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While most people are sleeping in on a Saturday morning, students from across the Valley will participate in a 5k walk to raise $25,000 for brain tumor research.
"I don’t want to wait until it happens to me to start caring," said Lastassia Eidson, a senior at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix and co-chairwoman of the Second Annual Brain Tumor Walk-a-Thon.
It’s a little known fact that brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer death among children. Last year more than 3,000 children were stricken.
Unlike leukemia and other diseases that kill children, there are few treatments available for brain tumors, according to Dr. Adrienne C. Scheck, a molecular biologist with the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.
"What these kids are doing is just incredible," said Steve Westerhoff, a 15-year survivor who works as a liaison for the brain tumor support group at Barrow. "What these kids bring is hope."
More than 24 schools pledged to participate. But the kids, who have organized the effort on their own, are aiming for an even bigger turnout. They’re hoping schools from the East Valley will show up on March 8.
"It’s an important cause and definitely worth your time," said Jud Kilbourn, a student at Scottsdale’s Desert Mountain High School who will participate in the March 8 Walk-a-Thon. "It affects so many people’s lives. It’s something that with a lot of hard work may be cured someday."
Stephen Glassman, Pinnacle High School’s student government adviser, was the catalyst for Pinnacle’s efforts last year. He brought the issue to students’ attention and they responded by raising $7,000. But with success comes greater ambitions. The goal this year is to triple that amount and keep the momentum going for years to come.
"I don’t want to stop until there’s a cure," Glassman said. "Next year I want the entire state."
Walking for lives
What: Second Annual Brain Tumor Walk-a-Thon followed by a reception at the Scorch Bar at Desert Ridge Marketplace
When: 8 a.m. to noon March 8
Where: Pinnacle High School, 3535 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix Cost: $10 registration fee
Information: (480) 419-4516
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Plain Wisdom by Cindy Woodsmall and Miriam Flaud turned out to be a great read. Miriam has grown up as an Old Order Amish woman and Cindy has not. These two women live completely different lives and hold very different responsibilities. Since Cindy is an author of Amish novels, she meets up and befriends Miriam for a closer inside look. Flipping through the short chapters of this book, you get a close insight into the many similarities that one would not realize otherwise. While so much in each of their lives are completely opposite of each other, the love of their families and God are what really prove to be the foundation that holds them together as friends.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
This is one of my life savers. As a mother of three, with a family of five, saving money on food is a big issue. This book gives so many great dinners for next to nothing prices. This is my got to book for the hectic afternoons.
Wonderful little devotional book. This is definitely one to keep on the book shelf. As the title says its focus is on the simple way of life. A great reminder to slow down and savor the moments. We all get so swept away in the material world that is all around us today. Sometimes, refocusing helps widen our eyes to whats really important.
Great motivational read. I read through this book little by little but I must say it always left me upbeat. If you are lost or looking to recreate your life then grab this book and be swept away.
I just finished And I Shall Have Some Peace There by Margaret Roach. This book was okay. Not a page turner by any means. Its a story of how she picks up and leave the big city for the simple life. Too many words were used to repeatedly describe this situation over and over. It was just okay.
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Since 2003, civil society groups in Argentina have led a vigorous push to hold criminals accountable for the human rights abuses perpetrated during military rule—which has ultimately resulted in a new wave of trials of high-ranking officers. ICTJ provides advice and support to local NGOs, prosecutors and the media in relation to these accountability efforts.
From 1976 to 1983, a series of military juntas resulted in the disappearance of over 30,000 people in a campaign of terror, torture and kidnappings. Since the last military regime collapsed in 1983, Argentina has struggled long and hard to confront the legacy of these abuses and to consolidate the rule of law.
Truth-seeking, prosecutions and reparations have all played a vital part. In 1983, a presidential decree created the National Commission on the Disappeared. An abridged version of the Commission’s report on human rights violations during the military dictatorship, Nunca Más (Never Again), became a best-selling book in the country.
In 1985, nine former members of the military juntas were successfully prosecuted in a landmark trial. This led to the conviction of former presidents Jorge Rafael Videla and Roberto Eduardo Viola, the Admirals Emilio Eduardo Masera and Armando Lambruschini, and Brigadier General Orlando Ramón Agosti.
Lower military ranks began to agitate against the threat of prosecutions resulting in the Alfonsin government’s decision to close avenues of criminal accountability by passing laws limiting the legal responsibility of soldiers and the timeframe in which criminal cases could be brought. A few years later civil society saw the good work of the earlier prosecutions undermined by President Menem’s decision to pardon the convicted Junta members.
Despite these setbacks, the Argentine human rights movement and families of the disappeared continued to press for accountability. In 2003, the Argentine Supreme Court ruled that the laws protecting military personnel from prosecutions were unconstitutional.
Argentine authorities today express strong support for prosecuting past crimes. As of 2010, more than 800 accused faced criminal charges, and 200 have been sentenced.
Current prosecutions include key leaders, direct perpetrators and civilians who contributed to the crimes—including priests, judges and former ministers.
In addition, human rights groups filed thousands of petitions for obtaining reparations granted by Congress in the early 1990’s. Although the reparation policy was criticized as a political tool to hide the impunity provided by the pardons, in the end it was a significant program that helped to consolidate the idea of State responsibility and it continues to offer many lessons for reparative justice worldwide.
ICTJ works with local civil society and state actors to facilitate prosecutions, identify gender-based crimes, and document Argentina’s experiences with transitional justice.
Our work in Argentina, in partnership with the Center for Legal and Social Studies (CELS), includes:
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Structured Financing provides a venue for companies to raise capital via the securitization of assets, equipment, cash flows etc. This securitization, in its most basic construct, creates singular or multiple pools of assets which are assessed a value and then turned into financial instruments which can be bought, sold or transferred. Structured financing products can range in complexity from very simple and straightforward to multi-faceted instruments with multiple moving parts at any given time.
There are several benefits for companies using structured financing methods. These benefits include:
- The shift in focus from a company’s financial strength to the quality of assets to be securitized – This shift in focus allows companies to raise capital using instruments which carry higher credit ratings than the company itself. This mitigation of risk typically results in better terms for both interest rate and equity concerns.
- Increased access to capital – Structured financing allows for additional options for the infusion of capital beyond traditional loans and/or equity offerings.
- Reduced credit concentration – Structured financing can also help to diversify a company’s creditors.
The biggest issue in structured finance is the securitization process, which requires a variety of skill sets to ensure that asset valuation, conditions, and terms pertaining to the final financial instrument are equitable to both the issuing company and the end lender/investor. Solvo Group can provide the expert assistance required for successful securitization and funding of your company with terms that are competitive across a wide variety of industries.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.dmitrijharder.com/an-overview-of-structured-finance-by-dmitrij-harder/
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There’s a hot topic concerning official statistics as well as many governmental bodies owning data: open government data OGD.
Official statistics in most countries offer open data for years now. But mostly in their own silos and in various flavors: From PDF to XLS and CSV to RDF LOD, in interactive databases like px-web, oecd.stat, genesis-online etc., with visualization tools and various search facilities.
On the other hand there are initiatives to provide software, create standards and build platforms in order to bring together myriads of data sets and making these accessible in one place.
http://thedatahub.org/ is such a platform assembling more than 3800 datasets (June 2012).
Thedatahub.org is powerd by a software called CKAN
What about official statistics?
the Data Hub contains a lot of data sets from official statistics
Among these are simple links to National Statistical Institutes
But also machine readable linked open data
Several institutions are using CKAN with their own themes.
UK (in CKAN). The Office for National Statistics ONS shows a lot of data (847 data sets) in the CKAN powered catalogue, with rich metadata and links to the ONS website.
