. An eastern window offers rich morning light, while a southern window provides more even light year-round.
We centered our egress window beneath a large bow window on the front of the house (facing east). This placement maintained the balanced look of the front of the home, though the window was not centered on the wall of our new basement room.
Check for obstacles such as buried utilities, shrubbery, indoor wiring and ductwork. The more stuff you have to move or work around, the more complex, time-consuming and expensive the project becomes. Always call for buried utility marking so you don't hit or interfere with water, gas, electrical, cable or sewer lines when you dig your well. Then visit a window dealer or home center and pick up a manufacturer's brochure listing window sizes to help plan and size your window.
One key factor that can limit window size is the size of the beam (called a header) that you have to install when you remove a section of your foundation wall. If you're installing a small window (less than 48 in. wide) in a wall that runs parallel to the floor joists, you probably won't need the extra support of a header. But if you install the window in a load-bearing wall
(perpendicular to the floor joists; Photo 2), consult a structural engineer or architect (both listed in your Yellow Pages) to determine the header size.
Take a sketch of your plan (Fig. A) to your local building inspector's office to obtain a permit for the project. Local code officials should be familiar with local issues and can help you with details.
We actually finished our well first, but it's usually easier to get the window in and then finish the well around it.
TIP: Keep a tarp handy so the sides of the well won't wash in if it rains.
When you position your window layout with masking tape, remember to make the cutting lines about 3-1/2 in. wider than the rough opening required (listed with the window dimensions). Add the width of the header plus 1-3/4 in. to the rough opening height. The extra space is for the 1-1/2 in. treated wood rough frame (Fig. A) plus room for adjustment. Cutting through concrete isn't as exact as cutting through wood!
Since our egress window was in a wall perpendicular to the floor joists (in a weight-bearing wall), we built a temporary support wall (Photo 2) to carry the weight before cutting out the window opening and putting in the header.
Sawing concrete creates an incredible dust cloud. So when cutting inside, tent the area around the cut to confine the dust (Photo 3).
The simplest way to avoid the header size issue is to make an existing basement window taller. Typical small basement windows measure 30 in. wide by 15 in. high. If you extend this opening down and install a 29-in. wide by 47-in. high casement window, you'll satisfy minimum egress window requirements.
Avoid putting an egress window near a walkway unless you provide a substantial barrier to prevent falls into the well.
Rent a concrete saw with a diamond blade
Your basement or lower-level walls will be either poured concrete or concrete block. In this article, we show you how to cut through concrete block. For a poured concrete wall, we strongly recommend that you hire a professional to cut the opening ($600 to $1,000). Doing this yourself is difficult and dangerous because of the weight of the slab you cut loose. Cutting through concrete block is no picnic either. The two major tools you'll need are a concrete saw and a hammer drill. Choose a concrete saw with either a 12-in. or a 14-in. blade. The 12-in. saw will work fine for an 8-in. thick wall.
We used a 14-in. saw because our wall contained both 8-in. and 12-in. blocks. Along with the saw, rent a diamond blade. This blade will pay for its higher cost in time saved because it cuts much faster than abrasive blades. Some rental stores carry only gas saws; others rent both gas and electric. We recommend electric so you won't have to worry about fumes while you're making the inside cut. Also, the electric saw is less bulky, making it easier to get in tight spaces. If you use the electric saw, especially if you wet the blade, plug it into a GFCI outlet to protect yourself from electrical shocks. These are big, heavy saws that take strength and attention to control. Always wear goggles, gloves and hearing protection when operating them.
When you rent the hammer drill, also rent a masonry drill bit long enough to go through the wall: 12 in. long for 8-in. block and 16 in. for 12-in. block. Expect to spend about $120 to $140 to rent the saw, hammer drill, diamond blade and masonry bit for the day.
Having a helper spray water on the blade with a hand pump sprayer while you cut reduces the dust about 90 percent
(Photo 6). But you'll have to clean up a mucky mess on the floor.
Tip: Apply a bead of insulating foam to the floor to act as a curb to contain the water. Allow a day for the foam
For height accuracy, lay out your cutting lines on the inside wall (Photo 4). Since you have to cut from both the inside and outside, drill through the wall at the lower corners with a hammer drill held perfectly level, to establish the layout on the exterior. Or drill through the center of your proposed layout (Photo 4) if you build your window well first. That way you can adjust your layout to center on the well
before drilling the corners (Photo 5).
Tip: Use the joints on the block to help maintain accurate alignment—if you can find them through the tar that's often spread on the exterior!
Prevent Moisture Trouble—Establish Good Drainage
Any time you install an egress window below ground, you have to ensure good drainage. If your basement has ever had moisture problems, take these steps:
- Step 1: Make sure existing gutters and downspouts are clean and drain water away from the house. If necessary, install new gutters.
- Step 2: Check the grade of the slope around your foundation walls. It should be 1/2 in. per foot at least 10 to 12 ft. out from the foundation wall.
- Step 3: Make sure the drainage system is in good repair. Many homes have a drainage system around the footing of the foundation walls that sends excess water to a sump pump or exterior drain. If you have such a system and your soil has a high clay content, create a gravel drainage path below your window well to tie into this system.
- Step 4: If you've had moisture or flooding problems, consult a waterproofing specialist before adding a below-ground window. Check the Yellow Pages or online under “Waterproofing Contractors.”
If you wet the blade to reduce dust, make sure you plug your concrete saw into a GFCI outlet to prevent a hazardous shock.
Roll up your sleeves and get to work
Once cut, the masonry blocks won't fall out of the wall. You have to break them out with a 4-lb. hammer (Photo 8). Be sure to wear eye protection. Chips will fly! With the block broken out, you'll see that your cuts won't align perfectly. Smooth the sides as best you can with a brick chisel (Photo 9).
Photos 11 – 14 for setting the rough frame. Cut the pressure treated 2x10 to fit the thickness of your wall. Since we had both 8-in. and 12-in. thick blocks, we fit the window to the 8-in. thickness and mortared a beveled sill under the window to shed water over the 12-in. blocks (Photo 17).
Anchoring the rough frame to the block can be tricky (Photo 13). Mark the block where the concrete screws can get a good bite into solid concrete. Don't try to draw the side frames tight to the wall with the screws. Use shims when tightening the screws to keep the frame straight and plumb (perfectly vertical).
Back to Top
Install the window and wall finishes
Installing the window (Photos 15 –17) will go quickly compared with the prep work. Most manufacturers include complete installation instructions with every window. Read through them to check for variations from our procedure. The trim work will vary according to the style of your home. The exterior finish could pose some problems because most foundation walls are coated with rubbery tar below the soil level. We chose to cover the entire exposed foundation around the window and inside the well with metal lath and stucco. If you have lap siding, you may choose to apply furring strips to the concrete and carry the lap siding down into the well area. On the interior, we trimmed the window with tile rather than the more traditional wood sill and casing; however, wood trim also will work well.
Egress Window Choices
Casement windows (windows that are hinged on one side and crank open) and side-to-side sliding windows are the best choices for egress windows. Double-hung windows (windows that slide up and down) don't work well because they have to be almost 5 ft. tall in order to meet the minimum openable area requirements—more digging and a deeper well.
Sliding windows don't have to be as tall as a double-hung, but they do need to be wide. It takes a 48 x 48-in. sliding window to meet the minimum egress requirements.
Casement windows are usually ideal because the entire window swings open. That means you can install a smaller casement window than other types. A 29-in. wide by 47-in. wide (outside frame dimensions) window will meet the requirements, and you can go even smaller if the window is equipped with special egress hinges. Modern casement windows with a single lock are also the easiest for a child to open. Check window sizes in manufacturers' catalogs at any home center or window and door store. | <urn:uuid:ca79ad39-2274-4324-8236-bcc371c4ab01> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.familyhandyman.com/DIY-Projects/Indoor-Projects/Basement/Basement-Finishing/how-to-install-basement-windows-and-satisfy-egress-codes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924986 | 2,583 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Members of the Laurinburg Police Department say that the force’s newest members are also the most doggedly devoted to their work.
Det. Chris Strickland and Patrolman James Munger graduated from a five-week training program last month, bringing back with them two new canine colleagues.
Wise and Jack replace the officers’ former partners, serving the department by helping to locate narcotics as well as tracking fugitives and missing persons.
“Both of these dogs are passive indicator dogs,” Strickland said. “They find the odor and sit and stare, or sudden breathing changes and stuff that we’re trained to notice in the dogs tell us where the odors are.” The Laurinburg Police Department has operated a K9 unit since 1990. In addition to Munger with Wise and Strickland with Jack, the unit also includes Craig Wilkerson and Chief. Memorable uses of the dogs have included finding patients with Alzheimer’s, locating suicidal individuals, and tracking larceny suspects to their front doors.
“They’re such an asset,” said Munger. “I did a track a couple of years ago where there was a break-in to a business and the dog tracked all the way to the door of where the person went.” Wise and Jack are Belgian Malinois imported from Europe - Jack even holds a Royal Dutch Police Dog Association (KNPV) title for his mastery of the many skills required of a police dog. Laurinburg police acquired the dogs from K2 Solutions, Inc., a company based in Southern Pines.
“Once they hit here, in a faciltiy like K2, those trainers begin to work them to see what part of law enforcement or the military they’re most suitable for,” said Strickland. “They then send people like me and James through a five-week course, which is learning how to be a professional with that dog, what that dog actually does, and how to fix any problems that you see when you’re training. You start out from the basics: how they’re taught to find the odor of narcotics, how they’re taught to track, and the actual apprehensions, which we very rarely use.”
In the week since they graduated, Wise and Jack have each gotten a major find under their belts.
“I stopped a vehicle on Park Drive and there were three guys in it, and they seemed somewhat nervous,” Strickland said. “I actually pulled Jack out and walked him around the vehicle. He sat by the passenger side door, which was an indication that he smelled a narcotic. A search of the vehicle revealed about 20 grams of marijuana that they had hidden under the console.”
Wise came to the rescue last week, tracking a suspect after a robbery from the Dollar General on 15-501.
“I casted my dog Wise on the scent area,” said Munger. “He actually tracked into the woodline and gave his change of behavior that showed me that he had gone from his track to an air scent which meant to me that I was close to the suspect. At that time the suspect heard us because we had given our call that we were coming in with the canine - he actually ran out of the woods and ran right into one of our perimeter officers.
“These are two really good finds because we just graduated these dogs last Friday,” Munger added. “The dogs haven’t even worked a full week yet and they’re already making progress for the city.”
Although the dogs are highly useful in locating drugs and drug money, finding $50,000 in 2010, Strickland said that their tracking abilities are a skill that the community may one day need to call upon.
“These are the things that any of us could go through one day, you never know,” Strickland said. “Alzheimer’s strikes anybody, or something happens in your life and you have a hard time dealing with it - these are things that happen to everyday citizens.”
Fully-trained police dogs can cost up to $15,000. The Laurinburg Police Department paid around $7,000 each for Wise and Jack, who can be expected to work for roughly seven or eight years. According to Munger, Laurinburg got a deal, as K2 also supplies the military with bomb and IED dogs for special ops and Navy SEAL teams.
“A small place like Laurinburg, we are getting the same dogs that our military armed forces special units are getting, the same quality of dog,” Munger said. “It’s just amazing.” Although some may think of police dogs as aggressive, they are no more vicious than any other canine, and will only attack on command or in self-defense.
“To the dog, it’s a game,” Munger said. “It’s about the final reward, what we have is a toy for them. When we come up on a suspect, what happens with the dog totally depends on the suspect. If the suspect is hiding in the woods, the dog is going to come up and give his final response, which is to sit or lay down, because the chief does not want aggressive dogs. How that person acts in the end, whether they brandish a weapon or they threaten or they may hurt someone else - the dog will not react until he’s commanded to.”
“The dog is going to defend himself,” Strickland added. “If we’re tracking someone and the first thing they do is jump out at the bushes and kick at the dog, the dog is going to bite him because he’s actually trained to protect himself and his handler.”
In fact, the dogs’ innate talents have many applications when it comes to the myriad aspects of police work - including serving as community ambassadors.
“We call them community-friendly dogs,” Munger said. “We don’t want the community scared of our dogs - they’re police officers just like we are. The scope of work they do is anywhere from area searches for articles that may have been lost, narcotic searches, building searches, all the way up to demonstrating at an elementary school with kids all around them and they just sit there wagging their tails just as happy as they can be.” | <urn:uuid:13943f8b-2deb-44f2-bb27-2bf662712126> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://laurinburgexchange.com/pages/home/push?per_page=5&x_page=165&class=&rel= | 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 | 0.975123 | 1,372 | 1.539063 | 2 |
04 November 2006
Cape St. Lucia Lighthouse
This lighthouse is situated one and a half hours drive from Richards Bay along the Mapelane road. It is 8 meters high and situated on a hill. The only Lighthouse to have a woman assistant Light keeper in the 1940’s. (Mrs Coward) A shipwreck can be seen from the lighthouse(Jolly Rubino) – a cargo ship which went down in 1993. It can be reached in any car but a stretch of sand road makes for slow driving.
Posted by Joe Viljoen at 4:04 pm | <urn:uuid:98e80416-c231-4c1b-86e6-6abd1d74de77> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lighthouses-of-sa.blogspot.com/2006/11/cape-st-lucia-lighthouse.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957906 | 121 | 1.71875 | 2 |
While most kids are running around outside or playing "Angry Birds" on a Saturday morning, 9-year-old Harrison Luba and his friends can be found playing bridge.
The group of children meets for two hours every week to learn from the experts. The Hilton Head Island Bridge Club's youth program is free and open to children ages 6 and older.
Three years ago, club members Ron Perry and Fred Ferguson started the program with the hopes of teaching their grandchildren the game. The two men began teaching a small group of children on Saturday mornings. Now the group has grown to about 60 kids.
The children break up into groups of four. They get a brief lesson and then play a few hands.
"It's fun to play," Harrison said, adding that he likes figuring out where all the cards are. "It's fun learning, and then it gets more fun when you're able to play in tournaments."
Harrison often plays bridge with his great-grandmother and has even beaten her in the game. And when the bridge club recently needed an extra pair to play at the annual meeting, they called in the two.
"It requires a lot of skills," one of the club's directors Marty Davis said. "You have to plan. You have to know where all 52 cards are. ... It's great for the kids. It's great for us old geezers, too. Keeps our brain cells going."
Ferguson said he and the other members of the bridge club have a blast with the kids. But he said the real reason they host the youth program is because bridge has a tremendous educational value. He said there's plenty of documentation that shows playing bridge helps kids increase their test scores. He said the game teaches them logic, reasoning and math. Bridge can even help the youngest children learn to sort, order and rank.
"The bottom line is, if it's not fun, they won't come back," Ferguson said. "We try to make it fun. ... And what we are really trying to sneakily do is to help them understand and improve their test scores, their math skills." | <urn:uuid:861fe395-1831-449d-b4c9-6c73de072d3c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.islandpacket.com/2013/02/18/2382369/hilton-head-island-bridge-club.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978064 | 435 | 2.046875 | 2 |
A new law signed today by Gov. Andrew Cuomo will require medical professionals to tell patients if dense breast tissue is discovered during a mammogram.
The idea, according to backers of the bills, is to make sure women with dense tissue are aware of the potential increased risks associated. In particular, it can be harder to find lumps or cancerous tumors when the tissue is dense.
“Early detection can save lives and this new law will give women who may be at a higher risk for breast cancer the information they need to consult with their physician about follow-up screening and other preventive measures,” Cuomo said in a statement.
The bill was sponsored by Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern, Rockland County, and Suffolk County Sen. John Flanagan, a Republican.
The new law takes effect in 180 days.
When it becomes law, a patient with dense breast tissue will receive this notification after a mammogram:
“Your mammogram shows that your breast tissue is dense. Dense breast tissue is very common and is not abnormal. However, dense breast tissue can make it harder to find cancer on a mammogram and may also be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. This information about the result of your mammogram is given to you to raise your awareness. Use this information to talk to your doctor about your own risks for breast cancer. At that time, ask your doctor if more screening tests might be useful, based on your risk. A report of your results was sent to your physician.” | <urn:uuid:98de27e6-ceb6-426b-b10b-7967b9345b37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2012/07/23/cuomo-signs-breast-tissue-bill/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968438 | 317 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Remember that just because your ancestor appears on a 1830 real property tax list for Coshocton County, Ohio, it doesn't mean he lived there. A person could have owned property in a place without living there. People on personal property tax lists are more likely to have lived in the location.
But as for the real property lists, your ancestor might have speculated on property, inherited it, acquired it through military service, etc. and never lived on it. Most property owners lived on or near the property, but don't use your ancestor's name on a real property tax list as your sole proof that he lived there. | <urn:uuid:de24b12d-37bc-443a-8e7c-13d815366a2f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://genealogytipoftheday.blogspot.jp/2011/12/owner-doesnt-necessarily-mean-resident.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985235 | 127 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Question: "What is the Contemporary English Version (CEV)?"
Contemporary English Version - History
Published by the American Bible Society, the Contemporary English Version has the goal of was uncompromising simplicity. Also known as the Bible for Today’s Family, the CEV is written at a fourth grade reading level, making it appropriate for children and adults with limited English skills. In 1991, the 175th anniversary of the American Bible Society, the CEV New Testament was released. The CEV Old Testament was released in 1995. In 1999, the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books were published. An Anglicized version was produced by the British and Foreign Bible Society, which includes metric measurements for the Commonwealth market.
Contemporary English Version - Translation Method
The Contemporary English Version translators used the dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought as opposed to word-for-word) translation method. The CEV uses gender-sensitive language for humanity but not for the Godhead. The translators also attempted to simplify certain archaic-sounding words into more modern parlance. For example, Exodus 20:14 renders “Do not commit adultery” to “Be faithful in marriage.” The Contemporary English Version is not, as some have assumed, a revision of the Good News Bible, which is also published by the American Bible Society. Rather, it is a fresh translation with a lower reading level, making it more accessible to more people around the world.
Contemporary English Version - Pro’s and con’s
The Contemporary English Version is easy-to-read and easy-to-understand. It is written in quality and contemporary English. However, when it goes more toward dynamic equivalence and less toward formal equivalence, the CEV sometimes goes astray, interpreting rather than translating. Some view the Contemporary English Version as more of a paraphrase than a translation, but that is likely inaccurate, as the CEV is far more literal to the text than the true paraphrases, the Living BibleMessage.
Contemporary English Version - Sample verses
John 1:1, 14 – “In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us.”
John 3:16 – “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.”
John 8:58 – “Jesus answered, "I tell you for certain that even before Abraham was, I was, and I am."
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.”
Titus 2:13 – “We are filled with hope, as we wait for the glorious return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
© Copyright 2002-2013 Got Questions Ministries. | <urn:uuid:016a6a57-595e-408f-a33e-0bb64fb7d25f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gotquestions.org/Printer/Contemporary-English-Version-PF.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966929 | 691 | 2.640625 | 3 |
You're right, of course. I have a concern that the internet will only
become ubiquitous after it has been so commercialized that it is no longer
available to alternative voices.
>> Increasing support by academia for emering digital technologies can only
>> help make them more widespread, too.
>Mmm. I hate to be a real stick-in-the-mud here. I really do. I'm not
>just trying to cause trouble, honestly. But I'm trying to think of
>cases where academic support of technology has really had a huge
>impact on its wider availability and acceptance.
I'm not suggesting that academia provides good access to technological
tools for a wide group of users. I'm just saying that, through a
combination of students who have actually been through these programs, and
through support of workshops, public events, and other cultural activity,
academia does help provide a mechanism for increasing use of new
technologies. You're also right, though, to suggest that these
technologies (look at MIDI as a prime example) don't become widely used
until they are commercialized. Access to the tools may be the job of the
marketplace, but access to the intelligent use of them may through a wide
variety of non-market support mechanisms, including academia. The bottom
line is that there are in increasing number of young artists who have been
through college coming out with sophisticated senses of and uses for new
technology, and this in the end must affect the community as a whole. I
think this is more true in Europe (ironically) than it is in the US.
R i c h a r d P o v a l l
Assoc. Prof of Computer Music and New Media / Chair, TIMARA Dept.
MPO Box 0332 TIMARA/Studio 5
Oberlin, OH 44074-0332 USA Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Voice: +1.440.775.1016 Oberlin College
Fax: +1.440.775.8942 Oberlin, OH 44074 USA
====== ===== ====== ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ======
The Dartmoor Project
High Moorland Business Centre, The Old Duchy Hotel, Princetown, Yelverton,
Devon, PL20 6QJ UK | <urn:uuid:0b06885e-6d0c-4af5-b4ec-5fe2ccd9f366> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.art.net/~dtz/archive/DanceTech98/0232.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904695 | 487 | 1.882813 | 2 |
Today’s lectors will not correctly proclaim today’s first reading unless they understand the biblical significance of Moses’ initial words to his people. “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live . . . “Through the mouth of the greatest... more
Pastoral, Liturgical, Teaching, and Social Justice Moments brought to you by www.DignityUSA.org.
Breath of the Spirit is DignityUSA’s electronic spiritual and liturgical resource for our members and potential members. Nothing can replace your chapter or other faith community, but we hope you will find further support here for integrating your spirituality with your sexuality and all the strands of your life.
We welcome relevant homilies, inspirational writings, social justice opportunities, or theological articles from other sources also — particularly from wise women and men who can help us grow as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) and allied Catholic/Christians. You may volunteer to help with this program or send your comments by e-mailing info@DignityUSA.org ATTN: Breath of the Spirit.
One of the most intriguing aspects of studying Scripture critically is to surface the many different theologies which make up our sacred writings. This is especially eye opening to us Catholics. Throughout my life I’ve asked or been asked, “What do Catholics believe about this?” Or, “How do... more
Regular readers of these commentaries know how often (as recently as last week) I quote and refer to Carroll Stuhlmueller and Hans Walter Wolff. Though I’ve read the works of, and been influenced by other famous Scripture scholars, these two were among the many dedicated men and women who... more
One of Hans Walter Wolff’s most memorable classes revolved around the great Scripture scholar’s reflection on something which takes place in today’s first reading. “Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death: ‘This is enough... more | <urn:uuid:e6f7c8d2-2194-4dc2-bc12-b38957eaccf4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dignityusa.org/breath/200908 | 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 | 0.945452 | 449 | 1.679688 | 2 |
LED or not LED? That is the question. This season, the
answer has been consistently yes, LED.
LED is the anacronym for light emitting diode. The
advantages of LED lights are that they use about a fifth of the energy of
incandescent bulbs. They also have about 5 times the life expectance of
The disadvantages of LED lights are cost, color and beam
spread. This season as more and more landscape lighting designers use LEDs, the
price has slowly come down.
Technology continually advances. The optics of the bulbs now
available allow the light to be much warmer, less sterile and the beam spread
can be much wider which makes the LED light less intense.
Acceptable LED lights are now available for every major
lighting fixture type. The price will continually come down and optics will
continue to improve. In a few seasons the question will be - what came before | <urn:uuid:1f501d36-6dd0-4fc1-9014-34a306111a92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ridgewood.patch.com/blog_posts/led-or-not-led-fea8ae3c | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940281 | 189 | 2.40625 | 2 |
'A Pain in the Behind': Council Gets Briefed on Zebra Mussels
When zebra mussels found their way to Lake Ray Roberts last month, or, more precisely, when wildlife officials found that they had found their way there, Dallas let out a collective "Oh, crap." The invasive bivalves were easy to ignore when they were the plague of the Great Lakes and the Upper Midwest. They was harder, but still possible, to ignore when they took over Lake Texoma. Half of that's in Oklahoma, after all, and while the North Texas Municipal Water District had to build a 47-mile pipe, it's water customers in Plano who will have to pay for it. The Ray Roberts discovery was closer to home, the first time the little punks had been found in the Trinity River Basin, in part of Dallas' water supply, no less. It seemed time to start freaking out.
City of Dallas What the inside of a 72-inch water pipeline at Lake Texoma looks like post-zebra mussel invasion.
Except Dallas Water Utilities Director Jody Puckett told a City Council committee there's no reason to panic but that Dallas should brace itself for, her words, "the arrival of a pain in the behind." She had a couple of pain-in-the-behind specimens in glass jars that were passed around so the council members could take a look. They were packed in alcohol. Otherwise, possessing them would be illegal.
Puckett then ceded the floor to Dennis Qualls, who heads DWU's water resource planning division. He assured the committee the mussels pose no threat to water quality or access to water. They can disrupt a lake's food chain and ecology but in terms of water supply, they're just a pain.
"They will attach to anything hard," Qualls said. "When I say anything hard, they will attack to each other, rocks, cans, bottles, anything. Which would include our intakes."
The mussels haven't yet reached the city's intakes, which are below Lake Livingston, but they will. "They're on their way. It could take a couple of years to get down to our intakes on the Elm Fork. A couple of years -- two, three, four -- we don't know."
When they do reach water intake structures and other equipment, they will need to be periodically cleaned off, which will increase maintenance costs by an unknown amount. Puckett chimed in to note that Dallas water users won't experience the 14-percent rate hike likely for NTMWD customers. That's because Dallas doesn't have pump stations in Oklahoma and doesn't have to worry about violating federal law by transporting an invasive species over state lines.
So can anything be done to stop their spread, or even slow it? Not really, Qualls said. A good flood during the spring spawning season can spread them within a water basin, and there are any number of ways they can spread between them. A boat, for example. Or a duck that hasn't properly digested his dinner and poops out a live one.
"They'll make their way down to Livingston and to the gulf. It's going to happen."
Qualls reported that researchers are looking at all conceivable methods of mussel control, from chemical or biological agents to acoustics. But Councilwoman Voincel Hill Jones wanted to know about the more obvious form of population control: "Why can't you eat them?"
For one, Qualls said, they're tiny. Lots of work for a little reward. More important, they are filter feeders that accumulate whatever chemicals happen to be in the water. So put away the garlic and white wine, unless of course you want to eat what's in the Trinity River. | <urn:uuid:3274e8e6-c05d-44d2-8eff-db5bdbe19dd6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2012/08/theyre_on_their_way_council_ge.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978556 | 774 | 1.765625 | 2 |
First, background information:
OneVoice is an organization, not a charity or a political party. When it comes to their aims it is that of the basic two state solution that many people around the world are adhering to; that a viable and independent Palestinian state be established in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with the capital as East Jerusalem.
How it operates to bring this about is a different storie. The organization is subdivided into different branches; OneVoice Palestine based in Ramallah, OneVoice Israel based in Tel-Aviv, OneVoice Europe based in London and OneVoice USA based in New York. These branches do not necessarily work together but work in parallel instead. They tend to focus on the issues in their own societies that they can work on to progress towards a two state solution. The organization trains youth leaders from the ages of 20 – 35 in public speaking, community mobilization and conflict resolution. The following is a talk that was held by OneVoice which I attended where they brought along a Palestinian and an Israeli to discuss the kinds of activities they had been doing back home.
Rami from OneVoice Palestine:
Rami is a Palestinian who studied rural and agricultural engineering and is from an area close to Jenin, in the North of the West Bank. His activist side immediately showed when he was checking whether our refreshments were made in Israel (there was hummous there after all) and that was another point to raise about OneVoice. Asides from the parameters of the two state solution set above, everyone was left to their own methodology, whether you boycotted anything or not was up to you. But I digress.
Before the Oslo accords of 1993, Rami explained how he, and many other Palestinians, felt that they had no future in the occupied Palestinian territories. After the Oslo accords, their hopes were raised up, they began to envision an independent Palestinian state, but then, as before, their hopes were crushed. He moved out of Palestine and went to Europe during the second Intifada of 2000, but after losing a friend who became a suicide bomber and seeing other close ones in the midst of the conflict he joined OneVoice.
He and other members of OneVoice went all over Palestine, from refugee camps to Universities, from villages to East Jerusalem, to ask them what he was asked, “what are you willing to do to end this conflict?”. They collected 350,000 signatures, each one representing the advocacy of the two state solution. Many people huff at that and say that a signature was just a signature, but in the case of Israel and Palestine during and post the second Intifada it was important, as the likes of Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert claimed that there was “no partner” on the other side of the negotiations, that no one on the other side wanted peace or a two state solution.
In 2008, OneVoice Palestine held a competition called “Palestine 2018″, in which young children drew and expressed in whatever way what they envisioned an independent Palestine will be like. They spread their films on YouTube and other social networking sites as an attempt to demolish the myth that no Palestinians wants peace.
Another activity was based on an Israeli land law. That if any land in the West Bank is not clearly owned (i.e. cultivated) for a period of time, then it becomes Israel’s, which they can then use to build illegal settlements. With these being seen as a massive threat to OneVoice and their cause, Rami helped plant some trees on some land that was due to be confiscated. They then established a committee to look after the trees and that prevented the confiscation in the end.
Smadar/Dari from OneVoice Israel:
Dari is a resident of Ramat Gan, a city in the Tel-Aviv district of Israel. She had joined the Army as part of her compulsory service during the height of the second Intifada. Having come out feeling frustrated and helpless at the subsequent stalemate of negotiations she studied conflict resolution and joined OneVoice. She herself refuses to buy settlement goods or even set foot in them.
She explained how Israeli society is very polarized when it came to the issues of Palestine between “leftists and rightists”. While OneVoice did have definite premises of a fully independent and contingent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as the capital, they managed to surprisingly attracted supporters from all over the political spectrum who have eventually reached the same consensus as OneVoice.
In 2008 they also went around with a petition to sign for a two state solution. A common reply was a refusal to sign because “Palestinians would never sign for such a thing”. Thanks to Rami’s work above, they were able to provide evidence that more than 350,000 Palestinians want a two state solution too. I saw how this particular strategy has done its best to break the political (and somewhat physical) barriers between Israelis and Palestinians, and point out to both of them that the common man does want peace and that, as history teaches us, the politicians and the governments are most likely messing things up.
The comment about the politicians, especially on the Israeli side, is important considering that Israelis pride themselves on their democracy. So OneVoice created a “Two state solution inter-parliamentary group” in the Knesset/Parliament of Israel. Just one month ago, the settler movement tried to quietly pass a bill to allow the establishing of illegal outposts in the West Bank, and this group managed to publicize this issue and stop the bill as a result as, in their view, it was detrimental to any progress towards peace.
The 2007 Arab peace initiative was also something that was quiet in Israel and almost unheard of. So to publicize and make people notice that the “angry Arab neighbours” were looking for peace too they dressed someone as a Saudi King, who would ride in a limo, then get out and shake hands with the random public. After questions were asked about what the heck was going on, they would explain. This was also a good way to get media attention, a very influential medium in countries like Israel.
Anything that was taboo as well, such as, in some areas, talking about the settlement issue, was discussed in meeting held by OneVoice. Giving people the confidence to talk about these issues openly.
What made me realize is important for the movement is, asides from giving hope, to put a human and reasonable face to the opposition. Instead of the Palestinians or Israelis in this organization pointing fingers at each other, they have focused on present issues, pressuring their own leaders and looking at how their own society can be improved when it comes to arriving at a two state solution.
More to come in part 2… | <urn:uuid:3d61eb6b-6908-4919-ae12-513312528b8c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thethoughtstorage.wordpress.com/tag/israeli/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981851 | 1,406 | 1.992188 | 2 |
There’s a post today on WiseBread entitled “6 Ways that Dieting and Budgeting are Exactly the Same.” This money-food analogy is remarkably common. It’s in the title of the blog. Several personal finance books (e.g. Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover) are openly modelled on weight-loss books. And there’s that old quip that you can’t be too rich or too thin. (Which, let us remember, was once meant as a joke.)
To an extent, it is a valid analogy. A generic instruction for losing weight might be “Eat less, exercise more” which could easily be translated into “Spend less, earn more.” Neither is likely to inspire a fat/poor person, but the inescapable underlying truth is there in both cases.
That said, the analogy is far from perfect and can lead to some unfortunate money behaviors.
The biggest difference between dieting and increasing wealth is that successful dieting comes from winning most, but not all, of many small battles, and successful personal financial management comes from winning a few big ones.
If you fall off the wagon one afternoon and have a big meal, you may feel terrible about it but it’s still only one meal. It will not sink your weight-loss program. The goal is to keep from eating big meals almost all the time. On the other hand, if you succumb to temptation and buy that hot new convertible instead of the used sedan that you went into the dealership to look at, you really have done damage to your get-rich program. You can maintain a frugal lifestyle for a very long time and still not make up for one big financial sin.
The other big difference is that eating is a biological imperative. When you are hungry, your body creates hormones that have a physical effect on your brain and your judgement. You may feel that you desire the latest iPod in the same irrational way as you wanted that slice of pie, but it’s really not the same thing.
