text stringlengths 213 24.6k | id stringlengths 47 47 | dump stringclasses 1 value | url stringlengths 14 499 | file_path stringlengths 138 138 | language stringclasses 1 value | language_score float64 0.9 1 | token_count int64 51 4.1k | score float64 1.5 5.06 | int_score int64 2 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Efficacy of imidacloprid towards green peach aphid (Myzus persicae, Hemiptera: Aphididae) placed at different heights on mature greenhouse pepper plants
Alida F. Janmaat, email@example.com, Erin Borrow, n/a1, Jim Matteoni2, and Gary Jones2. (1) University-College of the Fraser Valley, Biology Department, 33844 King rd, Abbotsford, BC, Canada, (2) Kwantlen University College, School of Horticulture, 12666 72nd Avenue, Surrey, BC, Canada
The use of imidacloprid for the control of green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on greenhouse pepper has become widespread in British Columbia, Canada. Growers often apply imidacloprid systemically to mature pepper plants following aphid outbreaks. This study was undertaken to examine the toxicity and persistence of a systemic imidacloprid treatment at different heights of the pepper canopy. Aphids were placed on leaves in clip-cages at three different locations (top third, middle, bottom third) on mature pepper plants. Aphid mortality and reproduction were then assessed 0, 2, and 4 weeks post-treatment and the week immediately prior to the treatment. Preceding the insecticide application, aphid mortality did not differ among leaves at different heights, whereas aphid reproduction was lowest in clip-cages placed at the top height. The week following the imidacloprid application, aphid mortality and reproduction did not differ among the plant heights. At two and four weeks post-treatment, aphid mortality was lower, and subsequently aphid reproduction was higher, in clip-cages placed on top leaves than in cages placed in the middle or bottom of the canopy. Implications of the results to aphid movement, pest monitoring and insecticide resistance management are discussed.
Species 1: Hemiptera Aphididae Myzuspersicae (green peach aphid) | <urn:uuid:2c7b3cbe-3f14-4fc5-8af9-8497c837b08a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://esa.confex.com/esa/2007/techprogram/paper_32337.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915998 | 432 | 2.328125 | 2 |
- Sarah Crean on Exclusive: Proposed policy would allow industries to self-audit pollution-generating activities
- David Howard King on Bronx senator's health quest
- Cristian Salazar and Carla Murphy on Stops lawsuit given class status
- Cristian Salazar on NYC Council passes banking bill
- David Howard King on Senate Dems Look to Nat'l Issues
Clarence Norman And Non-Partisan Elections
by Susan Reefer
Earlier this month in state Supreme Court, Brooklyn Democratic leader and New York state assemblyman Clarence Norman faced charges of grand larceny and failing to file business records.
The charges outline a series of alleged misdeeds by the nine-term assemblyman, including failing to report thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, and accepting contributions in excess of the limits allowed by campaign finance law. He is also accused of taking $5000 from the Democratic Party coffers for personal use, and taking a per diem from the State of New York for travel expenses to and from Albany, while separately billing the county Democratic Party for the same travel related expenses.
Norman, who pled not guilty to all charges and professes his innocence, faces seven years in prison if convicted.
The arraignment of the Democratic Party boss came less than a month before New York City voters are scheduled to go to the polls and decide whether or not to replace the current citywide election system with a series of non-partisan elections. Supporters of the non-partisan election system have suggested there is a need to reduce the influence of political party bosses in the voting process.
These charges, if proven to be accurate, could be seen as an example of the need to change the system. But a non-partisan election system, on its own, won't automatically reduce the influence of political parties in city government. Here's a breakdown of what should, could, and will not change, depending on the outcome of the November 4th elections:
What Should Change
The fact that someone can hold an elected government office and be an elected party official simultaneously is more than an example of the potential for undue influence of a political party; it's an example of the potential for massive conflicts of interest.
It is an apparent quirk in an otherwise stringent set of financing and electioneering rules. But the body of legislation that encompasses local, state, and federal election law does not prohibit, in the City of New York, a person from holding both a party office and an elected legislative or executive office at the same time.
The law does provide extensive rules for ensuring that elected legislators don't do political work on taxpayer time, or for making sure that political parties and party committees don't collude with campaigns to do their campaigning directly for them. There are firewalls, and disclosure forms, and compliance standards, all to make sure that the work of political parties, and the work of political campaigns, and the work of governing, are all kept separate. As they should be.
But there is nothing preventing the people who are in charge of all those things from actually being the same person. And that should change.
What Could Change
The non-partisan election proposal doesn't actually get rid of political parties. It doesn't outlaw political parties, or take away their ability to organize; it just takes political party labels off of election ballots, and the nomination process out of party hands. The people running for office could still be endorsed by political parties, they could still receive the support of a party organization, they could still be their party's "preferred choice" or standard bearer. But without party primaries to officially determine the nominees, the candidates may not need the party the way they did in the past. They may still want the party's help. They may still court the party members. But they won't need the party. They can get along without the party, if they have to.
And when you go from being the party that chooses the nominee, to the party who is allowed to help the nominee, you've lost statutory authority. It doesn't necessarily follow that you are going to lose influence as well. But it's a possibility. Political parties are the single most important voting cue in New York City right now. And that could change.
What Will Not Change
If the non-partisan election proposal passes, the law will apply to all citywide elections for city offices. It will not apply to those elected officials who represent part of New York City in other levels of government:
• It will not apply to U.S. Congressmen and Congresswomen from New York
• It will not apply to state senators from New York City.
• It will not apply to members of the state assembly from New York City (e.g., it would not apply to Clarence Norman).
And, if the non-partisan proposal passes, it won't prohibit anyone who is a party leader or party official from running for office in a non-partisan election. Under the new law, the same person, in theory, could be a top party official and be elected mayor of New York at the same time.
Whatever happens on November 4th, whether non-partisan elections are voted into law, or the existing system stays in place, there are a number of factors that determine how much influence political parties hold in our election system. And the party primary/party nomination is only one of those factors.Susan Reefer is a Republican pollster and media strategist. She is based in New York City.
Discuss this Article
Other Related Articles:
Independent Voters (2006-09-29)
Campaign War Chests (2003-11-03)
Low Voter Turnout (2003-09-25)
Instead of Non-Partisan Elections, Consider Some Real Reforms (2003-06-16)
It Is Time For Non-Partisan Elections In NYC (2003-05-26)
The Hispanic Vote; Also, New Charter Commission For Non-Partisan Elections (2003-03-28)
Visit the complete Topic Archives | <urn:uuid:7e17514b-1f37-4382-b678-1bd3c03498fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://old.gothamgazette.com/article/governing/20031028/17/584 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950517 | 1,232 | 1.585938 | 2 |
CONFLICT AND WIN-WIN SOLUTIONS: Two Lessons for Grades 3-6
The first lesson introduces students to the concept of conflict; the second has students practice coming up with "win-win solutions." See our conflict resolution programs.
Two lessons for grades 3-6
The first lesson introduces students to the concept of conflict, helps them consider that conflict is a normal part of life and does not have to lead to violence, and asks them to consider examples of conflict in their own lives. In the second lesson, students practice coming up with "win-win solutions" to conflict.
Students will be able to give an accurate definition of conflict.
Students will recall and describe conflicts they have experienced.
Agenda written on chalkboard or chart paper
Gathering: If Conflict Were a Color
'Lay out an array of colored paper on a table or on the floor. (Origami paper is especially good to use; you can get it at museums or art supply stores.) Ask students to choose a color of paper that represents "conflict" to them. Say, "If conflict were a color, it would be ... " and have them get up and pick out a piece of paper. Be sure to have lots of red, as that's the color most people choose. Have students find a partner. Give them a minute or two to share with their partners what color they chose and why.
Go over the day's plan with students.
Defining Conflict: Conflict Web
Write the word "conflict" on the board and draw a circle around it. Ask the students what words or phrases come up when they hear the word, and record their responses as a web: Write their contributions on the board, using lines to connect each word to the word "conflict" or related words. Continue for about three to five minutes (or longer if interest remains high).
A. Using their responses, help them come to a definition of "conflict" as an argument, a disagreement, or a fight.
B. Some questions to ask: What do you notice about the web? Can we make any generalizations about it? Why are most of our associations negative?
C. Write CONFLICT = VIOLENCE on the board to make the point that many people equate the two concepts. Ask, Does conflict equal violence? What is the difference between conflict and violence?
When a distinction has been made, draw a line through the equal sign like this (CONFLICT ? VIOLENCE) to show that conflict and violence do not necessarily go together. Then erase these words from the board. Point out that conflict and violence are not the same thing. Conflicts do not have to lead to violence.
D. Make the point that conflict is a natural and normal part of life, that we all experience conflicts at home, at work, in school, on the street, and that countries also have conflicts with each other.
Remembering Personal Conflicts
Introduction: Since conflicts are a part of life and everybody has them, class members will think about conflicts they have experienced.
A. Tell a story about a conflict you have had recently with another person. Include concrete details of where the conflict happened, who was involved, what happened, how it ended, and how you felt about it in the end.
B. Then ask students to raise their hands if they can remember a time they have had a conflict. Call on a few to describe their conflicts.
C. Divide the class into pairs. Ask students to take turns telling their partners a story about a conflict they have had including who was involved, how it started, how it ended, and how they felt when it ended. Write the words "where," "who," "what," "end," and "feel," on the board as a reminder of what the story is to include. Time them for two or three minutes each.
D. Ask some volunteers to tell their stories to the class. Ask, What happened? Who was involved? How did it turn out? How did you feel?
E. Summarize: Point out that conflicts can end in different ways. Sometimes one person ends up feeling good and the other feeling bad. Sometimes both people end up feeling bad. Sometimes both people end up feeling good. Everybody has conflicts. Conflicts are part of life.
Ask, "What was something you liked about today? Was there anything that seemed hard?"
Ask students to make a circle and join hands. Everyone bends over, hands almost touching the floor. Start saying "Yes" together softly and draw the word out, getting louder and louder as you slowly raise hands into the air. Conclude by throwing hands into the air overhead, completing the word loudly and energetically.
Suggestions for Infusion
Have students write their stories of personal conflicts.
Most stories develop around a conflict, sometimes between characters in a story and sometimes between parts of the self. Whatever story the students are reading, have them locate the conflict and discuss it. What started the conflict? Who was involved? What happened? How did it end? How did each character feel in the end?
Discuss conflicts in the news. See "Teaching About Controversial Issues" for an approach to doing this.
Students will practice thinking up win-win solutions for conflict situations.
Agenda written on chalkboard or chart paper
[Note: This lesson requires a role play set up ahead of class with either another adult, a student, or puppets. See lesson below for details.]
Gathering: Count to Five
The challenge in this game is to have people in the class call out the numbers from one to five without having two people talking at once. Introduce the game by explaining the following rules:
- Anyone can call out a number, starting with one.
- The numbers have to be in order.
- If two people say the same number at the same time, the class has to start over.
Check to see if everybody understands the rules. If not, ask someone who does understand them to explain them to those who don't.
Ask for a volunteer to be the monitor. If s/he hears two people talking at once, s/he raises his or her hand to signal that the game has to start over.
Set a timer for three minutes. If the group doesn't master the task by that time, it will just become frustrated.
Discuss: What made this hard? What would make it easier?
Go over the day's plan and ask if it seems okay.
Introduction: Role-play the following situation with another adult, a student, or with puppets. Freeze the action where the argument is heating up.
A. Claire is in high school, has a big test coming up, and has just settled down to study. Amy, her younger sister, comes home from school, turns on the stereo, and starts dancing. Claire gets up and orders Amy to turn off the stereo. Amy protests, saying she never gets to have fun, and turns the stereo up.
B. Ask the class to describe what's going on. What does Claire need? What does Amy need? If Claire won, what would she get? How would she feel? If Amy won, what would she get? How would she feel?
C. Show students the following diagram of ways the conflict could come out.
Amy gets what she needs
Amy doesn't get what
Claire gets what she needs
Claire doesn't get what
D. Ask for ideas about how this conflict might come out. Have two students role-play one of the endings that is suggested. The two can be the student who suggested the ending (if s/he wants to do it) and a volunteer or two volunteers that you choose.
E. Discuss where the ending is located on the chart. Does Amy get what she wants? Does Claire? Then what kind of an ending is that?
F. Continue with other endings. Role-play at least one ending for each category.
G. When the students have arrived at a win-win ending to role-play, spend some time drawing out as many win-win solutions as they can come up with. Go for quantity. Point out that most conflicts have many win-win solutions depending on what is acceptable to both parties.
Ask a few volunteers, What are some feelings you had about today's lesson? What are some reasons why you feel that way?
Go-round. Who is someone you'd like to work out a win-win solution with?
Conflict Analysis Checklist
Ask the class, "If you were going to help some of the kids in this class find win-win solutions to a conflict, what would you need to know before you could help?"
List all the suggestions on the board. When the class is done giving their suggestions, discuss which ones are similar. Combine similar ones until you have a list of about five.
Arrange in order of importance. Label it Conflict Analysis Checklist. Explain that the list shows the kind of information you need in order to help resolve conflicts in a win-win manner.
Your checklist might look something like this:
1. Who's involved?
2. What did they do?
3. How did they do it?
4. How is "A" feeling? How is "B" feeling?
5. What does "A" say she/he wants? What does "B" say she/he wants? Etc.
6. What does "A" need in order to feel happy with the solution to the conflict? What does "B" need? Etc.
How would this information be helpful? What would you do with the information once you had it? Why might it be helpful to be able to analyze a conflict in this way?
Practice Analyzing Conflicts
Make five or six copies of the Conflict Analysis Checklist for each student, allowing space between each question for writing.
Divide the class into groups of three or four. Ask each group to prepare a skit based on a conflict experienced by one of the members of the group. Give the students five or ten minutes to rehearse their skits. Then have each group present their skit to the class.
After each skit is presented, all the students are to fill in their checklist sheets. They can ask questions of the students who put on the skit if necessary. Go over the answers with the whole class and discuss before moving on to the next skit.
You can also give the students practice analyzing conflicts by using situations from stories the class is reading, situations in the newspaper, actual incidents in the classroom, or situations you think up and present to the class and present with puppets.
We welcome your thoughts and suggestions about these activities! Please email us at: email@example.com.
- School Services
- Classroom Lessons
- Events & News
- Contact Us
TeachableMoment Latest Lessons
Most Popular Current Issues
- 9/11 ANNIVERSARY TEACHING GUIDE Aug. 31, 2011
- Practice DBQ: The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima & Nagasaki Jan. 29, 2007
- WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE PRISON May. 23, 2007
Most Popular Social & Emotional Learning
- GETTING TO KNOW YOU: Classroom Activities for Starting Off the School Year Sep. 3, 2008
- Find Someone Who Jan. 30, 2007
- Be strong, Be Mean, or Give In? Nov. 7, 2011
TeachableMoment, a project of Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility, fosters social responsibility by sharing free K-12 classroom lessons, activities and ideas with educators. | <urn:uuid:741da065-d8a9-4568-afac-e27401a28086> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/conflict-and-win-win-solutions-two-lessons-grades-3-6 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961889 | 2,424 | 4.65625 | 5 |
The first thing to do in the organization is to enroll at least one physician, who becomes the surgeon of the company. His name, together with that of the secretary of the unit, should be filed with the Senior Service Corps, of New Haven, Connecticut, or with the National Security League, of New York City, in order that any additional information or directions may be forwarded promptly.
The division of labor in the work should be from ten to fifteen minutes of the setting-up exercises, and from forty-five to fifty minutes of the outdoor work. It has been found upon scientific test that this is the best division, and the outdoor work should follow the setting-up exercises immediately, since the men are then in condition to benefit from the fact that they have opened up their chest cavity and are taking in more fresh air and oxygen.
The best way to start a unit is to get ten or a dozen leaders together at dinner or luncheon and organize; then pick out other men who are of importance in the community and add them to the charter number.
The editors of the local papers are usually very glad to lend their powerful assistance toward the project.
It is not necessary to have the outdoor work partake of the nature of military drill, but a certain amount of this, added after the second or third week, lends interest and also produces excellent results in muscular control.
In order to understand the various prescribed movements and exercises the following explanations should be carefully studied, of course, in connection with the illustrative photographs.
It is particularly necessary that the leader should thoroughly familiarize himself with the movements and positions, for many of the men will not take the trouble to study the manual by themselves, or they may be unable to spare time for anything but the actual drill. It is the leader’s business to instruct, and the progress of his squad or company will be in direct proportion to his knowledge and capacity to inspire real interest in and enthusiasm for the work.
Each movement must be executed perfectly and exactly or the benefit therefrom will not be fully assured. Much depends upon the leader; a man should be selected who has the gift of leadership.
In giving the commands care should be taken to discriminate between the explanatory and executive parts of the order, making a decided pause between. For example, in “Forward March!” “Forward” is the explanatory or warning word; then, after a perceptible pause, the executive word “March!” should be given in a crisp, decisive tone of voice. The command “Attention!” is but one word, but it is the custom to divide it syllabically, thus, “Atten-shun!” All other commands taken from the military manuals have their proper warning and executive words; for example: “Count—Off!” “About—Face!” “Right—Face!” “Company—Halt!” “To the Rear—March!” “Double Time—March!” etc. The exceptions are the commands, “Rest!” “At Ease!” and “Fall Out!” | <urn:uuid:1ae4208f-75e5-4392-a88e-77de2fdb24d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bookrags.com/ebooks/13574/22.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957328 | 655 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Recently Google+ launched its new feature called Google+ community. For the first time when I heard the word Community, I remembered the golden days of Orkut communities where I used to learn lot of stuff. Orkut was the forerunner of social networks. One of the main strengths of Orkut is communities. There was lot of knowledge learning communities and equally useless ones.
Google+ brings back the communities feature to start a private or public membership forum to support all kind of groups from topics and interests to local neighborhoods to regular poker nights. Google+ communities are something similar to Facebook groups. If you haven’t used Orkut, then for better understanding, they are similar to Facebook groups.
In Google+ communities you can start discussion to find the conversations you care about most and you can add people to communities, make it public or private and plan events, start Google+ hangouts etc. It’s ultimately to connect with like-minded peoples of similar interests. You can talk about the stuff you’re into with people who love it too.
Facebook is full of people you know, Google+ is full of people who you want to know. You can create communities and invite people to join. Or you can join in your favorite communities already existing there.
Sharing on Google+ Communities:
So, when you browse, read something on the web, you can instantly share the article or stuff that you read on the web to the community you’re in. Google+ already had the option to +1 on the web to specific Google+ circles, now you can share to specific communities that you’re in.
Guide to Create Google+ Communities:
Navigate to this link https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities to start create Google+ communities.
You can either create a public community or private club. Public communities are open to the world. Private communities, only invited members can join the community and see what’s shared.
Name the community and select whether people can find your community when they search for it.
Now fill the details, add categories, about data etc. Next step is inviting people to join your private community. You can either invite people from your circles or add individual names or email addresses.
You can create event, start hangouts etc. Totally fun place!
Examples of Google+ Communities:
If you’re a blogger, webmaster – you can use Google+ communities to start a Webmaster community or Google analytics community to discuss about things going on. Mostly useful for Food bloggers, Photography enthusiasts and people who love to debate on latest technologies and for people who like to discuss and share things with all like-minded fellows.
Adding Members to Google+ Communities:
Unlike Facebook, people cannot add you in random groups. If someone invites you to join a Google+ community, only with your approval you can be a member of that Google+ community.
Communities feature is really a plus on Google+.
| For a limited time I'm sharing some select Tips and Tricks and How-To Guides for FREE. | | <urn:uuid:0e662315-d74b-4ae6-a2e3-c9c58f1bf462> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.madrasgeek.com/2012/12/guide-on-google-plus-communities.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926279 | 641 | 1.851563 | 2 |
School Library System Report Cards
School Library System
2008 Report Cards
School Library Systems are a state-aided program set forth in Education Law and Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. Each BOCES and the Big 5 Cities (NYC, Yonkers, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse) sponsor the program, which provides vital library and information resources to public and non-public schools. Each system operates under an approved five-year Plan of Service. Some of the key functions of SLS are: to provide leadership and training through professional development activities, enrich the NYS Learning Standards by providing information literacy awareness and skills training; facilitate resource-sharing among its participating school libraries; interlibrary loan activity for 2007-2008 amounted to over a 1/2 million items statewide; facilitate access to electronic databases through NOVELny (New York On-line Virtual Electronic Library) for over 3,500 schools statewide; promote advances in technology for information storage, retrieval and access to school library collections; focus on cooperative collection development of participating school libraries; address the information needs of special client groups and participate in regional library initiatives with the public, academic, special and other school libraries. Students, teachers and administrators in each SLS service area benefit from the programs and services of the School Library System. | <urn:uuid:08ea1885-c11f-424b-a8e6-40e5d644c88d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/slssap/slscards/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923626 | 257 | 2.65625 | 3 |
CELT Learning Technologies staff can assist with a wide range of questions related to the effective use of technology in teaching and learning. Help is available in four general areas:
Traditional Face-to-Face Courses
We can help you look at a conventional face-to-face course, either an entire course or a course component as small as a single learning activity, to see if technology can help you teach more efficiently and effectively.
If you wish to implement online resources and learning activities to supplement a face-to-face course, we can assist you in developing an appropriate strategy and designing online resources and activities that complement in-class teaching and learning.
Distance and Online Learning
Teaching a course entirely online presents challenges as well as opportunities. We can help you convert an existing course to one in which teaching and learning is entirely online. CELT Instructional Design staff can help you draw on research-based best pratices for distance education—and leverage existing and emerging technologies to create an effective, engaging online course.
Grant Proposal Consultation and Participation
Many grants and contracts developed at ISU involve the purchase, development, or use of instructional technology. CELT Learning Technologies staff can help you think through project conception, proposal writing, and then support their development if funding is received. Our expertise is available to provide you with accurate specifications, budget estimates, staffing requirements and production timelines. We can also link you with potential campus partners or provide references for appropriate learning theories and design methodologies.
Contact CELT Learning Technologies: 515-294-5357
U.S. Department of Education (2009). Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning:
A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies.
The National Center for Academic Transformation (2005). New to Course Redesign?
Here's a list of recommended reading to get you started.
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (2009). A·P·L·U–Sloan National Commission on Online Learning:
Online Learning as a Strategic Asset. | <urn:uuid:551c4717-eca6-47f6-ae22-4f11df82db6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.celt.iastate.edu/lt/id.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.909477 | 421 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Retail health clinics move to treat complex illnesses, rankling doctors
Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2009
Retail health clinics are adding treatments for chronic diseases to their repertoire, hoping to find steadier revenue but putting the clinics into greater competition with doctors' groups and hospitals. The new strategy comes as an initial thrust by clinics providing basic services fizzled. As part of their efforts to halt losses at the clinics, the chains are lobbying for more insurance coverage, and angling for a place in pending healthcare reform legislation.
- Patient Harm Data to Remain on Medicare's Hospital Compare Site
- Quiet ORs Better for Patient Safety
- Tavenner Confirmed as CMS Administrator
- CMS Seeks to 'Rapidly Reduce' Medicare Spending with $1B in Grants
- Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scores 'Depressing'
- Building a Better Healthcare Board
- Hard-Nosed About Physician Teamwork
- Case Study: Advance Care Conversations
- Healthcare Leaders Sound Off on Organized Labor
- Esther Dyson's Population Health Dream | <urn:uuid:592e2cde-0d7b-4e1a-bfc9-e5a4942e35f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/PHY-238708/Retail-health-clinics-move-to-treat-complex-illnesses-rankling-doctors.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920401 | 216 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Two Oregon entrepreneurs, Jake Weatherly and David Shear were having trouble expanding on an huge opportunity selling software to college students. Of the 3.2 million youth age 16 to 24 who graduated from high school between January and October 2010, about 2.2 million or 68.1 percent, are enrolled in colleges and universities. To Weatherly and Shear, these 2.2 million students represent not just today’s software users, they represent the market of tomorrow. Talk to the Gillette or Visa about the power of building brand awareness with college students and you’ll understand the untapped buying power within the 2.2 million U.S. college and university students.
There is one problem though, when your selling to a student online, the ability to verify that someone is a student currently involves faxing a proof of identity, a process that often will bring any online sale to a screeching halt, making student sales a missed opportunity for many companies, and at the very least a very costly, and slow process.
Weatherly and Shear approached me in spring of 2010, to help develop a technical solution, to answer whether someone was enrolled in a college or university. Through some programming kung fu I quickly identified that you could verify students at about 65% of the top 50 universities, by name and email using their public directory forms, with about 1 hour of work per university. Essentially I was able to write a script that would ask the university if a student went there, via their public web site. This type of scraping is a great proof of concept, but by no means a method for building a solid business on top of. Weatherly and Shear needed a more viable way to get reliable enrollment information. After a lot of research they found an existing organization that was already part of the government mandated process of tracking student enrollment for financial aid. This existing organization already provided student enrollment verification, but had not moved into the Internet age, and did not posses the expertise or technology to make their information accessible programmatically across the Internet.
Fast forward two years. Weatherly and Shear have formed SheerID, a student verification system, where they have leveraged their industry connections and delivered the SheerID API that can be used to verify if an individual is enrolled as a student at a college or university. SheerID has identified an existing businesses resource, that hasn’t been brought into the Internet age, and by decoupling it from the established business entity that currently manages the process, they were able to deliver it as a valuable API resource.
SheerID has some work to do, launching a new API developers area, and execute on their strategy making their student verification API available to open and private developers, as well as available on existing platforms like Drupal, Joomla and Magento e-commerce. But the two entrepreneur’s approach to building a business around an established business need, that has not caught up to the Internet age, represents a great model. We’ve seen companies like Twilio take an established utility like SMS, and by exposing them as an API, deploying a developer area around it–that you can build a viable business.
What other proven business resources could be packaged up as a simple RESTful API, allowing someone to build a businesses, where the product is the API–an delivers the next generation of business resources. | <urn:uuid:a9be500d-93d8-4347-882f-3afe59c88cd3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.programmableweb.com/2012/02/22/identify-an-old-school-need-then-build-a-business-using-an-api/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971475 | 691 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Japanese 6 Panel Sumi Ink Painted Screen, 19th. C.
SCREEN. Japanese six panel sumi ink painted on paper screen, now divided into one four panel screen and one two panel screen, the four panel screen with landscapes and a sage, the two panel screen with a bird on a branch and an elder, each panel signed and sealed "Yuga", (a Kano school artist Nemoto Narimasa), 19th century. Each panel measures 22.25" w x 56" t, in good condition. | <urn:uuid:dc4ed091-4ac0-4c7e-b15c-49d24702d1ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/11710390_japanese-6-panel-sumi-ink-painted-screen-19th-c | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957171 | 110 | 1.585938 | 2 |
If you hear an explosion this Friday morning, it's only soil testing.
In preparation for a , the New York State Thruway Authority will carry out a small test detonation on the Rockland shore sometime between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.
"The detonation [will] create a vibration that will measure soil stability in the bed of the river," officials said. The test aims to examine sub-bottom conditions, they added.
The sound will be comprable to "a small firework going off," a Thruway spokesman said, and residents near the shore may hear it.
Traffic will not be affected, but boats will be stopped within a 500-foot buffer zone during the test.
The state has been working in the bridge's shadow for months now, that will be put to use when the new span is constructed.
(See photos of bridge research .)
Noise is an issue South Nyackers have been wary of for a while—Richard Sigglekow, who lives and works near the bridge, the construction and research sounds affect his quality of life and, possibly, his income.
Related: the Thruway Authority's credit outlook was from "stable" to "negative." | <urn:uuid:9a203658-db01-4416-9061-15d8a8d140a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nyack.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/state-to-blast-soil-for-tz-bridge-research | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964464 | 254 | 1.8125 | 2 |
- This article is about the musical genre. For information on the Symphony No. 3 with organ by Camille Saint-Saëns, see Symphony No. 3 (Saint-Saëns).
An organ symphony is a piece for solo pipe organ in various movements. It is a symphonic genre, not so much in musical form (in which it is more similar to the organ sonata or suite), but in imitating orchestral tone color, texture, and symphonic process.
Though the very first organ symphony was written by German composer Wilhelm Valentin Volckmar in 1867, the genre is mainly associated with French romanticism. César Franck wrote what is considered to be the first French organ symphony in his Grand pièce symphonique, and the composers Charles-Marie Widor, who wrote ten organ symphonies, and his pupil Louis Vierne, who wrote six, continued to cultivate the genre. Modern composers such as Jean Guillou have written organ symphonies as well. The genre is considered to have been brought to fruition in the second organ symphony of André Fleury.
See also
|This article about a classical composition is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.| | <urn:uuid:ba2f51d0-1365-40a3-924f-658d7e96d385> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_symphony | 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 | 0.970329 | 265 | 3.09375 | 3 |
March 31, 2010 > Chabot Space & Science Center Launches Climate Lab Website
Chabot Space & Science Center Launches Climate Lab Website
Submitted By Robert Ade
Chabot Space & Science Center announces its launch of an innovative educational website, www.BillsClimateLab.org, featuring Emmy-award-winning science educator Bill Nye the Science Guy. In his unique style, Bill Nye encourages kids and families to take steps to reduce energy consumption and find solutions to a warming planet. "In a world where it's possible to reach the Moon in nine hours and where humans have already sent a probe to Pluto, it's possible to change the world to keep us and our planet healthy," said Nye, who frequently appears on national media outlets speaking about climate change.
Website visitors join Bill Nye on an urgent mission to thwart climate change and discover clean energy opportunities and solutions. Through fun missions and activities, visitors discover surprising facts about their everyday energy use. "In one year, Americans travel the equivalent of more miles than 10 million round trip voyages to the Moon," said Nye. Activities on the site include the Vehicle Challenge to design a clean and efficient truck, train, ship or plane - learning how body shape, materials, engine type and other design decisions affect efficiency.
Or visitors can try the Vampire Hunt, which encourages people to find the energy vampires (i.e. stealth energy consumers) in their homes and learn how to vanquish them. Other challenges for website visitors include: Transit Tracker to track personal and family travel habits, Virtual Garden to learn about the importance of green space in sustainable communities, and Poster Project, urging visitors to join a citizen science project, or start their own.
The website's global audience includes elementary and junior high school students in addition to their parents and teachers. www.BillsClimateLab.org will help children and their families engage in energy saving activities in many areas of their daily lives. The site precedes a permanent exhibition, Bill Nye's Climate Laboratory, at Chabot Space & Science Center, focusing on climate change and actions families can take to reduce their energy consumption. The exhibition opens in late 2010.
"Bill Nye's Climate Lab will get kids excited about science, and show kids and families how their everyday actions can make a big difference for our climate," said Alexander Zwissler, Executive Director/CEO for Chabot Space & Science Center. "Developing good habits now among youth and young families will yield long-term benefits for human health and the planet."
www.BillsClimateLab.org goes live on March 22, 2010. The site was designed and developed by Chabot Space & Science Center in partnership with Proximity Lab, an interaction design studio in Portsmouth, NH, and was funded by the Noyce Foundation.
Chabot Space & Science Center (www.chabotspace.org) is a Smithsonian Affiliate. The Center is located at 10000 Skyline Blvd. just off Highway 13 in the Oakland hills.
For more information about Bill Nye, visit www.billnye.com.
For more information about Proximity Lab, visit www.proximity-lab.com. | <urn:uuid:4e6332f5-d991-4edc-80e1-8926e0b83bf5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tricityvoice.com/articlefiledisplay.php?issue=2010-03-31&file=Chabot+website.txt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924126 | 665 | 2.875 | 3 |
The public discussions about torture by Congress members on TV reached a level devoid of common sense, which inspired this writing. Perhaps we need a president who knows the difference between a boss who “goes by the book,” and one who realizes that some unintended circumstances may arise. John Locke said the purpose of all law is to give justice. Sometimes there may be a violation of a law when the circumstances of the violation may be unforseen. If the violator is pronounced “guilty,” an injustice is put upon the individual.
Letter: Leaders should recognize imperfections, show understanding
To read the full article, please sign up or login.
Get full access to the Columbia Missourian on your computer, phone, and tablet for just $5.95 per month. Or click here for full access for one day for only 99 cents.
* All the high-quality, in-depth journalism of the Columbia Missourian and Vox Magazine, updated 24/7
* Your news. Your device. Your time.
If you'd like to read more about the value of being a member, read this column from the Missourian's executive editor, Tom Warhover. | <urn:uuid:274ed1c2-8b65-4554-8ee2-627402a7725e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.columbiamissourian.com/a/105272/letter-leaders-should-recognize-imperfections-show-understanding/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931415 | 245 | 1.914063 | 2 |
What is Internal Controls?
In file transfer, the term “internal controls” refers to both technology and manual (human-performed) procedures used to mitigate against risk. Examples of typical internal technology include firewalls, secure file transfer software and standalone encryption packages. Examples of manual internal control procedures include background checks, “multiple signer” document approval workflows and training to steer people away from risky behavior (such as “certificate spills“).
See also “cyber liability“. | <urn:uuid:0ba1b6e1-76d7-4b9e-9e23-b1b89d893f29> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.filetransferglossary.com/internal-controls/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912637 | 108 | 2.390625 | 2 |
November 20, 2009
A hole in the roof
The Chicago Fire Department cut a hole in the roof of Bethel Lutheran Church on Chicago's West Side today. It was necessary to put out a fire in the ELCA congregation's sanctuary.
"The fire started near the altar on the right side, in a closet that held wiring for the sound system," said Neil Bullock, president of the congregation's council. Fire damage to the sanctuary included a 100-year-old stained glass window over the altar.
The congregation was in the midst of a major renovation, and had "just put a new roof on one month ago," Bullock said. "Thank God no one was hurt. There was a lot of water damage. We were hoping to get back into the sanctuary for Christmas, and that's not going to happen. But if it hadn't happened in the daytime, the entire building could have been destroyed."
Without that hole in the roof, Bethel could easily have lost the space where, for 100 years, people have worshiped; where members share Bible studies; where grandparents raising grandchildren find support; and where people living in poverty have found a Christ-like embrace. It's a space where Bethel welcomes all, including this month's new member, a man who began coming two years ago. A former convict, he tells folks God saved him through Bethel. Family members now come with him to church.
Long ago, some other folks cut a hole in the roof of a building—a quick, daring route to Jesus who they believed would make their paralyzed friend walk. Jesus not only made him walk; he forgave his sins-the bigger miracle. (Mark 2)
Bethel's been in the news quite a bit in recent days. Last week, unknown vandals pulled some metal off Bethel's building, perhaps seeking thrills or scraps to sell. Who knows? Maybe these vandals, too, can experience a miracle, a hole that opens the roof of their search for significance or survival. Maybe they will someday stand and walk with Bethel Lutheran, where folks tell about Jesus' forgiveness, and even ex-convicts testify that all are welcome. Stranger things have happened. | <urn:uuid:9dff0de5-ab82-4ef4-9040-a1b317807727> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thelutheran.org/blog/index.cfm?person_id=6&blog_id=1351 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976726 | 451 | 1.875 | 2 |
You know that sneaking suspicion you’ve always had that climate change alarmists are all doom fetishists with an unhealthy obsession with apocalyptic scenarios? Well you’re not too far from the mark, it would seem.
Martin Rees, former president of the Royal Society, and author of uber-alarmist global warming book Our Final Century, has teamed up with philosophy professor, Huw Price and Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn to form the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), a think tank devoted to looking at climate change and other ways we could all die. Maybe. Perhaps.
The BBC reports on the think tank and the inspiration behind it:
The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) will study dangers posed by biotechnology, artificial life, nanotechnology and climate change.
The scientists said that to dismiss concerns of a potential robot uprising would be “dangerous”.
Fears that machines may take over have been central to the plot of some of the most popular science fiction films.
It is certainly appropriate that climate change is to be studied under the same roof as robot uprisings and fears about the triffids taking over the planet. Perhaps Bigfoot will also be looked into as well, we’re not sure on that one yet.
But what is certain is that from being a front page news story and worldwide concern, climate change alarmism has slipped ever further down the slope to fringe status, joining crackpot theories like robot uprisings at the outer margins of speculation. How fitting. | <urn:uuid:44d2f578-a0d1-4631-9a7c-cf89c3e640e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hauntingthelibrary.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/climate-change-think-tank-warns-of-robot-uprising/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=33116e43a7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953095 | 326 | 2.296875 | 2 |
As far as we know, the immigrant woman who accused Dominique Strauss-Kahn of rape has not been ignored, harassed, or banished from her community. Nor has she been accused of prostitution or dishonoring her family, as she might be in many parts of the world.
Rather, New York law-enforcement officials have carefully documented and followed up on the hotel housekeeper’s allegations of violent sexual assault. They pursued a massively powerful man onto an airplane and arrested him based on her statement alone, with no witnesses to corroborate her story. A female judge denied bail and the accused was detained, and prosecutors prepared a complaint.
Compared with what happens in much of the world, our legal system’s response, acknowledging that rape is real criminal behavior instead of shaming or blaming the victim or completely dismissing her claims, is revolutionary. I am deeply proud of it.
As a women’s human-rights lawyer who has worked for 20 years with partners in many countries to reform laws on violence against women, I know that women who make claims of sexual assault are, more likely than not, humiliated and disregarded by legal officials in many, if not most, countries.
I returned from a meeting last week in Istanbul, where 33 women and men from 15 countries gathered to assess whether recently enacted laws on violence against women are effective. Some of these heroic advocates have been working for many years just to pass laws with basic protections for victims of violence. Resisting such laws, government leaders frequently do not acknowledge a woman’s right to be free from violence.
