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In March 1989, Tim Berners-Lee submitted a proposal for an information management system to his boss, Mike Sendall. 'Vague, but exciting', were the words that Sendall wrote on the proposal, allowing Berners-Lee to develop what eventually became known as the World Wide Web.
"I found it frustrating that in those days, there was different information on different computers, but you had to log on to different computers to get at it. Also, sometimes you had to learn a different program on each computer," said Berners-Lee on his website.
The proposal was originally intended to help scientists working on the big bang project to keep track of the masses of information they compiled in reports. The reason we have the web today is only because of the research needs of physicists at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, Cern.
But this isn't the only case where the research needs of Cern's scientists have lead to innovations in web technologies.
In 1987 Cern worked with a US start-up with only 20 employees to develop and deploy one of the first routers in Europe - the ASM/2-32EM - to act as a firewall between Cern's public Ethernet and its supercomputer. That company was Cisco. Today, the company has more than 6,3000 employees.
And the innovations haven't stopped. In 2005, the physics laboratory built the first working intercontinental 10 Gigabit Ethernet wide area network to process the large amounts of data from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) particle accelerator project. Applications like this are now rising to prominence in areas such as finance and in banking applications, according to analysts Gartner.
So if the technologies at Cern predicate future commercial trends in internet technology, what is the department working on at the moment and what could be next for the public face of the internet? One area is in using database technology to handle the masses of information generated by its computing grid.
Cern will be using one of the biggest computer grids this summer to pool the processing power of about 100,000 CPUs worldwide. It will process information at a rate of 1gbps, said Francois Grey, head of Cern's IT communications team.
"The experiment will produce roughly 15 petabytes (15 million Gbytes) of data a year - enough to fill 100,000 DVDs," he said.
The constant requirement for as much data processing power as possible led Cern to become one of the first users of clustering technology, starting in 1996. It pioneered the use of clusters of low-cost Linux hardware servers working together as one large, powerful machine. Cern helped develop software to ensure that the reliability and virtualisation capabilities of databases could be extended seamlessly across a cluster of commodity servers, greatly reducing the cost of high-performance computing.
Cern has also pushed database-clustering technology further to enable a single database to run across a number of distributed computers. The LCG database deployment project has set up a worldwide distributed database infrastructure for LHC.
It will do this using a program called Oracle Streams to capture, filter and synchronise data stores worldwide.
The software allows users to control what information is put into a stream - the connection between the primary data capture and its end source/sources - and will determine how the stream of data flows is routed to nodes worldwide, and to determine what happens to events in the stream and how the stream terminates. By specifying the configuration of the elements acting on the stream, a user can filter and manage data in a more meaningful way.
"The amount of data people are using on the web is only going to grow as pipes get fatter and connection speeds are ramped up. As the architectures for high-speed networks are installed, they will only be as good if the underlying databases are able to deal with gigabytes and maybe even petabytes of data," said Grey.
For companies with global operations, keeping mass stores of data synchronised will be the next challenge, especially as data processing requirements will increase.
"For us, monitoring the database and streams performance has been key towards maintaining grid control and in optimising any larger scale set-up," said Grey.
While the challenges at Cern remain unresolved at present, history would indicate that synchronising databases across grid set-ups and dealing with petabytes of data on an annual basis will be a challenge for commercial organisations further down the line.
And if the work at Cern has shown one thing over time, it has been the willingness to share the solutions to their problems with the wider world.
This was first published in February 2008
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Once Hadwin was in the Charlottes, he gave every impression of being a man on a one-way trip. While staying in a motel at the sparsely inhabited north end of Graham Island, he gave away all his possessions. "Take whatever you want, because I'm going to burn the rest," he told Jennifer Wilson, the twenty-year-old daughter of the motel's manager. Hadwin went on at length about university-trained professionals, referring to them as "an incestuous breed of insidious manipulators." He advocated terrorism as the most effective means of bringing about change, and he talked a great deal about trees. "I learned a lot from him about the forest," Wilson told me. "I got the sense he had found his purpose."
After buying a gas can, falling wedges, and a chainsaw, Hadwin relocated to Port Clements, where he checked into the Golden Spruce motel. The last time Wilson saw him, he was wearing earplugs; he had to wear them, he told her, because every word he heard felt like a direct insult.
Hadwin's chainsaw roared through the night of January 20th. In the morning, he gave the saw to an acquaintance and returned to the mainland, where he sent his final fax, the entire text of which was published in the local papers seven days after the tree was discovered. During the following weeks, Hadwin carried on a dialogue with infuriated locals through newspapers on both sides of Hecate Strait. "Right now, people are focusing all their anger on me when they should focus it on the destruction going on around them," he told a reporter for the Queen Charlottes' Observer. "They should see a person who is normally very respectful of life and has done a very disrespectful thing and ask why."
But this was asking too much. Hadwin had cut down what may have been the only tree on the continent capable of bonding loggers, natives, and environmentalists in sorrow and outrage. Meanwhile, newspaper and television reporters from across Canada were coming to the Queen Charlottes to cover the story, which also found its way into the Times and onto the Discovery Channel. "When society places so much value on one mutant tree and ignores what happens to the rest of the forest, it's not the person who points this out who should be labelled," Hadwin told a Prince Rupert reporter who questioned his sanity. Hadwin was charged with criminal mischief—damage in excess of five thousand dollars—and the illegal cutting of timber. There was no precedent for how a local judge and jury might compute the cultural damage to the Haida, the economic damage to Port Clements, or the loss to science.
With his belongings liquidated and his safety in doubt, Hadwin was down to the contents of a single suitcase and a Visa card. Among the last items charged were an expedition-grade sea kayak, a camping tarp, a cookstove, a life vest, an axe, and a shovel—everything one would need for a long trip up the West Coast. After notifying Cora Gray, his wife, Margaret, and Prince Rupert's Daily News, Hadwin set off across Hecate Strait late on the afternoon of February 11th, bound for his court date. Hadwin had told everyone that he was travelling this way because he was afraid he would be attacked by locals if he took the ferry or a plane. Both Cora and Margaret notified the Mounties, who intercepted Hadwin before he left Prince Rupert Harbour, but Constable Bruce Jeffrey, an experienced kayaker and one of the officers on the scene, was unable to dissuade him. "He wasn't irrational," Jeffrey told me. "He wasn't suicidal, but I could tell he was a few fries short of a Happy Meal. Unfortunately, you can't arrest someone for being overconfident or foolish."
At dusk, with his gear stowed in fore and aft compartments and an axe and a spare paddle lashed to his forward deck, Hadwin paddled out of Prince Rupert Harbour and directly into a storm. Weather reports for that night show waves over ten feet, winds gusting to forty miles an hour, and rain; the temperature was just above freezing, but the wind-chill factor would have driven it down to zero. Hadwin was not an experienced kayaker, but even if he had been, it was unlikely that he could survive a night in such weather—and yet, somehow, he did. At dawn, he found his way back to Prince Rupert. "He was waiting at the door when we opened," recalled Marilyn Baldwin, who co-owns SeaSport, where Hadwin had bought his kayak and equipment the previous day. Hadwin had returned to buy some warmer clothes and (on Constable Jeffrey's advice) emergency flares and a chart. When the topic of the tree came up, Baldwin recalled, "He wanted to argue. I think he wanted his day in court. He got very agitated; his muscles were vibrating like something taut, ready to snap."
Early on the morning of the thirteenth, with five days left to make his court date, Hadwin set off again. This time, he didn't come back.
When Margaret first heard that Grant was missing, she wasn't all that concerned; he had disappeared before, and he hadn't always been truthful about where he was going. The test would be whether he called his daughter on her birthday; when March 1st came and went with no phone call, Margaret began to fear the worst, and the Canadian Coast Guard began searching in earnest. No sign of him was found until four months later, in June, when large fragments of a kayak were discovered on an uninhabited island seventy miles north of Prince Rupert; the serial number matched that of the one Hadwin was known to have purchased. According to computer-generated scenarios, the boat could have drifted there from almost anywhere in Hecate Strait. This raises a host of possibilities, ranging from Hadwin's having capsized en route to Masset to the suggestion, by Blake Walkinshaw, a constable from Masset, that Hadwin "could have got a pumping" (been shot) out on the water; it is also conceivable that he was struck by another vessel—by accident, or intentionally. Equally plausible, though, is the theory that Hadwin paddled a short way up the wild, empty coast, gave his boat a push off the beach, and disappeared into the bush.
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Chinese environmental officials are now raising the same concern that has worried environmental activists for years: that severe pollution has led to a rise of so-called "cancer villages."
Activists and some journalists have been using the term "cancer villages" for several years to describe villages located close to waterways or industrial parks where cancer rates are very high.
A report issued this week by China's Environment Ministry, specifically mentions "cancer villages," blaming the problem on severe water and air pollution. It is thought to be one of the first times the term has been used by government officials. Official statistics indicate China has about 1,700 water pollution accidents each year and that up to 40 percent of the country’s rivers are seriously polluted.
Water researcher Zhao Feihong at the Beijing Healthcare Association said last month that of the more than 100 rivers in Beijing only two or three can be used for tap water.
"The rest of the rivers if they have not dried up, then they are polluted by discharge,” she said.
During the last week of January, smog hung over cities and towns from Liaoning in the north to as far south as Guangdong and air pollution reached unhealthy levels for long periods of time.
Chinese officials blamed industrial activity, construction and the widespread use of coal for heat.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.
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Officials capture 11-foot python in Fla. Keys
MARATHON, Fla. (AP) - Officials have captured an 11-foot python after it slithered across a busy highway in the Florida Keys.
Monroe County Sheriff's Deputy Bryan Cross spotted the reptile Friday as it crossed the Overseas Highway. He followed the snake into a heavily wooded lot and called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The Sun Sentinel reports that officers captured the snake without incident.
Officials believe the snake is not an escaped pet but one in a growing population of exotics in the area.
The python was turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Copyright 2012 High Plains Broadcasting LLC All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Benefits of horse heart rate monitoring
Although competitive equestrian sports are closely monitored by veterinarians, traditionally it has been difficult to determine the health status of the horse during general exercise or competition. Until now. Recreational owners, competitive riders and trainers alike have begun using Polar Equine training systems to assist them with evaluating the health and performance of their horses.
Monitor vital signs for safety
Abnormal readings of your horse’s vital signs – namely resting, exercise and recovery heart rates – can alert you to immediate or impending problems such as injury, illness, or fatigue.
Evaluate stress response to travel or environmental change
When your horse is exposed to anything new – travel, different terrain, new equipment, different skills, or alternate riders – the horse’s heart rate may be abnormally high. Heart rate gives you a measure of how your horse is coping with change so that you can modify the horse’s activity accordingly.
Ensure proper warm-up and recovery
Monitoring heart rate ensures that your horse warms up properly before more strenuous exercise. And when he needs rest, you’ll know that, too. This is helpful information for a recreational rider whose horse may be in a stall all week with minimal activity.
Track fitness improvement
Improvements in your horse’s fitness can be detected by exercise and recovery heart rates. Increase in horse’s fitness is associated with a reduction in heart rate at a given running speed and a more rapid decline in heart rate during recovery.
Measure training intensity
Intensity is the most important ingredient in any training program. Working too hard for too long invites injury and fatigue. Working too effortlessly provides little training benefit. By monitoring your horse’s heart rate, you can adjust each activity session accordingly.
Assess recovery during interval training
Many owners and trainers are now using interval training to improve their horse’s fitness, using short but intense training sessions separated by short recovery periods. If horse’s heart rate isn’t restored to the desired recovery target within the rest period, it helps the trainer know if the program is too hard or too long.
Gauge intensity during cross-training
Many owners and trainers now incorporate swimming in their horse’s exercise program to keep joints moving, muscles toned, and cardiovascular and respiratory systems in condition. Waterproof Polar transmitter lets you know exactly how hard your horse is working during swimming sessions.
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MTAA’s All Raise This Barn (East) is a barn-raising based on an online poll anyone could respond to with such questions as “Is the barn painted red, white & black?” And whether the barn should have a door or windows.
But some silly questions were also thrown in:
- Should the barn have cup holders?
- Will the barn be kind?
- Is the barn haunted?
The rain last week seems to have delayed the project. According to EMPAC Director Johannes Goebel, who I ran into during the reception Friday night, the barn was supposed to have been finished on Friday. As of 1 pm Sunday, it was still a work in progress.
I had been intrigued about this project since I heard about in the spring, especially since agricultural/communal event seems, at first, at odds with the high-tech, international and mostly urban work that EMPAC presents.
The delayed completion, however, seems to point to a notion about community. A communal barn raising in the agricultural sense is an event that occurs because of a community’s need and is a part of a pre-existing community. MTAA’s project, however, seems to be trying to create a community around the barn-raising project; in other words, it puts the cart before the horse.
The online poll seems to hold up this idea. A little more than 80 votes were cast for most of the questions, and that may not have been enough to engender a sense of community of volunteers who would put in the sweat equity to raise the barn.
The barn is scheduled to stay up through the end of the month.
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Published in TB and Outbreaks Week, August 3rd, 2004
According to recent research published in the journal Gastroenterologie Clinique Et Biologique, "Hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) is a frequent and severe disease; screening strategies to-date remain insufficient." The objective of this study was to "assess the efficiency of HCV screening of high-risk groups among patients consulting general practitioners."
"A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed involving general medicine screening practices recorded during a survey of 127 practitioners (10,041 patients) conducted in 1997. A reference...
Want to see the full article?
Welcome to NewsRx!
Learn more about a six-week, no-risk free trial of TB and Outbreaks Week
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The Misty Fjords National Monument encompasses 3,594 square miles (5,783 square kilometers) of wilderness and lies between two impressive fjords - Behm Canal (117 mi/188 km long) and Portland Canal (72 mi/115 km long). The two natural canals give the preserve its extraordinarily deep and long fjords with sheer granite walls that rise thousands of feet/meters out of the water. Misty Fjords is well named; annual rainfall is 14 feet (4 meters).
Misty Fjords National Monument draws many kayakers, who head for the smaller but equally impressive fjords of Walker Cove and Punchbowl Cove in Rudyerd Bay, off Behm Canal. Dense spruce-hemlock rainforest is the most common vegetation throughout the monument, and sea lions, harbor seals, killer whales, brown and black bears, mountain goats, moose and bald eagles can all be seen there.
The tour was great but we didn't see any bears or moose. Would do it again.
Misty Fjords National Monument is located northeast of Ketchikan, which is about 12 hours south of Juneau by ferry. You can get to the fjords via a two hour scenic flight or a six hour catamaran ride, both of which depart from Ketchikan.
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All VLS Courses
This course is a basic introduction to federal antitrust law. It will explore basic concepts in competition theory. Specific topics will include cartels, monopolization, price-fixing, exclusive dealing rules, vertical restraints, and mergers.
An exercise in appellate brief writing and oral argument using a case pending before the United States Supreme Court. Classes focus on the appellate process, complex research and analysis, preparation of briefs, critical writing skills, and oral argument.
Applied Human Rights Seminar
An advanced international human rights law course in which students engage in research on cutting-edge issues in human rights law and policy for non-governmental organizations and inter-governmental organizations under the supervision of the professor.
Bankruptcy and Environmental Law
Explores the interface of environmental laws and federal bankruptcy statutes, as well as the tension between the goals of bankruptcy and the goals of environmental law, in particular CERCLA. Topics covered include the rights and obligations of debtors and creditors under the Bankruptcy Code, the discharge of environmental debts in bankruptcy, and the abandonment of contaminated property by the bankruptcy trustee.
Survey of income tax issues of corporations, partnerships, S Corporations, limited liability companies, and their owners arising out of the business entity's formation, operation and liquidation.
Capital Punishment Seminar
This seminar examines capital punishment as a legal process, using interdisciplinary materials and theory, litigation documents including briefs and recordings of oral arguments, and appellate opinions. The seminar also employs written narratives, movies, and popular cultural images and artifacts to explore this subject matter.
CERCLA Law and Policy
Examines CERCLA's broad liability and cost recovery provisions, emergency response and cleanup requirements that extend beyond the usual Superfund sites. Brownfields, natural resources damages, community involvement, recent Supreme Court decisions and statutory amendments will also be addressed. The course will examine how parties escape or limit liability through due diligence, defenses, pollution prevention, settlement, and cost allocation.
Civil Procedure I
Covers the procedural rules governing civil actions in the state and federal courts, from commencement through appeal, including jurisdiction over parties, joinder of parties and claims, contents of pleadings, pretrial motions and discovery, conduct of trial, post-trial motions, res judicata, collateral estoppel, and conflicts between the state and federal judicial systems.
Civil Rights Seminar
Using PBS video series "Eyes on the Prize" and companion readings, this course examines the civil rights movement that began in the years before Brown v. Board of Education and continued throughout the 1950's and 1960's. Provides social, cultural, and historical perspectives on the civil rights movement and the legal developments that grew out of that movement.
Climate Change Litigation
This course reviews the various statutory and common law claims being tried in climate litigation, the kinds of remedies sought, and the jurisdictional and evidentiary obstacles that must be overcome.
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Management genius Peter Drucker wisely observed that 90% of the disagreements in life arise from a failure to agree on what the disagreement is about. I’ve been reminded of that comment this week in the aftermath of the problematic launch of Apple Maps. A certain segment of the argument for and against Apple’s decision to launch goes like this:
Side 1: Apple Maps are a major step back! They shouldn’t have put them out! Steve sure wouldn’t have!!!
Side 2: You don’t get it, Mush-for-Brains. Apple had to build their own map to get away from The Great Evil!
Are so it goes, back and forth for a few dozen comments appended to the initiating blog.
It is a non-argument because the positions are not contradictory, which is typically a good starting point for a good argument (in my mind, John Cleese is saying “No it isn’t!).
Both points are true:
- Apple maps have many glaring errors as has been amply pointed out by many, many people.
- Apple did, in fact need to build it’s own maps. Partially this was because Google was withholding some features from the product they offered Apple, notably navigation. But more importantly because Google uses their maps to drive a tremendous amount of data collection that they are and will increasingly use to drive better maps, customer intimacy and better approaches to marketing. Apple could not continue to feed the Google marketing machine while continuing to compete tooth and nail for dominance of the mobile OS market. Bill Gurley did a good exploration of the underlying advantage that Google is pushing back in his “Less Than Free” blog in 2009 and many others have commented on it since. It’s worth reading.
So, given that both halves of this non-argument are true, a couple interesting questions come up:
- If Apple had to build its own map platform in order to continue to be competitive, isn’t the same true for other companies that aspire to the same position in the mobile internet? Thinking Amazon, Facebook, Samsung and others. Why would their situation be different from Apple’s?
- If you were the CEO of one of those companies, and were seeing all the flak Apple has gotten in the last week, despite four years of work by some very smart people, why in the world would you want to start down that path? Many of the people who definitively declared maps commoditized two weeks have now equally definitively declared their enduring conviction that “Maps are Hard!” Given that, would these CEO’s be willing to take the risk of rolling their own.
- But they have to (See Point 1)
I have no inside knowledge about whether Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos or Geesung Choi are even thinking about building their own map platform, but if they did, what might they learn from Apple’s experience? And how could they adapt since they’d be starting four years later, and that much further behind? Or should they figure out another way to go? Amazon has bought a mapping company (UpNext) and made a deal with Nokia, so they seem to be doing a bit of both.
Interesting topic for another blog. What would you do differently?
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In his Dec. 2 letter, R.W. Julian states that Mr. Meagher thinks, wrongly, that the “South fought to defend slavery.”
Well, in fact, Mr. Meagher was right.
Mr. Julian made a point stating that “the true cause of the Civil War was not about slavery but an economic one.”
Yet like many current supposed “right-thinking” historical revisionists, he omitted many of the details in his statement. Details such as the Southern agrarian society at the time relied totally on a slavery-based work force. The devil in the details, Mr. Julian.
Another example that slavery was the major concern of the time was “The Missouri Compromise.”
In essence, Missouri’s admission as a state resulted in it being split in half. The northern half had no slavery. The southern half had slavery.
In addition, Mr. Julian never once in his writings states what “cheap shot” Mr. Meagher took against Mr. Bowyer. Such factless statements are called ad hominem attacks.
I find it laughable that Mr. Julian talks about checking facts carefully on American history or politics when he leaves so much out in his letter. The term is “cherry picking” information. You know, the suppressing of evidence, or the fallacy of incomplete evidence.
Dennis G. McGee, North Port, Fla.
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While on the Tunisia leg of his vaunted Middle East marathon, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said that Muslims will create the new Middle East. Ismail Haniyeh does not have a sterling reputation for telling the truth but his stating that Muslims will create the New Middle East is correct – a New Middle East graveyard. Estimated death tolls from a series of so-called Arab Spring rebellions include Syria – 6000; Yemen – 500; Bahrain 200; Libya – 30,000; Egypt – 1000; Tunisia – 300. This is an estimated total of 38,000 people killed for the sake of the so-called Arab Spring. An abhorrent number. Clearly, based on these numbers it has been an Arab Abattoir and leave it to an arch terrorist like Haniyeh to overlook this carnage in his boastful declarations.
Haniyeh has distinguished himself on his tour of Islamic countries recently by saying other empty boastful and meaningless things. Haniyeh reiterated his pledge not “to lay down our arms” or recognize Israel. He has championed issues ranging from stopping the “Judaization of Jerusalem,” the IDF blockade on Gaza to the so-called Arab Spring revolutions that he claims have influenced favorably the Palestinian cause. Haniyeh also told an interviewer for the British paper Independent that he thinks Israel is encountering its worst security problems and that Egypt will not allow Israel to attack Gaza, and will suspend its support of the Gaza siege as well.
Who is Ismayil Haniyeh? What gives him the nerve to spout such preposterous folderol and balderdash?
Haniyeh was born in the Al-Shati refugee camp in the Egyptian-occupied Gaza Strip. His parents became refugees, after they fled from their homes in Majdal (currently Ashkelon, Israel) during Israel’s War of Independence. In 1987, he graduated from the Islamic University of Gaza with a degree in Arabic literature. In 1989, he was imprisoned for three years by Israeli authorities for participation in the First Intifada and membership with Hamas. Following his release in 1992, he was exiled to Lebanon with Ahmed Yassin, Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi and other senior Hamas terrorists. A year later, he returned to Gaza and was appointed as Dean of the Islamic University.
Haniyeh’s rise to a position of influence in Hamas Islamic terror society in Gaza is nothing special. The real farce – folderol and balderdash in earnest – began when Hamas won the elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006 and Haniyeh became prime minister.
On January 25, 2006, elections were held for the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). Notwithstanding the 2005 municipal elections and the January 9, 2005 presidential election, this was the first election to the PLC since 1996. Palestinian Authority elections were repeatedly postponed due to instability stemming from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinian voters in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank including East Jerusalem were eligible to participate in the 2006 election.
Final results show that Hamas won the election, with 74 seats to the ruling-Fatah‘s 45, providing Hamas with the majority of the 132 available seats and the ability to form a majority government on its own.
Then-Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei resigned, but at the request of President Mahmoud Abbas, remained as interim Prime Minister until February 19, when Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh formed the new government.
The terrorist Hamas’s entry into Palestinian government triggered sanctions. The 2006–2007 economic sanctions against the Palestinian National Authority were imposed by Israel and the Quartet on the Middle East against the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian territories.
Israel and the Quartet stated that sanctions would be lifted only when the Hamas government met the following demands:
• Renunciation of violence;
• Recognition of Israel by the Hamas government (as had the PLO); and
• Acceptance of previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority.
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Hey Prepper Nation,
Unlike the stings of bees or wasps, mosquito bites are common vectors of various infectious diseases. On the plus side, anaphylactic reactions are rarely an issue here. The increased amount of time we will spend outside in a societal breakdown will increase the chances of spreading one or more of these problems. Normal insect control programs will no longer exist, so larger bug populations (and the disease organisms they carry) will be rampant in many different areas. To give you some statistics, third world cases of illnesses passed by mosquitoes. In a collapse scenario, the state bird will be the mosquito.
Malaria is an example of a typical mosquito-borne disease. It is caused by a microscopic organism called a protozoan. When mosquitos get a meal by biting you, they inject these into your system which then inhabit your liver. From there, they go to your blood cells and other organs.
By the way, only female mosquitos bite humans.
Symptoms of Malaria appear flu-like, and classically present as periodic chills, fever, and sweats. The patient becomes anemic as more blood cells are damaged by the protozoa. With time, periods between symptoms become shorter and permanent organ damage may occur.
Diagnosis of malaria cannot be confirmed without a microscope. In a power-down situation, anyone experiencing relapsing fevers with severe chills and sweating should be considered candidates for treatment. The medications, among others, used for Malaria are Chloroquine, Quinine, and Quinidine. Sometimes, an antibiotic such as Doxycycline or Clindamycin is used in combination with the above. Physicians are usually sympathetic towards prescribing these medications to those who are contemplating trips to places where mosquitos are rampant, such as some underdeveloped countries. Don’t be shy about broaching this subject with your healthcare provider.
Other mosquito-borne diseases include Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, and West Nile Virus. The fewer mosquitos near your retreat, the less likely you will fall victim to one of these disease. You can decrease the population of mosquitos in your area and improve the likelihood of preventing illness by:
- Looking for areas of standing water that are breeding grounds. Drain all water that you do not depend on for survival.
- Monitoring the screens on your retreat windows and doors and repair any holes or defects.
- Being careful to avoid outside activities at dusk or dawn. This is the time that mosquitos are most active. Wear long pants and shirts whenever you venture outside.
- Have a good stockpile of insect repellants.
The most useful chemical repellant to stockpile is DEET (scientific name N,N Diethyl-Meta-Toluamide) and it works against both mosquitos and ticks. In most circumstances, a concentration of 10-35% DEET will provide adequate protection. The longer the protection required, the higher concentration you should use. Cover exposed skin AND clothing, and wash both afterwards.
There are some natural substances that repel insects. Plants that contain Citronella may be rubbed on your skin to discourage bites. Lemon balm (actually a member of the mint family), has a fragrance similar to citronella but does not have the same bug-repelling properties. When you use an essential oil to repel insects, re-apply frequently and feel free to combine oils as needed. Besides Citronella oil, you could repel mosquitos with:
- Lemon Eucalyptus oil
- Cinnamon oil
- Peppermint oil
- Geranium oil
- Clove oil
- Rosemary oil
Protecting yourself from mosquito-borne illness with some simple preventative measures will greatly decrease your risk of a number of possibly life-threatening diseases. Spend some time planning before mosquito season arrives in your area, and you’ll have a head start on staying healthy in times of trouble.
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- The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation - http://blog.heritage.org -
Why Carafano Has it Right on Climate Change, Part I
Posted By Nicolas Loris On August 13, 2009 @ 12:43 pm In Energy and Environment,Protect America | 3 Comments
In response to Heritage analyst James Carafano’s paper, “National Security Not a Good Argument for Global Warming Legislation ”, the American Security Project responded to four “myths” in Carafano’s piece.
But their retaliatory facts ignore Carafano’s central premise that the Waxman-Markey cap and trade bill will do much more economic harm than environmental good and would undermine “the nation’s capacity to deal with natural disasters here and abroad.” The truth is the climate has been changing on its own for centuries and wide scientific dissent exists disputing how much warming is human-induced or even caused by carbon dioxide. In any event, climatologist Chip Knappenberger modeled the climate effects of the Waxman-Markey climate legislation and found the regulations would only lower temperatures by only hundredths of a degree Celsius in 2050 and no more than two-tenths of a degree Celsius at the end of the century.
Let’s take a look at ASP’s critiques :
1.)ASP argues Carafano’s notion that we should allow “nations to adapt to the national security challenges implied by long-term global climate changes” is misguided: “While Carafano would rather wait and see what catastrophic repercussions transpire from climate change, the truth is that these harmful changes are not far off and have already started to take place.” They further argue that a radically changing climate would put U.S. military facilities at risk.
But the Waxman-Markey does little to address climate change and a lot to cripple economic competitiveness . The policy most often suggested is a cap-and-trade bill to reduce carbon dioxide. Although the benefits in terms of global temperature decreases would be negligible, the costs would be astronomical. Carafano is right to argue that a “collapse in U.S. economic growth would result in even more draconian cuts to the defense budget, leaving America with a military much less prepared to deal with future threats.”
2.) Next ASP attacks Carafano’s assertion that “Catastrophic predictions…are poorly supported by the evidence.” They say : “History is filled with examples of climate induced conflicts and humanitarian disasters, and climate change has already contributed to conflicts in regions like Darfur where droughts reduced water levels in Lake Chad by 90 percent. This lack of water has helped to spark the deadly conflict between Sudan and Chad which has cost almost half a million lives. Conflicts like this will become more common as climate change increases competition for dwindling resources. Carafano suggests that advocates use alarmist scenarios to push their agenda, but the truth is that even conservative estimates of climate change – as highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – will have major impacts.”
First, catastrophic predictions are poorly supported by evidence and often greatly exaggerated by the likes of Al Gore. In fact, Senior Policy Analyst Ben Lieberman writes , “ The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which Gore considers to be the gold standard of consensus science, projects an increase of 7 to 23 inches over the next century. The lower end of that range is about what has occurred — without serious consequences — over the last two centuries.”
Moreover, natural disasters are just that: natural. The reality is adaptation to climate change is prudent; but changing the weather like cap and trade attempts to do is impossible without reverting back to living standards comparable to the Stone Age. Take hurricanes, for example. Changing the weather to prevent hurricanes is currently impossible, but adapting to hurricanes is not. States and cities have shown this by better preparing for hurricanes—building better levees, rebuilding sand dunes and upgrading building codes to withstand damage. In response to Katrina, the US Army Corps of Engineers installed sheet pilings as emergency closures in order to prevent water from entering the canals and re-flooding the city. Furthermore, the engineers took measures to raise and armor portions of area’s levees for better protection and worked with Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force to better understand hurricane movements.
(More on this in part II)
Article printed from The Foundry: Conservative Policy News Blog from The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org
URL to article: http://blog.heritage.org/2009/08/13/why-carafano-has-it-right-on-climate-change-part-i/
URLs in this post:
National Security Not a Good Argument for Global Warming Legislation: http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/wm2572.cfm
modeled the climate effects of : http://masterresource.org/?p=2355
ASP’s critiques: http://www.americansecurityproject.org/theflashpointblog/selena-shilad/2009/08/12/why-james-carafano-has-it-exactly-wrong-on-climate-change-and-national-security/
a lot to cripple economic competitiveness: http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/cda0904.cfm
writes: http://energy.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NjA4NTJkN2JkY2JlMjIxZmNmYzRmOTdmNTM1YzE4NmE
installed sheet pilings : http://www.foundry.org/2009/04/16/global-warming-science-update-addressing-drastic-sea-level-rises/
Copyright © 2011 The Heritage Foundation. All rights reserved.
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What Is Humility?