EU (in CKAN). Europe’s Public Data aggregates datasets from several sources,
CKAN Data Store
As far as I can see statistical institutions use CKAN as a catalogue linking to the sources on the institution’s websites. But CKAN could also be a host for the data itself:
‘As well as holding metadata and links to the offsite data, CKAN can provide secure storage for the data itself. When creating the dataset or resource, you can either link to data hosted elsewhere, or upload it in the same action as registering it on CKAN.’ (link to CKAN).
It would be very interesting to know who in official statistics already envisages such a solution for it’s data ….!
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Hi! I’m Hayley Gillespie. I’m an artist, a scientist and founder of Art.Science.Gallery. in Austin, TX. We are a 100% local, environmentally conscious, woman-owned small business in Austin, Texas. Art.Science.Gallery. is an art gallery and science communication space dedicated to art-science fusion of all kinds. We think art is a great way to engage people of all backgrounds in the sciences! Our IndieGoGo project will allow us to evolve from being a “pop-up gallery” to having our own gallery space. We are currently searching Austin for the perfect place for our new home, and we need your support to make this project a reality!
Our goal is to cultivate a community space where anyone can rediscover science and art through new lenses. A space where artists and scientists can forge new and collaborative relationships. A place for people to see science and art as continually interacting subjects.
Our mission is three-fold. We will support the careers of science-artists by providing a place for science art to be seen. We will also help scientists become better public communicators by offering a full line of science communication workshops. A series of fun and affordable classes, called Art.Science.Labs, will also be offered for anyone interested in art-science fusion.
Your contributions will go directly to securing and renovating a brick and mortar space that will support our programs! Join Our Evolution by making a contribution of any amount to our project, and help make this world an even more creative, informed and amazing place!
WHAT YOU GET!
We’ve got a lot of exciting art-science perks for our contributors including limited edition art, art-science classes, exclusive art experiences and cool gallery gifts!
In celebration of our evolution, we are hosting a group exhibition of science-art for the 2013 WEST Austin Studio Tour (April 27-May 5) and you are all invited to stop by (we are map #178)! The Join Our Evolution group show will feature a broad survey of science-art and will explore how combining the visual arts and natural sciences can help to increase innovation and scientific literacy in our society. We are creating a commemorative digital exhibition catalogue that includes all of the works included in our Join Our Evolution group show that is included in all packages above $10!
Something for Everyone
A contribution at any level – even $1 - will get your name incorporated into a unique work of science-art that will be on permanent display in our gallery! A work of art that you can visit anytime you come and see us! Also, all of our contributors will be thanked by name on our website supporter page!
Show your love of science and art with a pair of 4” x 3” stickers featuring our fabulous logo created by local Austin graphic designer Jennifer Braham of Brink Creative. The mid-century vibe mixes a little bit of Calder and Kandinsky with hint of molecules, networks and evolutionary trees. Connections are what we’re all about, so we think it fits us perfectly. What do you see? The Enthusiast package also includes your name on our commemorative science-art piece and website + a copy of our Join Our Evolution digital catalogue.
Sustainability guru and artist Emily Bryant holds degrees in biology, sustainability and art from Baldwin-Wallace College and creates unique collages using sustainable materials. She removes invasive plant species from wild places and uses the pressed, dried leaves to make intricate collages that depict invasive insect species.
The Entomologist package includes a variety pack of ten 5” x 7” recycled paper notecards with envelopes featuring five of Emily’s invasive species collages: Cactus Moth Caterpillar, Emerald Ash Borer, Japanese Beetle, Torpedo Bug (not shown) and Yellow Jacket. The Entomologist package also includes your name on our commemorative science-art piece and website + a copy of our Join Our Evolution digital catalogue.
Get a copy of our 170 page digital catalogue for our Join Our Evolution group exhibition of contemporary science art featuring over 50 works by 27 artists + a print copy of the 2013 WEST Austin Studio Tour catalog that is signed by many of the artists in our show + your name on our commemorative science-art piece and website!
In celebration of Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 26), which both fall during our campaign, we are offering a botanical package that supports our gallery, student research and environmental stewardship! This includes a signed 5" x 7" limited edition (edition size 75) serigraph of trees printed on recycled paper by Art.Science.Gallery.'s Hayley Gillespie + Cole Weatherby, as well as a 2" succulent plant grown by the intrepid Student Undergraduate Research Group (SURGe) at the University of Texas. In addition to this great package, we will plant a tree in your name! The Botanist package also includes your name on our commemorative science-art piece and website + a copy of our Join Our Evolution digital catalogue.
We recommend a local Austin pickup for the succulent plant, which can be picked up during the WEST Austin Studio Tour (April 27 – May 5). Please add $5 shipping otherwise.
You get your choice of an awesome t-shirt OR a re-usable tote bag featuring our amazing logo by local Austin graphic designer Jennifer Braham of Brink Creative. In keeping with our environmentally conscious business practices, both are screen-printed with eco-friendly water-based inks on sustainable and fair-trade textiles. The Designer package also includes your name on our commemorative science-art piece and website + a copy of our Join Our Evolution digital catalogue.
You will receive a 20” x 24” signed fine art poster of the Darwin Day Portrait Project 2012: a collaged portrait featuring the great naturalist Charles Darwin. This project was designed and directed by Art.Science.Gallery.’s founder and artist Hayley Gillespie and was created in collaboration with visitors to the 2012 Darwin Day celebration at the Texas Memorial Museum. The original collage is currently on loan to the Texas Memorial Museum in Austin, Texas! The Naturalist package also includes your name on our commemorative science-art piece and website + a copy of our Join Our Evolution digital catalogue.
To give you a preview of the art and science classes we’ll be able to offer in our new space, we invite you to learn nature photography first-hand from ecologist and nature photographer Ian Wright! This is a half-day photography workshop for those interested in photographing wildlife. The workshop will consist of a brief introduction to photographic techniques followed by 3 hours of hands-on instruction photographing wildlife at a local field site. Participants will receive one-on-one instruction on camera equipment and shooting technique and will have their images reviewed by the instructor. Participants must have their own camera, however any skill level is welcome!
The workshop will be scheduled on a weekend between May 11 and June 30, 2013 in Austin, Texas at a mutually agreeable time for the awesome contributors who claim this perk. [transportation + lodging not included]. The Photographer package also includes your name on our commemorative science-art piece and website + a copy of our Join Our Evolution digital catalogue. Claim this perk by 4/19 to be thanked by name in our catalogue.
The Lepidopterist package includes a signed 8” x 10” limited edition fine art print (edition size 20) of Emily Bryant’s Cactus Moth Caterpillar collage. Bryant’s prints are produced on sustainable bamboo paper in a facility that uses wind power energy. Each print comes with a certificate of authenticity on recycled paper signed by the artists and the gallery. The Lepidopterist package also includes your name on our commemorative science-art piece and website + a copy of our Join Our Evolution digital catalogue. Claim this perk by 4/19 to be thanked by name in our catalogue.
Scientists Adam Cohen and Ben Labay work by day as fish biologists at the University of Texas. By night, they are also the talented printmaking team behind InkedAnimal.com! Using a modified form of the Japanese printmaking technique called Gyotaku (literally “fish-rubbing”) they create unique impressions of animals using ink, clay and paints on paper. The Printmaker package includes a signed limited edition 11” x 14” fine art print (edition size 15) of their Mexican Free-Tailed Bat | Tadarida brasiliensis – one the beloved icons of Austin, Texas! (This is the same species that lives under the Ann Richards / Congress Ave. bridge). Each print comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artists and the gallery. The Printmaker package also includes your name on our commemorative science-art piece and website + a copy of our Join Our Evolution digital catalogue. Claim this perk by 4/19 to be thanked by name in our catalogue.
Be a part of Art.Science.Gallery. history with an exclusive sneak preview of our Join Our Evolution group exhibition for the 2103 WEST Austin Studio Tour on the evening of Friday, April 26th [travel + lodging not included]. Enjoy sips + bites while you experience a private tour of the exhibit. The Collector package also includes a print version of the 2013 WEST Austin Studio Tour catalog signed by the artists in our show*, your name on our commemorative science-art piece and website + a copy of our Join Our Evolution digital catalogue. Claim this perk by 4/19 to be thanked by name in our catalogue. In addition, your super-generous self will receive recognition as a sponsor of all of our exhibitions over the next year!