This week New York has shown the world that justice systems can work for rape victims.
Recently, the United Nations reported that 102 countries still have no legal provisions addressing domestic violence. While sexual assault may technically be a crime in many countries, laws are weak, and effective prosecution of rapists is rare. Public prosecutors have no responsibility to pursue charges under these laws. At the meeting in Istanbul, Russian women stated that 4,790 cases of rape and attempted rape were reported in 2009, but only 10 percent of rape victims ever report the crime. They know their allegations will not be investigated. Another report described the Turkish legal system’s alarming treatment of victims of violence. In one story, a young woman who had been raped and assaulted by her husband for years was advised by police to reconcile with him after she was hospitalized with a broken arm and skull.
Our legal system in the U.S. is far from perfect in its response to violence against women. Serious problems with laws, policies, and practices persist and can compromise victim safety and offender accountability. Rape remains a vastly unreported crime in the U.S., and there are serious gaps in enforcement of our laws that prohibit it.
But this week New York has shown the world that justice systems can work for rape victims. Our uniquely strong laws, which clearly criminalize sexual assault, were enforced. These laws are decades old and widely supported, and are the result of years of advocacy work by activists and legal officials who believe in a woman’s right to be free from violence. In its swift and certain response, our legal system was a beacon of hope for many throughout the world. Congratulations and thank you, New York. | <urn:uuid:52416d14-5dc7-4bee-bcbd-e6f12248aa5f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/05/19/dominique-strauss-kahns-case-already-a-victory-for-us-legal-system.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974949 | 661 | 2.09375 | 2 |
On Priestly Sanctification
"Nothing More Beautiful Than to Be Conquered by Christ"
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 1, 2005 (Zenit) - Here is the document published by the Congregation for Clergy, for the World Day of Prayer for Sanctification of Priests, to be observed this Friday.
* * *
Eucharist, Priesthood and Ecclesial Communion
1. The Legacy of John Paul II and the Exhortation of Benedict XVI
The church events which we have lived through during the month of April of this Year of the Eucharistic (2005) have been an unrepeatable grace in our Christian and priestly lives. Pope John Paul II has left us a priestly inheritance with his Holy Thursday letter to priests of 14 March 2005, which is a synthesis of his previous documents on priesthood. Pope Benedict XVI has called us to live this Year of the Eucharist rediscovering the friendship of Christ and making it the key of our priestly existence (Discourse to the Parish Priests of Rome, 13 May 2005).
The exhortations of John Paul II and Benedict XVI stand as a prolongation of the invitation of Christ himself "stay in my love … you are my friends" (John 15:9-14). This invitation has a relational sense to live in harmony with the mind of Christ, heart to heart, as St. Paul said: "have the same mind of Christ" (Philippians 2:5).
Our priestly "existence" is called to be: a grateful existence, giving, saving, memorable, consecrated, held out to Christ, Eucharistic at the school of Mary (cf. John Paul II, Holy Thursday Letter 2005).
Thus our priestly existence profoundly related to Christ, is apprehended through the means of an experience of lived faith: "to stand before the Eucharistic Jesus, to profit in a certain sense, from our 'solitudes' to fill up with this Presence, means to give to our consecration all the warmth of the intimacy with Christ, from which our life takes joy and meaning" (Holy Thursday Letter 2005, n. 6).
The secret or the key of priestly life is the passionate love of Christ which brings with it Christ's passionate announcement "its secret lies in the 'passion' which he lives through Christ. Saint Paul says 'for me to live is Christ' (Philippians 1:21)" (Holy Thursday Letter 2005, n. 7).
The priest discovers and lives profoundly his identity when he decides to place nothing before the love of Christ and to make Him the center of his life. We are called to "always return again to the root of our priesthood. This root, as we well know is a single thing, Our Lord Jesus Christ (Benedict XVI, Discourse of 13 May 2005).
This experience of a relationship with Christ means to enter in his friendship, to the point of not being able to exclude Him, never to feel alone, not to doubt his love. "The Lord calls us friends, he makes us his friends, he gives himself to us, he gives himself to us in his body in the Holy Eucharist, he entrusts us to his Church. And thus we must truly be his friends, to have with him only one desire, to want that which He wants and not to want that which He does not want. Jesus himself says: 'you are my friends if you do that which I command' (John 15:14)" (Benedict XVI, Discourse of 13 May 2005).
2. Priesthood and the Holy Eucharist
John Paul II in the encyclical "Ecclesiae de Eucharistia" and the Apostolic Exhortation "Mane Nobiscum Domine" lays out for us certain lines of "Eucharistic spirituality" for all vocations. In re-reading these texts we feel profoundly touched, especially if we have had this experience before the Tabernacle. Christ continues to speak today, from heart to heart.
The words of Eucharistic consecration which mold and transform us are a "formula of life"; through them we are "involved in this spiritual movement" of transformation in Christ (Holy Thursday Letter, n. 1 & 3).
Our Christian and priestly spirituality is relational or of friendship, it is a giving in union with the charity of the Good Shepherd, it is transforming so that it makes us a clear sign of Jesus himself, it is Marian in that it approaches the school of Mary, it is of ecclesial communion, it is ministerial or of service, it is missionary. … It is nearly always an attitude of thanksgiving "Eucharistic," of one who feels loved by the Lord and as a consequence, wants to love all and wants to be loved by all.
In this sense, all of our life is centered on the Eucharist, as the Paschal Mystery, which is announced, celebrated, lived and communicated to the others. Through this "if the Eucharist is the center and summit of the life of the Church, likewise it is the center of priestly ministry ("Ecclesiae de Eucharistia," n. 31).
The consequence of a relational life on our part is very logical, that as all the faithful, we are called to be: "souls enamored of him, ready to wait patiently to hear his voice and, as it were, to sense the beating of his ...
Rate This Article
Leave a Comment
More Featured Today
- Monaco & The Vatican: Monaco's Grace Kelly Exhibit to Rome--A Review of Monegasque-Holy See Diplomatic History
- My Dad
- A Royal Betrayal: Catholic Monaco Liberalizes Abortion
- John Paul II as an Apostle of Mercy
- Embrace every moment as sacred time
- A Recession Antidote
- The Why of Jesus' Death: A Pauline Perspective
- Father Lombardi's Address on Catholic Media
- Pope's Words to Pontifical Latin American College
- Prelate: Genetics Needs a Conscience | <urn:uuid:904f2164-824a-4d07-9fb8-ed30151de771> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catholic.org/featured/headline.php?ID=2220 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954915 | 1,269 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Roanoke Academy for Mathematics and Science
Virginia School Boards Association Best New Elementary School, 2006
Roanoke City Public Schools
The first newly constructed school facility for Roanoke City Public Schools in 30 years, which opened in May 2005, was worth the wait. Combining the latest in technology with supportive environments that inspire students and support teachers was realized through the coordinated effort of designers, administrators, teachers and the greater community. Located in an urban, residential neighborhood on a 27-acre park adjacent to the replacement school that was demolished, the 89,100 SF school accommodates at least 550 students, pre-K -fifth grade, has 30 classrooms and a complete program for the City's REACH program.
- The exterior architecture replicates details found in the homes in the surrounding neighborhood and is arranged to resemble a village.
- The overall building scale reflects the existing one- and two-story homes and integrates seamlessly, from all views and angles, the school's design into the community.
- RAMS is arranged into three major neighborhoods separating the various grade levels.
- Special extended learning areas centrally located in each major neighborhood for team teaching and special projects such as an inflatable planetarium.
- Neighborhood teacher workrooms offer extensive storage and volunteer workspaces.
- The math lab has computers, and a floor to ceiling smart board.
- A secure outdoor classroom, with a 15-foot diameter fish pond and raised planting beds, is accessible through the attached greenhouse in the science lab.
- The school also has an extensive media center with comprehensive library, private librarian office, and outside access to a plaza and a sundial.
- The main entrance takes visitors directly to the administrative suite which has a large lobby, private offices for the principal and assistant principal, a large conference room and extensive casework for storage, secure closets for records, and work areas for the secretary and office volunteers. The adjacent clinic/nurse suite includes an off-clinic toilet and handicap shower.
- To serve the greater community the school has a high school size gym which seats 250 with a separate, secure entrance with lobby and restroom facilities.
- The art studio, computer lab and media center can also be used for evening adult classes. | <urn:uuid:0efd89b6-0985-41bf-8b22-1d76a4c76797> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.spectrumpc.com/index.php?do=portfolio:designs:start&category=1&design=71 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949311 | 458 | 2 | 2 |
“Taking A Faithful Stand”
July 27, 2012
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“Taking A Faithful Stand”
Many of you know our daughter is named Ester, spelled a bit differently than the Bible reference and pronounced Astaire (or as we like to explain, “Astaire as in the dancer/actor Fred Astaire”). We were at Boston Children’s Hospital six years ago where Ester had an operation for a heart pacemaker. We met a Jewish rabbi’s wife who was serving as a volunteer. She inquired about Ester and when she heard us call her by name she informed us that we pronounce her name the way it would be pronounced in Hebrew, which is the language of the Old Testament. (In reality we pronounce her name like the Spanish since she came originally to us at 3 months of age from Guatemala and that is the way they pronounced it.)
Esther is one of two Bible books with a woman’s name, the other being Ruth. Esther lived at the time of the Persians and was providentially given a role in which she could make a significant impact.
The Biblical Esther demonstrates extraordinary faith during a time of great despair and today’s brief text is one of the great expressions of faith in the Bible. Esther was taking a risky stand on a matter and knew that she faced the possibility of dire consequences. We are assuming some familiarity with Esther’s predicament which can be read in Esther 4. With resolution she took a faithful stand and concluded with, “If I perish, I perish.”
All over the world since people began to take a stand for God’s truth they have been paying a price. Sometimes they “perish” in the sense of giving up their life. This happened in the Bible with people like Stephen, James and many others. It certainly has happened all through church history, including our own day, though it is under reported in the record books.
In other cases “perish” may be paying a price such as the confiscation of property, imprisonment, separation from loved ones or the loss of a job.
But we can be confident of ultimate deliverance. Sometimes deliverance results in more time on this earth; other times it’s being ushered into the presence of Almighty God. Because of the work of Christ on our behalf we are assured that though we may perish in this life we will not face the ultimate and dreaded penalty of those who perish for all eternity.
Be encouraged today and take a faithful stand no matter the outcome!
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, help us to keep the eternal perspective ever before us when weighing choices in this temporal life here below. It seems the gap is widening between those who accept the truths of the Bible taught since the beginning of time and those who are increasingly accepting of a secular society that trumps human wisdom over divine wisdom. But You call us to account for our allegiance and our actions. If taking a stand for You on this side of eternity causes us to perish, we are assured that on the other side we will inherit eternal life. Keep us faithful and trusting no matter what comes our way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Yesterday I passed a church with a changeable message sign that announced the message for the coming Sunday titled “Living In Philadelphia”. I was intrigued by the title and since we live relatively near the US city in Pennsylvania I wonder if it might be a report by someone who lived there, perhaps doing mission work. But it got me thinking concerning the original Philadelphia, a city in Asia Minor and one of the seven churches in Revelation. Perhaps the pastor will draw an analogy between this city and our current living conditions. It sure does make me consider that approach with several of the cities and the similarities to our own time.
Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to consider making a donation to Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. | <urn:uuid:9a8d6e19-74ec-456d-88f0-9ebaa4ef10aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dailyencouragement.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/taking-a-faithful-stand/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96363 | 888 | 2.015625 | 2 |
McDonnell Issues Warning About Forest Fires
Governor Bob McDonnell is warning Virginians statewide about an increased risk of forest fires. Craig Carper reports.
Virginia has experienced several rainless weeks with temperatures above 95 degrees, creating the perfect conditions for forest fires.
Governor McDonnell said yesterday that he has been in close contact with the Virginia Department of Forestry. While the agency has not officially issued a burn ban, they are strongly discouraging burning dead foliage and other refuse.
Gregg O’Donnell, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Forestry, told Virginians to use caution when dealing with potentially combustible or flammable materials.
O'Donnell: There’s just so much dry material out there right now, that if you have a fire, it can escape and if it escapes, it can escape very quickly and do a lot of damage because things are so dry. If you’re having problems with your car and you pull over to the side of the road, try to keep it on an asphalt shoulder, try not to pull into tall grass if your vehicle is disabled.
The Drought Index Scale used by the DOF to gauge the likeliness of fire danger ranges from zero to 800, with zero being total ground saturation and 800 being desert-like conditions. The ideal level for summer months is roughly two hundred. Right now the scale is above 500, considerably higher than any time in recent years.
Craig Carper, WCVE News, Capitol Square | <urn:uuid:25886d4c-5eff-40dd-81c1-f2508dfddda7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ideastations.org/radio/archive/2010-07-08-mcdonnell-issues-warning-about-forest-fires | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93031 | 300 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Poland will look to rich EU states if budget vetoed: PM
WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland, the biggest recipient of European Union funds, would seek common ground with countries that pay the most into EU coffers if a long-term budget proposal is vetoed, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday.
EU negotiators remain hopeful of an agreement on the bloc's next budget, despite differences of opinion between Germany, Britain and other major financial contributors.
But if there was no deal, the current EU budget would remain in force provisionally on a monthly basis adjusted for inflation, but long-term projects may be difficult or impossible to finance without special provisions approved by the bloc.
Tusk said a veto at what is expected to be a marathon summit later this month was a possibility, although he warned it should be "the absolute last resort" because some kind of a spending plan must be in place early next year.
"In case of plan B, a coalition with large net contributors will be important to ensure that the provisional budget is also applied to Poland," Tusk said in a speech to parliament.
Tusk said a large budget without "exaggerated cuts" was in the interest of both the entire bloc and Poland because it would boost growth, employment and competitiveness.
"It seems unlikely a common point of view can be achieved in this debate with the British," Tusk said. "Their point of view is not for a strong, developing Europe with a large budget in common with our national interest."
British Prime Minister David Cameron had threatened a veto at the November 22-23 summit unless London's demands to freeze EU spending in real terms are met.
Sweden, Germany and Britain have demanded cuts of 100-200 billion euros to the European Commission's proposed 1 trillion euro total, slightly more than 1 percent of the 27-nation bloc's gross domestic product. By contrast national government spending accounts for between 40 and 56 percent of member states' GDP.
Tusk said his government would approve the EU fiscal pact at its next sitting and would forward it to the parliament to make sure Poland, which remains committed to joining the euro zone, keeps a seat at the table in talks about the bloc's future.
(Reporting by Pawel Sobczak; writing by Chris Borowski; Editing by Catherine Evans)
- Tweet this
- Share this
- Digg this | <urn:uuid:6ae3074c-c53f-4f2d-82a7-2def4495db1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/09/us-poland-eu-idUSBRE8A80Q120121109 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964423 | 485 | 1.515625 | 2 |
"EMI expects that consumers will be able to purchase higher quality DRM-free downloads from a variety of digital music stores within the coming weeks, with each retailer choosing whether to sell downloads in AAC, WMA, MP3 or other unprotected formats of their choice. Music fans will be able to purchase higher quality DRM-free digital music for personal use, and listen to it on a wide range of digital music players and music-enabled phones."
Apple iTunes is the first music store that includes DRM-free songs from EMI, priced at $1.29, compared to $0.99 for the crippled songs. The new songs will have a much better quality (256 Kbps, double from the existing downloads).
Most files downloaded from Apple's music store come with Apple's DRM - called FairPlay. Songs are encoded using FairPlay-encrypted 128 kbit/s AAC streams in an MP4 wrapper and have limitations like:
* number of machines allowed to use purchased music within 24 hours: 5
* only iPod and a small number of Motorola phones can play the files.
In February, Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs, wrote an insightful essay about music and DRM in which he tried to convince music companies that DRM is a bad idea.
Since Apple does not own or control any music itself, it must license the rights to distribute music from others, primarily the "big four" music companies: Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI. These four companies control the distribution of over 70% of the world's music. When Apple approached these companies to license their music to distribute legally over the Internet, they were extremely cautious and required Apple to protect their music from being illegally copied. The solution was to create a DRM system, which envelopes each song purchased from the iTunes store in special and secret software so that it cannot be played on unauthorized devices. (...)
Why would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven't worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy. Though the big four music companies require that all their music sold online be protected with DRMs, these same music companies continue to sell billions of CDs a year which contain completely unprotected music.
Transcript of Apple's press conference | <urn:uuid:7e1dae9b-eb1a-4b11-ab9e-4c237eda6fb2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/04/drm-free-music-from-emi.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94686 | 472 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Q. Should my husband and I stop contributing to a 401(k)?
A. No. You're watching the stock market go down, and suddenly it seems like a bad idea to be stuffing more of your family's retirement savings into it. Stop panicking, experts say. Contributions to a 401(k) are still tax-deferred, meaning that the more pretax dollars you squeeze into the account, the less you pay on April 15 next year. And for many people, retirement is still decades away, giving the market plenty of time to rebound. "There are always factors that negatively affect the stock market," says Constance Stone, a certified financial planner in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. "But research shows that people who stay invested during tough times come out far ahead of people who move their money." And don't be tempted to borrow from your 401(k). It may seem like a quick way to get cash, but if you lose your job, you'll need to pay that money back within 30 to 60 days -- or risk incurring taxes and penalties on it. | <urn:uuid:961860f8-0ad7-42f2-ad9b-79db2fa57986> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.familycircle.com/family-fun/money/expert-money-advice/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970574 | 221 | 1.546875 | 2 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Whitney Gent August 24, 2011 (202) 638-2535, email@example.com
UN Expert: Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S is Cruel and Inhumane
GENEVA, CH - Today, in an official report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, a top UN investigator said that the United States' failure to provide homeless persons access to water and sanitary facilities "could [...] amount to cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment." The report was issued by UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation Catarina de Albuquerque.
"The Rapporteur's report is the latest in a series of condemnations by international experts of the criminalization and mistreatment of homeless persons in the U.S.," said Eric Tars, human rights program director at the National Law Center on Homelessness Poverty (Law Center), which helped facilitate her visit. "Earlier this year, the U.S. committed itself before the Human Rights Council to doing more to protect the rights of homeless persons. Where is the action to follow the words?"
Ms. de Albuquerque visited the U.S. in February and March 2011, and was struck by the "extraordinary lengths" homeless persons had to go to just to remove bodily wastes. During a visit to the Safe Ground tent community near Sacramento, California, she met a man who called himself the community's "sanitation technician." The man, "Tim," engineered a sanitation system consisting of a seat overtop a two-layered plastic bag. Every week, Tim collects bags of human waste, weighing anywhere from 130 to 230 pounds, and hauls them on his bicycle several miles to a public restroom. When a toilet becomes available, he empties the contents of the bags. Following the disposal, he secures the dirty bags in a clean one, which he then places in the garbage, before washing his hands with water and lemon.
He said the job is difficult, but that he does it for the community -- especially the women.
Ms. de Albuquerque's report states: "The United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, must ensure that everyone [has access] to sanitation which is safe, hygienic, secure [...] and which provides privacy and ensures dignity. An immediate, interim solution is to ensure access to restroom facilities in public places, including during the night. The long-term solution to homelessness must be to ensure adequate housing."
In June 2010, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness adopted its first-ever comprehensive plan to end homelessness, including a section promoting constructive alternatives to criminalization. However, the criminalization of homelessness by communities persists, and to date, the Justice Department and other agencies have done little to convey the unconstitutionality of these practices to local policymakers.
"This adds to a growing record of both domestic and international law stating that homeless persons cannot be criminalized for basic life-sustaining acts when the community provides no legal alternative," said Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the Law Center. "But ultimately, we must remedy this situation because we, as Americans, believe that no person deserves to be treated this way."
The Rapporteur's Report is available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/18session/A-HRC-18-33-Add4_en.pdf . It will be officially presented to the Human Rights Council at their session next month.
The National Law Center on Homelessness Poverty's mission is to prevent and end homelessness by serving as the legal arm of the nationwide movement. | <urn:uuid:173f73fb-f717-49dc-98c8-e5292954c9ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.humanrightscity.com/resources/human-rights-in-the-us/un-criticizes-us-criminaliz.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947728 | 760 | 2.171875 | 2 |
In the year since the worst U.S. mining disaster in four decades, the federal mine-safety agency has been engaged in the most extensive enforcement blitz in its history, imposing large fines and shutting down troubled operations. Inspectors for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration have been descending on mines at odd hours, seizing phones so miners underground can’t be alerted and finding, in some cases, accidents waiting to happen.
Despite escalating safety concerns prior to the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster, federal regulators never hit the Massey Energy operation with one of their toughest tools: fines of up to $220,000 each for “flagrant” safety violations, officials confirmed this week.
To address the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan and subsequent crises at the nuclear power plants, this webinar will educate physicians and other health care professionals on medical and public health implications of radiation events from scenarios of individual patient exposure to a population-based exposure.
A former manager at one of California’s two nuclear power stations sued the facility’s operators on Wednesday, claiming he was fired in retaliation for reporting safety concerns at the plant.
Honeywell International pleaded guilty in federal court March 11 to knowingly storing hazardous waste without a permit at its southern Illinois facility, a felony. Toxic uranium byproducts were held in 55-gallon metal drums. Workers said the radioactive, corrosive slurry started eating through the walls of the drums within months. The violations occurred at Honeywell’s uranium conversion plant in Metropolis, Illinois, where the corporation locked out 228 Steelworkers last June. Union members say they blew the whistle repeatedly, alerting regulators to the hazards years before any action was taken.
The patient database of the private health clinic that conducts STD tests for California’s porn industry has been breached, exposing test results and personal details about thousands of current and former porn performers, some of which have been published on a Wikileaks-style website.
California workplace safety officials have fined Larry Flynt’s Hustler Video and another porn producer for not using condoms on set to protect sex performers from exposure to disease.
Timing their pitch to coincide with today’s opening day of the new baseball season, public health officials from 15 cities have called on Major League Baseball and the players’ union to rid the game of smokeless tobacco products.
The situation at the Evergreen Oil refinery, where an explosion Tuesday morning caused a two-alarm fire and injured one employee, has stabilized, and Cal-Osha officials are at the scene to investigate, authorities said.
The gunman shoved Mia Ramos into the restroom of a Blockbuster in McLean. If she did what he said, Ramos recalled the masked man telling her, he would be her “friend for the night.” Then he tied her hands behind her back, turned off the lights and locked her inside. | <urn:uuid:a71648bb-9c15-4094-83a2-921b24eae7cf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://workerhealth.wordpress.com/2011/03/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94993 | 589 | 1.601563 | 2 |
New Visions programs are academically rigorous one year programs for college bound seniors. These programs allow students to earn honors, AP and college credit while working with industry professionals. Many of the New Visions programs are located at sites where students can watch and learn from field practitioners in their work environment. Students who are interested in participating in New Visions programs must have a strong academic record and commitment to the selected career area. Because of their advanced studies, New Visions programs provide students with a competitive edge when applying for college admission.
Students interested in participating in our New Visions programs should apply during their junior year of high school to be enrolled for their senior year. Students contact their high school guidance counselor to begin the application process. This process includes an online application, two letters of recommendation and an interview.
Please click on the links below to learn more about each of our challenging and exciting New Visions programs.
New Visions students receive academic instruction in English, Government and Economics. They are eligible to earn three SUNY credits in English, three Syracuse University credits in Public Policy, and additional college credits depending on their program.
If you have further questions, please contact our Tech Center Admissions office at 914-248-2420. | <urn:uuid:1f47a2d6-bcea-4861-9562-bc6b3b7c2860> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pnwboces.org/techcenter/tech/NewVisions.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961938 | 252 | 1.554688 | 2 |
“Bureaucracy”, “red tapism”, “inefficiency”, “ineffectiveness”, and more derogatory remarks have become the lot of all the government owned corporations, agencies and the civil service in recent years. We watch as public servants such as heads of states, governors, ministers, advisers, commissioners, the few rich as well as our quasi-technocrats and pseudo-administrators drum repeatedly into our ears that government has “nothing to do in business”.
As if under heavy bombardments from an enemy fire power, we were all swayed to a point where all our collective wealth and inheritance suddenly disappeared from our hands into the few hands sermonizing privatization.
But is privatization the answer to our problems? I would like to think otherwise. Why? The reason is obvious. A rising tide lifts up all boats, people often say. First, we have been told that government has no business providing housing estates to public servants. For this reason, for instance, even those living in 1004 estates in Victoria Island, Lagos State were forcibly ejected and the whole estate sold out.
If privatization is such a phenomenon with consistently reliable results, then it should have universal (in our situation, national) applicability. Can we then extend the same logic to the occupants of Aso Rock and various State Houses to pack out so that we can sell these properties since these people are public servants respectively of the country and the states? Or what is good for the goose is no longer good for the gander?
Second, if privatization is good and we have been compelled to accept the privatization of all unity schools, should we not extend this to all the police colleges all over the country as well as military training schools too? After all, government should have no “business” in education and “schools”.
Third, there are innumerable private organizations providing security efficiently to companies, politicians and the few rich. Some of these organizations even provide securities in some urban neighbourhoods and rural areas.
These private security organizations such as Odua Peoples Congress, Bakassi Boys, etc have all been able to curtail armed robbery in their respective zones. Since the police have been viewed as inefficient for one reason or the other and privatization is good, why has the government refused to scrap the police and allow these private organizations to thrive?
Fourth, we can extend the same argument to the military. We have at present an idle military since we are not fighting a war nor are we intending to overrun any of our smaller neighbouring countries in the near future. Why then can’t government disengage the services of the entire military and consider them as reserves pending such a time when we shall need them?
By so doing, government can engage mercenaries or treat our reserves as such whenever the need arises.
Fifth, vehicles which are for the movement of public officials have been withdrawn and monetized. Why have we not extended this to the nine presidential air crafts and dispose them off so that the presidency can enjoy commercial flights like Mr. Tony Blair and his family flew American Airways from Landon to Washington D.C late last year?
Sixth, since monetization is best for the civil servants, why was the presidency still interested in pension and gratuity for Mr. President through the presentation of a separate bill to the National Assembly to that effect recently? Should it not have been better to privatize the works in the presidency to minimize waste and cost?
The truth is that the privatization concept has been illegally and mischievously used by those in government and the few rich to sway us into new economic slavery. The same federal government had started the privatization scheme long before COJA and CHOGUM events were held. But the same federal government used our collective wealth to build stadia, games village, bought imported cars, etc ahead of these wasteful games and meetings.
But within two weeks after the completion of these two international events, the government’s call to sell all these new properties rented the air. They have been disposed off accordingly. Since privatization was meant to drive the economy, why were the private businessmen (not gender sensitive) and bureaucrats not invited to build the stadia, game villages, etc rather than spending public funds?
Privatization efforts so far have focused on promising government parastatals and agencies that had all along been under-funded to create the expected inefficiency syndrome in the system. There are so many ceremonial airports in Nigeria today. No one is thinking of privatizing them.
As we more towards the April 2007 general elections, Nigerians must wake up from their deep slumbers and use the opportunity provided to chase out liars and looters of the treasury, and new slave merchants parading themselves as leaders of the people. These individuals are scattered and present in almost all the political parties seeking elections and re-elections as president, governors, etc. I want to use this medium to urge people to VOTE WISELY.
At the end of the day, we should be able to reconcile accounts with the looters, recover our collective inheritance from the property merchants, rehabilitates all abandoned and under-funded public institutions and infrastructures, and finally start massive reconstruction of housing units, utility schemes, schools, industries, roads, rails, etc.
The present levels of destructions are indescribable, and only visionary leadership can make any meaningful change. Why do I mention visionary leadership? I like to use the current Iraq war to illustrate. In far away America, if the late Mr. Ford were to be the current American President, there would not have been an Iraqi war.
According to him, he would not “go to war”. Consequently, the approximately 60,000 lives lost since the beginning of hostilities would have been saved. Similarly, the well over $400 billion already expended and another $100 billion request would have either been saved or used to meet human needs. The late Mr. Ford was a Republican like Mr. George W. Bush, the current head of state. Therefore, our voting should not be party related but candidate based.
NGEX welcomes and encourages reader comments. Permission to post reader comments is assumed, and we reserve the right to excerpt or edit for clarity any comments that are posted. We won't be able to publish all comments. And we can't vouch for the accuracy of posts from readers. Nickname or Name will be used to identify your post.
"The views and opinions expressed in these comment(s) or article(s) do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of NGEX, its partners or its affiliates." | <urn:uuid:8b1a757d-594d-42ca-ad74-d031a5bde8b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ngex.com/news/public/article.php?ArticleID=378 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968366 | 1,362 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Observation Report 15.07.12
After a week of rain and cloud that saw me purchasing a star lamp and sticking glow in the dark stars on my ceiling
, it finally cleared today and revealed a crystal clear sky. The Milky Way was a faint line of mist curving across the heavens and the faintest of stars twinkled and shone.
I found a patch of ground that wasn't muddy and set up for the night, fully intending on finding my first galaxy. My target was M104 and I had been researching most of the late afternoon, trying to find out as much information as I could to make it as easy as possible to find. I remembered that my friend had given me a copy of the Sky Atlas star maps and decided to highlight the brighter, more familiar stars to help me find my target. When I first looked at the maps, I was overwhelmed. They were so unbelievably detailed that familiar objects just seemed to fade into the rest of the map.
After studying and highlighting them, they started to make more sense and I knew that I would need something detailed if I wanted to find my galaxies.
I set up and got to work on locating the brighter star, Algorab and its close neighbour eta corvus. Once I did that, I continued east and got a bit bamboozled. I think I went too far so I retraced my steps and tried again. I got out the binoculars too and checked the view and then compared it to the star maps and also the print outs from Stellarium I had printed in the afternoon. I found the familiar asterisms that make it easy to find M104, found the 'Jaw's asterism and followed the three stars in a line and checked the eyepiece. I was so shocked, I had actually found it!
As soon as I saw the 'Jaws' asterism, I knew I was in the right place and started getting excited. But to actually see it was another thing all together.
It appeared just like any other star in the 25mm eyepiece, except a definite hazy area ran through it like a line of smoke, with the 'star' seemingly bulging from its centre. I put in the 10mm eyepiece but it was rubbish. I could barely make out anything, the eyepiece isn't very good when it comes to galaxies it seems. It seems alright for brighter objects like planets and open clusters but I found the views far more impressive through the 25mm eyepiece.
I kept looking at it for quite some time and wasn't prepared to give it up, afraid I wouldn't be able to find it again. I even called my Mum (who was upstairs) and told her to come down and have a look
. She couldn't see it because she wears glasses and found it hard to make out through the eyepiece. But I showed her Saturn and Omega Centauri and she was impressed! My Dad even came down later on for a peak at Saturn, Omega Centauri, M6 and the Lagoon Nebula. I showed him the Alpha Centauri binary but he couldn't split them.
Once I was by myself again, I decided I just had to find Centaurus A. I had tried before, a few times, even deluding myself into thinking I could see it when the Moon was high in the sky
but it had eluded me and I was getting frustrated. I knew where it should be but every time I looked, I just couldn't see it
. The fact that I had read that it was visible in binoculars, was what finally got me my second galaxy. I knew it was beneath the triangle of stars (psi, upsilon and mu centaurii) but so far I hadn't managed to match any stars beneath it with maps to better guide me. I grabbed my binoculars and got the triangle into view before moving downwards.
Following mu centaurii downward, I came to a small group of stars which I like to call "the square" before a smudge with a dark band jumped out at me. In my head I was chanting "I think that's it, it has to be it!". I aimed the telescope toward the triangle and centred mu centaurii before moving downward. I located "the square" and continued on until a smudge appeared. I took in a deep breath and looked in the eyepiece. There it was! Centaurus A, my beloved NGC5128, I had finally found it!
An object that had eluded my friend and I in my first months of observing and I had found it. I was more than proud. I think I even did a little bit of a dance in my silly cow patch gum boots and giggled heartily.
In the 25mm eyepiece, it was a faint and fuzzy blob, with a definite dark lane crossing through it, from top to bottom. I just couldn't believe my eyes that I had to look again and again and assure myself I was actually looking at my second galaxy of the night. My first ever galaxies found all by myself, with no one to help me (except of course for the amazing help from my astro buddies who pointed me in the right direction
) and just myself to talk to.
This was definitely the highlight of the night.
After finding two galaxies, I wasn't sure where to go to next. I tried for NGC5102, as my star maps had it very close to iota centaurii but alas, I could not find it. Looking on stellarium now, I think I may have a better chance next time. I also tried for NGC5121 which is close by but didn't have any luck there either. By the time I started looking for NGC3918, it had dipped just below the tree line so it will be an object for another night. I know where it is now, it's just a matter of tracking it down before it gets too low in the sky!
I decided to try for M22 in Sagittarius, knowing I had found it before awhile ago. Of course, I always have difficulties with figuring out the shape of "The Teapot" because it really has to be the most ridiculous teapot shape I've ever seen
. After scrutinising the sky, I finally had it figured and pointed the scope toward Kaus Borealis and tada, there she was! M22, brilliant and bright, it shone and twinkled like ice crystals in the sky. What a beauty!
I then looked for NGC6231 in Scorpius. Through the viewfinder, it was absolutely incredible! A long line of stars on either side of a dark lane, the colours of the stars bringing this cluster to life. I remember seeing this cluster through binoculars and was absolutely blown away!
I briefly tried for NGC4945 but had no luck here either. I was getting tired by this point, my toes were going numb and my back and shoulder were protesting something fierce
. So I called it a night and packed up.
A very fruitful observing session if I do say so myself. I went out hoping to find just one galaxy and ended up finding two! Not too shabby for a night's work! | <urn:uuid:48fbc87b-cbdc-4647-9f87-edaf5c9a5873> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?s=295309ea8f404cb09231cf83c022697c&p=874778 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98782 | 1,499 | 1.679688 | 2 |
What each stakeholder needs to know about REMS in today's fast-paced climate.
Heather Morel, MBA
Three years ago, Congress passed the FDA Amendments Act, which empowered the FDA to require Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for new and existing products. The number of REMS required for products has steadily grown since the first programs were introduced in 2008.
Nearly 90% of these REMS have required a health professional communication plan and patient medication guide. For products with more serious safety concerns, the FDA requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to administer REMS with Elements to Assure Safe Use (ETASUs). These elements require manufacturers to institute post-market safety prescriber or patient registries, controlled distribution, and other tools.
While all REMS have the potential to improve safety, programs with ETASUs are most likely to have unintended consequences on health care stakeholders, including reduced access or increased burden. In the specialty market segment, REMS with ETASU have the highest prevalence compared with the rest of the market.
REMS’ Impact on Stakeholders Increasing
With more medication guides, communication plans, and REMS with ETASU, stakeholders—including physicians, pharmacists, specialty pharmacies, and distributors—have all had to alter their work flow and engage in activities supporting REMS on patients’ behalf. As the number of these programs increases, the need to indentify strategies for REMS’ success that enable patient access and minimize unnecessary disruption to business and clinical practice is intensified. The FDA explicitly states that it seeks to avoid what they term “unintended consequences” of REMS programs, including reduced access and increased burden to the health care system.
Nevertheless, the FDA can only advise on submitted REMS programs and is not directly involved in the program design details. The biotech and pharmaceutical company sponsors must design and prepare for the execution of their REMS, while hopefully minimizing the impact on stakeholders. Also, the FDA does not usually have any direct regulatory interaction over many of the stakeholders of REMS (eg, pharmacies) that are directly affected by REMS programs. REMS require many stakeholders to work together to increase the safe use of products and reduce the potential for adverse events.
The patient can have a variety of responsibilities, depending on the extent of the ETASU. At minimum, a patient medication guide is typically presented to the patient for review. Also, under ETASU, patients can be required to undergo training, testing or complete follow-up clinical counseling calls while on therapy.
Physicians and Other Health Care Providers
Physicians and other health care providers have a responsibility to understand the REMS requirements and engage with their patients to comply with them before initiating, and while maintaining, patients on therapy. The responsibilities that a physician has for REMS can vary greatly for each product. They can be as minimal as the distribution of a medication guide when the product is administered in the office, or as involved as completing a training course and providing baseline and ongoing follow-up status to the REMS program administrator on each patient on therapy.
Retail and Specialty Pharmacies
Pharmacies and pharmacists also play important roles in the administration and management of REMS programs. Most REMS require that a medication guide be given to patients, and often this responsibility is on the dispensing pharmacist. In REMS with ETASU, often the design of the program calls for limiting access of the product to a more narrow set of dispensing pharmacies that will agree to comply with the REMS program requirements.
These dispensing pharmacies may, in some of the most restrictive REMS, undergo special education and training and be required to ensure that each dispensed prescription is written by a registered prescriber and is being given to a registered patient. These more comprehensive programs are attempting to use the point of dispense as the final checkpoint to ensure that only those patients who qualify are given the product.
Specialty distributors and wholesale distributors also may have controls that they are responsible to administer in REMS programs. As part of becoming a certified distributor of REMS with ETASUs, distributors may need to ensure that product is only distributed to locations that are enrolled and registered in the REMS program. Also, distributors may be required to provide data to pharmaceutical manufacturers to complete their required data sets, which must be delivered to the FDA to stay in compliance with the agreed requirements of their REMS.
REMS Program Administrators
Most pharmaceutical manufacturers contract with a REMS Program Administrator to provide centralized regulatory- compliant services for the collection and maintenance of all data elements, which must be reported back to the FDA resulting from the agreed upon REMS. Services include designing and maintaining the registries of prescribers, pharmacies, distributors, and patients required by ETASUs.