No.4 Accept Your Errors
“I never got a lap in where I didn’t break it loose in the turn. If you would have watched from a helicopter or blimp, you would have seen how not to drive on a super-speedway, because I had the rear end out against the wall three times every lap! When I got the checkered flag and slowed down, it finally hit me that I had broken the record. I came into the pits, and everybody was giving me the high five. I didn’t want to get out of the car too quickly because I thought I’d be too nervous. I needed to compose myself.”
-Jerry Grant, the first man to average a lap at over 200 mph in an Indy car
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Global currency markets have become obsessed with central banks diversifying out of the dollar. "The view that the dollar is going to suffer tremendously relative to emerging markets is generally held," said Sebastien Galy, senior currency strategist at BNP Paribas. "The question is how long and when that's going to happen."
The flight out of the dollar will continue until an equilibrium is reached between the potential return from emerging markets and the value from U.S. assets, which is dependent on the economy's recovery. "To be frank we haven't figured out if we've reached that point," Galy said. "We've suggested that it's dangerous to fund only in dollars and that investors should diversify their assets and funding currencies." That equilibrium appears to have begun, at least partially, as there have been heavy withdrawals out of China.
The market's fixation on diversification out of the dollar has been fueled by the recent meetings of global policy makers under the G20/G8 framework and increasingly candid comments on the subject from the largest currency reserve managers, namely China and Russia. Various suggestions have been put forward for an alternative global reserve currency, including expanded SDR to incorporate the yuan and ruble.
SDR, or special drawing rights, is the currency of the International Monetary Fund and other international institutions. It's a basket of currencies composed of the dollar, euro, sterling and yen, fixed in terms of quantity and changed based on political decisions within the IMF and World Bank every five years.
Thing is that probably won't happen, at least in the short-term. "Most of the proposals being put forward fail to provide a realistic alternative global reserve currency, with convertibility and liquidity issues the downfall of most suggestions at this stage," Galy said.
A reserve currency needs to have a developed debt market, ability to enforce the rule of law, and proven monetary and political stability. The Swiss franc used to be a reserve currency, but lost its status partly due to its market being too small. "Other countries, notably Australia, to a lesser extent Canada, and possibly Norway, we believe have attained some reserve status," Galy said.
In any event, it could be argued that recent comments from reserve managers are designed to put pressure on the U.S. to moderate its policy response. That pressure is a product of fears that the extent of quantitative easing and the expansion of the Fed's balance sheet would erode the quality of U.S. assets.
"It may not be a coincidence that the Fed stopped the expansion of its balance sheet following the recent U.S. visit to China," Galy said. (See "Geithner to Discuss Exchange Rate On China Visit" and "Geithner In Beijing.")
The market's concern is understandable considering the amount of money involved. Think about it: The major central banks' reserve managers control the largest pool of funds globally, suggesting that a sudden change in the weightings of currency reserves will have a massive impact on the foreign exchange markets.
"In recent years, there has been an explosion in the pace of global reserve accumulation with the reserves of the major central banks reaching $7 trillion last year, although this has now declined to $6.7 trillion according to our estimates," Galy said.
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It was with great sadness I read Dr Kim Bloomers article in the last newsletter and I think I can safely say, we all feel for her losing such a young and otherwise healthy dog, which makes it that all the more tragic.
I was contacted recently by a friend who has one of the molosser breeds; she is only four years old and began limping on her back leg. The first vet visited diagnosed arthritis and tried to send my friend on her way with steroids after only a cursory examination. Not happy with this, and no tests done whatsoever, she changed vets to one who specialised in hip dysplasia thinking this may be the problem. The new vet ran tests and found the poor dog at the age of four was in end stage renal failure.
The subject got around to what the dog was fed and when it was last vaccinated and as she doesn’t vaccinate every year and is a raw feeder. If you can’t guess the rest, I’ll fill in the blank.
The owner was BLAMED for causing the problem as raw food is too high in protein and her urine tests showed elevated protein levels and, not vaccinating every year the owner had put her dog at unnecessary risk of disease.
My friend had done her research, not only on raw feeding and vaccination but also on the breeder she had the dog from. It turns out that three or four other dogs from the same dam and different litters had succumbed to the same fate. This suggests a genetic predisposition to the problem and as we all know, if the dog had been vaccinated annually and fed McKibble then it probably wouldn’t have lived this long.
A few things struck me from both this story and Dr Bloomer’s story. Why, at a time when you need all the support you can get, does the veterinary profession seem to want to point the finger of blame when they are little educated on the subject? My friend is very vocal when it comes to being blamed, especially when she knows she’s right and asked the veterinarian, in the middle of a full waiting room what he knew about raw feeding, when he said “nothing” she told him to go away and research the subject then he could criticise her when he has a good knowledge base. Good for her.
The second thing that struck me was how quickly a diagnosis is made and prescription dispensed with minimal if any diagnostic testing. I see this all the time as I run a pet taxi service as part of two of my businesses, and often accompany a very nervous and frightened client into the vet’s surgery with their animal. It seems to me that as soon as an animal reaches seven years of age it is automatically arthritis and steroids prescribed with usually just a quick feel around the affected area and not many owners question this in my experience.
And finally, vaccinosis can be inherited. Epigenetics as a subject has been around for 40 years but it wasn’t until more recent times we have begun to understand the meaning. In 2010 Dr Lars Olev Bygren published his research on how lifestyle choices our great, great, great grandparents made affect us today. It was so ground breaking at the time; Time Magazine published an entire article on the subject which you can see here: www.canine-rehabilitation.co.uk/downloads.html
It shows us that the choices we make now for our companion animals will impact many generations down the line which includes over vaccination in unvaccinated animals as strange as this may sound. Another experiment you may be interested in was “Pottenger’s cats” this showed the effects of diet and how things can start to be rectified within four generations if species appropriate diet is fed to companion animals.
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Welcome Home, Duck - Frog, excited about Duck's return from a long vacation, makes a "Welcome Home" banner to hang over Duck's nest. Problem is, the dock connecting Frog's log to Duck's nest has broken, so Frog has to find another way across. Frog tries building a SOCK and a BLOCK to replace the dock, but it's not until he builds a ROCK that he can land on, halfway across the pond, that he's able to get across the water to duck's nest. The Lost Letter L - When Duck accidentally breaks the L off Frog's lamp, he decides not to tell Frog. Instead, he'll just fix it himself. Although Bug and Dog try to help, things spiral out of control, and soon Duck has broken a lamp, a lever and even Frog's log! Duck learns that everyone makes mistakes and admitting them sooner rather than later can make a big difference.
Visit the Website: http://pbskids.org/wordworld
Episode #213 / Length: 28 minutes
- Wednesday, May 15th at 11:00 AM on KLRU
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- Elizabeth Bishop: The Complete Poems 1927-1979
Chatto/Hogarth, 287 pp, £10.95, April 1983, ISBN 0 7011 2694 9
Elizabeth Bishop’s great gift was to perfect a way of writing about human procedures and concerns without talking chiefly about human behaviour. Her poems are intelligent, supple, grave and witty; often perplexed, but never presenting perplexity as their main source of interest. Her verse is among the least neurotic written in the 20th century.
A first Complete Poems, supervised with resignation or irony by Bishop herself, appeared in 1969, ten years before her death. This new book adds some fifty unpublished or uncollected poems, including the whole of Geography III (1976) and a scatter of later verse. Among the previously unpublished poems there is little that changes the nature of her claim to importance as a maker of luminous landscapes: the ‘Occasional Poems’ are mostly squibbish; the ‘Poems Written in Youth’ show her writing about an elf when she was 16, and producing a sonnet full of Keatsian flushes a year later. Bishop was an explorer and a retirer, who lived for 15 years in Brazil, where, as she pointed out in an interview, there was no literary group ‘handy’ – and no word for understatement. She won prizes but less international recognition than her warm friend Robert Lowell, who consistently celebrated her:
Half New-Englander, half fugitive
Nova Scotian, wholly Atlantic sea-board –
Unable to settle anywhere, or live
Our usual roaring sublime.
Elizabeth Bishop certainly never roared. In this unfinished poem, Lowell attends to some of the differences between them: Lowell the lover and leaver of roots and families; Bishop the traveller and homosexual, who by the time she was five had lost her father through death and her mother through nervous collapse. The strenuousness of some of Lowell’s verse is seen in this issue to have an affinity with Donne: Bishop’s contemplative clarity has the cunning of George Herbert.
Bishop’s poems start most often in calm, with unchallengeable announcements of time, position or attitude, then slide into qualifications and inquiries. The difference between statement and reservation may be no more than a syllable, so that error or change is presented as being built into what she sees, as it is in the first poem here, ‘The Map’:
Land lies in water; it is shadowed green.
Shadows, or are they shallows, at its edges
showing the line of long sea-weeded ledges
where weeds hang to the simple blue from green.
In the long loop of these lines, uncertainty is smuggled in (‘shadows’/‘shallows’), then underlined (‘edges’/‘ledges’), before the fourth line turns back on the first with the beautiful irony of ‘simple’. The next quatrain expresses and contains a giddy reversal of the first:
Or does the land lean down to lift the sea from under,
drawing it unperturbed around itself?
Along the fine tan sandy shelf
is the land tugging at the sea from under?
The parallelism of the questions almost disguises the change from the kindness of ‘lean’ to the violence of ‘tugging’. Almost but not quite, for the stanza ends here, with the last question the last to be left unanswered. ‘The Map’ does not present itself as a cartographical treatise, but its ‘moony Eskimo’ and ‘lovely bays’ are actual enough to make the idea that it should be considered the delineation of an inner landscape disastrous. It is a poem about the difficulty and delight of seeing and describing accurately, and, in its cool progress from certainty to certainty through a shoal of hesitations, it is a model of how to conduct an argument.
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Bioenergy: the future
The future of bioenergy is uncertain. The promise of clean, renewable energy makes it a tempting choice but the real costs and benefits are not so simple to calculate. As some talk about a global energy revolution, whilst others start pointing to land grabs, food security issues and a dangerous offsetting tendency in the global North, IIED have started looking into the urgent and critical questions surrounding the debate.
New and groundbreaking research has started to explore two angles of thought: firstly, can developed countries hit their emissions targets by importing woody biomass for their energy needs; creating jobs and investment, without depriving some of the world’s poorest of their land rights and creating food insecurity? Secondly, as non-OECD countries are disproportionately reliant on biomass energy, in places where access to alternative energy sources for heat and cooking is not a feasible option, are the clean technologies available and ready to turn this trend into something sustainable?
In a North-South-South partnership, a coalition project for Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation (ESPA), entitled, ‘Biomass energy: optimising its contribution to poverty reduction and ecosystem services’ started the ball rolling on the impacts on individual countries as the expansion of biomass gets underway. Work was undertaken in Kenya, Malawi, India, and from a wider, international perspective. This resulted in a series of country reports and the groundbreaking publication: ‘Bundles of Energy: The case for renewable biomass energy’.
Land grabs have been a hot topic on the international side of this equation, and research has also started on the implications of foreign investments in biomass energy on land rights – what is the true cost of the global rush for biomass?
These issues are two sides of the same coin. A great deal more research is needed to find honest answers that work for all countries, assuring global energy needs whilst upholding long-fought for rights. There may well be a global energy revolution – but IIED will be working with partners to ensure the right questions are being asked, every step of the way.
Forest Connect: an international alliance tackling the isolation of small forest enterprises.
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Subscribe to health news headlines email updates.
MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that people who stop taking the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin) because of gastrointestinal bleeding raise their risk of blood clots and death if they stay off the drug.
The study, published online Sept. 17 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, is limited because it looks only at what happened to patients over a 90-day period after suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding. But the findings do point to the risk of staying off the blood thinner for a long period, said Dr. Amir Jaffer, professor of medicine and division chief for hospital medicine at the University of Miami and co-author of a commentary accompanying the study.
In general, Jaffer said, he recommends that patients who suffer from bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract stop taking the blood thinner for about four days unless a significant reason exists to avoid the drug for the long term. "That number [of days] will vary depending on the severity of the bleeding," he said, adding that physicians should provide the proper guidance.
The blood thinner is prescribed to prevent conditions such as stroke and heart attack by making it harder for clots to form and block the blood stream. The medications, however, raise the risk of blood vessels rupturing. About 4.5 percent of patients treated with the blood thinner have an episode of gastrointestinal tract bleeding, according to the researchers.
The study authors reviewed medical records of nearly 450 Colorado patients who developed gastrointestinal bleeding while taking warfarin. The participants' average age was 72.
Close to 60 percent were taking warfarin again within two to nine days of bleeding. Over 90 days, about 12 percent of patients died. After researchers adjusted their statistics so they wouldn't be skewed by factors such as gender or age, they found that those who resumed taking warfarin were 31 percent less likely to die than those who didn't. Fewer than 6 percent of those who resumed warfarin died, compared to 20 percent of those who didn't.
Of the 260 patients who resumed taking warfarin, only one suffered from a stroke or major blood clot, compared to 5.5 percent of those who stayed off the drug.
In the commentary, Jaffer and his co-author said the findings might not apply to newer blood thinners, such as dabigatran and rivaroxaban, which could have a greater risk of gastrointestinal bleeding than warfarin over time.
For more about blood thinners, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
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Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, forces natural gas and crude oil out of shale buried deep below the earth by using highly pressurized and treated water.
The idea of fracking dates to the 1860s. But modern fracking really started in 1947, and with technological advancements in the past 15 years, it’s become a standard industry method to access natural gas in particular.
While many industry analysts argue that fracking is a safe and efficient way to tap a bountiful energy source, environmentalists and community groups say it is a dangerous and destructive technology, whose economic benefit is not worth the damage to the environment.
There’s been no conclusive evidence that chemical-laden waste water from the process is contaminating ground water, but several environmental groups point to anecdotal evidence that it has. A report released by Senate Democratsin 2011 accused drillers of knowingly using toxic chemicals in the process.
To help solve the issue, an Environmental Protection Agency study on the full impact of fracking, commissioned by Congress, is expected by the end of 2012.
One thing that might be agreed on is that few Americans know much about fracking or where it’s taking place. So we’ve put together a short guide to the process, with some insights from John Duda, director of the DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory’s Strategic Centerfor Natural Gas and Oil.
(Data are from the U.S. Department of Energy,which is actively involved in advancing hydraulic fracturing technology.)
By Mark Koba
Posted 20 June 2012
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Do you increase your benefits if you postpone taking them at full retirement age?
Find the answer to our last quiz below.
Most of you missed the answer to the last quiz, which only goes to show how complicated Social Security has become:
If you start drawing Social Security benefits before your full retirement age, your monthly benefit will be reduced by 5/9 of 1% per month that you retire before youre full retirement age (65 to 67). If you retire more than 36 months early, the reduction changes to 5/12 of 1% per month.
Of course, Congress is now considering raising the retirement age to 68 or 70. Read what Oregonian editorial columnist Susan Nielsen thinks about that proposal.
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Green Animals Topiary Garden
This small country estate in Portsmouth was purchased in 1872 by Thomas E. Brayton (1844-1939), Treasurer of the Union Cotton Manufacturing Company in Fall River, Massachusetts. It consisted of seven acres of land, a white clapboard summer residence, farm outbuildings, a pasture and a vegetable garden.
Gardener Joseph Carreiro, superintendent of the property from 1905 to 1945, and his son-in-law, George Mendonca, superintendent until 1985, were responsible for creating the topiaries. There are more than 80 pieces of topiary throughout the gardens, including animals and birds, geometric figures and ornamental designs, sculpted from California privet, yew, and English boxwood.
Green Animals is the oldest and most northern topiary garden in the United States. Mr. Brayton's daughter Alice gave the estate its name because of the profusion of "green animals." She made the estate her permanent residence in 1939. Upon her death in 1972, at the age of 94, Miss Brayton left Green Animals to The Preservation Society of Newport County. Today, Green Animals remains as a rare example of a self-sufficient estate combining formal topiaries, vegetable and herb gardens, orchards and a Victorian house overlooking Narragansett Bay.
Please note: Green Animals is open seasonally. Please click here to view the full Newport Mansions Operating Schedule.
380 Cory's Lane
Portsmouth, RI 02871
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Malta/ 5.1 General legislation
5.1.5 Tax laws
VAT in Malta is 18%. Taxation measures for the cultural sector in 2011 encompassed the following:
- payment of VAT on the renting of space for artistic and cultural activities, as well as on entrance tickets for museums, art exhibitions, concerts and theatres (with the exclusion of cinemas) is 5% (introduced in 2008);
- all training in the arts shall be exempt from VAT, as long as this will be provided by organisations which are accredited in the Register for Accreditation in the Training of the Arts (introduced in 2008);
- companies that provide financial assistance to recognised non-profit making cultural organisations and / or to the Arts Fund will be able to deduct these grants from their taxable income (introduced in 2008);
- companies that provide assistance or grant scholarships to Maltese artists will be entitled to deduct these grants from their taxable income up to a maximum of 8 000 MTL (EUR 18 600) (introduced in 2008); and
- a deduction against income to be made by a taxpayer who in a particular year of assessment makes a donation of money, or any other asset, excluding immovable property, of the value of not less than 2 329.37 EUR (1 000 MTL) to: the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage; Heritage Malta; Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti or NGOs under the condition that a relevant certificate is issued by the recipient and submitted together with the return for the relevant year that the donation is used for the purpose of research, conservation or restoration, education and exhibition of the heritage; and in the case of donations to non-governmental organisations registered with the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage and not related to the donor company. (introduced in 2004);
- a rebate system of 20% was introduced to boost foreign film productions. According to the scheme, a production company filming in Malta is entitled to a rebate of up to 20% of its production costs once the commitment is fully undertaken (introduced in 2004);
- fiscal benefits for qualifying costs to make it easier for eligible Maltese authors to publish their literary works (introduced in 2010);
- tax credits to cover qualifying costs spent on computer animation, special effects, films and television programmes, as well as production services (introduced in 2010); and
- fiscal benefits for qualifying costs spent on interactive digital media products and qualifying costs spent on sound recording houses, including costs incurred to bring productions to Malta (introduced in 2010)
- "Create" is a tax incentive programme for businesses in the cultural and creative industries. Further support is provided to help the development of creative communities in artistic zones thus sustaining the development of said zones and interdisciplinary creative cluster developments. Undertakings, including those who are self-employed, involved in the creative industries may benefit through this incentive which will be in the form of a tax credit. The aid will be calculated as a percentage of the eligible costs incurred by these undertakings in the development of their creative endeavours. Malta Enterprise may approve a tax credit equivalent to 60% of the eligible expenditure up to a maximum of EUR 25 000. "Create" provides additional benefits related to creative work undertaken in identified creative zones. As of 2012, the whole territory of Valletta will be included in the identified zones.
In 2011, the following measures were announced for implementation in 2012:
- Legislation on income exemption on Patents will be extended to cover works protected by copyright, including books, film scripts, music and art. This benefit will consist of a tax exemption on income from copyright.
- A tax credit scheme for Maltese companies wishing to commission educational or promotional digital games, where credit will be granted on the expenditure incurred on the development of the game or on a maximum expenditure of 15 000 EUR; and
- To attract more experts in these specialised sectors to Malta, government is extending the flat 15% income tax scheme for international professionals such as game directors and game designers. This scheme has also been extended to academics and researchers in the research and development sectors.
- An innovative scheme for self-employed persons registered as authors, composers, visual artists and performing artists, film artists and design artists will be designed to entice artists to live and work in the City of Valletta.
- For restoration and conservation works on scheduled buildings in grades 1 and 2, as well as properties in UCAs:
- exemption from Duty on Documents on transfer between heirs in order to facilitate the consolidation of the property ownership, with this concession closing on 31st December 2013;
- a scheme for private individuals who wish to restore their property where a rebate of 20% will be given on the costs of restoration up to a maximum of EUR 5 000;
- concessions to individuals or companies who invest in the restoration of these properties to sell or rent will be given as follows:
- final withholding tax of 10% on income from rent for residential purposes, and 15% on income from rent for commercial purposes; and
- final withholding tax of 10% in the case of a sale or the payment of 30% tax instead of 35% on the gain; and
- a tax credit of 20% on the expenditure that qualifies for restoration of property for the commercial purposes of the company and this will increase to 30% in the case of grade 1 and 2 scheduled properties.
Chapter published: 22-03-2012
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Have you been diagnosed with impacted wisdom teeth? According to the Mayo Clinic, these are your third molars in the back of your mouth that don’t have room to grow normally.
Your wisdom teeth are your last teeth to come in. Most people have four -- two on the top and two on the bottom row of teeth.
If your wisdom teeth are impacted you might suffer from pain, dental problems or damage to other teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth that cause problems are usually removed.
Some people might not have any problems right away with impacted wisdom teeth, but over time they may be more vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease because they are difficult to clean, the Mayo Clinic states. For these reasons, your dentist might also recommend removing wisdom teeth that don’t cause initial problems.
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Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Born in Belfast, McCullough was a separatist from an early age. When he was 17, his father had him inducted into the Irish Republican Brotherhood at the side door of a pub by a man who seemed to view the ritual as an unpleasant distraction to a night of drinking. The event disillusioned McCullough with the Brotherhood, and he soon took it upon himself to revitalize the organization.
He did so over the years with the aid of Bulmer Hobson and Sean MacDermott. Together they founded the Dungannon Clubs for recruitment into the Brotherhood, and they worked to remove the "armchair republicans" from positions of power to be replaced with more determined men. Their cause prospered with the return of veteran Fenian Tom Clarke to Ireland in 1907.
McCullough was elected to fill the vacant seat of the President of the IRB late in 1915, a position he held during the Easter Rising of 1916, though he took no active role in the rising itself. He was not a member of the Military Committee that was responsible for its planning (and probably didn't even know of its existence until after the rising). It is likely that the other members of the 3-person IRB executive, Clarke and MacDermott (the treasurer and secretary) supported his nomination as president because, being isolated in Belfast, he would be in no position to interfere with their plans. Nevertheless, during Holy Week he got word of what was afoot and travelled to Dublin to question Clarke and MacDermott, who avoided him as long as they could. Eventually they informed him of their plans, which he was brought to support.
Though he was a member of the Irish Volunteers, it was decided that Belfast could not take part in the rising, as the dominance of the Ulster Volunteers in the northeast would lead to civil war. Therefore McCullough was to lead Volunteers in his area to Connacht. When the Volunteer's Chief-of-Staff Eoin MacNeill issued a countermand, cancelling orders for the rising, McCullough remained in Belfast. Nevertheless he was arrested that week and spent several months incarcerated. He retired from politics in 1927.
It has been argued that as President of the Irish Republican Brotherhood at the time of the Easter Rising, the title President of the Irish Republic was by rights his, and not Patrick Pearse's. However, as he had no real role in the planning of the insurrection, and was not in the vicinity of Dublin, where it was clear the leadership would need to be, it is understandable that Pearse was given the title instead. McCullough was likely glad to not have the title, as it certainly would have meant his execution along with the other leaders.
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
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Note: The images above come from the records of the old Pennsylvania Department of Highways, Record Group 12, courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Archives.
To the PennDOT Cultural Resources Program pages. The program is part of the Department’s commitment to building and maintaining a transportation network that lies as gently on Pennsylvania’s natural and cultural landscape as possible. The PennDOT Cultural Resources program is the largest public sector preservation and archaeology program in the state, and we like to think one of the best as well.
The program staff includes four policy staffers at the Central Office in Harrisburg and thirteen Cultural Resources Professionals (CRP’s) working out of the Department’s eleven Engineering District Offices across the Commonwealth. This cadre of archaeologists and architectural historians ensure that proposed transportation projects comply with preservation laws and regulations. They also work with their counterparts on the design and maintenance staffs, at the Federal Highway Administration, at the State Historic Preservation Office, at Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, at consulting firms, and with consulting parties and the general public to implement better projects. Our Central Office staffers in Harrisburg develop agency policy, work on state and program wide initiatives, interface with cultural resource professionals in other state and federal agencies, and conduct quality control reviews.
A primary tool we use to fulfill our mission is one of the nation’s most extensive programmatic delegation agreements. That agreement delegates substantial authority to the Department, but requires that we maintain our cadre of CRM professionals and provide them with regular training. It further requires that the entire program is subjected to an annual review by all the agreement signatories. It also requires that our program and actions are accessible to the public. We maintain that public access through ProjectPath, a partnership with Preservation Pa that makes all of our actions, determinations and technical documents for all of our projects available on-line.
This website provides visitors with access to our staff directory, to our publications, and to other useful resources related to our program. It includes news links to current issues in preservation, archaeology and transportation. Please take some time and explore the site, and send any comments or questions to the Webmaster.
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Fortunately, Charlie Miller is on the Good Guys side. A skilled hacker, Mr. Miller demonstrated how to hijack a smartphone via short-range radio technology known as Near Field Communication (NFC). He created tools that forced phones to visit websites seeded with attack software. The software on the booby-trapped websites helped Mr. Miller look at and steal data held on a handset.
NFC is becoming increasingly common in smartphones as the gadgets are used as electronic tickets and digital wallets.
Mr. Miller, a research consultant at security firm Accuvant, demonstrated the work at the Black Hat hacker conference in Las Vegas. During his presentation, Mr. Miller showed how to attack three separate phones: the Samsung Nexus S, the Google Galaxy Nexus – which both run Android – and the Nokia N9, which runs on the MeeGo system.
Nokia has said they are aware of Mr. Miller’s work. No word from Google yet.
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MSNBC commentator Chris Matthews said that the current Supreme Court is so ultra conservative that he wonders if the court would have voted in favor of keeping schools desegregated, would have ruled that desegregation was okay in public spaces, and would have kept prayer in the schools.
Matthews made his comments yesterday after the court voted to uphold the most onerous part of Arizona’s immigration law—the statute allowing police to stop someone they suspect may be an undocumented immigrant.
“I wonder if this court would have backed desegregation in the Brown case. I doubt this pack of conservatives, which includes Chief Justice John Roberts, Sam Alito and Anthony Kennedy, would have voted to knock down ‘separate but equal’ in the 1950s,” Matthews said.
“Let me proffer a tougher judgment: would this court – voting as it does today – have upheld the 1964 Civil Rights Bill, which declared it illegal to refuse access to someone because of race to a restaurant, hotel or a gas station restroom?” Matthews continued.
“The fact is that we have the most conservative court since the early 1930s, and maybe more conservative than that. These justices, led by Scalia, believe in original intent. They want to judge cases the way the Founding Fathers would. Well, the Founding Fathers – need I remind us all – wrote slavery into the Constitution. It took a Civil War and the 13th Amendment to get it out.”
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Hi i'm new here (and new to Back Track) so bare with me if i ask anythin stupid. I'm currently working on my dissertation for my final year of university and I've based it on the different types of hardware and software VPN solutions, the protocols they use and their security.
I need to prove that there is encryption for the tunnelling protocols that i've employed for my various VPN configurations, and exploit any weaknesses if possible!
However, I have no idea how to do this.
So far i've only been able to prove the tunnel is encrypted by sticking Wireshark in the middle of the network and identifying the header types.
My supervisor suggested I tried here to get some advice on which tools to use.
So far I have 3 VPN's to test:
- A server 2003 based remote-access VPN (2 servers: Domain server, VPN server, RADIUS (IAS) server) using L2TP/IPSec with certificates.
-A client to site VPN using a Cisco 2620 router as the VPN server and a Windows XP client
-Site-to-site VPN using numerous 3600 routers and a GRE tunnel (with IPSec). This is simulated on GNS3
I am also studying Hamachi, so if anyone knows anyway I can test the security on the tunnel technology that it uses it would be great!
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http://www.backtrack-linux.org/forums/showthread.php?t=21400&mode=hybrid
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Thoughts on Census Occupations
Today as I was transcribing 1870 Massachusetts census records in the town of Plymouth, I was reminded of how varied occupations were in the north. I did have one farmer and one farm laborer on that page, but I had several mariners. (I wondered if the oldest one was the famed "ancient mariner," although I knew Coleridge was an English author and that his mariner predated this one. However, I did wonder if others in the town associated the poem with this man.) There was one person who was listed as working for the "shoe man." I don't know if this meant he sold shoes or worked in shoe repair or both. It was an interesting occupations though. The Superintendent of Schools was also on this page. It was interesting that this man had been born in Jolly Old England rather than in the states. One man worked in an iron foundry. Most of the women were listed as keeping houses. Most of the older children were "attending school" while the younger ones were "at home." A few young ladies had "no occupation." My favorite occupation on that first page was "paper box maker."
On the next page I indexed, I found a brick mason, an engineer, a bookkeeper, a rope manufacturer (I'll bet those mariners visited his business quite a bit), a locomotive engineer, a huckster (I'm picturing Mr. Haney from Green Acres in a much earlier incarnation), and two farm laborers and two farmers. Interestingly, the first laborer was an African-American--the first black family I'd encountered in indexing Plymouth. (This family, however, was born in Massachusetts rather than the South.)
One can actually learn a lot about a community by paying attention to the various occupations enumerated on a census. These communities definitely had occupations in keeping with their waterfront locations. The presence of a locomotive engineer means that the railroads were becoming an important means of getting goods from the shipyards to the outlying areas and the rest of the country.
My next batch is taking me to a different part of Massachusetts so I'll end my thoughts for now. I'm sure that I'll be able to tell as much about this next community as I was the others (and even those Southern communities where farming was the driving force).
Okay - I can't resist one more occupation that I ran across later because I'd never seen it listed as an occupation before (especially for 1870)--trance medium. I did find this person listed in the 1900 census as a "lecturer."
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|Photo Index | | Printer Friendly|
|Honda to Build New Automobile Manufacturing Plant in Indiana
-- $550 Million Plant to Employ 2,000 Associates and Begin Production in 2008 --
| GREENSBURG, Indiana, U.S.A.. June 29, 2006–
Honda announced plans to build a $550 million automobile plant on a 1,700-acre tract in Decatur County, Indiana, near Greensburg, 50 miles southeast of Indianapolis. The plant will begin mass production of fuel efficient 4-cylinder vehicles in fall 2008, with an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles and employment of 2,000 associates.
The new Indiana plant, Honda’s sixth auto plant and 14th major plant overall in North America, will help boost Honda’s total North American auto production capacity from 1.4 million units to more than 1.6 million units in 2008, grow Honda’s employment in North America to more than 37,000 associates and increase North American capital investment to more than $9 billion.¹
“Honda’s success in America has been based on our strong commitment to our customers,” said Koichi Kondo, president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., and chief operating officer of Honda’s North America Region operations. “We believe the great state of Indiana has what we need to continue this success -- an outstanding community of people, excellent transportation systems, and the necessary infrastructure to support industry. It is an ideal location in the Midwest both for our network of parts suppliers and as a central location for all of our customers across the country.”
In 2005, American Honda achieved record U.S. sales of 1,462,472 new Honda and Acura cars and light trucks, the ninth straight year of record annual sales. In order to meet growing demand, Honda plans to build the new Indiana plant in approximately 24 months, with construction expected to begin in fall 2006.
