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 |
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...make a very large tree
Hello, Cartographers! I'm a long-time lurker with a question for which I desperately need help! I've been blown away by the things I see on this site, so I'm sure there are good ideas to be had and shared.
Some of you familiar with Planescape or earlier editions of D&D may know about how Yggdrasil has existed in that game. Basically, it's a mythic tree so huge that it crosses into other planes. By climbing it and walking its branches, you can uncover portals into other locations in the multiverse.
Are there any mapping resources (textures, etc) or techniques that you could recommend to render things like tree branches so huge that small villages are nestled into them and groves of more mundane vegetation can spring up on them? I want to generate battle maps for MapTool encounters set among its boughs.
Ah. Maybe this should have been in the "How Do I?" sub-forum...
Last edited by Academician; 07-11-2010 at 03:36 PM.
Welcome to the Guild!
I would start by going out and getting my eyeball as close as possible to a tree and get a real feel for what it looks like that close up, the texture and so on because that's going to be your background for the village. If you have a digital camera you might be able to take a zoomed in shot that would work.
“When it’s over and you look in the mirror, did you do the best that you were capable of? If so, the score does not matter. But if you find that you did your best you were capable of, you will find it to your liking.” -John Wooden
* My Finished Maps
* My Challenge Maps
* My deviantArt | <urn:uuid:0da3783d-0552-4583-95be-a6b1355f40f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cartographersguild.com/how-do-i/11111-make-very-large-tree.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00026-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966547 | 382 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Listing your HIV meds (ARVs) on your PharmaNet profile - informed consent
HIV-positive people will soon be able to have their ARVs (anti-retrovirals, HIV meds) listed on their PharmaNet profile … if that’s what they want.
The systems are now being finalized that will enable people wishing to have their ARVs listed on their PharmaNet profile to sign a (somewhat) simple informed consent form and submit it through their pharmacist or physician to the St. Paul’s pharmacy dispensary; the listing will then occur.
Those wishing to keep their ARVs off of their PharmaNet profile need do nothing; not listing remains the default position.
The draft of the consent form that will be used is attached below, along with its preceding explanatory note. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with it as much as possible before you actually sign one.
Since the creation of PharmaNet in 1998, the overwhelming majority of ARV prescriptions have not been listed on PharmaNet. This remarkable exclusion – all meds dispensed in BC are supposed to be on PharmaNet – was effected in recognition of the terrible stigma associated with HIV/AIDS in those days.
The problem was (and remains) that any time you get a prescription filled at any pharmacy in BC, your entire PharmaNet profile is automatically shown to the dispensing pharmacist (and whomever may be working on her or his behalf). It was an open invitation to unwanted and unauthorized disclosure of individuals’ HIV-positive status.
Indeed, there have been instances recorded of people having been involuntarily “outed” as HIV-positive in their home communities because of such listings. This is so because only ARVs dispensed through the St. Paul’s pharmacy (or, rarely, some other hospital’s dispensary) were exempted. ARVs dispensed through regular commercial pharmacies were never exempt.
But, from the beginning, many BCPWA / Positive Living BC members have wanted to see their ARVs listed in their PharmaNet profile. One of PharmaNet’s more helpful features is that it automatically flags known problematic interactions between the drugs prescribed for dispensing and other drugs a person is taking. Too, listing on PharmaNet allows one’s doctor(s) easily to see a complete listing of all prescriptions one is on.
As soon as the systems required to effect individuals’ consent to list their ARVs are in place, notification will appear on this website, and the information will be distributed through numerous other means. At that time, you will be able to sign and submit your informed consent form.
If you have questions about the informed consent document, contact Ross Harvey at Positive Living BC:
- 604 893 2252
|Agreement to Record Antiretroviral Medications on Pharmanet||80.95 KB| | <urn:uuid:2f8704e0-85eb-4366-b3fd-0e2d47ca503c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.positivelivingbc.org/news/111005/listing-hiv-meds-arvs-pharmanet-profile-informed-consent?page=11 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956904 | 597 | 1.523438 | 2 |
O’Dowd responds to comments by the Ulster Farmers’ Union
Education Minister, John ODowd, has responded to comments by the Ulster Farmers Union on the publication by Education and Library Boards of draft primary area plans.
~ Thursday, 21 March 2013
The Minister said: “The area planning process that is currently under way will realign our local schools estate to best suit the needs of local children. This is an essential exercise that takes account of many complex factors – it is definitely not a numbers game based solely on enrolments.
“The Education and Library Boards’ proposals on the future of primary provision are designed to adhere to the official Sustainable Schools policy – an approach to school provision that is fully ‘rural-proofed’, having been checked against the Rural Development Council’s rural proofing checklist set out in its report, Striking the Balance, with no adverse impact identified. Indeed, the policy sets out a lower target enrolment for rural primary schools than for schools in urban areas, in recognition of the different nature of the communities they serve.
“The draft primary area plans are open for public consultation until the end of June and I am keen for everyone with an interest, including those in rural areas, to make their views known. Visit the Putting Pupils First website to submit your views, or contact the relevant Education and Library Board if you do not have access to the web.”
Concluding, the Minister said: “I firmly believe that all children, including those who live in rural areas, deserve to have access to high quality educational opportunities.
“I can assure everyone that no decisions have yet been made on any school and that none will be made before everyone has had a chance to put their opinions across. Only at that point, and taking account of all pertinent information, will I decide on the best way forward in the interests of all children.”
Notes to editors:
- The Department of Education has launched a new ‘Education Works’ advertising campaign. The campaign encourages families to play, talk, read and count with their child and to ‘Get Involved Because Education Works’. Watch out for the ads on television, radio and outdoor locations. The campaign highlights the vital role families can play in helping children do well at school and improve their life chances. Visit nidirect website for more information or watch the TV ad on the Department’s YouTube channel.
- View photos from the Department of Education in our Flickr collection.
- Media enquiries to the Department of Education’s Communications Team on Tel: 028 9127 9207. Out of office hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699715440 and your call will be returned. | <urn:uuid:1498902c-9480-4634-af5d-5d5c8301c253> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/news-de-210312-odowd-responds-to?WT.mc_id=rss-news | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952676 | 571 | 1.679688 | 2 |
From this article The Brief Way to Better Blood Sugar:
Men in a small study who added short, intense bursts of activity to mini workouts seemed better able to metabolize sugars.
When the men were given the equivalent of a meal's worth of glucose at the end of the study, their bodies metabolized it better than before the study.
Researchers suspect that bursts of intensity during workouts elicit stronger contractions and therefore more glucose uptake in the large muscles attached to bones.
The high intensity interval training in this study was performed on exercise bikes. High intensity interval training can also be incorporating into strength training - perform a series of high intensity strength training exercises will little rest between the exercises. | <urn:uuid:9bc66f10-c8be-4047-a59b-35f44522185e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ultimate30.com/category/new-orleans-personal-trainers?quicktabs_1=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959903 | 138 | 2.28125 | 2 |
Members of South Dakota's Indian tribes say they've watched for too long as the state's Department of Social Services removed children from the reservation and placed many of them in white foster homes.
And Thursday, they're took legal action.
Holding signs that read "Indian families have rights," and "When did kidnapping become legal?" members of several tribes stood in front of Rapid City's federal building.
The gathering preceded the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of three families alleging that the state's DSS has violated the Indian Child Welfare Act.
"It is disturbing how often Indian children are separated from their parents, tribes an d communities based on flimsy evidence," said Stephen Pevar, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's Racial Justice Program. "Whenever a family goes through the difficult separation process, state officials must ensure people's fundamental rights are not thrown out the window. These children, parents and tribes are entitled to more by federal law."
Federal law requires that Native American children removed from homes be placed with relatives or put in foster care with other Native American families except in unusual circumstances.
This group claims that's not happening; native parents aren't receiving due process and the state isn't doing its part to keep Native children in Native homes.
"We're not looking for money, injunctive relief; we're looking for a systems change. We want the state to come to the table and say 'we want to work with you and do what's best for these children," said Juanita Scherich, member of the Coalition of Sioux Tribes.
"I know what we're up against but we have to keep fighting because we cannot - I don't believe - we can let native children go outside the tribe," said Mary Black Bonnet, who was adopted by a non-Native family.
The Department of Social Services has acknowledged a disproportionate number of Native American children are involved in the child welfare system.
Officials say this is because the state receives more referrals for alleged abuse and neglect involving Native American children. | <urn:uuid:5b1b5930-499a-496f-bd4d-349806b79543> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kotatv.com/story/21758514/tribes-file-suit-stage-rally-on-behalf-of-families | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976527 | 417 | 2.5625 | 3 |
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When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Presentby Gail Collins
Synopses & Reviews
Gail Collins, New York Times columnist and bestselling author, recounts the astounding revolution in women's lives over the past 50 years, with her usual sly wit and unfussy style (People).
When Everything Changed begins in 1960, when most American women had to get their husbands' permission to apply for a credit card. It ends in 2008 with Hillary Clinton's historic presidential campaign. This was a time of cataclysmic change, when, after four hundred years, expectations about the lives of American women were smashed in just a generation.
A comprehensive mix of oral history and Gail Collins's keen research--covering politics, fashion, popular culture, economics, sex, families, and work--When Everything Changed is the definitive book on five crucial decades of progress. The enormous strides made since 1960 include the advent of the birth control pill, the end of Help Wanted--Male and Help Wanted--Female ads, and the lifting of quotas for women in admission to medical and law schools. Gail Collins describes what has happened in every realm of women's lives, partly through the testimonies of both those who made history and those who simply made their way.
Picking up where her highly lauded book America's Women left off, When Everything Changed is a dynamic story, told with the down-to-earth, amusing, and agenda-free tone for which this beloved New York Times columnist is known. Older readers, men and women alike, will be startled as they are reminded of what their lives once were--Father Knows Best and My Little Margie on TV; daily weigh-ins for stewardesses; few female professors; no women in the Boston marathon, in combat zones, or in the police department. Younger readers will see their history in a rich new way. It has been an era packed with drama and dreams--some dashed and others realized beyond anyone's imagining.
Picking up where her previous successful book, "America's Women," leaves off, Collins recounts the sea change women have experienced since 1960. A comprehensive mix of oral history and keen research, this is the definitive book about five crucial decades of progress.
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History and Social Science » World History » General | <urn:uuid:bd7af4a6-a657-4948-ac38-eda201b4954e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.powells.com/biblio/71-9780316014045-0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914272 | 609 | 1.804688 | 2 |
New system can predict malaria epidemic in northwest India 4 months in advance
Washington: Sea surface temperatures in the tropical South Atlantic Ocean can be used to accurately forecast, by up to four months, malaria epidemics thousands of miles away in northwestern India, researchers have found.
Colder-than-normal July sea surface temperatures in the tropical South Atlantic are linked to both increased monsoon rainfall and malaria epidemics in the arid and semi-arid regions of northwest India, including the vast Thar desert, according to University of Michigan theoretical ecologist Mercedes Pascual and her colleagues.
Previous efforts to forecast malaria outbreaks in northwest India have focused largely on monsoon-season rainfall totals as a predictor of the availability of breeding sites for the Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit the disease. That approach provides about a month of lead time before outbreaks occur.
The new forecasting tool should improve public health in the region by increasing warning time, thereby informing decisions about treatment preparedness and other disease-prevention strategies, Pascual, the Rosemary Grant Collegiate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator said.
Planning for indoor insecticide spraying, one widely used control measure, could benefit from the additional lead time, for example.
"The climate link we have uncovered can be used as an indicator of malaria risk," Pascual said.
"On the practical side, we hope these findings can be used as part of an early warning system," she said.
After being nearly eradicated in India, malaria re-emerged there in the 1970s. An estimated 9 million malaria cases occur in India annually.
Malaria in its epidemic form occurs primarily on the margins of the geographical distribution of the disease, in places like arid northwest India where environmental conditions are only episodically suitable for sustaining Anopheles mosquitoes.
Motivated by the desire for more accurate prediction of malaria risk at longer lead times, Pascual and her colleagues analyzed epidemiological records of malaria incidence in northwest India and used statistical and computer climate models to test potential links between sea surface temperatures, monsoon rains in northwest India, and malaria epidemics there.
They found that most malaria epidemics in northwest India, which peak in October or November, occur when rainfall in the preceding summer monsoon season equals or exceeds a rainfall threshold presumably required to support the growth of Anopheles mosquitoes.The researchers looked for a correlation between global sea-surface temperatures and epidemic malaria in northwest India.
The findings are set to be published online in the journal Nature Climate Change. | <urn:uuid:062c0608-99ba-420d-9f2c-7b4a9cbccbfa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://zeenews.india.com/health/print.aspx?nid=20969 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921906 | 522 | 3.5625 | 4 |
Learn something new every day More Info... by email
Paramedic careers include the professions of ambulance paramedic, nurse paramedic, fireman paramedic and law enforcement officer paramedic. All of these professionals render emergency medical services in a variety of settings. Most people in paramedic careers are employed by ambulance companies, police departments and hospitals, but some are private healthcare providers hired by politicians and traveling businesspeople. Politicians and businesspeople might have medical conditions that require emergency care while away from their primary care physicians and specialists.
Many fire departments in the United States will hire only a firefighter who also is a licensed emergency medical technician (EMT), also known as a health care provider for basic life support. A few departments require firefighters to hold paramedic certification, known as advanced life support. This requires the completion of a state-approved course in paramedicine, the passing of a written exam and a multiple-stage practical exam. Requirements such as these have resulted in the creation of the role of fireman paramedic. Firefighters with paramedic careers are among the rescuers who often are the first responders to administer pre-hospital care.
Emergency medical services also might need to be provided by law enforcement officers such as the police, a highway patrol agent or a sheriff, because they also are among those who are first responders to emergency situations. This is why they might be required to earn certification as EMTs or paramedics as well. Paramedic careers in which they might work include those of police paramedics or police EMTs and sheriff paramedics or sheriff EMTs.
The ambulance paramedic probably is the most well known and most practiced of all of the paramedic careers. These pre-hospital healthcare providers render emergency medical services in private homes, nursing homes, schools, assisted-care facilities, the back of ambulances and many outdoor settings. They usually work in close cooperation with law enforcement officers and firefighters. Their cooperation with physicians typically involves contact by radio and in the emergency room of hospitals to report on a patient's conditions and receive medical direction.
Other paramedic careers include employment in paramedic nursing and emergency rescue of scuba divers. Paramedic nurses, unlike nurses who are not paramedics, tend to work exclusively in the emergency rooms of hospitals. Ship captains, forest rangers and personal fitness trainers also might work in paramedic careers or hold an EMT license. Medical emergencies can develop quickly on ships, in remotes forested areas and in fitness training gymnasiums. When these people have the knowledge of how to handle life-threatening medical conditions or injuries, the chances of saving lives increase because medical care can be provided before the arrival of an ambulance. | <urn:uuid:48b3bd7f-d0c2-4858-a872-d51d758021c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-paramedic-careers.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966175 | 542 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Local religious leaders tell the Christmas story
Published: Saturday, December 25, 2010 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, December 24, 2010 at 2:14 p.m.
The Herald-Journal asked five Christian leaders to help
tell the Christmas story.
Each contributed a section to the story about the birth of Jesus that millions of Christians the world over celebrate today.
It's a patchwork of perspectives — like Christianity — unified in the shared belief in Jesus Christ and his life
as recorded in the New Testament.
The Journey to Bethlehem
In the Gospel of Luke, Luke intentionally avoids fast-forwarding to Bethlehem.
Bethlehem is a symbol of joy and home to the Christmas story.
Rather than focus on Joseph and Mary's destination, Bethlehem, Luke focuses on the pilgrimage that starts in Nazareth.
The journey is not a walk in the park, but it strengthens character and reveals the power of God. The journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem required everyone to return to their own town for taxation. This burden of taxation is one of many burdens to come. Although the law required that only the men return, Mary (in her third trimester of pregnancy) insists on accompanying her husband. This is not a “Yes, dear” moment for Joseph. Joseph learns his first lesson about communication in marriage and that is when to allow his wife to have her way. The roads of Palestine are crowded and dusty. They have to endure the scorching rays of the sun and pounding rain. Bandits are along the way.
The arrival at Bethlehem is worthy of praise, but the journey likewise is worthy of rejoicing!
— Contributed by the Rev. James L. Hailstock,
pastor of New Day Baptist Church in Spartanburg
Arrival in Bethlehem
One hundred miles. A 10-day journey. That's the trek that Mary and Joseph made from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
It was a journey that would be a rough one for any of us, but imagine being nine months pregnant and days away from delivering a baby. That was reality for Mary and Joseph.
Upon arriving in Bethlehem, the last place they planned to be, but because of the all-powerful, tax-happy Roman government, it was the place they had to be, they discover there's no place to stay. Priceline, Expedia and Hotwire have nothing. Not even their distant relatives will open their home for kinfolk from up north. They kind of frowned on the whole out-of-wedlock pregnancy thing. The only place available is a stable out behind the inn.
Who in their right mind would even suggest that a pregnant woman take up lodging in a stable? As it turns out, a stable was probably the most private and safe place for Mary to give birth to the Son of God. And what happened in that out-of-the-ordinary delivery room changed the world.
— Contributed by Jonathan Everette, pastor of
Hub City Church in Spartanburg
Born in a manger
When Jesus was born, scripture tells us that Mary “wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger. Why would Luke's Gospel mention this detail?
At the time of Jesus' birth, it was proclaimed that ruler Caesar Augustus was the “son of God,” a “Savior” for all, worthy of worship, bringing peace to all through his powerful kingdom. In contrast, Luke put forth a different image, one of a powerless infant lying in a manger, a counter savior to Caesar, a different kind of Son of God who would bring peace through hope and love, not by might.
Luke presents a simple contrast between the selfish culture of Caesar and the humble nature of God. There is no gold, frankincense or myrrh yet. There is only the rustic juxtaposition of a baby king, lying in a feeding trough among livestock drool and bits of hay. It shows both the willingness of God to become involved in our lives in the most primitive way, and God's unquenchable love for us, poured out in the person of Jesus. This is our Emmanuel, our Lord of Lords, and our King of Kings. This is God's ultimate gift to us all.
— Contributed by the Rev. Fergie Horvath. She
coordinates outreach in the Piedmont Convocation of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina and is a deacon at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church
Shepherds, magi welcome Jesus
The shepherds of Bethlehem were tending their flocks out in a field, minding their own business, when suddenly in the night sky, all heaven broke loose. They were scared to death. Hearing from angels that a savior had been born, they went with haste to find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.
The magi were probably members of the Zoroastrian religion. They believed the heavens mirrored the events on earth. When these wise men from ancient Persia gazed into the sky and saw an unusually bright star, it was a sign that a royal person had been born. Following the star, they traveled to Bethlehem to honor the child and to offer tribute.
The magi brought gifts that were prophetic. Gold is the gift for a king. Frankincense is for one who is a high priest. Myrrh, an embalming spice, was presented to one who by his death would become the savior of the world.
Though they arrived in Bethlehem at different times, many manger scenes depict the shepherds and the wise men together. The rich and the poor, blue-collar workers and upper crust, Jews and Gentiles, kneel before the child. “O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.”
— Contributed by
the Rev. Kirk H. Neely,
senior pastor of Morningside Baptist Church
The significance of Christmas
To know why Christians celebrate Christmas, look no further than the one celebrated. Yes, giving is part of it — Christians give because we have received; people of faith realize we are blessed to be a blessing. Yes, gathering is a part of it — celebrations, holy and otherwise, are best observed in community, whether it be a family of faith or a biological family or a family made up of friends. These, however, are attributes of any holiday.
Christmas is special because the message is clear: we are not alone in this. In Matthew's birth announcement story, the child is given two names: Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins, and Emmanuel, because he will be God with us. The very idea is shocking — God deigning to become man — and gracious — God willing to become man.
There are many trappings we have given to these days, much of which honor the Christ-child, but the message that God has not abandoned the experiment, not given up on us or left us to suffer alone, but chosen to be born among us, to come to us, to share, body and soul, our lives and redeem them, is the deep message, the deep hope, the deep meaning of these holy days. It's why all the rest of the trappings exist.
— Contributed by the Rev. William “Will” F.
Malambri III, pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in Spartanburg
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:19ff9387-6c89-47b4-813c-7e213e2909c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goupstate.com/article/20101225/ARTICLES/12251000?Title=Local-religious-leaders-tell-the-Christmas-story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964645 | 1,569 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Jean Bodin: Apex of Absolutist Thought in France
The audio version of the Mises Daily article for April 29, 2010. [12:51]
This audio version of the Mises Daily was read by Jeff Riggenbach. Murray N. Rothbard (1926–1995) was dean of the Austrian School. He was an economist, economic historian, and libertarian political philosopher. | <urn:uuid:6db32a32-05f4-4d6b-aa24-ee68128eb54e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mises.org/media/4835/Jean-Bodin-Apex-of-Absolutist-Thought-in-France/3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93743 | 82 | 1.671875 | 2 |
The age of a domain name can add significant SEO value to your website. The age of a domain can indicate a certain level of trust and even authority with the search engines. This generally means that search engines will display older websites with established trust and authority, before brand new websites.
Many speculate weather Google has what is referred to as the “sandbox effect,” which temporarily reduces the PageRank for new domains to prevent manipulation from optimizers; i.e. making it more difficult for new websites to rank well in the search results. Speculators say that the “sandbox effect” could last as long as 12 months.
There is also thought to be a “reverse sandbox effect,” where new websites without any inbound links would get a temporary increase in PageRank, sort of like a “New Release” to help give the new site more attention temporarily.
Buying a Used Domain
If you are thinking of buying a domain that has been around for many years as a way to thwart this so-called “sandbox effect,” you can expect to see a drop in PageRank while Google figures out how the new site compares to the old site for this domain.
If the new website has generally the same content and relevancy, the PageRank should go back to where it was and keep the link juice from all of the existing inbound links.
However, if the new site is NOT the same content (i.e. went from a jewelry site to a real estate site), the PageRank drop may be permanent, and it would be similar to starting with a brand new domain, and hence the “age” of the domain will essentially start over in the eyes of a search engine. | <urn:uuid:c8674c83-3128-49e2-9586-5fb1fe568f9b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.startupnation.com/The-Importance-of-Domain-Age-in-SEO/topic/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944289 | 362 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Adolf Hitler's 1928 painting of the Vienna State Opera House
This lesson supports and supplements learning about the origins of World War II. Teachers may use it as a first introduction to the war, or may use it to complement and reinforce learning that has already occurred in the classroom.
Facts about Hitler are introduced within the political, economic, and cultural matrix of German society in the early 1900s. The underpinnings of Nazi ideology are explored through an examination of Hitler’s thwarted artistic dreams, and the German racial science which gave further expression and direction to Hitler’s biases.
Social Studies, Language Arts, Science
Some content may not be appropriate for middle school classrooms. Check for suitability.
Prepare students for learning about Hitler. Introduce or review main details about Germany’s imperial ambitions, the end of World War I, Germany’s surrender, the Treaty of Versailles, and the impact these had on German society. Shape a discussion that builds on both student knowledge and any misperceptions. Bring the conversation to a focus on Hitler. Survey students for what they know about his life as a young man, and in particular, his interest in art.
Biographies of Hitler are presented on many websites; take care to draw from reliable sources.
Invite responses and questions. Faison’s description anchors Hitler’s interests and failures as a young man to his later ambitions.
Lieutenant Commander S. Lane Faison served in the MFAA, was a member of the Art Looting Investigation Unit, and a Professor of Art at Williams College in Massachusetts. Among his contributions as a Monuments Man was to write the Office of Strategic Services report on stolen art intended for the Fuehrer Museum in Linz. Faison died in 2006, at the age of ninety six. An engaging article about him, on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday, can be found at The New York Times, “An Art Lover Who Awakened a Generation.” October 28, 1997.
Invite more responses and questions. Emphasize several facts: Hitler applied to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts twice, and was rejected both times. Students who were accepted included Jews who painted in styles he vehemently opposed. It is possible Hitler also blamed Jewish admission committee judges. This period in Hitler’s life contributed to Hitler’s anti-Semitism. It also contributed to Hitler’s urge to revenge the rejection by dreaming of a plan in which Linz (the home town of his mother) would eclipse Vienna and all other cities as a great cultural center.
This clip further develops Hitler’s connection to Linz, expands on the emphasis on art, and hints at the idea of a “correct” art. (“Degenerate” Art explores this topic.)
Note: It is inappropriate and simplistic to root Hitler’s deep contempt for Jews and other victimized groups solely to his failed experiences at art school. Art partners with other factors; it does not replace them. The central teaching task in this lesson is to bring focus to Hitler as an individual and to balance that focus with an understanding of the political, economic, and cultural landscape in which he lived. No unique event in Hitler’s life shaped his beliefs or triggered all his actions. Similarly, there is no “prime mover” responsible for the Second World War. Multiple contributing factors were at play.
Class instruction requires a discussion of Hitler as a vengeful, ruthless, racial supremacist—who, as an artist, simultaneously had a strong attachment to art, and to a messianic worldview in which art was given a driving role—and who acted in a time and place that supported and fostered his achievements as a dictator. To guide students through a nuanced and deep understanding about the causes and events of the war can be a challenging task. It is also an opportunity for collaborative teaching, or for welcoming outside speakers.
Among the forces at work in German society in the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century was the development of German racial science. The teachings of this science and its subsequent applications form part two of the lesson.
In order to introduce the topic, explain that arranging and classifying are universal human activities. Our ways of thinking about categories of people or objects draw from our ways of thinking about the world. As a quick exercise, invite students to identify the categories of people at school (jocks, nerds, etc.) and the characteristics that make up the categories (jocks are cool, they’re not brains, and so forth).
Post responses on a board. Allow students to share their observations, but monitor for respectful language. Lead a discussion about the assumptions used to create the categories. Are the categories and their characteristics accepted by all members of the class? Do they provide exact descriptions of individuals?
Placing people in categories is what occurs when people talk about race. Race has been used to justify differences between people. Races are not fixed, biological categories. They are formed by the ways people classify the world. Racial categories are socially constructed.
Many writings in Germany in the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century presented supposedly scientific racial classifications based on traits that were thought to be measurable. These explanations of human diversity also supported prejudice; there were superior and inferior races. Hitler was familiar with German racist science writings and these theories contributed to Nazi ideology.
Chart of the Nuremberg Laws providing a visual racial explanation of people with German blood, mixed blood, and Jews.
These links are among the excellent online resources that support teaching and learning about race:
To check student understanding, shape a discussion about Hitler that integrates a “scientific” classification of groups of people, his vision of a pure Aryan master race, his deep attachment to art, his perception that art, like people, could be classified, and his rise to power.
Wolfgang Fischer, in clip 4, addresses aspects of these points.
To ensure students understand the relationship between these interwoven threads teachers may ask students to write a question or to journal a reflection. Phrase the assignment to support curriculum teaching goals.
To have students respond to a piece of writing about concepts of race, assign Jonathan Marks, “Scientific and Folk Ideas about Heredity,” in The Human Genome Project and Minority Communities: Ethical, Social and Political Dilemmas, Raymond A. Zilinskas and Peter J. Balint, Praeger Publishers (2000) pages 53-66.
Classroom Assessment Activity: Here and There
It is important that students not view certain aspects of Nazi society as exclusive to a particular time and place. This research project deepens student knowledge about Nazi Germany and widens learning to a comparative perspective.
Divide the class into three groups and assign each group one of these three topics:
Direct groups to research their topics, and to probe the similarities and differences between “here” (the U.S.) and “there” (Germany). Research should be limited to the twentieth century. Groups create poster displays, PowerPoint presentations, or other appropriate visual products. Groups orally and visually present their findings to the class. Follow with final classroom observations.
Wir stehen nicht allein (We do not stand alone). Nazi propaganda poster on compulsory sterilization.The Nazis enacted a compulsory sterilization law in 1933. Other countries enacted or considered sterilization legislation.
National Council for the Social Studies more info
II. Time, Continuity, and Change
V. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
VI. Power, Authority, and Governance
Language Arts more info
Viewing Standard 9 Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media.
Level IV (Grades 9-12) 5. Uses strategies to analyze stereotypes in visual media (e.g., recognizes stereotypes that serve the interests of some groups in society at the expense of others; identifies techniques used in visual media that perpetuate stereotypes)
Science more info
Nature of Science Standard 11 Level IV (Grades 9-12)
Knows that scientific explanations must meet certain criteria to be considered valid (e.g., they must be consistent with experimental and observational evidence about nature, make accurate predictions about systems being studied, be logical, respect the rules of evidence, be open to criticism, report methods and procedures, make a commitment to making knowledge public)
Understands how scientific knowledge changes and accumulates over time (e.g., all scientific knowledge is subject to change as new evidence becomes available; some scientific ideas are incomplete and opportunity exists in these areas for new advances; theories are continually tested, revised, and occasionally discarded)
This lesson introduces students to the ideas behind the Hitler propaganda machine and the so-called Entartete Kunst or “Degenerate Art” which could be equated with all major modern art movements across Europe in the first 30 years of the 20th century. The lesson will also engage students in research about artists labeled as Degenerate by the Nazis and what happened to them and their work during the war, and discuss the misunderstandings of modern and contemporary works of art in their own times.
More Than an Object, More Than a Place
How do meanings attach to objects and places? Where do those meanings draw from? The lesson explores these questions and guides learners to understand connections to identity and cultural heritage, and how they fall prey to war.
Heroes and Villains of the Greatest Theft in History
This lesson highlights the men and women of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives program (MFAA), known as the Monuments Men plus other individuals who, as a way of fighting a dangerous foe, acted in the interest of safeguarding art and cultural heritage. Students also discover the identities and intentions of several particularly lethal enemies. The consequences of their actions on art and heritage are emphasized. | <urn:uuid:1bf10c73-3e55-48ef-b9dc-907f304fef85> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.greatesttheft.com/lessonplan.php?id=2 | 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 | 0.945389 | 2,048 | 4.21875 | 4 |
Since the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI -- @pontifex to Twitter followers -- begins tweeting after his regular Wednesday audience in Rome, the #askpontifex hashtag meant to gather concerns of the faithful has buzzed. However, tweets have flowed from comics to capitalists to critics and outright haters at a pace and quality that makes one tweet less ironic than was likely intended by its author, @popenheimser: "Dear @pontifex you pretend to be infallible Do you still believe in this dogma after having expected that #askpontifex would be a good idea?"
The Pontifex Maximus is an enthusiastic supporter of religious social networking, issuing messages on the last three World Communication Days encouraging priests and laity to carry the Christian gospel into the digital world. Today's tweet begins what many see as a more participatory papal gesture that also offers a model to ministry leaders in the Catholic Church. It raises other important questions, too.
One is whether Il Papa's social media participation is ministry at all -- or if his tweets more faithfully serve the Twitter marketing apparatus, aggregating a religiously committed, critical and curious cohort for advertisers. For instance, Catholic bloggers Lisa Hendey and Brandon Vogt quickly deployed #askpontifex to drive traffic to Hendey's blog and stir interest in Vogt's book on social media. This commercialism piqued the ire of @outofcarolina: "Wow, what a tacky way to cheapen
But is such criticism fair? After all, it's a rather venial sin to grab the hem of the Pope's cassock in exactly the way Twitter advertisers with deeper pockets will be able to do with greater demographic precision once tweets start flowing from St. Peter's Square. Maybe the bigger question is, should the leader of the world's largest Christian denomination be involved in that project?
Other questions highlight digital social papal practice itself, which follows the top-down broadcast model against which Twitter is positioned. As seen with #askpontifex, message control religious leaders once enjoyed is absent in social networks. Sure, the Pope will issue his own tweets and select worthy questions for response. But, unlike in face-to-face audiences, on Twitter anyone can comment and critique.
Does the Vatican know how to deal with nondeferential Twittersphere engagement beyond ignoring it? Like the decision that the Pope will follow only himself, such practices offer their own messages of self-referential, non-participatory authority that seem out of step in today's interactive, increasingly democratic world. Thus, the Pope's tweets may constitute a ministry of presence, but they hardly model engagement with believers, seekers, and skeptics that I'd suggest is the heart of Christian ministry.
Beyond this, it's hard to know what authority the Pope's tweets will have among devout Catholics. Will they have the status of magisterial teaching, functioning like official encyclicals, or are they passing commentary? Something in between? Entweetcyclicals? The emergence of digital sacred texts -- from Facebook prayer pages to religious narratives in video games -- is the focus of a public learning series "Sacred Pixels" this winter at Santa Clara University.
Meanwhile, my research with clergy and laity across denominations revealed best practices for digital ministry that might help Il Papa in his Twitter ministry. First is that digital ministry must be grounded in listening closely to those whom one hopes to engage.
In the Catholic Twittersphere, Father James Martin, SJ (@jamesmartinsj) and Bishop Christopher Coyne (@bishopcoyne) are worthy exemplars. My prayer for the Pope's digital social pilgrimage is that he attends to his own insight on World Communication Day: "Learning to communicate is learning to listen and contemplate as well as speak."
Elizabeth Drescher teaches religion and pastoral ministries at Santa Clara University, where her work at the intersection of new media and religion has been funded in part by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. She wrote this for this newspaper. | <urn:uuid:48b13bd8-985b-473c-8a02-fbfcb00c44ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_22169840/elizabeth-drescher-is-pope-benedicts-twitter-pilgrimage-ministry?source=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936189 | 825 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Multiple Representations in Web-based Learning of Chemistry Concepts
Vermaat, Han and Terlouw, Cees and Dijkstra, Sanne (2003) Multiple Representations in Web-based Learning of Chemistry Concepts. In: 84th Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Special Interest Group Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning, April 21-25, 2003, Chicago, IL, USA.
|Abstract:||A new chemistry curriculum for secondary schools is currently under construction in the Netherlands, in which chemical knowledge will be embedded in contexts that show applications of chemistry in the society. Several research groups develop such modules and a committee appointed by the Dutch Ministry of Education advises about the chemical content and concepts.
A central issue in chemistry education is the relation between the real, molecular and symbolic world. Skilled chemists switch easily between these worlds, but beginning students do not. They could get better results and will be more able to solve problems if they would make better connections between the three chemical worlds. The University of Twente has developed a series of lessons about the particle model. Included in this instruction material are animations of chemical processes at the molecular level. In the lessons students are supported and stimulated to make connections between the three chemical worlds. Students are shown the importance of new chemical knowledge in society. The mental images and the knowledge schemata of the students are investigated in this research. The students were interviewed before they received instruction, and after they received about half of the instruction. At the end of the instruction they were asked to make a concept map.
It appeared that the links between the real, molecular and symbolic world are not strengthened after the instruction. The students make more links between the real and symbolic world, but hardly connect these world to the molecular world or vice versa. There is still a gap between the students’ mental models and scientifically accepted models as represented in animations and illustrations in the instruction. Most students liked the animations in the instruction and mentioned them as strong point. It is therefore surprising that some students could not remember the animations when they were interviewed, whilst others their representations were about the same as the animations. Clearly, the effectiveness of the animations must be enhanced and more research is needed for this.
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Behavioural Sciences (BS)
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A new supplement “keeps wrinkles at bay for 30% longer”, the Daily Mail has reported.
The news is based on the results of a small trial that found that dietary supplementation with “Zytaze” – a combination of zinc and the enzyme phytase – can increase the effectiveness and duration of botulinum toxin (botox) injections.
Botox is a neurotoxin, which means it can disrupt normal nerve function. Neurotoxins can be useful at tiny doses as they can lead to a temporary smoothing of skin, reducing wrinkles. In most cases this lasts for around three months.
There are also several medical conditions that botox can be used to treat, such as benign essential blepharospasm – a nerve condition that causes involuntary closure of one or both eyelids.
Zinc is thought to be required in order for botox to act as a neurotoxin. The phytase contained in this new pill is an enzyme that can reduce the time it takes for zinc to break down inside the body. Combining the two may “boost” the effects of botox.
The authors reported that this caused clinically important improvements for some patients, particularly in people with blepharospasm that had previously not responded well to treatment. However, several participants also experienced adverse effects caused by the botulinum toxin being too effective, such as being unable to close their eyes (lagophthalmos).
Further studies will be required to confirm the findings of this study and to determine the optimum dose. It is advisable to consult your GP before taking this supplement in combination with botox injections.
There is also a new botox alternative on the market called natox (more here) which claims to be a natural botox alternative.
Where did the story come from?
The study was carried out by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Methodist Hospital and Weill Cornell University, USA. The source of funding for this trial was not disclosed.
However, the corresponding author has a patent pending for the use of zinc and phytase for enhancing the efficacy of botulinum toxin injections, which would suggest an obvious financial interest. The study was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.
This story was covered by the Daily Mail and the overall results were reported reasonably accurately. However, the headline writers made a basic error by referring to zinc as a vitamin. In this context it is in fact a mineral. Also, no detail was given to the potential medical applications of this study, such as improving treatment for people with neurological conditions including benign essential blepharospasm or hemifacial spasm (a condition that causes muscle spasms on one side of the face).
What kind of research was this?
This was a double-blind, placebo controlled trial. It aimed to determine whether an oral tablet combining an enzyme called phytase and the mineral zinc could increase the efficacy of botulinum toxin treatments in patients given botulinum toxin to treat wrinkles or facial muscle spasms. The researchers stated that zinc is required for the activity of botulinum toxin. They thought that by increasing the levels of zinc they could improve the efficacy of injections. The researchers aimed to increase the level of zinc with a zinc tablet containing phytase, an enzyme that degrades phytates, which block zinc absorption.
Although this is the ideal study design to answer this question, the trial was small, with a total of 98 participants, with only 77 participants receiving the zinc and phytase supplement. The findings of this trial need to be repeated with more people to confirm the results, and to determine the optimal amount of zinc and phytase.
What did the research involve?
The researchers recruited 98 people who had been regularly treated with one of three brands of botulinum toxin (Botox, Myobloc and Dysport) for the treatment of:
- facial wrinkles
- benign essential blepharospasm
- hemifacial spasms
To be eligible for the trial, the participants’ last three treatment patterns had to be the same.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of three dietary supplements:
- 50mg zinc citrate in combination with 3,000PU phytase (commercially trademarked as Zytaze)
- 10mg zinc gluconate (a standard form of zinc supplement available from most health food stores)
- lactulose placebo (dummy treatment)
The patients were told to take the supplements for four days prior to their botulinum toxin treatment. After treatment, the patients kept diaries recording the treatment effect (scored on a scale from -3 to +3) and the duration of effect.
The trial was supposed to give each participant all three supplements in a random order. After completing the initial treatment, the patients received their normal treatment without any supplementation. This was done to try to ensure that no effect from the previous treatment contaminated the next treatment. They would then receive the next treatment.