Often there are also call center support services to help address the questions and needs of stakeholders impacted by the REMS. These Program Administrators are also involved in the strategy, development and implementation of surveys and assessments provided to the FDA to determine if patients are receiving and understanding the content of the medication guides. Periodically, REMS Program Administrators provide data reports back to manufacturers from validated databases and deliver data sets to the pharma manufacturers, who then reports results back to the FDA.
Responsibilities of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturer
The pharmaceutical manufacturer is responsible for designing the REMS program to meet the safety objectives for their product. They must ensure compliance with the REMS program, which means that a Program Administrator must be identified and periodic reports of data must be made to the FDA on progress against the objectives of the REMS. The manufacturer must also track and collect adverse events and report them to the FDA.
Manufacturers must also work to ensure that access is supported for their products beyond REMS. Often this includes reimbursement patient assistance programs (PAPS), patient support services for therapy initiation, and support adherence and persistence to therapy. These services are often contracted to support services call center hubs and can be synergistic to the Program Administration services provided as part of a REMS.
Many stakeholders must align and remain accountable to the delivery of safer product use in the market. REMS require more of each stakeholder group and can force changes in processes, work flow and data collection, and reporting. Ultimately, it requires a careful balance to limit reduction in access with mitigating risks.
About the Author
Ms. Morel is Vice President and General Manager of Reimbursement & Access Services for McKesson Specialty Care Solutions in Scottsdale, Arizona. Morel leads the development and execution of reimbursement strategies and support services, patient assistance programs, risk evaluation and mitigation strategies programs, and other patient- and physician-focused initiatives. She is a nationally recognized expert in health care reimbursement and marketing. With this “Focus on REMS,” Morel joins Specialty Pharmacy Times as the regular REMS columnist and a member of the Editorial Board. | <urn:uuid:68380ede-52d6-4343-a7ef-f107c2400bac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/Risk-Evaluation-and-Mitigation-Strategies-in-the-Specialty-BioPharma-Market | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941679 | 1,412 | 2.109375 | 2 |
Front Page Quotations Other Quotes Week of 9 May, 2005
About this Quotation:
It was with some excitement that we put online the complete works of John Stuart Mill - all 33 volumes published under the editorship of John Robson for the University of Toronto Press edition. It was a mammoth undertaking which took some decades to complete. What was particularly exciting for us was to be able to use the OLL’s powerful search engine to search for key words and phrases across the whole 32 volumes (the 33rd volume, the index, is online only as a PDF and it not searchable). This quotation is just the first of many from this admirable collection.
Other quotes from this week:
Other quotes about Women's Rights:
9 May, 2005
Read the full quote in context here.
John Suart Mill, the great 19th century English classical liberal, began his book on The Subjection of Women with the following unequivocal statement:
The full passage from which this quotation was taken can be be viewed below (front page quote in bold):
[More works by John Stuart Mill (1806 – 1873)] | <urn:uuid:28869175-51ca-4837-9ac1-eea30c04d45f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oll1s.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=full_quote.php%3Fquote=53&Itemid=275 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957371 | 234 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Nonfood merchandisers are confronting a stream of changing lifestyles as it pertains to health-wellness and the environment. The nonfood category excellence winners profiled on the following pages are at the forefront of these changes as they invest in new product innovations that will help tomorrow's shoppers better maintain their health and protect the environment. Suppliers are more than ever focused on getting it right in the aisle or at the counter as they bring new products and services to market. That means better retail education, information and data analysis.
Light Bulbs Winner: GE Lighting
* CONSUMER INSIGHTS: Develops products and merchandising based on consumers' lighting needs.
* CATEGORY MANAGEMENT: Pulls from multiple data sources to customize planograms at the store level.
* PRODUCT INNOVATION: Improves on CFL light quality.
GE CONSUMER AND Industrial, named an Energy Star Partner of the Year for six years running by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, carries clout with food retailers about to convert their planograms to new energy-efficient products by 2012.
That's when consumer demand for traditional incandescent light bulbs will begin to fade as the 100-watt bulb will be phased out under the new energy law, followed by the 75-watt bulb a year later and then 40- and 60-watt bulbs in 2014.
One retailer said, “We couldn't make the category without GE's leadership and vision of the category beyond 2012.”
Francois LeBrasseur, manager of channel development for GE's C&I unit, based in Louisville, Ky., told SN the transition to energy-efficient products is a moving target for retailers. “A lot of work is going into preparing our retailer partners in what is going to be a world post legislation,” he said, adding that the world will be dominated by compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
GE's work consists of consumer research, advances in lighting technology and making sense of new light bulb options for consumers at the point of sale and on the packaging.
It starts with consumer research, said LeBrasseur. GE has found consumers are interested in saving money as well as saving the environment, but they also want comfortable, quality light in their homes. The company is merchandising two light bulb lines — Energy Smart and Reveal — to satisfy those needs.
Last year GE produced 271 Energy Star-qualifying lighting models. The majority, 99.3%, of the 2008 compact CFLs were Energy Star qualified. The company has made the CFL look more like a traditional light bulb by putting the GE Spiral CFL inside the glass bulb.
Consumers have resisted CFLs because of their high price and harsh light. GE is working to improve upon the color tones that CFL light produces and has just introduced a CFL with variants in light intensity under the Reveal brand.
“GE owns the light bulb category and they are the innovator,” said Paul Weitzel, managing partner, Willard Bishop. “They provide strong category leadership and help retailers build an efficient light bulb set.”
A nonfood director of a California chain said GE has “developed additional options in CFL bulbs, and they have presented several options in CFLs to prepare us for the new legislation.”
OTC Medications Winner: McNeil Consumer Healthcare/McNeil-PPC (Johnson & Johnson)
* STRENGTH OF BRAND: Portfolio extends across multiple OTC categories.
* TYING INTO CONSUMER TRENDS: Delivers products that meet specific health needs.
* MARKETING/PROMOTIONS: Heavily invests in brand support.
RETAILERS POINT to McNeil's broad-based portfolio of OTC brands and the team's depth of expertise in helping them better position their stores as health and wellness providers.
Scott Preston, general merchandise business director, United Supermarkets, Lubbock, Texas, said McNeil is focused on SKU rationalization and key category item “growth drivers.” In his opinion, the company demonstrates leadership in seasonal sales opportunities. McNeil is No. 1 in the allergy, cough, cold and sinus category with brands such as Sudafed, Benadryl, Actifed and Zyrtec, which was successfully switched over the counter last year. McNeil holds a 20.5% market share in the seasonal category, according to Kalorama Information, a market research group.
Besides the respiratory category, McNeil holds the No. 2 position — capturing 19.5% market share — in anti-infectives and the No. 3 position — capturing 7.3% market share — in analgesics.
“McNeil's biggest strength is their brand breathe. They are able to get a seat at the table with any retailer on almost any category because their portfolio is so broad and they are also strong in every category. Their biggest brand is Tylenol, which stretches across not just analgesics but cough, cold, allergy, sinus,” said Ted Taft, managing partner, Meridian Consulting Group.
Preston added, “McNeil has a clear understanding of consumer trends and how to capitalize on innovative promotions and packaging with value offerings.”
This was demonstrated with the Zyrtec launch. The company leveraged its relationships with the health care community to spread the word that Zyrtec would be available without prescription. They worked with pharmacy benefit managers, national retailers and employers before the launch to educate and inform them about the switch. Millions of Zyrtec prescription users received switch information and a coupon from their health plan and employer. To further capture market share, the company also introduced Zyrtec D, containing a decongestant for those allergy sufferers already using other OTC brands.
This year, the company, based in Fort Washington, Pa., expanded the Zyrtec line with children's Perfect Measure, pre-measured spoons of medication, and Easy Eye Drops. The company also launched AllergyCast, an iPhone application that allows allergy suffers to get the latest allergy and weather information.
Vitamins Winner: Pharmavite
* CATEGORY EDUCATION: Informs consumers and retailers on product and category benefits.
* CATEGORY MANAGEMENT: Applies customized retail analysis.
* STRENGTH OF BRAND: Leading vitamin brand; diversification into nutritional snacks.
EDUCATION is the engine that powers the vitamin category.
That's what chains such as Wegmans, Safeway, Meijer, Harris Teeter and Bi-Lo are learning in their supply relations with Pharmavite, the Northridge, Calif.-based manufacturer of Nature Made vitamins, minerals, herbs and other dietary supplements.
Pharmavite, Northridge, Calif., is currently running a pilot program at a select number of these chains' stores to test the impact of shopper education on category purchasing. In partnership with LearnSomething, a provider of elearning solutions, Pharmavite has placed interactive digital signage in aisles and at store endcaps, to inform shoppers on topics such as bone and joint health, heart health, women's health, mood and stress relief, and prostate protection.
Under the same partnership, Pharmavite introduced a consumer-centric education program that links to retailers' websites. At Kroger.com, for example, consumers can go to the Healthy Living tab and click on “choose the right vitamin” to learn about mood and stress as well as a variety of information on health and wellness topics.
Pharmavite takes its education platforms from consumer to in-aisle POS to the pharmacy where pharmacists can learn about dietary supplements and contraindications or drug interactions. They can earn continuing education credits through Pharmavite's Vitamin and Herb University, awarded through the University of Georgia. The newest pharmacy tools are Wellness Wheel and Health States Database. Wellness Wheel provides shoppers with customized information on healthy lifestyle regimens and disease prevention. Health States Database focuses on specific health states and provides suggestions for supplement recommendations as well as supplements to use with caution and/or avoid with certain health concerns or medical conditions.
“They have played an integral part in providing education for our new category managers to assist them in overseeing the vitamin category,” said a director of nonfoods for a California chain.
Research indicates 83% of shoppers' vitamin-purchase decisions are made at home. So it becomes critical for supermarkets to establish a strong category presence in order to capture purchases.
Pharmavite assists retailers to best position their category by approaching each category review or ad hoc analytical request as a customized analytical project. The advantage is to identify new, unique business opportunities and/or threats in each category review.
“They offered a very comprehensive evaluation of the vitamin category and gave concrete recommendations to assist us in growing the category. They have been very supportive in this highly promotional category,” said the nonfood director.
The manufacturer uses shopper insight research to stay ahead of product trends and build the category. Nature Made came out with a liquid softgel line for easy swallowing. Last year the company crossed over to nutritional snacks with SoyJoy, an all-natural, nutrient-rich food baked with whole soy and real fruit.
Pharmavite claims having the No. 1 national brand in the vitamin category in the grocery channel. The brand has grown at a 13% rate over the latest 26 weeks ending Sept. 5, vs. the remaining vitamin category that has grown at a 7.8% clip, according to ACNielsen data.
Company to Watch
NBTY: With sales of $2.2 billion, the manufacturer, based in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., is uniquely structured to drive category growth and market share by being a highly diversified, multichannel distributor. Distribution channels are wholesale/U.S. nutrition, North American retail (Vitamin World and Nutrition Warehouse stores in the U.S.), European retail and direct response/e-commerce channels. The advantage is speed to market of new products. NBTY supplies Wal-Mart Stores, which accounted for 12% of the company's consolidated net sales last fiscal year, Kroger, Supervalu and Publix, among others. The company has grown through acquisitions over the years. Last year NBTY acquired Leiner Health Products, a private-label dietary supplement manufacturer. About 35% of wholesale division sales represent private label. The manufacturer sells Nature's Bounty, Sundown, Rexall Naturals and, in sports nutrition, MET-Rx in bars and shakes. The company claims to have the No. 1 selling brand, Osteo Bi-Flex, in joint care. Targeted products and brands are marketed through each distribution channel in a wide range of price points.
Pharmacy Winner: McKesson
* IT SOLUTIONS: Applies advanced technology to automate pharmacy operation.
* EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION: Leads the industry in order-rate accuracy and service levels.
* SKILLED TEAM OF EXECUTIVES: Develops customized solutions with dedicated account managers.
FOR GROCERY CHAINS like Safeway, Giant Eagle and Brookshire Grocery Co., McKesson offers not only efficient prescription drug distribution but a full menu of IT solutions designed to reduce pharmacy operational costs and provide better patient service.
“We are all collaborating to achieve a common objective, care that is patient centered, economically sustainable, high quality, safe, efficient and connected,” said John Hammergren, chairman, president and chief executive officer of San Francisco-based McKesson, during the company's first-quarter conference call this year.
One solution that combines McKesson's distribution and inventory management expertise with its pharmacy automation leadership is Central Fill. This combination has allowed McKesson to successfully partner with numerous retail customers, including Wegmans and Giant Eagle, to provide an end-to-end central fill solution to aggregate prescriptions from multiple locations and funnel them to a centrally located prescription fulfillment center. Central Fill can help a supermarket pharmacy save as much as 25% in labor costs per prescription while improving utilization of resources and inventory optimization, the company said.
This year McKesson deployed the next-generation pharmacy management solution — EnterpriseRx — to all U.S.-based Safeway pharmacies. The software enables chains to benefit from the centralization of pharmacy operations and helps supermarket retailers compete more effectively.
EnterpriseRx provides users with more control over the entire prescription-filling process. It allows users to access real-time information from any location to better manage pharmacy workload, reporting and inventory throughout their pharmacy operations.
“We use the system across all of our pharmacies and it affords us real-time access to our data, and we've successfully adopted the workflow functionality of EnterpriseRx,” said Jim Cousineau, vice president of pharmacy operations, Brookshire Grocery Co., Tyler, Texas. “As early adopters of EnterpriseRx, our pharmacies are equipped to compete in tomorrow's pharmacy industry.”
McKesson's approach to account management from a customer-service perspective is focused on providing a “one-call” solution. “We don't think the customer should have to manage a long list of contacts to get the answers they need, so we provide supermarket retailers with a single point of contact,” said Jack Fragie, executive vice president of retail national accounts, McKesson U.S. Pharmaceutical.
He noted the company has “strategic account management leads” who work with customers to develop proactive, customized solutions for both short-term and long-term success.
McKesson's ongoing investment in operational excellence, use of Six Sigma methodology and attention to detail means that supermarket retailers get the right product delivered at the right time and at the right price. McKesson leads the industry with order accuracy rates of 99.96% and service levels of 98.5%.
For Doug Kaleugher, CEO of Med-Fast — which operates 20 pharmacies, some in Supervalu stores, in western Pennsylvania — McKesson has been an invaluable supply partner for the last 10 years.
“They do a great job. Their stock levels are phenomenal. They're extremely efficient and their deliveries are always on time, and I've been with other wholesalers. They are the best I've worked with.”
Skin Care Winner: Procter & Gamble
* PRODUCT INNOVATION: Numerous new item launches each year.
* STRENGTH OF BRAND: Olay brand deployed through boutique lines.
* TYING INTO CONSUMER TRENDS: Builds tiers of value and benefits to satisfy various shopper segments.
THE NUMBERS tell the story.
In the anti-aging skin care segment, Procter & Gamble's Olay brand is the leader with a 47% share of dollars spent in food stores, according to Information Resources Inc. figures for the year ending July 12, 2009.
As the numbers demonstrate, food retailers are benefiting in new sales and category growth when P&G applies product innovation.
Of the boat load of new Olay product launches during the year, Tom Vierhile, director of product launch analytics, Datamonitor, Canandaigua, N.Y., pointed to Olay Regenerist DNA Superstructure UV Cream SPF 25, “which attempts to elevate the brand above the pack by promising protection to DNA and from UV rays, a relatively novel claim.”
Under the same line, Cincinnati-based P&G introduced an anti-aging eye roller daily treatment to reduce puffiness and diminish fine lines. In a co-branding move that crossed over into cosmetics, P&G combined Olay Regenerist Serum with new Cover Girl Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush.
Other noteworthy Olay launches were Definity Color Recapture, formulated to give skin a youthful appearance, and the super-premium-priced Pro-X line, a professional line with retails starting at $42 and up.
This is how P&G pushes the envelop in growing categories both vertically in value tiers and horizontally to adjacent segments.
P&G Chairman A.G. Lafley explained it in the company's fourth-quarter earnings call: “In virtually all of our industries, there are three or four value-price tiers. That's what we call the vertical portfolio, and there are three or four benefit segments. In a 4-by-4 matrix you've got 16 different consumer segments. They're all buying what they think is the best value. Women buying Olay Pro-X thinks she's buying the best value for her, and the women buying the most basic complete moisturizer that we sell at $5 to $10 thinks she's buying the best value for her.”
P&G's top executives noted that Olay Pro X has drawn department store consumers, who bought high-priced anti-aging creams, into mass market doors, including large supermarkets chains who are selling the lines.
“They have helped us become very successful in developing a line of products designed to attract a high-end consumer who may be otherwise shopping at department stores, especially for anti-aging products,” said the director of nonfoods for a California chain. “Their Olay anti-aging line has been very successful for us.”
James Tenser, principal, VSN Strategies, a Tucson, Ariz.-based marketing consultancy, said, “P&G's Olay brand continues to lead in skin care by balancing performance and value. The breadth of assortment is impressive, yet the brand's positioning remains clear.”
The challenge for P&G in working with food retailers is to manage the new innovations. “We continually meet with customers to gain input to upcoming innovation as well as complete annual joint business plans,” the company said in a written statement. P&G also conducts market research and shares its deep understanding of consumers and influencers with retailer partners. | <urn:uuid:914cd1d2-e0c9-46f5-8ca3-eaa8eff66525> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://supermarketnews.com/nonfood/nonfood-2009-category-excellence-award-winners | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935806 | 3,750 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The Government of the Northwest Territories is partnered with the Government of Canada in its delivery of programs for the agriculture sector. Under the banner, "Growing Forward" it is delivering programs that are simple, more effective and tailored to the needs of the NWT's agricultural community.
Growing Forward puts emphasis on building a profitable sector through its three strategic outcomes:
In addition, Growing Forward provides:
Read Growing Forward’s 2011 Annual Report here.
For more information, download a Growing Forward brochure here.
Download a Growing Forward application form here.
Download the Northern Lights Gardening Manual here.
The Canada/Northwest Territories Growing Forward Bi-Lateral Agreement, signed in July 2009, sets out the following programs to be provided to producers in the Northwest Territories:
Small Scale Foods Program:
The aim of the Small Scale Foods Program is to establish market gardens in 25 communities across the NWT. Once established, community garden programs will be augmented with training, upgraded equipment and ongoing support to maximize efficiencies and yields.
Northern Agri-Foods Program:
The Northern Agri-Foods Program aims to work with producers in the establishment, expansion and development of land based initiatives. The Program also targets existing commercial greenhouse operators with funding aimed at increasing yields and efficiencies. In addition, the Program will examine the potential feasibility of non-timber forest initiatives such as birch syrup production. Finally, the Program will provide support for workshops and seminars aimed at increasing the agriculture and agri-foods knowledge base in the NWT.
Commercial Harvest Program:
The Commercial Harvest Program continues with work that has been carried out for a number of years involving harvests for commercial markets. The Program is designed to assist NWT First Nations, communities, organizations and governments to implement and conduct commercial harvests for plants, berries, caribou, muskox and other wild species, as shown to be feasible.
Traditional Harvest Program:
The Traditional Harvest Program is designed to assist Northwest Territories Community/Regional Wildlife Organizations in the local harvest of plants, berries, caribou, muskox and other wild species, as shown to be feasible. The Program consists of three components:
Intersettlement Trade Program:
The Intersettlement Trade Program provides assistance to ship food products from the point of harvest/production to markets in the NWT, but does not apply to export sales.
Agriculture in the Environment:
The Agriculture in the Environment Program will:
Bison Management Strategy:
The Bison Management Strategy will provide support for research in the control and reduction of transmissible diseases in bison. The Strategy will be implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
To learn more, contact your regional ITI office. | <urn:uuid:1e3e0c34-0258-47a2-8c02-e8846290dc0c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/fursagriculturefisheries/growingforward.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913888 | 564 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Below are two responses to the Kony2012 campaign. The first is from a member of staff, and the second is from one of our first year undergraduate students. Let us know what you think.
Oversimplification (Eddie Tembo)
I was first asked about the Kony2012 campaign during a seminar on Human Rights and Intervention. I confess: I did not know what my students were talking about. But I did go and check it out. I have a number of reservations about inferences made in the video, some of which have also appeared in the press.
Let’s be clear: the campaign is a marketing ploy. Therefore, it is unsurprising to find some factual inaccuracies. For example, when the video refers to a total of 30,000 child soldiers, it is not overly clear that it is referring to an estimated 30,000 child soldiers over the past quarter century. The current number of soldiers (children and adults) is actually approximately 400. Also, while the campaign implies that the LRA is primarily based in Uganda, it actually appears to be operating in neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. The video seemingly misses these points.
An additional issue concerns the presence of U.S. military advisors in Uganda. Deployed last year, there is no threat to the presence of U.S. military advisors in Uganda. President Obama has had nothing but support for their presence. But I am a little confused as to why the video is focusing primarily on U.S. officials as opposed to the African Union (AU), or other heads of African states. The AU has much more sway in the region than the U.S. Furthermore, the transnational nature of the LRA (i.e. the fact they operate in multiple countries) means that an AU or UN force would be more appropriate for a pursuit that may end up crossing multiple borders.
I also have serious reservations regarding the charity, Invisible Children, which is running the campaign. Charity Navigator - an independent evaluator of U.S. charities – has not given Invisible Children a very good rating in a number of areas. This is particularly worrisome as they rate badly in areas related to accountability and transparency.
Last but not least, a sense of proportion is needed. The U.S. cannot intervene everywhere and at the same time. Priorities need to be made. Surely, today’s priority should be Syria? That is where the immediate danger to human life lies. If our focus is on Uganda, then let us remember: the LRA never operated across the whole of the country; the situation with the LRA is far more complicated than the video suggests; and we should also note that, today, far more people die in Uganda from viruses and diseases such as HIV.
Advertising Genius (Sam Deaner)
For me, the most interesting aspect of the Kony2012 campaign is not the charity, questions over intervention, but whether the campaign really CAN make a difference. If it can, then the implications are substantial.
I find the manner in which ‘fame’ can be subverted very interesting. It says a lot about our culture. For me, I find the hundreds of articles that are critical of the campaign fascinating but also self-defeating. Whether people rant on blogs, in newspapers or among their peers about how stupid or dangerous the campaign is, they now all know who Joseph Kony is and are helping make him famous. The campaign has beaten them, whether they like it or not. That is the genius aspect: Kony2012 has succeeded in making Kony famous, and no amount of criticism will change that.
Also, it is important that we do not focus only on Kony2012. Cynicism should not stop people from considering the bigger picture. If the campaign gains enough support, will governments across the West begin to see the benefit of intervening in similar issues? Will people more generally be mobilised in greater numbers to make their government take action on topics that lie outside of the core issue agenda? If so, this would not simply be regular lobbying: it would mark the rebirth of ‘power to the people’ politics.
That said, I am not denying that there remain problems with the campaign. I do not like the idea that America is going to ‘save the world’. Nor do I like the way that the campaign oversimplifies the situation in Uganda. But, more than anything, it is the public cynicism that I do not like. I do not think that wearing a bracelet, t-shirt or putting up a fancy poster will stop people like Kony. But I do think that the campaign and its attempt to raise awareness through social media could lead to far broader and positive change. This, in my view, is something that we should be excited about.
Sam Deaner – First Year Politics and International Relations Student
Eddie Tembo – Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations | <urn:uuid:ee059e4c-710c-400e-9cef-ab10631a0dc1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nottspolitics.org/2012/03/28/kony-2012-oversimplification-or-advertising-genius/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965674 | 1,022 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Kratos (3.5e Deity)
From D&D Wiki
|Symbol:||a red swirl on an ash-white field|
|Portfolio:||War, Protection, Conquest|
|Clergy Alignments:||CN, N, CE, CG|
|Domains:||Audacity, Destruction, Glory, Protection and War|
A simple mortal in his origins, Kratos was a Spartan general who led his army to many conquests before a near-fatal clash with barbarians. He was close to meeting his end at the hands of the barbarian warlord when he called out to Ares. Ares responded by granting him tremendous power, elevating him to a hero-diety. He continued on with a great many campaigns and conquests until he reached a small farming community on the outskirts of Athens established to offer prayers up to Athena, Ares' rival and sister. The villiage was an afront to Ares and so Kratos ordered the burnong of the town and execution of all inhabitants. He personally entered the temple, even though his very being told him no to, he slew all within it, ending with a little girl and a young woman. His wife and daughter lay dead at his feet as the fog of battle cleared from his vision, and he could not comprehend what he'd done, or even why they were there. The building burned to the ground, cremating his love and child, and the villiage oracle cursed him to forever bear the ahses of his family on his skin turning it pale white, like marble. He then turned from Ares, and was approached by Athena with the task of stopping her power mad brother. Kratos went on to infiltrate and conquer the myriad traps and monsters of the Temple of Pandora, chained to the back of the titan Kronos, and retrieve Pandora's Box. As he dragged the box out to the entrance, he caught the attention of Ares, who threw a broken column, like some great stone spear, at the temple, through the perpetual sandstorm of the Desert of Lost Souls, impaling Kratos on the back wall of the Temple entrance room. Kratos fell into Hades, the realm of the dead and yet caught himself on the foot of a man he himself had killed who had caught a jagged cliff edge. Kratos climbed over the objecting man, kicking him into the soul-destroying river Styx and proceeded to climb out of Hades. He arrived in Athens as Ares was threatening Olympus with Pandora's Box. Kratos shattered the chain of the box with lightning given to him by Zues and used the magic of it to grow in size to match the titanic Ares. They dueled to the death in the bay of Athens, with Kratos eventually emerging victorious, even after being thrown into a nightmare realm where he had to defeat a flood of himself to protect his dead wife and child. When he had finished, his many sins from his life were forgiven, though the mark of his final one, his ash-white skin, could never be removed, and he was told that someone must be the god of war, and the throne was given to him. Kratos stands at an imposing height and build, with pale white skin and a large red swirl tattooed onto his body, stretching from his face to his waist, and over the front and back of his left shoulder. He wears brown armour with brass coloured accents and goat's head epaulets, and has two massive greatswords chained to his wrists, which are known as the Blades of Olympus.
Kratos teaches his followers the art of war, and to not lose oneself entirely to it's fog. He encourages conquest and victory, and discourages mindless slaughter.
Clergy and Temples
Kratos' clergy tends towards more militaristic outlooks and dress, and tend to bear holy symbols in the form of tattoos on their face or body, though the most extreme followers will mimic their god with massive tattoos covering half their body. They often have levels of fighter or barbarian, though levels of Anarch(the Chaotic Neutral paladin) are also common. They frequently train themselves in the best armour they can and wear locking gauntlets or have their blades chained directly to their armour to better imitate their god's fighting style. Temples are often grand affairs with statues of Kratos and many spoils of conquest throughout, from the riches of victory to enslaved enemy soldiers as attendants. Kratos' temples always double as barracks and gyms, with both fresh-faced acolytes and grizzled veterans sharing rings, weights, saunas, bathes, and locker rooms, and always a healthy respect for legitimate authority and experience. | <urn:uuid:370167e3-346c-46d9-b0c8-b03ed9c2f4af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Kratos_(3.5e_Deity) | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978575 | 972 | 1.921875 | 2 |
The phrase back and forth is in contemporary language nothing but the more oft-heard rendering of that age-old expression hither and thither. In both pairs, the paired elements are indicating first motion towards one’s current place and then motion away from it, and in that order.
You might just as well ask why the idiom is to say here and there rather than the other way around. By the same measure, why is it urbi et orbi and not its reverse — or coming and going, arrivals and departures, and even in and out? That is, why is it that we invariably name our current place first in all these expressions, these idioms, these fossilized phrases that have come down to us intact and inseparable, and irreversible?
There can be no definitive answer to why frozen idioms came to gel in one shape and not another, but perhaps here it is because of some predisposition or inclination towards thinking of the world from the perspective of one’s present location within that outer world. If it happened to Copernicus, it can happen to anybody.
In contrast, when speaking of voyages and journeys, the emphasis is usually reversed, because it is the destination that is of primary importance, the trip itself. That’s why The Hobbit has There and Back Again, meaning “going there and coming back home again”. It’s why a round-trip ticket (that is, a “return” ticket in the UK) in Spanish is an ida y vuelta ticket: going and returning. In both those cases, now it’s the other place that is the more important of the two, not the current one as we saw in the earlier cases. | <urn:uuid:bc2a74e5-5c7e-423a-8131-223c62e82958> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/76999/is-forth-and-back-more-proper-than-back-and-forth | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944916 | 358 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Janet Zweig and Edward del Rosario
Carrying On, 2004
Steel, marble, and slate frieze on platform walls
Carrying On is composed of almost two hundred silhouettes of people hauling "stuff" with them as they walk the city streets. The artist team worked from photographs of individuals moving around the city and in and out of the subway. According to the artists, the title of Carrying On can be read in a variety of ways. "People on the streets of New York are almost always carrying something, sometimes something huge and outlandish. After the 9/11 tragedy, New Yorkers felt that they must carry on with their lives. Finally, New Yorkers are notoriously opinionated and lively; they really do 'carry on.'" The result is a linear narrative work of miniature figures, each of whom has a story it is up to the viewer to discern. It is an engaging work that represents the community and updates the materials used on subway station walls, with its waterjet-cut steel and marble, that achieves both precision and a modern take on the traditional frieze.
- Google Translate | <urn:uuid:a0b2ec92-3041-4b4e-8940-5203d9992b1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mta.info/mta/aft/permanentart/permart.html?agency=n&line=W&station=12&artist=1&img=4&xdev=1200 | 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 | 0.954825 | 231 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Drop in Openings Signals Limited U.S. Job Growth: Economy
Job openings in the U.S. dropped for a second straight month in August, indicating companies are reluctant to beef up payrolls through year-end without faster economic growth.
The number of positions waiting to be filled fell by 32,000 to 3.561 million from a revised 3.593 million the prior month that was less than previously estimated, the Labor Department said today in a statement. Hiring increased at the same time firings rose to a three-month high.
Companies such as Foot Locker Inc. are facing a weakening global economy and the possibility of automatic tax increases and government cutbacks, helping explain limited payroll growth. At the same time, a jobless rate that fell below 8 percent last month for the first time in more than three years shows some progress in the labor market.
“A lot of firms may be back on their heels, reluctant to go out and expand,” said Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James & Associates Inc. in St. Petersburg, Florida. “There is uncertainty due to the election, the fiscal cliff and Europe. We are definitely still adding jobs. The key question is how much more restraint we’re going to see from businesses.”
Today’s report helps illuminate the dynamics behind the government’s monthly employment figures. Payrolls rose by 114,000 workers, the fewest in three months. While job openings eased in August, they were still 409,000 higher than the same month last year.
In September, the jobless rate fell to 7.8 percent from 8.1 percent the prior month, the Labor Department said Oct. 5.
Stocks fell, extending losses for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to a fourth day, on concern corporate earnings and global growth will slow. The S&P 500 declined 0.6 percent to 1,433.03 at 2:37 p.m. in New York.
The International Monetary Fund said European banks may need to sell as much as $4.5 trillion in assets through 2013 if policy makers fall short of pledges to stem the fiscal crisis, up 18 percent from its April estimate. The IMF yesterday cut its forecasts for global growth.
Job openings in the U.S. increased for workers in construction, professional and business services and retail trade. Manufacturing, accommodation and food services, and education and health services showed declines.
James McCoy, a 43-year-old from Waretown, New Jersey, is searching for work. Having lost his job last month at a Wawa Inc. convenience store where he worked for more than 16 years, McCoy said he has been looking for opportunities online, attending job fairs and going to restaurants and retailers asking about work.
“It’s been tough,” said McCoy. “I’ve put in plenty of applications and gotten plenty of rejections,” he said.
Total firings, which exclude retirements and those who left their job voluntarily, increased to a three-month high of 1.848 million from 1.582 million a month before.
Santa Clara, California-based Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT), the largest producer of chipmaking equipment, said last week it plans to eliminate 900 to 1,300 jobs, or 6 percent to 9 percent of its worldwide workforce. Camden, New Jersey-based Campbell Soup Co. (CPB), the world’s largest soup maker, said Sept. 27 it plans to close two plants that employ more than 700 in the U.S. as demand declines and productivity improves.
“We have an election coming up and a so-called fiscal cliff the country is approaching,” Kenneth Hicks, chief executive officer of New York-based Foot Locker, the largest U.S. athletic shoe-chain, said in an Aug. 17 call with analysts. “So, there’s always the potential of an impact on the U.S. economy that we will have to manage through.”
The fiscal cliff refers to more than $600 billion of federal tax increases and spending cuts that will take effect automatically next year without any action by lawmakers.
While last month’s drop in unemployment was unexpected -- no economist surveyed by Bloomberg projected the rate would fall below 8 percent -- Federal Reserve policy makers have said they would like to see “sustained improvement” in the labor market.
The Fed said today that the economy was expanding “modestly” last month, supported by improvements in housing and auto sales, even as the labor market showed little change.
While “employment conditions were little changed since the last report,” several districts reported shortages of highly skilled workers, the Beige Book said.
Today’s Labor Department report showed that 2.14 million people quit their jobs in August, down from 2.163 million in the prior month. In total, the rate of separations climbed to 3.3 percent from 3.1 percent.
The number of people hired in August rose to 4.39 million, pushing up the hiring rate to 3.3 percent from 3.2 percent, according to today’s report.
In the 12 months ended in August, the economy created a net 1.8 million jobs, representing 51.6 million hires and about 49.8 million separations, today’s report showed.
Taking into account the 12.54 million Americans who were unemployed in August, today’s figures indicate there are about 3.5 people vying for every opening.
The central bank in September said that it would probably hold its target interest rate near zero until at least mid-2015 to stimulate more hiring. The central bank also began a third round of stimulus, buying $40 billion in mortgage bonds a month.
“We’re looking for ongoing, sustained improvement in the labor market,” Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke told reporters following the announcement on Sept. 13. “What we’ve seen in the last six months isn’t it.”
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans has called for accommodation as long as unemployment exceeds 7 percent and the inflation outlook remains below 3 percent. On Sept. 20, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Narayana Kocherlakota said the central bank should hold rates near zero until joblessness drops below 5.5 percent and inflation doesn’t exceed 2.25 percent.
Even some of those who have found work recently are wary of opening up their pocketbooks because of a lack of confidence in the economy. Jenna Kozel, 27, just took a job at Lookout Inc., a San Francisco-based smartphone security company, working in marketing and digital media, after being recruited by technology companies from her public relations job. She’s earning more than $100,000 a year, yet doesn’t plan to buy a car or a house anytime soon.
“I always thought, once I got to a certain income bracket, I’d buy one, but I just don’t want to because I’m worried,” she said. “Even though I’m financially stable, that just seems like an expense I don’t need. I just want to keep my expenditures as low as possible.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Kowalski in Washington at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Wellisz at firstname.lastname@example.org
Bloomberg moderates all comments. Comments that are abusive or off-topic will not be posted to the site. Excessively long comments may be moderated as well. Bloomberg cannot facilitate requests to remove comments or explain individual moderation decisions. | <urn:uuid:abc9ced5-cb81-4fb7-bcd5-9a9d901c92f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-10/job-openings-in-u-s-decreased-32-000-in-august-hiring-rose.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955187 | 1,631 | 1.671875 | 2 |
However, paramount among the problems afflicting our public education system today are the methods and means of assessment which regulate and effectively tie the hands of educators and administrators in servicing students in the classroom and school environments. Most directly what I am referring to is the weight placed upon Standardized Examinations as the panacea measure by which all students are deemed successes or failures. While such examinations have undeniable uses (such as taking skills inventories, and determining developmental norms) they don’t necessarily benefit the entirety of a population, nor do they measure the application or depth of knowledge and skills.
Aside from the obvious statement that these tests can’t possibly service all students I must raise the question how could these tests possibly service all students? We live in a country where driving laws may not be consistent from town to town and county to county yet we are to believe that tests developed far and wide could be made applicable to anywhere with the bare minimum of norming and strategic reading selection? Even within a single community to possibility for common experiences and knowledge, especially in highly diverse and economically depressed districts, to be few and far between. When educating student populations that are comprised of primarily underprivileged and/or immigrant families it is very difficult to assist in the development of the schema required to take these tests and simultaneously conduct the blight on the field that is generated from the weight of standardized tests: test prep.
Test prep essentially cripples all curriculum progress in the name of preparing students for taking an examination. This sort of educational practice teaches kids how to take a test but not how to apply knowledge. The application of knowledge is the ultimate goal of education and students coming of age in a system that values summative culmination via examination rather than periodic formative assessment via portfolio and project defense prepares them in precious few ways to self-assess and literally provides them with no way to actively apply their knowledge. Standardized assessment is all the worst and most stagnate practices of education distilled into one defining moment, where as what we need is dynamic and exciting routes to educating our children.
There was a time when America was at the forefront of the world in technological development, economic strength, personal and intellectual freedom, and military might. This was owed in no small part to, what was at the time, the most progressive, pervasive, and available education system on the face of the earth. That system has since fallen into antiquity and disrepair and the best solutions disaster and despair of the most human of the humanities has been to approach it from the mindset of the industrialist. To transform the subject of transformative education into the object of indoctrination—we have shifted from turning on minds to turning screws and no matter how many economic boons you grant to the commercial and industrial sectors in the name of bolstering today’s market tomorrow’s will be in just as much critical danger as our workforce will have neither the skills nor the knowledge to build an America that is ever-increasing in its greatness. Instead we will plateau, decline, and decay. | <urn:uuid:0a9942b9-37a8-4521-883b-097b23b6f9fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.politeonsociety.com/2012/11/01/an-open-letter-to-the-next-president-of-the-united-states/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961628 | 613 | 2.78125 | 3 |
The 16x8 LED Matrix clock was a project I built for my office. I wanted to have a clock for my desk which was a little unusual. I decided to build a 16x8 red LED matrix display and then interface this with a PIC18F2550 based circuit including a real-time clock and a temperature sensor.