Both of these differences, if ignored, can lead to serious problems. Living a frugal lifestyle but then making mistakes in the handful of financial decisions that really count is a tragic waste of effort. (Although you do get to feel good about yourself as you wash your Hummer with bucket and hose instead of taking it to the car wash.) And treating spending as an uncontrollable compulsion just makes the problem worse. The truth is that not spending is not exactly like not eating. It’s easier. | <urn:uuid:6d8b1ec0-d021-4ed4-a7a6-741d7ad1ae66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://badmoneyadvice.com/2009/01/getting-rich-and-losing-weight.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955928 | 536 | 1.773438 | 2 |
"The independence of the AG"
dlaycock at virginia.edu
Fri Apr 6 12:30:33 PDT 2012
State attorneys general are elected independently of the governor. But the
governor, or some other state agency, is generally their client. Some
attorneys general understand that they have clients, and that the client
agency makes the policy judgments; some do not. If the AG is representing
the Office of the Governor, one would hope the two offices had discussed the
case, even if their principals are from different parties.
Robert E. Scott Distinguished Professor of Law
University of Virginia Law School
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
More information about the Conlawprof | <urn:uuid:9034e5fd-2995-4098-b878-8fdf6cce8001> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lists.ucla.edu/pipermail/conlawprof/2012-April/039991.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917495 | 164 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Step-up / Step-down procedure (Children in Need and CAF)
The Common Assessment is an assessment of the child/young person within the context of the family and community. It provides the opportunity for practitioners and the family to gain a better initial understanding of the child/young person’s needs. It is not a referral.
The Common Assessment Framework (CAF):
- helps identify the child or young person’s needs
- provides structure for recording information
- can support referrals to other services
- provides a common form of assessment which will be familiar across children and young people’s services
- reduces duplication for practitioners
- reduces multiple assessments for young people and their families
- can be shared with consent.
Using the CAF has many benefits:
- It will support better understanding and communication amongst practitioners. This will help embed a shared language across agencies and services.
- A coordinated response to prevent the duplication of assessments and to improve outcomes for children and young people.
- It will support action as soon as additional needs are identified and speed up service delivery.
- Reduce the number of services who are asking families the same questions.
- A tool to encourage services to work harmoniously together sharing vital assessment information to provide more efficient and better quality services.
- A tool to promote early identification of additional needs and reduce the number of children and young people being referred for specialist assessment. However, where such assessments are required, the availability of the CAF will support this work by providing good quality background of information.
The CAF includes a simple pre-assessment checklist to help practitioners identify children who would benefit from a common assessment, along with an assessment form. It is used by practitioners in a wide range of settings and circumstances. It provides agencies with the same standard baseline assessment from which more specialist assessments can be developed and will replace the numerous basic assessments which currently exist in and between services.
Suffolk Children's Trust Partnership has endorsed the use of CAF as the baseline assessment framework to be used by all children and young people's service providers.
- If you are not sure what the child or young person's needs are.
- If you or the parent think that the child or young person has unmet additional needs your service cannot meet and are not sure how they can be met.
- If it is likely that the child or young person's needs can only be met by two or more agencies working together.
- Where anyone who knows the child has identified an unmet need and early intervention will avoid a problem becoming worse.
- When the child or young person's needs are known and are being met by your service.
- When you fully understand the child's additional needs and they can be met by referral to a single agency.
- When the child's needs are already being addressed by a specialist agency such as Social Care or Youth Offending Service.
- When the child's 'health and development is being significantly impaired' and is therefore a child 'in need'.
- When you believe a child is suffering, or at risk of, "significant harm."*
*make an immediate referral to Children’s Social Care services
The CAF aims to enable and support good practice in information sharing about the needs of children and young people as part of preventative services. In doing so, all sharing (and storing) of information should be done lawfully and comply with the Data Protection Act 1998.
Practitioners are not expected to read the Data Protection Act 1998 as all relevant information is available in the Information Sharing guide available on the Department for Education Information Sharing website.
CAF must be shared in a secure manner. Electronic versions of the CAF can be sent to other practitioners where there are secure email links. Where secure email links do not exist, other forms of transfer must be used, e.g. confidential fax, or signed-for post.
The CAF is a voluntary assessment process and, as such, a child or young person and/or their parent/carer must give their consent at the start of the process for the assessment to take place in the full knowledge of what will happen to this information (e.g.. how it will be stored, who will have access to it).
Once the assessment has been undertaken, the child or young person and/or their parent/carer must again give their consent for the information to be stored and shared with other services, preferably through signing the CAF form in the appropriate place on the final version of the assessment.
The Fraser Competency is used to consider the ability of children and young people under the age of 16 to give informed consent. It originally addressed the question of the rights of children and young people under the age of 16 to consent to treatment on their own behalf and was reviewed by the courts in 1985 in connection with contraception (The Fraser Ruling).
In 1986 the case of Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority, the House of Lords reviewed the issue of consent with regard to young people under the age of 16, and ruled that they could give valid consent to medical treatment as long as they have sufficient understanding and intelligence to appreciate fully what is proposed, and are capable of expressing their own wishes. Lord Scarman identified the principle that parental rights yield to the young person's rights to make their own decision when they reach a sufficient understanding and intelligence to be capable of making up their own minds on such matters.
This principle has been extended beyond consent to medical treatment and has been used in subsequent legislation, for example the Children Act 1989.
Refusal to give consent
Where a parent or young person refuses to give consent to share information with a particular service or agency, information must not be shared unless one of the following applies - failure to share information will result in:
- harm to the child/young person
- a crime being committed
- a crime not being detected.
The withholding of consent itself may, on occasion, constitute a concern. In such circumstances, the practitioner will need to make a judgment as to whether the withholding of consent, coupled with the original concern, increases the level of need/risk to the extent that the requirement to override consent is necessary.
It may be necessary to refer to interagency safeguarding procedures for information on working with resistant families.
More information about information sharing, national guidelines is available from the Department for Education website.
Completed Common Assessment Framework (CAF) forms can be sent by secure email to the CAF Admin team. If you have a Suffolk County Council email address (for example: firstname.lastname@example.org) you can attach the completed form to an email and send it to email@example.com
If you do not have a Suffolk County Council email address, you will either need to request a secure and encrypted email from CAF Admin, or post the completed assessment to CAF Admin using the following method:
The CAF assessment should be double enveloped, and sent by Royal Mail Recorded 'Sign For' mail to:
Suffolk County Council
4 Egerton Road
Suffolk IP1 5PF
NB) The inner envelope must state, ‘Addressee Only’
The Step-up policy details how a child or young person supported through the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) process will continue to receive support as needs escalate to require children's social care intervention. It also explains the role of members of the Team Around the Child (TAC) as children's social care takes on the lead role with a child or young person.
The Step-up Step-down procedure describes how a Team Around the Child can be engaged by Children's Social Care when they are bringing their support to an end.
The following leaflets are available on the CWDC website:
- The Common Assessment Framework - a guide for practitioners (PDF, 3.5MB)
- The Common Assessment Framework - a guide for managers (PDF, 2.2MB)
- The Team around the Child (TAC) and the lead professional - a guide for practitioners (PDF, 1.7MB)
- The Team around the Child (TAC) and the lead professional - a guide for managers (PDF, 2MB)
Information sharing: guidance for practitioners and managers - Department for Education website
Suffolk County Council
- CAF - Welcome to a new way of helping children and young people (Leaflet for children and young people)
- CAF - Welcome to a new way of helping children and young people (Leaflet for parents and carers)
Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC)
- Explaining CAF: helping you explain the Common Assessment Framework to young people (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Leaflet on CAF and the Lead Professional for young people (PDF, 1.7MB)
Department for Education
- The Common Assessment Framework for children and young people: supporting tools
- Guide to definitions used in the CAF form | <urn:uuid:916d5a08-eeb1-4d06-958e-1f67095869e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/care-and-support/children-young-people-and-families/common-assessment-framework-caf/information-for-professionals/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935396 | 1,857 | 3.09375 | 3 |
A team of Spanish researchers has developed a way to vastly improve in-car GPS navigation—and all it requires is some cheap, extra sensors.
Intel has confirmed that it is working on hardware to stream live and on-demand content to televisions in 2013.
Intel had been rumoured to be working on hardware to stream video to televisions and be in talks with content providers with a product expected to appear late last year. Now corporate VP of Intel Media Erik Huggers has confirmed that the firm is making hardware for such a service and is in talks with content providers.
Presenting the device February 8, in the Institute of Physics and German Physical Society's New Journal of Physics, it has been described as the "building block of future quantum networks."
In an optical quantum network, information is carried between points by photons -- the basic unit of light. There is a huge potential for this type of network in the field of quantum computing and could enable computers that are millions of times faster at solving certain problems than what we are used to today.
Salk Institute for Biological Studies researchers have shared a how-to secret for biologists: code for Amazon Cloud that significantly reduces the time necessary to process data-intensive microscopic images.
The method promises to speed research into the underlying causes of disease by making single-molecule microscopy of practical use for more laboratories.
An interesting Apple patent application discovered on Thursday describes a sensor and alarm system that can be embedded into footwear, granting users a more empirical method on which to rely when deciding to replace worn-out shoes.
First filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in July 2012, Apple's application for a "Shoe wear-out sensor, body-bar sensing system, unitless activity assessment and associated methods" looks to make "smart shoes" that can alert owners when they need replacing. | <urn:uuid:c212a537-1511-46d7-9091-98ee47499400> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.hitb.org/tags/technology?page=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947013 | 379 | 1.890625 | 2 |
What is a COLA?
Legislation enacted in 1973 provides for cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs. With
COLAs, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits keep pace with
The latest COLA is 1.7 percent for Social Security benefits and SSI payments.
Social Security benefits will increase by 1.7 percent beginning with the December
2012 benefits, which are payable in January 2013. Federal SSI payment levels
will also increase by 1.7 percent effective for payments made for January 2013.
Because the normal SSI payment date is the first of the month and January 1 is a
holiday, the SSI payments for January are always made at the end of the previous
How is a COLA calculated?
The Social Security
Act specifies a formula for determining each COLA. According to the formula, COLAs
are based on increases in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical
Workers (CPI-W). CPI-Ws are calculated on a monthly basis by the Bureau of Labor
A COLA effective for December of the current year is equal to the percentage increase
(if any) in the average CPI-W for the third quarter of the current year over the average
for the third quarter of the last year in which a COLA became effective. If there is an
increase, it must be rounded to the nearest tenth of one percent. If there is no
increase, or if the rounded increase is zero, there is no COLA.
The last year in which a COLA became effective was 2011. Therefore the law requires
that we use the average CPI-W for the third quarter of 2011 as the base from which
we measure the increase (if any) in the average CPI-W. The base average is
223.233, as shown in the table below.
Also shown in the table below, the average CPI-W for the third quarter of 2012 is
226.936. Because this average exceeds 223.233 by 1.7 percent,
the COLA effective for December 2012 is 1.7 percent. The COLA calculation, with the result rounded to the nearest
one-tenth of one percent, is:(226.936 - 223.233)
/ 223.233 x 100 = 1.7 percent.
|Third quarter total
|Average (rounded to the nearest 0.001) | <urn:uuid:f026aeef-1e1f-46dd-8cf5-a3469a82f354> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stuartashcraft@ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/latestCOLA.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922764 | 504 | 2.515625 | 3 |
Yes, because the password is stored encrypted in the settings file. Password prefixes and suffixes aren't encrypted.
Hmmm... at first reading, I thought you were saying that the .RDF file was now encrypted, but I guess that is not the case...
Personally, Eric, I think you could eliminate a lot of confusion, and set the stage for some functionality that has been discussed previously, if you added a new field for an Account: 'Current Password'. PWM would then just use this password unless/until you changed it to one generated by PWM. It would fit quite nicely next to (to the right of) the 'Username' field in the Advanced Settings - the Username field really doesn't need to be that long does it?
You could then simply (I know, I know - its easy for ME to say 'simply', since I don't have to write the code ) add a new right-click choice - 'Populate with Current Password' (or 'Old Password'? or 'Original Password'?).
Then, just a few more lines of code (ducks as Eric executes a beautiful reverse round-house), and you can add a new PWM function: 'Change Password'. This new function can be used to not only change from your old passwords to ones generated by PWM, but it could also be used when changing passwords, for example, when you have selected to be reminded/prompted to change your password (once that ability is added).
Ok, I survived that burst of keyboard activity - hope you did too Eric...
Should I add that as a FR? Or is it over the top?
Can we update (1), (2), and (3)? There're not really necessary anymore because:
1. PasswordMaker support FTP natively now
2. PasswordMaker supports user-defined passwords as of version 1.5, and even stores them encrypted (unlike the tip/trick posted here)
3. There is a command-line version for windows and *nix now.
p.s. I think just striking through (
like this) the tip/trick with a reason why would be sufficient--no need to delete them!
But, without me spending an hour or two trying to figure out when each of these was done, can you give me an estimate? I already made the changes, but need to fill in these missing bits... | <urn:uuid:de6d4d8e-b20d-4059-bb8c-7d4cd6aed371> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.passwordmaker.org/index.php/topic,378.0.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962878 | 501 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Sleep School Online Opens Its Virtual Doors Just in Time for a Holiday-Weary Nation to Get Some Much-needed Rest
Nurse Practitioner with 30 years of experience treating sleep disorders in a clinical setting brings her expertise to the Internet in order to assist the 70 million Americans struggling with insomnia
BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Insomnia is a common problem in our busy, ramped-up world. Nancy Nadolski has been treating patients with sleep problems in a clinical setting for 30 years. As sleeping problems grow, so has Nancy's determination to help as many people as possible. After careful consideration, patient consultation and working with a savvy online team, Nancy is launching a revolutionary new e-class designed to help anyone who struggles with sleep problems.
Although sleep problems can seem even more severe during the busy holiday season, it is a common health problem that in the short term can cause excessive daytime sleepiness and a lack of energy. Long-term insomnia can create havoc with cardiovascular disease, and increase the risk for depression and chronic pain. According to Sleep School Online developer Nancy Nadolski , "Research continues to support that good sleep is good medicine."
Many adults have suffered from symptoms of insomnia at one point in their life. As much as 40% of society report symptoms of insomnia. Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which a person has difficulty falling asleep and/or maintaining sleep throughout the night. Loss of sleep can be caused by multiple factors like stress, depression or life event changes. Insomnia can be mild to severe depending on how often it occurs and for how long. Chronic insomnia means having symptoms at least 3 nights per week for more than a month. Insomnia that lasts for less time is known as short-term or acute insomnia.
Nancy Nadolski understands what it takes to get a good night's sleep and she is putting her experience and training to work in a new 5 week online sleep course at www.mysleepschool.com. The course will teach the sleep "student" step-by-step how to improve and maintain the quality of sleep. Students who enroll in Sleep School have access to weekly video lessons, assignments, a social community, and a private forum where sleep-related questions can be asked and properly answered.
Nadolski, a licensed Nurse Practitioner, suggests that "anyone who can't get to sleep, can't stay asleep, or is frustrated by the current sleep behaviors will benefit immensely from this 5-week online course." She adds, "As a matter of fact, I'm fully prepared to put my money where my mouth is and offer a 100% refund if anyone is dissatisfied with Sleep School at www.mysleepschool.com."
For additional information or an interview please contact:
- Nancy Nadolski , firstname.lastname@example.org
- Lars Knutsen , email@example.com 208-602-2844
- Sandi Gehring , firstname.lastname@example.org
This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
SOURCE Sleep School Online
Browse our custom packages or build your own to meet your unique communications needs.
Learn about PR Newswire services
Request more information about PR Newswire products and services or call us at (888) 776-0942. | <urn:uuid:40c0befb-a0e5-4f49-915d-a03c95c5ecdf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sleep-school-online-opens-its-virtual-doors-just-in-time-for-a-holiday-weary-nation-to-get-some-much-needed-rest-181993541.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939378 | 708 | 2 | 2 |
EC wrote:Tangled web indeed :)
Perhaps the confusion arises because English tenses don't necessarily correlate to time:
"If I won a million euro" (past tense) refers to the future. ;-)
Why try to reinvent the wheel?
- If I said that I loved you would you say that you were mine? (both actions in present)
- If I had said that I loved you would you have said that you were mine? (both actions in past)
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests | <urn:uuid:c01b7f34-e20d-42db-ae4d-4ae38c6a4a9b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.englishclub.com/tefl/viewtopic.php?p=14514 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988085 | 112 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Local Action – the handy guide for communities working with councillors
Community groups and organisations have an important role to play in influencing policies, decisions, and services, particularly those that affect the most marginalised and disadvantaged. Councillors, as representatives of local people, are natural allies in achieving many of our goals.
This guide looks at real examples of how community groups can work with councillors, setting this in the context of the changing role of both community groups and local councillors in local democracy. It includes a series of case studies and top tips to help community groups collaborate with their local councillors. | <urn:uuid:9addbcab-ac65-43b5-bf98-69d91c8ebe69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bigblog.org.uk/2010/10/20/local-action-%E2%80%93-the-handy-guide-for-communities-working-with-councillors/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951041 | 118 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Today our lives are busier than ever before. Our time is pressed by career, family, friends and sometimes even the things we took on as being “for me” become a chore that saps our precious time. I mean, while your iphone addiction may be considered 'a break', is it really relaxing and does it really do anything to recharge your batteries? Doubtful.
So how do we successfully take time out for ourselves? Where can we look for those little nuggets of time in a world of perpetual task lists? It sounds simple but we all know it's not. Here are some tips for addressing issues related to the time in our lives and some advice to help you find some time for yourself in your hectic schedule.
- Complete a Time Audit
It might sound silly but we often actually don’t know where our time goes. Over the course of a normal week, make an attempt to keep track of what you do with your time. Carry a small notebook and check your watch when you start different tasks at home and at work.
What were the surprises? Do you spend an inordinate amount of time checking emails, responding to phone calls, completing tasks you thought were a minor part of your workload? Try to think about why these things take longer than you thought they would. Are you completely focused on them or, because they are minor tasks, are you doing something else at the same time? As we’ve been aware for a while now, multitasking is not always the best way to go.
If tasks take longer in reality than you expected or allowed for, you will always feel as if you are behind schedule and ‘playing catch-up’. Knowing where your time goes is the first step to finding some time for yourself.
HINT: Allow more than enough time for tasks, including driving to and from various places. Use your audit results and be realistic about the time you’ll need to complete tasks. If it suits the way you work, use your audit results to create a timetable or schedule for your day and don’t forget to include coffee breaks and downtime in your plan.
- Complete a Priorities Audit
This will work in conjunction with you time audit to help you determine whether you are spending your time on the things that are actually most important to you.
- Start by brainstorming all the commitments you spend your time on (use your time audit to help you) including your spare time.
- Check your list and see if there’s anything missing eg. it’s important that you visit your great aunt every month but your time audit wasn’t completed in the week that you have you visit.
- Rank your commitments in order of importance.
- Compare the ranking with your time audit – you have to be a little flexible here. For example, ‘work’ may rank down your list a little but take up a huge amount of time, you need to take into account the fact that without work many of the leisure time commitments are not possible. Of course, make sure to acknowledge and address whether the time commitment required by you job is worth it.
- Plan a Break
Plan breaks in your daily schedule but also in your leisure time. We sometime fill our weekends with as much socializing or home duties as possible because our hectic working lives leaves little time during the week to chat with a friend, catch up for a coffee or get the clothes washed. When we pack our lives so fully, we leave no down time and we tend to feel as if we are rushing from one thing to another – from work to drinks with friends to a dinner out to a family birthday…
Regularly (perhaps once a month or two) block out a weekend in your diary or calendar. Give it a title like “My Time” or “VIP Weekend”. Don’t accept invitations on these weekends. And don’t wait for a free weekend to present itself because last minute invitations can easily swallow up your time or, if you do actually get the weekend to yourself, you’re not ready for it. In your scheduled time off from your life, plan something that you want to do. Spend the weekend catching up on some reading, watching some DVDs, wandering around a market, gardening, playing in the park with your kids… whatever it is that you will enjoy and will make you feel as if you have used your time in a decadent manner. You’ll feel more refreshed and ready for your working week if you’ve actually treated yourself and allowed yourself the time you need to start feeling human again.
|Written on 4/2/2011 by Deb Wain. Deb is a freelancer writer, poet, short story author and marriage celebrant. You can read more of her work or find out more about Deb’s weddings.| | <urn:uuid:d9890f01-d59d-4527-8d22-79349ae867b0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dumblittleman.com/2011/04/how-to-find-time-for-yourself.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954834 | 1,007 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Along with county, state and federal offices to be voted on Nov. 7, there will be township offices to vote on. There will also be a referendum that could possibly eliminate township elections in the future.
Public measure C reads:
Shall the following public measure be adopted?
"Shall the County Board of Supervisors fill the offices of Trustee and Clerk within a Township by appointment?"
Cherokee County is one among many Iowa counties that will be voting on whether to fill township offices by appointment. There are 16 townships in the county with three trustees on each township board and a township clerk in each township.
At one time, a township candidate had to declare a party, get signatures on a petition to be on the primary ballot and then win a primary race to be on the general election ballot.
Because of a lack of interest, the process was streamlined somewhat in Iowa and people could file a petition to be on the general election ballot without declaring a party. Still, it has been difficult to get people to go through the election process, even after it was streamlined.
Often, a vacancy is filled by a write-in vote. Sometimes, there is not a single write-in vote cast and at other times, the write-in winner does not accept the office. In those cases, the board of supervisors appoints someone to the office.
A township office is a low profile and unpaid position but the office still needs to be filled.
The township board makes budgetary decisions regarding fire safety and cemetery matters. It also resolves fencing disputes within the township.
In the absence of partisan issues and people clamoring for the privilege of serving in township offices, it makes sense to have these positions filled by appointment. | <urn:uuid:45db0e45-bc59-4d5a-b00d-f41cedd5cd9f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chronicletimes.com/story/1175290.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973973 | 353 | 1.6875 | 2 |
NAMI Alabama is an organization comprised of local support and advocacy groups throughout the state dedicated to improving the quality of life for persons with a mental illness in Alabama. The number of such groups is growing rapidly as families become more determined to improve treatment and care for Alabamians diagnosed with a mental illness.
The mission statement/purpose of NAMI Alabama is to provide support, education, and advocacy for persons with mental illnesses, their families, and others whose lives are affected by these brain disorders. This is accomplished by:
• Educating the people of Alabama about mental illness thereby reducing stigma
• Providing support for individuals with mental illness to grow and contribute to their community
• Developing, nurturing and coordinating a statewide network of local affiliates
• Promoting public policies which expand services and improve treatment for all persons living with a mental illness and supporting research leading to the control and management of mental illness | <urn:uuid:8621b63a-93e8-4279-8304-41acf393417b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://namialabama.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956535 | 182 | 1.882813 | 2 |
Did you know that the more muscle mass you have the higher your metabolic rate is at rest? With strength training it is possible to increase your metabolic rate by 15%. That means you will burn more calories while sleeping!
According to the CDC and Tufts University, exercises have been shown to increase the strength of your muscles, maintain the integrity of your bones, and improve your balance, coordination, and mobility. In addition, strength training can help reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic diseases, including arthritis. Here are some interesting facts to get you motivated today:
- Did you know that with reduction in muscle from lack of use, bone reduces too? Strength training can and will help maintain or improve your bone density.
- Did you know that muscle is more dense than fat? 5 pounds of fat is more than 3 times the size of 5 pounds of muscle. You may weigh the same, but you will definitely lose inches, fitting into your skinny jeans!
-Did you know that exercise can help improve your mood and self esteem? During exercise endorphins are released. Endorphins are chemicals, released during exercise that act as a natural pain killer and give a sense of euphoria. This not only helps your mood but makes you feel better about your self.
-Did you know that exerting energy can actually bring you more energy? Through exercise you can increase your stamina, reducing fatigue.
-Did you know that putting physical stress on your body can help you get a more restful sleep? Exercising reduces insomnia, and restlessness.
-Did you know that back pain can be reduced or diminished without pain medication? Working out and strengthening your back muscles through proper technique can build the muscle and reduce the pain caused by stress placed on the muscle.
-Did you know that by working your muscles you can work your heart muscle? It is very important to work your heart, this will make it stronger. Strength training will reduce your risk of heart disease.
-Did you know that exercise can reduce the signs of aging? Weight gain and muscle loss are great signs of aging. Strength training will increase muscle and help you’ll lose weight. The typical adult loses one-half pound of muscle per year after 20, that’s 5 pounds by the age 30! 20 pounds by age 60! When you lose muscle, fat often takes its place in the skin, 20 pounds of fat could result in a gain of 6-8 sizes! Yikes!
The best way to start a strength training program, is to identify achievable short term and long term goals, consult with your doctor, celebrate achievements but not with food! Take a vacation, go for a hike!
Starting a fitness program may be the best gift you can give yourself. It will help in the long run, as well as, in your daily routine. | <urn:uuid:8453c11a-a260-4662-bd5a-794827810b89> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ghfitness.com/blog/tag/endorphins/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959975 | 579 | 2.734375 | 3 |
John Marshall (1755-1835)
John Marshall was the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court and the principal founder of the U.S. system of constitutional law and the doctrine of judicial review. Marshall fought for the colonists during the Revolutionary War and was a congressman from Virginia. He also served briefly as secretary of state under John Adams before his appointment as chief justice.
- 1800 circa 5 years
- Original Format:
- download hi-res watermarked image
All Licensed images are available for download as jpeg files at 300 dpi of original size.
If your project requires an image at higher resolution, please contact us (be sure to include item number). Custom requests may require an additional charge. | <urn:uuid:7238c746-6d8c-462e-afb9-6218b6aaabb6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.picturehistory.com/product/id/6010 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946245 | 147 | 3.09375 | 3 |
Gourav Bhattacharya was in the final year of engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, when he decided to take a shot at the Common Admission Test (CAT), the sine qua non for admission to top management institutes. In between regular classes and practicals, he squeezed in a few hours every week to take a few mock tests. I didnt set any goals in terms of the total score or getting many questions right. My preparation involved solving questions from mock test papers, says Bhattacharya, who scored 100 percentile in the exam.
The key is to perform to your potential and not think about the consequences, he says. Now a student of the postgraduate programme in management at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, Bhattacharya feels the format of the test (which will be computer based from this year) hardly matters. If one knows an answer, one can mark it correctly either on paper or on computer, he says.
With the IIMs replacing the 33-year-old paper-and-pen format with a computer-based test, most aspirants are feeling jittery. This is reflected in the 17 per cent drop in CAT applications this year. Only 2,41,000 applicants registered for the test versus 2,90,000 last year. Though an IIM official attributed the dip to the economic slowdown, CAT experts have linked this to anxiety among students about the new format.
Prometric, the US-based company that will conduct the test scheduled between November 28 and December 7 (see story below), says CAT aspirants should not feel unduly worried about the exam. Decades of research have shown that test takers who are administered the same test on a computer, and then on paper, perform equally well, even among individuals who have had little or no previous experience in the use of a computer. To reduce anxiety and ease the overall transition to computer-based testing, a conscious effort has been made to maintain as much consistency with the original CAT as possible, says Ramesh Nava, vice-president and general manager, Asia Pacific, Japan and Africa, Prometric.
Vinayak Kudva, director of the Mumbai-based Institute of Management Studies (IMS), a coaching institute for CAT aspirants, feels test takers should not think about the medium but concentrate on taking mock tests on a computer every alternate day. If they are confident about their preparation, the rest will be easy, he says.
Harsh Bhimani, an IIM student who scored 99.98 percentile in CAT, says students should pay more attention to the reading comprehension and data interpretation sections as these require a fair amount of concentration on a computer screen. Also, one should not become too ambitious and pay attention only to the difficult questions. It is better to solve a few questions every day from all the sections as this helps to keep you in the groove.
In their zeal to take mock tests, most aspirants do not analyse their mistakes. This is a great blunder. Analysis is as important as taking tests. One should keep a separate day for a postmortem and identify his or her strong and weak areas, says Kudva.
Shiv Kumar, director, research and academics, Career Launcher, New Delhi, a coaching institute for CAT, thinks the best possible conditioning is to spend two hours and fifteen minutes (the allotted time for CAT) on testing at exactly the same time slot as a candidate has booked for D-day. For example, if you have booked the morning slot, start your mock test at 10am and end at 12.15pm sharp. This will help you acclimatise to testing conditions on the day of the exam. It is also important to solve CAT papers of the last five years. This will improve confidence, he says.
Rahul Reddy, director, Triumphant Institute of Management Education (TIME), Calcutta, advises students not to concentrate on any new stuff in the last few days before the exam. The last month is about consolidation and drawing up a strategy in terms of the order of attempting questions, time allocation and buffer time of at least 10 minutes for revision, he says.
However, all work and no play can prove to be fruitless. It is important to follow a normal routine and not study late in the night at least a week before the exam. One should relax and treat it as any other exam, says Dr Rohan M. Desai, an IIM student with 99.95 percentile in CAT. So just chill and give it your best shot.
1: The secure format will prevent question leaks and dummy candidates
2: The User friendly system will not scare technophobics away
3: Handy tools like highlighters and timers help an examinee make the best use of the allotted time
4: The test review button will help check status of the questions. It will take you directly to any unanswered or incomplete question
5: The 10 day testing window offers greater flexibility in choosing the exam date
6: the on screen timer (see picture left) counts down from two hours and 15 minutes. So what you see is the time remaining for you to complete the test
7: a better environment is provided by air-conditioned rooms and cosy cubicles
8: paper and pencil will be provided for rough work at all test centres
Coaching school tips
comprehension and verbal ability
1. This section needs many attempts but moderate accuracy. For example, if there are 25 questions, getting 17 to 18 of them right (60 per cent accuracy) would give you a good percentile
2. Finish the verbal ability section first to make time for reading comprehension. In verbal ability, work on verbal reasoning areas (parajumbles, para completion, summary) as these give quicker results
3. Attempt at least two reading comprehension passages. Read the passage at normal speed without trying to remember everything
4.Answer inference-based questions, author or passage-style questions last
1. This section needs moderate attempts with 80 per cent accuracy. Don’t target a certain number of questions. Let it depend on the difficulty of the paper
2. Attempt sure-shot questions first. Then, if time permits, you may try some difficult questions
3. If you are stuck on any question for more than three minutes, drop it right away
4. Pay attention to numbers, geometry and permutation and combination
1. Spend 2-3 minutes understanding data before deciding to attempt a set
2. Don’t copy large amounts of data from the screen to paper. Work only with data that are required for each question
3. Stick to mock tests. Most books on the topic are not of CAT standard
■ Candidates will have to arrive at the test centre at least two hours before schedule. If a person has registered for session I, he or she should be at the test centre by 8am though the test starts at 10am. Similarly, if a person has registered for session II, he or she should be at the test centre by 1.30pm although the exam will begin at 3.30pm and end at 6pm
■ Once the identity of the examinee has been verified, the candidate will be led to his or her designated seat. He or she will then be called to a biometric check-in station for fingerprinting. At an adjacent station, the candidate’s photograph will be taken and ID checked again before he or she is led back to the seat
■ All testing sessions will be audio and video recorded
■ There will be a 15-minute tutorial before the test to familiarise candidates with the layout of the screen and functionality available
■ Contingency plans have been put in place in the event of power outage, technical issues, medical outbreaks, natural calamities and terrorist attacks | <urn:uuid:e616ccca-a403-4edb-8268-dbe92202c42a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091119/jsp/careergraph/story_11756603.jsp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942188 | 1,615 | 1.90625 | 2 |
Although reaction to the tax credits is mixed, remodelers all agree that the key to judging success is if the stimulus improves the economy
When the stimulus package was passed in February, it was greeted as a bonanza for remodelers because of its energy-retrofit tax credits and other funds dedicated to remodeling public and private buildings.
Six months in, the general public’s and remodelers’ reaction to the stimulus are mixed. Some remodelers say they are seeing great returns from the stimulus, while others say it has had no impact at all. That reflects the views of the population at large, as well. Recent surveys show that barely half of Americans think the stimulus package has succeeded or will succeed in restoring the economy.
Whatever their opinions, remodelers agree that the most important factor in judging the stimulus’s success is whether or not it improves consumer confidence and the economy as a whole. After all, the impact of the tax credits was never meant to be industry-saving. The federal government estimated that the credits would result in an additional $6 billion in remodeling activity this year and next. That’s only a little more than 1 percent of the total remodeling market based on recent estimates. Off the fence?
Until customers feel better about the economy, they won’t buy, and no incentive is going to change that, says Michael Tenhulzen, president of Tenhulzen Remodeling in Redmond, Wash. (Consumer confidence was also rated by remodelers as the biggest factor in improving the remodeling market in this month’s Professional Remodeler research.)
