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There is a view that it is better to avoid studying philosophical works such as the Rambam's guide for the perplexed or the Shaar Yichud from Duties of the Heart. This is based on the idea that Emunah ...
What was the biblical name of the religion or faith Avraham belonged to? the word he used to distinguish his faith from other, pagan belief systems?
It was quoted to me once that the Torah is called a tzarah to a wife. In other words, just like the Torah calls a second wife to a man a "tzarah" (to the first wife) so too the Torah is a tzarah to a ...
Mishlei 24:21 "My son, fear the Lord and the king; do not mingle with dualists" source (1) please define "dualist" from the perspective of Judaism. If it is "someone who believes/practices dualism" ...
I am having difficulty in understand the meaning of Tzadik. Maimonides says "One whose merit surpasses his iniquity is a tzadik". I have trouble in understanding this sentence. Can someone explain the ...
My daughter came home from school with a textbook response for what "emunas chachomim" is. I disagreed strongly with what was written in the book, so I'm not even going to say what they said. ...
What do the terms קדוש (Kadosh), קדושים, קדושה, and קדיש really mean? | <urn:uuid:4d801853-8dd8-4c47-9766-70a8c5c2cbce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/hashkafah-philosophy+words | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963053 | 336 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Column: Spreading the real story of farming today - animal agricultureWORTHINGTON — Lately, there are many players in the food industry speaking out for, or against, certain production agriculture practices.
By: Matt Widboom, Worthington, Worthington Daily Globe
WORTHINGTON — Lately, there are many players in the food industry speaking out for, or against, certain production agriculture practices. While Domino’s recently stood up against Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) at a shareholders meeting, others like Burger King are working with HSUS to change their food purchasing habits. Seeing videos like Chipotle’s that misrepresent today’s farms as “factory farms” may leave many confused and frustrated. But the real story about agriculture is available. Farmers have the opportunity to move beyond a defensive posture to provide positive leadership in the local and national conversation on our food system. Farmers must be willing to open the farm gate, invite people to the table and have a conversation about our shared values and common priorities. It’s time to start working harder and more intentionally to find common ground and build the trust that can supersede regulations developed in a state of confusion.
As a farmer, I know we have an incredible responsibility, and we have stepped up to the plate in a big way. Animal agriculture has a strong presence in the Minnesota Economy. In fact, livestock production has a local multiplier effect of nearly $2 for every dollar of farm output. Not only do we produce food for a fast-growing world, but we do it in a way that is good for the environment, the animals, the community and consumers. Yes, Minnesota farmers have adopted advances in technology, and many of these have improved animal health and well-being.
According to a new Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council consumer survey, two thirds of people believe that Minnesota farmers take good care of their animals. And for the other one-third who don’t have the latest information — livestock farmers do give top priority to caring for their animals.
I raise corn, soybeans and beef cattle in Worthington, Minn. I see to it each day that my cattle are well cared for. We provide our cattle with shelter to protect them from the winter wind and summer heat. It also gives the cattle a clean, comfortable place to rest on bedding packs. Housing also makes breeding and birth less stressful, protects young animals, and makes it easier for farmers to care for both healthy and sick animals. The modern housing we use is ventilated, warm, well lit, clean and scientifically designed to meet each animal’s unique needs, including temperature, light, water and food.
I know that the work I put in every day translates into a higher quality meat production. A healthy and comfortable animal lives a better life, resulting in a healthier and safer product for consumers.
In that same survey, 70 percent of consumers said they are concerned about food safety and quality. Rest assured, Minnesota farmers and ranchers are required to meet high standards for heath of the animals and safety of the food supply. And we are happy to do so. Farmers work together with researchers, veterinarians, processors, governments and consumers to assure food safety.
I, along with many other Minnesota farmers, participate in voluntary quality assurance programs. We go above and beyond to create a safe and accommodating environment for our cattle during transport. We do this by following the industry guidelines of humane treatment. Farmers demonstrate their commitment to a safe product by taking part in these quality assurance programs.
With less than 2 percent of people directly related to production agriculture today, not everyone has the opportunity to see first-hand how we care for our animals and the land we call home. As a farmer, I believe our industry needs to be open about the entire process of farm to table.
We know that if consumers don’t believe farmers’ values are consistent with their own, they will be less supportive of farming practices and ask for more social control in the form of regulations and social mandates.
I encourage other farmers to reach out to consumers and share our stories. It is important that farmers work to be engaged in this important conversation. We must truly listen and acknowledge the other’s point of view, share what we know and believe and build trust in the reality of farming today. | <urn:uuid:a4d7bf7f-f0e0-43ab-97e6-d07075ae836b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/57103/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946825 | 895 | 2.25 | 2 |
Welcome to Millikin University’s School of Education Institutional Report for the purposes of NCATE initial accreditation. This Institutional Report describes how we meet each of the six NCATE standards. We are confident that the standards measure our effectiveness, according to the professional expectations of the nation’s teaching profession. Underlying the six standards is our conceptual framework, “The Journey Toward Excellence In Teaching and Learning”. We believe that this framework sets forth a vision of our unit and provides the necessary foundation to understand who we are. | <urn:uuid:6602c4ab-19c7-43c4-9d9b-ede6607738fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.millikin.edu/academics/cps/education/ncate/overview/Pages/default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902628 | 112 | 1.78125 | 2 |
I find the article written by Charles Chieppo and Jamie Gass of the Pioneer Institute (Dec. 26, The Sun) to be most disturbing.
It states that the commoncore national standards, adopted by the administration of Gov. Deval Patrick, have cut the amount of classic literature students will read by a whopping 60 percent -- to be replaced by what, documentaries and focus papers?
Teacher in Massachusetts should be rising up in opposition to this displaced and worrisome move.
As a mother, grandmother and former science teacher, I find this very troublesome.
If the classics are not taught in the schools, where will the noble ideas of justice and good works be found? How will the vocabulary of the student be enhanced if not by reading these great works of wisdom?
Surely, the natural inclination of the student to independently seek out these classics will be suffocated by the temptations of the instruments of technology that surround the youth of today.
The last paragraph of the article says it best where in A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is shown two destitute children. One is "Ignorance," the other is "Want." Scrooge is warned that the worst of the two is "Ignorance," for that, in Charles Dickens' words, is more damaging than "Want." In fact, he says ignorance foretells doom.
The people of Massachusetts, and the people of this great country, deserve better. They need enlightenment, not ignorance. I ask that Gov. Deval Patrick give serious | <urn:uuid:2745b404-fdfe-4758-8504-21f8627a4c7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lowellsun.com/kendallwallace/ci_22365637/keeping-classics-mass-classes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946756 | 310 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Solar-Powered Camera Strap Saves The Day
Images via Yanko Design
We've seen solar in strange places for gadgets, including directly embedded on gadgets like laptops and cell phones. That's not the most ideal location for solar power because it means leaving an electronic device in direct sunlight, which no owner really wants to do. Another alternative is solar cells sewn into clothing -- but even that can turn out badly, as some vests have shown us (though for a photographer, this vest could actually be really practical). That's why this camera strap concept is intriguing. It seems to be an ideal solution for an external charger that feeds energy directly into the gadget as you're using it. Designer Weng Jie came up with the solar camera strap, which any outdoor photographer would appreciate. With the great technology coming out for thinner, more flexible, more durable, and more efficient solar cells, putting them on a dSLR camera strap is both practical and would rack up a few "cool" points for the photographer. Plus, if you're a photographer hired to record an event, it can help ensure that you don't waste time switching or recharging batteries when you should be shooting away.
The only catch is that shooting outdoors in full sunlight, which is where this strap would be most effective, uses far less battery power than shooting indoors or in low-light situations. Still, it could make a lot of sense for some photographers who don't have back up batteries on them, or who are shutter-happy during festivals or events.
Having solar power on your camera to keep power trickling in to your batter can ensure you, ahem, save the day without having to panic over spare batteries. It doesn't look dorkey, like a solar-powered vest might, and it can be hanging out of a camera bag charging even when the camera is safely inside the bag and out of direct sunlight.
Seems like this is the kind of small-scale solar power application that makes a lot of sense.
Follow Jaymi on Twitter for more stories like this
More on Solar Power for Electronics
Solar Powered Eyes - Powering Electronic Contact Lenses and Retina with Sunlight
10 Strange Solar Powered Gadgets
Charge Your Gadgets with Small-Scale Renewable Energy | <urn:uuid:951927c4-0a14-4ccb-af57-c1d3aea56a90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.treehugger.com/solar-technology/solar-powered-camera-strap-saves-the-day.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95463 | 466 | 2.25 | 2 |
3-D printing is the wave of the future … and the first working gun has been printed.
Exactly what are the gun control people going to say and do about this? Interdicting the transfer of guns will simply not be an issue in the future.
And what about the use of guns? Think about it: we’re on the verge of being able to print a gun, use it once, and melt the evidence. The police are certainly not ready for that.
On the other hand, parts of the gun control lobby just want to slow people when they want to buy a gun because they’re hot-headed. Having stores that could print guns would actually self-enforce that.
Even worse, what if someone figures out a way to print ammunition? There would need to be some way to fill the shells with powder, but there are lots of gun enthusiasts who do that on their own already. But all of the regulations on “cop-killer” and other forms of exceptionally lethal ammo go right out the window.
Oh … and Europe … where centralizers have gotten rid of most of the guns? You are in for a wild ride.
My mind is boggled by this.
All of this is speculative. But the economics of gun production have changed dramatically. This has historically been an industry with huge fixed costs and low marginal costs: you make guns in factories, and if you make enough you can retail them pretty cheaply. Now, the fixed costs can be transferred to the individual at an affordable price, and the marginal costs of printing guns will plummet towards zero (the plastic is cheap, and the printing time factor will be improved by technology). Call me crazy, but this sounds a lot like the music industry in 1990.
Here’s a prediction: the biggest opponents of 3-D printing may be the gun companies.
Here’s another prediction: people uninterested in guns will start to have working plastic replicas of ones they like. That Luger from the movie you saw last weekend … it’s yours.
Here’s another prediction: there will be metal gun snobs around in a generation.
Via Carpe Diem. | <urn:uuid:9ff46092-42e8-44cb-af42-0477a2ddbda9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://voluntaryxchange.typepad.com/voluntaryxchange/2012/08/print-a-gun-and-the-future-of-gun-control.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955879 | 454 | 1.742188 | 2 |
The Dec. 14 Newtown tragedy is a clear example of why more gun laws won't work. The guns were used in Connecticut, with some of the strictest gun-control laws in the United States, and they met Connecticut's legal requirements for gun ownership.
While feel-good legislation is a politician's (distinct from a statesman's) knee-jerk reaction to a tragedy like this, the larger issues are ignored:
n Mentally ill individuals, for whatever reason, abound. The next disaster likely is already on the way, whether by the use of explosives (as Timothy McVeigh used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing), a knife, a gun, poison gas or whatever. The problem is not the killing device used, but the killer. We need to work on profiling potential killers and identifying methodology.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
Anything short of having a good guy on site is too late. By the time the Newtown police were notified and able to respond, the teachers and children had already been murdered, and the killer had died by his own hand. Time, therefore, is critical.
Gun-free zones are synonymous with killer-safe zones. It is a legalized safety guarantee to killers.
I believe large places of assembly, such as theaters, sports arenas and schools, need to have good guys there. Such venues can hire qualified people for that purpose; train and arm teachers; or do away with gun-free zones. They should use whatever works best case-by-case rather than a one-size-fits-all basis.
William J. Kloppenburg | <urn:uuid:494e3425-8061-4241-b4ae-0582ef198011> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2013/02/03/letters/696311.prt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964227 | 339 | 1.914063 | 2 |
If you read your email regularly using an Internet-enabled phone, you probably know that it's an experience that can swing from awesome to awful. While an email newsletter can look superb in the inbox, when squeezed onto a small screen, it can become absolutely unusable, with small fonts, narrow columns and broken layouts being common issues.
In this guide, we'll look at why designing for mobile has become a necessary skill for email designers, cover the fundamentals of designing and building a mobile-friendly email and back it all up with some neat tips and techniques. We'll assume you know a little about coding HTML for email, but if not, we've also got a couple of great guides to get you started.
If you send email newsletters, it's likely that a growing percentage of your subscribers are reading your messages on an iPhone, tablet or similar. When we last surveyed email client popularity in 2011, we found that almost 20% of email opens occurred on a mobile device, rising dramatically from a mere 4% of the market when we last ran the numbers in 2009. iOS devices accounted for over 90% of these reported opens.
What this means for designers is that getting your email newsletter to display optimally on mobile devices is just as important as ensuring it can be read in long-standing email clients like Outlook and Gmail. In fact, mobile email client usage is soon set to eclipse both that of webmail and desktop clients, meaning that providing a less-than-optimal reading experience on the small screen may not only inconvenience a few recipients, but eventually the majority. This could lead to diminished response rates, or as Return Path summarized in a recent report:
"...those that aren’t tracking which device their subscribers are reading their emails on, or optimizing their emails or websites for mobile devices stand to lose out. A poor user experience could mean no response, no action, or plainly put, no ROI."
— 'Email in Motion: How Mobile is Leading the Email Revolution', Return Path, 2011
In this guide, we’ll look at a couple of ways you can improve the mobile email experience, from the use of media queries when coding up responsive layouts, to more advanced techniques. We’ll also cover design considerations when planning your newsletter and even look at how to best cater your subscribe forms to smartphone users
A quick caveat first - the techniques listed here aren’t universally supported by all mobile email clients. As you may know, not all email clients were made equal - even on the same device, how an HTML email displays can vary radically from inbox to inbox. For example, while the default Android email client that appears on the Google Nexus is renowned for its superior CSS support, the Gmail client that also comes shipped with the handset ignores styles within the tags and can’t make head or tail of many run-of-the-mill CSS2 properties.
Thankfully, the iPhone and other Apple iOS devices can not only boast of near trouble-free email rendering, but also account for a large percentage of mobile email opens, too.
With this in mind, we present to you a non-exhaustive list of mobile email clients and their support for media queries. The skinny is that media query support enables you to use many of the responsive techniques which we'll be covering in this guide.
|Client||Media Query Support|
|Amazon Kindle Fire||Yes|
|Amazon Kindle Fire HD||Yes|
|Android 2.1 Eclair||No|
|Apple iPod Touch||Yes|
|BlackBerry OS 5||No|
|BlackBerry OS 6+||Yes|
|Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1||No|
|Microsoft Windows Phone 7||No|
|Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5||Yes|
|Microsoft Windows Phone 8||No|
|Palm Web OS 4.5||Yes|
|Client||Media Query Support|
|Microsoft Outlook Exchange 3rd party app (Android)||No|
|Gmail mobile app (all platforms)||No|
|Yahoo! Mail mobile app (all platforms)||No|
Sign up for free.
Then send campaigns for as little as $9/month | <urn:uuid:5a7b90c8-ff3d-4e68-a46d-ed68a2abf458> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.campaignmonitor.com/guides/mobile/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904087 | 862 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Chris Manning, Trilantic Capital Partners, New York City
Wildcatters discovered oil gushers to make their fortune beginning in the late 1800s by searching through rough terrain in the US Southwest and Appalachia. That same pioneering spirit is evident today, albeit it with much more sophisticated tools, as private-equity investors and "strategics" alike unearth opportunities in the domestic energy sector.
With the continued demand for homegrown energy sources and advancements in technology, there are plenty of investments to go around. In fact, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), infrastructure spending—just to get the supply from the source to the end user —could reach as high as $33 trillion by 2035.
Opportunities in 2013
As the United States strives for energy independence and is likely to become the largest hydrocarbon producer in the world by 2017, a number of trends across the energy spectrum are likely to drive continued capital investment over the coming years.
Upstream: Spending will be driven by the high number of drilling rigs in the country targeting economic oil and natural gas prospects. According to Baker Hughes Inc., there are currently a total of 1,664 rigs drilling for oil and 516 for gas in North America. There is a significant demand for drilling as companies are applying advanced drilling technologies, including horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, to both emerging and existing plays. Significant reserves remain economic at today's prices.
Midstream: Over the last several years, there have been many emerging plays in North America that are considered to be high production areas. Significant investments will be required in order to bring this production to market. Some of these include processing plants to separate liquids; pipelines for transportation of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; and additional natural gas export facilities.
Developing technologies: Investments such as natural gas-powered vehicles and infrastructure tied to fueling stations will be needed. Given US budgetary concerns, the vast majority of this funding will need to come from private sources.
Renewable energy investments: According to a recent Worldwatch Institute report on global investments in renewable energy, investments in renewable energy technologies rose steadily in 2011, with new investments in renewable power and fuels reaching $257 billion, compared with $220 billion in 2010. In the US, this is a major component of the White House's energy policy.
Capital always needed
In the United States, demand for energy clearly is growing and there are significant capital requirements necessary to finance these opportunities. Internal cash flow is an obvious source of funds, particularly for the major integrated oil companies and large independents. Capital markets are another obvious source for public companies but they are not always the best or most receptive option. The fact is, public companies require capital markets financings that may or may not be available. Equity markets today aren't friendly to E&P companies and many are unwilling to issue stock at today's prices. The debt market, however, is available for many at very attractive borrowing rates.
There will be capital needs beyond the sources mentioned above. Enter private equity, which has a huge role to play given the large number of dollars needed for this industry and the attractive returns that can be generated. In addition to growth capital for private companies or take-privates of public companies, private equity firms are providing capital to public companies using alternative structures, such as joint ventures or PIPEs. Private equity is also found buying family-owned businesses and helping management teams to grow them into even larger enterprises.
Private equity has played a big role in the oil and gas industry for some time now. According to Preqin, the alternative investment research firm, capital investments in energy being raised by private equity firms doubled in the past three years, to $33 billion. PricewaterhouseCoopers also showed that private equity oil and gas deal volume was also at a 20-year high during the first quarter of 2012, as the volume of M&A activity reached 11 transactions and a total deal value of $11.5 billion, a 267% increase in volume of activity compared to 2011. There's more: Private Equity Analyst reported that investors have committed $18 billion into upstream oil and gas companies since the beginning of 2011.
Industry analyst firm IHS Herold said that open market private equity deals in upstream oil and gas companies were around $4 billion from 2006-2010. The latest numbers show that it is now at $18 billion (from January 2011 through April 2012).
These aren't small transactions either. Research from Seattle-based PitchBook Data Inc. showed that in the second quarter for 2012 alone, private equity firms did 18 energy deals valued at $8.4 billion. This is compared with 34 transactions valued at a total of $10.9 billion in the second quarter of 2011. There were fewer deals in Q2 2012 but a significantly higher value.
From the big buyout funds to specialist energy funds to middle-market firms like Trilantic, the opportunities in energy are abundant. Some recent, large leveraged buyouts have been in this space, including KKR's acquisition of Samson Investment Co. for $7.2 billion and the Apollo-led group acquisition of El Paso Corporation's oil and natural gas exploration business for $7.2 billion. Further, Blackstone recently announced an investment of $2 billion in Houston-based Cheniere Energy Partners to go towards building a liquefied natural gas facility to export the fuel.
Demand versus supply
With money, opportunity, and interest – there's only one prediction. The demand for oil and gas is not slowing down any time soon, and both the goal of energy independence and the demand from emerging markets will continue to drive extensive investment opportunities.
Private equity will continue to be a vital capital provider to the energy industry and will work alongside strategic partners to finance discovery and production of hydrocarbons, as well as building the infrastructure needed to deliver it to end users.
About the author
Christopher ("Chris") Manning is a partner and member of the executive committee of Trilantic Capital Partners. His primary focus is on investments in the energy sector. Manning joined Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking in 2000 and was concurrently the head of Lehman Brothers' investment management division, including both the asset management and private equity businesses, in Asia-Pacific from 2006 to 2008. He was also a member of the global investment management division executive committee and the private equity division operating committee. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin. | <urn:uuid:a9b35caf-45bf-41a3-b2de-efb8f5e01c5d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ogfj.com/articles/print/volume-9/issue-12/features/2013-private-equity-outlook-trends-that-are.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955805 | 1,331 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Exactly as the title says. Tell me why being selfish is wrong.
I'm not of the opinion that a rational, considered self-interest is wrong. I think it's usually the best way to go. In fact, I would say it's kind of like our default setting, but I've seen quite a few people post recently about how being selfless is good. I disagree.
Why do you think that selflessness is good? Why do you think that selfishness is bad? Do you think it's the other way around? Or maybe neither is good nor bad?
That's an interesting way to think about it: a predator/prey relationship.
To continue the analogy, you're saying we should strive to be more like herbivores who can hold off a predator like an elephant or a triceratops?
I bring up 'predator/prey' relationships, because of a paper I wrote for a feminist theory class I took about 12 years ago. I was attempting to build a logic model for patriachy, and as I wrote the paper it appeared that the best model/metaphor could be 'predator/prey'.
Culture does seem to map behaviors to high ideals, and sacred images, but at core IMHO, we are, at times, hiding tooth and claw. Sometimes the vail of pretense becomes thin, and people can see the wizard behind. Present economic conditions and corporate attempts at 'personhood', could be examples. My personal ideals are painfully streached to breaking at times, but I keep a look out for something more, which can keep me from becoming excessively jaded.
Your examples of Elephant or Triceratops, are not bad examples. I think in some way the growth of cities was an attempt to build some fortifications to protect humans, which while smart, can be good eating for some creatures..;p(. Cities concentrating humans and their issues into higher densities, creates a context for different forms of relating.
Another issue that seemed to be implyed by thought resulting from the paper, were 'scale invarient' patterns or relating. Predator/Prey, codependency, cooperation, etc, while observed in nature, could appear at larger scales. Person to person, corporation to corporation, state to state, territory to territory, planet to planet, etc.
I had no solution for the moral/ethical issues that can plague our relationships, but becoming aware of our choices, and the results, might keep us balanced.
I like this--I believe you've correctly identified the optimum, which is to neither sacrifice yourselves to others... nor others to yourself.
The caricature of selfishness that exists today is the latter, sacrificing others to yourself. It is simply not the case that you have to either sacrifice yourself to others or others to yourself,
:) ooh this discussion is becoming quite fruitful, i like it
Selfishness that results in physical or pychological harm to oneself or other living things is manifestly wrong from a humanistic or societal point of view.
From the standpoint of biological evolution, it is neither right nor wrong morally, but usually promotes survival fitness.
To put it more succintly: no harm - no foul.
While the exact "hierarchy" can be debated the main ideas are pretty sound. My brother has taught me a term that I like and that is enlightened self-interest. As we progressively become more well-educated and if that in turn causes our wealth to increase then it becomes much easier to be less "selfish."
If you only take extreme examples like rich people being philanthropic or poor people being misanthropic because of their relative self-interests, then that is not a fair way to judge the real story. I don't like the extremes of calling something good/bad. That absolutist binary thinking is not how evolution or life works.
Matter and energy exist on a spectrum with degrees of activity being variable given their position in space and time with other factors involved. Since humans exist as part of the matter and energy of the universe, we also exist as part of a spectrum in terms of social interactions and existence. So yes, morality is relative to the position of the one with more or less power given their position at any given moment on the spectrum of society. I'm not arguing that this is a fixed hierarchal position because we know that it is not. Changes (evolution) are unavoidable. Yes this seems paradoxical but hey get used to that, life is one big paradoxical journey. :)
When judging whether something is moral or not, we always need to discover the source or person that is doing the judging before we can judge how they came to a conclusion about the selfishness of an act or not. So morality to me is very specific to the individual and that is mainly the reason why it is so hard for people to agree about it.
Objective morality so far has eluded objective measurement that works in every situation because variables(people) are always evolving. The main thing we need to focus on is how can we cause our morality to evolve in a positive direction and not worry so much about reaching a "perfect" destination at some impossible to reach greatness or goodness. My mother was a "perfectionist" and it literally destroyed her life and robbed her of enjoying and being the human she could have been.
The bottom line to me is that we do our best (learn to say "good enough") to be moral and happy given the variables and don't become dogmatic about some impossible levels of "virtue." Leave that kind of "hell" to the insane religiously fundamentalist thinking types of people. As always, I'm open to correction of my ideas because I'm happy to be proven wrong about anything. I try to always be the student and never claim to be a master. Only a masturbator. :) hahaha Gotcha!! I love being all serious and then as stupid as can be. It's great fun. :) hehehe
"My mother was a "perfectionist" and it literally destroyed her life and robbed her of enjoying and being the human she could have been. The bottom line to me is that we do our best (learn to say "good enough") to be moral..."
If great minds think alike, then you are in good company.
"The perfect is the enemy of the good." ~Voltaire
Sadly, 'good enough' can be the enemy of safe construction,,,;p)
Not meant as a criticism per se, but Maslow's hierarchy does lack strong empirical support. Of the need theories, Alderfer's ERG theory and McClelland's Need Theory have better support in research and are logical extensions of Maslow.
Right now I know of a woman that is too busy going through her things to feed the 2 children she is watching. One is hers the other is her boyfriends. She often stays up late watching netflix, then gorges on junkfood, or whatever she can find before she goes to sleep at 3am. She wakes up anywhere between 10am and 12noon and has to smoke before making the kids "breakfast". The boyfriend is at work but on some days is no better.
Selfless: 3 guys hear a screeching of tires. A mini van has stop and they hear a scream. They react. They save a woman in her early forties from a would be car jacker and known rapist. They never had/took the time to see what was in it for them. They had not time to weigh possible losses. End result: Woman is alright, the carjacker and convicted rapist is back in prison, and the 3 guys that just reacted -not a scratch. Oh and she sent us gift baskets.
In your first instance, I would not call that selfish behavior as much as self-destructive behavior. The way I see it is that any behavior that leads to a gluttonous or slothful lifestyle is not in one's self-interest. That sort of behavior leads to definite health risks down the line. Further, She sounds like the kind of person who doesn't take care of herself at all. If she was selfish rather than self-destructive, she would be working, living a healthy lifestyle, and trying to foster a healthy relationship with her boyfriend and her children. As it stands, she's just shooting herself in the foot.
For the second instance, I'll start out by saying that I in no way mean to demean the heroic action of those three men (I it take to mean by the inclusion of the word "us" that you were one of them), so if I happen to insult you, I sincerely apologize ahead of time as I have no intention of doing that. You say that no one took the time to see what was in it for them. A lot of heroic actions happen like that. There is no thinking there is just acting. If there is no thinking then it's really more a matter of instinct. If we act on instinct can we really say that action was somehow morally good? Can a reflex be good? Further, it was one attacker against three defenders. If it was the other way around (3 attackers and 1 defender) would the result have been the same? Might there have not been some hesitation and reconsideration?
I've done something similar, but to a lesser extent on a number of occasions. Mostly it was breaking up fights between strangers. (I'm always surprised how often people want to use violence to solve their problems!) I realized later after one of them, that I wasn't just doing because. There were a lot of thoughts racing through my head at once.
1. I didn't want anyone to be injured while I could do something about it.
2. I didn't want to potentially be embroiled in someone else's legal matter.
3. I didn't want potential harm to come to anyone I was with.
4. I wanted were I was to remain a safe place to visit.
5. I would want someone to do the same for me if someone was determined to beat me in the face.
6. I wanted the situation to end so I could go back to enjoying what I was doing.
My point is that even though stopping fights between strangers might seem like a selfless thing to do, my intentions were selfish. Either way the end result was the same.
Just this last weekend, I was driving down a country highway and noticed smoke across the road. I passed a house where a small fire in a drainage ditch had grown out of control because no one was attending it. I turned around and checked out the fire. It wasn't caused by accident, it had spread from a small pile of leaves to a 12'x12' area, and was starting to spread into a vacant lot between two houses that was full of dead leaves and brush just waiting to go up in flames. I informed the owner that the fire had spread. Needless to say, she was surprised. As I was leaving I called the fire department to get them out there as well. Now this all might seem selfless, but it wasn't. I did it because people's lives were in danger because of someone's ineptitude. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself knowing that my inaction led directly to someone's death. I called the fire department because I sincerely doubted the woman could put out the fire by herself and it was on the verge of spreading drastically. They would be the best chance for putting out the fire and they could fine her dumb ass for leaving a fire unattended. Lastly, I did it because I'd want someone to save my house with something as simple as a warning and a phone call.
Again another instance where a rational self-interest led to what would be considered "good" actions. Since you seem to be of the opinion that selfishness is "bad" (judging strictly from your post), given my examples can you say outright that it is?
In the first instant -the self destructive bit - the fact that she puts herself before the kids make it selfish.
The second instance put yourself in her shoes. then ask yourself if you would consider an instinctual reflex as "good". Your idea of "good" is narrowed to moral which changes from person to person. So if you only want to site moral there is no reason to have written in the first place.
Either way I have to agree with Umbra it is the social construct that defines them. | <urn:uuid:ecaa1cdc-bb67-4e0c-8376-5ecca3f6aef3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thinkatheist.com/forum/topics/tell-me-why-being-selfish-is-wrong?x=1&id=1982180%3ATopic%3A1217878&page=5 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980327 | 2,581 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Speaking of Copper Canyon Press, here's a great interview with Sam Hamill, the founder...
I've always liked Ezra Pound's famous comment, "Poetry is news that stays news." Poetry is a very large house with many rooms, closets, attics, basements, bedrooms and kitchens. For me, the practice of poetry is a way of life - as it was for many of the ancient Chinese and Japanese poets I have translated. For me, poetry is for re-reading, a world to be explored and revisited, a world that enriches the quality of one's life.
Read the full interview here at KearneyHub.com. | <urn:uuid:ab59f9f5-9a08-438c-830a-80e6e99be12a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ofkells.blogspot.com/2009/11/great-interview-with-sam-hamill.html?showComment=1258255946894 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972624 | 137 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Portugal’s pro-life march is picking up.
“There were between 2,500 to 3,000 at the march, more than at any march in the past,” reported Julie Rodrigues, an American of Portuguese ancestry now living in Lisbon.
Pictures of the May 19 march, officially named Caminhada pela Vida, show groups of people enthusiastically unified in their support of life. Two previous marches have been held.
Rodrigues noted the march started where the second-most abortions are done in the country — about 1,700 a year at a public hospital, Maternidade Alfredo da Costa — so they are funded by tax money.
The most abortions in the country occur at a multinational private clinic that receives money from taxes and carries out about 6,400 abortions a year.
To counteract the culture of death, the pro-life march chose to focus on positive things in Portugal, with the seven stages of life as the overall theme: conception, birth, childhood, adolescence, youth, adulthood and senior years.
“We want to mobilize Portugal for the value of human life, and we know how necessary it is to be aware of the inheritance we received from our parents and that we want to transmit to our children,” Rodrigues said, translating the mission from the website. “Looking towards the future with hope is a priority that needs to be announced joyfully while building a culture of life.”
March participant Alexandra Ferreira, who works for Aid to the Church in Need in Portugal, said the march “was a very enthusiastic manifestation of the value of human life” via email. “Children, people young in age or young in spirit walked along the avenues of Lisbon, showing how each phase is unique and should be valued.”
At the march, speakers also took the stage. Before the main organizer of the event, Sofia Guedes, shared some thoughts, one of the speakers was American Dr. Peter Colosi, who was in Portugal to give a conference about theology of the body at the Catholic University of Lisbon and to plan for the IV International Theology of the Body Symposium, which will be held in Fatima in 2013. He is a professor of philosophy and moral theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa.
"The March for Life in Portugal was great, and the people were full of joy,” Colosi shared via email. “I thought it was a sign of great hope for there to be so many people. I didn't even know that they had marches for life in Portugal."
The day after the march he went to an abortion business to meet the sidewalk counselors from Maos Erguidas. “There were five people praying and two women counseling,” he wrote. “They told me they had saved a baby that day."
Surely Portugal’s growing March for Life will save many more. | <urn:uuid:5f29b7c5-d5c7-4057-9c4e-244e3ad4ff82> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ncregister.com/blog/joseph-pronechen/pro-lifers-march-for-life-in-lisbon/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976921 | 616 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Every nail biter knows that it's a bad habit: you get bacteria from the environment into your mouth, age your hands, wear down your teeth, and generally end up feeling pretty bad about yourself and your willpower (or apparent lack thereof). But biting your nails isn't about pulling yourself up by your bootstraps for a lot of people. Instead, it's an automatic reaction that has to be overcome by other means, because will alone doesn't work when you don't notice you're doing something or have no other means of release. To help those of us for whom nail nibbling is all too natural, I've put together five smart tips that promise quick results — just keep reading.
- Stop punishing yourself. Since many nail-biters engage in the habit out of nervousness, anxiety, or during bouts of ruminative thinking, if you get down on yourself whenever you bite, you may only be making things worse. Also recognize that your nail-biting may be a signal that you need to take a break and get away from environmental stressors. So get up, go to the bathroom, grab something from the fridge, do whatever—but change your position and situation for a minute. And remember that you'll be fine.
- A lot of people bite when they're bored, which means that if you're this kind of nibbler, you need to develop a new, healthier way of distracting yourself. I have a friend who wears rubber bands around one of his wrists and plays with them whenever he gets the urge to bite, which is a pretty simple solution. Try playing more cell phone games or, if you can move around, go for a walk around the block.
- Get Solar nails or one of the other thick, hard acrylics. If you're a pathological biter, these things are so hard when they're put on correctly that they'll hurt you before you can crack them. They also make your mouth taste like gross chemicals, and if you're lucky you'll condition yourself to an aversion.
- Get a gorgeous manicure with bright, perfect polish. If your nails look nice, you'll be less likely to bite because you'll be more conscious of them. This is a better solution if you've been able to grow them out a little bit and want to keep your hard-earned white tips.
- Chew gum, suck on a lollipop, or keep a crispy, healthy snack like celery or carrots around. If you have something else to chew, you're probably not going to put your fingers in your mouth, and after several weeks you'll have begun to undo a lifetime of conditioning. | <urn:uuid:c3806584-074d-4cf5-b4f9-db9d7fd11971> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellasugar.com/How-Stop-Biting-Your-Nails-3603191 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971442 | 539 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Chocolate, like any other candy, makes you fat. That's such a basic and well-known fact that it's easily taken for granted... but it could be wrong. New research reveals that people who regularly eat chocolate are thinner than those who don't.
Top image: Shutterstock.com
That's the finding of UC San Diego researchers Beatrice Golomb, Sabrina Koperski, and Halbert White, who reported their findings in today's issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Their findings go against everything we think we know about chocolate — in part, because of the way chocolate has typically been consumed since Europeans first came into contact with it.
While indigenous Americans such as the Maya and Aztecs didn't add much to the cacao plant when harvesting it as chocolate, Europeans added sugar and milk - two items unknown in the Americas - to overcome the food's natural bitter taste and make it palatable. In doing so, what had been a staple part of the American diet for 2,500 years became a dessert for Europeans. Sweet chocolate — which includes both the dark and white varieties — has been seen as a fattening dessert ever since.
The thing is, there were good reasons why the original chocolate crop cacao had become such a vital part of diets of various ancient American cultures. It's connected with a bunch of potential health benefits — primarily as an antioxidant, thanks to the presence of a substance known as epicatechin. Chocolate's status as an antioxidant means it can help work against certain molecular chain reactions in the body's cells that, if unchecked, can cause cell decay and death.
Chocolate is also linked to modest reductions in blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, and other key metabolic functions. The problem with all this, naturally enough, is whether these potential health benefits are useful enough to make up for the weight gain associated with eating even modest amounts of chocolate. That's why this new study is so intriguing — that association between chocolate and weight gain may be a popular one, but it isn't necessarily a scientific one.
The UC San Diego researchers realized that body mass index (BMI) is affected by metabolism just as much as blood pressure or cholesterol levels are. As such, it was possible that chocolate consumption could help reduce the deposition of fat, effectively canceling out the very calories added when eating the chocolate in the first place. It may sound a bit like the logical equivalent of Möbius strip, or possibly a bit of nutritional ouroboros, but their data suggests that this is exactly what is happening.