Honda will announce additional details of its vehicle production plans at a later date. The new plant will have the same type of flexible New Manufacturing System that is found in Honda’s other auto plants in the U.S. and Canada, with advanced technologies that provide the flexibility to produce different models more quickly and efficiently. Major processes performed at the Indiana plant will include stamping, welding, painting, plastic injection molding and assembly operations. Hiring plans will be announced in the coming months.
Honda will make a significant commitment to limit the environmental impact of the new Indiana plant. Already, every major Honda plant in North America has met the ISO 14001 international environmental management standards except the new transmission plant in Georgia that opened in May 2006, which is now working toward certification. The Indiana plant will employ advanced methods of energy and emission reduction with the goal to become a “zero waste to landfill” factory.
“Our commitment to the environment is not based just on regulations or testing standards,” said Akio Hamada, president of Honda of America Mfg. Inc., and head of Honda’s manufacturing operations in the North America Region. “Our goal is that this plant in Indiana will have the smallest environmental footprint of any Honda auto plant in North America.”
As part of an infrastructure improvement package developed in cooperation with local and state government officials, the state of Indiana and the community will make various highway improvements in the area, provide site and infrastructure improvements and funds to train new Honda associates.
The Anna, Ohio Engine Plant, Honda’s largest engine facility in the world, will provide 4-cylinder engines to the Indiana plant. With annual capacity of 1.15 million engines, the Anna Plant has the flexibility to produce both 4-cylinder and V6 engines, as well as numerous engine and brake components.
Honda first announced its plan to build a new auto plant as part of its May 17 announcement for the advancement of the company’s “2010 Vision” for North American automobile operations. In addition to the new auto plant in Indiana, Honda’s North American plan also included the following new corporate initiatives:
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- Development UI
- Standard Parameters
- Unique Parameters
- Data Structures
One of the hardest problem facing plug-in developers is designing effects that honor the native pixel aspect ratio of any source media fed to the plug-in by the host. All FxFactory plug-ins are based on Quartz Composer, which was not designed with video applications in mind. As such it always expects and generates images with a square pixel aspect ratio. The same goes for Core Image units, OpenGL shaders and any other computer graphics technology accessed through Quartz Composer.
Why is this a problem in the first place? Host applications feed images to plug-ins at their native size. For example, if your effect is used in a ProRes 1080i sequence, Final Cut Pro will feed you one field at a time. The field has resolution 1440×540. That is obviously quite different from its ultimate display size of 1920×1080. If your composition draws a circle inside that 1440×540 field, by the time your circle is scaled to the final display resolution you end up with a nasty-looking oval:
You draw this…
…the viewer sees this:
Different hosts behave differently. Motion and After Effects always field-double their images, so the same field from the same source media will be fed to the plug-in as a 1440×1080 image.
To make effects development as simple as it can be, FxFactory has always provided an easy way out. When you enable the options “Can only render fields at full frame resolution” and “Can only render fields/frames at square pixel aspect ratio” in the Renderer section, you are asking FxFactory: “Scale input/output images for me so that I don't have to worry about pixel-aspect ratio issues”:
The “easy way out” described above is still widely used by many FxFactory plug-ins, and there will always be reasons to continue using it in the future.
In earlier versions of FxFactory, those options were on by default on any new plug-in you created. The automatic scaling of images up/down done by FxFactory behind the scenes is the source of potential filtering artifacts. But before we talk about the problems, lets talk about the situations where it is (and always will) desirable and acceptable to use the easy way out:
When designing high-quality effects, the optional, automatic scaling performed by FxFactory will introduce unwanted filtering artifacts. These are worse with interlaced media than with progressive media, and they are worse in Final Cut Pro than in other hosts (due to the fact that Motion and After Effects always field-double their media). Moreover, it's easy to see how a plug-in that processes 1440×540 fields directly will be faster than an identical effect that is forced to process 1920×1080 images.
It's important to notice that if your plug-in does not render any geometry (e.g. a color correction filter) and does not use filters that rely on a geometric distance (such as a blur radius), you get a free pass. You can (must!) safely disable all Renderer options discussed earlier, and your plug-in will render faster and at higher-quality: no extra scaling operations are being done on your source media or on the output your composition generates.
You can test this problem very easily. Take a simple pass-through filter:
Enable the following Renderer properties:
This forces FxFactory to scale the input to square-pixels, and then the output from square-pixels, when your filter is applied.
Apply the newly created filter to the built-in Render > Grid generator in Final Cut Pro. Here is the original:
…and here is the same grid with the passthrough filter:
Notice the unwanted softness introduced by the filter because of the automatic scaling, even if you are not actually touching the pixels inside the composition.
There is no general approach to handling native pixel aspect ratio correctly. The most important step is actually understanding what's going on behind the scenes. Then, depending on the effect you are designing, one of the following techniques may be used:
Unfortunately, some of the stuff mentioned above can be very tricky to figure out, and it certainly comes in the way of FxFactory's goal of keeping things as simple as they can be. That's why FxFactory sports improved versions of built-in effects (Core Image units) that handle pixel aspect ratio.
The main difference between our versions and Apple's is that our units include an extra “Pixel Aspect Ratio” input. By virtue of doing that, we have created units that are capable of honoring non-square pixel aspect ratios.
Try creating, for example, a new filter in FxFactory. You'll notice that the composition you start with now looks like this:
Notice the NI Gaussian Blur unit that honors the media's pixel aspect ratio. You just need to feed it the Pixel Aspect Ratio of the source, which you do by mapping the corresponding Image Info Structure inside FxFactory. When testing inside Quartz Composer, you'll only see a pixel aspect ratio of 1, so you need to test the end result in the host to make sure the approach is working.
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Family and Children
Seventy-seven percent of women in Iowa
are or have been married. Many of those women have children
that they support either with the help of a partner or alone.
Resources for Family Economic Security:
is a program that provides health care coverage for Iowa
children in families with limited incomes.
(Women Infants & Children) is a supplemental nutrition
program for babies, children under the age of five, pregnant
women, breastfeeding women, and women who have had a baby
in the last six months. WIC helps families by providing
healthy foods, nutritional education, and referrals to
other health care agencies.
- One in every four children in the United
States is owed child
support on a permanent basis. One in two children--every
other child in the United States, and at some point before
their eighteenth birthday--is eligible to receive child
support. Non-payment of child support is a leading cause
of child poverty and is the greatest source of financial
insecurity for families in the United States.
Community Action Association helps low-income families
throughout the state find resources to assist with basic
Iowa Department of Human Services has an online application
for State of Iowa Services (OASIS),
which is for people applying for benefits administered
Iowa has one of the highest rates of
women with children who work outside the home. Eighty-two
percent of women in Iowa with children under 18 are in the
Resources for Working Moms:
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http://www.humanrights.iowa.gov/sw/resources_tools/family_children.html
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| 0.929412
| 312
| 2.6875
| 3
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- v. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of vacillate.
“The Apple store is too variable even stuff in the same series on the same label vacillates between 128 kbps and 256 kbps and once you've got it, that's it, as far as Apple is concerned.”
“Aguirre, Weber's latest piece of minimal techno (or "sonic house," he calls it) under the Pantha du Prince moniker vacillates between extremes of the sublime and the stilted, the gorgeous and the slightly boring, confident auteurism plus brushes with self-parody.”
“Though he despises Owen, Stockard vacillates between his desire to let the priest be killed and his inclination to help defend him against Baptise.”
“The mind always vacillates between the past and the future.”
“Amanda Blank, who just released her debut, I Love You, also vacillates between singing and rapping, but she does neither particularly well.”
“Her work vacillates between photography, video, and performance.”
“Melnick's performance persona vacillates as subtly as light moving through a prism; in one moment, the slender redhead projects a tough, flinty, hard edge.”
“Songs like "For Ash" and "Cinco de Mayo" expertly convey the conflicted feelings stemming from the suicide of a former lover, while "Female Guitarists are the New Black" vacillates between notions of empowerment and weariness at still being objectified: "They're like little foxes on the run/I don't think they're having much fun.”
“In terms of writing a character that vacillates between the male and the female so organically, how was that for you as a writer?”
“Hart vacillates between extraordinary pride in my popularity and a fierce possessiveness that results in petulance—very trying.”
‘vacillates’ hasn't been added to any lists yet.
Looking for tweets for vacillates.
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http://www.wordnik.com/words/vacillates
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| 0.96418
| 457
| 1.921875
| 2
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A protein known as Ric-8 plays a vital role, according to new results from a team led by Gregory Tall, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center. The work was published recently in Science Signaling.
What you see, what you smell, how you feel - molecules known as G-protein coupled receptors and their prime targets, G proteins, are key to those and many other processes that are ubiquitous in our bodies. These proteins serve as the targets of drugs used to treat conditions like cancer, diabetes, depression, allergies, and heart disease.
These receptors normally weave themselves throughout the cell membrane, with one part protruding from the outside of a cell, and the rest of the protein inside the cell. When a compound like a drug or a hormone attaches to a receptor on the cell surface, it affects the G protein bound to the portion of the receptor that is inside the cell, triggering a cascade of signals that make life possible - or improve health, in the case of a drug, or perhaps hurting health in the case of a toxin.
Previously, Tall discovered the existence of Ric-8 and learned that it binds to G proteins, which are made inside cells and have to make their way to the cell's outer edge, the membrane, to work correctly. In the new work, his team found that Ric-8 is a chaperone that G proteins need to be transported to the cell membrane. When Ric-8 is knocked out, G proteins don’t work as they should and are destroyed.
"G proteins are involved in many biological processes - how we see and taste, how our heart beats, even our mood," said Tall. "It's a very important class of proteins. Ric-8 is the chaperone that gets G proteins where they need to be, to the cell membrane. Without it, many of these proteins end up destroyed within the cell."
"Understanding more precisely how this important class of proteins operates in the body can perhaps make many of the drugs we use today more effective for patients," Tall added.
To do the study, Tall and colleagues had to devise a system where they could study the molecules in action. In living animals such as mice, when Ric-8 is knocked out completely, the animals die. So the team worked to identify a stem cell line in which the Ric-8 gene was knocked out, so they could study G protein function in the absence of Ric-8.
The first author was graduate student Meital Gabay. Other authors at the University include Mary Pinter, an undergraduate student now at the University of Colorado at Denver; technical associate Forrest Wright, now at SUNY Upstate Medical University; and graduate student PuiYee Chan. The team worked with scientists at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals who created the "knockout" mice used in the study.
Funding for the work came from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and from the Empire State Stem Cell Board.
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http://worldpharmanews.com/research/1921-scientists-fixate-on-ric-8-to-understand-trafficking-of-popular-drug-receptor-targets
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| 0.967518
| 614
| 3.6875
| 4
|
An increasingly punitive attitude towards low income mothers has
dramatically affected the legal systems poor women interact with
most welfare, the criminal justice system and family courts.
In each of these arenas poor women are stigmatized; their behavior
is viewed with rising suspicion and hostility; and efforts to control
their sexual and maternal behavior are ever harsher.
form these efforts have taken is a lifetime ban on cash assistance
and food stamps to women with felony drug convictions. The federal
welfare reform legislation enacted in 1996 provides that unless
a state affirmatively passes legislation to the contrary, any individual
with a felony drug conviction for conduct after August 22, 1996
is permanently barred from receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) benefits or food stamps.TANF is the block grant
program that replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC),
the program most people think of as "welfare."
to Essays Index Page
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.asentenceoftheirown.com/Essays%20-%20Some%20Days.html
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| 0.926338
| 198
| 2.4375
| 2
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How do I get a visa?
Let us be the first to welcome you in advance to New York and to the United States. We are frequently asked how a foreigner can obtain a visa for travel to the United States. When you are ready to plan your trip, be sure to check with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for the latest information on requirements for entering the United States, as these may change with little notice. You can find one near you by visiting the U.S. State Department’s
website. From the same website you can also obtain visa and travel information. Click on Visas for Foreign Citizens
for the latest entry requirements. We are sorry we cannot assist you with obtaining visas. So how easy or hard is it to find a job in New York?
Even Canadians need a visa to live here, and we remind our friends who can travel for up to 90 days without a visa
that you can't just relocate to the United States. Coming without a visa and starting to work means you are living here illegally. Will you get caught? Possibly. Will you be able to work legally? Not without a social security number, which you can't obtain legally without valid work authorization. What if you get caught and are deported? You likely will be barred from re-entry for five to ten years.So then how do I get a work visa?
You can't get a work visa without a solid job offer. Most offers to foreigners are either for highly skilled work—in international corporations, high tech, nursing, or hospitality industry—or very unskilled work, such as migrant labor (i.e. picking fruits and vegetables). Those under age 25 might try to come as a student first to see if they actually like it here. How to come here as a student? First need to apply to a college, university or language school for admission, and then subsequently apply for a visa with the I-20 form that the school will arrange for you. What does 'expiry date' mean on my visa?
As for the 'expiry date' of a visa, that means the last possible date you may enter the United States. It is the immigration officer at the port of entry who determines how long you may stay.How would I qualify for citizenship in America? I would love to live in New York. I know that if I were to get married to an American, I could get citizenship. Would I have to live in the US for a certain number of years?
These are very complicated questions, and there are no simple answers. You will want to do further research at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
website.How do I get a social security number?
You can't get a social security number without a valid work visa. What about hiring a lawyer to help me get a visa?
A word to the wise: Immigration lawyers make all sorts of promises, ask for your money upfront, and then sometimes fail to deliver on the visa. Make sure you are completely aware of what fees you will be charged, what exactly they will do for you (fill out forms, ensure you obtain the visa, etc.). Ask about their success rates in obtaining visas, and typically what sort of cases they process. We have heard far too many stories from around the world—even from Canada—about immigration lawyers who make big promises, charge huge fees, and deliver very little on what they promise. What can I bring in to the USA?
If you are concerned about what you may carry into or out of the United States, we urge you to visit the U.S. Customs
website, and click "Travel." Please note that if you are taking medication it is a good idea to have a prescription from your doctor demonstrating you need the drugs. Some basic facts about what you may carry in to the U.S. duty free:
- 1 liter of wine or hard liquor;
- 200 cigarettes, 150 cigars (but not from Cuba), or 3 pounds of smoking tobacco;
- $100 worth of gifts.
These exemptions are offered to travelers who spend at least 72 hours in the United States and who have not claimed them within the preceding 6 months.
In addition, foreign tourists may bring in or take out up to $10,000 in U.S. or foreign currency with no formalities; larger sums must be declared to U.S. Customs upon entering or leaving. You also might want to read the Top Ten Tips
(PDF) for travelers.
More answers to typical questions about travelling to the USA can be found HERE
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Earlier this year (2012) Nikon introduced their full frame D800 and Canon introduced their full frame EOS 5D MkIII, both aimed at the same market segment. In the EOS 5D MkIII Canon used a sensor developed from that of the 5D MkII. It has a few more pixels (22.3MP vs 21.1MP) and a more efficient design with gapless microlenses to capture more light. For the D800 Nikon used a sensor (reportedly a Sony design) with a much higher pixel count of 36.3MP.
The higher pixel count and correspondingly smaller pixel pitch of the Nikon D800 would be expected to result in higher resolution, and of course it does. The D800 sensor has a pixel pitch of 4.88 microns, while the Canon EOS 5D MkIII sensor has a pixel pitch of 6.25 microns. All else being equal (e.g. the strength of the low pass anti-aliasing filter), resolution is an linear inverse function of pixel pitch, so you'd expect the D800 to show resolution 28% higher than the EOS 5D MkIII.
In fact, after performing resolution tests using the D800 and 5D MkIII, that's pretty much what I saw. This is really no surprise.
The above images show the resolution under comparable conditions for the Nikon D800 and Canon EOS 5D MkIII. In each case the RAW (Nikon NEF) image was optimized and converted to a JPEG using the manufacturers supplied RAW conversion program. The 2.5 lp/mm line group in the Canon image is approximately matched by the 3.2 lp/mm line group in the Nikon D800 image. Theory says the D800 should resolve about 28% more than the 5D MkIII and 2.5 lp/mm x 1.28 = 3.2 lp/mm, just as expected.
Every so often you'll see on the web that a camera like the D800, which has a theoretical maximum resolution of around 102 lp/mm, can only deliver enhanced resolution with a few of the very best lenses shot at their best aperture and only with the camera and lens mounted on a tripod with the mirror locked up etc. While this isn't nonsense, it's a serious case of exaggeration. The EOS 7D has a sensor with a pixel pitch of 4.3 microns has a theoretical resolution of up to 116 lp/mm. Nobody has been complaining that they can't utilize the full resolution of the 7D sensor.
The other claim for the Nikon D800 sensor is that it has considerably higher dynamic range at low ISO than the EOS 5D MkIII sensor. Dynamic range is mostly a measure of shadow noise. Higher dynamic range translates into lower noise in the dark areas of the image. It can also indicate non-linear sensitivity in the highlights, but it's usually mostly related to the shadow noise.
Dxomark.com compared the dynamic range of the Nikon D800 and the Canon EOS 5D MkIII and found the following.
This seems to show that at lower ISO settings, the D800 has up to 2.5 EV more dynamic range than the EOS 5D MkIII. But what would this mean?
In a normal in-camera JPEG shot at ISO 100, you probably wouldn't see any difference between a D800 and an EOS 5D image because the normal dynamic range of a printed (or screen displayed) image is much less than the dynamic range of either the Nikon D800 or Canon EOS 5D MkIII. Where higher dynamic range would show up is in images which have been processed to bring up the level of the shadows. An extreme example of this would be a highly underexposed image. Another situation in which you might wantto bring up shadow detail would in in an extreme backlit subject.
To test this I shot images of my resolution test chart with from 1 to 9 stops underexposure. The examples shown here were shot at 5 stops less exposure than the meter indicated. In both cases the unprocessed resulting image looked pretty much like a blank black frame. However processing the RAW (NEF) image to reveal the shadow detail brought back the image in both cases as can be seen below:
It's pretty clear that the D800 image is a lot cleaner than the Canon EOS 5D MkIII image. Both images were processed in their respective camera manufacturers RAW/NEF conversion software. Similar results were obtained using 3rd party conversion software. No deliberate noise reduction was applied to either image. While perhaps some of the difference could be accounted for me not fully optimizing the image, it's still pretty clear that the D800 sensor output in the deep shadows at low ISO is considerably better than the output of the Canon EOS 5D MkIII sensor. This is also consistent with the DxoMark findings that the D800 sensor showed about 2.5 stops more dynamic range than the EOS 5D MkIII sensor at the ISO 100 settings. The tests I did pretty much agree with this, with the 5D MkIII shadow noise looking at leat 2 stops higher then the D800 shadow noise.
Though I haven't detailed the tests here, at higher ISO settings (ISO 400 and up) the dynamic range of the EOS 5D MkIII equals or exceeds that of the Nikon D800 and the 5D MkIII shows lower noise than the Nikon D800, especially at very high ISO settings of ISO 12800 and up.
I think it's pretty clear that the Nikon D800 sensor beats the Canon EOS 5D MkIII sensor, at least in terms of resolution and also in dynamic range at low ISO settings. The output of the D800 sensor at low ISO is remarkably clean.
What gives the D800 sensor higher DR at low ISO settings? That's a tough question to answer because Nikon aren't likely to reveal the details of the sensor design and construction. The trick is to get as much of the light falling on the sensor as possible to actually hit the photosensitive areas. This is done by using microlenses over the sensor by all sensor manufacturers (including Canon and Nikon). It's also desirable to make the photosensitive area of each pixel as large as possible by minimizing the chip "wiring" that overlays the photosites. It's widely assumed (and in some cases proven) that many recent Nikon DSLRs use sensors made by Sony. Their sensors (EXMOR) have the analog-digital converter integrated directly into the sensor chip, along with noise reduction circuitry. Whatever they are doing seems to work pretty well!
Does this mean that the D800 is a better camera than the Canon EOS 5D MkIII? Not necessarily. Judging a camera based only on the sensor resolution and low ISO dynamic range would be a bit like judging a car on only top speed and 0-60 acceleration times. There's a lot more to a car - and a camera - than that.
I can't whether the D800 is a "better" camera than the EOS 5D MkIII because that depends a lot on the user, so there's no "right" answer. Each have their strengths and weaknesses. I've shot with both and both did a fine job and produced images of the highest quality. I'll leave it up to others to "pick a winner". If I wanted a camera in this class, I'd probably go with the Canon EOS 5D MkIII because I have a lot of Canon lenses, I'm familiar with the Canon control interface and switching systems makes little sense. The EOS 5D MkIII also goes to higher ISO ratings (ISO 102400 vs ISO 25600) and shows lower noise than the D800 at high ISO settings I'm pretty sure the EOS 5D MkIII would do everything I needed it to do - and do it very well. The AF system is excellent and the camera is very fast, I was very pleased with the images I shot and the way the 5D MkIII handles during the time I had the camera to test.
If I had no current cameras or lenses I might be tempted to try the D800, not only for the higher resolution and DR, but for the built in flash and because it's around $500 cheaper. However for high ISO shooters, the EOS 5D MkIII might still be a better choice. The Nikon D800 will also AF to f8, while the EOS 5D MkIII will only AF to f5.6 (though the 5D MkIII has more AF zones and more cross type AF zones so overall AF may be better). Again I was pleased with the images I shot while I was testing the camera. The Nikon interface was a little alien to me, but not so alien that I couldn't figure out how to use it!
What the comparison does seem to suggest though is that Canon need to work on their sensor design if they want to be "king of the hill" when it comes to DSLRs. While the sensor used in the 5D MkIII is certainly adequate in terms of base ISO dynamic range, there is now serious competition from some Nikon (and Sony) DSLRs. To be state-of-the-art or to lead the pack It seems like Canon need to come up with something inovative rather than just make small changes to the current sensors. The Canon DSLR imaging sensors are good, but they no longer appear to outperform imaging sensors used by Nikon in their latest DSLRs.
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Rabies clinics planned around HaywoodWritten by Admin
Haywood County Animal Control, the Haywood County Health Department and veterinarians from the county’s six animal hospitals are collaborating on a series of rabies clinics the week of Sept. 27-Oct. 1.
The clinics will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the following locations:
• Monday, Sept. 27 – Canton Middle School
• Tuesday, Sept. 28 – Jonathan Valley School and Central Haywood High School
• Wednesday, Sept. 29 – Hazelwood School (New)
• Thursday, Sept. 30 – Bethel Middle School
• Friday, Oct. 1 - Riverbend School
The cost per vaccine is $6. In addition to staffing the six clinics, Haywood County veterinary hospitals will offer rabies shots for $6 during normal business hours on each of the clinic days. Participating veterinary clinics include Animal Hospital of Waynesville, Balsam Animal Hospital, Canton Animal Hospital, Country Lane Animal Hospital, Junaluska Animal Hospital, and Maple Tree Veterinary Hospital.
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| 224
| 1.625
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During these summer months, many people will spend more time outdoors. Add traveling and walking in flip-flops to the mix, and our feet can take quite a beating. We tend to overlook our feet, but it’s important to remember that they are our foundation. How we bear weight on our feet affects our alignment and the health of our muscular and skeletal systems. If you experience back or neck pain, the unsuspecting culprit might just be your exhausted and aching feet.
For healthy feet and body, consider a foot massage. A good massage can increase circulation to the feet, releasing toxins from the body. It also relaxes and relieves aching muscles through reflexology or trigger points that correlate to other parts of the body. Pressure points on the feet called the Solar Plexus are highly affected by stress, and when pressed on can help relieve stress and provide much needed relaxation. Best of all, an invigorating foot massage just feels great at the end of a long day.
Relax the Back understands the importance of taking care of your feet and our massagers provide all the benefits in the comforts of your own home at your own time. Here are four options to choose from:
- The Infraped Foot Massager uses infrared heat to penetrate deep into the soles of your feet for cell for heat therapy and cell renewal
- The Therapeutic Foot Massager provides a custom massage by allowing you to specify settings in one of three regions of the foot, toe, arch or sole.
- The Human Touch CIrQlation Elite Foot & Calf Massager also massages your calves for increased circulation and pain relief.
- An inexpensive alternative that requires no batteries or power, the Foot Log relieves pressure in aching feet with just ten minutes of use.
Regardless of how active and tired your feet are, incorporating a good foot massage into your day can help lead to a healthier and happier you.
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| 0.918132
| 393
| 1.507813
| 2
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Life is like a 1600 meter race. The grueling run is four laps and mirrors what you feel when you begin any new pursuit.
Lap #1- Inspiration
The first lap the runner is fresh. He's inspired, well rested and itching to get to the finish line as fast as possible. He's surrounded by other like-minded runners all wanting to be the first to cross that line. When a person first starts a project, business or class, inspiration drives him. Everything feels easy and the goal is achievable and crystal clear.
Lap #2- Inspiration meets pain
Fatigue is starting to kick in. The body heat of the runner begins to rise and sweat begins to trickle down his forehead. The close-knit pack of runners begins to spread out. The first inklings of pain begin to manifest in his lungs. The runner is still keeping his head up, remembering the inspiration that put him in the race in the first place, but it is getting harder.
Lap #3 – Difficulties start to overwhelm
What began as a mild burn in his lungs now feels like a raging conflagration. Runners begin to pass him, and our runner starts to forget why he entered the race in the first place. His body refuses to cooperate and he feels like quitting. The inspiration that drove him in the first and second lap is leaking out of him. It’s a struggle to lift his knees, yet he pushes on despite the stilting pain.
Lap #4- Push or break.
The last lap is where character is forged. In those last few meters of unbearable pain the runner begins to hear a rationalization that may make sense in the moment, but in reality is completely illogical. Jog, coast, let the momentum from the previous laps carry you through, he begins to tell himself. It was a good effort over all. You've suffered enough already… The pain he feels now clouds the work put in from the previous three laps, obfuscating the reason he entered the race in the first place.
But the runner decides to keep running – hard. Three laps of pain and hard work only to give up in the last one is insanity. The first half of that last lap is comparable to what someone feels when they are dying. The runner is barely getting enough oxygen into his lungs; water is leaving his body like a shattered aquarium. He feels the energy in his body fleeing. His body is screaming, Quit! Quit! Quit!
As he approaches the second half of the lap his mind breaks through the pain and shouts above his aching body. Look at the finish line!
Suddenly, incomprehensibly, his mind clears. He looks up and remembers why he started the race in the first place. His eyes lock on the white line at the end of the track, the goal, the reason. Inspiration floods his mind causing him to ignore his body’s pain. Our runner finds that hidden inner reserve that we all call upon when it really matters, when we have fought longer than we thought we could, when we have pushed ourselves farther than we thought we should.
The fastest runner doesn't always win the race; more often than not it's the one who can work through the most pain, eyes locked on the goal.
Something that should not be possible happens, the runner sprints the last 200 meters of the race, running as fast if not faster than the first 200 meters of the race.
It’s called the runner’s kick and it only happens to an athlete who has been pushing himself near his limit for the duration of the race. It’s a phenomenon that is very counterintuitive to how one would think the human body should react, a physiological miracle. Proof that if we truly put in every ounce of our being into running – or any endeavor – God will give us that final push and help us get to the finish line.
Arms pumping, back straight, chin raised high, the runner surges past the jogging zombies that have given into the pain. He breaks through the finish line, simultaneously smashing his previous record time and the barriers his body had placed in his mind.
After the finish line the runner feels a deep sense of joy. Completing a project hurts, but the satisfaction one feels afterwards makes up for the pain. The runner is also amazed, realizing there was a point where he almost caved into the pain. For a moment he contemplates what his reality would be like now had he given up; it’s a stark contrast.
Any pursuit worth doing will always hurt, but if we force ourselves to keep our eyes on the finish line and remember our goals, inspiration will flood back. In the great race of life, it isn’t always the fastest runner that wins the race; more often than not it's the one who can work through the most pain, eyes locked on the goal.
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Site editor’s note: This post from D.J. Pangburn originally appeared on death + taxes.
Mo Karn, alias of a ‘known anarchist,’ filed a Freedom of Information Act requrest with the Richmond, Virginia police. The department delivered the documents, now they want them back.
Karn (a member of Richmond Copwatch) and others filed under the Freedom of Information Act to learn police procedures during protests, so that they could better plan and coordinate their efforts in direct action. According to Karn’s (she is a member of the anarchist collective The Wingnut), the group “wanted to get copies of the police protocols so we could know when the police are breaking their own rules.”
Perfectly legal, it would seem. We should all know when police are breaking their own rules or the law.
However, the documents weren’t merely standard police protocols but homeland security and crowd control guides.… Read the rest
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Current Economic State of Tunisia
Tunisia, the Maghreb's smallest country, has one of the region's healthiest economies. Since 1997, the country's GDP has expanded by about 5.6 percent annually, an outstanding rate compared to its neighbors. Inflation has been held below 4.0 percent.
One of the main strengths of the economy is its diversity. The service sector (primarily tourism) comprises roughly 34 percent of GDP, manufacturing industries, 17.8 percent, agriculture, 11 percent, and non-manufacturing industries, primarily phosphate mining and hydrocarbons, which contribute about 4.5 percent of GDP.
Tourism and textile production are the two sectors earning the highest revenue. The latter totals about $800 million and comprises roughly 33 percent of the manufacturing sector.
The country has recently entered into a Free Trade Accord with the EU under which it will remove tariff and other trade barriers on most non-agricultural goods, services and capital by 2008.
The road to this country's economic success began in 1986 when the country turned from its socialist past and sought guidance from the IMF and World Bank.
Tunisia simplified its tax system and reduced tax rates, with a fixed maximum rate of 35 percent for businesses. Banking and financial sectors were partly liberalized and restructured. Some public companies were privatized and foreign trade and domestic prices de-controlled. As of 1997, 87 percent of prices were deregulated at the production level and 85 percent at the distribution level. Also, 97 percent of imports no longer require prior licensing. Maximum tariff rates on a broad range of imports, however, rose from 43 to 287 percent in July 1996.
All of these measures have made their impression felt on the population. According to Tunisian government statistics, more than 60 percent of the population is middle class. Only 6.7 percent falls below the poverty threshold. The national savings rate is 23 percent and 79 percent of Tunisians own their own homes. Over 85 percent of Tunisian homes are connected to the electrical grid, and 70 percent have potable water.
In July 1999, the IMF predicted that Tunisia’s GDP would have real growth of 6.5 percent with inflation holding at 3 percent. Its economy was helped by good harvests and a large diversion of Mediterranean tourists to Tunisia because of the war in the Balkan and security concerns in Turkey.
Tourism is crucial to the country's economy. During the first 9 months of 1999, the number of arriving tourists rose 16.7 percent to 4.63 million and the level of European tourists increased by 16.1 percent. This is significant because tourism is the country’s main source of foreign exchange revenues. Through November1999, the country’s foreign exchange earnings from tourism totaled TD 1.82 billion, which is greater than all of 1998's figures of TD 1.71 billion
The country's current account deficit is projected to reach 3.7 percent of GDP compared with 3.4 percent in 1998. Fiscal revenues increased by 0.5 percent of GDP despite a removal of trade tariffs. Debt service declined by 0.4 percent of GDP and privatization receipts rose to 1.8 percent of GDP in 1998.