*The 2013 WEST Austin Studio Tour catalog by Big Medium will be signed by the Art.Science.Gallery. curators and many of the artists in our Join Our Evolution group show. The WEST catalog offers a unique view into the contemporary Austin arts scene! This perk is limited to 12 catalogues, so act fast!
Exercise both sides of your brain with a 2 hour hands-on Art.Science.Lab. for up to 10 people OR a Science Communication Workshop for up to 20 people by our staff at your venue within 60 miles of Austin, TX [extra miles + lodging not included]. The Scholar package also includes your name on our commemorative science-art piece and website + a copy of our Join Our Evolution digital catalogue. In addition, your super-generous self will receive recognition as a sponsor for all of our exhibitions over the next year! Claim this perk by 4/19 to be thanked by name in our catalogue. Choose from the list of topics below; events will be scheduled individually and we expect them to be held by the end of 2013.
Art.Science.Lab. topics: Art-Science Trading Cards (learn how to make art-science trading cards), The Art + Science of Color (explores chemistry, physics + color theory)or Gyotaku Printmaking (learn the basics of fish printing),
SciComm Workshop topics: Science Outreach 101, Smartphone Apps for Science, Blogging for Scientists or Scientific Presentation Design (choose from poster or oral presentation design)
YOUR CONTRIBUTION MAKES GOOD THINGS HAPPEN!
Engaging people of all backgrounds in the sciences through the visual arts is an important part of increasing both science and art literacy in our society. We exhibit a great track-record of bringing science-art to the world, so rest assured your contribution will help us expand our success! We’ve had so much fun over the last year collaborating with incredible people to produce science-art exhibits and art projects! Here are just a few:
- Darwin Day Portrait Project 2012 + 2013
- Emily Bryant | Native + Invasive Species: The Fragile World Around Us
- ART from the ashes (AFTA) | Benefit for Lost Pines Recovery in Austin, TX, the Bastrop Performing Arts Center and the Texas Forestry Museum in Lufkin, TX
- Inked Animal | Impressions of Nature by Adam Cohen + Ben Labay
- Art from the Republic of Science ∞ Creative Works from the Membership of the Texas Academy of Science
We are also committed to running our business as sustainably as possible. We currently run on wind energy, use recycled and sustainable materials in all of our printing, use repurposed furniture and supplies, use zero VOC paints and buy locally to reduce our carbon footprint. Local businesses like ours keep more money in local economies, and we buy from other local businesses in Austin whenever possible!
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP
Even if you can’t support us financially, please help us get the word out. Share our project with friends and colleagues and invite them to Join Our Evolution!
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The sixth European Space Weather Week will take place in Brugge, Belgium,
from Monday 16th November to Friday 20th November 2009.
This meeting is being jointly organised by the Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (STCE), ESA,
the SWWT and the COST ES0803 communities. The local organisation is done by the STCE. This event will build on
the advances made during previous European Space Weather Weeks and
preceding ESA Space Weather Applications Workshops.
|The ESWW will again adopt the central aim of bringing together diverse
communities working on all elements of space weather with a strong
focus on user involvement. This year’s meeting will discuss recent
advances in both scientific and applications based domains and how
these advances relate to user needs. It will also provide an opportunity
to discuss the Space Weather community’s contribution to possible
future ESA action in the area of Space Situational Awareness. New data,
tools and techniques will also be discussed and demonstrated during
the workshop with a view to aiding the transition between new scientific
results and user-oriented space weather services.
This year's event will include a second space weather fair, where users
and service providers will have the opportunity to interact in an
informal working environment. The meeting will also include a number
of hands-on splinter sessions and will explore community development
through several dedicated business meetings.
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Slowly it is becoming more of a standard to sing the Lamentations of the Theotokos and set up an Epitaphios with a copy of her body similar to that of the entombed Jesus on Great and Holy Saturday in parishes both within and outside of Greece for the feast of the Dormition on August 15th. Below are some historical notes regarding this tradition.
1) The Lamentations of the Theotokos, like those for Christ on Great and Holy Saturday, are chanted after the 7th Ode before the Exaposteilaria the evening before the feast of the Dormition. This is the proper rule regarding the implementation of these hymns according to Metropolitan Dionysios of Old Patras who wrote these hymns in 1541 when he was at Girokomeio Monastery in Patras. He says further that they are not to be chanted by just anyone or any church, as is often the case today.
2) The Lamentations are not part of the liturgical rule for the feast of the Dormition. They were probably chanted originally at the tomb of the Panagia in Jerusalem. When these hymns began to spread outside of Jerusalem, they were only implemented by shrines which had a special veneration for the Virgin Mary. It seems from Jerusalem the Lamentations spread to the Dodecanese, especially Patmos, and only in the past 25 years or so did they become popular in Greece, and more recently in Greek parishes in the diaspora. One should take seriously the fact, however, that the Lamentations are not chanted neither on Mount Athos nor at the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
3. It was never part of tradition to have a "body" of the Virgin Mary processed in an Epitaphios as it is done with Christ. Dionysios specifically writes in 1541 that the "depiction on the analogion should be the holy icon of the Dormition of the Theotokos." The "body" it seems then is an innovation of recent times together with the procession of the Epitaphios, and should thus not be regarded as part of the tradition.
4. Unfortunately no detailed study exists how the Lamentations were conducted in Jerusalem originally. It is of great interest however that the Lamentations of Christ for Great and Holy Saturday date to the 15th century while those of the Theotokos date to the 16th century. With Patras being under the Ecumenical Patriarchate at the time, as well as all of Greece, it still never adopted the practice of chanting the Lamentations of the Theotokos. In fact, there is no record of the Lamentations being chanted at Girokomeio Monastery in Patras until 1997 when implemented at the all-night vigil for the feast of the Dormition by Metropolitan Nikodemos of Patras.
There is much yet to be researched on this subject.
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Book Description: From Chile to China, Indonesia to India, developing countries around the world are experiencing enormous economic expansions—some that are several times greater than the growth rates of the West. In Global Bargain Hunting, bestselling financial writer Burton Malkiel and J. P. Mei, an expert in Asian emerging markets, provide ordinary investors with the information they need to profit from the explosive economic growth expected in developing countries in the coming years. Authoritative, comprehensive, and practical, this book covers the most exciting money-making investments of the 21st century—investments that nobody will want to miss or can afford to ignore. High economic growth coupled with low-priced securities makes emerging markets the best investment bargain in the world. Moreover, these investments are likely to sustain their robust economic growth and provide their impressive return potential now and into the next century. The facts speak for themselves. While the U.S. stock market experienced compounded annual returns of 15.2% during the 1987-1996 period, the Hong Kong market returned 22.2%, Chile 29.6%, and Argentina 31.5%. Global Bargain Hunting, distinguished by the same clarity and insight that characterized Malkiel's enormously popular and influential A Random Walk Down Wall Street, will help nonprofessional investors reap big profits from the tremendous economic growth of developing countries. Though emerging markets hold pitfalls for the unwary investor, Malkiel and Mei show you how to significantly reduce investment risk and dramatically increase returns. Describing a variety of strategies, from the safest and easiest methods to the most daring and complex investment techniques, this indispensable guide explains how to buy portfolios of discounted emerging market securities and how to beat professional money managers at their own game. With their gift for making complex ideas accessible, Malkiel and Mei provide a complete overview of what makes emerging markets such a terrific investment bargain. They reveal the best hunting grounds for investors and explain the four powerful economic engines that will sustain the robust growth of these countries. Finally, you'll learn how to avoid the pitfalls that make some emerging markets a dangerous investment jungle—including political risks, market volatility, currency risks, high transaction costs, and lack of investor protection. In today's ever-changing financial landscape, emerging markets have established themselves as one of the most exciting investment opportunities available. Comprehensive, practical, and accessible for the nonprofessional investor, Global Bargain Hunting, will pave the way to investment success for anybody seeking diversification and the opportunity for big profits.