The researchers enlisted 1018 men and women between the ages of 20 and 85 from the San Diego area, none of whom had any known history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or high cholesterol. They were asked how many times a week they consumed chocolate and their BMI was measured. They were also asked to list the frequency of other foods they ate and how often they exercised.
All the raw data suggested that the chocolate eaters should have the heftier BMI. They showed higher calorie intake, ate more saturated fats, and they didn't exercise any more than their non-chocolate counterparts. And yet, no matter how the researchers sliced or adjusted the data to account for potentially confounding variables like age, gender, physical activity, or anything else, chocolate consumption was always linked to a lower BMI. The people who ate chocolate were thinner than those who didn't.
The researchers write that it probably isn't simply the amount of calories that determines weight, but the character of those calories. We think of chocolate as full of empty calories, but they seem to have a serious impact on our bodies' metabolic functions, and those can be enough to offset the addition of all those calories in the first place.
That said, it should definitely be pointed out that this is hardly a universal law. The researchers are quick to point out that this effect may not hold true for all types of chocolate, all the ways in which people eat chocolate, or indeed all chocolate eaters. Not everyone is guaranteed these health benefits from eating chocolates, and for some it may really just be a quick road to weight gain.
Still, as lead researcher Beatrice Golomb puts it, this is "good news – both for those who have a regular chocolate habit, and those who may wish to start one." You know, I've never been less happy about the fact that I really don't like chocolate that much. Now, when scientists come out with the health benefits of Sweet Tarts, then we'll be talking. | <urn:uuid:f45e03f5-c631-44bd-b95c-df6ac4a3739e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://io9.com/5896567/eating-chocolate-could-actually-help-you-lose-weight | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974482 | 926 | 3.390625 | 3 |
Hi, I am relatively new to C and C++ (~2 months), having previously done all my programming in Object Pascal. My question is this: How does the linker know where to find object code for functions prototyped in header files?
In Object Pascal, the functions would either be DEFINED in a file, either in OP code, or in assembler (e.g. the writeln function, which outputs text to a console, is found in the writestr.asm file in the include directory), or the relevant DLL would be specified, e.g.
to include a function which is called whatever in somedll.dll and call it SomeFunction in the header file. However with C, there appears to be no such methodology. If I look at the header files, e.g. stdio.h, I just find lists and lists of prototypes, with no reference to object code.Code:function SomeFunction; external 'somedll.dll' name 'whatever';
My question arises because I am using a non-standard header file called conio.h. I use Dev-C++ and it provides a source file conio.c, but I have to compile it myself (to e.g. conio.o), and then pass the linker the path to the object code which I have compiled everytime I wish to run my program.
Now, there must be an easier way to do this. Surely the linker has some kind of search path where it looks for the object code, and surely SOMEWHERE there must BE object code for things like printf? And how does the compiler know for the functions in windows.h which DLL it has to look in to find, e.g. CreateWindow?
It would be helpful if someone could either help me on this or point me somewhere I could find more info, since the book I am using does not appear to cover it.
Thanks in advance, | <urn:uuid:dc5dcee7-941d-4374-a8bf-5bd586df6c17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cboard.cprogramming.com/c-programming/72567-finding-object-code.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91967 | 407 | 2.484375 | 2 |
A ‘smart bomb’ which simultaneously attacks cancers and boosts the immune system has been successfully tested by researchers.
The tiny hollow spheres become trapped in leaky tumour blood vessels, where they release an anti-cancer drug.
At the same time the spheres, whose scientific name is nanolipogels (NLGs), release a protein that rallies the body’s own defences.
Scientists tested the spheres in mice on melanoma skin cancer that had spread to the lungs.
They found tumour growth was significantly delayed and the survival of the mice increased.
The new technology overcomes a problem with cancer treatment that has been difficult to tackle using conventional therapies, say the scientists.
Cancer tumours are known to secrete chemicals that confuse the immune system.
But attempts to boost patient immunity while at the same time neutralising the cancer’s chemical arsenal rarely work.
The NLGs, described in the journal Nature Materials, package together two completely different kinds of molecule.
One is designed to overcome a potent cancer defence weapon known as TGF-beta, which stunts the local immune system.
The other, an interleukin signalling molecule, boosts immune system activity.
Researcher Dr Stephen Wrzesinski, from Yale University School of Medicine in the US, said: ‘We chose melanoma because it is the ‘poster child’ solid tumour for immunotherapy.
‘One problem with current metastatic (spreading) melanoma immunotherapies is the difficulty of managing autoimmune toxicities when the treatment agents are administered throughout the body.
‘The novel nanolipogel delivery system we used will hopefully bypass systemic toxicities while providing support to enable the body to fight off the tumour at the tumour bed itself.’
Each NLG is small enough to travel through the bloodstream, but large enough to get entrapped in leaky cancer blood vessels. Once trapped, they biodegrade to release their cargo. | <urn:uuid:051e33b7-fa45-452b-8212-1fbcc1cf20c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lancastria.net/blog/tag/interleukin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92306 | 410 | 2.71875 | 3 |
The problems of girls are numerous but with Hagar, Sarah, and Halah problems have different taste. Excessive obesity is the main and direct reason for the state of frustration they live. It may lead them to isolate from people and retire life after the failure of all methods of treatment and the multiple stages in changing their image to the better.
Does obesity hinder them from interacting with worldly matters in a better way, and on the top is study? What about the society's view to them, and would it affect negatively their feeling with the crisis?
To what extent can cosmetic surgery contribute to solve this problem especially after the numerous resulting problems. Do some people still see cosmetic surgery a perfect solution or it has become an impossible solution, especially its cost is not available to all people?
Questions are numerous and the following lines are just a try to approach the concerns of girls who were afflicted by obesity.
● Sarah, who is the most frustrated, asserts that she rarely goes to the university because of the students' looks that make her feel ashamed. On her part, she tried a lot to follow a special nutrition system at the hand of specialists but she has always failed to reach the required shape and size, especially after she had refused any cosmetic surgery such as: Liposuction, lap band, or something else.
● Hagar also has suffered a lot from people's looks: Sometimes pity or mockery looks intentionally or unintentionally. She always sensitive to receive the reactions of people around her, moreover excessive obesity hinders her from practicing academic activities. In short, obesity prevents her from living her age, the matter which makes her feel sad because she is prevented from practicing an important aspect of life.
● Halah is also frustrated and feels depression all the time, especially when she sees other girls wear clothes that manifest their beauty, however she has not much choices and that makes her frustrated and depressed.
The looks of people, especially their colleagues -as Halah, Hagar, and Sarah assert- are disturbing and embarrassing, but rather psychologically destructive, and many girls do not know that. When they mock at our obesity -which is out of our control because in most cases it is morbid and connected by some body hormones even if it is because of excessive eating- as Halah and her mates see, it is not permissible for anyone to mock at it, no matter what the reasons are.
Does heredity affect the increase of weight?
A question that was answered by Dr. Ahmad `Adel Nour Al Din, the professor of cosmetic surgery at the school of medicine at Cairo University, confirms that many distortions or fatty clusters are hereditary meaning that the number of cells in these zones which suffer from a fatty distortion is great, and this number is not due to the body but it is a hereditary disease; examples are many and scientifically proven.
The progress of age is one of these factors which cause obesity where the body automatically distributes fats inside the body and gives some muscles a large amount of fats because they have been atrophied and need to be replaced by new tissues that are able to store fats. This happens when the flexible tissues are reducing causing the skin to lose its flexibility and the fatty clusters show up clearly underneath.
At last, Dr. Ahmad indicates to the bad nutrition habits which ignore the balanced nutrition style which may contribute in increasing of weight.
Dreams in the air:
About the cosmetic surgery and whether it is able to solve the problem of obesity, Dr. Ahmad sees that a large number of the cases may subject to surgery because the desire of beautifying the body is quick and nutrition systems do not benefit with beautification, no matter how hard they are. He added that these surgeries are better to be done after weight loss (diet) where some of the bodily areas will be more fatty than others, hence the surgeon intervenes through liposuction.
As for girls who are the nicest of all creatures, they are not interested in such surgeries, especially after the multiple problems that happened to some of them, in addition to the very expensive costs. Moreover, the injection of thawing fats -the latest of scientific discoveries in this field- are not accepted to many of them because of many reasons as Sarah asserts according to her personal experience. These surgeries are not fit for all body spots and they are very expensive. One session, which its effect may not show up at once, may reach one thousand pounds for few millimeters and the body needs more than one session. There should be a period of 6 weeks between each session along with following a balanced nutrition system. Hence, there is no benefit of these sessions because it is part of illusion because the period is so long. So, if the body loses weight, it will be because of the diet not the injections.
As much as some people hate the fatness of their bodies, we see that others do not pay attention to it. This was confirmed by Salma, a student of education college, where she is coexistent with her fatness and she does not pay attention to the opinions of others. Moreover, she gave up diet ultimately because she has noticed little additional weight with every try along with subsequent depression. Therefore, she decided to reduce the amount of food along with her keenness to cancel dinner as much as she can and to reduce eating sweets. That diet had reasonable results, although she still suffers fatness, but she is no longer under psychological pressure.
Gawahir is also a fat girl who coexists with her shape. She says: Now, I deal easily with my condition because my shape became acceptable to others through my activity, vitality, and my ability to cope up with life and its activities.
Please write: COMMENT in this box to verify that you are human | <urn:uuid:0c800276-69a2-403e-a4c0-112d554835d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.alukah.net/Society_Reform/0/1068/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977823 | 1,174 | 1.921875 | 2 |
How to Maintain a Green, Eco-Friendly Apartment
Eco-friendly apartment living is beneficial to the well-being of the environment and to the financial well-being of a green activist. Environmentally conscious brands aim to deliver green-friendly products that can help save the planet while dramatically reducing energy costs for consumers. An eco-friendly makeover of an apartment can reduce monthly expenses, increase tenant health, and improve environmental conditions in the area.
Apartment upgrades that reduce the amount of environmentally damaging products are relatively easy to do and payoff with long-term benefits. One quick fix is replacing old incandescent light bulbs with efficient, fluorescent bulbs. Fluorescent light bulbs use around 75% less energy and can have a lifetime ten times that of standard incandescent models. Furthermore, by keeping indoor light usage to a minimum, tenants can dramatically reduce their electricity bill and save some serious cash.
Global warming may increase the temperature in certain geographies so many are forced to turn on their air conditioning to keep cool. To battle the heat in an eco-friendly way, residents can open their windows and use energy-efficient cooling fans that regulate interior temperatures at a low cost. If the apartment is still feeling stuffy, then find some interior plants that complement the décor of the unit. Vegetation in and around the apartment has numerous health and decorating benefits. For example, planting vegetable gardens is a smart way to save money and can improve dietary habits by steering individuals away from less-healthy snacks. Indoor plants, on the other hand, serve as natural air filters and help remove toxins from the air, providing clean air for residents to breathe.
Eco Friendly Apartment Communities
Leading by example, many San Francisco apartments have adopted a paper over plastic recycling strategy that aims to maximize paper bag usage and eliminate plastic bag use in communities all over California. Numerous other west coast areas are joining the fight to convert complexes to eco-friendly havens, like a group of Seattle apartments that store and use recycled rainwater to nourish grass and gardens located on the grounds.
More common eco-conscious practices that should be incorporated into everyday living are paper, aluminum, glass and plastic recycling. Recycling old liquid containers puts money in the pocket of environmental-minded individuals and contributes to a worthy cause. Empty ink and toner cartridges can earn a high payout when they are disposed of properly, and it is strongly recommended to dispose of all electronics at properly designated locations. Recycling is a win-win situation that benefits the wallet, the community and, most importantly, the environment.
Whether you are living in a busy metropolitan complex like Avalon at Bowery Place or a more rural area, there are easy fixes that can make your living quarters more eco-friendly. If you have suggestions to make your complex more green-friendly, than put a proposition together and discuss it with your apartment manager and fellow residents. Proactive approaches to eco-friendly living will improve living conditions for current residents and generations to come. | <urn:uuid:2e361d79-003e-403c-abf0-9de5cc1854c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apartment-living.avaloncommunities.com/green-living/eco-friendly-apartment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931711 | 613 | 2.328125 | 2 |
AIDS or Acquired immunodeficiency disease is caused by Human Immunodeficiency disease called HIV. The first case of AIDS was discovered in 1985. Since then many scientists and researcher have conducted HIV/AIDS research to know about the disease and how to prevent it.
The first and foremost HIV/AIDS research is based on development of HIV/AIDS vaccines. The research is moving at a slow but continued pace. The road to an effective vaccine on HIV/AIDS is difficult but researchers and scientists are continuing their studies to find out an elusive HIV vaccine. The HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report gives us information on HIV/AIDS in United States of America. The report include data by different states, case reports, metropolitan statistical area, case definition based on race, ethnicity, vital status, age group and sex. The report is published annually by the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention. The report shows that an estimated 1,039,000 to 1,185,000 persons are affected with HIV/AIDS in US with 24-27% are unaware or undiagnosed of their infection. HIV/AIDS Research in US shows that the highest rate of infected cases is from the age group 20 to 30.
HIV/AIDS Research shows 96% of the HIV/AIDS infected cases are from the developing countries mostly from sub-Saharan Africa. The countries of Sub-Saharan African countries are most affected to HIV/AIDS. Africa has an estimated population of 60 % HIV/AIDS infected. Almost 24.5 million people in Africa are infected with HIV/AIDS compared to 38.6 million worldwide. The death rates as in 2005 have been calculated to be 2 million in comparison to 2.8 million worldwide. ¾ of the affected are women and most of them have more than one partner.
HIV/AIDS Research shows that India is also heavily affected with HIV/AIDS, women being the worst affected because of their unequal status. Nearly 40% of the 5.2 million HIV/AIDS patient in Indian are women. Out of them almost 90%of women are thrown out of their houses even though 80%of them have got infected from their husbands and partners.
Browse through the following links of sitagita to know more about HIV/AIDS Research.
HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report
For more information on HIV/AIDS Research, visit www.sitagita. | <urn:uuid:fb460624-d099-40ab-8ac9-68b5a8536d30> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sitagita.com/hiv-aids/research/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961822 | 498 | 3.546875 | 4 |
In this medium-power view of kidney tubules, you can see
long, thin spaces (the tubules), lined by simple cuboidal epithelium.
Some of the tubules are cut in cross-section, giving them a circular
appearance. Contrast these circular structures (with a hollow center)
with the round glomeruli, which are larger, and are solid in the center
(shown in the next views). | <urn:uuid:b3f932b8-14c6-4a30-8d4d-e692748dc81a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cedarville.edu/personal/sullivan/histology/renal/renaltubules.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93163 | 90 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Part of Thermo Fisher Scientific
22 June 2011
The latest edition of Culture (Volume 32, No 1) is now available. The issue focuses on two important febrile diseases: dengue, one of the world’s deadliest mosquito-borne viral diseases, infecting approximately 50 million people in the tropical and subtropical regions each year, and Q fever, zoonotic illness caused by Coxiella burnetii that is normally rare, but recently caused a large outbreak in the Netherlands.
Dr. Byron Martina from the Department of Virology at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, provides an overview on the clinical course, pathogenesis and treatment of dengue. Incidences of dengue infection, which is transmitted by species of mosquito belonging to the Aedes genus, have increased dramatically in recent years. This has been compounded by the effects of changing demographics, urbanization, climate changes and an increase in travel, making it one of the most important emerging vector-borne diseases and an major global health concern. There is currently no specific treatment or vaccine against the dengue virus.
It is believed that the host response plays a critical role in the outcome of dengue virus infection. With no current specific treatment or vaccine yet available, Dr. Martina concludes that deciphering the host responses involved in the development of severe dengue will provide an important contribution to the development of new and effective intervention strategies.
In a review of Q fever in the Netherlands, authors R.J. Brooke and W. van der Hoek from the Netherland’s National Institute for Public Health and the Environment at Bilthoven, and P.M. Schneeberger from the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control at Jeroen Bosch Hospital in Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, describe a recent large outbreak of Q fever in the Netherlands from 2007 to 2009.
Caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii, Q fever is normally a rare zoonotic illness. In 2007, however, the number of cases in the Netherlands rose from around 12 cases per year to 178. The incidence continued to increase in 2008, when 1000 cases were reported, and in 2009, when more than 2,300 cases were reported. The annual peak of infections seemed to coincide with the lambing season, and the outbreak was linked to the recent rapid increase in goat farming in the Netherlands. After introducing a number of interventions in 2009, including mandatory hygiene measures, vaccination of goats and sheep and culling of pregnant animals in infected farms, incidence of Q fever dropped dramatically in 2010 to less than 500 cases. The authors believe that future research should focus on how infection is transmitted from animals to humans and on the impact of veterinary control measures.
Download a copy of Culture (Volume 32, No1) | <urn:uuid:5bb15218-f0d2-49e2-a561-bd8cfb4688ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oxoid.com/UK/blue/press/press.asp?art=Y&arch=Y&pRef=PR0387&c=UK&lang=EN&yr=2011 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928275 | 591 | 3.09375 | 3 |
THEY THINK YOU DON'T NOTICE. THEY DO IT RIGHT AFTER you turn away. But you see it. The dreaded eye roll—the ultimate body
language sign of irritation, annoyance, and discontent. Why has your trusty assistant or loyal receptionist resorted to this
behavior? And why haven't you noticed it before?
An eye roll may not be the only trouble sign. If your team truly is unhappy, you'll start to pick up on other clues. (See
"Don't Ignore These Signs" of this equine section for more.) It's time to take stock of the situation—quickly.
Taking stock: Do not ignore these signs
So here's the million-dollar question: Why is your team unhappy? First, take a look at the dynamic of the team:
- Do team members understand how you want them to do things?
- Does everyone know their role and how they contribute to the overall success of the practice?
- Do team members feel supported by the rest of the group?
- Do team members know what you expect of them?
- Do they know what co-workers expect of them?
- Do they understand the hierarchy in the practice?
- Do they know who the leaders are, who's there to support them in doing a good job, and who in turn relies on them?
- Do they know they're an important asset to the practice and that they're valued for the job they do?
All of these issues combine to determine the group dynamic. And if something happens to disrupt it, you'll feel the shift,
says Tracey O'Driscoll-Packer, a California-based equine management consultant. A first indication of trouble may appear as
either a sense of disengagement or as an increase in conflict among team members. Conflict can also develop between the team
and the leader.
The bottom line
Diagnose the problem
So you've noticed a change in the team dynamic. Now what? "Think about this as if it were a medical problem," O'Driscoll-Packer
says. "You want to diagnose the situation, create a treatment plan, monitor progress—through observation and participation—and
follow up with rechecks."
Before you approach your team, think about what has changed at your practice recently. For example, these changes can cause
Adding a new doctor or another layer of management.
Hiring somebody with a strong personality who changes the dynamic or splits the group.
Adding additional team members. When team members' duties are in concert it's easy for everyone to stay in the loop. If your team gets larger, sometimes
you split into departments with more specialized roles and suffer communication breakdowns.
Losing a key team member. Even if an employee doesn't hold a leadership title, a dramatic disruption can result if he or she set the tone or kept the
team in rhythm.
Adding to the workload. Perhaps your practice is short-staffed and you're actually noticing the signs of burnout. If employees are showing up late,
taking a lot of sick days, or more reluctant to cover each other's shifts, they may be experiencing fatigue. The bottom line:
Many factors can affect your team's dynamic. | <urn:uuid:2dae04d0-bef0-482b-8ab4-7d0941bb35df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://veterinarybusiness.dvm360.com/vetec/Veterinary+Equine/Your-bad-attitude-team/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/466848?contextCategoryId=10655 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937583 | 675 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Feb. 12, 2010 Drinking milk during pregnancy may help reduce your baby's chances of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) as an adult, according to a preliminary study released February 10 that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.
The study involved 35,794 nurses whose mothers completed a questionnaire in 2001 about their experiences and diet during pregnancy with their nurse-daughter. Of the nurses studied, 199 women developed MS over the 16-year study period.
Researchers found that the risk of MS was lower among women born to mothers with high milk or dietary vitamin D intake in pregnancy.
"The risk of MS among daughters whose mothers consumed four glasses of milk per day was 56 percent lower than daughters whose mothers consumed less than three glasses of milk per month," said Fariba Mirzaei, MD, with the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. "We also found the risk of MS among daughters whose mothers were in the top 20 percent of vitamin D intake during pregnancy was 45 percent lower than daughters whose mothers were in the bottom 20 percent for vitamin D intake during pregnancy."
"There is growing evidence that that vitamin D has an effect on MS. The results of this study suggest that this effect may begin in the womb," said Mirzaei.
Fortified milk, fatty fish such as salmon and exposure to sunlight are the most important sources of vitamin D.
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
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Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead. | <urn:uuid:7bad8cc3-3a2c-4171-b140-27c1d87643e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100209182345.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00025-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976652 | 339 | 2.640625 | 3 |
July 6, 2012
According to the theory of the six degrees of separation, she is connected to Albert Einstein, Cézanne, Eleanor Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, Frida Kahlo and President Ulysses S. Grant.
But who is Peggy Bacon?
Bacon (1895-1997) was a New York artist and talented caricaturist of celebrities and artists, however, her name is by no means well known. The Archives of American Art specialists, who created the “Six Degrees of Peggy Bacon” exhibit, do not expect people to know who Peggy Bacon is—in fact, that’s the point.
While the original concept of the six degrees of separation dates back to Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, who developed a radio telegraph system, the term became commonplace in 1990 when playwright John Guare debuted his production, “Six Degrees of Separation.” The play was based on the idea that no more than six acquaintances separate any two people.
Playing off the popular celebrity trivia game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” in which players try to prove that any actor or actress can be linked to Kevin Bacon in fewer than six steps of film roles, the “Six Degrees of Peggy Bacon” exhibit creators hoped to show how a relatively unknown but well-connected artist was linked through archival documents to many of art and society’s most influential people.
“We wanted it to be surprising,” says Mary Savig, the exhibit’s curator and an archives specialist at Archives of American Art. “We chose Peggy Bacon because we knew nobody would know who she is.”
On display June 27, 2012, through November 4, 2012, in the Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery at the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, demonstrates how artists inform and inspire each other. “They don’t just work alone in their studios,” Savig said.
The exhibit is also intended to demonstrate the “shrinking world theory.”
The advent of radio technology, telecommunications and most recently, social media, has vastly increased the connectedness among the world’s inhabitants. In fact, Savig says, a study conducted last year by Facebook and the University of Milan demonstrated that social media has reduced the average degree of relatedness between each person on Earth to a mere 4.74 degrees.
“These documents show exactly how people are personally connected,” Savig says, pointing to a layout of correspondence and photographs connecting Bacon to artists like Andy Warhol, Marcel Duchamp, Janice Lowry, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Archival letters and materials provide paper trails to document each of the connections in Bacon’s web of six degrees.
The incredible ability to present such detailed documentation stems from the concerns of former Director of the Detroit Institute of Art E.P. Richardson and art collector Lawrence A. Fleischman. Richardson and Fleischman founded the Archives in 1954 in Detroit as an effort to address the lack of archival material documenting American art and artists. The Archives of American Art became a part of the Smithsonian Institution in 1970, and today holds more than 16 million items in the world’s largest collection of primary resources relating to the history of American art.
The Archives’ fastidious documentation and research of their collection is what allowed for the success of “Six Degrees of Peggy Bacon.”
In fact, on the exhibit’s opening day, a member of the public was shocked to find her former babysitter incorporated into Bacon’s web of relatedness.
“The woman pointed to the picture of Mary Chapin Carpenter and said, ‘She used to babysit me,’” Savig explains. Carpenter, a folk and country music singer, is bubbled into Bacon’s web as a sixth-degree connection.
Carpenter is included on the web for her connection to Joseph Cornell, who was the inspiration for her 1996 song “Ideas Are Like Stars.” Cornell is connected to Ad Reinhardt for their shared Christmas Eve birthdays and the fact that both artists’ works were displayed in art dealer Peggy Guggenheim’s 1943 Collages exhibit. Reinhardt described in a memoir how in 1938 he listened to loud jazz music carrying through the walls of the neighboring studio to his, occupied by Stuart Davis. Davis was represented by art dealer Edith Halpert who represented his work at The Downtown Gallery for close to four decades. Halpert opened her gallery in 1926 at which time she displayed the works of Japanese-born Yasuo Kuniyoshi. And Kuniyoshi developed a friendship with Peggy Bacon while the two attended classes together at the Art Students League.
The visitor’s relationship with Carpenter drives home the entire point of the exhibit, Savig says. “We all really can connect to Bacon.”
June 14, 2011
I started work as an intern at Smithsonian magazine last week. My first assignment was to write a blog post on ballooning. My second was to dress myself up in designer jewelry. I think, so far, that I like this job.
The only downside is that the jewelry was of the digital variety. A new Facebook application from Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York City was created in honor of the museum’s exhibition, “Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels,” which explores 20th century jewelry design. It features about 350 breathtaking pieces of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry, ranging from watches to tiaras. The app allows users to choose photos from their profiles and virtually add a little (or a lot) of sparkle.
The first order of business was to try the app out for myself. Now, I’m normally not a big jewelry person. I don’t like shiny. I prefer woven bracelets to diamonds and I would choose a wooden charm over one of those Tiffany & Co. hearts any day. But I’m not going to say no when someone offers to let me try on a tiara.
So I did. I (virtually) tried on the tiara (formerly of the Princess Grace of Monaco, now of Intern Julie of Smithsonian.com), a gold necklace, some diamond earrings, a ruby brooch. Let’s be honest—I tried on almost every one of the 28 pieces of jewelry offered in my digital jewelry box. (They paid me to do this!) I didn’t take an official picture wearing any of it because I suspected the app would then post it to my wall and I would have died of embarrassment.
I did, however, consider subjecting some of my friends to such ridicule, since the app allowed me to adorn their photos with some pretty ostentatious bling. I resisted, but just barely.
My second task (even though that first one was so exhausting) was to call up the Cooper-Hewitt and interview the people who came up with the idea for the app.
“There are a lot of people nationwide who have been blogging about this show. and reading the press about it, and wanting to know more, but have not been able to visit,” said Caroline Baumann, associate director of the museum. “So this is a wonderful opportunity for those people to experience the show and have a little bit of play as well.”
Jennifer Northrop, director of communications and marketing at Cooper-Hewitt, was actually the one who came up with the idea for the app. She said that as you walk through the exhibition, you immediately want to try on every piece, and she wanted to somehow find a way to allow people to do that.
“Of course there’s no way we’re going to let people try on a Van Cleef & Arpels tiara,” Northrop said. “So the next step was really, how can we do this virtually? How can we have this experience shared by tons of people?”
By the way, Northrop said the tiara was her favorite piece too, match only by her affection for a gold and ruby necklace that resembles a very glamorous and very expensive zipper.
So although my vanity is denying you what I’m sure would be a very amusing official photo of me decked out in Van Cleef & Arpels, I will leave you with an awkward screenshot, with my poor younger brother in it because I couldn’t crop him out. Do you think the tiara’s too big? I’m not worried. I’m sure I’ll grow into it.
The “Set in Style: the Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels” exhibition is currently open and will be at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum through July 4.
October 13, 2010
Feather Forensics—Featured right now on the Smithsonian Science homepage is a video about identifying dead birds who have mostly been struck by airplanes, such as the Canada geese that brought a US Airways plane down into the Hudson River. The video is an interview with forensic ornithologist Carla Dove (no, that’s not her stage name), who talks about how she and her team can determine bird species just by closely examining their feathers.
Anthem Newsflash—The American History Museum’s Star-Spangled Banner exhibit is home to the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write a poem that would become the lyrics to the national anthem. So the question is, did Key intend for his poem to be a song when he wrote it in 1814? “Oh Say Can You See” reports that the historians at American History believe Key’s intention was to write a composition to be set to a melody.
Pheon Now Online—A few weeks ago, I reported on the launch of Pheon, the new alternate reality game at American Art. While we were all off on our holiday weekend, the museum launched the online version of Pheon, which can be played from the comfort of your own computer. The game currently has 21 beginner missions, seven of which are directly related to artworks in the museum’s collections. Don’t get too comfortable behind that screen, though, because most missions send you out into the real world. Go straight to the game’s Facebook app to get started (you must have a Facebook account to play).
Make Your Own Sketchbook—Featured this week on Eye Level are a few tips for making your own sketchbook, as offered by Katherine Rand, who taught the Luce Center of American Art’s latest drawing workshop. The Luce Center offers an ongoing drawing program, called Draw and Discover, where anyone from the public can come and not only practice their drawing skills but also learn nifty tidbits about sketchbooks, like what to use to bind your own book and what kind of paper holds up best.
March 31, 2009
I had to update my Facebook profile picture today. My hair no longer falls past my nose and I’ve got a new vest from Target. Plus, the last one was taken over two weeks ago. So much has changed in my life since then. As I look at the previous photograph, I don’t recognize myself. I’ve lost a bit of the cockiness I had felt at that moment.
Why do Facebook users choose to represent themselves the way they do? On good days, we post pictures of ourselves smiling, arms around the shoulders of our best friends or partners. On bad days, that smile is updated to become a vacant look, a simple acknowledgment that the camera is capturing our image.
Click!, an innovative new Website by the Smithsonian Photography Initiative, might answer that question. Photographs are powerful objects for change. They change who we are, what we remember, what we see, where we go, what we want and what we do, oftentimes in subtle ways.
Our Facebook portraits are like three-dimensional mirrors. Our image doesn’t just stare back at us—we now have the power to manipulate it. How many times have you struck a pose intended for your Facebook page? The photograph that the social media user posts is essentially an act of reflection. It says, “This is who I see myself to be.”
As that picture becomes public, that self-definition then becomes a shared conversation. The images are given additional meanings as our friends (and frenemies) inquire, “Are you ok…?”, compliment, “You look beautiful ”, or criticize, “You are ridiculous!” Our photos become items of analysis, further shaping our online identities.
Click! invites the public to consider and share how photographs have changed their lives. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this experiment will prove it. To contribute to Click! submit an image, along with a short essay on how that photo changed you, influenced you, inspired you, or reflects a broader social-historical trend. Whether that image is a Facebook profile picture, on old birthday snapshot, a portrait from the 1800s, proof that you didn’t deserve that parking ticket, or a close-up on the stars or a snowflake, it has significance. Click! leaves it up to contributors to find it.
Now, this isn’t LOLcats. It’s a Web 2.0 project with slightly higher standards, but the Click! staff will help shape your entry, sending back suggestions, and the best will be published on the site. The current content is already insightful and interesting, and is a great way to start thinking of ideas. To guide contributers, Click! also features themed submissions, such as March’s focus on Women’s History Month and an upcoming Astronomy theme.
The site had me thinking metaphysically about how I’ve come to regard the question: “Who am I?” Once a difficult subject, I can now just send people a link to my Facebook profile. The picture and information may be ever-changing, but at least it’s accurate moment to moment. It’s not much different from the yearly school or family portrait of decades past. What’s changed with the Web and digital technology is the frequency we can create and share these representations.
Wow, all this critiquing has me worn out. Guess it’s time to change my profile picture. I’ll try to smile this time. | <urn:uuid:d68bc0d7-8cae-47a5-a46e-37a96273506d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/aroundthemall/tag/facebook/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958435 | 3,049 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Black Torrington, DevonEdit This Page
From FamilySearch Wiki
TORR1NGTON, BLACK (St. Mary), a parish, in the union of Holswortuy, hundred of Black Torrington, Holsworthy and N. divisions of Devon, 6 miles (W. by N.) from Hatherleigh. There is a place of worship for Baptists.
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.
Contributor: Include here information for parish registers, Bishop’s Transcripts and other types of church records, such as parish chest records. Add the contact information for the office holding the original records. Add links to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection
Census records from 1841-1891 are available on film through a Family History Center or at the Family History Library. The first film number is 2413026. To view these census images online, they are available through the following websites for a fee ($) or free:
- FamilySearch has some of the British Censuses available.
- FindMyPast ($) has all available census records including images, and is free at Family History Centers and the Family History Library and some public and academic libraries.
- Ancestry.co.uk ($) has now all available census records but free at Family History Centers and the Family History Library and at numerous public and academic libraries. The library versions are known as AncestryInstitution.com.
- The Genealogist.co.uk ($) has all available censuses and is free at Family History Centers and the Family History Library and various other libraries.
- FreeCen is a UK census searches. It is not complete and individuals are always asked to consider helping out with transcriptions.
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Devon Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.
Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.
| This section requires expansion with:
any additional relevant sites that aren't mentioned above.
- ↑ Lewis, Samuel A., [A Topographical Dictionary of England] (1848), pp. 377-380. Date accessed: 13 August 2012.
- ↑ Roger Granville and W.E. Mugford, Abstracts of the Existing Transcripts of the Lost Parish-Registers of Devon, 1596-1644 (Exeter: William Pollard and Co. Ltd., 1908). Digitised by Internet Archive.
- This page was last modified on 16 May 2013, at 20:11.
- This page has been accessed 252 times.
New to the Research Wiki?
In the FamilySearch Research Wiki, you can learn how to do genealogical research or share your knowledge with others.Learn More | <urn:uuid:d4370888-7a75-479b-a372-7271c032a5a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Black_Torrington,_Devon | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917422 | 651 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Out of hours press enquiries, call 07918 195 238.
FOOT AND MOUTH - Animal Aid marches on NFU headquarters to demand apology for the foot and mouth catastrophe
Posted 8 May 2001
Why farmers must apologise:
From the very beginning of the foot and mouth (FMD) outbreak, many farmers been looking to cast the blame for the crisis on anyone but the animal 'production' industry itself, while making increasingly extreme demands for financial compensation, courtesy of the British and European taxpayer.
Whatever the specific causes of the 2001 FMD epidemic, it has been fuelled by modern systems of animal production, transportation, bartering and slaughter. That infectious disease flourishes within this environment is no accident. Salmonella, E coli, bovine TB, campylobacter, BSE, swine fever, foot and mouth... these recent outbreaks signal that industrialised farming is in a state of permanent crisis.
The first victims of these oppressive systems are the hundreds of millions of animals raised for slaughter every year in the UK. But the wider environment and the cultural and business life of Britain also pay a continuing heavy price.
Instead of shouldering responsibility for the ills it has caused, a number of farmers have sought to heap blame for FMD on such diverse targets as supermarkets, Brussels bureaucrats, Middle East terrorists, the Blair government, ramblers, foreign meat imports, 'bogus' asylum seekers and animal rights 'fanatics'.
Because the responsibility lies with many of the animal farmers themselves, Animal Aid, the UK's largest animal rights organisation, is today (Tuesday May 8, at 12 noon) marching to the National Farmers' Union headquarters (164 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2) to demand that the NFU makes a public apology on their behalf.
The NFU must apologise for:
- the suffering imposed upon the animal victims of the FMD cull
- the environmental damage and pollution linked to the use of thousands of litres of disinfectant and the burning and burying of huge numbers of animals
- the curtailment of people's freedom to enjoy the countryside
- the fortune paid out by taxpayers in compensation
- the heavy price paid by the tourist industry
- the tarnishing of Britain's standing and reputation in the world
At the NFU headquarters, the Animal Aid protesters - dressed in farmers' garb - will be displaying wads of cash representing the hand-outs farmers have received from taxpayers. And they will be carrying a banner and placards bearing the messages set out below.
A letter demanding an apology will be presented to the NFU, together with a copy of Animal Aid's 8-page Question & Answer guide to Foot and Mouth disease. This covers issues such as the compensation and subsidies paid to farmers; evidence relating to allegations of subsidy scams and illegal animal movements during the present crisis; background to the vaccination question; and Animal Aid's views on the FMD slaughter policy and how it has been carried out.
Following the NFU demo, Animal Aid's new shock video, Choose Life - Go Veggie, will be taken to the streets in central London so that the public - distressed by scenes of animals being ruthlessly killed and trashed under the FMD emergency measures - can see examples of the everyday animal suffering and chaos that are usually concealed behind the closed doors of farms and slaughterhouses. The film's soundtrack is by global music star, Moby. (Contact 01732 364 546 for details of where the film will be shown.)