Tunisia's trade volume with its African and Arab neighbors increased 6.5 percent in 1998 to TD 1.042 billion. Its trade deficit with these countries was TD 56.8 million down from 129.8 million in 1997. Exports to sub-Sahara Africa jumped by 27 percent and recorded an 11.5 percent increase with Gulf countries.
Investment intentions in Tunisia’s industry sector in 1998 rose 15.9 percent to TD 1.166 billion ($988.1 million) from TD 1.006 billion. This leap was spurred primarily by increased investment in the building sector which rose 64.4 percent to TD 193 million from TD 117 million and in the mechanical and electrical sector which leaped 59.3 percent to TD 170 million.
Intentions of investment in the chemical sector declined 21.2 percent to TD 97 million from TD 123 million. Intentions of investment with the participation of foreigners totaled TD 383 million, down 13.7 percent from TD 444 million. Intentions of investment in services were down 50.3 percent to TD 291 million from TD 584 million.
The country, which is a World Trade Organization member, is most interested in foreign investment that boosts export earnings, attracts technology, creates rather than cuts jobs and minimally competes with domestic industry.
Unemployment is one of the country's most serious problems at more than 25 percent. President Ben Ali called job creation ''the priority of priorities.'' By January 2000, the ''National Employment Fund'' may start its activities. This program was announced last October and is part of a multi-initiative to develop employment opportunities.
The government has also launched the ''mise a niveau'' program, which was designed to raise productivity of Tunisian business during the next 10 years to allow them to be able to better compete on the global level. This will take on added importance when the service sector is opened to foreign competition in 2001 under WTO and EU FTA agreements. The other goal of the ''mise a niveau'' program is to improve the country's infrastructure, communications and other trade-and-investment related capabilities.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is helping in this endeavor, lending its North African neighbor 83.1 million Euros to finance public and private sector projects. Besides this, the government issued in August 1999 its first Eurobond, raising 225 million Euros.
2000 1999 1998 1997
GDP Growth (percent) 6.0(T) 6.2 5.0 5.4
Exports (TDbn) 6.370* 6,532 6,148
Imports (TDbn) 9.182* 9,476 8,794
Inflation 2.7 3.1 3.7
Tourism Earnings (TD bn) 1.82* 1.71 1.55
Remittances (in cash and TD mn) 683* 654 616
Foreign Direct Investment (including energy) (TD mn) 277.5** 760 406
Current Account Balance (TD mn)-222.8 -769 -655
Unemployment*** 15.2 15.4
Expenditure (budgeted TD bn)10.510 9.590 8.726 -
Revenues (budgeted TD bn) 6.580 6.185 5.175 -
Government Net Deficit (excluding debt amortization) (budgeted TD bn) -0.750 (T) 0.910 (E) - -
Deficit as % GDP 2.7 (T) 3.6 (E) - -
(T) = target
(E) = estimate
*Through November 1999
**Through September 1999
Government Role in the Economy
The government has been slowly stepping back from the economy and encouraging the private sector to assume a greater role. Still, the government's role in the economy is greater than that of other countries at comparable levels of development.
While the government has had a cautious privatization program, it does face some important obstacles such as fears of mass firing in massive layoffs in unprofitable and overstaffed public companies.
The government of Tunisia has been methodically reducing its role in the economy. Although the privatization program is supported by the National Labor Federation (UGTT), the government is moving carefully to avoid mass firings in unprofitable public companies.
The government is focusing on the stock market as the principal vehicle for the privatization program. Specific targets are companies operating in competitive sectors.
The most dramatic re-orientation has occurred in the financial and banking sectors. The Central Bank is gradually shifting to a supervisory and regulatory role. Interest rates were officially deregulated and commercial banks allowed to move into the long term credit market. The government made the Tunisian Dinar convertible for current account transactions, and currency trading was privatized.
In the financial markets, the former state-controlled stock exchange, the Bourse, was privatized. The new structure is composed of brokerage houses. Similarly, a privately held central stock clearing house company was established. The state will continue to exercise its supervisory and regulatory role through the Financial Market Council.
Tunisia, under the influence of president Ben Ali, has implemented an International Monetary Fund-style economic stabilization program, highlighted by rigorous budget balancing, foreign trade liberalization and private sector incentives. Consequently, economic growth rates have surged.
Most of this capital came from European Union investors who were encouraged by Tunisia's proximity to southern Mediterranean markets, relatively low cost labor force and enhanced fiscal transparency.
If there are any gathering storm clouds on the Tunisian horizon, they are probably in the area of nascent privatization, where turf conscious Tunisian bureaucrats frequently erect obstacles for local businessmen. Barriers, however, are slowly falling (particularly in the area of agriculture), and all signs now point towards considerably higher levels of both local and foreign investment and sustainable overall economic growth.
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
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Advice provided while internet shopping can help people buy healthier food
We all know that people should eat less saturated fat, but it can be hard to achieve changes in behaviour. Rachel Huxley and colleagues from the George Institute for International Health in Sydney, Australia, wanted to find out whether dietary advice delivered through an internet shopping system could help people make healthier food choices. They conducted a randomized trial, offering participants using an internet shopping system the chance to receive either general dietary advice (the trial's control) or tailored advice which prompted shoppers to replace items with alternatives lower in saturated fat. The researchers found that participants receiving tailored advice bought foods containing less saturated fat, on average, than the participants only getting general advice. These results show that low-cost technologies delivered through the internet have the potential to motivate users to change their behaviour. Rachel Huxley, from The George Institute of International Health and one of the authors of the study, says: "The great thing about this result is that it represents a simple, low cost step that food retailers could make now. We will be contacting each of the major Internet shopping operators in Australia to find out their interest in working with us to turn this research into reality. We hope that by publishing the article in an open access journal like PLoS the results will reach the maximum possible number of people, worldwide."
The results are published in PLoS Clinical Trials, an open-access journal that aims to increase the reporting of clinical trials. Steve Nissen, from the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA, and a member of the editorial board of PLoS Clinical Trials, says: "I applaud the commitment of PLoS Clinical Trials to provide open access to randomized clinical trial reports so that investigators throughout the world can freely examine the results
Contact: Sarah Clark
Public Library of Science
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Myth: You can rely on maternal instinct.
Truth: Not always. What many of us call maternal instinct often turns out to be maternal anxiety. How many afternoons have you rushed home, certain that the ambulance you heard was heading to your house, where the sitter surely had let the baby wander out alone to the wading pool? Or checked the messages on your cell phone, convinced that the school nurse had called? Apparently, worry is as essential to motherhood as the ability to make a peanut-butter sandwich.
This isn't to say you should dismiss those gut feelings; intuition is a real thing that all of us have to a varying degree, says Harriet Lerner, Ph.D., author of The Mother Dance: How Children Change Your Life (Harper Perennial). But before you panic, have a good talk with a clear-thinking friend who can help you sort stuff out, Dr. Lerner suggests. "The challenge is to calm down -- we cannot be in touch with our inner wisdom and intuition when we're anxious or intense." And by all means, pay attention to any strong or persistent gut feelings you have about something truly important, such as your child's health. Says Dr. Lerner, "I've seen many cases in which a doctor disqualified or even shamed a mother who had a concern about her child's health or development. The mother turned out to be right."
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The primary element needed by the engine system in order to fully operate is fuel. Mixed with the right amount of oxygen, the chemical energy that's confined in it is converted into another type of energy known as thermal energy or heat through the combustion process. Significantly, the heat produced is transformed by the engine into mechanical power to make the vehicle move as well as run all other vital auto parts such as the electrical system. When the automobile is already working, we know what happens next.
Other auto aspects play indispensable roles in power generation aside from the powerhouse itself. Going back to the initial processing, air and fuel need first to get into the engine system. While it is the air intake system that takes care of ingesting the needed oxygen, the fuel delivery system is the one that's responsible of transporting the fuel from the gas tank into the combustion chamber. Sophisticated as it is, the cold air intake system which most vehicles today use is matched with the modern design of fuel delivery system called fuel injection.
If your Oldsmobile unit is one of the modern creations, it's also most probably equipped with a fuel injection system instead of early models' carburetor. This modern auto component is of two kinds, the mechanical and electronic fuel injections. Both of them make of the device called fuel injectors, the ones that directly spray fuel into every cylinder of the combustion chamber. Located in the intake cavity or throttle body injection system and at the multi-point injection's portal, a fuel injector is basically an electromechanical device comprised of fuel filter, plunger, spray tip, solenoid, and valve spring.
Fuel injector is a nozzle that directly delivers fuel to the combustion chamber. And a conditioned one is capable of providing each cylinder with correct amount of fuel harmoniously with the engine performance rate and movements of the throttle body. In order to ensure correct quantity of fuel, the injector uses a metering device. Significantly, the cylinders are charged with equal strength and quality for a smooth and even operation. Am Oldsmobile fuel injection system, like all others, carries several fuel injectors for an efficient fuel delivery at exact timing. Before the fuel is able to reach the injector, an in-tank fuel pump may act as a high-pressure supply pump.
In order to fully benefit the functions of fuel injectors, the vehicle owner must always have his unit checked for any possible damage. And if replacement is necessary, it is wise to secure for the best type of fuel injector from a reliable supplier. Here at PartsTrain, wide selection of premium grade Oldsmobile fuel injectors can easily be found.
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Because of the ambush and subsequent firefight in central Iraq yesterday, the news has been full of mentions of the Iraqi town whose name is spelled "Samarra" in English. In the context of this serious event, I hate to bring up the relatively trivial matter of pronunciation, but one way or another, we have to say the words...
This morning on NPR, Bob Edwards said [sam'ara] but Carl Kasell said [s'æmara] (where single quote marks the main-stressed vowel, and I'm ignoring the details of the quality of the unstressed vowels).
I asked Tim Buckwalter how this word is pronounced in Arabic, and he responded:
The word sAmar~A' has two long vowels (/sa:mar:a:?/) so the stress should fall on the last long vowel and all preceding ones get shortened. However, names that end in /a:?/ tend to drop the glottal stop, and stress shifts to the nearest preceeding long vowel. A good example of this is "Sinai": /si:na:?/ in MSA, but /si:na/ in colloquial (and sloppy MSA). So, I suspect that this is how he got /sa:mar:a/. But since I don't know Iraqi, maybe I got it all wrong.
[Note: for the interpretation of Tim's transliteration sAmar~A', see this table]. According to Tim's answer, the correct formal pronunciation in Modern Standard Arabic would have final-syllable stress (which neither NPR announcer used), whereas the colloquial pronunciation (at least in the Levantine Arabic that Tim knows best) would have initial-syllable stress, as in Carl Kasell's pronunciation. If I understand the transliteration right, the vowel quality would also be closer to American English cat than cot.
There are several colloquial Arabics spoken in Iraq, so I guess there could be additional answers, but my guess is that Bob Edwards' pronuncation [sam'ara] is just the default American-English stress rule for foreign words: "if it ends in a vowel, use penultimate stress", along with the default American-English idea about how to pronounce orthographic "a" in foreign words ("use the vowel in cot, not the vowel in cat"). This is certainly how I always thought the word Samarra should be pronounced in English. And maybe Bob Edwards and I were right -- this is English, after all, not Arabic -- but the version with initial stress and a fronter vowel is apparently closer to the colloquial Arabic while remaining well within the phonetic space of our native American English.
Then again, Mohamed Maamouri supports the final-stress pronunciation that neither announcer used: "According to what I know, the pronunciation is /samar~A'/ with the stress on the last long vowel and with possible deletion of the final glottal stop." Mohamed has visited Samarra (in the 1970s), and so he has some direct personal evidence. He also mentioned that the names comes from an Arabic form meaning 'have an evening of entertainment.'
The first time that I ever had occasion to pronounce this word, if only to myself, was when I was 12 or 13, reading John O'Hara's novel Appointment in Samarra. Amazon.com gives it a blurb to die for by Ernest Hemingway: “If you want to read a book by a man who knows exactly what he is writing about and has written it marvelously well, read Appointment in Samarra.”
The book's action actually takes place in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. But the version that I read as a kid was an old-fashioned paperback edition with a trashy-looking cover, and I found it in a stack of mystery novels and suspense stories in my mother's sewing room. So I thought it was a spy thriller, and kept waiting vainly for that part of the story to start...
The title comes from a passage by W. Somerset Maugham:
DEATH SPEAKS: There was a merchant in Baghdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the market-place and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.
Posted by Mark Liberman at December 1, 2003 11:50 AM
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Winter weather is wreaking havoc in many parts of the country, but city officials in Minneapolis have found a unique way to help battle the huge mounds of snow plaguing a city with limited snow storage options – a biodiesel-powered Snow Dragon that can melt 30 tons of snow/hour. After the collapse of the city’s Metrodome, home of the Minnesota Vikings, the Snow Dragon helped clear the outdoor field at the University of Minnesota that the team would use for their postponed game.
Biodiesel blends are standing up to frigid temperatures and helping residents manage snow removal as well. The snow melter’s 9-million-BTU boiler separates pollutants and trash from the water, which is then sent down a storm drain cleaner than when it was snow.
The melter is being used primarily around parking meters and intersections. The only municipally owned snow melter in Minnesota, the city received federal funds to help purchase it as part of a transit upgrade. In addition, New York City, the largest municipal user of biodiesel, finds ways to use biodiesel year-round. They, too, use biodiesel for snow removal.
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"Though all the trees in the earth were pens, and the sea and the seven seas after it were to replenish them, yet would the Words of God not be spent." -- Koran (31:27)b This is the second Letter on Islam written in response to a non-Muslim writer:"The Koran is to Muslims what Jesus is to Christians." by Salim Mansur
I will address you as a friend even though all I know of you is from your letters. I trust in calling you a friend we will set between us a relationship of some mutual respect.
I find your letters smoking with anger. I understand why you are angry, and there is much to be angry about. But anger clouds reason, impedes the understanding, and makes our response to evil often ineffectual, even counter-productive. Even righteous-anger must be tempered with reason for justice to be done, and for good to triumph over evil.
You need to pause and drain your heart of anger that it might begin to feel and hear the sublime music around you, for it is through the heart that we hear that music that is heavenly and transcendent. And if you want to behold Him, as the psalmist in the Bible pines to “behold the beauty of the Lord,” you must wipe the stain of anger from your eyes.
Our history is of our making. The monuments to our triumphs and ruins are statements about ourselves; testaments to how we have conducted our affairs between our arrival and departure from this world. The best we inherit is the gift of freedom by which we endear ourselves to each other; and the worst we confront is the struggle with freedom’s enemy.
The jihadi Muslims are one such enemy of freedom, and since there can be no peace with them as they preach and practice violence, they must, as were other enemies of freedom, be eliminated. The conflict between freedom and tyranny is but another name for the eternal struggle between good and evil, between belief and unbelief. In this conflict the God of Abraham is not an entirely neutral and distant on-looker. Far from it. He is an active participant in the ranks of those who fight for freedom.
The reason is simple. There can be no belief without freedom, and tyranny is unbelief or belief in false deities whether these are graven images or ideologies at war with freedom.
The Koran declares, “No compulsion is there in religion.” Any public demonstration of religion brought about by coercion is merely another form of idol-worship. Faith is not faith unless it is freely found and not compelled. This is the paradox that confounds those who desire peace and yet deny God. Securing freedom requires the preparedness and willingness to fight those who are enemies of freedom. How else will freedom be won and tyrants defeated?
Tyrants and those who serve tyranny are infidels or unbelievers, and fighting them when they seek to spread their tyranny is a righteous effort sanctioned by the Koran. Whether misguided or innately evil, the jihadi Muslims, by conflating politics and faith to deny others the right to choose for themselves how to live, are tyrants and hence unbelievers.
The Koran, as with the Bible or any sacred text, can be cited by the devil for his purpose. Discernment is needed to distinguish between the devil in disguise and the genuine seeker after truth prepared to fight in defending his freedom. The test between truth and falsehood is to be discerned in the conduct of individuals. As the Bible counsels “by their fruits you shall know them.”
You question, however, the nature of the Koran and you deride the fundamental belief of Muslims that the Koran is truly God’s Words as revealed to Muhammad as God’s messenger. You are not alone in this questioning and derision of Muslim belief following the horrific events of September 11, 2001. I am neither surprised nor angered. The Holocaust brought many Jews to question the very existence of God; that if He exists how could He be seen as good if He allowed such horror to be visited upon them?
The Koran was revealed in time and space. This revelation of God’s Words shaped the destiny of a single human being, Muhammad, and made him an instrument of God’s plan for a portion of mankind. Then the Revelation to Muhammad, after his death, is redacted into a text that became the basis of an empire and civilization in the name of Islam.
The Koran and the history that unfolds after its Revelation have become inextricably bound together. Today it is an immense difficulty to imagine the Koran outside of and apart from this history and to read it afresh. It is the same difficulty as reading the Bible without reference to the history of the respective peoples involved in shaping their lives and the environment around them.
And yet that tireless effort is constantly required if the pristine message of the Koran is to be heard. The Koran is to Muslims what Jesus is to Christians. The Koran is divine in its origin, and it exists outside of time and space though it descends into the material world of human beings with the resulting consequence of being variously understood and exalted, or misused and abused.
The common mistake made by non-Muslims, and many Muslims as well, is to draw a comparison between Jesus and Muhammad. Setting aside, and not disputing, Christian belief about Jesus being divine (for this is a matter of belief as is Muslim belief about the Koran being God’s Words), Muslim belief in Jesus – of his special status by the nature of his birth and by the powers he possessed as divine favour – is informed by the Koran. Muhammad, unlike Jesus, is a mortal as the Koran insists, and like any other mortal will be accountable for his deeds on the Day of Reckoning.
Jesus is not bound by history, and his presence to Christians is immediate and redemptive. Similarly, the Koran is not bound nor limited by history, and God’s Words reach us in the here and now if we are receptive to them.
It is odd for anyone to insist that the Koran must be read and understood within the framework of reading provided by those who came after Muhammad in the early centuries of Muslim history. This insistence freezes the meaning of the Koran for the living generation of Muslims and those as yet unborn. It imprisons the Koran within a the reading made by the dead generations of Muslims, it denies the very possibility of reform.
Such insistence runs counter to what is asserted in the Koran, that its meaning is inexhaustible; that the past is but a lesson and not a foreclosure on the future. The Koran was not revealed for the raising of an empire as occurred in the years following the demise of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, nor was its meaning emptied when that empire withered and fell.
What is the central message of the Koran? It is to re-awaken man (speaking generically, not exclusively in gender terms) to recognize the One Reality, God – Eternal, Incomparable, Self-Sustaining – as the Source of all of creation. This recognition and its acknowledgement is the primary covenant between God and man. From this constant covenant comes man’s responsibility to take his freedom signified by the spirit God breathed into him as life neither lightly nor in vain. Those among us who trample upon and seek to abridge this freedom are the ones at war with God’s spirit. They are the ones who need to be fought and defeated.
This core message of the Koran is neither exclusive for Arabs among whom Muhammad was born, nor has it been denied to others at different times and different places. This message is like the eternal life-giving water, and as water – it being the universal metaphor for life and living – it takes the shape of vessels into which it is poured.
The jihadi Muslims are people belonging to the fraternity of bigots who quarrel over the shape of the vessels carrying water. Believers quench their thirst with water heedless of the vessel from which it gets poured.
If the irony does not escape you then you will recognize how in abusing the living faith of a people, in those who take the Koran as God’s Words, you have placed yourself in the company of jihadi Muslims whom you detest. In that company you continue the quarrel with over the shape of vessels while the water within eludes you and your thirst is not quenched. If you would instead choose to drink water freely from any vessel that is pleasing to you, without denying others the same right, I would remain committed to protecting our shared freedom. And I would protect it as best I could as both your friend and a believer in God’s Words revealed as the Koran.
“From water God made every living thing.”
-Surah Number 21 Ayah Number 30, Koran
The first letter of “The Cool Water of the Koran” is HERE.
Salim Mansur is a professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario and a syndicated columnist in Canada and the United Kingdom. A Muslim native to Calcutta, India, and a noted Islamic scholar, Prof. Mansur has written extensively on Islamic extremism and the challenges facing contemporary Islam.
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LSAC Financial Aid Options
The law education is very expensive. Most of the students take a loan or get scholarship to complete their studies. When a loan is taken the person starts to repay the loan after he/she finishes the studies and begins to work. There are a lot of LSAT scholarships options available.
The legal education usually costs more than $150,000. Tuition fees alone would cost between a few thousand dollars and $50,000 depending on the law school. Apart from these, books cost, rental, food costs need to be added. Today government and private agencies help students to pursue their studies by giving loans. These loans have low to moderate interest rates. Loans are also available from the law school. Scholarships, grants and fellowship are offered to students by the schools. The scholarship money need not be repaid. During the second and third year of studies students are offered work-study options by offering part-time employment.
LSAT Scholarships Scores
LSAT scores are more important than just for entering a reputed law schools. The financial aid one gets is mostly based on the LSAT score. Law schools do not reveal the criteria for awarding a scholarship. But it is well understood that LSAT score and financial aid have direct correlation. It is advised that students start applying for the scholarships before receiving the acceptance letter. The award of scholarship plays an important role in students' selection of a law school.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid-FAFSA
Most financial aid application process starts with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form is available online, at fafsa.ed.gov, and at any college financial aid office. Before starting to fill in the application for FAFSA, income tax return for the most recent year must be complete. Some law schools also require one to apply through the NGO Access Group (accessgroup.org) or the College Scholarship Service Financial Aid profile (collegeboard.com). These are need analysis services that collect information to determine the eligibility for the institutional financial aid.
Law School Scholarships
The LSAT scholarships vary from law school to law school. Some schools, after admission offer the scholarship money but some schools require one to apply for it separately. One may be eligible for more than one scholarship. The school financial aid office will calculate the student's financial aid eligibility and explain the financial aid ability of a student through mail. One can later avail one or more of the available aids.
One must know where to look for the LSAT scholarships. Plenty of scholarship options are available apart from those awarded by the law schools. One must search extensively to know of these. Students can also avail of more than one scholarship. Though many of the scholarships provide less money, one can avail of more than one scholarship and the money he/she will receive will be substantial.
One needs to write an application for receiving the scholarship. Scholarships are given to those with a strong academic background and to those who have financial hardships. One must convey all these in the essay that is written for availing the scholarship.
Need-Based and Merit-Based Scholarships
Both the need based and merit based scholarships are awarded to students. Generally the need-based scholarships/ loans need to be repaid though the interest rate is low. The merit based scholarship amount need not be paid back as it is awarded as a prize for the excellent academic record.
A student with a good LSAT score and a high GPA will generally have an edge for scholarship award. One must apply early for a scholarship; this will help him/her have an advantage in getting the scholarship. Though the number of scholarships is limited a strong academic record and an early application will help one in getting the LSAT scholarships.
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Creating a fairer Britain
Equality Impact Assessment: reducing negative impact of policy changes on equality groups
Following the publication of Counting the Cost in 2010, the EHRC in Scotland commissioned a study to assess the extent to which Scottish public bodies:
(a) have identified a need for mitigation action to be taken as a result of conducting Equality Impact Assessments
(b) can supply evidence that such mitigation action has been put in place and has been successful in addressing the negative impact identified through the Equality Impact Assessment
This report, 'Mitigating Action within Scottish Public Bodies', sought to identify both positive and negative practices. The information we have gathered will be used to assist in developing the Commission’s approach to compliance with the new Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and inform our advisory work with public bodies.
The study focused on two sectors - Scottish police forces and education authorities.
ONS Consulting and Unify collaborated on delivery of this project.
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Table of Contents
MPISD is managed by a superintendent and senior staff members who report to the superintendent. As specified by Section 11.201 of the Texas Education Code, the superintendent primarily holds:
- Administrative responsibility for the planning, operation, supervision, and evaluation of the educational programs, services, and facilities of the district and for annual performance appraisals of the staff.
- Administrative authority and responsibility for the assignment and evaluation of all district personnel.
- Responsibility for termination or suspension of staff members or the nonrenewal of staff members' term contracts.
- Authority over day-to-day management of district operations.
- Responsibility for preparation of district budgets.
- Responsibility for preparation of policy recommendations for the board and implementation of adopted policies.
- Responsibility for development of appropriate administrative regulations to implement board policies.
- Responsibility for leadership in attainment of student performance.
- Responsibility for organization of the district's central administration.
The district organization is depicted in Exhibit 1-7.
Exhibit 1-7Source: MPISD.
Under the organization, MPISD administrators perform multiple duties.
The deputy superintendent for Administration and Operations oversees many business-related functions of the district and also serves as the personnel director, the energy management coordinator, and the hearing officer for the alternative school. The deputy superintendent also is responsible for the drug testing program and facilities, insurance, and purchasing issues.
The deputy superintendent for Instruction and Technology oversees the district's instructional technology programs and all instruction-related programs for special student populations. She also serves as coordinator for all special programs except Special Education, including Accelerated Schools, Content Mastery, counseling services, deaf education, English as a Second Language (ESL)/bilingual, emergency immigrant, Gifted and Talented, Compensatory, and Title I.
The deputy superintendent for Curriculum oversees the operation of curriculum and also serves as the elementary and secondary curriculum director, coordinator of the dyslexia program, testing coordinator, and staff development coordinator.
In a written survey of parents, teachers, campus administrators, and central administrative staff, 39 percent of the parents and 35 percent of the teachers gave the superintendent an "A" or "B" grade (Exhibit 1-8). Fifty-four percent of the parents and 79 percent of the teachers gave campus administrators an "A" or "B" grade.
Exhibit 1-8Source: TSPR Survey Results.
Grades Given to the MPISD Superintendent and Campus Administrators
by Teachers and Parents
Superintendent Campus Administrators Group A B C D F A B C D F Parents 16% 23% 18% 9% 13% 16% 38% 14% 9% 2% Teachers 15% 30% 18% 14% 13% 39% 40% 14% 2% 3%
The full-time equivalent positions (FTEs) for the district for 1994-95 through 1997-98 and the budgeted total for 1997-98 are described in Exhibit 1-9. MPISD staffing has increased at more than twice the rate as the student population (12.3 percent versus 5.8 percent) since 1994-95. The largest numerical increases have been in teachers and auxiliary staff. The largest percentage increases have been in campus administration/school leadership positions and educational aides. Central administration staff includes all or part of the time filled by the following positions: superintendent, deputy superintendent for Administration and Operations, secretaries for the two positions, business manager, textbook custodian, and six changes in positions in the business office. Professional support includes technical staff and paraprofessionals located centrally or on a campus. Auxiliary staff includes maintenance personnel, custodians, and cafeteria workers.
Exhibit 1-9Source: Texas Education Agency, AEIS 1995-96 through 1997-98.
MPISD Staff Positions
1994-95 through 1997-98
Percentage of Change
over the Period
Teachers 312.9 317.1 327.8 335.5 7.2% Professional support 22.0 28.6 21.9 25.7 16.8% Campus administration 13.0 14.0 12.0 18.0 38.5% Central administration 9.5 7.0 6.0 6.0 -36.8% Educational aides 60.5 66.0 71.4 79.9 32.1% Auxiliary staff 162.1 164.2 163.7 186.3 24.2% Total staff 580.0 596.9 602.8 651.5 12.3% Enrollment 4,202 4,290 4,375 4,444 5.8%
Exhibit 1-10 breaks down the FTEs by categories of employees. The percentage of teachers declined, but teachers made up more than half the district's staff in 1997-98.
Exhibit 1-10Source: Texas Education Agency, AEIS 1995-96 -1997-98.
Breakdown of MPISD Staff Positions
1995-96 through 1997-98
Teachers 53.1% 59.6% 51.5% Professional support 4.8% 4.0% 4.0% Campus administration 2.3% 2.2% 2.8% Central administration 1.2% 1.1% 0.9% Educational aides 11.1% 13.0% 12.3% Auxiliary staff 27.5% 20.2% 28.6%
Although an individual works in the central administrative building, their position may be coded to other areas based on their responsibilities. In MPISD, 26 individuals work in the Central Services Support Building (Exhibit 1-11). Since 1996-97, MPISD staffing in central administration has increased by two positions. One of those positions, the homeless grant coordinator, is paid through grant funds, not local funds.
Exhibit 1-11Source: MPISD.
MPISD Central Administration Staffing
1996-97 through 1998-99
Position Title 1996
Superintendent 1 1 1 Secretary 1 1 1 Deputy superintendent - Administration and Operations 1 1 1 Secretary 1 1 1 Deputy superintendent - Curriculum 1 1 1 Secretary 1 1 1 Deputy superintendent - Instruction and Technology 1 1 1 Secretary 1 1 1 Business manager 1 1 1 Payroll supervisor 1 1 1 Accounts payable clerk 1 1 1 Purchasing agent 1 1 1 Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) coordinator 1 1 1 Accounts/inventory clerk 1 1 1 Risk manager 1 1 1 Public information officer 1 1 1 Receptionist 1 1 1 Literacy coordinator 1 1 1 Migrant program coordinator 1 1 1 Gifted/Talented coordinator 1 1 1 Homeless grant coordinator 0 1 1 Instructional technology staff 4 5 5
24 26 26
Exhibit 1-12 shows MPISD's budgeted staffing for 1997-98 compared to peer districts. MPISD had the second lowest percentage of teachers (51.5 percent). This percentage lags both the region, 53.2 percent, and the state, 51.7 percent. MPISD had the third-lowest percentage of professional support staff and central administrators, the second-highest percentage of campus administrators, the third- highest percentage of educational aides, and the fourth highest percentage of auxiliary personnel.
Exhibit 1-12Source: Texas Education Agency, AEIS 1997-98.
MPISD and Peer Districts
District Teachers Professional
56.7% 5.8% 3.0% 1.4% 9.6% 23.6% Kilgore 56.5% 3.3% 2.7% 0.9% 7.2% 29.4% Terrell 54.0% 6.9% 2.6% 1.0% 11.0% 24.6% Kaufman 53.9% 5.8% 3.0% 1.0% 7.8% 28.5% Greenville 53.3% 6.0% 1.6% 1.1% 12.0% 26.0% RESC VIII Average 53.2% 5.2% 2.8% 1.3% 12.8% 24.7% Corsicana 52.1% 5.3% 2.7% 1.7% 15.4% 22.9% Athens 51.9% 3.7% 3.0% 1.7% 10.8% 29.0% Texarkana 51.7% 6.5% 2.4% 0.8% 8.7% 29.9% State Average 51.7% 6.8% 2.5% 0.8% 9.9% 28.2% Mt. Pleasant 51.5% 4.0% 2.8% 0.9% 12.3% 28.6% Paris 49.4% 8.5% 2.9% 0.7% 13.6% 24.9%
Section 16.205 of the Texas Education Code requires TEA to analyze district expenditures to identify districts that exceed established administrative cost standards in the prior year. MPISD's administrative cost ratio for since 1994-95 has been less than the required standard (Exhibit 1-13).