However, some of the beneficial effects seen with people in the 50mg zinc citrate group were so dramatic that some participants refused to continue with the trial as they wanted to remain in the zinc citrate group.
The researchers cited an example of a woman who at first had such poorly controlled benign essential blepharospasm that relatives had to drive her to the study as she was unable to see out of one eye. After treatment with the combination of botox and 50mg zinc citrate, she was able to safely drive over 400 miles to the researchers in order to ask for further treatment.
Once such a dramatic beneficial effect is detected, it can be inappropriate to continue the study for two reasons:
- Any attempt to blind the study goes “out of the window” as it becomes obvious to both researchers and some of the people taking part in the trial who is receiving the active treatment.
- Medical ethics: in some cases it may be unethical to deny a treatment for someone who would clearly benefit from it.
When the trial was stopped, only 27 patients had received all three supplements. Seventy-seven participants had received the zinc and phytase supplement and at least one other supplement (either the zinc only or the placebo only, or both).
What were the basic results?
The researchers found that the 77 participants who had received the zinc and phytase supplement reported greater treatment effect and longer duration of effect with this supplement. Increased effect was reported by 84% of participants, and 92% of participants experienced an increase in effect duration. No significant change in efficacy or duration was reported after patients received either the zinc or placebo supplement.
The researchers looked to see if the effects were greater in specific subgroups. They found that people aged 65 or older were more likely to report an improvement in efficacy with the zinc and phytase supplement. The zinc and phytase supplement increased treatment efficacy in patients with hard-to-treat eyelid spasms (benign essential blepharospasm), and treatment duration in patients with spasms of the muscles on one side of the face (hemifacial spasm).
The researchers also collected data on safety of the supplement. Five patients had too much botulinum toxin effect when they were receiving the zinc and phytase supplement.
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers concluded: “This study suggests a potentially meaningful role for zinc and/or phytase supplementation in increasing the degree and duration of botulinum toxin effect.”
This small randomised controlled trial has found that dietary supplementation with zinc and phytase can increase the efficacy and duration of botulinum toxin injections. The authors reported that this caused clinically important improvements for some patients, especially those treated for benign essential blepharospasm, where there is regular spasm or twitching of the eyelid. However, several participants also experienced adverse effects caused by the botulinum toxin being too effective.
The findings of this small study will need to be confirmed in more people. The results of this study also raise many questions. It is unclear whether the effects seen are due to the dose of zinc, the type of zinc used (zinc citrate), the presence of phytase or a combination of these effects.
Further studies will be required to determine the optimum combination and dose. Also, it is unclear whether the supplement causes its effect by directly acting on muscle and nerves, or whether it increases the activity of the botulinum toxin.
While this would need to be confirmed by further studies, it is possible that a similar effect could be achieved by increasing the levels of zinc in your diet before having botox therapy.
Supplements do not go through the same regulatory processes as conventional medicines, with monitoring of their safety and effects. It is therefore advisable to consult your doctor before taking this supplement in combination with botulinum toxin injections.
- Koshy JC, Sharabi SE, Feldman EM, et al. Effect of dietary zinc and phytase supplementation on botulinum toxin treatments. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. Published online April 2012
This article was originally published by NHS Choices
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According to Mr. Bayard H. Christy in a report prepared for the Home and School Association of Sewickley on November 8, 1912, the Sewickley Public Library owes its origins to the arrival of a whiskey boat at the Saw Mill landing one Saturday evening in the winter of 1872-73. “The consequent riot and disorder…led some, interested in the welfare of the young men, to think that such things would not be, had we a place for proper and rational amusement and self improvement.”
The Young Men’s Library Association was formed in 1873 and rented a room for library services at the Mozart Hall (corner of Beaver and Broad Streets). It was later moved to a building next door called Choral Hall. In 1880 the property of the library was transferred to the Sewickley School Board under the general school laws of the state.
In 1923 the library formally moved to its present location, a building given by Mr. William L. Clause in memory of his wife Elizabeth Ann Clause.
In the dedication address by Mr. Clause, he stated, “In presenting this library, it is my desire that it should be the property of the entire valley, yet under the existing conditions, there is no way this can be done, as there is no way the matter can be handled except to deed it to the School District of the borough of Sewickley. Of course if the boroughs ever become consolidated, or if the school districts are ever consolidated, that would solve this problem.”
In the ensuing years, Osborne and Edgeworth School Districts also supported the library until 1956 at which time a jointure of eleven municipalities comprising Aleppo, Bell Acres, Edgeworth, Glenfield, Haysville, Leet, Leetsdale, Osborne, Sewickley, Sewickley Heights and Sewickley Hills, formed the Quaker Valley School District. In 1967, the Quaker Valley School District Board of Directors designated the Sewickley Public Library as its agency to provide public library service to Quaker Valley School District residents and taxpayers and resolved to maintain or assist in the maintenance of the library. | <urn:uuid:8db64671-1649-46c3-bad5-b8517a27d6a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sewickleylibrary.org/about-spl/history/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9566 | 442 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Washington, August 26 (ANI): Scientists have recently tried an innovative “slow motion earthquake” testing that may provide a safer, far less expensive way to learn about how and why full-scale buildings collapse during quakes.
The method was developed by researchers at the University at Buffalo (UB) and Japan’s Kyoto University.
“One of the key issues in earthquake engineering is how much damage structures can sustain before collapsing so people can safely evacuate,” explained principal investigator Gilberto Mosqueda, UB assistant professor of civil, structural and environmental engineering.
“We don’t really know the answer because testing buildings to collapse is so difficult. With this hybrid approach, it appears that we have a safe, economic way to test realistic buildings at large scales to collapse,” he said.
The UB/Kyoto team’s positive results could enable engineers to significantly improve their understanding of the mechanisms leading to collapse without the limitations of cost, reduced scale and simplified models necessary for shake table testing in the US.
In the unusual “slow motion earthquake” test conducted in late July, UB and Kyoto engineers successfully used the hybrid approach to mimic a landmark, full-scale experiment conducted in 2007 on the E-Defense shake table at the Miki City, Japan, facility.
In that test, a four-story steel building was subjected to a simulation of ground motions that occurred during the 1995 Kobe earthquake.
But, instead of using a full-scale steel building, this time, the researchers developed a hybrid representation of that test by combining experimental techniques carried out in earthquake engineering labs in Buffalo and Kyoto with numerical simulations conducted over the Internet.
The landmark data from the E-Defense test was used to verify the effectiveness of the hybrid approach.
Only the parts of the buildings that were expected to initiate collapse were tested experimentally.
“If this had been a real building, it would have toppled over,” said Mosqueda.
That presents a real problem in a laboratory.
“You can’t allow a structure to collapse completely on a shake table. You need to have support mechanisms in place, like scaffolds, to catch the falling structure,” said Mosqueda.
According to Mosqueda, the hybrid test paves the way for additional experiments that will allow researchers to more precisely learn about the nature of structural collapse.
“We want to know, for example, what is the probability that a building will collapse in the next expected earthquake,” he said.
“First, we need to develop this capability to understand and simulate how they collapse. Then, we can determine how to improve new construction or retrofit existing buildings so that they are less likely to collapse,” he added. (ANI) | <urn:uuid:3da59667-70e6-463f-822a-b805a2467f6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://silverscorpio.com/tag/ground-motions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9527 | 578 | 3.28125 | 3 |
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made available. As previously mentioned, lack of physician compliance with standard practice for prevention and management of STDs has been documented (Gemson et al., 1991; Hessol et al., 1996) and additional training of clinicians in STD-related skills has been recommended (Boekeloo et al., 1991; Gemson et al., 1991; Steinberg et al., 1991; Hessol et al., 1996).
Federal Efforts in STD Training
Federal efforts to provide STD training have focused almost exclusively on training health professionals who provide services in the public sector. Since 1979, the CDC has funded 10 to 12 regional STD Prevention Training Centers. These centers have provided instruction composed of didactic lectures and clinic-based experiences to nearly 100,000 nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians working in public health or family planning clinics throughout the United States. These centers are comanaged by medical schools and local or state health departments, but have not, until recently, specifically provided training to medical students or residents in training. In contrast, the AIDS Education and Training Centers funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration have focused on training primary care providers, but have not generally offered STD-related training. The Health Resources and Services Administration puts most of its sexuality-related training funds into programs related to family planning and HIV infection to the exclusion of other STDs. Generally, the National Institutes of Health's funding for STD-related training is primarily directed at training researchers, not clinicians.
To strengthen training of health professional students and trainees, the CDC plans a new initiative to support faculty positions in a limited number of medical centers to initiate clinical training of students and residents. However, the existing Regional STD Prevention Training Centers have not been adequately utilized to provide clinical training to health professional students and residents, who are often strongly motivated to obtain elective training in STDs. For example, the Seattle STD Prevention Training Centers cannot accommodate most of the medical and physician assistants and residents who seek training and have actually reduced training for these groups during the past year (King Holmes, University of Washington, personal communication, August 1996). To the committee's knowledge, no specific agency is responsible for training medical or other health professional students. Medical school curricula, which address human sexuality, do so from a perspective of sexual dysfunction and sexual ''deviance" rather than from a perspective of healthy sexuality. The CDC also supports training of disease intervention specialists, who generally coordinate HIV testing, provide patient education, and conduct partner notification for STDs, including HIV infection. This type of training support, however, is changing as described previously. | <urn:uuid:96913b2e-2270-4518-ac98-7ef57c8c9fb9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5284&page=207 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961468 | 561 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Concord ExpressA Christian Science Study Resource
We know Principle only through Science. The Prin‐6ciple of Christ is divine Love, resistless Life and Truth. Then the Science of the Principle must be Christlike, or Christian Science. More than regal is the majesty 9of the meekness of the Christ-principle; and its might is the ever-flowing tides of truth that sweep the universe, create and govern it; and its radiant stores of knowl‐12edge are the mysteries of exhaustless being. Seek ye these till you make their treasures yours.
When a young man vainly boasted, “I am wise, for I 15have conversed with many wise men,” Epictetus made answer, “And I with many rich men, but I am not rich.” The richest blessings are obtained by labor. A vessel 18full must be emptied before it can be refilled. Lawyers may know too much of human law to have a clear per‐ception of divine justice, and divines be too deeply read 21in scholastic theology to appreciate or to demonstrate Christian charity. Losing the comprehensive in the technical, the Principle in its accessories, cause in effect, 24and faith in sight, we lose the Science of Christianity, — a predicament quite like that of the man who could not see London for its houses.
27 Clouds parsimonious of rain, that swing in the sky with dumb thunderbolts, are seen and forgotten in the same hour; while those with a mighty rush, which waken the 30stagnant waters and solicit every root and every leaf with the treasures of rain, ask no praising. Remember, thou canst be brought into no condition, be it ever so severe, 150 150:1where Love has not been before thee and where its tender lesson is not awaiting thee. Therefore despair not nor 3murmur, for that which seeketh to save, to heal, and to deliver, will guide thee, if thou seekest this guidance.
Pliny gives the following description of the character of 6true greatness: “Doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read; and rendering the world happier and better for having lived in it.” Strive thou 9for the joy and crown of such a pilgrimage — the service of such a mission.
A heart touched and hallowed by one chord of Christian 12Science, can accomplish the full scale; but this heart must be honest and in earnest and never weary of struggling to be perfect — to reflect the divine Life, Truth, and Love. | <urn:uuid:7a828d4a-118d-4b02-b76b-a9489b509a37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jsh.christianscience.com/concordapi/view?book=&verbatim=1&q=My.+149%3A31 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926245 | 537 | 2.78125 | 3 |
This book is a short concise account of Saint Patrick’s life. To often the contributions of the Irish to Christianity is overlooked. The Irish are largely responsible for the continued success of Christianity through the Middle Ages. And the work in Ireland can be traced back to Saint Patrick.
This book gives a very brief overview of his life including some of the major events. It also contains some of Saint Patrick’s original writings. This book is written in a very plain manner and has a narrative feel to it. It’s format and style is very similar to John H. Arnold’s Very Short Introduction to History. Even though it is designed for a general audience it does have the proper documentation that you expect in scholarly sources. So there are several interesting stories / events in the life of Saint Patrick that you can check the endnotes and see the primary source.
Overall, I would say this is an excellent book for any Christian who wants to better understand the history of Christianity and / or the history of Christianity in Ireland.
The price is right on it and I would say that it makes a great gift for any adult. | <urn:uuid:acc5340b-3a9f-45bc-8f38-6730ac911732> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mtnministry.wordpress.com/category/thomas-nelson/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967426 | 231 | 2.6875 | 3 |
I fell totally in love with this movie the first time I saw it. I was hesitant to read the book ... I'm sure you've had the feeling at some time---you know it won't be the same, and it might change the way you enjoy the movie, and maybe you'll end up being mad at the way the movie was made, wishing it could be more like the book, etc., etc. But read it, I finally did, and I quite enjoyed the book. (But the movie's better. IMHO. :)
Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South has nothing to do with the American Civil War. We'll just clear that up from the get-go. But it is about the struggle between two geographic areas and their conflicting ideals and worldviews. Margaret is from the South of England. Her father, a pastor, loses faith in the church, quits his job, and moves his family off to the North of England, to Milton, a place as different as possible from the idyllic and countrified Helstone they used to call home. There Margaret has to overcome her natural prejudice against the industrial people and way of life she encounters---a way of life totally embodied by the leading man: Mr. Thornton.
In typical 1800s style, the book has lots of long stretches of character monologues, and a couple of the main characters are Northern mill workers whose accents were often difficult to parse. So the reading was kind of slow going. Even so, this is a lovely, complex book, very Pride and Prejudice in its themes and character development, I thought. Feel free to chime in, anyone else who's read the book/seen the movie. It's so girly. I loved it. | <urn:uuid:33d4266c-f007-4dc5-bffa-7b199071993a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.evereadbooks.com/2011/05/north-and-south-high-fluttery-girly.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00056-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98527 | 357 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Pump Up Potassium Intake for Heart Health
Mind your sodium but forgot the potassium? Well, watching your sodium intake might not be enough to protect and promote cardiovascular health - contrary to what many of us have heard. A study published in the Journal Archives of Internal Medicine, found that those whose diets were relatively equal in sodium and potassium were at the lowest risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Those who consumed the highest amounts of sodium (50 percent) relative to potassium had a 46 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular-related illness.
The study followed over 12,000 adults for an average of almost 15 years. Through dietary surveys, researchers were able to estimate potassium and sodium intake. Not surprisingly, those who consumed the most sodium were the most likely to die during the study – 73 percent higher than those who consumed the least amount of sodium, while those who consumed the most potassium had a 39 percent lower risk than those who consumed the least.
So what does potassium actually do? Potassium relaxes blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and helps rid the body of excess fluids. Potassium also helps maintain the proper electrolyte and acid-base balance as well as helping nerve and muscle function.
There are easy ways to reduce sodium and increase potassium in your diet. Head to the produce section of your market! Choosing fresh, whole foods over those that are packaged, and processed is a great start. Some of the best sources of potassium include yam, lima beans, swiss chard, winter squash, soybeans, avocado, spinach, crimini mushrooms, cantaloupe, blackstrap molasses, pinto beans, apricots, bananas, lentils, papaya, and more.
Does cooking affect potassium levels? Yes potassium losses from cooking can be significant. For example spinach - potassium levels have been shown to drop over 50 percent after blanching for several minutes. Most of the potassium can be found in the cooking water – so make some soup!
The recommended potassium intake is 4,700 mg per day, (average intake ranges from 2,000-2,500 mg per day).
What about sodium? The National Academy of Sciences recommends that Americans consume a minimum of 500 mg per day of sodium to maintain good health. And the American Heart Association recently set the upper limit at 1,500 mg of sodium per day. Most Americans consume much more than that - on average, about 3,500 mg a day! | <urn:uuid:b171baf3-cec4-4df0-9a7c-0e70a5734b4a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.supermarketguru.com/articles/pump-up-potassium-intake-for-heart-health.html | 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 | 0.929145 | 497 | 3.15625 | 3 |
There's been a lot of buzz recently about Keith Olbermann's work, evoking the spirit of Edward R. Murrow, all of which may be true. I only very rarely watch TV (don't own one myself) but I've seen enough of Olbermann to appreciate the resemblance. And it's a welcome resemblance - the spirit of Ed Murrow in TV journalism is a rare thing indeed today.
Last night I had an opportunity to watch Murrow's groundbreaking documentary, "Harvest of Shame," again. First aired on Thanksgiving Day, 1960, in prime time, just as Americans were recuperating from their holiday dinners, "Harvest" brilliantly and graphically exposed the brutal working conditions imposed on US migrant farm workers of the day. It's a monument to the investigative journalist's craft and a goad to the conscience of a nation, produced with equipment by today's standards primitive and featuring unblinking interviews and photography reminiscent of Dorothea Lange's depression-era work.
And if you have a chance to watch it yourself, ask yourself what's changed in the last 45 years. I don't know enough about the treatment of migrant workers today to authoritatively answer that question myself. Likely there's been some progress won by labor organizing in the fields - Chávez's lettuce and grape boycotts of the 1970s come to mind. But the exploitive model "Harvest" lays bare - the practices and the attitudes - has grown deep roots and spread, into the garment industry, the hospitality industry and even retailing, as Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed," and other investigations, reveal.
We could use a whole lot more Murrow in our world. | <urn:uuid:d372f467-5c1e-4c14-b618-ba13e5ad45d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://76003dot1414.blogspot.com/2006/12/harvest-of-shame.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965358 | 349 | 1.8125 | 2 |
The Department of Fine Arts and Art History seeks to interweave creative expression, art theory, and history. The strong partnership between the Fine Arts and Art History promotes our critical approach, which is grounded in both contemporary and historical concerns. We challenge our students to think beyond the classroom, to interpret the arts within a broader visual culture, treating the classroom as a testing ground for their ideas.
The Department offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in Fine Arts, Art History, or a combination of the two as well as a Master of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts in Art History. Undergraduate and graduate students have a range of options for studying the visual and creative arts and for developing visual literacy as well as critical, analytic, and research skills. | <urn:uuid:9d490777-ca90-4281-9d0a-70a07800820a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://art.gwu.edu/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958544 | 149 | 1.867188 | 2 |
Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans, by Dan Baum
It happens every time: you’re busy, in a hurry, and somebody starts blah-blah-blahing, making a long story longer. You wonder if he’ll ever get to the point. Maybe you even say that: Get to the point. Everyone has a story.
In the new book “Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans,” by Dan Baum, you’ll read about nine people from the Crescent City; stories, bracketed by storms.
In 1965, Ronald Lewis found something more powerful than Mama: Hurricane Betsy. Betsy went through the Lower Ninth Ward like a hot spoon through a snow cone. Still, the neighborhood couldn’t be kept down by a storm, could it?
All his life, Anthony Wells had heard about New Orleans, but it seemed that life took him everywhere but there. He was in Vietnam, Los Angeles and later, he was bused to Tennessee.
John Guidos hid his secret from everyone, because he knew what they’d say: women’s clothes are for women. But, inside his mind, John was a woman, believing he was alone in his feelings. By the time John became JoAnn, he knew otherwise.
For the first years of her marriage, Joyce Montana slept restlessly before Mardi Gras. Tootie, her husband, was an Indian, meaning he would likely come home bloodied. But Tootie knew there was another way to fight: with splendor.
Billy Grace’s father wasn’t Uptown, so it was a surprise when Billy was enfolded into Society. Still, Billy wondered if he’d ever be fully accepted.
All Tim Bruneau dreamed of was being a cop. But it took an accident – and a storm – to show Tim what life was like for the people he arrested.
When gynecologist Frank Minyard wanted to help his city, he ran for the office of coroner. His new job meant he would be in charge of New Orleans’ dead, no matter how they expired.
Jazz jangled Wilbert Rawlins, Jr.’s bones, right alongside responsibility. Wilbert was passing that legacy to his band kids. He was the only family some of them had, and no storm would keep him from that.
All Belinda Carr ever wanted was to leave New Orleans, because she came up hard. When she married Wilbert Rawlins, Jr., she hoped life would be different. It took a storm to see the preciousness of what she had.
Can I say now that I loved this book?
“Nine Lives,” reads like a novel: it sucks you in with the first page, moving you along with short-short chapters, swaddling you in little dramas, making you gasp every now and then.
But it’s not a novel: It’s all true.
I loved how Baum unfolds each of his subjects’ stories, telling most of them at a just-right pace, allowing each one of them to blurt out his own tale. I loved the brutal honesty between the pages; I loved the uniquely New Orleans feel I got when I was reading. I just plain loved this book.
When you’re ready for good set of stories, don’t miss this one. “Nine Lives” is a book you should make a point to get.
The Mighty Queens of Freeville, by Amy Dickinson
You’re in a situation and you don’t know whom to turn to.
You can’t ask your sister; she’s one of the Major Forms of Communication. Your mother would have a heart attack if you asked her. Your best friend has her own problems. And, your neighbor? No.
It sounds silly, but you might write a letter to the advice columnist in your newspaper. For one thing, you can get this whole thing off your chest and onto paper. And besides, that lady seems so levelheaded, so reasonable. So human.
And she is, because she’s made her share of mistakes, too. In the new memoir “The Mighty Queens of Freeville,” by Amy Dickinson, you’ll meet her.
For 200 years, Dickinson says her family has called Freeville, New York, home. Her womenfolk have been strong: they’ve milked cows, tilled the land, built barns, renovated houses and raised children alone. That’s because their men don’t tend to stick around long.
Dickinson’s father disappeared one day. He walked away from his wife and children and his mortgaged-to-the-hilt farm and founded another family elsewhere. Dickinson’s two aunts raised their children without men around, as did her two sisters. When Dickinson’s husband decided he was done with their marriage, she too, had a child to raise alone.
Jobless and looking for a fresh start, Dickinson moved, with her daughter, into a Washington, D.C., apartment near where she lived during college. But, she says, she cried on the phone almost nightly to her mother and sisters. She missed Freeville, where her family all lived within a few blocks of one another and where everybody ate together at Toad’s restaurant at least once a week.
But, volunteering as a Sunday School teacher doesn’t pay the bills. Dickinson, who was a stay-at-home mom during her marriage, started freelancing. She wrote a few articles here and there, until an editor in Chicago invited her to try out for a slot as an advice columnist, to replace the recently deceased Ann Landers. And she got the job.
Dickinson loved Chicago, but the Windy City isn’t Freeville. Fortunately, she kept her fixer-upper back home, on a corner lot next to her aunt’s house. Luckily, she visits often. Promisingly, it’s where she found a happy ending to this story.
In her daily advice column, Dickinson seems so serious and straight-laced. Her book is almost the complete opposite.
“The Mighty Queens of Freeville” is a good-humored love story about a matriarchal family filled with support. It’s a book that abundantly displays the kind of hands-linked “safety net” that women construct for one another in bad times. Dickinson isn’t afraid to admit that she messes up now and again (paraphrasing one of her advice-column mottos), and she’s willing to make gentle fun of herself, which makes for a mighty satisfying tale.
If you’re looking for a quick-to-read, feel-good book, or if your book club is searching for its next selection, take my advice: “The Mighty Queens of Freeville” is a first-rate story and an excellent choice.
The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books. | <urn:uuid:e9825360-c085-4469-9fec-6964d3d8f364> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.marconews.com/news/2009/mar/06/true-stories-and-real-problems/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00066-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976276 | 1,530 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Most Active Stories
Shots - Health Blog
Thu October 6, 2011
BPA To Be Banned In Calif. Baby Bottles, Sippy Cups
California Gov. Jerry Brown's hand must be tired.
He signed 18 bills on children's health and safety into state law Tuesday. One of them, AB1319, prohibits the sale of any baby bottles or cups that contain more than 0.1 parts per billion bisphenol A.
The chemical, found in some hard plastics, has come under fire for its possible effects on health. Critics claim that even tiny amounts of BPA can act like the hormone estrogen in the body, causing health trouble, especially for the youngest children.
The federal Food and Drug Administration has said it has "some concern" about the chemical, but the agency hasn't made an official decision on its presence in food. In the meantime, the Deptartment of Health and Human Services has some tips for parents on how to minimize BPA exposure for their kids.
The California law also prohibit the sale of formula and other foods intended for kids 3 and under that contain more than 0.1 parts per billion of BPA. The liners of some cans used to store food have been found to leach BPA.
I emailed the American Chemistry Council for a comment on the law. No word back as of yet. | <urn:uuid:277cc03f-10b4-4d61-902d-b22e0e540e08> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kunm.org/post/bpa-be-banned-calif-baby-bottles-sippy-cups | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948746 | 278 | 2.234375 | 2 |
Yesterday Intel was the target if the biggest ever fine handed down by the European Union and AMD couldn’t be happier.
The European Commission yesterday imposed a fine of $1.45 billion on Intel as punishment for what it felt was anticompetitive behavior designed to push rival AMD out of the market. While Intel’s Paul Otellini has said the company will be appealing the fine AMD fully supports the decision, of course, and maintains that Intel’s pricing practices broke the law.
"After an exhaustive investigation, the EU came to one conclusion--Intel broke the law and consumers were hurt," Tom McCoy, AMD's executive vice president for legal affairs, said in a statement. "With this ruling, the industry will benefit from an end to Intel's monopoly-inflated pricing and European consumers will enjoy greater choice, value and innovation."
In an official statement, AMD's president and CEO, Dirk Meyer labeled the ruling an important step toward restoring the market's competitive conditions:
"Today's ruling is an important step toward establishing a truly competitive market," said Meyers. "AMD has consistently been a technology innovation leader and we are looking forward to the move from a world in which Intel ruled, to one which is ruled by customers," he finished.
Intel maintains that it acted well within legal boundaries by offering rebates to manufacturers who agreed to obtain the majority of their processors from Intel as well as paying manufacturers to either delay or cancel the launch of AMD-based products.
This week, speculation has been mounting as to whether or not Intel will face the same level of scrutiny at home following statements from Christine Varney, the DOJ's top antitrust official. In a speech to the Center for American Progress, Varney said the Department of Justice will be "aggressively pursuing cases where monopolists try to use their dominance in the marketplace to stifle competition and harm consumers.”
[UPDATED] Edited to include comments form AMD's Dirk Meyer. | <urn:uuid:77369786-cd56-42d1-9cb6-e42625f9d31f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tomshardware.com/news/AMD-Intel-EU-antitrust,7801.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00061-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96413 | 402 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Philadelphians purchase almost 600 million kilowatt-hours (kwH) of renewable energy each year, the equivalent, according to a City press release, of removing 80,000 passenger cars from the road.
As such, Philly has been designated a Green Power by the EPA. It is the largest city in the country to receive said designation which requires at least 3% of the city’s energy use be generated from renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas and low-impact hydropower.
Green Powers across the US
In 2006, Philadelphia joined the EPA’s Green Power Partnership. From that partnership a number of initiatives (many of which we’ve covered) developed over the years. They include Green2015, in which the City pledged to generate 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2015, which exists under the umbrella of the Greenworks program, Green City, Clean Waters and more.
Stock photo of wind turbines. Put 'em in the rivers!
Part of that 20% will come from a recent Philadelphia Phillies announcement that the team will purchase $22M kwH of renewable energy credits (we wish that it was a renewed team energy triggered by the return of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard), matching 100 percent of their electricity use, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. Nearby, the Navy Yard is home to the Philadelphia Energy Innovation Hub, funded by a $122M Department of Energy grant.
Mayor Nutter with a solar panel
In tow with the recent designation, is the Philadelphia Greenpower Challenge announced by Mayor Nutter in June. It’s part of a national campaign to encourage communities to use more renewable energy sources and raise awareness about the issue. It’s also a 10-week “friendly competition” with D.C. to see if Philly can surpass the number one purchaser of renewable energy among large cities.
Now, let’s sit back and imagine how the city might run with 80,000 fewer cars stretched across its streets… | <urn:uuid:aa6754ee-e861-4ac4-822c-947aebf11551> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nakedphilly.com/uncategorized/philadelphia-named-a-green-power/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942812 | 420 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Laryngomalacia is a condition marked by inward curling or flopping of the laryngeal structures during inspiration, drawing in breath. This condition is the most common cause of stridor, or wheezing during inhalation, in newborns. Laryngolmalacia can lead to significant upper airway obstruction and feeding problems in infants. Most cases are mild and self-limiting, but other cases can require either medical or surgical intervention to control symptoms.
Diagnosis and Testing
Laryngomalacia is usually diagnosed by laryngoscopy, in which a flexible scope is passed into the child's upper airway so that the physician can see the laryngeal structures.
The majority of patients with laryngomalacia have only mild to moderate symptoms and that can be managed without surgery. Medical management usually includes anti-reflux therapy, such as feeding modification and acid control medications, since there is a high incidence of GERD and GERD-related symptoms in laryngomalacia.
For more information about laryngomalacia, please speak with your child's physician. | <urn:uuid:ce084123-616f-4166-a775-ee2306d23b6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.masseyeandear.org/specialties/pediatrics/pediatric-ent/airway/conditions/laryngomalacia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.923564 | 232 | 3.0625 | 3 |
An online journal about visual art, the urban landscape and design. Mary Louise Schumacher, the Journal Sentinel's art and architecture critic, leads the discussion and a community of writers contribute to the dialogue.
Finalists for $700,000 downtown Milwaukee sculpture revealed
Finalists for the largest publicly funded art commission in recent memory — including a giant wildflower, a towering tuning fork, harp-like bronzes and a futuristic Lady Justice – will be unveiled Wednesday.
Competition for the $700,000 commission attracted more than 250 artists from across the country, including several luminaries. Three artists and one artist team have been named finalists for the commission.
Ultimately, the selected artwork is destined for a prominent spot near the south entrance of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
The big budget and high-profile location are by design. The Milwaukee County Public Art Committee decided to commission a single, world-class artwork rather than several smaller projects, said committee chairwoman Lisa Berman.
The funds come from the county’s Percent for Art program, which sets aside 1% of significant capital projects for art. In recent years, the committee pooled funds for a significant project and also got a nice bump from the infusion of federal stimulus funds.
Perhaps the best-known artist of the finalists is New York-based Alice Aycock, who has created installations for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Storm King Art Center in New York’s Hudson Valley, and for cities such as Nashville, Tenn., and Kansas City.
(Aycock is, coincidentally, also the former wife of the late Dennis Oppenheim, whose ill-fated “Blue Shirt" was commissioned by the same public art program for the airport in 2003 and later canceled at the behest of then-County-Executive Scott Walker. This commission comes with a price tag more than three times larger than the "Blue Shirt.)
Known for site-oriented works that reference machinery and industry, Aycock has taken a chance with something new for Milwaukee.
“I had to wait until I was 60 to do a flower,” said Aycock, of her towering wildflower, implying that the subject matter could have been perceived as trite when she was a young woman.
The expressive bloom, with its prickly and pointed tendrils, would serve as a striking contrast to the cool formality of the courthouse and the surrounding plazas, she said. Painted in all white, the focus would be on the form rather than a literal representation of a flower.
Venice, Calif.-based artist Cliff Garten also created a concept that is a departure from his past work. He is the only finalist who responded directly to the courthouse architecture.
Known for his sculptural strands of light, including the five-story “Strings” at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Garten borrowed from the Corinthian columns at the courthouse. He reshaped that classical form into something more supple and light, with open areas. He is proposing a pair of these shapes be cast into monumental bronzes with a fountain element.
The formality and power of the courthouse architecture would be transformed into something more dynamic and down-to-earth, Garten said.
The concept proposed by the artist team of Louise Bertelsen and Pho Po Shu Wang may be the most impressive in scale. The pair, based in Berkeley, Calif., would like to create a slim, minimalist tuning fork that reaches 120 feet in height and is tuned to the frequency of the sun, for want of a more precise scientific description.
With a mirror-like polish, not unlike Anish Kapoor’s “Cloud Gate” in Chicago’s Millennium Park, the artwork will quietly hum when activated by the sounds of its urban environment, including wind and traffic. But that gentle sound will always drift back to the "tonal center pitch of our Sun," the artists say. The piece will also have an “eye,” like a large contact lens embedded in the plaza that will gather solar energy during the day and emit a beam of light at night.
Like a Foucault pendulum that reminds us that we’re not on flat earth but a spinning orb, the Bertelsen-Wang artwork is designed to make us mindful of that larger context, of the invisible, life-giving energy that arrives from the center of our solar system every day.
Brower Hatcher, of Providence, R. I., may be the underdog in this race, as his concept was exactly what the committee asked the finalists not to do — create a figurative or literal depiction of justice.
His piece features a geodesic-like dome with a figure of justice, with scales in hand, above it. It is made of a “structural field” or matrix that is typical of Hatcher’s work. The interlacing steel bars are meant to embody the future and our networked world.
Many of the artists have included seating and ledges where people can stop and sit. Most also showed an interest in working with local contractors in an effort to support the local economy.
These proposals and others that the artists came up with will be presented at a public open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, in the Loos Room of the Milwaukee Public Library’s Centennial Hall, 733 N. 8th St. The artists will not be present.
Public feedback is invited. The public art committee is expected to make a final selection within a matter of weeks. Vote in our unofficial Tap Milwaukee poll here. | <urn:uuid:fa8dac0a-fc10-489d-847d-8c3ae3b1575a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/123432889.html?page=10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961711 | 1,155 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Breaking the cycle of impunity in the North Caucasus
I am at a stage when I envy those parents who find their children’s corpses.
Boris Ozdoev, father of a forcibly disappeared man
The Russian authorities must strengthen the accountability of law enforcement agencies which in their crude response to the activities of armed groups in the North Caucasus contribute to insecurity in the region, Amnesty International warned in a new report.
The circle of injustice: Security operations and human rights violations in Ingushetia examines human rights violations, including unlawful killings, disappearances and torture, and the policies and practices behind them focusing on one particular republic but Amnesty International’s findings and recommendations apply to the whole region.
“The situation in the North Caucasus has dropped of the national and international radar in recent years, but serious human rights abuses are still going unchecked and unpunished across the region. A real effort must be made now to impose the rule of law and crack down on human rights abuses by law enforcement officials operating outside control. The long-term security of the region depends on it,” said John Dalhuisen, Director of Amnesty International’s Europe and Central Asia Programme.
It has been estimated that since 2002 more than 200 people have been abducted by armed and masked men. No one has ever been prosecuted for an enforced disappearance in Ingushetia or in the region.
Allegations of unlawful executions, often during security operations, are made each year in Ingushetia but not a single case has been brought before a court.
Security operations are shrouded in secrecy, effectively giving the green light for human rights violations.
The structure of the law enforcement agencies operating in the North Caucasus is also complex and opaque and allows them to disclaim responsibility for, or knowledge of, human rights violations that are typically committed by law enforcement officials wearing masks, but no identifying insignia and driving unmarked vehicles.
“It is as though a corporate veil has been drawn across the activities of law enforcement officials in the North Caucasus”, said John Dalhuisen.
“Sometimes investigators and prosecutors are unable to investigate the abuses. Often, however, they appear to be unwilling to do so as obvious lines of enquiry are dropped or not pursued effectively, bringing their independence and impartiality into question.”
In spite of the recent significant reform of Russia’s criminal justice system and the introduction of procedural and practical safeguards against torture in line with international human rights law there is compelling evidence that torture is still widely used by law enforcement officers in order to extract testimonies and for evidence in court.
Zelimkhan Chitigov, an ethnic Chechen man in his early twenties, was abducted in April 2010 by some 30 armed men and taken to an unknown location with a plastic bag over his head and hands bound behind his back. After he refused to confess to any terrorism-related activities, he was beaten and electrocuted, his toe-nails were pulled out, skin twisted with pliers and he was suspended on metal bars. Zelimkhan Chitigov later learnt that he was tortured in the Centre for Combating Extremism of the Ministry of the Interior, in the town of Nazran. When he was finally brought before a judge, Zelimkhan Chitigov could no longer walk and collapsed in court. He.was taken to hospital where he remained under guard for two months, and was then released under travel restrictions. At that point, he could neither walk nor talk and was suffering from frequent panic attacks. He was been diagnosed with serious head, spinal and internal organs injuries. In July 2010, a criminal case was opened into his allegations of torture and secret detention; the trial is ongoing.
“Zelimkhan Chitigov is one of many who have been beaten and tortured in Ingushetia. His case is unique only in that it is the only one where charges have been brought against one of the perpetrators – but these charges cover only his secret detention and not the allegations of torture,” said John Dalhuisen.
“At present the only real hope of redress for victims of human rights violations in the North Caucasus is the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg – a process which takes years and has often proved dangerous for applicants. The Russian authorities must bring justice home,” said John Dalhuisen.
“Nobody is above the law, especially those whose duty is to uphold it. The Russian authorities must develop a ‘zero tolerance’ policy of human rights violations by law enforcement officers through prompt and impartial investigations and prosecution of those responsible.”
Ingushetia is the smallest constituent part of the Russian Federation with 413,000 residents, bordering with Georgia in the south, and Chechnya and North Ossetia to the east and west respectively. It is one of the poorest subjects of the Soviet Federation with the highest unemployment at 47.7 per cent and 91 per cent of its budget made up of direct federal subsidies.
As a result of the military conflict in Chechnya in the 1990s, Ingushetia was swamped with more than 100,000 refugees. As the Chechnya conflict spread over to neighbouring republics, over the last decade the activity of armed groups in Ingushetia grew, including the attempted assassinations of presidents Murat Zyazikov (April 2004) and Yunus-Bek Yevkurov (June 2009). Civilians have also been targeted, or caught and killed in the crossfire. This led to the influx of numerous law enforcement agencies and regular launching of security operations of varying scale, mostly small. | <urn:uuid:081b263f-344b-42ca-82fa-d92b219ca6a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/breaking-cycle-impunity-north-caucasus-2012-06-21 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968031 | 1,159 | 1.96875 | 2 |
20 Bodies Found In Northern Mexico Mass Grave
This undated photo provided by the Public Theater shows the Delacorte Theater in New York's Central Park. This summer, The Public Theater is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Delacorte, home of its free Shakespeare in the Park program _ a beloved staple for both actors and audience. (AP Photo/Public Theater)
Soldiers found the bodies of 19 men and one woman buried in 12 graves over the weekend in the town of Puerto Palomas, across from Columbus, New Mexico, and informed police so they could oversee excavations, Chihuahua state prosecutor Jorge Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said that the bodies had been buried between four and eight months and that it had not yet been determined how they were killed because they were badly decomposed.
Earlier this month, the bodies of 18 men who were kidnapped in Acapulco where they had gone on vacation were found in a mass grave outside the resort city. An alleged drug trafficker arrested last week in Mexico City told police he ordered the killings after mistaking the men for members of a rival cartel.