Farmers have been seen weeping in public for the animal victims of the cull. But, says Animal Aid, the tears are not for the killed animals - farming is a killing business day-in-day-out. The farmers' tears are for the damage and disruption caused to their own businesses, notwithstanding the hundreds of millions of pounds in compensation they are receiving from British taxpayers.
Animal Aid's message is that foot and mouth is a logical consequence of a system of industrial farming that is massively cruel, oppressive and environmentally polluting. Producing meat for 60 million Britons can never be a smiley cottage industry.
In having the opportunity to witness the kind of brutal and incompetent treatment of farmed animals that is usually concealed from them, the public now see what they have been conditioned to accept as normal. They see what they are party to.
A great many people have, as a consequence, pledged to change to a humane diet. We celebrate that fact. To everybody else we say: please reject eating the dead bodies and secretions of animals and adopt a plant-based diet. It is the only civilised and sustainable way forward. That's the message Animal Aid - and thousands of other animal rights campaigners - have been carrying to the public by way of letters to newspapers, media statements, high street and supermarket leafleting, displays in libraries, community centres and health food shops around the country. The public is responding like never before.
The public is invited to call Animal Aid's Veggie Hotline for a colourful free recipe and information pack.
Veggie Hotline number: 01732 354 032. Or see our website.
Messages being carried to the NFU during the May 8, noon demo.
(Main banner message)
We've seen the light.
For the animal suffering
For sponging off taxpayers
For decimating tourism
For polluting the environment
For closing down the countryside
For blaming everyone else instead of taking responsibility
For pretending that killing animals isn't our living
Notes to Editors
- For more information contact Yvonne Taylor or Andrew Tyler on 01732 364546.
- We have an ISDN line for Broadcast-quality interviews. | <urn:uuid:884085d5-335c-45d5-9235-a852d493dde0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/NEWS/archive/ALL/77/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918825 | 1,167 | 1.953125 | 2 |
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
April 1, 1865.
Honorable SECRETARY OF WAR,
SIR: After my dispatch of last night I received a report from General Pickett, who, with three of his own brigades and two of General Johnson's, supported the cavalry under General Fitz Lee near Five Forks, on the road from Dinwiddie Court-House to the South Side road. After considerable difficulty, and meeting resistance from the enemy at all points, General Pickett forced his way to within less than a mile of Dinwiddie Court-House. By this time it was too dark for further operations, and General Pickett resolved to return to Five Forks to protect his communication with the railroad. He inflicted considerable damage upon the enemy and took some prisoners. His own loss was severe, including a good many officers. General Terry had his horse killed by a shell and was disabled himself. General Terry had his horse killed by a shell and was disabled himself. General Fitz Lee's and Rosser's divisions were heavily engaged, but their loss was slight. General W. H. F. Lee lost some valuable officers. General Pickett did not retire from the vicinity of Dinwiddie Court-House until early this morning, when, his left flank being threatened by a heavy force, he withdraw to Five Forks, where he took position with General W. H. F. Lee on he right, Fitz Lee and Rosser on his left, with Robert's brigade on the White Oak road connecting with General Anderson. The enemy attacked General Roberts with a large force of cavalry, and after being once repulsed finally drove him back across Hatcher's Run. A large force of infantry, believed to be the Fifth Corps, with other troops, turned General Pickett's left and drove him back on the White Oak road, separating him from General Fitz Lee, who was compelled to fall back across Hatcher's Run. General Pickett's present position is not known. General Fitz Lee reports that the enemy is massing his infantry heavily behind the cavalry in his front. The infantry that engaged General Anderson yesterday has moved from his front toward our right, and is supposed to participate in the operations above described. Prisoners have been taken to-day from the Twenty-fourth Corps, and it is believed that most of that corps is now south of the James. Our loss to-day is not known. A report from Staunton represents that the Eighth Corps passed over the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from the 20th to the 25th ultimo. General Hancock is at Harper's Ferry with 2,000 men. One division of the Nineteenth Corps is at Winchester, with about 1,000 cavalry. The infantry at Winchester have marching orders, and all these troops are said to be destined for General Grant's army.
The enemy is also reported to have withdrawn all his troops from Wolf Run Shoals and Fairfax Station, and to be concentrating them at Winchester.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. E. LEE,
HDQRS. CHIEF OF ARTILLERY, ARMY OF NORTHERN VA.,
April 1, 1865.
Brigadier General A. L. LONG,
Chester Station, Richmond and Petersburg Railroad:
GENERAL: Send Penick's and another of Poague's batteries to report to Colonel H. P. Jones as soon as practicable, bringing rations and forage | <urn:uuid:760610d7-77ac-447f-a021-81bcbcc83746> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/sources/recordView.cfm?Content=097/1371 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979514 | 713 | 1.671875 | 2 |
|About this Recording
8.572832 - PHILIPS, P.: Cantiones Sacrae Quinis et Octonibus Vocibus (Antwerp 1612 and 1613) (Sarum Consort, Mackay)
Peter Philips (1560/61–1628)
Although Peter Philips enjoyed great fame in his lifetime, and had more compositions published than any Englishman except William Byrd, we know frustratingly little about his life. The bare facts can be quickly sketched: probably born in London in 1560 or 1561, he sang as a boy at St Paul’s Cathedral and later may have been a pupil of Byrd. His earliest known composition is a keyboard pavan dated 1580. Two years later his Roman Catholic faith caused him to flee England and he found refuge in the English College in Rome. Under the patronage of Cardinal Farnese, Philips seems to have flourished; he acted as college organist, and was influenced by Anerio and Palestrina. In 1585 he entered the service of a prominent English nobleman, Lord Thomas Paget, who was another Catholic refugee, and for five years they travelled in Europe. After Paget’s death Philips settled in Antwerp, got married, and ‘mainteyned himself by teaching of children of the virginals, being very cunning thereon’. In 1593 he travelled to Amsterdam to visit a famous organist and composer there—undoubtedly Sweelinck, who complimented Philips by writing a set of variations on his 1580 pavan. On his return Philips received a shocking reminder of his refugee status: he was arrested, accused of complicity in a plot to assassinate Elizabeth I, taken to The Hague and thrown into prison. After an anxious wait for evidence to arrive from London, during which he composed a Pavan and Galliard Dolorosa, Philips was found to be innocent and released. He was back in Antwerp in time for Christmas.
In 1596 Philips published his first book of madrigals, and his fame began to spread more widely. The next year he was appointed by the Archduke Albert to be one of the three organists at the vice-regal chapel in Brussels, a post that he held until his death in 1628. During these years Philips’s colleagues at the royal chapel included some illustrious musicians, none more so than the English composer John Bull, whose ability at the virginals was legendary. He arrived in Antwerp in 1613, having fled England for a quite different reason—to escape a prosecution for ‘adultery and fornication’.
One cannot help wondering whether they hit it off, these two most renowned English keyboard players of their day. Peter Philips appears tall and thin with a pointed beard in the only portrait we have, and our best guess from the few facts we know about his life must be that like Byrd he was a serious, even austere figure; John Bull, the colourful virtuoso, must have been a very different person. Friends or not, they died in the same year, 1628, having greatly enhanced the reputation of English music abroad.
In modern times Philips’s reputation, like that of other Tudor composers including William Byrd, has benefited from the pioneering work of R.R. Terry at Westminster Cathedral. He rescued this lovely music from oblivion by editing some of the motets for Novello in the 1930s. His invaluable work was continued by various editors including Nicholas Steinitz, whose 1961–2 editions of the eight-part motets Ave Jesu Christe and Ecce vicit Leo were used for this disc. These two outstanding motets joined the cathedral repertoire in the last century and have already appeared on disc, but several of these motets are here recorded for the first time.
Peter Philips was a prolific composer of motets and madrigals and there is a substantial corpus of keyboard and other instrumental works as well. He published his collection of 69 five-part motets in 1612, and thirty eight-part motets in 1613; he also wrote a large number of motets for other combinations of voices and continuo. The Cantiones Sacrae Quinis Vocibus of 1612 and 1613 was Philips’s first major publication of sacred music. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, for the ‘confirmation and amplification of the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman faith, and the extirpation and confusion of Heresy and Heretics’. This seriousness of intent is underlined by Philips’s choice of texts: he shows a marked preference for setting words from liturgical sources such as antiphons and responds and hardly ever chooses freely from, for example, the Psalms, as earlier Renaissance composers so often did.
Philips was an Englishman, but his music is steeped in the continental style of the late Renaissance. He uses a wide range of textures, colours and styles, from old-fashioned polyphony to simple chordal writing, from pure academic canons to light-hearted, almost madrigalian word-painting. These techniques are not used merely to show off the composer’s skill, but rather to illustrate and comment on the text, which he invariably chooses with care and responds to with fervour. Whilst space does not permit a detailed discussion of each of the motets, it is hoped that the comments that follow will provide some indication of the range and subtlety of his art.
The joyful Easter anthem Christus resurgens is subtitled In festo Resurrectionis Domini and takes its text from an Easter Saturday Responsory. Philips characteristically word-paints resurgens and et resurrexit with rising notes; and mortuus est semel is given to the three lower parts, all of whom have descending phrases. A lively alleluia concludes the piece.
Disciplinam et sapientiam has perhaps a rather heavy and monastic sounding beginning (“The Lord has taught them knowledge and wisdom”), but it is immediately leavened by a lively alleluia, and gradually the piece turns into one of Philips’s most bubbly and extrovert motets. The final triple-time alleluia is given added interest by the cantus firmus-like second soprano line, around which the other four parts weave joyful polyphony.
Loquebantur variis linguis describes the moment when the Apostles spoke in tongues to the multitude. A comparison with Thomas Tallis’s setting of the same text is instructive; while the Tallis is almost breathless with awe at the miracle, the Philips is much more understated, to the extent that the lively and syncopated alleluia comes as a surprise when it suddenly breaks out in the second soprano part.
The text Ne reminiscaris, Domine is familiar in English because of Henry Purcell’s celebrated setting Remember not, Lord, our offences. When Philips wishes to be meditative he generally abandons his usual polyphony in favour of slow-moving chordal writing, and this is the case at the start of this motet. This section is unexpectedly followed by a triple-time ‘Parce Domine’—the rhythm here being used for extra expressivity rather than to express joy—which includes a remarkable echo effect between the two top parts. The fine last section includes a typically plangent cadence with the treble parts rising and falling in thirds on ‘sanguine tuo’.
Gabriel Angelus apparuit contains one of Philips’ favourite devices; it is of the format ABCBD where D is the final alleluia section; in other words, he repeats section B ‘et multi in nativitate eius gaudebunt’in such a way that the second time it goes straight into the alleluias, producing an effect of energy and momentum.
Viæ Sion lugent, another text which is well known in both Latin and English (The ways of Zion do mourn), employs a canon between the upper two voices ad supertonum—that is, with the top line imitating the second two and a half bars later and a tone higher. This device produces a feeling of constantly rising pitch and emotional intensity, and enables Philips to paint the desperation in the text to great effect.
Ave Jesu Christe, the first of the eight part works featured on this disc, is one of only a few of Philips’s motets which are already in the repertoire. Justly admired, it matches one choir against the other in polyphony of great subtlety, each initial lead emerging from the sound of the other choir to magical effect. Philips uses the full eight parts only sparingly where the text invites extra colour, for example for ‘fons pietatis’, for ‘te rogamus’, and in the wonderful final cadence.
Philips’s setting of the Pater noster contrasts with the majority of his five-part motets, which are scored for SSATB with two equal top parts, with its single rather low soprano part and its extra baritone voice. By comparison with the others, the motet lacks drama; but this is perhaps an inevitable consequence of setting this text, and what it lacks in excitement it makes up for in richness of tone and the effortless smoothness of the contrapuntal movement, as Philips skilfully weaves the short phrases of the text into a coherent whole.
Philips’s celebration of Beata Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, takes its text from the Magnificat Antiphon at Vespers. Its passionate text gives him every opportunity for the word-painting at which he excels, from the dramatic opening (‘Blessed Agnes, in the midst of the flames, prayed with extended hands’) through the threats of the sacrilegious tyrant and the vileness of the flesh to the extraordinary yearning of her final rhetorical flourish (‘I come to you whom I have loved, whom I have sought, whom I have always longed for’).
Elegerunt apostoli is another example of the format particularly favoured by Philips, where the piece falls naturally into sections because of a quotation in the text; here, after an introduction vividly setting the scene (‘While the Jews stoned him...’), Stephen’s words are quoted, beginning with simple homophony (‘Domine Jesu, accipe spiritum meum’) and expanding into a meditative alleluia reminiscent of that in Philips’s celebrated motet O Crux splendidior.
Media vita is a familiar and powerful Lenten text which is in fact part of an antiphon from the service of Compline. The piece gains a meditative colour from the relatively low SATTB voices, and begins gently, but soon builds to a climax at the words ‘Sancte Deus, sancte fortis’.
The eight-part Ave Regina caelorum shows off Philips’s extraordinarily felicitous writing for two choirs. As in Ave Jesu Christe, he weaves one choir’s leads into the texture of the other with a subtlety which is far removed from the simple dialogue of the Italian polychoral style.
The text Ave gratia plena is composed specifically to celebrate St Anne, mother of Mary. The words are an early equivalent of those quaint nineteenth-century hymns dashed off by headmaster priests celebrating obscure festivals. As usual, Philips crafts a wonderful motet from the relatively quotidian material, and includes some particularly felicitous writing for the two sopranos.
The double choir motet Ecce vicit Leo is justly famous for its dramatic, trumpet-like initial phrases, the smoothly contrasting ‘Dignus est Agnus’, the lively interplay between the two choirs (‘accipere virtutem…’), and the resonant final alleluia.
In the short motet Ne timeas, Maria Mary is encouraged not to be afraid by the soft entry of the voices, one by one. The other notable point here is that Philips avoids the obvious when word-painting ‘Altissimi Filius’; rather than progressively rising, the phrases descend from the highest point, perhaps suggesting the relationship of father and son.
The short celebratory Gaude Maria virgo is delightfully dedicated In Festo S. Mariae ad Nives—for the Feast of Our Lady of the Snow. The text is an antiphon to Psalm 95, to which Philips adds a characteristically fine alleluia.
Virgo prudentissima is to be regarded as the secunda pars of the preceding motet; however, this more extended work uses a different text, a Magnificat antiphon based on the Song of Songs 6:10. Philips responds to the rapture in the words with an extended melismatic passage which is as near to openly emotional as this composer allows.
In Cum jucunditate the Birthday of Our Lady is celebrated with the tripla rhythms characteristic of Philips expressing great joy, and is full of lively running figures on the word ‘celebremus’. The absence of an alleluia or a noë is the major clue that it is not one of the Christmas motets that it so closely resembles.
Salve Regina and Eia ergo are the prima and secunda pars of a Marian antiphon. This well-known text gives the composer a wealth of opportunities to show off a wide palette of expression; ‘Te suspiramus’is set with a Monteverdian hiatus, whilst the final ‘O clemens: O pia: O dulcis Virgo Maria’draws forth some of the tenderest phrases that Philips ever wrote.
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Highways: Lines On The Palm
Or Tattoos Of Dictatorship ?
By Vandana Shiva
17 March, 2004
have become contemporary India's distorted identity. They are at the
heart of the "India Shining" imagery.
Prime Minister Vajpayee
has been quoted as saying that:
Roads are like
the lines on the palm. There is a line of destiny which is going to
join Srinagar to Kanyakumari. We want to see that day when we start
from Kanyakumari and reach Srinagar with ease.
The redefining of
India is a forgetting of Bharat. The writing of our fate in cement is
an unwriting of the fate of our soil, our land and our ecology. In India,
we have viewed our mountains and rivers as the "lines of the palm".
They are an intrinsic part of the ecology and geography of our m other
land. They are our givens and our givers.
Highways are not
lines on the palm, they are more like tattoos -- black marks imposed
by external design on the landscape - a design that is centralising
and excluding, a design used by Hitler to control Germany's destiny
in another period. The violence of this externally imposed design is
symbolised in the murder of an engineer, Dubey, who tried to expose
the corruption in highway contracts and shaped by the World Bank and
IMF in our times. We have been intimately connected to our land, our
rivers, our mountains. The earth has shaped our destiny. And through
this connection, we have also been connected as a civilisation - from
Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
The sources of the
tributaries of the Ganges are the "Char Dhams" -- people across
the country undertake the pilgrimage to the Himalaya and Yamunotri,
Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. It did not need a highway to bring
the people of the South to this pilgrimage -- it needed the sacred bond
with our mountains and rivers. And in fact the pilgrimage had value
because it was undertaken on foot. India has celebrated the "Padyatra"
(the foot march). Gandhi's Dandi March was a Padyatra. Chipko spread
in the High Himalayas through Padyatras. Even today thousands walk to
take Gangajal home for Shivrathri as "Kavadias". Most women
in rural India walk on foot to collect fodder, fuel and water. This
walk will increase as more trees are cut, less water renews our wells
and streams because the cement and tarcoal of highways covers our soils
and strangulates recharge.
in our imagination of our sacred rivers with highways, of our connection
to the sacred earth her mountains and forests with connection through
automobiles, cement and tarcoal, is rewriting India's ecology, culture,
history and distinctiveness and adopting an obsolete outmoded, unsustainable
model of development from the west with its high social and environmental
Tagore had reminded
us that India is distinctive because it is an "Aranya Sanskriti".
It derives its inspiration from the forest and the living world, unlike
the west which derives its cultural characteristics from dead brick
And Gandhi stated
seeks to increase bodily comforts, and it fails miserably even in doing
This civilisation is such that one has only to be patient and
it will be self-destroyed
there is no end to the victims destroyed
in the fire of (this) civilisation. Its deadly effect is that people
come under its scorching flames believing it to be all good.
It is a charge against
India that her people are so uncivilised, ignorant and stolid, that
is a charge really against our strength. What we have tested and found
true on the anvil of experience, we dare not change. Many thrust their
advice upon India, but she remains steady. This is her beauty, it is
the sheet anchor of our hope.
distinctiveness of leaving a small ecological footprint on the planet
is being erased in a race to become like the industrialised west --
usurping the ecological space of other beings, of tribal and rural communities
and the urban poor.
and the automobile is the ultimate cultural symbol of non-sustainability
and ecological exclusion.
Our roads had place
for the cow, the horse, the camel, the elephant, the car. We are now
privileging the car owner. Delhi has announced that by the end of 2004,
Delhi's roads will be "cow free". Earlier they were made "cycle
The Highway and
Automobile culture are symbols of totalitarian cultures which deny people
more sustainable and equitable alternatives for mobility and transport.
To go from Kanyakumari
to Kashmir, India has the biggest network of railways. Yet the advertisements
of the Highway projects talk as if the absence of super highways imply
that there is no mobility for the people of India. Our leaders are blind
to the experience that the west has had in giving up more sustainable
and people friendly transport alternatives for road transport. Road
transport accounts for 91% air pollution, 64% noise pollution, 91% land
coverage, 56% of construction and maintenance, 98% accidents in Germany.
Road transport is
8 times more polluting, 10 times more land destroying, and 20 times
more accident prone than rail transport. Road transport accounts for
17% of al CO2 pollution which is leading to climate instability. Please
see figure 2. All these externalities are known. Yet India's rulers
are choosing the most obsolete, crude costly form of transport as a
symbol of "India Shining".
(Road) was part of the BJP's election slogan in the assembly elections.
Given the number of Highway Advertisements in the lead up to the general
elections, the Indian public can be sure that the Highway and Automobile
will be sold as symbols of a brave new India. The Highway has become
the Prime Minister's Bharat Jodo Pariyojna (PMBJP). The advertising
agencies have ensured that Highways= BJP in the minds of the public.
But we need to take
lessons from history and other societies. We have a century of experience
with the ecological and social violence of the automobile. We can save
ourselves from becoming its slave. And we have lessons from Nazi Germany
where Highways were designed as means of centralised control, facism
and dictatorship not of human freedom and democracy.
As Wolfgang Sachs
states in his classic "For the Love of the Automobile".
live not only by force but also by emotional appeal the shining eyes
of the man on the street are as much a part of the image of the time
as the Gestapo at dawn. A history of this enthusiasm in the period of
German facism has yet to be written. Yet whoever undertakes to eavesdrop
at the corner bar and uncover that consent from below amid the oppression
from above will have to make room for a chapter about the National Socialists'
Prime Minister Vajpayee's
groundbreaking for his "pet" highway projects has parallel
images of Adolf Hitler's groundbreaking for the Frankfurt Basel Hanseatic
Highway on September 23, 1923. The "Reich Automobile Law"
which made the Highways possible took away responsibility from the states
and concentrated it at the national level.
roads replaced the pluralism and democracy of transport. A memorandum
of that time identified the countryside as the biggest impediment to
the automobile because
it is expected
to share the streets, with horse-drawn carriages, bicyclists and pedestrians
modern concept of traffic engineering is to introduce a network of special
highways, to serve the needs of long-distance travellers and to be used
by the fastest automobiles (for which it is meant)
of the Mind which has destroyed biodiversity in farms and forests, which
has fuelled communal hatred, is now being brought to India's landscape
and roads. The car owner and long distance traveller is a privileged
citizen. The bullock cart, the bicycle, the pedestrian has to be displaced
for the automobile, which so far was just one among many modes of transport.
India's diverse and pluralistic fabric is being rewritten in a very
basic way by the Pradhan mantri's Bharat Jodo Pariyojna -- the Highway
project. Hitler too raised "National Highways" to create the
Volksgemeinschaft (national society) connected as "one people,
one Reich, one Fuhrer" but this involved wiping out diversity,
autonomy and decentralisation. Nazi Germany used highways "to mould
the German people into unity". India's current rulers are also
using the Highway as a means and metaphor of moulding India into one
The Indian ads of
(in 50 years): Just 556 km of 4/6 laned National Highways built ie 11.12
km per year.
1997 onwards: With
PMBJP 24,000 km of 4/6 lane National Highways being build ie., 11 km
per day employing 5 lakh persons everyday.
The Nazi ads used
similar measures of achievement. Road building was the biggest construction
project, with 6,000 km of road planned, and nearly a million jobs created
as a result of the motorisation policies. The "India Shining on
tarmac" ads find a parallel in the euphoria of the German Reich.
The National Socialists presented road building as both a technical
achievement and a cultural feat. As the Inspector General of German
Roads, Fritz Todt stated after the first thousand miles were built :
It is once again
a matter of pride to be a road builder. The German Reich is getting
roads the levels of which, in their magnitude and beauty, have never
been built in the history of human culture
The government in
India is trying to outdo the German Reich.
India in the 21st
century needs to be building on Gandhi's legacy, not Hitlers. It needs
to avoid repeating the ecological and social mistakes of the western
industrialised countries. India has offered civilisational alternatives
based on sustainability and pluralism. As Gandhi wrote,
God forbid that
India should ever take to industrialism after the manner of the West.
The economic imperialism of a single tiny island kingdom (England) is
today keeping the word in chains. If an entire nation of 300 million
took to similar economic exploitation, it would strip the world bare
We are today 1 billion.
And we are being asked to adopt the lifestyles and economies of the
20% of humanity which has been using 80% of the world's resources. If
200 million rich Indians want to live like their western counterparts,
800 million of their brothers and sisters will have to give up their
water, their land, their homes and their livelihoods. The highway project
is not uniting India, it is dividing India. It is creating an automobile
apartheid in which the rich drive past at high speed on highways built
by cutting through villages and forests, tearing down homes, farms and
trees robbing their brothers and sisters of the livelihood and life
support base. Superhighways are not our destiny or the lines on the
nation's palm. They are graveyards of cement and tarcoal, which are
burying our soils, our villages, our freedoms | <urn:uuid:e16e0bb3-d5fc-4996-ba75-dd525d48bf9b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.countercurrents.org/en-shiva170304.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938368 | 2,424 | 2.390625 | 2 |
During the throes of World War II, the Nevada desert was used as a staging ground for the Manhattan Project and the terrible power which resulted from it. Las Vegas’ Atomic Testing Museum is a one-of-a-kind look into the history of America’s birth of this, the most terrifying weapon known to mankind. What could be more captivating?
Tag Archives: atomic testing museum
January 13, 2011
Here’s the thing: I think casinos are great, but I think a big misconception about Las Vegas is that it’s all gambling and noisy clubs. Las Vegas is great because it has plenty of things to do that don’t involve playing the odds or tipping someone wearing platform heels. | <urn:uuid:df465de8-1036-44ed-9e7d-ab723b92c799> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thingstodo.viator.com/las-vegas/tag/atomic-testing-museum/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955339 | 150 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Credits: FILE PHOTO
Researchers at New York University found that obesity is more common in adolescents with higher concentrations of urinary bisphenol A (BPA), a low-grade estrogen found in plastic bottles, food containers and most aluminum cans.
Studies have linked BPA to obesity, infertility, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, neurological disorders, diabetes and infertility -- though most have been limited to testing on rodents.
Still, the potential danger was enough that in 2010, Canada banned the use of BPA in baby bottles and children's sippy cups. A similar ban is in effect in the US.
But BPA still exists in many food and drink containers, as well as common household items like electronics and auto parts.
"This is the first association of an environmental chemical in childhood obesity in a large, nationally representative sample," lead investigator Dr. Leonardo Trasande said in a press release.
"Our findings further demonstrate the need for a broader paradigm in the way we think about the obesity epidemic. Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity certainly contribute to increased fat mass, but the story clearly doesn't end there."
The study looked at 3,000 kids between the ages of six and 19, and controlled for factors like race, ethnicity, age, caregiver education, income, calorie intake and television watching. They found kids with high levels of BPA were more than 2.6 times as likely to be obese.
Curiously, this association was only found in white children.
"We know of no dietary differences that would explain why white (children) would have a higher level of obesity," Trasande told QMI Agency. "Another explanation is there is a genetic predisposition that explains the finding."
Tresande said the ban for baby bottles and sippy cups isn't enough. Older children and teenagers continue to drink and eat from BPA-laden containers.
"Most people agree that the majority of BPA exposure comes from aluminum cans," he said. "Our results raise the question of exposure to BPA in consumer products used by older children."
The study will be published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
-- with files from Charles-Antoine Rouyer | <urn:uuid:b729b4de-e252-46e3-a713-9a3dd7135386> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/sciencetech/archives/2012/09/20120918-102007.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960269 | 454 | 2.828125 | 3 |
U-46 kids create an opera of their own
Music has been a prominent force in 12-year-old Cesar Mendez's life.
"When I was little, I loved music; I had a CD that was my favorite," he said. "I had all these toy instruments that my parents would give me."
If you go
What: "Destined Lives," an opera written and produced by 10-to-13-year-olds of Hamilton Wings
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, July 14
Where: Elgin Community College's Visual and Performing Arts Center Blizzard Theatre, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin
Tickets: $10; available at the ECC box office in the Visual and Performing Arts Center (building H). To purchase tickets, call (847) 622-0300 or visit elgin.edu/arts.
Still, as with most children his age, opera was never on his radar until his music teacher suggested SCORE (Students Creating Opera to Reinforce Education), an activity offered through collaboration between Hamilton Wings, Elgin Area School District U-46 and Elgin Community College.
This year's production, "Destined Lives," will be presented Saturday, July 14.
The program, which is in its 12th year, aims to use the arts as a vehicle to promote leadership, self-development and academic readiness among socially and economically challenged youth in the Elgin community.
Not all eligible youth jump at the chance of participation, however. In fall of 2010, when 14-year-old Alex Sharp, who will attend Larkin High School this year, first became aware of SCORE, she opted out. The next time it was offered, she had changed her mind.
"Last year, SCORE teachers came to Abbott and talked about it," she said. "I didn't really want to the first year, but my friends were in it and talked about how much fun they had."
Not all potential students need to be wooed, according to Deanna Cates, director of operations and programs for Hamilton Wings and vocal director and pianist for the production.
"After 12 years of SCORE, the word has gotten out that the activity is great fun," she said.
However, to the average young person, classical music inherently breeds preconceived notions stemming from a lack of knowledge concerning the art form.
"I didn't know much. I just knew singing and that's it," said 11-year-old Vanessa Robelo, who attends Channing Elementary School.
SCORE recognizes this hurdle and has designed workshops, which are presented in October, the beginning of the nine-month program.
"The biggest challenge is getting over the misconceptions they have about opera," Cates said. "It doesn't have to be sung in a foreign language and it doesn't have to be sung like at the The Lyric Opera. An opera is a story that is sung; it can be hip hop, it can be more pop."
Team-building exercises are part of the initial work before the opera project begins.
"At first, we started off with teamwork challenges to see how well we can work with each other," said Mendez, who will be attending Larson Middle School. "Everyone made friends with each other and we worked together. I thought it was going to be really hard at first, but afterwards it got really easy."
One of the exercises challenges teams of kids to build marshmallow and toothpick buildings.
"I led my team pretty good," Mendez said. "My uncle's an architect and he was looking at blueprints for the foundation and he showed me a few things, so when we first tried squashing it, it popped back up."
The 10-to-13-year-old participants from nine elementary and middle schools meet twice a month and are guided through mind-opening exercises to prepare them for the creative process of story telling.
"We give them a jumping-off point," Cates said. "We have them look at many forms of art, even an opera in a foreign language and they need to know by the expression, what is the story. What is the story behind this painting that you're seeing? If there is an image of a girl looking over a lush field, what's going on this picture? Tell the story."
The stories the children are inspired to create are called nuggets, and they are the raw beginnings of the production.
"We all were looking at paintings and wrote down a story to the painting, and the story development team, which I was in, we got together and picked our favorite nugget," said Sharp.
The opera is called "Destined Lives."
"It ended up being about a girl who betrays her best friend just so she won't die. And then we just added to it," said Robelo.
Once the "golden nugget" is chosen, the real work begins.
"The story line is created, the music is written, the words are created, the choreography," Cates said.
Although the idea of building an opera from scratch may seem daunting, Mendez found the process to be surprisingly simple.
"You work with other people and write poetry and then you change the words so they match and fit other people's ideas," he said. "It isn't really that hard."
A great deal of the reason the work isn't overwhelming is the participation of professionals in the entertainment industry who teach and mentor the kids. The staff includes Scott Ferguson, creator of the theatrical version of "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" who serves as the stage director; James "Casper" Jankowiak, who heads up visual art and has been commissioned for murals for the Illinois Holocaust Museum and the Chicago White Sox; and Zineb Chraibi, who is on the faculty at Columbia College and will direct dance and choreography. Former SCORE participant John Rott is providing the orchestrations.
"Learning from the mentors can be as much fun as the writing," Robelo said. "It was really fun learning how to put together an opera and doing all the stuff we had to do during the year. It's been fun learning so many neat things. Like how you have to use your voice a lot, since we don't have microphones. You use it from your stomach."
"You learn a lot of stuff," Sharp agreed. "I'm not a singer, but I learned how to sing good and how to act onstage."
"We rely on (the mentors) to give the students a safe environment, to experiment, work side by side by with them so they can say 'I could do this as a profession; this is an option for me,'" Cates said. "To have that adult contact in a mentoring capacity, it's very valuable to the growth of the youth program."
Although the opera is the focus for the kids, Cates believes that the experience develops more than the chance to create and perform.
"Their individual growth experiences is the culminating experience of this entire program; the opera just happens to be a byproduct," she said. "With the cutbacks in school, we want to make sure that is sustained; it is part of making a well-rounded and whole child."
After "Destined Lives" has been performed, participants will be encouraged to serve the community with the SCORE 2 program.
"It's a community service initiative," Cates explained. "This program is entirely free, so they're giving back to the community that supported them."
Mendez sees another post-opera scenario where he is daydreaming in his least favorite class — social studies — this fall.
"I'm going to remember how much fun I had building and working together with other people," he said.
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#00378 Print This Page
On the 29th of August in nineteen-ninety-eight,
There was a beautiful wedding, and it was time to celebrate;
Relatives and friends were there on the special day,
It was holy matrimony in the old, traditional way.
The church bells were ringing and the horns began to blow,
Reception was awaiting just a little down the road;
The bride and groom they said I do as a limo waited there,
The people cheered as the guns were fired in the air.
The savage cop in Savage Cove was Constable McGraw,
Waiting in his cruiser for someone to break the law;
He was like a Barney Fife and he couldn't understand,
Why he couldn't find a criminal down in Newfoundland.
He heard the guns a-firing as he woke up from his sleep,
He was so excited that he lifted off his seat;
The siren was a-blaring 'cause he thought it was a crime,
When he found it was a wedding, he completely lost his mind.
He grabbed the men who fired the guns and threw them in the car,
And told the bridal party, you're not gonna get too far;
He arrested all the children for loitering about,
Then he stopped the father-in-law and smashed his window out.
He arrested all the dogs and cats and threw them in the pound,
He threw them in together, and they were heard in Marystown;
The bride and groom were next to have the cuffs put on their wrists,
He threw them in with Grandpa who was ninety-six.
The savage cop in Savage Cove, he was out of control,
Breaking up a wedding and running them off the road;
All the folks around were caught completely by surprise,
A savage cop was on the loose and he wasn't civilized.
The mounties didn't tolerate the savage cop around,
Like Barney on the Griffith Show, he thought he owned the town;
Now he drives a snowmobile in twenty feet of snow,
Somewhere in the Arctic where the nights are long and cold.
Oh, the savage cop in Savage Cove, he was out of control.
See more songs by A. Frank Willis.
Bernard "Barney" P. Fife is a fictional dramatic character in the American television program The Andy Griffith Show, portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts [1924-2006]. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North Carolina. He appeared in the first five black and white seasons (1960-1965) as a main character and, after leaving the show at the end of season five, made a few guest appearances in the following three color seasons (1965-1968). He appeared in a spin-off Mayberry R.F.D. (1968-1971) and in the 1986 reunion telemovie Return to Mayberry. Calling a police officer or authority figure "Barney Fife" has become an American slang term for gross ineptitude or overzealousness. | <urn:uuid:0f821b15-b295-4072-9fc0-6f962eafb4a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/04/savage.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986371 | 650 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, who has died aged 62 after suffering a stroke, was the archetypal old-school Japanese politician.
Mr Obuchi became prime minister in July 1998, after he was elected leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
A good-natured and unassuming man, he had a reputation as a sharp negotiator and consensus builder.
But Mr Obuchi was not considered a natural leader, and his bland image and cautious style earned him the nickname Mr Ordinary.
In the run-up to the last election, some remarked that his best qualification for the party's top spot was the fact that he had never offended anyone.
When Mr Obuchi took over, he inherited one of the toughest jobs in politics - hauling the world's second largest economy out of its worst post-war recession.
His response was to unveil the country's biggest ever stimulus package, which included a massive boost to public spending and income tax cuts.
One of his government's more novel ideas was to give shopping coupons to 35 million citizens in the hope it would spark a consumer boom.
Initial signs of recovery have been promising, but Mr Obuchi's illness came as the economy threatened to slide back into recession.
The softly-spoken Mr Obuchi became the youngest person to win election to parliament when he stood in his late father's district north of Tokyo, as a 26-year-old postgraduate student.
He held the seat for decades, and in 1993 was hand-picked by senior LDP officials to become the party's secretary-general, a key post controlling election campaigns and party funds.
In 1997, he received the Foreign Ministry portfolio in Ryutaro Hashimoto's cabinet due to the fact that he led the LDP's largest faction.
He stepped into Mr Hashimoto's shoes after the latter resigned following the party's disastrous showing in the 1998 elections for the upper house of parliament.
Mr Obuchi, 62, has a son and two daughters, one of whom is studying in Britain. He was a devotee of the Japanese martial art of aikido and enjoyed golf and amateur radio.
"I know what people say about me," Mr Obuchi once said. "I am said to be very, very ordinary. I am said to be mild and good in nature ...
"But I want you to understand that I am a man who does what should be done."
In the run-up to his illness he had a punishing schedule.
He was taken ill after dealing with a political crisis as his coalition with the Liberal Party fell apart.