Exhibit 1-13Source: TEA, Computation of Administrative Cost Ratio, 1993-94 - 1996-97.
MPISD Administrative Cost Ratio
1994-95 - 1996-97
Year MPISD Administrative
from the Prior Year
1996-97 0.0737 -2.9% 1995-96 0.0759 -3.9% 1994-95 0.0790 -10.1%
Exhibit 1-14 compares MPISD's administrative cost ratio to that of its peer districts. MPISD has the third-lowest rate among its peer districts.
Exhibit 1-14Source: TEA, Computation of Administrative Cost Ratio, 1996-97.
MPISD Administrative Cost Ratio Compared to Peer Districts
District Administrative Cost Ratio Greenville 0.0700 Kaufman 0.0706 Mt. Pleasant 0.0737 Liberty Eylau 0.0748 Terrell 0.0817 Texarkana 0.0933 Kilgore 0.1000 Corsicana 0.1018 Paris 0.1128 Athens 0.1147
Before becoming superintendent in 1995, the superintendent served as the district's only assistant superintendent for two years. When he was selected as superintendent, he recommended, and the board approved, the district's organization with three deputy superintendents: one each for Administration and Operations, Curriculum, and Instruction and Technology. In addition to the deputy positions, the superintendent's secretary, who also serves as the district's records manager, the business manager, seven school principals, and the district's public information officers report to the superintendent for a total of 14 administrative people.
While the existing organization has served the district well, it may not be the most appropriate structure for moving the district into the future. MPISD's student enrollment has increased 5.8 percent since and will likely continue to grow if Pilgrim's Pride builds a new plant in the area. While administrators must carry multiple roles in smaller districts, as the districts increase in size, the various district operations require more expertise and time. If progress is to be made and order maintained, functions must be aligned under specialized skilled administrators. By bringing in more technical expertise and creating more focused departments a district breaks the complex maze of duties and responsibilities into smaller bites.
Also, as districts grow, a functional organization develops with specialists directing the various functions. For example, support services such as food service, transportation, maintenance, custodial operations, and facilities management often are grouped together, as are finance and management information services.
MPISD is not organized in this manner. At MPISD, food service is grouped with instructional technology under one deputy superintendent, and personnel is grouped with transportation, facilities, and warehousing under the direction of another deputy superintendent. The same deputy who handles transportation and facilities also is the hearing coordinator for the alternative school.
Instructional and administrative technology support are split with the former reporting to a deputy superintendent and the latter to the business manager who reports to the superintendent.
The regular education program and the special programs are divided between two deputy superintendents.
The organizational roles and reporting relationships in MPISD cause conflicting lines of authority. For example, food service workers report to the principal at each campus rather than the food service director. Another problem resulting from unclear lines of authority is duplication of effort. The number of people reviewing purchase orders illustrates this problem. There also are widely varying levels of supervisory responsibility. The deputy superintendent for Instruction and Technology has 11 direct reports while the deputy superintendent for Curriculum has two.
As district priorities and personnel change, adjustments to department groupings may be needed.
For example, as the district's minority population increases, the need for coordination of special programs, like bilingual education with the regular education program, will increase.
As other senior staff retire, the district needs to be able to attract personnel with experience and skills in specific areas.
Reorganize central administration with two deputy superintendents, one for business and operations, and one for all instructional areas.
After the anticipated retirement of several senior staff members, an alignment similar to that in Exhibit 1-15 would prove more functional.
Exhibit 1-15Source: MPISD
Recommended MPISD Organization
Business and Operations: Instruction:
- Food services
- Business office
- Curriculum design
- Instructional support
- Staff development
- Hearing officer
The recommended structure would eliminate one deputy superintendent position. The deputy superintendent for Instruction and Curriculum would be responsible for curriculum design and evaluation, and the academic programs. Staff development, personnel, and hearing officer responsibilities should be transferred to this position.
The deputy superintendent for Business and Operations would oversee transportation, maintenance, food services, all business functions, and records management.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The superintendent evaluates the structure and grouping of functions. March 1999 2. The superintendent presents changes to the board for discussion and approval. April 1999 3. The superintendent develops alternatives to fill new positions and provide backup to existing positions. May 1999 4. The deputy superintendent for Administration and Operations rewrites and/or develops job descriptions needed to support any changes. June 1999 5. Job descriptions are reviewed by the superintendent and approved. July 1999 6. New positions are included in the budget and approved by the board. August 1999
The recommended organization includes additional positions, and the financial impact of adding the positions is discussed in other chapters. The financial impact of eliminating one deputy superintendent is $75,000 (salary = $60,000 and benefits @ 25 percent = $15,000).
Recommendation 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004
Reorganize central administration
$75,000 $75,000 $75,000 $75,000 $75,000
The district's management team consists of the superintendent, the three deputy superintendents, and the principals at the eight schools. While there has been no change since 1995 among the superintendent and the deputy superintendents, there have been numerous changes among the principals. At the high school and at the junior high school, each principal is the third in the last four years, at Sims Elementary School the principal is the third in the last six years, and at Corprew Intermediate School and Brice Elementary School, the principal is the second in the last three years.
Frequent changes in key managers often lead to disruptions in program delivery and continuity, transfers of teachers to other campuses or districts, increased communication difficulties, negative messages to parents and teachers about the district's ability to identify and retain leaders, and the management team's ability to work together.
Central office and campus staff, excluding teachers, differ in how they perceive communication between the two levels. In a written survey, 79 percent of MPISD central administrators and support staff agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "An effective line of communication exists between central administration and the schools." Only 52 percent of campus personnel, excluding teachers, agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "Communication between the central office and campuses is good." Thirty percent of campus personnel, excluding teachers, either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement.
Teachers said the communication link was more effective between campus staff and themselves than between the central office and teachers. In response to the statement, "MPISD central and campus administrators regularly communicate with teachers," 48 percent of the teachers agreed or strongly agreed while 43 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed. When asked to respond to the statement, "An effective line of communication exists between teachers and campus level administrators," 67 percent of teachers agreed or strongly agreed and 25 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed.
MPISD has attempted some team-building efforts in the past three years and has periodically held administrative retreats. But there has not been a planned approach. The management team has no specified regular meetings, but it usually meets at least once a month. The superintendent calls meetings of the principals approximately once a month, but not on a scheduled basis.
Interviews with members of the management team suggest that in the past two to three years, there have been significant differences of opinion about key initiatives or programs that the district was implementing or considering for evaluation. As a result, some programs were implemented in full at some schools and only partially, if at all, at other schools. By not "being on the same page," some members of the management team have had negative feelings toward others.
Some districts use management retreats to develop managers and working relationships among the management team. Ideally, the retreats facilitate program implementation and communication. Each summer in Spring ISD, the district provides administrative training to all administrators above the level of assistant principal. The program lasts from three to five days and involves 125 to 140 people. Each year, the superintendent designates a theme for the training. Recent themes have included site-based decision-making; teaching, learning, and respect; creating the conditions for classroom success; and team building and leadership development.
Participation in such programs requires some advance preparation such as reading articles or books, preparing information for discussion, and researching topics to be studied. The sessions involve both full group meetings and small workshops on specific topics.
At the conclusion of each program, each participant is asked to evaluate the training. The district develops an evaluation tool that covers each section of the program. Participants are asked to rate the quality of the individual presentations, the applicability of the subject matter to their responsibilities, and whether additional information or sessions on the subject would be beneficial.
Spring ISD managers said they looked forward to the sessions and found them both informative and stimulating. Participants said they found the sessions useful in setting the tone and priorities for the year and in emphasizing key areas for the long term.
Evaluate ways to strengthen the working relationship of the management team.
Among the methods that MPISD could employ are annual management retreats, regularly scheduled management team meetings with part of the meeting set aside for small group discussions on key topics, and continued team-building training.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The superintendent schedules management team meetings to discuss ways to encourage greater cooperation and interaction among team members. March 1999 2. The team meets to discuss various options and recommends several to the superintendent for approval. April - May 1999 3. The superintendent approves the recommendations and assigns the responsibility for implementing each element to a member of the management team. May 1999
There is no fiscal impact associated with this recommendation.
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Japanese Bullet Trains – 40 Years at the Forefront3 September 2007
For 40 years Japanese bullet trains have stood above all other high-speed counterparts. Howard Johnston and Neil Pulling take a nostalgic look at the bullet train and how it has influenced rail today.
By the 1960s, things really started to ramp up for rail and the promise for high-speed travel across nations. Record-breaking speeds were being reached across Europe and a few prestige services were reaching averages of 100mph (160km/h) on some stretches.
It was the Japanese bullet train, however, that introduced modern high-speed rail services to the world in 1964. The dramatic appearance of its successive generations and association with technological excellence has made the bullet train synonymous with its homeland.
Generically and officially termed 'super expresses' (chotokkyu), it is by two other names that the service is best known. Bullet train (dangan ressha) derives from the streamlined shapes conceived more than 30 years earlier.
Shinkansen means new trunk line, dedicated infrastructure built for the high-speed services. In popular usage the terms have become interchangeable.
THE CHALLENGE OF THE FUTURE
Japan's geography and modern history were key drivers in the development of the Shinkansen. A 2,000km-long archipelago with four main islands, Honshu (mainland), Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu, Japan has few natural resources and a largely mountainous terrain that severely constrains land use, with about 80% considered uninhabitable.
The most populous island, with 80% of the national 127 million population and eight of the ten largest Japanese cities, Honshu has an intensively developed southern coastal strip that has led railway operators to consider more efficient rail links as early as the 1930s.
Japan's emergence from World War II devastation and early years of the 'economic miracle' forced the pace of rail development, however. It was clear that the existing 3ft 6in (1,067mm) gauge rail system could not deliver much in terms of accelerated schedules.
Demographic projections indicated that capacity limitations were even more of a problem. In the post-war years, 80% of Japan's workforce and 85% of the value of the country's manufacturing developed in the coastal sprawl north-east and south-west from Tokyo. Between 1945-55, the national population rose by over 17 million (24%), with another nine million added in the next decade.
Electrified in 1956, the pre-Shinkansen Tokaido line – just 3% of the rail network by length – was approaching passenger and freight levels of a quarter of national rail traffic.
Intensive land use and high prices meant that long-distance commuting on a vast scale would be needed to sustain growth. Taking into account the growing and relatively young population, that was most profoundly marked in the coastal strip, and projections at that time indicated that passenger figures would double within 20 years.
However, with car ownership not widespread and an efficient national road network far in the future, rail represented the best prospect for mass passenger transport.
NEW TOKAIDO LINE – THE FIRST SHINKANSEN
The radical solution was an entirely new self-contained standard gauge (1,435mm) line. Freed of the temptation to join existing tracks, the lines could be engineered for high speed throughout.
The Tokaido (east sea route) Shinkansen would join Tokyo and Osaka along a 500km (312-mile) urbanised strip undergoing continuing economic and population growth. Proportionally small as part of the whole rail network, it already carried around a quarter of the country's total passengers.
Prior to the new line, a journey between the two cities took almost eight hours. In contrast, featuring few stations en route and a 25kVAC overhead power supply, the Shinkansen was, by the time of opening, a format wholly devoted to passenger trains that immediately halved previous travel times.
Original lines were left in place to handle local services and freight. With a profusion of ports, highly developed coastal shipping and the later growth of road and air freight, Japan's railways were, and remain, largely a passenger operation.
LOW MAINTENANCE, HIGH SPEED
Setting a pattern for future Shinkansen (and apparent in many subsequent high-speed rail operations beyond Japan), the crossing-free new Tokaido line used tunnels and elevated sections to maintain levels and minimise curves. With a consistent four-track operation and pairs of island platforms at intermediate stations, point work and maintenance was much reduced.
Designed solely for conveying passengers on a common style of purpose-built trains, the way was clear for introducing the world's first regular intensive high-speed rail services.
Constructing the 515km Tokaido Shinkansen between the capital and Osaka's Shin-Osaka station began in April 1959. In spite of the project's immensity, a 30-strong train fleet with capabilities vastly in advance of any predecessor was in place to begin services on the new line in October 1964.
Helping further showcase the achievement to the world, bullet trains began public operations shortly before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. Using the same '0' series trains from Tokyo to Osaka, taking five and four hours respectively, the initial pattern was sixty trains in each direction.
Continuing the Japanese practice of naming different levels of service, the new Tokaido line service was made up of all-stations Kodama ('echo') and the limited stop Hikari ('light').
SHINKANSEN AND OPERATORS
Created under the state-owned Japanese National Railways which was dissolved as an inefficient and heavily indebted body in 1987, Shinkansen operations are now in the hands of privatised regional companies, three being publicly quoted. Collectively represented as the Japan Rail Group, this corporate division allows for through-workings on Shinkansen that cross company boundaries. A common control centre and ticketing system covers the network.
As successive Shinkansen routes were added, the economic case for additional lines diminished. No other part of Japan offered anything like the population density and economic significance of the area served by the Tokaido Shinkansen, and that route remains the busiest on the network.
Nevertheless, the Sanyo Shinkansen, effectively an extension of the first line, was authorised in 1965 and fully completed by 1975, taking the new format for the first time onto a second island, Kyushu.
These represent a distance of 2,175km (1,350 miles), with new lines and extensions in hand. Other routes similar to Shinkansen operation are Morika-Akita, Fukushima-Shinjo, Hakata-Minami and Gala-Yuzawa.
Line maintenance is carried out overnight, with services maintaining a constant seven-day regular interval timetable.
BULLET TRAINS – THE ROLLING STOCK
Designing and building successive generations of Bullet Trains mirror a characteristic of the Japanese economy – cooperation between government, research bodies and ostensibly competing manufacturing companies. Contributors to the programme include Kawasaki Heavy Industry, Nippon Sharyo, Hitachi, Tokyu Car and Kinki Sharyo.
Shinkansen have never featured line-side signals, thus bullet trains have featured forms of automatic train control and in-cab signalling. Featuring a high power-to-weight ratio, the electric multiple units are designated by series, usually with sub-divisions. They have featured varying lengths from six to 16 cars, with some subject to reformation in the light of operating experience.
Now largely withdrawn, the '0' series was longest in production and the largest in number. Introduced in 1999, the Series 700, which forms the mainstay of Tokaido and Sanyo line services, is likely to remain the largest type for some time. Other variants include double-decker versions, limited-tilt capability, high-density seating for commuter routes and units for the 'mini Shinkansen' conversions on narrow gauge alignments.
For overseas visitors, English translations are used on important signage and announcements. Although present in the early years, restaurant car operations have given way to at-seat service.
The Japanese railway industry has enjoyed worldwide export success, although the sale of the bullet train system has been limited in comparison with the French TGV and German ICE.
Regional neighbour China is a significant customer for the Japanese product however, and Taiwan has created its high-speed rail operation based upon bullet train practice in association with Japanese manufacturers. Also incorporating bullet train technology, first shipments were made in 2007 of the 29 six-car Javelin fleet for operation on the UK high-speed 1 line.
SPEED, VOLUME AND SAFETY
From an operating speed of 210km/h (143mph) the bullet train has only increased in speed through line improvements and newer stock. For Tokyo-Osaka passengers, this has led to a reduction from four to two-and-a-half hours since 1964.
With variations upwards from 240km/h (149mph), according to line and stock, the highest operating speeds, 300km/h (186mph), are on the Sanyo Shinkansen by 500 and N700 series trains. In a world-beating average between terminus stations, the 554km (344 miles) between Shin-Osaka and Hakata have been scheduled at 242.5km/h (152mph) for over a decade.
From the outset, the Shinkansen project was as much about increasing capacity as speed: it took less than three years for the hugely successful operation to record its 100 millionth passenger.
MASS-MARKET PASSENGER TRANSPORT
Not about pampering a small elite, these trains were for the mass market. In the 30 years to 1999 the Tokaido Shinkansen was able to absorb a doubling of passenger numbers to 130 million. For medium and long-distance journeys, this mainly means taking a bullet train.
Competing with a high-quality domestic airline industry rail has three-quarters of the passenger journeys up to two-and-a-half hours. It is not until distances exceed 1,000km that air travel gains a higher market share. Shinkansen services have played no small part in Japan having the world's highest proportion of passenger journeys by rail.
German and French tenure of world rail speed records since the 1990s has tended to divert attention from the sheer scale of high-speed operation in Japan, an achievement all the greater in the context of challenging terrain that is subject to extreme seismic activity.
Shinkansen operators have continued to increase frequencies, sustain near-flawless timekeeping and have, as of 2007, the enviable record of no fatality having befallen a passenger due to the service's operation.
JAPAN'S HIGH-SPEED RAIL FUTURE
In 2005 Japan experienced its first recorded fall in national population, a trend that if sustained will lead to that falling to 100 million by 2050. One of the country's ever-present needs is handling the implications of its demographic structure.
With a long-lived populace, with a falling birth rate and no significant immigration, rail operators cannot assume a workforce supply to underpin service expansions. Thus automation and non-labour intensive systems will characterise developments of infrastructure, stock and support systems.
In 2007 JR East announced that 320km/h-capable trains will enter service on the Tohoku Shinkansen in 2011. Similar developments may take place on the Sanyo route.
Limits to development are likely to be economic and environmental rather than technical however. Building of new lines continues and other projects are under consideration, but with the most clear-cut markets already served by Shinkansen, it seems likely that concentrating on improving local access to the existing infrastructure may appear a better return on investment.
Upon opening, the Tokaido Shinkansen cost double its projected cost, a continuing tendency that was to lead to the demise of Japanese National Railways.
Nevertheless, cost projections for the Maglev Chuo Shinkansen are similarly daunting and environmental aspects hold no greater appeal. This proposed inland route would link the main cities of the Tokaido line in even shorter times, with 581km/h (361mph) being recorded on the Yamanashi test track in 2003.
Even with the legacy of a debt burden, the Shinkansen network has served the country's people and its national economy well. Whatever long-term transport policy the country adopts, it appears certain that bullet trains will remain the showcase for Japanese domestic passenger transport.
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Writing a Wedding Toast | How to
1. Consider to whom you are toasting.
You can toast to whomever you want, of course, but if the wedding is formal or traditional, there might be some conventions you’re not aware of. Ask around. Here are some guidelines:
* best man toasts to the bride
* maid/matron of honor toasts to the groom
* father of the bride toasts to the couple
* bride and groom toast to their parents and the guests
2. Clarify your relationship to the couple.
Some people at the wedding might not know who you are, so making this clear at the beginning will avoid any confusion.
3. Give thanks.
Show gratitude to whoever is hosting the wedding, whether it’s the parents of the bride or the couple themselves. E.g. “Thank you for welcoming us to this happy occasion, and sharing your joy with us today.”
4. Share an anecdote.
Stories of how various parties met are always popular, whether you talk about how the bride and groom met or your first time meeting either of them. Here are some additional ideas:
* The first time the bride or groom told you about meeting their partner.
* The first time you realized these people were an important part of your life.
* A time you got through something together, whether challenging or fun.
* The story you are looking forward to telling their kids one day.
* The way you have seen the bride or groom change for the better since they met.
* When you’re 90 and looking back, what would you say of your friendship?
* Tell a story of some specific detail or action that exemplifies why this person is special in this world, and to you in particular.
* If you were given three wishes for the couple, what would they be? Be careful with the use of clichés here. Don’t use wishes you’ve heard before.
* Tell about the time your friend saw you through an embarrassing moment. (Careful. Consider the audience).
* If it’s a second marriage and there are children involved, consider a toast referencing the newly created family.
5. Offer a compliment.
Say something nice about the person (or couple) you are toasting to. Although your intentions might be good, don’t go on and on about how great a person is; instead, choose a few appreciate adjectives that go a long way (e.g. “he’s generous, intelligent, and kind”).
6. End the toast on a positive note.
Offer a wish, a traditional toast, or a blessing. Here are some ideas:
* Here’s to the groom, a man who keeps his head though he loses his heart.
* May she share everything with her husband, including the housework.
* My greatest wish for the two of you is that through the years your love for each other will so deepen and grow, that years from now you will look back on this day, your wedding day, as the day you loved each other the least.
* May ‘for better or worse’ be far better than worse.
* Here’s to the groom with bride so fair, And here’s to the bride with groom so rare!
* May I see you grey, and combing your grandchildren’s hair.
* May you live each day like your last, and live each night like your first.
* May you see each other through many dark days, and make all the rest a little brighter.
* To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the wedding cup, whenever you’re wrong, admit it; whenever you’re right, shut up.
* I would like to make a toast to lying, stealing, cheating and drinking. If you’re going to lie, lie for a friend. If you’re going to steal, steal a heart. If your going to cheat, cheat death. And if you’re going to drink, drink with me.
7. Indicate the ending of the toast.
Finish off with a phrase that’s to be repeated by the guests. For example: “Let us now toast the happiness of Jill and Jack. To Jill and Jack!”
For more suggestions on Father Wedding Toasts CLICK HERE NOW!
Ideas for Father of The Bride Speeches
When you start thinking about the father of the bride speech, you should consider that maybe the bride and groom will prepare their own wedding speeches, and you will want to consider what they will say. For me and my son-in-law was a good idea to write our speeches separately, because we didn’t want to spoil the surprise. I also think it’s a good idea to have a chat with both the bride and groom, so you can figure out the direction of their speeches. They may give the speech together, or have individual speeches, but in any case, is better to have an idea about their direction.
How to Decide Who Says What
No matter what kind of speech we’re talking about, whether the father of the bride wedding speech or the bride and groom wedding speech, it will help you to get the story straight and make sure that no speech is repeating the other. This is why discussing father wedding speech ideas with your daughter and son-in-law is a very good idea. Of course not all brides and grooms will do separate speeches. Probably only one of them will do the speech, or maybe they would want to address the speech together. My son-in-low gave the groom wedding speech in both of his and my daughter’s name, so they had to prepare it together. If the wedded pair haven’t decided yet, then my recommendation is that they have a good honest discussion before moving to the next steps.
Putting Together the Perfect Speech
Once everybody has decided, it’s a good idea to have a talk with the bride and the groom. Chances are they will both have a few of the same ideas, such as telling stories of how and where they met and things they’ve made together as a couple.
As the father of the bride, you already have a lot of responsibility on your plate: not just on the wedding day itself, but in the days and weeks that lead up to the event. And when you’re expected to make a speech that’s warm, witty, significant, meaningful, and funny – in front of all the people who really matter to you, your family, your new son-in-law, and (most importantly) your daughter, that’s a pretty big ask.
Finding father wedding speech, and bride and groom wedding speech ideas isn’t always simple or done, but I suggest sharing your ideas – while keeping the speeches private until the Big Day because it can be inspiring. Of course, checking some speech examples before you actually start, can really help your speech be as memorable and impressive as you want it to be!
Funny Father of The Bride Speech – Finding The Right Jokes
One of the proprieties of a wedding speech is that sometimes they are funny. Of course, it doesn’t all need to be funny, but a funny wedding speech is a great crowd pleaser, and it will make you look good, as long as the jokes aren’t mean or offensive.
When I prepared my father of the bride speech, I wanted to be funny, of course, but at the same time respectful, because after my speech, the groom had his own speech, so I wanted to introduce him in a warm manner, so he would be relaxed. (I have to say, that George, my son-in-low, was a little nervous about giving the groom wedding speech, so he needed a little encouragement) So keeping that in mind, I tried to be careful not to insult him, or his family in any way, but instead making him feel good about being the groom.
Good Humor and What is It’s Secret
When I used humor in my speech, I did it to keep the guests focused, and to make sure they kept listening properly. In any wedding toast, the groom and his bride should be the center of attention, and I tried to keep it that way, after all they were the main attraction.
So the best way of using this tactic from what I have learned, is to combine your regular speech with a few good jokes. To keep everyone relaxed, but focused, say emotional things, then add a little humor. It was my daughter’s wedding day, so of course I was a little emotional and nervous, but this really helped me as well as it did with the audience!
Another great father speech tip from my experience is to be informal and interact with the audience. Remember, this isn’t a lecture, It’s a toast! The father should feel like he is talking to old friends, which is largely the case, and be relaxed and friendly.
Any public speaker would tell you that making a good eye contact with your audience, and not fixing anyone will be a great way to keep the audience interest. What helped me to improve my speech before the big day, was to practice this technique with some of our friends.
These hints and tips about father wedding speeches will get you on the right foot, but for even a better idea, it’s a good thing if you try to use a few wedding speech examples.
Examples of Father Wedding Speeches
Father wedding speech examples can surely help you along with your own speech, as it did helped me. So make full use of this inspiring source, and take the preparing of your speech seriously, as it may happen only once or twice in your life. Make sure everything is perfectly set for your daughter’s big day, and prepare well.
Inspiring Examples and Being Unique
The good part with the father wedding speech examples is that you can shape them after your own wish, since there are empty blanks you can fill out with your own personal information to create a unique memorable speech for your daughter and the wedding guests.
So here are a few tips from an example setup, and a few things you should include into your speech:
»What to keep in mind before you start,
» People you will thank,
» Stories you can tell,
» Your feelings about your daughter big day,
» Father wedding speech jokes,
» Your daughter’s personality,
» Ways of getting the audience involved,
» How to keep it brief and from the heart.
The above are just a few elements I have found that a wedding speech should contain, and writing them down, made me more confident that I could deliver a great speech.
Another key point I have discovered during my research for a good father wedding speech, was how to stick to the point without boring the guests. Although the father of the bride speech is important, it shouldn’t be that long, even if you manage to make it interesting and to involve the audience. Remember, the groom will probably deliver a speech, so try not to overshadow him, because is his special day too, ok? Keeping that in mind, it helped me to keep my speech short.
If you would need some detailed father wedding speech examples to help you, then I recommend you start surfing the web, like I did. You should be able to find one that suits you, and the best examples will also give you tips and hints on how you can make the speech completely unique and memorable for all.
Father Wedding Toast – Keep it Breef
Of course, if you want to make a memorable speech, the end of it, which is the father wedding toast, should play an important part. So here are a few hints I can give you, starting with a couple of things you want to avoid when making the toast.
Start with the bride
As the title says, you want to keep the toast short, because this would be the end of your father of the bride speech, so try not to bore the audience, but also don’t forget why and for who you’re holding the speech, which is of course your dear child.
You should consider speaking favorable about the groom and the new in laws, especially if you don’t know them very well, and although this might seem the right time to drop a joke, think twice about it, and play it safe, since you don’t want to offend anyone before ending your speech.
Enjoy yourself but be temperate
Of course, you will have a good time, since you are happy, and probably you will toast with alcohol. Be careful though, since having alcohol before the speech, can make someone say things they don’t mean to and spoil the moment. So try to keep that in mind, since alcohol can put anyone down, and ruin the moment your daughter values so much.
Some other tips
Under no circumstance speak of your ex-wife, or joke about an embarrassing situation in your daughter’s life, or make her feel uncomfortable on her special day. I know there is a lot of information on the internet right now, and you can find some useful tips and hints online, as I did, and if you would like to make a funny wedding speech that doesn’t offend anybody, you should consult some of this sources.
So as I stated at the beginning, try to make the toast as short and as concise as possible, because the last thing you want is to bore the audience. So try to chop the unnecessary parts out of the speech.
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Source Newsroom: NYU Langone Medical Center
Newswise — Nearly 1.5 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2008. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, where the disease accounts for 1 of every 4 deaths in the U.S. Only heart disease kills more people.
Despite these grim statistics, much progress is being made on multiple fronts. Leading NYU Cancer Institute experts are available to discuss the latest advances in the treatment and early detection of skin, lung, and brain cancers.
Although the vast majority of skin cancers are curable if caught early, skin cancer is a significant and growing public health threat, with more than one million new cases each year in the U.S. alone. One in 5 Americans and 1 in 3 Caucasians will develop skin cancer in the course of their lifetime.
Despite improvements in early detection, the incidence of melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer—is on the rise. More troubling, many thousands of melanomas are detected after the disease is already well established. Once it metastasizes—spreads to other organs—melanoma is usually fatal.
NYU Cancer Institute is an internationally acclaimed center for the treatment of skin cancer. Members of the Medical Center's acclaimed Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group (IMCG), which is led by Dr. Iman Osman, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Urology, and Medicine, are available to speak to the press. Its mission is to advance the care of melanoma patients through a coordinated approach that combines basic science, translational research, and clinical care. Since 2002, the IMCG has enrolled nearly 900 patients, who agreed to donate their blood and tumor tissues for research purposes.
IMCG member David Polsky, M.D., Ph.D., a dermatologist and Associate Director of NYU Department of Pigmented Lesions Section, and his NYU colleagues recently expanded the alphabetic list of warning signs for melanoma to include the letter "E." He can discuss the ABCDE rule for detecting melanomas, and why these rules help physicians, as well as patients, identify melanomas.
Anna Pavlick, DO, Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine (oncology) and Dermatology, who treats many melanoma patients and leads clinical trials of experimental treatments for the cancer, can discuss the latest trends in treatment and research. Richard Shapiro, MD, Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, can discuss surgical approaches for managing melanoma.
For more information about melanoma and other cancers visit the NYU Cancer Institute Web site, www.nyuci.org
A clinical trial evaluating a brain cancer vaccine in patients with newly diagnosed brain cancer has begun at NYU Medical Center, which is the only site in the New York-metropolitan area enrolling patients in the trial. The study will evaluate the addition of the vaccine following standard therapy with surgery and chemotherapy in patients with glioblastoma multiforme, a deadly form of brain cancer.
The vaccine, called DCVax-Brain, incorporates proteins found in patients' tumors and is designed to attack cancer cells containing these proteins. The study underway at NYU Medical Center is an expansion of an earlier phase I trial of the vaccine.
Patrick J. Kelly, M.D., the Joseph Ransohoff Professor of Neurosurgery at NYU School of Medicine, is leading the trial with neuro-oncologist Michael Gruber, M.D. They believe the vaccine is a promising immunotherapy.
Despite surgery and chemotherapy, patients with glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer typically survive only 15 months. Even if only a small number of tumor cells are left in the brain, that is enough for these fast growing and aggressive tumors to grow back.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 20,500 malignant tumors of the brain or spinal cord will be diagnosed in adults this year in the United States. About 13,000 people will die from these malignant tumors.
More than 160,390 Americans died of lung cancer in 2007—more than one-quarter of all cancer deaths—according to the National Institutes of Health. The best chance of curing this cancer is to detect it early, but right now there is no reliable early screening test for the disease. Harvey I. Pass, M.D., Professor of Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Thoracic Oncology at NYU Medical Center, is conducting studies to establish a workable protocol for early screening. He is evaluating such potential screens as breath and blood tests, CT scanning, fluorescence bronchoscopy, and a new technology combining video, fiber optics and ultrasound. Dr. Pass is available to speak to the press about the promises and limitations of these techniques.
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This test method describes the analysis of Ag, Al, As, Bi, Ca, Cd, Cu, In, Ni, Se, Sb, Te, and Zn in high purity lead alloys using atomic emission spectrometry (AES).