Also in Chihuahua state, gunmen in two trucks chased and killed the newly appointed female police chief of the town of Meoqui on Monday. Hermila Garcia Quinones was driving to work when the attackers opened fire on her car, said Carlos Gonzalez, a spokesman for the state attorney general's office.
No one was arrested and no suspects were named.
Garcia became police chief Oct. 9 after a new mayor took office. Garcia, a former prosecutor, had never been a police chief before and authorities said she was the first woman to hold that post in Meoqui.
Chihuahua state, across the border from New Mexico and Texas, is one of the states most affected by drug violence and has recently seen an increase in the number of women leading police departments after men rejected the jobs out of fear.
In Praxedis G. Guerrero, east of Ciudad Juarez, 20-year-old university student Marisol Valles Garcia was named police chief in October. Valles Garcia's predecessor was shot to death in July 2009 and the town had no police chief until the young woman accepted the job.
Two other municipalities near Ciudad Juarez, which is sits across the border from El Paso, Texas, have also sworn in women as police chiefs.
In the Pacific coast state of Michoacan, gunmen killed the deputy police chief of the port city of Lazaro Cardenas, authorities said. Joaquin Garcia Gomez was at a gas station when assailants attacked him Sunday night, state prosecutors said in a statement Monday.
Police commanders, mayors and other leaders have increasingly become targets of drug gangs that are seeking to control territory for their operations, particularly in northern areas. More than 28,000 people have died in drug-related violence since President Felipe Calderon ordered a crackdown on gangs when he took office in December 2006.
On Monday, the Inter-American Press Association urged Calderon in a letter signed by hundreds of newspaper readers from throughout the Americas to find those responsible for the killing of a newspaper Mexican reporter.
The group asked Calderon to help move forward the investigation into the killing of Armando Rodriguez, who was shot in front of his daughter in Ciudad Juarez two years ago.
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Ask a question about 'President of Tanzania'
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The President of the United Republic of Tanzania
is the head of state
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
and head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. The president leads the executive branch
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
of the Government of Tanzania and is the commander-in-chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the Tanzania People's Defence Force
The Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Force was set up in September 1964. From its inception, it was ingrained in the troops that they were a people’s force under civilian control. They were always reminded of their difference from the colonial armed forces... | <urn:uuid:b4a32467-82ce-4a25-905b-6762f0ca297f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/President_of_Tanzania | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95417 | 412 | 3.359375 | 3 |
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HealthCompare, a nationally recognized health insurance comparison site, aims to educate American health insurance shoppers in making effective health insurance decisions.
Orange, CA (PRWEB) July 29, 2012
HealthCompare is a nationally recognized health insurance comparison site known for their compassion for consumers. Health insurance is inherently complex and HealthCompare took it as their mission to educate consumers before they make their healthcare decisions.
Their mission began when they began asking site visitors to assess their medical coverage needs through a series of questions that would help customers uncover their medical history, their financial reality, and more.
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What are the consumers current health care needs? Do they currently require medication? Does the consumer have a pre-existing condition? Or are they seeking to start a family in the near future?
Does the financial state of the shopper allow for a lower deductible, thusly giving them a higher monthly premium? Or would having a high deductible (and therefore lower monthly premium) be more beneficial?
Is the consumer’s physician a factor? If they prefer to continue seeing their doctor of choice, HealthCompare helps them decide what policies allow that.
Are there any other health insurance options for the shopper, such as spouse or parent plan?
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Do any of the policies up for comparison offer maternity?
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Understanding this, HealthCompare released infographics to help shoppers understand it, too.
Infographics are tools used online to illustrate complex topics. Using beautiful colors and images, they depict the essence of a subject without the confusing jargon and industry language.
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How To Find Affordable Health Insurance - Designed to help health insurance consumers find affordable health insurance
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HealthCompare chose this avenue of education realizing the volume of Americans that use ereaders regularly to read ebooks that are more affordable than print books. This will open the doors for them to reach more health insurance shoppers than ever before. HealthCompare’s goal is, and always has been, for all to understand the hardships related to health insurance and to be able to make the right decisions for their needs.
The books will be released weekly beginning in August.
About Health Compare: HealthCompare was launched in 2009 to work with brokers and carriers to help individuals and families easily research, compare, buy, and enroll in the right health insurance plan at the right price. Based in Orange, Calif., it delivers accurate, customized, health insurance quotes for the country's diverse population.
Through a unique partnership with its sister company, CONEXIS, HealthCompare has the ability to quickly reach thousands of COBRA-qualifying consumers and provide them with COBRA alternatives at the moment they become eligible for COBRA benefits. This provides these consumers with an opportunity to enroll in individual or family plans and potentially save hundreds to thousands of dollars on COBRA premiums and, at the same time, rewards referring brokers with referral fee income for the life of each policy.
For more information, visit http://healthcompare.com/ or call 888.748.5152.
For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/7/prweb9742039.htm | <urn:uuid:3a459eb5-3c4c-4d55-88a0-fa2b68e78e6a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.walb.com/story/19139535/healthcompare-adds-new-ebooks-to-armory-of-educational-materials-for-health-insurance-consumers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948605 | 1,005 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Includes writings, correspondence, legal briefs, and printed matter, relating to international civil rights cases, world federation,
and attempts to secure international recognition of habeas corpus and due process of law by an American lawyer who was both
chairman of the Commission for International Due Process of Law and the World Habeas Corpus Commission. Sound use copy of
sound recording available. | <urn:uuid:a25b20f7-c190-400a-a2ec-ab578ae01a7c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt0g502372/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91393 | 76 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Okay, as most of you know, I'm not the type to sit down and create a four part blog series about the financial crisis that hit America in 2008. I'm going to make some points and if you want to dig deeper, be my guest. But I have long ventured that the financial crisis in America that happened in 2008, JUST when John McCain's momentum was building against Barack Hussein Obama was simply too coincidental. It is my theory that George Soros manufactured the financial crisis. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not refuting that the financial institutions and home mortgage market weren't like dry kindling awaiting a spark, but that is exactly what Soros did- he lit the mutherfucker up like a Los Angeles brush fire.
Let me lay it out for you and then I'll provide some excerpts from some articles back in 2008 and one that came out today:
1. George Soros, after viewing the decline of Barack Hussein Obama's lead in the polls in the summer of 2008, decided he needed one financial institution to fail, thus causing a domino effect in all financial institutions and would create the economic chaos that could be blamed on George W. Bush. Soros chose Lehman Brothers. Why Lehman? Well, it was one of the biggest around, one that he could manipulate because of his investments there and finally, it would also be the best "cover up" for him. You see folks, when Lehman Brothers failed, the news reports that came out on it detailed in EVERY story how George Soros had lost MILLIONS of dollars in that crash. Obviously, George Soros wouldn't cause a failure of an institution that would cost him millions of dollars, now would he? Or is $120 million petty cash for Soros in order for him to own the Presidency of the United States of America?
2. Remember this - the Lehman Brothers failure happened BEFORE that AIG failure. One might contend that Soros had planned on AIG's takedown because that would inherently affect the U.S. Government and cause the government to step in - but how could Soros affect the fall of AIG? Well, my contention is that he KNEW that the Lehman Brothers failure would cast all eyes on AIG.
3. And now, almost a year later to the day, George Soros is having a big belly laugh at all of America as he will finally try to recoup some of his losses as Lehman Brothers is STILL being traded and today we saw the price of Lehman Brothers skyrocket as a percentage of its selling price.
Okay, now for back up. Regarding how Soros was able to manipulate the cover up of his involvement by the media announcing his losses at Lehman, here's this report from The New York Sun , let's look at the opening paragraphs:
Billionaire George Soros's hedge fund may have lost at least $120 million on its stake in Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., mostly acquired in the second quarter, as the investment bank suffered its worst financial result.
Soros Fund Management LLC, which manages $20 billion, purchased 9.47 million shares, or about 1.4% of New York-based Lehman, between March 31 and June 30, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The losses could be as high as $380 million, depending on when Mr. Soros purchased the stake and if he still owns the shares.
By the way, click on the link to the NYSun report and check out the date of that story.
Now, let's look at a further description afterwards about the effects of Lehman Brothers' failure, from the article at the New York Times:
But even as the fates of Lehman and Merrill hung in the balance, another crisis loomed as the insurance giant American International Group appeared to teeter. Staggered by losses stemming from the credit crisis, A.I.G. sought a $40 billion lifeline from the Federal Reserve, without which the company may have only days to survive.
The stunning series of events culminated a weekend of frantic around-the-clock negotiations, as Wall Street bankers huddled in meetings at the behest of Bush administration officials to try to avoid a downward spiral in the markets stemming from a crisis of confidence
Shares of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. jumped in over-the-counter trading Monday despite analysts warnings that prices will eventually dwindle down to nothing.
The 158-year-old Lehman filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September, and its stock was suspended from trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Still, shares of Lehman, which have sat at around 5 cents over the past several months, surged as much as 17 cents, or more than 100 percent, to a high of 32 cents intraday Monday, closing at 19 cents, up 4 cents, on the over-the-counter Pink Sheets. The stock has traded heavily over the past few days during a period when activity normally fades as traders take vacations.
"In theory, after you pay off creditors there should be nothing left, so there just shouldn't be any value in the stock," said Anton Schutz, portfolio manager at Burnham Financial Industries Fund. "Why they're still trading is a question everyone is asking. It's sort of crazy."
Let's face it. George Soros is an old man. He'll be dead before he really cares to be. But at this point in life, he's beyond making billions more dollars...his life is now consumed on not shifting dollars around, it's not about even affecting the way companies do business, and it's not even him trying to influence a political party in this country. George Soros simply wants to play chess with nations of this world. This sorry excuse of a human being wishes for nothing more than on his death bed to know that he molded the world into the image he has dreamed of for decades. | <urn:uuid:a7936b90-21fb-40db-a119-236e6341e8f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.holgerawakens.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969768 | 1,200 | 1.710938 | 2 |
How to Make a Lattice-Top Pie Crust
Making a lattice top is not a complicated process. And the woven design is a great way to dress up fruit pies, quiches, pastries, and tarts.
First, prepare your dough: it should be chilled at least half an hour before you begin rolling it out and making your lattice.
1. For best results, roll out the bottom crust and line your pie plate. Then roll out the top crust into a flat circle. Chill both halves of the pie dough before filling and baking to prevent shrinkage.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll reserved dough out to a ¼-inch thickness.
- Roll it in a circle, as though preparing a double-crusted pie. Transfer the dough to a small cutting board, baking sheet, or other rimless pan that will fit in your refrigerator.
2. Carefully cut the dough into strips approximately ¾-inch wide. You can use a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or scallop-edged pastry wheel. If you're worried about cutting straight, use a ruler as a guide.
3. Cover the pastry strips with plastic wrap and place the pan of dough in the refrigerator to relax while you prepare the pie filling and transfer it to the pastry-lined pie plate.
4. When you're ready to weave, moisten the rim of the pie with a small amount of water. Start with the longest strips and lay the first two in an X in the center of the pie. You can arrange them at 90 degree angles or at a sharper 45-degree angle. Alternate horizontal and vertical strips, weaving them in an over-and-under pattern. Use the shortest strips for the edges of the lattice. If you're having trouble removing the dough from the cutting board or pan, roll the strips up like a rug and unroll them onto the pie. Press the ends of the strips firmly to the lip of the pie and trim away any excess dough with kitchen shears or a paring knife.
5. The amount of filling left to peek through the lattice is entirely a matter of style: thin strips of dough make a more elegant lattice, while a few wide strips give the pie a more rustic look. You can even twist the strips of dough as you form the lattice, so they look like festive paper streamers.
6. Once the pie has been covered with the lattice, brush the top with egg wash (an egg beaten with a tablespoon of water or milk) or milk for a brown, shiny crust. Dust the top with cinnamon-sugar, if desired.
Practice your lattice-making skills on these classic fruit pies:
7. More Pie Advice and links: | <urn:uuid:16d94c0f-b4dd-4857-9b2e-448e97018cb4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Making-a-Lattice-Top-Pie-Crust/Detail.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90788 | 570 | 2.109375 | 2 |
« My New Essay: Beware of the Diamond Dogs: Why a “Credentials Alone” Conception of Probable Cause Violates the Compulsory Process Clause | Main | Avoiding A Confrontation: Why Don't Courts Find Nontestimonial Co-Defendant Statements Inadmissible Under Rule 403? »
December 4, 2012
To Everyone's Benefit: Rethinking The Positive & Negative Components Of Forfeiture By Wrongdoing
A few days ago, I posted an entry about the negative component of forfeiture by wrongdoing and why I think it tends to show that courts should apply an intent + causation test for forfeiture rather than an intent + causation + benefit test for forfeiture that relies upon counter-factual thinking. Upon further reflection, however, the situation appears a good deal more complicated than I first thought. The topic of this post will be the following two situations: In situation one, Dan is charged with murdering Vince, and William confesses to Fred that he murdered Vince. When William is later called to the police station, he denies murdering Vince and says that it was Dan who murdered Vince. Dan then kills William. In situation two, Dan is charged with murdering Vince. Immediately after the shooting, which took place in an alley, WIlliam runs out from the alley and shouts to Bill, "Oh my God! Carl just shot Vince!" When William is later called to the police station, he says, "I made a mistake. Carl looks a lot like Dan. But it was actually Dan who shot Vince." Again, Dan then kills William. How does the negative component of forfeiture by wrongdoing apply in these two situations?
Federal Rule of Evidence 804(a) sets forth situations in which a declarant is "unavailable" as a witness. In turn, Federal Rule of Evidence 804(b) contains several exceptions to the rule against hearsay that are dependent on the declarant being "unavailable" at trial. The last paragraph of Federal Rule of Evidence 804(a), however, provides that
this subdivision (a) does not apply if the statement’s proponent procured or wrongfully caused the declarant’s unavailability as a witness in order to prevent the declarant from attending or testifying.
So, what this means is that in situation one, even though William is "unavailable" and his statement would otherwise qualify for admission under Federal Rule of Evidence 804(b)(3), Dan cannot introduce William's statement because he intentionally caused William's "unavailability." Therefore, William is not "unavailable" for purposes of Dan introducing his statement. In other words, based upon his purpose-drive wrongdoing, Dan has forfeited his ability to rely on the hearsay exceptions contained in Federal Rule of Evidence 804(b).
In my prior post, I gave the example of a slightly different situation to explain why I think that forfeiture by wrongdoing should not require counter-factual thinking and only apply if the defendant would have benefited from his wrongdoing. In this hypothetical, Dan thinks that William was going to change his tune about the murder, but he is wrong. WIlliam confessed to the crime and was going to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. But Dan killed him because he thought WIlliam was going to change his tune. The way I see it, the last paragraph of Federal Rule of Evidence 804(a) should apply even though Dan would not have benefited from his wrongdoing because he intended to render William unavailable to testify at trial and caused him to be unavailable.
But now, let's look at situation two. In this situation, William's initial statement likely qualifies as an excited utterance under Federal Rule of Evidence 803(2). And, despite Dan's wrongdoing, he will be able to introduce William's excited utterance at trial. All the last paragraph of Federal Rule of Evidence 804(a) does is prevent William from being declared "unavailable" for purposes of Dan introducing his statement. But because Rule 803(2) does not depend on William being unavailable, there is nothing to prevent Dan from introducing the statement.
Now, under my intent + causation theory of forfeiture by wrongdoing, this doesn't make sense. Dan intended to render WIlliam unavailable at trial, and his wrongdoing caused him to be unavailable. Doesn't this mean that Dan should be deemed to have forfeited his ability to introduce William's excited utterance?Conversely, under an intent + causation + benefit theory with counter-factual thinking, this does make sense. William's excited utterance would have been admissible even in the absence of Dan's wrongdoing, so there is no need to preclude Dan from introducing William's statement because Dan is not otherwise benefiting from his wrongdoing.
All of this has left me pretty confused. Should we think about the positive and negative components of forfeiture by wrongdoing in the same way? Does it make sense for wrongdoing parties to be able to use Federal Rule of Evidence 803 to admit the statements of witnesses that they intentionally caused to be unavailable? I'm not sure.
December 4, 2012 | Permalink
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I can see why you are confused because I'm confused after reading what you wrote. To me it /seems/ as if your real issue isn't between the positive and negative aspects of forfeiture but the way that rules 4(b) and 3(2) interact with each other in the second hypothetical.
"Doesn't this mean that Dan should be deemed to have forfeited his ability to introduce William's excited utterance?"
I think so. The concern that underlies FBW and the concern that underlies an excited utterance (EU) are different. EU is about the reliability of statement; it is not designed to punish someone for wrongdoing. In other words, in the second hypo I see value conflict rather than a logical problem. What it think you really want to say is that value that animates FBW should overrule the value that animates EU. That is a fair point. It's one that I would agree with primarily because I think the EU hearsay exception is silly in the first place.
Posted by: Daniel | Dec 4, 2012 9:54:15 PM | <urn:uuid:5ec6de02-3c50-4fa4-af91-436dceea2a1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/evidenceprof/2012/12/a-couple-of-days-ago-i-postedan-entryabout-the-negative-component-of-forfeiture-by-wrongdoing-and-why-i-think-it-tends-to-sh.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963121 | 1,311 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Gov. Perry Signs Legislation Protecting Texas Property Owners
HJR 14 allows Texans to vote on constitutional amendment
AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today joined lawmakers in highlighting the importance of House Joint Resolution (HJR) 14 that allows Texans to vote on a constitutional amendment to strengthen land owners’ rights. The amendment, which will be voted on in November 2009, would achieve unprecedented protection of private property by placing protections against abuse of eminent domain directly into the Texas Constitution.
“Land ownership is an essential part of Texas’ culture, and we owe it to our citizens to protect their rights as landowners and members of the community from government entities that overstep their bounds and abuse eminent domain,” Gov. Perry said. “The Legislature has moved us in the right direction with the passing of HJR 14, which will give Texans the right to vote in November to protect their homes and property from being taken by the government and given to someone else.”
The passage of a constitutional amendment will enhance the private property protections established in Senate Bill (SB) 7, which prohibits government acquisition of land for non-public purposes, such as commercial economic development or private use. The bill was passed during a special session of the 79th Legislature in 2005, after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. New London ruled that government entities could use eminent domain authority for economic development projects rather than traditional public uses.
“Eminent domain is used on a regular basis without outcry when necessary for public use, but the public is rightfully outraged when that power is misused,” Rep. Frank Corte Jr. said in a voice recorded statement. “HJR 14 will finally give the citizens of Texas the opportunity to pledge their support for protecting private property at the ballot box.”
Further, HJR 14 requires a two-thirds vote of all members in both houses of the Legislature for any future grants of eminent domain authority. The bill also forbids the government from declaring an entire neighborhood as blighted without first determining that each property is blighted.
“Texas voters are the most appropriate authority on the government's use of eminent domain,” Sen. Robert Duncan said. “This proposition gives them the final word on that authority.”
The governor was joined by Sen. Duncan for the signing. Rep. Corte, who is the author of the resolution, is currently in Japan serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, and was represented by his wife, Valerie. | <urn:uuid:41a99f97-b7e3-489e-ab44-ccce7ff3e213> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.elliscountypress.com/news/8684-gov-perry-signs-legislation-protecting-texas-property-owners.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959863 | 515 | 1.96875 | 2 |
Two green grocery stores in Fayetteville, N.C., recognized by U.S. Green Building Council.
Food Lion stores at 1738 Bingham Drive and 5555 Waldos Beach Road, both in Fayetteville, N.C., feature environmentally-friendly construction and energy-efficient services, including an on-site recycling center, an educational kiosk and preferred parking for carpool vehicles.
Established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. By using less energy and water, certified LEED buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.
“At Food Lion, we are committed to protecting the environment and reducing energy consumption through green building construction, and we are especially proud to have received this recognition,” said Kyle Mitchell, vice president of store development for Delhaize America South. “We are honored to be recognized for these efforts and look forward to identifying other opportunities to build LEED stores and continuing to further reduce our energy consumption.”
The Food Lion located at Bingham Station was LEED Silver certified on June 29, and the store in Rockfish Commons became Silver certified on Aug. 30. Last year, the company opened its first LEED certified grocery store in Columbia, S.C., and the Columbia store has since also received the silver level of certification.
The two Food Lion LEED stores in North Carolina feature a number of environmentally-friendly features, including:
• LED lighting in the frozen food cases
• Bike racks and preferred parking for carpool vehicles
• Low-flow and sensor-activated water fixtures in restrooms
• Native plant species that eliminate irrigation requirements
• Enhanced air quality for associates and customers by using low-toxicity materials and implementing proactive management plans throughout construction to ensure optimal indoor air quality
• Environmental education kiosks
• A significant amount of building materials manufactured within 500 miles of each location to boost local economies and reduce energy expended on transportation
• Waste management plans to divert construction waste from landfills through recycling
• In-store customer and associate recycling programs
Food Lion has one of the most advanced retail energy conservation programs in the country. For a decade, Food Lion has been dedicated to numerous sustainability initiatives, such as energy conservation and reducing carbon dioxide emissions throughout its 11-state footprint, reducing its energy consumption by more than 27 percent since 2000 or 2.5 trillion BTUs. Food Lion is also involved in a number of environmentally-friendly initiatives, including recycling significant amounts of paper and plastic every year and encouraging customers to use reusable bags.
Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., is a subsidiary of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group and operates more than 1,100 supermarkets. | <urn:uuid:09975851-56f4-4d3d-b2d4-2146d4d3b775> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csdecisions.com/2011/10/12/food-lion-stores-receive-leed-silver-certification/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943336 | 622 | 1.710938 | 2 |
"ST PAULS is not just a commercial venture but a place that radiates the truth about Jesus Christ and his love." Blessed James Alberione, Founder of the Society of St Paul.
Monday, 10 September 2012
- Name: ST PAULS
- Location: London
The Society of St Paul is a congregation of Catholic priests and brothers whose mission is to proclaim the message of the Gospel using the means of modern communications. We are part of the worldwide Pauline Family. Through books, magazines, journals, film, radio, television, video and the internet, the Society of St Paul continues the vision of its founder, Blessed James Alberione, to follow in the missionary footsteps of St Paul the Apostle in bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. Born in 1884, Fr James Alberione felt called to serve the Church in a particular way during a vigil of prayer on New Year’s Eve 1900. In 1914, from this spirit-filled vision, emerged the Society of St Paul. Fr James died on 26th November 1971 and was Beatified by Pope John Paul II on 27th April 2003. The Pauline Family keeps alive Blessed James’ vision with a presence in 41 countries as publishers and retailers, bringing the message of the Gospel to the world today. In England we have a Publishing House in Battersea, London and bookshops in London, Birmingham, York and Leeds. In Ireland we have a distribution centre in Maynooth and a bookshop in Athlone. See www.stpauls.org.uk
- St Ignatius, a Member of Parliament, a family holi...
- Requiem for departed members of the Pauline family...
- Power failure in Victoria
- The Assumption of the BVM
- St Pauls Bookshop Manager
- New Delegate
- Michael Anthony Shaw RIP
- Bishop Roche moves to the Vatican
- Saint John the Baptist
- Funeral arrangements for Fr Sebastian Karamvelil | <urn:uuid:e2725a73-aeda-4ed7-8589-2e065b8ebbed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stpaulsbookshop.blogspot.com/2012/09/annual-romero-lecture-in-york.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.914515 | 413 | 1.570313 | 2 |
If you're someone who worries about how first responders and hospitals in your town would perform after a hurricane like Sandy, a Joplin tornado, an anthrax mailing, an outbreak of bird flu or other health threat, a new study has some pointers: stay away from Kansas and Montana.
But you might want to consider moving to Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Vermont or Wisconsin.
On Wednesday, two nonprofit groups released "Ready or Not?", a 79-page analysis of public health preparedness - that is, the ability of hospitals, health departments and others to prevent and respond to emergencies ranging from bioterrorism to influenza outbreaks to catastrophic weather.
It's a grim reckoning. The assessment is based on how many of 10 key benchmarks a state met, such as whether it holds drills to make sure public health workers can respond quickly to, say, a catastrophic release of radiation, and whether its labs can work overtime to identify a mystery disease.
This year, thirty-five states met fewer than seven of the 10 benchmarks. Only five met eight of 10.
In 2010, in contrast, more states made the grade: 17 met at least nine benchmarks and 25 met seven or eight. No state met fewer than five.
In the new report, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Vermont and Wisconsin scored highest, meeting eight out of 10 preparedness benchmarks. Kansas and Montana brought up the rear, meeting three. Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota and Virginia met seven of the 10 criteria.
"We have not paid sufficient attention to the everyday threats" such as influenza and food poisoning and extreme weather, said Dr. Jeffrey Levi, president of the Trust for America's Health, which produced the report with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
There's a reason for that, say experts on preparedness. After the Sept. 11 attacks and the anthrax mailings of 2001, public health preparedness became synonymous with being ready for bioterrorism.
Starting in 2002, states began receiving upward of $1 billion a year from the federal government - $13.6 billion so far - to prevent and respond to public health emergencies.
"But it was all about anthrax and other bioterrorism instead of the other things that might come over the transom, such as bird flu," said health policy analyst Art Kellerman of RAND, a Santa Monica, California-based think tank, who was not involved in the report.
Because the federal money came with tight restrictions - a state health employee working on, say, early-detection systems for a bioterror attack was prohibited from working on anything else - "you had a shifting of attention and resources away from preparing for all hazards to biodefense only," Kellerman said. "It was like we built a biodefense skyscraper at the same time that we took the concrete out of the foundation."
To be sure, states are more prepared for public health disasters than they were a decade ago, says Levi. They've improved their ability to identify a rare disease, such as plague, in time to impose quarantines and trace its spread, for instance.
But budget cuts threaten even that progress, said James Blumenstock, who oversees public health programs at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
Since 2008, 48 states have cut their health budgets as the recession slashed tax revenues. Federal money for state and local preparedness, mainly funneled through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has fallen 38 percent since 2005 and at least 45,700 health-department workers lost their jobs.
The Trust cast a wide net to evaluate public-health preparedness. For instance, it counts vaccinations: only two states met the national goal of immunizing 90 percent of toddlers against whooping cough.
This year Wisconsin, Vermont and Washington are all in the midst of whooping cough outbreaks, with more than 10,000 cases among them. None of the three states vaccinate 90 percent of their toddlers against the disease.
The Trust also assessed readiness for events like Superstorm Sandy. Only 15 states have plans on adapting to climate change, and the more severe weather it could bring. New Jersey, where Sandy killed two dozen people, is not among them.
One critical job of public health agencies is figuring out why people are dying of flu-like illnesses in time to impose quarantines and other steps to prevent a disaster like the one depicted in the 2011 movie "Contagion." Yet 13 states do not have the staff to work five 12-hour days for six to eight weeks to identify and track an outbreak of, say, bird flu.
Outside experts said the report might paint an even grimmer picture if it counted other crucial public-health capabilities. For instance, the country cannot produce flu vaccine in time to handle an unexpected outbreak, such as swine flu (H1N1) in 2009. "It was produced in record time, but still not fast enough to affect the epidemic" before it petered out on its own, said Jeanne Ringel, a health analyst at RAND. | <urn:uuid:b762e107-f921-4c52-95a2-2cf313e6c271> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/21/plague-storm-or-bombs-most-us-states-unprepared-report-says/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fhealth+%28Internal+-+Health+-+Text%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952505 | 1,049 | 2.15625 | 2 |
Project Street Address
523 Prospect Place, Suite 305
Project Postal/Zip Code
Country your work focuses on:
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1-5 years
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Name Your Project
Describe Your Idea
Describe your idea in fewer than 50 words.
Madécasse is a specialty food company focused on Madagascar. Our products include chocolate and vanilla and are distributed to over 100 specialty food stores in the U.S. Our chocolate is one of the only fine chocolates made in all of Africa. Making chocolate generates 4x more income than Fair Trade cocoa.
What makes your idea unique?
Making chocolate in Africa is a simple idea, but until now has not been practiced. Madécasse chocolate is one of only two fine chocolates made in all of Africa – a paradox considering Africa produces 80% of the worlds’ cocoa crop. We keep the entire value chain in Madagascar (cocoa, processing, packaging, etc). This transfers skills, creates jobs and generates many more times income beyond Fair Trade.
What is your area of work? (Please check as many as apply.)
Business , Economic development , Employment , Fair trade , Income generation , Poverty alleviation , Social Enterprise , Sustainable development , Trade , Environment & Sustainability , Sustainable agriculture , Food .
What impact have you had?
At the farm level, we support 2 cocoa farming cooperatives. These cooperatives have 30 farmers and support more than 160 people with an annual source of income. We also support a cooperative of vanilla farmers. In addition to paying prices well above Fair Trade, we have installed a fermentation and drying equipment for one of the cocoa cooperatives with a second scheduled for this summer. This equipment enables farmers to get more value for their crop and operate independent of abusive middlemen.
Beyond the farm, we manufactured, packaged and exported the first finish chocolate bars to the United States in the history of Madagascar. The represents an important step forward in the development of Madagascar’s economy.
Describe the primary problem(s) that your project is addressing.
Madagascar’s economy (like many African economies) is based on resource extraction, with no added value occurring in the country of origin. By making high quality, finished chocolate in Madagascar, we keep the entire value chain in Madagascar are slowly helping to reverse this trend. We are essentially overcoming a leftover colonial mentality that retards real economic growth in Africa.
Describe the steps that your organization is taking to make your project successful.
The two founders have bootstrapped the entire business to date, from concept to pilot to launch. We have formed partnerships with two cocoa cooperatives in Madagascar. We manufactured and exported the first finished chocolate to the U.S. in the history of Madagascar. We found a marketing firm to develop and launch our new branding pro bono. We found a legal firm to formalize our operating agreement and supplier contracts pro bono. We found a PR firm to commit to a pro bono project with us. We have coordinated with USAID for promotional support at an upcoming trade show. We have successfully opened up a market in the U.S. for our products. They are now available at over 100 locations around the country. We have built a broker sales network in the U.S. to continue to grow market share.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Success in Year 1:
We’ll need $50,000 to fund inventory and product development in Madagascar.
Success in Year 2:
We’ll need additional $100,000 to fund additional inventory and product development.
Success in Year 3:
We will need a larger sum of money to go from a regional brand, to a national brand in the U.S.
Do you have a business plan or strategic plan? (yes/no)
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization? STEP 1:
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization? STEP 2:
Expand product offering
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization? STEP 3:
Expand distribution in US
Describe the expected results of these actions.
This would take us from $250K in annual revenue to $3M in annual revenue by year 3. It would take us from an operation that supports 150 people with a sustainable income, to an operation that supports more than 2,500 people with sustainable income.
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
I decided to join the Peace Corps in 1999, and was sent to Madagascar.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
There are two. Tim McCollum was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar. After his Peace Corps service, he came back to the U.S. and worked in the private sector for 6 years. But he never stopped thinking about Madagascar or how combine the grassroots spirit of the Peace Corps with a sound business model to benefit the people of Madagascar. Brett Beach is also a co-Founder. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar. After his two year service, he worked at the U.S. Embassy in Madagascar, USAID and finally on a seaweed plantation. Brett and Tim have different experiences and perspectives, but they are driven by a shared passion for Madagascar.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Amelia Forrest Kaye approached us at an event in Washington, DC this past March.
This Entry is about (Issues)
What would prevent your project from being a success?
If yes, provide organization name.
How long has this organization been operating? (i.e. less than a year; 1-5 years; more than 5 years)
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Not formally, but we have several people we go to for advice, depending on the situation.
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs? (yes/no)
USAID is funding our exhibit booth at the Fancy Food Show (industry trade show) this summer.
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses? (yes/no)
Alston & Bird, LLP represents our legal needs, pro bono. Autumn Advertising provides pro bono brand design support. Helen Gregory Marketing provides pro bono PR support.
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government? (yes/no)
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
Without the legal and marketing support we would not be as well positioned for success as we are today.
How many people will your project serve annually?
What is the total number of employees and total number of volunteers at your organization?
What is your organization's business classification?
Have you received funding from any of the following groups? (Please check as many as apply.)
None of the above. | <urn:uuid:7d68b8ff-d273-4e1c-b853-e41447f27b02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.changemakers.com/agriculture/entries/madecasse | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938156 | 1,465 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Education, politics, and anything else that catches my attention.
I read the piece and got to the end before I found something to disagree with. I'm not sure what you mean by "well-formed." Savage's opinions appeared well-formed to this science teacher. Then again, I don't pretend to be without bias.
This isn't well-formed:"MythBusters is not a show where two guys read about stuff—it’s two guys doing stuff. When we need a valve to fire a baseball at nearly the speed of sound, we get it. Most of my friends who are grade school teachers pay for their own supplies. People say, 'You can’t just throw money at the problem.' By all means throw money at the problem!" Those guys have the requisite book-learning *before* going out and doing their work. And you and I both know there's plenty of education money around, and we both know that a good chunk of it doesn't make to the point of instruction.His heart's in the right place, but his head is somewhere else on that particular point :-)
Military spending, though; that money goes like a silver bullet to solve the problems at hand. Or not. Though not ideologically palatable, the reality is that waste in expenditures is like error in measurement: one hopes to minimize it but is aware that it's not completely avoidable. Should we cut back on education funding until the waste has been eliminated? And should take a similar tack with the military?Some schools have adequate money for lab work; many do not. I work with teachers throughout northern California, and many can't access adequate lab funding. Science equipment is expensive. It's taken me decades to build up the many tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment in my lab. If I had asked for all that stuff when I showed up in 1986, I wouldn't have been asked back in 1987.Oh, and I think the Mythbusters' backgrounds are much, much more "practical" than "theoretical." They're special effects guys, not science professors. Their content knowledge arose chiefly from hands-on experience. So they value practical over book learning. You can disagree, but I wouldn't cast it as "not well formed." Students don't have practical, hands-on skills when they come to class anymore. They don't take apart radios or motors, etc., and no one at the state level asks them to. Nor are any such skills tested for AYP/NCLB purposes. Most of those assessments prefer strict (perhaps even rote) book learning.I don't think anyone can find Savage's perspective wanting without seeing the demands of "educational accountability" in science as equally off the mark.
How much hands on time do the kids in a science lesson get in your experience? I try my best to do a practical with them every single lesson. That is obviously not always possible, but that is the aim and is the standard we work to in my department. Would that be about the same in your experience?
Post a Comment | <urn:uuid:ba92721d-c42e-41e1-84a8-c74191a95063> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rightontheleftcoast.blogspot.com/2008/08/mythbusters-on-science-education.html | 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 | 0.974339 | 629 | 1.5 | 2 |
9.6 Welfare and Compassionate Service
Welfare and compassionate service are central to the work of Relief Society.
Under the bishop’s direction, the ward Relief Society presidency, the elders quorum presidency, and the high priests group leadership share the following welfare responsibilities:
They teach principles of temporal and spiritual self-reliance.
They care for the poor and needy and encourage members to give service.
They help individuals and families become self-reliant and find solutions to short-term and long-term welfare concerns.
For more information on these welfare responsibilities, see chapter 6.
The following sections outline responsibilities that apply specifically to the Relief Society president and her counselors.
The bishop normally assigns the Relief Society president to visit members who need welfare assistance so she can evaluate their needs and suggest ways to respond to them. If there is not a woman in a home she visits, she takes one of her counselors, the Relief Society secretary, or the compassionate service coordinator with her.
To prepare for a family-needs visit, the Relief Society president considers information the bishop provides about the family and seeks guidance from the Lord.
The Relief Society president evaluates the family’s resources and prepares an itemized list of the family’s basic food and clothing needs. She gives this list to the bishop. She also may prepare a Bishop’s Order for Commodities form for the bishop to review and approve. She provides this service with sensitivity and understanding, helping those who receive assistance to maintain their self-respect and dignity.
The Relief Society president reports to the bishop on the general condition of the family. She reports any needs in the areas of food (for normal needs but not for food storage), clothing, home management, health, and social and emotional well-being. She also may share her assessment of family members’ work capabilities and the opportunities family members have for work.
The bishop helps the family develop a self-reliance plan. He also counsels with the Relief Society president regarding additional opportunities to help the family. In some cases, the most valuable assistance may include (1) helping a sister manage income and resources and (2) teaching homemaking skills such as cleaning, sewing, organizing, planning menus, preserving food, and promoting good health.
The Relief Society president and anyone who assists her keep strictly confidential any information they obtain during the visit or from the bishop.
All Relief Society sisters have a responsibility to be conscious of the needs of others. They use their time, skills, talents, spiritual and emotional support, and prayers of faith to help others.
Through the help of visiting teachers and others in the ward, the Relief Society presidency identifies those who have special needs because of old age, physical or emotional illness, emergencies, births, deaths, disability, loneliness, and other challenges. The Relief Society president reports her findings to the bishop. Under his direction, she coordinates assistance. She assesses the skills and circumstances of all sisters as she determines who may be able to help.
She may ask a counselor, a compassionate service coordinator, or a visiting teacher to help coordinate these service efforts. She may also form a committee to help. Sisters can assist by providing meals, providing child care or home care, helping individual sisters improve literacy skills, providing transportation for needed medical assistance, and responding to other needs.
The ability to read and write helps members find employment and develop temporal self-reliance. It also helps them increase in their gospel knowledge and spiritual self-reliance. Each ward implements literacy efforts according to its needs and resources. When basic literacy skills are lacking among members, the Relief Society presidency works with the bishop and ward council to identify practical ways to help members improve these skills. Assigned leaders and teachers may use the Church’s literacy course, which includes the Ye Shall Have My Words student manual and teacher’s manual and a DVD for training teachers. In addition, Relief Society leaders may devote some meetings to literacy skills. | <urn:uuid:8099f017-e2dc-4b8a-8f4d-37183e119156> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/relief-society/9.6.2?lang=eng | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947812 | 814 | 2.40625 | 2 |
Laundry detergent is changing. The liquid is packed in tablets and gel packs. Another product looks like a nut. They're called Eco Nuts and claim to help you cut your costs and make laundry more convenient.
Nicole Gallagher, of Strongsville, spends lots of time in her laundry room washing countless loads of clothes for her husband and three kids.
"We normally would use Tide," Gallagher said.
She was stuck on using brand-name liquid detergent, until a product called Eco Nuts caught her eye online.
"They look like acorns, sort of. They come with little sacks that you basically put the nuts inside of, and just throw them in with your wash. You get a bunch of loads of laundry out of them," Gallagher explained.
Eco Nuts are a berry, and they grow on trees in the Himalayas. They naturally produce soap. They're organic and odor-free.
"They don't leave a fragrance on the clothes afterwards. So they just smell clean when they come out of the wash," Gallagher explained.