The final result of this project can be seen in the following video:
The clock is made using 2 PCBs, the top PCB contains all the LEDs and is connected to the bottom PCB which contains the display driving electronics as shown in the following picture.
As you can see from the following circuit diagram the display controller consists of a PIC18F2550 which is connected via SPI to an A6276 16-bit serial LED driver (which controls the columns of the display) and a 74ACT164N serial 8 bit shift register (which control the rows of the display). This means that it only requires 8 cycles to update the whole display allowing a bright and stable image. Since the LED matrix draws more current than the shift register can supply the chip is connected to the display via BC337 transistors which switch the current.
The real-time clock is a DS1302 which is connected to the PIC using a modified SPI style interface, the DS1302 uses a standard SPI style 3-wire interface however the data wire can be both input and output, therefore it is not connected to the on-board SPI interface of the PIC (unlike the other SPI chips). The clock chip requires its own 32.768 Khz crystal and can have a battery backup included if required, however I did not include one in the design.
The temperature sensor is a LM35 precision centigrade sensor and is connected to the PIC using a standard analogue port.
To set the clock and control the device there are three push-buttons mounted on the lower PCB which act as up, down and enter buttons. The code includes debounce and auto-repeat code for the buttons to make setting the clock as easy as possible.
There is a small speaker mounted on the control PCB to allow alarms and other audio functions to be added in the future (however the current code does not utilise this at the moment). This isn't currently shown in the circuit diagram since I added it in during the PCB design as an after-thought.
I also included an RJ11 6/6 connector to allow easy reprogramming using the Microchip ICD3 programmer/debugger.
Please note that there is no circuit diagram for the display PCB (it was not necessary to draw one since it is so simple). The negative side of the LEDs connect to the A6276 (since it is a 'sink-driver') and the positive to the 74ACT164N.
The PCB layout was designed using PCBexpress. A picture of the control board showing the component placement and a PDF file containing scale drawings of both boards are available below:
If you like this site and want to help support future projects, or you just want to show appreciation for a project you built, used or enjoyed, please consider leaving a PayPal donation. It's quick, secure and helps us to run the site and fund future projects!
PayPal, fast, easy and secure
Join the EFF:
The owner of this site is a member of the EFF and you should be a member too! The EFF protects the rights of open-source, open-hardware authors all over the world. | <urn:uuid:f53bbe43-6ee7-498e-bcf3-ead14c1dc119> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.waitingforfriday.com/index.php/16x8_LED_Matrix_Display | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941838 | 717 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Especially in a tough economy, MBA programs attract students who want to enhance their chances for advancement
Good Job Placement Record: Georgia Tech’s Paula C. Wilson
The letters MBA in a title or on a resume have long signified prestige and garnered a certain amount of respect, so it’s not surprising that Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees remain in high demand among Georgia professionals. This is especially true given the current state of the job market, where even college-educated professionals are finding out that they aren’t immune to cutbacks and layoffs.
“In a bad economy, people go back to school,” notes Dr. Mel E. Schnake, the MBA director at Valdosta State Univers-ity and professor of management. According to Schnake, enrollment in Valdosta State’s on-campus MBA program has doubled in the past year – from around 25 students to what he anticipates will be at least 50 students for the spring semester.
“In a competitive job market like we have now, an MBA is the differentiator,” says Dr. Gina L. Miller, associate dean and professor of marketing at the Stetson School of Business and Economics at Mercer University in Atlanta. “It has almost become a requirement for professionals who want to advance today.”
“The economy is clearly prompting more professionals to go back to school and get their MBAs,” adds Dr. Faye A. Sisk, director of graduate programs and associate professor of management at the Stetson School.
According to Miller, there has been an upward trend in recent years in the number of people taking the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), which is required to gain entrance to most MBA programs. “I tell students and professionals that M, B and A are the initials you want after your name.”
Of course, the down economy is a double-edged sword when it comes to participation in MBA programs. Although economic and employment conditions might present both an opportunity and a rationale for getting an MBA, they can also make it more difficult for students to pay for an advanced degree.
“Clearly, the economy is affecting the ability of many people to finance an MBA,” says Sisk. “As a result, we’re seeing increased demand on financial aid, especially as employer financial support for MBAs for their employees dwindles. But for many professionals who can afford it or who qualify for financial aid, coming back to school for an MBA can help them meet qualifications for advancement and move up the ladder in their current organization or pursue new career opportunities outside of their current field.”
Plenty of Options
A wide variety of MBA programs is available in Georgia for students to choose from, ranging from traditional full-time, on-campus programs to part-time evening and weekend programs. A growing number of online and virtual learning options make it easier than ever for working professionals to get their MBAs while continuing to hold down their full-time jobs.
According to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, 16 of the 35 public colleges and universities within the system offer a master’s level business administration program. “Specific majors range from accounting to risk management and insurance,” notes Marci M. Middleton, assistant vice chancellor for academic programs with the Board of Regents.
That’s in addition to private institutions offering MBA programs, among them Mercer, Emory, Clark Atlanta and Reinhardt universities.
Within Valdosta State’s Langdale College of Business Administration’s MBA program, students can choose either a part-time evening program or an online WebMBA program. The first consists of 30 hours of instruction that can be completed in a minimum of two years or six semesters. It is designed “to aid students wishing to pursue an advanced business degree without interrupting their careers,” says Schnake.
The university did research and surveys before launching its first MBA program in 1991, he explains, “and it was clear that most people who would be interested in obtaining an MBA here were already working and couldn’t participate in a full-time day program. So we designed it as a part-time evening program from the start.”
WebMBA is a consortium of five different universities in Georgia that offer qualified students the opportunity to earn an accredited MBA degree in a Web-based virtual setting. Valdosta State was one of the founding members of this consortium about 10 years ago, says Schnake. The other current members are Kennesaw State University, University of West Georgia, Georgia Southern University and Georgia College & State University.
Most of VSU’s on-campus MBA students are drawn from several counties around Valdosta (including some in north Florida), but WebMBA students participate from all over the world, including as far away as Sierra Leone. Schnake estimates that only about 60 percent of these students actually reside in Georgia.
The vast majority of all VSU MBA students have some real-world work experience, as opposed to entering the program immediately after earning an undergraduate degree. (At least two years of significant business experience is required for the WebMBA program.) “Our average MBA student has 12 years of work experience,” he says.
Despite the recent doubling of enrollment, VSU still offers MBA students the advantage of relatively small class sizes. “When you bring together 20 to 25 MBA students who have real-world management experience, the interaction and discussions in the classroom can be incredible,” says Schnake.
At Mercer University, more than 300 MBA students are participating in one of the business school’s MBA programs.
The most popular are the flexible evening programs on the Macon and Atlanta campuses. “These are our bread and butter,” says Miller. “They are tailored to meet the needs of individuals already employed as managers, as well as those preparing for advancement into middle management or administrative levels.”
Classes are offered once a week, either on a weeknight or Saturday, and they rotate on eight-week schedules with five different admission entry points. The program of study consists of three Level 1 foundation courses, followed by the more in-depth Level 2 core classes.
Mercer’s newest offering is a one-year daytime MBA program at its Atlanta campus. “This program is designed primarily for individuals who desire to retool their career, make a career change or re-enter the workforce,” says Sisk, “as well as for more traditional domestic or international students who desire an accelerated MBA.” The program begins in the summer semester and can be completed in less than one year, with no previous work experience required.
Mercer also offers a Virtual Professional MBA (PMBA) that utilizes sophisticated, state-of-the-art videoconferencing technology. This is not an online MBA program, Sisk explains, but rather a way for students across the state to study as one group at a Mercer campus in Macon, Atlanta or Savannah.
“These students are attracted to the delivery mechanism and the weekend schedule (classes are held on Friday eve-nings and all day Saturday every two weeks for 16 months),” says Dr. Sisk. “It provides even the busiest managers the opportunity to increase their value in the marketplace and learn best practices from other management professionals while earning an MBA.”
Four retreats bring classes in the different locations together and provide a concentrated study on specific business topics, including a weeklong Best Practices Field Residency, where students meet with top executives of successful companies. At least four years of real-world business experience are required for the Virtual PMBA program.
“Mercer is a private teaching university, so our focus is always on the students,” says Miller. “Most of our instructors have worked in the corporate world and come back to academia, so there’s a heavy focus on application. They are all full-time professors, not teaching assistants.” The Stetson School of Business and Economics consistently ranks high in surveys conducted by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report, she says.
The College of Management within the Georgia Institute of Technology also offers both full-time day and part-time evening MBA programs. According to Georgia Tech’s Director of MBA Programs Paula C. Wilson, the school’s full-time MBA program boasts one of the highest job placement records in the country, ranking second in the nation (and No. 1 among public schools) for MBA job placement by Bloomberg BusinessWeek for the Class of 2010.
Tech has a top-ranked employment record in the Southeast among 2009 and 2010 MBA graduates, with 100 percent of the class of 2010 participating in summer internships last year. Seventy-six percent of these students had job offers at graduation and 90 percent were employed within 90 days of graduation – phenomenal numbers given the current employment environment. The average starting salary for these graduates topped $85,000, and more than half received signing bonuses averaging more than $12,000.
A Georgia Tech MBA offers a lot of bang for the buck: It’s the least expensive MBA among the top 30 schools in the Bloomberg BusinessWeek rankings, according to Wilson. “The Georgia Tech brand is well-recognized nationally and worldwide,” says Wilson.
For a large university, Georgia Tech keeps its MBA program relatively small. “We’re very selective – we only enroll about 75 new full-time MBA students each year,” says Wilson. Georgia Tech is committed to diversity in its MBA programs, she adds: “When the classroom resembles the true nature of international business teams, everyone benefits.”
This commitment to diversity is evident in the statistical breakdown of the class entering Georgia Tech’s full-time MBA program in 2010: 31 percent were U.S. minorities and 13 percent were international students.
At least four years of work experience are required for admission to Georgia Tech’s full-time MBA program, and the average part-time evening MBA student has about six years of experience. “If undergrad students tell me they are graduating in May and want to apply for the MBA program in the fall, I encourage them to go get some real-world work experience first,” says Wilson. “Most recruiters prefer MBA graduates with at least three years of work experience.”
More students (nearly 350) are enrolled in Georgia Tech’s part-time evening program than the full-time day program. Classes are offered year-round on Monday through Thursday evenings and meet once per week. On average, part-time evening students earn their Georgia Tech MBAs in about three years.
“This program draws a diverse mix of working professionals from a wide variety of academic backgrounds,” says Wilson. “It combines our full-time MBA curriculum with the flexibility that allows individuals who want to advance in their organizations or maybe change careers to complete the degree at their own pace. These students benefit from many of the same advantages enjoyed by our full-time students, but are able to continue working in their professional jobs as they pursue their MBAs.”
Interestingly, only about a third of Georgia Tech’s MBA students (both full- and part-time) have undergraduate business or economics degrees. Nearly half of the full-time MBA students have engineering or computer science undergraduate degrees; about one in five has a humanities or social sciences undergraduate degree.
This is fairly common among MBA programs, notes Wilson: “MBA programs are known for drawing students with many different types of academic and professional backgrounds. We look for applicants with a variety of backgrounds, skill sets and experiences to bring to the program in order to create an active, progressive learning environment.”
Wilson believes that an MBA is as valuable as ever. Of course, it teaches high-level business and analytical skills. “But to me, much of the value of an MBA is in helping students and professionals develop leadership skills, learn to work in teams and better see the big picture.”
She points to a Georgia Tech grad with an engineering degree who was working for Disney designing amusement park rides and applied for the school’s MBA program. “He wanted to better understand the big picture, like how decisions were made about which rides should be built and how the rides would be financed and marketed. He eventually ended up going into consulting.”
Valdosta State’s Schnake agrees: “There is some hard evidence suggesting that an MBA pays off in terms of salary and employment,” he notes. “But I believe it also opens more doors of opportunity when an individual has both an undergraduate degree and an MBA.”
According to data from the Bureau of Labor statistics, the median weekly earnings for a graduate with a master’s degree are about 18 percent higher than those for a graduate with a bachelor’s degree, and the unemployment rate for those with a master’s degree is just 3.9 percent, compared to 5.2 percent for those with a bachelor’s degree.
Mercer University’s Miller tells of a recent Mercer MBA graduate who was one of three finalists for a marketing VP position with a large national restaurant/food company. “All of the finalists had similar business experience, but he was the only one who had an MBA, and he told me this was the deciding factor that ended up getting him the job.” | <urn:uuid:bd63073e-a35b-4a58-9b6e-15e5f0ed27f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.georgiatrend.com/February-2011/Added-Value/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954813 | 2,806 | 1.804688 | 2 |
bin Laden is wanted for several deadly terrorist bombings.
at large: Abdul Rahman Yasin, indicted for the 1993 bombing of the World
Trade Center. THAT effort failed.
children's flower memorial at the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma
City, site of a domestic-terrorism bombing in 1996.
drawing and photograph of Timothy McVeigh, executed for obliterating the
Tigers of Tamil Eelam have used suicide bombers in their quest to carve
a Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka.
POSTED 20 SEP 2001
But can psychology, the study of the mind, tell us what motivates terrorists and how they differ from you and me? The Why Files talked to three people who have tried to get inside the heads of furtive killers.
Scientifically, it's a tough task, since terrorists don't volunteer for psychological studies. At any rate, terrorism experts differ in their understanding of motivation. We'll present three opinions without pretending to say which is most compelling -- or whether other answers would be more convincing.
A terrorist develops gradually from a young age, Fields says. The boys (typically aged 10 to 16) who are easist to recruit for suicide terrorism are "at the stage of development of moral judgment called retributive justice or vendetta." This "an eye for an eye" stage of emotional development was described by the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, she adds.
In "societies where there's been intergenerational, intercommunal war," Fields says, many adults never outgrow the vendetta, and are trapped in righteous indignation, which Fields found among "all the members of all paramilitary organizations I examined. They believe there's a difference between right and wrong, but when they do something in the name of the cause, it's justified."
These true believers, she adds, "are angry, but they don't feel guilty about their anger."
"They are rational, they are not insane," says Richard Pearlstein, associate professor of political science at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. "They have goals and they are moving towards those goals."
Not only are terrorists not crazy, but they don't share a personality type, wrote David Long, former assistant director of the State Department's Office of Counter Terrorism. "No comparative work on terrorist psychology has ever succeeded in revealing a particular psychological type or uniform terrorist mindset."
Still, Long wrote that terrorists tend to have low self-esteem, are attracted to groups with charismatic leaders, and, not surprisingly, enjoy risk. Oddly, Long concluded that many terrorists are ambivalent about violence and guns (see "The Anatomy..." in the bibliography).
Long wrote just before the ongoing wave of suicide attacks, where a focus on raising the death toll has superseded the desire to score a political point or free imprisoned comrades.
What's different with the suicide bombers?
are 1 2 pages in this feature.
Bibliography | Credits | Feedback | Search
Terry Devitt, editor; Pamela Jackson, project assistant; S.V. Medaris, designer/illustrator; David Tenenbaum, feature writer; Amy Toburen, content development executive; Eric G.E. Zuelow, project assistant | <urn:uuid:007220ef-a8cd-4561-b5d1-cdca6c10518e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://whyfiles.org/140terror_psych/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94924 | 657 | 2.390625 | 2 |
[ back ]
Ohio snakes slither into summer sun
Photo courtesy of Metro Parks
The Eastern garter snake is one of three garter snakes in the state. The cold-blooded reptile can be found all around central Ohio, even in backyard gardens. It is one of five snakes that can be found in the area.
The weather is warming up and humans are not the only ones basking in the sun. The snakes have slithered out too.
The cold-blooded reptile has always been feared or revered. Now is the time of year when encounters with them are common but is there really a reason to fear them?
Peg Hanley, spokeswoman for Metro Parks, said none of the snakes in this part of the state are poisonous.
“Many people think all snakes are poisonous,” said Hanley. “They just don’t know how great they really are.”
Hanley said another myth about snakes is that they are slimy and scaly.
“They are actually completely dry,” she remarked.
Contrary to what movie makers will have you believe, snakes will not chase you. In fact, Hanley said they will do their best to avoid you. They can feel the vibrations from an approaching animal and will likely hide until the perceived threat is gone.
“If you don’t bug them, they won’t bug you,” said Hanley. “Not all snakes have fangs either.”
For some snakes, it’s mating season. For others, they just want to warm up in the sun. Hanley said soaking up the rays helps digestion in the reptile.
The following are facts on the five snakes people most commonly encounter in central Ohio.
Northern water snake
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), this is one of the most widely distributed and abundant snakes in Ohio. They can live in just about any permanent body of water.
The Northern water snake is usually 24 to 42 inches in size and has extreme variation in color. It is sometimes confused with the poisonous water moccasin or the cottonmouth.
This species will try to steer clear of humans but can be aggressive if aggravated. It will bite and its bite can be painful and leave deep lacerations.
Eastern garter snake
This snake is one of three garters in the state but is the most common. It is recognized by its color pattern of three yellow stripes on a black or brown body.
It is usually about four inches long and can be found in nearly every habitat, including backyard gardens. The garter gets its name from its resemblance to stripes on old fashioned sock garters.
If the snake bites, some people experience swelling or a rash.
Black rat snake
The black rat is Ohio’s largest snake, ranging between 47 to 72 inches in length. It is the most commonly killed snake due to human fear. It is all black, except for a small light patch under its chin.
This kind of snake prefers the forest. It is an accomplished climber and can be found high in trees or in woodpecker holes.
Hanley said the black rat is sometimes mistaken for a rattlesnake because it can vibrate its tail.
“Normally, it is a pretty shy creature,” said Hanley. “It even plays possum when threatened.”
If cornered or captured, the snake will likely vibrate its tail and strike repeatedly. It can also coil around something tightly and discharge a foul-smelling substance.
According to the ODNR, the black rat snake is one of the state’s most beneficial reptiles. It plays an essential role in controlling destructive rodents.
The queen snake sounds like a big one but it actually measures just 15 to 24 inches in length.
This snake is normally encountered when flat stones or boards are overturned. It is found along waterways and feeds on soft-shelled crayfish instead of rodents.
The queen snake is dark brown with a yellow stripe on the lower side of its body. The belly is yellow with brown stripes.
The queen snake has such small teeth, it barely pierces the skin if it bites.
Black racer snake
The black racer is the state snake of Ohio. It is normally 36 to 60 inches long and can reach speeds of up to 10 miles per hour.
Hanley said this snake is very shiny and prevalent in the area.
“The racer is great to Ohio farmers,” she noted because of its speedy hunting of rodents.
The black racer snake becomes nervous around humans and can be aggressive if captured. With small but numerous teeth, its bite can be painful.
Snakes around you
“Snakes are good at what they do,” said Hanley, “and that’s finding and hunting rodents.”
The reptiles also have natural predators including hawks, eagles and humans.
Hanley said the snake has always had a myth imprinted on it but said the snakes in central Ohio are not dangerous to humans.
To learn more about snakes, attend Battelle Darby Creek’s “Cold Blooded Critters” event on May 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. Interested persons are asked to meet at Indian Ridge Lodge.
For more information about reptiles or additional events, call Metro Parks at 895-6365 or log onto metroparks.net.
[ back ] | <urn:uuid:a3d123df-57d0-45ac-b575-52b9e65053d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.columbusmessenger.com/NC/0/2975.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956526 | 1,140 | 3.28125 | 3 |
Can Twitter Be Used to Predict the Stock Market? These Guys Think So
Twitter is people! At least some Cornell University folks seem to think it’s a window into people's minds. A recent paper published over at arXiv.org writes a compelling case for Twitter's ability to be used to predict certain things--specifically stock market behavior.
It all stems from the documented belief that the ebb and flow of the stock market is driven by decision making instead of reaction to news. They attempted to prove this by studying 10 months' worth of tweets from almost 3 million users, which is around 10 million tweets. Non-study related tweets like spam were dropped, as the researchers focused on tweets about feelings.
In order to find those particular tweets, Cornell researchers fed the data into two different filters: Opinion Finder and Google’s Profile of Mood States. Both filters process mood determination and were used to that effect for the purpose of the paper.
The most interesting part of the paper is the fact that it appeared to work; to quote the arXiv.org’s summary page, "We find an accuracy of 87.6% in predicting the daily up and down changes in the closing values of the DJIA and a reduction of the Mean Average Percentage Error by more than 6%." That's a rather high percentage of prediction accuracy when you think about how it’s sourced from a 150 character social device like Twitter.
Justin Bieber and the current (at the time of this writing) Superbad trend aside, I’ve always thought of Twitter as an amazing resource for social and news aggregation. It’s hard to beat an instant update of events and happenings across the globe, and the sheer power of the service and what it’s done for world news can’t be stressed enough.
You only have to remember back to the fairly recent elections in Iran where a media blackout was pierced by Twitter feeds to see how world-changing it is. The US Government actually asked Twitter to not run a planned upgrade (with included downtime) in order to keep the flow of information coming from Iran. It was an amazing thing to see and an amazing tool for activists and discontents of government. Anyone with an internet connection has easy access to Twitter and no central authority has any control over it.
Of course from a casual-use perspective, Twitter brings a lot to the table too. It’s one of the best news aggregates available on the internet. In the same place you can see the opinions of unlimited like-minded people, professional or otherwise, to that same news. With twitter’s exponential growth still happening, it’ll only get better.
Like this? You might also enjoy...
- Tech Lets Body Organs Send Updates to Your Phone; Tweeting Lungs Next?
- The ACLU, Science Fiction, and Human Rights
- The What and Why of Google’s Transparency Report | <urn:uuid:855e9d3f-af09-4df5-8edb-93947a6e5e54> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.techhive.com/article/208202/can_twitter_be_used_to_predict_the_stock_market_these_guys_think_so.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93351 | 606 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Gerry: The Jon Stewart parody of Mallard Fillmore is a cross of a rhino and a hedgehog. For the peak of rhinocrisy, and to torture saurabh, oil a kleen kanteen in the red amino methyl tyrosinate.
This post is composed entirely of the search terms most likely to have sent readers to Rhinocrisy in the past six months. Apparently, procrastinatory disquisitions on evolutionary biology, politics, and cartography will attract a substantial readership among fans of Mallard Fillmore, Jon Stewart and Kleen Kanteens.
posted by hedgehog in Uncategorized |
Richard Nixon was president from 1968 until his resignation in 1974. He was elected on an essentially anti-war platform the first time around, promising to bring to an end the war in Vietnam. In actual fact the war ended up dragging on until 1973, and in the interim his secretary of State Henry Kissinger started two other undeclared wars in Cambodia and Laos.
Nixon was thrown out of office for a bit of political skulduggery involving spying on his political opponents. Meanwhile, his performance in Vietnam earned his secretary of State the Nobel Peace Prize. The Secret War in Laos and Cambodia continued thereafter, even following Nixon’s resignation.
The modern parallel involves the disclosure of the identity of a covert agent, one Valerie Plame, wife of former ambassador Joe Wilson. This is a bit of political skulduggery, on par with the Watergate affair. The crime involved is of no grave magnitude; no one even died. And its impact on events in the world is negligible, really. Bush lied about yellowcake uranium on January 28, 2003. Joe Wilson told the world Bush was a liar on July 6, 2003. Unfortunately, Bush had already invaded Iraq on March 20.
Maybe someone will go down for revealing Valerie Plame’s secret identity. But Iraq is still white-hot, burning bright like thermite. The United States will probably be squirming its toes around in Iraqi sand for the next ten years, regardless of who is in charge here. Whatever figure occupies the oily black leather chair behind the desk in the Oval Office will stare at Iraq with the same greedy grin on its jaws. And no one’s ever going to get called out for that, just like no one got called out for killing half a million Cambodians. The moral of the story: the really big crimes always go unpunished. So think big.
posted by saurabh in Uncategorized |
White House Orders Satirical Paper ‘The Onion’ to Stop Using Presidential Seal
By E&P Staff
Published: October 24, 2005 2:25 PM ET
NEW YORK Despite White House spokesman Trent Duffy’s admission to New York Times reporter Katharine Q. Seelye that “more than one Bush staffer reads The Onion and enjoys it thoroughly,” the White House is seeking to stop the satirical paper from using the presidential seal on its Web site.
Seelye’s seal scoop, printed in Monday’s paper, reveals that associate counsel to the president Grant M. Dixton sent a letter to the Onion on Sept. 28 stating that the seal “is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement.”
The newspaper parodies President Bush’s weekly radio address on its Web site, accompanied by a picture of President Bush and the official insignia.
Sure, the letter is signed by Grant M. Dixton, “Associate Counsel to the President.” But who would be his boss? Hmm — Counsel to the President — where have I heard that title before?
You gotta love the nominee who goes after the frickin Onion on the eve of her confirmation hearings. That is a class act. A class in, how do you say, “doh!”
Seal added per Hugo Zoom’s clever suggestion. This website is endorsed and sponsored by the White House. The nice white house at 87 Montague Road.
posted by hedgehog in Uncategorized | | <urn:uuid:652c0a0c-8287-48d2-a55b-9b75367b5ae3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rhinocrisy.org/2005/10/25/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955127 | 860 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hydraulic Fracturing and How Does it Work?
Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracing," is a method pioneered in Kansas* in 1947, used to allow oil and natural gas producers to safely recover oil and gas from oil- and gas-producing formations.
- Stimulates a well to increase oil or gas production.
- Each fracture job is engineered to be the most effective and stay in the pay zone.
- Procedure done after the well is drilled, before it is put on pump.
- Water and sand, along with other additives, are mixed, then pumped below ground to fracture the producing rock matrix. Water and sand make up 98% of the fluid pumped into the formation; other additives equal 2%.
- A proppant is introduced, generally fine grained sand. Fractures are then held open by the sand, allowing the natural gas previously trapped to flow to the wellbore and be collected at the surface.
- "Slick water treatment" is introduced to increase viscosity.
- Flowback fluids empty into tanks or pits that are then disposed of properly.
*Kansas was the first in the nation, a well frac in Grant County in 1947 by Stanolind Oil Company.
Are Hydraulic Fracture Jobs Performed in Kansas?
Yes, to increase enhanced oil recovery performance in thousands of jobs, for example:
- Conventional wells
- Vertical wells in sandstones and carbonates
- South central and southwest regions of Kansas
- Coal bed methane wells – Southeast Kansas
- Niobrara chalk wells – Northwest Kansas
- Horizontal wells
- Conventional oil and gas plays
- Injection wells
- Saltwater disposal wells for increased disposal
Why is Hydraulic Fracturing Important in Kansas?
- Oil and natural gas is the state's second largest industry, generating more than $6 billion each year and sending more than 28,000 Kansans to work each day.
- More than $360 million each year from oil and natural gas production goes to roads, schools, and other public projects.
- Current Oil Production:
- 35.7 millions barrels annually
- 97,800 barrels per day
- Ranked 8th among 31 oil-producing states
- Hydraulic fracturing is a valuable tool that makes many wells economic to complete and produce that otherwise would not be economical.
- In some cases, hydraulic fracturing eliminates the need to drill more wells, which lessens the surface footprint.
Statistics from KIOGA
Who Regulates Hydraulic Fracturing in Kansas and How?
By regulating the oil and gas exploration industry since the 1930s, the KCC
has developed sound regulations to protect surface, ground water, and
correlative rights. The 85 full-time employees (geologists, engineers, technical
staff, attorneys, and field inspectors) who work in the Conservation Division
enforce these regulations by witnessing, inspecting, and permitting drilling,
well-completion, and production throughout the state.
- Surface pipe regulations
- Production casing regulations
- Well-cementing requirements
- Intent-to-drill process
- Well spacing requirements
- Pit permitting process
- Well completion reporting requirements | <urn:uuid:66ed7936-e2e1-4fa9-8f4a-343f92dcd6c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kcc.state.ks.us/conservation/faq_hydraulic_fracturing.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919155 | 666 | 3.328125 | 3 |
This is probably one of the most creative outdoor toys we've seen in a while. Generations of kids have been making mud pies right in their backyards, but no one ever thought to create a mud-pie kitchen. Today's kids can make the perfect "gourmet" mud pie with the Makin' Mud Pies playset. Kids can mix their mud ingredients with the hand-crank mud mixer, then pour the mixture into the pie mold. The set also comes with a sink strainer so your mud can be the perfect consistency, a shaker and lid, a large mixing bowl, a mixing spoon and scoop, a measuring cup, and a cutting board. Kids will feel just like a real chef in their very own kitchen.
This outdoor kitchen set encourages kids to get dirty. While specific "mud pie" clothing might be best when playing with this set, the playset does feature a working sink for easy cleanup before kids come back inside. Simply fill the sink with water from a hose, a pitcher, or a glass. | <urn:uuid:8e356b25-0b8c-423f-8313-1b966c8be052> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timetoplaymag.com/toys/1864/little-tikes/little-tikes-makin-mud-pies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945889 | 211 | 1.539063 | 2 |
14 November 2011
The Food Standards Agency
consumers not to eat specific jars of Loyd Grossman Korma sauce. This is because of the risk of botulism poisoning.
One jar from the batch is known to have been contaminated with the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, but the Agency is advising people not to eat products from this batch as a precautionary measure. Two people from the same family have been taken to hospital with botulism poisoning.
What is botulism?
Botulism food poisoning is a life-threatening condition caused by a bacterium which produces a toxin that attacks the nervous system. It is rare in the UK and is contracted by eating foods contaminated with the bacteria which attack the nervous system. It can affect people of any age. Symptoms include blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing and a dry mouth, and usually occur within 12 and 36 hours of eating affected foods. These symptoms rapidly get worse and consumers should seek urgent medical advice if they are suffering from these symptoms. It is easily treated if a doctor or hospital is notified early, although full recovery can take several months. The infection is not contagious and so cannot be spread from person to person.
Anyone who has consumed this sauce and is concerned about the symptoms above should seek urgent medical advice. Outside of normal hours, they can contact NHS DIRECT on 08454647.
Leigh Day and food poisoning claims
Solicitor Michelle Victor has particular experience in food poisoning claims and has successfully pursued legal action against tour operators Thompson Holidays, where over 1,000 holiday makers staying at the 4* Bahia Prince Hotel in the Dominion Republic, suffered food poisoning brought on by salmonella, campylobacter, cryptosporidium, shigella and giardia. Michelle also represented over 120 people in what is believed to be one of the UKs largest outbreaks of food poisoning and pursued legal action against A1 Kebabish.
"In order to establish whether a claim for compensation can be pursued, it will be necessary to identify the source of the contamination and indeed whether this was the Loyd Grossman sauces. However the main priority will be to ensure that anyone affected receive the appropriate medical care to ensure any immediate and long term medical needs are met."
If you would like to speak to one of our solicitors about a possible claim for compensation relating to food poisoning please contact Michelle Victor on 020 7650 1200.
Information was correct at time of publishing. See terms and conditions for further details. | <urn:uuid:8be065a2-4dee-4e04-ba6f-f191f16d846d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.leighday.co.uk/News/2011/November-2011/Food-Standards-Agency-issues-botulism-warning-over | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956341 | 526 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Established in 1990, this program has given non-U.S. health care professionals an opportunity to visit the U.S. and observe respiratory care as it is practiced in the United States.
AARC International Mission Statement
The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) seeks to “promote communication and fellowship among respiratory care professionals in the United States and their counterparts worldwide” by “cooperation, dialogue, and educational exchanges.”
Our International Goals are to:
- Promote the exchange, development, and coordination of the art, science, and application of respiratory care.
- Allow meaningful interaction and cooperation among multi-national colleagues in an apolitical, humanitarian context.
- Enhance the awareness and understanding of the profession of respiratory care and its vital role on the health care team.
- Provide encouragement and assistance to those countries seeking to establish the profession of respiratory care as an independent profession.
- Provide encouragement and assistance to those countries seeking to establish professional associations for respiratory therapists.
- Provide encouragement and assistance to those countries seeking to gain legal recognition of the profession of respiratory care.
- Provide encouragement and assistance to those seeking to provide and establish seminars, programs, and schools in their home country.
- Encourage professional and educational organizations to gain recognition of seminars, programs, and schools through the ICRC International Education Recognition System (IERS).
- Provide encouragement and assistance to those seeking to establish international affiliates of the AARC in their country.
- Provide encouragement and assistance to those seeking to establish Governors representing their country to the ICRC.
- Encourage and promote the exchange of qualified speakers between the AARC and other professional associations around the world.
- Encourage respiratory care professionals to participate in medical mission projects.
- Encourage student and faculty exchange programs between respiratory care programs around the world.
- Encourage and assist our international colleagues in publishing articles, case studies, or abstracts in RESPIRATORY CARE, AARCTimes, or other professional journals from their country.
- Encourage the sharing of AARC publications with related foreign publications around the world.
- Encourage and assist our international colleagues in providing translations of AARC publications.
- Encourage international membership in the AARC.
- Select qualified providers of respiratory care who have a desire to develop the respiratory care profession in their country through application to the AARC International Fellowship Program in order to assist in visits to the United States to observe the practice and education of respiratory care professionals in a variety of settings.
- Invite highly recognized clinical, educational, political, and industrial health care leaders through the ARCF Visting Dignitary Program for structured, individualized visits to the United States in order to achieve the globalization of the Respiratory Care profession.
All of these initiatives are wholeheartedly endorsed by the AARC in an effort to ultimately improve the respiratory care of patients throughout the world.
Who Can Apply
Health care professionals from outside the United States who have:
- Exhibited a profound interest in respiratory care.
- Expressed a long-term commitment to the advancement of respiratory care.
- Indicated a genuine interest in establishing respiratory care as an allied health profession.
- Demonstrated proficiency in written and conversational English.
- One travel day to the United States
- One rest day prior to beginning the Fellowship
- Visits to two cities in the United States for a stay of approximately
five to six days in each city. During the stay in each city, planned
activities will include:
- Observation of the practice of respiratory care in large and small hospitals.
- Visits to formal educational programs of respiratory care at colleges and universities.
- Visits to alternate care sites where respiratory care is being provided, such as home care organizations, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, hospices, specialty laboratories, etc.
- Attendance at AARC Congress 2013 in Anaheim, California, November 16–19.
2013 Program Schedule
|Arrive in the First City||Saturday, November 2|
|First City Rotation||
Monday, November 4–Friday,
|Arrive in Second City||Saturday, November 9|
|Second City Rotation||
Monday, November 11–Thursday,
|Arrive in Anaheim, CA||Friday, November 15|
|AARC Congress 2013||
Saturday, November 16–Tuesday,
|Fellowship Program Ends||Wednesday, November 20|
- Expenses incurred within the United States related to the planned site visits and the AARC 59th International Respiratory Convention & Exhibition, which will include lodging, food allowance, and local ground transportation.
- Paid registration at AARC Congress 2013.
- Fellowship is limited to eighteen (18) days of lodging.
- Fellowship is limited to eighteen (18) days of food allowance.
Selected Fellows Are Responsible for the Following Items
- All air travel expenses and arrangements to and from their country and within the United States.
- Health insurance coverage for hospitalization, laboratory tests, and physician’s charges that may be incurred due to illness or injury while in the United States.
- All personal travel and expenses such as visiting friends and sightseeing.
If you are interested in applying to be a Fellow, please complete the application form. Applications are accepted January 1–June 1.
Contact us for more information
AARC International Fellowships/City Host Program
9425 N MacArthur Blvd
Irving, TX 75063
The AARC encourages the use of E-mail as your primary method of communication. If unavailable, feel free to communicate by fax, mail or phone. Please follow fax transmittal with a copy in the mail. | <urn:uuid:3867be37-5d07-4ad1-89e0-54398061e143> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aarc.org/resources/international_fellows/index.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907761 | 1,182 | 1.5 | 2 |
According to this report from Desert Pines High School, many kids stay in school because of extracurricular activities.
This video was made with support from Heather Caputo, program mentor from Vegas PBS.
Desert Pines High School, Las Vegas, NV
Desert Pines High School is a public high school in Las Vegas, Nevada and is a part of the Clark County School District. The school which opened in 1999, also houses the Academy of Information Technology and the Academy of Communications.
PBS NewsHour Extra Student Reporting Labs are classrooms, after-school programs and clubs around the country producing original, inspiring reports about how national and global issues affect local communities. | <urn:uuid:6c44ca69-bcc9-4538-8995-ffdc740544a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.studentreportinglabs.com/video/education/participation-sports-keeps-kids-school | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964095 | 138 | 1.796875 | 2 |
In the October 2012 issue of First Things there is an article by Stanton Jones and Mark Yarhouse, respectively on the faculties of Wheaton College and Regent University (two banner institutions in the vanguard of the Evangelical intellectual resurgence). The article deals with a curious event in the world of “reparative therapy”, which seeks to induce homosexuals to become heterosexuals. Robert Spitzer was the author of a 2003 article which attracted wide attention—“Can Some Gay Men and Lesbians Change their Sexual Orientation?” On the basis of a study he conducted of individuals who had attempted this change, Spitzer concluded that a significant number achieved their goal. What has generated new attention is that Spitzer has changed his mind: He now says that his data did not justify his conclusion, and he apologizes to anyone who went into therapy under the influence of his article. Jones and Yarhouse challenge Spitzer’s recantation and argue that his own data still support his earlier conclusion. They on their part conclude that, although the scientific evidence on this issue is still inconclusive, their own work shows that some individuals do indeed emerge from “reparative therapy” with the desired erotic interest in the other sex rather than their own. They refer to their own article, published in 2011 under the ponderous title “A Longitudinal Study of Attempted Religiously Mediated Sexual Orientation Change”.