Manufacturers of lead-acid batteries require that certain elements are below specific quantities of mass fraction in order to have the proper characteristics sought after in the production of the batteries. Certain elements, if found in the original high purity lead for example, are known to reduce the longevity of the manufactured battery. Additionally, lead producers and lead recyclers are required to manufacture high purity lead within these specifications for the lead-acid battery producers.
elemental analysis; lead; battery; optical emission spectrometry; OES; atomic emission spectrometry; AES; spectrometry;
The title and scope are in draft form and are under development within this ASTM Committee.
Citing ASTM Standards
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MCHS teachers utilizing new teaching methods
At a glance ...
• MCHS teachers are implementing new theories into their teaching practices to adapt to the needs of modern students.
• Faculty members recognized a need for changes in teaching methods to better suit their 21st-century students.
• The four practices chosen by teachers were seven standard-based "best" practices, Marzano's nine, ten practices for engagement and improving non-fiction writing.
• Teachers have taken the concept of the Golden Circle — reversing what, how and why to why, how and what — and applied it to the way they present lessons and projects.
“We’re doing this right. This isn’t about us; it has to do with our students. Making sure they go out with the drive to go into higher education and do well.”
— MCHS business/marketing teacher Krista Schenck about new theory into practice teaching methods
Moffat County High School teachers are adapting to the needs of their 21st-century students by implementing new teaching theories and practices in their classrooms.
Last October several MCHS teachers spent nearly a week learning Theory into Practice — a program that offers different teaching strategies — at the invitation of the Colorado Education Association.
In a presentation to last month to the Moffat County Board of Education MCHS principal Thom Schnellinger said the new teaching methods are aimed at engaging students by collaborating across networks and leading by influence, agility and adaptability. He said there is a focus on initiative and entrepreneurialism, effective oral and written communication, accessing and analyzing information, and curiosity and imagination.
MCHS business/marketing teacher Krista Schenck added the new theories mesh very well with the district’s new curriculum.
“Understanding by Design, (the new curriculum) works perfect with this,” she said. “We’re doing this right. This isn’t about us. It has to do with our students, making sure they go out with the drive to go into higher education and do well.”
The four practices the MCHS teachers chose to focus on were described as Seven, Nine, Ten and One. The Seven correlates to seven standard-based “best” practices; Nine stands for renowned education researcher Dr. Robert Marzano’s nine practices used in the classroom to drive home higher cognitive skills for students; Ten refers to ten practices for engagement to get students active in using 21st century skills; and One corresponds to a skill upon which the teachers want their students to improve: non-fiction writing.
“We can do a better job at getting our kids to write,” MCHS math teacher Kristin Ingalls said. “Not tell stories, but write off the top of their head. We want to know can you write arguments, facts, statements?”
MCHS English teacher Casey Kilpatrick said part of adding these practices to their teaching methods included a reversal in the way teachers’ present information to meet the needs of today’s learners.
Known as the Golden Circle, MCHS teachers learned the importance of reversing what, how and why to why, how and what.
“Most businesses communicate from the outside in. They show you the product first,” Kilpatrick said. “What if we change our thinking and reverse this?”
Kilpatrick said putting the why first, which is the equivalent of motivation in the Golden Circle, helps students understand the reason behind an assignment or project and gets them excited for the how, or the process. The end result, the product, is the what.
MCHS senior Rose Howe, 17, said she thinks taking teaching practices and modernizing them for the 21st century learner is a great idea.
“To be prepared for college I believe I need to know reading, writing, interpreting information and how to apply it in the real world,” Howe said.
Kilpatrick agreed with that sentiment. At the board of education meeting he said the methods weren’t about the teachers or their job.
He pointed at students in attendance and said, “It’s about these people sitting right over here. Getting them jobs and out into the world.”
And MCHS agriculture/science teacher John Haddan said the Theory into Practice program — much of which included information he and other teachers saw in masters programs — makes it easier to do just that.
“They encapsulated it and presented it in such a way that it was hands on instead of theory,” Haddan said. “It motivated the group to improve their teaching practices.”
In addition to learning the new methods the participating MCHS teachers also took a culture climate relationship survey to determine how open communication and collaboration is between teachers order to best implement and share those practices.
“We found we have a culture of trust between teachers which allows us to work together rather than in a bubble,” Kilpatrick said.
Ingalls said that relationship extended beyond just teachers and into administration.
“We’re fortunate to have Thom which I think was huge to have him with us in these conversations and going through the process,” Ingalls said.
Kilpatrick said the combination of that open culture and the new teaching methods has allowed the team to look at many root causes of achievement and behavioral issues within the school and from there come to feasible solutions.
“The more feedback we can give students and each other the better we can create an atmosphere of higher achievements,” Kilpatrick said.
Darian Warden can be reached at 875-1793 or email@example.com
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The Dehydrator’s new components and increase in efficiency are evidence of Somat Company’s continued effort to offer waste handling solutions that are innovative, easy to use, and promote environmental stewardship.
After several years of research and student input, a new machine that pulps and condenses food waste is being installed in the kitchen of Oberlin’s largest dining hall.
University of Maryland Uses DeHydrator Compost as Quality Soil Amendment We were told all kinds of horror stories that if we placed the soil amendment around our grounds rain would rehydrate the product and create an attraction for pests and
The road to reducing cafeteria costs starts in your parking lot.
UConn uses Somat DeHydrator System to combat waste and cut costs
Reduce your waste volume by 8 to 1 with a Somat Pulper.
We’re the leaders inwaste reduction technology and equipment solutions.
SOMAT COMPANY 165 Independence Court, Lancaster, PA 17601
Phone: 1-800-237-6628 • Fax: (717) 291-0877 • firstname.lastname@example.org
Copyright © 2011-2012 Somat Company. All rights reserved.
Designed by Edgewater Marketing
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I took a piece of cardboard and some unused 1/8 inch rivets, poked the non-rivet end into the cardboard and set the Relay Shield on top of them using the mounting holes. Not a good long term solution, obviously, but it kept the boards from sliding a round while I was wiring everything up.
This project is going to need a much more solid base because the wires for the irrigation system are pretty heavy. I'm thinking about getting a nice, thick sheet of clear acrylic for mounting. I will also have to go find a screw terminal block and use that in between the relay boards and the irrigation wire. Fun! And, I also need to figure out how to get an ethernet connection into my garage where the current irrigation controller lives. Heh.
Arduino Pin Use Limitations: Pin 10, 13I have a total of 12 relays I can control with the Relay Shields, and I was hoping to use pins 2 to 13 for that purpose. Well, trying that didn't go so well. Apparently the Arduino Ethernet Shield lays claim to pin 10 and so I cannot use it for output. Also, pin 13 (which is connected to the ADK board's LED) gets flashed a lot during program uploads. So, if I connect one of my relays to pin 13, it gets opened and closed dozens of times a second while I'm uploading a new Arduino program. That's going to cause unwanted wear and tear on the relay and possibly overheat it as I noticed when connecting the relays to pin 0 and 1.
So now I'm down to using only 10 relays of my 12. That's more than enough for my project, and if I really need them the ADK lot's more digital outputs. I was hoping to be able to control twelve relays with just the pins available on a Arduino Uno though. Maybe I can use the analog pins to control the relays?
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<urn:uuid:78a72771-bd8a-413c-8de9-7d3f823b72e5>
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The tendency in certain circles to emphasise the still modest recovery in the rate of growth of the Indian economy since the late 1970s has deflected attention from many disconcerting features of recent economic performance. Besides the cost of that growth in terms of its impact on the balance of payments and the domestic price level, its most disturbing aspect is its failure to noticeably increase employment and real incomes and improve the quality of life among the lowest income deciles of the population. This issue of the Social Scientist includes three papers which, in different contexts, analyse the adverse fall-out of the strategy of growth being pursued on different sections of the labouring poor.
Sheila Bhalla, in her analysis of employment trends in the Indian economy in general and the agricultural sector in particular, focuses on the decline in the employment generating capacity of the pattern of growth being realised. Two features are of significance here. First, while a major explanation for the 'growth revival* of recent years is the increase in the rate of growth of the non-agricultural sectors, resulting in a dwindling share of agriculture in national income, the rate of growth of non-agricultural employment was less than a half of the rate of growth of non-agricultural output. As a result the number of people dependent on agriculture for their livelihood has risen at a rate much higher than the rate of growth of agricultural output.
However, agriculture's own capacity to accommodate these growing numbers has been constrained. While the possibilities of raising net sown area are declining, the ability to raise employment in agriculture through yield-increasing technologies, double cropping and shifts to labour intensive crops have been constrained inter alia by inadequate investments in irrigation, flood control and drainage. Further, the evidence indicates that the successful green revolution areas, which had hitherto contributed substantially to the growth in agricultural employment, are now moving in the direction of labour saving agricultural practices that are reducing the responsiveness of agricultural employment to increases in agricultural output. Thus, barring the new green revolution regions, the possibilities of employment growth in agriculture within the current path of development appear extremely limited.
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Fri October 21, 2011
President Obama: All Troops Out of Iraq By Dec. 31
President Obama, a critic of the Iraq war from the very beginning, announced Friday that all U.S. troops will leave Iraq by the end of December. After nearly nine years, he said, the war will be over.
The president spoke after a video-conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki. The White House says the two men agreed this is the best way forward for both countries.
The president's announcement fulfills a campaign promise he made more than four years ago.
The U.S. has already withdrawn more than 100,000 troops from Iraq. And Mr. Obama says the last 40,000 will be leaving by the end of this year.
"Across America, our servicemen and women will be reunited with their families," he said. "Today I can say that our troops in Iraq will definitely be home for the holidays."
The timetable was negotiated back in 2008 by former President Bush. The U.S. and Iraq had been negotiating about keeping several thousand troops in the country beyond the end of the year. But they were unable to reach agreement on the issue of legal immunity for such forces.
Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough says the U.S. will continue to provide military trainers to Iraq as it does to other countries. But he says the president envisions a more normal relationship with Iraq, built on trade and diplomacy.
"He said what we're looking for is an Iraq that's secure, stable, and self-reliant," he said. "And that's exactly what we've got here. So there's no question this is a success."
Withdrawals Also Planned In Afghanistan
President Obama is also planning a troop draw down in Afghanistan, and says by year's end there will be half as many Americans in the two war zones as there were when he took office.
Mr. Obama is increasingly relying on more targeted military operations, like the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, or the NATO campaign that toppled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
"The end of war in Iraq reflects a larger transition," he said. "The tide of war is receding."
So far, Mr. Obama has drawn little political advantage from his foreign policy successes. His approval rating jumped briefly after bin Laden was killed, but slumped again over the summer. Aides say that's understandable, given the country's preoccupied with domestic economic problems. Mr. Obama acknowledged as much in his announcement today.
"After a decade of war, the nation that we need to build and the nation we will build is our own — an America that sees its economic strength restored, just as we've restored our leadership around the globe," he said.
Iraq Welcomes Announcement
The president's announcement was welcomed in Iraq. In Baghdad, a spokesman for Prime Minister Maliki called it a victory for both sides.
Right up to the end, most Iraqi officials privately said they wanted to keep some American troops here, particularly in the north where tensions between Arabs and Kurds still run high.
In addition, American forces could help guard against a new round of violence between Shiites and Sunnis.
But it was a different story in public. The Americans said that for U.S. troops to remain into next year, they would need to have immunity from prosecution in Iraqi courts. But that would require a new agreement in Iraq's parliament.
This touched a nerve with many Iraqis, especially with America's main enemy, Moqtada al-Sadr, the cleric backed by Iran.
His militia, the Mahdi Army, fiercely battled American troops during the war. Offshoots of that group and other Iranian-backed groups still launch attacks on American bases.
Now Sadr's party holds dozens of seats in parliament, and public opinion appeared to be running in Sadr's favor on the question immunity for American troops.
Samira Jihad Ahmed's brother-in-law was driving down an alley one day in 2004 when he was shot in the forehead and killed by an American soldier.
"We appreciate that the Americans got rid of Saddam and tried to bring us peace," she says. "But it's also a question of dignity. We can't let them keep on hurting innocent people."
U.S. base closings and handover ceremonies have become the norm. About 500 soldiers leave each day.
At a recent ceremony one American general directed his thoughts to his Iraqi counterparts. We have given you the gift of democracy and the chance to determine your own future, he said. That gift has come at a great cost.
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It’s only ‘Natural’ at Delaware museum
WILMINGTON, Del. — The Delaware Museum of Natural History celebrates Presidents’ Day weekend beginning Saturday through Monday, with “Natural Leaders: Presidents and Nature.”
Sonsored by Exelon Power, this family-friendly weekend features hands-on activities and crafts about presidents’ roles in environmental preservation and conservation.
On Saturday and Sunday, visitors can go on a presidential scavenger hunt, enjoy a “Book in the Nook,” and learn why the Bald Eagle is on the presidential seal. Then, on Presidents’ Day on Monday, visitors will learn important facts about past presidents.
Families can go on a scavenger hunt around the museum to find animals discovered on Thomas Jefferson’s Lewis and Clark Expedition. A matching game will explain Theodore Roosevelt’s “natural” empire of national forests, parks, and preserves. A special activity incorporating duck stamps will also highlight this conservation effort begun by Franklin Roosevelt.
In addition, visitors can also learn why Benjamin Franklin preferred the turkey to the bald eagle on the famous Great Seal of the United States. An exhibit on endangered species and a polar bear activity will shed light on the accomplishments of more recent presidents, such as Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Jimmy Carter.
IF YOU GO: The Delaware Museum of Natural History is located at 4840 Kennett Pike. Hours this weekend at 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday and Monday, and noon-4:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for children (3-17), $8 for seniors, free for children 2 and younger. Visit delmnh.org or call 302-658-9111
Location, ST | website.com
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Recent Activity on Facebook
Your daily wake up call with updated traffic, weather and few fun things to get you through the morning.
Lorrie Lynch writes USA WEEKEND's popular Who's News celebrity column every week. In her Who's News blog, Lorrie writes about celebrity news of the day, the stars she talks to, and how she and her team get the job done.
Laura Nachman covers everything about televison, from American Idol to sweeps.
Promotes family friendly events and activities held in and around Delco on a weekly basis.
Chef Jacqueline Peccina-Kelly is a professional chef dedicated to providing her clients with the ultimate culinary travel experience.
Because great conversations take place in the kitchen - not only about food, but also about life, love, liberty, and the pursuit of each.
Dominic Condo grew up in South Philadelphia, but is now living in Drexel Hill. He shares traditional (and personally updated) Italian American recipes and the family stories that go along with them.
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SDN-063731, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum
An unusual trade happened on this date.
This is actually two games, and there's a specific reason for that. On May 30, 1922, the Cubs and Cardinals played a Memorial Day doubleheader at Cubs Park. The Cubs began the day slightly under .500 (18-20); the Cardinals slightly over (23-18).
It's what happened between the two games that's of interest to us on this date. The Tribune has the story:
Between the morning and afternoon games of the Cubs holiday bill yesterday, Managers Bill Killefer of the locals and Branch Rickey of the Cardinals got together and arranged an even trade of Max Flack, Cubs outfielder, and Cliff Heathcote, St. Louis gardener. No money was involved. The trade took effect at once, Flack playing with St. Louis and Heathcote with Chicago in the afternoon. Flack started his career in organized ball with the Peoria club and came to the Chicago club in the Federal league in 1914. Flack joined the Cubs when that team absorbed the Feds. Heathcote was secured by the Cards in 1918, coming from Penn State university where he was one of the stars of the freshman and varsity nines. He had no previous experience in league ball.
That article isn't quite right -- Heathcote played 20 games for a minor-league team in Houston in 1918 before coming to St. Louis, but that was his only professional experience outside the majors. Branch Rickey, later the general manager who brought Jackie Robinson to the Dodgers to break the color barrier, was Cardinals field manager from 1918-1925. You'll note that in that era, field managers made trades -- general managers, if teams even had a man with that title (most didn't until the 1930s), were more like the head of the business side of a team today.
The trade was better for the Cubs; Flack had been a pretty good player for the Cubs, but Heathcote was eight years younger. He played for the Cubs through 1930, and was part of the 1929 Cubs N.L. champions, although by then he was a backup. Flack was out of the majors by 1926. Heathcote is the player pictured at the top of this post.
On that May 30 date, the Cubs swept the doubleheader, 4-1 and 3-1. Flack went 0-for-4 (with one RBI) for the Cubs in game 1, while Heathcote was going 0-for-3 for the Cardinals; after they switched clubhouses and uniforms, Heathcote went 2-for-4 for the Cubs in the nightcap, while Flack went 1-for-4.
It's the only time in major-league history such a deal has been consummated; the only other time a player has played for two teams in one day was August 4, 1982, and that also involved the Cubs, though they weren't involved in the trade.
Mets outfielder Joel Youngblood started this afternoon game at Wrigley Field and was pulled in the fourth inning when he was traded to the Expos for a PTBNL (Montreal later sent pitcher Tom Gorman to the Mets). The Expos put him on a plane to Philadelphia, where they were playing that night. He arrived in time to be inserted in the lineup in this game; he later singled. He's the only player in baseball history to play for two different teams in two different cities on the same day.
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Breaking News: Deputy Attacks Detained Teen
"Youth News" Launched by Hocking County, Ohio
Reclaiming Futures Hocking County launched “Youth News”, a quarterly newsletter, in February. The first issue includes an interview with Natasha Cook, a young woman helped by the local juvenile court; a story about the difference positive relationships with family, community and church made in the life of Juvenile Probate Judge Richard Wallar when he was a 15-year-old – the average age of a young person in the juvenile justice system; and lists of volunteer, educational and recreational opportunities for teenagers in the area. The seven-page publication is edited by Gretchen Gregory with help from writers Christa Myers and Rev. Mark Daniels.
Great job, Hocking County!
Teens in the Justice System: the Economy, Disproportionality, and Foster Care
If you work with youth in the justice system, here's four resources from Chapin Hall Center for Children you might find helpful:
Juvenile Detention Reform - Hear from a National Expert
Got a question about juvenile detention reform?
Whether your community has been working to address disproportionate minority confinement for years, or is just beginning to think about how to address it, you'll want to tune into this online broadcast on juvenile detention reform on March 5th at 4:30 pm EST. Bart Lubow, who leads the Annie E. Casey Foundation's national Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), will be interviewed. He'll be taking quesions from the audience, too. Can't make it? Don't worry -- the recorded show will be archived.
Protecting Youth in the Justice System from Self-Incrimination
Lourdes Rosado is a Senior Attorney for Juvenile Law Center. Below, she introduces a useful guide to help your community screen teens for behavioral health and drug problems while protecting their rights in and out of juvenile court. Juvenile Law Center is the oldest multi-issue public interest law firm in the country dedicated to advancing the rights and well-being of children in jeopardy.—Ed.
Juvenile Justice and Teen A&D Treatment News Roundup
A lot's been happening in juvenile justice lately. Here's some high-and-lowlights:
- The Obama administration is nominating Seattle's police chief, R. Gil Kerlikowske, to be the new drug czar. This seems to be encouraging news, as he is chair of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a law enforcement association that favors prevention and intervention methods for addressing juvenile crime, and disseminates relevant research.
- The Annie E. Casey Foundation released its policy recomendations for reforming the juvenile justice system, just in time for Congress to consider reauthorizing the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).
Two Judges Paid to Send Juveniles to Detention - Lessons Learned
Chances are, you saw the news that two judges in Pennsylvania pleaded guilty last week to charges that for five years, they funnelled teens into detention in exchange for $2.6 million in kickbacks. This, after they'd worked to get the county-run detention center shut down in 2002. An estimated 5,000 juveniles who appeared in court were victimized this way; many for behavior that should never have landed them in court in the first place. A class-action lawsuit brought by the Juvenile Law Center is in the offing, and possibly -- hopefully -- charges against those running the private detention centers.
This is appalling news. But it's also unusual. Juvenile court judges deserve the trust we place in them; they have a difficult job, trying to use the power of the court to help young people turn their lives around.
What can more fortunate jurisdictions, then, learn from this story? I came away thinking about two things:
Teen Substance Abuse Treatment and the Juvenile Court - Technology Helps Coordinate Services
In Indiana, a couple of techies built a case management system, Quest, that connected all the integral parties associated in juvenile and family court cases. It enabled judges to handle motions and docket changes online, staff to draft orders in real time, and juvenile justice officials to measure data and progress seamlessly.
Staffs in counties that use Quest swear by it; observers usually leave in awe when they are first introduced to it. I first saw how the system works when Indianapolis Judge Marilyn Moores off-handedly showed it to an audience during a presentation about truancy courts. About half the crowd stayed after the session to ask questions, but not about the truancy court.
Reclaiming Futures Kicks Off in Orange & Chatham Counties, North Carolina
Our project site in Orange and Chatham Counties, North Carolina, recently held its kick-off meeting, generating lots of excitement. Susan Powell, Community Fellow for the site -- pictured on the far left -- wrote in to tell us about it:
On Thursday, January 22, 2009, the Orange Chatham Counties Reclaiming Futures initiative hosted its kick-off meeting. Reclaiming Futures coach Elleen Deck & consultant Judy Schector did a wonderful job explaining the Reclaiming Futures model, goals, and approach to those in attendance. The Reclaiming Futures Fellows were pleased to see such a wonderful turn-out and participation by the group as a whole. Several prominent members of our community attended the meeting.
Engage Families in Juvenile Justice System Reform and Advocacy - More Ideas
A couple days ago, we posted six tips on engaging family members in your efforts to reform the juvenile justice system and how it works with teens with drug and alcohol problems. Grace Bauer, who authored the tips, wrote to say that some excellent additional resources are coming:
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Here Are Some of Your Medical Weight Loss Options?
Are you considering a medical weight loss procedure to get rid of those extra pounds? When it comes to weight loss, some may do very well with a solid diet plan and exercise. However, while this approach works for some, still others will find they need medications or a medical procedure to acquire their ideal weight. While these procedures can be perceived as appealing, involving little effort in reaching a healthy weight, these interventions still require some lifestyle changes in diet as well as the implementation of an exercise program. Medications and medical procedures can have a positive effect on a person’s weight; however, the initial weight loss can be undermined by bad diet choices and inactivity. Below we will discuss some of the medications and procedures used in medical weight loss.
Contrave, a medication often prescribed for weight management, combines a combination of drugs used in the treatment of depression, smoking, alcohol and opiate addiction. Persons who have used this drug for weight loss purposes have reported an 8 percent drop in over all body weight. Contrave works by way of reducing the food cravings a patient experiences. However, this medication has only been tested in clinical trials and the Food and Drug Administration has not approved Contrave for public sale. While Contrave did exceed the FDA’s standards for weight loss management, diet experts are still somewhat skeptical as to the effects this drug may have on the general public.
Xenical, approved by the FDA in 1999, is a prescription strength drug used to treat obesity. A low dose variant by the name of Alli was approved in 2007 for over-the-counter use. By comparison, a prescription for Xenical instructs that it should be taken three times per day while the low dose version, Alli, should be taken with meals up to three times a day.
While Alli can be used by anyone needing help in weight loss, Xenical is available only through prescription and is prescribed for those persons considered to be substantially overweight. Alli and Xenical works by inhibiting the intestines ability to absorb fat. Alli, in clinical trials, was shown to increase weight loss by as much as 60 percent when accompanied by a low calorie diet. While this medication does assist in shedding unwanted pounds, a proper diet and exercise program will need to be instituted for success. However, misuse of this dietary drug can lead to gas with oily spotting, loose stools and stools that are hard to control.
While many have implemented medications for weight loss, still others have volunteered to undergo some form of bariatric surgery as a means to weight loss. Today, the treatment is termed as “metabolic surgery” in the medical establishment as it has proven effective for not only weight loss, but also improves diabetes and cholesterol. Bariatric surgeries tend to be reserved for those who are substantially over weight, being used often as a preemptive strike against ailments associated with obesity, such as diabetes and/or sleep apnea. As with all other methods of medical weight loss treatments, a number of lifestyle changes will be required of the patient before long-term success will be realized.
Liposuction is yet another medical weight loss option where measured amounts of fat are removed or sucked from areas of the body. Though not a major weight loss strategy, it is primarily used as a toning procedure for certain areas with as much as 12 pounds of fat being removed throughout the process. Liposuction is more a cosmetic procedure than a weight loss procedure, enabling a person to tone certain areas of the body. This procedure is not a substitute for an actual weight loss program.
Medical weight loss, in all its various forms, can be a successful tool for those individuals who are struggling with weight loss as well as those who are significantly over weight. However, while these methods do work, they are not exclusive of a solid diet plan as well as an exercise program.
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DERBY — “Holiday in Bloom,” an event at the Osborne Homestead Museum, will showcase, in each room of the home, a seasonal plant that is connected to holiday folklore and tradition, according to a press release Monday.
The featured plants will include poinsettia, pine, Christmas rose, laurel, rosemary/herbs, holly, ivy, mistletoe and pomegranate.
The museum was the home of conservationist, businesswoman and philanthropist, Frances Osborne Kellogg, who lived in the house her entire life, from 1876 to 1956.
As they have done for more than 20 years, volunteers create the holiday decorations. The volunteers represent the Ansonia Garden Club, Olde Ripton Garden Club, the Garden Club of Orange, Naugatuck Garden Club, Roxbury/Bridgewater Garden Club, Derby Garden Society, the Pomperaug Valley Garden Club, the Oxford Garden Club and Ye Olde Kellogg Garden Society.
The exhibit will be open from Nov. 23 through Dec. 16, Thursday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for guided tours of the homestead.
On Friday evenings, Nov. 30 and Dec. 7 and 14, the museum will present “twilight tours,” highlighting the special glow of the decorations from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Group tours for adults and youth programs are also available. Contact (203) 734-2513 if you wish to schedule a group of eight or more visitors.
The Osborne Homestead Museum exhibits the fine art and antiques of Frances Osborne Kellogg. There is no admission fee but donations are accepted. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Osborne Homestead Museum is located at 500 Hawthorne Ave.
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Massimiliano Stucchi: BSD in the routing industry
AsiaBSDCon 2010 paper session.
The BSD family has always been very well known for its robust network stack, hence it has been widely used in many different fields and applications. In the ISP market, though, the situation is totally different, and solutions employing *BSD operating systems are often discarded in favour of proprietary solutions.
In this talk we will discuss the different possibilities offered by the BSD operating systems family in terms of networking tools and practices, compared to proprietary solutions offered by companies such as Cisco and Juniper, detailing the differences between them and highlighting the major points and drawbacks of each of them, up to a cost comparison in real field applications.
Real field applications will be introduced via explanation of the solutions created using BSD-based routing software in the real industry running in two different environments, an ISP spanning Europe and another one offering WISP services.
We will also delve into the experience in running a FreeBSD-/OpenBSD- and OpenBGPd-based route server at MINAP, the MIlanNeutralAccessPoint, describing success stories and guiding the audience into a comparison with the other route servers running at the same IX, powered by Linux and Bird/Quagga.
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McDonald v. City of Chicago - Post-Decision SCOTUScast
SCOTUScast 07-02-2010 featuring Steven G. Calabresi
July 2, 2010Steven G. Calabresi
To listen, please right click on the audio file you wish to hear and then select "Save Link As..." or "Save Target As..." After you save the audio file to your computer, you can then listen to it in your audio player of choice.
McDonald v. City of Chicago - Post-Decision SCOTUScast - MP3
Running Time: 00:14:36
On June 28, 2010, the Supreme Court announced its decision in McDonald v. City of Chicago. The question in this case was whether the Due Process Clause or the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment makes the right to keep and bear arms applicable to the States.
In an opinion delivered by Justice Alito, the Court held 5 to 4 that the Fourteenth Amendment makes the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self-defense, which the Court recognized in District of Columbia v. Heller, applicable to the States. Four Justices based this ruling on the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause. Justice Thomas agreed with the holding, but based his opinion on the Fourteenth Amendment's Privileges or Immunities Clause.
To discuss the case, we have Northwestern University School of Law Professor Steven G. Calabresi.
|Opinion - June 28, 2010 (PDF)|
|Oral Argument Transcript - March 2, 2010 (PDF)|
|McDonald v. City of Chicago - Post-Argument Debate SCOTUScast|
|McDonald v. City of Chicago - Cert Granted SCOTUScast Debate|
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Journalists Killed in 2006 - Motive Unconfirmed: Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah
|Publisher||Committee to Protect Journalists|
|Publication Date||January 2007|
|Cite as||Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Killed in 2006 - Motive Unconfirmed: Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah, January 2007, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e64962119.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.|
August 20, 2006, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka
Sivamaharajah, a Tamil newspaper editor and former member of parliament, was killed outside his home on the besieged Jaffna Peninsula, international and local media reported. Sivamaharajah, managing director of the Tamil-language Namathu Eelanadu, was shot dead in Vellippalai. The motive was unclear.
Sivamaharajah, 68, was a former MP of the Tamil United Liberation Front, and a member of the Tamil National Alliance, a pro-separatist party thought to be the political wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. Namathu Eelanadu was considered sympathetic to the Tamil nationalist cause.
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If you can only supply 16.67% of the demand, it is a complete failure of electrical power production, obviously it is not increased demand.Harare - Zimbabwe's government announced 20-hour daily electricity cuts for households across the country on Wednesday as supplies are shifted to irrigate the crucial winter wheat crop amid persistent food shortages.
The southern African country has already been experiencing frequent power cuts due to the declining capacity of its ageing power plants which have seen very little new investment as the country battles severe foreign currency shortages.
Mines and factories have also been hit hard by regular power outages, which have caused a decline in production and contributed to an economic crisis and escalating political tensions over President Robert Mugabe's 27-year rule.
Up to $2bn is required to install new equipment and expand production at the country's two main power plants in Hwange and Kariba to meet increased industrial and domestic demand, officials say.
Our school standards require 33% to pass, with a 5% given benefit if you are not schooled in your 1st language, along with a further 20% artificial increase in the average, therefore, by our academic standards Zimbabwe is a success. I'm offtopic here, but see the next post which is even more offtopic.
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An issue that brings up strong emotions is the Separation of Church and State. Almost all atheists strongly support the absolute abolition of religion in any public arena, while many Christians vouch for a school system where religion is integrated into the curriculum. In my mind, both extremes take the issue much too seriously.
I really don’t think the Separation of Church and State is an important issue. There are much more pressing matters, such as abortion and world hunger. However, in this essay I will explain my opinion with regards to this topic.
How Far is Too Far?
Our country finds itself in the odd position of supporting religious freedoms while at the same time not endorsing any particular worldview. It sometimes is hard to draw the line between religious freedom and religious tyranny.
Quite simply though, Separation of Church and State should mean that the State is not allowed to endorse a particular religion. This seems to be the obvious implication of the law, and I have no problem with this sort of practice.
This does not mean, however, that the State cannot ‘mention’ religion at all. It is impossible to deny that religion plays a huge role in the United States. It would be foolish to totally ignore religion.
What constitutes “Endorsing”?