On top of that, he had been overseeing the government's handling of the eruption of the volcano on Hokkaido island. | <urn:uuid:ccc2f754-3743-4e2a-b5b5-20e3a8efdd34> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/747915.stm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988693 | 558 | 1.679688 | 2 |
A new approach to parenting gender-fluid children.
The night before Susan and Rob allowed their son to go to preschool in a dress, they sent an e-mail to parents of his classmates. Alex, they wrote, “has been gender-fluid for as long as we can remember, and at the moment he is equally passionate about and identified with soccer players and princesses, superheroes and ballerinas (not to mention lava and unicorns, dinosaurs and glitter rainbows).” They explained that Alex had recently become inconsolable about his parents’ ban on wearing dresses beyond dress-up time. After consulting their pediatrician, a psychologist and parents of other gender-nonconforming children, they concluded that “the important thing was to teach him not to be ashamed of who he feels he is.” Thus, the purple-pink-and-yellow-striped dress he would be wearing that next morning. For good measure, their e-mail included a link to information on gender-variant children.
When Alex was 4, he pronounced himself “a boy and a girl,” but in the two years since, he has been fairly clear that he is simply a boy who sometimes likes to dress and play in conventionally feminine ways. Some days at home he wears dresses, paints his fingernails and plays with dolls; other days, he roughhouses, rams his toys together or pretends to be Spider-Man. Even his movements ricochet between parodies of gender: on days he puts on a dress, he is graceful, almost dancerlike, and his sentences rise in pitch at the end. On days he opts for only “boy” wear, he heads off with a little swagger. Of course, had Alex been a girl who sometimes dressed or played in boyish ways, no e-mail to parents would have been necessary; no one would raise an eyebrow at a girl who likes throwing a football or wearing a Spider-Man T-shirt. | <urn:uuid:15665df0-f53b-4476-a9f5-63ccb2c95caf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://allthingslgbt.tumblr.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985661 | 416 | 2.125 | 2 |
because char, signed char and unsigned char are different types and it's implementation defined whether char is signed or not. More specifically, the integer literal 0xff has type int, which is converted to char that, being signed in your compiler implementation, acquires the integer value -1. Then, in the expression "*y==0xff" where you're comparing a char and an int, integer promotion rules kick in and the char is converted to the int -1, giving the observed result.
That would be handy in some cases but also quite confusing since the other integers (short, int...) are signed. There are a lot of pitfalls in C/C++ and integer promotion will create nasty surprises for you in many other cases as well. It's just to get used to it...
Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place.
Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by
definition, not smart enough to debug it.
- Brian W. Kernighan
why doesnt the following program work as expected:
Two guidelines that can help to prevent these kinds of errors are:
- Don't use magic numbers. If you use a const variable for the value 0xff, you make the type of that variable explicit.
- Don't mix signed and unsigned arithmetics. Signed values will get promoted to unsigned, which can cause unexpected results.
Cheers, D Drmmr
Please put [code][/code] tags around your code to preserve indentation and make it more readable.
As long as man ascribes to himself what is merely a posibility, he will not work for the attainment of it. - P. D. Ouspensky | <urn:uuid:c77ca4da-2785-431a-92df-40dcc6e57a32> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.codeguru.com/showthread.php?529053-dereferencing-char-pointers&p=2091113 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944739 | 356 | 3.859375 | 4 |
COLUMBUS — A report calls some changes to Ohio's youth prison system a model for the nation while highlighting continuing problems in the system with gang violence, education classes and medical care.
The annual report by a court-appointed monitor says Department of Youth Services administrators have done commendable work reducing the number of offenders in secure confinement and spreading services for youthful offenders around Ohio.
The report issued last week also notes problems with staff shortages, inadequate teachers and inconsistent medical records.
Advocates for youthful offenders say the report demonstrates the need for continued court-ordered supervision of the system.
The youth services department says the agency is not the same as five years ago and has made considerable progress complying with court-ordered changes. | <urn:uuid:ac1414ce-044d-45f1-b255-bd08724f37cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.toledoblade.com/State/2012/12/24/Report-Ohio-youth-prisons-improved-but-need-work.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950837 | 146 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Top Ten Ways to Beat the Heat
How to Stay Cool and Sane in a Qatar Summer
By Sonya Laswed
Things can get hot in a desert country!
As we all know, our all too brief "winter" is quickly coming to its end. Hopefully you've done what you always said you will do once it gets cooler. So you've been to the beach, had walks on the corniche, and sat outside at every given opportunity, right?
Well, if you haven't you better get round to it - we've all been feeling the heat creeping up on us. Before you know it the hum of the A/C will be your constant companion and the outdoors will seem like a formidable opponent waiting to be conquered.
Well, don't worry - with our tips you'll survive the summer and come out the other end unscathed (mostly).
1. Stay indoors / Learn something new.
Try to stay indoors when the temperature is at its worst between noon and 3pm. During that time, why not try and bake some cookies or try some arts and crafts for the kids?
The Islamic Museum: A Haven of Coolness
2. Stay hydrated.
It's easy to fill up on juices and soft drinks in the heat, but remember water is the best way to make sure you stay properly hydrated. For little ones who may not like plain water, why not offer home-made ice lollies with their favorite diluted juice?
3. Be prepared.
If you know you're going to have a long afternoon in the car whether it is running errands or ferrying the kids to their activities, why not keep an ice box with fresh drinks, wet wipes and frozen fruit to keep you all going until tea time.
4. Rediscover the mall.
When the temperature starts to get a bit silly, pack yourselves up and go to the mall. It needn't be an expensive visit if you have lunch/dinner at home and just go for an ice cream and walk around. Also, you can always take in a movie and spend a couple of hours in arctic air conditioning!
5. Get wet.
Visit your local pool and if you don't have one, make friends with someone who does! Otherwise, you can always improvise with an inflatable kiddie pool which has the added benefit of being portable, fully air-conditioned (if you keep it indoors) and a novel way to watch TV (if you put it in your living room!)
The water at Aspire park can help keep you cool!
6. Go Camping.
Yes, really. Go on an organized overnight desert camping trip and you will be pleasantly surprised at the chill in the night air. You can revel in the fact that you went camping in the Gulf in mid-summer and lived to tell the tale.
The Spanish knew they were on to something with the siesta. The afternoon is a great time to have a nap and save your energy for whatever happens ..later zzzzzz.
8. Make technology your friend.
I'm not suggesting trawling the internet for hours, but using this wonderful technology to enhance your home viewing experience. Apple TV allows you to download the latest movies, series, and golden oldies for rent or to keep and all you need is an internet connection. Definitely a lifesaver if you love movies and can't face the heat.
9. Become a night owl.
Make like the locals and keep most of your socializing to the cooler evenings. Once the school holidays start, keep the kids up late too. Hey, if it works in the Med I don't see why it wouldn't work here. Even in mid-summer you will find that the heat is bearable if you're by the corniche.
Take a night-time dhow ride, enjoy the cool breeze and survey the growing Doha skyline.
10. Remember it's only for 6 months!
When you really start to get fed up with all the heat, just think it's not long until winter will be back again .
Of course there are other ways to beat the summer heat, but it's supposed to be a top ten list. If you can think of any other ways, why not let us know?
By the same writer: Dubai versus Doha | <urn:uuid:74efaa6c-87c9-4a53-8a35-16f7ebfad02e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.qatarvisitor.com/qatar-features/beat-the-heat | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949002 | 897 | 1.570313 | 2 |
A requirement arose recently from the manager of one of our busy teams to know what rights her individual staff had to edit data on the system they use. These particular rights were stored in a table and used thus by the application; they are not therefore database permissions as such: hence the quotes in the title. This was coupled with a request to be able to edit them since the throughput of staff was often high and roles could be changed ‘on the hoof’ as different workload priorities were identified. If the process for changing these rights is too involved, you can end up with staff retaining permissions which are inappropriate or them logging in as someone else just to get the job done.
This requirement was then followed by a request from one of our IT staff who visit our remote offices to be able to do the same when setting up new users on site and being able to check and amend their rights without having to call Head Office.
The traditional way of responding to requests like these would be to write a VB application; in the future they’ll be .NET apps, but we’re not there yet! But wait, we could write a .NET app right now, … using Reporting Services.
The table which contains the user rights has a column for the username followed by columns for each of the areas of the system where they can be allowed editing rights. In the example these areas are called p, q and r and the rights are therefore p_edit, … etc. A zero means no rights; a one indicates editing is allowed.
The report has two parameters, username and ‘perm’ (which is the column name in the table) and runs a stored procedure. It happily displays the table whenever you run it, the two parameters being set to NULL. However if you want to change a right you just have to click on the cell corresponding to that user’s username and the area of the system concerned. This activates a hyperlink which runs the same report again, only this time with the two parameters filled in. The underlying stored procedure catches the non-null parameters, switches the permissions, then returns the resultset as usual.
If you have security concerns, apart from bolting down the stored proc and the report itself, you can always run it with credentials specifying an SQL logon which has select and update permissions only for this table.
This approach blurs the traditional distinction between applications and reports, but there are several areas like the one above where users want to do a little more than just display the data, but that little extra is intimately bound up with the data being displayed.
Consider an exception report. The user lists off a number of data exceptions which are generally handled according to easily programmable rules. You build in a hyperlink which goes away and does the necessary processing before rerunning the report and displaying what is now a blank list. But before doing this processing, the user wants to check there are no 'oddities' for which the rules aren't valid. They deal with the oddities elsewhere, rerun your report and then process what's left. This is another real life example and I'm sure there will be many others.
Of course there's nothing to stop you building a search screen (parameters would be the search fields, report would display the resulting rows) and linking this to a record edit page, ... but maybe that's going too far?! | <urn:uuid:4e9c3411-60ee-4c85-820b-fcf327e95eb5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Development/areporttodisplayandedituserrights/2523/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952918 | 695 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Brand-new x86-compatible CPU architectures don't come along very often, but we've recently seen the first extensive details about two essentially new, clean-sheet designs from AMD, the high-end Bulldozer architecture and its smaller, low-power sibling, named Bobcat. We've already covered Bulldozer at some length, and now we're turning our attention to its pint-sized relative.
Brad Burgess, an AMD Fellow and the Chief Architect of the Bobcat core, offered the public a first glance at his team's creation last week at the Hot Chips conference, and AMD has since released the slides from that talk to the media. We didn't attend Burgess' presentation, but we did speak with Dina McKinney, Corporate Vice-President of Design Engineering at AMD, about both of the new architectures. We'll have a look at some of AMD's slides below and attempt to point out some of what you'll want to know about this promising new microprocessor.
Let's start by situating Bobcat in the context of existing x86 processors. For most intents, this CPU will be AMD's answer to the Intel Atom, a PC-compatible processor tailored toward keeping two key things in check: power consumption and manufacturing costs. As PCs become more mobile and range further into commodity territory, the need for capable, low-cost, power-efficient processors has become more evident, and the surprising success of netbooks as consumer products has strongly validated Intel's approach with the Atom—even if that success hasn't come in exactly the form Intel originally anticipated.
Like the Atom, Bobcat has been designed largely with synthesized logic, with what AMD calls a "small number of custom arrays." This choice involves a fairly straightforward engineering trade-off. Larger CPUs like the Phenom II (and Bulldozer) use lots of custom-designed logic because it can be more efficient, yielding smaller die areas and superior power efficiency. GPUs and other application-specific chips tend to rely more heavily on synthesized logic because it can shorten design cycles and allow the chip to be ported to a different manufacturing process with relative ease. The extensive use of computer-generated logic should allow the Bobcat core to be refreshed with regularity and remixed into a range of different products for various markets, much as Intel has done with its various Atom platforms.
Bobcat's portability is also crucial for how it will initially be deployed: as a part of the Ontario "APU" or accelerated processing unit, the first of AMD's "fusion" processors that combine a CPU with a GPU on a single piece of silicon. Ontario will be manufactured by TSMC on the same 40-nm fabrication process used to produce current Radeon graphics chips. Thereafter, we'd expect Bobcat-based APUs to make the transition to new fabrication processes at a cadence similar to the traditional refresh rate for low-end graphics chips.
Don't let the "fusion" label or talk of the GPU as a "SIMD engine array" confuse you: Ontario will not be a true hybrid processor that fluidly combines traditional serial-style CPU processing with data-parallel-style GPU processing into a novel programming model that achieves previously unseen performance heights. Much like current Pine Trail Atoms, Ontario will simply combine two low-power CPU cores and a modest GPU on the same chip in order to save on power, die area, and costs—not that there's anything wrong with that.
In fact, Ontario has the potential to be substantially more interesting to computing enthusiasts than all of this Atom talk might seem to suggest. Architecturally, Bobcat employs a more aggressive out-of-order approach to instruction execution, which could allow it to retire quite a few more instructions per clock than Atom, on average. In other words, Bobcat could be a much faster processor than Atom.
AMD claims Bobcat will achieve an "estimated 90% of today's mainstream performance in less than half the silicon area." That's a big hint, and we should unpack it a little bit to get a sense of what it tells us. The comparison being made here is between a dual-core Bobcat and the current Athlon II/Turion dual-core CPUs.
For a sense of the Athlon II's performance, you might want to check out one of our recent CPU roundups, but the bottom line is that it's pretty decent overall—an Athlon II X2 255 is similar to a Penryn-based Pentium E6500 and well over twice the speed of a Pentium 4 670. The X2 255 is more than up to the task of running modern games, too. If Bobcat reaches 90% of that performance—and that's still a big "if" since we don't know exactly how AMD is estimating performance or what clock speeds it will reach—then it should be plenty adequate for the vast majority of everyday computing tasks. We're talking about performance similar to, or better than, Intel's consumer ultra low-voltage processors, which are our current favorites for ultraportable laptops.
As for silicon area, today's Athlon IIs are based on the 45-nm "Regor" chip, which has a die size of 118 square millimeters. A dual-core Bobcat implementation should weigh in at under half that, which is pretty small indeed. However, AMD is careful to point out that the "90% performance/under 50% size" estimate is not a statement about the whole of the Ontario chip, since that chip will include a GPU, too. (For reference, Intel lists the dual-core Pine Trail Atom D510, made on its 45-nm process, at 87 mm². That also includes a GPU.)
We don't know yet exactly how Ontario's GPU will look or what portion of the total die area it will comprise. We do expect it to be a true, DirectX 11-class Radeon with robust hardware acceleration of video playback for contemporary compression formats. Our guess is that on both the graphics and video playback fronts, we can probably expect Ontario to be markedly better than Pine Trail Atoms and potentially superior to Intel's CULV offerings, as well.
The part of this picture that's not yet complete is power consumption. AMD has only said that Bobcat will use "a fraction of the power" consumed by today's mainstream CPUs and that the Bobcat core will be "sub one-watt capable." After consulting with AMD, we take that statement to mean that a single Bobcat core can draw less than one watt while actively doing work, in the right configuration. That should be a nice starting point, considering that Intel's first Silverthorne Atom products, which were 45-nm parts with a single CPU core by itself on a chip, ranged from 0.65W to 2.4W max, depending on the model.
For the fastest Bobcat variants, the upper limit on power could be much higher than that, depending on how the curves for clock frequencies and voltage work out. Of course, Ontario will have two cores, a GPU, and a video decode block onboard, too. The dual-core Atom D510 has a 13W max TDP, and some variants of Ontario might land in that neighborhood. Even a relatively poor outcome, with much higher power draw than Pine Trail, would still be a fraction of the 65W TDP of the Athlon II X2 255.
The picture that emerges from these estimates is pretty darned attractive, we have to admit. Ontario may well be a watershed commodity PC component—fast enough not to annoy most power users in casual use, small enough to be breathtakingly cheap, and capable of enabling generous battery run times in mobile systems.
|Coffee Talk with Timmy Cook||22|
|Deals of the week: IPS displays, graphics cards, storage, and games||15|
|Which game is the new champ of PC visuals?||110|
|Intel-powered Lenovo Yoga 11S lands at $799.99||22|
|Pre-orders begin for Nvidia's Shield||38|
|Otellini: Intel passed on the original iPhone||85|
|Release roundup: Flash drives, Thunderbolt, and an arcade controller||17| | <urn:uuid:9d2cb75e-c84f-4928-ae30-a5886a879aaf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://techreport.com/review/19531/amd-aims-for-low-power-computing-with-bobcat | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943558 | 1,695 | 1.953125 | 2 |
Born: November 29, 1949 in Hamilton, Ontario as Stanley Allison Rogers; Died: June 2, 1983 in Cincinnati.
Hamilton born Stan Rogers began in music honestly as he was always surrounded by many styles of music performed by uncles who sang and played guitar. Rogers got his first guitar at 5, built by an uncle out of birch plywood, welding rods and a toothbrush. Intellectually ahead of his peers by high school, Rogers began playing music in earnest. His first step into the limelight was at club-gigs as bassist for Hamilton pick-up rock bands.
In 1970 Rogers signed to RCA Records out of Toronto and recorded two singles for them - "Here's To You Santa Claus" (1970) and "The Fat Girl Rag" (1971) - which was followed by a self-titled LP in 1971. During his contract with RCA he also wrote songs recorded by Quebecois group Le Maitre. By 1973 he had moved over to Vanguard Records in New York (home of Joan Baez) but nothing came from that alliance. He did manage three more singles for Polygram in 1973 and 1974 but met with no success.
By the mid-'70s, he was commissioned to work on Canadian Broadcast Corporation documentaries on aspects of Canadian life. Though raised in rural Hannon, Ontario, Rogers spent summers with family in Nova Scotia, and became influenced by the lives of fishermen and the sea. As his interests grew towards folk music, his Aunt June in Canso, Nova Scotia, persuaded him to write songs about his familial home.
But it was the fruit of those early songs that found their way onto Rogers' first independent album 'Fogarty's Cove' (1976) which was released on his friend Mitch Podolak's Barn Swallow Records. Critics went so far as calling this small indie release the 'Folk Album Of The Year'.
Inspired, Rogers quickly set about recording the next album and informed Podolak that he would be spending a modest some of Barn Swallow's money. Podolak was too busy organizing the Winnipeg Folk Festival and agreed to sell the record label and the masters to Rogers. Needing money to do this, Rogers' mother, Valerie, stepped in and offered her son her life savings to launch not only the album, 'Turnaround', but a a new label and mail order business to promote it. He simultaneously re-issued 'Fogarty's Cove' and gave his imprint the album's name.
With two albums under his belt Rogers began playing better establishments with his band featuring his brother Garnet, Dave Alan Eadie, Grit Laskin, and Paul Mills. The performances were inspiring and so Rogers decided to capture the moments on vinyl with 'Between The Breaks...Live!' (1979).
The live album was quite a success as it opened the doors for performances in Western Canada which would have a profound influence on Rogers' writing. He began to discover that he could write about parts of the country other than the Maritimes, and following the tour of Western Canada, went home to write songs for his 'concept' record 'Northwest Passage' (1981).
Rogers stepped out of his independent niche temporarily with a traditional acoustic folk album, 'For The Family', on Folk Tradition Records in 1983, but went back to his own order of business with his final studio album 'From Fresh Water' in 1984.
With his brother, Garnet, on fiddle and Jim Morrison on bass, he travelled North America establishing a national identity for Canadian songwriting which was highly successful as attested to by his popularity before and after his death.
On June 2, 1983, Rogers was headed home from the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. A fire started in the restroom on Air Canada flight 797. It was forced to land in the Greater Cincinatti Airport. Rogers was one of 23 people who died of smoke inhalation. He was 33.
Memorials and honours were numerous in the months that followed and in May, 1984 he was posthumously awarded the Diplome d'Honneur by the Canadian Conference of the Arts.
In the mid'90's many of Canada's leading Celtic and Folk artists banded together and inspired by Rogers' brother Garnet to record a fitting tribute to the late artist.
with notes from Garnet Rogers and Mitch Podolak.
1970 Here's To You Santa Claus (RCA)
1971 The Fat Girl Rag (RCA)
1973 Three Pennies (Polygram)
1973 Guysborough Train (Polygram)
1973 Passed Fifty (Polygram)
1971 Stan Rogers (RCA)
1976 Fogarty's Cove (Barn Swallow)
1978 Fogarty's Cove [re-issue] (Fogarty's Cove)
1978 Turnaround (Fogarty's Cove)
1979 Between The Breaks...Live! (Fogarty's Cove)
1981 Northwest Passage (Fogarty's Cove)
1983 For The Family (Folk Tradition)
1984 From Fresh Water (Fogarty's Cove)
1992 Home In Halifax (Fogarty's Cove)
1996 Poetic Justice (Fogarty's Cove)
198? One Warm Line: The Legacy Of Stan Rogers (Fogarty's Cove)
COMING IN OCTOBER 2011: The book version of the Encyclopedia. Submit corrections, additions and feedback
Click on the image and pre-order now! | <urn:uuid:9d81d204-4ce8-4095-a49e-7099f007b3e8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/R/Rogers_Stan.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98044 | 1,124 | 1.742188 | 2 |
If you have ever served in a branch of the armed forces in the U.S., or have worked for an American government agency such as the US Postal Service, you are most likely quite familiar with Skilcraft pens. But if you have not these are typically the black retractable ballpoint pens that have the wording ‘U.S. Government’ stamped along its side.
However, Skilcraft pens are not only used in America by the American government and carry the American government name, they are also proudly made in America by a team of blind workers. The name Skilcraft actually represents a conglomerate of non-profit agencies throughout America that employ physically challenged and blind workers to assemble and produce a wide variety of products specifically for the U.S. Government, such as Skilcraft pens. In fact, there are actually seven different associations for the blind in multiple cities across the U.S.A. where Skilcraft pens are made.
The black ballpoint Skilcraft pens are assembled by members of the Industries of the Blind in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; as well as by the Industries for the Blind in Greensboro, North Carolina. As a matter of fact, the Industries of the Blind have been in charge of assembling and producing these types of Skilcraft pens for over 40 years. The American government initially provided the Industries of the Blind with approximately 16 pages of military specifications with which to create the Skilcraft pens. In addition to these specs, the U.S. military wanted the pens to write no matter what the temperature was and they wanted the pen to write for one linear mile as well.
Some of the other interesting military facts about the Skilcraft pens are that the end of the pen’s barrel can be used as an emergency tracheotomy tube; they measure exactly 150 nautical miles from top to bottom when laid out on flight maps; the barrel bottoms are also the exact length of a two minute fuse; and the metal tips are the same length that female military personnel are allowed to grow out their fingernails. However, one of the more universally endearing elements of the Skilcraft pens are that they are designed to fit into any military uniform pocket without being noticed.
It is estimated that the Industries of the Blind manufactures roughly 2.8 million Skilcraft pens every single year. It takes 30 workers to assemble one Skilcraft pen. However, these days there are many other varieties of Skilcraft pens that are available for purchase by the civilian population, both in America and abroad. There are even rubberized ballpoint pens and black gel ink pens as well. Generally speaking, a dozen of the black retractable ballpoint Skilcraft pens cost about $75. Knowing where to buy Skilcraft pens is as easy as paying a visit to your local Army surplus supply store as they often have quite a few of them in stock. Alternatively you can purchase Skilcraft pens online through one of the many Internet retailers of stationary and army surplus supplies. | <urn:uuid:688d1f4f-0a91-4a27-87ef-2612ffa0734a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://zenedy.com/where-to-buy-skilcraft-pens | 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 | 0.964441 | 613 | 2.84375 | 3 |
Hybrid Tea Roses
Hybrid tea roses are believed to come from France where Jean-Baptiste Guilliot discovered a cross between a hybrid perpetual, Mme.Victor Verdier, and a tea, Mme. Bravy. Hybrid teas exhibit traits midway between both parents: hardier than the teas but less hardy than the hybrid perpetuals, and less ever-blooming than the hybrid perpetuals but more so than the teas. Modern era tea roses were made famous with the introduction of the ‘Peace” rose introduced in 1945 after WW11. Notoriety for tea roses has also been enhanced by naming rose plants after famous people, such as Amelia Earhart, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Princess Diana. | <urn:uuid:6d5731ee-3cc4-486b-8a22-04b7751dbf45> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.naturehills.com/roses/hybrid-tea-roses?dir=desc&order=name | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940815 | 154 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Archuleta's mission is to generate understanding about soil health
By Jean Caspers-Simmet
Date Modified: 11/21/2012 1:13 PM
WAVERLY, Iowa —Ray Archuleta is pumped about soil.
The conservation agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Greensboro, N.C., Archuleta spoke about soil health last month at the Waverly Civic Center.
He changed thinking about soils when his Idaho neighbor couldn't afford to bring his son into the operation. The neighbor had good land and access to water, but his labor and input costs were $300,000.
"He had to sell part of the farm, and I could not help him," Archuleta said. "After eight years of college, I did not have an understanding of how soils function. I've learned more in the last five years from talking to farmers, reading the right books and having proper context."
He uses a slake test and a mini-rain simulator to show how healthy soil functions. He took soils from various farming systems in Iowa and North Carolina and had audience members drop them into columns of water. Soil from a conventionally tilled field quickly slaked apart. Soil recently converted to no-till held together better. Soil from an organic farm that used tillage also fell apart.
Soil from a field that hadn't been tilled in 40 years and received its fertility from manure and a diverse mix of cover crops held firm.
"The bacteria, fungus and earthworms in the soil, all these organisms create the biotic glues that hold soil together and help complete the water cycle," Archuleta said. "This soil has millions of tiny pores. It has porosity which allows infiltration. Our country does not have a runoff problem, it has an infiltration problem."
He demonstrated the infiltration capacity of healthy soil with a mini-rain simulator. With the no-till soil, water infiltrated. In the conventionally tilled soil, water stood on top of the soil. On the land, the water and costly inputs would run off.
"When you till soil, you open the aggregates and expose it to copiotrophic bacteria that eat the biotic glues, and the particles no longer hold up," Archuleta said. "They collapse and seal the soil surface."
In nature the soil is never bare, Archuleta said. Too many of the nation's soils are "naked, hungry, thirsty and running a fever."
"We need to mimic nature and nature does not till," Archuleta said.
The soil is a series of spheres functioning together — the earthworms, the pores, the residue, the aggregates and the roots.
Living roots release many types of organic materials. Earthworms are the soil engineers redistributing plant littler throughout the soil profile and increasing water infiltration. Residue provides food for all the "critters" in the soil. The soil pores are the lungs and circulatory system of the soil.
Healthy soil has high organic matter, high infiltration and porosity, high soil organism diversity and biomass, Archuleta said. It requires low inputs, has higher drought tolerance and low weed and pest problems.
Archuleta said he has learned from farmers like Ray Styer from North Carolina, Dave Brandt from Ohio and Paul and Gabe Brown from North Dakota. They have no-till systems and make use of a diverse mix cover crops. Some also use manure and mob grazing. | <urn:uuid:a2e704f9-4da9-40a4-b6ec-61ee59c8a3ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.agrinews.com/archuletas/mission/is/to/generate/understanding/about/soil/health/story-4906.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954008 | 727 | 2.546875 | 3 |
First you'll need to collect some petals. This can be from your garden or those collected on a nature walk. (This can also be a good time to discuss how to and when you are allowed to, pick flowers!)
Paper glue is fine for gluing petals. You'll also need your petals and paper to create on. This was our only available colours of petals at this stage but as we have different coloured flowers come up depending on the season, we look forward to making something entirely different next time.
She stuck on and arranged all the petals she wanted for her picture and then created a pretty patterned flower petal border with the left overs
- Use this activity to talk about and further explore colours, patterns, textures, scents, nature, art etc
- Observe how the picture changes over time as the petals dry out.
- Extend this activity by also giving your child a black marker or fine liner to add detail to their picture. Try making things like petal bugs etc. by adding legs and other details with the pen.
- Listen to your child talk as they go through their experiences. This will help you determine where they are at with their learning, knowledge and understanding and help you to develop the activity (or future activities) to their level and interests.
Look where else we are. Are you following along? :)
New Here? Subscribe to get all activities sent directly to you | <urn:uuid:58285f1f-848a-4b49-89f7-4eb138adca52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.learnwithplayathome.com/2012/05/sensory-flower-petal-picture.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963346 | 294 | 3.3125 | 3 |
Integers. Fixed point. Floating-point.
To understand floating-point numbers, it is easier to first consider how integers, real numbers, and fixed point numbers compare.
A real number, for the purposes here, is essentially the "standard" decimal number that most student learn in early stages of arithematic. A integer, by contrast, is a number that does not have a decimal component.
A floating-point number is an approximation of a real number that is can be implemented far more efficiently on a computer than a real number can be. Again, whereas integers and real numbers can both be thought of as pure mathematical concepts, a floating-point number is something that has arisen out of the practical needs of implementing a number system on a computer.
Representing Real Numbers as Integers
Consider measuring a distance where only integers can be used. Let's say you measure a street length in meters. If the street length is actually 12.5 meters, but you are measuring in integers, you need either to truncate to 12 meters or round up to 13 meters. There's no way to express 12.5 as in integer.
One option would be to represent the distance as 25 meter divided by 2. That's fully accurate. But what happens if the real distance was 12.3379123? Without going into the detail, it should be fairly obvious why this representation (TODO: what is the formal name of this representation?) can quickly become cumbersome.
Another option is equivalent to fixed point math does: fixed point math says that it won't store all real numbers only a fixed number of decimal places. Therefore one integer could represent the full amount of meters and a second integer could represent the number of millimeters in the distance. This is effectively what fixed point math does, except that rather than storing all numbers as two integers, it "packs" both numbers into the same integer. To think of this "packing" differently (to show how trivial it is), what's the difference between storing a number as a meters distance plus a millimeters distance as opposed to just storing it in millimeters instead? There isn't any. Basically all fixed point math is saying is that it's in different units than a standard integer (it's units are a fraction of a standard int) and thus needs to be up or down scaled when interchanged with standard integers.
Since floating pointer has an imprecise representation where the rules of real number mathematics only approximately apply, a different coding strategy must be adopted.
Avoid Direct Equality Comparisons
- Test against an epsilon value instead
- The correct epsilon depends on every context - and is extremely difficult to determine
Normalize numbers before and after computations
Use unit'ed precision thresholds specified by the user
While an arbitrary operation on floating point numbers may be very difficult to determine, enforcing operations work within either application-wide or user-specified limits may easier in a sense since they are well-defined. For example, imagine the application guarantees that no single modelling operation will accumulate more than 1mm of error on each vertex. If this is known, an estimate based on the current model and the operation can likely meet this guarantee. If the threshold may be exceeded, then subdivision, renormalization, or alternate higher-precision mathematics can be used. | <urn:uuid:3ee6afb0-5f0d-46d3-b2b1-13b241deb4fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://athile.net/library/wiki/index.php?title=Library/Numbers&oldid=3120 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927249 | 677 | 4.0625 | 4 |
Make a booking
Wellington Botanic Gardens
The Botanic Garden is minutes from downtown Wellington, and is easily accessed.
There are many entrances to the Garden including from Glenmore Street, Salamanca Road, Upland Road and the Cable Car. The only public vehicle access is through Centennial entrance on Glenmore Street
The Wellington Botanic Garden features 25 hectares of unique landscape, protected native forest, conifers, specialised plant collections, colourful floral displays, and views over Wellington city.
It is classified as a Garden of National Significance by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture and is a Historic Places Trust Heritage Area.
Entry is free. | <urn:uuid:42db6952-f139-42f4-aeef-41a8a1585937> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rydges.co.nz/wellington/experience/wellington-botanic-gardens/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.905805 | 137 | 1.578125 | 2 |
I decided to take a break from all things sewing at the weekend, and give paper crafts a go. After all this blog is supposed to be about trying different crafts and I feel I have been doing a bit too much quilting as of late.
Quilling is very easy. You have to buy a small quilling tool, which you can buy from ebay for around £3, and some thin strips of quilling paper. I bought these 3 packs of varying sizes for around £5 from ebay, but you could just cut your own paper, if you have the time. The pieces should be the same width and length for neatness.
I decided to try and make a Spring Daffodil first. So I chose 6 strips of yellow paper for the petals and 1 strip of orange paper for the middle.
To make the petal: Place the end of the paper in the slot of the quilling tool, and begin turning the tool, so the paper wraps around it. Once you reach the end of the piece of paper, it should be tightly wrapped round the top of the quilling tool, into a coil. Hold onto the sides of the coil, and remove it from the quilling tool. Then loosen your grip on the coil, so that it uncurls slightly. Pinch the top of the coil, to form a petal shape, then glue down the loose piece of paper at the end, so to secure the shape.
To make the middle: Do the exact same as above, but do not uncurl the paper or pinch. Simply glue the loose end of the paper to the side of the coil.
All you then need to do is glue the petals and middle onto the card. I use bostik clear multi purpose glue, but I think pritt stick or any sort of glue would do.
Here are some of the flower cards I made:
These took no time at all, so I decided to then move onto butterflies, which again are so simple, and you just need to follow the same instructions as before
I won’t need to buy Mothers Day cards ever again. I wonder what other shapes and designs I could quill?
Its the Caterpillar from Alice and Wonderland! It has been needle felted! Genius!
Time to try out my needle felting kit I think. Shall post over the next few days, to let you know how I get on
How cute are these, really want to give them a go, looks a bit tricky though..
Macaron Coin Purse (via Sew | Macaron Coin Purse | Free Pattern & Tutorial at CraftPassion.com)
Possibly the comfiest shoes I ever owned, slip on vans. I had the shark print, hippo print and pellican print. Would LOVE a pair of these.
Are you getting bored yet? I’m still loving doing them :-D
Due to Valentines Day being right after my birthday and right before our anniversary, we don’t normally do anything OTT for it. So I decided this year it would be nice to make a romantic meal. I didn’t want it to be something I have made before, I wanted it to be special, so I set myself the challenge of making my very first Beef Wellington, or two to be precise. After looking at several recipes on the internet, I decided to go for it.
I used the Gordon Ramsay recipe which can be found here. I also frantically text my uncle while I was cooking for some advice (I did not want a soggy pastry!)
I kind of played about with it a bit, and adapted it to make 2 individual wellingtons instead of 1 large one- I used parma ham inside the wellington instead of prosciutto, the beef I used was fillet steak which was bought from M&S for £5, and the perfect size for an individual wellington and the mushroom duxelle I made using chestnut mushrooms, Shallots, butter and a splash of white wine.
KEY THINGS- The hardest bit I found was cooking the beef, I started by sealing the meat in a pan, but found this left it still dripping with blood, so then baked the beef for another 10 mins. I guess it all depends on personal preference, but I would not eat beef if there was blood spurting out it! The beef then has to be completely cooled before wrapping in the pastry. It should be cooled straight after cooking, then put in the fridge for a further 30 mins. Then again once the Wellington is made up, it must be put back in the fridge for 30 mins. I cooked the Wellingtons for about 20-25 mins in the oven.
I was really chuffed with the end result, and would definitely use Gordon’s recipe again.
To accompany the Wellingtons, I also made some rosemary roast potatoes. To make these:
½ bag of new potatoes (around 500g)
2 teaspoons of Very Lazy Garlic in White Wine Vinegar
For dessert I made Nigella’s Nutella Cheesecake, the night before to allow it to set. The recipe can be found here
Unfortunately my Springform tin is a bit too big, so the “cheese” layer is the same thickness as the base, when it should be significantly larger. For the biscuit base, I didn’t use Nigella’s recipe. I used crushed chocolate digestives instead of normal ones, and mixed these some honey to get a solid biscuit base.
I really enjoyed making this meal, but it took me hours to do, so isn’t realistic for a normal after work dinner. Would definitely make those Wellingtons again one weekend though, they were very tasty even if I do say so myself :-D
Well I have been somewhat unproductive over the last week, considering I spent most of the weekend indoors after all the snow. We only ventured out twice- to Hampstead Heath to look at the frozen ponds and to Primrose Hill to walk in the snow. We were greeted with a sea of snowmen and lots of children sledging. I really love the old fashion wooden sledges.