Homeowners “come in, they have an idea, they give us the nod and they just can’t reach for their wallets,” Tenhulzen says. “Our closing ratio has really suffered because they just can’t get their minds around what the future’s going to hold for their home, for their investment, for their portfolio.”
Tenhulzen Remodeling promotes the tax credits to its past and potential customers through its Web site and e-newsletters, but the efforts aren’t generating much business. Although some clients are taking advantage of the credits, they are people who probably would have remodeled anyway, Tenhulzen says. The credits are also not as useful to a design/build company like Tenhulzen that specializes in larger remodels as the credits would be to a window-replacement firm, for instance, he says.
“There are one-line contractors that can go in and knock those things out more efficiently than we can,” Tenhulzen says. “On a $200,000 project, a few thousand isn’t really going to be enough incentive to move forward.”
Tim Englert, president of Tim Englert Construction , says most of his clients are taking advantage of the tax credits, although not many of them are undertaking the projects solely for that reason.
The full-service Wadsworth, Ohio, company is selling projects ranging from simple window replacements to large additions. Englert says there are basically three scenarios under which he’s getting the tax credit for his clients: large projects where clients can incorporate features, such as insulation or windows, to get the credits; window replacement to reduce energy bills; and window replacement to get the tax credits.
“The stimulus plays a role, but it’s not a major role,” Englert says. “In my world, there’re not many calls I get that are motivated by that.”
One problem with the stimulus, Englert says, is that the tax credits for windows are harder for larger remodelers to promote because the credits are for materials only and not labor. That means materials and labor have to be billed separately, making it difficult to get the necessary mark-up on projects and still compete with small operations.
“It works for the Home Depot guy, but not real remodeling contractors,” he says.
Like Tenhulzen, Englert says the most important thing will be if the stimulus improves the economy as a whole. Once people have more confidence in their jobs and the value of their homes, remodeling will come back, he says.
That sentiment is echoed by Bob Birner, vice president of Amazing Siding and Renewal by Andersen of Houston . The Tomball, Texas, window and siding firm has benefited from strong consumer confidence and stable home prices in the Houston area. That strong local market has kept the company busy and on track for an improvement over 2008.
“If people think that things are financially stable, they’ll invest their money,” Birner says. “Here their home is the best place to invest it in their minds.”
We recorded a podcast with Birner in March of this year, only weeks after the stimulus package passed, in which he said he expected the stimulus to greatly help his company. It’s difficult to say exactly why people are choosing to undertake projects, but Birner believes it is one of that factors that has made this a good year for the company.
“We’re seeing that it’s helping some,” he says. “It’s probably people that were going to remodel anyway, but it’s given them an incentive to do it now.”
On the other hand, some remodelers are getting a significant boost for their business from the tax credits.
Richard Ollie, owner of Richwood Additions in Cleveland, says the stimulus has “definitely helped” his business this year.
“It’s really picked things up,” he says. “We weren’t selling much the first few months of the year.”
Many clients are opting to expand their projects to take advantage of the credits.
“I’ll go out to sell just a patio door, and I’ll come back with five or six windows and a front door,” he says. “When you go into their home, they figure if they can get some money back they’ll go ahead and do some more.”
John Larson, vice president of Ron Boelter Window & Siding , experiences a similar situation, with clients taking projects off hold and opting for more expensive options because of what they see as “free money.”
“We have several clients who were indefinite on when they were going to do it saying now they’re ready to go,” Larson says. “People have applied this tax credit to get maybe a triple-pane window instead of a double-pane window; some are upgrading to a different line; some are doing more windows. At the same time, we are seeing people who were considering doing a partial home or a couple of windows saying they don’t mind doing all of them now because they’re going to get that subsidy.”
The company has spent heavily on advertising and marketing to get the message to potential clients as well as targeted past clients who may have only replaced some windows to make sure they’re aware of the available money.
“We’re putting more money into marketing,” Larson says. “I know a lot of companies are cutting back, but now more than ever you’ve got to spend more. Now’s not the time to put the money away.”
Window business is up 27 percent this year for the company, and Larson credits much of that to the stimulus package. Homeowners are very focused on energy efficiency and reducing heat bills in Minnesota, and the first thing many people think of is replacing windows. Combined with the tax credits, that has made this a great year for the Madison Lake, Minn., company.
“We expect this to continue for the rest of the year,” Larson says. “Normally, we see a dive in leads in July, and this year it’s the opposite. We’re seeing an increase in leads.”
The tax credits have helped the company to easily beat its budget for the year after a precipitous decline in business at the end of 2008. Going into this year, the company was budgeting for a “cautious goal” of flat sales compared to last year. Even after the stimulus passed, the company’s management team only predicted a 10 percent bump from 2008, a mark they’ve easily surpassed, Larson says.
Jim Haughey’s Reed Construction Data blog
10 FAQs About the Stimulus
Stimulus Hot Topic on HouzingZone | <urn:uuid:5b3c785d-ccc4-48e8-8934-0f8aca2a7e90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.housingzone.com/print/sales/stimulus-working-remodelers | 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 | 0.97019 | 1,834 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Soy Protein Supplements Do Not Reduce Plaque in Arteries of Postmenopausal Women
Soy protein supplements containing isoflavones do not significantly reduce the progression of atherosclerosis (build-up of plaque in the arteries) in postmenopausal women, according to a recent study published in the journal Stroke. However, a subgroup analysis of this study showed that soy supplements may benefit women who had experienced menopause within the last 5 years. Isoflavones are compounds similar to the female hormone estrogen and act like estrogen in some tissues. Previous epidemiological and laboratory research has suggested that isoflavones extracted from soybeans may have cardioprotective effects and may be a safe therapeutic alternative to hormone therapy for postmenopausal women.
Researchers randomly assigned 350 healthy postmenopausal women to receive either isoflavone-rich soy protein (25 g/day containing 91 mg aglycon isoflavone equivalents) or placebo for 2.7 years. The researchers monitored participants (e.g., dietary intake, adverse events) every month for the first 6 months and then every other month for the remainder of the trial. Once every 6 months the researchers conducted laboratory tests (e.g., ultrasound of carotid arteries, serum lipids) and administered lifestyle and medical questionnaires.
The researchers observed that compared with the placebo group, the progression rate of atherosclerosis was reduced on average by 16 percent in the soy protein supplement group, but this effect was not statistically significant. In a subgroup analysis, the researchers found that among the women who had experienced menopause within the past 5 years, the participants in the supplement group had on average a 68 percent lower progression rate of atherosclerosis than the placebo group. The supplements had no effect on the women who were more than 5 years beyond menopause. Additionally, the researchers observed no serious adverse events from the soy protein supplements for the duration of the trial.
The researchers concluded that further study is needed to determine whether a beneficial treatment effect of isoflavone-rich soy protein supplements may be limited to women who begin taking supplements within 5 years of menopause. Similarly, early postmenopausal women who start hormone therapy soon after menopause have been shown to experience reduced cardiovascular disease, whereas women who start hormone therapy later in menopause do not reap cardiovascular benefits. They also noted that the soy protein supplements had a similar beneficial effect as hormone therapy with respect to the increase in circulating high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol. More research is needed to explore these results.
Hodis HN, Mack WJ, Kono N, et al. Isoflavone soy protein supplementation and atherosclerosis progression in healthy postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial. Stroke.; 42(11):3168–3175.2011 | <urn:uuid:bd7aa1ba-b018-4794-89d9-098535f56ee7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/110411.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925532 | 590 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Why Sash Windows
To many, sash windows are a significant feature of our historical architecture and synonymous with the Georgian and Victorian eras. In fact, sash windows date back as far as the 1600s in London, but even further than that across parts of Europe. In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in sash windows, but there are good reasons for that.
The abominations produced by some replacement window companies of the seventies and eighties have finally been exposed for what they are: unhealthy because they provide inadequate ventilation, fire traps as the openings, even when present, are often too small to climb through, and lacking in any aesthetic grace.
The fenestration industry has been forced to produce not simply improved quality, but more intelligently designed windows, sympathetic to the properties they adorn. Today, those who do not want the maintenance of timber windows can look at aluminium and PVCu as a viable alternative material whilst still considering the authenticity of sash windows.
Having a sash window no longer means putting up with draughts and dubious security. Our windows can boast high thermal values without compromising on ventilation, security or emergency escape options. There is a range of features, including cam locks, opening restrictors, trickle vents, reinforced sashes, tilt and clean and fire escape options, to make these extremely attractive windows as versatile as any other on the market.
When open, sash windows are designed to take in clean air at the bottom and allow stale air to escape at the top, and they maintain this efficiency to this day. On a hot day, this system can cool a room down as fast as any other type of window.
Please take a look at our technical pages to read about more features in detail.
Years of loose planning control has resulted in the degradation of period buildings and loss of character in many areas - for example, in Victorian terraces, lack of supervision has led to a cacophony of window and door styles which greatly detracts from the original symmetry and beauty of the building and its neighbourhood as a whole. This, together with the health and safety aspect of replacement windows, has finally led many local authorities to stipulate that, in older properties where sash windows were fitted originally, these should be replaced with new sash windows.
Back to Sash Windows | <urn:uuid:0a38f1ac-215b-409e-b9b6-8864a2ae57c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.henryjamessashwindows.co.uk/products/sash-windows/why-sash-windows.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958874 | 475 | 3.109375 | 3 |
The Paris Student Group
During the 1950s, Khmer students in Paris organized their own communist movement, which had little, if any, connection to the hard-pressed party in their homeland. From their ranks came the men and women who returned home and took command of the party apparatus during the 1960s, led an effective insurgency against Sihanouk and Lon Nol from 1968 until 1975, and established the regime of Democratic Kampuchea.
Pol Pot, who rose to the leadership of the communist movement in the 1960s, was born in 1928 (some sources say in 1925) in Kampong Thum Province, north of Phnom Penh. He attended a technical high school in the capital and then went to Paris in 1949 to study radio electronics (other sources say he attended a school for printers and typesetters and also studied civil engineering). Described by one source as a "determined, rather plodding organizer," he failed to obtain a degree, but, according to the Jesuit priest, Father François Ponchaud, he acquired a taste for the classics of French literature as well as for the writings of Marx.
Another member of the Paris student group was Ieng Sary. He was a Chinese-Khmer born in 1930 in South Vietnam. He attended the elite Lycée Sisowath in Phnom Penh before beginning courses in commerce and politics at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in France. Khieu Samphan, considered "one of the most brilliant intellects of his generation," was born in 1931 and specialized in economics and politics during his time in Paris. In talent he was rivaled by Hou Yuon, born in 1930, who was described as being "of truly astounding physical and intellectual strength," and who studied economics and law. Son Sen, born in 1930, studied education and literature; Hu Nim, born in 1932, studied law.
These men were perhaps the most educated leaders in the history of Asian communism. Two of them, Khieu Samphan and Hou Yuon, earned doctorates from the University of Paris; Hu Nim obtained his degree from the University of Phnom Penh in 1965. In retrospect, it seems enigmatic that these talented members of the elite, sent to France on government scholarships, could launch the bloodiest and most radical revolution in modern Asian history. Most came from landowner or civil servant families. Pol Pot and Hou Yuon may have been related to the royal family. An older sister of Pol Pot had been a concubine at the court of King Monivong. Three of the Paris group forged a bond that survived years of revolutionary struggle and intraparty strife, Pol Pot and Ieng Sary married Khieu Ponnary and Khieu Thirith (also known as Ieng Thirith), purportedly relatives of Khieu Samphan. These two well-educated women also played a central role in the regime of Democratic Kampuchea.
The intellectual ferment of Paris must have been a dizzying experience for young Khmers fresh from Phnom Penh or the provinces. A number sought refuge in the dogma of orthodox Marxism-Leninism. At some time between 1949 and 1951, Pol Pot and Ieng Sary joined the French Communist Party, the most tightly disciplined and Stalinist of Western Europe's communist movements. In 1951 the two men went to East Berlin to participate in a youth festival. This experience is considered to have been a turning point in their ideological development. Meeting with Khmers who were fighting with the Viet Minh (and whom they subsequently judged to be too subservient to the Vietnamese), they became convinced that only a tightly disciplined party organization and a readiness for armed struggle could achieve revolution. They transformed the Khmer Students' Association (KSA), to which most of the 200 or so Khmer students in Paris belonged, into a platform for nationalist and leftist ideas. In 1952 Pol Pot, Hou Yuon, Ieng Sary, and other leftists gained notoriety by sending an open letter to Sihanouk calling him the "strangler of infant democracy." A year later, the French authorities closed down the KSA. In 1956, however, Hou Yuon and Khieu Samphan helped to establish a new Marxist-oriented group, the Khmer Students' Union.
The doctoral dissertations written by Hou Yuon and Khieu Samphan express basic themes that were later to become the cornerstones of the policy adopted by Democratic Kampuchea. The central role of the peasants in national development was espoused by Hou Yuon in his 1955 thesis, "The Cambodian Peasants and Their Prospects for Modernization," which challenged the conventional view that urbanization and industrialization are necessary precursors of development. The major argument in Khieu Samphan's 1959 thesis, "Cambodia's Economy and Industrial Development," was that the country had to become self-reliant and had to end its economic dependency on the developed world. In its general contours, Khieu's work reflected the influence of a branch of the "dependency theory" school, which blamed lack of development in the Third World on the economic domination of the industrialized nations.
|Country Studies main page | Cambodia Country Studies main page | Celebrity| | <urn:uuid:54cec42f-1a6e-4a43-8b12-4fb655192d7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.country-studies.com/cambodia/the-paris-student-group.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977446 | 1,068 | 2.59375 | 3 |
There’s a dichotomy of veterinarians out there: new graduates, Generation Y, Generation X, baby boomers, and old school.
Earlier this month I was at a sled dog veterinary conference where there were all different types and demographics of veterinarians (i.e., different ages, genders, ethnic background, etc.). What did I love about this conference? I learned a lot from the "old school vets." Don’t get me wrong; I’ve worked with all different types, from old school to Gen Y. But what I learn the most is humility in the skill of the physical examination (what we commonly call the "PE") when it comes to old school vets.
Now, I’m Generation X: born of baby boomers in the early 70s, finished veterinary school in the 90s, and witnessed my parents work their butts off to help me get to where I am today. I feel like I have a pretty strong work ethic — I put in my 80-100 hours a week during my internship, and I bled and sweated to where I am today.
So what have I learned?
Each generation has a different pro and con to offer … and while veterinary medicine "progresses" to more advanced and specialized medicine, there’s something to be said about old school vets. While they may not all be into cutting edge technology, you can’t beat the skill of their PEs or their ability to treat patients when there are pet owner financial constraints.
Take, for example, your average dog with three to four days of diarrhea. Nowadays, new graduates will rattle off all the advanced tests that need to be done with a sick pet — complete blood count (CBC to look at the white blood cell count), biochemical panel (to look at the kidney and liver function), urinalysis, fecal, X-rays, ultrasound, etc. — all of which add up to a whopping financial cost, typically $500-$1,000. Old school veterinarians? They’d do a fecal and dispense an ant-diarrheal medication … for a whopping cost of $25-$50. And if it didn’t improve, then they’d offer the blood work and X-rays in a step-wise fashion.
While most medical doctors have lost the advanced skill of the physical examination (when was the last time your MD thoroughly palpated your abdomen?), it’s still a really important tool in veterinary medicine. And old school veterinarians are really good at the PE.
There are some clients who are very loyal to their old school veterinarians. When in doubt, stick with a veterinarian who listens to you, who pets your dog or cat, and who does a thorough PE. Make sure your veterinarian give you all the options. You don’t necessary have to do the whole million dollar work-up on day one if your pet is stable. If you don’t find a veterinarian who works with you, find one who does.
For more complicated sick cases, I’m definitely of the school that you should be doing more thorough of a work-up. The sooner you identify the problem, the sooner you can treat it. But there are some cases where you don’t have to jump immediately to advanced diagnostics without seeing if initial treatment works first.
Old school veterinarians tell me that they worry about the direction veterinary medicine is moving. I couldn’t agree more … We as veterinarians all learn something new each day, and hopefully this lesson holds true for the younger veterinarians.
What "group" does your veterinarian fall into? Tell me the pros and cons that you’ve discovered!
Dr. Justine Lee | <urn:uuid:78fd8a85-dcf9-48b0-a4be-f407109b4076> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/jlee/2012/mar/learning_from_old_school_vets | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944233 | 777 | 1.828125 | 2 |
I refer to a recent letter to the editor, written by Mr. Wayne Norman (“An appeal to reason,” Sept. 15).
The article concerned the matter of assisted suicide (elucidated earlier by columnist Pam Frampton.)
In his comments, Mr. Norman somehow managed to get around to dumping on the Roman Catholic Church on account of its opposition to assisted suicide.
Indeed, Mr. Norman took quite a detour from the suicide issue and launched a blistering attack on the Roman Catholic Church. He actually referred to the faith as “rubbish” and ridiculed the Catholic people for holding that faith.
He made specific reference to the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ (this is what he called rubbish). Since transubstantiation is the central element of the Catholic faith, I have to tell you that, being a Catholic myself, I am offended by these remarks.
I’m not especially pleased with having my religious beliefs thrashed and mocked in public as if it were a joke.
Mr. Norman has the right to believe and speak whatever he wants (just as I have the right be believe he’s wrong) and I have no quarrel with that.
What I have a problem with is this man having his hatred expressed and published in a public forum such as in The Telegram. My question to The Telegram would be: was it appropriate to print Mr. Norman’s hateful comments in letters to the editor?
Would comment of this nature be printed if they flat-out condemned, for example, gay marriage or the faith of Islam? Is the Catholic Church receiving less than fair treatment?
I have a high regard for The Telegram and its writers and it doesn’t seem characteristic of you that you would be unfair to any person or organization.
Just the same, I would still like to receive some clarification of this important issue. Perhaps the very intelligent Russell Wangersky could shed some light on this and put the whole matter into some perspective.
Questions that could be addressed, for example, would be: are there policies in the media industry to deal with the expression of opinions on matters like religious beliefs and gay marriage; are there policies to ensure fair and equal treatment for all religions and other organizations; do Mr. Norman’s remarks constitute some form of “hate” literature; and, can I be assured that the Catholic Church is not receiving “different” treatment? These are the types of questions I would like addressed.
Thank you in advance for this space, and for giving due consideration to my concerns. | <urn:uuid:c976b673-42c3-4e65-a073-5d17fd3d2024> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thetelegram.com/Opinion/Letters-to-the-editor/2012-10-02/article-3088524/Uncharacteristic-attacks/1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974872 | 539 | 1.507813 | 2 |
ESOL students from Northside Elementary in Mrs. Melissa Roysdon's classroom are helping other children while they help themselves this school year by participating in Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare program, a philanthropy-based literacy campaign designed to teach children about the joys and importance of reading and giving - and to encourage them to read everyday to lead better lives.
This fall, each student is challenged to read 10 books and, in turn, Scholastic Book Clubs, a division of Scholastic, the global children's publishing and media company, will donate one million new books to disadvantaged children nationwide.
Through this year's ClassroomsCare program, called "The United States of Reading," participating classrooms are reading for charities in their home states. They can log onto the ClassroomsCare Web site to keep track of their progress along with their state's progress. Students, teachers, and parents are invited to go onto the site to see how the reading is making a difference. More than one million books will be distributed locally through three national charity partners whose shared mission is to help put books in the hands of the hardest to reach and neediest children: Reach Out and Read®. Save the Children®, and the Paiama Proaram.
"I smile every time I hear about a school where through their generosity and hard work, students are making a difference and improving the lives of others by participating in ClassroomsCare," said Judy Newman, President of Scholastic Book Clubs. "In order to better prepare the children of the 21st Century to live complete and successful lives, we need to energize them to read more books, and read everyday. And showing children that their hard work pays off and they can make a difference in the lives of others is motivating and important as they grow up. Through the ClassroomsCare program, students aren't just reading, they're reading to give."
"Each year, students and teachers alike are thrilled to take part in Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare program and read in order to give books to children who otherwise might have none," said Mrs. Roysdon. "This year, our class read 280 books!"Read the rest of this article | <urn:uuid:00cd2b70-7282-4765-a002-ef79a925138f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wjle.com/?page=874 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969635 | 447 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Volvo Adventure & UNEP Award for Young People's Eco-Action
26 September 2010 | News story
UNEP and Volvo offer an international award to recognise and reward the activities of young people who are working to solve environmental problems in a practical way. The award is in its 10th year. From CEC member Wayne Talbot.
Deadline: 31 January 2011
The Volvo Adventure run in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme is the international award that rewards practical action by young people from around the world. The projects need to be run and devised by young people and demonstrate the results of practical action.
As might be expected there is a strong biodiversity link when asking young people to identify a problem locally and then solve it – all of them showing remarkable imagination with practical actions that are an example to all of us. The projects have ranged from species based ones saving geckos to those managing entire habitats from countries as diverse as Turkey, India, Kenya, and Guatemala. The winners of the last final from Mexico illustrate the remarkable work being rewarded - the HUNAB team from the Yucatan coast of Mexico with a project that the International Jury described as:
- “A truly sustainable entrepreneurial model has come to life with benefits for families, environment and local economy. Using only 900 litres of water, each child has taken responsibility for a small aquaculture pond, providing a sustainable harvest and a nursery for repopulating the local waterways once they have been cleaned. This ingenious project has allowed the children to earn extra money to support their ongoing schooling and helped to spread the aquaculture ponds to other students and improve their environment.”
For these and other students this is an opportunity to become part of an international network engaged in solving rather than talking about environmental problems. It is an adventure that offers a chance to make new friends all over the world and attract international recognition for their project. Individually, young people have benefited from participating as it supported job and college applications as many finalists have found. There are also opportunities to attend U.N. conferences and become international youth ambassadors.
If you know of any projects that deserve show casing on the international stage in front of UNEP all they have to do is register by visiting www.volvoadventure.org and enter teams from your school, youth or community for one of the two awards:
- The Volvo Adventure is for students between 13 and 16 years old who are working in teams of 2-5 and actively involved in devising and managing an environmental project. Once registered simply download the guidelines, go to the publishing tool and enter the project details online before 31st January 2011.
- Bob the Bunny Cartoon competition is for those under 13 years of age working in teams of three. Once registered simply download the entry form and away you go. The best cartoons featuring Bob will be published on the website and the team producing the best entries will be invited to Sweden.
Could you let your eco project co-ordinator have these details please? We know there are many great environmental projects happening that could be representing their country at the 10th anniversary of this prestigious international award in Sweden.
For more information contact Wayne Talbot at email@example.com | <urn:uuid:a502990c-2b6d-486f-b686-39c8897fa2f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iucn.org/about/union/commissions/cec/?6108/Volvo-Adventure-and-UNEP-Award | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953878 | 658 | 2.203125 | 2 |
Question: What was the “Ten Pound Pom” scheme?
Answer: The “Ten Pound Pom” scheme is the colloquial name for an assisted migration scheme that operated in Australia after World War II. In spite of its name, this scheme was not limited to those from the United Kingdom but was open to citizens of all Commonwealth countries. (The word “Pom” meant English people, and was sometimes used in a derogatory manner.)
Adult migrants were charged ₤10 for their fare and children travelled for free. They were drawn by promises of employment and housing, a more relaxed lifestyle and a better climate.
“Ten Pound Poms” needed to be in sound health and under the age of 45 years. There were initially no skill restrictions, although under the “White Australia” policy those from mixed race backgrounds found it very difficult to take advantage of the scheme. At one point in 1947, more than 400,000 Brits were registered at Australia House in London for the scheme.
The aim of the scheme was to substantially increase Australia’s population in response to fears of a Japanese invasion, and a new awareness of Australia’s vulnerability and unrealised economic potential as an under-populated country. The “Populate or Perish” policy was developed by the Curtin Government before the end of World War II.
By late 1944 the Australian Government had begun negotiations with Britain for assisted immigration programs in the post-war years. Since all Australian political parties supported the “White Australia” policy they looked to Britain and northern European countries for immigrants in the belief that people from these countries would more easily assimilate with the Australian community. After the war, Australia gradually extended assisted passage schemes to immigrants from other countries such as the Netherlands and Italy to maintain high levels of immigration. It also welcomed refugees from war-torn Europe.
Sometimes the promises to immigrants were not realised. Many migrants faced lengthy stays in migrant hostels, failed to get ideal employment or missed their old communities. Around one quarter of the “Ten Pound Poms” left Australia within a few years of their arrival.
The year 1969 was the peak year for the scheme, with more than 80,000 people coming to Australia. In 1973, the cost of assisted passages was increased to ₤75 per family. This was still a very cheap fare, but numbers of assisted migrants from the United Kingdom dropped off significantly. Assisted passage schemes were gradually phased out in the 1980s, having profoundly influenced the ethnic and cultural makeup of the Australian population.
Thanks for your comment, Judith. The National Archives of Australia do have arrival and departure records from Victorian migrant hostels, including Altona - might these be useful for your reunion plans? As for images, there are some NAA photographs of the hostel viewable via Picture Australia. Finally, the Immigration Discovery Centre has its own folder of information about Victorian migrant hostels, sourced mainly from the web. Good luck with your research!
Hi Linda, thankyou for your comment. We have recently published a 'Your Question' article referring to a number of other Australian institutions that offer a similar service to the Tribute Garden at the Immigration Museum. I hope this is what you're after!
Hi Katherine, thanks for the interesting questions. Although we have not been able to find a definitive answer, we have sent some information to your email.
Hello, Sandra. According to the National Archives of Australia, "prior to 26 January 1949, the process of naturalisation conferred British nationality on applicants....As a consequence there are no naturalisation records for British migrants before 1949." Hope this helps! More info here.
We love receiving comments, but can’t always respond.
There are many fantastic resources that you can look at for your assignment. Firstly, we have a list of links to the right of this article that will assist you.Another great place to start would be to go to your local library or visit the Discovery Centre at the Immigration Museum to view the book Ten Pound Poms: Australia’s Invisible Migrants by Hammerton & Thomson. A quick search on Trove will also bring up a variety of resources referring to the ten pound poms.
Good luck with your assignment!
Hi again Hannah - we're glad to hear that your research is going well. Museum Victoria's Origins website contains lots of statistical information about migration including an overview of English migration to Victoria. Another helpful for resource for immigration statistics is the Australian Government's Department of Immigration and Citizenship's website. Good luck with your research!
Rebecca - information about migrant hostels can be difficult to come by. Nevertheless, the Encyclopedia of Melbourne has an article entitled "Migrant Hostels"; there is also an online forum for those wishing to discuss the topic in more detail. Records of the Broadmeadows Migrant Hostel itself are kept by the National Archives of Australia, with address books listed at Series Number B6518 and arrivals and departures books at B6517. You can find indexes that relate to these records via the RecordSearch tool at the NAA website. Good luck!
Hi Bruce, the National Archives of Australia holds the passenger lists for immigrant ships. You can contact them to obtain these. You might then be able to track those friends through census records or the phone book.
Australia's pre-decimal coins and banknotes underwent many changes over the years before they were replaced in 1966. See Museum Victoria's Rare Coins infosheet for images and information about Australia's pre-decimal coins. For pre-decimal banknotes have a look at the Reserve Bank of Australia's Museum of Australian Currency Notes.
Hi Susan,You can attempt to locate your friend by either searching the White Pages or contacting the Australian Electoral Commision. Good luck!
Hi Jean. It's likely that "all the paperwork" that your father completed has been kept by the National Archives of Australia. You can search for such documents using their RecordSearch tool, and request copies of certain items. Perhaps these documents will give further information about the scheme?
Hi Roger, there is a fantastic website with images and information about the various migrant hostels and camps set up in Australia. You can search for images and also add details to various forums http://www.migrantweb.com/
Amanda, there were a number of immigration sponsorship programs operating at this period, including some by private companies. Kalgoorlie Lake View Pty Ltd may have sponsored your family's migration. For confirmation of this, you will need to locate the company's own records. If your migration was sponsored by a private company, you would not be considered "ten pound poms," as such.
Migrant hostels are notorious for being scantily documented at best, Andrew, and our own expertise is with Victorian examples. Our online searching only confirmed that the "long-demolished" Elder Park hostel had fibro buildings! Might the State Library of South Australia be of assistance? This book, say.
The 10 pound scheme didn’t differentiate between migrants from England and Ireland. Assistance could involve the targeting of particular skilled migrants to meet particular skills shortages identified by the Dept of Labour and National Service. Such workers would be provided with hostel or employer-supplied accommodation. Others could be personally nominated by Australian citizens offering to provide accommodation and they didn’t have to meet the skills criterion (although most were skilled or semi-skilled workers anyway). Also schemes such as the big Brother Movement continued into the 1960s involving sponsored migration. But sponsorship by employer, citizen or organisation wasn’t an automatic requirement. British/Irish migration was virtually unrestricted and most of those were assisted (as in passage subsidised, accommodation available).
Hi Michael – One of the most useful resources to locate living people are the electoral rolls which list all the names and addresses of registered voters within Australia. Another avenue to explore would be to also check the white pages online by conducting a surname search: Good luck with your search!
Hi there, Anonymous. The best source of information about the experience of these migrants onboard their ships is Chapter 3 of Ten Pound Poms: Australia's invisible migrants by Hammerton and Thomson. This book is available from many libraries as well as the Discovery Centre at the Immigration Museum. If you have difficult accessing a copy of this book chapter, contact us via the Ask the Experts page.
Thanks for your question, Hannah. So many people migrated to Australia under the Ten Pound Pom scheme that the group is not often considered as a category, as such, although we'd be very interested in any list of famous ones that you might unearth or create! As a starting point for your project, try this profile of Noni Hazlehurst's family available via the NAA website.
Tom, our collection of photographs does not generally extend to school photographs. For names of those who attended a certain school, you may try contacting the school directly, or else search the web for sites designed to put old friends in contact with each other.
To view passenger lists you will need to visit the Victorian Archives Centre in North Melbourne. If you are not in Melbourne, you can search for the office in your state here
There are many excellent resources that may help in your research. To the right of this article there is a list of links that should be useful. Our Origins website contains lots of statistical information about migration including an overview of English migration to Victoria. Another great resource is the book Ten Pound Poms: Australia’s Invisible Migrants by Hammerton & Thomson which you can view at the Immigration Museum’s Discovery Centre or at your local library. Also, search on Trove for a variety of resources referring to the Ten Pound Poms. Good luck with your essay!
Unfortunately the museum cannot suggest anything to fast track your citizen application. Here a link to the Citizenship wizard from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship which might assist you with your application.
Hello Donna, Twentieth century immigration records, including information and documentation relating to the 10 Pound Pom Scheme, are held by the National Archives of Australia (NAA). You can search for such documents using the NAA's online RecordSearch tool and request copies of certain items. However only about 25% of their entire collection is online as of yet. If you cannot find your name You will need to contact them to obtain your records through their Making Australia Home program.
Hi Hollie, an interesting question! The initial theory of the Ten Pound Pom scheme was to dramatically increase the Australian population amid fears of a Japanese invasion and the Curtin Government's policy of 'populate or perish' was developed. Assisted Passage schemes, such as the 'Ten Pound Poms' were phased out in the 1980's, but who knows what may happen in the future!
Try the National Archives first, Angela, but bear in mind that they only hold official government records, and that the grazier will only be mentioned in those records if the sponsorship program was associated with the government. Hope this helps!
Janet, it can be very difficult to trace living people. In Australia, records are generally only made when people interact with the government. Other than that, you might try searching Australian telephone directories like the White Pages. Their website has a search tool that can provide contact details of many people living in Australia. For evidence of births, deaths and marriages, you will need to contact the relevant registry in an Australia state. Good luck with your research.
Maree, residency and citizenship laws have changed several times since 1949, when the Nationality and Citizenship Act came into effect. Long-term residency in Australia does not necessarily mean that a person is an Australian citizen. You'll find more information at this government-run citizenship website, or by contacting the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
Potentially yes, but to be sure, you will need to contact the National Archives of Australia for official records.
Hi Ian,You can attempt to locate your friends by either searching the White Pages or contacting the Australian Electoral Commision. Good luck!
This question was answered above on the 6th December 2011, the 7th July 2010 and the 3rd March 2010. Hope this helps!
Hi Gay, the answer to your question can be found in comment that was published on the 03 Sep 2010 at 14:38, which states that "residency and citizenship laws have changed several times since 1949, when the Nationality and Citizenship Act came into effect. Long-term residency in Australia does not necessarily mean that a person is an Australian citizen. You'll find more information at this government-run citizenship website, or by contacting the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, we hope this assists.