This brings up the issue of whether or not a certain action is actually endorsing a religion. What I would define as such is giving favor to certain religious institutions based on doctrines and beliefs. This should certainly not be allowed. This does not mean, however, that the government should not be allowed to be involved with such institutions.
If the government wishes to accomplish its means though religious institutions, there is no necessary endorsement of a particular belief. For example, if the government supports a certain Christian denomination because its churches perform many community services, there is no endorsement of that denomination implied. However, if the basis for the decision of funding were doctrinal beliefs, it would be in violation of Separation of Church and State.
What About the School Systems?
The issue of what is taught in school is quite important. Teacher-led school prayer should not be allowed, except at after-school hours. Students should of course be allowed to pray or lead prayer groups (even Bible Study) as long as such activities do not interfere with schooling.
However, there is nothing wrong with a school offering optional religion classes. This does not constitute “endorsement” and it is completely voluntary for students to take. Therefore I do not see how a person could complain that their rights were being infringed upon. In addition, religion classes could give students a more well-balanced education.
What about prayers at graduation? They should not be allowed if led by faculty, but I don’t see a problem with a student deciding to offer a prayer. That is their religious freedom and the State is not endorsing religion in such a case. It is up to the students whether or not they wish to take place in such a prayer.
The Pledge of Allegiance and ‘In God We Trust’
Nontheists have made a big deal out of the words “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. Personally, I feel that this is not really that important of an issue. Does it really offend someone that the words “Under God” (a quite neutral religious statement, relatively) are mumbled during the Pledge?
In any case, the phrase “Under God” does not seem to clearly support any particular religion. In fact, it need not be construed as favoring religion at all. Stephen Hawking, for example, refers to the universe as “God” even though he is an atheist.
Besides, in some cases it would be quite impossible to remove any and all vague references to God. It would be quite unrealistic indeed for everyone to hand in their money and have the government send them new coins, free from the tyrannical “In God We Trust” statement.
I am not arguing that these things are part of our “heritage”, as they are actually later additions, but I am saying that in some cases we must be reasonable with regards to what is really important. Actually, I’m fine with a secular Pledge. It is actually the correct thing to do given our nation’s secularism. However, I wish atheists and Christians did not make such a big deal out of it. Sometimes it’s best just to let things continue as they always have.
The Importance of Separation
Do I think leaving religion out of government is an overall good thing? Do I think children benefit from not being exposed to God and Christianity? No. In actuality, I believe our nation would be much better off if Christianity was taught in public schools and children were stressed the importance of a relationship with God.
However, this is not the nation we live in. We live in a secular nation, one in which religion is not supported by the State. That is why I am a supporter of Separation of Church and State.
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Obama, The ‘First Gay President’ Featured on Newsweek is Old News
News report says: “In response to Obama’s Tuesday interview with ABC in which he embraced the issue of gay marriage as a concept, Newsweek‘s May 21 issue described Obama the country’s “first gay president.” “
It’s so interesting that now is a time when people are appearing to see what we said months and months ago. We posed the question back in June 2011 that President Obama could be a gay president because of views and his proclamation that June would be LGBT month!
So, frankly the news and question whether he’s not only the first Black president but seen as the first gay president, is pretty old news.
Is anyone convinced now that the uproar against his views now should have been made long ago?
Here’s our article on what we had to say about this back in June 2011.
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For the family of the young boy, who along with his mother Beulah Bruce Whitfield was killed in an accident on Highway 20 east of Canton when a driver crossed the centerline and hit the car head-on, the anniversary brings back many memories.
Gregory’s father, Newt Whitfield, was not in the vehicle at the time of the accident. His other son, Danny Whitfield, was injured in the wreck but survived his injuries.
While the tragedy still looms large in the family’s history, the dedication of the field is also a special memory.
The event to dedicate the ball field the “Gregory field” drew then-Gov. Carl Sanders as the guest speaker and was attended by representatives from the other 150 communities in the state who were in the North Georgia Rural Community Development Program in 1963.
The Macedonia Community Club was the top club in the state at the time of the dedication.
Many local dignitaries, including Judge Marion Pope, who introduced the governor, were also in attendance at the event.
Part of the day’s activities included a ladies’ softball game, a Little League game, and a Pony League baseball game at the new field, according to articles in the North Georgia Tribune, the forerunner of the Cherokee Tribune, at the time.
Misti Whitfield Martin, the daughter of Newt Whitfield, was not born at the time of the accident, but said that for her father and older half-brother, having the field named for the young boy meant a lot.
“We are all glad that the memory of Gregory lives on in the name of the park,” Misti Whitfield said in speaking for her family. “I think being a mother myself now, it really hit home for me when my son was Greg’s age and playing ball there, and what it must have been like to lose this young boy and his mother.”
Beulah Whitfield had been PTA president at Macedonia Elementary School, which is adjacent to the field, and both boys attended the local elementary. Danny was 9 at the time of the accident and she and the boys were also active in Cub Scouts and other youth programs.
“The park was already under way so the community club decided to name the field in memory of Greg,’ Misti said. “This was a devastating loss for the family and for the community, and to have this named for Greg means so much to us all. My children have helped plant flowers there, and they know that Danny lost his brother.’
And we are glad it has continued to be in his name all these years, “ Misti said.
The Macedonia Community Club was started in 1946 to help raise funds for a lunchroom for the local elementary, according to articles published in the North Georgia Tribune.
Later the community club raised $15,000 to build a gymnasium for the school and spent about $2,000 each year to fund local youth and recreation programs.
The new field named the Gregory Field cost $11,000 the community club raised.
The Macedonia Community Club in addition to being named the state’s top club in 1963, was the first place winner in 1959, named one of the 10 best clubs in 1960 and won third place in 1962.
For the dedication, Gov. Sanders arrived by U.S. Army helicopter and landed in a prepared circle at the Macedonia Baptist Church across from the new ball field.
A native of Macedonia, Lanny Williams of WSB-TV, was the master of ceremonies and Lester Watkins was president at the time of the presentation.
Today, the ball field is a part of a three-field complex run by a re-organized Macedonia Community Club with a 16-member board, a 501 3C non-profit status, and an active role in the community.
Executive Director and President Kevin Murphy says the group plans to keep the name Gregory field, and that the organization pours its time and efforts into improvements at the recreational facility.
A Dizzy Dean league, about 385 youngsters ages 3 to 12 play at the park this season.
Eight years ago members of the community saw the fields were in disrepair, Murphy said, and decided to step in and get them up and going again. They have recently resodded and made several upgrades to the park including a T-ball field for 3 and 4-year-olds.
“We are improving the grounds and are pleased to have this facility for our youth, “Murphy said.
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WASHINGTON — Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding that have gone to upgrade the nation's voting machines since 2003 were used to purchase touch-screen systems that many states are now scrapping because of concerns about their security and reliability.
State governments in Alaska, California, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Tennessee and New Mexico have decided to replace their touch-screen electronic machines. While some states have completed the switch, others won't finish replacing the machines until 2010. Nationwide, the federal government spent $1.2 billion on new voting machines between 2003 and 2007.
Optical scanning equipment is becoming the preferred replacement because, unlike touch-screens, it preserves each voter's original paper ballot in the event of a recount.
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is seeking to recover millions of dollars her state spent on the touch-screen machines and is urging the state legislature to require optical scanners statewide instead.
In a lawsuit, Brunner charged on Aug. 6 that touch-screen machines made by the former Diebold Election Systems and bought by 11 Ohio counties "produce computer stoppages" or delays and are vulnerable to "hacking, tampering and other attacks." In all, 44 Ohio counties spent $83 million in 2006 on Diebold's touch screens.
The Election Technology Council, a Houston-based trade group for voting machine manufacturers, recently circulated a pamphlet saying there's an "absence of evidence" to support allegations that voting machines have been used to commit election fraud. It blamed the government for a "broken system" that treats the industry as an adversary, rather than as a stakeholder.
Nevertheless, the shift away from the suspect touch-screens is gaining momentum.
Election Data Services, a consulting firm that specializes in elections, estimated that half the electorate used touch-screen voting in 2006. This year, less than a third will be using the touch screens.
"What has traditionally happened in this country is that a change in voting equipment happens once in the lifetime of an election official. With some election officials, it never happens," said EDS President Kimball Brace. "We're now upwards of almost 60 percent of the country that in the last eight years have changed their voting equipment."
Brace said touch screens would be used statewide this fall in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Nevada, Utah, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina, and in significant parts of or pockets of a dozen other states.
Congress pushed counties toward electronic voting equipment — a reaction to the uproar over irregularities in Florida's 2000 presidential balloting. A post-election legal battle extended the presidential election for weeks, until the Supreme Court ruled that then Texas Gov. George W. Bush had edged Vice President Al Gore by 537 votes in the state. Florida gave Bush the presidency.
In 2002, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), creating minimum election standards and allotting nearly $3 billion to states to upgrade voting equipment, voter registration databases and otherwise to improve election administration.
Facing deadlines to spend their so-called HAVA money, counties across the country began ordering new machines. Iowa, for example, spent $18.7 million on new machines in 2006 and exhausted its allotment of HAVA money.
Meantime, computer scientists at several universities, some of whom had been hired to test voting machines for the states of California, Ohio, Connecticut and New York, reported finding security and performance flaws in virtually every system, spurring the push for a paper audit trail.
Earlier this year, Iowa's legislature joined others in reversing course, voting to use millions of dollars in state money to replace touch-screen machines in 78 of the state's 99 counties, Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro said. He said Democrats and Republicans alike "overwhelmingly want a paper trail to reconstruct the election," if needed.
Despite such shifts, voters in nearly 32 percent of the nation's precincts will rely solely on touch-screens this year, said Pamela Smith, the president of the California-based watchdog group Verified Voting.
That includes most voters in states such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana and Virginia, said Susan Greenhalgh, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit group Voter Action, who called the machines "scandalously flawed . . . untrustworthy."
However, Jim Gavin, a spokesman for Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita, said that 59 counties in the Hoosier State use touch screens and are happy with them after a 2006 upgrade that cost more than $20 million.
"Secretary Rokita does not intend to take actions that would cost Indiana taxpayers tens of millions of dollars to replace voting systems that have not been proven to be defective," he said.
Gary Bartlett, the executive director of North Carolina's elections board, said that about 25 counties in his state are using touch screens to serve about 40 percent of the state's voters.
"I'm not that concerned about any of the voting equipment," he said, because the state requires pre-election testing of every machine, random post-election audits and a "strict chain of custody" of the machines to prevent tampering.
Rosemary Rodriguez, the chair of the six-year-old Election Assistance Commission, an agency established to help states implement new election standards, said in an interview Friday that she doesn't favor one type of machine, but that the shift to scanners suggests that "the voters would like some assurance that their ballots could be looked at a second time, if necessary."
While many states still rely largely on touch-screen machines, Rodriguez said that she has "a high level of confidence in the system" heading into the November election.
The commission has established standards for all types of electronic voting machines, but it's still in the process of determining how to test those machines.
Rodriguez said the commission is "feeling the stress of concern that we're not up to speed."
Keith Ashdown, the chief investigator for the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense, called it "sort of the classic case of the best intentions gone awry" by throwing money at a problem.
"If a little more time was spent deciding exactly what they wanted to purchase, we may not have to be starting from scratch in many counties," he said.
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“God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.”
No doubt, there is a lot we can learn from comparing this to the tax collector’s prayer. However, I thought of this prayer because I read David’s prayer in I Chronicles 29:14-16.
“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.”
I notice that the Pharisee admitted that he gave tithes of what he got, not just what was his own. But I also notice that his tone is totally different. David praised God. The pharisee was seeking God to praise him. David offered willingly from what God had given him. The pharisee did what was the rule–tithing. David understood his place before God. The pharisee just didn’t get it.
The lesson for me in this is how easy it is to take a look at my own work and think I’m something great. It is so easy to get wrapped up in my pride and think God is lucky to have me on His side because of all I do. I need to learn from David, however, that whatever I offer to God, whether it is material contribution, physical effort, time, or teaching, I’m only giving back a portion of what God has given me. Why do I have money to use in the Lord’s work? Because God has blessed me with it. Why do I have strength to perform the Lord’s work? Because God has blessed me with it. Why do I have time to spend on the Lord’s work? Because God has blessed me with it. Why do I have intelligence to teach the Lord’s will? Because God has blessed me with it.
God is not lucky to have me on His side. I am lucky to have Him. Of course, as some will point out, I’m actually not lucky. It doesn’t have to do with luck of the draw. God is on my side not because my name was drawn out of a hat, but because He loves me. How on earth could I ever come to God as this Pharisee did and act like God is so fortunate to have me. I need to humble myself and realize how fortunate I am that God has blessed me so greatly.
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By 12th grade, girls are just as likely to be sexually experienced as boys
In the 1990s, senior girls were less likely to be sexually experienced, but the gender gap has closed in recent years. In the ninth grade, girls were less likely to be sexually experienced, but by the 12th grade, they were just as likely.
Percent of sexually experienced high school students
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2011.
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Is Allah a Loving God?
The Quran is filled with passages that talk about the love of Allah:
O ye who believe! if any from among you turn back from his Faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him (5:54)
How many of the prophets fought (in Allah's way), and with them (fought) Large bands of godly men? but they never lost heart if they met with disaster in Allah's way, nor did they weaken (in will) nor give in. And Allah Loves those who are firm and steadfast. (3:146)
Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men;- for Allah loves those who do good (3:134)
Nay.- Those that keep their plighted faith and act aright,- ...more
Most Muslims believe that the Bible is not trustworthy, that it has been corrupted, that the Injeel (gospel) of Jesus has been lost, and the Qur'an restores God's truth to mankind. But, that is another subject to be debated.
In John 15:13 Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay his life down for his friend." I have the Nestle Aland Greek New Testament with the textual apparatus included in it. The textual apparatus is the complete listing (per verse) of any textual variants that occur in any of the ancient New Testament manuscripts. Therefore, it is a very easy thing to go to John 15:13 and look at the textual evidence to see if there are an ...more
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The Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary, located near the Krau Wildlife Reserve, was established in 1985 by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks and manned by the personnel of the department's Elephant Capture and Trans-location Unit.
The center is geared towards the plight of the endangered and fully protected Malaysian elephants. It acts as a permanent base for the elephant capture unit, after introducing its most effective, and costly, control method for the elephant capture and trans-location program in 1974. The center also takes in orphaned and abandoned elephants and as such is also referred to as the Elephant Orphanage Sanctuary.
The sanctuary is a popular destination for visitors, both local and foreign, which comes here especially in the weekends to observe and participate in the activities at the center. The center is open from 2pm to 4.30pm. Visitors are not charged any fees, however, it would be polite for visitors to make a donation towards the benefit of the elephants at the sanctuary.
At the sanctuary, you will find a visitor information center providing information and video presentation on the center’s elephant conservation efforts. Visitors can participate in daily activities, like feeding and grooming the center’s elephant and helping with the daily bathing of each animal in nearby river.
For more information on the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary, visit their website at : www.myelephants.org
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04 Dec 2008: Report
In China’s Mining Region, Villagers Stand Up to Pollution
After decades of living with fouled rivers and filthy air, residents of China’s Manganese Triangle are rising up and refusing to accept the intolerable conditions created by illegal mining activity. Their bold protests have shone light on the dark side of China’s economic boom. From Sichuan province, Chinese journalists Zhou Jigang and Zhu Chuhua report.
In early 2008, residents of Gaodong — a hamlet of 278 people nestled in the picturesque Wuling Mountains of south-central China — invited the head of the surrounding township to listen to a list of grievances about the manganese mining they claimed was ruining their community. Living in a county that produces one-fifth of all the manganese excavated on earth, the villagers had — like many ordinary Chinese — paid a high environmental price for fueling China’s economic boom. In this instance, however, the people of Gaodong had decided they would take it no more.
Gaodong is located in Xiushan, a county that is home to 41 licensed and more than 200 unlicensed manganese mines, which excavate the valuable metal — used in steel, aluminum, and copper production — by blasting the earth with dynamite. The residents of Gaodong and neighboring villages
A manganese mine in Sichuan province
have been subjected to frequent explosions that crack the foundations of their homes and force their children to stuff cotton in their ears to do their homework. They have seen their underground aquifers drained by the mining activity, which empties all six of the village’s wells in the dry season. Their rivers sometimes run black as the mining companies and manganese refineries dump tons of toxic mine waste directly into surrounding waterways. They have watched as badly polluted irrigation water destroys rice crops, kills fruit trees, and cuts harvests by more than half. In addition, the village air has been fouled with mining dust, and local health officials have diagnosed some local mine workers with neurological diseases caused by heavy metal pollution.
For several years, the villagers have been seeking compensation for these various ills, which is what brought township head Zhou Hui to Gaodong. But when he ended their evening meeting with no resolution, residents erupted in anger. Four women — one of whom was 75 and one 67 — prevented his car from leaving. When police tried to pull the women away, they latched onto Mr. Zhou’s legs. The police kicked and punched the women, at which point the village men joined in the melee, breaking Mr. Zhou’s left wrist and injuring some policemen. Two of the women were injured, as well, with one of them spending nine days in the hospital.
Two days after the melee, the police raided the village and hauled in every male older than 16 for interrogation. Afterwards, several dozen men — fearful of arrest or official retribution — headed for the hills, sleeping for months in makeshift huts. Thirty local men working in the mines never returned to work.
Today, an uneasy standoff exists in the village. No charges have been filed against Gaodong residents, and some mines have paid modest
Laws exist to regulate pollution from the manganese mines, but in reality local and county officials have done little or nothing to prevent the mining from wreaking environmental havoc.
compensation to villagers. But the clash remains a striking example of the rising anger felt by many Chinese fed up with the egregious pollution that is the byproduct of their country’s dizzying economic rise. The conflict in Gaodong also testifies to the growing resentment of the corruption that often goes hand-in-hand with pollution, as the very officials who are supposed to be policing the manganese mines often have financial interests in the enterprises. As the People’s Representatives Standing Committee in Xiushan County delicately put it, the mining industry is “disorderly, with interests distributed across many parties.”
Mining began in earnest in Xiushan County 30 years ago during China’s initial economic reforms under Deng Xiaoping. As a remote, mountainous corner of the Chongqing region in Sichuan province, the only way for Xiushan to develop was to exploit its mineral resources, of which manganese was the most valuable. By the early part of this decade, Xiushan had become an integral part of China’s so-called “manganese triangle,” along with neighboring Huatan in Hunan province and Songtao in Guizhou province.
With China’s metallurgical industry experiencing huge growth, manganese — a brittle, grayish-white metallic element — was vital in producing acid-resistant steel, aluminum-manganese alloy, and copper-manganese alloy, among other uses. Extracting and processing the metal has become such a mainstay of Xiushan’s economy that by 2007, 80 percent of the county government’s 500 million yuan ($73 million) in revenue came from the manganese industry.
Central and regional laws exist to regulate pollution from the manganese mines, but in reality local and county officials have done little or nothing to prevent the mining from wreaking environmental havoc. In recent years, 41 manganese mines were given permits to operate in Xiushan. But a local newspaper reported that as many as 230 additional mines were operating illegally in the county, using an estimated 700,000 kilograms (1.5 million pounds) of explosives to blast holes in the mountains, after which workers hacked out the manganese using picks, their hands, and some mechanized equipment.
In recent years, the environmental damage from mining in Xiushan has
Manganese mining in China is centered in Sichuan, Hunan and Giuzhou provinces
become so great that the ire of local residents could no longer be offset by the relatively high salaries earned by miners — from 2000 to 5000 yuan ($290 to $730) a month, four to ten times the average local salary. The blasting rocked every corner of the county, knocking homes off foundations, cracking walls, and filling the air with a fine dust. Most damaging, however, was the effect on the county’s water resources, both above and below ground.
In recent years, many underground aquifers have disappeared because the mines use water to process manganese and because extensive underground blasting has disturbed subterranean streams that feed residents’ wells.
“Once they started mining, our water dried up and we could no longer irrigate a lot of the fields,” said Zhao Renjun, a resident of Gaodong, where three legal mines and more than 10 illegal ones have been operating. “There was nothing for us or the animals to drink.” According to Zhao, all of the village’s six wells are now empty in the dry season.
Unirrigated fields now lie barren. Even good fields have seen harvests drop by more than half. Lack of irrigation water, coupled with pollution from manganese mining, sharply reduced the rice yields of 60 percent of the farmers in and around Gaodong.
Rather than build ponds to contain the wastewater produced by mining and manganese refining, many enterprises also let the toxic wastewater flow directly into rivers and streams, polluting drinking and irrigation water.
In June 2006, the Xiushan county government reported that one company, Wuling Mining, was polluting rivers with wastewater containing 100 times the allowable levels of manganese. (Under public pressure, the county government eventually shut down Wuling Mining.) Among the mining
wastes were ammonia and hexavalent chromium, a proven human carcinogen. One local medical expert, who asked to remain anonymous, noted that long-term exposure to drinking water contaminated with hexavalent chromium could weaken the kidneys, heart, liver, and bones and cause headaches, nosebleeds, and rashes. Xiushan County’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention said some mine workers had suffered neurological disease from exposure to heavy metals and were at higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
Gaodong residents also complained that with the rapid spread of manganese mining in recent years, their fruit and vegetable trees had often turned black and that their own skin had blackened, sometimes so badly they were afraid to show their hands to relatives out of fear of being teased.
Under Chinese law, polluting companies are required to compensate residents for damages to their health and the environment, but by 2005 companies still were not paying villagers in and around Gaodong. Local anger grew to the point that residents began blockading roads, and in 2005 several violent clashes broke out between residents and what they labeled as “thugs” from the mining companies. In one clash, nine female villagers were injured. In another, a villager was stabbed three times. Said one villager, who asked to remain anonymous, “A boss at Weiye Mining and some hired thugs injured seven of us. They used rocks and drove their cars toward us. Three of us were hurt seriously. One villager was attacked by a Tuoyuan Mining boss and his thugs. He ended up with three knife wounds.”
No one was arrested in these attacks, but the unrest in Xiushan did have some impact. The following month, Chinese President Hu Jintao wrote an article in a policy journal urging the State Environmental Protection Agency (now the Ministry of Environmental Protection) to investigate and coordinate a response to pollution in the manganese triangle. Not long afterward, the township encompassing Gaodong set up a 12-person working group to mediate between the mining companies and local residents.
Still, local residents saw little change, and in December 2007, with most
mining companies refusing to compensate the villagers, 40 elderly women from Gaodong walked to a local mine and blockaded its entrance, preventing workers or equipment from entering. In this remote part of the Wuling Mountains, home to the Tujia and Miao ethnic minorities as well as the majority uneducated Han, the women lit fires and braziers to ward off the cold and took turns standing guard at the mine entrance. The blockade lasted for a month.
Finally, earlier this year, the clash between Gaodong villagers and the township head took place, focusing even greater public attention on pollution problems in the manganese triangle. Some of the legally operating mining companies are now compensating local residents, paying each Gaodong resident about 1,000 yuan ($146) a year in compensation. Still, many mines continue to refuse to compensate residents of nearby communities.
County officials claim to be cracking down on illegal mines, which are responsible for some of the worst pollution. Ai Daliang, deputy head of the county land and housing bureau, which oversees the mining industry, said, “Now 80% of our time is spent . . . closing down illegal mines. But the mine bosses find out our enforcement teams are on the way before we're even out of town, and they just disappear. All we can do is blow up their equipment and the mine entrance.”
His comments highlight a fundamental problem — the ubiquitous corruption that has enabled so many illegal manganese mines to operate and so many legal ones to violate regulations and pollute with near-impunity. Some local government offficials have interests in the manganese industry. In 2004, members of the county's economy and trade committee were detained after it was discovered that they had paid members of the public to protest on behalf of mines in which they had a financial interest.
“It's there for the taking,” one official said. “Who is going to say no?” Even officals in Chongqing hold shares in mines through friends and relatives, making it almost impossible for the county government to address pollution problems.
As the People’s Representatives Standing Committee in Xiushan reported, “The county, townships, villages, work groups, and business are all involved, as are the industrial, metallurgical, energy, and business authorities . . . The resources are being carved up as everyone struggles to get their share.”
One official in the Chongqing region told the Time and Truth
newspaper, “It is not true that we do not want to crack down on illegal mining. However, we dare not do so. This is because of official involvement in the mining industries and some local senior officials holding stock in the mines.”
Meanwhile, pollution from the manganese mines only worsens, leaving residents worrying about its effect on their farms, their homes, and their health.
Said Ran Renjun, a resident of Gaodong in his early 40s, “We’re basically waiting to die.”
POSTED ON 04 Dec 2008 IN
Energy Energy Policy & Politics Pollution & Health Asia Europe
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This chapter begins with a summary of the case of Thomas Brewster, who was tried for murder based in large part on eyewitness testimony. Ultimately DNA came to Brewster’s rescue, and he was freed before the trial ended. Analyses of taped interviews in the case help reveal how the interviewing process itself may have tainted the eyewitness testimony. The chapter continues with discussions of new psychological research on memory for complex events. This work shows how the details of events can be changed when witnesses are exposed to post-event information that is misleading. And with enough suggestion, entire events can be planted into the mind of ordinary healthy adults. The final section discusses new findings concerning eyewitness memory for people. This includes eyewitness identification of previously seen strangers, and new findings on procedures that can reduce mistaken identifications.
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During the week of June 26th, the Island Trees School District offered two separate sports camps.
Under the direction of Koren Pena and varsity softball coaches Laurie Logan and Ed Price, girls in grades 4-8 were offered 15 hours of instruction in all the fundamentals of softball. The girls worked on throwing, catching, stealing, bunting, pitching and fielding.
Boys in grades 9-12 were instructed in the strategies and fundamentals of basketball. Varsity Head Coach Tom Baierlein and Junior Varsity Coach Mike Harrington worked with the 30 campers during the week. The cost of the basketball clinic was $35 for the week.
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|Starting the hole|
RMDRC 06-009 "Cap'n Chuck" was the first mosasaur I ever found. It's a specimen of Platecarpus "ictericus" (sorry Takuya, haven't made the species switch yet) from the upper chalk of Logan County, about 83 million years old. I spotted a single dorsal vertebra sticking out of a vertical gully wall, about 12 feet above the gully bottom. Don't ask what I was doing looking up there. My boss, Mike, loaded Jacob and I into the bucket of the bobcat and lifted us up to see if there was anything else there besides the single vertebra. Yep! we discovered the back of the skull, but since it was late October and in the low 50s (with drizzle coming in and lots of wind) we decided to secure the site till the next spring.
|We made this big of a hole in 3 days|
|Do you see the skull?|
|Main jacket flipped and prepared. Things are much easier to see.|
Once show-prepped in the lab it was decided that Cap'n Chuck was complete enough to restore in 3d (most exploded skulls are good candidates, there's less crushing distortion). That meant pulling every individual bone out of the jacket and cleaning it completely. This enabled us to get a good look at some rare parts like the interclavicle and ear cartilages. Hopefully we'll be able to start restoration sooner or later!
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Edited by J. C. C. Mays
Murphy, Samuel Beckett's first novel, was published in 1938. Its work-shy eponymous hero, adrift in London, realises that desire can never be satisfied and withdraws from life, in search of stupor. Murphy's lovestruck fiancée Celia tries with tragic pathos to draw him back, but her attempts are doomed to failure. Murphy's friends and familiars are simulacra of Murphy, fragmented and incomplete. But Beckett's achievement lies in the brilliantly original language used to communicate this vision of isolation and misunderstanding. The combination of particularity and absurdity gives Murphy's world its painful definition, but the sheer comic energy of Beckett's prose releases characters and readers alike into exuberance.
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Time Magazine revealed the 2011 choice for its iconic and often controversial, Person of the Year cover this morning, and that person is really more of a concept:
Not a protester specifically, but in a year marked by global demonstrations, from the Arab Spring revolutions to Occupy Wall Street, the collective idea of The Protester was an easy decision, Time's managing editor Rick Stengel said.
"There was a lot of consensus among our people," Stengel told Today show co-hosts Matt Lauer and Ann Curry, regarding the magazine's cover. "It felt right."
As it has for the past 84 years, Time selected the person (or group, or thing) that its editors feel had the greatest impact during the year, for better or for worse.
Charles Lindbergh was the first Man of the Year back in 1927 (the title was amended to Person of the Year in 1999), but the cover is not necessarily an accolade.
Many presidents, political leaders, innovators and captains of industry have been cited, one of the more notorious Persons of the Year was Adolf Hitler in 1938.
Joseph Stalin in 1943 and Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 also "won."
Other conceptual choices included The American Fighting-Man (1950), Middle Americans (1969). Last year's winner was Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
What do you think of Time's Person of the Year choice?
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For Business Executives and Designers alike, “design thinking” is a powerful way to imagine and create new products, services, strategies and business models. This full day seminar at the Harvard Club of New York will introduce you to the cognitive processes used in design and demonstrate how they can be used to identify problems, gather insights, envision solutions, and create new opportunities for your business.
The need for 21st century mindsets and protocols has sparked unprecedented interest in “design thinking”, a human-centered, prototype-powered and foresight-driven process that generates new ideas as effectively for products and services, as it does for business models and strategies. Traditional skills are making way for the techniques and cognitive processes of design to help solve complex business problems.
Through real-world examples, we will explore the newest and best practices in design thinking, applied creativity, and strategic innovation and planning. This seminar will enable you to connect with your own creativity, to generate original ideas and to convert those ideas into innovative products, services, and strategies.
Participants will receive a certificate of participation from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design Executive Education, as well as a practical workplace guide for applying design thinking concepts, tools, and methods.
This seminar is for:
- Business Executives who want to create business value and strategic impact through design thinking.
- Designers, Architects and Engineers who want to turn design thinking skills into value-added services for their clients and to create new revenue-generating services.
Register by May 15th and save 25%
For more information please visit Ideacouture.com
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The economic downturn and the reportage of food activists about the hazards associated with factory produced foods have raised our awareness to both the benefits of growing our own produce and the questionable conditions under which store-bought foods may be processed. While suburban and urban 'farmers' are battling municipalities for the right to raise egg layers and to grow vegetables as they wish on their own property, we are reminded in not-so-gentle fashion of the dangers that line supermarket shelves. A release today by national safety expert Nancy Harvey Steorts outlines some of the findings of FDA inspectors at some of the egg farms linked to the recent salmonella outbreak.
The release in full here:
"In a House subcommittee hearing Wednesday, the heads of the egg farms linked to over 1,600 cases of salmonella across the country were questioned as details of conditions found by FDA inspectors at these facilities were revealed to shocked members of Congress.
Inspectors found both live and dead rodents, flies and maggots, dead and rotting chickens, liquid manure leaking from buildings, standing water, and piles of manure in the hen houses. Some piles of chicken manure reached 8 feet high and in some cases the large amounts of manure on the ground in some buildings prevented the doors from closing.
As the former Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Hon. Nancy Harvey Steortssays that it is time for consumers to take action and stop buying eggs until these horrible practices by egg producers are stopped, and the industry can prove that eggs are safe to consume. Steorts also advocates for a well-funded, separate, independent agency with strong authority to be focused solely on food safety.