The rest of the weekend indoors in the warmth, was spent doing a little bit more patchwork. I decided to make the Hexagon Patchwork Pin Cushion from “Queen of Crafts” by Jazz Domino Holly (My new favourite book). It is fairly simple to make, although not for the complete patchwork novice, as precision again is key. I started off by cutting out 12 hexagons in tartan (using a template I printed from the internet. Drawing a hexagon freehand I discovered was very difficult) I then cut out 2 hexagons, the same size as the others in a red spotty fabric). It is then a case of sewing the pieces together to form a flower shape. Six tartan hexagons form the outside of one side, with one spotty centre. I found it easiest to sew the tartan hexagons to the spotty centre first, then to sew the tartan hexagons together. I repeated this again to form the other side of the “flower”. I then sewed the 2 pieces together inside out, so the top neat side is facing inwards, leaving an inch unsewn (this is so the “flower” can be turned inside out again). I then stuffed with toy filling, and sewed up the gap.
Here is the end result:
The difficulties I ran into were using the tartan fabric (noooooooooooo!). I find this often that the once cut, the ends fray very easily. Normally this isn’t a huge problem, but as the pieces were so small, it meant it was harder to sew the pieces together without any fraying occuring. So when it did fray I had to sort this by hand.
I did this project using my sewing machine, but you could quite easily do it by hand too.
Promise to get more crafty this week :) I have no excuse, as my second delivery of “Art of Quilting” arrived yesterday too
I find that I am very easily influenced by adverts and from a young age especially the magazine adverts and even more especially , those with a free gift- “Money of The World” and “Calligraphy for Beginners” being two I tried and soon bored of. So I really couldn’t help myself when after Christmas a new crafting magazine was advertised “The Art of Quilting”.
I’ve always fancied making a patchwork quilt, but was really unsure how to begin and what sewing techniques needed to be used. So this magazine sounded ideal.. a little pricey at £3.50 a week, but I figure I can just keep buying it until I’ve mastered the techniques. The magazine came with 4 patterned fabrics, and very clear instructions on how to make my first square.
The key is to be very accurate with your measurements of the squares, also measuring out a seam allowance on each and carefully lining each up when sewing on the machine.
Here is my first go:
I enjoyed doing it so much, I got carried away and made some more squares with scraps of fabric I had in the house. I need to be a bit more careful with the way in which I sew each smaller square together, as you can see they don’t all follow the same pattern. I think if all these squares were made into a blanket,there would have to be some degree of continuity, otherwise it wouldn’t look as good. Also the yellow and orange one is proof that patchwork quilting cannot be done quickly, I tried and it ended up a bit wonky. Precision is everything with patchwork.
Will post some more photos as I progress with the actual formation of the blanket
Wednesday was Burns Day, a day to celebrate the Scottish national poet Robert Burns. I should explain, for those who don’t know me, I am Scottish and very patriotic. So I see Burns Day as a day to celebrate all things Scottish. Here are a few of my favourite Scottish exports: (I could write a huge list, but these are the most relevant to the blog!)
To make Balmoral chicken (serves 4)
You will need:
4 chicken breasts 1/2 a shop bought Haggis (around 250g)
For the sauce, I must admit, I tend to use a powder bought from the supermarket for quickness, Colmans or similar and mix it with warm milk or cream. But if your feeling Adventurous, here is a recipe I found online:
PS: It wouldn’t be fair to not mention my greatest love… | <urn:uuid:3700a6f6-08f3-48b6-ba37-c9df6b3b3bfa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://makenbake.tumblr.com/mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963481 | 2,244 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Today’s Scripture Reading: Zechariah 9:1 through Zechariah 14:21
There was a family in my neighborhood growing up who had three boys. In the summer the boys played outside all day, every day —baseball, football, basketball, forts, and riding bikes. Their parents allowed them to play anywhere in the neighborhood, as long as they could hear “the whistle.” During the day their Mom had a police whistle she used to call them for lunch, but the most important whistle was their Dad’s. He didn’t need any kind of special instrument, he just put two fingers to his mouth, pushed air through his lips and his special sound went into every nook and cranny in the neighborhood and found all three boys EVERY TIME!
When they heard their Dad’s whistle they stopped what they were doing and ran home as fast as they could because they knew the best part of their day began when their Dad got home.
In the days of the prophet Zechariah each family owned a couple of sheep for personal use. The animals stayed at night in the courtyard of the family’s house. Families on a given street agreed as to who would shepherd their combined flock, often designating one or more of the children. In the morning this shepherd would go down the street to gather the sheep. The person at the door recognized the shepherd and opened the door for the sheep to pass through. The shepherd had a distinct call or whistle, sometimes using a small flute, which the sheep recognize and follow. When several flocks end up at a watering place at the same time and mingle together, they were easily separated again by the shepherd, who gives his call as he starts to walk away. (http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentary)
On that day the Lord their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep… When I whistle to them, they will come running, for I have redeemed them. From the few who are left, they will grow as numerous as they were before. –Zechariah 9:16, 10:8
Can you imagine being an Israelite in those days?
- Their temple had been destroyed
- They had been exiled from their country for 70 years
- They had been judged by God for their sins
And then they heard the Word from the Lord through the prophet Zechariah, “God will rescue His people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep.” Not only did they know they would be rescued, they understood the depth of love God had for them because they understood the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep.
Friends, we too have been rescued and redeemed. In Galatians 3:13 NKJ, God tells us that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us. When He cried out on the cross, “It is finished,” (John 19:30) our redemption was guaranteed.
It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet (God’s whistle) sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. –1 Corinthians 15:52 (explanation mine)
Just like my child-hood friends, when our Heavenly Father “whistles” we will run to meet Him because being with Him is what we’ve been waiting for!
Blessings in Jesus!
© 2012 Dianne Guthmuller
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ezra 6:14b-22; Ezra 4:6; Esther 1:1 through 4:17 | <urn:uuid:87eaff2b-0fcc-48ea-9e51-2eb675694917> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dianneguthmuller.com/what-will-you-do-when-you-hear-the-whistle-zechariah-108/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98767 | 783 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Newsgroups: alt.skinheads,alt.politics.white-power,alt.politics.nationalism.white,soc.culture.czecho-slovak Subject: ADL: Skinhead International; Czech Republic Followup-To: alt.skinheads Archive/File: pub/orgs/american/adl/skinhead-international/skins-czech-republic Last-Modified: 1995/08/29 Czech Republic In the Czech Republic, as in other Central and Eastern European countries, the Gypsies (also known as Roma) -- targets of Nazi extermination programs during World War II -- have been facing a rising tide of racist hate. Skinheads, if not the most numerous among the racists, are often the most visible. The primative Skinhead racism in the Czech Republic is of the neo-Nazi variety. Although Czech Skins spew anti-Semitic rhetoric, the Roma are their chief targets. Others have been "guest workers" (mainly from Vietnam), Arab and African students, and foreign tourists. The Czech word _vycisteni_ (cleansing) has come into wide use by the Skins and other hatemongers. Estimates vary as to the number of Skinheads in the Czech Republic. Some observers estimate that between 800 and 2,000 are active in Prague, with several thousand more active in other cities and towns. Czech Police calculate that there are at least 400 in Prague and 3,000 to 4,000 nationally. The largest concentrations are in the industrial areas of northern Bohemia. Skinhead Violence April and May 1990, Prague and other cities. There were reports in April and May 1990 of Skinheads attacking groups of Gypsies with clubs and chains in several northern Bohemian cities. On May 1, some 200 Skins attacked Gypsies and foreign workers (mainly Vietnamese) in Prague's main square and afterwards assaulted a group of Canadian tourists. February 1991, Prague. In a highly publicized case, a Czech sculptor, Pavel Oporensky, came upon a gang of Skinheads (including some Austrian Skins) that had just assaulted a passerby who had taunted them and viciously attacked another man who had come to his rescue. Jumping in to help, Oporensky was quickly surrounded by threatening Skins. While defending himself, he fatally slashed one of the gang with his pocket knife. He was tried for manslaughter, found guilty and sentenced to four years probation. Oporensky had been a Charter 77 dissident under the Communists and later lived in New York for 10 years. The victim, 17-year-old Ales Martinu, was buried in his Skinhead clothes while Orlik, a Skinhead band, performed. October 1991, Teplice. Two Gypsies in an automobile were attacked at a railroad station and their car was demolished. Following this, a group of some 60 Skinheads attacked citizens in the center of the city, later escaping aboard a train bound for Prague. November 1991, Prague. More than a thousand Skinheads and supporters marched for several hours through Wenceslaus Square and then through Zizcov, a largely Gypsy neighborhood, shouting "Gypsies to the gas chambers!" February 6, 1993, Pilsen. Some 15 or so Skinheads attacked a dozen Bulgarian tourists with clubs, brass knuckles and tear gas at the railway station in Pilsen. Several of the tourists were injured, including a man and a woman who were hospitalized with concussions. The Czech news agency reported the arrest of the youths, who ranged in age from 14 to 18. All were released to their parents. More recently, on the weekend of March 19 and 20, 1994, various Skinhead factions joined with other right-wing demonstrators in Prague and other cities to commemorate Hitler's division of Czechoslovakia 55 years earlier. Stalking Gypsy Children Schoolchildren have not been safe from attack. A 12-year-old Gypsy girl told of an assault by Skinheads as she and her friends walked home from school: "They shouted 'Gypsies!' and they started to beat us. One of them pulled a knife...." There have been many such reports of Skins stalking Gypsy children near schools. In December 1993, the Czech Ministry of Internal Affairs released a report on racial violence in the country, blaming "extremist groups propagating extreme nationalism, fascism, and anti-Semitism," and mentioning among such groups at least 10 different factions of Skinheads including neo-Nazis. At the same time, the Ministry reported that three Gypsies had been killed by Skinheads since 1990. Another authority, however, Ladislav Goral, a Gypsy who is a senior member of the government's Council on Nationalities, disputed the estimate, stating that there were at least twice that many fatalities. An evaluation by the Institute for Criminology claims that the general populace of the Czech Republic tends to: sympathize with anyone who at least verbally, but better "in reality" stands up for their protection.... Thus, for example, members of a group of skinheads are forgiven and ultimately supported by a considerable part of the population, which mistakes their racist, fascist intolerance for the protection of society from criminality. Miroslav Martinu, whose Skinhead son Ales had been killed in the aforementioned Oporensky brawl in 1991, insisted that the gangs attacking Gypsies were only going after "criminal elements." But a policeman was quoted in the Czech newspaper _Krety_ has saying: "If nothing is done quickly about the Skins, they will soon be running around here in SS uniforms. And if there are no Gypsies around, they will find other targets." Commenting upon violence against Gypsies in the Czech Republic, the 1993 Human Rights Report of the U.S. Department of State noted: Newspaper reports often link such violence with Skinhead provocations. Such was certainly the case in incidents in Plzen [Pilsen] and Pisek in the fall, in each of which a young Roma died as a result of Skinhead violence. There are credable reports that police ignore or condone incidents of violence against the Roma, although the Government has denounced such violence. As elsewhere in Europe, Skinheads in the Czech Republic gravitate towards the far-right political parties, of which there are several. The leading such party is the Republicans, whose leader, Miroslav Sladek, is notorious for his anti-Semitic, anti-Gypsy, racist speeches. The party registered significant gains in the 1992 elections, garnering 600,000 votes and 11 seats in the 200-seat Czech National Council. It jumped from less than one percent in 1990 to over six percent in 1992, and opinion polls since then indicate public support for the party hovering around four to five percent. While in the past Sladek courted the Sknheads, he currently claims not to seek their support. Nonetheless, these gangs find his party's views appealing. Bands and Zines There is an active Skinhead music scene in the Czech Republic. The leading band, Orlik, reportedly sold 120,000 copies of its first LP and has drawn as many as 600 Skinheads to its concerts. Other active bands are Buldok, Valasska Liga, and Kon-Kwista. The Czech Skinhead movement boasts a number of popular skinzines that are blatantly Nazi in tone and ideas, and that carry advertisements and articles on neo-Nazi groups and causes around the world. The more ambitious ones are _White Warriors_ (a Czech-language publication despite its English name), _Stuermer_, and _Fenix_, which is written in English in an attempt to reach an international audience. Some zines regularly publish materials from Tom Metzger's White Aryan Resistance in Fallbrook, California, Gary Lauck's NSDAP-AO in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the SS Action Group in Dearborn, Michigan. (Anti-Defamation League, 26-29) Work Cited Anti-Defamation League. The Skinhead International: A Worldwide Survey of Neo-Nazi Skinheads. New York: Anti-Defamation League, 1995. Anti-Defamation League, 823 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017.
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Many beekeepers depend on local middlemen to buy their honey. In a weak bargaining position, beekeepers often sell their honey at a fraction of the real value.
Below you can find out about:
- Problems facing honey producers
- Benefits of Fairtrade for producers
- Fairtrade certified producers
- Buying and selling Fairtrade honey
- Fairtrade Standards for honey
Problems facing honey producers
Most beekeeping families live in remote locations with limited access to transport and market information.
Honey is not a commodity traded on the stock exchange. The price varies widely depending on production costs, climate, vegetation zones and the yield per bee colony. In many honey-producing areas, price wars have pushed honey prices to unsustainable levels for beekeepers and their families.
In the US and Europe, a large percentage of the imported honey is produced by impoverished beekeepers in developing countries in Latin America and Asia. Most beekeeping families live in remote locations with limited access to transport or market information. As a result, many beekeepers depend on local middlemen to buy their honey. In a weak bargaining position, beekeepers often sell their honey at a fraction of the real value.
Beekeepers from developing countries could sell their honey for a higher price in developed markets, but often cannot gain entry due to quality requirements. Producers often lack the infrastructure to differentiate the types of honey or stoke and transport it without negatively affecting quality.
Benefits of Fairtrade for producers
Fairtrade offers producers a Minimum Price for their honey and links beekeeper-run cooperatives directly with Fairtrade buyers, cutting out middlemen and paving the way for longer term sustainability.
Fairtrade Standards for honey
Among other things, Fairtrade Standards for honey include:
- Producers are small family farms organized in cooperatives (or associations) which they own and govern democratically.
- The Fairtrade price is paid directly to the producer cooperatives.
- Environmental standards restrict the use of agrochemicals, ban genetically modified plants, and encourage sustainability.
- Pre-harvest lines of credit are given to the cooperatives if requested, of up to 60% of the purchase price.
- No forced or child labour.
A Fairtrade Premium is included in the purchase price and is used by cooperatives for social and economic investments such as education, health services, processing equipment, and loans to members.
To find out more about the Fairtrade Standards for honey production, please download and read the full product Standard.
Fairtrade certified producers
Find out how beekeepers in Chile have benefited from Fairtrade certified here.
To find out which honey producer organizations are currently Fairtrade certified, you can check the database available on the FLO-CERT website.
Find Fairtrade Minimum Prices and Premiums | <urn:uuid:3dc3cb80-8c06-4de5-a735-57fca87cf4fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fairtrade.net/honey.html?L=title%3DOpens | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935335 | 570 | 3.234375 | 3 |
With its welcoming people and first-class beaches, Ghana has become a magnet for tourists. However, visitors who don't leave the main roads are unaware of the large swaths of poverty that run throughout Ghana, especially in the three northern regions. Farmers in particular face many hardships.
Recognized by the international community as a democratic and economic leader in Africa, Ghana has taken center stage in the fight against poverty. Catholic Relief Services works with the people of Ghana to tackle poverty on several fronts by: improving child and maternal health of women and children; increasing access to clean water and sanitation; providing care and support to people living with HIV; finding ways to increase farm profits and production; and promoting better nutrition practices in the agriculture sector.
Learn more about our work in Ghana.
Latest Stories From Ghana
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Your support of CRS water projects improves every aspect of life for people all over the world. »»
Respect for tradition led to new ways of caring for mothers in Ghana before and after they give birth. Now, maternal mortality rates are dropping. »»
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we wanted to take this opportunity to count our many blessings. »»
|Population:||26,652,402 (July 2012 est.)|
|Size:||92,098 sq mi; slightly smaller than Oregon|
|People Served:||1,521,404 (2012 est.)|
Catholic Relief Services is a longstanding partner in Ghana's development. CRS Ghana was established in 1958, just one year after Ghana gained independence, and currently employs 60 national and 3 international staff members. Lisa Washington-Sow is the country representative based in Ghana's capital, Accra. CRS Ghana has one other office in the capital of the Northern Region, Tamale.
PartnersCatholic Church of Ghana
Ghana Health Service
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Sociology of everyday life, social inequalities, feminist and qualitative approaches to social research, youth and gender, sociology of food
Amy L. Best is Associate Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at George Mason University. Her research focuses on the study of youth, culture and social inequalities, with a particular interest in how gender, ethnicity, sexuality, race and class differently shape the social experiences of contemporary American youth. She is interested in qualitative and feminist approaches to social research. Best is author of Prom Night Youth, Schools and Popular Culture (2000 Routledge), which was selected for the 2002 American Educational Studies Association Critics’ Choice Award and Fast Cars: Cool Rides: The Accelerating World of Youth and Their Cars (NYU Press 2006), and editor of Representing Youth: Methodological Issues in Critical Youth Studies. (NYU Press, 2007) Recent articles and book chapters are “Young people and consumption” in Handbook on Youthand Young Adulthood: New Perspectives and Agendas. Edited by Andrew Furlong; “Teen Driving as Public Drama: Statistics, Risk, and The Social Construction of Youth as a Public Problem.” Journal of Youth Studies. “Freedom, Constraint and Family Responsibility: Teens and Parents Collaboratively Negotiate around The Car, Class, Gender and Culture” Journal of Family Issues ; "Girls, Schooling and the Discourse of Self Change: Negotiating Meanings of the High School Prom" in All About the Girl: Culture, Power and Identity edited by Anita Harris and “Doing Race in the Context of Feminist Interviewing: Constructing Whiteness through Talk” in Qualitative Inquiry. | <urn:uuid:d8791175-3b52-41b9-adee-fbf9c1be2074> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://soan.gmu.edu/people/abest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915546 | 347 | 1.539063 | 2 |
- Special Sections
Four Valley City School Board members, the superintendent, four presenters and several audience members were on hand Monday night at a special school board meeting to discuss Measure 2, which will be on the ballot this fall.
The controversial constitutional measure will eliminate property taxes in the state if it passes. However property taxes also pay for a major portion of the government services in North Dakota, as well as 30 percent of kindergarten through grade 12 education. Property taxes have been rising steadily over the years, threatening many land ownersâ ability to keep their properties.
Charlene Nelson, the chairperson of Empower the Tax Payer, a citizenâs group in favor of Measure 2, said the tax is complicated, unfair and unnecessary.
âWeâve done quite a bit of research on the issue of property tax,â she said.
âNo matter how you look at it, property tax simply cannot be reformed without further complicating what is already a very complex, almost incomprehensible tax.â
Nelson said the 30 percent funding the schools receive from the state comes with strings attached, and the state should fund the schools at 100 percent and let local school boards decide how the money should be spent.
âIt is an outside-of-the-box approach; it is something unexpected, totally unheard of in most corners,â she said. âIt might be a little scary but when we look at the alternative of putting an ever-increasing, ever-burdening tax on families and the people that are vulnerable in our community... we have to question âare we ready to continue with the status quo of this tax, or are we ready for something that is truly novel?ââ
Greg Burns of the North Dakota Education Association spoke on behalf of the Keep It Local North Dakota coalition, and said his group does not like the property tax, but cutting it out completely will hurt the formula the state currently uses to fund local government subdivisions. Those formulas, he said, are all factored with property taxes in mind.
As one of the officials who worked with legislatures to establish the formula the state uses for school funding, he said, âI donât know how anybody can devise a formula that will take care of emergency services, police fire roads libraries, senior services, and thatâs just to list a few,â he said. âI find it very strange that Empower the Tax Payer says the reason they put this into a measure is the legislature tried on 100-and-some odd occasions to fix it and they didnât fix it, but theyâre going to trust that same legislature to come up with a formula thatâs this complex. Thereâs an inconsistency that still hasnât been explained to our satisfaction.â
Burns said property taxes are a tax citizens pay to each other for the high standard of living they expect in their community, and passing Measure 2 would thrust the state into financial uncertainty.
Sen. Larry Robinson D-Valley City said until a major overhaul of the stateâs tax system, he does not see this issue going away regardless of what happens at the polls in November.
âIf this measure passes or if this measure does not pass,â he said, âthe message has been heard loud and clear... I would challenge those of you that are opponents, those of you that are proponents, that we join forces and ensure one way or another that we have meaningful tax reform â not relief â thatâs sustainable for the long run.â
Rep. Ralph Metcalf DâValley City said he opposes property taxes, calling it âthe worst tax in the world,â but that the rush to eliminate the tax carries too much uncertainty at this time.
âI encourage this committee to go ahead into the future, but donât try to do it by yourself and donât try to do it overnight.... Thereâs so many different things that affect so many different people, go slow on this.â
In her closing remarks, Nelson urged people to visit her groupâs website at www.YesM2.com, and ask themselves who should take on the burden of funding what is currently paid for by property taxes.
âWhat happens when the economy goes down? Who should suffer? Should it be the families who suffer the most that have to do the most belt tightening, the most economizing, when the economy takes a turn? Or should our government and government services do some belt tightening as well?â she said. | <urn:uuid:cf5367e9-c43e-4503-9eb8-2e1891da7c03> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.times-online.com/content/valley-city-school-board-mulls-measure-2?quicktabs_2=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962039 | 930 | 1.867188 | 2 |
A middle school teacher I admired for her innovation pulled me aside once to tell me she was leaving the district. Her tendency to stray from the script put her at odds with the new principal.
When I shared the news later with a neighbor, an educator herself, her reaction shocked me: “Good riddance. My son never knew what was going on in that class because the teacher was always going off on a tangent.”
I learned a lesson. What’s outside-the-box teaching to one parent may be a crate of goo to the next.
Through having twins — one with a penchant for flights of fancy, the other with feet firmly planted on the ground — I have seen firsthand that personality plays a role in how well a student relates to a teacher. My son prefers strict standards, frequent quizzes and no projects that demand glue, poster boards or costumes. My daughter likes personal journals, classes that meander and any event that requires wearing a hat.
That’s why I regard promises of objective teacher evaluations with skepticism. Can teaching be reduced to a checklist of good and bad practices?
Georgia is in the midst of rolling out a new teacher evaluation system funded by the state’s $400 million Race to the Top grant. The reviews will consider student test scores, principal observations and student surveys, and assign a rating to teachers of exemplary, proficient, developing/needs improvement or unsatisfactory.
Much of what Georgia is doing aligns with the findings of a three-year, $45 million study of effective teaching by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Released earlier this month, the final report from the Gates-funded Measures of Effective Teaching Project sought to answer the question: Are seemingly more effective teachers really better than other teachers at improving student learning, or do they simply have better students?
The foundation says that some teachers are, in fact, better at raising student achievement. And those highly effective teachers can be identified and measured by multiple classroom observations, student surveys and student growth as manifested by state test scores.
In both the Gates report and
Georgia’s new evaluations, observations of teachers in the classroom play a significant role in gauging effectiveness. But there are differences.
The Gates study found that an accurate observation rating for a teacher requires a review of two or more lessons, each scored by a different certified observer to minimize bias.
At this point, Georgia has no plans to bring in outsiders to assess teachers in action. Principals will conduct two 30-minute observation sessions of each teacher. They will also perform four 10-minute “walk-throughs” to see whether specific performance standards are being taught.
Simple math explains why teachers are dubious. Take a school with 100 teachers. A principal is supposed to observe each teacher for 100 minutes. That adds up to nearly 167 hours or more in
“It make take a culture shift, but principals have to realize that their top priority, along with ensuring their school buildings are safe, is instruction. They must make time for these teacher observations,” says Susan Andrews, Georgia Department of Education deputy superintendent for
Race To The Top implementation.
The other critical factor in assessing teacher effectiveness will be student growth in test scores. For 30 percent of Georgia teachers, those scores will come from the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests given to elementary and middle school grades and the End of Course Tests given to high school students.
But 70 percent of teachers lead classes for which there are no standardized Georgia tests, including drama, art, music and foreign languages. For these non-tested subjects, the state is developing pre tests and post tests called Student Learning Objectives.
A music teacher sent me a note about the instructional time that will likely be lost due to the pre and post assessments that will be part of the Student Learning Objectives. “I think parents would be surprised to know an additional week or more now goes to test students more,” she said.
And time is a precious commodity in Georgia, where two-thirds of districts have shortened their school years to deal with budget deficits that promise only to worsen. The state has cut $5.6 billion from k-12 funding since 2003.
Building a better teacher evaluation system won’t help anyone if it depends on time and resources that aren’t realistic. | <urn:uuid:c9cf159e-06a8-496b-ac74-6e20e9e985e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2013/01/19/teacher-evaluations-is-there-really-enough-time-for-reliable-classroom-observations/?cxntfid=blogs_get_schooled_blog | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955177 | 894 | 2.4375 | 2 |
What Open Source Culture Can Teach the Newsroom
Gabriella Coleman discusses how functioning Open Source projects work and the culture behind them. In this video, she outlines how Debian, a free and Open Source operating system, brings together and leverages community contributions.
While the comparison between Open Source software development and new forms of crowdsourced journalism is a bit apples and robots, with enough imagination we might see how a few of the key components could be applied to a news organization:
- Transparency: How does the organization or project operate? Who or what is behind it? What can I as an outside contributor get my hands on when I want to start to hack?
- Ethical, Legal and Philosophical Values: This isn’t just knowing what an organization stands for, it’s a contributor being able to argue for, integrate and advocate those values.
- Technical Baselines: No, not just anyone can contribute, they must have proven skills and expertise in a given field. If I stepped into Gabriella’s Debian example, I’d politely be asked to leave. I don’t have those skills.
- Mentorship: This can come from core team members, or those who have been involved in a project long enough that they are able to guide those who are new, or less skilled, in each of the above.
- Governance Structure: How are decisions made and who has final say so that the project evolves/moves forward? Is it a person, a committee, the entire community, or some other structure?
- Committed Community: A successful project needs people coming back again and again, ready to continue contributing their time and their skills.
- Festive Celebration and Cultural Enchantment: There should always be a party, somewhere. This is important.
On the FJP Tumblr, Michael Cervieri dives deeper into the relationship between Open Source techniques and how they might be applied to the newsroom. | <urn:uuid:9fc675ad-8881-438c-a2a1-992d3218fe4e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thefjp.org/?interview=gabriella-coleman-on-what-open-source-culture-can-teach-the-newsroom | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938334 | 402 | 2.4375 | 2 |
Filed under: Children's Health
Osgood-Schlatter disease can cause a painful lump below the kneecap in children and adolescents experiencing growth spurts during puberty. Osgood-Schlatter disease occurs most often in children who participate in sports that involve running, jumping and swift changes of direction — such as soccer, basketball, figure skating and ballet.
While Osgood-Schlatter disease is more common in boys, the gender gap is narrowing as more girls become involved with sports. Osgood-Schlatter disease affects as many as 1 in 5 adolescent athletes.
Age ranges differ by sex because girls experience puberty earlier than do boys. Osgood-Schlatter disease typically occurs in boys ages 13 to 14 and girls ages 11 to 12. The condition usually resolves on its own, once the child's bones stop growing.
Want to know more about this article or other health related issues? Ask your question and we'll post some each week for CNN.com reader to discuss or for our experts to weight in.
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Edna Meade Colson (October 7, 1888–January 17, 1985)
Educator Edna Meade Colson struggled to make it easier for African Americans to obtain high quality education in Virginia. Her father, James Major Colson, was a founding faculty member of Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute (later Virginia State University), and her mother, Kate Deaver Hill Colson, was one of the first African American teachers in Petersburg's public schools.
Colson was born and educated in Petersburg and attended Fisk University’s normal school in Nashville, Tennessee. She taught for one year in North Carolina and then returned to Virginia as an instructor in the academic department at the renamed Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute (1909–1912) in Ettrick, across the Appomattox River from Petersburg. Colson received a B.A. from Fisk University in 1915, and she became an assistant in pedagogy at the Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute. Four years later she was appointed director of the new department of education. Colson guided the program as it grew into the school of education early in the 1950s. In the meantime, she attended Teachers College, Columbia University, and received a Ph.D. in 1940.
Colson had to pursue her graduate work outside Virginia because there was no graduate education available to African Americans in the state’s segregated universities. Virginia State College for Negroes, as it had been renamed in 1923, began to offer graduate courses in the summer of 1937. Colson chaired the committee to implement the new program.
Colson was among the first African American women to register to vote after ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. A charter member of the Delta Omega chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she received life memberships in both the American Teachers Association and the National Education Association. In 1950 Colson was the first black Virginia woman to become a life member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The Virginia State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs, Inc., named her "Woman of the Year" in 1958.
Colson retired in 1953 from Virginia State College, as it was renamed in 1946 and died in a Colonial Heights nursing home in 1985. She was buried in Eastview Cemetery in Petersburg. Colson Auditorium in Harris Hall, erected in 1970 as headquarters of the education department, was named in her honor.
Image – "The First Colored Women Voters of Ettrick." Courtesy of the Virginia State University Archives. | <urn:uuid:d24f6e0d-df54-4c01-ab99-9cca025631f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/trailblazers/2008/index.htm?id=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976307 | 517 | 2.859375 | 3 |
Get Help:Ask a Question in our Forums|Report a Bug|More Help Resources
Last post Nov 27, 2012 05:40 PM by Abhishek Luv
Nov 23, 2012 08:37 PM|LINK
Hi, I realize these are two different animals, but I'm wondering if all things are equal such as hardwaqre, etc, woudln't Webpages using Razor and Wmatrix be faster since they are compileed the first time? I mean faster than PHP which I think is interpruted?
Just asking. I ask this because I notice how popular PHP is, and I'm wondering if there's a reason as far as speed goes anyway in serving pages, etc, where one would use one platform or the other? I realize that PHP is typically used on Apache, etc, but not
all the time, etc, and this maybe the reason it would be used, etc,. But, I'm just curious..
Nov 24, 2012 01:11 AM|LINK
I don't think the popularity has to do with speed as much as it does the cost to host and develop at least until recently when open source and a more open and helpful community towards others became a more popular concept in the Microsoft developer world. That
and the shear amount of freely available mature applications out there. Also the fact people are able to run PHP on most any web server out there goes a long way towards it's popularity.
As far as speed goes you hit it on the nose. ASP.NET does have a speed advantage over PHP being it is compiled as opposed to an interpreted language. ASP.NET is already if precompiled or after the first request at which time it is compiled written as machine
specific instructions. Interpreted languages such as PHP have to be written into machine specific instructions at runtime.
Keep in mind there are things out there to help speed this process up when it comes to PHP such as APC which caches data and compiled code from the PHP bytecode compiler saving it into memory so as to overcome this drawback making any speed advantage no
Nov 24, 2012 05:31 PM|LINK
I agree to jporchazka.
PHP is almost a father to all coding. Every developer know PHP. ASP.NET is a modern and simple language.
Speeding up the server and client boxes you can use caching and AJAX and some other techs.
As far the difference is concerned. Only language is change all of the work is same. You should see that the server is supporting the language (asp.net) or not. Because PHP is 99% accepted to servers.
Also webPages is not a server side script. Its a client side one. Server side is Razor code used in web pages.
Nov 24, 2012 07:22 PM|LINK
"PHP is almost a father to all coding."
Very true fzaal.Ahmad.Zeeshan and one of the reasons C# was created to make migration from C based programming languages such as PHP and Java to .NET more easy for those who use such languages.
Nov 25, 2012 07:36 AM|LINK
Yes and somehow razor (C# integrated) is a short form coding. Human read-able and human understandable too. Variables are short. So speed is better in ASP.NET while writing the code and displaying the code. Both!
Nov 25, 2012 04:05 PM|LINK
Keep in mind there are things out there to help speed this process up when it comes to PHP such as APC which caches data and compiled code from the PHP bytecode compiler saving it into memory so as to overcome this drawback making any speed advantage no longer
Thanks so much, but ASP.Net has these same things for speeding up correct? So, compiled code will always be faster all things being equal.. Thanks so much.. PHP reminds me of classic ASP. Almost identical in the way it works I mean.. I'm an old ASP guy,
but became ill and now just do this stuff part time.. But I still love it.. Programming is programming and I love it.. :-)
Nov 25, 2012 04:43 PM|LINK
Lately i have been working around with ASP.NET MVC Apps with EF Code First, HTML5, and jQuery...,MVC pattern ,HTML5 and awesome client side jquery...also doing some Razor websites....Razor with Webmatrix helps me to build a website very quick and i am up
and running . :)
Nov 25, 2012 04:53 PM|LINK
Yeah, the reason I'm working with Webmatrix is that MVC uses Razor I understand and that's the way I want to go with Agile development practices.
Thanks so much..
Nov 25, 2012 05:36 PM|LINK
Yes exactly..for the same reason i am using razor with webmatrix. The main main thing is Orchard CMS uses razor as its view engine.
So benefits of working with razor - webpages , MVC pattern, and Orchard cms.
Nov 27, 2012 04:46 PM|LINK
You say Orchard uses Razor? That's exactly what I'm looking for in a CMS. I've not had the chance to review many of the CMS workings, but I'm glad you told me that. Do you like Orchard? | <urn:uuid:1e045d85-23f9-490f-a88a-0feff5cdc560> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.asp.net/p/1860987/5220393.aspx/1?Re+web+pages+vs+php+Speed+ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942175 | 1,114 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Join the Emerald Circle.
Named after the lush forested band around the Earth's equator that is rich in biodiversity, the Emerald Circle is a special community of donors who have made a significant commitment to advance CI's work.
With annual gifts of $1,000 or more, Emerald Circle members provide CI with the core financial support we need to fulfill our mission.
What does your gift mean for nature — and for the people who depend on it?
$1,000 — Give at this level »
Your gift of $1,000 could support important projects like:
- the purchase of 500 tags to mark sea turtles in the Philippines for scientific study
- the purchase of binoculars, night-vision technology and GPS units for 3 traditional Hawaiian fishing villages — to monitor illegal night-time fishing activities
- the purchase of 2 camera traps to monitor tropical forest mammals
Photo: A hawksbill turtle equipped with a satellite tag after nesting in El Salvador. © Alexander Gaos
$2,500 — Give at this level »
Your gift of $2,500 could support vital projects like:
- funding for a community engagement program in rural Cambodia that supports conservation efforts and awareness
- the purchase of a radio tag to track the location and movement of whale sharks in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
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Photo: Local children of a village in the Central Cardamoms, Cambodia. © CI/Photo by Jake Brunner
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Your gift of $5,000 could support critical projects like:
- the provision of resources that a local community in Cambodia needs to protect its natural resources for a year
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- 1 year of community engagement for the protection of the critically endangered Madagascar big-headed turtle
Photo: A Sumatran woman picks coffee beans during annual harvest in Indonesia. © CI/Photo by M. Candra Arief
$10,000 — Give at this level »
Your gift of $10,000 could support imperative projects like:
- the installation of a climate station in a remote tropical forest where no climate data is available
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- the purchase of 20 infrared camera traps for a study of tigers in China and Laos
Photo: Salmon (Salmonidae) aquaculture farms, Hyenfjorden, Norway. © Bill Broadhurst/FLPA/Minden Pictures
For more information on the Emerald Circle, please contact Charlotte Mikk, Director of Annual Giving, at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone at (703) 341-2497. | <urn:uuid:18b49f4e-ee9e-4224-9df3-24cd203fcf16> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.conservation.org/give/pages/emerald_circle.aspx | 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 | 0.905411 | 588 | 1.632813 | 2 |
that he had made a similar rather more specific prediction in THE MAN WHO SAW TOMORROW (1980).
Maybe that's what THEY want us to think. Just kidding, the opportunity to use that line was too good to pass up.
Interesting essay actually- It brings home the idea for me that even Welles' so-called (often by himself) marginal works are worth looking into as there are frequently signs that he invested himself beyond what his role called for.