Eco Nuts claims to do your dirty work for a fraction of the cost. We did our own cost comparison. Most brand name laundry detergents cost between 15 and 30 cents per load depending if you're paying full or sale price. Eco Nuts cost 9 to 12 cents a load.
"That's all I use now. It's so economical," Erin Schillo, of Macedonia, said.
Moms say the sack you throw the nuts in also make laundry convenient. "It's not like measuring detergent, running out of detergent. You just keep reusing the same little thing," Gallagher said.
Our laundry testers say you don't need to add anything to your washer beside the nuts. Not even fabric softener.
"It makes everything really fluffy too. My towels look like brand new. They're like two inches thick," Schillo said.
One drawback we found is that Eco Nuts aren't available in many stores, so you're best bet is to buy them online. That means you'll spend a few dollars on shipping.
You can use Eco Nuts in front-loading and high efficiency washers, because they are low sudsing.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Taco Bell to offer a new "Power Protein" menu.
Consumer Reports has tested more than two dozen single-serve coffeemakers from brands such as Keurig, Mr. Coffee, and Starbucks. | <urn:uuid:b694f12a-1025-46c2-bd30-f1020126f354> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/money/consumer/all-natural-soap-nuts-laundry-detergent-put-to-the-test | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95797 | 541 | 1.609375 | 2 |
A TODAY Moms/Parenting.com survey of 26,000 moms found what we here on the blog know to be very true: Moms judge each other constantly and about almost any minute aspect of parenting!
The survey found that nearly 90 percent of moms in fact admitted to judging other moms.
Her kid is a brat — 66.4 percent
She breastfeeds a 3-year old -42.6 percent
She has an overweight child – 36.9 percent
She gives junk food – 34 percent
She lets kids have too much screen time 31.8 percent
She co-sleeps with child 23 percent
She works too much 19.7 percent
She didn’t try to breastfeed 18.1 percent
I don’t judge other moms – it’s not my business 12.6 percent
So why do we do it? TODAY Moms explains:
“Parenting expert Wendy Mogel, author of “The Blessings of a Skinned Knee,” says part of what’s fueling the mom judge-a-thon is what psychologists call “displacement.” The world is a scary place, and we can’t control things like the economy free-falling. But we can control our choices as a parent – so we attach way too much significance to them…”
“Mothers are judging themselves and judging others to make themselves feel a little better,” Mogel said. “We’re all trying to look good, and we want our kids to look good and impress others…”
“Brigette Dineen, a mom of two from the Cleveland, Ohio, area, bemoans the “Eye of Judgment” that seems to follow moms everywhere. She chalks up the pressure on moms today in part to information overload: We have so many resources, from prenatal yoga classes to umpteen child-rearing books to educational videos and BPA warnings, that we expect perfection from ourselves and our families.”
I have another theory on why women judge each other so harshly and here it is: I believe that no one (unless they are a truly God awful people) think they are purposefully making wrong decisions for their kids. No one sets out to make the wrong choices. So if you think you have made the right decision then clearly everyone else has made the wrong decisions. I think everyone thinks their choice for their kids is the best choice so any other choice must be inferior.
Since starting this blog six years ago I think I have actually become less judgmental. I am judged so harshly on the blog that I don’t want to do that to others. We don’t know why people have made their choices and haven’t walked in their shoes and I try to think about that as I talk to other mothers.
I do think information overload is part of the problem. Sometimes I walk into a grocery store and am paralyzed about making choices – I know the organic meat is better but it’s so much more expensive. Are the cage-free eggs OK or do they have to be free-range to actually mean it’s a better environment for the chicken. I took almost two hours yesterday buying a week’s worth of groceries because I was reading labels and reconsidering each item on nutrition, cost and environmental impact. (I just want to buy some chicken and oatmeal and be done with it!)
So what categories are you most judgmental about? Do you believe the 12 percent of moms that said they didn’t judge? Is this a woman thing? Do you think woman are just as competitive on every level or do you think it’s just about kids? What do you think of the theories offered as to why women are so judgmental about mothering? | <urn:uuid:db3defe3-8fb1-4781-a36d-f1d170a47a86> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.ajc.com/momania/2011/08/22/nearly-90-percent-moms-judge-other-moms-but-why/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964055 | 800 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Like many of us, I spent Thanksgiving with some of the cancer survivors in my family—which is why Cienna Madrid's excellent piece in The Stranger about "Munchausen Syndrome by internet," a disorder characterized by faking illnesses on the intenet, was particularly difficult to read this morning.
But while it's disturbing and angering to read about young women who faked cancer in order to infiltrate online support groups, it's also an incredibly interesting piece about how Munchausen Syndrome—which since 1951 has described people who fake illnesses to attract attention and sympathy—has evolved for the internet age. The internet mutes our "natural bullshit detectors," Madrid writes, since we "can't rely on facial expressions and other physical cues for sensing lies, and studies suggest that without those cues, we're prone to generously fill in the blanks." Which is how manipulative 19-year-old girls are able to trick otherwise intelligent adults into believing that they're suffering from terminal diseases.
Read the whole thing here.
Get the best of the Mercury each week in your inbox! | <urn:uuid:99e8205d-5dcb-48c0-9c33-914d3cd524cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2012/11/26/monday-cancer-read-the-lying-disease | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956143 | 219 | 1.984375 | 2 |
The wyvern is a creature of legend, and a cousin to the dragon. Wyverns are winged, serpent-like creatures. Unlike dragons, wyverns have only two legs, a barbed tail, and cannot breathe fire. Wyverns are smaller than dragons.
The wyvern appears in some western folklore as a malign and violent predator with a fierce head, bat wings, and a tail. It is said to breathe poison. Other accounts tell that the wyvern's most deadly weapon is its poisonous tail stinger. The wyvern has the head of a serpent and the talons of an eagle.
Although they have the strength and ferocity of dragons, wyverns lack the grace and intelligence which are innate to dragons. Wyverns typically prey on deer, goats, and other such creatures. Unlike dragons, which can be sometimes good and sometimes evil, the wyvern is unambiguously malicious.
Wyverns are found often in heraldry. The wyvern represents war, envy, and pestilence, and is a sign of strength to those who bear it.
The origin of the word wyvern comes from thirteenth-century word wyver, which in turn is derived from the French wyvere, which means both "viper" and "life."
The wyvern is also similar to the basilisk and the cockatrice.
The name basilisk comes from the Greek basileus, which means king. The basilisk was the King of the snakes and the most poisonous creature on earth. His appearance has always been a matter of dispute since there is no way to see a basilisk and survive. Looking at it, according to legend, brings death.
The basilisk was depicted in a few illuminated manuscripts in the Middle Ages but appeared much more often as an ornamental detail in church architecture, adorning capitals and medallions. The best representation of the basilisk is found in the decorative field of heraldry where the basilisk had the head and legs of a cock, a snake-like tail, and a body like a bird’s. It seems that the wings could be depicted as either being covered with feathers or scales.
The antique Romans called him "regulus" or little king, not only because of his crown, but because he terrorized all other creatures with his deadly look and poison. His color was yellow, sometimes with a kind of blackish hue. Plinius mentioned a white spot on his head, which could be misinterpreted as a diadem or a crown. Others speak of three spikes on his forehead.
Regarding his dangerousness rural legends distinguishes three main types. All three had a deadly breath, which could even make rocks crumble.
The special characteristics of the Basilisk have led many to believe that the monster has arisen from nothing more than the tales of the Egyptian cobra, whose characteristics have, from oral transmission, been exaggerated. This cobra has a white marking on its head, powerful venom that he spits without the need to bite, and the ability to move with its head held upright. The mongoose, rather like a weasel, can kill cobras.
CockatriceEditA cockatrice is a legendary creature, essentially a two-legged dragon with a rooster's head. "An ornament in the drama and poetry of the Elizabethans", Laurence Breiner described it. "The cockatrice, which no one ever saw, was born by accident at the end of the twelfth century and died in the middle of the seventeenth, a victim of the new science."
The cockatrice was first described in its current form in the late twelfth century.
The Oxford English Dictionary gives a derivation from Old French cocatris, from medieval Latin calcatrix, a translation of the Greek ichneumon, meaning tracker. The twelfth century legend was based on a reference in Pliny's Natural History that the ichneumon lay in wait for the crocodile to open its jaws for the trochilus bird to enter and pick its teeth clean. An extended description of the cockatriz by the 15th-century Spanish traveler in Egypt, Pedro Tafur, makes it clear that the Nile crocodile is intended.
According to Alexander Neckam's De naturis rerum (ca 1180), the cockatrice was supposed to be born from an egg laid by a cock and incubated by a toad; a snake might be substituted in re-tellings. Cockatrice became seen as synonymous with basilisk when the basiliscus in Bartholomeus Anglicus' De proprietatibus rerum (ca 1260) was translated by John Trevisa as cockatrice (1397). A basilisk, however, is usually depicted without wings.
ts reputed magical abilities include turning people to stone or killing them by either looking at them—"the death-darting eye of Cockatrice"—touching them, or sometimes breathing on them.
It was repeated in the late-medieval bestiaries that the weasel is the only animal that is immune to the glance of a cockatrice. It was also thought that a cockatrice would die instantly upon hearing a rooster crow, and according to legend, having a cockatrice look itself in a mirror is one of the few sure-fire ways to kill it.The cockatrice was also able to fly with the set of wings affixed to its back.
Like the head of Medusa, the cockatrice's powers of petrification were thought still active after death.
Dragons are mythical creatures that appear in many different cultures and time periods. Dragons have been described as monsters, serpents, reptiles, or beasts. There is something magical about dragons that has kept our intrigue over many centuries.
Dragons are usually thought to have wings and breathe fire. They also are said to have scales and claws. Some also have horns. Almost always they are said to be venomous. Some dragons may have two or more heads. They may also have more than one tail. They may have two, four or even more legs; however, most are known to have four legs. Dragons are said to eat things such as rats, birds, snakes, bats, or even humans, especially children.Dragons are very intelligent creatures. They live in remote areas, far away from humans, in places that are dark, damp and secluded, such as caves. Dragons were first thought of as creatures who lived in water. Later they became associated with fire. Sea serpents may have been the first dragons, and may be the reason for this association. Almost all dragon stories portray the dragon as the villain from whom the hero must protect the city or the princess. But some dragons can take on the form of the protector. The biggest differences in dragons usually come from different cultures, especially the cultures of the East and the West. Each culture seems to have their own idea about dragons.
Dragons cannot be put all into one group, as there are so many dragons. Each culture seems to have their own type of dragon, and each of these dragons is usually very different. Some people have said that dragons once existed, maybe during the time of the dinosaurs. Others believe that dragons began around the same time the earth began. A few people even claim to have seen a dragon in their life time. Of these people who claim to have seen one, they usually agree that it was humans who finally defeated the dragons.
But most of all, dragons are fascinating, magical creatures who have captivated our attention for thousands of years. The many different kinds of dragons and the ability for us to use our imagination to create these creatures only adds to their appeal. Many stories have been told about these great beings and it seems like dragons are a part of our mythical history. Whether these creatures are or ever were real probably doesn't matter due to the fact that the imagination can create them in almost any situation.
Dragons have often been used in art work. Pictures or sculptures of dragons seem mysterious and magical. Fashion has found style in these magical creatures, especially in the Eastern dragons.
Sea serpents Edit
A sea serpent or sea dragon is a type of sea monster either wholly or partly serpentine.
Sightings of sea serpents have been reported for hundreds of years, and continue to be claimed today. Cryptozoologist Bruce Champagne identified more than 1,200 purported sea serpent sightings. It is currently believed that the sightings can be best explained as known animals such as oarfish and whales. Some cryptozoologists have suggested that the sea serpents are relict plesiosaurs, mosasaurs or other Mesozoic marine reptiles, an idea often associated with lake monsters such as the Loch Ness Monster.
In Norse mythology, Jörmungandr, or "Midgarðsormr" was a sea serpent so long that it encircled the entire world, Midgard. Some stories report of sailors mistaking its back for a chain of islands. Sea serpents also appear frequently in later Scandinavian folklore, particularly in that of Norway.
In 1028 AD, Saint Olaf killed and threw onto the mountain Syltefjellet in Valldal, Norway a sea serpent, the marks of which are still visible. In Swedish ecclesiastic and writer Olaus Magnus's Carta marina, many marine monsters of varied form, including an immense sea serpent, appear. Moreover, in his 1555 work History of the Northern Peoples, Magnus gives the following description of a Norwegian sea serpent: Those who sail up along the coast of Norway to trade or to fish, all tell the remarkable story of how a serpent of fearsome size, 200 feet long and 20 feet wide, resides in rifts and caves outside Bergen. On bright summer nights this serpent leaves the caves to eat calves, lambs and pigs, or it fares out to the sea and feeds on sea nettles, crabs and similar marine animals. It has ell-long hair hanging from its neck, sharp black scales and flaming red eyes. It attacks vessels, grabs and swallows people, as it lifts itself up like a column from the water. Sea serpents were known to sea-faring cultures in the Mediterranean and Near East, appearing in both mythology (the Babylonian Labbu) and in apparent eye-witness accounts (Aristotle's Historia Animalium). In the Aeneid, a pair of sea serpents killed Laocoön and his sons when Laocoön argued against bringing the Trojan Horse into Troy.
The Bible refers to Leviathan and Rahab, from the Hebrew Tanakh, although 'great creatures of the sea' (NIV) are also mentioned in Book of Genesis 1:21. In the Book of Amos 9:3 speaks of a serpent to bite the people who try to hide in the sea from God.
Hans Egede, the national saint of Greenland, gives an 18th century descriptions of a sea serpent. On 6 July 1734 his ship sailed past the coast of Greenland when suddenly those on board "saw a most terrible creature, resembling nothing they saw before. The monster lifted its head so high that it seemed to be higher than the crow's nest on the mainmast. The head was small and the body short and wrinkled. The unknown creature was using giant fins which propelled it through the water. Later the sailors saw its tail as well. The monster was longer than our whole ship", wrote Egede. (Mareš, 1997) Sea serpent sightings on the coast of New England, are documented beginning in 1638. An incident in August 1817 spawned a rather silly mix-up when a committee of the New England Linnaean Society went so far as to give a deformed terrestrial snake the name Scoliophis atlanticus, believing it was the juvenile form of a sea serpent that had recently been reported in Gloucester Harbor. The Gloucester Harbor serpent was claimed to have been seen by hundreds of New England residents, including the crews of four whaling boats that reportedly sought out the serpent in the harbor. Rife with political undertones, the serpent was known in the harbor region as "Embargo." Sworn statements made before a local Justice of the Peace and first published in 1818 were never recanted. After the Linnaean Society's misidentification was discovered, it was frequently cited by debunkers as evidence that the creature did not exist.
A particularly famous sea serpent sighting was made by the men and officers of HMS Daedalus in August 1848 during a voyage to Saint Helena in the South Atlantic; the creature they saw, some 60 feet (18 m) long, held a peculiar maned head above the water. The sighting caused quite a stir in the London papers, and Sir Richard Owen, the famous English biologist, proclaimed the beast an elephant seal. Other explanations for the sighting proposed that it was actually an upside-down canoe, or a posing giant squid.
Another sighting took place in 1905 off the coast of Brazil. The crew of the Valhalla and two naturalists, Michael J. Nicoll and E. G. B. Meade-Waldo, saw a long-necked, turtle headed creature, with a large dorsal fin. Based on its dorsal fin and the shape of its head, some (such as Heuvelmans) have suggested that the animal was some sort of marine mammal. A skeptical suggestion is that the sighting was of a posing giant squid, but this is hard to accept given that squids do not swim with their fins or arms protruding from the water.
On April 25, 1977, the Japanese trawler Zuiyo Maru, sailing east of Christchurch, New Zealand, caught a strange, unknown creature in the trawl. Photographs and tissue specimens were taken. While initially identified as a prehistoric plesiosaur, analysis later indicated that the body was the carcass of a basking shark.Edit
Skeptics and debunkers have questioned the interpretation of sea serpent sightings, suggesting that reports of serpents are misidentifications of things such as cetaceans (whales and dolphins), sea snakes, eels, basking sharks, baleen whales, oarfish, large pinnipeds, seaweed, driftwood, flocks of birds, and giant squid.
While most cryptozoologists recognize that at least some reports are simple misidentifications, they claim that many of the creatures described by those who have seen them look nothing like the known species put forward by skeptics and claim that certain reports stick out. For their part, the skeptics remain unconvinced, pointing out that even in the absence of out-right hoaxes, imagination has a way of twisting and inflating the slightly out-of-the-ordinary until it becomes extraordinary.
A recent posting on the Centre of Fortean Zoology blog by Cryptozoologist Dale Drinnon notes his check of the categories in Heuvelmans' In The Wake of the Sea-Serpents, in which he extracted the mistaken observation categories as a control to check the Sea-serpent categories by using the reports he created identikits for the mistaken observations and enlarged them to possibly 126 of Heuvelmans' sightings, making the mistaken observations the largest section of Heuvelmans' reports. His identikits include oarfish, basking sharks, toothed whales, baleen whales, lines of large whales for the largest Sea-serpent "hump" sightings and trains of smaller cetaceans for the "Many-finned,elephant seals and manta rays. Each of these categories was given a percentage of the whole body of reports, ranging between 1% and 5% with the whales at an average 2.5%, figures which he considers comparable to the regular Sea-serpent categories of Super-eel and Marine Saurian (each of which he breaks into a larger and a smaller sized series following Heuvelmans' suggestion in In the Wake of the Sea-Serpents) Drinnon has also published in the 2010 CFZ yearbook in which he modifies Coleman's categories (below), adding a possible Giant otter category to the Giant Beavers and modifying several others, bringing the total to 17 categories to broaden the coverage. The broadened coverage allows more instances of conventional fishes such as sturgeons and catfishes, left off Coleman's list. In a separate and earlier CFZ blog, Drinnon reviewed Bruce Champagne's sea-serpent categories and identified several of them as known animals, and several whales in particular Drinnon basically recognises the Longneck, Marine Saurian and Super-eel categories in this blog as well, with the modification that the Marine Saurian as spoken of by Champagne is more likely a large crocodile akin to C. porosis and that there has been a suggestion that an eel-like animal is involved in certain "Many-finned" observations. The whale categories he identifies are: BC 2A-Possible Odobenocetops, BC2B, Atlantic gray whale or Scrag Whale, BC 4B, as being similar to an unidentified large-finned beaked whale otherwise reported in the Pacific, and BC 5, the large Father-of-All-the-Turtles, as a humpback whale turned turtle.
In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra (Ancient Greek: Λερναία Ὕδρα) was an ancient serpent-like chthonic water beast, with reptilian traits (as its name evinces), that possessed many heads — the poets mention more heads than the vase-painters could paint, and for each head cut off it grew two more — and poisonous breath so virulent even her tracks were deadly. The Hydra of Lerna was killed by Heracles as the second of his Twelve Labours. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, though archaeology has borne out the myth that the sacred site was older even than the Mycenaean city of Argos since Lerna was the site of the myth of the Danaids. Beneath the waters was an entrance to the Underworld, and the Hydra was its guardian.
The Hydra was the offspring of Typhon and Echidna (Theogony, 313), both of whom were noisome offspring of the earth goddess Gaia. | <urn:uuid:ddfd692f-2b1e-4252-94c2-ee49c78406b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dragonwisdom.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_sub-species | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970376 | 3,829 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Q: We're Commanded Not to Kill, So Why Did God Instruct His People to Do So?
Selected from our Questions and Answers program
A: The Scripture says, "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13). That has to do, of course, with a personal feud, an expression of our personal feelings, and that sort of thing. But when God told a nation to destroy another, it was not because they had any personal feeling about it at all but because they were acting as judges. In other words, they were carrying out the judgment of God in the matter. And if you'll notice, it's always upon a godless nation or people — those who have had ample opportunity to turn to God. God gave a nation or a people an opportunity to hear about Him (and it was generally very sinful people like the Canaanites, Amorites, and Edomites — all of those living in awful unspeakable sin), they had an opportunity to turn to God, they refused it, and they were judged, you see. And the nation Israel executed that judgment. Now may I say, that throws a great deal of light on the question of service in the military. When I was a pastor in Pasadena during World War II, a woman and her son came to me. The boy had been drafted and their question was should he go or should he take the position — which they were reluctant to do — that he would not fight? Their thought was that it was contrary to the Bible for him to go out and kill men that he hadn't even seen and did not hate personally at all. I said, "That's the whole point!" If he hated them personally and went out and did it then he'd be dead wrong, because that would be murder indeed. But he needed to take the position as I see it: That war was forced on our nation, we had to enter, and it was upon (we felt) a godless people. That is, our cause was just and theirs was not, and we were executing judgment. I personally do not go along with this false patriotism that says "My country either right or wrong." Well, I say no! The position should be: My country, may she always be right. That's the important thing. So if you feel like a war is a just war, one that's been forced upon us, that we're not carrying on an aggressive war but actually a defensive war, we've been attacked and we're attempting to bring justice into the world and peace into the world — if you feel that is true, then you can enter it and it will not be non-Christian and certainly will not be un-biblical. | <urn:uuid:fc8ba4f3-09fe-4934-afe5-8b22c723ba5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/read/articles/qa-with-mcgee-10527.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991254 | 555 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Widespread corrosion on a brand-new generation of UK military submarines may be tied to a cost-cutting decision to minimize or skip the protective coating on the subs, according to a leaked government memo.
The leaked memo by a Ministry of Defence senior analyst, obtained by The Guardian newspaper, reports a “lack of understanding and negligence towards the corrosion related issues" involving the UK’s new Astute class boats, which are being built by BAE Systems.
The Guardian obtained the memo after an investigation by the newspaper concluded that the new £10 bn ($15.9 billion US) fleet of hunter-killer subs is “slow, rusty, [and] leaky.”
The newspaper said that the first sub in the series “has been unable to reach its intended top speed” and “has been beset by design and construction flaws that have raised doubts about its performance and potential safety.”
Ministry of Defence/PA
HMS Astute, the first of seven new hunter-killer submarines, has shown widespread corrosion and a variety of other problems during sea trials. The Ministry of Defence says the issues are normal.
Among the new subs’ many cited problems: widespread corrosion and a variety of apparent QA lapses.
A ministry spokesman told the paper that the first sub had suffered some “teething problems” during trials.
However, the ministry said in a statement: "All Royal Navy submarines are subject to a continuous, thorough assessment of their components to minimize the risk of corrosion. Cosmetic problems with the paint finish inside HMS Astute and HMS Ambush were identified and rectified."
‘Keep Painting to a Minimum’
The new divulged memo, whose author was not identified, was sent June 20 to Dr. John van Griethuysen. The Guardian said van Griethuysen “reports directly to the head of submarines, Rear Admiral Simon Lister.”
The memo reviews four documents related to the subs and notes a number of concerns involving the painting protocols and decisions. The author warns that short-term cost-cutting will backfire with long-term increased maintenance and repair.
“Has the objective been the prevention of corrosion in submarine components or was it just a cost-cutting exercise?" the memo asks. "It seems a decision has been taken to keep the painting to a minimum in Astute class build to reduce costs?"
Lack of Paint, Poor Surface Prep Cited
Among the issues cited:
- Corrosion is afflecting valves and pipe work fittings, “mainly due to the lack of or inadequate paint application for the protection of fasteners and flanges. From the photographs ... witnessed, the corrosion is widespread and a cause for major concern.”
- Paint is flaking from various surfaces, including pipes passing through the reactor compartment, “due to inadequate surface preparation.”
- Paint in multiple designated wet areas was either not applied at all or was inadequately applied “for no doubt various reasons.”
"Has the Astute project team found out what these various reasons are?” the official writes. “No effort has been made or there is no recommendation to find out how this Quality Assurance failure had occurred, who was responsible for such quality failure and more importantly how to avoid such QA failures in the future.”
A 2008 report by the National Surface Treatment Center called improper application of coating systems a major contributor to the U.S. Navy's ship maintenance costs. In 2009, the rust-ravaged USS Vandenberg was scuttled off of Key West, FL, to become the world's second-largest artificial reef.
- The Paint Schedule contains a “lengthy list” of “items not to be painted,” the author reports. But that list “contains items that are should [sic] have been painted.”
- “Proper advice on various materials to reduce corrosion is given in Defence Standards and clearly this is a case that such advice has been ignored,” the memo says. A decision not to paint certain components goes “against the advice provided in Defence Standards.”
- At one point, Ministry staff determined that corroded fasteners would be replaced, but that decision was later reversed in favor of cleaning and painting the fasteners. The memo says that cleaning “would be a difficult task” and would not allow paint to adhere properly. Improper painting, in turn, would allow the corrosion to continue to spread, the author argues.
The author says the memo was prompted by his or her “concerns of the QA failures, general attitude towards QA, and the lack of understanding and negligence towards the corrosion related issues.”
The author alleges a “severe lack of quality control” in the sub program, including the painting decisions, with consideration given only to short-term costs and deadlines. The author urges a comprehensive investigation and review of the program before more boats are launched.
The memo concludes: “The project is in a hurry to stick to the schedule get the boat finished and.[sic] I do understand cost implications due to any delays but finishing a submarine, which would be corroding inside will cost the MoD through out its life!” | <urn:uuid:d36ca4e8-a533-4f7f-83cc-7b43b5aecb30> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://paintsquare.com/news/?fuseaction=view&id=8737 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964253 | 1,105 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Brighenti, Andrea (2007) Playing Justification in Parliamentary Debates. A Case Study on the Italian Parliament. UNSPECIFIED.
This paper concerns the empirical study of a parliamentary debate that occurred at the Italian Parliament, in its two Houses, the Camera dei deputati (Chamber of Deputies) and the Senato (Senate). It aims at understanding the interactive processes and strategies that lead to the creation of a normative legal text – i.e., a text which contains normative propositions, as well as statements of intent, definitions, references to other legal documents etc. – as the process comes along within an institutional context endowed with its own specific set of constraints and rules. The debate we examine concerns the decision of joining and supporting the US-lead military coalition in the war against Iraq in 2003, a debate which took place under the Berlusconi government during winter–spring 2003. In particular, we examine the séance which took place in the Camera on Wednesday afternoon, February 19th, 2003.
Actions (login required) | <urn:uuid:9b376ca2-4378-44c4-ad14-44840d54d9a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eprints.biblio.unitn.it/1184/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955689 | 215 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Meet the Robinsons
|Meet the Robinsons|
|Directed by||Steve Anderson|
|Based on||A Day with Wilbur Robinson
by William Joyce
|Music by||Danny Elfman|
|Editing by||Ellen Keneshea|
|Studio||Walt Disney Animation Studios|
|Distributed by||Walt Disney Pictures|
|Running time||95 minutes|
Meet the Robinsons is a 2007 American computer-animated comedy family film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures on March 30, 2007. The 47th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, the film was released in both the United States and the United Kingdom in standard and Disney Digital 3-D versions in the United States. Its standard version in the UK on March 30, 2007. The film is very loosely based on characters from the book A Day with Wilbur Robinson, by William Joyce. The film originally had the same title as the book. The voice cast includes Jordan Fry, Harland Williams, Tom Kenny, Steve Anderson, Laurie Metcalf, Adam West, Tom Selleck & Angela Bassett. It was released on DVD-Video and Blu-ray on October 23, 2007.
Lewis is an aspiring young inventor at an orphanage whose inventions have been scaring off potential parents. He decides that his mother is the only one who truly loves him and works on a machine to scan his memory to locate her. Unfortunately, this keeps his roommate Michael "Goob" Yagoobian awake, which then causes Goob to fall asleep during an important Little League game.
Taking his memory scanner to his school's science fair, Lewis meets Wilbur Robinson, a mysterious boy claiming to be a time cop from the future. Wilbur needs to recover a time machine that a man wearing a bowler hat has stolen. Lewis tries to demonstrate the scanner, but it falls apart, throwing the science fair into chaos. Upset, Lewis leaves while the Bowler Hat Guy, with the help of a robotic bowler hat named Doris, repairs and steals the scanner.
Wilbur meets Lewis at the orphanage and asks him to repair the scanner. Lewis agrees to do so only if Wilbur can prove he is telling the truth, which Wilbur does by taking them to the year 2037 in a second time machine. When they arrive, however, Lewis says he can use the time machine instead of the scanner, and he and Wilbur get into an argument and crash. Wilbur then asks Lewis to fix the time machine, but Lewis has another condition: Wilbur has to take him to visit his mother afterward. Reluctantly, Wilbur agrees and hides Lewis in the garage. Lewis doesn't stay there for long, however, and ends up meeting the rest of the Robinsons except for Cornelius, Wilbur's father.
Following Lewis, the Bowler Hat Guy and Doris unsuccessfully try to kidnap him. Meanwhile, the Robinsons offer to adopt Lewis, but change their mind when they learn that he's from the past. Wilbur also admits to lying to Lewis about taking him back to see his mom, causing Lewis to run off in disgust.
Lewis then discovers that the Bowler Hat Guy is a grown-up version of Goob. After losing the Little League game, Goob had become so bitter that he was never adopted and remained in the orphanage long after it closed. Doris was "DOR-15," one of Lewis' failed and abandoned inventions. They both blamed Lewis for their misfortunes and decided to ruin his career by stealing the memory scanner and claiming credit for it. Leaving Lewis behind, they take off with the scanner, drastically altering the future to a world minus Wilbur and dominated by Doris clones. Lewis repairs the second time machine, goes to confront Doris and destroys her by promising to never invent her, restoring the future to its utopian self.
Back in Wilbur's time, Lewis finally meets Cornelius, who is a grown-up version of Lewis. Cornelius explains how the memory scanner had started their successful career, which persuades Lewis to return to the science fair. Wilbur takes Lewis back, but makes one stop first: as he promised, he takes Lewis back to when his mother abandoned him. Lewis nearly stops her from leaving the infant at the orphanage, but decides not to, explaining to Wilbur that he already has a family.
Wilbur drops Lewis off in his own time and leaves. Lewis heads to the fair, but en route wakes up Goob just in time for him to make the winning catch. Back at the fair, Lewis asks for one more chance to demonstrate his scanner, which this time succeeds. He is adopted by Lucille, one of the science fair judges, and her husband Bud, who nickname him "Cornelius" and take him to their home. As Lewis leaves, he turns and waves at Goob, who is also leaving the orphanage with a family of his own and a Little League trophy. The movie ends with a quote by Walt Disney containing Lewis/Cornelius' motto: "Keep Moving Forward."
- Jordan Fry as Lewis. Nik Ranieri served as the supervising animator for Lewis.
- Daniel Hansen voiced a younger version of Lewis.
- Wesley Singerman as Wilbur Robinson. Dale Baer served as the supervising animator for Wilbur.
- Steve Anderson as:
- The Bowler Hat Guy. Dick Zondaq served as the supervising animator for the Bowler Hat Guy.
- Grandpa Bud
- Cousin Tallulah. Randy Haycock served as the supervising animator for Tallulah.
- Nicole Sullivan as Franny Robinson. Randy Haycock served as the supervising animator for Franny.
- Jessie Flower voiced Franny as a child.
- Harland Williams as Carl
- Angela Bassett as Mildred. Ruben A. Aquino served as the supervising animator for Mildred.
- Matthew Josten as Michael "Goob" Yagoobian
- Laurie Metcalf as Lucille Krunklehorn
- Ethan Sandler as:
- DOR-15 (Doris). Jay N. Davis served as the supervising animator for Doris.
- Uncle Fritz and Aunt Petunia. Randy Haycock served as the supervising animator for Fritz and Petunia.
- Uncle Dimitri and Uncle Spike
- Cousin Laszlo. Randy Haycock served as the supervising animator for Laszlo.
- The CEO of InventCo.
- Don Hall as Uncle Gaston. Jason Anastas served as the supervising animator for Gaston.
- Hall also provided the voice of the Gym Coach.
- Kelly Hoover as Aunt Billie
- Adam West as Uncle Art
- Tom Kenny as Mr. Willerstein. Ruben A. Aquino served as the supervising animator for Mr. Willerstein.
- Tracey Miller-Zarneke as Lizzy
- Joe Mateo as Tiny
- Aurian Redson as Frankie the Frog
- Jamie Cullum as Frankie the Frog (singing voice)
- Tom Selleck as Cornelius
- Paul Butcher as Stanley
- Dara McGarry as InventCo Receptionist, Mrs. Harrington
- John H. H. Ford as Mr. Harrington
- Nathan Greno as Lefty
Additional Voices by Cameron Covell, Cooper Cowgill, David Cowgill, Makeena Cowgill, Terri Douglas, Jackie Gonneau, Mick Hazen, Shannon O'Connor, Jordan Del Spina, Lynwood Robinson, Grace Rolek, Greyson Spann, Krista Swan, and Fred Tatasciore.
As the fusion between Disney and Pixar occurred during the production of the film, John Lasseter became the chief creative officer for the Walt Disney Company. When he saw an early screening for the movie, he told the director Stephen Anderson that he did not find the villain scary or threatening enough, and suggested that he make some changes.
Ten months later, almost 60% of the movie had been scrapped and redone. The villain had improved and was given a new sidekick, a dinosaur chase had been added, and the ending was changed.
Over 600 REAL D Cinema digital 3D-equipped theaters presented Disney Digital 3-D version of the film. The 3D version was preceded by the 1953 Chip 'n Dale 3D short Working for Peanuts. The final credits of the 3D version were left two-dimensional, except for the names of those who converted the film to 3D.
The DVD & Blu-ray Disc versions were both released on October 23, 2007. Both versions feature 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, plus music videos, the "Family Function 5000" game, deleted scenes, and other bonus features. The DVD's audio commentary contains Steve Anderson's narration, occasionally interrupted by himself as the Bowler Hat Guy. As of January 2008 the DVD had sold approximately 4,000,000 copies. The Blu-ray also includes uncompressed 5.1 audio and a BD-J game, "Bowler Hat Barrage!". You can see more details on the releases here for DVD and Blu-ray . The UK release was in September, and became number one in the DVD charts. Although the Blu-ray features on the site said that it features a 5.1 Effects-Only Audio track, it is also on the DVD, unexpectedly to many people who buy the DVD.
The film received generally favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 66% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 132 reviews. Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 61 out of 100, based on 27 reviews.
Realmovienews stated that it has "a snappy plot that demands close attention as it whizzes back and forth in the space-time continuum, touching on serious ideas and proposing some rather disturbing alternate realities. And the witty story twists are handled with rare subtlety and intelligence. In the end it may get a little weepy and inspirational. But it's so charming that we don't mind at all". Danny Minton of the Beaumont Journal said that "The Robinsons might not be a family you want to hang out with, but they sure were fun to meet in this imaginative and beautiful 3-D experience". Andrew L. Urban of Australian Urban Cinefile said that "Walt Disney stood for fantasy on screen and this is a loving tribute to his legacy". Kyle Smith of the New York Post named it the 10th best film of 2007.
Conversely, A.O. Scott of The New York Times wrote: "Meet the Robinsons is surely one of the worst theatrically released animated features issued under the Disney label in quite some time", while Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "C" and said "This is one bumpy ride".
The film grossed $25,123,781 on its opening weekend, falling behind Blades of Glory. Over its theatrical run, it grossed $97,822,171 in the United States and Canada and $71,510,863 in other territories, totaling $169,333,034 worldwide.
|Meet the Robinsons|
|Soundtrack album by Various artists|
|Released||March 27, 2007|
|Walt Disney Animation Studios chronology|
The soundtrack album was released by Walt Disney Records on March 27, 2007. Contributors to the album beyond the Danny Elfman score include Jonas Brothers, Rufus Wainwright, Rob Thomas, Jamie Cullum, The All-American Rejects, and They Might Be Giants. The Track "Little Wonders", recorded by Rob Thomas, has reached #5 on the Billboard AC chart.
All music composed by Danny Elfman, except as noted.
|1.||"Another Believer"||Rufus Wainwright||4:39|
|2.||"Little Wonders"||Rob Thomas||3:45|
|3.||"The Future Has Arrived"||The All-American Rejects||3:05|
|4.||"Where Is Your Heart At?" (written by Rufus Wainwright)||Jamie Cullum||2:23|
|5.||"The Motion Waltz (Emotional Commotion)"||Rufus Wainwright||2:35|
|6.||"Give Me the Simple Life"||Jamie Cullum||2:04|
|8.||"To the Future!"||1:16|
|9.||"Meeting the Robinsons"||1:56|
|10.||"The Science Fair"||2:47|
|12.||"A Family United"||1:37|
|13.||"Pop Quiz and the Time Machine Montage"||3:45|
|14.||"The Evil Plan"||4:13|
|15.||"Doris Has Her Day"||4:58|
|16.||"Setting Things Right"||6:00|
|17.||"There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow"||They Might Be Giants||2:00|
|18.||"Kids of the Future"||Jonas Brothers||3:18|
The song "This Much Fun" by Cowboy Mouth, which was featured in the trailer for this movie, was not featured in the movie or on the soundtrack. The song "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" was originally from the Disneyland attraction General Electric's Carousel of Progress.
Disney's Meet the Robinsons is available from Buena Vista Games for PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, and PC. The independent England-based company Climax Group developed their own adaption for the Game Boy Advance. Nintendo created a version of the movie for Game Boy Advance Video.
- Disney Digital 3-D
- List of animated feature-length films
- List of computer-animated films
- List of 3D films
- "Meet the Robinsons". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
- M. Holson, Laura (March 5, 2007). "John Lasseter: Disney's new boss reimagines the Magic Kingdom". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- Carolyn Giardina (2007-03-07). "New dimension at Real D". HollywoodReporter.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
- Peter Sciretta (2007-03-23). "3D Meet the Robinsons Advertisement, Featurette, and Fun Facts". /Film. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
- "Meet The Robinsons (English/French/Spanish DVD)". Archived from the original on 2007-07-12.
- "Meet the Robinsons - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
- "Meet the Robinsons (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
- "Meet The Robinsons (2007) Movie Review". Real Movie News.
- Minton, Danny (March 29, 2007). "Meet the Robinsons - Critic Review". Beaumont Journal. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
- Louise Keller, Andrew L. Urban. "Meet the Robinsons". Australian Urban Cinefile.
- "Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2008-01-02. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
- A. O. Scott (2007-03-30). "FILM REVIEW; A Nerdy Orphan Plows Ahead With a Lot of Familiar Novelties". The New York Times.