Needless to say, this is not just a theoretical dispute among practitioners in the pluralistic emporium of American psychotherapy (which has as many denominations as American Protestantism). The dispute has obvious relevance to a number of hot-button issues in the ongoing culture war, notably the current debate over same-sex marriage. First Things is not exactly neutral on these issues. In the same issue of the journal there is an extensive discussion of a manifesto by Douglas Farrow, a member of FT’s advisory council, “Thirteen Theses on Marriage”. Thesis 10 states that “The faithful marriage of man and woman provides the only context in which [sexual] intimacy can be properly realized and fully expressed”. In Thesis 12 heterosexual marriage is described as “the natural family unit”, which public policy should “encourage”. This closely replicates Roman Catholic teaching that homosexuality, whether congenital or achieved, is an objective disorder. Many Evangelicals share this view (even if they may not share the Catholic understanding of natural law). In this view the only moral options for a disordered but faithful individual is to either seek a cure from the disorder or embrace a life of chastity. If he or she goes for the first option, there is now a network of therapists ready to assist. Also in the same issue of FT there is an advertisement by NARTH, the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, founded in 1992 and, appropriately enough, housed in the Thomas Aquinas Clinic in Encino, California. Its mission statement proclaims “the right of all individuals to choose [my italics] their own destiny”. This then includes the right of individuals to seek therapy to be cured of “unwanted sexual attraction”.
It is not quite clear how one can choose one’s destiny—logically, it would seem to be the one or the other. I suppose in the context it could mean that one embraces rather than rejects an original sexual orientation. But in the same context of the NARTH offer the emphasis is clearly on choice: An individual may choose between three available options—to stay homosexual, to become heterosexual, or to be celibate. In the current cultural climate in America, and generally in the ethos of modernity, choice is a central value—in politics, lifestyle and even identity. Abortion is legitimated as “a woman’s right to choose”. On the other side of the ideological fence, “educational choice” is the buzzword in the campaign for charter schools and vouchers. Democracy and capitalism are based on the “right to choose”, by the citizen and the consumer. America has long been the country of second chances, where individuals can re-invent themselves. I have long argued that modernity itself brings about an enormous shift from fate to choice, from tools to meanings. And as feminists have been telling us, with a polemical edge against a certain old Viennese pessimist, biology is not destiny. Thus it is ironic that, in the current debate over homosexual identity, traditionalists peddling their “reparative therapy” appeal to the right to choose one’s sexual identity, while the supposedly progressive gay movement wants us to believe that homosexuality is a congenital condition that cannot be changed and must be recognized as such by society.
As far as I know, it was not always so. I had never paid much attention to homosexuality until an experience I had when I decided to attend a criminal trial in North Carolina, where I had my first full-time teaching job. The defendant was a married man from a prominent family, so that the trial attracted public attention. I was in court when the defendant was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison for the crime of “sodomy”; I happened to see the face of his mother when the sentence was pronounced. I recall turning to a colleague and exclaiming “This is barbaric!” Subsequently, in some early writings, I wrote against the persecution of homosexuals as based on the fanatic’s fear of freedom, including the fear of desiring a man instead of a woman. This led to a visit, in the mid-1960s, by one of the founders of the Mattachine Society, one of the predecessors of the gay movement (the term was not yet used then). We had a number of conversations. I don’t remember any reference to homosexuality as a biologically determined condition. Rather, it was defended in terms of individual freedom and the right to privacy. The defense in terms of a supposedly unchangeable disposition came later. The reason for this is very clear: If homosexuality is congenital in the same way as skin color, then the gay movement can define itself as an offspring of the Civil Rights Movement, and homophobia is a correlate of racism as a sin against the democratic creed.
Given the emotional temperature surrounding homosexual issues today, I should say a word about my own views. Ever since my vision of barbarism in a North Carolina court many years ago, I have been passionately committed to the human and civil rights of people whose sexuality is not approved by the Pope or the Southern Baptist Convention. I have been less committed to what now calls itself the LGBT movement. But then I am suspicious of all political movements, because they can easily morph into lynch mobs. (Have you read newspapers these days?) I have no idea what is “the natural family unit”, but I doubt whether it is the modern nuclear family, which is about as old as the steam engine. (In an earlier post I have discussed the issue of same-sex marriage, expressing a perspective which does not motivate me to march in either ideological parade. No need to repeat this discussion here.) As to the immediate matter of therapy for aspiring heterosexuals, I am sure that both sides in the dispute (and the so-called “peer reviews” that assess them) are tinged with ideology. (So are many “peer reviews”, at least in the human sciences—the “peers” are frequently either friends or enemies of the reviewees.) I have no intention of delving into the methodological esoterica of Spitzer-1, Spitzer-2 and his (or their) critics. But I don’t mind voicing a hunch, based on everything I know about human behavior: Some of it is biologically determined, most of it is not, but is rather the result of various processes of socialization. The hunch then is that some homosexuals are born that way and some are not, and some make deliberate choices one way or the other. I have no interest whatsoever in changing anyone’s sexual orientation.
All human identities are fragile, depending on social support (or what I have called “plausibility structures”). Therefore, they are in principle capable of being changed. This has always been the case (see the ubiquity of rites of passage). In a modern society, because of its plurality of social environments, many changes occur gradually and are less than total—secondary socialization processes (that is, those occurring after early childhood) caused by education, social mobility or migration. But there are also radical transformations of identity, sometimes imposed coercively on an individual, sometimes undertaken intentionally. In my early work on the sociology of knowledge I have called such transformations “alternations” (possibly a dubious contribution to the English language). What is more, I have provided a list of requirements for successful alternations. If I were unscrupulous enough, I could set up a consultancy for aspiring agents of alternation, teaching from an instruction manual that I could easily write. (I have consoled myself with the thought that such agents usually have their own rules of procedure—they don’t need me—and in any case, I would have scruples.)
There have always been institutions that sought to change the identity of their subjects. Some process volunteers, others are in a position to impose the alternation process by force. A full typology of these institutions will have to describe and account for the differences between the two types. In the contemporary world examples of the former type are monastic orders or elite military units, of the latter type prisons or (to a lesser degree) hospitals. Individuals apply to become novices in a monastery or recruits in the Marine Corps; no one seeks to become a prisoner or hospital patient. The term “brain washing” was coined by the Chinese Communists to describe highly sophisticated techniques of identity transformation (originally developed in the Soviet Union), used both in prison camps and cadre schools. It was much discussed in the wake of the Korean War, during which the techniques were very successfully applied to American POWs, a distressing number of whom were “turned” by their captors and then engaged in anti-American propaganda. The basic formula for successful alternation is quite simple: The original identity of the “alternee” is broken down, after which the new identity is constructed. In a curious way this process imitates what happens in primary socialization to a young child, who must develop strong emotional ties with those in charge and whose resources for resistance are very limited. (As the anthropologist Margaret Mead put it, “The adults always win”.) Primary socialization has a great advantage: It starts from scratch. The secondary socialization involved in alternation must dismantle before it can construct. A degree of infantilization is a requirement: The alternee is emotionally dependent on the alternator, and thus comes to identify with the latter. Physical abuse and humiliation are useful techniques. (Chinese prison guards have invented an ingenious way of quickly achieving infantilization: The prisoner is shackled, with the hands in back, for long periods of time, thus forced to urinate and defecate inside the clothes – dependent on the guards like a helpless infant in soiled diapers). The identification with one’s captor and/or torturer has been called “the Stockholm syndrome”, after a case in Sweden in which kidnap victims took the side of the kidnappers.
This process is obviously facilitated if its subjects can be physically segregated and separated from earlier significant others, at least during the “basic training” phase. Psychotherapists in America do not have this opportunity (at least not outside mental hospitals). The segregation must be “virtual” rather than actual. It is sustained by the emotional link with the therapist (Freudians have called this “transference”). Earlier significant others—parents, spouses, mentors—are re-interpreted in a “re-written” autobiography. Communist brain washing staffs required their subjects to write and re-write the stories of their lives, until they got it “right” in accordance with the official ideology; American psychotherapists can only induce virtual “re-writing”. In the process of alternation the subject’s life story is divided into two parts: “B.C.”, before the initiation into the new identity, and “A.D.” after its achievement. On whatever level of sophistication, those in charge provide theoretical resources to explain the transformation and to control doubt.
Back to the debate between Spitzerism, neo-Spitzerism and anti-Spitzerism: I have no difficulty believing that some homosexuals could be converted to heterosexuality, if the therapists in charge command the necessary techniques (even in the absence of physical means of segregation and coercion). By the same methods heterosexuals could be converted to homosexuality. (If, say, they work in the fashion industry, I could think of a motive.) Any unscrupulous sociologist will be able to write an instruction manual for a “clinic” devoted to either purpose. It seems to me that, in a democracy, individuals should be free to check themselves into either facility. I, for one, have sympathy for neither the one nor the other therapeutic program. | <urn:uuid:003b3126-3797-4aa2-8839-bf4d81d3d0d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/berger/2012/09/26/an-instruction-manual-for-the-radical-transformations-of-identity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965394 | 2,781 | 1.96875 | 2 |
How We Present
Good news report from Canada
Global Country of World Peace Translate This Article
19 August 2007
13 August was the 13th day of the second month of the 2nd year of Canadian national consciousness rising to invincibility, as indicated by the following press reports:
13 August 2007
The Globe and Mail - Quebec Inuit to sign historic self-governance agreement (13 August 2007) A giant swath of land covering one-third of Quebec is on track to become a self-governing region for the province's 10,000 Inuit. To be called the Regional Government of Nunavik, it will have its own elected assembly and a public service responsible for services normally delivered by provinces, such as education and health. The agreement-in-principle between the Inuit, Quebec, and Ottawa was initialled by the three sides last week, meaning it should be ready for a formal signing ceremony within weeks. A final agreement would then follow and the Inuit hope the new government will be in place by 2009. 'It's something new. A regional government. That doesn't exist anywhere,' Jean-François Arteau, the head legal adviser for the Quebec Inuit, said.
The Quebec Inuit would not own the subsurface mineral rights, but mining companies would be required to pay millions of dollars in royalties to the Nunavik government for projects in the region. The Nunavik Assembly will also have a five-member executive council who will act as a form of cabinet. The assembly member who receives the most votes from the public will lead the government and be a member of the five-person cabinet. Each of the five will be responsible for at least one government department such as health, education, and local and regional affairs. The community of Kuujjuaq, on Quebec's northern tip, is expected to be the capital of the new government. Though Nunavik will have close ties with its northern neighbour, the Inuit territory of Nunavut, it will remain part of Quebec and receive provincial funding to run traditionally provincial services, such as education. Ottawa will also contribute funds, and further revenue will come from taxes and royalties on natural resources projects.
Canadian Press - Inuit community aims to run a government of their own in northern Quebec (12 August 2007) The Inuit of Nunavik will be given an opportunity to manage their own affairs and territory, creating a precedent for aboriginal communities. 'It will not only be symbolic,' said Quebec Aboriginal Affairs Minister Benoit Pelletier. 'It will be the opposite. We are really heading towards a regional government in Nunavik that will be well-structured with a certain number of entrusted powers.' In the next few years, the Nunavik government—called Nunavimmiut Aquvvinga—should have the power to collect taxes, take out loans, and adopt laws. The government will be directed by a 'leader' with more power than a mayor, but less than a provincial premier. 'It will be a territory within a province,' principal lawyer for the Quebec Inuit, Jean-Francois Harteau, said. The Nunavik assembly will consist of 21 members—a leader, the mayors of the territory's 14 villages, five elected representatives, and the chief of the Naskapi First Nation. The agreement could have a 'snowball' effect; Mr Pelletier said the Quebec government would like the agreement to serve as a model for passing powers to other aboriginal communities.
Canadian Press - Quebec-France deal could ease exchange of workers, students in both places (12 August 2007) Quebec Premier Jean Charest said on Sunday that France and Quebec will soon start negotiating a 'groundbreaking' agreement that would recognize people's educational and professional accomplishments in both jurisdictions. 'What we want with France is something innovative and new that's never been done before,' Charest said. 'An overall global agreement on the recognition of diplomas and competencies, so that a doctor in France is a doctor in Quebec, an engineer in Quebec is an engineer in France.' Charest said the goal is to create a new place for Quebecers to work and study, while making the province North America's 'port of entry' for Europeans. 'On all these fronts, it's born from a common vision of opening up a whole new horizon for the citizens of Quebec,' he said. Premier Charest also hopes to strike a similar deal at the Canadian level and plans to negotiate an agreement on trade with Ontario.
The Toronto Star - CPP fund hits $120.5B with equity markets' help (11 August 2007) The Canada Pension Plan Fund grew to C$120.5 billion for the quarter ended 30 June, up C$3.9 billion from the end of the previous quarter. Equities make up 64.7 per cent of the fund. For the four-year period ended 30 June, the fund had a rolling annualized investment rate of return of 12.2 per cent. The CPP Investment Board invests the funds not needed to pay benefits to retired Canadians. The fund is expected to grow to C$250 billion over the next 10 years.
Canadian Press on landfills look to make energy from trash (12 August 2007) Garbage in landfills creates 23 per cent of Canada's methane emissions, which are 21 times more hazardous to the environment than carbon dioxide. But thanks to technology that can turn trash into electricity, dozens of landfill operators are taking advantage—a move several provinces are now trying to make mandatory. British Columbia and Quebec were the first to make rules about harnessing methane at landfills, and now Ontario is now proposing its own regulations. Ontario's Environment Ministry says about three dozen landfills would likely be affected, which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province by about two megatonnes a year. 'There's multiple benefits to collecting landfill gas, not the least of which is the reduction of potential odour problems, plus of course the economic value of producing energy from that,' said Rob Cook, president of the Ontario Waste Management Association. Considering all the benefits it provides and the fact that the technology is available and affordable, the idea is a 'no-brainer', said Ken Ogilvie, executive director of Pollution Probe. The regulations are unlikely to face any obstacles.
Canadian Press - Ontario to spend nearly $80M battling climate change with 50 million trees (13 August 2007) Ontario is setting an ambitious example for the rest of the world by committing C$79 million to plant 50 million trees to fight climate change and create a greener landscape for future generations, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Monday. The province has already planted 1.8 million trees this year, and the rest are to be planted on both public and privately owned lands in southern Ontario by 2020. It's estimated the trees will remove 3.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2054—the equivalent of 172 million cars driving about 100 kilometres.
From a Government of Ontario release on this: The United Nations today recognized the plan to plant 50 million trees in southern Ontario as the most ambitious project of its kind in North America, Premier Dalton McGuinty said. 'Ontarians know that planting trees cleans the air, provides shade, increases wildlife habitat, helps prevent flooding and stores carbon,' said Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay. The Premier was joined by scientist and astronaut Dr Roberta Bondar, who chaired the Working Group on Environmental Education. Premier McGuinty announced that the government is implementing the group's recommendations, such as integrating environmental education into all grades and developing a new optional Grade 11 course focused on the environment. 'Students care deeply about building a brighter, more sustainable future for themselves and future generations,' Bondar said.
CBC News - Yukon First Nations host peace ceremony at Kluane National Park (10 August 2007) In a traditional ceremony Friday, two First Nations made peace with staff at Kluane National Park and forgave the government for keeping them off their traditional lands for more than six decades. The ceremony, called Ka'kon or 'making peace' in the Southern Tutchone language, is used to 'heal past quarrels and make peace between rivals or those who have been opposing each other', according to the Kluane First Nation's website. The Kluane and the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations hosted the ceremony at the Yukon park, which includes Mount Logan, Canada's highest mountain. 'There's good feelings now, not bad feelings,' elder Trudy McLeod said. Champagne and Aishihik Chief Diane Strand said the ceremony ensures that the two sides can move on to manage the park lands together. 'The project has really helped us get to know more about the traditional knowledge of the area . . . ,' she said.
These are a few of the news reports reflecting Canada's rising invincibility from the growing Yogic Flying groups across Canada and the Invincible America Assembly at Maharishi University of Management and Maharishi Vedic City, USA.
For further information on creating invincibility for your nation, please visit: www.globalgoodnews.com/invincibility.html
Copyright © 2007 Global Country of World Peace
Global Good News comment:
For information about Maharishi's seven-point programme to create a healthy, happy, prosperous society, and a peaceful world, please visit: Global Financial Capital of New York.
Translation software is not perfect; however if you would like to try it, you can translate this page using: | <urn:uuid:509f4adc-990a-4c10-a350-3345d65b6f3e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://globalgoodnews.com/world-peace-a.html?art=1187323301433372 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947531 | 1,956 | 2.125 | 2 |
For the first time ever a UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights has recommended that debt payments by developing countries be suspended. ‘The right to food and water must come before debt payments.’
At the September gathering of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the UN Special Rapporteur Jan Ziegler made a case for the principle of giving priority to socio-economic rights rather than to contractual obligations such as the payment of debts. Ziegler: ‘I came up with the idea after talking to the new Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Lula). Brazil is one of the world’s largest food exporters, especially in terms of grain, but according to the Bishop’s Conference 41 million Brazilians suffer from serious malnutrition. With a debt of 230 billion dollars, Brazil is the fourth largest debtor in the world. More than 52% of the GNP is spent paying off the debt. Consequently, it is impossible for Lula to undertake anything or to bring about reforms.’
‘The repayment of foreign debts is an obligation. But my mandate states that the right to food and water should be respected above all other obligations. Now you can propose all sorts of reforms, such as minimum wages and the abolishment of slavery and child labour, but it all costs a huge amount of money. My proposal is to subtract this amount from the foreign debt.’
The Swiss Food Rapporteur Ziegler is a controversial figure. In his latest book ‘Les Nouveaux Maîtres du Monde (et ceux qui leur résistent)’ (The New Masters of the World (and those that resist them)) he brands the WTO, IMF and the World bank as ‘international figureheads of neo-liberalism’ and ‘Riders of the Apocalypse’. In the eyes of these ‘predators of world capitalism’ Ziegler is the personification of anti-globalism. He was already known as a provacateur par excellence before he was appointed to his post in 2000. The American UN representative described Ziegler’s statements as ‘irresponsible, without foundation, unreasonable and biased.’
It was only in 1993 that the UN member states considered socio-economic rights to be inalienable and universal. It was only seven years later, in 2000, that the UN Human Rights commission finally took the first concrete step. ‘[They] appointed me Rapporteur, much to everyone’s surprise… My mandate comprises three main tasks: developing the legal basis for this right, proposing legal reforms, and reporting twice a year to the UN General Meeting and the Human Rights Commission.’
‘Even now 100,000 people die every day as a result of food shortages or related illnesses. Every seven seconds a child dies of malnutrition; in 2001 – according to statistics – 826 million people suffered from extreme malnutrition, while, according to the World Food report, we are capable of feeding 12 billion people annually. One can, therefore, only conclude that every child that dies of starvation is a victim of murder. Hunger is a manmade massacre for which man is responsible. That is my starting point.’
‘It is tough going. I am constantly a victim of heavy criticism. From the IMF and the World Bank. The Americans, Australians and others are against the principle of the Right to Food. And they don’t mean it cynically. They don’t say: to hell with the rest of mankind. No, their views have solid theoretical foundations. Their main argument is that a sack of rice is merchandise just like any other product. But if distribution comes to a halt or ceases to function – just look at the famine in Chad, Bangladesh, Zambia or Ethiopia – then the international community has a moral obligation to help. This is what happens.’
Ziegler consciously continues to provoke reactions. His ‘latest theories’ will undoubtedly meet with a great deal of opposition. This has not prevented the UN from extending his mandate by three years due to the intercession of Cuba. During a debate in Geneva in June, the United States were alone in their rejection. 51 votes for, one against and one abstention – Ziegler has the overrepresentation of non-western countries in the UN to thank for the result.
Adapted with permission from Wordt Vervolgd (To be Continued), the Dutch edition of Amnesty International’s monthly magazine (September 2003). For more information also see Jean Ziegler’s ‘Les Nouveaux Maîtres du Monde (et ceux qui leur résistent’ (Fayard, 2002) and his UN reports at www.unhchr.ch. | <urn:uuid:c850cd02-1b2d-400d-a75a-b2269807537c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://odewire.com/46099/hunger-is-a-man-made-massacre.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932764 | 993 | 2.515625 | 3 |
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The two-year budget signed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker on Sunday calls for a wide range of cuts, but no general tax increases, to balance a $3 billion shortfall while also eliminating a number of Democratic-backed laws enacted in recent years.
Here are some highlights:
— Does not include any state sales or income tax increases and would limit schools and local governments on how much they could raise property taxes. Property taxes on owners of median-valued homes are projected to increase just $54 over two years.
— Income tax credits for poor families with two or more children would be reduced by $56 million over two years, a move Democrats described as a tax increase.
— Household income levels to qualify for a homestead tax credit for poor home owners and renters would be frozen, saving the state more than $13 million over two years.
— Creates a new capital gains tax deferral for investments in Wisconsin-based companies worth $36 million over two years.
— Creates a new tax credit for manufacturers and agricultural businesses worth about $129 million a year once fully phased in starting in 2016.
— Loosens taxes charged to multistate corporations, a break to them worth more than $46 million over two years.
— Creates a new sales tax exemption for advertising and promotional direct mail starting in 2013. That break, which Democrats derided as helping purveyors of junk mail, is worth $500,000 a year.
— Cuts $500 million from Medicaid through a variety of reforms including increasing co-pays and deductibles, but not by reducing benefits across the board or cutting provider reimbursement rates.
— Rejects Walker's proposal to require participants in the SeniorCare prescription drug program to first enroll in Medicare Part D.
— Cuts aid to schools by about $800 million over two years and also reduces how much schools can collect from property taxes per student, a combined cut expected to reduce revenue to districts by about $1.6 billion.
— Repeals the enrollment limit for voucher schools in Milwaukee and expands vouchers to suburban Milwaukee schools and to Racine.
— Cuts University of Wisconsin funding by $250 million, but keeps the flagship Madison campus as part of the system while giving it and other campuses more freedom in how it spends money and operates.
— Ends the Wisconsin Covenant program, one of Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's signature initiatives, on Sept. 30. The program promises financial aid for college to middle school students who promise to stay out of trouble and earn decent grades. Students who sign up for the program before Sept. 30 could still participate. Walker argues this change would protect other forms of financial aid from cuts.
— Children of illegal immigrants who attend state universities and colleges could no longer pay in-state tuition, a benefit granted in the 2009 budget by Democrats then in control of the Legislature and the governor's office.
— Cuts aid to technical colleges by 30 percent, or $72 million.
— Increases transportation funding by 1.2 percent.
— Provides $225 million to rebuild the Zoo Interchange in Milwaukee.
— Provides $195 million to continue reconstruction of Interstate 94 between Milwaukee and Kenosha.
LAW AND ORDER
— Closes the Ethan Allen School, a detention facility for boys, and move inmates to Lincoln Hills School in Lincoln County.
— Closes the Southern Oaks Girls School, a detention facility for girls, and move the inmates to Copper Lake School at Lincoln Hills.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
— Keeps hunting and fishing license fees unchanged.
— Continues to require local recycling programs and maintains state funding to help subsidize it.
— Reduce by $26 million a year what is available to be spent on the Stewardship Program, the primary program to protect land from development and preserve it for recreational use by the public.
— Ends public financing in races for governor, Legislature and state Supreme Court.
— Cuts aid to local governments by $76 million.
— State spending under the $66 billion plan would increase 1.8 percent over the two year plan.
— Cuts most state agency budgets, except for salary and benefits, by 10 percent.
— Eliminates 1,032 state positions, most of which have been vacant for more than a year.
— Downsizes the state treasurer and secretary of state's offices, moving many of their existing duties elsewhere. The EdVest college savings program would be removed from the treasurer's office while the secretary of state office would lose its responsibility to handle trademark and trade name registrations and notary public commissions.
— Leaves the state with a $306 million surplus.
Source: Legislative Fiscal BureauTags: | <urn:uuid:7b5087a4-edee-4b74-89f4-433acfa68375> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.necn.com/06/26/11/Wisconsin-budget-targets-schools-for-big/landing.html?blockID=3&apID=2bb6e7692f7642ac819e5760525e2d33 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940562 | 968 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Michael Diment, The Lone Survivor: A Diary of the Lukacze Ghetto and Svyniukhy, Ukraine (New York: Holocaust Library, 1992), pp. 121-22.
It was 4 pm already when all the young people were summoned by Moniek Lotringer and Moshe Kolier to gather in the large warehouse of Moshe Kolier. We assembled quickly. The warehouse was full. Moniek opened the meeting. Talking in Polish, he said, "All of you know the situation; how sad it is, so I won't repeat it. In a little while we will all be buried in mass graves, only because we are Jews. Dear brothers and sisters, now we must fight for our lives and revenge our fatal plight at every opportunity. In short, we have to think about what we must do. If we only were in the woods and fields. The enemy knew how to take advantage of us, so we would be forced to fight among ourselves. We all harbored antagonisms against each other, a most useful person or anyone else, and we could not reach an understanding. Now we share the same destiny. We have to destroy our enemy right here and now. We will unify our strength and not attempt to anticipate every action of our foe; our experience has taught us that we cannot predict what they will do. They have already confiscated everything that might be useful to us, from the smallest tool like an ax, a pick or an iron bar; everything was seized, and we didn't anticipate that. When the killers arrive, we should not panic, but attack the enemy, with our bare hands if necessary."
Afterwards Moshe Kolier spoke, "I would like to express my opinion. We have to consider the consequences of a struggle with no weapons. If we only had iron bars or axes with which to kill the militia. With their machine guns, they will slaughter all of us. I believe we should organize into small groups and try to escape from the ghetto. Planning to escape in larger numbers at one time could be disastrous. If we are lucky and succeed, we should meet in the Saduwer forest. These woods are connected to the others and could take us to safer areas. There we can assemble a few hundred Jews and decide what to do. Those who wish to remain in the ghetto should remember that they are responsible for burning everything, including houses and the clothes on their backs." | <urn:uuid:e45e8bf3-48ad-4079-bb37-56d3d706e1a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007237 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971254 | 498 | 2.640625 | 3 |
02-07-2013 06:31 PM
My circumstances are a bit specific, so hopefully it narrows possible suggestions.
I won't be doing much recording, if any. I'll be composing in the program itself. It would be nice to have a functionality that registers my input on a (future) keyboard and translate it into notes in the program.
See, I don't have any money for hardware, or real instruments really.
I am aiming for versatility, mostly alternative rock to electro. I hope for a large spectrum of possible and unique sounds, with room for customization; hopefully not at the expense of quality.
Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
02-08-2013 05:15 AM
02-09-2013 06:52 AM
Programs do tend to excel at some things better than others and they all tend to overlap a bit. There tends to be three main categories to choose from.
Composition software for musicians who can read and write music with or without the aid of an instrument. Motzart would have gone nuts with these kinds of programs.
Then you have your normal DAW programs are your traditional recording studio stuff where a musician plays an instrument and records audio.
Then you have your programs efficient at building music from loops and samples. I kind of see these as building frankenstein compositions from bits an scraps of other artists work. It does save time from playing every note yourself if you can find or build what fits your artistic taste.
Sounds like you want music composition software with midi capability. Sibelius and Finale are the biggies for that. You deal with the actual notes and song writing and the program can transmit and receive to midi devices. You can then move the notes around, change timings add lyrics all that kinds of stuff. These are high end programs packed with features composers use. You find many movie orchestrations written on these kinds of programs and never a note played on an actual instrument, even though the program does allow you to do that too.
Then you have programs that do better as loop/sample based music creation. Acid, Fruity loops, propeller head and any others allow you to take what others built from scratch and piece them together, kind of like stitching a word document together cutting and pasting things. Then you can add a midi keyboard and run virtual instruments, build loops and all that kinds of stuff too. They will even do analog but that's not their main specialty. Building House music, Rave, and Rap can be done on these kinds of programs.
Then you have your traditional DAW programs. Pro Tools, Sonar, Cubase, Logic etc. These programs are mainly multitrack recording programs that let you record from an analog source like a pro analog recording studio would. Most also have midi, virtual instruments and loop based recording features. Their focus is around the analog recording of live musicians but most have good tools for all the other basic stuff.
Like I said, many will have features from all categories but if your focus is mainly on one of the three it would be smart to choose a program that excels in that area. Best thing you can do is Google up a comparison chart and view the features the programs have and narrow down your choices. Then you can look up reviews and do some reading before you purchase. At least this way you aren't stuck with limited features for what you do the most.
02-09-2013 09:08 AM
HarmonyCentral.com is the leading Internet resource for musicians, supplying valuable information from news and product reviews, to classified ads and chat rooms. | <urn:uuid:b7b22909-a51c-4e46-b8c1-4eccc9c6fff6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.harmonycentral.com/t5/Recording-Forum/Need-a-DAW-recommendation/m-p/34722980/highlight/true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952395 | 744 | 1.664063 | 2 |
(PhysOrg.com) -- The next time a Boy Scout is lost in the wilderness, search and rescue teams could have better statistics on their side in deciding where to look.
The next time a Boy Scout is lost in the wilderness, search and rescue teams could have better statistics on their side in deciding where to look.
Lanny Lin, a Ph.D. candidate in Brigham Young University’s Computer Science Department, has developed computer models to predict where a lost hiker will go when he or she encounters tough terrain.
These techniques - which appear in the journal Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory - could help searchers better allocate their resources as they race against time and nature.
“As time progresses, the survivability of the missing person decreases and the effective search radius increases by approximately 3 kilometers per hour,” note Lin and BYU professor Michael Goodrich in their paper.
Lin’s statistical model calculates the most likely path a person would take when he or she comes across steep slopes, dense vegetation or water.
This predictive model starts with the point where a person was last seen and incorporates the amount of time he or she has been missing. The method combines this information with topographical data, vegetation, slope and terrain of the area and uses that to update the statistical estimates to help in the search.
In the study, Lin describes a plausible scenario where a Boy Scout becomes lost near Payson Lake. While searchers would have fanned out following the Scout’s original course of travel, the missing boy most likely would have looped back behind them when moving from a forest area to a nearby slope.
The statistical predictions are just one element of Lin and Goodrich’s search and rescue research. The magazine Popular Science featured an unmanned aerial vehicle that they’ve equipped with cameras to spot someone lost in the wilderness. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation.
Goodrich, a professor in the Computer Science Department, serves as Lin’s mentor in his doctoral work. Both are quick to give credit to all others involved in the project, emphasizing that they are just a small part of something that is hugely collaborative.
“We are building off a very long tradition,” said Goodrich. “Lanny has taken a big step forward in merging existing technologies into one method that will aid in rescuing those who get lost.”
Explore further: Computer scientist publishes new algorithm cluster to data mine health records
More information: Research paper: www.springerlink.com/content/40013h2524576007/ | <urn:uuid:c338e285-3fef-41c3-a355-aaabb1a78ec8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://phys.org/news203178237.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947481 | 533 | 2.96875 | 3 |
Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Prairie refers to an area of land in North America of low topographic relief that principally supports grasses and herbs, with few trees, and is generally of a mesic (moderate or temperate) climate. Most of the Great Plains, most of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa, and much of Missouri and Minnesota is considered prairie. French explorers called these areas "prairie", from the French word for "meadow". Almost all of this area has been converted into farmland in the last two hundred years. Sometimes in the USA a distinction is made between the short-grass vegetation of the High Plains west of the 100th meridian and the long-grass vegetation to the east. When that distiction is made, it is common to limit the word "prairie" to the long-grass area.
Fire is an important part of prairie ecology; natural and human induced fires were common in historic prairie areas. Grazing by animals such as the American Bison and Prairie dogs also helped maintain the original prairie ecology. Small areas of prairies also exist in eastern North America, and it is possible that these were created by Native Americans by periodic burning. One such area was along the southeastern shore of Lake Erie in what is now Pennsylvania and New York; another was between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake in present New York.
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type. Other temperate grasslands regions include the Pampas of Argentina, and the steppes of Russia and Ukraine.
Significant preserved areas of prairie include:
- Bong Recreational Area, in Kenosha County, Wisconsin
- Nine-Mile Prairie, Nebraska
- Konza Prairie, Manhattan, Kansas
- Niel Smith Wildlife Refuge, Iowa
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details | <urn:uuid:f20f80ab-30b5-4fee-9990-d942d53d7ea2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.all-science-fair-projects.com/science_fair_projects_encyclopedia/Prairie | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95066 | 449 | 3.359375 | 3 |
The American Red Cross has come a long way since 1881 when the newly founded emergency response organization communicated by telegraph during disasters. Today, like many global organizations, The Red Cross sees the value of using social networks to connect more quickly and effectively than its founders could have ever dreamed possible.
A recent Red Cross survey revealed that nearly a quarter of the general public and a third of the online population would use social media to let loved ones know they're safe in an emergency. It also found that people use social media during disasters to get updates, seek and give help, and connect to others.
With this data in mind, The Red Cross unveiled its Digital Operations Center, a command center dedicated to monitoring and staying in touch with the public using social channels. The innovative system uses Radian6 for listening to social media conversations—which can supply invaluable information during a disaster, and even monitor public preparedness for a serious situation.
"Radian6 gives us ways to measure the effectiveness of our community outreach," says Wendy Harman, Director of Social Strategy. "It's shortened the time for us to gather and analyze information so we can focus on turning what we learn into actionable strategies."
Red Cross team members will also use social data gathered in its Digital Operations Center to determine where to position workers on the ground.
Streamlining and improving administration—including managing volunteers, donors, training, events, and office functions—is also part of The Red Cross's social strategy. Communication with its 150 national partners and with disaster directors at more than 800 Red Cross chapters is easier with Salesforce. "It's the future," says John Crary, CIO. "Salesforce helps us effectively manage our most valuable resources—the volunteers, partners, and donors that make what we do possible." | <urn:uuid:62b932ea-6161-4020-b683-f433a207d9be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.salesforce.com/customers/stories/redcross.jsp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947382 | 362 | 1.929688 | 2 |
So why a knife-edge suspension? What's the point - edge?
Well, I know it seems like overkill for a Wiener that runs on five ounces with less than a one inch swing with healthy overswing:
How much pendulum error can be produced in a one inch swing? Not much.
Not much but; Not much but the knife-edge suspension was designed to reduce CIRCULAR ERROR of the pendulum.
You can readily see how ribbon or thread suspended pendulums are prone to - can move in a plane other than a straight line. Because they can, pendulum can wander off a straight line course necessary for accurate timekeeping.
Machining of it is very critical because in order for proper performance, bed must always rest fully across the knife edge. Otherwise it can rock fore or aft on the knife.
Why articulated? SAME reason! If pendulum doesn't hang in the same plane as the knife - again it can rock fore or aft - not fully seated on the knife, defeating all the benefits of it.
Also very important that the knife edge be in the same plane as the pallet arbor as not so doing defeats some of the benefits provided by it.
In some old clocks, the bed and knife are inverted. That is, the bed is stationary and mounted to the backcock, while the knife edge is fixed to the pendulum.
Hope you liked my new akkazishun! (I do) | <urn:uuid:975240ce-3ae4-4f08-9dd9-62ee449484fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mb.nawcc.org/showthread.php?54423-Knife-Edge-Suspension! | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9529 | 303 | 1.875 | 2 |
Adelaide Crapsey was born in Brooklyn Heights, New York. She attended Vassar College in 1897, where she was class poet for three years, editor-in-chief of her senior yearbook, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She is known as the inventor of the cinquain (five non-rhyming lines varying stresses), which she introduced in her 1914 collection Verse. She spent much of her life studying English prosody. Her early work consists mainly of elegies and short poems. The bulk of her work was written after she was admitted to a private tuberculosis sanatorium in 1913. She died shortly after the book was published. | <urn:uuid:e7c474aa-6415-414e-a114-6dc1a45f9c8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.poetryoutloud.org/poet/adelaide-crapsey | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.996173 | 134 | 2.03125 | 2 |
"New Plastic Lighting Saves Energy. Goodbye, Fluorescent Lights?"
"Scientists have designed an energy-efficient light of plastic packed with nanomaterials that glow. The shatterproof FIPEL technology can be molded into almost any shape, but still needs to prove it's commercially viable."
"Move over flickering, fluorescent tubes. There's a new bulb in town.
Scientists at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., have designed a durable, plastic light that offers an efficient, buzz-free alternative to the mass lighting deplored by cubicle workers around the globe.
'People often complain that fluorescent lights bother their eyes, and the hum from the fluorescent tubes irritates anyone sitting at a desk underneath them,' David Carroll, the lead scientist behind the light's development, said in a statement. 'The new lights we have created can cure both of those problems and more.'
The lighting uses layers of plastic packed with nanomaterials that glow when an electric current is introduced. It's called field-induced polymer electroluminescent (FIPEL) technology. Not only does it quietly project soft, white light, it's also shatterproof, low-temperature, and can be molded into almost any shape, the scientists say."Source: Christian Science Monitor, 12/04/2012 | <urn:uuid:e380eed7-ce86-468c-8792-ba49b1d8dbbd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sej.org/headlines/new-plastic-lighting-saves-energy-goodbye-fluorescent-lights | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935188 | 272 | 2.875 | 3 |
Opinion diverges on the impact of outsourcing, or offshoring, service activities. Some economists blithely dismiss services as nontradable, while a recent BusinessWeek cover titled “Is your job next?” reflects broad public fears. A relative lack of data on the service sector, and trade in services in particular, has hampered dialogue on this issue. Yet understanding the size, scope, and impact of services is crucial to assessing US competitiveness and interpreting developments in the US labor market.