Louise, all government documents connected to immigration have been managed by the National Archives of Australia since 1923. You can use their website to conduct research with these documents, including requesting copies.
The only thing we can suggest is that you contact the National Archives of Australia or the Department of Immigration and Citizenship with your documentation to see if they are able to sort it out.
Hi Les, we had a search for this and couldn't come up with much, so we contacted the helpful librarians at State Library of Victoria via their live chat service (what a useful resource!). They identified three potential titles for you:
1. Horizons ahead. (Text in English, German, Dutch, Italian and Polish.) September 1963-1969.2. New settler, incorporating The new settler in WA vol.1 no.9, Feb 1951-vol.11, no.120, May 1960. (Earlier title The new settler in Western Australia, vol.1 no.1, June 1950-vol.1 no.8, Jan 1951).3. Migrants' magazine and Aussiana news, vol.1 1950-vol.2 1951
All these publications are held by the State Library of WA and the National Library of Australia, except for the third, which is only held by the State Library of WA. Unfortunately SLV do not have any holdings, so it's not possible to check these locally.
Hi Jennifer - Twentieth century immigration records, including information and documentation relating to the 10 Pound Pom Scheme, are held by the National Archives of Australia (NAA). You can search for such documents using the NAA's online RecordSearch tool and request copies of certain items. You can also contact the NAA directly for further assistance in searching for your own and your family’s records.
Unfortunately, this is outside our area of expertise. You will need to contact the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship to clarify your mother’s situation. You may like to visit their citizenship website as well.
The Brooklyn Hostel was at 431 Francis Street Brooklyn, whereas the Altona Hostel was off Kororoit Creek Road, Altona, where what is now known as 'Technopark' currently is. More information about the Brooklyn Hostel can be found by typing 'Brooklyn Migrant Hostel' in the search box on this Heritage Victoria webpage.
Keith's record will be with the NAA. The reason you can't find them is that only about 20% of records have been put online. You will need to contact the NAA directly to ask them to locate the record. Please be aware that there will be a cost involved for this service.
For more information on this subject, please visit our British subjects and Australian citizenship webpage. Though you will be best served by contacting the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
Australian citizenship was created through the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948, and came into effect 26 January 1949, prior to 1949, Australians could only hold the status of British subjects. Unless you applied for Australian Citizenship you are still a British subject. If you are unsure of what documentation was filled out on your behalf as a child you can obtain records from the National Archives of Australia. You may also be interested in reading the following history of Australian Citizenship. If you wish to apply for citizenship you will need to contact the Department of Immigration.
Twentieth century immigration records, including information and documentation relating to the 10 Pound Pom Scheme, are held by the National Archives of Australia (NAA). You can search for such documents using the NAA's online RecordSearch tool and request copies of certain items. You can also contact the National Archives of Australia through their Making Australia Home project for further assistance in searching for your own and your family’s records.
Had a great time at the museum a few weekends ago. As I wrote on my blog post, I feel like its real attraction is in the way the museum is able to tell stories....
To read the latest tweets from @immigration_mv
Follow Immigration Museum on
Hi this is a great website I just can't seem to find some history things. | <urn:uuid:5538f84b-c928-4fb8-958f-fbb4d94b88e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://museumvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/discoverycentre/your-questions/ten-pound-poms/?reply=7865&sort=mostpopular&googleminiexclude=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954151 | 3,459 | 3.90625 | 4 |
Štefan Meglen (2009) Upgrade of manufacturing information system. EngD thesis.
The dissertation deals with the upgrade of insufficiently developed manufacturing information system. Prior to starting the development, the possibilities and potential difficulties of development environment upgrade have been studied. Applied methodology, as well as development environment with its tools and database are discussed in the first part of the dissertation. The second part includes an overview of the manufacturing information system, focused on work order. A work order placement begins with a proper sales order. Data from the sales order is the basis to create a work order which a product engineer fills with placed material, work, and cooperation. Talking about offered work, we are taking a deeper look at the issue of additional data, so far written in the “notes” field. The concept of work order is finished with accounting, so this is the last step in the work order procedure in this dissertation. The third and most important part of the dissertation is the description of development and solution implementation, as well as a case study. Several possibilities of development are discussed, and the most appropriate one is chosen. We are showing the process of planning a solution, and a conceptual database model to implement the solution by RAD methodology. In the final part, we are presenting the conclusions we reached while developing our solution. Some difficulties are mentioned as well. The estimation of development environment upgrade adequacy is discussed. Development always creates new ideas, some of which are presented in the conclusion and made ready for new versions of a program.
Actions (login required) | <urn:uuid:d206d4fb-2da5-4056-b017-39bda966540b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eprints.fri.uni-lj.si/835/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960707 | 315 | 1.75 | 2 |
Last fall more than 70 percent of voters passed a constitutional amendment outlawing the use of Sharia law in Oklahoma courts, and state legislators have also pushed anti-Sharia laws, even though the Muslim legal code has never been introduced in an Oklahoma courtroom. On June 14 the Oklahoma state Supreme Court upheld most provisions of the state’s strict anti-immigrant law, passed in 2007 and seen as a precursor to Arizona’s infamous legislation. And this year Oklahoma City state senator Ralph Shortey introduced a suite of anti-immigrant laws including one billed as “Arizona Plus.”
Shortey is Native American and as a child lived on a South Dakota reservation. He said that’s one of the reasons he wants to send a message to undocumented immigrants that they are “not welcome” in Oklahoma. In March Shortey told a group of reporters with the Institute for Justice and Journalism that he knows what it feels like to have one’s land stolen, and he doesn’t want it to happen again through an influx of undocumented immigrants. | <urn:uuid:ce123200-f92c-4c23-a65c-06a0540f50d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lstcccme.wordpress.com/category/oklahoma/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961025 | 216 | 1.921875 | 2 |
A tour through the Barcelona of Enric Sagnier i Villavecchia, one of the most important and prolific architects in 19th and 20th-century Barcelona.
Isabel-Clara Simó's guide book uncovers the often hidden footprints of women in the urban landscape of Barcelona, Hospitalet and Sant Adrià.
The Barcelona Modernisme Route guide is the best companion for discovering the fabulous architecture of Gaudí, Domènech, Puig and so many other Catalan architects belonging to this movement.
A literary journey through landscapes that shaped the life of Jacint Verdaguer and which describes his work. His views on Catalan landscapes: Barcelona, his native area and Canigó through the verse of a great national poet.
A book by Alfred Bosch and Josep Melero for discovering an epic Barcelona: scenes from the outstanding episodes in the city's history, during the long struggle of its citizens to defend their freedoms, identity and social rights.
This guide book invites its readers to discover a part of the city's Modernista heritage, the restored part. Fourteen bars and restaurants as charming as they were a century ago.
Innovation, imagination and quality. A route that takes in the best places linked to design and architecture in the city. The history and present of design split into four large sections: bars, restaurants, shops and buildings, and urban spaces.
This guide book takes readers round Gaudí's work with several itineraries through Barcelona and other Catalan locations.
Unless stated otherwise, the contents of this website are subject to a Creative Commons licence. | <urn:uuid:edd9b1af-2655-4262-b223-08f34c42dfd3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://w110.bcn.cat/portal/site/PaisatgeUrba/menuitem.b368854318184aa433433343a2ef8a0c/?vgnextoid=58a5330e4ef39210VgnVCM10000074fea8c0RCRD&vgnextchannel=58a5330e4ef39210VgnVCM10000074fea8c0RCRD&lang=en_GB | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923121 | 331 | 1.960938 | 2 |
A title given to Ulmo, one of the greatest of the Valar, whose province was the waters of the World, from streams to great rivers to the oceans. It was Ulmo who carried the Eldar into the West on the island of Tol Eressëa, and after the Exile of the Noldor, it was he who gave most thought to the plight of Elves and Men in Middle-earth. He became known as the 'Dweller in the Deep' (or occasionally 'Dweller of the Deep') because unlike the other Valar his halls were not in Valinor, but instead he dwelt beneath the dark waters of the Outer Ocean.
For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.
Website services kindly sponsored by Axiom Software Ltd.
Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2012. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. | <urn:uuid:cdb04c00-7670-4ceb-a939-e47bc1f3591a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/d/dwellerinthedeep.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967026 | 188 | 1.890625 | 2 |
In marketing electronic cigarettes as a healthy way to kick the habit, e-cigarette manufacturers are acting illegally, the FDA announced Thursday. The agency issued warning letters to 5 companies that produce electronic cigarettes, which regulators now consider drug delivery devices subject to the same oversight as drugs and medical devices.
Smokeless and battery operated, e-cigarettes offer smokers an alternative to traditional smoking cessation products, such as gums or lozenges. A glowing tip and plume of water vapor mimic the look and feel of a cigarette, with some versions delivering nicotine or other inhalants through a refillable cartridge inserted into the device. Sellers and some researchers argue e-cigarettes are less dangerous than cigarettes because they do not produce toxins that result from burning tobacco; however, no comprehensive research has been conducted to prove their safety, according to an earlier report by the Wall Street Journal.
Citing sub-standard manufacturing practices and unsubstantiated drug claims, the FDA’s letter said the 5 companies acted in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. In some cases, the devices were used to deliver pharmaceutical agents—including rimonabant, an obesity management drug, and tadalafil, an erectile dysfunction drug. Companies accused of the violations include E-CigaretteDirect LLC, Ruyan America Inc, Gamucci America (Smokey Bayou Inc), E-Cig Technology Inc, and Johnson’s Creek Enterprises LLC.
The warning letter also outlined the New Drug Application process, the regulatory pathway each company will be required to follow in order to continue selling electronic cigarettes to consumers. “FDA invites electronic cigarette firms to work in cooperation with the agency toward the goal of assuring that electronic cigarettes sold in the United States are lawfully marketed,” the letter read. | <urn:uuid:555efea4-5e9f-4afd-81d2-b7071129454e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/Ecigarettes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930885 | 366 | 1.859375 | 2 |
A Critical Milestone
The Smarter Balanced Pilot Test marks an important milestone in the development of a next-generation assessment system, allowing the Consortium to gather information about the performance of assessment items and the test delivery system under real-world conditions. Data from the Pilot Test will allow Smarter Balanced to conduct initial scaling that will be used to program the adaptive test engine.
The Pilot Test will be conducted in grades 3-11 in English language arts/literacy and mathematics. While the Pilot Test will be administered online, it will not be computer adaptive as the operational assessment will be in 2014-15. Prior to taking the Pilot Test, students will have the opportunity to take a training test to become familiar with the format of the assessment.
The Pilot Test is designed to be a test of the items and performance tasks—not an opportunity to report on student learning—and schools participating in the Pilot Test will not receive student scores.
Developed with Input from Educators and Students
K-12 teachers and higher education faculty from Smarter Balanced Governing States collaborated with content experts to write and review items and performance tasks that appear in the Pilot Test. In addition, Smarter Balanced conducted more than 900 cognitive labs around the country in 2012. Through these one-on-one sessions, students provided valuable feedback on innovative item types, the test interface, and accessibility features. Small-scale trials in more than 500 schools in 23 states also provided critical information for the development of the Pilot Test.
Sample Design and School Participation
The Pilot Test is voluntary, and all schools in Smarter Balanced member states are encouraged to participate. To ensure that data from the Pilot Test fully represents the Consortium, approximately 10 percent of schools in Smarter Balanced Governing States will be recruited as a scientific sample.
- Scientific Sample Pilot (February 20-May 24): Schools recruited as part of the scientific sample will administer one content area (either mathematics or English language arts/literacy) in up to two grades. Although the assessment is untimed, it is expected to last approximately three hours. The test will take place during a pre-determined two-week window under secure conditions. Schools will have access to training, help desk support, and technical guidance. If your school is participating in the scientific sample portion of the Pilot Test, you can find more information about the training and administration of the Pilot Test at the Smarter Balanced Pilot Test Portal.
If your school is participating in the scientific sample portion of the Pilot Test, you can find more information about the training and administration of the Pilot Test at the Smarter Balanced Pilot Test Portal.
- Practice Test (Available beginning in late May): Due to the overwhelming demand for access to the Volunteer Pilot assessment from principals, teachers, parents, and the public, Smarter Balanced has decided to release a more complete and more broadly available “practice test.” Like the planned Volunteer Pilot, the Practice Test will allow students to experience items that look and function like those found on the Scientific Pilot. The Practice Test will also include performance tasks (not previously planned for the Volunteer Pilot), and will be constructed to follow a test blueprint similar to the blueprint intended for the operational test. With the Practice Test, teachers will be able to construct simulated assessment events for their students. Additionally, online access to the Practice Test will not require a unique username and password, meaning that schools and districts can use the Practice Test for professional development activities and for discussions with parents, policymakers, and other interested stakeholders.
- The Practice Test will provide:
- administrators and parents with access to items planned and designed for the new assessment;
- students with access to the tests over the summer, with the Practice Test being accessible right up to the rollout of the operational assessment
- a full array of item types, including performance tasks;
- versions supporting several accommodations:
- Item-level pop-up Spanish glossaries for construct-irrelevant terms (mathematics only)
- American Sign Language (ASL) | <urn:uuid:043cbd4e-227a-4cfa-b4b2-5ae50ba3443e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.smarterbalanced.org/pilot-test/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926665 | 815 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Does Life Exist in Antarctic Lake Buried Under Miles of Ice?
for National Geographic News
|November 15, 2004|
Some years ago, researchers found something that sent shivers through the scientific community: a diverse community of microbial life-forms that live without sunlight or a ready supply of nutrients.
The scientists were not searching deep space when they made their find. Rather, they were sampling the bottom of a 2.5-mile-thick (4-kilometer-thick) Antarctic ice sheet.
The frozen mass covers Lake Vostok, a freshwater lake. Scientists demonstrated that the bottom layer of the ice sheet, the same one that contained the microbial life-forms, was composed of accreted, or frozen, lake water.
This, in turn, led scientists to suggest that a large, diverse community of microbes lived in the lake itself. If true, the theory would answer questions about the limits of life on Earth and expand the range of environments that might potentially host life-forms in space.
Two independent research teams announced the initial discovery of the Antarctic ice sheet microbes in the December 10, 1999, issue of the journal Science.
One study was led by John Priscu, an ecologist with the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at Montana State University in Bozeman. The other by David Karl, a microbial biologist with the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.
Since then the research teams and others have further analyzed the microbes. They've sought to describe the microbes' diversity and to determine whether or not the microbes might actually be contaminants introduced to ice-core samples by the instruments used to gather and study them.
According to Priscu, new data gathered by his team shows that the microbes have diverse physiologies. The data also suggest that Lake Vostok hosts the life-forms in high abundance, he said.
"I believe there are about 10,000 [microbial] cells per milliliter [0.2 teaspoon] in Lake Vostok surface water, which is about a hundred times lower than that typical in the open ocean," Priscu said.
Karl's team has also conducted further analysis and found that a viable microbe population lives in the Antarctic lake buried under miles of ice. Although Karl noted that "the biomass may be very low."
Other scientists, however, have disputed the initial findings of both research teams, suggesting that it was the instruments used to retrieve and study the ice core samples that were contaminated with microbesnot the the bottom layer of the ice sheet. (See sidebar.)
Punching the through 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) of ice covering Lake Vostok to sample the lake water should resolve that scientific dispute.
The international scientific community is eager to do so, but nations disagree on how to proceed. U.S. and European scientists favor cautious approaches and are searching for funding.
Martin Siegert, a glaciologist in the School of Geographical Sciences at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, heads a proposal to sample waters from Lake Ellsworth, a smaller subglacial lake in the western Antarctic, before venturing into Lake Vostok.
Siegert said that developing the appropriate Lake Vostok exploration program will cost several tens of millions of dollars (U.S.). By contrast, Lake Ellsworth, which is smaller and the ice above it warmer, can be sampled for about four million dollars (U.S.), she said.
"We can go into this lake, undertake an analysis of the water, and prove once and for all whether the water and sediments are truly the fascinating environment we think they are," Siegert said. "Once done, we can upscale the next mission, eventually going to Vostok."
U.S. scientists also have several plans to systematically explore the subglacial Antarctic lakes. Priscu noted, however, that securing funds for these programs has proved difficult.
Meanwhile, a team of Russian scientists recently announced plans to drill into Lake Vostok in the Antarctic 2006-2007 summer season.
"I applaud the Russian program for moving ahead with bold plans, but I would have rather seen it be an international effort with stronger environmental, education, and science programs, all of which are in the spirit of Antarctic research," Priscu said.
Don't Miss a Discovery
Sign up for the free Inside National Geographic newsletter. Every two weeks we'll send you our top news stories by e-mail.
|© 1996-2008 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.| | <urn:uuid:87908edb-1f92-41cc-832f-907489f6f9f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/10532575.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944429 | 941 | 3.71875 | 4 |
Parents who want a quick, easy snapshot of their child's school's performance can have it now with the release of a "school performance index" number for each of the state's 1,200 schools.
But what does that number mean and how will it be used exactly? That is a far more complicated question.
Robert Rader, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education said he has "mixed thoughts" on the new index system. "If it helps districts help all their students succeed than we will be — in the long run — in favor." | <urn:uuid:1c798970-a54d-4836-8f9a-f7f02bb66bcc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.districtadministration.com/news/conn-releases-new-performance-index-every-school | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958597 | 116 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Here are Senior Citizens’ health insurance tips and general tips to buy health cover in India
Staying with the same insurance company is very important since once you are hospitalised with a disease it will continue to be covered in later years only if you buy the policy from the same insurer. If you shift to another insurance company then at that stage that particular disease will be treated as a pre-existing disease by that company and will not be covered for a few years.
Policy renewable up to: It is a known fact that it becomes difficult to get a fresh policy as your age increases just when your need is the highest. Hence the maximum age up to which the policy is renewable, is very important.
Premium increases in later years. Insurance companies have different pricing strategies and depending on your age the premium is different. So it is advisable to look at not just current premiums but also future premiums.
Permanent and temporary exclusions: Most policies exclude hospitalisation expenses temporarily or permanently for a whole lot of diseases or treatments. This is different for different companies. You should look at the policy workings to get a sense of what is permanently or temporarily excluded.
About the Author: | <urn:uuid:31cc2489-65c7-4eb5-8c15-a741a9a62e92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ahealthysenior.com/senior-health/senior-citizens-health-insurance-covers-in-india.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970273 | 238 | 2 | 2 |
SearchDay 2001 Year in Review
SearchDay, Jan. 3, 2002
Many newsworthy and notable stories occurred in the web search universe during 2001, a year in which the pace of change accelerated dramatically despite slowdowns in other sectors.
2001's Most Wanted Search Terms
SearchDay, Jan. 2, 2002
What were the most popular search terms of the past year? It depends on which search engine you ask.
January 1 - New Year's Holiday
SearchDay, Dec. 31, 2001
Happy New Year, everyone! SearchDay is headlines only today.
Elsewhere at Internet.com
Readability on the Internet
There is a great deal written and said about development of Internet sites, with much of the emphasis being placed on usability, navigation, and appearance. It is now time to throw another factor into the mix -- readability.
Today's Web: Fewer Billboards, More Substance
Alexis Gutzman counters the cynic's view that the Web is much worse off than it was last year, and illustrates why the Web of today is leaner and deeper than the Web of yore.
Rank in the results of major search engines, and you'll soar even higher in meta-search results.
The Revolution Is Over
The days of Internet users being iconoclasts are over, so it's time to treat the medium as what it is -- a part of most Americans' daily lives.
NOTE: Article links often change. In case of a bad link, use the publication's search facility, which most have, and search for the headline.
Want to view one of the sessions you missed or listen to an especially informative presenter a second time? SES New York sessions are available for purchase on ClickZ Academy's new e-Learning site. SES is now Online! | <urn:uuid:dcafe6c6-271c-47b4-ae49-6df05eaf5eee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2067840/The-Week-in-Review | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903586 | 370 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Many conservative Christians in America are adamant that America should not in any way support terrorists or terrorism related activities. This is only natural, but for some reason their position doesn't extend so far as to cause them to need to make changes in their own lives. Terrorism must be stopped, but not if it creates inconvenience and not if forces any serious changes in one's lifestyle. It doesn't sound as though these conservative Christians are very committed to their principles, does it?
Usually this contradiction is pointed out in the context of how much oil from the Middle East is needed for things like Americans' large cars. The money spent on oil often ends up in the nations where terrorism and terrorists make their homes. The need to secure sources of oil tend to drive the foreign policies which people elsewhere find most objectionable and which seem to do the most to encourage support for religious or political extremism. So, if you want to reduce terrorism, doesn't it sound like a good idea to cut America's ties to Middle Eastern oil as much as possible?
Perhaps a similar connection can be made between these energy policies and great energy needs during the Christmas season. It is disturbing just how much more electricity is consumed for the sake of Christmas lights and seasonal displays. It's true that oil is not normally used to create electricity for homes, but energy is in many ways fungible so the resources used to produce electricity for lights is unavailable for other uses where oil may be directly employed. There is also the fact that almost all Christmas displays use a great deal of plastic and that is a petroleum product.
Somehow, though, I don't think that anyone will even consider making sacrifices like reducing holiday displays and their use of electricity for the sake of reducing economic support for terrorism.
The above image is taken from a World War II poster of a soldier dying on a beach because "Loose Talk" got their first, thus warning the enemy and allowing them to prepare an ambush. Americans were advised to keep quite about troop movements and military operations in order to keep American soldiers safe. Perhaps if we reduced our dependency on energy sources in the Middle East, we wouldn't have to send them into places where they would be in danger. | <urn:uuid:d4a1520f-5158-4f4d-b376-82cae8c9df7e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://atheism.about.com/od/newschristmaswars/ig/War-on-Christmas-Propaganda/Christmas-Electricity-Energy.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974158 | 441 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Even with the recent announcement that the Flickr Commons is not currently accepting new applications, there are clearly still applications being processed. NARA has been on Flickr since February of 2009 and loaded 49 sets of images. As announced in a recent press release, on the first of February 2010 Flickr flipped the switch and all the images in the The U.S. National Archives’ photostream was shifted over into the Commons.
- Historical Photographs and Documents (19 sets) – including NARA favorites like Rosie the Riveter and Nixon and Elvis and documents from regional archives across the country.
- DOCUMERICA Project by the Environmental Protection Agency (27 sets) – one set dedicated to top picks and the rest organized by photographer. Interestingly, NARA’s website has indexed the 15,000+ images from this project by subject and by location. I wonder how the picked which image from DOCUMERICA to port over to Flickr?
- Mathew Brady Civil War Photographs (2 sets) – currently 473 out of the 6,066 digitized Mathew Brady images are uploaded into the Commons. The images posted in the Commons are available in a much higher resolution than they are within ARC. A great example from this collection is the image of the Poplar Church (image shown to right) available as a 600 x 483 GIF on ARC and as a 3000 x 2416 JPG on Flickr. This image also has gotten a nice set of comments and tags.
- Development and Public Works (1 set) – the only set in this collection consists of images taken to support the Flathead Irrigation Project. “The Project was initiated to determine rights and distribute water originating on the Flathead Indian Agency in Montana to both tribal and non-tribal land.” These images seem to be the same resolution on both archives.gov and Flickr.
In honor of this transition, NARA posted a new set of 220 Ansel Adams photographs. One of the first comments on the set was “low-res scans? Pretty big letdown.” Fine question. As noted above, other images from NARA in the Commons much larger than the 600 x 522 that seems to be available for the Ansel Adams images. It would be great to have a clear explanation about available resolutions published along with each new set of images.
NARA has published this simple rights statement for all NARA images in the Commons:
All of the U.S. National Archives’ images that are part of The Flickr Commons are marked “no known copyright restrictions.” This means the U.S. National Archives is unaware of any copyright restrictions on the publication, distribution, or re-use of those particular photos. Their use restriction status in our online catalog is “unrestricted.” Therefore, no written permission is required to use them.
NARA has also posted an official Photo Comment and Posting Policy and a fairly extensive FAQ about the images they have post on Flickr. I do wish that there was a simpler way to request reprints of images from the Commons. Most of the NARA images have this standard sentence – but for someone not familiar with NARA and more accustom to one click ordering, the instructions seem very complex:
For information about ordering reproductions of photographs held by the Still Picture Unit, visit: www.archives.gov/research/order/still-pictures.html
I also wish that more of the images had location information assigned – only 113 of the images show up on the fun to explore map view. At first glance it looks as if this information is populated only for images taken near airports. There are many images that include a location based subject in the image description posted on Flickr, yet do not include geographic metadata that would permit the image to be shown on a map. The one image I did find that was not at an airport but did include geographic metadata is this image of the World Trade Center assigned to the NYC Financial District Flickr Location. While I could add a location related tag to NARA’s images, there does not appear any way for the general public to suggest location metadata.
One odd note about this and other World Trade Center images – the auto-generated tags have broken up the building name very oddly as shown in my screen clip on the left.
Another fun way way to explore the NARA Flickr images is to visit the ‘Archives’ page (slightly hilariously titled “U.S. National Archives’ Archives”). Here we can browse photos based on when they were uploaded to Flickr or when they were taken. Those images that include a specific date can be viewed on a calendar (such as these images from 1918) or in a list view (those same images from 1918 as a list), while those taken ‘circa’ a year can be viewed in a list with all other images from sometime that year (such as these images from circa 1824).
Beyond all the additional tags and content collected via comments on these images, I think that being able to find NARA images based on a map, calendar or tag is the real magic of the commons. The increased opportunities for access to these images cannot be overstated.
Take this image of a sunflower. If you visit this image on archives.gov, you can certainly find the image and view it – but good luck finding all the images of flowers as quickly as this Flickr tag page for NARA images of flowers can. Even looking at the special Documerica by Topic page doesn’t get me much closer to finding an image of a flower.
It will be fun to watch what else NARA chooses to upload to the Commons. I vote for more images that are assigned metadata such that they show up on the map and calendar. I will also put your mind at ease by telling you that the lovely ladies at the top of this post are their because their image is one of the most popular uploaded by NARA to date (based on it having been marked a favorite by 88 individuals). The only image I could find with more fans was the classic image of Nixon and Elvis with 250 fans at the time of this posting.
What is your favorite NARA Commons image? Please post a link in the comments and if I get enough I will set up a gallery of Spellbound Fan Favorites!
Image Credits: All images within this blog post are pulled from NARA’s images on the Flickr Commons. Please click on the images to see their specific details. | <urn:uuid:7c4677e6-bb90-44d0-a196-0c7a4229a339> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.spellboundblog.com/2010/02/16/national-archives-transitions-flickr-commons/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951719 | 1,341 | 2.015625 | 2 |
This is not an article on William Shakespeare, nor will it be written in the style of the incredible Mr. Shakespeare. Although he was born in 1564 and lived until 1616 and his plays are still quite popular today, so I wish that I could write as well as he did. It was in Hamlet that the famous line was written; “To be or not to be: that is the question:”
You know what? That is still the question today, in so many ways. Will today be a good day or a bad one? Will you allow challenges to bring you down or will you see them as opportunities? Will the weather affect the kind of day you have? Will you be happier if you were able to put a thousand dollars in your bank account?
Someone once said; “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.” In other words, you control you and no one else can bring you down or impact your mood, unless you give them permission. I am the eternal optimist.
I would go after Moby Dick in a row boat and take the tartar sauce with me.
In other words, I always see the glass as half full, rain is nothing more than liquid sunshine and every day above ground is a terrific day.
Surely you know someone who will brighten up a room ……… just by leaving. You don’t want to be that somebody.
Someone once asked me; “Do you ever wake up grouchy in the morning?” My response was; “No I let her sleep.”
In reality, I am a morning person. Five o’clock in the morning is my prime time and nine o’clock at night is my bed time.
My wife, on the other hand, does not like to speak until after she has been awake for at least an hour and she really gets energized about ten at night.
Does that mean we do not get along? Not at all, it does mean that I have learned to simply wave at her as I walk through the bedroom at seven o’clock, having already enjoyed my third cup of coffee.
By the way, she does not drink coffee and I blend my own beans, grind them and brew the coffee. This simply gives credence to the fact that opposites really do attract.
You may be wondering where I am going with this, well so am I. Actually, there is a method to my madness. First of all, in the great game of life, you make the rules. You decide what is best for you and what you really enjoy. As long as it is not illegal or immoral, it is alright.
About 18% of the people in America today allow the child that is inside them to come out and play. The other 82% keep the child bottled up or hidden inside.
Psychologists will tell you that the 18% that allow themselves to play and act childlike at times are called, normal.
Of course as adults we do have certain responsibilities and privileges. One of them is the right to vote and Election Day is next Tuesday, May 2nd.
Early voting continues through this Thursday. You will not keep anyone from getting elected by not voting. So, please exercise your right to vote.
Study the candidates and the positions that they are taking. Be sure that you believe they have the experience, integrity and sincere desire to serve and then PLEASE VOTE!
Men and women have given their lives over the centuries to protect the freedom that we have in the greatest country in the world. May God continue to bless America!
Dave Gorden is a member of the Speaker’s Hall of Fame. He is a past president of the National Speakers Association. He and his wife, Beverly, have been Foster Parents for 57 children over the past 15 years and they have a son who currently serves in the United States Army. You can reach Dave at Dave@davegorden.com | <urn:uuid:a1978cd9-b058-4744-92b2-000ea785bd31> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seymourherald.com/blog/2006/04/26/to-be-or-not-to-be/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978219 | 829 | 1.984375 | 2 |
TORONTO - West Nile virus activity is surging in southern Ontario and the province may be on track to equal its worst year ever in terms of total cases, an official with Public Health Ontario said Wednesday.
"It's near impossible to predict what the future holds for West Nile virus in the next number of weeks," said Dr. Colin Lee, acting medical director of communicable diseases at Public Health Ontario.
"But what it would be fair to say is that there will be mosquitoes still infected with the West Nile virus likely till at least mid-September."
It's also a very bad year for West Nile infections in the United States.
On Wednesday the Centers for Disease Control reported that 1,590 cases have been recorded so far in the U.S., and 66 people have died. That's the highest number of cases by late August that the U.S. has seen since West Nile virus emerged in North America in 1999.
Public Health Ontario reported that as of Tuesday, there have been 82 people who have been confirmed or are deemed probable West Nile cases in the province this year.
That's higher than any comparable period in Ontario since 2002, the province's worst West Nile year on record. In 2002, Ontario recorded 186 West Nile virus cases by the end of August. By the time the 2002 season was over, 394 cases were recorded.
With several weeks of mosquito activity likely ahead and a long incubation period for the disease, this year's case count could approach that territory. "I think that's certainly possible, that we could reach what we did in 2002," Lee said.
The incubation period — the time from infection to manifestation of symptoms — can be as long as 14 days with West Nile infection.
That means people being infected now may not come to light for several weeks. It could easily take that amount of time for people who are going to become severely ill to develop symptoms, seek medical care, get tested and then receive a test result.
Four other provinces have reported cases so far this year: Quebec, 11; Manitoba, nine; Alberta, four and Saskatchewan, one.
The epicentre of Ontario's outbreak is Toronto, where there have already been 44 confirmed cases and 18 people have been hospitalized with the disease, Toronto Public Health said Wednesday.
So far this year there have been no fatal cases in Canada.
The confirmed and probable cases are only a fraction of the true number of infections, Lee noted. With West Nile virus, about 80 per cent of people who are infected don't develop symptoms.
The remaining 20 per cent will become ill, but most will have flu-like complaints — fever, headache, body aches — which can last for a few days or even some weeks. Lee said most of those people don't seek medical care; the U.S. CDC estimates between two and three per cent of people who develop West Nile fever end up being diagnosed.
But about one out of every 150 people infected with the virus go on to develop severe disease, which requires medical care. Their symptoms can include high fever, muscle weakness, numbness, even paralysis.
A portion of the people who develop West Nile virus neurological syndrome do not make a full recovery.
Ontario officials were expecting this year could be a bad one for West Nile, Lee said.
"Given the early start to summer this year and the number of early hot days and the number of mosquito pools that were positive (for virus) at the beginning of summer, we somewhat expected that we would have a larger-than-usual amount of people infected with West Nile," he said.
But an expert from the CDC said in a teleconference Wednesday that there are so many factors that influence West Nile activity that it's impossible to know whether this year's hot summer is driving the outbreak.
Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC's division of vector-borne infectious diseases, said in some previous years heat waves have been associated with a lot of West Nile cases. But other years, they have not.
"So the short answer ... is we don't know," Petersen said. "But the heat wave this year could have been an important contributing factor."