- Lisa Schwarzbaum (2007-03-28). "Meet the Robinsons (2007)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
|Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Meet the Robinsons|
- Official website
- Meet the Robinsons at the Internet Movie Database
- Meet the Robinsons at the Big Cartoon DataBase
- Meet the Robinsons at Rotten Tomatoes
- Meet the Robinsons at Metacritic
- Meet the Robinsons at Box Office Mojo
- Meet the Robinsons at AllRovi | <urn:uuid:6a1e7529-7a32-446b-adf6-38cc6346ca55> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_the_Robinsons | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.921206 | 3,481 | 1.53125 | 2 |
CONVERTS TO THE MUSLIM RELIGION. According to the author of the Hidaya (vol. ii. 170), if a hostile infidel embrace Islam in a hostile country, his person is his own, and he is not made a slave, nor can his children be enslaved. His property is also his own. But it is not so in the case of one who has been first conquered and then embraces Islam, for his own person and his children become slaves, and his wives are at the mercy of the victorious Muslim, whilst his lands also become the property of the State.
Based on Hughes, Dictionary of Islam | <urn:uuid:22a2a26c-ab02-429b-9c2a-db327c4aa698> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.juancole.com/library/dictionary-of-islam-hughes/converts-to-the-muslim-religion | 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 | 0.990286 | 129 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Hands on with Pris camera app for iOS
Thanks to our smartphones, many of us have a camera in our pockets at all times. And while you can take great photos with your iPhone using Apple’s Camera app, there are alternatives that can offer capabilities you won’t find in the stock offering. Digital Arch’s new app, Pris, aims to make it easier to take better photos.
The first thing you’ll notice about Pris is a dearth of buttons. When you first start up, an overlay clues you in to the gestures you’ll use to control the app. For example, to take a picture, you tap anywhere in the viewfinder. Swiping to the left or right switches into a manual mode where you can control the focus and exposure—they can even be set independently by dragging their respective reticules to the desired place on the viewfinder. You can jump back to automatic at any time by swiping up on the viewfinder, or toggle between the modes by tapping the tab on the right hand of the viewfinder.
Pris provides a couple other handy tools for composing your photos—one is the grid that divides the viewfinder into thirds (a feature which Apple’s built-in Camera app has, but squirrels away into a sub menu); the second, a live histogram at the bottom of the screen. A digital clock-style counter lets you know how many pictures you’ve shot with the app.
By default—which is to say, in portrait mode—Pris shoots in a 1:1 square ratio, instead of using the much more rectangular image that you get from Apple’s Camera app. Flip Pris to landscape, though, and you’ll instead get the widescreen 2.35:1 ratio. (The exact resolutions of those pictures depend on the camera of the iOS device you’re using.)
While that widescreen mode is great for panoramas, it’s even better when you realize that Pris does video, too. Swipe to the left on the bottom of the screen and you’ll switch into video mode, with many of the same composition tools as in photo mode. Instead of the tripartite grid, though, you’ll instead get a sort of “camera safe” outline, letting you know exactly what part of the image will be captured, and a runtime clock will replace the photo counter. But you still get access to the histogram as well as the manual focus and exposure mode.
Of course, once you’ve shot photos or video, you want to review your output. You can access the review mode by swiping to the right from the picture mode (or the left from the video mode). By default, you’ll see your most recent capture, but you can swipe through them in either direction. Pris also provides you with a few pieces of metadata, including a timestamp and the image or video’s histogram. For photos, you’ll also get the exposure information, including f-stop, shutter speed, and ISO; for videos you get the runtime, and you can preview them right in that mode by tapping on the video.
While many other camera apps for iOS write their images directly to your device’s Camera Roll, Pris takes a different approach. It maintains its own little independent library, but lets you send choose when you want to export an image or video to your Camera Roll. (Keep in mind that also means that if you delete Pris from your iOS device, you’ll lose any videos or images you haven’t offloaded.) You can also delete images you aren’t satisfied with by tapping the trash icon. Both emphasize the idea of picking your best photos and videos before sharing them.
Speaking of sharing, Pris currently sports integration with only a single social network. Given the square aspect ratio of its default shooting mode, you’ll probably guess correctly that it’s Instagram. Tapping the Instagram button below any photo will prompt you to launch the service’s app on your device, and it will automatically load in the photo in question.
Pris is $2 at launch, but will jump up to $4. It works on any iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, or fourth-generation iPod touch running iOS 5 or later, as well as on the second- or third-generation iPad in compatibility mode. | <urn:uuid:3af08f0d-36d8-4762-be94-f6f8bdcb49e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.macworld.com/article/1167100/hands_on_with_pris_camera_app_for_ios.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912588 | 931 | 1.515625 | 2 |
$3.8 billion in value added, 48,000 jobs and $400 million in state and local tax revenue are the predicted 2009 financial impacts of the Marcellus Shale development in Pennsylvania, according to a study by Professors Considine and Watson of the Dept. of Energy and Mineral Engineering, College of Earth & Mineral Sciences of The Pennsylvania State University. The study is entitled: An Emerging Giant: Prospects and Economic Impacts of Developing the Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Play and was released on July 24th.
Among the other findings are:
- Each Marcellus well generates $6.2 million in economic impact
- In 2010 more than 1000 wells are expected to be drilled
- Marcellus producers spent about $3.09 billion in 2008 and most of it was spent in Pennsylvania on supplier and landowner payments
- Development of the Marcellus resource is in the “ramping up” phase. Drilling nationwide in the first quarter of 2009 was DOWN 21% from last year, while drilling in Pennsylvania appears to be UP 22$ during the first five months of 2009
- Pennsylvania drilling activity has far exceeded West Virginia’s, which the study attributes in part to the low tax climate in Pennsylvania compared to West Virginia, which has a gas severance tax of 5% + 4.7 cents per mcf and a property tax on oil and gas equivalent to about 5% of gas sales.
- Imposition of the presently proposed severance tax in Pennsylvania would result in an 11% decline in IRR, 30% reduction in wells drilled and a reduction of $880 million in tax revenue collected (in present value) between 2009 and 2020.
Click here for a link to the study. | <urn:uuid:d901e981-eaf5-4067-9f9b-233784154acb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://marcellusshale.saulnews.com/archives/category/taxes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951787 | 356 | 2.140625 | 2 |
Religious leaders from across America today sent a letter encouraging each member of the Senate Judiciary Committee to ensure that the bipartisan Voting Rights Act moves quickly through the Senate and is passed without amendment.
Last week, the US House of Representatives voted overwhelming (390-33) to pass The Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 without amendment – defeating all four of the amendments that would have greatly weakened the Act’s protections. Now the Senate must work quickly to pass the Act.
Signatories on the letter include local clergy from states that are protected by key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, including South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, California and Michigan.
The faith community has been actively supporting Voting Rights Act renewal for months by lobbying Congress directly and waging constituency advocacy campaigns. Today, religious leaders from across the faith spectrum express support with a unified voice for reauthorization of this critical legislation — without amendment and without delay.
The text of the letter sent to each member of the Senate Judiciary Committee follows:
Nearly 100 American Religious Leaders to U.S. Senate: The Right to Vote Is a Moral Issue
Support Voting Rights Act Reauthorization Act (S. 2703), Oppose All Amendments
July 19, 2006
We write to you as leaders of America’s religious community and citizens of this great democracy. Our faith traditions teach us that every person is created in God’s image and that we are all part of God’s family. Therefore we pray and strive for a nation that seeks justice and the common good for all of its citizens.
We write to vigorously support S. 2703, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 (VRARA). Because S. 2703 is critical to ensuring the continued protection of the right to vote for all Americans, we urge you to ensure that S. 2703 moves quickly through the Senate and is passed without amendment.
Although our country has come a long way since the Voting Rights Act (VRA) was signed into law in 1965, the struggle for equality is not over. Throughout the 109th Congress, during oversight and legislative hearings, the House Judiciary Subcommittee and Senate Judiciary Committee have found significant evidence that barriers to equal minority voter participation remain.
The Voting Rights Act (VRA) is considered by many to be our nation’s most effective civil rights law. Congress enacted the VRA in direct response to evidence of significant and pervasive discrimination taking place across the country, including the use of literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation, threats, and violence. By outlawing the tests and devices that prevented minorities from voting, the VRA put teeth into the 15th Amendment’s guarantee that no citizen can be denied the right to vote because of the color of his or her skin.
The VRA was initially passed in 1965 and has been renewed four times by bipartisan majorities in the U.S. House, and signed into law by both Republican and Democratic presidents. In the 41 years since its initial passage, the VRA has enfranchised millions of racial, ethnic, and language minority citizens by eliminating discriminatory practices and removing other barriers to their political participation. In doing so, the VRA has empowered minority voters and has helped to desegregate legislative bodies at all levels of government.
The House has now passed its version of the bicameral VRARA (H.R. 9), and if the bill is to be signed into law this year, the Senate must now act. By moving quickly to pass S. 2703 without amendment, the Senate can ensure that the Voting Rights Act continues to work effectively to combat discrimination and that the gains that have been achieved for minority voters are not rolled back. We urge you to support this critical civil rights legislation.
Just as faith leaders joined together decades ago to speak out in support of civil rights, so now we are united in calling upon our government to continue to support the struggle for freedom and dignity for all Americans.
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July 14, 2006 (Columbus, Ohio) – We Believe released the following statement today denouncing political campaign tactics using religion as a weapon of attack:
“We believe that religion at its best is a binding force. We believe people of faith are meant to build bridges, not construct barriers. Rather than demonize those with differences, we believe God calls us to unite and heal. Religion should never be used as a political weapon. We denounce all tactics by any party or candidate that uses faith to divide the people of this state.�
We are called as people of faith and loyal Americans to be united in dialogue and action to say:
YES to justice for all; NO to prosperity for only a few; YES to diverse religious expression; NO to self-righteous certainty; YES to the common good; NO to discrimination against any of God’s people; YES to the voice of religious traditions informing public policy; NO to crossing the lines that separate the institutions of Religion and Government.
From: Chairman Bob Bennett [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.org]
Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 12:08 AM
Subject: Forgot to mention
Ted Strickland has no shame.
The ”minister” who admits he doesn’t even attend church is out with a new Christian radio ad, talking up how much those ”biblical principles which have guided and instructed me in the past will continue to sustain me as I serve as Ohio’s next governor.”
The fact is Congressman Strickland has a longstanding record of opposition to religious expression. We can’t let him get away with this hypocrisy.
Contribute today to the Ohio GOP ”Democrat Reality Check.”
So where does Strickland really stand on religious issues? This is what you probably won’t hear on Christian radio anytime soon:
AGAINST a constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage.
AGAINST a measure that permitted the public display of the Ten Commandments on government property. (Vote 221 6/17/99)
AGAINST a constitutional amendment to guarantee every citizen’s right to pray and express their religious beliefs on public property, including schools. (Vote 201 6/4/98)
AGAINST allowing faith-based organizations to compete for federal housing grants. (Vote 109 4/6/00)
AGAINST allowing government-funded religious organizations to consider religion as a factor in hiring. (Vote 175 5/8/03)
AGAINST an amendment prohibiting the extension of government benefits to unmarried domestic partners. (Vote 352 9/25/01)
AGAINST amendments to require more funding for abstinence education programs. (Vote 157 5/1/03, Vote 379 10/11/01)
AGAINST a law creating criminal penalties for harming an unborn baby during the commission of a crime (now known as Lacy’s Law). (Vote 465 9/30/99, Vote 89 4/26/01, Vote 31 2/26/04)
FOR taxpayer-funded abortions and the taxpayer-funded development of an abortion pill. (Vote 136, 5/10/06-Vote 216, 5/25/05-Vote 362, 7/15/03-Vote 115, 5/16/01-Vote 292, 7/16/98-Vote 373, 7/10/2000-Vote 173, 6/8/1999-Vote 260, 6/24/1998)
FOR continued funding of the following National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants: “Mood Arousal and Sexual Risk Taking,” “Study on Sexual Habits of Older Men,” “Study on San Francisco’s Asian Prostitutes/Masseuses,” and “Study on American Indian Transgender Research.” (Vote 352, 7/10/03)
FOR gay civil unions
Let’s keep Ted Strickland accountable and expose his deceptive rhetoric and record.
Please contribute today to the Ohio GOP “Democrat Reality Check.”
Ohio Republican Party
211 S. Fifth Street | Columbus, OH 43215 | 614.228.2481
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Washington, D.C. – The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), joined by other religious organizations, sent letters today to all 18 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee expressing grave concern about the nomination of William J. Haynes II to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. The faith-based coalition also sent a similar individual letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) last Friday. A JAG officer himself, Sen. Graham has been outspoken against the administration’s efforts to circumvent anti-torture laws and has expressed concern about Haynes regarding the advice he provided the Bush administration on the treatment of detainees as General Counsel at the Defense Department.
The Judiciary committee plans to hold a hearing on Haynes’ nomination tomorrow, Tuesday, July 11. Since Sen. Graham is one of 10 Republicans on the Judiciary Committee and 10 favorable votes are required to report a nominee to the floor of the Senate, Sen. Graham’s opposition to Haynes’ nomination could prevent a floor vote on his nomination.
The letter from NRCAT outlines Mr. Haynes’ key role as an architect of U.S. policies allowing interrogation techniques that amount under law to torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees. The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Haynes in November 2003 and voted him to the floor in March 2004, but Congress adjourned without taking action. President Bush re-nominated him in February 2005.
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) empowers members of America’s faith community to join one another in religious witness to ensure torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment never play a role in U.S. policy. NRCAT bridges theological and political divides by uniting mainstream Protestants and Evangelical Christians; Muslims with Reform and Conservative Jews; Orthodox and Roman Catholics; Sikhs and members of peace churches behind a single message: Any U.S. policies that permit torture and inhumane treatment are shocking and morally intolerable.
Full membership and more information about NRCAT is available on the NRCAT website at www.nrcat.org.
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Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Rick Santorum and Sam Brownback to Attend Anti-Poverty Conference
WHAT: Nearly 600 clergy and lay leaders will gather in Washington, DC on June 26-28 to unveil the Covenant for a New America, a faith-based policy strategy for overcoming poverty. (Read the Covenant document here: http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.c4na&item=C4NA_main)
WHO: This three-day mobilization will convene Democrats and Republicans alike. Low-income families are too often stuck between liberal and conservative arguments; our country needs a new alliance that makes overcoming poverty a nonpartisan cause. Confirmed speakers include: Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Rick Santorum and Sam Brownback.
Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners and author of the bestseller God’s Politics, will be joined by hundreds of grassroots and faith-based anti-poverty church leaders, lay leaders, social service providers, and activists young and old.
WHEN: Monday, June 26 – Wednesday, June 28. Media Highlights include:
Opening Day: (Monday, June 26) Address by Rev. Tony Campolo (1 PM) and “The Role of the Church in Overcoming Poverty�? — a panel moderated by Jim Wallis, with John Carr (U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Conference) and other religious leaders (4 PM).
Jim Wallis Holds a Conversation with Gov. Howard Dean on the “Democratic Party and the Faith Voter.�? (Tuesday, June 27, 8:30 – 9:30 AM) Gov. Dean and Mark Melman were invited to discuss: “How do Democrats and Republicans Plan to Overcome Poverty.�? Gov. Dean accepted the invitation; Mark Melman of the Republican Party declined.
March and Covenant Launch: (Tuesday, June 27, 11 AM – 1 PM) Nearly 700 people of faith will march from the National City Christian Church to the U.S. Capitol (Upper Senate Park) for a rally to launch the Covenant. Rev. Jim Wallis will be joined by Sen. Sam Brownback and a prominent Congressional Democrat. Religious leaders from over 30 diverse institutions have endorsed the Covenant for a New America.
A Dialogue with Congress: (Tuesday, June 27, 5:00 -7:00PM) Sens. Clinton, Lincoln, Brownback and Santorum will address conference attendees. (HART Senate Office Building, Room 902).
Sen. Obama’s Keynote Address on Faith and Politics: (Wednesday, June 28, 9 AM) Sen. Obama will deliver his first-ever major address on the intersection of politics and his faith at the Amos and Joseph Award Ceremony. This award is given to honor public leaders who are using their position of influence to speak out against poverty.
WHERE: National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Circle, NW at 14th and Massachusetts,
Washington, D.C. (Conference Headquarters)
MEDIA NOTE: Members of the media should pre-arrange for press credentials for the entire conference. Please send a request to email@example.com or call the media office at 202/745-4625. The entire schedule of the conference can be found here: http://www.calltorenewal.com/events/pentecost06/schedule.html.
The Covenant document can be found here: http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.c4na&item=C4NA_main. A list of institutions, leaders and denominations endorsing the Covenant is available here: http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.C4NA&item=C4NA_endorsers.
Sojourners is a Christian ministry whose mission is to proclaim and practice the biblical call to integrate spiritual renewal and social justice. Visit www.sojo.net. Call to Renewal is a national network of churches, faith-based organizations, and individuals working to overcome poverty in America. Visit
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Southern African-American Ministers Available through Faith in Public Life Media Bureau
On the heels of the decision by House Republican leaders to postpone today’s vote to renew the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Southern African-American ministers and civil rights leaders from Faith in Public Life’s Voicing Faith Media Bureau (www.faithinpubliclife.org/press/spokespeople.html) are available for comment from a faith perspective.
A pivotal law in the struggle for civil rights in America, the Voting Rights Act ended poll taxes and literacy tests as requirements to vote, enfranchising millions of black voters. While renewal of the law enjoys support from both sides of the aisle, some lawmakers are proposing unpopular amendments to the original law, including by Rep. Lynn Westmoreland’s (R-GA) amendment that would eliminate an existing provision requiring nine states – those with historically the most egregious voting rights violations– to seek approval through the Justice Department or a federal judge before changing existing voting laws. This and other amendments are largely expected to fail and unnecessarily delay a vote on extending this critically important law.
Ministers and civil rights leaders from Georgia, South Carolina and Texas are available to discuss why the Voting Rights has been a keystone in expanding the inclusiveness of American democracy, and how a delay in its reauthorization is morally unacceptable. Those leaders include (find others here, too (www.faithinpubliclife.org/press/spokespeople.html):
Rev. Joseph A. Darby
Senior Pastor, Morris Brown AME Church – Charleston, SC
A dynamic leader in the faith and civil rights communities in the South, Rev. Darby’s congregation is the largest in the Seventh Episcopal District of the AME Church. Winner of numerous civic and professional awards, Darby is also the former first vice president of the S.C. Conference of Branches of the NAACP.
Rev. Timothy McDonald
Pastor, First Iconium Baptist Church – Atlanta, GA
Rev. McDonald is Founder of the African American Ministers Leadership Council, and current President of the African American Ministers In Action. Rev. McDonald previously served as the full-time Assistant Pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church of Atlanta and three times as President of Concerned Black Clergy of Metro Atlanta.
add a comment » | <urn:uuid:015837b9-3ee5-4dd8-8b77-68749579d778> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.faithinpubliclife.org/newsroom/press/page/57/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928421 | 3,558 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Collaborations drive innovation at JEOL UK
Jun 11, 2008
Mike Hepburn, managing director of JEOL UK, tells Hamish Johnston how the firm and its customers have flourished by working together.
When you sell a microscope that focuses electrons into a 0.1 nm diameter beam — which then must be held steady on a single column of atoms — you don’t just drop the instrument at your customer’s door and let them get on with it. Indeed, long before the system is packed for shipping, customer and supplier will have already collaborated on preparing an appropriate location where the instrument will perform at its best. Some of the customer’s personnel will have even been trained in how to use the instrument.
But according to Mike Hepburn, who is managing director of the UK subsidiary of the Japanese microscope maker JEOL, some of the firm’s customers actually help the company to develop microscopes at its factory in Japan.
Take Angus Kirkland, a materials scientist at the University of Oxford in the UK. JEOL is working with Kirkland’s research group to develop ultrahigh resolution transmission electron microscopes (TEMs). This has involved development staff from the firm’s manufacturing facility in Japan visiting Kirkland’s lab for several months at a time.
Hepburn told physicsworld.com that both parties gain from this type of interaction, with the Oxford group even publishing a number of research papers on the development of “super resolution” techniques for TEM. For its part, Hepburn says that JEOL can now offer technology developed in collaboration with Oxford on TEMs that it sells to other customers.
Making new science possible
According to Hepburn, a key achievement of the collaboration is that the TEM — which was originally specified to have a 0.12 nm resolution — is now operating at 0.07 nm. “That doesn’t seem like a huge difference numerically”, he says, “but in terms of the new science it makes possible, it really is a big difference”.
Other collaborations between the firm and UK universities focus more on developing new applications for JEOL instruments. This includes the company’s current collaboration with Pratibha Gai, who is JEOL Professor of Electron Microscopy at the University of York in the UK. Gai is one of the leading authorities on environmental TEM and co-director of the York JEOL Nanocentre, a £5.5m facility that opened in April 2007 and was partially funded by JEOL.
According to Hepburn, the centre is home to one of the world’s most powerful electron microscopes. This is a "double aberration-corrected microscope", which has both imaging (TEM) and probe (scanning TEM) aberration-correctors fitted. It can obtain images at 0.1 nm resolution and resolve column of atoms at a resolution better than 0.2 nm.
The York researchers are using the instrument to develop new techniques for environmental TEM, in which a sample is placed in a small cell that does not need to be held under a high vacuum as with an ordinary electron microscope but can operate at ambient pressures. This technique allows researchers to see, for example, chemical reactions occurring in real time. “We help our customers through advanced training to understand the instrument so they can develop new applications,” explains Hepburn.
Elsewhere in the UK, JEOL maintains an ongoing relationship with Peter Goodhew, a materials engineer at the University of Liverpool and director of the superSTEM project at the nearby Daresbury Laboratory. SuperSTEM is developing two aberration-corrected TEMs — one of which is an existing TEM that has been retro-fitted with an aberration-correction system and the other which was delivered earlier this year by the US-based firm NION.
While JEOL is not involved directly with the superSTEM project, Hepburn said that it is important for the company to be associated with one of the key groups working in this area “[Liverpool] is one of the leading groups for using corrected columns”, he explains. “We are very excited to be working with them”.
JEOL UK also collaborates with Tony Cullis, a semiconductor physicist at the University of Sheffield. The Sheffield group has recently ordered an ultra-high resolution TEM from JEOL, which is currently developing the instrument and expects to deliver it by mid-2009. To ensure that Cullis’s team will be able to use the new instrument when it arrives, JEOL is currently installing an interim instrument that will be used to train the staff.
“Our collaborations often begin with the development of leading-edge instrumentation and establish a close working relationship between the user and our development team”, says Hepburn. He believes that this delivers advantages to both parties. “We get feedback from the researchers back into the factory for future design and development and they benefit from getting advanced information about new developments," he says. “In some cases we arrange for researchers to visit our factory in Japan to have discussions about design. It is a genuine win-win situation for both sides.”
While collaborations with high-profile researchers help the company to develop new technologies, Hepburn emphasizes that JEOL is in the business of selling instruments to a wide range of users. He believes that there is much more to a successful sale than simply delivering the instrument. “It is one thing to encourage an institute to buy your instrument, but if it not sited correctly, or their staff not trained, then they are going to be disappointed”.
As a result, the company works very closely with the customer to ensure that its microscope is installed in the best possible location. “We get involved in the very beginning by having our engineers attend the customer’s site meetings”, explains Hepburn. JEOL engineers will even talk to architects and builders regarding alterations to existing buildings and the design of new facilities. This is important because environmental factors such as vibrations can have a detrimental effect on the operation of an electron microscope.
“We have been lucky enough at Oxford to have a new purpose-built building, but that is the exception rather than the rule”, he explains. “Normally we have to work within the confines of an existing building, which means that sometimes a hole has to be dug, then insulated from its surrounding area and filled with a solid concrete block” in order to minimize vibrations.
“Within JEOL UK we have several people who project manage the installation process from a technical point of view and our engineers have many years experience with creating the best location for an instrument,” says Hepburn. Although he admits that knowing what the correct environment should be is “a little bit of a black art", Hepburn insists that the company will always get the right answer.
JEOL UK has about 40 employees, with its parent company JEOL Ltd of Japan having 3250 people worldwide. JEOL Ltd was established in Japan in 1949, while JEOL UK was launched 40 years ago this year. According to Hepburn, the firm has installed more than 1000 electron microscopes in the UK — along with several hundred NMR instruments and mass spectrometers that the company also makes.
The vast majority of the company’s sales and service staff have scientific or engineering backgrounds, and many have been students or technicians in university labs that use JEOL instruments. This includes Hepburn, who worked in the Materials Department at the University of Surrey where he used a JEOL TEM.
Hepburn says that the firm is seeking to boost its ranks by hiring people at the postdoc level, who will help the firm expand its user-training and applications-development programmes. The company is also looking to sponsor the research of up-and-coming scientists who use their equipment. In doing so, the firm hopes to encourage the next generation of microscope users, as well as benefit from the drive and enthusiasm of less established researchers.
About the author
Hamish Johnston is editor of physicsworld.com | <urn:uuid:2f872fb9-91e4-402b-b02a-3253890a5663> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/indepth/2008/jun/11/collaborations-drive-innovation-at-jeol-uk | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00051-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957204 | 1,704 | 1.664063 | 2 |
I feel spending time with books is a way to let go of stress from the modern world and enrich your store of knowledge, at the same time sparking ideas for your own projects.
The first three are for kids, followed by recommendations for adults.
1. All I See Is Part of Me by Chara M. Curtis
Beautifully written by Chara M. Curtis and illustrated by Cynthia Aldrich All I See Is Part of Me imparts a message of how interconnected we are with all creation. Though written for children, it is inspiring for everyone. I found the short rhyming sentences at the foot of the pages easy to remember and uplifting.
2. Poems and Prayers for the Very Young
This little collection of 38 poems and prayers is just perfect for quiet time before bed. My children grew up with this little book, which, by the way, was sturdy enough to last for years. One of the beauties of this children's book is that the selections are short enough to memorize and remember for a lifetime.
3. Prayers for Children by Eloise Wilkin
This is one of my favorite Golden Books, and I enjoyed many. It is still just as appropriate for young readers today! You and your child will enjoy the traditional prayers, inspiring all the more because of the precious illustrations by Eloise Wilkin (1904-1987), who illustrated many in the series of classic Golden Books.
4. A String and a Prayer by Eleanor Wiley and Maggie Oman Shannon
The authors have really tuned in to a couple of perfect ways to get centered - making and using prayer beads! Some topics covered in the book are the history and symbolism of prayer beads, and making individualistic creations for your own practice and others in different needs - such as healing and peace.
5. Chakra Mantras by Thomas Ashley-Farrand
Dear readers, you are in for a special treat. Subtitled "Liberate Your Spiritual Genius Through Chanting," we are given rare teachings through specific mantras arising from the spinal chakras that awaken our further spirituality. I was not able to put this book down all afternoon and evening. I felt my excitement rise from chapter to chapter as what Mr. Ashley-Farrand wrote spoke to me with the ring of - "Hey, this makes perfect sense."
6. Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi by A. Osborne
Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) enlivened timeless paths from yore for our present day world. Even though he's left his physical incarnation, when I think on him I feel at once calm, uplifted, and more able to see grace and harmony in life. His presence remains with us always. Let's find out more about his life and teachings.
7. Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I really, really enjoyed this book. And why? Because I felt like this was a case of vicariously walking in the author's moccasins. And, I rarely have so much simpatico with an author. The author's issues and ways of dealing with the effects of her actions struck me as so human that my emotions came forward during hers. This is a book that involves the reader thoroughly; you have to wonder if she's had a special peek into your life, while recounting her experiences.
Article by Susan Helene Kramer | <urn:uuid:35a2cd8c-a976-42f5-bfc9-b2170aea5013> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art59700.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955448 | 696 | 1.625 | 2 |
This was a phrase that was quite popular as a Marketing Major at Berry College. Basically in our Marketing Research classes we would “do a study” to try to figure out/solve a problem or question. We always had to be aware that just because two data sets had correlation (when something happened, something else also happened), that didn’t mean they were the reason for causing change.
At Chick-fil-A this is something I think about quite a bit… probably more than I should. Team members and store leaders are always trying to “figure out” what causes certain increases/changes in productivity, sales or store metrics.
For example, our store leadership team has put an extreme emphasis on raising our Operational Excellence (OE) score this year. The OE Score basically is the number of customers that take a survey that rate us as “excellent” in every category we’re judged on… it’s very hard to get this score raised.
We changed the time we did our stock list and our OE score jumped up. One of the first changes to “fix” OE was doing the stock list later in the evening because it will allow someone extra to be in the front counter area and serving guests. I thought this was a great idea, but the more I think about it becomes apparent that “doing a stock list at a different time,” does not affect our OE score directly. I’ve had co-workers tell me we can’t change that ‘stock list time’ because “our scores have risen since we made that change.” It’s the total store re-focus that our leadership team has embraced that has increased our OE scores for the year… not stocking at a certain time.
Another example is that the drive-thru’s speed of service is slower when it is raining outside. This is easily a false statement. When it is raining the drive-thru is much busier because customers do not want to get out of their car/get wet. The increased traffic in the drive-thru causes more custom orders and applies more pressure to the drive-thru bottleneck (the window). You see it’s not the rain that causes the drive-thru to be slower, but human nature to avoid getting wet that causes the drive-thru to be busier. A busier drive-thru causes more custom orders that can only go out at one location (the window/bottleneck).
To quote Wikipedia…
“Correlation does not imply causation” (related to “ignoring a common cause” and questionable cause) is a phrase used in science and statistics to emphasize that correlation between two variables does not automatically imply that one causes the other (though correlation is necessary for linear causation in the absence of any third and countervailing causative variable, and can indicate possible causes or areas for further investigation; in other words, correlation is a hint).
So, do I over analyze my life? Yes, probably. But I think that it is very important for leaders to Reinvent Continuously and studying correlation/causation will allow you to make better decisions that affect results.
What examples do you have of Correlation/Causation in your life/work? | <urn:uuid:70427659-899e-4972-a795-b09ac4c53d93> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chickenleader.com/tag/marketing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960592 | 692 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The education of people with diabetes to enable them to play their role in self-management has long been recognised as an essential component of diabetes care. The same is true for several other chronic conditions, such as hypertension, obesity, post-myocardial infarction, asthma, epilepsy, back pain, etc.
Ten years ago the first international congress on Patient Education, organised in Geneva by Jean-Philippe Assal, attempted to build a bridge between different disciplines relevant to patient education. Since then, several controlled studies have led to some important insights:
The enormous importance of this issue for public health, and the impressive progress made in this field in recent years, led us to initiate and convene Therapeutic Patient Education 2006. The congress will cover recent advances made in TPE, and will serve as an important platform for presentation and evaluation of educational efforts in the management and long-term follow-up of diabetes and other chronic diseases.
The contribution of human sciences such as psychology, sociology, pedagogy, anthropology, bioethics, has allowed the translation of biomedical progress into better self-management of chronic diseases. However much has still to be done to integrate the biomedical approach and the humanistic approach, taking into account the complexity of each individual in a measurable and reproducible way. By bringing together experts in different sciences and specialists of different chronic diseases, this congress will hopefully create a melting pot in which the different paradigms of medicine will be confronted and reach a greater integration.
Still too often the criteria and methods of acute care are applied to the management of chronic diseases, resulting in poor outcomes and frustration of both patients and health professionals. One aim of this congress will be the definition of more efficient strategies for the long-term follow-up of people with chronic diseases.
Florence, the melting pot of different cultures and arts that has brought about the Italian Renaissance, appears to be a particularly appropriate venue for this congress, that will bring together different schools and different approaches in the field of therapeutic patient education. Only one caveat to participants: be aware of the danger of Stendhal’s syndrome.
We hope the congress will attract hundreds of physicians, nurses, dieticians, psychologists, podiatrists, and other health professionals working in this field. Eventually, the series of congresses which will hopefully follow may become the primary arena for discussion of the educational approach to chronic disease. | <urn:uuid:80000fa6-b706-4843-b9a8-8310cf88e4d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kenes.com/tpe2006/welcome.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00050-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942928 | 489 | 2.75 | 3 |
The ultimate guide to Windows 7 security
- — 21 April, 2010 20:28
Windows 7 has been warmly received and swiftly adopted by businesses, with the result that many IT admins are now struggling with the platform's new security features. In addition to changes to User Account Control, BitLocker, and other features inherited from Windows Vista, Windows 7 introduces a slew of security capabilities that businesses will want to take advantage of.
Windows 7 improves on Vista with a friendlier UAC mechanism, the ability to encrypt removable media and hard drive volumes, broader support for strong cryptographic ciphers, hassle-free secure remote access, and sophisticated protection against Trojan malware in the form of AppLocker, to name just a few.
[ Master your security with InfoWorld's interactive Security iGuide. | Stay up to date on the latest security developments with Roger Grimes' Security Adviser blog and InfoWorld's Security Central newsletter. ]
In this guide, I'll run through these and other significant security enhancements in Windows 7, and provide my recommendations for configuring and using them. I'll pay especially close attention to the new AppLocker application-control feature, which may be a Windows shop's most practical and affordable way to combat socially engineered Trojan malware.
New and improvedWindows 7 has literally hundreds of security changes and additions, far too many to cover in one fell swoop. While this guide focuses on the ones that most organizations will be interested in, keep in mind that plenty of others may deserve your attention. A few the biggies not discussed here are built-in support for smart cards and biometrics, the ability to force the use of Kerberos in a feature called Restrict NTLM, and support for the new DNSSec standards, which are becoming essential to prevent DNS exploitation attacks. Also noteworthy is a new feature called Extended Protection for Authentication, which prevents many sophisticated man-in-the-middle attacks that can strike at some of our most trusted security protocols (such as SSL and TLS).
User Account Control. A Windows Vista feature that users loved to hate, User Account Control has been significantly improved to be both less intrusive and smarter at distinguishing between legitimate and potentially malicious activities in Windows 7. However, depending on whether you are logged on as administrator or a standard user, some installs of Windows 7 may have a default UAC security setting that's one level lower than some experts (including yours truly) recommend. Standard users have UAC security default to the most secure setting, while administrator accounts reside a notch below the highest setting, which is potentially riskier.
Note too that, although UAC provides a much-needed mechanism to prevent the misuse of administrator privileges, it can be bypassed. If you need high security, users should not log on with an elevated user account until they need it.
Your domain environment should already be at the highest and most secure level ("Always notify"). If it isn't, make it so. That way, users will be prompted to input their passwords to perform high-risk administrative actions. No matter what else, UAC should be enabled.
BitLocker Drive Encryption. In Windows 7, BitLocker Drive Encryption technology is extended from OS drives and fixed data drives to include removable storage devices such as portable hard drives and USB flash drives. This new capability is called BitLocker to Go.
In Windows Vista SP1, Microsoft added official support for encrypting fixed data drives, but it could only be done using command-line tools. Now you can encrypt operating system volumes, fixed data drives, and USB flash drives with a simple right-click, via the Windows Explorer GUI. Moreover, you can use smart cards to protect data volumes, and you can set up data recovery agents to automatically back up BitLocker keys. If you're using a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, you can enforce a minimum PIN length; five characters should suffice for most environments. | <urn:uuid:c45e67b2-792b-4a0d-9bea-e6831b16c421> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/343954/ultimate_guide_windows_7_security/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917916 | 803 | 1.65625 | 2 |
A couple years ago we saw wireless technology that would allow us to see through walls. Now, the same team of researchers, from the University of Utah, is putting that motion detection technology to work monitoring breathing patterns. So not only can the network see through your bedroom wall, it can hear you breathing.
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more. | <urn:uuid:8056dde7-9f8a-4b80-98f5-1c761d0eda0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.popsci.com/category/tags/sids | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947257 | 115 | 2.15625 | 2 |
EVENT - Paint a masterpiece at Homewood Museum
Saturday, August 26, 2006, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Capture the beauty of one of the oldest houses in Ontario this summer with an outdoor watercolour workshop Plein Air Watercolour at Homewood Museum. This one-day workshop for adults will be led by award-winning artist Margaret Grothier.
Informative demonstrations and one-on-one instruction will help students to improve their painting skills. Grothier, who has taught art for over 20 years, is a member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC) and exhibits regularly. Her expressive style can be viewed at www.marggrothier.com.
All skill levels are welcome. Tickets are $30 per student (supplies not included). Students are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the museum grounds. Enrolment is limited, so register early.
Homewood Museum – a National Historic Site – is owned and operated by the Ontario Heritage Trust, an agency of the Government of Ontario, dedicated to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's heritage.
Tours: The property is open from June 28 to September 3, Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 for Adults, $1.50 for Students (under 16), $2 per person for Groups (over 15 visitors) and $6 for a Passport – combined admission to Fulford Place in Brockville.
For more information, please contact:
Jessica Van Dusen | <urn:uuid:6bf3637e-2c2d-4537-afed-76a0378ae72e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/News-and-Events/2006/Aug/EVENT---Paint-a-masterpiece-at-Homewood-Museum.aspx?lang=en-CA | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929334 | 331 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Section of 'Hitler's Wall' sent to WWII Museum
Friday, July 22, 2011
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Three sections of Nazi Germany's Atlantic Wall have arrived in New Orleans, where they will be on display at the National World War II Museum.
Each of the three sections of wall is 5 12 feet high and 18 inches thick. Together they total 35 feet long and weigh 22 tons. The scars on them are from shots fired by incoming Allied troops who stormed Utah Beach in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
The slabs are part of a variety of coastal defenses ordered by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler after the fall of France in 1940. They stretched 3,200 miles and were designed to stop an Allied invasion.
Although it's known as "Hitler's wall," the system of defenses included pillboxes, tank traps and other fortifications. | <urn:uuid:81376185-9b0e-437f-b567-6045daebf262> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jul/22/section-of-hitlers-wall-sent-to-wwii-museum/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968137 | 181 | 2.546875 | 3 |
The Dar es Salaam based non-governmental organisation Under The Same Sun (UTSS) has decried ongoing threats against people with skin disability, saying the situation is creating fear in the victims.
UTSS executive director Vicky Ntetema made the remarks recently in Dar es Salaam when addressing students from various secondary schools in the city at the screening of a film titled 'White and Black: Crimes of Colour' which depicts the killings of people with albinism.
The film has been directed by Jean-Francois Mean featuring Tanzanian journalist Vicky Ntetema.
Ntetema said that although the number of killings involving people with albinism had dropped threats against the group were still rampant.
“We can not say that the murders of people with albinism have been contained until the government stops taking these people to special centres to protect them from being attacked,” she said.
She said a drop in the murder cases of people with albinism has been contributed to by a number of factors, including government efforts to fight the crime and public education on albinism.
She further said that cases related to albino killings filed at different courts in the country and the judgments which had been delivered were among factors which contributed to the drop.
Ntetema said public education on issues related to albinism was still crucial in fighting the crime in the country.
For his part, UTSS operations manager Education (Scholarship Fund) Gamariel Mboya said that his organisation was planning a tour to raise awareness about albinism in 37 secondary schools in the Lake Zone regions.