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<urn:uuid:6e8b58f7-f7d1-4586-a575-1294de1c36a0>
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http://www.campusbooks.com/books/business-investing/investing/general/9780684835181_Burton-G-Malkiel-J-P-JP-Mei-Malkiel-Burton-Gordon-Jianping-and-Mei-Bur.html
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1. Give your users prominent space to substantively interact, express themselves, and participate in the genesis and dissemination of news. Include people in your reporting projects, and facilitate connections between those who would like to collaborate among themselves.
2. Comb the web for people experimenting with news—building databases or analytical tools, writing programs that might have some news application, pursuing one-off projects designed to last for the lifespan of the event they were was created to analyze and record. Promote these efforts. Critique them with an eye toward improving them. Integrate them into your own site and encourage the experimenters to use your site to disseminate their work.
3. Devote sections of your site to training users in news and computer literacy, which is key if we are to grow a generation of responsible digital citizens. Make yourself into a place where people can go to learn how to read and evaluate a news story; offer tutorials on computer programming. Give engaged citizens the tools to become articulate participants in any given discussion.
4. Encourage and cultivate productive dissent. Make it easy for people to explain what you’re doing wrong and how it could be done better; consider and respond to these critiques. Illuminate your internal workings in a way that a hundred-billion-dollar company would never illuminate its own.
At base, at their best, news organizations have always wanted to responsibly inform and thereby empower individuals to become assets to their communities. By turning their websites into hubs for collaboration, experimentation, education, and dissent, news organizations can extend their pursuit of that goal and advance a true vision for the future of social news.
At the f8 conference this September, Mark Zuckerberg called the changes that he introduced “an important next step to help tell the story of your life.” Helping people tell stories is a laudable goal, certainly, but what does it actually mean?
News organizations, for all their flaws, have always held high the notion of the story as a useful, powerful, sacred thing. Stories told thoughtfully and disseminated widely can and have changed the world. Mark Zuckerberg also wants to change the world—and the evidence indicates that he wants to change it into a blander, more homogeneous place, where people express themselves within limits and are reduced to their affinities and preferences; where stories double as market-research reports; where everybody knows something about one another; and where Facebook knows everything about everyone and uses that knowledge to enrich itself in manifold uncomfortable ways.
The story of digital news, as told so far, seems to be leading to an equally bleak denouement. Yet there’s still time to write a better ending. News organizations must not allow slogans and corporate blandishments to take the place of true, collaborative innovation; they must find ways to use digital media to its best extent, rather than enabling its disfigurement for the sake of a few extra click-throughs. The open web and all it represents will wither if there is nobody to tend it; the news as a public good will not survive if its future rests in the hands of people who don’t actually care about the news.
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4f. Neck Wrap Push Away
"...two things at
the same time"
On 3-4, he gently
pushes off the lady
and catches her hands
just before the backstep.
The gent uses the underarm turn to switch the lady's right hand from his left to his right hand, thereby putting the couple in the handshake position (right hand to right hand). The handshake is commonly referred to as cross-hands position, but the latter is not as descriptive. We'll call it the handshake position.
From the handshake position on 1-2, the gentleman does two things at the same time: 1) he lifts the held hand of the lady over his head and places it on the back of his neck; and 2) he bends his knees and puts his hand on the lady's side, waist high.
This figure is similar to the previous one, the neck wrap slide away, except here the couple need to be in handshake position. Though the leader used the underarm turn to effect the hand change, he could have used other figures, or, he could have just changed hands without a figure.
As with most dance figures (underarm turn, the "catch", whatever), some form of the push away appears over and over in various kinds of dancing. For a look at how west coast swing incorporates the push away, click here. If dancers are coming to east coast swing from other types of dancing, they should be sure to try to apply the dance figures from other dances to east coast swing.
1 - 2 Man puts lady's hand on his own back 3 - 4 gentle push and catch 5 - 6 backstep
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Home Page Suggestion or Observation Email.
If referring to a particular video,
please indicate the number
4x's larger video
Copyright @ 2000 by
Dance Tutor, Ltd.
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The Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’s bid for full U.N. membership was dead on arrival in New York. So why bother even raising the subject? The answer: to drum up international sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians. Yet other defeated peoples have suffered far more than they. Think only of how—and at whose expense—the U.N. itself began.
Born in the gently foggy city of San Francisco, the U.N. was conceived in the Ukrainian resort of Yalta. Though nestled amid the green Crimean hills and lapped by the Black Sea’s languid waves, the city was severely battle-scarred in February 1945; Winston Churchill dubbed it “the Riviera of Hades.” Its diabolical master was the Soviet despot Joseph Stalin, who acted as host to Churchill and the ailing American President Franklin Roosevelt.
Of the Big Three, as Sergei Plokhy shows in his riveting study Yalta: The Price of Peace, Roosevelt alone truly believed in the dream of a world parliament, and even he knew the U.N. would need to give greater weight to the great powers than its ill-starred predecessor, the League of Nations. Thus it was Roosevelt who proposed a Security Council on which the war’s victors—plus France and China—would be permanently represented and armed with veto powers.
Churchill and Stalin were realists. They saw the postwar world in terms of “spheres of influence.” Though perfectly capable of such realism in practice, Roosevelt still yearned for the idealist’s world of peace based on collective security. Yet Churchill was deeply reluctant to accept that Stalin’s postwar sphere of influence would include Poland. His predecessor had acquiesced in the destruction of Czechoslovakia at Munich but had gone to war when Hitler (and Stalin) carved up Poland between them. Was Yalta to be the Poles’ Munich?
“We can’t agree,” grumbled Churchill, “that Poland shall be a mere puppet state of Russia, where the people who don’t agree with Stalin are bumped off.” But that was exactly what postwar Poland became.
A staggering 19 percent of the prewar population of Poland had been killed as a result of World War II, including a huge proportion of the country’s large Jewish population. Yalta inflicted further punishment. The country not only shrank; it was also shifted westward so that Stalin could keep his gains from the 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact. And it became a Soviet vassal state for the next half century. After Yalta, chess players devised a variant of their game for three players, using a six-sided board. As at the conference, in the game “Yalta” two players can join forces against the third, but all such alliances are temporary. Briefly, Churchill got Roosevelt on his side over Poland, but the American cared more about getting Stalin to agree to join the U.N.; Poland was a pawn to be sacrificed.
Having got what he wanted, Roosevelt left Yalta early. His destination? The Middle East, which he was intent on adding to … the American sphere of influence. The conflicting commitments he made on that trip—to the Arabs and the Jews—have bedeviled U.S. foreign policy ever since. Asked by Roosevelt if he was a Zionist, Stalin replied elliptically that he “was one in principle, but he recognized the difficulty.”
That “difficulty” remains that a Jewish state could be created only at the expense of non-Jews living in Palestine. The Arabs resisted Israel’s creation, but they lost. So it goes. A trip to Yalta provides a salutary reminder that throughout history those who lose at war generally lose land, too, and sometimes sovereignty with it. By comparison with what the Poles endured last century, the Palestinians have got off lightly.
They will get their own state eventually. But not until all the permanent members of the Security Council are convinced the Palestinians will not abuse the privileges of statehood.
Like it or not, that was how the U.N. was meant to work when the Big Three conceived it on Hell’s Riviera.
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The Canadian Medical Association, an organization representing more than 76,000 Canadian physicians, recently re-affirmed their pro-abortion mantra at their annual council meeting on Wednesday, August 15th, 2012, in Yellowknife, N.W.T., by officially opposing MP Stephen Woodworth’s Motion 312.