Most of the U.S. activity is concentrated in six states. Texas, South Dakota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Michigan account for 70 per cent of the U.S. cases. Texas alone claims 45 per cent of the U.S. total.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version mistakenly listed a 2002 figure as being for the year when it was for the period to the end of August. | <urn:uuid:d9a9d2e4-9abe-47f6-b7d0-dccf5240007b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.weyburnreview.com/article/GB/20120829/CP02/308299903/-1/weyburn/ontarios-west-nile-virus-count-surges-with-82-confirmed-or-probable&template=cpart | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970845 | 945 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.
- Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC)
They called her Sunshine, the nickname given to Stephanie Kuleba, 18 because of her brightness, blond hair and personality. The South Florida teen died Saturday, about 24 hours after corrective breast plastic surgery. Gone are the hopes and dreams of a high school senior. All because of a reaction to anesthesia, proof that there’s no such thing as a simple procedure.
With all the things we need to tell our girls as they grow up, we need to let them know they are really beautiful.
Counter the myths of the beauty industry as few people can be a size 2. The beauty standards are too high for even the supermodels to follow, since most are photo-shopped.
Where does real beauty come from? Knowing who you are, and being happy with that.
Thank you Dove for reminding us of that. Please watch this [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaH4y6ZjSfE ].
Love to hear your thoughts, please leave a comment. | <urn:uuid:40a41cc8-7644-4379-9a0c-4ee94506b13b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://parentalwisdom.com/blog/?tag=dove | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961405 | 235 | 2 | 2 |
Photo by Michael Cramer/Flickr, cc by-nc 2.0
During the first two presidential debates, Mitt Romney's Mormon faith has come up very little. But, as Joanna Brooks told Krista Tippett shortly before the Republican National Convention, many Mormons continue to "white-knuckle" through this campaign season.
Ms. Brooks says that some of the tensest moments happened during the primaries when two prominent Mormons, Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney, sought the nomination as Republican candidate for president. She says that one white-knuckle moment occurred earlier this year when the comments of theologian and Brigham Young University professor Randy Bott surfaced in The Washington Post:
“ 'What is discrimination?' Bott asks. 'I think that is keeping something from somebody that would be a benefit for them, right? But what if it wouldn’t have been a benefit to them?' Bott says that the denial of the priesthood to blacks on Earth — although not in the afterlife — protected them from the lowest rungs of hell reserved for people who abuse their priesthood powers. 'You couldn’t fall off the top of the ladder, because you weren’t on the top of the ladder. So, in reality the blacks not having the priesthood was the greatest blessing God could give them.' "
His comments, Ms. Brooks says, were lambasted as racist and pushed the LDS Church into making an official statement about past discrimination and racism rooted in church history:
“The Church’s position is clear—we believe all people are God’s children and are equal in His eyes and in the Church. We do not tolerate racism in any form. For a time in the Church there was a restriction on the priesthood for male members of African descent. It is not known precisely why, how, or when this restriction began in the Church but what is clear is that it ended decades ago.”
Ms. Brooks' commented in Religion Dispatches on the persistence of racism among some LDS Church members and how this event forced Mormons and the LDS Church to confront its own difficult history.
Also, Ms. Brooks reminds us that technology is playing a new role in the faith formation of Mormons — and how Mormon leaders and parents tell their stories. She offers a story about her son, who had no idea about polygamy in Mormon history until he learned about it online:
“Google is playing a huge role in faith formation these days. The church had typically managed its own story.” | <urn:uuid:3b469852-1a72-4e1c-bca0-5295d0c235b4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onbeing.org/blog/google-faith-formation-and-more-white-knuckle-moments-mormons/4843/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973192 | 512 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Today they’re building robots for friendly competition.
Sport for the Mind
The Annual FIRST Championship is the culmination of the season's FIRST programs, bringing together all ages for the ultimate Sport for the Mind™. Our high-tech spectator events combine the excitement of sport with science and technology. Custom-Built Robots were put to the test and the results of weeks of intense preparation culminated in thrilling matches. The three-day event, April 24-27, came down to a heart-pounding conclusion in front of a roaring crowd of 25,000.
Making it Loud
In all, more than 10,000 students, ages 6 to 18, participated in the Championship events. At the Opening Ceremonies, accomplished inventor and FIRST founder Dean Kamen recognized pop superstar will.i.am for his volunteer work with the not-for-profit. “I’m proud to help FIRST inspire young people to pursue science and technology careers,” will.i.am said.
Change the Future
Over two decades, what FIRST has accomplished is nothing short of awe-inspiring, experiencing meteoric growth, attracting hundreds of thousands of youth worldwide (along with tens of thousands of adult Volunteers and thousands of Sponsors) who have discovered that they can be anything they want to be and whose life paths have been forever changed. View our interactive Annual Report and learn the full FIRST story and its phenomenal growth path.
Progression of Programs
FIRST learning never stops building upon itself, starting at age 6 and continuing through middle and high-school levels up to age 18. Young people can participate at any level. Participants master skills and concepts to aid in learning science and technology through innovative projects and robotics competitions, while gaining valuable employment and life skills. | <urn:uuid:cbc09ae0-3318-4d6f-82f5-86263bf7cf13> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usfirst.org/?gclid=CP7KqciOkZcCFRPBDAodagdzYA | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943918 | 358 | 2.171875 | 2 |
periods. It is difficult to prepare low-lying wet soils for cereals in the early spring, and river flats are apt to be badly washed and furrowed by floods unless retained by sods. The annual deposit of sediment from spring freshets usually maintains the fertility of river flats left in permanent meadow, and if the most suitable grasses are well-established large yields of good hay may be obtained for many years.
Fertilizing meadows of long duration is common in Europe, less frequent in the eastern provinces of Canada, and not at all general inland. A dressing of well-rotted farmyard manure applied in the early spring every two or three years is highly beneficial, and is the best way to maintain an upland meadow in good condition. The decaying manure spread over the surface forms a mulch that helps to retain the moisture. Clovers are often benefited by potash and gypsum or other form of lime, but are little affected by nitrogenous manures. Old meadows respond quickly to an application, at the commencement of the growing season, of nitrate of soda at the rate of about one hundred pounds per acre. On low-lying, naturally moist soil, good yields may be had by sowing every two or three years three or four hundred pounds per acre of mixed fertilizer or bone meal that is rich in nitrogen.
Permanent pastures yield a small revenue when compared with thorough cultivation and alternate cropping. If used for soiling, ten acres of good Alfalfa will give as much nutritive fodder as forty acres in permanent pasture. The waste due to tramping is much greater in temporary pastures, such as Clover and Timothy, than in permanent pastures composed of grass mixtures, but the yield is usually much larger and the forage is more easily available to cattle. Permanent pastures are of greatest value for sheep. On land that is easily tillable and productive under alternate cropping, they are not recommended for cattle, unless it is impossible to procure labour to cultivate the land.
Reseeding and renovating are seldom necessary when proper care is taken of a meadow and natural winter protection is provided. On some soils it will be found, however, that where several kinds of grasses and clovers are sown, one or two sorts will predominate, to the practical exclusion of the others. If a meadow of long duration or a permanent pasture is required, it may be necessary to supplement the kinds that have established themselves by re-seeding with other grasses. These must be selected with care and for a definite purpose; Red Top, for instance, might be chosen for bottom grass on moist lands where all other kinds except Timothy have been killed | <urn:uuid:de23c7aa-e341-43d1-a392-0b3a2a8f96c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.acrosscan.com/fodder-pasture-plants/fodder-pasture-plants_0028.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953147 | 557 | 3.421875 | 3 |
Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Track
Through an agreement with the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council, a small number of SVC students enrolled in the Criminal Justice program may be enrolled in the Vermont Police Academy in order to become eligible to be police officers in the State of Vermont. Candidates must maintain a minimum cumulative grade- point average of 3.0 in Criminal Justice and meet all other requirements for entrance into the academy. Students interested in this option should contact the SVC Criminal Justice advisor. For additional information, go to The Donald Everett Axinn Division of Social Sciences.
Susan has spent much of her professional nursing career as a teacher.
- SVC Partners with College Steps Program
- Provost DeCiccio's Article "Dreams Can Come True" in NEBHE
- Colleges Against Cancer Club Raises Funds for Hospital Cancer Center
- Summer Course Offerings
- Nursing Students Present Study on Healthy Living
- Healthcare Mgmt and Advocacy Certificate Summer Course
- SVC Hosts 86th Commencement Ceremony
- Ordering Commencement Photos & Video
- Online Registration - SVC Student Portal
- Prospective Transfer Students: New Transfer Credit Hotline
10 sports for men and women. Learn More about SVC athletics | <urn:uuid:f622e89e-d10a-41ab-9024-b2b7b575f1e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://svc.edu/academics/cj_law_enforce_track.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901236 | 255 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 12Mp µ4/3s camera
The future of the bridge camera?
Review You know the saying: if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck. Well, Panasonic’s DMC-G1 looks like a digital SLR, has interchangeable lenses like a DSLR – but it isn’t a DLSR. No sir, the G1 ushers in a new generation of cameras designed to blast a hole right through the middle of the so-called hybrid/bridge/superzoom market. So, is the G1 a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a sheep in wolf’s clothing or simply in a class of its own?
Panasonic's Lumix DMC-G1: wolf in sheep's clothing? Or vice versa?
The premise behind the 12Mp G1 goes something like this: if you were inventing a digital camera today, you wouldn’t base it on technology originally designed for a film camera. So why not start with a blank piece of paper, redefine the digital camera and take advantage of the advances in technology? It’s a compelling argument, but there’s also a lot to be said for sticking with tried and tested technology – that’s why computer manufacturers kept the typewriter's Qwerty keyboard.
The G1 is an evolution of the Four Thirds system developed by Kodak and Olympus. Its name is derived from the fact that it uses a 4/3-type image sensor, the effective imaging area measuring 17.3 x 13.0mm. This is smaller than the sensors used by DLSRs but much larger than those found in compacts.
The advantage of the 4/3 sensor is that the camera’s optics can be shrunk, so that a Four Thirds lens with a focal length of, say, 200mm is comparable with a 400mm lens on a 35mm camera.
Micro Four Thirds - developed by Panasonic and Olympus - takes this size reduction even further by dispensing with the traditional SLR mirror box and using an all-electronic viewing system.
Not pocket friendly
Enough of the theory - let’s take a look at the G1. The first thing you notice is how much it looks like a regular DSLR, albeit one that has been shrunk a little in the wash. That said, if you’re expecting a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera to be the sort of product that James Bond secretly slips into a matchbox, think again, because the G1 isn't much smaller than some of the smallest DLSRs on the market. It measures 124 x 83.6 x 45.2mm and the body weighs 385g. The Olympus E-420 DSLR measures 129 x 91 x 53mm and is actually 5g lighter.
So the G1 is definitely not pocket-sized - even if your coat has deep pockets.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed the lack of sharpness. I found myself scrolling round a 1:1 magnified image trying to work out what the camera had focussed on!
I think you're being a bit harsh - this is a very good piece of kit indeed. When I was looking a camera for myself around christmas, I narrowed it down to this and the D90 ( I went for the Nikon in the end.) overpriced? very possibly, as Panasonic themselves launched it with £50 cashback straightaway, but as Jared points out, Panasonic are making (and have here IMO) incredible cameras on any terms. several review sites have said this has better performance than quite a few 'normal' slr's.
but why have you taken so long to review it?
@ jason eariss
I concur about the sample images - they do seem very, very soft. Even my cheap 70-300 on my 300D does better than that with a low quality lens and a 6mp sensor.
Not sure what this camera is supposed to prove TBH - the sort of people who buy bridge cameras tend to do so specifically because they want something with more range of features than a compact without the bother of changing lenses, whereas those of us who go for SLRs tend to do so because we don't want the compromise of a bridge camera.
This seems to be an answer to a question no-one has asked, and not a very good one at that.
I appreciate that the are full crops, but even then, that seems a bit iffy to me.
And for £500...um, I'd rather a 1000D methinks. It might be based on tech developed for film, but I can't see how this tech offers any advantages other than the live preview really. | <urn:uuid:ccb0c22e-33bf-422a-839f-0baaeb5491c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/30/review_micro_four_thirds_camera_panasonic_dmc_g1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954017 | 1,002 | 1.640625 | 2 |
An artifact Collection representing Southern Ontario
Welcome to the new Virtual Museum
Come back as this website grows to provide you with entertaining and educational virtual representations of The Whitby Historical Society collection of artifacts. Our volunteer committees meet once a month and engage in organizing fundraising activities, historical talks and events, as well as planning for online displays. Fundraising efforts are carried on to provide a museum building for the over 9000 artifacts together with activities areas. The History Museum located in downtown Whitby Ontario is now closed, artifacts have lovingly been professionally packed and stored and are awaiting their new home in the near future. Please join us and be a fundraising volunteer or an event coordinator volunteer.
Whitby Historical Society artifacts present a cross section of objects created and used by First Nations, Early Settlers and others through WW2 ...snipet of the life of people in Southern Ontario through their belongings and their creative endeavors.
Come back often and enjoy finding out more about history and heritage.
'Preserving the past and the present for the future'
You can help by becoming
Friends of the Museum - see more information by clicking on this link. | <urn:uuid:86ae3a8f-2f93-4ce8-bc4c-0109ea21ba4c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://whitbyhistoricalsociety.com/home | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946755 | 229 | 1.65625 | 2 |
The official website of BBC Music Magazine
Who chucked the manuscript of his Eighth Symphony on the fire in 1945, thus ensuring that it would never be heard?
It was Jean Sibelius,the Finnish Romantic composer. For the last 25 years of his life he didn't publish any music and the Eighth Symphony has become one of the great 'lost' pieces of classical music.
For which opera did Holst write a ballet in which a magician conjures up the spirits of earth, water and then fire?
'The Perfect Fool'
'At the Boar's Head'
'The Wandering Scholar'
It was 'The Perfect Fool'. The opera, written in 1918-1922, begins with a ballet in which spirits are summoned by a wizard, who recalls 'Uranus: the magician' in the composer's 'The Planets'
Which southern Italian opera house, which burnt down in suspicious circumstances in 1991, finally re-opened in 2009 with a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony?
The Teatro Massimo, Palermo
The Teatro di San Carlo, Naples
It was the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari. The last work to be performed in the theatre before the fire was Bellini's opera 'Norma'.
The Teatro Petruzzelli, Bari
For which work did the composer Manuel de Falla write his 'Ritual Fire Dance'?
'Nights in the Gardens of Spain'
It was 'Love, the magician', or to give it its Spanish title 'El amor brujo'. The work was originally written for chamber group and then made into a ballet. The work also includes the 'Dance of Terror'.
'Love, the magician'
'The Three-Cornered Hat'
Which king, who sent three Israelites into a burning fiery furnace, features in a church parable by Britten and an eponymous cantata by George Dyson?
It was Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonian empire. Three Jews – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – refused to worship an idol and the king had them cast into a furnace, only for them to emerge unscathed.
For which monarch did Handel compose the Music for the Royal Fireworks in 1749?
It was George II and the work was written to celebrate the end of the War of Austrian Succession.
Who, in Wagner's Ring cycle, punished Brünnhilde by keeping her prisoner on a rock, surrounded by a ring of fire?
Correct! Wotan is the king of the gods and her father. She is rescued by Siegfried.
Which work-shy composer was initially asked to write ballet music for The Firebird before Diaghilev handed the commission over to Stravinsky instead?
It was Anatoly Lyadov. The Grove Dictionary of Music says of him 'He was held in great affection by his fellow musicians, and, although he never completed a work of any size or scope, the best of his miniatures assure for him a permanent niche in the history of Russian music.'
Canadian rock group Arcade Fire found their song 'Intervention' surprisingly covered by which American opera singer in 2010?
Correct! The song appeared on her album 'Dark Hope' which also included covers of songs by Muse, Death Cab for Cutie and Duffy.
Which composer's 1956 song 'Auto-da-Fé' includes the line 'It's a lovely day for drinking and for watching people fry'?
It was Leonard Bernstein and the song comes from his opera 'Candide', inspired by Voltaire's satirical book of the same name.
Radio 3 broadcasts classical music, jazz, world music, new music, arts programmes and drama. | <urn:uuid:8866b25f-1dc6-4b6d-9265-11581cb0d1fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.classical-music.com/node/33684/myresults/4439?quicktabs_2=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956435 | 781 | 2.296875 | 2 |
Why Wind Turbines Explode
During the recent storms that hit Scotland a £2 million 328 foot tall wind turbine exploded and rained shrapnel and fire on the surrounding area, all caused by a 50mph wind.
As usual the so called “Renewable Energy” experts are calling it a freak accident with only a 1% chance of the accident happening.
There are 2 serious problems that afflict wind turbines, blade failure and gearbox failure, the latter failure usually results in the wind turbine catching fire; it is a problem that the renewables industry has long been aware of:
Renewable energy experts have dismissed an incident where a wind turbine caught fire in gale force winds as a “freak” occurrence.
The 328ft (100m) tall turbine, at Ardrossan Wind Farm, near the A78 in North Ayrshire, was destroyed after it exploded into flames which could be seen “far and wide”.
Charles Anglin, of RenewableUK, the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries, stressed that wind turbines were regularly subjected to “some pretty tough conditions” without problems.
He said: “There’s some pretty freak weather going on and any piece of large power generating equipment can be subject to freak accidents or mechanical faults.
So lets consider the new fear story from the Church of Climatology, Anthropogenic Global Warming is allegedly going to cause more extreme weather events and one of the ways to combat their belief in man made climate change is the use of low carbon methods of electricity generation, so the big question is how will wind turbines be of any use in world which is going to be subject to extreme weather events for the forseeable future?
There are long standing problems with the gearbox in wind turbines as Renewable Energy World reported:
The gearbox’s reputation for a high failure rate is linked to the extreme engineering challenge that gearbox technology faces in wind applications, and the difficulty in properly assessing the loads – and in particular the non-torsional loads that pass through the gearbox – and how these affect bearings and gears. Some manufacturers have chosen to move to direct drive to reduce the number of moving parts in the wind turbine more exposed to wear. But this has led to wind turbine specific generator designs that are usually more expensive and often come together with a long-term maintenance contract with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), which does not necessarily meet the operations and maintenance (O&M) concept of flexibility expected by customers.
Of course, much has been done in the last decade to design and manufacture gearboxes ensuring a high quality, often with associated with over-engineering and increased cost. Many efforts are also being put in to performing proper monitoring and maintenance to detect and prevent any avoidable damage. These efforts have limited gearbox breakdowns in infancy, and sometimes allowed some maintenance activities to be initiated earlier than before, but they have not helped resolving a key cause of the problem: the rotor support concept, and how it distributes loads among the wind turbine structure and the gearbox.
The gearbox in each turbine holds between 200 – 500 gallons of fossil fuel sourced oil and so far no company has come up with a lubricant that can cope:
To date no gear oil has been invented to withstand the pressures produced within these transmissions. Recently, the U.S. government gave Dow-Corning a big grant to work on it. Previously, many others had tried and failed.
The gearbox is barely up to the job, and there is no lubricant currently available that can effectively lubricate the gearbox and wind turbines are supposed to provide secure and reliable energy, the big question is how?
In high winds the turbines are supposed to feather, in the same way a propeller on an aircraft is feathered if there is an engine failure, essentially the blades should cease to rotate.
The shutdown is normally performed by ‘feathering’ the turbine blades so they do not turn. ”In general the turbine blades will pitch out in high winds, keeping the turbines in idle mode,” confirms a spokesman for the turbine’s manufacturer, Vestas of Aarhus, Denmark.
Wind turbine fires are far from freak accidents as these video clips show:
in this clip a Danish turbnine suffers a break failure in a high wind
The Scottish wind turbine explosion was not a freak accident, the wind industry know their bird choppers have a major design defect, until the policians we elect put a stop to this stupidity the wind industry will continue to sell a sub standard product, all the while grabbing huge sums of tax payers money in Green taxation and subsidy.
In Britain there are plans to build another 30,000 of these useless symbols of the Great Global Warming Scam at a cost of £2 million per turbine.
You can gues who will be paying for this stupidity.
Posted on December 13, 2011, in Anthropogenic Global Warming, Church Of Climatology, Climate Change, Climate Disruption, Climategate, Climategate 2, COP17, Green Lies, Green Taxation, Renewables and tagged Wind Farms, Wind Turbine. Bookmark the permalink. 15 Comments. | <urn:uuid:3d600ad1-ca02-41e5-9f55-274eca3b2929> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://toryaardvark.com/2011/12/13/why-wind-turbines-explode/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950869 | 1,084 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Who is Ryan White and why is this program named for him?
The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act is Federal legislation that addresses the unmet health needs of persons living with HIV disease (PLWH) by funding primary health care and support services. The CARE Act was named after Ryan White, an Indiana teenager whose courageous struggle with HIV/AIDS and against AIDS-related discrimination helped educate the nation. Ryan died in 1990 at the age of 18.
Using Ryan White's name for CAMC's program recognizes the generous federal funding that makes it possible to provide services to individuals in 19 southern West Virginia counties.
For more information on Ryan, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_White
Do I need a physician's referral?
No, although many of our patients did learn about our program from their primary care physician or a health clinic in their local community. The only information necessary to complete enrollment forms are proof of your current income and your HIV status. Call Denise Heflin-Peyton, our care coordinator, toll-free at 1-877-565-4423 for more information about enrollment.
Does the CAMC Ryan White Program treat children?
The CAMC Ryan White Program refers children in our service area who are infected with HIV/AIDS to Dr. Raheel R. Khan, MD. Dr. Khan is an Infectious Disease Pediatrician and his office is in the medical staff building at CAMC Women and Children's Hospital. Dr. Khan's office phone number is (304) 388-1552.
Denise Heflin Peyton, the CAMC Ryan White Program's care coordinator, can answer questions about primary care for children who are HIV-positive and explain eligibility for Ryan White Program services. Call her toll-free at 1-877-565-4423.
What should I do if I miss a dose of my medicine?
NEVER miss a dose! If you miss, the blood levels of your medicine could fall below the level that is necessary for effectiveness. Resistance to the drugs can develop rapidly, causing your viral load to go up and/or your CD4 (T-cell) count to drop. Often this can lead to a change in your medication regimen, which may be more difficult to take and/or have side effects. With each new medication change, it becomes harder to control the HIV virus.
However, if you do miss a dose of any medicine, take it as soon as possible and then take your next scheduled dose at its regular time. If it is almost time for your next dose, do not take the missed dose. Wait and take the next dose at its regular time. Do not double the next dose.
What should I do if I get sick on the weekend, or in the evening?
If you cannot wait until the next business day to speak with the care coordinator or the clinic, call the CAMC Operator at (304) 388-5432, and ask the operator to page the resident who is on-call for medicine services. Your call will be put on hold, and you may be asked to leave a phone number where the resident can call you back in a few minutes.
If it is a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1.
How do I reschedule an appointment?
To maintain your health, it is important that you make every effort to keep your scheduled appointments.
If you know in advance that you need to reschedule, please call as soon as possible. This may allow us to schedule another patient who needs to be seen. If you miss an appointment, call right away to schedule a new day and time.
To reschedule, call (304) 388-9677 or call toll-free: 1-800-348-9677.
What is the Ryan White Part B Program and how can I reach one of its case managers?
The statewide Ryan White Part B Program provides case management for all eligible HIV-infected West Virginia residents. Its case managers, located across the state, provide case management, referrals, education, advocacy, and act as access points in applying for emergency financial assistance.
In our service area, there are two case managers for the HIV Care Consortium:
Brian Henry is based in Kanawha County. He provides services to people living in Kanawha, Putnam, Lincoln, Logan, Boone, Clay, Webster, Braxton, Roane and Jackson counties. You may reach Brian at: (304) 344-9901.
Sharon Smith is based in Raleigh County. She provides services to people living in Nicholas, Pocahontas, Fayette, Raleigh, Wyoming, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Greenbrier, and Summers counties. You may reach Sharon at: (304) 763-5257.
What should I do if I get sick between appointments?
During regular business hours (Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), you can call Denise Heflin-Peyton RN, the CAMC Ryan White Program's care coordinator, at (304) 388-9337 or toll-free at 1-877-565-4423. She will tell you if you need to see the doctor, and make an appointment if you do.
After hours, you can call CAMC's 24-hour operator at (304) 388-5432. Ask the operator to page the resident who is on-call for medicine service. You will be put on hold while the resident is paged. If it is more than a few minutes, you will be asked to leave a number where you can be reached. The resident will call you back, discuss your situation, and let you know if you need to come to the emergency room or schedule an appointment.
If it is an emergency requiring immediate attention, dial 9-1-1.
Is there an HIV-positive person on staff whom I can talk to?
Yes! Our Peer Educator is an HIV-positive Ryan White Program client who also serves as a member of the CAMC Ryan White Program's care team. He is here to talk with you about your needs and concerns. Call him now! His phone number is (304) 388-4874.
He meets with new individuals to the program, as well as established clients, to serve as a navigator to care and community resources, and to provide adherence counseling.
He participates in all specialty ID clinics and has developed and established the Ryan White Neighborhood drop-in center at the Charleston clinic. He also facilitates focus and support groups for clients. | <urn:uuid:250d2d63-8b83-4426-9b13-aa752102875e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.camc.org/rypquestions | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943786 | 1,361 | 1.585938 | 2 |
TTAP was established in 1988 under Public Law 100-407, the Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act, commonly called the TECH ACT. Tennessee received its first grant in 1990 and is funded by the US Department of Education. In October of 1998, the Assistive Technology ACT of 1998 was established for states to continue providing service of technology-related assistance for individuals with disabilities.
In its first three years, TTAP was primarily devoted to program development, implementation and service delivery activities. In 1994, Congress amended the Tech Act to reflect a move from direct service delivery to systems change and advocacy.Since 1994, TTAP has focused on those systems change activities that allow individuals with disabilities, state government agencies and the business community to find solutions to the challenges that many individuals with disabilities face when getting an education, finding a job or simply being a part of their community.
Some of those activities include:
Educating individuals with disabilities and their families about assistive technology and resources for finding that technology.
For more information, contact TTAP
Tennessee Technology access program
Citizens Plaza State Office Building , 14th Floor
400 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-1403
Phone: 615-313-5183; Toll Free: 1-800-732-5059
TTY: 615-313-5695; Email: TN.TTAP@tn.gov | <urn:uuid:0e2a5920-19bb-4a75-93e1-d54cdd23fb24> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tennessee.gov/humanserv/rehab/history.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952051 | 289 | 1.890625 | 2 |
The Frasers of Guisachan & Culbokie were descended
from William Fraser of Guisachan, the second son of Thomas Fraser Lord Lovat [1469-1524]
by his first wife, Janet Gordon. William was killed at Loch Lochy in 1544, together with
his younger brother, James Fraser of Foyness (Phoineas), his older brother, Hugh Fraser
Lord Lovat [1494-1544], and Lord Hughs eldest son, Hugh, Master of Lovat. This was
the famous and bloody Blar-na-leine or Battle of the Shirts between the Frasers and the
William Fraser 8th of Guisachan, by his wife Margaret Macdonell of Ardnabie, had five daughters, and nine other sons who held various commissions in the British Army. Captain John Fraser served with the 78th Fraser Highlanders under Lt-Colonel Simon Fraser of Lovat and later became a judge of the court of common pleas at Montreal. He died in 1795, leaving numerous descendants. Captain Simon Fraser of the Glengarry Fencibles emigrated to America with his family in 1773 and fought as a Loyalist in the American Revolution. He was captured and died in Albany Jail in 1779. Captain Simons widow brought the family to Canada, including their youngest son Simon, born near Bennington, VT. Young Simon was educated under the supervision of his uncle John, who arranged for him to be hired as an apprentice in the NorthWest Company. Simon Fraser [1776-1862] became a famous explorer, with a B.C. river and university named after him.
William Fraser 9th of Guisachan [Young Culbokie], built a new mansion house after succeeding to the estate on the death of his father in 1755. His great grandson William Fraser 11th of Guisachan was only 16 when he inherited the estate on the death of his grandfather in 1843 and 27 when he sold Guisachan in 1854 to Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, later Lord Tweedmouth and father of Ishbel, who became Lady Aberdeen - thus ending over 300 years of Fraser ownership.
18th Century etching by Augustus Butler depicting Guisachan House
There is a story told by Miss Mairi Chisholm (daughter of Margaret Fraser and Captain Ruari Chisholm) that during a dinner party at Guisachan, her grandfather said, "If anyone gave me £60,000 for Guisachan, I would sell it tomorrow." "Done," came the reply from the other end of the table. When her grandfather asked to be released from the sale the next day as he had not meant his remarks at dinner, Marjoribanks replied, "No. A gentlemans word is his bond." The sale of Guisachan estate, then about 20,000 acres, was completed for £52,000. Lord Tweedmouth built a new mansion house. His son Edward left the place after the death in 1904 of his young wife Fanny Spencer-Churchill (aunt of young Winston Churchill, who often spent holidays at Guisachan).
Guisachan House by Tomich,
Strathglass in its heyday
In 1962 the estate (considerably reduced in size) was
bought by a descendant of the Frasers of Gortuleg. Sadly, by that time Guisachan House was
a ruin. The estate was sold again in 1966 to a descendant of the Frasers of Balnain, and
is now in the hands of his son, Donald Fraser, who in 1990 wrote a wonderful booklet
A History of Guisachan describing life under the Frasers and Lord
This Feature Page was posted May 4/99 | <urn:uuid:06628a66-f575-4005-bc97-3717fbb979a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clanfraser.ca/guisacha.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97808 | 791 | 2.375 | 2 |
Collaboration between the Volunteers of America and the Longfellow Community Council garnered high praise from a member of the Minneapolis City Council in January. Ninth Ward Councilman Gary Schiff presented the Neighborhood Project of the Year Award to the groups for their 2012 work together to boost the economic health of the community.
The groups joined together in the Neighborhood Partnership Initiative (NPI) Project, funded by a grant from the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota. The grant provided funds for internships and workshops for VOA’s Lake Street Residential Reentry Center residents. Residents grew vegetables on a plot at the Minnehaha Community Garden, harvested the vegetables, and used them to prepare community meals at Minnehaha Communion Lutheran Church.
“We are honored to receive this recognition from the City of Minneapolis,” said Amy Moore, Lake Street Social Services Coordinator for VOA. “We have already applied for a 2013 NPI Grant, where we hope to expand on our efforts from last year.”
For more than 40 years, VOA-MN has operated the Residential Reentry Center, assisting former offenders in becoming productive members of society. The center provides men, who are allowed to complete part of their sentences within the community, with a variety of services which enable them to restore community ties, obtain employment and become accountable, productive, tax-paying citizens while avoiding further involvement in the criminal justice system. | <urn:uuid:5c1904ba-6b17-4bde-a378-46da202bf76d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.longfellow.org/tag/9th-ward-awards/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948067 | 293 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault represents a global effort to safeguard plant genetic resources for future generations. This vault is located about half way between the North Pole and the coast of Norway, near the town of Longyearbyen (population 1900), in the remote arctic island archipelago of Svalbard. Constructing the vault required drilling a 390 feet tunnel into permafrost on the side of a mountain on Spitsbergen Island. The vault consists of three large concrete chambers that collectively have the capacity to hold 3.5 million seed samples. Seed of crops important for food and agriculture will be safely stored for hundreds to thousands of years, protected from global or regional catastrophes.
Duplicate storage to ensure backed up plant collections is accomplished within the U.S. through NPGS’s field sites and base collection at NCGRP. Participation in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault endeavor gave the United States a visible presence in the worldwide effort to safeguard the genetic diversity that underpins our food supply. The worldwide effort to preserve seeds is consistent with the philosophy that genetic resources are global assets.
The historic opening of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault was celebrated 26 February 2008. Over 11,000 NPGS samples were included in the initial shipments of seeds from all over the world (pictured above). As of March 1, 2013, 69,312 accessions of seed have been sent to Svalbard. | <urn:uuid:3f4ac4c3-1329-4efe-b4c4-54a971d7cfd7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=23106 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941756 | 292 | 3.765625 | 4 |
"Christian art is centered on worship, as the heart of the Church's life. It is for the purpose of worship that musicians, artists, sculptors, architects and poets have created their masterpieces. Orthodox service books, those containing the basic services of the daily cycle as well as those devoted to the order for services on particular days in the year, represent an outstanding collection of the poetry of the Christian East.
In the Menaion, Triodion and Octoechos there are many hymns which differ from one another only in their slight variations on constantly repeated themes, and many others in which the unfading beauty of genuine poetry is at once perceived. The names of their authors are often associated with these works. Among the more important are: John of Damascus, who "illumined the Holy Church in his hymns," Cosmas of Maiuma, whose liturgical books are called "a vessel of divine grace" and "the glory of the Church," Roman the Melodious, John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Anatolios, Patriarch of Constantinople, Sofronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem, Andrew of Crete, Archbishop of Cortyna, the nun Cassia, and many, many others. We are separated from them by long centuries, and yet they still live with us in their works. In their voices we hear the voice of the whole Orthodox Church, the Church regards them as expressing most clearly her own thoughts and feelings.