He said the awareness tour would be conducted this and next month and the primary tool would be the Swahili language version of the film, 'White and Black: Crimes of Colour', which was produced in 2009 at a time when, for two years running, the murders of people with albinism in lake zone averaged between 2 and 3 a month.
Mboya said the film's screening would be preceded by a short seminar on albinism and followed by a debate and discussion organised by Under The Same Sun but administered by leading members of the Lake Zone's Tanzania Albino Society. | <urn:uuid:9b2f9ccd-dfc7-4370-9b24-af1025395a15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php/d.tom/wwm_paper_topics/war/term_paper_topics/wall_street/s/?l=41129 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980604 | 461 | 1.921875 | 2 |
Barbastelle Bat; Western Barbastelle; 'Barbie'
Scientific name and classification
Barbastelle Bats are named for the hairs, frosted white, which stick out from their lower lip and body. Barbastella is derived from the Latin, meaning 'star-beard'.
Our Barbastelle bat is one of the UK's rarest mammals and is found largely in the South-West and Wales, making conservation in Devon all the more important for this species.
In 2000, the IUCN red list of threatened species classified the Barbastelle as 'vulnerable'. In the most recent edition, the Barbastelle is unfortunately 'near threatened', which means the population trend is decreasing.
The barbastelle is protected or listed under:
- Annex II of The Bonn Convention
- Annex II of the Bern Convention
- Annexes II and IV of the EC Habitats and Species Directive
In the UK...
- Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
- Schedule 2 of the Conservation Regulations 1994
The Barbastelle has a Species Action Plan in both the Dartmoor and Teignbridge Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs).
Current and local status
Two new maternity roosts have been found in South Devon's broadleaved woodland, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. This is a tremendous find as previously there was only one such roost known here. There are roosting sites and maternity sites found in the Bovey, Dart and Teign valley systems. Also possibly use Chudleigh caves and woods SSSI, part of South Hams SAC. The bats forage all down these systems across the floodplains and woodland, and have been tracked as far South as the coast.
Barbastelles are rare creatures, with populations being found largely in the South-west, Wales and some in Norfolk.
The Barbastelle is a medium sized bat of about 4-6cm (1.4–2.6'') along the body. The tail membrane is large, being approximately the same length and the wings are broad when open with a dark grey/brown or brown/black membrane.
They have silky, dark brown/black fur. Many of the hair strands have white tips, especially on the lower lip, making the whole bat look slightly frosted.
Seen from the front, the Barbastelle has a pug-like appearance, with short, wide ears meeting in the middle of the head (complete with triangular tragus), a short nose and small eyes.
Surveying the Barbastelle
Only people who are trained and hold licences are allowed to handle bats in the UK. Barbies have been most recently researched here in Devon by a PhD student from Bristol University, who has been surveying their behaviour and roosting sites using harp traps, mist nets and acoustic lures.
Harp traps use flexible, vertically strung ropes, into which the bats fly before falling into a special net.
Mist nets are large nets made of thin, flexible artificial materials perfect for catching bats without causing harm. These are strung up between trees or other structures.
Acoustic lures are sound bites used to attract the bats to a certain area where they are to be caught. The bat's social call is usually synthesised and played out (with mixed success at attracting Barbastelles!)
Once caught, barbastelles are tagged with tiny radio transmitters, complete with aerials, so their progress on flight can be tracked and recorded. The transmitters weigh only about 0.35g and fall off after roughly ten days, so don't impede flight.
Barbastelles commonly occupy wooded river valleys with water present (such as the one in the picture below). This habitat provides space to roost and forage. They use mature trees, caves and sometimes underground tunnels or buildings as roosts and both water bodies and woodland as areas over which to forage.
Roosting and maternity sites are protected under law to help us keep them safe, so people cannot disturb them there. Finding a Barbastelle roosting is extremely difficult anyway, since they tuck away into small crevices. However, you may be lucky enough to spot a Barbastelle at dusk while they feed, silhouetted against the water of these rivers.
Life history traits
The oldest Barbastelle ever known was 23 years old! Females become sexually mature at two years old. They mate during the autumn, often in hibernaculum, hibernate during the winter months (October to March) and then settle down for the warmer months into summer roosts where the young are born in June. Mothers give birth to one young bat, which they wean for six weeks before they learn to hunt and fend for themselves.
During the day bats rest. Barbastelles emerge at dusk to forage for insects and small moths and beetles. They avoid larger prey as their teeth are fairly soft. Like all bats they are skilful hunters, using echolocation to find and track their prey in the dark. They are active sporadically through the night, flying low over bodies of water and grassland and high over nearby woodland.
PhD research (Bristol University) is being carried out in Devon to further determine dietary and roosting ecology. The research is designed to identify the preferences of Barbastelles and inform conservation management. There is little data available on Barbastelles, relative to other bat species, but in the UK several projects are being formed to rectify this situation. More information can be found on these at the UK Biodiversity Action Plan website, or by using the following link:
The Devon Bat Group: http://www.dbg.me.uk/
The Bat Conservation Trust: http://www.bats.org.uk/pages/uk_bats.html
Barbastelle Species Action Plan under UK Bioodiversity Action Plan: http://www.ukbap.org.uk/UKPlans.aspx?ID=133 | <urn:uuid:749f232f-71f0-4b28-ac87-35dce9ad0070> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.devonmammalgroup.org/devons-mammals/barbastelle-bat/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00044-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935363 | 1,270 | 3.203125 | 3 |
USB jackbox is the only one of its kind on the market at this time. It plugs into a computer's USB port. Fairfax County Publics schools are using them to help students practice language skills - perfect for ELL students, listen to audio books, and to develop podcasts. Six headphones and six microphones can be plugged into the 1216 USB at one time....
By Ken Royal Product Editor
Blog: District Administration Magazine
Source Link: View
Smaller Headphones Improve Use and Instruction Among Indiana Students
With job duties spanning across four schools, high-quality technology is essential for librarian Margaret Fink and her students at the Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Warren County....[more]
The Performer Plus™ multimedia player is great! It’s easy to operate and the stop/start controls are easily functional. Our senior students and I love the volume, slow down and speed up features....[more]
We are using the 2455AV in our stress free, cell phone free room for staff members at our school. We will play soothing music or a meditation CD so teachers can eat in a quiet zone which is free from a blaring TV and other distractions. We are a Health Promotion School of Excellence and this is one project......[more]
Blow Out Sale!
We are offering unprecedented bargains on limited quantities of these discontinued items. Available on a first come, first served basis...[view] | <urn:uuid:d60a183f-2f93-4374-acef-e3e64b4146ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.califone.com/mics.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00039-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92071 | 294 | 1.828125 | 2 |
7 p.m. UPDATE: The latest model runs are showing a more northerly track for this system, and as a result chances are now slightly higher the upper Texas coast could receive some rainfall by Friday or so. It is important to keep in mind that track forecasts for tropical systems can be wildly errant before a tropical storm actually forms.
Let’s just say that tomorrow morning’s model runs should be very interesting.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Forecasters are becoming increasingly confident a tropical wave in the northwestern Caribbean Sea will continue developing, and may even become Tropical Storm Don later this week.
The National Hurricane Center has increased the likelihood of development into a tropical depression or storm within the next two days from “near zero percent” last night to 30 percent this afternoon.
Although the system most likely will not affect the upper Texas coast, this cannot be ruled out, and this wave could deliver a good amount of rain to the southern part of the state, which also is in a serious drought.
This is the system I first alerted readers to a week ago as a potential threat to the Gulf of Mexico. As of now, it’s probably going to be steered westward by the high pressure system that’s currently in place over Texas, keeping us very warm this week.
The very early track models, which aren’t very reliable, favor a path bringing the system toward a final landfall in northern Mexico by late Friday.
So is there any chance this wave — now dubbed 90L, and if named would become Tropical Storm Don — comes north instead of heading west across the Yucatan Peninsula?
Probably not, says Fred Schmude, a forecaster with ImpactWeather:
The key ingredient will be the strength of the upper high over Texas as we move into the latter part of the week. If the high pressure areas remains strong, we will likely see this tropical systems stay on a more westerly course and moving inland over northeast Mexico with little if any effects here in the Houston area; however, a weaker high would allow the tropical system to track more to the right, possibly making landfall toward the lower to mid Texas Coast bringing a significant threat for more widespread shower and thunderstorm activity to the Houston area by Friday.
Right now our best estimate is for the high pressure area to weaken over the next 48 hours and then re-strengthen over Texas by Friday taking the system inland over deep south Texas early Friday. Such a course will probably bring an increasing risk of showers and thunderstorms into the Houston area on Friday, but the more widespread activity should stay farther to the south toward the lower to mid Texas Coast. We of course will be watching it closely since only a slight change in the strength of that high pressure system over Texas could have a huge impact on the eventual track of the this tropical system.
That’s pretty much the view of Weather Bell forecaster Joe Bastardi as well, who wrote this morning:
It appears this will be headed fairly far south, and not be a big problem on the upper Texas coast. The heavy rains will not be able to get into the drought areas further north as the storm should head mainly west once onshore.
But as always with tropical weather there are few guarantees, so we’ll need to watch this wave a little while longer. | <urn:uuid:952e463b-0a38-4ff6-b89c-0bcef6024469> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.chron.com/sciguy/2011/07/caribbean-system-shows-signs-of-development-but-probably-not-a-rainmaker-for-houston/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956406 | 686 | 1.6875 | 2 |
To-do lists are just a nagging reminder of all the things you need to do, so actually inspiring yourself to do them isn't always easy. Michael Pantalon, Ph. D, writing for Psychology Today, suggests that you're more likely to accomplish these tasks by including why you should do them as well.
We know what we have to do, as well as, when and where we have to do it, but, for some reason, we don't think about why we want to or need to do it. That's probably because we are under the spell of the "have-to's" and forget we always have a choice.
Creating a "why do" list, as he calls it, can help you remember why you actually want to do something and avoid thinking that you have to do it. When creating your lists, just make a sublist under each item filled with all the reasons this is something you really want to do. Don't include items for the sake of including them, but instead focus on the things that make you excited about this task. It may be hard to inspire yourself to do the boring chore of laundry, but you can always find reasons. For example, you may have an exciting job interview coming up and you want to look your best, so it's important to take care of cleaning your best clothes in advance. The item wouldn't be on your list if there wasn't some kind of motivation, so tap into why a task is important to you in the first place. If you can't figure out why, it might not deserve to be on the list at all.
For more tips on actually finishing off the tasks on your list, read our guide on making your to-do list do-able.
Influence Yourself With a "Why-Do" List | Psychology Today
Photo by JohnKwan (Shutterstock). | <urn:uuid:45500d53-270d-43e6-a616-be7896d63514> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lifehacker.com/5912458/if-you-to-actually-finish-the-tasks-on-your-to+do-list-include-why-you-should-do-them?tag=getting-things-done | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974177 | 381 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Members of the non-profit group Wreaths Across America coordinated efforts not just here, but at cemeteries across the country. The organization’s website states: “Fresh evergreens are a symbol used for centuries to recognize honor, and a living tribute renewed annually. To use plastic wreaths that are put in storage each year is exactly the kind of tradition we want to avoid – it makes for great photos but misses the point… We want people to see the tradition as a living memorial to veterans and their families, whom we remember amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. We believe that the sacrifices they made are more than worth the effort.”
The wreaths are currently on a solemn week-long journey from Maine to Arlington in what is sometimes referred to as “the world’s largest veterans’ parade.” The convoy stops at schools, monuments and veterans’ homes along the way as a reminder of the importance of remembering, honoring and teaching. Other trucks will head to participating cemeteries in all 50 states.
Donations can be made online through Thursday (December 13) for sponsoring wreaths to be laid on Saturday. A representative for the organization said “anyone and everyone is welcome” to show up on Saturday to assist with placing the wreaths. The convoy should arrive around 8:30 a.m. and volunteers are asked to arrive prior to the 9:30 a.m. opening ceremony and briefing. More information, a map and a schedule can be found online.
Last year, more than 15,000 volunteers spent nearly two hours placing around 90,000 wreaths. This year’s total of wreaths and volunteers is expected to exceed last year’s. The organization hopes to reach the 100,000 mark with wreaths this year.
Doctors saved this boy's life with a medical first involving a printer.
"Jenny from the Block" wants you to buy Verizon phones from her.
A study has a gloomy forecast for U.S. amphibians.
Two brown bears rescued after 10 years in captivity. | <urn:uuid:d5a85ed6-2faf-4123-90c1-c54f01f48e1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wtop.com/139/3152949/Volunteers-to-Place-Wreaths-on-Veteransrsquo-Graves | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00053-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959841 | 444 | 2.046875 | 2 |
The real problem with Siri is not that it (often) goes down, but rather how Siri informs you that it is down — which it does after you have already asked it to do something.
Apple, and Siri users, certainly want the service to maintain 100% availability, but with services that rely on so many working parts — this is just an unrealistic expectation. So when Siri fails it should do so in the least intrusive way — it just so happens that’s not the way it fails right now.
Typical scenario: Driving home and want to text my wife to let her know that I will be there in 20 minutes. Activate Siri and ask her to message my Wife. Siri comes back to say: something, something, I don’t work.
Siri really should be smarter than this. Siri should tell me from the moment I activate it whether, or not, what I am about to do is going to work. How hard is that?
- Activate Siri.
- Siri checks servers.
- Siri responds: “Sorry, I’m drunk as a skunk right now. I’ll sober up soon.”
That’s really not that hard and offers a far less frustrating experience than the current solution of leading on the user, in hopes that — what — it will be back working by the time I am done speaking? | <urn:uuid:8f1e5120-02df-42ad-8d5f-1d5997a473ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://brooksreview.net/2011/11/siri-down/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956839 | 285 | 1.71875 | 2 |
HARRINGTON, JOHN (1848–1905). John Harrington, Medal of Honor recipient, was born at Detroit, Michigan, in 1848. On September 12, 1874, Private Harrington was with Company H, Sixth United States Cavalry, at Washita River, Texas, when he was sent with Sgt. Zachariah Woodall, privates Peter Roth and George Smith, and scouts William (Billy) Dixon and Amos Chapman to carry dispatches for Nelson A. Miles to Camp Supply. They were attacked by 100 warriors, in what became known as the Buffalo Wallow Fight. Smith was killed, Chapman's leg was shattered, and Harrington was wounded in the hip. The men took refuge in an old buffalo wallow, which they deepened with their hands and knives. In the afternoon a cold rain began to fall, and by nightfall the Indians left. On the morning of the thirteenth Dixon left the wallow and made contact with troops commanded by Maj. William Price, who in turn notified Miles of their condition. Miles sent an ambulance on the fourteenth, which took the men to Camp Supply. All five were awarded the Medal of Honor. Harrington returned to duty and remained in service until at least 1898. He is buried at the San Antonio National Cemetery.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients, 1863–1973 (Washington: GPO, 1973). Robert M. Utley, Frontier Regulars: The United States Army and the Indian, 1866–1891 (New York: Macmillan, 1973).
The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article.Art Leatherwood, "HARRINGTON, JOHN," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fhalz), accessed May 22, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. | <urn:uuid:b4b36f7b-c7a1-43a3-9b4e-6f79b40daacc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fhalz | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964172 | 398 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Unfortunately there are some that will never alter their eating habits for the sake of better health, never. I have a sister that had a stroke at the early age of 49 due to her bad food choices and lack of exercise and it was heartbreaking to see as she was the picture of health and glamour all through her 20's-30's.
So maybe the new book by Celebrity Chef Rocco Dispirito will help those that can't or won't get down with becoming vegan or even eating less meat and dairy products with his "ditch the calories, keep the sin" theme.
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Via: Associated Press interview at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival;
Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito wants to turn a collection of healthy recipes into a lifestyle, and he wants people to feel bad about it.
The key to transforming comfort food into healthy fare is cutting calories while retaining the "sinful" feeling that comes from eating rich foods, he said Saturday in an Associated Press interview at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.
"Fried chicken needs to feel bad. You need to crunch through that outer coating, you need to feel like you're committing a sin," he said, describing a recipe that involves poaching chicken until it's almost cooked, then flash frying it so that it absorbs just a tenth of the oil of the conventional approach.
His new cookbook, "Now Eat This! Diet" is a follow-up to his best-selling "Now Eat This!" cookbook. The new book combines a diet plan and recipes with shopping lists, menus and exercise advice, and though it joins countless other diet books on store shelves, DiSpirito said his offers a new approach. | <urn:uuid:96639f41-ab72-4e69-8c5e-d90d4b6ec2ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ecohookups.com/profiles/blogs/chef-rocco-dispirito-says | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950973 | 501 | 1.625 | 2 |
Cornwall Standard Freeholder
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The Cornwall Standard Freeholder is a daily newspaper based in Cornwall, Ontario. It has been in circulation for many years, and continues to be the newspaper with the largest circulation inside the Montreal - Ottawa - Kingston triangle. The newspaper is owned by Quebecor through its Osprey Media division.
The Standard-Freeholder has been the newspaper of record for Cornwall and the counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry since 1846. The Cornwall Standard Freeholder is one of the oldest newspapers in Canada.
The current newspaper began as two publications, the Freeholder, which was founded by the first premier of Ontario, John Sandfield Macdonald, and the Standard.
The two newspapers were amalgamated in 1932 and the first issue was published on April 30 of that year. The Standard-Freeholder became a daily newspaper on April 1, 1941 and now has a circulation of nearly 15,000 copies.
The Standard-Freeholder remains the only daily newspaper in the triangle between Brockville, Ottawa and Montreal to this day. In 2006, the Standard-Freeholder was nominated for the first time for a National Newspaper Award for a series of articles published the day after an announcement the city's oldest and most prominent employer, Domtar Fine Papers Inc., would be shutting down its paper mill operation for good. | <urn:uuid:143494e3-db66-45f9-bd74-0599cc4487ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cornwallkiosk.com/standardfreeholder-news_media.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966121 | 318 | 1.75 | 2 |
Ed Mirvish, 2006
24 July 1914
Colonial Beach, Virginia, USA
|Died||11 July 2007
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
|Occupation||Founder, Chairman and CEO of Honest Ed's|
|Spouse(s)||Anne Lazare Macklin|
Edwin “Honest Ed” Mirvish, OC, CBE (24 July 1914 – 11 July 2007) was a Canadian businessman, philanthropist and theatrical impresario who lived in Toronto, Ontario. He is known for his flagship business, Honest Ed's, a landmark discount store in downtown Toronto, and as a patron of the arts, instrumental in revitalizing the theatre scene in Toronto.
Born in Colonial Beach, Virginia, the son of Jewish immigrants from Lithuania (his father, David) and Austria (his mother, Anna). His parents gave him the Hebrew name, Yehuda, but at the urging of a cousin, they added a more American name, Edwin. Mirvish often told the tale of his bris; there was no mohel in Colonial Beach, so the family hired one in nearby Washington, D.C., to come down to perform the ceremony. The mohel chosen was Rabbi Moshe Reuben Yoelson, the father of Al Jolson. Mirvish credited this as his introduction to show business.
The family later moved to Washington, D.C., where Mirvish's father opened a grocery store. The grocery store went bankrupt in 1923, and David Mirvish moved his family to Toronto where he worked as a door-to-door salesman – peddling, among other things, Fuller Brushes and the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry – until he opened a grocery in the Toronto Jewish community, on Dundas Street. The family lived above the store, sharing their tiny apartment with a Hebrew school. Mirvish would often joke that it was his dream in those days to someday have a bathroom he didn't have to share with 50 others.
In June 2006, Ed and Anne Mirvish marked their 65th wedding anniversary with a party at the Princess of Wales Theatre. The mayor of Toronto, the chief of police and other public figures delivered congratulatory speeches, followed by a program of vocal music by some of Toronto's opera and theater stars. In July 2006, Mirvish celebrated his 92nd birthday with a lavish party at Honest Ed's. In honor of this occasion, many items in the store were on sale for 92 cents.
On 11 July 2007, the Mirvish family released a statement to announce the death of Ed Mirvish after midnight at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto. The funeral service was held at the Beth Tzedek Synagogue in Toronto. Mirvish was buried at Pardes Shalom Cemetery in Maple, Ontario. His store was closed and its lights were dimmed, as staff bid farewell to the former owner. A similar gesture was made by theatres on Broadway, which dimmed their lights for one minute at 8pm on July 13. Toronto Police provided ceremonial and mounted units (including the horse Honest Ed) for his funeral. Flags at Toronto's civic centres were lowered to half mast.
On August 12, 2007 The City of Toronto had granted a closure of Bloor Street between Bathurst and Markham Streets to accommodate a celebration in honour of Ed Mirvish. Ceremonies began with Mayor David Miller, who proclaimed August 12 “Ed Mirvish Day” in the City of Toronto.
In response to his death, Jones Cane Sugar Soda issued bottles of their soda with a picture of Honest Ed on them, with "Honest Ed Mirvish 1914–2007" placed where normally a photo credit lies.
Business career
Mirvish lost his father at the age of 15. He dropped out of school to manage the store, becoming the sole support of his mother, his younger brother, Robert (who became a successful novelist and short-story writer) and sister, Lorraine. The grocery business did not do well, and Mirvish closed shop to reopen as a dry-cleaner, in partnership with his childhood friend, Yale Simpson. The shop was known as "Simpson's". When the well-known downtown Toronto department store "Simpson's" attempted to force him to change the name of his business, Mirvish pointed to Simpson and said, "Here's my Mr. Simpson. Where's yours?" The dry-cleaning business did no better than the grocery, however, and Mirvish soon abandoned it to take a regular job working as a produce manager and buyer for Toronto grocery store entrepreneur Leon Weinstein. Now financially stable, Mirvish bought a Ford Model T and began to court a radio singer from Hamilton, Ontario, Anne Macklin, whom he married in 1941. In 1945, their son, David, was born.
Honest Ed's
During World War II, Ed and Anne Mirvish opened a dress shop known as The Sport Bar. They ran this business until 1948, when Mirvish cashed in his wife's insurance policy to open a new business, a bargain basement known as "Honest Ed's", stocked with all kinds of odd merchandise purchased at bankruptcy and fire sales, and displayed on orange crates. This unique no-credit, no-service, no-frills business model was an immediate success. Mirvish claimed to have invented the "loss-leader", below-cost discounts on selected items designed to lure buyers into the store. "Honest Ed's" gradually expanded to fill an entire city block. Billing itself as "the world's biggest discount department store", it was soon bringing in millions of dollars a year. The store expanded and, in the late 1950s, Mirvish started buying up houses on Markham Street running south from Bloor. When his application to tear down the Victorian structures in order to build a parking lot was rejected by the city Mirvish, at the urging of his wife and son, rented them out at low rates to local artists and the street soon became a community of artists studios, galleries, boutiques and niche shops known today as Mirvish Village.
Publicity stunts
Mirvish was renowned for getting free publicity, doing everything from riding elephants, to hiring protesters to picketing his own restaurant over its dress code. Every Christmas, Mirvish gave away ten thousand pounds of free turkeys in his store to shoppers who stood in line for hours. A tradition since his 75th birthday has been the annual birthday bash outside the store, with free food, entertainment and children's rides. In 2003, Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman proclaimed Mirvish's birthday "Ed Mirvish Day".
A sign in the store read: "When Ed dies, he would like a catered funeral with accordion players and a buffet table, with a replica of Honest Ed on it made of potato salad."
Theatres and restaurants
In addition to Honest Ed's, Mirvish was known in Toronto for his theatres and restaurants. His first purchase was the Royal Alexandra Theatre, an Edwardian landmark building slated for demolition. Mirvish purchased the building in 1962 and refurbished it, revitalizing the Toronto theatre scene. To liven up the neighborhood and provide patrons with a place to go before and after performances, Mirvish bought and renovated a nearby warehouse building, which he turned into a restaurant. To cut costs, Ed's Warehouse at King Street West and Duncan Street served a set meal: prime rib, mashed potatoes and peas. Along the same street, Mirvish later opened Ed's Seafood, Ed's Folly, Ed's Chinese, Ed's Italian Restaurant and Old Ed's, which attracted local residents to the previously neglected King Street area and served 6,000 meals a night. One by one, the restaurants closed down. The last was Ed's Warehouse, which shut its doors in 2000. In 1993 the Mirvishes built the Princess of Wales Theatre, the largest new theatre – and first privately financed theatre – in North America in the span of thirty years. In 2001, Mirvish Enterprises signed a management contract to run the Pantages Theatre, renamed the Canon Theatre, for Clear Channel Entertainment (now Live Nation), which had bought up the assets of the bankrupt theatre company, Livent. The first show under the Mirvish banner was a touring production of Saturday Night Fever.
He and his son David operated Mirvish Productions, which staged major touring theatre productions from Broadway and London and which produced and/or co-produced the Canadian stagings of such recent hits as The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, The Producers and Hairspray. In 1982 Ed and David Mirvish bought London's Old Vic for GB£550,000 (CAD$1.23 million) and spent four million dollars renovating it. Under their management, The Old Vic was celebrated for winning more awards for its productions than any other single theatre in Britain; It never made money, however, and they sold it to its present owners, a theatre trust, in 1998. Ed Mirvish was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for saving the Old Vic.
On 6 December 2011 the Canon Theatre was renamed Ed Mirvish Theatre in his honour.
Honours and awards
- 1978, Made a Member of the Order of Canada
- 1984, Awarded Retail Council of Canada's Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year Award
- 1984, Named a Freeman of the City of London in recognition of his contributions to British theatre (he subsequently drove a herd of sheep across London Bridge, a right of a Freeman of the city)
- 1987, Promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada
- 1989, Appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- 1999, Awarded Retail Council of Canada's Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2008, One block of Duncan Street in Toronto, near the Royal Alexandra Theatre and the Princess of Wales Theatre in the Entertainment District, is renamed Ed Mirvish Way
- 2008, The parkette at Bathurst Subway Station, near Honest Ed's, is renamed Ed & Anne Mirvish Parkette
- 2011, The former Canon Theatre on Yonge Street in Toronto was renamed as the Ed Mirvish Theatre.
Published works
- How to Build an Empire on an Orange Crate, or 121 Lessons I Never Learned at School, the autobiography of Edwin Mirvish, published by Key Porter Books, Toronto, 1993
- There's no business like show business : but I wouldn't ditch my day job by Ed Mirvish, published by Key Porter Books, Toronto, 1997.
- Retail Council of Canada's Awards of Distinction
See also
- "Honest Ed Mirvish dies at 92". National Post. 2007-07-11. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
- Gero Ambert (2007-07-11). "Ed Mirvish Dead At 92". CFRB. Retrieved 2009-02-16.[dead link]
- Richard Ouzounian (2007-07-11). "Ed Mirvish, 92: 'Honest Ed'". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- CanWest News Service (11 July 2007). "Entrepreneur and theatre impresario Mirvish dead at 92". Canada.com. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
- "'Honest Ed' Mirvish celebrating 92nd birthday". CTV. 2006-07-23. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- "Honest Ed Mirvish Celebrates His 92nd Birthday". CityNews. 2006-07-23. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- Staff writers (July 13, 2007). "Emotional Crowds Say Goodbye To Ed Mirvish With Tears And Cheers". CityNews. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
- Richard Ouzounian (12 July 2007). "Ed Mirvish, 92: Toronto's Greatest Bargain". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
- Robertson, Ian (2006-12-04). "Ed's turkeys theirs for the gobbling". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on 2007-01-28. Retrieved 2007-07-11.
- City of Toronto: City Proclamations
- Obituary: Ed Mirvish
- John Goddard (12 July 2007). "Honest tears shed for well-loved retailer". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
- "Honest Ed buys Old Vic theatre". The Globe and Mail. 1982-06-24.
- City of Toronto, By-law No.956-2008, To rename part of the public highway Duncan Street between King Street West and Pearl Street as “Ed Mirvish Way”.
- Staff report for action on the renaming of Bathurst Subway Parkette
- Ed Mirvish at the Internet Movie Database
- The Amazing Mr. Mirvish
- The Royal Alexandra: Honest Ed's Other Monument
- Royal Alexandra Theatre
- Princess of Wales Theatre
- Batten, Jack (1972). Honest Ed's story: the crazy rags to riches story of Ed Mirvish. PaperJacks, Don Mills (Toronto). ISBN 0-7737-7031-3. | <urn:uuid:16095601-4f76-4285-a16b-7b1e2bf4ae99> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Mirvish | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96078 | 2,744 | 1.945313 | 2 |
KEITH RIDLER Associated Press Writer BOISE, Idaho
Biologists at Washington State University say they have isolated a bacterium that may have contributed to the deaths of thousands of bighorn sheep in the West over the past five decades. The biologists say they found mycoplasma ovipneumoniae in tissue taken from dying lambs captured in Hells Canyon a chasm that borders Idaho, Oregon and Washington. They believe it inhibits the ability of hairlike structures in the sheeps' airways to eliminate bacteria that lead to pneumonia a leading cause of death in bighorns. "This is the first problem I've worked on where there is quite a bit of evidence piling up where the agent is a mycoplasma," said Tom Besser, a professor in WSU's department of veterinary microbiology and pathology. In herds known to be infected with mycoplasma, more than half the sheep die each year from pneumonia. Lambs are the most susceptible, mainly because their immune systems are not fully developed, said Frances Cassirer, a wildlife research biologist with Idaho Fish and Game. Pneumonia is the leading killer of bighorns infected with mycoplasma, she said. In herds not infected, the leading cause of death is predators, she said. In blood samples from herds in several western states and Alberta, Canada, WSU researchers found antibodies to the mycoplasma in herds that experienced deaths due to pneumonia, but not in herds that had not. "We found some really promising patterns and things seemed to fit together really well," Cassirer said. Further testing on the bacteria's effects are being conducted. About 2 million bighorns once inhabited the West, but they disappeared over most of their range in the 1800s and early 1900s due to unregulated hunting and disease believed to have been carried by domestic animals, biologists say. Repopulating projects and added protection in the last 50 years have now boosted bighorn numbers to about 50,000, Cassirer said. But sweeping epidemics of a mystery illness have wiped out thousands of western bighorns, and biologists say the herds are not growing as fast as they should be. Vic Coggins, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said pneumonia likely was more to blame than even unregulated hunting for the species' decline. He said habitat loss also factored in, but there is enough habitat available now across the West to support far more than the current population. "We estimate that in Hells Canyon we could have over 10,000," Coggins said. The area is currently home to about 900, he said. If mycoplasma bacteria are to blame, treating infected sheep may not be possible, said Cassirer. Attempts to develop vaccines for the bacteria for domestic sheep have failed, and even if a working vaccine existed, administering it to wild bighorns would be difficult, she said. Furthermore, biologists have not found that infected herds can build a resistance to the bacteria over successive generations, Cassirer said. "If it's happening, it's not obvious to us. That's why we're looking for another solution because the sheep might not be able to deal with it on their own," she said. Domestic sheep infected with mycoplasma bacteria typically survive, Besser said. He said he did not know if domestic sheep were transmitting the bacteria to wild sheep. Greg Dyson, executive director of the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, is convinced domestic sheep are infecting bighorn populations. "All indications are that the domestics are passing diseases and killing off the bighorns," said Dyson. "And the bighorns just can't get a foothold to become re-established." Facing a lawsuit from Dyson's and two other environmental groups, the U.S. Forest Service in May announced it was restricting domestic sheep grazing this summer in some areas of the Payette National Forest, which borders Hells Canyon. | <urn:uuid:38fc77b9-edd2-4a98-b2b6-65670335552d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.havredailynews.com/cms/news/story-152672.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974146 | 813 | 3.171875 | 3 |
Milk thistle extract silymarin, supplement dosage, health benefit, side effects, dosage and benefit for liver and other medical conditions
Milk thistle extracts have been used as traditional herbal remedies for almost 2000 years. The extracts are still widely used to protect the liver against toxins and to control chronic liver diseases. Recent experimental and clinical studies suggest that milk thistle extracts also have anticancer, antidiabetic, and cardioprotective effects. Several trials have studied the effects of milk thistle for patients with liver diseases, cancer, hepatitis C, HIV, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an herbal supplement used to treat liver and biliary disorders. Silymarin, a mixture of flavanoid complexes, is the active component that protects liver and kidney cells from toxic effects of drugs, including chemotherapy.
Side effects, caution, risk
Milk thistle extracts are known to be safe and well tolerated, and toxic or adverse effects observed in clinical trials seem to be minimal.
Exacerbation of hemochromatosis by ingestion of milk thistle was a case report published in a medical journal.
Availability and to purchase
Milk-Thistle extract 4:1 (seed) 250 mg
Siliphos is an extract
Benefit of Milk Thistle herbal supplements
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an herb that is increasingly used in oncology research and treatment settings. Historically, it has been used to treat liver and biliary disorders and has been used in detoxification and cleansing protocols. However, milk thistle is increasingly being investigated for its use in adult and pediatric populations for oncology indications. Possible indications during cancer treatment include cleansing and detoxification after chemotherapy, preventing hepatotoxicity during chemotherapy, treating hepatotoxicity after chemotherapy, and potentiating chemotherapy and radiation therapy as an adjunctive treatment. Milk thistle may also have applications in ameliorating long-term hepatic and cardiovascular effects of cancer treatment. Preliminary studies are investigating its use as a chemopreventive agent and possibly to treat cancer directly. Much of milk thistle's current clinical use grows out of historical uses but is informed by an increasing number of clinical trials and animal studies.
Number of studies has established the cancer chemopreventive role of silymarin in both in vivo and in vitro models. Silymarin modulates imbalance between cell survival and apoptosis through interference with the expressions of cell cycle regulators and proteins involved in apoptosis. In addition, silymarin also showed anti-inflammatory as well as anti-metastatic activity. Further, the protective effects of silymarin and its major active constituent, silibinin, studied in various tissues, suggest a clinical application in cancer patients as an adjunct to established therapies, to prevent or reduce chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy-induced toxicity.
Depression and mood disorders
Comparison of Silybum marianum with fluoxetine in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2009.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common neuropsychiatric condition. Although a variety of pharmaceutical agents is available for the treatment of OCD, psychiatrists often find that many patients cannot tolerate the side effects of these medications; do not respond properly to the treatment; or the medications lose their effectiveness after a period of treatment. Herbal medicine can be a solution to some of these problems. In fact many herbs with psychotropic effects exist which can have fewer side effects. They can provide an alternative treatment or be used to enhance the effectiveness of conventional anti-obsessive and compulsive symptoms. Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. is a well-known medicinal plant with a long history of usage in Iran. This plant is reported to be safe on humans. Our objective in this study was to compare the efficacy of the extract of milk thistle with fluoxetine in the treatment of OCD. The study was an 8-week pilot double-blind randomized trial. Thirty five adult outpatients who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for OCD based on the structured clinical interview participated in the trial. The minimum score of Yale-Brown Scale for OCD was 21 for all patients. In this double-blind and randomized trial, patients were randomly assigned to receive either capsule of the extract (600mg/day) or fluoxetine (30mg/day) for 8weeks. The results showed no significant difference between the extract and fluoxetine in the treatment of OCD. There was also no significant difference between the two groups in terms of observed side effects.
Alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C
virus liver diseases
Silymarin, a flavonolignan from milk thistle plant, is used for the protection against various liver conditions in both clinical settings and experimental models.
J Vet Intern Med. 2013. Milk thistle and its derivative
compounds: a review of opportunities for treatment of liver disease. Hackett ES,
Twedt DC, Gustafson DL. Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State
University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Milk thistle extracts have been used as a "liver tonic" for centuries. In recent years, silibinin, the active ingredient in milk thistle extracts, has been studied both in vitro and in vivo to evaluate the beneficial effects in hepatic disease. Silibinin increases antioxidant concentrations and improves outcomes in hepatic diseases resulting from oxidant injury. Silibinin treatment has been associated with protection against hepatic toxins, and also has resulted in decreased hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. Limited information currently is available regarding silibinin use in veterinary medicine. Future study is justified to evaluate dose, kinetics, and treatment effects in domestic animals.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007. Copenhagen Trial Unit, Centre for Clinical Intervention
Research, Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group,
Randomised clinical trials have assessed whether extracts of milk thistle, Silybum marianum, have any effect in patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases. To assess the beneficial and harmful effects of milk thistle or milk thistle constituents versus placebo or no intervention in patients with alcoholic liver disease and/or viral liver diseases (hepatitis B and hepatitis C). Only randomised clinical trials in patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases (acute and chronic) were included. Interventions encompassed milk thistle at any dose or duration versus placebo or no intervention. The trials could be double blind, single blind, or unblinded. The trials could be unpublished or published and no language limitations were applied. Eighteen randomised clinical trials assessed milk thistle in 1088 patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases. Milk thistle versus placebo or no intervention had no significant effect on mortality, complications of liver disease, or liver histology. Liver-related mortality was significantly reduced by milk thistle in all trials, but not in high-quality trials. Milk thistle was not associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse events. Our results question the beneficial effects of milk thistle for patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis B or C virus liver diseases and highlight the lack of high-quality evidence to support this intervention. Adequately conducted and reported randomised clinical trials on milk thistle versus placebo are needed.
Effects of Silybum marianum on serum hepatitis C virus
RNA, alanine aminotransferase levels and well-being in patients with chronic
J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2006; Gordon A, Hobbs DA. Department of Gastroenterology, The Alfred Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
Milk thistle is a herbal preparation commonly used by subjects with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The aims of this pilot study were to assess the efficacy and safety of S. marianum on serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, alanine aminotransferase levels and well-being in patients with CHC. Twenty-four subjects with CHC were enrolled into a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Subjects received 12 weeks of S. marianum (either 600 mg or 1200 mg/day) and placebo separated by a 4-week washout interval. Baseline biochemical, virological, psychological and quality-of-life tests were performed, with biochemical tests repeated monthly, and HCV RNA titer and quality-of-life and psychological assessments repeated at the end of both treatment periods. Seventeen patients completed the trial. Mean changes in HCV RNA titers, serum ALT levels and Short Form-36 scores were not significantly different for subjects on S. marianum compared to those on placebo. There was no significant change in mean State-Trait Anxiety Inventory State-Anxiety scores on S. marianum from baseline. Adverse events were similar with S. marianum and placebo. S. marianum is well tolerated in subjects with CHC, but does significantly affect serum HCV RNA, alanine aminotransferase levels, quality of life or psychological well-being in subjects with this condition.
Silymarin treatment of viral hepatitis: a systematic
J Viral Hepat. 2005.