This activist organization urged its members to pressure the government to vote against the motion “so that this motion has no chance of being passed and the debate is not reopened,” as stated by Dr. Geneviève Desbiens, a Montreal physician.
A “medical association” doesn’t want to debate “medical and scientific evidence” on something that is so central to their profession; human life. Ironic isn’t it?
Politics trumps science once again.
Politics 2 – Science 0 (see here how politics won the first time)
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|
Islands Initiative to Put Clean Energy in Paradise
September 5, 2008
Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative Goals
A look at efforts to be pursued under the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, a partnership between the state and the U.S. Department of Energy:
- Design cost-effective approaches for 100 percent use of renewable energy on smaller islands.
- Design systems to improve stability of electrical grids operating with variable generating sources, such as wind power plants on the Big Island and Maui.
- Integrate renewable energy, including solar, wind, energy storage and advanced vehicle technologies, into existing systems to meet the islands' energy needs.
- Minimize energy use while maximizing energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies at new large military housing developments.
- Expand Hawaii's capability to use locally grown crops as byproducts for producing fuel and electricity.
- Develop comprehensive energy regulatory and policy frameworks to promote clean energy technology use.
Source: Office of the Governor
The U.S. Department of Energy has established a global initiative with island nations to develop clean energy programs and meet aggressive renewable energy targets within a generation.
Outgoing Assistant Secretary Andy Karsner and New Zealand's ambassador to the U.S., Roy Ferguson, signed terms associated with the International Partnership for Energy Development in Island Nations (EDIN) in Nassau, Bahamas.
Accompanied by NREL director Dan Arvizu, they were attending the Business Roundtable Caribbean Renewable Energy Conference hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Nassau. This July 24th event assembled island stakeholders in discussions on how to expand sustainable energy, particularly biomass energy from agriculture. View Dan Arvizu's presentation from the conference.
On August 27, Iceland joined as the third nation member when Ossur Skarphedinsson, Minster of Industry, Energy, and Tourism signed the agreement.
The EDIN will assist island nations to develop clean energy technologies, policies, and financing mechanisms. EDIN's founding members plan an organizational kickoff meeting in late September in New Zealand.
"For New Zealand to reach our ambitious renewable energy targets we are clearly going to require new policies and technology to help the uptake of clean energy technology," Ambassador Ferguson said.
Hawaii Agreement a Model for International Efforts
The EDIN is similar to the partnership that DOE established in January with the state of Hawaii. Under the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, the state aims to have 70% of its energy needs supplied by clean energy resources, including renewables and efficiency, by 2030—reducing crude oil consumption by up to 72%. Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle attended the Nassau meeting, and then flew to Colorado to tour NREL with Assistant Secretary Karsner and Director Arvizu.
At NREL, Lingle joined 45 Hawaii decision-makers, including state legislators, public utilities commissioners, utility executives, senior administrators and business developers. They spent three days in educational seminars, lab tours and other activities to learn more from the lab about renewable energy opportunities, including solar, wind, biofuels, ocean power, efficient building design and advanced vehicles. They also discussed market analyses and assessments specific to Hawaii.
Energy Imports and High Rates Squeeze the State
Hawaii currently relies on imported oil for 93% of its energy needs. Among the clean renewable sources Hawaii is considering are solar energy, wind power, and bioenergy from local agriculture, as well as the potential of geothermal and ocean wave energy.
"With utility rates as high as 49 cents a kilowatt-hour, Hawaii's islands need to move toward a comprehensive energy strategy that lowers and stabilizes their utility rates," said Mary Werner, NREL's executive manager of integrated deployment.
DOE and Hawaii have established working groups to address electric system design, electric generation, end-use efficiency, advanced vehicles and local production of alternative fuels. Additionally, several partner projects have begun to address grid stability, renewable integration, renewable energy financing, maximizing energy efficiency on military bases and the special energy needs of smaller islands.
The initiative is expected to last several years.
Both a Security and Environmental Issue
"Hawaii imports virtually all of its energy now, so it is especially vulnerable," Gov. Lingle said, citing major tanker ports on the islands, in remarks during her NREL visit.
"As an island state with abundant renewable energy sources, Hawaii is proud to support this partnership and work with the Department of Energy and other participant nations to increase our energy independence and expand our renewable energy expertise," Lingle said.
Learn more about NREL work in technologies that could make a difference for Hawaii and other island communities.
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Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey and Beyoncé are all household names. Since March is Women's History Month, let's take a look at some famous women whose names are not as familiar. Many courageous women have charted the way for generations to come in fields as diverse as sports, politics and science. See if you can guess which of these items about famous female firsts are fact and which are fiction.
Fact or Fiction?
Educator, Astronaut, Physicist / 1951 - 2012
In 1983, astronaut and astrophysicist Sally Ride became the first American woman in space aboard the space shuttle Challenger. Ride died on July 23, 2012 at the age of 61, following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
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| 0.948836
| 217
| 2.3125
| 2
|
The project is designed to build the digital skills and capability of the arts and cultural sector - currently only about four per cent of the hundreds of organisations funded by the Arts Council are creating and producing high quality digital content for a variety of platforms.
Almost 750 organisations applied with 'Expressions of interest' to be part of The Space, these were shortlisted to 111 including Arts Council funded organisations, national museums and other cultural organisations, large and small.
Here is the full list of commissions:
Artangel - a sequence of four new digital journeys imagined by artists staying in 'Le Roi des Belges' - A Room for London, situated on the roof of Queen Elizabeth Hall, and six special Room for London concerts by musicians from around the world extended from live stream to connected TV.
British Film Institute - live streaming of screenings of two newly restored silent films directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Ring and Champagne. Also, the production of short films following composer Daniel Cohen creating a score for Hitchcock's The Pleasure Garden. There will also be an online education package exploring the score development with additional information contextualising The Pleasure Garden.
Crying Out Loud - a video 'postcard wall', a mosaic of untold stories, histories, unseen performances, and portraits posted throughout the summer. A medley of archival history challenging the convention of circus as animal and clown shows revealing a plethora of artists crossing artforms, highlighting circus' new direction, skill and extraordinary growth.
Faber & Faber - '60 Years in 60 Poems', a digital platform that invites the nation to discover content from the BBC and Arts Council archives through the prism of the 60 new works from major poets in poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy's 'Jubilee Lines' anthology.
Fuel - the creation of a film of Sound&Fury's live theatre show Kursk, which experiments with filming from the audience's perspective in order to more closely mimic the immersive experience of watching it live. There will also be a radio documentary about secrecy and spying on board a submarine.
London Review of Books - in 'Re-imagining the Literary Essay for the Digital Age', the London Review of Books will work with a leading writer and an experienced digital developer to create a new kind of literary essay, making imaginative use of the new forms of content and reader engagement made possible by digital media.
Philharmonia Orchestra - the orchestra will pioneer a radical way for audiences to engage with orchestras with the launch of an interactive digital experience in partnership with The Science Museum to explore Gustav Holst's The Planets.
Renaissance One Limited - Tongue Fu and Renaissance One will produce six high quality video podcasts featuring the UK's most exciting poets performing with the Tongue Fu band, combining live footage, motion graphics and composite film and images from BBC/AC archive. Each poem will be released in multiple stand-alone formats.
Rich Mix - The London Requiem is a choral/orchestral premiere to be performed in Abney Park cemetery at dusk and streamed or recorded for transmission on The Space. A 10-week lead up, featuring commissioned videos, audio, stills and related work provide artistic, historic and social context, building to a unique event.
Russell Maliphant Company - through a cinematic interpretation of Russell Maliphant's The Rodin Project, the company propose to construct a unique and intimate way for audiences to experience a significant new piece of contemporary dance. New audiences will also be able to access the film through online showcases.
Sadler's Wells - film version of songs from the new British Bollywood stage musical Wah! Wah! Girls filmed on location in East London, taking it from its theatre environment and into the streets and increasing its scale by adding performers from the local community.