An important way to identify which workers are vulnerable to international trade in services is to look at services that are traded domestically. These services can be classified as potentially tradable internationally, and estimates can be made of the number of workers in tradable activities in each sector. Demographic characteristics of workers in tradable and nontradable activities and employment growth in traded and nontraded services can then be compared, and the risk of job loss and other employment outcomes for workers in tradable activities can be examined. In fact, Census data reveal a rich picture of how many workers could be affected by offshoring, what kinds of workers are most likely to be affected, and what job losses can be expected.
How many workers are potentially affected by services offshoring?
A significant share of total employment is in tradable service industries. For example, more workers are in tradable industries in the services sector than in manufacturing. The share of total employment in tradable professional services is 13.7 percent, while the share of employment in tradable manufacturing industries is 12.4 percent. Some big services sectors—education, health care, personal services, and public administration—do in fact have low shares of employment in tradable industries. However, because the services sector is much larger than the manufacturing sector, the number of workers potentially exposed to international trade in services is actually larger than the number of exposed workers in manufacturing.
Some intermediate inputs into service production might be tradable even though the service industry itself is not (think computer programming or other back office operations for the banking industry). In the aggregate, the share of these sorts of workers—in tradable occupations but in nontradable industries—is not large, at about 10 percent. However, for business and professional occupations, the share of workers in tradable occupations but nontradable industries is much larger. The typical professional occupation has about 25 percent of its employment in tradable occupations but nontradable industries. To the extent that firms can disentangle intermediate service inputs from the rest of their business, workers in these tradable occupations are vulnerable to trade, even though their industry is not tradable. Thus the industry results shown in the figure above on the share of workers potentially vulnerable to trade are understated; the typical white-collar occupation involves an activity that could be traded.
What do tradable service workers look like?
Workers in tradable sectors have higher education levels and significantly higher wages. The higher incomes are not solely a result of higher skill levels—even controlling for differences in skills, workers in tradable service activities, like professional services, earn incomes almost 20 percent higher than those earned by similar workers in nontradable activities in the same sector.
What is the employment impact?
The data for employment growth differences are not definitive, yet it appears that tradable and nontradable service activities have similar net employment growth rates, except at the lowest end of the skill distribution. Low-skill tradable industries and occupations have negative average employment growth compared with positive (though low) employment growth in nontraded, low-skill services.
Some evidence suggests that displacement rates—that is, an individual worker’s loss of a job—are higher from tradable services than from nontradable. Also, there are higher displacement rates from tradable white-collar occupations than from nontradable. However, this period includes the telecom and dot-com bust, which undoubtedly contribute to, if not drives, this result. Consistent with the characteristics of employed service workers in general, workers displaced from tradable services are more educated and earn more than workers displaced from nontradable activities. Displaced tradable service workers are more likely to find new jobs than their counterparts in nontradable activities. Nonetheless, both tradable and nontradable service activities suffer earnings losses.
The data demonstrate that a significant number of jobs are potentially at risk due to offshoring. These results highlight the need to
For more information, see Working Paper 05-9. | <urn:uuid:6b1ccfc2-2fcc-4787-8219-85d26e6ee9e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/paper.cfm?ResearchID=638 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946995 | 919 | 2.171875 | 2 |
Endemic to southwestern Sri Lanka where it is restricted to the Kalu, Bentota, Gin, and Nilwala river basins in the southwestern ‘wet zone’ of the island, with type locality given as ‘Kaluganga River, near Illukvattai ferry on Ratnapura to Gilimalé road, Sabaragamuwa Province’.
Very little of the country’s forest cover remains due to human activities, with the result that habitat and water quality have been heavily degraded and numerous native fish species are now considered at risk of extinction.
The ‘wet zone’ of southwestern Sri Lanka is an area receiving annual rainfall of 2000-3000 mm, much of which arrives during the South-West monsoons between March and August. It’s a tropical environment with no significant dry spells or climatic changes, and air temperature is fairly constant throughout the year, ranging from 25 – 27 °C. Such conditions favour development of lowland tropical rainforest at altitudes below 1000 m AMSL.
In Sri Lanka these forests are found only in the wet zone and they’re inhabited by a significant proportion of the country’s endemic flora and fauna with the moist, warm climate and long period of geographic isolation leading to exceptional localised biodiversity. The vast majority has been cleared for plantation agriculture, however, much of it when the country was under British colonial rule, though a significant portion was also removed during the more-recent civil war, with more than 35% of the original cover lost between 1990 and 2005.
As of 2006 only 4.6% of the old forest was left with the remainder existing only in small, highly-fragmented patches, most covering areas less than 10 km², of which some are now officially-protected reserves. Kottawa Forest is one of these and comprises just 15-20 hectares of wet, evergreen jungle, though the combined Kottawa-Kombala forest covers around 1600 ha. A number of minor, pristine streams containing clear or slightly-stained, shallow water traverse the reserve and these represent typical habitats of P. nigrofasciata across its range.
Little sun is able to penetrate the forest floor so aquatic habitats are shaded and water temperature may be relatively cool, while conductivity and hardness are generally low and pH slightly acid. Macrophytes are uncommon though there may be dense, marginal vegetation, sometimes overhanging the full width of the stream, the roots of which may penetrate the banks underwater. Typical substrates are sandy but covered by a layer of leaf litter with fallen twigs and branches.
Sympatric fish species include Pethia nigrifasciata, Puntius bimaculatus, P. kelumi, P. titteya, Dawkinsia singhala, Schistura notostigma, Mystus vittatus, Aplocheilus werneri, Channa orientalis, Malpulutta kretseri, and Mastacembelus armatus.
Maximum Standard Length
35 – 40 mm.
Aquarium SizeTop ↑
Base dimensions of at least 60 ∗ 30 cm or equivalent are required.
Choice of décor is not especially critical though it tends to show better colouration in a heavily-planted set-up with a dark substrate. The addition of some floating plants, driftwood roots or branches, and leaf litter also seems to be appreciated and adds a more natural feel.
Filtration does not need to be particularly strong as it mostly hails from sluggish waters and may struggle if there is a fast current in the tank. It can be tricky to acclimatise to aquarium life as it often arrives in poor condition and is sensitive to swings in water chemistry. As a result it should not be introduced to biologically immature aquaria and small, regular water changes of around 10% tank volume are the ideal in terms of maintenance.
Temperature: 23 – 27 °C
pH: 5.5 – 7.0
Hardness: 18 – 143 ppm
Stomach analyses of wild specimens have revealed it to be primarily a micropredator feeding on invertebrates and organic detritus. In the aquarium it’s easily-fed but the best condition and colours offer regular meals of small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia, and Artemia, alongside good quality dried flakes and granules.
Behaviour and CompatibilityTop ↑
Unsuitable for many community aquaria as it has a retiring nature and may be intimidated or outcompeted for food by larger or more boisterous tankmates. Small cyprinids such as Trigonostigma, Boraras, smaller Rasbora, some Pethia and Puntius species represent ideal tankmates as do peaceful loaches from genera such as Pangio.
It’s a schooling species by nature, and at least 6-10 specimens should be purchased. Maintaining it in such numbers will not only make the fish less skittish but result in a more effective, natural looking display, and males will develop better colours in the presence of conspecific rivals.
Adult males are noticeably smaller, slimmer, and more colourful than females, especially when in spawning condition.
A typical egg-scattering free spawner exhibiting no parental care. When in good condition adults spawn often and in a mature aquarium it’s possible that small numbers of fry may start to appear without intervention.
However if you want to increase yield a slightly more controlled approach is required therefore a dedicated breeding tank should be set up. A clump or two of aTaxiphyllum sp. or similar fine-leaved plant will provide cover and security for the fish as well as an alternative medium for egg-deposition. Filtration should be very gentle and an air-powered sponge-type unit is best as it will not suck in eggs or fry.
According to most reports it is best spawned in a group of 5 to 6 well-conditioned adult pairs. These are added to the breeding tank and left to spawn in situ for 4 or 5 days before being removed. Eggs are usually deposited in small batches of around 20 and several spawning events normally occur before a female is spent. The fry can then be reared in the same tank and some breeders recommend reducing the water level to around 4″/10cm at this point.
Incubation is temperature-dependant to an extent but usually takes between 24 and 48 hours with the young free-swimming after 3-5 days. Initial food should be Paramecium or similar introducing Artemia nauplii, microworm, etc. once the fry are large enough to accept them. They’re said to be slow-growing and take several months to reach maturity.
This species may also be seen on sale as ‘pearly rasbora’, ‘vateria flower rasbora’, ‘orange-finned barb’, or ‘Singhalese fire barb‘ and is not a common species in the trade. As far as we know it’s not yet being produced commercially in any great numbers and its rather delicate nature means that problems often arise during shipping. Restrictions on exports of wild fish from its native Sri Lanka have also limited its availability.
The fish vary in colour depending on locality with red, orange and yellow-finned forms known to date, while the colour of the body can also differ from red or orange to bluish. There were four subspecies described in the 1950s (at which point they were considered members of the genus Rasbora) based on these variations; R. v. vaterifloris from the Kalu river, R. v. ruber from the Bentota river, R. v. pallida from the Gin river and R. v. rubriculis from the Nilwala river.
These are still regarded as valid by some authorities although it’s widely accepted that they represent variants of R. vaterifloris due to a lack of type material hindering conclusive study. Rasboroides nigromarginata (Meinken, 1956) has also been used to refer to a reddish form in which males differ from other populations in possessing dark fin margins, but the name is currently considered synonymous with R. vaterifloris by most sources despite the fish being rediscovered in 2010.
Brittan erected the subgenus Rasboroides in 1954 but it was not until 1993 that Maurice Kottelat elevated it to full genus level. This change has not yet been recognised by all authorities and it is still widely referred to as Rasbora vaterifloris in the aquarium hobby. A 2007 phylogenetic study confirmed that it should be included in a separate genus as it shows a large enough degree of genetic divergence from other Sri Lankan rasboras such as R. caverii and R. wilpita to be considered as such, splitting away from the lineage around 8.6 million years ago whereas the other two shared a common ancestor up to 1.6 mya.
Several captive breeding initiatives have been set up in order that that R. vaterifloris can be produced commercially for the aquatic trade. Unfortunately reports suggest that the more highly-coloured fish are becoming scarcer and there is a distinct possibility that selective collections for the aquatic trade have altered the structure of the species‘ wild populations.
Juveniles also tend to be returned to the water with only the adults being collected and many of these die before even reaching an aquarium shop due to poor handling techniques. According to Pethiyagoda (1991) only around 10% of the fish collected end up in hobbyists’ tanks.
- Ekaratne, S. U. K., 2000 - BOBP/REP/88
A Review of the Status and Trends of Exported Ornamental Fish Resources and Their Habitats in Sri Lanka.
- Kottelat, M., 1999 - Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 47(2): 591-600
Nomenclature of the genera Barbodes, Cyclocheilichthys, Rasbora and Chonerhinos (Teleostei: Cyprinidae and Tetraodontidae), with comments on the definition of the first reviser.
- Liao, T. Y., S. O. Kullander, and F. Fang, 2009 - Zoologica Scripta 39(2): 155-176
Phylogenetic analysis of the genus Rasbora (Teleostei: Cyprinidae).
- Mayden, R. L., K. L. Tang, K. W. Conway, J. Freyhof, S. Chamberlain, M. Haskins, L. Schneider, M. Sudkamp, R. M. Wood, M. Agnew, A. Bufalino, Z. Sulaiman, M. Miya, K. Saitoh, and S. He, 2007 - Journal of Experimental Zoology, Molecular Development and Evolution 308B: 642-654
Phylogenetic relationships of Danio within the order Cypriniformes: a framework for comparative and evolutionary studies of a model species.
- Pethiyagoda, R., 1991 - The Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka, Colombo: i-xiii + 1-362
Freshwater fishes of Sri Lanka.
- Silva, A., K. Maduwage, and R. Pethiyagoda, 2010 - Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 21(1): 27-50
A review of the genus Rasbora in Sri Lanka, with description of two new species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). | <urn:uuid:888435eb-d8ae-464b-babc-d13376bccbe3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/rasboroides-vaterifloris/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921974 | 2,456 | 3.640625 | 4 |
Taking Care of Yourselves
If your premature infant is moved to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), you may become overwhelmed with new emotions and information. You and your loved ones may handle issues and feelings differently, and it may create a strain on your relationships.
Thinking of yourself and your relationships may not be easy when you are under a lot of stress. But your child or children depend on you to be physically and emotionally able to care for them.
Take a quiet moment and focus on yourself. Ask yourself, "How am I doing? What do I need right now?" Try to take time to get enough rest, food, exercise, and fresh air and sunlight. Do you have someone you can talk to: a partner, friend, parent, spiritual advisor, or counselor? If any of these basic needs aren't being met, make them a top priority.
- Arrange for and accept as much help from friends and family as you can.
- Keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings.
- Visit with a friend, spiritual advisor, Reference counselor Opens New Window, or Reference social worker Opens New Window. It helps to talk about how you feel.
- If your hospital has a support group for NICU parents, try it out. Sometimes the best possible support comes from people who are going through the same issues that you are.
- See a mental health professional or go to the emergency room right away if you are having thoughts of hurting yourself or another person. Such thoughts can sometimes arise due to Reference postpartum depression Opens New Window, severe stress, or both.
- Watch for signs of Reference depression Opens New Window, Reference anxiety Opens New Window, or Reference post-traumatic stress disorder Opens New Window. Seek help if you have symptoms.
|By:||Reference Healthwise Staff||Last Revised: Reference April 14, 2011|
|Medical Review:||Reference Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine
Reference John Pope, MD - Pediatrics
- Health Tools
- Delivery of Your Premature Infant
- Taking Care of Yourselves
- The Premature Newborn
- The Sick Premature Infant
- Getting to Know the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
- Taking Your Baby Home
- The First Weeks at Home
- Looking Ahead to the Childhood Years
- Other Places To Get Help
- Related Information | <urn:uuid:37b3e8f3-dd7d-4525-9676-cca1a43d68fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pamf.org/teen/healthinfo/?A=C&type=info&hwid=tn5684§ion=tn6255 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902747 | 495 | 1.84375 | 2 |
iREPORTERS SIGNED UP
Created January 27, 2012 by
America is as big and diverse as they come. It’s also what makes this country unique.
In February, CNN Newsroom and HLN will feature a series of stories called I AM AMERICA. We want to know your story: Were you raised in a big family – maybe with several generations living under one roof? Do you live in a very rural or very urban part of America? Tell us about your interesting lives and lifestyles -- in essence, what makes you, you. Your responses may appear on CNN or HLN. You can also view some of the submissions on the In America blog.
Here’s what you do:
1. Start by saying "I AM AMERICA."
2. Tell us your name and where you live (city and state). Then tell us something about yourself that makes you uniquely American.
3. Keep your description to 30 seconds or less.
4. End by saying "I'm (name) and I AM AMERICA."
Click through the iReports below to watch a few examples from CNN and HLN staff.
|Last 24 Hours||//||Last Week||//||All Time| | <urn:uuid:f2a66d02-1b2b-4dc8-bc73-708e46051d40> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ireport.cnn.com/topics/737531/commented/all | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954071 | 249 | 1.929688 | 2 |
This newly opened facility addresses the needs of patients who have swelling in a body part (usually a limb) because of an accumulation of lymph fluid just under the skin. There is no cure for this chronic condition, which can be congenital or caused by radiation damage or the removal of lymph nodes during breast cancer and certain other surgeries. Physiotherapy can help relieve symptoms through manual lymph drainage and compression. Phase I treatment typically involves one hour of therapy per day for 3 – 6 weeks. Patients are also fitted with compression sleeves or stockings, which they should continue to wear on an ongoing basis.
For more information about lymphedema, click here. | <urn:uuid:767ae846-bec3-4466-81aa-c5435ac2301f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bermudahospitals.bm/outpatient-services/lymphedema-clinic.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938472 | 132 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Source Material: Nirvana, Nevermind
You already know the story: two decades ago, Seattle, Sub Pop and grunge became regular topics of conversation among music geeks, rock writers and those most fickle consumers of all, teenagers. It can be argued Nirvana were not the first to do whatever it is "grunge" did. They weren't the first to bring alternative music to pop radio. They weren't even the first to have a naked baby on their album cover. But firsts don't really mean a damn in the scheme of things (nor do charts, necessarily: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" never even cracked the top five of Billboard's Hot 100), and Nirvana are rightly credited as the straw that finally broke the 1980s' sleek and well-coiffed back, ultimately reinventing pop radio in 1991.
When Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl (plus former drummer Chad Channing, whose work on "Polly" made the final Nevermind cut) and producer Butch Vig bridged two extremes of outsider music self-deprecating indie rock and embittered punk rock they didn't expect or even intend to kick Michael Jackson off his throne and revolutionize pop music. But soon their mugs were all over MTV, and even the most remote 13-year-old kid suffering through raging hormones and a growing distrust of authority knew something pretty cool was happening.
Beyond its indelible place in pop culture history, though, Nevermind is simply an incredible album. Try, try listening to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Breed" without feeling your body boil in a rush of anarchic adrenaline, or "In Bloom" and "Territorial Pissings" without uncontrollably flailing your hair and unironically wondering whatever happened to moshpits, or "Come As You Are" and "Lithium" without cranking your mouth into a sinister sneer, or "Something in the Way" without sensing Cobain's uncomfortably numbed pain.
Cobain and Co. were never shy about the inspirations behind Nevermind they used their fame as a platform to recognize and honor their fellow musicians and influences. Cobain wore Daniel Johnston T-shirts, permanently inked a K Records logo on his arm, covered Meat Puppets and Velvet Underground tracks, championed smaller indie bands like The Vaselines and the Melvins, and frequently praised the Pixies for informing Nevermind's sound. (From a 1993 Rolling Stone interview: "I have to admit it. When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily that I should have been in that band or at least a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard.") When Cobain became king, the popular kids never stood a chance.
Below, read about and listen to the definitive albums that helped define the iconic sounds of Nevermind, this year celebrating 20 years of wreaking havoc on pop music and terrifying parents who just don't understand. | <urn:uuid:321a57c8-1382-4821-81a5-35c2901748af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rhapsody.com/blog/post/nevermind | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958871 | 632 | 1.632813 | 2 |
An appeals court has cleared a Norwegian man of DVD piracy charges.
Jon Johansen wanted to watch DVDs using Linux
The court upheld an earlier verdict that Jon Johansen, 20, had not broken the law by creating a system that could get around copy protection on DVDs.
The ruling is a setback to anti-piracy efforts by the Hollywood studios.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) said it was disappointed by the court's decision, saying it encouraged others to circumvent copyright controls.
Free to copy
The case was seen as a major test of Norway's computer protection laws
Mr Johansen, known as "DVD Jon" by the net community, created his program to watch films on a Linux-based computer.
He then posted the program onto the net in 1999.
His software, called DeCSS, could decrypt disks by stripping the Content Scrambling System from DVDs.
The US movie industry had accused DVD Jon of theft. But an Oslo court said in January 2003 that he was free to do what he wanted with DVDs he bought legally.
The appeals court has now agreed with the original ruling, throwing out the case of the MPAA.
In her 30-minute ruling, Judge Wenche Skjeggestad said Mr Johansen could freely copy DVDs he had bought, adding he had not violated Norway's laws protecting intellectual property.
It is not clear whether the case will now go before Norway's supreme court.
In a statement, the MPAA said it was disappointed by the ruling.
"The actions of serial hackers such as Mr Johansen are damaging to honest consumers everywhere.
"While the ruling does not affect laws outside of Norway, we believe this decision encourages circumvention of copyright that threatens consumer choice and employment in the film and television industries."
The Hollywood studios say piracy costs them $3bn a year in lost sales. | <urn:uuid:e8512d6f-4195-4b05-8dd0-434dabb53ebc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3341211.stm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965936 | 383 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Innovative Sensor to Measure Detonation Properties of Propellants and Explosives
A breakthrough high speed approach to measure velocity, position, pressure and temperature during burn, deflagration and detonation of highly energetic materials has been successfully demonstrated during Phase I using specially designed fiber grating sensor assemblies. Phase II is directed toward greatly extending measurement capabilities with parallel development of a prototype read out system and sensor assemblies that will allow the system to be widely fielded and commercialized. The speed of the initial prototype will allow detection of events with rise times of approximately 3 to 5 ns over length of 135 mm. Extensions of sensor capabilities will allow sensing over longer lengths and the fundamentals of the system allow high speeds to be obtained. The initial target operational speed is chosen to result in the highest possible signal to noise level while retaining cost effectiveness by accessing commerically available detectors and amplifiers. The Phase I read out system had a dynamic range up to approximately 1,500,000 psi with sensor assemblies surviving pressures that are estimated to exceed 4,000,000 psi. The Phase II read out system will be designed to extend the read out range to 4,000,000 psi and greatly enhance the ability to separate out pressure and temperature measurements that were demonstrated but limited during Phase I feasiblity demonstrations.
Small Business Information at Submission:
Columbia Gorge Research, LLC
2555 NE 205th Avenue PO Box 382 Fairview, OR -
Number of Employees: | <urn:uuid:ee4c75bc-7554-431f-a1b7-c3f433a517d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/385363 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91871 | 294 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Wiper release at Huntington North
There was a wiper release at Huntington North Reservoir on July 13. Aquatics director for the Division of Wildlife Resources, Justin Hart said there were 10,000 two inch fish released. They scattered them around the edges of the lake where they can take cover from predators while they have a chance to grow.
Three years ago wipers were planted at Huntington North and these fish are now between 12-14 inches. Hart estimates it will take these newly planted fish at least three years to grow to catchable length.
It was reported some some anglers are having success catching the wipers from the shore. Hart said these fish are really challenging to catch and put up a good fight. The limit is six wipers. | <urn:uuid:3541144d-bd34-4110-a503-c24b3f3eabd0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ecprogress.com/index.php?tier=1&article_id=12813 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984921 | 153 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Thanks to the photographic output of a small squadron of interplanetary spacecraft, we have awakened to the beauty and splendor of the solar system. Since Michael Benson’s masterful book Beyond: Visions of the Interplanetary Probes, new, more powerful cameras in probes with greatly improved maneuverability have traversed the wheeling satellites of Jupiter; roamed the boulder-strewn red deserts of Mars; studied Saturn’s immaculate rings; and shown us our own ravishing Earth, a blue-white orb with a disturbingly thin atmosphere, as it plunges deeper into ecological crisis. These new images are the subject of Benson’s Planetfall, a truly revelatory book that uses its large page size to reproduce the greatest achievements in contemporary planetary photography as never before.
Praise for Planetfall:
“This is the way I like to tour the solar system. Find a chair. Sit. Turn some pages. Gaze. Wonder.” —NPR.com
“Beautiful interplanetary images.” —MSNBC.com
“Beautiful visions of what’s out there.” —The Huffington Post
“To encounter a Benson landscape is to be in awe of not only how he sees the universe, but also the ways in which he composes the never-ending celestial ballet.” —Time.com
About the Author
Michael Benson, a writer, filmmaker, and photographer, is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on astronomical imagery. His book Far Out: A Space-Time Chronicle was heralded in the New York Times as an extraordinary achievement: “If you don’t have your own Hubble Space Telescope, this book is the next best thing.” He lives in New York City. | <urn:uuid:edcfda75-37e5-479a-9e05-6246dd753a15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tatteredcover.com/book/9781419704222 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901514 | 374 | 2.015625 | 2 |
The House of Cards
by C H A R L E S L . M E E
Originally produced under the title of Chiang Kai Chek
The piece plays out at a very slow, dream-like pace.
The setting is beautiful, exquisite.
A live tree is to one side.
Elsewhere is a woman with a cello.
A man builds a house of cards throughout the entire piece
so that the house of cards becomes a vast, elaborate structure.
There was once a man named Frederick
who had a small son,
and the son had a pet tortoise.
One day the father decided to roast the tortoise,
so he put a burning stick against the tortoise's belly.
The tortoise kicked
and jerked his head
and the heat of the stick
caused the shell on the tortoise's belly to split.
So the father put his hand up inside the shell,
while the tortoise struggled,
the father slit its belly with his knife
and pulled out its intestines.
By this time,
the tortoise had pulled a little into its shell
and was trying to hide there,
with his head between his knees,
the little boy had come to see what his father was doing.
And when the boy saw the tortoise,
he put his own arms up beside his head
and looked out—
just the way the tortoise looked out of his shell.
And now the father reached in and took hold of the tortoise's heart,
which was still beating,
and flipped the tortoise over onto the ground,
and while the man pulled out its heart,
the tortoise jerked violently.
And the father said to the son,
like the earth itself,
or like a man—
is a slow, tough creature
that can live on a while
even after its heart is gone.
[SUDDENLY, SLAMMING INTO THE LAST WORD HE SPOKE,
A DEAD OPERA SINGER CUTS LOOSE WITH A HEART
BREAKING ARIA FROM A SCRATCHY RECORDING 100
I sometimes wonder:
what would it be like
to have an exquisite sense of things?
An Oriental sense.
You would say, for instance:
there are elegant things—
the Pride of China tree
the Sweet-scented marvel-of-Peru
You would say: there are things that are both near and distant at the same time
Like the course of a boat across a lake.
The relations between a man and a woman.
Or things that give a clean feeling.
An earthen cup.
A new wooden chest.
[THROUGHOUT THE FOLLOWING, MAYBE,
THE OCCASIONAL SHARP SOUND OF SHATTERING GLASS]
Of all human qualities, the greatest is sympathy.
For clouds even.
I love a child eating strawberries.
A white jacket over a violet vest.
The pear tree.
The earth itself.
The sunlight you see in water as you pour it from a pitcher into a bowl.
In spring I think the dawn is most beautiful.
In summer the nights.
In autumn the evenings when the sun has set and your heart is moved
by the sound of the wind and the hum of the insects.
In winter the early mornings, especially when snow has fallen during
the night, or the ground is white with frost, or even when there is no
snow or frost, but it is simply very cold, and someone hurries from
room to room stirring up the fires and bringing charcoal or wood,
and then, as noon approaches, no one bothers to keep the fires going,
and soon nothing remains but piles of white ashes.
[THE SOUND OF AN ELEPHANT'S FOOT REPEATEDLY
SLAMMING THE REVERBERATING STEEL DOOR OF HIS CAGE.
THE MAN LISTENS TO THIS SOUND FOR A WHILE, THEN
CONTINUES SPEAKING, AND THE SOUND OF REVERBERATING
SLAMMING CONTINUES THROUGH THE FOLLOWING TEXT.]
Or you could say,
for no reason at all:
there is something frightening to me
about the branches of the camphor tree,
about the way they are so tangled.
They make a person feel estranged from the tree
in a way.
it's because the tree is divided into so many branches
that sometimes the image of the tree is used
to describe people in love.
And then there are things that cannot be compared to anything else.
As, when you've stopped loving someone,
you feel as though the person you love
has become someone else entirely,
even though she is still the same person.
There is a kind of wolf
which is also a part of nature
whose brains grow larger and smaller with the moon
and whose neck is on a bone that is very straight
and won't bend.
So that when it wants to turn and look at something,
it has to turn its whole upper body.
it will eat a kind of earth
to make its body heavy,
so that when it attacks a horse
or an ox
or an elk
or some such strong animal
it will take the big animal by the throat
and hang there,
and it will be heavy enough
to bring the big animal down.
feeds on carcasses.
Whenever he finds a carcass
he eats so much that his stomach stands out
like a large bell.
Then he looks for some narrow space between two trees
and he pulls his body through the space
to push out the food he has eaten.
he can feed again.
And so he continues eating
and emptying himself
until everything has been eaten.
[SOFTLY, HEARTBREAKING MUSIC COMES UP UNDER THE
Of all living creatures,
the elephant is the most noble.
It will bury its own dead
with dust and earth
and green boughs.
It will not pass by the body of one of its own
without stopping to grieve at their common misery
and perform the rites of burial.
They are chaste creatures,
and modest about procreation.
They will seek woods and secret places
and sometimes water—
lakes or ponds or streams—
and while they copulate
they turn their heads toward the East.
There was an elephant in Egypt once
who was in love with a woman who sold corals.
This same woman was loved by Aristophanes of Byzantium—
and Aristophanes rightly complained
that never before
had a man had to compete with an elephant
for the love of a woman.
One day, at the market,
the elephant brought the woman certain apples
and put them into her bosom,
holding his trunk there a great while,
handling and playing with her breasts.
They like flowers and ointments.
They love a meadow filled with flowers.
They will bathe often,
and are well-known for their gentleness.
They can be killed with ditches.
If fruit and flowers are placed in a ditch
and then the ditch is covered over with boughs and leaves,
the elephant will fall in
and impale itself on sharpened stakes.
You could say: I am not an elephant.
What would be wrong with that?
You could say: I am not a root. I am not a berry.
What would be wrong with that?
this is how the trouble
so often begins.
[THE WOMAN PLAYS THE CELLO.
THE MAN, MOTIONLESS, LISTENS TO HER PLAY A
LONG, HEARTBREAKING CLASSICAL PIECE.]
Now, of course,
random passersby are being stopped on the street
asked for their opinions on various matters,
according to their answers,
[BLINDINGLY BRIGHT WHITE LIGHT WHIRLS AROUND THE STAGE,
LIKE THE REVOLVING LIGHT ON A POLICE CAR, BUT WHITE.]
A woman was holding a baby in her arms
begging that she be shot first and that the baby be spared.
There was a crowd on the other side of the fence,
raising their hands to take the baby if it should be passed over to
The woman was about to hand her baby to the crowd
when the soldier took it from her
shot it twice
and then took the baby in his hands
and tore it
as one would tear a rag.
I have heard it said:
that the white of an egg will close a wound;
an earth worm in vinegar or
an earth worm in honey
or pounded with cypress leaves
will close a wound;
a slice of veal will keep a wound from swelling;
the bark of an elm will close a wound;
or dung that is dried and powdered
is good for a wound made by iron;
goat dung kneaded in vinegar
good for ulcers of the shin;
that dog's blood is good for a poisoned arrow;
that a mouse cut in two is good for snake bite;
that for any painful wound a pebble right side up;
and that the one who applies it must not look back,
or move out of the shade;
that, for a callous of the foot,
one should apply the ash of an old shoe.
In my own experience, this has not been true.
[THE SOUND OF A 19TH CENTURY FACTORY, A DEEP LOW LEVEL HUM,
AND A RELENTLESS, STEAM-DRIVEN POUNDING]
I myself had just come into the room and said "Good morning,"
when suddenly it turned bright red. I felt hot on my cheeks, and when
I came to, I realized everyone was lying at one side of the room. No
one was standing. The desks and chairs had blown to one side. At
the windows, there was no window glass and the window frames had
been blown out. After a while, I realized that my shirt, which had
been white, was now red all over. I thought it was odd since I was
not injured. I looked around and then I realized that the girl lying
near to me was badly hurt, with pieces of broken glass stuck all over
her body. Her blood had splashed and made stains on my shirt. And
she had pieces of wood stuck in her.
I was wondering what my family were doing. I found that all the
houses around had collapsed for as far as I could see. Then, I looked
next door and I saw the father of the neighboring family standing
almost naked. His skin was peeling off the upper half of his body
and was hanging down from his finger tips. He was looking
for his family.
I remember what it's been like
on a summer day
when the weather's so hot
you can't think what to do with yourself.
You keep waving your fan
but there isn't a breath of fresh air.
And then, just as you're thinking
to put your hand in a bowl of iced water
a letter arrives,
written on a sheet of fine
brilliant red paper
attached to an orchid in full bloom
and you think
how deeply your friend must feel
to have taken such trouble
on a suffocating day
[A LONG MOVIE HERE:
KIDS PLAYING ON A BEACH IN THE SUMMER?
SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL, WARM, SENTIMENTAL, NOSTALGIC]
Of course there were rules. The rules were: never put a bowl down
where it might be stolen. Even when you go to the bathroom, take the
bowl with you. Even when you wash your hands, hold the bowl
tightly between your knees. Or think of this: you may tie your shoes
not with laces but with bits of wire, you may wrap your feet with
rags, you may pad your jacket with waste paper in the winter, but
you may not sleep with your cap on your head. You may not go
outside with your jacket unbuttoned, or with your collar raised.
When you wash, you need to strip to the waist. You need to smear
your shoes with machine grease each morning. If your shoe hurts you
may take it to the evening shoe exchange, but you must choose
quickly and you must choose right, because there is no second chance.
And, if you choose incorrectly, you will have sores on your feet,
your feet will swell, the wood and cloth of the shoe will rub against
your feet even more, the infection will become insupportable at last,
and you will have to go to the hospital, but no one chooses easily to
do this since so few return once they go to the hospital.
[A BLACK FEMALE OPERA SINGER SINGS AN ARIA.]
We all have the same mother.
Every species that you see now
drawing the breath of life
has the earth as its mother.
At the appointed season,
the earth gave birth to every beast that runs wild among the hills.
I was once in love with a woman.
I met her in the summer
a married woman.
As she walked toward me
the sun was behind her
her dress was translucent
Her eyes were sky blue
I don't understand it
I fell in love with her at once
so fragile she seemed.
I said to her:
we should have a summer love affair.
She didn't say no,
she said: you're outrageous.
I said: no, it's you who are outrageous.
We met the next day—
and we made love every day the whole summer.
I think of her.
they rang the doorbell;
they smashed the glass windows in the doors;
they walked right in.
They pushed the upright piano out onto the balcony,
smashed the balustrade,
and shoved the piano over the edge.
It hit the street below.
The wooden casing splintered away,
and left the insides of the piano
standing upright on the street
in the middle of the wreckage—
like a harp.
[A LOVE SONG FROM THE THIRTIES.]
A man went one summer to the country with a friend.
What they had in mind was to cross the river
by a bridge that was marked on a map;
but when they got there
the bridge was gone.
When was this?
[THE CRASHING SOUND OF INDUSTRIAL ROCK MUSIC
BY THE GERMAN BAND EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN.]
I had a friend,
who did an experiment on rats when he was a student in the
and when he finished his experiment,
he was faced with the problem
of what to do with the rats.
He asked his advisor,
and his advisor said:
My friend said: "How?"
And his advisor said:
And his advisor took hold of a rat
and bashed its head against the side of a workbench.
My friend felt sick,
and asked his advisor how he could do that—
even though, in fact, as my friend knew,
this was not exactly a cruel way to kill a rat,
since instant death is caused
by cervical dislocation.
And his advisor said to him:
"What's the matter?
Maybe you're not
cut out to be a psychologist.
How would you kill a rat?
I don't know.
If you had to.
Hanging by the wrists,
burning with cigarettes
burning with an iron
hosing with water
hitting with fists
kicking with boots
hitting with truncheons
hitting with whips
exposing to cold showers
depriving of sleep
depriving of toilets
depriving of food
subjecting to abuse
beating with fists and clubs
hitting the genitals
hitting the head against the wall
electric shocks used on the head
on the genitals
on the feet
on the lips
on the eyes
on the genitals
hitting with fists
whipping with cables
strapping to crosses
caning on the backside
caning on the limbs
inserting heated skewers
inserting bottle necks
pouring on boiling water
injecting with haloperidol
beating on the skull
cutting off the fingers
submerging in water
breaking of limbs
smashing of jaws
crushing of feet
breaking of teeth
cutting the face
removing the finger nails
wrapping in plastic
closing in a box
When you think
how we used to live in the ocean
in the salt water
we don't live there any more.
but really, in fact, we just took the ocean with us when we came on
The womb is an ocean really,
babies begin in an ocean,
and human blood has the same concentration of salt
as sea water.
And no matter where we are
on top of a mountain
or in the middle of a desert,
when we cry or sweat,
we cry or sweat sea water.
Suppose Socrates was wrong,
that we have never seen the truth,
if we ever do see it,
we won't recognize it.
If that's the case,
then, when one violates the innocent,
there's nothing to be said along the lines of:
"There is something within us—
some human nature, or some other nature—
that we are betraying,
or there is something beyond these practices that condemns us.
If we don't have this to say,
all we have left to say is:
Now we know ourselves.
[THE REPEATED CRIES OF A TROPICAL BIRD
WHICH WE HEAR ON THROUGH THE FOLLOWING TEXT.]
I dreamed I was a soul wrapped in a pumpkin
that went through some empty rooms
and so to heaven.
I saw my daughter there,
just ten years old,
playing the violin
and I thought:
I've done my job,
it's in her hands now.
[THE HOUSE OF CARDS GOES UP IN FLAMES.
REPRISE OF THE DEAD OPERA SINGER.
SLOW FADE TO BLACKOUT.]
Charles Mee's work has been made possible by the support of Richard B. Fisher and Jeanne Donovan Fisher. | <urn:uuid:3a1759f7-2055-4964-a470-442ac79ffe7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.charlesmee.org/house-of-cards.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955383 | 3,960 | 2.09375 | 2 |
The Consular Services Charter outlines the high standard of service that our clients can expect from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) when seeking consular assistance.
We provide consular assistance to Australian citizens and permanent residents travelling or living abroad through our offices in Australia and diplomatic missions (embassies, high commissions, consulates) overseas. Our capacity to assist you is influenced by local laws and conditions, international rules governing consular work, and by the cooperation offered by persons and organisations outside the Australian Government.
Our role includes:
- providing you with prompt, effective and courteous consular service
- ensuring we have trained and dedicated staff to assist you
- advising you of the services we can and cannot provide and the fees and charges that apply
- protecting your privacy in accordance with Australian law
- maintaining collaborative working relations with other government and non-government agencies to facilitate effective consular and crisis-related assistance.