Silymarin is used by many patients with chronic viral hepatitis. We performed a systematic review of silymarin for the treatment of chronic viral hepatitis B and C. An exhaustive search strategy identified 148 papers that studied silymarin compounds in liver disease. Of these, four trials included patients with hepatitis C, one included hepatitis B patients, and two, unspecified chronic viral hepatitis. However, only one trial exclusively studied patients with hepatitis C, and none involved patients with only hepatitis B. Silymarin treatment resulted in a decrease in serum transaminases compared with baseline in four studies, and compared with placebo in only one study. There is no evidence that silymarin affects viral load or improves liver histology in hepatitis B or C. No studies were found that investigated the use of silymarin concomitantly with interferon, nucleoside analogues, or other conventional treatments for hepatitis B or C. In conclusion, silymarin compounds likely decrease serum transaminases in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, but do not appear to affect viral load or liver histology. Nevertheless it may be worthwhile to determine its effects in conjunction with standard antiviral treatment. | <urn:uuid:7b81879b-a8f8-43ae-806e-7aa6b9d35701> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://milkthistlesilymarin.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00063-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933405 | 2,201 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Lawrence Lessig: A Biography
What's in the book?
The life and times of Lawrence Lessig, in one convenient little book.
- Lessig's Brilliant Career
- Personal Life
- Recent News
- 10 Pieces of Trivia About Lawrence Lessig
- Further Reading
ABOUT THE BOOKLawrence Lessig is a well-known American academic, famed for his participation in the legal sphere. From his battles on cyberspace law to scuffles over corruption in government, Lessig has helped lead some of the most important political movements of the start of the millenium. So how did a reportedly shy constitutional scholar become so influential? Most famous people become well-known because of their successes — their time spent in public office or bestselling books they’ve written or awards they’ve won. Ironically, it’s been Lessig’s willingness to incur “failures” that have fueled his reputation as a brilliant thinker and leader.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Anita Felicelli is a writer and an attorney. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a triple major in Rhetoric, Interdisciplinary Studies (art and design), and English, she attended Boalt Hall Law School and Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. She worked as a litigator for eight years before commencing a full-time writing and editing career. Anita's first book of poetry was published in 2010. She has experience writing and editing on topics as diverse as law, medicine, film, books and travel. An intrepid cook and arts enthusiast, Anita lives in Northern California with her husband and two corgis.
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOKOn December 11, 1997, Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson who sits on the U.S. District Court in DC appointed Lessig Special Master of the Microsoft Antitrust case, in which Microsoft was charged with anti-competitively merging its web browser into the Windows operating system. As Special Master, Lessig would gather information independently and organize the technical aspects of the case in order to assist the judge with his ruling. Judge Jackson appointed Lessig claiming that it was “in the interest of justice to resolve as expeditiously as possible the complex issues of cybertechnology and contract interpretation connected therewith.” Microsoft objected to the appointment — there was no basis in law for a position like Lessig’s. Microsoft’s attorneys believed that Lessig would be partisan in his approach and, at first, claimed they would not cooperate with Lessig until they received a formal ruling on their challenge to his appointment. Lessig indicated he would move forward whether or not they chose to exercise their right to present their arguments.
- Lifetime guarantee
- 100% refund
- Free updates | <urn:uuid:e32a167f-c602-4e4b-9203-e53fe2afc33b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hyperink.com/Lawrence-Lessig-A-Biography-b1404 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960954 | 567 | 1.5625 | 2 |
NEW Wildlife Care behind the scenes tour
In small intimate groups, a Wildlife keeper will guide you through the Wildlife Care and Rescue Centre, Quarantine, Koala and Eucalypt Plantations and Food Preparation areas.
Your guide will give a fascinating insight into the day in the life of a Wildlife keeper and how they care for the sick, injured or orphaned animals.
The tour concludes at the Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo Breeding Centre.
Departs daily at 1.30pm, with private group departure times on application.
The Wildlife Habitat Wildlife Care
Behind the Scenes Tour
(The Wildlife Care tour price is in addition to the Park Admission price)
Currently in the Wildlife Care Centre, we are raising an orphaned Eastern Grey Kangaroo. She came into our care at a very young age, with barely any fur and a pair of big brown eyes that would melt anyone’s heart!
Initially she required 3 hourly feeds both day and night (fortunately she was very cute, which was a great incentive for Wildlife Staff to get up at 2am in the morning).
She was born in March 2010 and is now starting to eat grass and hop around profusely. She is one of the many delights that can be seen at times on our Behind the Scenes Tour. | <urn:uuid:bfe2bd6e-2861-47ac-b63f-c16b2e7e7eec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wildlifehabitat.com.au/viptour.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951533 | 268 | 1.75 | 2 |
GOD BLESS AMERICA,
MY HOME SWEET HOME
THE VIETNAM WALL (National Park Service)
The long conflict between France and Vietnam came to an abrupt end in July, 1954, when the French were soundly defeated at DIEN BIEN PHU. The U.S. although defeated in Korea, was eager to get involved in another war. The U.S. felt it was their duty to interfere in the Geneva accords to reunify the war torn country. President Eisenhower created a government of South Vietnam. Controversial from the start, the U.S. intervention accelerated when in 1961 President Kenedy sent "advisors" to straighten things out. The U.S. involvement was doomed from the start. Buddhist Monks staged massive protests, President Diem and his brother were assassinated, and President Kennedy himself was assassinated. At that time there were 16,000 "advisors" in Vietnam. With the bungled handling of the situation by President Johnson and Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara conditions continued to deteriorate. Next came the controversial Gulf of Tonkin incident. McNamara advised President Johnson that we could send 30,000 troops and the war would be over in 30 days. With no clearly defined objectives, in 1965 Johnson sent the first combat troops to Vietnam. This was the beginning of the end. American anti - war sentiment erupted with the entire country against our intervention in Vietnam. Eventually American troops were defeated badly in the Tet Offensive and a disgraced Lyndon Johnson declared he would press the communist to end the war. President Nixon actually expanded the war into Laos and Cambodia and increased the bombing. In the meantime campus protests over our staggering losses were having a terrible effect on our country. On April 30, 1975, communist forces captured the Presidential Palace in Saigon, and the war ended. In 1978 Vietnam invaded Cambodia defeating the Khmer Rouge. On Nov. 11,1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, "The Wall", was dedicated.
The war tore our nation apart. Was it worth losing 58,202 good men? Does anyone know what our policy was? Most Americans and 82% of Vietnam combat veterans strongly believe the war was lost because of lack of political will.
The Wall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a National War Memorial located in Washington, D.C. that honors members of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam War. "The Wall" was designed by MAYA LINN, a 21 year old Yale student. Her design was selected from over 1,421 entries.
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal statue given to the United States by France in 1886. It stands on Liberty Island, in the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor as a welcome to all visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans. The copper statue commemorates the Centennial of the U.S. and is a gesture of friendship between the two countries.
The September 11, 2001 attacks on the twin towers consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist suicide attacks by Islamic extremist. 19 terrorist affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four jet airliners. They crashed two of the planes into the twin towers, one plane into each tower. A third plane was crashed into the Pentagon. The fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after the flight crew fought with the hijackers. 2,749 people were killed. 15 of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, two were from the United Arab Emirates, one from Egypt, and one from Lebanon.
It should be pointed out that more people were killed in this attack than the Pearl Harbor attack. Immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack the U.S. declared war on the Japanese, who did the attack. In the Twin Towers attack the U.S. did absolutely nothing. Thought provoking ! | <urn:uuid:8e10ef35-da41-4ce0-89dc-2e1b82001172> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.b-29s-over-korea.com/God_Bless_America/God-Bless-America6.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973878 | 766 | 3 | 3 |
In today's Daily Reckoning we revisit an old friend: China. That is, we revisit the importance of China to Australia's economic, political, and demographic future. And we'll take a look at China's large influence on Australia's present. And since we're talking Pacific Powers in the Asian Century, Japan will make a cameo appearance.
There is a geopolitical aspect to the resource story that can't be ignored. In fact it was almost a year ago that the entire China-Australia relationship was explored at our 'After America' conference in Sydney.
By the way, almost all of the speeches are still topical and relevant. Steve Keen made a cameo appearance. There was Dylan Grice, Satyajit Das, Dr Paul Monk, and the entire cast and crew from The Daily Reckoning. We've nearly run down our final inventory of the six disc DVD set. But there are some copies left if you check soon.
In the meantime, Japan has entered stage left. 'Japan accused China's navy of locking weapons-guiding radar onto Japanese naval forces twice in the past three weeks - a serious escalation in the countries' long-running territorial dispute that has heightened fears of a looming military conflict between the two Asian giants,' reports the Wall Street Journal.
It's hard to imagine Japan and China going to war over a couple of islands. But then, devaluation makes for unhappy bedfellows. Nobody thought war between the European powers was likely in 1914 either. You put some well-armed warships in the same neighbourhood and who knows what can happen?
Still, it seems unlikely two such large and mutually dependent trading partners would come to blows over unpopulated islands. This is probably a test to see how the US will react as China begins to flex its military muscles in the region. Around 37,000 US soldiers are stationed in Japan. Does the US back Japan as a regional power to counter-balance China? Or does it do nothing? The Chinese are probably keen to find out.
The fact of the matter is that the US is a declining economic power in the Pacific. That makes for an interesting strategic contest. How much longer can the US afford to deploy so many military assets in the region? Even if President Obama has signalled a 'strategic pivot' toward the Pacific, there is the small matter of American deficits.
No discussion of Pacific power politics would be complete without a look at America's finances. They are not good. You know that's the case when an $845 billion annual deficit is presented as good news. Yet that's exactly how most people are spinning yesterday's report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
In relative terms, the CBO's projected deficit for 2014 IS actually an improvement on four straight years of trillion dollar federal deficits. But $845 billion is still a pretty big gap between what the government spends and takes in through taxes. CBO reckons that $85 billion in automatic spending cuts on March 1st (the sequester) plus higher taxes will reduce this year's deficit, while also slowing GDP growth down to 1.4%.
CBO goes on to say the deficits will shrink over the next three years to just $430 billion by 2015, or 2.5% of GDP. That's the level that most economists think is sustainable, which goes to show you that most economists are idiots. This entire process is an attempt to sustain and justify a government that never balances its budget.
But even the wonks and bureaucrats can see the grey wave on the horizon. CBO says that over the next ten years, 'Deficits are projected to increase later in the coming decade, however, because of the pressures of an aging population, rising health care costs, an expansion of federal subsidies for health insurance, and growing interest payments on federal debt.'
The ageing of the Western world is a fascinating subject. Our own Kris Sayce reckons this demographic trend could turn out to be the single-most important investment story of the next twenty years. As populations age and healthcare spending soars (public and private) a huge chunk of the economy will revolve around health. And where health is, technology can't be far behind. That's the angle Kris is taking.
For the here and now, though, Australia is affected by America's deficit disorder in two ways. First, the larger the US debt gets and the slower the US economy grows, the harder it will be for the US to spend half a trillion dollars a year on defence. America might say it wants to be a Pacific power for the next 50 years. But everyone in the region - China, Japan, and the US - will know that the reality on the ground is different.
Secondly, everything you can say about America's rising health care costs can probably be said about Australia's as well. Can GDP grow fast enough to generate the tax revenues the government needs to support the Welfare state? Can it do so when the resource boom is over? It's not going to be easy. Expect higher taxes.
And what will China do? It's America's largest creditor. Will it sit idly by as the US racks up unpayable debts, or debts that can only be paid in a depreciated currency? Probably not.
Gold imports from Hong Kong were up 94% to an all-time high last year, Bloomberg reports. The mainland wants more gold. Bloomberg calculates that the mainland imported 834.5 metric tonnes of gold in 2012. December 2012 was a record month, with imports of 114,405 kilograms.
It's like there's a currency war on, or something.
China hasn't passed India as the world's largest gold consumer yet. But at this rate, and with rising per capita incomes, it will. We suspect that by the next time China announces its official gold reserves, it will be pretty difficult to buy gold for less than US $2,000/ounce.
for The Daily Reckoning Australia
From the Archives...
The RBA's Interest Rate Bait Isn't Attracting Many Bites
1-02-13 - Greg Canavan
A Prediction for 2013: Days of Abundant Natural Resources to Continue
31-01-13 - Chris Mayer
The Evolutionary Path of Boobus-Politicus
30-01-13 - Joel Bowman
The Unbalancing Act Happening in China's Economy
29-01-13 - Greg Canavan
Marginal Utility: Steps Toward a Better Life
26-01-13 - Jeffrey Tucker
- US-China Relations: War in 2013?
- How Welfare and Warfare are Stealing Your Wealth
- How China Will Defeat the US
- There Are More Millionaires in China Than France
- China is the New Number One
About the Author
Dan Denning is the author of 2005's best-selling The Bull Hunter (John Wiley & Sons). He began his financial publishing career in 1997 and has covered financial markets form Baltimore, Paris, London and, beginning in 2005 Melbourne. He’s the editor of The Daily Reckoning Australia and the Publisher of Port Phillip Publishing. | <urn:uuid:4b52d026-22ae-43c1-b1b0-496736702abc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/how-australia-china-relations-are-caught-in-the-monetary-battle-space/2013/02/06/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943595 | 1,452 | 1.726563 | 2 |
On 03/Sep/10 16:15, Hector Santos wrote:
Alessandro Vesely wrote:
Crypto stuff at connection time is a different ongoing task, which
may be useful in countering replay attacks in general. Joint
signatures and From-%-rewriting are two easier and more specific
techniques for describing how responsibility is transferred when a
message transforms into another. I mentioned them in this thread
because I deem they are worth being considered, each in its niche of
suitable use cases.
[Importance of From] said, I believe what you speaking of is when a mail bot
completely take over a message from an authorized or intentional
design basis. i.e. a newsletter, a newspaper article, a read only
forum, whatever, etc, messaging usages were the From: is less
important and more of a "global entity."
Yes, I'm speaking of cases where the From is being rewritten already.
Frankly, I don't like that the value of "From" be changed. However,
in the regrettable case it is changed, it doesn't hurt if it is
rewritten in a standardized way.
And how about joint signatures?
Let me ask you this, does this apply to a MLM serving a LIST such as
this one? IETF-DKIM? Should it be programmed to change it to?
Please refer to Charles' original proposal for details
NOTE WELL: This list operates according to | <urn:uuid:da279582-1135-4527-91fb-5b0804f86668> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mhonarc.org/archive/html/ietf-dkim/2010-09/msg00038.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900112 | 310 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Freedom in the World 2011 - Slovakia
|Publication Date||12 August 2011|
|Cite as||Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2011 - Slovakia, 12 August 2011, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e4518e513.html [accessed 18 May 2013]|
|Disclaimer||This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.|
Political Rights Score: 1 *
Civil Liberties Score: 1 *
The ruling populist Smer party won a plurality in June 2010 parliamentary elections, but the center-right Slovak Democratic and Christian Union-Democratic Party (SDKU-DS) formed a majority coalition with three smaller partners, and Iveta Radicová of the SDKU-DS became the country's first female prime minister. Supreme Court president Stefan Harabin resisted efforts at judicial reform during the year and continued his attacks on the press, filing a $290,000 libel suit against Rádio Expres. Meanwhile, the Radicová's government took steps to address corruption, including requiring that information related to state contracts be published online.
Czechoslovakia was created in 1918 amid the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Soviet forces helped establish a communist government after World War II. A series of peaceful anticommunist demonstrations in 1989 brought about the collapse of the communist regime, and open elections were held the following year. After another round of elections in 1992, negotiations began on increased Slovak autonomy within the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic. This process led to a peaceful dissolution of the federation and the establishment of an independent Slovak Republic in 1993.
From 1993 to 1998, Vladimír Meciar – who served twice as prime minister during this period – and his Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) dominated politics, flouted the rule of law, and intimidated independent media. In the 1998 parliamentary elections, voters rejected Meciar's rule and empowered a broad right-left coalition. The new parliament selected Mikulás Dzurinda as prime minister and worked to enhance judicial independence, combat corruption, undertake economic reforms, and actively seek membership in the European Union (EU) and NATO.
The HZDS led the 2002 parliamentary elections, but Dzurinda's Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) formed a center-right government with three other parties, allowing the country to complete reforms associated with EU and NATO membership. Slovakia formally joined both organizations in 2004.
Meciar lost the 2004 presidential election to a former HZDS ally, Ivan Gasparovic. The governing coalition fractured in February 2006 amid unpopular economic reforms, prompting early parliamentary elections in June. The leftist, populist Smer (Direction-Social Democracy)led the voting and formed an unusual coalition with the HZDS – now allied with the People's Party (LS) – and the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), raising concerns abroad that a government consisting of the left and right wings of Slovak politics could adopt destabilizing policies.
Following a corruption scandal involving the Slovak Land Fund in November 2007, Prime Minister Robert Fico of Smer dismissed the deputy director of the fund and the agriculture minister, who had been selected by the LS-HZDS. The ensuing conflict between Fico and Meciar almost broke up the coalition. In January 2008, the three opposition parties brought an unsuccessful no-confidence motion against Fico, accusing him of complicity in the corruption case.
Supported by Smer and the SNS, President Gasparovic won a second term in a two-round election held in March and April 2009, defeating sociologist Iveta Radicová of the SDKU (now allied with the Democratic Party, or DS) with 55 percent of the vote in the runoff.
Smer won the largest share of votes in parliamentary elections held in June 2010, taking 62 of the 150 seats. The SDKU-DS placed a distant second with 28 seats, followed by the center-right Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) with 22, the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) with 15, the new ethnic Hungarian party Most-Híd with 14, and the SNS with 9. For the first time since 1991, Meciar's party did not win any seats, having failed to reach the 5 percent vote threshold for representation. Despite Smer's plurality, the SDKU-DS was able to form a center-right majority in July with the SaS, the KDH, and Most-Híd, and Radicová became the country's first female prime minister. The new government pledged to tackle unemployment and reduce the large budget deficit.
Political Rights and Civil Liberties
Slovakia is an electoral democracy. The presidential election in 2009 and parliamentary elections in 2010 were considered free and fair. Voters elect the president for up to two five-year terms and members of the 150-seat, unicameral National Council (parliament) for four-year terms. The prime minister is appointed by the president but must have majority support in the parliament to govern. Slovakia's political party system is fragmented. The current governing parties are the SDKU-DS, the SaS, the KDH, and Most-Híd, while the opposition consists of Smer and the SNS.
In response to a law enacted in Hungary allowing Hungarians living abroad to apply for citizenship as of January 2011, the Slovak parliament amended the Citizenship Act in May 2010, pledging to revoke Slovak citizenship from those holding another citizenship. Ethnic Hungarians make up roughly 10 percent of Slovakia's population.
Corruption remains a problem in Slovakia, and protection for whistleblowers is poor. A new anticorruption law adopted in March 2010 allows state police and prosecutors to investigate the origin of anyone's assets if they amount to more than $630,000; assets of undetermined origin can be confiscated by the courts. The law drew criticism for placing the burden of proof on the defendant. A judge was convicted in April for accepting bribes during a 2005 real-estate dispute, and was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, marking the country's first successful prosecution of a judge for corruption. Multiple cases of corruption were exposed after Prime Minister Iveta Radicová took office in July 2010, including alleged misuse of EU and regional aid funds. The new government took some steps to correct its predecessor's lack of transparency regarding public procurement processes, initiating the online publication of information related to state contracts. Transportation Minister Ivan Svejna of Most-Híd resigned in October over an apparent conflict of interest involving state contracts awarded to his private consulting firm, Hayek Consulting. Radicová ordered the dismantling of the National Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (NADSME), which is accused of misplacing millions of dollars in state funds, and at year's end the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) was investigating NADSME's use of €50 million (approximately $72 million) in EU funding. Slovakia was ranked 59 out of 178 countries surveyed in Transparency International's 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index.
Slovakia's media are largely free but remain vulnerable to political interference. Journalists have faced an increasing number of verbal attacks and libel suits by public officials. In the run-up to the 2010 parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Robert Fico's government continued to pressure the state-owned public broadcaster, Slovak Television (STV), to provide favorable coverage of official events. In March, Slovakia's largest financial group, J&T, purchased Pravda, the country's second-largest daily; the firm had acquired a popular television station in 2007, raising concerns about ownership concentration. In May, the president of the Supreme Court, Stefan Harabin, sued Rádio Expres for approximately $293,000, accusing the station of falsely reporting that $47,900 in renovations had been made to his office restroom. The government does not limit access to the internet.
The government respects religious freedom. Registered religious organizations are eligible for tax exemptions and government subsidies. The Roman Catholic Church is the largest denomination and consequently receives the largest share of subsidies. A 2007 law requires religious groups to have at least 20,000 members to register, effectively excluding the small Muslim community and other groups. Academic freedom is respected in Slovakia.
Authorities uphold the rights to assemble peacefully, petition state bodies, and associate in clubs, political parties, and trade unions. In May 2010, Slovakia's first gay rights rally was attacked by neo-Nazi counterdemonstrators, and the police were widely criticized for failing to provide adequate security. In October, nearly 3,000 union members protested the government's proposed spending cuts and tax increases.
The constitution provides for an independent judiciary, and an independent Judicial Council oversees the assignment and transfer of judges. However, the court system suffers from corruption, intimidation of judges, and a significant backlog of cases. Harabin, the Supreme Court president, has been criticized for intimidating the media and unfairly disciplining reformist judges. In November 2010, Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska filed a complaint against Harabin with the Constitutional Court, accusing him of obstructing the Finance Ministry's efforts to carry out an audit of the Supreme Court. In response, the Supreme Court launched a criminal petition against Zitnanska for abuse of power, libel, and meddling with the court's independence. Both cases were pending at year's end.
Slovakia was criticized for its handling of high-profile immigration cases in early 2010. The country accepted three Guantanamo Bay detainees for resettlement in January 2010, but they were subsequently held in isolation under poor conditions in a camp for asylum seekers. Following a hunger strike by the three men in mid-June, they were awarded residency permits in July. Separately, in May, the government extradited Mustapha Labsi to his native Algeria, where he had been sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment on terrorism charges. Having already completed terrorism sentences in Britain and France, Labsi had sought political asylum in Slovakia, but was arrested in 2007 at Algeria's request. Both Slovakia's Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights had ruled against the repatriation, citing the likelihood that Labsi would face torture or other mistreatment in Algeria.
Roma, who make up some 10 percent of Slovakia's population, continue to experience widespread discrimination and inequality in education, housing, employment, public services, and the criminal justice system. Discriminatory practices include forced evictions and improper placement of Romany children in special education programs. Roma also face the persistent threat of racially motivated violence. In August 2010, six members of a Romany family were shot to death in their Bratislava apartment, apparently targeted for their ethnicity.
Although women enjoy the same legal rights as men, they continue to be underrepresented in senior-level business positions and in the government. Only 23 women hold seats in the 150-seat parliament, though Radicová became Slovakia's first female prime minister in 2010. Domestic violence is punishable by imprisonment but remains widespread. Romani women have been sterilized by doctors without their consent. Human trafficking from and through Slovakia, mainly for the purpose of sexual exploitation, is also a problem.
* Countries are ranked on a scale of 1-7, with 1 representing the highest level of freedom and 7 representing the lowest level of freedom. | <urn:uuid:27721c27-80eb-40ea-bdf3-65b2c794840e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?page=publisher&publisher=FREEHOU&type=&coi=SVK&docid=4e4518e513&skip=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963506 | 2,384 | 2.40625 | 2 |
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Urol Res [journal]
- Biomolecular mechanism of urinary stone formation involving osteopontin. [Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't]
- Urol Res 2012 Dec; 40(6):623-37.
Urinary stones consist of two phases-an inorganic (mineral) phase and an organic (matrix) phase. Studies on the organic components of kidney stones have been undertaken later than those on the inorganic components. After osteopontin was identified as one of the matrix components, the biomolecular mechanism of urinary stone formation became clearer. It also triggered the development of new preventive treatments. Osteopontin expression is sporadically observed in normal distal tubular cells and is markedly increased in stone-forming kidneys. Calcium oxalate crystals adhering to renal tubular cells are incorporated into cells by the involvement of osteopontin. Stimulation of crystal-cell adhesion impairs the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pores (mPTP) in tubular cells and produces oxidative stress, apoptosis, and osteopontin expression. Macrophages phagocytose and digest a small amount of crystals, but many crystals aggregate into a mass containing osteopontin and epithelial cell debris and are excreted into the renal tubular lumen, becoming nuclei of urinary stones. This biomolecular mechanism is similar to atherosclerotic calcification. Based on these findings, new preventive treatments have been developed. Dietary control such as low-cholesterol intake and the ingestion of antioxidative foods and vegetables have successfully reduced the 5-year recurrence rate. Osteopontin antibodies and cyclosporine A, which blocks the opening of mPTP, have markedly inhibited the expression of osteopontin and urinary stone formation in animal models.
- Renal tubular epithelial cell injury, apoptosis and inflammation are involved in melamine-related kidney stone formation. [Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't]
- Urol Res 2012 Dec; 40(6):717-23.
The objective of this study is to understand pathogenesis of melamine-related kidney stone formation. We investigated the characterization of renal tubular cell under exposure to a mixture of melamine and cyanuric acid in vivo. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were separated into two experimental groups. Treatment group was administered daily with a standard commercial diet mixing with melamine and cyanuric acid, and control group was given a normal diet. Rat kidney specimens were stained with hematoxylin/eosin and the crystals were examined using a polarizing microscope. Renal tubular epithelial cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Semiquantitative RT-PCR assay was performed to determine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA expression, a protein in response to various proinflammatory stimuli. Apoptotic cells were examined by TUNEL assay. Melamine-associated crystals formed in glomerulus and wide renal tubule segment including proximal convoluted renal tubules, distal convoluted renal tubules, the limb loops of Henle and medullary collecting ducts in the cortex and medulla. Light microscopy results showed that the crystals lead to tubular lumen dilatation and tubular epithelial cell necrosis. It was observed that nucleus of renal tubular epithelial cells became irregular outlines and condensed, lysosomal-related structures increased, and integrity of renal tubule was deficient under electron microscopy. Apoptotic cells were noted widely in cortex and medulla. MCP-1 mRNA expression was significantly increased in the melamine and cyanuric acid-administrated group. Renal tubular epithelial cell injury, apoptosis and inflammation are involved in melamine-related kidney stone formation. Our findings are important for understanding pathogenesis of melamine-related kidney stone formation and estimating its clinical prognosis.
- Role of 1 week of antibiotic prophylaxis before percutaneous nephrolithotomy. [Comment, Letter]
- Urol Res 2012 Dec; 40(6):805-6.
- What is the value of bone remodeling markers in patients with calcium stones? [Letter]
- Urol Res 2012 Dec; 40(6):803.
- Spontaneous stone passage: is it Ammi visnaga effect? [Letter]
- Urol Res 2012 Dec; 40(6):799-800.
Ammi visnaga was used in Ancient Egypt as an herbal remedy for renal colic. "Khellin", a chemical obtained from Ammi visnaga, was used as a smooth muscle relaxant and has been thought to have pleiotropic effects on urolithiasis. We report a case with multiple ureteral stone passages possibly as a result of medication with an herb preparation, Khellin.
- The technical details of treatment of kidney stone in children. [Letter]
- Urol Res 2012 Dec; 40(6):801-2.
- Flexible ureterorenoscopic management of upper tract pathologies. [Journal Article]
- Urol Res 2012 Dec; 40(6):639-46.
The last decade flexible ureteroscopy has progressed from an awkward diagnostic procedure with limited visualization to a precise surgical intervention allowing access to the entire collecting system. In this review, we present the current status and future perspectives of the ureterorenoscopic management of urolithiasis and non-stone-related upper tract pathologies.
- Effect of SWL on renal hemodynamics: could a change in renal artery contraction-relaxation responses be the cause? [Journal Article]
- Urol Res 2012 Dec; 40(6):775-80.
The aim of this study was to reveal the effect of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) on renal artery contraction-relaxation responses and the relation of this effect with renal hemodynamics. Twenty-four rabbits are divided into six different groups. The first two groups evaluated as the control groups. After isolating the kidneys, we applied phenylephrine (Ph) and acetylcholine (Ach) in the first group and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and histamine (H) in the second group. In the third, fourth, fifth and sixth groups, 14.5 kV shock wave (SW) was focused on the left kidneys. We adjusted the number of shocks to a total of 500, 1,500, and 3,000 SW, in the third, fourth and fifth groups, respectively. After isolating the kidneys, Ph, Ach was given in groups 3, 4 and 5. In the sixth group, to get the SNP and the H responses, 3,000 shocks modality was utilized. Marked contractile responses were obtained by phenylephrine in the control group. In kidneys that were exposed to 500 shocks SWL procedures, a decrease in contractile responses and hence, in perfusion pressures in different concentrations of phenylephrine was noted. However, a notable change in relaxation responses occurred after 3,000-shock applications. No difference in relaxation responses to nitroprusside, a direct vasodilating agent, was observed in any group, compared to the control group. Another cause of deterioration of renal hemodynamics after SWL can be attributed to the reduction in renal artery contraction-relaxation responses that result in the vascular smooth muscle and endothelial damage.
- Naftopidil and tolterodine in the medical expulsive therapy for intramural ureteral stones: a prospective randomized study. [Journal Article]
- Urol Res 2012 Dec; 40(6):757-62.
We performed a randomized, prospective study to assess the possible role of combined naftopidil and tolterodine for facilitating the spontaneous expulsion of intramural ureteral stones. A total of 76 patients with intramural ureter stones were included in the study from December 2007 to February 2011. Patients were randomized to one of three treatment groups. Group A patients received naftopidil 25 mg/day, group B patients received naftopidil 25 mg/day plus tolterodine 2 mg (twice a day), and group C patients received tolterodine 2 mg (twice a day). Both groups were followed up for 2 weeks. The stone expulsion rate and time and the number of pain episodes were obtained. Subjects rated the urgency associated with each micturition using the Urinary Sensation Scale (USS). Pain descriptions were recorded by the patients using the visual analog scale (VAS). A significant difference was shown for the expulsion rate between the group C and the other two groups (P < 0.001 by log rank test). In groups A, B and C, the mean number of pain episodes was 2.25 ± 0.90, 1.38 ± 1.37 and 1.54 ± 1.18, respectively. The USS score for groups A, B and C at 3 days was 2.32 ± 0.55, 1.4 ± 0.58 and 1.34 ± 0.49, respectively. It was 1.75 ± 0.44, 1.2 ± 0.41 and 1.22 ± 0.42, respectively, at 7 days. On the other hand, a statistically significant difference was found between groups A and B, and groups A and C in relation to the visual analog scale score on days 3 and 7, respectively. Treatment with naftopidil and tolterodine appears to be beneficial in intramural ureteral stones clearance, particularly in the intramural ureter with symptoms of vesical irritability. | <urn:uuid:d2a89524-d4c6-4786-b6e7-3eff8eebbd7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/journal/Urol_Res | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00047-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933307 | 2,070 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Since yesterday a number of people have asked how to build web servers as described in the below post. Load Balancing with the IBM Smart Cloud tutorial
This is super simple and is achieved in 7 steps once again this will be based on using SUSE Linux but the method is transferable to all mainstream Linux distro’s if you are using Windows look here. Using Apache HTTP Server on Microsoft Windows.
To start with download the latest version of the Apache Server at time of writing this was version 2.2 as 2.4 was still in beta
Next we need to pen the correct ports on the firewall this is OS dependent. SUSE uses yast and to get the advanced function we require to run this as root via sudo
Open port 80 if you are going to use the standard web port for your website
Once you have open the ports extract the apache download the file comes tared and gun zipped use
$tar –zxvf httpd-2.2.22.tar.gz
If you need a simple way of referencing Linux commands then try this The One Page Linux Manual
Once this has extracted change directory to http-2.2.22/
Once in run
This builds the Apache HTTPd source tree for your particular platform and personal requirements.
Now you can build the various parts which form the Apache HTTPd package by simply running the command:
Now install the server using
$sudo make install
Using sudo for this allows the installer to make directories and install files where idcuser doesn’t have permissions.
once this has completed its then just a case of starting the webserver for this we need to be in /usr/local/apache2/bin/ in here you can find the script required to start the web server run
$sudo apachectl start
This is also the script required to restart once the server has changed such as updates to htdocs.
Now test the server open any web browser and point it at the IP address or DNS name of the server you have just installed apache on and you should see the below message.
If this doesn’t work or times out 9 times out of 10 its an issue with the firewall so double check that port 80 is open.
I have recently been asked how to achieve load balancing on the IBM Smart Cloud as our customers endeavour to deploy more scale out web infrastructure. To this end I have written this tutorial to demonstrate the relative ease with which this can be accomplished at its basic level. Load balancing on the IBM Smart Cloud is achieved by using IBM’s approved load balancing ISV image Riverbeds Stingray Product. I’m going to demonstrate by using the Stingray image on the Smart Cloud global catalogue how http load balancing can be achieved in under an hour ( the majority of which is waiting for the image to provision on the Smart Cloud).
In this tutorial I assume that you are confident in using the Smart Cloud portal to provision Linux instances and that you are also confident in managing them through a product like Putty using key based authentication if not please see a previous post Deploying an Instance on the IBM public cloud
Installing the Load Balancer on SUSE Linux.
So lets get started. Login to the smart cloud and deploy the Stingray Traffic Manager image of your choice. I am going to chose SUSE 64bit as this is the version I prefer using.
Once deployed wait for the image to become active.
Once the image is active, SSH into the image and perform the list of actions below:
- Open ports required for the management of the load balancer $sudo /sbin/yast will open the systems management tool where you can open ports to enable web management. Port 9090 is required by the Stingray web management console. Port 80 is also required should you intend on load balancing HTTP web pages
- Once this is complete, perform the following commands as root. To gain root use $sudo su root
- Ensure you are the superuser.
- Run the installation script: /home/idcuser/stingray-install
- Run the configuration script: /usr/local/zeus/zxtm/configure
- Accept the license agreement
- When prompted for the license key enter: /tmp/stingray_devkey.txt
- Accept the default values for UNIX user and UNIX group
- When prompted with Would you like to restrict Stingray Traffic Manager management to one IP?, enter N
- When prompted for the cluster option enter C
- Enter a password for the Admin server when prompted. This password will be required to access the browser Administration interface.
- When prompted with Would you like Stingray Traffic Manager to start at boot time?, enter Y
- Verify the Traffic Manager starts (look for the message Starting Stingray Traffic Manager Software… OK)
- Connect to the Admin server at the URL provided at the completion of the configuration script. Username is admin and the password is the one specified in step 6. Please see below web admin address in box.
Once you have the address of the web admin console use this to connect to the login screen, enter the password you created during the setup. Once logged in you will see the screen below.
Configuring Simple HTTP Load Balancing.
For this part of the tutorial I assume that you have something to load balance. For this I am simply using two apache web servers running on SUSE Linux. These have one web page each in htdocs with WebServer 1 and WebServer 2, to demonstrate that load balancing is occurring. I have found this a great method of testing load balancing is working as expected, if you want to use these files please feel free to download them from here: Webserver load balancing test index.htlm
To configure load balancing start by gathering together the DNS names or IP address of the webservers intended to load balance. From here click on Services and select Pool. This defines the load balanced resources (web servers) that the load balancer uses.
I have configured the pool to monitor the webservers using Simple HTTP. However, there are a number of other options available to you. Once pool has been created add the second webserver and then click update.
Now Select Virtual Servers. We need to build a virtual web server which will be used as the point of entry to our load balanced web servers.
Start by giving the virtual server a name. Select the protocol which in this case is going to be HTTP, a port, which is 80, and then a pool which in this example is SmartCloud_LoadBalanced_Pool. Click create. Once this is created you can edit the load balancing settings. I have simply set this to round robin but you can setup load balancing based on link response time, weighted, predictive etc.
Go back to the home screen and click start in the services area that has appeared after setup. After a few seconds you will see the button you clicked go green and the Load balancer is up.
Now try accessing the web page you setup earlier, but use the load balancer DNS with HTTP. You should see the test webpage come up, refresh a couple more times and you will soon see the other web page demonstrating that requests are being sent to alternate web servers.
Hope this helps. We have really only scraped the surface of the product, so for more information check out the Riverbed website. Please feel free to leave comments.
Working today with a partner we ran into trouble while trying to workout the software licensing costs for Cognos. after a bit of digging found the below. Enjoy…
Taken from IBM Passport Advantage web site: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/lotus/passportadvantage/licensing_for_IBM_Cloud.html
The IBM SmartCloud Enterprise offering provides a hosted infrastructure service, including hardware, operating system, and services available on a pay as you go or reserved capacity basis. There are nine virtual machine (Instance) sizes available, and three licensing options for IBM customers to use IBM software. Customers can:
Access pre-configured virtual machine Images (Images) under the pay as you go (PAYG) option.
Access Images under the bring your own license (BYOL) option.
Bring and upload IBM software Programs under the bring your own software and license (BYOSL) option.
For more information about the IBM SmartCloud Enterprise service and the PAYG option, visit IBM SmartCloud Enterprise or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Customers can use software licenses, acquired under IBM’s International Passport Advantage or Passport Advantage Express Agreements (collectively PA or PA Program) with the IBM SmartCloud Enterprise service. For licensing requirements under either the BYOL or BYOSL use options, select the respective tab at the top of this webpage.
IBM Passport Advantage Customers can access or upload and install IBM Programs on Instances using Program licenses obtained from IBM. See the BYOL and BYOSL tabs for more information. For software Images and Programs which are licensed by Processor Value Unit (PVU), the Table of PVUs required per Instance below lists the number of PVU Entitlements required per software Image or Program for each IBM SmartCloud Enterprise (SCE) Instance size as of the Table publish date.
(a.) For more information about IBM Cloud Instances, visit IBM SmartCloud Enterprise .
(b.) Certain restrictions may apply; consult the BYOL or BYOSL tabs for additional licensing requirements for software Images or Programs, respectively.
Note: PVU licensing requirements per Instance are subject to change without notice.
IBM Cloud is available through IBM.com/cloud. This is the landing page for all IBM’s cloud service offerings both public, private and virtual private. Today we are going to take a look at depolying an instance from the IBM Smart Cloud Enterprise which we will refer to as SCE. SCE is IBM’s IaaS offering and can be used to provision instances based on a pre-defined list of images. We are Login to the SCE control panel by selecting Cloud portal login. If you don’t have an account send me an email at email@example.com. The IBM cloud as I posted below is not an EC2 or GoGrid type of cloud the IBM cloud is managed and charged in a more traditional method using the IBM reseller channel. This has its pro’s and its cons as you might imagine but the main reason for this is that unlike the other cloud providers mentioned above, IBM has rules of operation that do not allow them to host certain business types such as gambling or pornography. This also enables the traditional IBM business partner value add model. The video below is a brief introduction to getting started with the IBM SCE Cloud.
Introduction to getting started with the IBM SCE Cloud.
This video has been cut down but total deployment length is 20mins. come back soon to see how we implement overlay networks to provide global private network, load balancing and high availability.