Sadler's Wells - multi-camera live broadcast (with 'on demand' option after) of Breakin' Convention, Sadler's Wells' international hip hop dance festival event. Capturing stage performances, public classes, foyer DJs and graffiti demonstrations plus live interviews with performers and public and linking up with regional tour venues.
Serious Events - Journey to the River facilitates innovative multi-platform broadcasts around the landmark River of Music. There will be particular focus on three key collaborations led by Angelique Kidjo, Andy Sheppard (Saxophone Massive) and Shingai Shoniwa/The Noisettes. Broadcast will begin at '50 days to go'.
Serpentine Gallery - The Serpentine will capture for broadcast an extraordinary series of live events - such as music, dance and theatre performances, artists' talks and commissions - by world-renowned participants, hosted in the unique Serpentine Pavilion, designed for 2012 by Ai Weiwei with Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron.
Shakespeare's Globe - capturing the Globe to Globe Festival, a once in a lifetime event which will see all 37 of Shakespeare's plays performed by 37 different international theatre companies at the Globe Theatre.
sounduk - a major development, in partnership with the National Trust, of Sonic Journeys which commissions downloadable music inspired by the landscape to be experienced in the real world; reviving existing Journeys and enhancing the experience they offer; commissioning a new Journey, creating films of all Journeys and generating an on-line community who will generate their own Sonic Journeys.
Southbank Centre - Pass the Spoon (a new opera made by a team including David Shrigley). This exciting package will present a hilarious new work and unique insight into artistic collaboration to a wide new audience.
Tate Gallery - 25 new films, duration 3-5 minutes, covering the best visual art events of 2012 across the country. Films will be released sequentially between May and October 2012 across multiple platforms. Plus 20 existing films of relevance from the TateShots back catalogue.
The Photographers' Gallery - part of the Cultural Olympiad, the World in London is an ambitious public art project featuring 204 exceptional portraits of Londoners. The project website will offer new ways of interacting with photography and present the stories behind the portraits to a global audience.
Vortex Jazz - themed concerts from the Vortex Jazz Club presenting London's cultural and musical diversity of British-born, immigrant and visiting musicians; Britain's rich heritage with linked archival material and interviews.
Whitechapel Gallery - The Rachel Whiteread commission for the façade of the gallery is a major new artwork on the east London landscape, to be unveiled in June 2012 as part of the London 2012 Festival. This commission will imaginatively capture and communicate the creation of the artist's first permanent work in the UK.
Alan Sillitoe Committee - a GPS-enabled mobile 'trail app' in the style of a 1950s illustrated cycle maintenance handbook that will explore the Nottingham of author Alan Sillitoe, based on his iconic novel Saturday Night and Sunday Morning.
UK Young Artists - Nottingham will host the first World Event Young Artists during September, which will see 1,000 young artists from 90 countries participate in a huge public celebration of creativity. Online audiences will be able to experience this unique Cultural Olympiad event in innovative ways through the eyes of the artists themselves.
Vanilla Galleries - The News is a live studio concept which offers audiences the opportunity to experience an exciting spontaneous programme of work based upon artists' reaction to, and interpretation of, 'the effects of 24 hour global news.' This is an experimental visual arts project which will be broadcast using the latest online communication technologies.
Birmingham Opera Company - a multimedia live performance of Stockhausen's Helicopter String Quartet, one of the greatest and most ambitious experimental music experiences of modern times. It will be performed in Birmingham in August as part of the Cultural Olympiad.
DanceXchange, Birmingham - a 30-minute film in ten episodes which will capture the creation and performance of Spill - an inventive new site-specific dance commission made for children and families. It will explore and adapt to different playground settings across the West Midlands.
Multistory - a still image slideshow with accompanying audio from their Black Country Stories programme which is a major portrait gallery and archive about local life. It will also include new material.
Royal Shakespeare Company - WSF-TV is a unique five-minute weekly insight into the making of the World Shakespeare Festival and is also part of the Cultural Olympiad. It will capture the story of the festival and reflect the creative process of an unprecedented collaboration between over 50 arts organisations, thousands of artists, plus students, teachers and amateur theatre makers from across the world.
Bristol Old Vic - Tom Morris, Director of War Horse and Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic, will present a unique and interactive way of replicating the emotional experience of watching live performance using the pioneering techniques developed by the BBC Natural History Unit.
Forkbeard Fantasy - will create an online gaming environment, inspired by the exhibitions, theatre shows, installations, cartoons, animation props and filmic special effects of Forkbeard Fantasy. This will enable viewers to uncover much more than is currently possible in the company's animated exhibitions.
Watershed, Bristol - ‘PUSH ME’ is an invitation into the journey of 12 artists who are delivering projects as part of Unlimited, a Cultural Olympiad programme. 'Out of the Box' is an opportunity to simultaneously build and broaden audiences whilst deepening relationships with context, process and impact. Through short films, a documentary and a rich media interactive blog, this project will build momentum and leave legacy.
Blast Theory - Blast Theory is an artists' group that uses interactive media to create art for live performance. Blast Theory will create I'd Hide You: a 'game of stealth, cunning and adventure' to be experienced by participants using smartphones, the internet and smart television. The game will connect virtual worlds, video streaming and performers on the streets of Manchester.
Carousel - Carousel and its Oska Bright International Film Festival are creating an interactive art project and sharing the work of learning disabled filmmakers for others to select digital arts, films and music to watch or listen to in a format of their own choice.
I Fagiolini - I Fagiolini is a British solo-voice ensemble presenting, How like an angel, a live event featuring renaissance and contemporary music from UK vocalists alongside Australian circus company Circa, which will take place in cathedrals. I Fagiolini will create a film of the event, alongside a behind the scenes documentary and a multi-platform digital application for use on computers, tablets, smartphones, and Android devices.
Turner Contemporary - Turner Contemporary's commission will offer a live and interactive streaming of Tracey Emin in conversation with Stephen Fry. The streaming will be accompanied by a live Twitter feed and a short film of Emin at work, showing her upcoming exhibition at the gallery: She lay down deep beneath the sea.
Aldeburgh Music - four short films telling the story of an extraordinary new international orchestra being formed for London 2012 and the creation of a new symphonic work by an emerging British composing talent, plus a recording available to download and an innovative new music explanatory tool for audiences.
Britten Sinfonia - Listening Machine is a six month digital music installation for The Space. It will be a live soundtrack to the thoughts, opinions, feelings and conversations of the UK's population, as played out on Twitter, which will act as the conductor of this deeply immersive and generative work.
DanceEast - Come Dance with Me is a weekly 15-minute broadcast by DanceEast featuring the 'Morecambe and Wise' of dance Tom Roden and Pete Shenton, aka New Art Club, as hosts. A fun magazine show with features, interviews, comment and audience interaction, it will explore, contextualise and promote dance for a broad public audience.
John Peel Centre for the Creative Arts - an interactive virtual museum to house one of the most important archive in modern music history - DJ John Peel's record collection. It will recreate his home studio with his own personal notes, home movies, contributors' stories and new filmed interviews with family and musicians.
Nabokov - Grotesque Chaos is an exhilarating clash of live action and animation, exploring the resonant issue of cuts in grants from central government to local councils. It does this via the prism of Derek Hatton's time as de facto leader of Liverpool City Council in the mid-1980s.
Rifco Arts - Mummyji presents will be an interactive live platform for new artists. Hosted by Mummyji; a British Asian female comedy character who will find and host emerging multicultural talent from around the UK. The audience vote for their favourite act from each episode; the winner will get to perform at the live show.
Contact Theatre - transforming an existing one-man theatre show called CountryBoy's Struggle into a 12-part series of two-minute storytelling music videos.
Inner City Music - in partnership with Manchester Museum and Galleries Consortium, this project looks at some of the highlights of the citywide festival of West African contemporary arts taking place across Manchester's museums and galleries from June-September 2012.