- in medical emergencies, provide lists of local doctors and hospitals and assistance in arranging a medical evacuation (at your expense) if required
- in the event of war, civil unrest or natural disaster, provide current information and assistance in arranging an evacuation if appropriate and subject to the state of disruption of communications and transport on the ground
- provide advice and support in the case of an accident, serious illness or death. We will also ensure next of kin are informed (if you give your consent, except in the case of a death where consent is not required)
- assist victims of serious crimes, including by arranging for next of kin to be informed (if you give your consent)
- assist if you are arrested overseas, by visiting or contacting you and by arranging for your family to be informed (if you give your consent). We also seek to ensure that you are treated fairly under the laws of the country in which you have been arrested
- provide lists of local lawyers
- assist in cases of missing persons
- assist with arranging a replacement passport if yours has expired or been lost, stolen or damaged (fees apply)
- assist you to contact relatives or friends for help with money or tickets
- provide small emergency loans in genuine emergency situations. (Note: Any financial assistance we may provide will generally be in the form of a loan, which is made on the basis of a signed, legal undertaking to repay in full. You may also be required to surrender your passport and you may not be issued with a replacement until the debt is repaid.)
- provide notarial services including witnessing and authenticating documents and administering oaths and affirmations (fees apply)
- provide travel advisories as one source of input to inform your travel plans
- provide the opportunity for you to register your travel details with us so that we can try to make contact in case of emergency
- provide voting facilities for federal and some state and territory elections
- assist with contact details of government authorities in Australia in the event of pension or social security payment difficulties.
- provide legal advice
- intervene in private court proceedings or legal matters including employment disputes, commercial disputes and family law matters
- investigate crimes or deaths overseas
- provide or pay for search and rescue services (although we can help you arrange these services)
- get you out of prison or seek special treatment for you
- post bail or pay your fines or legal expenses
- enforce an Australian or any other custody agreement overseas or compel a country to decide a custody case
- provide or pay for medical or psychiatric services or medications
- act as a travel agent, bank or post office, or store luggage
- provide translation, interpreter, telephone or internet services
- issue emergency loans, unless you have first exhausted other sources of support including insurance and family members
- pay your pension or social security benefits
- pay or guarantee payment of your hotel, medical or other bills
- arrange visas, licences, work or residency permits for other countries or help you to obtain them
- intervene in relation to customs or quarantine requirements and regulations of other countries
- provide physical protection or security advice
- accept responsibility for the custody or safe return of lost property.
Our commitment and your responsibilities
You can expect that we will:
- provide the services set out in this Charter and deal with your query honestly, equitably and courteously
- meet the high service standards outlined in this Charter
- provide you with all available information relevant to your case, except information which violates the privacy of others whose interests we are required to protect
- protect your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.
We expect that you will:
- take personal responsibility for your travel choices, your safety and behaviour overseas
- make precautionary arrangements when preparing for overseas travel such as taking travel insurance, monitoring travel advice and registering your travel details with us
- make sensible arrangements for your accommodation, travel and health needs
- treat us with courtesy and respect
- be honest and ethical and provide us with all relevant information when seeking our assistance
- abide by the laws of the country you are visiting.
- Emergency consular assistance is available 24 hours a day by calling our Consular Emergency Centre (CEC) in Canberra on 1300 555 135.
- If you are overseas, you can be connected to the CEC or given a reverse-charge number to call by telephoning the Australian diplomatic mission in the country you are visiting.
- You can access addresses and telephone numbers of Australian diplomatic missions in local telephone directories, hotels, tourist offices or police stations, or on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website and in our travel advisories for each country.
- If you are not able to contact an Australian diplomatic mission, you can contact the CEC from anywhere in the world on +61 2 6261 3305.
- The CEC may also assist concerned family members in Australia and can be contacted on 1300 555 135.
Information and advice
- You can access our full range of travel information to help you prepare for overseas travel on this website.
- Our travel advice assesses the level of risk in a particular destination so that you can make informed decisions about where and when to travel overseas.
- You can subscribe to the travel advice to receive free email notification each time the advice is updated on smartraveller.gov.au.
We will review the Charter regularly to ensure it remains focused on client needs as business practices change and communications improve.
We welcome your comments on the Charter and our services as they assist in our review process and help us to identify areas that need improvement. Sharing your experiences may also help other Australians avoid difficulties overseas and appreciate what level of assistance can be provided by consular officers.
You can comment on the Charter or our services by:
- submitting feedback online
- sending an email to email@example.com
- sending a fax to 02 6261 3336 (from within Australia) or +61 2 6261 3336 (from overseas)
- writing to the:
Consular Policy Branch
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
RG Casey Building
BARTON ACT 0221
If you are dissatisfied with the response you receive from DFAT, you can contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman's Office in Australia. The office contact details are:
While every care has been taken in preparing this Charter, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees, including any members of Australia's diplomatic and consular staff abroad, can accept liability for any injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained herein. | <urn:uuid:8fa1ff1b-edeb-4ac9-8413-35d1d1ac0167> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.smarttraveller.gov.au/services/consular-services-charter.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00059-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928336 | 1,540 | 1.53125 | 2 |
An important fact that the modern-day religious right does not grasp is that the principle of church-state separation, which they revile so bitterly, was enacted for their benefit. It is probably not a coincidence that in Europe, where many nations still have established churches that are a legacy of earlier ages, church attendance is dropping precipitously, whereas in the United States, which has always had a vigorous tradition of separation, churches and sects of all kinds flourish and attendance and interest remain strong. Nevertheless, the partisans of the religious right have never been the kind to show gratitude, and usually harshly denounce victors in church-state lawsuits as atheists. However, this is not always the case. In fact, a significant number of famous First Amendment cases have been filed by religious people who objected to other religious people's religions being forced on them.
For example, take the 1890 case State ex rel. Weiss vs. District Board. In this decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that teacher-led Bible readings in public schools, as had previously been the policy of the Edgerton school district, were unconstitutional. Were the plaintiffs atheists? No - they were Roman Catholics, upset that the Bible version being read to their children was the King James Bible, which they considered to be incorrect, incomplete and full of errors, as opposed to the authorized Catholic translation.
Similarly, in the 2000 case Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a policy of student-selected, school-endorsed sectarian prayer at high school football games in the town of Santa Fe, Texas. Again, were the plaintiffs atheists? No: they were Mormon and Catholic families whose children were being harassed and bullied by the right-wing Baptist majority in the schools - not just by other students, but even by school administrators. (This harassment was so severe that the courts took the step of allowing the plaintiffs to file their lawsuit anonymously. As witness to the depths of hostility the religious minorities in Santa Fe endured, a federal district court was later forced to issue an order threatening school officials with criminal contempt if they did not cease their attempts to find out the identities of these students by means of "bogus petitions, questionnaires, individual interrogation, or downright 'snooping'".)
In another church-state case still making its way through the federal court system, Winkler v. Rumsfeld, two prominent Illinois religious leaders - a Methodist minister and a Jewish rabbi - are challenging a 1972 act of Congress that allows the Pentagon to spend government money to fund the annual Boy Scout Jamboree, since the Boy Scouts describe themselves as a religious group and openly discriminate on the basis of religion.
Many mainstream Christian groups have a long and proud tradition of defending the First Amendment. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, for example, was originally named "Protestants and Other Americans United for Separation of Church and State", and its founding members included a Methodist bishop and the president of the Southern Baptist Convention (source). Its current director, Barry Lynn, is also a minister in the United Church of Christ.
And then there are the many cases where the American Civil Liberties Union, the one group probably despised and slandered by religious conservatives more than any other, has fought and won to protect the First Amendment rights of Christians and other religious groups. For example, they sued in December 2005 on behalf of Joseph Hanas, a Catholic who was convicted of a minor drug offense and sentenced to a residential outreach program run by Pentecostals, who confiscated his Bible and told him that Catholicism was "witchcraft" and he would have to convert or else go to prison. They protected the right of a Christian church to conduct baptisms in a public park. They successfully argued that potential jurors could not be rejected for holding religious beliefs. They defended the right of a high school student to use a Bible passage as her yearbook quote. They defended students who were punished for distributing religious literature in schools. They have defended the rights of street preachers to use public sidewalks. In every single case, it was the First Amendment and its guarantee of religious liberty and free expression that protected the rights of these religious people from oppression by the state and by other religious groups. (Hat tip to Dispatches from the Culture Wars for many of these links.)
Finally, I offer for consideration an excellent case story for why we should value the First Amendment. Of all the unlikely places, this story comes from an evangelical Christian, Gary Christenot, writing for the extreme right-wing site WorldNetDaily (link). He relates the story of being assigned to an Air Force base on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, in a town heavily populated by Asian immigrants. Attending a high-school football game, he stood for the announcement of a pre-game invocation, and was shocked to realize the prayer was being given by a Buddhist priest. His account of the paralyzing confusion and shame he felt after experiencing pressure to conform to a system of beliefs different from his own is a letter-perfect account of the hostility experienced on a daily basis by religious minorities in a society where the government does not staunchly defend separation of church and state. I encourage reading the whole article, but will quote some excerpts:
We were frozen in shock and incredulity! What to do? To continue to stand and observe this prayer would represent a betrayal of our own faith and imply the honoring of a pagan deity that was anathema to our beliefs. To sit would be an act of extreme rudeness and disrespect in the eyes of our Japanese hosts and neighbors, who value above all other things deference and respect in their social interactions. I am sorry to say that in the confusion of the moment we chose the easier path and elected to continue to stand in silence so as not to create a scene or ill will among those who were seated nearby.
...The point is this. I am a professional, educated and responsible man who is strong in his faith and is quite comfortable debating the social and political issues of the day. Yet when placed in a setting where the majority culture proved hostile to my faith and beliefs, I became paralyzed with indecision and could not act decisively to defend and proclaim my own beliefs. I felt instantly ostracized and viewed myself as a foreigner in my own land.
There is a valuable lesson here for aspiring theocrats. The people who support eviscerating the First Amendment are invariably confident, with the blind confidence of the excessively religious, that their belief system would come out on top. But history teaches something very different: given time, religious minorities frequently become religious majorities, and when this happens, mechanisms put in place by the former majority to oppress other believers may be used to oppress them in turn. No two religious sects agree on everything, by definition, and any coercive intrusion of religion into government that some believers find congenial will have aspects that many other believers consider unacceptable, which is precisely why all such intrusions are constitutionally prohibited. The First Amendment was not put in place by America's founding fathers to oppress religion, but to protect the religious freedom of all sects alike. | <urn:uuid:ed3da1a2-8c15-401d-a762-d381a3d7c7da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bigthink.com/daylight-atheism/its-your-first-amendment-too | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977564 | 1,452 | 2.390625 | 2 |
Afterwards, I thought about why I’d chosen to use my iPhone to take all those photos when I had a genuine choice of a far better camera, and I came up with two reasons.
- Sharing. I found this the less convincing reason, but here goes: The ultimate destination for my pics, these days, is not a dusty old photo album but Google+, Instagram and Flickr. For most photo editing, I find apps for the iPhone easier to use than those on my Mac. Taking pictures on the phone cuts steps out of the workflow and means I can get pictures up online even before I get back home. It’s less convincing because it is a real compromise (quality for convenience) but I think it’s a factor.
- The lovely lovely iPhone screen. When I got an iPhone4 the thing that really surprised me (apart from the fact that it’s camera could take rather reasonable still pictures) was its incredibly sharp and beautiful screen. Viewfinders/cheap camera screens are always a compromise. The reproductions lack detail, show up poorly in even moderate sunlight, and colours are not true (things may have progressed since I got my D40 5 years ago, but still). As well as the fabulous quality of the screen itself, it provides a completely different interface: adjusting focus and exposure by just tapping is incredibly intuitive. But above all it is the feedback from this superior screen that lets me see exactly what is wrong with a photo straight away and make adjustments there and then. Despite the inferior technical quality of the camera, I believe it lets me take better photos.
So where do cameras go from here? Is there a way of getting the best of both worlds? I’m rather unconvinced by the ‘smart camera’ concept, realised in the recent Android Camera from Nikon. It’s a camera running phone software. It might be a nice improvement over the standard camera, certainly from the point of view of adding sharing capabilities. But it’s not providing a phone’s operating system that will make the difference here – it’s how good the screen and the camera software make the photography experience. (Not that there’s not a bit of me getting excited over the hacking possibilities this type of development offers… they go beyond turning the camera into a phone!)
Of more interest to me is the concept of the camera as an iPhone accessory. We haven’t seen this yet, but a 14 megapixel gadget with an improved flash is due to be released by someone called will.i.am (I don’t know who these Black Eyed Peas are, but I had a vague impression they were a popular beat combo, not a tech startup). The phone already has the screen an interface – plus the software and connectivity for my editing and sharing workflows – but this could open up a market in hardware upgrades that allows all sorts of specialist add-ons for both still and video photography.
Exciting times.iphoneaccessories, photography | <urn:uuid:49a21b0b-ef47-4401-a2af-37050c4107ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://littlestorping.co.uk/2012/11/24/smart-cameras-and-photo-phone-progress/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943829 | 623 | 1.546875 | 2 |
So what separates one food from another? What really makes a food a super food?
“They're foods that are already high in vitamins and mineral content but a super foods like in the case of plant-based super foods, they have what are called phytochemicals,“ says Diane DeLorm, a registered dietician at Rochester General Hospital
Phytochemicals are chemicals plants produce as part of their defense in nature but when we eat them, they fight off free-radicals in our bodies.
“But they're finding that when we consume them (plant-based super foods), they have disease-lowering capabilities for heart disease and certain cancers,” says DeLorm.
The following foods make the list in 2008:
- Blueberries: rich in antioxidants, these power berries help destroy free radicals in the blood stream.
- Broccoli: a cruciferous vegetable, broccoli is both rich in antioxidants and cancer-fighting compounds. It is also high in folic acid and B-vitamins
- Flax seed: this is a tiny seed that is high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seed can be found in the organic aisle and can be added to a number of foods including yogurt and breads.
- Soy: this food is also linked to cancer risk reduction and is a good, natural source of protein. Soy can be found in tofu, soy milk or the more natural edamame beans.
- Green tea: an inexpensive tea which is packed with antioxidants. There are dozens of flavors and varieties. This tea is a must for cleaning toxins from the body.
- Tomatoes: rich in a chemical called “lycopene”. There are some research studies which suggest the chemical may reduce certain types of cancer. The chemical is more potent in cooked tomatoes. Tomatoes are also high in Vitamin C and minerals.
- Yogurt: while not a plant-based food, yogurt has natural cultures which are beneficial to the intestinal and digestive system, helping to regulate the system.
- Kidney beans: possibly the ultimate super food, kidney beans are inexpensive and high in protein and fiber. One cup of kidney beans has 15 grams of fiber. The little legume is also packed with vitamins and other minerals.
As for how you should shop for these foods, DeLorm suggests following a rainbow of sorts: shop by color.
“In the context of these super foods, we look at five different colors really, white, green, the purple/blue group, red and orange,” says DeLorm. | <urn:uuid:23950abb-398f-470d-9635-a2da1937a294> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rochesterhomepage.net/fulltext?nxd_id=14837 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954797 | 531 | 3.359375 | 3 |
Questions to Ask
The older children get, the more variety of camp experiences open up to them. Day camps are still a great option, but residential camps become an appropriate option as well. While many residential camps offer experiences for children as young as seven, not all seven year olds will be independent enough to enjoy this experience. It is common for the younger end of this age group to experience homesickness, and disorientation. These feelings are normal, healthy and in general, allowing children to face these emotions and learn a measure of self-confidence and independence is can beneficial. Remember that camp staffs are trained to handle these emotions, but parents should also consider whether it is appropriate for a young child's first camp experience to be an extended residential experience. There are weekend and week long residential which may be more appropriate for the young first-timer. Parents should NOT plan on taking their own vacation during the camp time and should be available to soothe fears via the telephone, or in extreme cases, in person.
Older children may have more independence and the ability to handle the natural stresses of being in a strange environment for a prolonged period of time, but it is most important that you evaluate your child's individual needs before making this decision.
As your child gets older and expresses more focused interests, specialty camps become an excellent option. The older the child, the more he or she should be involved in the decision-making process, and the more that the individual interests of your child may play a role in determining whether a specifically focused specialty camp or a general camp experience is more desirable.
Children of any age who have special needs have many camp options as well. Many camps have appropriate accommodations, experience and agendas suitable to integrate special needs children into a more general camp population and experience. Parents of special needs children should also look closely at camps that specialize in meeting the needs of these children. At camps equipped for disabled or ill children, there is a better sense of security for parents because the camp staff is specially trained, but these camps also offer a chance for special needs children to interact with other kids facing the same challenges that they do.
According to the ACA, "selecting the right program often boils down to knowing your options and asking the right questions." Here are a few good ones to ask:
- What is the camp's philosophy?
- What are the camp director and staff's backgrounds?
- How are counselors and staff hired, and what background information on them is collected?
- What is the history of the camp - how long has it been in existence?
- What are the medical and safety systems in place, and what are the emergency procedures?
- What is the counselor to camper ratio (the lower the better)?
- How many campers return for subsequent summers?
- Can you talk to a family who has had children at this camp in the past?
- Can you tour the facilities? | <urn:uuid:7d65688d-58b5-46f4-9d25-79ea890fa71a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.babyzone.com/kids/kids-fun/family-outdoor-activities/camps-for-kids_68026-page-8 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962777 | 597 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Simply begin typing or use the editing tools above to add to this article.
Once you are finished and click submit, your modifications will be sent to our editors for review.
...as American mutual funds; the Massachusetts business trust (now little used but providing a means of limiting the liability of participants in a business activity like the limited partnership); the foundation (fondation, Stiftung), a European organization that has social or charitable objects and often carries on a business whose profits are devoted to those objects; and, finally, the...
What made you want to look up "foundation"? Please share what surprised you most... | <urn:uuid:5da16d8f-a029-4d5d-96f0-1e12e95afab9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/214734/foundation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922132 | 127 | 1.625 | 2 |
Yesterday ExtremeTech featured an article about building a quiet but high performing computer for gaming. When building a computer that you want to place in your living room as a media center the question of noise is more important than the question of performance.
You need some power, but not the same kind of bleeding edge processor and graphics that gamers need to drive their advanced 3D action.
That’s why it’s interesting to have a look at people that have tried to silence a very powerful PC. By using the same methods and simply replacing some of the components with slightly lower performing components you can end up with a seriously silent media center PC.
Of course there’s always the question of looks. The important wife acceptance factor (WAF). The computer that ExtremeTech have built does not fit in on top of your amplifier. It looks too much like a regular PC. To solve that, I can simply recommend my own solution: a well ventilated cabinet with a silent fan in a noise reducing mount. | <urn:uuid:e958b61d-d2ad-41b6-a8aa-79c5c60f86cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eirikso.com/2006/03/17/building-a-quiet-bleeding-edge-pc/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955601 | 206 | 1.726563 | 2 |
The perfect antidote to misinformation about equine health care!
Horse owners are subjected to an endless stream of information about what they must do for their horses and what they absolutely cannot do. The problem is that much of this information is wrong.
Horsefeathers: Fact Versus Myths about your Horse's Health is veterinarian David W. Ramey's attempt to set the record straight. During the course of his extensive equine practice he has encountered well-intentioned owners who believe the stories they hear about how horses are "supposed" to be taken care of. Often this information is applied, to the detriment of the horse.
Now owners have a book they can consult about the topics that concern them most: feeds and feeding, drugs, routine care (including vaccinations and deworming), what to do when things go wrong (colics, strangles, wounds), the musculoskeletal system (legs, hooves, and navicular disease), pregnancy, stress, and behavior.
Dr. Ramey details current veterinary practices and discusses how wrong the prevailing myths are about these important subjects. Because some of these myths are firmly held, the book is referenced, both for credibility and to pinpoint sources of additional information. With characteristic forthrightness, Dr. Ramey acknowledges that there may not be reasons for, or answers to, every problem. He sees to it, however, that Horsefeathers gives those who love and care for horses the best means possible to deal with the most common problems that occur.
He also gives them this sound advice: "When someone tells you a story that doesn't ring true about your horse's health, don't anger them by telling them that they are wrong. Give them a copy of this book."
Hardcover: 211 pages
Publisher: Howell Book House
Condition: Very Good - Dust on top from sitting on shelf, no yellowing or dog-earring of pages, no creases or tears in dust jacket | <urn:uuid:2718fbee-2084-4c8b-a96c-140e7e81b3bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.horsetreats.com/books-on-horse-care-horsefeathers-facts-versus-myths-about-your-horses-health-by-david-w-ramey-dvm/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00048-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95165 | 407 | 2.109375 | 2 |
These Are My Names
Ethiopian Jews’ multiple names reflect the richness, wisdom and beauty of their culture — and every name tells a story. In the film, young Ethiopian Israelis share their journeys toward their names: stories of love and connection, survival and loss, anger and pride. The characters’ original names – changed without their consent upon arrival in Israel – take them back to their childhoods in mountain villages, to the hunger and fear in Sudan, to longing for loved ones who died or disappeared on the journey to Israel, to denial of their identity…and reclamation of their roots.
Black Over White
The concert in Addis Ababa is not just another performance by the Idan Raichel Project, but a journey back to the homeland of two of the Project’s lead singers, Cabra Casay and Avi Vograss Vesa.
The film raises questions about identity and seeks to reawaken the pain of immigration, which is still there even after so many years, rekindling the authenticity and bond to the place that will exist forever in their minds and hearts.
Moshe, an 11 year-old Ethipian boy, lives in dwindling “Atidim” caravan site in the Wester Galilee and is awaiting the arrival of his mother from Ethiopia. She will not arrive and he is torn between Aharon, a 60-year-old repentant Jew who teaches him Torah, and Walter – an impulsive African American saxsophone player who has a jazz club at the edge of the site. Aharon gives Moshe a magic box and promises him that it will bring his mother to Israel. Walter gives Moshe the strength to believe only in himself.
The Name My Mother Gave Me
“The Name My Mother Gave Me” is a film about growth and self discovery. We follow Ethiopian and Russian Israelis who meet at a leadership training program in Israel. Their year of learning culminates in a journey to Ethiopia where the Ethiopian born participants return to their native villages and confront their roots. Though, back home in Israel, all the participants would consider themselves members of the fringes of Israeli society, in the highlands of the Ethiopian landscape they discover the universality of their experiences and their shared commitment to their new home in Israel. How will this journey transform them?
I Had a Dream
As a young boy, born into a closed and isolated community in Ethiopia, far from the centers of the Jewish world, Yona Bugale was brought to Europe, where he discovered his common heritage with the Jewish people. Yona Bugale himself did not live to see the realization of his dream and life’s work, yet he worked ceaselessly as a teacher and community leader, promoting connections with the State of Israel and with Jewish organizations, in order to prevent the possible destruction of Ethiopian Jewry.
Based on rare archival material, the film’s aim is to expose and preserve not only an extraordinary life story, but also, to give expression to the complexity of the Ethiopian aliyah and of their absorption in Israel .
All movies and documentaries can be purchased at: Ruth Diskin Films:
Ruth Diskin Films continues to offer a wide, in depth view, of one of the most compelling places on earth – a kaleidoscope of Israeli society, as well as films with strong Jewish content, made by leading documentary filmmakers world-wide. | <urn:uuid:2a0d17e4-471f-4332-a696-f4a3cd8b7c5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mochajuden.com/?p=1872 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954179 | 702 | 2.0625 | 2 |
Dr. Andy Woods
Sugar Land Bible Church
One of the rules of basic Bible interpretation is to recognize that the church and Israel represent separate programs of God. They are two trains running on separate railroad tracks. Theologian and founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, Lewis Sperry Chafer, noted twenty-four differences between Israel and the church. Here are a few.
First, Israel is the wife of Jehovah (Isa 54) while the church is the bride of Christ (Eph 5:22-33). Second, Israel gave birth to Christ (Rev 12:1-5) whereas Christ gave birth to the church (Matt 16:18). Third, Christ will return to rescue Israel upon her national conversion at the end of the Tribulation period (Matt 23:37-39). Conversely, He will return to rescue the church at the rapture (John 14:1-3). Fourth, king-subject imagery is used to depict God's relationship to Israel (Isa 33:22) while head and groom imagery is used to depict Christ's relationship with His church (Eph 5:22-33). Fifth, God's program through Israel began in Genesis 12, and His program through the church began in Acts 2 (Matt 16:18; 1 Cor 12:13; Acts 1:5; 11:15-16).
Sixth, while four-fifths of the Bible pertains to Israel, only one-fifth of it deals with the church. Seventh, although Israel was a direct party to the biblical covenants (Jer 31:31-32), the church was not a party to these covenants since the church was not yet in existence when these covenants were made. The church's relationship to these covenants can best be described as one of a third-party beneficiary rather than a direct party to them. Therefore, the church benefits from the covenants as opposed to being a direct party to them. Eighth, Israel is a nation (Ps 147:20). As such, she is always biblically portrayed as an independent nation with borders and a capital. Even today Israel is among the nations of the earth, just like Japan, Argentina, Canada, or any other country. By contrast, the church is not a nation (Rom 10:19) but rather is comprised of people from all nations (Gal 3:28; Eph 2:11-22; 3:6, 15). Rather than taking her seat among the nations of the earth, the church is a mere pilgrim in the world system (1 Pet 2:11).
Ninth, while Israel fought physical wars with various enemies such as the Philistines, the church is engaged in spiritual warfare with angelic enemies (Eph 6:10-20). Tenth, the Scripture assigns numerous a quo and ad quem statements to Israel (Gen 15:13-16; Jer 25:11; 29:10; Ezek 4:5-7; Dan 9:24-27). These are timing statements with a specific beginning and ending point for each period. One searches the New Testament in vain to find comparable timing statements for the church. Eleventh, Israel had a priesthood with all her priests coming from the tribe of Levi and the line of Aaron. By contrast, the church does not have a priesthood because it is a priesthood (Rev 1:6). The New Testament teaches the priesthood of all believers (1 Pet 2:5, 9). Every Church Age believer is a priest with direct access to God the Father through God the Son.
Twelfth, while Israel will be resurrected at the beginning of the millennial kingdom (Dan 12:2; John 11:23-24; Rev 20:4-5), Church-Age believers receive their resurrected bodies at the point of the rapture (1 Thess 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:50-58). Thirteenth, Israel's judgment will take place on earth, at the end of the Tribulation period, in the wilderness (Ezek 20:33-44). By contrast, the only judgment the New Testament reveals for the church is the Bema Seat judgment of rewards in heaven following the rapture (Rom 14:10; 1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 Cor 5:10). Fourteenth, although the gates of the New Jerusalem are named after the twelve tribes (Rev 21:12), who were the foundations of Israel, the foundations of the eternal city are named after the twelve apostles (Rev 21:14) who are the foundations of the church (Eph 2:20). Fifteenth, people become members of the commonwealth of Israel through physical birth. By contrast, membership in the church is only attained by spiritual birth (John 3:1-9; Titus 3:5).
Sixteenth, Israel was directly governed by the Mosaic Law (Ps 147:19-20). By contrast, the controlling authority for the church is New Testament revelation. While all Scripture is for the church (2 Tim 3:16; Rom 15:4), only the New Testament's epistolary literature is directly about the church. Seventeenth, the Holy Spirit indwelt and filled Old Testament Jews selectively (Joel 2:28), temporarily (1 Sam 16:14; Ps 51:11), and subsequent to salvation to enable for a special purpose (Exod 31:3). By contrast, the Holy Spirit indwells all Church-Age believers (1 Cor 12:13) permanently (John 14:16) and at the point of salvation (Rom 8:9). Thus, the Spirit's work in and through Israel cannot be used as a pattern to depict the believer's normative experience with the Holy Spirit in the present age (John 7:37-39; 14:16-17; Acts 1:5). Eighteenth, while Christ's farewell address to Israel (Matt 24:15; 20) is recorded in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24‒25), His farewell address to the church (John 16:12-13) is found in the Upper Room Discourse (John 13‒17). Nineteenth, although Israel is referred to as God's first-born son (Exod 4:22), the church is never given this same designation or title. Twentieth, while Israel's program is revealed in the Old Testament, the church's program was unknown in Old Testament times. Because the church is a New Testament mystery (Eph 3:3-6), or something previously hidden and now unveiled (Rom 16:25-26), Church Age doctrine comes exclusively from the New Testament (Matt 16:18; John 13‒17) rather than the Old Testament. Noting such differences should caution us against taking prophecies and promises that are specifically aimed at Israel and misapplying them to the present dispensation of the Church Age. | <urn:uuid:a6759c42-c443-4b37-a883-1b53fb5fa25e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/jan2012/ksrajan113-6.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927686 | 1,403 | 2.28125 | 2 |
It was a gray morning, the sun not yet able to break through the clouds above the Hollow or the dark thoughts clouding my brain. Worries and what-ifs mingled with sorrow for the people of Boston and scenes of the explosion in West were fresh in my mind.
My feet tread a familiar path through the woods, but I hardly paid attention. My camera dangled, forgotten, around my neck because I was too distracted by darkness to look for light.
Then, as I stepped into an area surrounded by tall trees, I heard it, the wind moving through their branches, singing a lullaby. A song straight from God to my heart.
That night, after a day of to-do's and running later than I'd hoped, I'd already forgotten that feeling of peace when I arrived at my meeting. Soft music and candlelight greeted me, thanks to the committee member in charge of our opening reflection.
"Be still and know that I am God," she read to us (Psalm 46:10) and once again I heard the trees' lullaby and God's voice: "Be still. Don't worry. I've got it."
For the next fifteen minutes or so, she guided us through a centering prayer, where we focused on interior silence, using a single sacred word to pull me back when those distracting thoughts try to pop back in and get me all rattled.
"Be still." The words have continued to echo in my heart, so simple, so full of love and comfort and security.
It's on the darkest night that you see the most stars, isn't it? When the moon and sun are both resting, the darkness provides a black backdrop to stars you would never even notice with a full moon on the stage, or when the sun rules the sky.
I think that's the way it is with sweet!s. When times get tough, that's when the sweet moments of our lives shine against the darkness. Once again we pay attention and give thanks for the simple things we all too often take for granted.
This past week, the shadows cast by terrorism and tragedy made me look closer for those bright spots I knew were there.
Monday: a day off to play catch-up; a morning walk with happy dogs; turtles; cardinals at the birdfeeder; prairie verbena spreading everywhere; witnessing (via television) ordinary people becoming heroes
Tuesday: time for a long morning walk; a just-right day at work...not too busy, not too slow; spotting a Painted Bunting on your bird feeder
Wednesday: the sound of trees singing to each other; puppy kisses when you're feeling blue; praying with others for a small community hit with tragedy
Thursday: spending time with your baby girl, even if it's at the DMV and doctor's office; Five Guys cheeseburgers; arriving right on time everywhere on a tightly-packed day
Friday: trainees who catch on fast on a busy day at work; UPS and FedEX deliveries; your photos turned into beautiful greeting cards and prints; spotting a hawk out your kitchen window
Saturday: time for a long walk with your puppies and son before work; weddings, even on the sidelines; a belated birthday phone message from a friend; philosophical discussions with your son late at night
Sunday: sleeping in, late Mass with your son, and breakfast with friends; a walk with your son and puppies; the sun's kiss on your legs and arms; making a clean dent on a dirty house; your son making a delivery for you, saving you a trip into town
Monday: a forecast for absolutely perfect weather on your son's wedding day
A crazy, busy week awaits me, with one of the happiest days of my life ahead - the wedding of my oldest son. Talk about a bright light! But I'm determined to keep my eyes open and appreciate the simple blessings each day provides. I hope you do, too. Please share yours with me! | <urn:uuid:9f003d30-fd2d-46cd-b132-c735d961eb0c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://barbarashallue.typepad.com/musing_in_long_hollow/in-the-news/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949124 | 819 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Media Centre - IARC News
IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans
VOLUME 105: DIESEL AND GASOLINE ENGINE EXHAUSTS AND SOME NITROARENES
Lyon, France: 5-12 June 2012
An IARC Monograph is not a new study. It is a comprehensive and critical review and evaluation of the published scientific evidence on the carcinogenicity of human exposures. This review includes data on cancer in humans, cancer bioassays, and the mechanisms of carcinogenesis. National health agencies can use this information as scientific support for their actions to prevent exposure to potential carcinogens.
An interdisciplinary Working Group of expert scientists meets at IARC in Lyon, France, for eight days. The Working Group reviews the published studies and evaluates the weight of the evidence that an environmental factor can increase the risk of cancer. After performing and discussing a critical review of the published scientific evidence, the Working Group formulates the evaluations. As a result, each agent is classified into one of five categories.
After evaluating the weight of the evidence that an agent can increase the risk of cancer, the Working Group classifies the agent into one of five categories: Group 1, carcinogenic to humans; Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans; Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans; Group 3, not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans; or Group 4, probably not carcinogenic to humans. Since 1971, more than 900 agents have been evaluated, of which more than 400 have been identified as carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic, or possibly carcinogenic to humans.
The evaluations are performed by an independent panel of international experts. Working Group members are selected on the basis of knowledge and experience, as well as absence of real or apparent conflicts of interests. They serve as individual scientists and not representatives of any organization, government, or industry. The interdisciplinary group of expert scientists who formulated this evaluation includes public health and cancer experts from North America, Europe, and Japan.
Strong safeguards are in place to protect against potential conflicts of interest by experts that could influence outcomes. Each potential participant is required to report financial interests, employment and consulting, and individual and institutional research support related to the subject of the meeting. IARC assesses these interests to determine whether there is a conflict that warrants some limitation on participation. Interests related to the subject of the meeting are disclosed to the meeting participants and in the published volume.
Five categories of participants can be present at Monograph meetings. The Working Group of expert scientists performs the critical reviews and develops the evaluations. Invited Specialists are experts who have critical knowledge and experience but have a real or apparent conflict of interests. These experts contribute their knowledge but do not participate in the evaluations. Representatives of national and international health agencies often attend meetings, and Observers with relevant scientific credentials may be admitted to a meeting in limited numbers. Representatives and Observers do not draft any part of a Monograph or participate in the evaluations. The IARC Secretariat consists of scientists who are designated by IARC and who have relevant expertise. They serve as rapporteurs and participate in all discussions.
During the meeting, the Working Group reviews the published studies and evaluates the weight of the evidence that an agent can increase the risk of cancer. The experts meet mostly in subgroups according to type of expertise during the first part of the meeting and in plenary session during the second part of the meeting. The objectives of the meeting are peer review and consensus. In the evaluation, the agent is classified into one of five categories.
About one year before a Monographs meeting, IARC collects relevant biological and epidemiological data from recognized sources of information, including data storage and retrieval systems such as PubMed. Meeting participants who are asked to prepare preliminary working papers for specific sections are expected to supplement the IARC literature searches with their own searches. Before the meeting, these preliminary working papers prepared by meeting participants are distributed to Working Group members and Invited Specialists for review. All eligible studies published or accepted for publication in the scientific literature before the meeting are considered.
The categorization of an agent is a matter of scientific judgment. The strength of the evidence for carcinogenicity from human and experimental animal data is evaluated and classified into one of the following categories: sufficient evidence, limited evidence, inadequate evidence, or evidence suggesting lack of carcinogenicity. In plenary session, the Working Group combines the human and experimental evaluations to evaluate the carcinogenicity of the agent. The strength of the mechanistic data is characterized and can be pivotal when the human data are inconclusive. Finally, the body of evidence is considered as a whole, in order to reach an overall evaluation of the carcinogenicity of the agent to humans.
Yes. In 1989, in Monographs Volume 46, diesel engine exhaust was classified as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A). However, an advisory group that reviews and recommends future priorities for evaluation or re-evaluation by the IARC Monographs Programme has repeatedly recommended diesel engine exhaust as a high priority for re-evaluation since 1998. Also in 1989, gasoline engine exhaust was classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).
An IARC external advisory group has repeatedly recommended diesel engine exhaust as a high priority for re-evaluation since 1998. However, the advisory group also recommended that IARC wait to conduct the review until new, important human studies of disease were finished and published in the last few years. In March 2012, the U.S. National Cancer Institute stated that heavy exposure to diesel engine exhaust increased risk of death from lung cancer, based on a study of underground miners in the United States.
For about 20 years, diesel engine exhaust has been classified as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A) and gasoline engine exhaust has been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B). Scientists participating in the new review may reaffirm these evaluations or change how the agents are classified according to carcinogenic risk. The new evaluation will be based on the independent scientific Working Group’s assessment of all published evidence.
Most human studies of increased cancer risk from exposure to diesel engine exhaust have focused on health effects from occupational exposure, but the general public is also exposed. Railroad workers, truck drivers, and vehicle mechanics are workers with potential exposure to diesel exhaust. The U.S. National Cancer Institute stated in March 2012 that heavy exposure to diesel engine exhaust increased risk of death from lung cancer, based on a study of underground miners in the United States. | <urn:uuid:ee9d7345-2a85-4478-b659-98923b6ae416> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/2012/mono105-backgrounderQ_A.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945596 | 1,341 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The state’s most active Latino organization has served notice that it intends to challenge the electoral system of the city of Gainesville, home to both the governor and lieutenant governor, for allegedly shutting Hispanics and other minorities out of local politics.
The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials has sent a letter to Gainesville City Attorney James Palmour, informing him that it had retained legal counsel – Keegan Federal, the former DeKalb County judge – and wanted to negotiate a solution that would “avoid the expense of litigation which would be imposed on taxpayers in these already-difficult times.”