Unfortunately, there has been comparitively little study or documentation of these works, coupled with a certain negative stigma that Welles' reputation has in the mainstream media, making the study of Welles' prophetic inclinations rather a dodgy subject.
But I think you're onto something - although there would need to be more definite information, methinks.
The 'September 11' interview (the uploader's definition) is apparently part of a French experimental film, from 2008. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer_et_moi
It says that the footage was related to an unfinished film from 1982, Pantheon, involving Welles and Eugene Ionesco. | <urn:uuid:b155c143-b7d0-45b4-9763-eb812c62fdac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wellesnet.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1600&start=15 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967442 | 240 | 1.75 | 2 |
While officially there is only one Chinese written language, there are many spoken dialects. This written language is referred to as 白话 (báihuà) and is used across China. The spoken languages (i.e. dialects) can differ significantly from 白话 - both in vocabulary and in grammar. Thus, spoken Cantonese differs substantially from 白话. It is key here to realize that the spoken Cantonese language and the official written language (白话) do not correspond to each other!
There is a trend in certain dialects to actually write down the language as it is spoken, which means the syntax, vocabulary and characters can differ from those found in 白话. For example, the site Canton 168 – 廣東一路發 gives the following example:
Mandarin: 我們明天可以去香港 Cantonese: 我聼日可以去香港
This trend for using written Cantonese is most pronounced in Hong Kong. Because this is not an official written language, people themselves must agree on what characters to use in written Cantonese. Over time, certain characters become more popular than others and thus become the de facto character to be used in a specific word. For 做番 and 做返, 番 and 返 are two competing characters, with some people preferring one and some the other.
做番 and 做返 thus represent written Cantonese, not 白话, and are two different ways to write the same word! As Zannjaminderson pointed out in a comment above, in 白话 the term would be rendered as 做回. | <urn:uuid:ae10932d-521b-42dd-be27-d63956313402> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/369/what-is-the-difference-between-%e5%81%9a%e7%95%aa-vs-%e5%81%9a%e8%bf%94 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93908 | 392 | 3.75 | 4 |
Guido Deiro |
A fairly-recent aerial view of the village of Salto.
The village of Salto is a tiny community with a population of only about 150 people located across the River Orco from Cuorgné. It is situated in hilly terrain at an altitude of 387 metres (1,270 feet) above sea level. The primary industries when Guido lived here were raising dairy cattle, growing wine grapes, tending fruit orchards, and hunting and fishing. The Deiro family engaged in all of the before-mentioned occupations to some extent, but were primarily known for building and operating general stores to sell their produce. They also imported hardware and clothing. Up until the 21st century, they had stores in Cuorgné, Castellamonte and Locarno. Today there is just one very modern department store in Cuorgné called simply "Deiro."
The village Salto lies within Deiro Superiore. Deiro Inferiore and Superiore are fractions of the commune of Salto. Canavese is the “county “ that encompasses Salto, Cuorgné, Castellamonte, etc. The ruins of the family castello and the Chapel of the Mary’s birth of Jesus and a few older homes are located in Deiro Inferiore. The road leading to it is named Via di Deiro Inferiore.
In the center of the photograph above is the Chiesa San Giacomo Apostolico, and behind it across the field is the cemetery. Tombstones can be seen in the courtyard. Many dozens of Deiros rest here.
The original church--chiesa antica--is the building at center-left with the white bell tower and gray roof. It was built in the 17th century. Guido's great grandfather, Carlo Domenico (1814-1859) is buried under the nave of this church. The building with a beige-colored slate roof right in front of the chiesa antica is the rectory.
The new church is center-right with pillars in front and a red tile roof was built in 19th century. Guido's father, Count Carlo Pietro (1863-1937), is entombed under the nave of this church.
To the right of the photograph is a building with a gray roof: the trattoria, a type of general store, coffee shop, sandwich shop and bar. It is only open during morning and afternoons, and closes in the early evening. The street is named Via Fratelli Roselli.
Not pictured in this photograph are the ruins of the Deiro castello (castle) which are still visible on a hill overlooking Deiro Inferiore. | <urn:uuid:75817964-4707-49b2-b2dc-8688fe4cbc5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://guidodeiro.com/salto.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961635 | 580 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Dodgy deals are daylight robbery
Illustration: Rocco Fazzari
When you've saved up for a trip, the last thing you want is to be ripped off. Be aware of common scams and make sure you're not among the victims.
Some are relatively harmless, like the "bird poo" that lands on your shoe closely followed by a person with a shoe-cleaning kit. Other scams, like bogus accommodation bookings, are much more sinister, costing unsuspecting travellers hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Here are some of today's most common travel scams and how to avoid them.
Thieves will often target distracted travellers. Photo: Getty Images
The internet security software provider, AVG Technologies AU, says many Australians fall victim to fake websites and holiday prize scams.
A security advisor for AVG, Michael McKinnon, says where there is growth in an area of internet activity, such as holiday bookings, cyber criminals follow.
AVG is detecting a new raft of phishing scams aimed at travel websites and mailing lists, such as email offers for non-existent resorts and holiday packages.
McKinnon warns travellers to be wary of internet pop-ups and unsolicited emails, and to only open information from reputable travel providers. When dealing with a company you haven't used before, do a Google search to establish its bona fides or, in the case of a small operator, make a phone call.
McKinnon says travellers should also learn to look for a padlock symbol on browsing or payment pages and to look for pages beginning with https://, as the "s" denotes security.
Allianz Global Assistance says fake booking websites have been a common source of travel insurance claims over the past 12 months. The company says travellers should stick to well-known sites and to be wary of offers that seem too good to be true.
While many travellers have found accommodation bargains on overseas listing sites such as Craigslist (craigslist.org), the internet is full of tales of woe.
A common scam is requesting payment via wire service or an "online escrow service", most of which are fraudulent, according to Craigslist, which goes on to say you should only deal locally with people you can meet in person, should never wire money, and should never give out any financial information.
It also warns against renting any accommodation without seeing the interior, as it is possible the accommodation is not actually for rent at all.
The corporate affairs manager of AAMI's personal insurance division, Reuben Aitchison, says booking overseas holiday homes can be risky. In one recent case, the holiday home owner's website had been hacked, while in another the property had been listed by a bogus letting agent.
In a case in New York, the customer got suspicious and arranged for a friend to visit the address, only to find the apartment they had paid for did not exist.
Aitchison warns travellers to make contact by phone and to try to find reviews or other sources of information about the property.
The insurance provider Cover-More says travellers should also be wary of online coupons, as some travellers have had pre-purchased accommodation coupons rejected by hotels.
The travel insurance provider SureSave says fake police have become a common scam, particularly in Thailand. The executive director of SureSave, Michael McAuliffe, says it is hard to put a number on how many Australians fall victim to such scams, as they often don't realise they've been duped until it is too late, or don't admit to being a victim.
Typical examples of fake police scams are travellers being given on-the-spot fines for minor "offences" or being accused of crimes they did not commit.
McAuliffe says travellers who find themselves in this situation should check the officer's identification and try to contact the real police if there is any doubt.
Cover-More says claims for luggage are on the rise - up $2 million over the past 12 months to a total of $13 million (for Cover-More customers alone). The company says Spain, France, Italy and Greece are responsible for large numbers of claims.
AAMI says it is common in Spain for thieves to target cars with foreign number plates and let the air out of one or more tyres.
When the traveller returns to the car, the thieves pose as willing and helpful locals and provide a distraction while an accomplice steals the traveller's belongings.
Other distractions have involved someone dropping a bag of shopping; travellers being asked to complete a survey; or travellers being told they have bird poo on the back of their jacket.
While they are busy dealing with the distraction, their bags or wallets are leaving the scene.
The travel insurance provider, 1Cover, says travellers should also be wary of taxi drivers.
One Australian couple had to claim for more than $4000 worth of belongings when their taxi driver dropped them outside their hotel in Bali and then sped off with their luggage in the boot.
The best way to limit this risk is to keep valuables such as passports, wallets and cameras in a bag inside the car.
Charging for damages
Allianz Global Assistance says travellers sometimes encounter problems with operators trying to charge them for pre-existing damage to either rental vehicles or hotel rooms.
The company recommends taking photos of any existing damage at the time of hire, and taking it up with the operator straight away.
What travel scams have you come across? What are your tips for avoiding getting ripped off? Post your comments below. | <urn:uuid:48a72e9e-062d-4c53-9b2e-475bce77cffb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/travel/dodgy-deals-are-daylight-robbery-20130201-2dop4.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954101 | 1,131 | 1.828125 | 2 |
How to Utilize Twitter for Social Signals and Link Building
As Twitter becomes increasingly more mainstream, search engines like Google are progressively indexing its social graph for ranking signals. In the following paragraphs, you’ll learn five methods to leverage Twitter to position better in natural search.
Based on preliminary data in the approaching 2011 Search Ranking Factors study on SEOmoz, (1) the amount of tweets connected having a particular URL and (2) the authority from the Twitter user producing these tweets were among the most crucial social networking based ranking factors.
Listed here are broad metrics the search engines like Google use to comprehend the Twitter authority and trust of the given profile:
Overall Authority of Twitter Ranking Signals
• Diversity of Twitter information tweeting a specific URL
• Quantity of fans, buddies, and overall tweets
• Tweet Engagement, the amount of re-tweets, and hashtag reactions
• Topical Relevance of Tweets. Will they contain topically related key phrases?
• Timing of Tweets, as relevant to real-time search, for instance, “the royal wedding.”
• Page Level Authority,PageRank, traditional page authority for the URL and inbound link recognition
Becuse you have got a concept of the standards search engines like Google may consider when looking for Twitter links against links using their company sources on the internet, you’re ready to provide you with actionable tips about with such to your benefit.
1. Connect to your Twitter profile
Connect to your Twitter profile out of your website, blog, by utilizing social networking discussing buttons. While Twitter includes a high overall domain authority, your personal Twitter profile requires backlinks within the same fashion as the website does to develop authority and trust.
2. Setup different Twitter accounts for those who have different business models
Different Twitter accounts are utilized whenever your company’s employees use their very personal accounts to re-tweet tweets on the company account. Likewise, for those who have different business models, you will find possibilities for mix marketing through re-tweeting. It is a terrific way to seed overall engagement of the tweet.
3. Make use of the friendly URL shortener
Twitter’s 140 character limit frequently implies that you cannot paste full Web addresses back aimed at your website. Utilizing the friendly URL shortener for example Bit.ly,Trunk.ly, or Goo.gl passes backlinks from the tweet back aimed at your website.
4. Use Klout.com to determine what you are affected by
Klout is a service which analyses your influencers and whom you influence. Bearing in mind that Twitter Authority is among the metrics connected with greater search ratings from social signals, you need to build relationships customers who’ve a greater overall Klout than your profile.
5. Update accounts using RSS feeds of the content
RSS feeds offer an automated method of telling web services if you have new content. You may create an RSS Feed of all of the digital assets you got as well as YouTube videos, white papers, blogs, press announcements and much more, after which syndicate those to Twitter. | <urn:uuid:b1284657-6302-42b6-9b15-6d008aa9c44e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.realseocompany.com/how-to-utilize-twitter-for-social-signals-and-link-building/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903088 | 647 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Une mission bénévole
Une mission bénévole posté par Ikando Foundation
Publié le : 21 déc. 2012
The mission of the organization is to mobilize resource and stakeholders to empower poor vulnerable women, youth and children, to realize their own development. Integrated Development in Focus (DIF) was formed and inaugurated as a capacity building social development agency involved primarily in poverty reduction, preventive health education, reproductive health, rural/urban development, capacity building and the development of networks.
Its mission is to mobilize resources and stakeholders to empower poor vulnerable women, youth and children to realize their own development, know about themselves and be responsible adults. The organization is interested in the health, socio-economic needs and ensuring the future of children, youth and poor women in deprived, underserved and hard to reach areas, locally and internationally.
It promotes models of participatory, sustainable and self-reliant development through action-research. This is mostly achieved through community education, behavioural change communication (BCC), training, outreach activities, skills development and peer education, using drumming, dancing and interactive drama/theatre as a means of communication to transfer information on women, children and youth issues as well as sensitize stakeholders on factual reproductive health issues and preventive heath.
Development in Focus needs: | <urn:uuid:4c3b027e-7543-40fd-85b9-c8b4a744e723> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fr.idealist.org/view/volop/4BdNfZHBCzh4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935502 | 272 | 1.953125 | 2 |
The good news is your UPS came online as soon as the power went out. The bad news is it dropped the load almost as quickly. The plant manager, furious, announced that he'll be holding the UPS manufacturer responsible, saying “Their product obviously doesn't work as advertised.” However, you know the fault probably isn't with the UPS itself, and you want to solve the actual problem so the load doesn't drop in the future. So you ask your boss to wait until you've been able to conduct battery testing. He replies, “We sent a tech out there with a hydrometer, and the batteries are good.” What troubleshooting should you do?
The hydrometer readings don't tell you the condition of the battery; they just indicate the specific gravity of the electrolyte. You could have depleted plates, but still show “good” on the hydrometer. It's like checking your tire pressure to see if your car needs an oil change.
Your first task is to analyze the battery monitor logs. If you don't know what you're looking at, contact a battery maintenance consultant so you don't end up making expensive mistakes due to misinterpretation.
Improper maintenance is usually the cause of premature battery failure, so determine if maintenance fell short. Review the maintenance logs against IEEE Standard 450, “Recommended Practice for Maintenance, Testing, and Replacement of Vented Lead-Acid Batteries for Stationary Applications.” (Reference the manufacturer's recommendations if you have VRLA batteries). Test your batteries to determine their actual condition. If you don't have an internal resistance tester, you probably don't know how to test batteries. Hire a qualified firm to conduct the testing.
When your boss has the results of this troubleshooting, he can then make a good business decision about how to proceed. Not before. | <urn:uuid:83037064-20e6-4138-bbe7-c93090ad0173> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ecmweb.com/print/content/electrical-troubleshooting-quiz-january-24-2011?page=15 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964443 | 384 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Stone Tumblers are used for tumbling and polishing rough rock, stones and pebbles including those found on the beach and glass.
Whilst collecting fossils, on those days where you come back empty handed, you could collect rocks, stones and glass from the beach and tumble then at home.
These are all high quality machines to give a professional finish to your samples. The tumblers can be used with a variety of grits, most commonly Silicon Carbide Grit and Cerium Oxide. We have a wide range of rough rocks for sale too.
Microfossils are much easier to collect because they are so small that the vast majority of collections only concentrate on large finds. These small finds can simply be found by taking small samples of sands, crags, clays and soft rocks and examining them under a microscope.
We have a wide range of microscopes for sale, both for the study of fossils, but also educational and professional for use in the laboratory. We have Stereo microscopes, Compound Microscopes, Polarising Microscopes and Monocular Microscopes.
We have thousands of Test Sieves for Particle Analysis.
Endecotts Sieves: For accurate dependable results you can't buy a better test sieve than Endecotts. At every stage of manufacture each test sieve is individually inspected.
High Precision Tecan manufactures precision apertures as small as 3 microns for a wide array of applications such as filtering, sieving and nozzles. Its high-performance, ASTM/ISO compliant test sieves satisfy the most demanding fine particle grading requirements.
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Fossils Management - Alister Cruickshanks
& Roy Bullard UK
- Ian Cruickshanks UK
Fossils is a division of CWA Design and run in conjunction with UKGE.
Whilst we try to ensure that all content is accurate and up to date we
cannot guarantee this. UK Fossils takes no responsibility in the accuracy
of this content, nor takes any liabilities for any trips, events or exchanges
between visitors using either the discussion board or the UK Fossils planner.
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by UK Fossils, therefore visitors should seek their own personal insurance
cover. Please remember to always check the tide times. UK Fossils|Discussions | News | Magazine | Search Geo | UKGE | <urn:uuid:1aeef864-11a5-4afe-b31b-dbdcd4a1f729> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lothbeg.ukfossils.co.uk/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909642 | 519 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Developing world ripe for wind energy
New markets need to be opened worldwide for wind power to regain its stellar pre-2009 growth rates, which helped to make it a mainstream energy source in many markets, said the head of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) at a conference for the industry in Europe. “The growth of wind power over the past 15 years has matched that of telecoms and IT, with wind becoming a mainstream generation technology around the world,” said the IRENA Director-General, Adnan Z. Amin.
But the industry has faced tough times since 2009, when annual market growth fell into single digits, following 15-year average growth of 28 per cent. Along with the prevailing economic uncertainty and fiscal challenges, the industry suffers from high market concentration, with oversupply in the most advanced wind markets.
IRENA – an intergovernmental agency promoting all forms of renewable energy – can help to spread wind-power technology into other, high-growth markets, such as developing countries with rising energy needs, Mr Amin said on 4 February. He made the remarks at the annual meeting of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) in Vienna, Austria. (See Mr Amin’s keynote speech.)
“We see enormous potential in Africa, Asia and Latin America in markets hungry for energy, with growing populations, high economic growth, expensive electricity and widespread shortages,” he said.
IRENA recently launched the Global Renewable Energy Atlas – an open-access online platform for investigating wind and solar resource potential. A new IRENA report, 30 Years of Policies for Wind Energy, prepared in cooperation with the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), outlines policy lessons from 12 leading wind markets, from the US to China and Denmark to Brazil.
Wind power is starting to spread more widely, with 68 countries around the world now boasting above 10 megawatts of wind capacity.
Meanwhile, the share of wind and other renewables also continues to grow in advanced markets. In Spain, wind farms have become the largest source of electricity, accounting for more than a quarter of total power generation. Wind-power took the largest share – ahead of both nuclear and coal-fired power stations – for the first time in the last three months (November-January), according to reports on 4 February citing Spanish energy data.
“The long-term fundamentals of wind remain strong and are growing stronger,” Mr Amin said. “I am confident that the best days for the wind industry lie ahead.” | <urn:uuid:8a195dcd-0a92-482c-99a8-0bb6ff3e5a20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.irena.org/News/Description.aspx?NType=NWS&PriMenuID=16&mnu=Pri&News_ID=301 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938576 | 516 | 1.8125 | 2 |
The Himalaya: the iconic destination of climbers and adventures alike; the soaring chain of mountains that juts up above the Indian subcontinent where the world's highest peaks reside; the rugged home to a vibrant mix of geography, cultures, and religions. The Himalaya's towering mountains promise to redefine your sense of scale while the region's rich diversity of people and traditions will reshape your ideas of community. The Himalaya are an amazing destination and worthy of every bit of the legendary status imparted upon them. These mountains are sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone fortunate enough to visit them.
For your adventures in the Himalayas, the experience of your guide matters. The world's 8,000 meter peaks are a natural arena for America's most-trusted guide service. Since Jim Whittaker's first American ascent of Mt. Everest in 1963, RMI and the Whittakers have consistently pioneered big mountain adventure. Lou Whittaker led the first American ascent from Tibet, on the north side. Ed Viesturs, the first American to summit all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters, is one of 40 RMI guides to have stood on the summit of Everest during the company's 41 year history. And RMI's Dave Hahn has reached that summit an astounding thirteen times!
Come be a part of our history. Come join RMI and explore the Himalayas.
Mt. Everest Southside
Led by Everest's most experienced guides and supported by some of the best Sherpa staff on the mountain, our Everest Expedition is the ideal approach to climbing the world's tallest mountain.
Everest Base Camp Trek
The unbelievable scenery and rich culture make the Everest Base Camp Trek the experience of a lifetime and the perfect way to explore the Khumbu region of Nepal.
Shishapangma is the 14th highest mountain in the world, and the only 8,000m peak lying solely in Tibet. For a peak of this size and stature, the Northwest Ridge, our climbing route, offers a direct route to Shishapangma’s Central Summit. | <urn:uuid:ba569d6a-7b32-4393-aa39-5e31dfc1effc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rmiguides.com/himalaya/?id=18 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90159 | 430 | 1.632813 | 2 |
You’re at the top of your field. You either run your own company or are at the upper echelons of a large company and you make very important decision that affect a large number of people everyday. 20 years ago, the only thing you really had to worry about at this point was a heart attack from all the stress. But today the business and social landscape are very different and your stature in the business community can be threatened not only by younger executives vying for your position, but the online community that could set its targets on you at any moment.
At this point in your career, you need to think about not just your reputation within the business community, but your online reputation as well. A modicum of misleading information about you on the internet could result in both your position and your future being threatened. And because of the ease and abundance of easy online publishing tools, like blogs and social media, the chances that a disgruntled employee, competitor, or an anonymous detractor will publish misleading and damaging information about you online is extremely high. You need to implement a reputation management strategy now to prevent future attacks from doing any harm.
The More Important You Are, The Bigger the Target on Your Back
The fact of the matter is that the more important you are in your company or in the business world, the more people will have it out for you. It doesn’t matter that you have a clean personal life and can be found faultless of any conceivable wrongdoing. Simply because of the virtue of your position, others will try and tear you down. They may do it because they perceive they’ve been wronged by you in some obscure way or maybe a competitor wants to ruin your reputation for their own purposes.
What matters is not that they want to tarnish your reputation, but that you are ready for it when the attack comes. You can be ready by implementing strong reputation management strategies now—before a crisis happens. Clean your SERPs, get active on social media and blogs, and make sure that when people search your name online, they only see positive information—not the information that others want to use to tear you down.
Your Online Reputation is a Resume
Just as important to your continued success as your resume, is your online reputation. Gone are the days when a gentlemen’s agreement was enough to secure trust in your talents and abilities to do your job. Today, you’re not only judged on the experience you have, but on the reputation you leave behind. Prospective employers are evaluating you online before offering you better positions and more prestige. So, if your online reputation is not as clean as the resume you hand over to them, more than likely they’ll pass you over in favor of someone who’s SERPs are positive.
Online reputation management isn’t just about keeping bad information out of the SERPs for your name, it’s also about building an image that you can be proud of—an image that will attract more partners and more opportunities.
Don’t Forget Your Personal Brand While You Are Managing Someone Else’s
All-in-all, it can be tempting to get lost in your current position doing what you do best. But keep in mind that you are not only running a company, you should be building your personal brand at the same time. And the better you can build that brand, the more opportunities will come your way in the future because of the positive online reputation you’ve built. | <urn:uuid:7c2f294b-116f-4772-88ea-e718316498bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bigbluerobot.com/executive-reputation-management/importance-of-reputation-management-for-executives | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955042 | 718 | 1.578125 | 2 |
U.K. CUs’ Authority Broadening to Address Global Financial Crisis
Good Performance Earned CUs Recognition, Something U.S. Lawmakers Could Learn
BIRMINGHAM, England—Credit unions throughout the United Kingdom are being granted additional capabilities by the country's parliament to serve a wider variety of consumers left underserved by banks during the global financial crisis. Credit unions' lack of contribution to the crisis is driving these new opportunities, a recognition other countries, including the United States, would do well to acknowledge according to executives from World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) and Credit Union National Association (CUNA).
|Lawmakers would do well to recognize that credit unions have not contributed to the global economic crisis, said WOCCU's Dave Grace (second from right) at ABCUL's fall conference.
"The U.K.'s banking system has been decimated to an even greater degree than that of the U.S., but the country's credit unions have grown in terms of assets and members served," said Dave Grace, WOCCU vice president of association services, to participants of the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd. (ABCUL) fall meeting earlier this month. "Lawmakers have realized this and are expanding financial cooperatives' powers for the first time in 30 years. That recognition is something from which credit unions in other countries, including the U.S., could benefit."
The U.K.'s Financial Services Authority (FSA), the country's regulatory body, has taken steps to broaden financial cooperatives' abilities in recognition of the relatively stable position financial cooperatives have held even during the worst days of the crisis, according to Grace. Under proposed regulations, credit unions will be able to serve a wider swath of consumers, issue interest-bearing shares and gain access to alternative capital. Lawmakers also are increasing capital and liquidity requirements for the country's 500 credit unions as a part of the change to help avoid future financial industry problems and provide greater protection for consumers.
As part of the changes, the proposed regulations will raise the level of governance standards, increase minimum liquidity requirements for all credit unions and raise capital-to-asset ratios for smaller institutions. The proposal is out for comment until Feb. 10, 2010, with plans to enact the new rules during next year's second quarter. The new regulations will be phased in over a two- to three-year period.
Credit union stability in the U.K. has mirrored the stability of U.S. credit unions during the past year in that, unlike banks, credit unions have not solicited nor received government bailout funds. However, U.S. credit unions already have significantly greater authority than those in the U.K. and would not benefit as greatly by broadened service capabilities, according to Mike Schenk, CUNA vice present of economics and statistics.
"There are some fairly substantial differences between the credit union systems in the U.S. and U.K.," said Schenk, who shared a panel with Grace during the conference convened by ABCUL, WOCCU's member organization in the U.K. "We already have authority to do things that they don't and, since our credit unions are bigger, they tend to exercise that authority."
U.S. policymakers have been increasingly open to efforts to amend restrictions on credit union member business lending, Schenk explained. CUNA conservatively estimates that removing the decade-old limit would lead to an additional $10 billion in business loans in the first year the authority was expanded and that the resulting boost could generate 108,000 new jobs. The link between expanded authority and job creation is critical in the current economic environment, he noted.
Schenk agreed that U.S. credit unions deserve greater recognition for not contributing directly to the global recession, even as they struggle to deal with the fallout from competitors' errors in judgment. Public recognition, rather than increased opportunity, could be more beneficial in helping U.S. credit unions avoid punitive regulations as the industry emerges from the crisis, he added.
"For the most part, we're playing a defensive position," Schenk said. "However, the window of opportunity isn't opened quite as wide for credit unions in the U.S. as it is in the U.K."
World Council of Credit Unions is the global trade association and development agency for credit unions. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.
World Council has implemented more than 290 technical assistance programs in 71 countries. Worldwide, 51,000 credit unions in 100 countries serve 196 million people. Learn more about World Council's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.
NOTE: Click on photos to view/download in high resolution.
Contact: Mike Muckian
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions | <urn:uuid:adedfe3e-11c7-43e0-b190-8d6f53a627c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.woccu.org/newsroom/releases/UK_CUs_Authority_Broadening_to_Address_Global_Financial_Crisis?lang=eng&lang=eng&release_uri=uk_cus_authority_broadening_to_address_global_financial_crisis&id=1641 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962216 | 1,063 | 1.59375 | 2 |
So this past weekend, as you all know, I celebrated my 21st birthday---and if you didn't know, well...now you know! But anywho, I received a couple of "little" packages but it's not so much the size of them but more of what was inside. We have all heard it, "don't judge a book by it's cover." Well, when I opened the hot pink flower-decorated gift box and the other cardboard box, my eyes lit up like a Christmas tree! [which retail likes to advertise as being "right around the corner" but please let Thanksgiving pass first, then we can talk!]
But I digress. So, what was inside these packages? Well, there were birthday cards, a cereal box, different kinds of peanut butter, the spices used to make molé (pronounced "mo-lay") , and an 8 pound bag of pinto beans! These birthday packages are doing more than supplying me with nourishment, they are a bridge connecting Chicago to Paris...Mexico to France.
"Food to a large extent is what holds a society together and eating is closely linked to a deep spiritual experiences." (Consuming Passions:The Anthropology of Eating)
This quote reminds me of when I was writing my final paper for my "Media Cinema Studies" class back in the Spring Quarter, and I was analyzing the importance of food in Latino culture, a topic in my paper. Food is much more than something you eat...it is an art, a science. It wakes up memories from "way back in the day" and stirs up emotions and feelings.
By observing my mom cook in the kitchen ever since I was a little child (well I'm still young...and quite petite in stature...), I have learned that you need more than the "best" and "finest" ingredients to prepare a good meal. You need patience to let the cooking do it's "thing" and have the ingredients magically fuse together to create flavorful fork/spoonfuls--something which I am all too familiar with thanks to my mother's talented culinary skill. Love for what you cook, "Sin amor, no te salen bien las cosas." Meaning that it's not simply about putting all the ingredients in a bowl and following the "directions" but about truly enjoying and loving what you are making and for who! Creativity to not be afraid to try new "outlandish" combinations you would never have thought up of even if it doesn't turn out.
Examples: Peanut Butter on a tortilla--Jazli, I am still in awe; avocado with rice--Julissa, thanks to you I have an addiction; Hot Sauce & Peanuts--Natalie, you put hot sauce on everything...I shouldn't be suprised. How about a sweet thin crust pizza with Guava and Cheese--I know what you are thinking: GROSS!--BUT it's so tasty and you can only get it in one place that I know of: Boca Raton, Florida. What's the strangest mix I have ever heard of? Ready? Gummy bears, honey, and milanesa (breaded steak). I will never forget when I saw this, I don't think I'll ever get that daring though. Think you can top that off? Be my guest, do tell!
Call this entry a dedication to food or perhaps you might simply think I have an "obsession with food" if you will. But, I see it as something more. Being in France where Mexican cuisine lacks in representation or authenticity, I have learned that food plays such a central role in any culture--France still has some catching up to do. Haha, just kidding! What do many of us wish for when we are sick? Perhaps a warm bowl of soup that our moms (or any relative) would make us. How about when we are far from home--yours truly--find yourself "craving" or even yearning for the simplest things from your hometown. And TRUST me, it's not only me thinking about food. I have come across many conversations at IES that relate to food and begin with either "I miss..." or "The first thing I'm going to have [ to eat]..." Food is what connects us to what and who we have grown up with. What is the thing that unites us for celebrations, holidays, or a simple night out with the girls?...or guys?---you guessed it: Food.
I found a store that sells "American" products, even this Mexican brand!---Clearly overpriced....But still...I know where to go now....This was EPIC!
I couldn't go a month without making some sort of Mexican food so the easiest things that came to my mind were quesadillas and guacamole, however I hadn't eaten beans (my pride and joy of "Mexican" cuisine) in about two months--GASP! Cesar, on of my friends from DePaul who came to visit from Belgium, not only made some "guac" but also refried beans the night before leaving. Those two simple creations lead me straight back into my mom's warm-colored kitchen where there are always wonderful aromas lingering in the air. Our kitchen is my favorite place in my house although the multi-colored painted walls of my room are hard to compete with! They say the kitchen is the "heart of a home" and I couldn't agree more.
I leave you with these words of wisdom from author/writer Virginia Woolf:
One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well... | <urn:uuid:55dbcd00-6154-4890-b2bc-44c807b45498> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://deblogs.depaul.edu/Daisy/Pages/theartofgiving.aspx | 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 | 0.967329 | 1,172 | 1.828125 | 2 |
AUSTIN – The University of Texas System today (March 20) launched a revamped Web site aimed at helping inform students, parents and others about accessing and paying for college. The updated site also includes campus proposals for tuition and fees at UT System institutions planned for the next two academic years.
The expanded Web site (www.utsystem.edu/affordability ) contains information and resource links on financial aid, how tuition is used, campus cost-saving initiatives and how to pay for college, among other things. The user-friendly site also includes profiles of current students at each of the UT System’s nine academic campuses who overcame challenges associated with financing their college educations.
“This Web site provides a comprehensive look into tuition and the financial aid process, one that we hope will help unravel some of the misperceptions that students and parents have about college affordability,” said UT System Chancellor Mark G. Yudof. “Ultimately, we hope this informative Web site reaches thousands of prospective and current students who might not otherwise attend college because of misplaced fears over financing their education. We want everyone to know that, for qualified students, help is available and a UT education remains affordable.”
The UT System and its institutions pioneered the development of detailed tuition and fee Web sites for use by students, families and the general public. Since 2003, the Web sites have been aimed at making available transparent and easy-to-understand tuition and fee information and financial aid resources.
Proposals for new tuition and fee rates for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years at the System’s academic and health institutions are posted on the site. The UT System Board of Regents, which last December capped tuition increases to 4.95 percent per year or $150 per semester, whichever is greater, is expected to set new tuition and fee rates on March 26.
About the University of Texas System
Serving the educational and health care needs of Texans for more than 125 years, the UT System is one of the nation's largest higher education systems with 15 campuses – including nine academic and six health institutions – and an annual operating budget of $10.7 billion (FY 2008). Student enrollment exceeded 194,000 in the 2007 academic year. The UT System confers one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates three-fourths of Texas health care professionals. With more than 80,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in Texas. | <urn:uuid:5fe0d01a-990b-46e9-87bc-a316ce152aab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utsystem.edu/print/news/2008/03/20/enhanced-ut-system-web-site-features-tuition-and-fee-proposals-access-and-affordabil | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9456 | 508 | 1.789063 | 2 |
An Indigenous History of North America inverts the norm by imagining a U.S. school textbook devoted to the intricacies of indigenous societies in the Americas, with a few paragraphs covering the history of Europe:
The first immigrants to Europe arrived thousands of years ago from central Asia. Most pre-contact Europeans lived together in small villages. Because the continent was very crowded, their lives were ruled by strict hierarchies within the family and outside it to control resources. Europe was highly multi-ethnic, and most tribes were ruled by hereditary leaders who commanded the majority “commoners.” These groups were engaged in near constant warfare.
Religion infused every part of Europeans’ lives. Europeans believed in one supreme deity, a father figure, who they believed was made of three parts, and they particularly worshiped the deity’s son. They claimed that their god had given humans domination over the earth. They built elaborate temples to him and performed ceremonies in which they ate crackers and drank wine and believed it was the body and blood of their god, who would provide them with entrance into a wondrous afterlife called heaven when they died. | <urn:uuid:bc8930fb-f3d3-4bae-aeb2-aafd21b49564> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://disinfo.com/tag/education-department/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987262 | 231 | 3.5625 | 4 |
September 22, 2010 |
NEW DELHI: Ahead of the summer-sown paddy's harvesting season, starting next month, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has estimated India's rice output at 99 million tonnes, close to the 2008 level. The farm ministry had tentatively pegged output at 100mt for the year, just one million tonne higher, on the back of good rains. The USDA projections come even as India's rice production this kharif, accordign to government estimates, will rise by 6% to cent to 80.41 million tonnes in the Kharif season of 2010-11 crop year.
September 20, 2010 |
Any economist worth his salt would say that prices are derived from an interaction of supply and demand but commodity traders would differ. Laws of supply and demand have been broken down. Commodity prices in gold, energy, base metals, wheat, coffee and soybean are mere speculation on trends and information. Today's prices are determined by a process which is so opaque that only a handful of companies, banks , traders and brokers have some idea as to who is buying and who is selling.
May 17, 2010 |
NEW DELHI: Ahead of the planting of kharif rice crop from next month, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has pegged India's rice output up by 13 percent at 99 million tonnes in 2010-11, on higher prices and a normal monsoon. Last year, the country's rice production had slumped to a five-year-low, at 87.5 million tonnes, because of a poor monsoon, it said in its latest report. About 85 percent of the country's total rice output is grown during the kharif season (between June and September)
May 10, 2010 |
NEW DELHI: Total oilseed production of India for 2010-11 is likely to increase by 10 per cent to 34.9 million tonnes over the last year, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has said. "Assuming normal monsoon and favourable growing conditions, the total oilseed production for 2010-11 (October-September) is forecast at 34.9 million tonnes, up 3.2 million tonnes over the 2009-10 production estimate," the USDA said in a report. The prevalent high domestic prices of soyabean, peanut and sunflower should prompt farmers to bring more land under oilseed cultivation, it said.
April 19, 2010 |
NEW DELHI: India's cotton production may increase by over six per cent to a record 25 million bales in 2010-11 season if the country receives normal monsoon this year, the US Department of Agriculture has forecast. Cotton output is pegged at 23.5 million bales (one bale equals 170 kg) in 2009-10 marketing season (August-July). "Assuming normal 2010 monsoon, cotton production in India's marketing year 2010-11 is forecast to increase to a record 25 million bales on expected record planting and improved yields," the USDA said in a report.