Psappha Contemporary Music Ensemble - taking Peter Maxwell Davies's iconic work, Eight Songs for a Mad King, from the concert hall to a virtual environment using the latest gaming technology.
Generator North East - a sequence of multi-discipline commissions, site-specific performances and live events that will use the catalytic properties of The Space to confound, connect and thrill. Cross-platform content and artists will be drawn through to a final event and documentary where consumers will be challenged to interpret and complete the creative acts.
mima: Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art - #wearmima is a selected number of opportunities for people to film 'haul video blogs' of themselves wearing items chosen from mima's jewellery collection. This is a recent fashion phenomena whereby people post videos online showing off their purchases and would give a new national audience access an outstanding collection.
Northern Stage Company - a unique digital window into the experience of opening a new venue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, comprising a collage of digital storytelling, live streamed events from the venue, and a long form documentary at the conclusion of the project.
Tyneside Cinema - the reinterpretation and production of The Unthanks Sing Songs from the Shipyards, an existing 60-minute audio visual work arranged and produced for live performance, into five distinct episodes that play across multiple digital platforms.
Eclipse Theatre - 10 Black writers, 10 UK cities, 10 short films that will explode the myth of a homogenised Black British culture. 10x10 aims to engage Eclipse Theatres' national audience, a wider theatre audience and the general public in creating new work in response to Chester Hine's novel A Rage in Harlem, for middle scale touring using digital media.
Fabric - Time and Place will uncover the human stories behind Bradford's extraordinary audiovisual archives. An interactive exhibition/outreach programme will identify people featured in the archives and create new work re-presenting their stories and the archives. Contributors include Tim Smith; Inderjit Goldfinger; MY Alam; Jeremy Deller and Madani Younis.
Leeds Canvas - a new dimension for audiences looking to explore the Brothers' Quay Leeds Canvas work Overworlds & Underworlds. It will be presented in the form of an online narrative game; contextual package exploring the project's creative and technical evolution; live online transmission of the event in May 2012 and the event remade as a web-based artwork.
Pilot Theatre - a digital amplification of York Mystery Plays 2012, which will form part of York 800. Audiences can follow key characters as a build up to the event, and then experience a global live stream with two-way chat. Participants will also have the opportunity to download their own bespoke version of the plays from an archived multi-camera stream.
Sheffield Doc/fest - From the Sea to the Land Beyond offers a poetic meditation on Britain as an island through archive of the UK coastline. Directed by Sophie Fiennes and featuring a soundtrack from British Sea Power, this cross-platform project offers audiences a moving cinematic/live music experience, as well as an online tool where users reinterpret archive footage to create their own personal, sharable mash-ups.
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Sunday, January 04, 2009
Sir Alan Walters Dies
I have just heard that Sir Alan Walters, Margaret Thatcher's economic guru, has died.
He was one of the first economists in Britain to advocate monetary solutions to the inflation of the 1970s. He was a professor at the LSE from 1967 to 1976, before joining the World Bank and becoming a Professor at John Hopkins University. He was appointed to be Margaret Thatcher's economic adviser in 1981, a position he held formally for three years. He returned in July 1988 but almost immediately fell out with Thatcher's chancellor, Nigel Lawson, over his policy of shadowing the Deutsche Mark as a precursor to joining the ERM. Lawson resigned over an interview Sir Alan had given to the FT prior to his taking up his Downing Street job. Sir Alan felt his position was untenable and he resigned too.
Since then he has held various academic and business posts but in recent years has suffered from Parkinsons Disease. He was taken to hospital a week before Christmas but returned home on Boxing Day, where the next day he celebrated his 33rd wedding anniversary with his beloved wife. He was 82.
Many of us will remember the huge contribution he made to the success of the Thatcher project. He was a truly great man.
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Walking on water by Madeline L’Engle is a collection of thoughts on faith and art. L’Engle is an author of more than 50 books including the Newberry Winner, Wrinkle in Time. She was born in Manhattan on Nov. 29 1918; she died Sept. 6th 2007. By the age of 5 she had written her first book, and began to withdraw into her writing. She graduated from Smith College with a degree in English. Her works included poetry, plays, autobiography and books on prayer, and these were all extremely personal and showed her own search for truth.
Christian and Artist
In Walking on Water, She pieces together life stories, struggles, and her faith in God to define what it means to be a Christian and an artist. However, the phrase “Christian Artist” instead of qualifying a genre only convolutes what could be considered Christian. “Art is art, if it’s bad art; it’s bad religion, no matter how pious the subject (14).”
L’Engle’s premise is that it is the artist’s job to create cosmos out of chaos. She repeats this idea of cosmos and chaos through the book. According to L’Engle, the world in the everyday living is this chaos, and the artist is meant to look at the world and see the cosmos, designed and set in order. The artist is then meant to produce that cosmos. Readers are then taken through several necessities that an artist must do in creating cosmos: the artist must be obedient to the work, he must remember the things he has forgotten, and he must listen to the work.
How we Create Cosmos
The artist must be obedient in the command of the work upon their life, everyone has the choice to obey or refuse (18). According to L’Engle, Art is a vast lake. Whether he is a stream or a strong river, the artist must obey and serve the lake (23).
Through art, whether a participant or a creator, we are “reminded of the glorious things we have forgotten.” She bases this principle on the instruction of Plato. He believed the role of a teacher is to draw out truth from within (19). Our problem is that we have forgotten how to do miraculous things. We all have the ability to walk on water.
Also, she discuses that the artist needs to listen to his work. The artist must let the work take over (24). Then he is no longer in control but the work. This is when truly great art is produced.
L’Engle raises important points for the artist to consider. She mentions that the distortions of art have not only come from the secular world, but from the church as well. Sometimes we limit the ways truth can be expressed. Fiction, for instance, is a great vehicle for truth. Yet, many times it is seen as a waste of time. We forget how well fiction can illustrate truth. “Was Melville, writing about the sea and the great conflict between a man and a whale, not delving for a deeper truth than we can find in any number of ‘how-to’ books?”(73) She discuses in the same chapter the importance of not compromising conviction in your art for money. Integrity and truth must be valued above making profit (74).
Though her premise “cosmos out of chaos” is good as well as her conclusion, “bad art = bad religion”, her support fails to be compelling. She parallels the artist’s obedience to the work to the obedience of Mary in Luke 2. “Obedience to the work, whether it is a great symphony or a children’s story, comes to the artist and commands him, “Here I am. Enflesh me.” L’Engle says (18). Whatever she means by “enflesh” is not what the text is saying. Luke 2 is not about art. Obedience to the work of art that you are doing has no analogy to Mary’s response to Gabriel. However, the fact that a creative idea grows in the artist’s mind and that it is shaped and erected to mean something to others is good. And when the idea is accomplished under the lordship of Christ and for the glory of Christ that is very good. But this does not seem to be her point.
L’Engle’s ideas in this book use Scripture for support, but Scripture is not the source of these ideas. Her thoughts are not developed from Scripture nor does she discipline her thoughts to be subservient under Scripture; rather, the message of scripture is made subservient to her thoughts.
When she discusses the remembering of things forgotten, her meaning is ambiguous. She uses language that reflects a new age lens of reality. She invokes the title, “Walking on Water”, to explain this principle. The ability to walk on water and other miraculous things are innate within us, and merely needs to be drawn out.
If she means that we should remember God because we have forgotten him then this is a Biblical concept. Clearly in Scripture forgetting God is an ongoing problem with fallen man. For example Ezekiel 23:35 says, “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back,” and Psalm 50:22 says, “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.” But if that were her meaning then she should have said so. In this case, ambiguity of language invites the reader to interpret her statements by their own experience. How she writes invites subjective inferences and conclusions on the part of the reader since she has not supplied the meaning herself.