In the Christian East the Church's poetry was developed in connection with the elaboration and definition of the Orthodox faith and the suppression of heresies. The victorious and triumphant truth of the Church is reflected in these Orthodox hymns, and the "whole wealth of Orthodox theology" appears there in artistic form. The Church's poetry is thus inextricably bound up with her religious philosophy. Among the many Orthodox hymns those dedicated to the major feasts of Christmas, Holy Week and Easter shine with a special beauty.
To define the basic themes and set forth the ideas of the more important of these hymns is to come to an understanding of the vast supply of wisdom contained in them. But hymns must be reproduced as much as possible in their original poetic form if they are to speak for themselves, if their thought is to be adequately clarified and their beauty truly perceived. As with poetry in general, the Church's poetry must be "felt deeply as well as understood". Only this combination of intellectual understanding and sympathy can lift one's spirit into those "invisible realms" which are accessible to religious thought as it probes beyond the limits of physical sight. Only with this sympathetic understanding is it possible to enjoy fully the "bright and glorious solemnity" of the Church's Feasts.
The hymns for each Feast have a distinct cluster of ideas and figures which in connection with the events being commemorated bring to mind the various aspects of Christian salvation. However, they are all inwardly united by their common approach to the events they contemplate, by the spirit in which these events are received. In particular there breathes through them the spirit of the Gospel of St. John a lively sense that Eternal Life has entered into this life on earth, that God the Word has appeared to men in the flesh, that men have seen Him with their own eyes, touched Him with their hands, have beheld the victory and glory of the Only Begotten Son of God (John 1:1-14, I John 1:1-3).
One of the richest and deepest sources of the poetic thought of Orthodox hymns lies in this marvelous conjunction of - and at the same time the inevitable contradistinction between - the heavenly and the earthly. Antithesis is the natural form for its poetic expression, and the wealth of striking antitheses is one of the characteristic features of Orthodox hymns. In them we find an expression of reverent worship in the face of what is for man's mind the incomprehensible union of the divine and human, which led to the birth of Him who has no beginning, the death of Him who is immortal, and life beyond the grave.
The vision of this conjunction in Christ's earthly life of two such contradictory principles breaks through the external setting of the events in His life. We begin to see them with a kind of double vision, so that behind the visible phenomena things are revealed in a world unseen by the naked eye and perceived only by the eye of the spirit."
from Orthodox hymns of Christmas, Holy
Week and Easter
Russian Orthodox Theological Fund, Inc PO Box 36, Bowling Green Station, New York 4, NY. | <urn:uuid:b047a8ef-459a-4154-a869-d9852a326fc6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/Hymns.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969726 | 946 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Pass the faith please
On Palm Sunday 2007 Father Joseph Kraker poured water over the head of a baby boy in St. Vincent's Church in Akron, Ohio. "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," he said, grinning as the baby sent forth a mighty howl.
Fast forward to 2022. The Akron baby is now 15. After all his Catholic schooling or weekly religious education classes, all those years of grace before meals and Sunday Mass, the young lad in question may be thinking of joining the seminary or may be about to try out some Buddhist meditation practices-who knows? But one thing is likely: His parents will find that their own faith has been strengthened and deepened by the very process of handing on the Catholic faith to their child. Educating one's kids in the faith, it turns out, is probably the very best adult faith education going these days.
That's one of the findings of U.S. Catholic's recent online survey of readers of this magazine along with those of At Home with Our Faith, Claretian Publications' newsletter for Catholic parents, as well as readers of its e-mail meditation for parents, Weekly Wisdom. The 249 respondents consistently reported that their own faith had grown stronger and deeper through the process of raising their children in the faith.
"It has made me more spiritual-it has made me pay closer attention to how I live. I want to practice what I preach, and there is less room to be lazy about it," writes Jennifer Pfaffl of Greenville, South Carolina. Another reader writes of uncovering "areas where my theology is still stuck in what I was taught in grade school, and I've sought out the more complex answers that make sense to me as an adult."
"I often wish I could go back and do it over again with my kids now that I know more about the Catholic faith," writes a Minnesota mother.
"The change agent is being changed in the process," says James Davidson, professor of sociology at Purdue University and co-author of American Catholics Today: New Realities of Their Faith and Their Church (Rowman & Littlefield), who examined the (admittedly unscientific) survey results. "Sometimes you may not know if the kids are getting it, but even if the kids don't, the parents seem to benefit. By engaging the next generation, you're strengthening your own faith."
Bear in mind that the respondents to the survey do not necessarily reflect the average American Catholic parent: Along with being disproportionately female, their reading of U.S. Catholic or At Home with Our Faith signals that they are likely more active Catholics. Given those facts, perhaps it is no surprise that 74 percent feel "confident and well prepared for the job of passing on the faith" to their children.
That doesn't necessarily mean, however, that they feel prepared on every topic. When asked to name the religious issue or question they feel most unprepared to talk about with their kids, some did answer stoutly, "None!" Many parents, though, confessed to being stumped on a variety of topics. Frequently mentioned were the recent sex-abuse crisis as well as church teaching on sexuality, including homosexuality, abortion, birth control, and divorce.
"We have many gay friends and are used to having an open, accepting attitude in our home. It is hard to reconcile our stance . . . with the sometimes harsh language about homosexuality in the Catholic media and hierarchy," says Carolyn Matthews of Arnold, Maryland.
"I was married before," says one Florida mother. "My husband abandoned me and never returned. I am remarried and we have two children. I cannot receive Communion because I haven't had an annulment, which I find ridiculous."
Another difficult topic was why God permits evil: "My 15-year-old has a hard time believing in a kind, loving, and merciful God when his 6-year-old brother has cancer," writes Angie Dianetti of Stow, Ohio. "He cites biblical references of deaths of innocent babies as proof that the opposite is true."
When asked what was the most important thing they wanted to pass on to their child about the Catholic faith, over and over again readers wrote variations on the idea that "God loves and forgives" and "God is always there for us."
"Pre-Vatican II Catholics were raised to believe that God judges you," says Davidson, "that you ought to be afraid of God. This changing image of God is something that amazes me-we've done a 180 on who God is." He also points out that responses to this question mentioned the faith, but seldom the church itself. "Maybe they're assuming the church itself will be passed on, but I wouldn't. If what you pass on is that God loves you, that doesn't differentiate you from a Baptist or a Methodist or anyone else."
It takes a church
Those in church circles spend a fair amount of time these days bemoaning the failures of religious education in recent decades and the rise of religious illiteracy among Catholic adults. When asked about their own religious education from childhood through young adulthood, however, these readers by and large tell a different story. Forty-five percent said their own religious education was either good or outstanding, and another quarter said it was adequate. Only 16 percent said their religious education had been "poor."
These numbers did tend to differ, however, depending on age: Readers with children 19 or older were more likely to say that their own religious education had been outstanding or good (61 percent). This number drops to 51 percent among parents of children 11 to 18, and to 36 percent among those with children younger than 10.
Respondents tend to be an active bunch in terms of their faith life: More than 80 percent reported attending Sunday Mass as a family, observing Lent and Advent in the home, and discussing moral issues and news stories in the light of faith with their kids.
When they need help handing on the faith, more than half turn to Catholic books, a spouse, or a friend for support. More than 40 percent consult the Internet, Catholic periodicals, and the priest or staff at their parish. "They're using their closest relationships along with some mixture of experts," which indicates that handing on the faith is not a private affair, says Davidson.
Parishes may want to think about how they present the process of handing on the faith, he says. "Rather than isolating parents-telling them ‘It's all about you and your kid'-we could say, ‘There's a whole community of people involved in this and you can use them: the parish community, the priest, your spouse, your friends, your parents.' "
Catholic schools fared somewhat better than religious education classes in terms of how many parents were satisfied with the quality of their children's religious education. These parents also tended to see the parish as a resource, a backup: "Let the parents be the primary educators. Offer programs but allow the parents to determine faith readiness," says dad Bernie Tomasso of Port Byron, New York.
Many called for intergenerational groups and especially for a welcoming attitude. "Be loving and welcoming. Break down barriers of exclusion and personal piety that demean others," says Paula Kampf of Cleveland.
Living the faith
As for what parents saw as their kids' best experiences of faith so far, three answers emerged from the pack: First Communion, service activities such as working in a soup kitchen or building houses for the poor, and events involving family. These experiences of faith can be both deeply personal and communal, and both joyful and sorrowful.
For Nancy Harvey's children in Green Cove Springs, Florida, "the best experience of faith has been their father entering the Catholic faith."
Sally Morris of Ridgewood, New Jersey recalls the experience of her community after September 11, 2001. "We lost 11 dads, many friends' fathers. Our community handled it beautifully, centered around our church." Hers is an understated comment on how family, parish, and God can be there in the worst of times.
Catherine O'Connell-Cahill is senior editor of U.S. Catholic and managing editor of At Home with Our Faith, (homefaith.com).
The most important thing I want to pass on to my child about the Catholic faith is . . ..
God is a God of love and forgiveness.
It is a universal faith-all are welcome!
How amazing and liberating it feels to embrace the discipline and obedience of the Catholic faith.
Cedar Lake, Ind.
That to follow Christ means to actively engage in social justice. Catholicism is not just a private set of religious observations. We are a communal faith and we are called to protect the weakest among us-always.
That this is a faith built on hope and joy, centered on our direct encounter with Christ in the Eucharist. Does it get any better than that?
The religious issue or question I feel most unprepared to talk about with my kids is . . .
The sex abuse scandal. My kids aren't old enough to have "the talk" yet.
Reconciliation. I am not sure I believe in it, and since I don't go myself, it's hard to say she has to.
St. Joseph, Mo.
None. Not that I'm all that knowledgable, I just don't feel like any topics are off limits or uncomfortable.
Standing strong with the teachings on current issues, such as the war in Iraq, abortion, and the death penalty. It is so easy to remain silent in the face of popular opinion and the very law of the land!
San Antonio, Texas
Why people who say they love Jesus don't always act that way.
Recently the issue of the "lost tomb" of Jesus. I was not prepared for questions from my 12-year-old. I didn't even know that the show was on. I have learned to be more aware of the news.
St. Petersburg, Fla.
How Jesus' death opened the doors to heaven. It's a difficult theological concept to explain.
The exclusion of women from the priesthood. My children are surrounded by women of spirit and leadership.
Why bad things happen and God can't or doesn't seem to help or prevent them.
I have been looking for materials to talk with my sons (ages 10, 13, and 15) about sexuality and relationships from a Catholic perspective. I have yet to come upon anything useful, more than "just wait until marriage."
I think the single best experience of faith my child has had so far is . . .
Going to Mass each week and being part of the parish community. My children have friends whom they look forward to seeing at church.
Allowing God to help us weather the divorce from their father. Watching God supply some of our basic needs.
A. J. Goode
Green Cove Springs, Fla.
Seeing their grandfather care for their grandmother.
Doing charity and justice work for others. It makes them realize they are not the center of the world.
Arlington Heights., Ill.
Hearing the exceptional priest in our parish deliver thoughtful sermons. My 15-year-old really listens.
Attending a mission trip with their youth group last summer to serve in an inner-city homeless shelter. They all returned obviously stronger in their faith. It was a life-changing event.
Being able to serve at Mass.
At their Catholic high school, my sons are getting the entire package-Creed, traditions, scripture, history, the importance of Mass, and how to live their faith.
St. Louis, Mo.
Preparing for their First Communion.
Lee's Summit, Mo.
Handing on the faith has changed my own faith because . . .
It is the number one reason I felt the need to come back to church. Having kids changed everything.
It made me aware that they are always watching and they expect me to be a role model. I have to know my stuff.
Deacon Bob McMullen
It makes me dig deeper to develop my own faith so that I can pass it on.
Iowa City, Iowa
I have learned a lot, especially about tolerance. Letting them go their own way is an adventure in faith.
Walled Lake, Mich.
I feel that we witness "small miracles" all the time, and I feel that the more I speak to them about our faith, the stronger my own faith constantly becomes.
Praying with children allows you to pray with adults when you would ordinarily be embarrassed to do so. It doesn't matter what your dinner guests believe, your kids will insist on saying grace if that's what you've taught them to do.
Christine Way Skinner
In passing on the faith, the most important responsibility of the parish is . . .
To be pastoral with parents. Work with them. Do not put up rules and regulations to prevent them from sharing their faith with their children.
Wichita Falls, Texas
Supporting parents and making good resources available. When parishes take over from parents (even when that is what many parents want), faith is not truly passed on because parents are not fully living or modeling their faith.
St. Paul, Minn.
Providing good solid ministry for all of our parishioners. I really think that we are missing an opportunity in the 18- to 35-year-old segment.
Being a supportive community. Our faith is radical and countercultural. We as a community stand as something other to our materialistic society.
Mary Ann Zeszutko
To be a community that consistently bears witness at every level to the love and example of Jesus Christ. Young people recognize hypocrisy.
To celebrate the talents of teens and allow them to participate in weekend liturgies as lectors, eucharistic ministers, ushers, or musicians and choir members.
Painted Post, N.Y.
To get public speaking skills for our priests. The No. 1 complaint from my kids and other young adults is that they repeat themselves, are boring, need to get to the point, and are monotone.
Crown Point, Ind.
To be open to having young children at Sunday Mass, daily Mass, and eucharistic adoration. A living church has those little voices singing and praying right alongside the mature generations.
Harker Heights, Texas
To get quality textbooks for religious education. The textbooks in my parish are awful, dry, and not reaching kids at the middle-school level.
I know I need to spend more time praying with my children. I need to talk to them about what it means to pray and why it helps.
I just started small-one year adding in prayers before meals, one year doing a Jesse tree to add Bible reading into our home, each Lent trying to add something like saying the rosary as a family or going to Stations of the Cross.
I'm always teaching them, "Whatever happens, yes or no, praise the Lord." Once when I didn't get an item on sale and was grumbling about it, a voice piped up, "Whether it's yes or no, Mama, praise the Lord!"
When they were in elementary school, it was easy; but now that they are older, the questions and attitudes are much more difficult to deal with.
Lake City, Fla.
Find times to pass on the faith every day. I have a captive audience in the car, so we pray, talk about the "saint of the day," make gratitude lists, and intercede on behalf of others when we drive.
A big temptation is thinking, "Look how holy I am. I bring all these children to Mass, and they behave pretty well." I have to remind myself that God judges by our interiors, not our exteriors.
My 7-year-old son asked me the other day if they "still made saints" because he is hoping to be one someday. I assured him that God calls all of us to be holy.
A diet high in faith is good for the souls of both children and parents, finds a special online survey of readers of U.S. Catholic and our family newsletter, At Home with Our Faith. | <urn:uuid:3f94b51c-35bd-4978-a0fa-44495e42460b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uscatholic.org/life/2008/06/pass-faith-please | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96698 | 3,384 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The Most Rev. Justin Welby, new leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, spoke ahead of his enthronement at Canterbury Cathedral, admitting that he has been "deeply challenged" by the strong relationships his gay friends have, but maintained the church's support for traditional marriage.
In an interview with BBC News on Thursday, Welby admitted that he has a number of gay friends who are in strong, monogamous relationships, and said that he was "deeply challenged" by the love that they have for each other.
Welby insisted, however, that the church does not plan on changing its opposition to the legalization of gay marriage. more >>
It is troubling that a former evangelical pastor like Rob Bell would endorse same-sex marriage because "the ship has sailed… this is the world that we are living in," and because he is "for love, whether it is a man and woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man."
His reasoning is flawed primarily because he does not hold the Bible as the authoritative word of God.
The Bible cannot be clearer on homosexuality. At every mention it is condemned as a sin (Gen. 19; Lev. 18:22, 20:13; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1: 8-10; Jude 4 ff among others). Additionally, Jesus indicated that the only alternative to heterosexual marriage was celibacy (Matt 19:10). The bible is also clear on marriage-that God created it as a covenant between himself, one man and one woman (Gen. 1:26; 2:22-24; Matt. 19:4-6; Eph. 5:22-23; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Heb. 13:4-7; Mark 10:6-9). more >>
There are those who claim that the notion of traditional marriage should be "redefined." In fact, the Supreme Court is now considering the future of marriage in this country. Those who advocate "redefining" marriage fail to understand that we do so at great risk.
There are plenty of moral arguments that deal with the need to defend traditional marriage. However, many refuse to recognize the existence of an objective morality. For these, perhaps the best way to explain the importance of this essential institution is in terms that people today understand best-economic terms. If one can reduce things to the bottom line, it seems people sit up and take notice.
And so the bottom line is this: a wedding is more than just a social celebration; it is also a major economic event. It signals the entry of a new entity-the family-into economy that naturally favors balanced production and consumption. By its very nature, the family expands the economy by celebrating the coming of life since children are seen as blessings, not burdens. more >>
A Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that 58 percent of the country now supports redefining marriage to include same-sex couples, the highest level of support since that poll has asked the question. Most of the increase in support over the past year has come from Democrats, independents and moderates. Republicans, liberals and conservatives have changed little in their views on the topic.
In the March 2012 poll, 64 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of independents said they believed it should be legal for gay and lesbian couples to get married. In the poll conducted this month, support for redefining marriage rose to 72 percent for Democrats and 62 percent for independents.
For Republicans, on the other hand, support for redefining marriage is slightly lower than it was a year ago. In March 2012, 39 percent supported redefining marriage. Then, support declined to 29 percent in May 2012, before increasing slightly to 30 percent in August 2012, and 34 percent this month. more >>
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court of the United States is expected to tackle the question of whether the U.S. Constitution requires states to legalize gay marriage.
The court will hear arguments next week in two cases dealing with gay marriage – Hollingsworth vs. Perry, a challenge to California's Proposition 8, which defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman; and U.S. vs. Windsor, a challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman for the purposes of federal law.
In a Tuesday symposium on the cases sponsored by The Heritage Foundation and Alliance Defending Freedom, John C. Eastman, Henry Salvatori professor of law and community service and former dean at Chapman University School of Law, said he does not expect the court to sidestep the controversial issue of gay marriage by deciding the case narrowly on a process issue, such as jurisdiction, as some have argued. Rather, Eastman expects the justices to decide whether or not the Constitution requires states to legalize gay marriage. more >>
While some Christians have expressed disappointment over Rob Bell's recent announcement that he supports same-sex marriage, the former Mars Hill Bible Church pastor had made comments in the past that were indicative of a gay-affirming view.
During a Q&A session at The Viper Room in Los Angeles last July, Bell told the audience, "Some people are gay, and you're our brothers, and you're our sisters, and we love you."
"It's really, really, really important that we're clear," Bell continued, as he described a past gay friend as "holy, loving, and generous. more >> | <urn:uuid:4f01b255-0465-4ad6-bbf2-d18fe8ee2dce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.christianpost.com/topics/marriage/page17.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962701 | 1,133 | 1.765625 | 2 |
IIHS Advisories | No. 12, April 1993
New car dealers must provide HLDI results
Beginning this month, new car dealers must provide customers with collision coverage loss results compiled by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rule requires this information to be made available to prospective new car buyers so they can compare the collision claims experience of different makes and models.
Under the new requirement, dealers must have a sufficient supply of this information on hand to provide consumers with individual copies. Although NHTSA encourages dealers to publicize the availability of the collision results, it will be up to consumers to ask for it.
The NHTSA rule is the result of a lawsuit filed by Consumers Union (CU) seeking to compel the agency to implement the consumer information requirements of Title II of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Saving Act of 1972. Title II requires NHTSA to distribute information comparing the damage susceptibility, crashworthiness, and repairability of different passenger cars. It also authorizes NHTSA to require automobile insurers to provide the agency with insurance data to fulfill this requirement.
At their request, HLDI worked with CU and NHTSA as they discussed settling the suit. As a result of these meetings, CU and NHTSA decided not to prepare and send a detailed questionnaire to insurance companies requiring them to provide additional insurance cost information to the agency. Instead, NHTSA began with rulemaking that led to the adoption of this rule.
NHTSA recently published a notice setting out HLDI collision loss data on 1990-02 model cars that dealers must provide prospective customers. In the future, NHTSA will publish a Federal Register notice in January of each year giving HLDI's most recent collision results. Dealers are required to have the information available in their showrooms within 30 days of the notice.
HLDI has provided injury and collision loss experience by make and model directly to consumers and insurers, free of charge, for the past 20 years. A popular color brochure has been HLDI's principal way of communicating injury and collision results to consumers for some time now, and many insurers customize this publication and distribute it to their agents and policyholders. For more information, please contact the Communications Department. | <urn:uuid:c818b1f7-6cc3-428d-a4da-6d32f8b9887c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iihs.org/research/advisories/iihs_advisory_12.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930017 | 465 | 1.765625 | 2 |
© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All rights reserved worldwide.
- Permanent infertility (inability to have children) is sometimes a long-term side effect of cancer treatment.
- There are several options for having children that both men and women can consider if they are faced with fertility issues following cancer treatment.
- Other options for starting or expanding your family include surrogacy, a gestational carrier, or adoption.
Some treatments for cancer, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, have the potential to decrease fertility in a variety of ways. For some people, physical changes make it more difficult to conceive a child, while for others these changes lead to a complete, permanent loss of fertility. Although there are options available to protect a person's fertility during cancer treatment, preserving fertility isn't always possible. However, there are still a number of ways to start or expand your family even if your or your partner's fertility has been affected by cancer treatment.
Options for women
Assisted reproduction. Treatment with chemotherapy may reduce the number of eggs in a woman’s ovary (called the ovarian reserve), making it difficult for her to become pregnant naturally. If blood tests and ultrasounds show this has occurred, an infertility specialist may be able to use assisted reproduction techniques, such as in vitro fertilization (a process that involves collecting a woman's eggs and fertilizing them with sperm outside her body, for the purpose of later transferring the embryo back into her body for it to develop, IVF), to help the woman conceive. Because a low ovarian reserve may lead to early menopause (when no eggs are left), it is important to talk to an infertility specialist as soon as possible.
Donor eggs. If cancer treatment damages a woman’s ovaries, causing early menopause, she may be able to use another woman’s eggs to become pregnant. The donated eggs are fertilized in a laboratory with the sperm of the woman’s partner or a donor using IVF techniques. The fertilized eggs (embryos) are then transferred into the uterus of the woman who wants a child. A woman’s uterus must be healthy for her to successfully carry the pregnancy, and she will have to take hormones before and after receiving the embryos.
Egg donation allows at least one parent to have a genetic relationship to the child. By law, all egg donors, whether they are a family member, friend, anonymous donor, or known donor from an agency, are screened for psychological issues, medical conditions, and potential genetic diseases before they are allowed to donate eggs.
Donor embryos. Donor embryos usually come from couples who had an infertility treatment that resulted in extra embryos. As with egg donation, the embryos are then transferred into the uterus of the woman who wants a child, and the woman will have to take hormones before and after the embryos are inserted. Although a couple or individual who uses a donated embryo will not be genetically related to the child, the procedure allows a woman with a healthy uterus who is unable to become pregnant experience pregnancy. By law, the couple donating the embryos must have the same tests that are required for the egg donor process.
Options for men
Donor sperm. If a man who had cancer treatment did not store his sperm before starting treatment, he can use sperm donated to a sperm bank by another healthy male to become a father. In most cases, the sperm, which is screened for infectious diseases, is donated anonymously. However, sperm banks usually record the physical traits of the donor.
Testicular sperm extraction. Even if a man has no sperm in his semen after finishing treatment, he may still have healthy sperm in his testicles. During this surgery, the doctor removes small pieces of testicular tissue. Any sperm cells found in the tissue can be used in a fertility procedure like IVF or frozen for future use. However, the success rates of this procedure are not as high as using sperm obtained through conventional methods.
Surrogacy and gestational carriers
If a woman is not able to carry a child, or if becoming pregnant could put her health at risk, using a gestational carrier (another woman who carries the baby during pregnancy) is an option. This procedure is called surrogacy if the cervix or uterus of a woman who is able to carry a pregnancy is injected with the sperm of the man who will be the child’s father in a process called artificial insemination. If the woman who is to carry the child is impregnated with an embryo created from another woman’s egg and her partner’s sperm, the woman who carries the child is called a gestational carrier. Surrogacy and gestational carrier laws are different in each state, so it is important to consult an attorney if you choose this option.
If you do not want to undergo medical procedures to have a child or are uncomfortable with the idea of surrogacy, you may consider adopting a child. Adoption is the permanent, legal transfer of parental rights of a child from the birth parent to another couple or individual. Although most adoption agencies allow cancer survivors to adopt, some require a letter from a doctor certifying good health, and others may require a certain amount of time to pass after you have completed treatment for cancer.
Some of the adoption options to consider include:
Domestic adoption or inter-country adoption. A domestic adoption is adopting a child from the country you live in. An inter-country adoption (also called international adoption) is adopting a child that lives in another country.
Open adoption or closed adoption. In an open adoption (also called a fully disclosed adoption), the birth parents and adoptive parents communicate. In a closed adoption, no identifying information about the birth parents or the adoptive parents is shared with either party.
Agency adoption or independent adoption. Many adoptions are handled by private agencies or public adoption agencies run by a county or state. These agencies are licensed and have strict regulations and rules to follow. Independent adoptions are handled by an adoption lawyer or facilitator instead of an agency.
Questions to ask the doctor
Consider asking your doctor the following questions when discussing your options for having children after finishing cancer treatment.
- If I am infertile, what are my options for becoming a parent?
- How can I find out if my ovarian reserve was affected by chemotherapy?
- How do I confirm that I am infertile?
- Can you recommend a fertility specialist?
- Could fertility hormones or drugs cause my cancer to return or cause a new cancer to develop?
- Which infertility clinics specialize in treating cancer survivors?
- How does my age affect my options?
- Where can I learn more about the cost of each option?
- Where can I find adoption resources or support?
- Where can I find surrogacy or gestational carrier resources or support?
Moving Forward Videos: Fertility for Young Adults with Cancer | <urn:uuid:c8f75c6c-4318-481d-a5dd-f44fa9d9ab5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cancer.net/coping/emotional-and-physical-matters/sexual-and-reproductive-health/having-baby-after-cancer-fertility-assistance-and-other-options | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948693 | 1,422 | 2.25 | 2 |
In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker (R.) rallied Republicans in the state legislature to limit collective bargaining by public employees. In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie (R.) coaxed a Democrat-led state legislature to increase public employees’ share of their health-care and pension costs. In Indiana, Gov. Mitch Daniels (R.) secured merit pay for public-school teachers.
But in Ohio, a bill containing all these reforms is headed for defeat in a referendum on November 8. According to an October 25 poll by Quinnipiac University, 57 percent of Ohioans oppose the bill, while 32 percent support it. Meanwhile, its most prominent advocate, Gov. John Kasich (R.), is unpopular: Fifty-two percent disapprove of his performance; 36 percent approve.
Keep reading this post . . .
Copyright © 2013 BernardGoldberg.com | <urn:uuid:c8c41d90-8a74-4e13-bd2d-a396289cb152> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bernardgoldberg.com/what%E2%80%99s-the-matter-with-ohio/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935234 | 174 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Books & Music
Food & Wine
Health & Fitness
Hobbies & Crafts
Home & Garden
News & Politics
Religion & Spirituality
Travel & Culture
TV & Movies
Treating Spring Allergies
Spring is in the air and it's that time of year again when those with allergies suffer the most. Why? The changing season brings pollens and pollutants to the air that irritate the eyes and nasal passages, causing tearing running eyes, clogged nasal passages, nasal drips, coughing and sneezing. Are you one of the many millions stricken with spring allergies? Well, help is available for you and other allergy sufferers. One caution, those with severe Spring allergy problems should consult their doctor first. The doctor should make a diagnosis to determine if those are allergy problems or another disorder. Then if an allergy is diagnosed, the doctor can treat you with the appropriate medication to combat severe allergy problems. Those with milder Spring allergy problems might prefer using some of the natural allergy remedies included in this new article.
Treating Spring Allergies
Avoid Pollens. This is a common sense natural approach to treating allergies. Avoid those outside areas that contain a heavy pollen count. And spend less time outside in the open air during the height of the allergy season to reduce the sneezing, itchy eyes, and nasal problems that accompany Spring allergies. Listen for pollen counts on the news and try to avoid too much outside exposure on those days. Some who suffer heavily with Spring allergies wear surgical masks outside during the height of the allergy season. Research shows that wearing a surgical mask does reduce some of the exposure to pollens in the air.
Rinse eyes. A saline solution is best but not always available. So, try rinsing the eyes with warm water if they are itchy and teary.
Clogged Nasal Passages. Place a wash cloth dipped in warm water on the nose for a few minutes. This helps to ease nasal congestion. Place the warm wash cloth on the chest to ease chest congestion.
Inhale. Try using a few drops of pure essential eucalyptus, pine, or rosemary, oils in a steamer or vaporizer. And breathe in the essential oil aroma. This step helps loosen up nasal congestion and relieves breathing problems.
Wash Hair. Hair might pick up pollens and other pollutants when exposed to the outdoors. Wash your hair vigorously after outdoor exposure to remove the harmful pollutants.
Shower. Are you sneezing and coughing after outside exposure? Then the cause might be the pollen in the outside air. Take a warm shower and wash the pollen off your skin.
Sunglasses. Pollens easily settle into your eyes when exposed to the outside. This causes tearing and itchy eyes. Wear sunglasses to protect sensitive eyes when on the outside.
Neti Pot. The Neti Pot is small and shaped like a tea pot. And many use the Neti Pot to treat nasal congestion and sinus problems caused by allergies. Salt and warm water are mixed together in the Neti Pot. And the salted water is poured through nostrils. Nasal passages clear and breathing is easier after use. This is probably because the saline solution removes the pollens clogging the nostrils.
Content copyright © 2013 by BB Lee. All rights reserved.
This content was written by BB Lee. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact BB Lee for details.
Website copyright © 2013 Minerva WebWorks LLC. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:62f699e8-0651-4b27-acf7-f3bfc0336b39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art44650.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900655 | 728 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Sand Sculptures on Omaha Beach Honor Defenders of Freedom
By Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 4, 2004 Sand from the five landing beaches on D-Day, June 6, 1944, has been turned into "Sands of Remembrance" sculptures on France's Normandy Beach to pay homage to those who shed their blood for freedom 60 years ago, said Carmella LaSpada, director of the White House Commission on Remembrance.
The World War II Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is
situated on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel in
Colleville-sur Mer, France. Photo courtesy American Battle Monuments
(Click photo for screen-resolution image)
"This is the first time in history this has been done sand sculpture on the beaches of Normandy depicting the landing on the beaches," LaSpada said during a recent interview from her White House office. "We gathered sand from each of the landing beaches -- (code-named) Gold, Juno, Omaha, Sword and Utah."
The Sands of Remembrance tribute evolved out of discussions between LaSpada and sand sculptors John Gowdy, an American, and Dale Murdock, a Canadian.
They decided to create a historically accurate life size sand sculpture on Normandy Beach to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of D-Day. Gowdy later authored an article saying that the idea came to him in 2001 while he was digging in the sands of Hardelot, a beach north of Normandy.
"I hit something with my shovel," Gowdy recalled. "After brushing it off and rinsing it with water, it became obvious that the object I found was a piece of old, rusty barbed wire.
"Recalling my history studies," Gowdy continued, "I thought, 'Could this barbed wire possibly be from the German fortification of this very coastline some 57 years ago?' I showed the wire to the locals and they confirmed it to be true. It was a piece of the Atlantic Wall, which was a belt of fortifications constructed by the Germans."
The assault on the beaches started in the early morning darkness of June 6, 1944, when thousands of Allied paratroopers and glider troops landed silently behind enemy lines. At dawn, the Allies began their amphibious assaults on the five beaches. By nightfall, nearly 175,000 men were ashore.
The historically accurate, life-size sculptures were created by Gowdy; Murdock; Matthew Deibert of the United States; Mark Anderson and Edward Dudley of the United Kingdom; and Guillaume Pelletier and Julien Legaes of France.
Thousands will view the sculptures as the attend D-Day's 60th anniversary ceremonies. They will be on exhibit until June 6 in Vierville-sur Mer on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. | <urn:uuid:43352f54-a798-4a9e-9b0c-6b64918dd849> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=26351 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959351 | 578 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Scholastic’s Writing With Writers
- Grades: 3–5
Writing With Writers is an awesome resource on Scholastic.com. As a teacher, I know that there is no greater motivation for students than tips and advice from real, published authors, especially when those authors' books are on the shelves of our classroom library.