The issue GALEO is aiming at would be familiar to anyone who covered local government 30 or 40 years ago – Gainesville’s requirement that all members of its city council live in specific districts, but be elected citywide, rather than by single district itself.
Read Federal’s Aug. 21 letter in its entirety here. A few excerpts:
I want to express, both clearly and candidly, our sincere desire to resolve these issues through discussion and the development of mutually agreed-upon remediation of the current situation, particularly in light of the indisputable fact that the Hispanic population of District 3 is 58.99%, District 4 is 55.69%, and District 5 is 61.39%. In fact, in District 5, the voting age population (age 18 and above) is 55.17% Hispanic. These numbers are virtually unprecedented in recent voter dilution cases under the Voting Rights Act….
Even assuming that some members of Gainesville’s Latino population are non-citizens and therefore ineligible to vote….the 2010 census data is compelling….
[T]he City of Gainesville’s overall population is 57.82% “minority” (Black and Hispanic) residents. Even the voting age population of protected minorities is nearly a majority (49.71%). At the District level, this combined analysis is stunning: 82.7% in District 3, 67.41% in District 4, and 73.14% in District t. Notwithstanding these population levels, only one member of a statutorily protected minority group (an African-American) has ever served on the Gainesville City Council….
The letter notes that at-large voting has been mostly abolished in Georgia, with the exception of Forsyth County and the cities of Gainesville and Dalton.
On the last page of Federal’s letter:
Elections in Gainesville demonstrate a clear pattern of ethnically polarized voting, in the wake of intense anti-immigration campaigns of candidates favored by the white majority block.
This situation could get interesting, and quickly.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider | <urn:uuid:a62e13f8-dc31-4f94-a6b6-172b824a92e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2012/09/14/galeo-demands-slice-of-voting-power-for-latinos-in-gainesville/?cxntfid=blogs_political_insider_jim_galloway | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940819 | 553 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The Plot: Sunday morning, at 7:16 in the morning, Rain is woken up by a phone call from Wendy Geller’s mother. Wendy’s mother sounds like someone who is scared but is trying not to be scared: Wendy didn’t come home last night. Does Rain know where she is? Ms. Geller doesn’t realize that Rain and Wendy haven’t been friends since freshman year, two years ago.
It’s not till later that night that Rain hears the news: Wendy’s body has been found in Central Park. She’s been murdered.
It’s Day One. And even though the two girls were no longer friends, Rain feels she owes Wendy. No matter what it takes, Rain will find out who killed Wendy.
The Good: Rain is an outsider at her school. Oh, she has some of the right credentials: rich enough to go to school, plus her mother’s an opera singer (“if you’re into opera, you probably know her“) so Rain is even a “daughter of” someone. Rain also has a cleft palate, and while she’s had surgery and speech therapy, she goes to school with people who for years mocked what she did (or didn’t) say. Wendy, the new girl in school, doesn’t, even though to do so would help her gain friends with the popular kids. Instead, Wendy tells her “cleft palate. Big deal. Okay, maybe you sound a little funny. Some. Times. But you need to forget about that and speak up, girl!”
Rain doesn’t speak up. She listens. This is what she brings to her investigation of Wendy’s death: an insider’s knowledge of her classmates, an outsider’s observation skills, and the ability to get people to talk and to hear what they do and don’t say.
Why Rain and Wendy stopped being friends is part of what drives Rain to do this one final thing for Wendy: find the person responsible. What happened between the girls? Wendy was the outsider, whose well off grandparents paid her tuition, but the money wasn’t the “right” kind and led to jokes behind her back. Rain was alone, and the two got together and had fun. Rain remembers what she loved about Wendy: “I thought about the particularly insane thing she had promised to do that night. And I wondered two things: Doesn’t she know how ridiculous she is? And what is that like? To have no fear?” ”Wendy always seemed to know where life was, and if you were lucky, she’d grab you by the hand and take you along for the ride.” That was the good in Wendy; the bad – well, I could understand why their friendship cooled. It’s important to Wendy that people like her, that people chose her, so “she becomes the kind of person people ‘like’ instead of the person she really is.”
I felt terrible for Wendy: Wendy as a ninth grader, wanting what she can’t have. Wendy in a school that mocks her. The cruelty of immature children and teenagers. And I felt worst when I saw Wendy trying to get back for hurts in ways that just hurt herself. Rain, of course, was in no way to help or save Wendy because Rain had her hands full with her own issues, her own anger and hurts.
Wendy is dead in a park and the headlines are turning it into the story of a party girl who made the wrong choices. Rain knows her friend is more than tabloid headlines. Rain is pushed outside her comfort zone of passively observing and listening as she investigates what happened to her friend. The Girl in the Park is a murder mystery, yes; but it also a coming of age story, as Rain learns to speak up, both for herself and for Wendy.
The Girl in the Park provides several suspects, clues, and false leads. Rain has to look past who she likes (or doesn’t) based on their past poor treatment of herself and others.
Rain’s cleft palate and speech difficulties are perfectly woven througout the story; they infuse Rain’s character and explain her own distance from her classmates. This is not a story about a girl with a cleft palate; it is a murder mystery where the investigator happens to have a cleft palate. When looking at the author’s blog, she mentioned drawing from her own experience (The Psychic Ouch). In her post, Fredericks writes “ I didn’t want to write a “It’s so hard to be me” novel. So I started wondering what would happen if a girl who was terrified to speak to people (I suspect there are a lot of us out there, cleft palates or no) had to speak up? What if she had to start asking questions, demand to be heard?” Frederick suceeds; this is not a problem novel; and she makes Rain’s self-imposed silence both particular (the cleft palate) and universal (for anyone who, for whatever reason, has felt silenced).
Other reviews: Chronicles of a Book Evangelist.
If you’re about my age, or from the New York area, “party girl found dead in the park” may sound familiar. Fredericks notes that she was inspired by the murder of Jennifer Levin. For those interested in what happened to Levin, from New York Magazine: East Side Story: Robert Chambers, Jennifer Levin, and a death that shocked the city.; Jennifer Levin’s Mother Remembers “Preppy Murder” Case. | <urn:uuid:fcc6783a-152d-4e88-bfd2-ba23767b00d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.slj.com/teacozy/2012/04/11/review-the-girl-in-the-park/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975919 | 1,214 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The panel was created this year to address school security and prevention of violent acts in public spaces. It comes after last year's deadly shootings at a Chardon high school and elementary school in Newtown, Conn.
The first hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday. Other hearings focusing on security, school infrastructure and law enforcement response are scheduled for March.
The Ohio House has indicated it's making school safety a priority. The topic is the subject of one of the first bills introduced in the chamber. The legislation is expected to be written based on public input and suggestions. | <urn:uuid:7aba8dbd-3f52-4c69-865c-460962008e06> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sanduskyregister.com/article/3253096 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977535 | 116 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Twelve-year-old Julia Knoll spends a few hours after school taking care of her younger brother. "It gets annoying sometimes, but I love him. He is my best friend," she says.
And Knoll isn't the only pre-teen watching younger siblings. Twelve-year-old Kathy Davis says, "It's kind of difficult because if you try and put my little sister to sleep, she fights it."
Many kids in our area have had practice babysitting family members. But they wanted to make sure they were prepared for the unexpected. So they visited the American Red Cross for some guidance.
About once a month 11 to 15-year-olds can take a Red Cross class, to learn how to be safe and responsible babysitters.
They learn everything from how to feed an infant, to how to handle household injuries, and even use the Heimlich maneuver.
The kids told me they'll have these skills handy when watching their siblings. But they're most excited to babysit other children.
"I love hanging out with little kids and you get paid for that which makes it even better!" Knoll says.
And the kids are eager to save those hard-earned dollars. | <urn:uuid:e85a85d3-880b-41cd-be73-401d8007a62e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wsaw.com/summer/headlines/Pre-Teens_Learn_Babysitting_Basics_121325644.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979594 | 249 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Attention; one of the most powerful gifts you can offer someone. When we care about a person, we give them our attention as the main way of showing it. Attention when doled out can make someone experience deep emotions whether in a great way or not. Attention when handled carelessly can inspire someone to believe misplaced intentions or that we care less than we do. Paying attention is a way of transferring power to the person we are paying attention to, and that power is, well, more powerful than we can even fathom.
As a society we strive to categorize and be categorized. Through our labels we determine our social circles, our place in the community, and certainly our own self-worth. Every label we either bestow upon ourselves or are given comes with a set amount of societal power. Through our profesion we receive a certain amount of power societally predetermined, as a woman I may receive less power than if I were male, and don't even get my started on the power determined by our skin color. In a perfect world we wouldn't be prejudged, or categorized, before someone knows us well but it appears we are all either too busy or wired in such a way that it happens despite our best intentions. So every day we choose to give power to other people through our attention to them and that power shift can either benefit us or harm us. How much time have I spent worrying about someone's impression of me; more power to them. How much time have I spent about how people will view me; more power relinquished. How much time have I spent paying attention to empty celebrities, politicians, or people I will never ever interact with in any positive manner? Way too much.
So how do we change the way we offer up power to people who do not matter? How can we stop being sucked in by those that mostly do harm? In this politically charged America, it seems we need to dust off the civility but where? So from now on, I want to be sparser with my attention. I want to give it fully every day to those that mean the most; family, friends, my school community. I will strive to remove my share of given power to people who spew negativity, to people who only thrive when there is misery to be discussed, to those who do not mean well. We may not be able to change society and the uneven power held by people, but we can change the share we control. Attention is an incredible gift; give it to those that matter. | <urn:uuid:139a63ff-89ad-4d02-868e-73e3226bfc7b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pernilleripp.com/2011/04/may-i-have-your-attention.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00022-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96359 | 514 | 2.1875 | 2 |
CAS ID #: 75-15-0
Affected Organ Systems: Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Vessels), Hepatic (Liver), Musculoskeletal (Muscles and Skeleton), Neurological (Nervous System), Ocular (Eyes)
Cancer Effects: None
Chemical Classification: Volatile organic compounds
Summary: Pure carbon disulfide is a colorless liquid with a pleasant odor that is like the smell of chloroform. The impure carbon disulfide that is usually used in most industrial processes is a yellowish liquid with an unpleasant odor, like that of rotting radishes. Carbon disulfide evaporates at room temperature, and the vapor is more than twice as heavy as air. It easily explodes in air and also catches fire very easily. In nature, small amounts of carbon disulfide are found in gases released to the earth’s surface as, for example, in volcanic eruptions or over marshes. Commercial carbon disulfide is made by combining carbon and sulfur at very high temperatures
Publication intended to aid emergency department physicians and other emergency healthcare professionals who manage acute exposures resulting from chemical incidents.
Toxicological and Health Professionals
Succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for a hazardous substance.
The purpose of Toxicological Profiles Addenda is to provide, to the public and other federal, state, and local agencies a non-peer reviewed supplement of the scientific data that were published in the open peer-reviewed literature since the release of the profile.
Prioritization of substances based on a combination of their frequency, toxicity, and potential for human exposure at National Priorities List (NPL) sites.
The MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse, non-cancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. The information in this MRL serves as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to look more closely to evaluate possible risk of adverse health effects from human exposure.
- Page last reviewed: March 3, 2011
- Page last updated: March 3, 2011
- Content source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry | <urn:uuid:0913ad78-da8c-4061-b477-2daacb89a0fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsubstance.asp?toxid=84 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917607 | 461 | 3.03125 | 3 |
Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Print No.5
165 x 112 cm
Vasiliev worked as staff photographer for a newspaper in Chelyabinsk for thirty years, during which time he was also a prison warden. From 1948 onward, a fellow worker, Danzig Baldaev, had begun drawing and cataloguing the extensive range of designs made by prisoners onto their skin. These homemade tattoos, scraped and inked into skin with melted book heels, urine or blood, contained a whole range of coded messages against the Soviet regime and about the prisoners’ individual crimes. | <urn:uuid:f1cf123e-d107-458c-99fb-7a2701976b13> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/artpages/russian_tattoo_5.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959287 | 121 | 2.421875 | 2 |
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Passive Infinitive in John 3:30
At 7:10 AM -0400 5/26/97, Carl W. Conrad wrote:
>> EKEINON DEI AUCANEIN, EME DE ELATTOUSQAI.
>>Since EME is in the accusative, and ELATTOUSQAI is passive, I
>>wondered why this verse is invariably translated as if the
>>nominative and the active voice were present? Why not rather
>>translate it as passive, "It is necessary for Him to increase,
>>but for me to be decreased"?
>The reason is that ELATTOUSQAI is middle (or reflexive), NOT passive--and
>the English equivalents most commonly used to translate both of the Greek
>verbs here in the infinitive are generally intransitive: "He must wax, but
>I must wane."
Thank you very much for your assistance! ETI QAUMAZW . . .
AUCANEIN is definitely active, and ELATTOUSQAI is not, right. I
guess the latter could be either middle or passive. Why is the one
active and the other not?
I guess I sense a complete resignation on his part to the necessity
of God's decree (which I understand as introduced by DEI); and the
focus on John makes a good case for seeing the middle voice. But
how conclusive is this?
Mounce tags ELATTOUSQAI as passive. The only other non-active
infinitive in John is in 3 John 2, which is similar in syntax to
this case, SE EUODOUSQAI. I think this is passive. Does the
presence of the accusative help to decide whether the middle or
passive is in view?
>This verse always reminds me of the very idiomatic Thucydidean dictum, a
>sort of expression of the second law of thermodynamics: PANTA FILEI
>ELATTOUSQAI, "Everything tends to degenerate."
Hey, I was going to say that! ;o (Sure, Jim!) <g> | <urn:uuid:432ce288-b3b1-4c5a-be59-be92cbf033e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/archives/97-05/msg00472.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927762 | 478 | 2.03125 | 2 |
FuchsiaArticle Free Pass
Fuchsia, genus of about 105 species of flowering shrubs and trees, in the evening primrose family (Onagraceae), native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America and to New Zealand and Tahiti. Several species are grown in gardens as bedding plants, small shrubs, or miniature treelike specimens; others are grown as pot plants or in hanging baskets for indoor or greenhouse cultivation. They are valued for their showy pendulous flowers, tubular to bell-shaped, in shades of red and purple to white. The hanging growth habit and flared shape of the flower gave rise to the popular name ladies’ eardrop.
The colour fuchsia—a deep reddish-purple, seen in the flowers of some species—is named for the genus. The genus in turn is named for Leonhard Fuchs, a 16th-century botanist and physician.
Suitable for growth in hanging baskets are the prostrate Fuchsia procumbens and the dwarf and trailing forms of the common hybrids (F. × hybrida, probably derived from F. fulgens and F. magellanica). The garden fuchsias, probably derived mainly from F. magellanica, are widely grown in shady borders. One tree fuchsia (F. excorticata), from New Zealand, up to 15 metres (50 feet) high, has dull-red waxy flowers and papery bark; a Mexican tree fuchsia, F. arborescens, up to 10 m, has lilac and purple flower clusters.
What made you want to look up "Fuchsia"? Please share what surprised you most... | <urn:uuid:14b94268-1892-4dd2-9ded-b4d1373988b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/221311/Fuchsia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938435 | 357 | 3.40625 | 3 |
To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.
Law; an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community
Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of good wine
In order for a war to be just, three things are necessary. First, the authority of the sovereign. Secondly, a just cause. Thirdly, a rightful intention.
Justice is a certain rectitude of mind whereby a man does what he ought to do in the circumstances confronting him.
Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine | <urn:uuid:27a9425f-177f-4aae-8293-b4e98de012e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.finestquotes.com/author_quotes-author-St.%20Thomas%20Aquinas-page-0.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955644 | 139 | 2.3125 | 2 |
Vitamin N: The missing ingredient in the 21st Century Curriculum July 15, 2012Posted by Editor21C in Education Policy and Politics, Engaging Learning Environments, Primary Education, Secondary Education.
Tags: ecopedagogy, health and physical education, outdoor education
In the words of the renowned philosopher Henry David Thoreau: We need the tonic of wilderness. And yet, in the 21st Century, we find our children increasingly without this ‘tonic’, or what Richard Louv (2011) calls ‘Vitamin N,’ for Nature. All available evidence suggests that young Australians are becoming less likely to engage in free play in outdoor environments (Maller & Townsend, 2006).
In part, the isolation can be attributed to the screen-ager generation and their choice of indoor hobbies, tethered to screens and electrical outlets (for instance social media, computer games, Wii, Nintendo, or television). Given this situation, outdoor educators agree that contemporary students are in dire need of a dose of nature if they are to grow up healthy. In this same vein, David Orr writes poignantly: “The message is urgent: unplug, boot it down, get off-line, get outdoors, breathe again, become real in the real world”.
Just last month, the NSW Auditor-General, Peter Achterstraat, called on the Department of Education and Communities to increase physical activity in NSW government primary schools, who aren’t even providing the minimum laid out in the existing curriculum guidelines, stating that:
Around 30 per cent of government primary schools are not providing the required two hours of physical education and sport per week. (Achterstraat, 2012, p. 11)
Researchers have argued that young people need to actively and repeatedly engage with the natural world in order to mature (Kahn & Kellert, 2002; Kellert, 2005; Lester & Maudsley, 2007; Louv, 2008). The relationship of the outdoors to growth and education has been widely acknowledged for centuries. For instance, the German term ‘kindergarten’ means literally, ‘children in the garden,’ clearly indicating the importance of outdoor activity.
Disconcertingly, on the cusp of educational reform in Australia with the implementation of a National Curriculum, we find that the Australian Curriculum Reporting Authority (ACARA) has omitted reference to the outdoors from the draft Health and Physical Education curriculum. The oversight neglects not only traditions of using natural environments for education, but also best practices internationally and emerging research on the dangers of Vitamin N deficiency.
Benefits of Human-Nature Connection
Over the past two to three decades, researchers have recognized the importance of human-nature connection as a determinant of health and wellbeing (see, for example, Kellert & Wilson, 1993; Orr, 2004; Stone, 2009). In contrast to the Australian case, Scandinavian schools, acknowledging the importance of outdoor activity for healthy development, immerse children in nature. Based on eco-pedagogical principles, school children spend approximately three hours each school day outside – rain, hail, snow or shine – in all four seasons. In spite of a climate that would seem to discourage outdoor activities, educators argue that there is no excuse for children staying indoors; one educator told me during a recent visit that their mantra is, ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.’
This begs the question, why does our 21st Century Australian school curriculum have a growing aversion to taking kids outdoors, especially when we have a mild climate and an endless landscape of possibilities? Louv (2011) argues that children could do with a healthy dose of Vitamin N in our curriculum, especially as their leisure activity is increasingly indoors. In the face of the growing need, a child in the outdoors is an endangered species in contemporary schooling (see Gray, Martin & Boyle, 2012).
The result is that some children are becoming outdoor illiterate. Due to the inordinate time spent indoors on level floor surfaces, for example, outdoor educators are finding that Australian children cannot walk confidently and skillfully in outdoor environs; they are unfamiliar with uneven ground, crossing rivers or negotiating steep hilly terrain. Quite clearly, our modern child is not ‘nature smart’ and we need to redress this imbalance (Stone, 2009).
Nature and Well-being
The therapeutic role of nature has been documented as far back as classical Chinese and Greek civilizations (Townsend & Weerasuriya, 2010). Cultures around the world have an intuitive sense that natural environments possess restorative power; we know that outdoor settings ameliorate stress, improve mood, enhance coping ability and assist in combating depression (Nielsen & Hansen, 2007). Ironically, relaxation tapes provide artificial analogues of bird song, babbling streams, or waves crashing on the sand because we insulate ourselves from precisely these sensations. This effect of nature has been linked to biophilia, a term coined by Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson (1984) to describe an innate love of nature and an affiliation to all living things shaped by our species’ evolutionary heritage (Sacks, 2009).
Recently, in Victoria we have seen the advent of ‘Feel Blue: Touch Green,’ an innovative mental health program using green spaces to address depression and mental illness (Townsend, 2006). This novel program is an outgrowth of studies which reveal separation from nature is implicated in declining physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing.
Australia’s 21st century school curriculum needs to produce a generation of students with greater, not less, environmental awareness. One way this can be accomplished is if we promote access to outdoor environments and develop an affinity with nature. Now more than ever, educators should be ensuring that children get their recommended daily allowance of vitamin N.
References: Achterstraat, P. (2012). NSW Auditor-General’s Report Physical activity in government primary schools. Department of Education and Communities. Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2012). The Draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education (HPE) See http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/hpe.html Gray, T., Martin, P. & Boyle, I. (2012). Outdoor Education and the Australian National Curriculum. Professional Educator Vol 11( 4) pp 16-18. Kahn, P. H. & Kellert, S. R. (2002). Children and Nature: Psychological, sociocultural and evolutionary investigations. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Kellert, S.R. (2005). Building for Life: Designing and understanding the human- nature connection. Washington: Island Press. Kellert, S.R. & Wilson, E.O. (1993). The Biophilia Hypothesis. Washington: Island Press. Lester, S. & Maudsley, M. (2007). Play, Naturally: A Review of Children’s Natural Play. London: Play England. Louv, R. (2008). Last Child in the Woods. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. Louv, R. (2011). The Nature Principle: Human restoration and the end of Nature-Deficit Disorder. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. Maller, C. J. and Townsend, M. (2006). Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing and Hands- on Contact with Nature: Perceptions of Principals and Teachers. International Journal of Learning 12(4): 359-372. Nielson, T.S. & Hansen, K.B. (2007). Do green areas affect health? Results from a Danish survey on the use of green areas and health indicators. Health and Place, 13(4), 395-413. Orr, D.W. (2004). Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect. Washington, D.C.: Island Press. Sacks, O. (2009). Forward in L. Campbell & A. Wiesen (eds), Restorative Commons: Creating health and wellbeing through urban landscapes. USDA Forest Service, PA, pp 1-3. Stone, M. (2009). Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability. Centre for Ecoliteracy, Watershed Media Berkeley, CA. Townsend, M. (2006). Feel Blue? Touch Green! Participation in forest/woodland management as a treatment for depression, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 5: 111-120. Townsend, M. & Weerasuriya, R. (2010). Beyond Blue to Green: The benefits of contact with nature. Deakin University.
Tonia Gray was recently appointed Associate Professor of Education in the School of Education at the University of Western Sydney, Australia. Her research interests include: Ecopedagogy, human-nature relationships; reflection and experiential learning in a variety of educational settings; risk taking; PDHPE; and facilitation and leadership styles in adventure education. In the past twenty years Dr Gray has attracted National teaching awards, several research grants, published monographs; written approximately 20 book chapters and 40 refereed publications. She will be presenting material relating to this post at the Nature Education symposium on August 9th 2012 at Taronga Park Zoo. Click here for the link to the symposium web site: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/edresources/NatureEdEvent.htm | <urn:uuid:e736dd4a-36d6-48f7-bdff-d055893dcd88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://learning21c.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/vitamin-n-the-missing-ingredient-in-the-21st-century-curriculum/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904068 | 1,975 | 2.90625 | 3 |
- ISBN/SKU: 9781612510453
- Binding: Hardcover & eBook
- Era: 20th Century
- Number of Pages: 336
- Subject: Intelligence
- Date Available: October 2011
Your tax-deductible gift to the Naval Institute Press underwrites worthy books that might not otherwise be published.
Operation MH/CHAOS was the code name for a secret domestic spying program conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency in the late 1960s and early 1970s, after being charged with unmasking possible foreign influences on the student antiwar movement. CIA counterinsurgency officer Frank Rafalko was a member of the CHAOS special operations group. His inside account of the controversial operation provides information never before brought to light. In the book, Rafalko tells how by 1969 the group included sixty officers and their informants who reported on the activities of U.S. citizens abroad and infiltrated foreign antiwar groups that might have ties to U.S. groups. Eventually, he says, the program was expanded to include domestic leftists or counter-cultural groups with no discernible connection to the antiwar movement, including women's liberation groups, Students for a Democratic Society, and the Black Panther Party. The group disbanded following the Watergate scandal that involved two former CIA officers.
MH/CHAOS was exposed by the New York Times in 1974 and further details were revealed during Congressional hearings that prompted the government to launch investigations into CIA surveillance activities within the United States. Rafalko refutes the charges made by the Times and takes issue with the government findings. He makes the case that their activities were justified and that the CIA was the logical agency to collect information. The author argues his point by providing details secretly collected by his group against the New Left and black extremists. The book describes how MH/CHAOS began, how it was staffed, and how it was transformed into an anti-terrorist unit before it ceased operation. The first book to reveal such details, it also calls attention to the consequences suffered by the American counterintelligence community because of the government investigations.
Frank J. Rafalko, a recognized counterintelligence expert, served as a CIA officer for thirty-two years. His assignments included adviser and acting chief to the National Reconnaissance Office's counterintelligence unit, chief of the National Counterintelligence Center's Counterintelligence Community Training Branch and adviser to the State Department's Overseas Security Policy Board. He lives in North Carolina.
Praise for MH/CHAOS
“Given Rafalko‘s service to both counterintelligence and counterintelligence history, his book and its arguments, though limited, are well worth considering in a serious manner. Where he succeeds, we are warned; where he fails, we are given the opportunity to consider some of the structural difficulties in the practice of counterintelligence in a democratic, liberties-oriented domestic environment. Agree or disagree with his arguments, Rafalko‘s book is a useful attempt to deal with important concerns. “
— International Journal of Intelligence Ethics, Summer 2012
“One of the most important and absorbing intelligence books of the year. Rafalko dismantles the argument that the CIA must maintain an interest in happenings that only occur in faraway lands. There is often a ‘corridor’ or channel where intelligence inevitably falls —and this must be gathered, shared, and disseminated by domestic and overseas services alike. A five star offering.”
— Eye Spy (British publication)
“[Rafalko] writes with the insight of a counterintelligence expert. [The book] will perhaps stand as the ultimate objective study of a program that proved highly controversial.”
— The Washington Times, December 9, 2011
“The definitive account of the CIA’s controversial MH/CHAOS operation has long been missing from the intelligence literature. Only a real counterintelligence pro like Frank Rafalko could fill that gap, and he has admirably and expertly done so. Frank gets it right. Readers who thought they had the full story from the media and the Church Commission will have to look again.”
—JAMES M. OLSON, former chief of CIA Counterintelligence and author of Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying
“The author lays out a compelling and fact–based readable narrative of the assessments of the individuals in the CIA tasked to respond to growing domestic and international terrorist threats to U.S. national security during the highly emotional and turbulent period in American political and cultural history of the 1960s and 1970s. Social change is rampant in all aspects of American life during this period, when numerous U.S. cities were engulfed in riots and terrorism attacks. Frank Rafalko tells the uncomfortable truth of this period of American history. It is a story that has never been told with as much clarity from someone on the ‘inside’ that knows firsthand the dynamic events of the period, and readers will gain a new and profound respect for the CIA and FBI personnel who fight every day to keep the U.S. free and safe.”
—DAVID G. MAJOR, retired FBI supervisory special agent, owner and founder of the CI Centre and Spypedia
“Frank Rafalko, beginning in the mid-1990s, became the de facto historian of American counterintelligence by producing a four-volume history for the National Counterintelligence Center. He has followed this up with the present volume, which will be wildly controversial but which is, in my judgment, the definitive history of MH/CHAOS. Whether Rafalko is correct in his judgments is frankly immaterial. What is indisputable is that Rafalko’s history of his unit is the best we are ever likely to see.”
—LOUIS R. SADLER, Professor Emeritus, New Mexico State University, and co-author of The Archaeologist Was a Spy: Sylvanus Morley and the Office of Naval Intelligence and the prize-winning Secret War in El Paso and The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution | <urn:uuid:7c5c97c7-2313-4ddf-9e31-6fc4c52cc5e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usni.org/store/cold-war/mhchaos | 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 | 0.960981 | 1,247 | 1.5625 | 2 |
In the Illinois Legislature, Barack Obama "voted 'present,' instead of yes or no" on seven votes involving abortion rights.
Hillary Clinton on Thursday, December 20th, 2007 in Iowa
He voted "present," which is similar to "no"
As the Democratic race has tightened, the Hillary Clinton campaign has portrayed Sen. Barack Obama as inconsistent on abortion rights.
"In the Illinois state Senate, on issue after issue, my opponent voted 'present,' instead of yes or no. Seven of those votes were on a women's right to choose," Sen. Clinton said in a December 2007 speech in Iowa. In the days leading up to Super Tuesday on Feb. 5, 2008, several other groups repeated the charge against Obama via e-mails.
The facts here are not in dispute. Obama did vote present on seven bills that attempted to restrict abortion. His defenders argue that it was a tactic to disrupt legislation that would be used against Democrats in swing districts.
It's worth pausing here to explain what the "present" vote means. The Illinois Legislature allows members to vote "yes," "no," or "present." Bills need "yes" votes to pass, so a vote of "present" counts the same as a "no." Thus, Obama's "present" votes on bills seeking to restrict abortion counted the same as if he had voted "no." All of the bills passed by in the Senate by sizable margins.
The seven votes were on proposals that abortion opponents have successfully passed in other places. Two bills outlawed the late-term procedure that opponents call partial-birth abortion. Two bills required parental notification for minors seeking abortions. Three bills were for so-called "born alive" legislation, which require doctors to administer medical care to aborted fetuses that survive the abortion process in hopes that the fetuses can survive.
No one questions that Obama opposed the seven pieces of legislation; indeed, he is mentioned in news reports from the time as being against several of the measures. Rather, Obama's critics say he ducked a "no" vote; supporters say it was a tactical move.
Those interpretations seem to have split the leaders of the Illinois abortion rights movement.
Obama should have voted "no" on those bills, said Bonnie Grabenhofer, president of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization for Women, which has endorsed Clinton.
"We think the way you talk about a bill and the way you stand up is important," she said. "It was a strategy that allowed people to take political cover as opposed to talking about why the bill was a bad bill and clearly saying no."
But Pam Sutherland, president and CEO of the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council, said Obama was helping advance a prochoice agenda by voting present.
"He always was going to vote 'no' on these bills. We needed to keep some of our moderate Democrats from voting yes, which is something you never want to happen," Sutherland said. By having a well-known supporter of abortion rights also vote present, it gave other Democrats cover, she said.
Regardless of the interpretation of the "present" votes, Obama has received extremely positive ratings from organizations that promote abortion rights. Even Grabenhofer's organization, the NOW Illinois political action committee, endorsed Obama twice after the "present" votes. The group did not endorse in the U.S. Senate race in 2004, she said, in part because of the present votes.
Steve Trombley of Planned Parenthood in Chicago has defended Obama's prochoice bona fides, even though Planned Parenthood has not endorsed in the race.
"Barack Obama has always been committed to a woman's right to choose. He has a 100 percent pro-choice voting record both in the U.S. Senate and the Illinois Senate," Trombley wrote in a statement posted on the Obama campaign Web site.
"I don't know why Illinois NOW has changed its opinion of Barack Obama since his record has remained the same and since his time as a state senator, he has only demonstrated a full and steady commitment to choice," Trombley added.
Both Clinton and Obama have their supporters among the abortion rights movement.
Clinton arguably has the bigger endorsements. She has been endorsed by the National Organization for Women and EMILY's List, an organization dedicated to electing prochoice women.
Obama has some high-profile endorsements as well, such as Kate Michelman, former president, NARAL Prochoice America, who sided with Obama after John Edwards dropped out of the race. Obama also has the support of U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the first executive director of EMILY's List, who has publicly defended Obama as a strong supporter of abortion rights. We checked her statement here and found it to be True.
Two other large groups, NARAL Prochoice America and Planned Parenthood, are not endorsing. Planned Parenthood, however, has given both candidates 100 percent ratings for their records on abortion.
We stipulate that there are clearly different interpretations of the significance of Obama's "present" votes. But there's no doubt he made them. So we find Clinton's statement to be True.
Published: Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 at 12:00 a.m.
Hillary Clinton campaign Web site, Fact Check: Hillary's Iowa Remarks , Dec. 20, 2007
Barack Obama campaign Web site, Fact Check: Obama's strong prochoice record, Jan. 8, 2008
Illinois State Legislature, HB 382: Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act , 1997
Illinois State Legislature, SB 1094: Bill to protect children born as result of induced labor abortion , 2001. Bill passed .
Illinois State Legislature, SB 1095: Bill defining "born alive" defines "born-alive infant" to include infant "born alive at any stage of development," 2001. Bill passed .
Chicago Sun-Times, "Bill proposes care for fetus after abortion," March 31, 2001
Chicago Sun-Times, "Ban on partial-birth abortion clears panel," March 5, 1997
Interview with Bonnie Grabenhofer, president of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization for Women
Interview with Pam Sutherland, president and CEO of Illinois Planned Parenthood Council
Barack Obama campaign Web site, Setting the Record Straight , by Steve Trombley, Feb. 5, 2008
EMILY's List, Hillary Clinton endorsement
National Organization for Women, Hillary Clinton makes history , Jan. 8, 2008
The Huffington Post, Why I'm endorsing Barack Obama , by Kate Michelman, Feb. 3, 2008
The Associated Press, Connecticut Democrats endorse Obama for president , Feb. 2, 2008
Planned Parenthood Action Fund, 100% Prochoice Presidential Candidates , 2008
We want to hear your suggestions and comments.
For tips or comments on our Obameter and our GOP-Pledge-O-Meter promise databases, please e-mail the Obameter. If you are commenting on a specific promise, please include the wording of the promise.For comments about our Truth-O-Meter or Flip-O-Meter items, please e-mail the Truth-O-Meter. We’re especially interested in seeing any chain e-mails you receive that you would like us to check out. If you send us a comment, we'll assume you don't mind us publishing it unless you tell us otherwise.
Keep up to date with Politifact:
- Sign up for our e-mail (about once a week)
- Put a free PolitiFact widget on your blog or Web page
- Subscribe to our RSS feeds on Truth-O-Meter items
- Subscribe to our RSS feeds on GOP Pledge-O-Meter items
- Subscribe to our RSS feeds on Obameter items
- Advertise on PolitiFact
- Shop the PolitiFact store for T-shirts, hats and other PolitiFact swag | <urn:uuid:80040de6-0c0d-48be-9690-78a0b5dd8e8a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/feb/06/hillary-clinton/he-voted-present-which-is-similar-to-no/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954507 | 1,624 | 2.359375 | 2 |
About the Fed
Emergency Preparedness and Contact Information
It is important to always be prepared for emergencies. At the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, we make every effort to communicate with financial institutions and maintain vital financial services in any situation. To help you also prepare, we have provided information about emergency arrangements for Fed services such as cash, check and automated clearinghouse processing and Fed functions like discount window lending, regulatory reporting and banking supervision.
Dallas Federal Reserve Website
The Bank's website (www.dallasfed.org) will serve as the primary location for all Dallas Fed emergency-related information. This site will be used as potential emergencies are identified and as emergencies are under way, such as flooding, hurricanes, pandemic, regional power outages, terrorist activity, etc., and for follow-up action when the emergency subsides. The site will be updated as new information becomes available. If the Dallas Fed's website is unavailable, institutions can use the Federal Reserve's national financial services website (www.frbservices.org) for information on Checks Services, FedACH®, FedCash® and Fedwire®.
Web Information Sources
- Dallas Federal Reserve website
- National Financial Services website
- If your institution elects to close before a mandatory evacuation order has been issued, you must provide instructions for handling the presentment of your checks. Contact the National Check Customer Support Center at 877-FRB-CHKS.
- Please note that accounting and settlement dollars for those transactions will continue to flow to your account even if the work is held or redirected. Therefore, it is important to monitor and maintain sufficient balances in your account.
- If you resume operations at a contingency site, please provide instructions for handling your checks and receiving your Check 21 files, as well as business resumption information, by contacting the Customer Support Center and/or your local account executive.
- For paper check presentments, we work with contracted check couriers to evaluate accessibility of roads, determine alternate deposit times and locations, and monitor undeliverable work.
- Account monitoring may be performed via FedPhone® or FedLine Web®. Please ensure that your FedPhone users and codeword lists for Funds and Securities Transfers are updated and on hand for contingencies. Additionally, formalize FedLine Web certificates and FedLine Advantage® token procedures for activation at contingency sites.
- To discuss special orders or operating needs for currency and coin, please call Cash Customer Support at your servicing Federal Reserve Office.
- Review the business continuity guide. Become familiar with the Federal Reserve's National Business Continuity Guide at www.frbservices.org (see listing on left side of homepage under Business Continuity). There you will learn about our National Business Resilience and Business Continuity Plans for each of our services. Print and distribute to your staff critical telephone numbers and contingency instructions.
- Verify, update and test your procedures. Verify accuracy of agreements and test your contingency backup plans, particularly for service areas most critical for FedCash®, FedACH®, Fedwire®, and Check Services. Be sure that your procedures have been updated from those for the FedLine® DOS environment to those for FedLine Advantage®.
- Keep contact lists handy. Senior management should keep telephone numbers for the Federal Reserve Customer Support Center, your Federal Reserve account executive, and regulatory agencies at hand, as access to these resources is particularly critical during times of emergency. Use the helpful tool My FedDirectory® to create a list of financial service contacts customized for your institution. You can do this at www. frbservices.org/contacts/index.jsp. You may want to keep a copy of these contact numbers in a location outside of your institution, such as your home or car, in case your building is inaccessible.
- Communication is critical. Assess and refine your capabilities for getting in touch with your staff before, during and after an emergency situation. Some institutions have added call-in lines and special webpages for staff to use in an emergency. | <urn:uuid:36c5c0fc-d647-4be2-858d-2ffb117c530f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dallasfed.org/fed/continuity/index.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902331 | 823 | 1.554688 | 2 |