July 13, 2009 |
NEW DELHI: India's ban on non-basmati rice exports has been a boon to competitors like Thailand whose shipments have risen by 1.7 million tonnes in 2008, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. "Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Burma and Brazil collectively expanded exports by 1.7 million tonnes in 2008, much of which went to historically Indian markets in Africa," the USDA said in a latest report. Exports from Thailand, the world's biggest rice exporter, grew the most, it said, adding that Vietnam, Pakistan and other also boosted their sales.
January 27, 2009 |
NEW DELHI: The Centre's decision on whether?despite a record wheat output estimate of around 80 m tonnes for 2008-09?to open up wheat exports against a background of prevailing low international (read CBoT) prices remains pending. But a recent report of the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has gone ahead to project that India may ease the nearly two-year-old ban on wheat shipments in May and even use its large central reserves for exporting the foodgrain after the rabi harvest.
January 26, 2009 |
The Centre's own decision on whether despite a record wheat output estimate of around 80 m tonnes for 2008-09 to open up wheat exports against a background of prevailing low international (read CBoT) prices remains pending. But a recent report of the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has gone ahead to project that India may ease the nearly two-year-old ban on wheat shipments in May and even use its large central reserves for exporting the foodgrain after the rabi harvest.
September 9, 2008 |
NEW DELHI: Beef consumption is becoming more popular in India as a source of protein intake as some pulses have become costlier than the meat, says the American Agriculture Department. " Beef (buffalo meat) is increasingly becoming popular as a protein source compared to pulses, some of which have become more expensive than buffalo meat," the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a report. In its 'India Livestock and Products Annual 2008', USDA said both poultry and buffalo meat have "no specific religious sentiments attached" to their consumption.
September 8, 2008 |
NEW DELHI: Cotton prices, which have seen a fall last month, are likely to remain stable until mid-October, the US farm body said. "Domestic prices have already fallen in August due to the expectation of large upcoming crop and are expected to remain stable until mid-October," the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in its latest report. Arrivals up to August 14 are estimated at 24.54 million bales, USDA said. It, however, added that prices are likely to come down with arrivals gaining pace in north India and Gujarat. | <urn:uuid:f9838809-0f05-4faa-8b5f-93cb60a743f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/keyword/usda/recent/4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956444 | 1,200 | 2.125 | 2 |
10 questions to consider in encouraging an ethical corporate culture.
Although we are now several years into the new and landmark regulatory environment that mandates an organizational culture of ethical conduct, there remains little guidance on how to get there. Many companies are engaged in a scramble to create a paper and electronic trail to ward off prosecution, rather than in a well-designed effort to promote or govern the culture of their organizations. While procedure is essential, the lesson we have learned from organizational change efforts is that leadership, rather than rules, finally determines behaviors and their outcomes.
This article suggests 10 primary questions every executive should ask—and expect to have answered thoroughly and well—in order to initiate a culture that encourages and sustains ethical conduct. These questions are meant to be asked and answered among leaders themselves, as well as with employees throughout the organization.
1. What is the relationship between ethics and other performance metrics in the company?
The relative cost of preventing a protracted ethical dilemma or full-fledged scandal is exponentially lower than the costs associated with fixing ethical problems. For example, see "The Cost to Firms of Cooking the Books," by J. Karpoff, D. Lee and G. Martin, forthcoming in The Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, for a study of the substantial costs in fines and lost market value to almost 600 firms subject to SEC enforcement before the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Current research demonstrates that ethical companies are more competitive, profitable and sustaining than unethical companies. The challenge for the ethical leader is to find that connection and reveal it to the organization.
2. Have we, as required by the 2004 federal sentencing guidelines, offered ethics training for all of our employees? Does the training provide more than rote introduction of the company's code of conduct?
Ethics training comes in all shapes and sizes, with the most successful moving from theory to practice and from the conceptual to the real. Companies must first settle on an ethical vocabulary, define terms and establish core values. Live case studies can then help leadership and management "solve" relevant ethical dilemmas, both real and hypothetical.
3. What is the relationship between exercising sound ethics and retaining great talent?
Fortune magazine's annual list of the top 100 companies to work for contains a wide variety of companies with no obvious common denominator. Salary, benefits, career opportunities, location and profession all vary. What they do have in common is trust between employee and employer. Ethical behavior with and among employees, then, can lay the groundwork for attracting and retaining the best talent.
4. Have we conducted a "risk assessment" to determine our exposure to major ethical damage? What is our potential Enron?
While each company may have its unique "ethical nightmare," most companies face similar ethical exposures (e.g., to theft and accounting irregularities). Companies must examine the potential hazards of perverse incentives (e.g., compensation based 100 percent on financial goals) and the various "unintended consequences" of policy, procedures and protocols. Companies can reduce or eliminate adverse incentives by never rewarding, intentionally or unintentionally, improper behavior.
5. How can we be proactive in the area of ethics, culture and corporate citizenship?
Leaders need to own and shape the culture as much as they manage, for example, quality initiatives. Research literature identifies several characteristics predictive of ethical outcomes: management credibility, upward communication, perceived organizational support, procedural justice and teamwork. Well-tested diagnostic tools allow leaders to measure these characteristics and specific behaviors that foster the culture desired.
6. What tone should executive leadership set regarding ethics, integrity and transparency?
Setting an example is just one part of the executive leadership's responsibility. What leaders say, think and feel affects the tone as much as their actions. Mistrust, cynicism or indifference from topmost leaders can erode others' loyalty to the organization, to its mission, to employees and to shareholders. Left unchecked, this tone from the top can also potentially push ethical leaders out the door.
7. What does management need from the board of directors and senior leadership to enhance and buttress corporate ethics?
Employees who see the governing board and executive leadership as unconcerned will discount any directives about ethics that come from them. Consistency and authenticity from the board and executive leadership play a signal role in establishing an ethics initiative. At a minimum this means providing a reasonable budget of time, talent and money.
8. Who is driving ethics and compliance in the company?
The recent American Management Association report The Ethical Enterprise (2006) shows that ethical companies do not happen by accident. Companies need to designate internal drivers who move along the discussions, training and initiatives, producing ethical outcomes.
9. Do we have consistency of message between and among the board, the CEO, the senior executive team and the associates in terms of ethics and culture?
We all need to be on the same page, but finding the proper tone and guidance can be tricky. Establishing a common vocabulary can help with this process. For example, what does it mean to act unethically? What is an ethical dilemma? Who were Aristotle, Plato and Machiavelli, and how can they help provide a vocabulary for our company? What ethical model do we want to follow? What can we do to make it stick?
10. What roadblocks now discourage ethical conversations and the implementation of ethical practices, procedures and protocols?
Most people want to act with ethics and integrity, "to do the right thing." Yet our current approach to ethical conversation often does not advance our thinking or practice past our own perspectives. The object of dialogue, as advocated by physicist David Bohm, is "not to analyze things, or to win an argument, or to exchange opinions. Rather, it is to suspend your opinions and…to listen to everybody's opinions, to suspend them, and to see what all that means…. And if we can see them all, we may then move more creatively in a different direction." (For more information, see "On Dialogue," Ojai, Calif.: David Bohm Seminars, 1990.)
Starting the Conversation
Asking these 10 questions at board meetings, in leadership team meetings, and in the course of day-to-day interactions with employees engenders a climate that leads, over time, to zero tolerance for ethical lapses and impropriety. They also help executives assure their own diligence and oversight of ethical risks and threats, and deliver on their promise to employees, shareholders, customers and the community at large.
Thomas R. Krause, Ph.D. is author of several books and Chairman and Co-founder of Behavioral Science Technology, Inc. (BST), an international performance solutions consulting company. He focuses on executive leadership development and coaching for clients including NASA, BHP Billiton and the FAA. Paul J. Voss, Ph.D. is Ethics Practice Leader with BST. An author, scholar and lecturer, Dr. Voss' clients include Home Depot, the FBI lab, General Electric and Russell Athletics.
Thanks to By Thomas R. Krause and Paul J. Voss / TheCRO | <urn:uuid:7b88c999-10ed-4407-b876-7d85beb204c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ziaullahkhan.blogspot.com/2011/03/building-ethical-framework.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951229 | 1,456 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Planting Plant Pillows for Plantbombing (Phew!)
Heather’s posted a followup to our plantbombing posts with a second type of plant pocket, which we’re calling “plant pillows.” Theses are different because the soil is entirely enclosed in a knit pillow. Instead of planting in the open top, you insert cuttings through the knitting and they root inside. Here’s how.
1. Heather holding the completed pillow, with soil sewn inside.
2. Our victim. To be honest, I don’t know exactly what kind of succulent he is – probably some kind of Aeonium. (Do you know? Please let me know.) He’s perfect for this because his stems are long and thin. I cut a few off, about 2-3 inches long.
3. The freshly cut stems take a dip in rooting powder. This isn’t required, but it seems to help roots develop faster.
4. Gently – gently! – poke the stem through the pillow and into the soil inside. The most important thing is not to damage the rosette. Remember you can scrunch up the pillow to clear the way for the stem.
5. Place a few more cuttings. Whatever you think looks good.
7. Rinse off any excess soil and dampen the soil inside.
8. Let the pillow sit for a while horizontally for the cuttings to root. Hang when ready.
That’s it! If you’d like to give it a try, visit Heather’s knitting instructions.
Photos by Heather Champ. | <urn:uuid:0947a1e7-bea3-42cf-a39d-5c31fc1caa6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://plantgasm.com/archives/4905 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917673 | 348 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Information from another source
Making My Decision
First, you probably never thought you would be diagnosed with prostate cancer. But you were. And now you are being told that YOU must make the decision as to what treatment you will have. You probably never thought you’d have to do that either. Like most people, you have assumed that your doctor would make that decision.
If you find yourself in this situation, it means that your caregivers are at least being straight with you in telling you that you do have options. In the past, too many men were not given a choice and too many learned after the fact that a different treatment approach may have been better for them.
The fact that so many different options exist is a good thing; it is evidence of advances being made in prostate cancer treatment throughout the world. With increasing awareness of this disease, pressure has been put upon research scientists and physicians to develop more effective (and less damaging) treatments.
How do you decide among the vast array of treatments? Here are some basic tips:
Be aware of physician preference. You must realize that whichever treatment a physician was trained in and whichever one he currently offers, will be the one he most often recommends. Urologists are surgeons – they believe in surgery (and they make their livings by performing surgery). Likewise, radiation oncologists are trained in using radiation; that is what they believe in and that is what they do. In simplistic terms, you are “shopping” for treatment, much like you would shop for a new automobile. The most direct way you can learn about a particular car is to visit that showroom. An indirect way is to talk to someone who has bought the car you are interested in. You can’t expect the Ford salesman to tell you the good things about a Chevrolet. You must go to the source – and the same is true for prostate cancer treatment. The wise course of action for most patients is to obtain second and third opinions from doctors of different specialties (ie., urologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists).
Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. You should be polite but direct to doctors. You have every right to know the answers and to expect a standard of care with which you are satisfied. Don't be afraid to voice your concerns. Ask about the doctor’s experience – how long has he/she been performing the treatment? How many men has he/she treated? How many men with similar disease as yours has he/she treated? What are the success rates of this type of procedure? What are his/her success rates? Are these success rates published anywhere? Are they peer-reviewed? (Edited and approved by members of the medical profession.) How does the doctor define “success?” What are typical side effects, and how often do his/her patients experience side effects?
Talk, talk, talk. Ask the physician that you are considering for your treatment to give you at least six names of patients they have treated. Privacy regulations prevent medical practices from sharing patient names and other medical data without the prior approval of the individual. However, all successful practices have patients who are anxious and willing to share their experiences with other men. If a doctor refuses to give you names, citing the privacy laws, this would be a cop-out and a big red flag!
Network. There are several large, nationwide support groups for prostate cancer patients. Man-to-Man, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, is located throughout the US. Call your local ACS office and inquire about a Man-to-Man group in your area. Us TOO, International and PACCT are other support groups. You can go to their websites to locate a chapter close to you: www.ustoo.org and www.paactusa.org. Attending a local support group is the very best way to learn about physician practices in your area. At these meetings you’ll find men who have been treated with many different protocols. If they are at the meeting, they are likely to be willing to talk. Ask them about their experiences and ask them if they would choose that treatment again if they had it to do over.
- Research. If you are computer savvy, go to the internet. If not, go to the library. There is a great deal of information out there, and at times it can be overwhelming to absorb along with the information you're receiving from you doctor. It's important to remember as you conduct your research to be cautious about what you read in the media and on the internet. There are many misconceptions and errors of fact about prostate cancer that find their way into the media, including many of the popular websites and patient blogs. Also, remember that just because something is "new" doesn't mean it is better or has actually been proven to be effective. Do your own research ("due diligence") and don't delegate your treatment choices to others. The most trusted sources are peer-reviewed medical journals and books for the lay audience written by reputable physicians. You will eventually want to place your confidence in the hands of an experienced physician who can show you his or her track record. You deserve nothing less.
- The bottom line. Before making any decision about treatment, you should carefully evaluate the likelihood of cure for each treatment option and the risk of side effects hat may alter your quality of life. Taking into account your age, overall health, and the extent and aggressiveness of the cancer, you will want to find a balance between treatment effectiveness and potential long term side effects. Regardless of the type of treatment you decide is right for you, having a positive mental outlook and knowing what to expect each step of the way are keys to winning the fight against this disease. | <urn:uuid:322a8a98-8fec-4801-b903-b7388a9a60fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dattoli.com/prostate-cancer-diagnosed-patient/making-my-decision/i/47 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977194 | 1,179 | 1.84375 | 2 |
"Then like many other moms, I joined a local support group so that I could meet up with other like minded moms and learn from their experiences. Learn I did! There were so many great ideas and books that I had never heard of, different learning philosophies and schedules and children that were way ahead of mine. I wanted to suck up all of their knowledge and I wanted to know how I could be just like all of them. That's right...it was like having an identity crisis."--Whose Homeschool Life Are You Leading?, by BChsMamaof3 at the Huber Hof Academy.
Welcome to the 162nd edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling, where we take on the problem of the Homeschool Identity Crisis. It seems BChsMamaof3 isn't the only one asking these questions:
The Sidetracked Moms ask Do Your Children Know Who You Really Are?
At Why Homeschool, Janine explores Homeschool Fantasy versus Reality.
The Informed Parent asserts "I am not THE informed parent."
So what's your homeschooler identity?
At Two Kid Schoolhouse, it's Learning with, and learning to love, literature.
Petticoat Government agrees that you need to be Building a Sound Literacy Foundation. "Parents do their children an enormous service by teaching them to read while they are young."
One way to do that: take them to the library. Online Best Colleges.com presents 25 Famous Librarians Who Changed History.
Tending the Home Fires presents Considering or Beginning Homeschooling Resources, Part I: Books.
Dewey's Treehouse offers a review of The Silver Brumby. (Australia and wild horses--what's not to like?)
Maybe you like things planned out:
How do you get all the hours in?, at Beverly’s Homeschooling Blog (About.com).
Or you just let them happen:
In Casual Conversational Currency Learning, Mother By Nature finds that a casual conversation leads to a detailed discussion on the history of money.
You might have a knack with the littlest ones:
The Berry Patch presents Homeschooling Preschool .
Lionden Landing presents Preschool Prep, saying, "A revamped weekly lesson plan for preschool with lots of good links."
Or you might have found an answer to the most pressing grade-school questions:
Maybe you're a crafty homeschooler:
Or a farmer at heart:
The Reluctant Homeschooler presents Barnyard in OUR backyard?! "My 13-year-old combined her skills in math and persuasion to convince us to support her desire to learn farming techniques. What are we in for now?!"
Or an outdoor person:
Or you're more relaxed:
Maybe you're a party person:
Five J's presents First Grade Language Lessons with Dr. Seuss.
Crosswords For Fun presents Hangman - A Great Word Game For All Ages!
Maybe history is more your thing:
SmallWorld presents a Slavery Unit.
Or you're more of a lab scientist:
Our Curious Home presents Oh yeah, the last time I did this, M was the baby....
Maybe you're pretty conventional:Barbara Frank presents First Sign of Spring: Homeschool Convention Brochures! "Homeschool convention season is just around the corner, but there's still time to learn how to get the most out of your homeschool convention."
Or maybe there's just nobody else like you:
Dave Roller presents A "Typical" Week posted at Home School Dad.
Molytail brings her special-needs student home in And then there were two......, posted at Tails Gone West.
This concludes our Identity-Crisis Carnival of Homeschooling. Next week's carnival will be hosted by Sprittibee. | <urn:uuid:497d930f-92ff-42b3-99d2-c7df9329e0df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://deweystreehouse.blogspot.com/2009/02/carnival-of-homeschooling-162-identity.html?showComment=1233673500000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946976 | 794 | 2.046875 | 2 |
This biopic will follow+fill out the narrative of marginalized Dadaist Elsa VonFreytag Loringhoven-poet, sculptor, painter, provocateur
In order to uncover the life of the Baroness Elsa Von Freytag Loringhoven, a marginalized artist of the early 1900s, several feminist artists and filmmakers in the NY area (including myself!) have begun in the construction and creation of an exquisite-corpse feature length film, in which each artist makes a short piece based on a specific point of her life.
The Baroness led a magnificent, though difficult, life. With a singular strength and vision, she moved between Berlin, Munich, and New York, infiltrating and exposing the still-patriarchal structure of avant garde and Dada circles through her role as painter, poet, sculptor, model, proto-performance artist, and often, lover. She published poems in The Little Review at the time that Ulysses was also serialized by the publication and sued for obscenities. Marcel Duchamp said of her: "the Baroness is the future!"; and yet, despite her extreme radicalism, she remains very unknown and uncredited, her acts and contributions dismissed as amusing stories. (for more information about her: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsa_von_Freytag-Loringhoven )
After many years of obscurity, a book of her collected poems was published in 2011, and a biography (so far the only one) was compiled (Djuna Barnes had tried, in the past, to create one as well but gave up after several attempts. The Baroness does remain in many of her stories, for example, she is half the inspiration for the character Robin in Nightwood). Perhaps more scholarship will ensue, but in the spirit of her own fractured/anti-narrative life, we offer this collective biodrama, which also serves as an embodiment of today's identity politics.
I would like to raise some money in order to film in Germany. The part of the film which we would depict takes place in 1923. The Baroness, at this point, moves to Berlin, after her husband in NY has died, and finds only a devastated Germany. Her father dies at this point too, and she finds out that he has disinherited her. During this point of living in poverty, Elsa writes many letters to her friends while keeping a job selling newspapers. She eventually moves to Paris - I would show part of her life in Berlin (though not necessarily filmed in Berlin, but a part of Germany where there is appropriate architecture and where all of my team can go).
Which brings me to Emily Gasda, who lives in Dresden, and who has agreed to be my actress! The people who would comprise the rest of my crew are all ready to be in Germany in mid-November too, which is when I would plan to shoot. We just need the money to buy one more ticket to and from Germany, the film (16mm, b&w reversal), and for processing of the film ( I will hand process, so I just need to get chemicals/lab access). The rest is ready to go!
Please help us!
Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
One challenge is work with such a diverse group of people, some who are in Germany already and some who are not. However, I have worked with my main collaborator and friend in this project before, and know we both have the creativity to work with whatever constraints we might find ourselves with. On a larger scale, the exquisite corpse full length feature may take some time to edit and put together. There may be some delay, if for example one of the filmmakers cannot complete her project piece by the deadline, but we are asked to notify the two coordinators and they are for this reason being very organized. I will notify you of any delays, but there will definitely be a finished product of the Baroness film within a few months.
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
pledged of $899 goal
seconds to go
Oct 19, 2012 - Nov 10, 2012 (22 days)
Pledge $10 or more
A postcard from Germany! Sent at the end of our shoot. Expect Baroness-inspired poems.Estimated delivery: Nov 2012
Pledge $25 or more
A personalized photograph, taken during the trip & shoot, with a signed copy of a DVD of our Baroness inspired film.Estimated delivery: Dec 2012
Pledge $50 or more
As above, a photography from the shoot and a DVD, but this version will have the full exquisite corpse film, composed of the part filmed by us in Berlin and the rest of the filmmakers too. The full portrayal of the Baroness.Estimated delivery: Jan 2013 | <urn:uuid:ccfb2512-6383-4855-9c69-7b2c2cd4ef77> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1035296187/berlin-and-the-baroness?ref=card | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969014 | 1,008 | 1.898438 | 2 |
The markets react well to the Fiat CEOs decision to separate the core auto business from farm and truck sectors, a vote of confidence for Marchionnes vision that could have reverberations for all of Italian industry
By Giuseppe Berta
IL SOLE 24 ORE/Worldcrunch
The split of Fiats core auto business from its farm machinery and truck units marks a fundamental transformation destined to have an impact across the entire landscape of Italian industry.
By splitting the two operations, Fiat has abandoned for good its 20th century structure, a model that was marked by aggregating non-homogenous businesses. This model had characterized Fiats development and expansion, turning it into the formidable force that merged economic capability, political power and social influence that generations of Italians have come to know well.
That model was also linked to a family-based ownership, that of the Agnellis. For all of the past century, to say Fiat meant to evoke not just a car company, but a more complex entity with a strong presence across Italian society, one that was capable of exercising a persuasive and adaptable public role.
This extraordinary story, which marked the history of 20th century Italy, has come to an end with the separate listings on the Milan stock exchange that began with Mondays trading, as noted by the architect of the split, Sergio Marchionne, Fiats CEO.
(Fiat auto and Fiat Industrial, which includes Iveco trucks and CNH Global farm equipment, each performed well as they began trading separately Monday in Milan, an initial approval of the strategy of Marchionne, the Italian-Canadian CEO who has been revamping Fiat. The Turin-based company already owns 20 percent of Chrysler and the split is seen as clearing the way for Fiat to increase its stake in the U.S. automaker. Marchionne attended Mondays session at the Milan Stock Exchange, underscoring the events significance. He said it was possible that Fiat increase its stake in Chrysler to more than 50 percent if the American automaker is listed this year.)
The new chapter has yet to be written
By no coincidence, the man behind the split is also the one who, since taking over the company at a time of deep crisis in 2004, has taken advantage of a governance no longer overshadowed by the charismatic presence of Giovanni Agnelli. The late patriarchs strong personality had blurred the lines between ownership and management. But Marchionne acted in a period when these lines were more clear, and the separation between ownership and the management entrusted by it was again established.
Since then, Marchionne has followed a clear path and acted with autonomy. Its the same level of freedom also enjoyed by Alan Mulally, the manager who has revamped Fords fortunes, making it the only Detroit-based car company to regain significant market share without state aid.
The spin-off was part of Marchionnes strategy. If the goal is to maximize performance of each specific unit amid global competition, then it makes sense to provide each unit with the freedom of movement necessary to develop individually. Fiat Auto has paved the way with its alliance with Chrysler. Now the other sectors must follow suit and show they can move with the same degree of autonomy in order to grow on a global scale.
This strategy inevitably projects Fiat onto the whole world. It is worth noting that the last thing Marchionne did in 2010 was to open a new car-production plant in Brazil.
From now on, the scene where both Fiat units need to act is a global one. It is a grave error to keep separating what happens within Italian borders from what happens outside of them, as many still do in this country. It is now necessary to see things from another perspective, for example assessing the European and American car markets together, because they are bound to interact with and affect one another.
Marchionne is also doing away with an anomaly that had always made Fiat exceptional: the fact that it was not just an economic subject but very much a political one, too. His bet will be won or lost in the global marketplace, no longer dependant on negotiations with domestic political powers and labor confederations.
Those who today are lamenting the difficulties that this country will be forced to face as a result of this strategy forget that, in the long term, Italy can only benefit from a clear distinction between politics and business.
Read the original article in Italian | <urn:uuid:527b39fb-2bd3-4d2c-8d4a-161438b443fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://worldcrunch.com/source-partner/business-finance/the-fiat-split-sergio-marchionne-s-global-vision/c2s2247/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965516 | 895 | 1.5 | 2 |
Question: Has human evolution stopped?
Satoshi Kanazawa: It depends on how you define evolution. If you define evolution as frequency of genes then no, the gene frequencies tend to change over time all the time, but if you’re talking about important psychological traits then yes, probably the human evolution, directional human evolution towards certain psychological mechanisms probably stopped about 10,000 years ago because since then things change, environment has changed so quickly, so rapidly for evolution to catch up evolution of certain traits requires that the environment stay stable for many, many generations and that hasn’t happened for the last 10,000 years, so there hasn’t been any significant evolutionary trends in the last 10,000 years and we are essentially the same as we were 10,000 years ago.
Question: Can you give a specific example of this?
Satoshi Kanazawa: Most of the work in evolutionary psychology shows that we are essentially still acting as if we’re hunter/gatherers in Africa. That’s why for example we like sweet and fatty foods. When we were hunter/gatherers on the African Savannah tens of thousands of years ago food was scarce and you’d better eat when there was enough food to eat and sweet and fatty food that have more calories were good for us because we… our ancestors suffered from shortage of calories and whenever you can get you know hand on sweet and fatty food the more you eat the better and we still act like that. That is why we still have cravings for sweet and fatty food, except that now we have supermarkets and we have food stores and you can always get food. We don’t suffer from food shortage, but our brain doesn’t know that. There was no such thing as abundant food 10,000 years ago and our brains still cannot comprehend supermarkets. If our brain comprehended supermarkets there is no need for us to crave sweet and fatty food. Food is always there, but our brain doesn’t understand that.
Question: Are humans innately aggressive?
Satoshi Kanazawa: Not so much human character, but probably male character because humans have been naturally polygamist men had to compete more to get access to women than vice versa and also most or our productive resources are held by the females, the women, so throughout human evolutionary history, throughout the evolutionary history of most mammals males have had to compete more than females to gain access to their mates. As a result men are more violent. Men are more aggressive and it’s definitely the case that aggression, violence is unfortunately a large part of human male nature.
Question: What other traits from our hunter-gatherer society are still around?
Satoshi Kanazawa: Yeah, men’s greater tendency to engage in violence and crime. What we now call interpersonal crime, stealing, beating up each other, killing each other was a routine part of male competition in the ancestor environment. There were no police. There were no courts. There were no jails, so men only had to deal with their enemies or their competitors and possibly their friends and kin. There were no third party enforcement of law in the ancestor environment, so unfortunately men still have a tendency to engage in competition violently and try to beat up each other, try to steal from each other when that might benefit their reproductive success. | <urn:uuid:7d15a60a-f825-41b8-a8d6-46eba3f2faf2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bigthink.com/videos/we-havent-evolved-in-over-10000-years | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970205 | 687 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday warned that sanctions imposed on Syria by the Arab League
will not halt Syrian President Bashar Assad's violent crackdown on protesters calling for him to step down.
During and interview with Army Radio, Barak warned that the decision to suspend Syria from the Arab League will make Assad more brutal. "He has passed the point of no return," the defense minister added.
RELATED:'Turkey says crowds attack its Syrian missions'Obama: Syria more isolated after Arab League move
Meanwhile, Syria is calling for an emergency summit of Arab League heads of state to discuss unrest in the country, state television said on Sunday, a day after it was suspended by the League.
an official source, the television said the objective of the proposed
summit would be to discuss the unrest's "negative repercussions on the
Scenes of violence and chaos followed Saturday's announcement. Security forces shot dead four people who shouted slogans against Assad at a rally organized by the authorities in the city of Hama on Sunday to show popular anger at an Arab League decision to suspend Syria, local activists said.
"Security forces were leading public workers and students into Orontes
Square when groups broke away and started shouting 'the people want the
fall of the regime'," one of the activists in Hama, 240 km north of
"They escaped into the alleyways but were followed, and four were killed," the activist added.
television said millions of Syrians assembled in public arenas across
the country to denounce the Arab League decision, which came in response
to a crackdown by Assad's forces on pro-democracy protesters, which the
United Nations says has killed 3,500 people.
television showed crowds carrying Syrian flags and posters of Assad at
public squares in Damascus, the eastern city of Raqqa and the coastal
cities of Latakia and Tartous. | <urn:uuid:512a69c7-2dc4-4c84-b3a1-5efcb19dbae7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=245424 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963053 | 379 | 1.609375 | 2 |
By Steven Ellis, former Chicago Cubs pitching pro
Just as I've discussed in my article on Little League pitching mechanics, the simpler you can make the pitching windup, the easier it is for younger pitchers to pick up how to do it correctly and repeat it.
Here's a four step system that I teach to younger pitchers to be used primarily for mental imaging. In other words, mentally picturing their windup. Keep in mind that this system is from the windup.
Pitching Windup - Step 1
To set up, both feet need to be in or around the middle of the rubber. What I mean by this is that your insteps should be on the rubber. At most you will want the ball of your big toes to be hanging over the rubber. Now this first step is so important. It is called the "Rocker Step". This involves your left foot (RH pitcher) to come back off the rubber to start your motion. The key to the rocker step is to make sure that it is NOT a weight transfer, it is merely a momentum shifter. So at no point should your weight be transferred completely over your left foot. This momentum then creates the rest of the motion.
Pitching Windup - Step 2
The second step is minor. It is the requirement of the right foot to go in front of the rubber to be used as a push off and stability in the next step.
Pitching Windup - Step 3
This step is probably the most important of all. This is the post position. At this position, the pitcher's left leg is raised at about a 90-degree angle from the knee. What is crucial at this point is the balance. The pitcher should be able to stand "A post" at this point for any period of time. If he cannot then his balance is not good enough and he will either have a tendency to rush his delivery or his arm will drag. You want all motion to be gathered and ready to explode all at once into the fourth and final step.
Pitching Windup - Step 4
Step four is the explosion of the hip and release of the baseball. This is where you want to make sure that the left leg is on line with the instep of the right foot on the rubber. If it is to the left, then the pitcher is opening up too much and his arm will not catch up to his front side causing high pitches. Just the opposite is true if the left leg lands to the right of that instep line. The arm will have a tendency to be ahead of the front side and will more than likely adjust by throwing across the body.
As discussed in other drills, you want to keep the front side of the pitcher closed until he begins to touch the ground with his left foot. At that point the pitcher may begin to explode his hips to bring his arm through.
Warm Up To Throw, Don't Throw To Warm Up
It is very important to allow all your players the opportunity to stretch and loosen up before allowing them to play catch. This is especially critical in the cold weather of March and April. Five minutes of baseball-specific exercise will get the blood flowing and help protect the arm and shoulder
Related Pitching Materials
Want to learn more about baseball pitching mechanics and techniques? Arm yourself with the most innovative and up-to-date baseball pitching training available. These related pitching materials from former Chicago Cubs pitching pro Steven Ellis are guaranteed to help you or the players you coach pitch better and reach the next level faster! | <urn:uuid:e4447623-dede-464d-90d3-63a46f14ed17> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thecompletepitcher.com/pitching_windup.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00034-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964538 | 721 | 2.328125 | 2 |
Asked November 13th, 2012
I have invited Matt Neumann, vice president, sales and marketing at Aylward, to be our guest expert to address these questions:
Do we have to do different stabilities with a perforated and non-perforated blister? Or do we consider that the perforated blister is the worst case?
What is important to the seal integrity of the blister card/pocket is the seal area between the blister pocket and the outside edge of the blister card or between the pocket and the perforation line. The weakest point is the shortest seal area. The perforated blister configuration will be the worst case scenario as long as the seal area between blister pocket and perforation line is the “shortest” of the four sides.
Can you explain the difference between cold form blister and PVC/PVdC blister?
Both blister materials are used for moisture-sensitive products. Cold form blisters offer total moister barrier and protection from UV radiation. The cost is high, machine output rates are lower compared with PVC/PVdC, and the blister card is larger in size because cold form blister cavities need to be larger due to the forming process. Also, consumers can’t see the product inside a cold form blister, something that marketing is not really favorable.
On the other hand, PVC/PVdC offers all the advantage of a standard PVC blister with added moisture-barrier properties. For some products, this added moisture protection is sufficient. The PVdC layer is laminated to the PVC base material, and it is available in various thicknesses and qualities. There are charts available with the various material suppliers indicating the permeability of each thickness and quality combined with PVC. | <urn:uuid:12430d59-f603-4f24-86e5-65a83bc3be26> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pmpn.canon-experts.com/2012/11/do-we-have-to-do-different-stabilities-with-a-perforated-and-non-perforated-blister-or-do-we-consider-that-the-perforated-blister-is-the-worst-case-can-you-explain-the-difference-between-cold-form-b/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933392 | 361 | 2.03125 | 2 |
Mills, Saco, ca. 1875Item 28764 info
Dyer Library Archives / Saco Museum
In 1820 before the first textile mill was constructed the combined population of Biddeford and Saco was 4,200.
By the 1850s, the textile industry was in full swing and the total combined population had risen to over 15,000.
At that time, there were three textile manufacturing companies in operation: York Manufacturing, Laconia and Pepperell.
Together they employed about 3,500 people, had 11 mill buildings, operated 70 boarding houses and produced more than 25 million yards of cotton fabric annually. | <urn:uuid:05159248-c66f-478e-9a21-3858ccd6b79e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mainememory.net/sitebuilder/site/760/slideshow/410/display?use_mmn=1&prev_object_id=1169&prev_object=page&slide_num=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980353 | 133 | 2.484375 | 2 |
CHENNAI: It was once a pristine water body and an abode for wetland birds. Thick vegetation surrounded it. A mangrove forest lined its banks, and pleasure boats surfed its gentle waters. Today it is a cesspool. The waters are black; the birds are gone; a smell of rotten eggs pervades; and even the occasional visitors stay away from the water for fear of developing skin diseases. We are talking about Ennore Creek.
The dismal story of the creek may sound familiar to Chennai residents. But experts say there's hope. They cite Adyar Creek in South Chennai as the model for restoring the Ennore Creek. "If connectivity is lost, a water body becomes an isolated pool, gets polluted, and eventually dies," says P Dayanandan, former head and professor, department of botany, Madras Christian College. But the time to act is now, he adds. "If not protected now, the day will come when protection of Ennore Creek will become extremely costly."
The reasons for Ennore Creek's degeneration are the effluents from highly-polluting industries, untreated sewage dumped by civic bodies, ash-bearing effluents discharged from the Ennore thermal power plant, and cooling water discharged from North Chennai Thermal Power Station.
Official estimates from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board reveal that the Tiruvottiyur municipality alone lets out 28 million litres of untreated sewage every day (MLD) into the creek. Manali municipality discharges 5 MLD, Madavaram municipality, 10 MLD, and Chinnasekkadu Town Panchayat, another 1.2 MLD. Some 25 industries let out 1.94 MLD of untreated sewage from canteen and toilets.
The industries that pollute Ennore Creek include petroleum refineries, fertilisers factories, petrochemical and LPG storage facilities.
The southern arm of the creek fringes the northern areas of Chennai, such as the well-developed Manali industrial belt and other fishing hamlets. The northern end is linked to the biologically rich Pulicat lake via Buckingham canal through the backwaters.
The creek was once a weekend picnic spot for the British. "There were houses in the southern side of creek, where they stayed overnight, went on boating trips and fishing expeditions," Sanjeeva Raj, a consultant ecologist reminisces. Today, the presence of high concentrations of metals like mercury, chromium and lead has put the livelihood and health of fisherfolk at stake.
Ennore Port's breakwater, projecting 3,000 metres into the sea, has resulted in accretion near the creek. "The creek became a cesspool of industrial effluents, as the mouth is often closed by the accretion of sand," Raj adds. When the mouth is closed, oxygen is depleted. Odorous chemicals such as hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and other compounds are generated due to entrapped gases in the sediment biomass at the bottom of the creek, and from excess nutrients in the untreated sewage.
Worse, adds T K Ramkumar, an advocate and a member of high-court appointed panel to look into restoration of Adyar Creek, the North Chennai Thermal Power Station discharges coolant water at 40 to 45 degree Celsius into the creek, thus endangering aquatic life in the creek, as well as the backwaters. | <urn:uuid:a85e3fec-87eb-482d-83df-ef8a69e2c336> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-12/chennai/28683329_1_water-body-mld-untreated-sewage | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947103 | 698 | 2.796875 | 3 |
The Pattern of Wonder: The Geometry of Architectural Decoration in Iran
This lecture will explore the geometry of remarkable and wide-ranging patterns, which is one of the hallmarks of Iranian architecture. Kambiz Nava‘i is a practicing architect and a faculty member and chair of the Department of Architecture in the School of Architecture and Urban Design of the Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran. His extensive study and publications on Iranian Islamic architecture recently culminated in the magnum opus Khesht-o Khiāl, which offers a new interpretation of Iranian architecture of the Islamic era and the underlying concepts and creativity of its architects.