If you have not checked this out or used it with your students, you are missing out! Where else can students receive step-by-step instructions on writing a myth from Jane Yolen, advice on how to capture moments using descriptive writing from the late and great Virginia Hamilton, tips for writing fun poetry from Jack Prelutsky (along with a Webcast of him reading his poetry aloud), and so much more!
Teacher guides are also available for each of the nine featured genres. | <urn:uuid:e5205621-1aa4-4dc2-b409-4806490ec4f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2013/02/scholastic%E2%80%99s-writing-writers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949808 | 171 | 2.609375 | 3 |
In Michigan City, Indiana two elementary school aged white children savagely beat and throttled the elderly bus monitor and driver who were given the sacred responsibility of safely transporting them to school. As is common with white crimes, the media has conspired to play down this incident, and is not showing the public pictures of these young criminals in training.
These behaviors are learned at home; it is likely the parents were aware of their childrens' criminal nature and did nothing to intervene or correct it. The bus beat down is not new. White boys and teens habitually commit horrible violence in schools. They have a long track record of school shootings and mass murder including the infamous Columbine incident. White violence is infectious and has even corrupted good "model minorities" such as Korean-Americans (see the Virginia Tech shooter who killed 32 people and wounded scores more).
Instead of demanding that white teen homicidal maniacs are imprisoned, the white community engages in "soul searching" as they try to "make sense" of how their little angels could commit such heinous deeds. This is evidence of a pathologically violent culture that has spawned serial killers, mass murderers, and domestic terrorists.
Charles Edward Reese is our second white criminal of the week. He is a pervert of the first order. Because the family and home are the first spaces in which children are socialized, the criminal behavior of white young people should not be a surprise. White children are learning these anti-social values from their mothers and fathers.
With the failure of white communities, and their moral decline as documented by Charles Murray in his new book Coming Apart, the behavior of white men such as Reese is increasingly common. At present, white people are the majority of child rapists and child murderers. They are also more likely to be pedophiles. Their dominance of these categories of wanton and predatory crime can only be expected to grow in the future.
Tragically, Charles Edward Reese is the tip of a pathological white sex culture that imperils all Americans. Be careful. Do not trust your children around white people--especially white men--as they are capable of anything.
The full story follows:
COVINGTON, La. (CBS Houston) – Federal authorities say a man is behind bars after he paid women to have sex with their children and animals.
Charles Edward Reese, the former chief financial officer of Champagne Beverage, is facing charges for the unlawful production of child pornography after paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to women who, in exchange, would provide Reese with sexual videos involving them with their own children.
According to the Slidell Sentry, Reese conned at least two women into sending him child pornography videos of an explicit and incestuous nature.
The money – amounting to over $750,000 – was reportedly sent to one Vidar, Texas, woman in exchange for videos that featured her children, ages 2 and 6, and her 9-year-old sister engaging in sex acts with her.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations became involved when the site hosting the video, Photobucket.com, became aware of the September 2011 video upload and alerted authorities. Similar videos from the same user were also found.
Reese would also send notes with his payments, some of them demanding the woman’s participation.
“If you don’t get online tomorrow morning with both of them and do what I want you to this will be the last time you ever hear from me no matter what your needs are,” a note sent with one $525 payment allegedly stated, according to the Sentry. “You have screwed me enough for a lifetime of misery.”
The woman is now deceased.
The FBI also found out that Reese sent a reported $2,500 to the woman’s adult sister, in an attempt to keep her quiet after she sent him messages about his actions, and another $7,900 to an unrelated second Texas mother.
The Beaumont Enterprise reports that the sister videotaped herself conducting “sexually explicit activities with animals.”
The second woman, who is currently incarcerated on child endangerment charges, told the FBI that she took sexual cell phone pictures of her daughter, who is less than 7 years old, and sent them to Reese.
In both cases, the women referred to Reese as “Chuck.”
Reese was reportedly booked at the St. Tammany Parish Jail, where he remained as of earlier this week. His employment at Champagne Beverage was also terminated as of early last month. | <urn:uuid:31d2f1df-5556-44f4-a3f7-d68acc087cd9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/2012/04/white-criminals-of-week-white-man-pays.html?showComment=1335764129669 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976296 | 931 | 1.945313 | 2 |
Originally Posted by lleb
please use your own data so we can help troubleshoot. all you did is show that one traceroute had timeouts and the other didnt. nothing out of the ordinary there.
The actual data has nothing to do with the point in my question. I don't want to post such information in a public post about my network path.
The point here is that from same location linux behaves differently like windows its the same notebook connected to the same physical network. It must be something wrong in the traceroute utility itself - its not reliable.
Why is this important for me:
I need to write a script which can be run by simple user privileges under CentOS. The script should create a text file with lots of data in it - network configuration, ping data to several locations, traceroute data to several locations. This text file should serve for administrators to track down user connection problems. Since this is a mixed environment - Linux and Windows too the same script exists for windows.
- The windows script (with tracert) can be run without any problems under simple user privileges.
- The linux script can not - actually I can use traceroute without the -I switch as user, but I get no valid data (only stars). Since linux uses UDP as default and this doesn't work (all hops get stars). See: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...f-icmp-815625/
Did you get the above results (in CentOS) with UDP traceroute???
- And the actual problem is:
even if I run traceroute as root with -I ICMP packets I do not get the same data as in windows with tracert - And tracert can be run by simple user account - no need to be an administrator (again its a same physical connection point in my local network)
What is a good point in the linked thread above:
Why is that - that ping, which uses ICMP doesn't need root privileges and traceroute needs when used with ICMP?
The result is that I cannot create an linux like user script which does the same as the windows one.
Windows bat file
ping google.com >> "C:\debug.txt"
tracert google.com >> "C:\debug.txt"
ping google.com >> ./debug.txt
traceroute -I google.com >> ./debug.txt | <urn:uuid:e4218b5b-b920-4534-bc5b-c19df5396317> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?s=faed6857ebd25e0ead126b7c4fa443c5&p=4900790 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.910845 | 509 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. 3: Harmony of the Law, Part I, tr. by John King, [1847-50], at sacred-texts.com
20. And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you?
20. Quum interrogaverit to filius tuus cras, dicendo, Quid sibi volunt testimonia et statuta et judicia, quae praecepit Jehova Deus noster vobis.
21. Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bond-men in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:
21. Tune dices filio tuo, Servi fuimus Pharaonis in Aegypto, et eduxit nos Jehova ex Aegypto in manu forti.
22. And the Lord shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:
22. Deditque Jehova signa et portenta magna et pessima in Aegypto in Pharaonem, et in totam domum ejus, in oculis nostris.
23. And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
23. Atque nos eduxit inde, ut introduceret nos, ac darer nobis terram de qua juravit patribus nostris.
24. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
24. Itaque praecepit Jehova ut faciamus omnia statuta ista, ut timeamus Jehovam Deum nostrum in bonum nostrum omnibus diebus, ut conservaret nos in vita, ut in hac die.
25. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.
25. Et justitia erit nobis quum custodierimus ut faciamus omne praeceptum istud coram Jehova Deo nostro, quemadmodum praecepit nobis.
20. And when thy son asketh thee. The sole point which Moses urges in these verses is, that the people should testify their gratitude by obeying the Law, and that the same religion, 232 which he commands the fathers to teach, should descend to their posterity. The sum is, that there was good reason why all the precepts of the Law should be observed, since by them it was that God desired His people, after their deliverance, to shew forth their sense of His loving-kindness. Again, therefore, in this passage, he commends the Law by reminding them of their redemption, that the people might more willingly and more earnestly reverence it; for its authority has stronger claims upon them, because it was not imposed before God had laid them under obligation to Himself; and it would have been too base and absurd in them to refuse God as their Lawgiver, when they knew that by Him they had been purchased to Himself. In the next place He reminds them that for the same object they had been constituted the heirs of the land of Canaan, that they should honor God as the author of this special favor; thus he concludes that they are bound by a two-fold tie, for God had devoted them to Himself not once only, but had confirmed His dominion over them by their continued possession of the land. But there is nothing inconsistent in his saying that the land was promised by oath to their fathers before the Law was given; for, although God bestowed this gift gratuitously, yet did He justly claim the testimony of their gratitude; just as now-a-days, although He invites us to the hope of an eternal inheritance of His own free bounty, yet the end of our calling is, that we on our part should celebrate His glory all our life long. When in verse 24 he uses the words “to fear the Lord our God,” he briefly defines the sum of the Law; for it would not suffice for us to perform whatever is there commanded, unless our obedience had reference to the fear and worship of God. Integrity and uprightness, indeed, give God delight; but none will say that men’s life is duly ordered, if, whilst they exercise equity one towards another, they defraud God of His right. But it is well known that legitimate honor and worship are comprehended under the name of fear. Just afterwards, he commends the Law on account of its profitableness; for God provided for their own good, in delivering to them the rule of a just and pious life. In these words he intimates that they would be doubly ungrateful if they rejected what God meant for their own advantage. For this expression, “for our good,” is equivalent to saying that God not only had respect and care for His own rights in enacting the Law, but at the same time regarded what would be useful to them; and this he more clearly states in the next verse, where he says that “this shall be their righteousness if they observe” the Law; otherwise, that the rule of a righteous life, which would please God, was prescribed to them, than which nothing better could be desired. But it will be elsewhere shewn at greater length how the keeping of the Law is in itself righteousness, and yet that no man is justified by the Law; for, that the Law brings only wrath and condemnation, does not arise from any defect or faultiness in its doctrine, but must be imputed to our own guilt, as being far removed, nay, aliens from the righteousness 233 which it contains.
Addition in Fr., “qu’il a apprinse de Dieu;” which they have learnt of God.
La doctrine. — Fr. | <urn:uuid:d671f3a1-8147-4872-9ee2-d3f1600ac36a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/calvin/cc03/cc03038.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955047 | 1,298 | 2.03125 | 2 |
| Other Name(s):
| WHY is this medicine prescribed?
| HOW should this medicine be used?
| What should I do IF I FORGET to take a dose?
| What SIDE EFFECTS can this medicine cause?
| What should I know about STORAGE and DISPOSAL of this medication?
| What should I do in case of OVERDOSE?
| What OTHER INFORMATION should I know?
WHY is this medicine prescribed?
Scopolamine is used to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness.
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
HOW should this medicine be used?
Scopolamine comes as a patch to be placed on the skin behind your ear. Apply one patch to a clean, dry, hairless area behind the ear. The patch should be applied at least 4 hours before its effects will be needed. Each patch is good for 3 days. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use the scopolamine patch exactly as directed.
To apply the patch, follow the directions provided by the manufacturer and these steps:
- After washing the area behind the ear, wipe the area with a clean, dry tissue to ensure that the area is dry.
- Remove the patch from its protective pouch. To expose the adhesive surface of the patch, the clear plastic protective strip should be peeled off and discarded. Contact with the exposed adhesive layer should be avoided to prevent contamination of fingers with scopolamine. Temporary blurred vision and dilation of the pupils may result if scopolamine comes into contact with your eyes.
- Place the adhesive side against the skin.
- Press the patch firmly for 10 to 20 seconds. Be sure that the edges adhere to your skin.
- After you have placed the patch behind your ear, wash your hands thoroughly.
At the end of 3 days, or when the scopolamine patch is no longer needed, remove the patch and throw it away. Wrap the patch in tissue or paper to avoid exposing anyone else to the remaining medication. Wash your hands and the area behind your ear thoroughly to remove any traces of scopolamine from the area. If a new patch needs to be applied, place a fresh patch on the hairless area behind your other ear.
What SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS should I follow?
Before using scopolamine patches,
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to scopolamine or any other drugs.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially medications that decrease mental alertness; cough, cold, and allergy products; and vitamins.
- tell your doctor if you have or have ever had glaucoma; heart, liver, or kidney disease; stomach or intestinal obstruction; or difficulty urinating.
- tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while using scopolamine patches, call your doctor immediately.
- if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are using scopolamine patches.
- you should know that this drug may make you drowsy. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how scopolamine patches will affect you. This is especially important during the first 3 to 5 days of therapy and when your dose is increased.
- talk to your doctor about the safe use of alcohol while taking this drug. Alcohol increases the side effects caused by scopolamine patches.
What should I do IF I FORGET to take a dose?
Apply the missed patch as soon as you remember it. Do not apply more than one patch at a time.
What SIDE EFFECTS can this medicine cause?
Scopolamine patches may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- dry mouth
- blurred vision
- dilated pupils
- difficulty urinating
If you experience any of the following symptoms, remove the patch and call your doctor immediately:
- eye pain
- rapid pulse
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at Web Site] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].
What should I know about STORAGE and DISPOSAL of this medication?
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.
What should I do in case of OVERDOSE?
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
What OTHER INFORMATION should I know?
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory.
The patch is not affected by limited exposure to water during bathing or swimming.
Do not let anyone else use your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
Last Reviewed: October 1, 2010. | <urn:uuid:6a342ba5-d938-44ec-9aae-1cb4a85d2780> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.harthosp.org/HealthLibrary/Medications/default.aspx?chunkiid=673998 | 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 | 0.922859 | 1,257 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Solution to the ARML Scrimmage Power Question
Today I’ll give my own solution to the power question I posted last week. I’m going to present it as I always wished I could have: as a whole with answers to the specific questions spun off as they naturally arise, rather than separated part by part.
First I’ll restate the setup into a more natural language. This is really a question about certain endomorphisms on vector spaces over the field . This is the quotient of the ring of integers by the maximal ideal generated by . If you haven’t seen it before, you should be able to construct it by all I’ve said so far.
Anyhow, the “arrangements” are just vectors in the vector space . Such a space comes with a basis , where has a in place and elsewhere. Each of these spaces of course has the identity endomorphism , and it also has a “left rotation” endomorphism sending to and to , and its inverse — right rotation. The transformation we are concerned with is .
Since we are given bases we are justified in writing out matrices for transformations, and even for vectors (because ). The transformation has the matrix where is if or and otherwise. A vector of length will be an matrix.
Numbers 1 and 2 are just calculations, so I’ll omit them.
We can write as the matrix , so has matrix , which sends every vector to the zero vector. This is part 4.
Now one interesting property we can see straight off. We can tell whether there are an even or an odd number of ones in a given arrangement by adding up all the entries. That is, we can take the product with the matrix consisting of all ones. If we first transform an arrangement , then measure the number of ones, this is like taking the product . But each column of the matrix for has exactly two ones in it, so the product consists of all zeroes, and thus is always zero. That is, the image of any arrangement after a transformation always has an even number of ones. That’s number 10.
What arrangements are fixed by the transformation? This amounts to solving the equation
so we must have or . The zero vector is the only fixed point.
What vectors get sent to this fixed point? This is the kernel of the transformation — the vectors such that . Equivalently, these satisfy (why?). Thus all the entries must be the same, and the vector must consist of all zeroes or all ones. That’s number 9.
Now we see that if then is in the kernel of , and is thus either all zeroes or all ones. But if is odd, the vector consisting of all ones is not in the image of . Thus if we don’t start with a vector in the kernel we’ll never land in the kernel, and we’ll never get to the vector of all zeroes. That’s number 11. As a special case we have number 3.
Let’s consider . We expand this as , since we’re working over . Similarly, if we square this we get . In fact, we have that . Indeed, this is true by definition for , and if it’s true for then
so the claim is true by induction.
This means that after transformations a vector is sent to the sum (in ) of itself with its left-rotation by places. Thus if we can divide the entries in into vectors of length each — just pick the entries spaced out by separations of . Then acts on the same way acts on each of the subvectors, since the shift by places fixes the subvectors. That’s number 7. Parts 5 and 6 are now special cases.
Also, if then , so , so transformations send every vector of length to zero. That’s number 8.
Finally, let be any even number that is not a power of . Now the result of is the same as applying to each of the subvectors as described above. But now each subvector has odd length. If has a single in it, then one of these subvectors must contain it. By number 11 this subvector can never be sent to zero, so is never zero. If were ever zero then would be for a large enough , which will never happen. That’s part 12. | <urn:uuid:73cc7feb-c8b0-4173-b7ff-def3f8f2ec1c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://unapologetic.wordpress.com/2007/05/31/solution-to-the-arml-scrimmage-power-question/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=3fdfac1636 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935033 | 923 | 2.109375 | 2 |
The failing health of Senator Ted Kennedy has begun to take on acute political significance. All during the spring and summer, Kennedy’s presence has been notably missing in the legislative maneuvering on health care reform, an issue to which the Senator has been committed his entire life. Now, he has written to the political leaders in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts asking that they change the current provisions for filling a senatorial vacancy.
The irony of Kennedy;s request is that it would not have been necessary five years ago. In 2004, in anticipation of the possibility that Sen. John Kerry might be elected President and not wanting to allow Republican Governor Mitt Romney the chance to name a replacement, Massachusetts changed the law to require a special election. Not wanting to appear crassly partisan, they dressed up their arguments for the change in all manner of encomiums to the virtue of direct democracy. Their effort was akin to the GOP’s push for the Twenty-second Amendment limiting a President to two terms after Franklin Roosevelt won election four times. Then, when the GOP recruited Dwight Eisenhower as their standard-bearer, they worried they had shot themselves in the foot, although Eisenhower’s ill health would have made a third try for the White House improbable.
Unfortunately, there are times when it is more important for the citizens of a state to be represented in Congress than it is to give democracy her due and, with health care reform pending, Kennedy believes this is such a time.
The Democrats were foolish five years ago. They could have required that the Governor’s selection require confirmation by the state Senate. They could have mandated that the person chosen be registered in the same party as the person whose seat has become vacant. They should not compound their mistake then by merely going back to the prior system of unchecked gubernatorial appointment. Introducing the need for confirmation by the state Senate is the best way to proceed. More importantly, many of us are still praying that Sen. Kennedy will be present to vote for universal health insurance this autumn. | <urn:uuid:986cb1ad-6945-465b-8e12-0d945d2232ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/politics-ted-kennedys-health | 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 | 0.975521 | 411 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Raising the Voice for Vulture Conservation
01 September 2012 | News story
In celebration of International Vulture Awareness Day on Saturday 1 September, Ananya Mukherjee, Vulture Safe Zone coordinator at the RSPB explains how advocacy and awareness raising is helping to save vultures through an SOS supported project.
As the most efficient and natural incinerator of dead animal remains, vultures play a vital role in ecosystem services, cleaning the environment of rotting carcasses and helping to prevent the spread of disease. However, in the South Asian subcontinent, three Gyps vulture species remain Critically Endangered, as a result of the use of the diclofenac drug on livestock, which is toxic to vultures and has caused the population to crash. Spreading the message of the dangers to vultures from diclofenac, and promoting alternative livestock drugs is vital in order to save the vultures from extinction.
The Vulture Safe Zone approach
In order for vulture populations to recover, and to provide a safe environment for captive bred birds to be released, diclofenac use must be virtually eliminated throughout the species’ range – a huge challenge, but one which must be undertaken to prevent the loss of vultures forever. Our SOS funded project is supporting vital awareness raising and advocacy, targeted at a grassroots level in local communities, where vultures can still be found. These areas are called Vulture Safe Zones, and the vision is to replicate these Zones across the vultures’ range, providing landscapes free from diclofenac use, and areas where captive bred birds can be eventually released.
With SOS support, four provisional Vulture Safe Zones have been established in India where we have been working with our partner the Bombay Natural History Society and local NGOs to spread the vulture message and reduce the use of harmful veterinary drugs. A key element, in ensuring diclofenac is not being used to treat sick cattle, is active engagement of local communities in the conservation work. The states have complex regional diversities, there can be no “one-size-fit-all” advocacy approach across states, and the need for constant improvisation to meet local needs is vital. Much of the Vulture Safe Zone work includes building capacity within the vulture teams and creating a strong lobby amongst key government officials to raise awareness on the significance of the decline of vultures. Individual meetings to advocate vultures with Drug Commissioners of each state have been useful to raise awareness of the misuse of the human formulation of diclofenac drug on animals, but the key challenge remains changing the behaviour of current and potential users of diclofenac.
From grassroots to governments
In addition, vulture conservation efforts received a huge boost in May 2012, with the signing of the Regional Declaration on Vulture Conservation, by Governments representatives from India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. This regional declaration includes commitments to ban multi-dose vials of the human diclofenac (which is currently being misused by the veterinary sector). This represents a great step in efforts to prevent the extinction of these three species and work now begins with partners and governments to ensure legislation is passed to support the agreed commitments. | <urn:uuid:e9f70ede-6574-4330-ae97-e10fc8e9a356> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cms.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/our_work/birds/nirdnews/?10896/Raising-the-Voice-for-Vulture-Conservation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920168 | 678 | 2.875 | 3 |
Governor McDonnell Unveils 2013-2014 Budget
– Budget Invests in Core Functions of Government; Prioritizes State Spending; Does not Raise Taxes –
McDonnell: "We will not raise taxes on hardworking Virginians. This is a budget that embraces reform and sets priorities, makes Richmond live within its means and requires state government to be more efficient and effective. It positions Virginia for job creation and economic growth in the years ahead."
RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell unveiled his two-year budget for Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014, as well as his amendments to the concluding Fiscal Year 2012 budget, in a speech to the Joint Money Committees of the General Assembly this morning in Richmond. The Governor's budget includes the greatest employer funding of the Virginia Retirement System in state history, provides significant new resources for higher education and K-12, prioritizes funds for transportation maintenance, and supplies more tools for job creation efforts in the state. The budget focuses state spending on the core functions of government, and on policies most directly tied to job creation and economic development, while not raising taxes. The full text of the Governor's remarks to the Joint Money Committees can be found here: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/utility/docs/Address%20to%20the%20Joint%20Money%20Committees%20December%2019,%202011.pdf
Speaking about the first two-year budget of his administration, the Governor remarked, "In these difficult times for Virginia and our country, each state is responsible for how it chooses to navigate forward. In the Commonwealth, we have chosen a path of fiscal responsibility, accountability and restraint. Over the past two years we have eliminated $6 billion in budget shortfalls, and set spending back to nearly 2007 levels. We have not raised taxes. During that same period we have put historic new funding into transportation and job creation, and we have made the tough choices about where limited taxpayer dollars should be directed to best spur private sector job creation. We have seen the results. Virginia has the lowest unemployment rate in the Southeast, and the third-lowest rate east of the Mississippi River. Compared to the first month of our administration, 63,000 more Virginians are working today. Our commitment to responsible budgeting has led to two consecutive budget surpluses. Now, as state revenues begin to recover and our economy continues to turn around, we must diligently exercise the fiscal restraint and responsibility that has fueled this success."
The Governor continued, "The budget bill that I am presenting today reflects the core priorities of government and our administration. It recognizes the realities of this economy. This is not a status quo period in Virginia history, thus, this is not a status quo budget. This budget prioritizes spending, ideas and policies that promote job creation, economic development and entrepreneurship. It reforms, restructures and reinvests in programs that work and make government more efficient and effective and accountable. It funds well key budget areas like education and transportation that lay the foundation for a prosperous future for our citizens. It helps solve specific big problems, like our near broken pension system, an underfunded transportation infrastructure system, and a higher education system in which tuitions have doubled in the last ten years. And it builds up cash reserves and liquidity as insurance to provide us flexibility in addressing the potential impacts of adverse future economic events and to ensure that we maintain Virginia's critically important Aaa bond rating."
He concluded, "This is a budget marked by tough decisions demanded by this difficult economy. Virginia citizens and businesses live on budgets and make tough decisions every day. Richmond must continue to do so as well. It is critically important that we do. When we live within our means and make government work better, we create the conditions in which private sector job creation can flourish and the citizens of Virginia can innovate, achieve and find the opportunities for success they need and deserve."
General fund revenues are expected to grow 3.3 percent in fiscal year 2013 and 4.5 percent in fiscal year 2014.
Selected Highlights of the Governor's Biennial Budget:
- Recommends $2.21 billion in total employer contributions to Virginia's Retirement System.
- This is the largest state contribution and the largest total employer contribution to VRS in history.
- Provides $200 million in new funding for Virginia's higher education system to make college more affordable and accessible for Virginia students.
- Directs an additional $438 million in total new state funding to public education for the next biennium.
- Requires reform initiatives for K-12 education that focus on performance by requiring the Department of Education to include in the annual School Performance Report Card for school divisions the percentage of each division's annual operating budget allocated to instructional costs, with a goal of increasing classroom spending to 65% of the budget.
- Provides much needed liquidity in the state budget by leaving an unappropriated balance in the budget of $31.4 million, which is significantly greater than the $5 to $10 million that is normally left on the bottom line, reflecting the need for a greater cushion given economic uncertainty.
- Stabilizes Virginia's finances by growing the Rainy Day Fund by $132 million in FY 2013 and $168 million in FY 2014.
- The Rainy Day Fund should double in size by end of FY 2014 with continued revenue growth, exceeding $600 million.
- Places $50 million into a new Federal Action Contingency Fund (FACT Fund), a cash reserve, that can be used to mitigate a variety of negative impacts on Virginia related to likely future adverse federal budget actions which cannot be addressed by the Rainy Day Fund.
- This Fund will be used to replace certain losses in direct federal grants; provide incentives to retain or consolidate federal facilities in Virginia, much like how the Commonwealth currently handles BRAC; address federal tax policy changes from conformity; and help businesses impacted by federal procurement or defense contracts as they change to other customers.
- Appropriates $40 million in new funding for continued aggressive economic development efforts to encourage and facilitate private sector job creation.
- Includes provision for up to a 3% bonus to full-time state employees on Dec. 1, 2012 if the state collectively saves at least twice the cost of the bonus $160 million. This one-time bonus, if achieved, would also save Virginia taxpayers at least $83 million.
- Increases the dedicated transportation allocation of the sales tax from .5% to .75% over the next 8 years.
- During the upcoming budget, the dedicated sales tax percentage will be increased to .55%, generating over $110 in critical new transportation funding for maintenance.
- Increases mental health funding by $30 million to continue transition to more community based care.
- In the FY 2012 budget amendments, $50 million is appropriated to eliminate the accelerated sales tax for 96% of all previously impacted retailers.
A full breakdown of all the Governor's budget actions can be found here: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/utility/docs/2013-2014 Budget Summary.pdf
The full budget document is available here: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/utility/docs/2012-2014BiennialBudget_all.pdf
# # # | <urn:uuid:e13dbde6-f79a-4813-a870-51bc00109c6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/News/viewRelease.cfm?id=1059 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939226 | 1,490 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Research is designed to test a hypothesis through the collection and analysis of data. The resulting conclusions are used to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. A hypothesis is a tentative assumption that is empirically tested. If the conclusions resulting from data analysis do not support the hypothesis, it must be rejected or modified. A research study is usually described in a formal protocol that sets forth an objective and a set of procedures designed to reach that objective.
The IRBs responsibility is to review research protocols that involve human subjects. A human subject is a living individual about whom an investigator conducting research obtains: (1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2) identifying private information | <urn:uuid:fd59228a-fdba-4957-98dc-c9fd4ff2e99a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=CDPHE-Main%2FCBONLayout&cid=1251610914176&pagename=CBONWrapper | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925954 | 137 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Turning a Nuclear Spotlight on Illegal Weapons Material
For Immediate Release: October 26, 2006
Contact: Michael Baum
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have demonstrated that they can cheaply, quickly and accurately identify even subnanogram amounts of weapon-grade plutonium and uranium. Their work was presented in September at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society.*
Worldwide, most nuclear facilities generate electricity or produce neutrons for peaceful research—but they also can create materials for nuclear weapons. International inspectors routinely tour such facilities, taking cloth wipe samples of equipment surfaces for forensic analysis of any potential weapon-grade materials in suspicious locations. In particular, they search for specific uranium or plutonium isotopes capable of setting off a nuclear explosion.
NIST chemists working at the NIST Center for Neutron Research have applied a highly sensitive technique called delayed neutron activation analysis to improve such efforts, the NIST and ORNL researchers report. The center includes a specially designed research neutron source, which bathes material samples with low-energy neutrons. Next, those samples rapidly go into a barrel-shaped instrument, embedded with neutron detectors, which precisely count the neutrons emitted over a short period of time. The neutron count acts as a unique signature of special nuclear material. In their study, the scientists used this technique to successfully identify trace amounts of uranium-235 and plutonium-239 in less than three minutes.
“We’re emphasizing the technique now because world events have made it more critical to detect traces of nuclear materials, which is technically very challenging,” says analytical chemist Richard Lindstrom, co-author of the ACS presentation. This tool also complements a variety of other sophisticated methods used by NIST researchers working on homeland security.
The low detection levels are due in part to the use of the NIST neutron source, which is particularly well designed for this task. The technique can detect weapon-grade material just four microns in diameter—less than a tenth the size of a human hair. The technique could be used to find subtle, lingering radioactive material in samples taken during inspection of trucks or cargo shipping containers, for instance. Beyond forensics, NIST uses the technique for measurements of isotopes in research and for industrial projects. The team is now working to automate the counting instrument and simplifying its operation for rapidly handling large batches of samples.
*R. M. Lindstrom, D.C. Glasgow and R.G. Downing. Trace fissile measurement by delayed neutron activation analysis at NIST. Presented at the 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., Sept 10, 2006. | <urn:uuid:59a24c5a-a6cd-4909-a226-4378a33517ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nist.gov/mml/csd/nuclear_102606.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91314 | 549 | 3.234375 | 3 |
GOOD on Standard and Poor’s for downgrading Greece’s bonds to junk status – the only question, as ever with ratings agencies, is why didn’t it act any sooner? The situation has been deteriorating by the day, despite repeated statements by the IMF and the EU that all would be taken care of. Once again, the credit rating agencies have been following, rather than leading, traders and investors.
But the real worry is that this whole sorry saga is too reminiscent of the early days of the sub-prime crisis for comfort, when (to UK eyes) slightly obscure US lenders started to go bust until eventually the whole system began to implode. Even when Bear Stearns was bailed out and taken over, most observers continued to downplay the extent and consequences of the crisis. With sovereign debt now clearly the new sub-prime, the fact that one can see a similar lack of urgency among many supposedly rational investors and commentators truly beggars belief. Bailout money from the IMF and EU will only buy time and help with cash flow; what matters is tackling levels of public spending that are out of synch with the size of economies.
Greece and Portugal may be small, relatively manageable fiscal basket-cases, though any default would hit Eurozone financial institutions badly – but many other, much more systemic issuers are also close to the danger zone, such as California and Spain. Britain and America are not there yet but as the Institute for Fiscal Studies confirmed yesterday all three UK political parties are hiding from the public the massive size of the fiscal tightening that will be required after the election. This is a scandal; and it confirms a phenomenon common to all fiscally-challenged nations: if you treat voters like children, and constantly promise them free money and handouts, don’t be shocked when they throw their toys out of the pram when cuts are forced upon them when economic reality becomes impossible to ignore any longer. That is what is happening now in Greece, with endless riots, demos and strikes; it is what is likely to happen in Britain when voters are finally told the truth by our supine, vote-craving political establishment.
Yet the difference between the sub-prime crisis and the sovereign crisis is that in almost all cases it is still not late to stave off disaster: large and credible cuts to public spending should do the trick. To their great credit, Lithuania and Ireland are two countries that have taken the plunge successfully over the past year or so.
One problem is that many less sensible nations assumed that they would be able to tap Germany as a lender of last resort. But its public is implacably opposed to bailing out the Greeks or anyone else; most Germans believe such a course of action would be illegal under the rules that set up the euro. They also rightly feel they have been conned: they reluctantly agreed to give up the Deutsche Mark, crippling their beloved, inflation-fighting Bundesbank but only after being assured they would never have to pay for more profligate countries. Eurosceptics warned that the promises the German public were made in the late 1990s were worthless; the Cassandras have been proved right. So it remains a real possibility that Germany will never agree to a bailout, even after its elections. Until Athens and Lisbon make real progress, investors should shun Greek and Portuguese government bonds like the plague. | <urn:uuid:0efefd79-414d-4fab-84b4-733e5a99d9ce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cityam.com/news-and-analysis/allister-heath/sovereign-disaster-looms-ever-closer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96844 | 692 | 1.5625 | 2 |
New York Roads - US 1
US 1 earns its freedom from I-95 at Exit 2B, and submits to the Cross Bronx Expressway in order to gain passage into New Jersey. Once upon a time, long long ago, US 1 went through Manhattan and used the Holland Tunnel.
In the background of the first photo is the Bronx River Parkway, and it's off the Parkway's southbound Exit 6 (which includes the Bronx Zoo!) that one would see the sign in the second photo. With 1 being the narrowest possible shield number, the superwide shield looks ludicrous, and that's why I present it proudly to you.