Getting up and running with a useful cloud service has never been so simple
Bitnami (odd name but great service) have gone to the trouble of creating a large number of pre-built either packages or entire images that can be deployed as or to common Linux operating systems or Windows. The packages include Ruby on Rails, LAMP and WAMP, WordPress, Joumla and many others. The very variety and speed at which you can deploy a fully working website, blog or application makes them very attractive to people looking to deploy web services quickly and with little or no further customisation. I have experimented with a few packages now and run the very blog you are reading this post from on a bitnami WordPress package on Linux. with a few teaks…
BitNami Stacks make it incredibly easy to deploy your favorite open source software. BitNami Stacks include an open source application and all of the other software necessary to run it, such as Apache, MySQL, PHP or Ruby. All you need to do is select your deployment format of choice (Native Installer, Virtual Machine Image or Cloud Image) and either run the installation wizard or start the image. In just minutes, your new application will be ready to run. All Native Installers for the Stacks have been packaged using BitRock’s multiplatform installer.
There are other ways of using BitNami. If you choose to install a BitNami Stack natively on your system, you can download a base Stack and then use BitNami Modules for the added benefit of being able to install several applications on top of a single infrastructure stack. Learn more about BitNami modules. We also offer VMWare images and Cloud Images for most Linux-based stacks as a download option.
BitNami Application Stacks
IBM cloud comes in 4 different options 3 to buy as components and one as previously mentioned for use as an on demand solution. I would like to focus this post on the three options available to the so called cloud builders. The companies whom deem it beneficial to adopt an on premise solution. These fall into two categories. Cloud Service Providers and cloud users. Cloud users are defined as companies whom see that aligning business process with IT service delivery is going to make good ROI. Working in this way can considerably up utilization of available compute power. By turning IT into a cost center for an organization and not just a black hole of money can get some CFO’s giddy with delight. But it is critical then to provide services that meet business requirements. The whole thing falls down as soon as someone mentions the word cross charge! But it doesn’t have to be that way. Provide a solution billed by a temporal metric and you are truly onto a winner.
Cloud Service Providers or CSP’s are ISV or traditional ISP’s looking to take advantage of new markets for their businesses. To this end IBM has a solution that provides a proven platform (proven in that in forms the core of their cloud offerings) to host in the case of ISV’s their application and via a simple to use portal deploy scale and manage the application very much like a sales force.com approach or to become an IaaS or PaaS providers such as IBM SCE or Amazon EC2 this os more aimed at the ISP’s looking to diversify and enable new revenue streams | <urn:uuid:ca6ee7e8-ae8a-46b9-a80d-81e4b3c70fa3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.virtualfront.co.uk/?tag=smart-cloud | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906168 | 3,009 | 2.25 | 2 |
After her neighbor noticed that Sıhıkaan was in physical pain, she called the emergency services. When a medical team arrived they found that she had already lost her vital functions.
The funeral was held on Tuesday. Hüsnü Tuğrul, the head of the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) Salihli branch, attended the funeral. Sıhıkaan's body was buried in the Asri Cemetery in Manisa.
Ergün Kerey (24), Sıhıkaan's great-grandchild, said: “She would tell us about events of a hundred years ago in such a way that would make us feel like we were living them. The doctors performed a cranial CT scan and were shocked by what they discovered. The doctors told us that her brain had functioned like that of an 18-year-old girl.”
Sıhıkaan was born in Turkistan in 1890, but immigrated to Pakistan some time later. She moved from Pakistan to India, where she lost her husband and five children to an epidemic illness. In 1953 she immigrated to Turkey's Manisa.
She became a Turkish citizen in 2011 and, with her date of birth now official, became eligible to hold the title of “world's oldest person,” which was formerly held by US citizen Eunice Sanborn, who died at the age of 115 on Jan. 15, 2011. | <urn:uuid:346a102d-5bfd-44c4-bbcf-ab0ea124e902> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=258267 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.993437 | 303 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Grover Norquist. (Photo: Gage Skidmore / Flickr)
A recent lawsuit mounted by former UCLA chancellor Charles Young and former Ninth Circuit Appellate Justice William A. Norris brings renewed attention to California's 30-year-old Proposition 13.
The Norris/Young suit claims that Proposition 13, requiring a two-thirds vote of both houses of the California Legislature to increase taxes, is unconstitutional. The suit argues that Proposition 13 was a revision of the California Constitution, not a mere amendment.
Revisions are changes that fundamentally alter the structure of government, whereas amendments are just additions. Proposition 13 altered the government's constitutional authority to raise public funds. To be a valid revision, Proposition 13 would have had to pass with a supermajority in both houses of the California Legislature, and with a majority vote of the people. Because Proposition 13 received only a majority vote of the people, it must be stricken.
The Norris/Young lawsuit, along with a November 2011 statement by Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) that Grover Norquist, as the "thirteenth member" of the bipartisan supercommittee on fiscal reform, was responsible for its failure, raise two questions: Have Norquist pledge signers violated federal and state criminal laws? and, What is the connection between Proposition 13 and Norquist pledge signers in the California Legislature?
In the 112th Congress of the United States, 235 members of the House of Representatives and 41 members of the Senate have signed the pledge created by Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform. The pledge states :
I will: ONE, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses; and TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.
Norquist and his organization give political support to candidates who make the pledge and work to defeat candidates who do not. To assume office and be paid a salary, members of Congress must take an oath:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.
The Constitution of the United States, to which signers swear their true faith and allegiance, provides, in Article I, Section 8:
The Congress shall have the Power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and General Welfare of the United States ...
The Sixteenth Amendment says:
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes from whatever source derived ...
The preemptive and unconditional pledge to Norquist by each signer is a knowing and willful repudiation of Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution and the Sixteenth Amendment. The pledge to Norquist makes signers' oath of office to uphold the Constitution a fraud on the Congress and the American people. It is also a probable violation of federal criminal law.
Title 18, Section 1001, of the United States Code says that whoever willfully makes any false statement or representation in any matter coming within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch of the government of the United States shall be fined or imprisoned for not more than five years. Section 1001 specifically applies to claims for payment of money submitted to Congress. Accordingly, by fraudulent oath of office, Norquist signers claim Congressional salaries in violation of Section 1001.
Norquist signers in the California Legislature pledge that they will "oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes." To assume office and be paid a salary, they must swear an oath to uphold both the federal and state constitutions. But the California Constitution says, in Article 13, Section 31:
The power to tax may not be surrendered or suspended by grant or contract.
In view of their pledge to Americans for Tax Reform, signers make a false oath of office, because they have surrendered their power to tax to Norquist, in violation of Section 31. The California Government Code makes each Norquist signer's false oath of office an act of perjury, punishable by imprisonment for two, three, or five years.
Considering the party composition of the California Legislature, the close connection between the Norquist pledge signers and Proposition 13's requirement of a two-thirds majority in both houses to increase taxes becomes clear. The California Senate is composed of 40 members, 15 of whom are Republicans and signers of the Norquist pledge. The California Assembly has 80 members, 28 of whom are Republicans, 25 of whom have signed the pledge. Norquist controls 37 percent of the Senate and 31 percent of the Assembly.
With Norquist pledge signers in place, the two-thirds supermajority required to raise taxes can never be achieved. Under the requirements of Proposition 13, Norquist controls the revenue lifeblood of the California republic. He is the unelected, dictatorial member of the California Legislature. He is the reason there are annual budget crises in Sacramento. He is the cause of the crumbling infrastructure of California. He and his signers have starved public safety services and educational opportunities for Californians.
If the Norris/Young lawsuit succeeds in removing the Proposition 13 supermajority rule, the State of California can once again exercise its constitutional authority to raise revenues for the public good, to restore infrastructure, public safety services and educational opportunities for Californians. In the meantime, the voters should remove the Norquist signers from office, because they are the enemies of constitutions and the people. | <urn:uuid:c32f82f4-440a-45a8-96ae-086a8bcacea8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/6694:legislators-who-sign-the-antitax-norquist-pledge-are-enemies-of-the-people-and-the-constitution | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00057-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94402 | 1,176 | 2.34375 | 2 |
NASA is so giddy about Mars it's already planning a trip for 20168/21/2012
NASA's Curiosity rover hasn't even been on Mars for a month, and already the Jet Propulsion Laboratory team is preparing to send another probe to the Red Planet. The team is planning to launch the awesomely acronymed InSight (Interior exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) in 2016 to explore whether Mars has a liquid or solid core and why its surface isn't made up of plates the way Earth's is. And it's going to be done on a budget — that is, if you consider a price tag of $425 million a deal. We can only wonder what Bobak Ferdowsi's next viral hairstyle will be. [Source]
What planet do you think NASA should explore next? | <urn:uuid:33efce1d-b7c3-4052-ba53-12125580bf3c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://now.msn.com/nasa-plans-to-send-insight-rover-for-next-mars-landing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903818 | 174 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The winning design adds to Henning Larsen Architects’ recent string of successful bids – the eminent Danish firm also won a competition to design a new theater and zoo entrance in Emmen. Their concept for the Nordea Bank, while visually very different, incorporates similar stylistic innovations and holistic sustainable design solutions. To ensure the energy efficiency of the new bank, HLA simulated energy consumption through studies of “volumes, materials, room heights, light and shadow, noise, wind and feasibility of indoor and outdoor spaces.” Once solar cell systems are installed, the building will have an energy consumption of 18.8 kWh per meter squared per year.
Working with landscape architects SLA and with workspace design by Signal Architects, HLA have applied their holistic approach to the building’s interaction with both those outside on the street, and the many workers who will fill the 40,000 sq meter structure. Organized as a “city — offering quiet, more intimate places as well as squares and streets full of life and activity,” the bank’s first stage of construction will consist of two buildings placed atop one single open-plan ground floor base. Office floors are placed on higher levels of the minimal structure so as to ensure the openness and walk-ability of the complex as workers navigate between buildings and greenery filled spaces. The exterior of the structure will feature a sloping park landscape across the south facade of the building. HLA’s Design Director, Louis Becker explained “Nordea’s new building interacts with the city, opens up and invites for activity at different levels. It will be a place in the City that offers activity inside as well as outside.”
The upper level offices are similarly versatile. Comprised of open-plan offices and private meeting spaces, they provide a range of working spaces to allow individuals access to the environment which best suits their style and needs. Light-filled rooms are carefully shaded to ensure energy-efficiency while providing natural surroundings for the 1800-2200 employees of the financial institution who will work in the new facility. The jury for the invitational competition declared that Henning Larsen Architects‘ winning design “relates to the urban context and in all ways constitutes a beautifully designed and convincing office building. The proposal is innovative and challenges the surroundings and Nordea, but also to a certain degree represents a both recognisable and robust architecture.” Work on the new Nordea Bank is scheduled to begin next year, with inauguration planned for 2016.
All images © Henning Larsen Architects | <urn:uuid:232601a3-a2a2-4f7a-a332-d50977dccc44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://inhabitat.com/henning-larsen-unveils-plans-for-leed-platinum-nordea-bank-with-scandinavias-largest-trading-floor/henning-larsen-nordea-orestad-3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943701 | 526 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Thousands of homeless bats near Sacramento, California, have a new and improved luxury roost to once again call their own.
The Franklin Boulevard Bridge, built of massive redwood timbers in 1950, was part of an important farm-to-market route between Sacramento and San Joaquin counties. It was also home to one of the largest bat maternity colonies in northern California, with estimates ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 bats of five species – until the Mokelumne River flooded in 1997.
Damage was so extensive that the bridge had to be closed and replaced. But the displaced bats – mostly Mexican free tails, but also some big brown bats and three Myotis species – discovered that they had a lot of friends in high places.
From the very beginning, plans called for replacing the wooden bridge with a new, bat-friendly concrete bridge. Project Manager Antonia Barry of the Sacramento County Department of Environmental Review and Assessment said protecting the bats was a priority for farmers in the area and for the state’s Agricultural Extension Office.
That just makes good economic sense. “One free-tailed bat can easily eat 20 female corn earworm moths in a night, and each of those moths can lay as many as 500 eggs, potentially producing 10,000 crop-damaging caterpillars,” Barry said. “Even small bat colonies can have a positive impact on agriculture.”
Bat Conservation International joined forces with Sacramento County, San Joaquin County, the California Department of Fish and Game, The Nature Conservancy, volunteers and private landowners to relocate the bats. Six extra-large bat condos built by Maberry Centre Bat Homes were installed adjacent to the bridge in 1999, along with three four-foot-wide nursery houses, to provide temporary accommodations until the new bridge could be completed.
Over the following three years, the bats were painstakingly excluded from thousands of nooks and crannies in the timber bridge. As many as 3,000 bats used the bat houses at various times, but the whereabouts of the vast majority remained unknown. Many apparently left the area to find new roosts.
When the old bridge was demolished in July 2003, no one knew how many bats would accept the new bridge as home. But in fact, bats began moving into the new concrete bridge that fall – while it was barely half-completed. Bats returned last March and their numbers grew throughout the year. By summer, as many as 10,000 bats were roosting under the new bridge, which won’t be opened to traffic until 2005.
The underside of the concrete bridge was built with a series of slots, 13 inches deep, that provide about 13,600 feet of linear roost space – about 2.5 miles of bat habitat that could potentially house up to 680,000 bats. | <urn:uuid:a45e2999-1d11-469b-9127-d581b23b4f42> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.batcon.org/index.php/media-and-info/e-newsletter.html?task=_viewArticle&ArticleID=998 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975447 | 582 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Dr. Greene, my 7-week-old son hasn’t pooped in three days. All he gets is breast milk. Is this normal? Is he constipated? I’ve heard both. If he is constipated, what should I do? Sometimes he acts like he’s about to poop, his face gets red and he strains, but nothing comes out. Otherwise he’s fine — including his nursing. Thanks in advance.
Dr. Greene’s Answer:
As long as your son is in diapers, every single poop will be right there for you to see when the diaper is changed. During these years, the stools undergo several changes. The first poops are the thick, sticky, tarry meconium stools that consist partly of old skin cells that are shed and then swallowed while the baby is still inside you. During the first week these give way, in breast-fed babies, to soft, yellow, breast-milk stools. These usually look like yellow mustard with little seeds. By the time a baby is one week old, he has an average of 8 to 10 of these pleasant (as stools go) stools each day.
You can imagine that if these were 8 to 10 stinky stools, or if even the pleasant (as stools go) stools kept up at this pace, changing diapers would get real old real fast.
For most breast-fed babies, the number drops to about 4 per day by 4 weeks old (although many kids have a different pattern). Formula-fed babies usually stool less often at this age, and the stools do not change much with time until solid foods are introduced (because unlike breast milk, formula doesn’t change over time). Formula-fed stools are often tan or yellow at this stage, and a little firmer than breast-milk stools. For any baby, tan, yellow, green, or brown stools can all be normal. By 8 weeks old, the average drops to 1 per day. Most formula-fed babies will not go less often than daily, but many breast-fed kids will poop even less often than this. I know many babies who only go every three days. If a happy formula-fed baby goes 4 days, or a breast-fed baby goes 7 days without a stool, I recommend that he or she be checked once by a pediatrician. If the child seems to be in pain, has vomiting, or has blood in the stool, he should be seen by the pediatrician immediately. Otherwise, it can be completely normal to go only once every eight days — as long as the stool is soft when it comes out. Breast milk is an amazing food that leaves very little in the way of waste.
Babies will strain from time to time to move the stool along through the intestines. If you want to do something when babies grunt, push, or strain, try picking them up to get gravity to help them in their efforts, or try holding the knees against the chest to help them “squat” — the natural poop position. Straining is usually normal. Crying while straining may be a sign of constipation.
When a child is constipated, the stool in the intestines has backed up more than it should. What “more than it should” means varies depending on the age of the child and the diet. The longer stool sits in the colon, the more water is absorbed back into the body. When a child is constipated the stool tends to be hard, and passing it tends to be painful.
Stool that is hard (firmer than peanut butter) or foul smelling (you’ll know) in a child who has not yet had solid foods may represent something as simple as needing more to drink (especially during hot weather), but it may also be the sign of a disease. Contact your pediatrician to discuss the situation. If the baby is otherwise healthy, one teaspoon of light *Karo syrup in 4 ounces of water will often get things back on track. Also, contact your pediatrician if the baby is less than a month old and hasn’t gone for 4 days. When kids begin to take baby food, the stools change once again. They may be either softer or firmer, but they will likely smell worse (kids also smile and laugh more at this age, more than making up for the unpleasantness). Most children’s intestines are very responsive to the foods they eat.
Bananas, rice cereal and applesauce all tend to produce firmer stools. Carrots and squash are constipating for some babies. Pears, peaches, plums, apricots, peas and prunes make stools softer. By balancing the diet, you can often keep the stools comfortably mid-range. If the stools are still too firm, juice is the gentlest medicine to soften them up. Two ounces of apple juice twice a day is a good bet. If this doesn’t work, prune juice is even better. Also, when your son is straining you might want to put him in a tub of warm water. This will relax his muscles and make the stool easier to pass.
Glycerin suppositories can be very helpful if diet and juice don’t work, but constipation that is stubborn enough to make these optimal should be discussed with your pediatrician. The same holds true for baby laxatives (hint: if your pediatrician does recommend a laxative, unprocessed bran, 1/2 teaspoon mixed with food twice a day is much cheaper than Maltsupex, and about as effective).
For most breast-fed babies, a 3-day break from dirty diapers is a reason to celebrate, not a cause for alarm. It’s nature’s reminder that breast milk is the perfect food for babies — or more broadly, that giving of yourself is a perfect gift for your child. This normal poop-pause is also a little foretaste of what life will be like when there are no more dirty diapers!
*Note: Children under age 1 should not eat honey because of the risk of infant botulism. Today, corn syrups are manufactured under sanitary conditions to prevent this, but the manufacturers do not make any guarantees. Of course, neither can I. The 2009 AAP Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases states, “Manufacturers of light and dark corn syrups cannot ensure that any given product will be free of botulism spores, but no case of infant botulism has proved to be attributable to consumption of contaminated corn syrup.”
Last reviewed: August 08, 2011 | <urn:uuid:7c9dffed-f76c-4ed8-9a64-19ed82492ec5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.drgreene.com/qa-articles/babies-constipation/?pagination=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00033-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956639 | 1,392 | 1.851563 | 2 |
Viticulture - n. : the cultivation or culture of grapes
Enology - n. :a science that deals with wine and wine making
The V&E Department combines the sciences of viticulture and enology in a single research and teaching unit that encompasses all of the scientific disciplines that impact grape growing and winemaking. For over one hundred years the University of California has maintained an active and productive program in research and education in viticulture and enology. The continuing excellence of the Department has enabled California growers and vintners to develop practices that have allowed the Golden State to achieve its potential and become a premier wine-producing region.
Leon D. Adams Scholarship
Leon D. Adams was a wine historian by title, but he was also a sharp wine judge and great wine writer. Many considered Adams to be the "Dean of American wine writers." Adams penned two seminal volumes on wine: Wines in America and The Commonsense Book of Wine. He firmly believed that Americans should drink wine with meals, and further believed that America would not become of age as a wine drinking nation until wine became as cheap as milk. Adams passed away in 1995, at the age of 95.
The Leon D. Adams Research Scholarship was established in 1985 by the members of the Society of Medical Friends of Wine to commemorate the leadership provided by Mr. Adams since 1938 in establishing progra... | <urn:uuid:357d277d-e223-43bf-a8a3-b6933e3d07cb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/index.php?date=1352971840 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968481 | 279 | 2.359375 | 2 |
The Youth Futures program in Beit Shean City and Regional Council has a strong partnership with the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, the Jewish Agency and the local municipalities. The joint Advisory Committee is very involved in everything regarding the planning and implementation of Youth Futures in the region.
The Youth Futures Program in Beit Shean and the Beit Shean Valley Regional Council addresses the needs of 200 children ages 6-13. Of these children there are 20 new immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and 10 from Ethiopia.
There are 15 Trustees working in Beit Shean who live in the local area. 4 are from the Ma'ale Gilboa community and divide their time between studying in the Yeshiva and educational tasks; their goal being to integrate into the community with educational roles. The rest of the Trustees are local young people who have returned to their hometown after completing degrees in the center of Israel.
The Trustees meet formally with each child weekly on both an individual basis and on a group basis at the schools. One of our Trustees has initiated a "wish letter" project in her own group of children. Each child writes her a letter with one wish, and the Trustee makes it come true on that child's birthday.
The Mayor and the Heads of the Education and Welfare Departments are extremely supportive and work together well. They have marketed the program in Beit Shean and have opened any doors needed ensuring complete cooperation of their departments. | <urn:uuid:811ea32b-d10b-4ef1-b7f5-4baafca3e71e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Israel/YouthFutures/YFArea/Beitshean | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959359 | 298 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Today’s courthouse shooting in Delaware is a grim reminder that courthouse violence is on the rise. Attorney General Bob Ferguson is working with lawmakers to help him extend protections to all who access our justice system.
“All citizens should feel safe and have equal protections when they access our courts—victims and defendants, witnesses and jurors alike,” Ferguson said. “I am joining lawmakers from both parties to request increased penalties for violence in and around our judicial buildings.”
According to the Center for Judicial and Executive Security (CJES), the number of acts of courtroom violence nationwide per year have increased four-fold since the 1970s. A 2011 CJES report, “Disorder in the Courts,” chronicled 50 incidences of violence nationally in 2010 and 67 more in 2011—for a combined two-year total higher than any previous decade.
Washington is no exception to court violence. Last March, a man stabbed and shot a sheriff’s deputy at the Grays Harbor County Courthouse in Montesano before stabbing a judge who came to her aid. Earlier this year, a man assaulted a plainclothes detective in a Kent Courthouse after the detective asked him to stop intimidating witnesses. The assailant claimed he did not know he was assaulting a detective. He just thought he was attacking “some guy in a suit.”
SB 5484 and HB 1653 extend protections passed in 2011 to all visitors to Washington courthouses. The bill:
• Increases the penalty for misdemeanor assault in and around a courthouse to a felony – regardless of the victim; and
• Makes a committing a felony in and around a courthouse – regardless of the victim – an aggravating factor for a judge to consider during sentencing.
The measure is sponsored by a bi-partisan list of legislative leaders in both the House and the Senate, and it is garnering wide support from law enforcement, prosecutors and victims’ advocates alike.
“Courthouses by their very nature attract controversy—and angry, disgruntled and desperate people often resort to violence when faced with this controversy,” said Adam Kline, D-Seattle, prime sponsor of SB 5484 and ranking member of the Senate Law & Justice Committee. “People should feel safe when they enter the halls of justice—and not just because they are a judge or a court worker.”
“Statistics prove that the most dangerous and deadly period in a domestic violence relationship is when a victim tries to leave,” said Trese Todd of Thrivers Action Group, a group of domestic violence survivors who advocate for change. “Domestic abuse is tragic - but stalking after separation adds an element of trauma/terror that few can imagine. Many survivors literally disappear from friends and family forever. In fact, a court appearance may be the one and only place where an unhinged individual could find and confront a former victim. Domestic violence survivors are more sensitive to safety, and frequently interact with the judicial system. Obviously, a safe courthouse is critical.”
Carissa Daniels, a domestic violence survivor speaking under a pseudonym, agrees.
“As a survivor of domestic violence, every time I go to the courthouse, I am dealing with a huge amount of stress,” Daniels said. “It's not just dealing with the system that is frightening. It’s the knowledge that my abusive ex has the right to be there, and that if he shows up, I will be engaging in a game of Russian roulette. I never know if today will be the time he will go off. I need to know that the courts take his threats and his history of violence seriously, that law enforcement will do what is necessary to protect me, and will deal with any assaults or violations of the law immediately and decisively. Not taking the threat of violence seriously endangers everyone in the courthouse.”
HB 1653, sponsored by Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland, Rep. Mike Hope, R-Lake Stevens, and others is scheduled for a hearing before the House Public Safety Committee at 8 a.m. on Feb. 12 in House Hearing Room D of the John L. O’Brien Building .
“As Chair of the Public Safety Committee, I understand the need for witnesses, victims, defendants and their families to be protected in our courthouses,” Goodman said. “This bill makes it clear that violence in our courthouses will not be tolerated.”
“Working in law enforcement, I’ve seen firsthand the tension and frustration some people feel when accessing our justice system,” said Hope, a 14-year veteran of the Seattle Police Department. “This bill will send a message that no matter how upset one might be, violence is not acceptable in our courthouses.”
SB 5484, sponsored by Kline, Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, and others will be heard by the Senate Law and Justice Committee at 8 a.m. on Feb. 15 in Senate Hearing Room 2 of the John A. Cherberg Building.
“Victims, witnesses and jurors already often find courthouses intimidating,” said Padden, who served 12 years as a district court judge in Spokane before returning to the Legislature and who now chairs the Senate Law & Justice Committee. “They should know that anyone who tries to harm them will be held accountable.” | <urn:uuid:25fe1e91-4526-461e-88c6-4235199fb41a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lakestevensjournal.com/county-state/article.exm/2013-02-15_courthouse_security_bills_scheduled_for_hearing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951527 | 1,120 | 1.757813 | 2 |
A modern dictionary of Catholic terms, both common and obscure. Find accurate definitions of words and phrases.
Seats originally on the south side of a sanctuary for the officiating clergy during the Eucharistic liturgy. Already found in the catacombs where one stone seat was placed at the side of the altar. THe new Order of the Mass prescribes: "The celebrant's chair should draw attention to his presiding over the community and leading its prayer. Hence the place for it is in the apex of the sanctuary, facing the people . . . Seats for others with special duties in the sanctuary should be in places convenient for their functions" (Ordo Missae, IV, 271). (Etym. Latin sedilia, seat, from sedere, to sit.)
All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission. | <urn:uuid:d443c243-a9a2-4714-8542-8e0b2eb9da44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=36378 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00072-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935118 | 187 | 2.609375 | 3 |
MiddLab is a new section of Middlebury’s website with no precedent: an academic network, uniting all of the… blah, blah blah.
Truth is, MiddLab has been hard for us to explain ever since we heard the idea. A research network featuring discussions and blogs, and linking together disciplinary themes? How does that work? Rather than write a manifesto, here is what we’re trying to accomplish with MiddLab.
- Make research easy to discover. If you want to know what student and faculty research is going on in a department, you shouldn’t have to know where their papers are published or the address of the project’s web site. Instead, these should be one or two clicks from our home page.
- Show connections between research. Whether researching the population growth of trees in Biology or the population density of people in Geography, projects share themes and people interested in the topic can easily explore both.
- Start a discussion. We encourage and recommend that you add comments to the projects on this site. Ask questions, suggest new research, or explain why you disagree with the conclusions. You can add your thoughts to any project page on MiddLab, explore the individual blogs for some projects, or contact the researchers directly.
- Provide space for research and the sciences on our site. We’ll be expanding this site to feature more presentations from the Spring Research Symposium and research projects in our science departments. Though MiddLab is open to any student, faculty or staff projects, these are areas where we know we’re not offering enough information on our site and would like to use MiddLab to expand.
We aren’t sure these are the right goals for our site. We’d like to hear from people: what would you like to see in MiddLab? What parts of this site work toward these goals and which don’t? Leave your thoughts by commenting on this page. | <urn:uuid:584319d1-5b9e-44ad-b4dd-25790c0dca8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sites.middlebury.edu/middblogs/tag/blogging/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931283 | 407 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Newly discovered fossils from Northern Kenya suggest that a new species of early human lived two million years ago, leading scientists to believe that there were at least two distinct Homo species that co-existed alongside the one that eventually evolved to become modern humans.
Researchers, reporting in the journal Nature, believe that the recently unearthed fossils were remnants that belonged to the same species as the 2-million-year-old skull named KNM-ER 1470, which they have named Homo rudolfensis.
"For the past 40 years we have looked long and hard in the vast expanse of sediments around Lake Turkana for fossils that confirm the unique features of 1470's face and show us what its teeth and lower jaw would have looked like," Anthropologist Meave Leakey said in a news release. "At last we have some answers."
While the newly found partial skull and two jawbones that are between looked very different from modern humans, researchers were able to match the 1.78-to-1.95-million-year-old fossils to the nearly complete cranium found in 1972 that paleoanthropologists have struggled for decades to fit into the human family tree.
Researchers said that together the new fossils and the enigmatic skull found 40 years ago illustrate a pre-human species that is clearly distinct from two others identified from fossils of the same period.
Researchers said that the skull of the Homo rudolfensis is noticeably different compared to skulls from other species from that time, readily distinguished by its large brain size and long flat face.
For decades, the skull was the only example of the species, so it was impossible for scientists to conclude whether the skull belonged to an individual that was an unusual specimen or a member of a new species.
However with the discovery of the three new fossils, anthropologists can now confirm that the H.rudolfensis was really a distinct pre-human species that existed alongside other species of human ancestors around two million years ago.
"Combined, the three new fossils give a much clearer picture of what 1470 looked like," researcher Fred Spoor said in a statement. "As a result, it is now clear that two species of early Homo lived alongside Homo erectus. The new fossils will greatly help in unraveling how our branch of human evolution first emerged and flourished almost two million years ago."
For a while scientists believed that the oldest known human ancestor was thought to be the 1.8-million-year-old Homo erectus, a primitive species with small heads, prominent brows and stood upright.
However, researchers discovered 50 years ago that an even older and more primitive species of human called Homo habilis may have lived alongside with the Homo erectus, and now it appears that the Homo rudolfensis was also co-existed with the two previously discovered species, leading scientists to question whether many other pre-human species also existed at the time.
The latest discovery adds to the growing body of evidence that contradicts the general belief of linear evolution that humans evolved from apes that evolved from monkeys in a smooth linear progression.
Instead, researchers said that human origins appear to be more complex because fossils of different pre-human species, including the recently confirmed Homo rudolfensis show that there was diversity early on in the evolution of the human species.
"Our past was a diverse past," Leakey told BBC News, "our species was evolving in the same way that other species of animals evolved. There was nothing unique about us until we began to make sophisticated stone tools."
Human evolution may followed the evolutionary course of many other animals where many different species evolve, each with new traits like feathers or webbed feet, and if the new trait ensured better survival in the environment than the new species thrives, and if not it becomes extinct.
"Humans seem to have been evolving in different ways in different regions. It was almost as if nature was developing different human prototypes with different attributes, only one of which, an ancestor of our species, was ultimately successful in evolutionary terms," said Professor Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London, according to BBC.
Published by Medicaldaily.com | <urn:uuid:d5656fc4-2d0b-4e6a-8d5e-fbcf4a611244> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/11385/20120808/human-evolution-homo-rudolfensis-science-species-skull-africa.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969823 | 849 | 3.84375 | 4 |
If you’ve ever dropped your phone into the toilet before fret not, because you’re not the only one who’s ever done it. In fact, the toilet bowl is one of the most popular destinations for water damage to occur on a cellphone – at least in the UK. A recent survey from a UK mobile phone comparison website discovered that half of all water-damaged mobile phones in the UK have been dropped in the toilet.
It looks like rain water, and other natural elements are just as hazardous as the water from your own though the danger of the toilet is probably increased due to the fact that people feel more at ease at home and are likely to be more careless with their possessions. Other locations where phones suffer water damage: in a drink (or a drink spilled onto it), in the bath or shower, in the kitchen sink and of course forgetting to take it out of a pocket before sending the pants into a washing machine.
I guess you can never go wrong with having some phone insurance these days. How many of you have damaged your phones with water before? Any interesting stories to share?
BlackBerry Founder Has High Hopes From BBM On Rival Platforms
Verizon Announces Viva Movil Phone Retailer With Jennifer Lopez
Nokia Announces Partnership With Man Of Steel Movie
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IEEE Software, Vol. 13, No. 6, December 1996
Keep It Simple
If Alexander the Great could conquer the known world by the time he was 18
years old, you would think that grown adults could conquer the little bits
of complexity contained in the taupe-colored boxes by their desks.
Unfortunately, this "little bit of complexity" isn't as little as some
people assume. Computing is the only profession in which a single mind is
obliged to span the intellectual distance from a bit to a few hundred
megabytes, a ratio of 109, or nine orders of magnitude. The immensity of
this ratio is staggering. As Edsgar Dijstra says, "Compared to that number
of semantic levels, the average mathematical theory is almost flat. By
evoking the need for deep conceptual hierarchies, the automatic computer
confronts us with a radically new intellectual challenge that has no
precedent in our history" ("On the Cruelty of Really Teaching Computer
Science," Communications of the ACM, December 1989).
At the 1972 Turing Award Lecture, Dijkstra argued that most of programming
is an attempt to compensate for the strictly limited size of our skulls—to
manage the enormous complexity associated with modern software systems ("The
Humble Programmer," Communications of the ACM, October 1972). A certain
amount of software complexity is inherent in the problems we try to solve,
but a large part depends as much on the nature of the solution as the
problem. The best solutions are those created by people who realize just how
small their skulls are and tailor their solutions accordingly.
Hierarchies and Abstraction
Two of the most effective general means of managing complexity are the use
of hierarchies and abstractions.
A hierarchy is a tiered, structured organization in which a problem space
is divided into levels that are ordered and ranked. In a hierarchy, you
handle different details at different levels. The details don't go away
completely; you simply push them to a different level so that you can think
about them when you want to rather than all at the same time. Hierarchies
come into play most obviously in the module hierarchy of a functional
design, but they also come into play in inheritance hierarchies in
object-oriented design, nested data-structures, and in many other cases.
Using hierarchies comes naturally to most people. When people draw a
complex object, such as a house, for example, they draw it as a hierarchy.
First they draw the outline of the house, then the windows and doors, then
additional details, as desired (Herbert Simon, The Sciences of the
Artificial, MIT Press, 1969). They don't draw the house brick-by-brick,
shingle-by-shingle, or nail-by-nail.
Abstraction is also a mean of reducing complexity by handling different
details at different levels. Any time you work with an aggregate entity,
you're working with an abstraction. If you refer to an object as a "house"
rather than a combination of glass, wood, and nails, you're making an
abstraction. If you refer to a collection of houses as a "town," you're
making another abstraction. Abstraction is a more general concept than
hierarchy. It can reduce complexity by spreading details across a loose
network of components, for example, rather than among a hierarchy’s strictly
Programming productivity has advanced largely through increasing the
abstractness of program components. Fred Brooks argues that the biggest
single productivity gain ever made in software development arose from the
move from machine language to higher-level languages. That move freed
programmers from worrying about the detailed quirks of individual pieces of
hardware and allowed them to focus on programming ("No Silver
Bullets—Essence and Accidents of Software Engineering," Computer, April
More recently, the advent of visual programming environments has greatly
reduced the complexity associated with creating GUI applications. Visual
programming environments allow programmers to work at a level of abstraction
at which they can forget about many GUI-related housekeeping details and
focus on the particulars of the application itself.
Neither hierarchies nor abstractions reduce the total number of details in
a program—they might actually increase the total number. Their benefit
arises from organizing details in such a way that fewer details have to be
considered at any particular time.
Focusing on the goal of minimizing complexity yields significant design
Subsystem design. At the software-architecture level, the
complexity of the problem can be reduced by dividing a system into
subsystems. The more independent you make the subsystems--the more strictly
you separate their concerns—the more you reduce complexity, and the more you
enable programmers to focus on one thing at once.
Classes and modules. Without classes or modules, the
traditional advice to keep individual routines short becomes a double-edged
sword. Keeping routines short helps a reader to understand each individual
routine, but it tends to multiply the number of routines system-wide, which
makes the system harder to understand as a whole.
Classes and modules, and for that matter subsystems, are helpful
complexity-reduction tools because they provide an intermediate level of
aggregation between individual routines and entire systems. With classes and
modules, you can keep routines short, but combine them into meaningful
groups to keep complexity from exploding at the whole-system level.
Cohesion and coupling. The structured design guideline to
build programs with strong cohesion and loose coupling arises from the need
to manage complexity. The more loosely coupled two routines or classes are,
the fewer interactions are possible and the less complex their relationship
is. The stronger the cohesion of a routine, the neater a mental package it
fits into, and the less your brain has to remember and account for in the
operation of the code inside that routine.
Fan-out. The classic advice to limit "fan-out" (the number
of routines a routine calls) to 5 to 9 might seem arbitrary until you
realize that the underlying motivation for the advice is to limit the
complexity that a programmer has to contend with at any one time. The
computer is capable of handling virtually any degree of fan-out; it’s the
human software developer with the small skull who needs a limit on the
number of possibilities that have to be considered simultaneously.
Information hiding. Information hiding is the practice of
hiding design and implementation details behind abstract routine, module,
and class interfaces. From a complexity viewpoint, information hiding is
perhaps the most powerful design heuristic because it explicitly focuses on
hiding details, which ipso facto reduces a program’s complexity when viewed
from any particular point of view.
Focusing on complexity reduction also helps to cut through many
historically nettlesome coding issues.
Global data. The existence of global data introduces the
possibility that virtually any part of a program can interact with any other
part of a program through their operations on the same data. The use of even
a few global variables dramatically increases the complexity that a human
reader has to deal with when trying to understand a program, and for that
reason use of global data compromises the programmer’s primary objective of
keeping complexity to a minimum.
Gotos. What guidance does complexity reduction provide for
the historically controversial goto debate? Because gotos don't necessarily
follow any specific pattern, your brain can't simplify their operation in
any standard way. Gotos introduce a degree of flexibility that dramatically
increases a program’s complexity and therefore should be avoided.
By the same reasoning, if you need to use gotos with discipline in a
systematic way to compensate for weaknesses in a programming language, you
should—if such use serves to reduce a program’s complexity from both the
local and global viewpoints.
Coding standards. The complexity lens also brings the
purpose of coding standards into focus. From a complexity-reduction point of
view, the details of your coding standard almost don’t matter. The primary
benefit of a coding standard is that it reduces the complexity burden
associated with revisiting formatting, documentation, and naming decisions
with every line of code you write. When you standardize such decisions, you
free up mental resources that can be focused on more challenging aspects of
the programming problem.
One of the reasons that coding standards are often controversial is that
the choice among many candidate standards is essentially arbitrary.
Standards are most useful when they spare you the trouble of making and
defending arbitrary decisions. They're less valuable when they impose
restrictions in more meaningful areas.
When programming is seen predominately as an attempt to manage complexity,
the litmus test for any design or implementation approach becomes clear:
Does the approach increase or decrease overall system complexity? If a
design seems simple and yet accounts for all the possible cases, it is a
good design. If an implementation results in code that is easy to read and
is more simple than clever, it is a good implementation.
Our brains might not be capable of fully encompassing the world of
mind-numbing details associated with creating a modern software system. But,
paradoxically, if we approach software problems with a keen awareness that
our human skulls are smaller than we would like and tailor our approaches
accordingly, we just might be able to conquer that whole world of details
Editor: Steve McConnell, Construx Software, 11820 Northup
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