Invite Steorts to reveal solutions to this problem:
- Supermarkets must not buy eggs from these corruptible producers and should inform their customers where their eggs are produced and how.
- Federal, state, and local authorities must go after these bad actors to clean up or be shut down.
- Accredited 3rd party certification must be put in place immediately.
- Consumers must demand a safe food supply and must be able to rely on the industry and government to produce safe food."
While I am more of a "free market, less government" guy, it's tough to argue that a consumer can determine the sanitary practices of the farmer just by looking at a cleaned up supermarket egg. But I cannot easily accept the idea that we need another federal agency to focus on food safety. Isn't that the job of the FDA?
I believe that we need to get our federal, state, and local governments on the same page when it comes to consumer awareness and the freedom to enjoy our property to produce our own food. We have the power to lobby our municipalities for the right to raise backyard chickens for egg laying (as long as it doesn't create hazardous conditions for our neighbors), community gardening projects, and to set aside space for more farm markets. We could also put pressure on our commercial food markets to closely monitor the sanitary conditions of their wholesale growers and suppliers.
Rather than establishing a new food safety organization, our leaders in the federal government should investigate what is holding back the FDA from enforcing existing food safety regulations, and correct those problems. An efficient FDA would be much easier on the taxpayers than throwing more money at the issues with a new agency.
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To all who wield a camera for General Aviation News and Living With Your Plane:
We should have at least six photos, and hopefully eight, of any airplane we shoot. First we need the left and right front 3/4 shots that show the entire plane from nose to tail. Then we need shots of the nose and tail. And finally, we need at least two shots of the cockpit, one showing the seats and the other focused on the panel. Additional shots that are nice to have are profiles of the plane from the left and the right and close-ups of any part that might be referenced in the article. If you are shooting a person in front of the plane, please try to shoot in at least three different locations, on either side of the airplane and either in the cockpit or standing next to it. Also, shots of aircraft owners working on their airplanes or doing preflight checks or anything that has action in it are better than the “grip and grin” shots of a person smiling in front of their airplane. And please do not limit yourself to six shots. Get creative and shoot from below the wing down the fuselage toward the tail, or from the tail along the fuselage toward the nose, or get down on the grass under the nose and shoot up towards the propeller.
A few more suggestions:
When you are shooting warbirds, please get shots of any nose art and make sure to get overall shots as best you can dependent on the crowds surrounding the airplane. Also please take photos of any crew members explaining parts of the airplane (ball turret, rear gunner’s position, etc.) if you are writing an article about that specific warbird.
It is also helpful to take a shot of the tail number if possible so that we can identify an airplane if we somehow misplace the notes or don’t have time to write down information about a plane’s make, model or owner.
Try to shoot with the sun at your back if possible.
If you are talking with an owner, ask if they have had professional in-flight photos taken of their plane. It would be good to have as many photos of the airplanes in the air as possible. If those are not available, try to get a shot of the airplane taxiing on the runway so that we have some action shots with the pilot doing something more than standing and smiling next to the airplane.
For a full cover shot (preferred) we need the image to be 11.3″ x 14.3″
at 300 dpi. Our logo occupies about 3.5″ at the top.
For a centered photo we need 10″ x 8.25″ 300 dpi.
We can work with JPEG, EPS or TIFF formats.
Please email General Aviation News Editor Janice Wood when you are ready to upload photos.
We also accept cd, zip or e-mailed files.
General Aviation News
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Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting BA NEWS to 80360 or e-mail us
Cancer referrals by GPs above average
3:40pm Saturday 4th August 2012 in Local
WORCESTERSHIRE is above average for cancer referrals by GPs in a nationwide postcode lottery, figures published today reveal.
Data shows wide variation across England in 2010/11 in the number of patients referred to hospital specialists by GPs for suspected cancer.
Information from the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) has shown a more than three-fold difference in the rate of urgent GP referrals to hospital for patients with suspected cancer, from under 830 to more than 2,550 in every 100,000 patients a year.
The average for cancer referrals is 1,853 per 100,000 population for Worcestershire, which is above the average for England of 1,812.
However, the range in Worcestershire for referrals ranged from 576 to 3,520 – showing there are also discrepancies within the county.
The NCIN, set up in 2008 to promote the analysis and publication of cancer statistics, said the number of people referred by GPs was not on its own an indicator of how good they were at spotting the early signs of cancer.
But it said that the range of the variation was so wide that, at the extremes, it probably reflected differing standards of care.
Dr Mick Peake, clinical lead, said: “The data is not easy to interpret since we do not know what the ‘optimum’ level is for these measures.
“Although the data is adjusted for age, there may be other differences in the characteristics of the patients of a particular GP practice that impact on local referral rates.”
The charity Cancer Research UK said the more than threefold variation in the rate of urgent cancer referrals was very worrying as it suggested differing approaches by some GPs.
View the data at ncin.org.uk
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Open Country. Open shorelines are perfect for some exploring on foot when fishing.
Going backpacking doesn't mean you have to leave your fishing rod at home. Even though you'll be without a boat when trekking through the wilderness, you can still take advantage of the area's angling opportunities if you properly plan your route and pack some fishing gear.
Accessing Unfrequented Waters
One of the great benefits about fishing on hiking treks is you'll be able to access waters that receive minimal fishing pressure. When plotting hiking routes, look carefully and hike paths that run parallel to waterways. Although there is sometimes some bushwhacking required to get to the water's edge, choose routes that will lead you to water, so to speak. A good start is reviewing maps of the area you'll be hiking.
Do Your Homework
Like fishing any new water, do some research before the first cast. Getting topographic and hydrographic maps of the area will help you plot an appropriate course. Although much is said about the qualities of hydrographic maps for fishers on foot, topographic maps are equally as important.
Topographic maps help you judge the terrain of the landscape. This way you know if the four mile hike is a leisurely walk or an aggressive descent down a hill to get to a small stream. Take your research a step further by overlaying information on the type of fish stocked or present in the water and use this information to choose your fishing gear. Make sure you also pack a compass for navigation when hiking and exploring angling opportunities. GPS units are handy but batteries can fail, so a compass is a must have back up.
Get Details from Park Staff
When hiking in parks and natural reserves, it's a good idea to talk with park staff or local experts about fishing opportunities. They'll tell you what lakes offer good fishing and which ones are best to avoid. You also might get tips on some secret fishing spots or advice on good bait to use.
It pays off to make these questions part of your trip planning. This way if the person you're dealing with isn't angling savvy, they might recommend someone else who's more of a fisher in the area, like a guide or tackle shop owner.
When speaking with park staff, it's also important to make sure traveling off hiking paths is permitted. Wilderness areas tend to allow this, while some parks prefer that you don't bushwhack and that you stay on pre-established trails. Of course, once you get along the shoreline exploration is often easy.
Choosing and Packing a Rod and Reel
If you're on a multi-day hiking trip, the overall weight of your backpack is important, so keep your fishing-related weight to a minimum. Here are some tips to stay light.
First, invest in a quality travel rod. Spinning or baitcast rods usually come in 3- to 4-piece kits, while fly-fishing rods are comprised of more pieces. Usually the rod comes with a travel case. Some rod and reel kits come together in one case, but these are more bulky and meant for travels where space isn't a major issue.
Easy Does It. Invest in a quality three- or four-piece travel rod and carrying case.
When hiking, it's best to have the rod in the smallest tube case possible. Often you can secure it on one side of your pack using straps. Keep the reel in its own case and pack it separately. A soft reel case packs easier and is less bulky.
Also, to keep the weight down and minimize required space, consider an ultra-light or light action rod. Rods are light regardless, but by going with a light action one you'll shed a few ounces on the reel's weight and reduce bulk.
Tackle: Less is Best
One of the biggest challenges for anglers is downsizing tackle for an outing. In wilderness hiking, one seldom has the choice whether to pack light or not. Your best bet is packing lures that catch multi-species fish. Also pack your confidence baits too.
Fly anglers are lucky as their terminal tackle is light and compact. It's easy to pack a few dozen dry and wet flies in a fly box and be prepared for most fishing situations. As long as you can accommodate the carrying case, fly fishing tackle adds little overall weight to your backpack and is a good way to integrate angling into your hiking adventures.
Spinning and baitcast anglers have more of a challenge. Although, as already noted, going with a light action rod is a good solution to keep weight down. Consider only packing light baits, such as inline spinners, floating minnow baits and topwater baits. You should still include some jigs and soft plastics if you have the space. Store these baits in a small tackle tray that will fit in a cargo pant or jacket pocket.
Now You See It. Zip-off pants are handy when wading into the water after the hike through weeds and brush.
It's also a good idea to pack floats, hooks and sinkers for live bait fishing. Live bait is a sure way to match the hatch. With a bit of exploring, like overturning rocks and logs, you can easily find crayfish, nightcrawlers and other bait to tip a hook. If using bait, make sure you check the fishing regulations for the area. Pack a small container to carry the bait in as well.
If you're a serious hiker, most of your clothing will work when adding angling to your treks. If you have the option, opt for a backpack with a removable fanny pack or smaller bag. This way, you can leave your larger bag at camp or on the shore, and travel light when exploring the fishing opportunities.
Convertible pants are a good option for wading. The full-length legs will provide you with protection if bushwhacking. Once you find the water's edge, you can zip off the bottom-legs and wade in to knee level. Of course, it's best to wear hiking boots to protect your toes on the trails, so carry a pair of sandals for wading. Wading a few feet from shore is a simple way to avoid snagging trees and other hazards when casting.
Other important clothing items include sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats and quick-dry clothing.
Cooking the Catch
There's nothing like the taste of fresh fish. It tastes even better when cooked over a campfire and enjoyed outside, so don't forget to pack a fillet knife. You might also want to pick up a wilderness cookbook for tips on various ways to prepare fish in the outdoors when traveling light. Really though, some butter, a dash of salt and pepper, and a hot pan is all you really need.
Take a travel rod and explore the nearby water on your next backpacking trip. You'll likely find the resident fish willing to bite. The payoff of catching and cooking a few fish on the trail is well worth weight added to your pack from a rod, reel and a few lures.
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Freeholders See Maps Of Sandy's Surge: 'This Was A 500-Year Event'
County engineer's report shows work progressing to get county back to normalcy
A map of Ocean County sat on an easel in the corner of the room, a blue tint highlighting many of the coastal areas but reaching well into the estuaries as well.
That blue, of course, represented water -- water that inundated so much of the county's eastern areas.
"This is just a little perspective of what's going on," Ocean County Engineer Frank Scarantino said, as he gave a Power Point presentation at the county freeholders' preboard meeting on Wednesday.
The map was a FEMA representation of the surge, with the bluish gray areas representing static water, not flowing water, Scarantino said. The map -- broken into smaller sections -- is in the photos attached to this story.
It is an unprecedented amount of water, Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari said.
"This isn't a 100-year event; it's a 500-year event," he said. The map showed a faint line that indicated what had been predicted as the potential for a 500-year surge; the blue in many cases surpassed it. (Editor's note: That line is not visible on the attached photos. The surge appears gray.)
That's why the damage was so extensive, especially in the bayfront areas of the mainland, the freeholders noted.
Scarantino's presentation also included photos of the repair work done to re-establish a connection from the Mantoloking Bridge to the peninsula, which then allowed the Army Corps of Engineers to close the breaches created by the storm.
The county shored up the area where the bridge joined the land, excavating the undermined asphalt and then filling it with rock of varying sizes before laying down the road bed, and they did it within 24 hours, once the water receded, Thomas Curcio, supervisor of the roads department, said.
"We had to pick out furniture and TV sets that had wound up in there," in a gap under the asphalt that was scoured away by the water, Curcio said, noting they were able to work through the night.
Since the road repair was completed, the Army Corps of Engineers has been back and forth over the stretch with heavy equipment and massive truckloads of sand, and there has been no settling of the road,
"I’ve never seen anyone work as fast as the Army Corps of Engineers," Vicari said. "When they want to do something, they get things done."
Scarantino's presentation also included photos of Lavallette and Ortley Beach, where massive sinkholes developed for several days following the storm, particularly along Bay Boulevard, officials said. That road alone needs about $1 million in repairs, they said.
"They lost 2,000 feet of Route 35," Scarantino said. And New Jersey Natural Gas lost 4,000 feet of a brand new gas main, he said.
Curcio said the road department -- which borrowed vehicles from every possible department in the county -- moved sand that was four feet deep on the road in Point Pleasant Beach with snowplows, noting they were fortunate in that sand was very clean and could just be put back on the beaches.
The nor'easter, of course, slowed the work, he said. They had just two vehicles with plows on them in the day before the storm, which dumped as much as a foot of snow in some areas of the county.
"That was a kick in the pants to have to plow snow," he said.
The snow also took down more than 1,000 additional trees. Fortunately, assistance in the form of 20 three-man teams came in from out of state to help remove those trees, officials said, allowing county crews to keep concentrating on clearing and repairing the damage from Sandy.
There is still much work be done, Scarantino and Curcio said. Dozens of traffic signals -- 50 of them on Long Beach Island alone -- have to be repaired or replaced, and road repairs will be ongoing. But they are making progress, they said.
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The Hibakusha Voice and the Future of the Anti-Nuclear Movement
Mr. Tsuboi Sunao would appear to be an ordinary healthy elderly Japanese man except for the large patch of white skin that medical specialists call leucoderma on his forehead. He is a cheerful 79 year old, but over the past 60 years he has been critically ill four times, each time being told that he would not survive. He first fell ill immediately after the bombing of Hiroshima when he was unconscious for 40 days. He is presently suffering from prostate cancer. Despite his illness he has been and still is an active campaigner against nuclear arms and one of the best known hibakusha, or victims of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In December 2003 he went to Washington D.C., to protest against the permanent display of the "Enola Gay" in the new wing of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. He was not against the actual display of the B-29 bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing 140,000 people by the end of 1945. Rather he was against the exhibition of this plane without any explanation of the consequences caused as a result of the attack that took so many civilian lives and left tens of thousands of others to suffer throughout their lives.
Mr. Tsuboi does not expect to be alive when Hiroshima City commemorates the 70th anniversary of the atomic attack in 2015. Indeed, it is almost certain that not only Mr. Tsuboi, but also most hibakusha will have passed away by then, as approximately 5000 hibakusha have died every year over the past ten years. Due to the rapidly diminishing number of hibakusha the "weathering of the Hiroshima experience" as it is called in Japan has become a serious concern for many citizens of this city in recent years. The number of children from various parts of Japan who visit the Atomic Bomb Museum in Peace Park on school excursions has also decreased sharply in recent years so that "oblivion to the Hiroshima memory" is becoming a nation wide phenomenon.
In one corner of the Hiroshima Peace Park stands the statue of a young girl, Sadako, stretching her arms towards the sky. Sadako's story is well known throughout the world, as books in many languages have been published about this girl who died of leukemia at the age of 12 in 1955, ten years after the bombing of Hiroshima. While ill in hospital Sadako attempted to make one thousand folded paper cranes, working on these until shortly before her death, in the belief that she would survive if she could achieve her goal. As a result of her efforts, the paper crane became a symbol of peace in Japan. Since her death visiting school groups from all over Japan have placed thousands of strings of paper cranes around her statute in memory of her lost youth and the Hiroshima tragedy. Sadly, over the past few years, these paper cranes have been set on fire a number of times, probably by young people, "just for fun." To prevent such juvenile crime the city council built a small glass enclosure behind the statue in which to protect the paper cranes. Security cameras were also installed. Yet again, a few days before August 6, Hiroshima Day, in 2003, a university student from Kobe broke the glass and set fire to the cranes. When arrested he confessed that he did it out of frustration over the grim employment situation facing new university graduates. The incidents suggest that Sadako's sorrowful tale, and the plight of the living as well as dead atomic victims, has become irrelevant to many young people in Japan.
Today, Japan's experience as the only nation to encounter a nuclear holocaust also appears irrelevant to Japan's leading politicians including Prime Minister Koizumi. Until Mr. Koizumi became prime minister five years ago, it was an annual tradition for the prime minister to meet representatives of the hibakusha for about half an hour immediately after attending the commemoration ceremony in Peace Park on August 6. It was, of course, merely a token gesture for previous successive prime ministers to make a show of government concern for the health of hibakusha. Yet even this publicity gesture was cancelled, although Mr. Koizumi still reluctantly attends the ceremony. Some of his colleagues in the Liberal Democratic Party, including former Party Secretary General Abe Shinzo, think that Japan should develop nuclear arms for defense purposes against so-called "rogue nations" such as North Korea. Until a decade or so ago, there were still a few prominent conservative politicians who tenaciously objected to the nuclearization of Japan and to the dispatch of Japan's Self Defense Forces to overseas war zones. Today, such statesmen no longer exist within the LDP. Article 9 of Japan's post-war Constitution forbidding engagement in any form of armed conflict has so far been widely supported by the Japanese people, partly because of a strong desire not to repeat the nuclear holocaust. Recently, however, powerful voices both within the LDP as well as opposition parties have called for elimination of the pacifist clauses of the Constitution.
For many months now major Japanese anti-nuclear organizations and other grass-roots peace movement groups have been planning their own events scheduled for August 2005 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Yet these planned events seem to offer few new ideas of how to tackle the problem of "oblivion to the Hiroshima memory" that pervades both the younger generation as well as the politicians. It is almost certain that events to commemorate the 60th anniversary will be the last chance for surviving hibakusha to appeal to the world to oppose the idea of genocide by weapons of mass destruction. I am sure that, in August 2005, they will receive much media attention from all over the world. However, the real question that the Japanese people should ask themselves is what they will do after the 60th anniversary in order to keep alive the Hiroshima memory and to utilize it to construct a peaceful world without the living voices of the hibakusha.
A Hiroshima A-Bomb victim, Ms. Kurihara Sadako, once wrote the following passage in one of her poems:
It was night in the basement of a broken building
Victims of the atomic bomb
Crowded into the candleless darkness
Filling the room to overflowing
The smell of fresh blood, the stench of death
The stuffiness of human sweat, the writhing moans
When, out of the darkness, came a wondrous voice
"Oh! The baby's coming!" it said
And so, a new life was born
In the darkness of that living hell
We shall give forth new life!
We shall bring forth new life!
Even to our death
What is urgently required for Japan's peace movement now is a powerful cry for new life to its own ideas of peace with new perspectives in order to confront the present world of military violence and terrorism.
Yuki Tanaka is a Research Professor at the Hiroshima Peace Institute and a coordinator of Japan Focus. He is the author of Japan's Comfort Women. Sexual Slavery and Prostitution During World War II.
Posted at Japan Focus on August 1, 2005.
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COMS W4170 will provide a general introduction to the theory and practice of computer user interface design. The fundamental question that we will try to answer is, “How can we create high-quality user interfaces?” In our quest, we will take a hard look at what is behind some often glib buzzwords: user-friendly, ergonomic, Web 2.0, direct manipulation, constraint-based, prototyping, rich internet applications, end-user programming, programming by demonstration, visual programming, hypermedia, information visualization, and collaborative software.
Our emphasis will be on the design of 2D graphical user interfaces. We will survey the basic interaction devices available and the techniques that have been developed for (or have given rise to) them, and will study several important paradigms for how these techniques can be woven into a coherent dialogue. This will provide a framework within which we can analyze existing user interfaces and design new ones.
Grading will be based on written assignments (33%), midterm (20%) and final (20%) exams, a final project (22%), and class participation (5%). Although this is not primarily a “programming class,” programming will be required, with emphasis on design and analysis. To get an idea of the kind of work that we will do, you can see representative screenshots and descriptions of the final projects for Fall 2010, Fall 2009, Fall 2008, Fall 2007, Fall 2006, and Spring 2006.
The course prerequisite is COMS W3137 (Data Structures and Algorithms) or equivalent. You do not need to know Java, C, or C++, and no previous academic experience with either user interface design or graphics is assumed. However, you are expected to be comfortable with computers and object-oriented programming.
Semih Energin (se2302 [AT] columbia.edu) is a second-year MS student in Computer Science, working with Steve as a member of the Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab. His interests include augmented reality, cloud computing, and game development. He earned his BS degree in Computer Engineering at Bilkent University, Turkey. He has worked in several organizations in different fields, most recently at the Microsoft New England Research & Development Center (Cambridge). He will hold office hours Tuesday 3–5pm and Wednesday 4–6pm in 6LE3 Schapiro CEPSR.
Cyril Joshi (ckj2108 [AT] columbia.edu) is an MS student in Computer Science at Columbia. He received his BE from University of Mumbai, India. He has worked as a software developer at Infosys Technologies Ltd., India on an E-Banking product of Infosys: Finacle. Over the summer, he interned at Amazon as a software engineer developer working with the Amazon Prime team. He will hold office hours Wednesday 11am–1pm in the TA Help Room.
Additional reading material will be announced in the syllabus and in class.
For those of you who do not have your own computer, or who also wish to use our department's computers to do your work, if there is sufficient demand, we will install the software needed for the course on some of the Windows machines in the CLIC Lab, accessible with an MRL account.
Course material will be found on the web through Courseworks, and the syllabus and assignments will be linked through http://www.cs.columbia.edu/graphics/courses/csw4170/.
Anything turned in past the start of class until midnight the next day is one day late. Every (partial) day thereafter that an assignment is late, including weekends and holidays, counts as an additional late day.
Absolutely no late work will be accepted beyond that accounted for by your late days. If you're not done on time, please be sure to turn in whatever you have completed on time to receive partial credit. Now, please go back and read this section over again!
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Andrew Young—civil rights icon, former mayor of Atlanta and ambassador to the United Nations—has some explaining to do after his ringing endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Sen Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama that included an off-color joke about her husband and former president Bill Clinton.
At a "Newsmakers" event held in Atlanta, Young joked that author Toni Morrison may have been on to something when she referred to former President Bill Clinton as the "first black president." "Bill is every bit as black as Barack," Young quipped on the live television interview. "He has probably gone out with more black women than Barack." The ambassador immediately added that he was joking.
Before making the left-handed compliment, Young said "I want Barack Obama to be president," then paused and added, "in 2016." The ambassador declared, "It's not a matter of being inexperienced. It's a matter of being young" and accused Obama of having "very few" black advisors. That latter charge has been discussed elsewhere, such as HERE.
According to the New York Post, "Clinton's campaign had no immediate comment, nor did Obama's. Jesse Jackson, who has boasted that Obama 'has my vote,' wouldn't touch the political hot potato with a 10-foot pole. 'He has no comment,' spokeswoman Rashida Restaino said. The Rev. Al Sharpton, who hasn't yet declared his choice for Dem presidential nominee, likewise had no immediate comment."
Just as an aside, one could make are any number of arguments to endorse Clinton over Obama, but, age should not be a factor. At 46 years old, Barack Obama is three years older than John F. Kennedy was when he ascended to the presidency ... and exactly the same age that Bill Clinton was when he won the White House in 1992.
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Stonehenge and Avebury Revised Research Framework
This project will provide a united historic environment research agenda and strategy for the Avebury and Stonehenge World Heritage Site. The two parts of the World Heritage Site currently have separate research frameworks that were created at different times and in different formats. The project will update and harmonise the existing frameworks to create a single research framework comprising a resource assessment and a single research strategy with a five-year currency. The project will also develop a method of monitoring the progress of the strategy to facilitate its revision.
Wessex Archaeology is acting as coordinator for this project and will liaise with expert contributors and assist in ensuring the evenness of scope and detail across the resource assessment, research framework and research strategy. They will also lead on editing contributions.
The project team is keen to receive feedback from colleagues and the wider public regarding the content of the current texts. Please email your comments and suggestions to firstname.lastname@example.org.
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South Korean officers salute during the joint commission ceremony of 5,780 new officers of the army, navy, air force and marines at the Gyeryong military headquarters in Gyeryong on March 8, south of Seoul. / Kim Jae Hwan, AFP/Getty Images
BEIJING â?? China called for "calm and restraint" Friday on the long-troubled Korean Peninsula, as both North Korea and South Korea exchanged increasingly harsh threats in the wake of new United Nations sanctions punishing the North for a nuclear test last month.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying urged "relevant parties to exercise calm and restraint and avoid actions that might further escalate tensions."
Ignoring that familiar message from Beijing, North Korea announced Friday it was canceling all non-aggression pacts with South Korea, cutting off its hotline and closing the main, albeit little-used, border crossing inside the Demilitarized Zone that has separated the two nations for six decades.
Newly elected South Korean President Park Geun Hye vowed Friday to deal strongly with North Korean provocations.
"Our current security situation is very grave. North Korea pressed ahead with a nuclear test and long-range missile development and is threatening to nullify the Armistice Agreement," she said at a commissioning ceremony for military graduates, according to the Seoul-based Yonhap news agency.
"If North Korea attacks South Korea with a nuclear weapon, Kim Jong Un's regime will perish from Earth," South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min Seok said in a briefing Friday, according to Yonhap.
The words came a day after Beijing agreed to tougher than usual sanctions by the U.N. Security Council against China's longtime ally North Korea as punishment for a nuclear test last month and a satellite launch in December that many analysts viewed as a test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The North's nuclear test marked the third time the reclusive, impoverished but highly militarized East Asian nation has defied the world and tested its nuclear program.
Chinese experts have long downplayed the extent of Beijing's influence in Pyongyang. The popular, Communist Party-run tabloid Global Times said Friday that all sides should appreciate China attempting the "thankless" task of mediation and understand China's dilemma.
The ongoing annual session of China's legislature dominates the state-run news agenda here, and China's often nationalistic cyberspace was not as moved to comment Friday on the Korean issue as after the North's nuclear test last month.
Luo Yuan, a normally hawkish Chinese military commentator, wrote on his micro-blog Friday that neither North or South could afford the cost of war, "while neighboring countries also don't allow either side to pick a fight, and China especially put its own national security in first place."
This week, Pyongyang threatened to launch a "pre-emptive nuclear strike" on South Korea and the United States, which start joint military exercises Monday. Though many experts dismiss the nuclear threat as bellicose bluster, recent history suggests there is genuine risk of a smaller-scale military provocation against South Korea.
Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a front-line artillery unit that launched a deadly shelling attack on a nearby South Korean island in 2010. North Korea's army units "are fully ready to fight a Korean-style, all-out war," he said, according to state news agency KCNA.
In agreeing to U.N. Resolution 2094 Thursday, China, North Korea's northern neighbor and only significant ally, has gone further than before, but serious doubts remain about how willing Beijing will be to enforce sanctions against the nation that depends on China for fuel, food and diplomatic support.
"If the Chinese government chooses to enforce Resolution 2094 rigorously, it could seriously disrupt if not end, North Korea's proliferation activities," wrote Marcus Noland, senior fellow at the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics. "Unfortunately, if past behavior is any guide, this is unlikely to happen."
Several Chinese experts have publicly called on Beijing in recent weeks to reduce that support, arguing that its provocative behavior harms Chinese interests. Yet Beijing continues to protect its Korean War ally, for fear that regime collapse could launch a flood of Korean refugees into China and result in a unified Korea with U.S. troops right on China's border.
Bruce Bechtol, a former China and Korea analyst at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency who's at Angelo State University in Texas, says China will take real steps against the North only to prevent financial pain to China.
If the United States and other countries threaten to pull money out of Chinese banks that do business with North Korea, "this will force â?? force â?? the Chinese to take action," Bechtol said.
Contributing: Oren Dorell in McLean, Va.
Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: China urges calm as North and South Korea trade barbs
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Revista de Salud Pública
Print version ISSN 0124-0064
FERREIRA-FUREGATO, Antonia Regina et al. Characterizing mental healthcare service teams. Rev. salud pública [online]. 2010, vol.12, n.5, pp. 732-743. ISSN 0124-0064. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0124-00642010000500004.
Objective Describing profiles for professional psychiatric service categories in Ribeirão Preto. Method This was an exploratory study of 8 services (3 hospitals and 5 extra-hospital facilities). Data was collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with professionals who worked for all these services. Results 74 % of the professionals working for the eight services investigated took part in the study. Doctors and nurses predominated in the hospitals and multidisciplinary teams in extra-hospital facilities. Ages ranged from 24 to 68, females predominating (73 %). 127 (88 %) of the 144 subjects in this study had received specific education after graduating in their respective areas but only 48.5 % had studied mental health. Doctors (42/44) and nurses (36/42) predominated in the teams; 121 (83 %) earned over R$ 1,000 per month as their salary. Discussion The teams mainly consisted of doctors and nurses, although it was considered that other professionals were important in constituting such teams. One of the main problems hampering reform in the psychiatric field is how services are provided for the population. No country has been able to make the necessary reforms for overcoming all the barriers. The service network studied met the minimum prerequisites for providing psychiatric care for the community.
Keywords : Mental health service; nursing; health personnel; psychiatry; epidemiology.
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Computed tomography (CT) has long been considered the optimal imaging technique for the detection of cholesteatomas. However, this modality often lacks specificity, particularly in patients with an absence of definite bony erosion or a history of surgical excision. Several investigators have proposed magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) as a means of diagnosing the presence and extent of cholesteatomas, particularly when CT results are equivocal. The rationale for the use of DWI is that cholesteatomas demonstrate restricted diffusion and granulation tissue does not. In this retrospective study, we review our experience with 12 patients who had undergone DWI for evaluation of a mass in the middle ear, mastoid, or petrous apex. Ten of these patients had previously undergone middle ear surgery, 8 for cholesteatoma resection. On DWI, 9 patients demonstrated restricted diffusion. Of these, 8 patients underwent surgical resection, and all were found to have had a cholesteatoma. Of the 3 patients who had not demonstrated restricted diffusion on DWI, 2 did not undergo surgery and the other was found to have only chronic inflammation at surgery. Based on our limited experience, we believe that DWI can be useful in confirming the diagnosis of cholesteatoma. Moreover, it may alter patient management, particularly in patients whose previous tympanoplasty/mastoidectomy does not allow for an adequate clinical inspection of the middle ear cavity.
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Experts theorize that most of Vermont was under water during prehistoric times. But Vermont has its own claim to "fossil fame": Traces of coral reef found in the Champlain Islands pre-date the dinosaurs by several million years.
"DinoTracks" is a creation of EEC!, the same folks who brought you Turtle Travels, Tree Houses, and Attack of the Bloodsuckers! The entire exhibit is in English, French, and Spanish, welcoming visitors from near and far. Be sure to join this hands-on - and feet-on - journey of discovery, unraveling the tales of the dinosaurs that roamed our own "backyard," millions of years ago.
This exhibit is produced by the Environmental Exhibit Collaborative (EEC!), a group of mid-sized children's and natural science museums, including ECHO, and is made possible by grants from Jane's Trust and the Cabot Family Charitable Trust, with added support from IBM.
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center is located at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, on Vermont's Burlington Waterfront. ECHO features 70 live species, over 100 interactive experiences.
For more information visit echovermont.org or call 1-877-ECHOFUN. ECHO is located on the Lake Champlain waterfront at 1 College St. in Burlington.
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