Old shields in the vicinity of the wide shields, at Fordham Road/Pelham Parkway. The other event that happens right here is that US 1 turns from Boston Rd. (northeast-southwest) onto Fordham (east-west) and jogs on over to Webster Ave., where the first non-header photo on this page can be found.
I'm hiding Interstate US1 right here where it belongs because if you scroll too quickly, you don't deserve to see what I hereby dub the best shield error ever. It beats the square shields of Tonawanda by just a tad. Gun Hill Road EB, and I compliment the contractor because he DID indeed provide a US 1 shield.
US 1 SB at the southern beginning of NY 22. 22 used to multiplex with US 1 toward New York City and then followed Park Avenue into the heart of Manhattan.
Now northbound, courtesy Doug Kerr.
The Westchester Avenue Bridge, a narrow four-lane viaduct over Pelham Bay immediately north of NY 22. I wish I knew where Westchester Avenue is.
Pardon my blur, but I'd rather not stop too long on a busy multilane arterial. SB and NB, respectively.
Old Pelham Manor street sign near I-95 Exit 15.
Old shields on NY 120 SB, but not as old as the white sign before them. Courtesy John Krakoff, it's "just off of US 1."
I wonder whether the I-287 was intended to be placed there or if it's an afterthought... trust my instincts, you say? Southbound.
Still southbound, this deserves a separate caption for being both old and oddly shaped.
Onto I-95 (with US 1)
Into NJ on US 1 (with US 9/46)
Into Connecticut on US 1
Onto the Bronx River Parkway
Onto NY 22
Onto the Hutchinson River Pkwy.
Into Westchester County
Back to NY Roads
Back to Roads | <urn:uuid:158181fb-637d-4177-a3da-26cbee97430b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/ny/us_1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932972 | 550 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Mac Dictionary defines it as:
mend (knitted material or a hole in this) by weaving yarn across the hole with a needle : I don’t expect you to darn my socks.
• embroider (material) with a large running stitch.
a place in a garment that has been mended in such a way.
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: perhaps from dialect dern [to hide,] which is from Old English diernan; compare with Middle Dutch dernen ‘stop holes in (a dike).’
darn 2 (also durn)
verb, adjective & exclamation informal
euphemism for damn : : [as v. ] darn it all, Poppa | [as adj. ] the darn things were expensive. | <urn:uuid:b19860ac-c799-43c0-bb83-fac452425525> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ruffpost.tumblr.com/post/29330281275/word-of-the-day | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922766 | 165 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Business Skills – Managing and Marketing
HELP DESK AND CALL CENTRE SKILLS
Home Inspection and Maintenance
Job Readiness-Employability Skills
Simulations and Drills-non-credit
HELP DESK AND CALL CENTRE SKILLS Courses
Help Desk and Call Centre Skills courses at Academy of Learning College are designed for individuals pursuing a career in this growing industry or for current professionals seeking to enhance their employability. Courses will provide an overview of industry history and trends, and identify opportunities for securing employment. Students will gain customer service training and problem solving techniques as they learn the tools and technologies common to this type of work.
A wide range of topics will prepare students for the many roles and responsibilities of Help Desk and Call Centre workers, both in becoming an effective team member and in relation to personal development. Students will have many opportunities to practice, apply and develop their communication, analytical and technical skills through the completion of hands-on tasks. Instructors with extensive business training will lead practical exercises and projects to familiarize students with the support centre environment, and essential sales and service skills.
Select a Help Desk and Call Centre Skills course from the list below to find out more information on lesson plans and admission prerequisites.
Course delivery and availability vary based on location.
- Accounting Graduate - Dharmendra's Story "It built my confidence to work in Canada."
- Healthcare Graduate - Josie's Story "Academy of Learning prepared me to work in the real world."
- Office Administration Graduate - Luz's Story "They created an incredible environment for students."
- Healthcare Graduate - Carolyn's Story "It's a very positive experience." | <urn:uuid:de3b6ad0-e8c3-4606-800c-f0174ba32611> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.academyoflearning.com/courses/help-desk-call-centre-skills/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902313 | 344 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Suppose, however, that God decided that the universe should finish up in a state of high order but that it didn’t matter what state it started in. At early times the universe would probably be in a disordered state. This would mean that disorder would decrease with time. You would see broken cups gathering themselves together and jumping back onto the table. However, any human beings who were observing the cups would be living in a universe in which disorder decreased with time. I shall argue that such beings would have a psychological arrow of time that was backward. That is, they would remember events in the future, and not remember events in their past. When the cup was broken, they would remember it being on the table, but when it was on the table, they would not remember it being on the floor.
It is rather difficult to talk about human memory because we don’t know how the brain works in detail. We do, however, know all about how computer memories work. I shall therefore discuss the psychological arrow of time for computers. I think it is reasonable to assume that the arrow for computers is the same as that for humans. If it were not, one could make a killing on the stock exchange by having a computer that would remember tomorrow’s prices! A computer memory is basically a device containing elements that can exist in either of two states. A simple example is an abacus. In its simplest form, this consists of a number of wires; on each wire there are a number of beads that can be put in one of two positions. Before an item is recorded in a computer’s memory, the memory is in a disordered state, with equal probabilities for the two possible states. (The abacus beads are scattered randomly on the wires of the abacus.) After the memory interacts with the system to be remembered, it will definitely be in one state or the other, according to the state of the system. (Each abacus bead will be at either the left or the right of the abacus wire.) So the memory has passed from a disordered state to an ordered one. However, in order to make sure that the memory is in the right state, it is necessary to use a certain amount of energy (to move the bead or to power the computer, for example). This energy is dissipated as heat, and increases the amount of disorder in the universe. One can show that this increase in disorder is always greater than the increase in the order of the memory itself. Thus the heat expelled by the computer’s cooling fan means that when a computer records an item in memory, the total amount of disorder in the universe still goes up. The direction of time in which a computer remembers the past is the same as that in which disorder increases.
But what would happen if and when the universe stopped expanding and began to contract? Would the thermodynamic arrow reverse and disorder begin to decrease with time? This would lead to all sorts of science-fiction-like possibilities for people who survived from the expanding to the contracting phase. Would they see broken cups gathering themselves together off the floor and jumping back onto the table? Would they be able to remember tomorrow’s prices and make a fortune on the stock market? It might seem a bit academic to worry about what will happen when the universe collapses again, as it will not start to contract for at least another ten thousand million years. But there is a quicker way to find out what will happen: jump into a black hole. The collapse of a star to form a black hole is rather like the later stages of the collapse of the whole universe. So if disorder were to decrease in the contracting phase of the universe, one might also expect it to decrease inside a black hole. So perhaps an astronaut who fell into a black hole would be able to make money at roulette by remembering where the ball went before he placed his bet. (Unfortunately, however, he would not have long to play before he was turned to spaghetti. Nor would he be able to let us know about the reversal of the thermodynamic arrow, or even bank his winnings, because he would be trapped behind the event horizon of the black hole.)
At first, I believed that disorder would decrease when the universe recollapsed. This was because I thought that the universe had to return to a smooth and ordered state when it became small again. This would mean that
the contracting phase would be like the time reverse of the expanding phase. People in the contracting phase would live their lives backward: they would die before they were born and get younger as the universe contracted. | <urn:uuid:5ac8e41f-fb3f-496c-9e0d-e531def19e72> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sgtr.wordpress.com/tag/a-brief-history-of-time/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978336 | 938 | 3.03125 | 3 |
From Tahrir Square to Wall Street, from Athens, Greece to Athens, Georgia, people in hundreds of cities around the world are occupying public spaces to demand change from governments and corporations.
Here we link you to the diverse voices of people worldwide who are standing up to those in power and taking control of their future.
Chris Hedges shares his feelings on where the Occupy movement has come from and where it is heading at the October 15, 2011 global day of action in Times Square, New York City, where tens of thousands of people were assembled. Click to watch now.
On November 2, 2011, US veterans marched alongside Occupy Wall Street to voice their support for the occupiers and the 99%. Click to watch now.
An animated interview with Occupy protester Christopher Smith. By Katrina Soo Hoo. Click to watch now.
|Occupy Wall Street - The Revolution is Love|
A clip from the community-funded feature documentary, Occupy Love. Directed by Ian Mackenzie. Click to watch now.
The US isn't broke; it's the richest country on the planet, and a country in which the richest amoung us are doing exceptionally well. But the truth is, the US economy is broken... Click to watch now.
An animated exploration of the inordinate power that corporations exercise in our democracy. From the people who brought you The Story of Stuff. Click to watch now.
(October 10, 2011 - Mary O'Reilly) "Ever since the Arab Spring, many people here have been pining for an American Autumn," says Charles Blow in the New York Times. "The closest we've gotten so far is Occupy Wall Street." For almost four weeks, Occupy Wall Street activists have gathered in Manhattan's financial district to protest corporate greed, corruption, and social and economic inequality,...(read more)
(May 27, 2012 - New America Media)
Thousands of university students took to the streets of Mexico City Wednesday demanding greater freedom of speech in the country and protesting the PRI’s possible return to power...
(May 27, 2012 - Occupy Wall Street)
Thank you; you are a little late to the party, and you are still missing the mark a lot of the time, but in the past few days, you have published some not entirely terrible articles and op-eds about what’s happening in Quebec right now. Welcome to our movement...
(May 23, 2012 - Wall Street Journal)
(April 26, 2012 - Mother Jones)
On the first of May, the Occupy Wall Street movement hopes to leverage the labor holiday known as May Day and muster enough people power to blockade the Golden Gate Bridge -- assuming, that is, that striking bridge workers take the lead...
(April 24, 2012 - Salon)
(April 23, 2012 - LA Times) A week before a scheduled May Day protest by Occupy movement demonstrators, Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan on Monday announced what he said were major reforms in department crowd-control tactics...
(April 20, 2012 - Occupy Wall St.)
(April 16, 2012 - Salon) I was reminded this weekend that it's still unclear what exactly Occupy Wall Street is -- or, more precisely, what does or does not count as part of "Occupy." Events in New York once again brought this to the fore for those organizing and agitating under...
(April 16, 2012 - Daily Kos) On May 1, 2012, two weeks from now, cities across the United States and elsewhere will see a new dimension of the Occupy movement: a general strike. Whether it achieves its ends -- and those vary from city to city -- depends...
(March 2, 2012 - Huffington Post)
(Nov. 11, 2011 - Huffington Post)
(January 6, 2011 - Huffington Post) "I wonder what Occupy Wall Street is going to do next..." So goes the refrain that punctuates many conversations about Occupy Wall Street today. The refrain marks a quiet... (read more)
What 19th Century Farmers Can Teach Occupiers About How to Keep Going (December 30, 2011) Not so long ago, Americans witnessed the beginning of a mass democratic uprising. Thousands of average people, disgusted by greedy elites and corporate control of... (read more)
(December 30, 2011) Noam Chomsky has advice for the Occupy movement, whose encampments all over the country are being swept away by police. The occupations were a "brilliant" idea, he says, but now it's time to "move on to the next stage.... (read more)
(This document was accepted by the NYC General Assembly on September 29, 2011) As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who... (read more)
(November 18, 2011 - Kansas City Star) Occupy Memphis member Mallory Pope had just finished telling a group of about 75 tea party followers Thursday night that politicians should not allow themselves to be influenced by lobbyists and unions when... (read more)
(November 10, 2011 - Yes! Magazine) Before the Occupy Wall Street movement, there was little discussion of the outsized power of Wall Street and the diminishing fortunes of the... (read more)
(November 10, 2011 - Rolling Stone) I have a confession to make. At first, I misunderstood Occupy Wall Street. The first few times I went down to Zuccotti Park, I came away with mixed feelings. I loved the energy and was amazed by the obvious organic appeal of... (read more)
(October 19, 2011 - The Guardian) Last night I was arrested in my home town, outside an event to which I had been invited, for standing lawfully on the sidewalk in an evening gown... (read more)
(October 19, 2011 - Huffington Post) From Washington, DC, to San Francisco, California, a thirst for dignity is driving protest and heralding social transformation. In every major city and countless... (read more)
(March/April 2011 - Mother Jones) A huge share of the nation's economic growth over the past 30 years has gone to the top one-hundredth of one percent, who now make an average of $27 million per household. The average... (read more)
(October 2011 - Business Insider) The "Occupy Wall Street" protests are gaining momentum, having spread from a small park in New York to marches to other cities across the country... (read more)
Join MomsRising in their open letter to mayors across the country -- including the mayors of New York City, Boston, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, and other cities -- urging them to allow the Occupy Wall Street participants to peaceably assemble.
Every day, MomsRising members fight for leaders to prioritize Main Street, not only Wall Street -- and the Occupy Wall Street movement is bringing more attention to these issues and must not be shut down... (read more)
TAKE ACTION WITH UNIVERSALGIVING | <urn:uuid:bc811116-6bc1-4902-b928-6aec12ace456> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linktv.org/occupy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947716 | 1,433 | 1.953125 | 2 |
Free treatment of amnesia
People with amnesia can be treated for free until all problems are solved in exchange for reporting about the progress of the treatment on the internet. Linda Evans developed NPL healing, a psychic distance therapy that can solve all kinds of problems in life that can’t be solved by other methods, neither complementary nor conventional. She wants to demonstrate the value of her therapy by way of example treatments. Also have a look at testimonies and other example treatments.
Amnesia and the subconscious mind
It is the view of NPL that the cause of lots of diseases, all problems related to personality, lack of talents, negative situations and circumstances in life find their origin in the subconscious mind. Linda Evans has psychic abilities and can perceive the subconscious mind. It is not located in the brain, but in and around the human body, often from a large distance. This subconscious mind contains lots of patterns responsible for all kinds of problems in life, such as, for example, amnesia. Linda Evans can remove these patterns from the subconscious mind from a distance, as a result of which the problems will disappear. Please read the free book ‘A new view on man, the subconscious mind and misery in the world’, written by Linda Evans in which she explains her view in great detail.
Causes of amnesia
Amnesia can have various causes. A disease such as Alzheimer / dementia, brain damage, medicines, can cause amnesia. However, amnesia occurs in most people as a byproduct of old age and it isn’t believed to have a real cause. However, Linda Evans found out that old age amnesia (just like amnesia due to Alzheimer and dementia), is the result of patterns in the subconscious mind and can consequently be remedied by NPL healing. When an external factor or a disease (with the exception of Alzheimer’s or dementia) is involved, the memory loss can’t be remedied with NPL healing. Amnesia can’t be cured by conventional medicine.
Quid pro quo for the free amnesia example treatment
In exchange for a free treatment of NPL healing, a certain effort of the person treated is required. A report of the changes in all kinds of areas in life as a result of NPL healing has to be made regularly in the course of the treatment. It is typical of NPL healing that not only the problem of memory loss (of whichever problem) is treated in an NPL treatment, but that all kinds of other patterns in the subconscious mind are broken down as well. Hence, various areas in life will progress in a positive way and/or existing problems will come to an end as a result. NPL can improve the following aspects of life: health and physical symptoms, personality, talents (including intelligence), events and circumstances.
The reports have to be made by means of a questionnaire. After the original description of the problems, this questionnaire has to be checked a few times a year in order to evaluate the progress of the treatment, both with regard to amnesia and to the above mentioned areas in life. In addition, a number of small films have to be made in which the changes are mentioned. The original problem description, the successive reports and the films will then be placed on the internet. The identity of the person treated is mentioned together with this, but it can be made sure that the treatment is not found by the search engines when entering the name of the person treated on the internet. | <urn:uuid:bcb81953-376b-40d4-8f4a-9f7fd8474d38> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newpersonalityandlife.com/bulimia/amnesia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953847 | 712 | 1.898438 | 2 |
The spy suit wars
A nation divided
Valley Justice Two United States District Court judges recently handed down decisions in high-profile cases involving wiretapping and alleged records aggregation on behalf of the National Security Agency (NSA). The suits were brought against AT&T by plaintiffs in the Northern District of California with the legal “expertise” of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and in the Northern District of Illinois with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU.) The suits allege that AT&T violated constitutional and statutory protections against the disclosure of private information by providing telephone communications and subscriber information to the federal government.
Now, we know what you’re thinking, but the EFF actually won this round. The judge for the Northern District of California decided that those plaintiffs’ case against the telecommunications juggernaut could continue for the time being, while the Illinois judge determined that the “state secrets” doctrine precluded the plaintiffs in that suit from prosecuting the litigation in its current form.
The state secrets doctrine is an evidentiary rule that prohibits disclosure of, well, state secrets. The revelation of those secrets must threaten national security for the rule to apply, and the rule usually bars an airing of military plans or, as in the present instance, espionage operations. (In other words, the clandestine diddling of interns doesn’t count.)
The doctrine was adopted early on in the U.S. legal system, and, like everything else in the States’ legal system, was copied from the English common law. Once it reared its ambiguous head, however, it languished in the realm of legal obscurity for a while – a leading case is still one involving an espionage contract from the Civil War – but has received more and more development as the military-industrial complex has encroached further and further into our lives. The first modern framing of the doctrine occurred in the early part of the Cold War, and it has since popped up in cases involving the Pentagon Papers, CIA contracts and military storehouses.
The state secrets doctrine received remarkably similar treatment by the courts in this instance, considering how flexible and subjective it is. The different outcomes resulted from differences in the claims that the plaintiffs presented to the courts. The California plaintiffs pleaded a wide range of constitutional and statutory violations stemming from both the interception of the content of telephone conversations and the alleged production of customer records; the Illinois case only contained a claim of a violation of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act as a result of the alleged transmission of customer records.
The details behind these current cases have already received a lot of press, including the technical particulars of the program provided by former AT&T employee Mark Klein. The court has sealed most of the documents that Klein obtained from AT&T, since the company claims that they contain proprietary and trade secret information. Statements made by Klein in public, however, describe rooms in AT&T’s San Francisco offices where employees whom the NSA interviewed for a “secret job” installed equipment. These rooms sat adjacent to the area where public phone calls were routed.
Klein also detailed how fiber optic light signals were diverted to a secret room which contained a Narus STA 6400, known for its abilities to search for patterns among large amounts of data.
These revelations seem to blow the state secrets doctrine out of the water, since the workings of the program have now been aired on a very public clothesline. But the California court was quick to note, that the press is not always accurate (the hell you say!), and that verification of accurate stories in the press is not always harmless to national security.
At issue is whether enemies of the U.S. could use the information gained through the lawsuits to decrease the likelihood of their discovery, thus increasing the chance of harm to the country. Verification of the program might lead enemies to avoid AT&T, while proof that it never existed might encourage them to use the company’s services. | <urn:uuid:c05f2af9-f836-4a8c-9ca0-e65fc056a974> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/28/att_wiretap_legal/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95615 | 806 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Posted on 17 February 2012.
At a public hearing last week, New York's education panel voted to close 18 schools. This makes 135 schools currently closed or slated for closure, including Jamaica High in Queens (pictured above) which was added to the list last year. Photo by JACKIE MADER
The New York City’s Panel for Education Policy voted to close 18 schools last week. Nearly 2000 people turned out, many in protest of the closings, at a meeting that has become an annual event at the Brooklyn Technical High School.
Posted in City Life, Education | <urn:uuid:4ce6b915-c0b5-4844-9eb3-fbc9dea602b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://uptownradio.org/tag/panel-for-education-policy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972612 | 117 | 1.59375 | 2 |
The picture wasn’t in the best of shape. Over time, it suffered cracks and folds, sun and chemicals not meant for old black-and-whites.
You suppose the people in the picture might be relatives; grandparents, maybe, or greats. They appear to be at a carnival, and though it might’ve been summertime, he’s dressed in a suit and she’s wearing a heavy dress with long sleeves.
They’re not smiling.
The picture makes you wonder what their lives were like. What were their worries, their joys? You wish you knew their story.
So why not try the next best thing? Read “A Century and Some Change” by Ann Nixon Cooper, with Karen Grigsby Bates.
Annie Lou Nixon was born Jan. 9, 1902 on a farm outside of Nashville. For many years, she was the baby of the family but she later got a chance to be a big sister when siblings arrived. She also took the chance to change her name—something that little Black girls very rarely did in the early 1900s.
Though Ann had an idyllic childhood filled with family and friends, her mother died when Ann was barely 11 years old. Because it was “common practice” to split large families between relatives, young Ann was sent to live with kin in Nashville. The move changed her life.
Aunt Joyce worked for a bank president, which allowed her to buy anything she wanted from any store, an important thing in Jim Crow times. Aunt Joyce had lots of fine things in her home, and the life she and Cousin Irene created for Ann was genteel and mannerly. Irene was a popular girl who loved to dance, and at such a dance, Ann met her husband, A.B. Cooper, whom she called “Daddy” once their children were born.
Following her husband south, the new Mrs. Cooper became a catalyst for social change. Well-known in Atlanta, she founded clubs, utilized contacts, and made strategic “suggestions” to improve life for the city’s Black population. She knew the Kings, Martin and Coretta. And in November of 2008, she made further news when Barack Obama mentioned that, at age 106, Ann Nixon Cooper voted for him the morning he was elected president.
Looking for something you can enjoy, then pass over to your teenagers and grandma to appreciate? This is that kind of book.
Reading “A Century and Some Change” is like being treated by an elder to a few hours’ worth of old stories. While a life well-lived has its ups, downs and losses, it wasn’t until I was done reading that I realized that the authors focused mainly on the positive, inspirational parts of Cooper’s life which made it a joy. If you just want a delightful, sweet book to read all by yourself, “A Century and Some Change” should definitely be in the picture.
(“A Century and Some Change” by Ann Nixon Cooper with Karen Grigsby Bates, c.2010, Atria Books $19.99, 213 pages.)
Digital Daily Signup
Sign up now for the New Pittsburgh Courier Digital Daily newsletter!
- Time to share the ‘truth’ about ‘timeshares’ (5)
- Community outraged over toddler’s shooting death, Rayco declares 'War' (1)
- Protecting Black Americans’ right to compete (2)
- Sergio Garcia will pay dearly for Tiger remarks (1)
- Detroit's emergency manager takes on critics in candid interview about city’s future (1) | <urn:uuid:4965eb0f-30bf-4447-98ca-9753fab63b6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com/index.php/entertainment/1737-cover-to-covera-century-and-some-change | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976397 | 772 | 2.3125 | 2 |
K-12 enrollment - approximately 245.
The Kelliher School facilitates continued cooperative efforts for the education of students of all ages. Combined pre-school programs with Early Childhood Family Education, Learning Readiness and Head Start collaborating for effective programming. The Library Media Center with Internet access available to students, staff, and community. Dedicated community hours are available evenings during the school year and summer months. An active Building Trades program which works with local agencies to renovate homes and build houses for community improvement. Active Committees, including Indian Education Advisory Committee, Title I School-wide Project Planning Committee, Systems Accountability Committee, Technology Committee, and Comprehensive Arts Planning Committee to help develop plans for the future related to school improvement, to evaluate current programs and to create school/community partnerships. Active Community Education programs which encourage school and community collaboration. An ongoing commitment to education on the part of the community. In 2008, Kelliher High School received a Bronze Medal in the U.S. News and World Report annual list of America's Best High Schools. | <urn:uuid:ce4c5fe1-dc33-4a85-a1fe-baa7ddd23bdf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kelliherschools.org/?PageName='AboutTheSchool' | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946142 | 210 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Wacom's pen tablet devices operating based on EMR® Technology have a number of features and advantages over rival methods such as resistive systems, etc.
Wacom's sensors are cheaper than resistive sensors, and their relative cost ratio becomes even lower as the size of the sensor increases. In addition, because they are constructed from simple parts, Wacom's electronic pens can be manufactured at low cost.
With EMR Technology, the sensor unit is installed behind the display screen. Because the sensor does not cover the front of the display, the quality and brightness of the displayed image are not compromised.
Thanks to EMR Technology, unlike resistive sensor systems that employ a low-transmission sensor in front of the display, products utilizing Wacom's sensors can be used without the need to raise the brightness level of the display screen's backlighting, so the product's overall power consumption can be reduced accordingly.
With EMR Technology, because the sensor unit is installed behind the display screen, it is not touched directly. As a result, the sensor's durability is extremely high. Moreover, in order to guard against damage to the display screen, a hard protective plate can be attached, which contributes to improving the reliability of the product as a whole.
Wacom's sensors boast high precision and high resolution, which together make it possible to detect even small hand-written letters. The sensor adeptly traces the movement of the human hand and reproduces such "human" elements as the feel, force and ambivalence of the pen tip. As a result, it is capable of realizing intuitive hand-written input.
Wacom's electronic pens can be equipped not just with coordination detection functions but also with a wide range of other functions such as writing pressure sensing, inclination angle detection, erasure, etc. Because these electronic pens can detect coordinates even when held in space at a location distant from the display, Wacom's sensors are capable of a unique operation called Flight Point® (detection of a pen that does not touch the display), which is impossible using a resistive sensor. Thanks to this feature, Wacom's electronic pens can be used with a variety of user interfaces such as Windows Tool Tip and the graphic application Airbrush, etc. Furthermore, a side switch to which functions can be freely allocated is optionally available.
Because Wacom's electronic pens are not battery-operated, they can be used without worry that the battery will run down during operation. Our pens are guaranteed to operate correctly for more than 10 million cycles without maintenance. Moreover, they can be made extremely light compared with battery-equipped pens, and it is also possible to make them highly resistant to drop impact damage.
Wacom's Penabled Technology ensures mutual compatibility between all our electronic pens, so it is possible to for users to change pens at any time. | <urn:uuid:4e12cb29-4469-4081-a53e-a7dd99ba0b1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wacom-components.com/english/technology/feature.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935599 | 586 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Local fishermen and environmental groups have been saying for years federal fisheries regulators have not adequately protected river herring, often caught as bycatch by large trawlers capable of scooping up hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish in a single tow.
Last week, a federal judge agreed the species needs more protection and ruled in favor of a lawsuit brought against the National Marine Fisheries Service by two Massachusetts fishermen and a Cambridge-based environmental group.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A mandatory commercial tagging program has been approved for striped bass fishing along the Atlantic coast.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission announced approval of the program Wednesday. The commission said it was developed after an investigation of illegal fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. The commission said 19 individuals and three corporations were fined more than $1.6 million for taking more than a million pounds of illegally caught fish.
The ASMFC said the program includes increasing penalties for illegally caught fish and improvements over previous tagging programs. States from Maine to Florida participate in the commission, which said all except Massachusetts and North Carolina must adopt the new program for the 2013 commercial fishing season. The two remaining states must implement their programs by the following year.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The New England Fishery Management Council and NMFS did not follow federal law in drawing up an update to the management plan for Atlantic sea herring in March 2011 and should have included river herring in the plan, U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler said in her decision issued in Washington, D.C.
She ordered the council and NMFS to include river herring in a new amendment to the fishery management plan and set a strict limit for the amount that could be caught.
Kessler ordered that new regulations also need to reduce the bycatch of river herring by sea herring boats, and new herring quotas currently being drawn up by the council must include a calculation of the biological role all herring play in the food chain.
The fish are a valuable link in the food chain converting the vast plant energy of plankton into protein consumed by whales and commercially important species such as cod, tuna, and swordfish.
The fisheries service and the council are to report to the court on their progress one month, six months and a year after the ruling. The court will retain jurisdiction in the interim.
The council and the NMFS put together a plan that "was not thoughtful about the needs of fishermen and the fish," said Rob Moir, the executive director of the Cambridge-based Ocean River Institute, a plaintiff along with Chatham charter boat captain Alan Hastbacka and Wareham recreational angler Michael Flaherty.
NMFS indicated Tuesday it does not intend to appeal the decision.
"We have already started working on meeting our obligations under the order and expect to be able to fully comply within the time frame set forth by the court. We will work with the New England Council to ensure that the order is complied with," spokeswoman Marjorie Mooney-Seus wrote in an email response Tuesday.
Both the lead attorney in the case and fisheries officials agree the decision could be precedent-setting. Roger Fleming, an attorney for the environmental organization Earthjustice, who argued the case, said NMSF and the fishery management councils will no longer be able to pick and choose which fish they put under the protection of a fishery management plan.
Fleming said if a threatened fish is routinely being caught as bycatch, it needs to be included in a management plan.
"The legal point is if the fish is caught in the fishery and needs conservation and management, then it needs to be included in a fishery management plan and be managed," Fleming said.
The lawsuit, filed in April 2011, addressed the fishery management plan known as Amendment 4 that had been issued a month earlier. It argued river herring should have been included as a managed stock, meaning the council would be required to set annual quotas capable of shutting down the fishery once those quotas were filled.
Instead, the council and NMFS wanted to regulate the amount of river herring caught through measures that attempted to cut back on how many were caught by mistake.
"The council felt it wasn't necessary to incorporate it as a managed stock. ... We thought we could manage it through bycatch," said Lori Steele, a New England council fishery analyst. If river herring were included as an officially managed species, regulators would have to make a stock assessment to get accurate population numbers, identify essential habitat areas and set an annual catch limit, Steele said.
"That was overwhelming ...," Steele said.
In June, the New England council updated its Atlantic sea herring management plan with Amendment 5, which did include protective measures for sea and river herring.
But that measure doesn't have enough teeth, Fleming said, noting many of its bycatch measures are voluntary. | <urn:uuid:63574fe7-cf54-4603-9ee3-ea2c9c8efb18> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120809/NEWS/208090325 | 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 | 0.974739 | 999 | 2.359375 | 2 |
In today’s market moving into smaller living spaces may cost more, according to Go Banking Rates, a national website that helps borrowers shop for favorable interest rates based on information provided by more than 4,000 U.S. banks and credit unions.
Data show a significant number of older homeowners may consider that option. A recent survey by the Demand Institute found more than 40% of Americans from the age of 50 to 64 plan to save money by moving to a smaller home within the next five years so they can save money.
Data also show nearly half of all U.S. households lack the safety net needed to weather a financial emergency.
Despite strong signs of economic recovery, according to the 2013 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard published by the Corporation for Enterprise Development, the percentage of households poor in liquid assets—defined as the total of cash, bank accounts and other interest-earning assets, and equity in stocks, mutual funds or retirement accounts excluding equity in real estate—edged up to 43.9% this year.
In 2012 the poverty threshold for a family of four is at less than $5,763. Up to 132.1 million people of different ages who are liquid asset poor “are living on the brink of financial disaster,” CFED said.
Homeowners, particularly empty nesters and retirees who are liquid asset poor, and believe that downsizing helps reduce mortgage loans and living costs may be up for an unpleasant surprise.
Certified public accountant Sally Herigstad argues that findings from the Go Banking Rates report show that “downsizing” can cost a homeowner even more money than if they do not move.
“Unless a homeowner can cut total expenses by 25% or more, they shouldn't bother,” she said. Since by the time selling costs, including commissions, moving expenses, plus the costs of buying or renting a new home and buying furniture to go with it are factored in, the homeowner will not have more savings in the bank. Also, challenges associated with selling a residential property and potential sale losses due to still weak housing values, these homeowners, “might even be farther behind.”
Additional expenses associated with selling a home and buying a new home today can include new fees that are detailed in the report, Go Banking Rates said.
“Downsizing in the traditional sense may not always be the answer," says Go Banking Rates managing editor, Casey Bond. Empty nesters and retirees who want to cut their cost of living may and should consider renting as a more affordable alternative, and in the end, the most important step is to "do the math," he added. | <urn:uuid:9760874d-83d2-4e42-ab77-a9bf942713f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/dailybriefing/seniors-find-home-downsizing-unaffordable-1034268-1.html?site=default_on | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959172 | 541 | 1.929688 | 2 |
The People’s Survival Fund (PSF), one of the world’s first local climate adaptation funds, has just been signed into law by Philippine Congress yesterday (June 6) – just under two years since Oxfam and partners began to lobby for its passage. Learn more: PSF Primer.
The PSF establishes a fund wholly dedicated to and directly accessible by communities to prepare for the impacts of climate change. This fund will be overseen by the government’s Climate Change Commission, and financed by both domestic and international sources. Local adaptation is becoming a necessary course as rich countries continue to wince from their obligation to compensate the world for causing the climate crisis.
Oxfam and partners, iCSC and Dakila kick-started the campaign – dubbed DEPENSA (defense) – for PSF in 2010, with the publication of a research on adaptation finance. This was followed by a series of public events, including a launch featuring a music album-cum-advocacy kit. The passage of the PSF law is remarkable; proposed measures are often put through the ringer in Congress, taking an average of ten years before their enactment.* | <urn:uuid:f2b6920a-9f8a-41c3-abc0-87ddee7ae374> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oxfamblogs.org/philippines/landmark-climate-preparedness-fund-passed-by-congress.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957146 | 239 | 2.4375 | 2 |