Brown Auditorium | Free, tickets required | Tickets: 323 857-6011 or email AMEC@lacma.org
Image: Ardabil, Iran, Chini Khaneh, early 17th century. | <urn:uuid:d694513d-a901-4240-8cc1-13ea5345edeb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lacma.org/event/pattern-wonder | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914626 | 180 | 1.859375 | 2 |
DO WE NEED A LAW TO GET FARMERS TO MANAGE NUTRIENTS?
By Eric Sideman, Ph.D., MOFGA’s Director of Technical Services
Very little about farming is natural. In fact, farming is one of the early steps humans took in their drive to conquer nature. Hunting and gathering are the more natural methods that animals employ to procure food for their survival, while farming is a means of procuring enough food with less travel.
As farming methods improved over time, more food could be produced on less land by fewer people, thus supporting a huge population. As a result of modern farming methods that use large scale machinery, chemical fertilizers and chemical methods of pest control and that are typical in developed countries, less than 10% of the population grows food for the rest on fewer farms than ever, and those farms are concentrated in smaller regions of productive land.
Modern farming generally pleases most people because all they have to think about when procuring food is the price the supermarket is charging, and it is cheap. The real costs of modern farming are great, however, but they are hidden. Many people realize the environmental and health costs stemming from tons of toxic chemicals sprayed into the environment to control pests; these chemicals can contaminate soil, air and water. The environment is also impacted as a result of nutrients needed by plants and animals raised on farms, since producing the fertilizer requires a great amount of energy, and then the nutrients are concentrated in small areas.
In a natural community, plant and animal growth is limited by low concentrations of nutrients—phosphorus and nitrogen most commonly—and this limit prevents populations of certain organisms from exploding. I am sure everyone who was of reading age in the 60s remembers the skyrocketing awareness of phosphates in detergents as TV commercials proclaimed that various companies’ products were low in phosphates.
When nutrients enter an ecosystem, especially such aquatic systems as lakes and bays, populations of algae explode. When the organisms die, they decompose, using up the oxygen that was dissolved in the water. The lake then becomes anaerobic and all of the other organisms die. I remember the tons of dead fish that I saw in the early ‘70s on the shore of Lake Erie.
Hunting and gathering have very little environmental impact because they cause very little concentration of nutrients. Likewise, traditional farming methods practiced until the 20th century had minimal impact because farms were small and numerous. Nutrients were rarely concentrated and were never wasted because they were so valuable. Any manure produced on the farm was managed carefully because it was needed for crop production.
Modern farming results in nutrient concentration. Just look at all the grain being delivered to your local livestock farm—train cars full to some poultry operations!
When this grain was growing, it accumulated vast amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus from the chemical fertilizer used to grow it. Roughly 75% of these nutrients pass right through the animal and end up in the manure. The larger the livestock operation, the more nutrients will concentrate. Misuse of that manure results in the great environmental impact of modern farming, and this misuse is especially devastating when compounded by misuse of chemical fertilizers on the same farm.
THE NEED FOR REGULATION
Farmers are an independent lot and hate regulation even more than the average Mainer, but developments in Maine agriculture over the past decades have necessitated regulation. These developments were recognized by the State Conservation District Advisory Council, Manure Management Subcommittee, and include;
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT RULES
In June, hearings were held around the state for farmers and other interested people to comment on the draft of the Nutrient Management Rule. The Maine Department of Agriculture is working hard to meet the deadline of having a final proposal for Rules back to the Legislature by December 15, 1998. If you would like a copy, call the department. Give your state rep a call and offer your support for good guidelines.
The Draft Rule requires a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) that shall be written by a certified planner (farmers can get certified themselves) for any farm with more than 50 animal units, any farm that brings in more than 100 tons of manure from off the farm, any farm spreading regulated residuals, and any farm that wants protection under the "Right to Farm Law". The NMP is a crucial part of proper use of manure. Too many farmers do not account for the nutrients in the manure they spread and insist on adding the "recommended" amount of chemical fertilizer anyway. This results in excess nutrients washing into and polluting bodies of water. The NMP will be developed for the whole farm and will include all nutrients produced on or off the farm. Soil tests and calculations of crop nutrient needs for each field will guide nutrient management, rather than how much manure is in the pile that needs to be spread.
The NMP will identify and establish setbacks for spreading, stacking or storing manure. The distances recommended are 25 feet from any waterway, property line or from the high water mark of any body of water and 100 feet from wells, springs, ponds, lakes and marine waters. The Rule also contains provisions for odor and insect control at storage facilities and spreading sites. Facilities must be large enough to store at least 210 days of manure production in order to prevent overflow in years like this one, when monsoons delay emptying winter stores.
The Rules also require Livestock Operations Permits for certain farms that pose great environmental impact. Included are all farms meeting the EPA definition of a "concentrated animal feeding operation" (a factory farm). Also, any livestock operation that began with or expanded to more than 300 animal units after April15, 1998, shall obtain a Livestock Operations Permit.
I strongly support the draft Rules—in general. My greatest criticism is that the Rules do not include any regulations for spreading chemical fertilizers. The impact of the dependence and misuse of these environmentally expensive sources of nutrients should not be ignored.
All farmers need to manage nutrients to be profitable and to protect the environment. If it takes a law, then we need it. Organic guidelines have long recognized the risks associated with misuse of manures and include rules that promote the best management practices, and organic standards prohibit chemical fertilizers. Supporting your local organic farmer is another way to prevent the mismanagement of nutrients. | <urn:uuid:b9911780-b4d9-4a99-9900-e29f431a19c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mofga.org/mofga/other/mofsep2.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95613 | 1,299 | 3.15625 | 3 |
July 12, 2012 § 2 Comments
Issandr El-Amrani has a terrific post over at The Arabist on the various labels that people assign to Arab political parties, and he makes the case that there is too much inappropriate conflation between different types. For instance, he says that all non-Islamists in the recent Libyan election were dubbed as liberals, when in fact that group included many parties and that were neither economically liberal or socially liberal. Similarly, secularists and liberals are often used interchangeably, when in fact secularists might be moderate Islamists or decidedly non-liberal conservative felool. He also argues that the term Islamist is overly broad (an argument that most knowledgeable observers have made and would agree with) but dives down even deeper than the Salafi/non-Salafi divide, asserting that in Egypt one can speak of Ikhwani Islamists, Salafi Islamists, and Wasati Islamists. He has a lot more in there, and you should go read the whole thing for yourselves.
It got me thinking about Turkish politics and the labels that outsiders tend to use with regard to Turkish parties. You almost universally see the AKP referred to as Islamist, but this is wrong in many respects. To begin with, the AKP itself rejects the Islamist branding, and looking at virtually every other Islamist party in the world, it is easy to see why. The AKP does not advocate for disbanding the secular state or legislating according to the principles of sharia, and it has not made any overt moves to do so. The AKP governs not as an Islamist party, but as a secular party whose members are personally devout. The fears that many expressed upon the AKP coming to power in 2002 have not come to pass, and even if the party has led the way toward a more visibly pious or conservative Turkish society, nobody can credibly argue that it has done this through legislative government action. Compared to Arab Islamist parties, the AKP is not even in the same ballpark, and should reasonably be characterized as a socially conservative party rather than a religious one. Prime Minister Erdoğan won himself no Islamist fans in Egypt when he traveled there last fall and lectured a Muslim Brotherhood audience about the vital need for a secular state, which is a strange move for the head of a supposed Islamist party to make.
Similarly, the terms secular and liberal have not traditionally coincided in Turkish politics. The current incarnation of the CHP under Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has tried to remake itself as a socially liberal party, but historically the CHP’s fealty was to Kemalism above all else. Atatürk and Inönü were not liberals in the sense we use the term today although they were (to turn a phrase) religiously secular and carried out socially liberal reforms that conformed with their secular vision, and the CHP and other secular parties abetted much illiberal behavior on the part of politicians and the army. Turkey’s military coups were carried out by staunch secularists, but the coups were the very apotheosis of illiberal behavior. The 1982 constitution enshrined military-imposed secularism basically at gunpoint (yes, I know that there was technically a referendum, but that was not exactly what we would call a free and fair election free from coercion), which may have enshrined principles that we associate with liberal governance but was certainly not a liberal document. The nationalist party, the MHP, is also a secular nationalist party that is not a liberal one, and thus the secular-liberal fusion that we are used to in the West does not apply to Turkey quite so neatly.
None of these ideas are new, but they bear repeating. It is considered common knowledge in most of the world, and even within some quarters in Turkey, that the AKP is Islamist, which is what drives much of the talk about applying the “Turkish model” to Arab states where Islamist parties are strong. It is also assumed that any secular parties in government will automatically be less authoritarian and more committed to liberal democracy than the AKP appears to be at times. Both of these assumptions are fallacies, and those of us who work on Turkey might want to take El-Amrani’s words to heart and be a lot more careful about the terms we use and what those terms imply when we discuss Turkish politics. | <urn:uuid:3cbdc28a-259f-4497-86f2-18817392f1ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ottomansandzionists.com/tag/arabist-blog/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976328 | 891 | 2 | 2 |
A recent study deepens the mystery of who made the first ascent of Japan's most rugged 'famous mountain' - and when
Defended by its iron citadels and snowy moats, Tsurugi's summit was long held to be inaccessible, writes Fukada Kyūya in Nihon Hyakumeizan (One Hundred Mountains of Japan). According to legend, this was the mountain where Kōbō Daishi wore out a thousand pairs of straw sandals in vain attempts to scale it. And this was, in truth, the last peak of the entire Japan Alps to be conquered.
At last the day came when Tsurugi was stripped of its mystery. On the thirteenth of July 1907 (Meiji 40), a government survey party reached the summit. It turned out that they were not the first to visit what they had assumed to be an untrodden peak. In fact, the mountain had been climbed long before, as the surveyors realised when they discovered on the summit a spearhead and the tip of a priest's staff.
This scene is recreated in the film Tsurugi - Ten no Ki - during which the famous guide Uji Chōjirō stumbles across the relics in a patch of grass. If the film is to be believed, the discovery didn't do either the guide or his clients any good. When they learned that Tsurugi had already been climbed, the Army top brass lost all interest in applauding or promoting the surveyors' mountaineering achievement.
Today, the spear and the staff can be seen in the refurbished Tateyama Museum in Toyama. This is how Fukada describes them in Nihon Hyakumeizan:
About a foot in length, the spearhead was used as a ritual weapon by adepts during their ceremonies on the summit. As for the priest's staff, the tip measuring some eight inches in length and three in breadth, this was found to be extremely old. Scholars conclude that it dates from the T'ang dynasty (618-906) and is similar to the staff held by the Buddha of the Longmen caves in China. After centuries of exposure to wind and weather, the objects were found lying a little apart from each other. The spearhead looks all but uncorroded, while the tip of the staff has acquired a beautiful green patina.
The relics were dated to between the second half of the Nara period and the early Heian period by the archaeologist Takahashi Kenji, who published a paper about them in 1911. And since then, as the Hyakumeizan quotation shows, Takahashi's opinion has generally prevailed.
Until, that is, the Tateyama Museum curators decided to revisit the subject a few years ago. Teaming up with the Gangoji Institute for Cultural Properties Research in Nara, they subjected the bronze alloy of the staff to x-ray fluorescence. The alloy does contain copper and tin, reported the curators in 2007, as every self-respecting bronze should. It also has a smidgeon of lead in it. Unfortunately for the Takahashi thesis, though, the alloy has not a trace of antimony - a metal which was commonly mixed into bronze made in the Nara period.
Inconveniently, x-ray fluorescence cannot, on its own, show when a metal object was made - it can only reveal what kind of metal the object is made of. So the recent study has deepened rather than dissipated the mystery of when the enigmatic spear and staff reached Tsurugi's summit.
In the end, Fukada Kyūya's thoughts about this episode remain as valid as when he set them down on paper, some time in the early 1960s. This is what he says in the Tsurugi chapter of Nihon Hyakumeizan:-
All this means that some bold monk did succeed in climbing this supposedly inaccessible peak. When and by what route he performed this feat remains obscure. Nor do we know whether he was the one who brought up the spearhead and the staff. Or whether the objects were deliberately placed there to commemorate the ascent or if they were left behind as the sole witnesses to some disaster, perhaps when their owner succumbed to a sudden change in the weather. What is certain is that some mountain mystic made this ascent, fired by unshakeable courage and an iron will.
Nihon Hyakumeizan by Fukada Kyūya, in the forthcoming translation as One Hundred Mountains of Japan
Details of the Tateyama Museum/Gangoji Institute for Cultural Properties Research study from this blog
Illustrations: Tsurugi-san woodprint by Yoshida Hiroshi; spear and staff from Hito wa naze yama ni noboru no ka?, Volume 103 in the Taiyo Bessatsu: Nihon no Kokoro series (Heibonsha, 1998); mountain mystic: still image from Tsurugi - ten no ki film. | <urn:uuid:9adfa150-877f-4ccf-930d-6c227c312bb4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://onehundredmountains.blogspot.jp/2011/12/tsurugi-enigma.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967106 | 1,031 | 3.4375 | 3 |
Facing Obstacles to Solve Them
“I am here to learn how I can make a difference,” shared Aung San Suu Kyi who offered the keynote address of the Summit.
“Imposing assistance on people with intellectual disabilities is not the correct approach. It is they who really know their own needs and who are best placed to shape their own futures. They should be given the opportunity to participate in decision-making and to be active in their communities.”
The Summit discussed the obstacles faced by people with intellectual disabilities. In every community around the world, people with intellectual disabilities and their families face stigma and stereotype that results in low expectations for what they can accomplish and apathy and ignorance that limits their access to health care, education, housing, and employment.
They also experience a lack of protection under the law that denies them their humanity, robs them of their dignity, subjects them to poverty and abuse, and threatens their freedom to participate as full and equal members of society. | <urn:uuid:2ae13600-bc44-4b20-b93e-b4eadff0f05d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://specialolympics.org/RegionsPages/content.aspx?id=25734&LangType=1036&Region=SOEA&RegionName=East-Asia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974753 | 207 | 2.515625 | 3 |
This is the first in a series of articles that will look at Philadelphia soccer one hundred years ago and its connection with the founding of the US Soccer Federation in 1913.
One hundred years ago, Philadelphia, through the pages of the Philadelphia Inquirer, was at the center of a debate that would draw opinion from across the American soccer scene. At issue was not the relevance of the game in the American sport landscape but the rules of the game itself.
“Should the ‘penalty kick’ in soccer football be eliminated is the question that is now agitating the soccer man,” wrote the Inquirer on Dec. 22, 1912. “Instead of benefiting the offended side it has very often acted as an actual handicap, and instead of inflicting a penalty against the offending side it has very often been a means of robbing the offended side of sure scores.”
The issue would be debated over the next month in the pages of the Inquirer, with some of the leading figures of American soccer weighing in on the topic. In the debate would be reflected a conflict between tradition versus innovation, of conservatism versus progressivism, colored with shades of American exceptionalism.
The heart of the matter
When the Inquirer debate appeared, the rules of the game were still evolving. The penalty kick rule, for example, had first been introduced in 1891 and originally a penalty kick could be taken anywhere along a line 12 yards from the goal line. In 1902, the rule was modified so that a foul committed within an area 18 yards from the goal line and 44 yards wide resulted in the awarding of a penalty kick that would be taken from a spot 12 yards in front of goal.
For the Inquirer, at the heart of the penalty kick issue was the question of fairness. Describing the “meager chances” of converting a penalty kick, the Inquirer observed, “It has been estimated that not more than fifty goals are kicked from one hundred ‘penalty kicks.’” As incredible as this may seem to readers today, it is important to remember the conditions in which the game was played one hundred years ago: Fields were unlikely to have the pool table flatness we are accustomed to seeing and were very likely to be chopped up by the heavy studded boots worn by players (think of the fields at Pennypack Park). Those players were kicking a bladder-filled laced leather ball that lost any perfect roundness that it might have possessed almost as quickly as it grew in weight from absorbing moisture and mud.
But the penalty kick issue was also imbued with the twin spirits of American exceptionalism and innovation. The Inquirer wrote on Dec. 12, “The game of soccer in this country is played under the rules that exist in England, the home of the pastime that is fast growing in popularity in this country. Great strides have been made in this city and its vicinity in the playing of the finer points of the game. Some very clever players have been developed and some very efficient teams have been built up. During all this time the ‘penalty kick’ rule has been observed simply because it is in the rules that are in vogue in the mother country.” In other words, just because England invented the game didn’t mean the rules couldn’t be improved upon in America.
The Inquirer suggested possible modifications to the penalty kick rule when it opened the debate. Pointing to the “American college game of football,” the Inquirer suggested that the team that had been fouled should have the option to decline the foul, which itself would be predicated on the referee being given the discretion to allow play continue despite a foul being committed or to simply award a goal. The Inquirer illustrated this through the example of a defender using his hands to stop a ball that was otherwise clearly headed for the back of the net. Why should a team that knows it is about to be scored upon not only benefit by saving a goal by committing a foul, argued the Inquirer, and also be given the opportunity to make a save again?
But while the Inquirer may have implied that England’s game could learn a thing or two from the spirit of American innovation, it nevertheless was concerned with protecting the very public school/old boy British values of fair play that informed the formalization of the rules of the game. “If the ‘penalty kick’ rule were abolished it would also result in the game being played in the proper spirit, for it would be the means of eliminating the foul play that is indulged in by some of the players.”
The Inquirer article included examples of incidents in recent games to bolster the view that the rule needed changing. A week later on Dec. 29, the Inquirer reported a fresh incident that had occurred in a third round American Cup match between Philadelphia Hibernian and Newark Caledonian the day before in which a Hibernian penalty kick was saved. “This incident backs up the article that was printed in the Inquirer last Sunday, regarding the penalty kick being eliminated and a goal being awarded direct from a penalty without having to take the kick, which proves that it is at the most only a two-to-one shot that a goal will be scored from a penalty kick.”
The Inquirer debate continues
On Jan. 5, 1913, the Inquirer printed letters from six local and national soccer authorities expressing their opinions on the penalty kick. Locally, J. E. Chambers of the city’s American League believed that the penalty kick rule was in many ways not severe enough and favored its abolition, an opinion also shared by the American League secretary, E. M. Jones. The city’s Allied American Football Association secretary Oliver Hemingway believed the rule should remain and that any fault lay with referees insufficiently knowledgeable of the rules. Referee William Wainman believed the rule should be retained but that the penalty kick should take place from the spot of the foul.
Most important, perhaps, were the opinions expressed by A. N. Beveridge, secretary of the American Football Association (AFA), and Thomas Cahill, secretary of the American Amateur Football Association (AAFA). Disagreements between these two organizations would in a few short months culminate in the founding of the United States of America Foot Ball Association (USFA, today known as the United States Soccer Federation) to supplant the AFA as the country’s preeminent governing body for soccer.
Beveridge wrote, “Hoping the penalty kick will still be in vogue, but I would like to see it modified so that it would place both the defending and offending teams on more equal basis.”
Cahill, who in 1912 had traveled to Stockholm to gain support from FIFA for the AAFA over the AFA, was unequivocal: “I consider the penalty kick absolutely essential for the good of the game, and can see no good reason why it should either be changed or eliminated.” Repeatedly praising “the International Board of Great Britain, the recognized and official rule creators of soccer,” today known as the International Association Football Board, Cahill concluded, “Instead of tampering with the rules, let them remain as they are at present, and direct all efforts to educate the players in the proper interpretation of the rules, secure competent referees, and then sustain them in their rulings on the field.”
The Inquirer kept interest in the debate alive by mentioning it in other soccer articles. A report on Jan. 8 about a meeting at the offices of the Inquirer that resulted in the founding of the city’s new United League noted that Phillip Bishop, described as “one of the best versed men on the soccer game in this country,” had given a “natty speech” which included mention of the penalty kick debate. “He stated that it would result in the enlightening of players and spectators on the penalty kick law even if it did not in time result in some alteration being made in the rule.”
Conservatives vs progressives
The Inquirer continued to publish series of letters on the debate. Local soccer luminaries such as John B. Farrell, president of the city’s Allied American Football Association, and Benjamin Groves, president of the city’s Pennsylvania League, continued to weigh in on the topic. But views from some of the eminent names of the wider American soccer landscape were also heard. Thomas T. Adams, manager of the West Hudsons and John Lone, secretary of the National Association Football League favored changing the rule with Lone providing a diagram suggesting how the penalty area could be re-defined. Andrew M. Brown, president of the AFA, Charles C. Pickford, president of the New York Footballers Protective Association and Ed Waldron, president of the Referees Association favored retaining the penalty kick rule as is, as did Dr. A. Murray, president of the St. Louis Soccer Football League.
Even Fred H. Milne, the former England international who had captained the Pilgrims on two American tours in 1905 and 1909 that had done so much to further interest in the game and now living in the US, contributed his support to retaining the penalty kick rule. “I strongly believe that the Penalty Kick rule is of great value,” Milne wrote before questioning the factual basis of the Inquirer’s original argument for abolishing the rule. “I should hesitate very much before saying that 50 per cent of the Penalty Kicks taken are not converted into goals—on the contrary, well over 75 per cent are converted.” And where the Inquire had looked to American college football as an inspiration, in gridiron football Milne saw a warning: “Do not let soccer in this country be trifled with, especially in its infancy or it may in time come to meet the same fate as English Rugby did out here.”
On Jan. 12, echoing the social and political themes of the day, the Inquirer characterized the debate as one between conservatives and progressives.
It is a noticeable fact that those who are opposed to any change being made in the “Penalty Kick” rule, are very largely influenced by the law-making by the International Board. What the Board has read into the rules and what has proven good enough for other countries is in their opinion good enough for America, which includes Philadelphia and other places where soccer thrives.
There are many progressives, however, who favor changes in the rules and who are inclined to the belief when it should be changed not withstanding that England and other countries where soccer has been played for a much longer time than it has here have found the rule good enough for them.
The Inquirer noted that the progressives were not of one mind, with suggestions ranging from the abolishment of the rule altogether, to modifications of where a penalty kick should be taken from, to modifications of the penalty area itself.
Penalty here to stay
Given the variety of suggestions about how the penalty kick rule might be changed, it is no surprise that the title of an article in the Inquirer declared on Jan. 19, “Penalty kick here to stay: Few Desire It Eliminated But Many Suggest That Rule Be Modified.” Lest there be any concern about Americans bowing to a foreign rule-making body, the Inquirer made clear that those who thought the International Board should govern rule changes was not a case of inferiors kowtowing to their betters.
The great majority who hold to that are not ruled by the fetish of what is deemed wise by the parent body should be accepted as the best that can be done, but rather because they believe that long experience in playing the game and making laws to govern it has fitted the International Board to serve for the best interest of the sport. The game of soccer, it is claimed, is in its infancy here and until we, America, learn the game as well as it has been learned in England we should not attempt to improve upon its laws and rules.
But, the Inquired warned, as the game grew here, America would soon gain the experience to play the game according to its own rules.
[T]he time does not seem far distant when America will make some changes in the game to meet with the best conception of the sport as it is held here. The trend of opinion, with few exceptions, seems to point in that direction. America will have no doubt sometime in the future will have its own ruling body and will cut loose from traditions brought from England by the very many skillful players now engaged in the sport here and whose skill and enthusiasm have brought the game into fast growing popularity with native-born Americans.
Nevertheless, mindful of the concerns voiced by Milne, the Inquirer was aware that this spirit of innovation could result in less than desirable outcomes for some sport fans. “There are some who already sound a warning…They point with regret to Rugby football, from which the present American college game of football has evolved. To change the game of soccer from the way it has been played for half a century or more should be considered a crime.”
Whether motivated by a more neutral impulse to improve the game or by more arrogant and/or misguided efforts to “Americanize” the sport in order to make it more “attractive” to an American audience, American soccer would continue to be littered with attempts at rule innovations. Some of these rule changes persist, notably at the college level. But with the ongoing growth of soccer has come the understanding that the base of soccer fans wants the game to be played according to the rules followed by international soccer. Now, the American impulse toward innovation is reflected by what is perhaps a more realistic understanding of US soccer’s place in the world’s game and is expressed by a willingness to adopt new technologies such as goal-line technology rather than through implementing new rules or advocating for the elimination of long-standing rules.
Still, for a month or so one hundred years ago, Philadelphia was at the center of a national soccer debate that was focused not on the relevance or importance of the game, but on the rules of the game itself. And that’s not a bad thing at all. | <urn:uuid:1cf34f5d-2c47-453b-85f5-0e32d868f840> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.phillysoccerpage.net/2013/01/10/abolish-the-penalty-kick/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977217 | 2,973 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Young leaders from nine Asian countries delivered persuasive speeches on their topics of interest, including gay rights, social media, and their passion for political involvement, in preparation for their future electoral campaigns. As participants of the "7th CALD Communications Workshop: Strategic Political Communication for Youth Candidates", this fresh generation of liberal politicians met in Siem Reap, Cambodia—a stone's throw away from the historical complex of Angkor Wat—on 17 to 20 August 2012.
Dutch communications consultant, Mr. Pam Evenhuis, facilitated the workshop and gave participants tips on speech delivery, political goals, and branding. "What is very important within political communication is the ability to communicate in such a way that the receiving end can remember," he said. "You should be able to build such a reputation that, instantly, we remember who you are." He asked participants to identify their personal ideals, and they committed to education reform, people-powered politics, transparency, solidarity among generations, and good governance.
CALD Secretary General, Dr. Neric Acosta, provided his input on characteristics of successful campaign messages and making sound political statements and speeches. He stressed the importance of connection with the constituency, context, content, and conviction in speeches. He also challenged participants to recognize their purpose. "The purpose will always connect to a passion—why you love doing it," he said. "Only when you are clear about purpose and passion will you know how to proceed."
Also showing her support was CALD Women's Caucus Chairperson, Hon. Mu Sochua, MP. She engaged participants during her remarks on behalf of the Sam Rainsy Party. "I want to have a conversation with you," she said. "I think I'm here to listen to you because if the party wants to maintain its stance, its ideology, and its dream, it has to always be young."
The activity brought participants closer to the liberal ideology and its international networks. Mr. Ivo Thijssen, Bureau Member of the International Foundation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY), highlighted that liberalism is about individualism and the right to self-determination. He discussed the attacks against 'the individual' by other ideologies, and gave examples of IFLRY's work on issues, including freedom of expression and climate change.
Apart from learning from the presentations of the resource persons, participants actively engaged in group activities where they identified liberal responses to healthcare, education, human rights, poverty, and anti-corruption. They built campaign plans taking into account the importance of volunteers and how to attract and engage them. The workshop included the CALD Youth Executive Committee Meeting and is a precursor to the proposed CALD Youth Festival to be held in 2013.
The activity aimed to prepare young leaders for their future political campaigns. But with people so gung-ho to 'change the governing system', 'tear down walls in the minds', and fire start an 'intelligent revolution', these leaders might just have always been ready. | <urn:uuid:8a752203-bc7a-484c-a066-68daf882146a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cald.org/site/entry.php?title=Young_politicians_role_play_for_campaigns&id=982 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961445 | 606 | 1.859375 | 2 |
In order to revive Islamic ethics in a world drowning in a whirlpool of materialism and which seem to have all but forgotten the eternal spiritual human values, we thought the effort worthwhile to condense this valuable work into few short. articles for the benefit of those who may not have access to the contents of the original Arabic text.
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Man has a soul and physical body, each of which is subject to its own pleasures and diseases. What harms the body is sickness, and that which gives it pleasure lies in its well-being, health and whatever is in harmony with its nature. The science that deals with the health and the maladies of the body is the science of medicine.
The diseases of the soul constitute evil habits and submission to lusts that degrade man doom to the level of beasts. The pleasures of the 'soul are moral and ethical virtues which elevate man and move him closer to perfection and wisdom bringing him close to God. The study that deals with such matters is the science of ethics ('ilm al-akhlaq).
Before we commence a discussion of the main topics of our subject, we must prove that the soul of man is incorporeal, possesses an existence independent of the body, and is immaterial. In order to prove this, a number of arguments have been set forth amongst which we can mention the following:
1. One of the characteristics of bodies is that whenever new forms and shapes are imposed upon them, they renounce and abandon their previous forms or shapes. In the human soul, however, new forms, whether of the sensible or of the intellectual nature, enter continuously without wiping out the previously existing forms. In fact, the more impressions and intellectual forms enter the mind, the stronger does the soul become.
2. When three elements of colour, smell, and taste, appear in an object, it is transformed. The human soul however, perceives all of these conditions without being materially affected by them.
3. The pleasures that man experiences from intellectual cognition can belong only to the soul, since man's body plays no role in it.
4. Abstract forms and concepts which are perceived by the mind, are undoubtedly non-material and indivisible. Accordingly, their vehicle, which is the soul, must also be indivisible, and therefore immaterial.
5. The physical faculties of man receive their input through the senses, while the human soul perceives certain things without the help of the senses. Among the things that the human soul comprehends without relying on the senses, are the law of contradiction, the idea that the whole is always greater than one of its parts, and other such universal principles. The negation of the errors made by the senses on the part of the soul, such as optical illusions, is done with the aid of these abstract concepts, even though the raw material required for making corrections is provided by the senses.
Now that the independent existence of the soul has been proved, let us see what are the things responsible for its well-being and delight, and what are the things that make it sick and unhappy. The health and perfection of the soul lies in its grasp of the real nature of things , and this understanding can liberate it from the narrow prison of lust and greed and all other fetters which inhibit its evolution and edification towards that ultimate stage of human perfection which lies in man's nearness to God. This is the goal of `speculative wisdom' (al-hikmat al-nadariyyah). At the same time, the human soul must purge itself of any evil habits and traits it may have, and replace them with ethical and virtuous modes of thought and conduct. This is the goal of `practical wisdom' (al-hikmat al-`amaliyyah). Speculative and practical wisdom are related like matter and form; they cannot exist without each other.
As a matter of principle, the term "philosophy" refers to `speculative wisdom' and "ethics" refers to `.practical wisdom'. A man who has mastered both speculative wisdom and practical wisdom is a microcosmic mirror of the larger universe: the macrocosm. | <urn:uuid:a499aa40-42f5-4407-890a-83e1a1fa2358> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/felicities/1.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9485 | 871 | 2.890625 | 3 |
I'm creating AI for a card game, and I run into problem calculating the probability of passing/failing the hand when AI needs to start the hand. Cards are A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 (with A being the strongest) and AI needs to play to not take the hand.
Assuming there are 4 cards of the suit left in the game and one is in AI's hand, I need to calculate probability that one of the other players would take the hand. Here's an example:
AI player has: J Other 2 players have: A, K, 7
If a single opponent has AK7 then AI would lose. However, if one of the players has A or K without 7, AI would survive. Now, looking at possible distribution, I have:
P1 P2 AI --- --- --- AK7 loses AK 7 survives A7 K survives K7 A survives A 7K survives K 7A survives 7 KA survives AK7 loses
Looking at this, it seems that there is 75% chance of survival.
However, I skipped the permutations that mirror the ones from above. It should be the same, but somehow when I write them all down, it seems that chance is only 50%:
P1 P2 AI --- --- --- AK7 loses A7K loses K7A loses KA7 loses 7AK loses 7KA loses AK 7 survives A7 K survives K7 A survives KA 7 survives 7A K survives 7K A survives A K7 survives A 7K survives K 7A survives K A7 survives 7 AK survives 7 KA survives AK7 loses A7K loses K7A loses KA7 loses 7AK loses 7KA loses
12 loses, 12 survivals = 50% chance. Obviously, it should be the same (shouldn't it?) and I'm missing something in one of the ways to calculate.
Which one is correct? | <urn:uuid:c989f605-6a78-4319-896b-9885f78b7e7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/235986/whats-the-proper-way-to-calculate-probability-for-a-card-game | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954388 | 399 | 1.984375 | 2 |
The Leadership Conference is working diligently to see that Tom Perez is confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Labor. Perez is an eminently qualified public servant and consensus builder who has dedicated his career to ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and have the opportunity to succeed. He has served with integrity and distinction at the local, state and national level, compiling an outstanding record of achievement.
President Obama Sharpens Focus on Jobs, Relief for the Unemployed
December 9, 2009 - Posted by Ron Bigler
Calling the current jobs crisis affecting millions of Americans a "continuing human tragedy," President Obama this week outlined a series of steps intended to boost job growth and continue relief for the unemployed.
The plan includes expanding tax breaks and incentives to small businesses, increasing spending on infrastructure, and a new program of tax rebates for retrofitting homes for energy efficiency. The president also called for the extension of emergency benefits for the unemployed and support for local governments facing budget shortfalls and layoffs.
"We avoided the depression many feared," Obama said in a speech at the Brookings Institution. But, he stressed, "Our work is far from done."
To pay for the programs, Obama said that an unexpected $200 billion in savings from the bank rescue program has created room for new spending aimed at creating jobs.
"[A]ssistance to banks, once thought to cost taxpayers untold billions, is on track to actually reap billions in profits for the taxpaying public," said Obama. "So this gives us a chance to pay down the deficit faster than we thought possible and to shift funds that would have gone to help the banks on Wall Street to help create jobs on Main Street."
More than 15 million Americans are unable to find employment and millions more are only able to find part-time employment, according to the Economic Policy Institute. And while the overall unemployment rate was 10 percent in November, the rate for Black workers was 15.6 percent and the rate for Hispanic workers was 12.7 percent.
The "Half in Ten" campaign —a collaborative effort of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), the Coalition on Human Needs, and the Center for American Progress Action Fund — is calling attention to the urgent need to address the current jobs crisis.
LCCR President Wade Henderson has called the jobs crisis "the civil rights issue of the moment." | <urn:uuid:5be4b930-9b7e-44aa-8646-62ea1258a7d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.civilrights.org/archives/2009/12/844-obama-jobs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959712 | 477 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Mixing sparks of curiosity and spiritual imagination, this wondrous book lights children's creativity and shows how God is with us everyday in every way.
In this, their first collaborative book, husband-and-wife team Lawrence and Karen Kushner combine their expertise to help introduce children to the possibilities of spiritual life. Reallife examples of happiness and sadness—from goodnight stories, to the hope and fear felt the first time at bat, to the closing moments of someone's life—invite parents and children to explore, together, the questions we all have about God, no matter what our age.
Three poetic spiritual stories will delight children of all ages:
• "Where is God?"
• "What Does God Look Like?"
• "How Does God Make Things Happen"
11" x 8˝", 32 pp
Click on Picture to Enlarge | <urn:uuid:8413a035-48e5-46b5-86ab-d1ea6c916164> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.neshomanetwork.com/benololigod1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923716 | 177 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Click here to view an interactive map of the Northern Ireland dataset as currently collated by CEDaR.
The map is generated through the NBN Gateway using their Interactive Mapping Tool.
This shade-loving lichen is rare both in Ireland and in Britain. Dubbed ‘Fancy writing’, it establishes its colonies where shaded bark communities are intermittently flushed with water as part of the stem flow regime of trees. It usually grows surrounded by Enterographa crassa, but differs from that species in the pink-coloured glow of the thallus, Pd+ yellow-orange reaction and larger, wrigglier discs which resemble Hebrew or Greek lettering. Currently, it is known only from Fermanagh where it grows on an ash. Previous records of the species were gathered from Counties Kerry, Limerick and Galway.
Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini | <urn:uuid:6c5736a3-1c8b-484a-88a7-448b7be9eee1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.habitas.org.uk/lichenireland/species.asp?item=19179 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959389 | 188 | 3.15625 | 3 |