Listening to the work is accomplished as you are in the midst of working. According to L’Engle, if you listen as you work then art will only be better than the artist if the work takes over (24). Losing control and emptying the mind resembles more of the mental abstractions of yoga philosophy than the Bible. She says, “The largest part of the job of the artist is to listen to the work, and to go where it tells him to go. Ultimately, when you are writing, you stop thinking and write what you hear.” (149) Once again, perhaps she is referencing the illumination and leading of the Spirit in the use of our natural and supernatural gifts from God. The Christian artist, as every Christian, is to be controlled by the Spirit. But L’Engle fails to clarify or support this thesis if it is what she intends.
While faith is discussed in this book it is discussed without a definite object. If you have faith in something then your art will be great. Knowing that she is approaching the topic from the position of a Universalist helps us understand her very fluid definition of faith. For the Christian, faith is in Christ, and if you are an unbeliever, faith is in your work or in your inspiration (148). This explanation fails to communicate the Christian idea of faith. The biblical meaning of faith is trust and dependence on the character of God, in what Christ has accomplished, and in His Word. Faith in the work, faith in the vision seems to be mere idolatry. Faith to the believer who creates is to see the beauty of God and desire to reflect this beauty in all he does. Men having the capacity for great creativity owns to the fact that they were made in the image of God, not their faith in the work.
The only thing that has true and lasting beauty and value is that which reflects the character of God. Men have the ability to do this solely because they bear the image of the great Creator. Even those stories or images that depict pride, vanity, and other sins, when they are depicted from God’s perspective they also have worth and value. We see this in paintings, music, writing, etc. For example, Frank Cowper’s painting titled Vanity. In the painting there is a lovely young women holding a mirror that is lying down in her lap. But even though it is lying down, her eyes cannot help but peer toward it to look at her reflection. This painting is beautifully done, depicts vanity truthfully, and thus it glorifies God.
For the Kingdom
L’Engle, if she is a Christian, does not operate on a biblical worldview in this book. Her interpretation of faith and obedience and her ideas of loosing control to the work are not seen in Scripture. But her work is not without some redemptive value, though it requires much discernment. One of the ending chapters, Journey Homeward, She rightly describes the purpose of art- to further the kingdom of God and bring Him glory (163). Bringing God glory and furthering His kingdom is paramount for the Christian’s purpose of creating.
L’Engle, Madeleine. Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art. New York: North Point Press, 1980.
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AABA’s Mission and History
AABA is one of the largest Asian American bar associations in the nation and one of the largest minority bar associations in the State of California. From its inception in 1976, AABA and its attorneys have been actively involved in civil rights issues and community service. AABA members filed an amicus brief in the Bakke affirmative action case, filed a successful petition overturning the conviction of Fred Korematsu in the landmark Korematsu v. United States case, worked on the successful campaign to release Chol Soo Lee from prison, and were involved in efforts to release Wen Ho Lee and to unseal documents in his case. AABA supports and works with civil rights and public interest groups such as the Asian Law Caucus and the California State Bar’s Diversity Award Program.
AABA strives not only to meet the professional needs of our members, but to use our resources and expertise to serve the public interest through legal clinics and other programs. AABA also is certified by the State Bar Board of Governors as a provider of Minimum Continuing Legal education and sends delegates to the annual State Bar Conference of Delegates.
Click on AABA Historical Timeline to see a brief history of AABA from 1976-1997.
Timeline of Important Events in Asian American Legal History (1970 – present)
- 1971 – President Nixon appoints Herbert C. Choy to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Choy, a Korean American raised in Hawaii by immigrant plantation workers, was the first Korean American attorney in the United States and the first Asian American on the federal judiciary. He passed away in 2004 after a long and distinguished career
- 1972 – The Asian Law Caucus is formed by a group of young Asian American attorneys and activists, along with their mentor Ken Kawaichi, who would later become a Superior Court Judge. It is the first APA civil rights law firm in the country.
- 1974 – The Supreme Court rules in Lau v. Nichols that school districts with children who speak limited English must receive bilingual education. The suit was a class-action case brought by non-English speaking Chinese students in the San Francisco Unified School District, alleging a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
- 1974 – President Nixon resigns from office in light of the Watergate scandal. Vice President Gerald Ford replaces him.
- 1975 – American forces withdraw from Vietnam, marking the end of the Vietnam War, and a wave of immigration from Southeast Asia to the United States.
- 1976 – Jimmy Carter becomes the 39th President of the United States.
- 1977 – AABA is formed in late 1976, and begins its first year in 1977. The group is a mix of “old guard” attorneys and younger Asian American activist attorneys. William Jack Chow, believed to be the first Chinese American attorney to serve in a district attorney’s office, is elected President, and Michael G.W. Lee becomes vice president.
- 1977 – AABA submits amicus curiae brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the Bakke affirmative action case.
- 1977 – The last residents of the International Hotel in San Francisco are evicted. The I-Hotel in “Manilatown” had been a home to immigrant Filipino service workers and Filipino war veterans for decades. The I-Hotel becomes a symbol for the evils of urban development and issues of low-cost housing, and helped to galvanize APA political activists and organizations. The hotel was eventually demolished, but no development took place on the empty lot for decades. The site is now targeted for a Filipino American senior citizens’ center.
- 1978 – A series of articles written by Kyung Won Lee about the dubious murder conviction of Chol Soo Lee appear in the Sacramento Union. A legal defense committee is formed to push for his re-trial. Hundreds of APA activists and leaders take up the cause, including many APA attorneys. Lee is acquitted and released in 1983.
- 1980 – In the aftermath of the Iran hostage saga and economic problems at home, California Governor Ronald Reagan is elected President of the United States.
- 1982 – Vincent Chin, a 27-year-old Chinese American, is clubbed to death with a baseball bat by two laid-off auto workers in Detroit who reportedly blame “Japs” for their plight (Chin is Chinese American). His killers receive a fine and probation, with no jail time. Chin’s death and the killers’ light sentence sparks a wave of Asian American activism across the country.
- 1984 – After years of struggle and advocacy, Fred Korematsu’s wartime conviction for defying the internment order is overturned in Korematsu v. United States. The decision is a watershed moment for the Japanese American community and emboldens the redress and reparations movement. Korematsu’s legal team is made up of a group of APA attorneys, including Dale Minami.
- 1986- The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) is passed. The law imposes penalties on employers who hire undocumented immigrants, and puts a damper on minority hiring. Anti-immigrant legislation and propositions, particularly in California, continue throught the 80s and 90s.
- 1988 – George Bush, Sr. is elected President, defeating Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis.
- 1989 – Justice Joyce Kennard is appointed to the California Supreme Court, becoming the first APA on the Court.
- 1989 – The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is formed. NAPABA is the first national Asian American bar association. Hoyt Zia, a former AABA President, becomes NAPABA’s first president.
- 1989 – The Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which implements the recommendations of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, is signed into law by the President. Under thc law, the government apologizes for the internment and offers redress and reparations to thousands of Japanese Americans who were denied their civil and constitutional rights by the U.S. government during World War II.
- 1989-1992 – Three issues dominate the APA political scene: 1) APAs file suit against top colleges and universities alleging that they discriminated against APAs during the 80′s by imposing limits on the number of APAs admitted, 2) anti-Asian violence is on the rise nationwide, and 3) APAs fight for fair and equal voting rights (foreign language ballots and drawing of voting districts to not split up APA communities). AABA is active on all issues, submitting amicus briefs and speaking out on these issues.
- 1992 – William Clinton, Democratic Governor of Arkansas, is elected 41st President of the United States.
- 1992 – The violent beating of Rodney King by four white Los Angeles police officers, and their subsequent acquittal, sparks riots throughout the Los Angeles area. Korean-owned businesses find themselves attacked by looters and mobs – and fight back. The rift between the African American and Korean American communities is exposed, but in the aftermath healing also begins. Attorney Angela Oh becomes a spokesperson for the Korean American community.
- 1994 – NAPABA and AABA each form Judiciary Committees to advocate for the appointment of APAs to the judiciary. This remains one of the most significant issues for AABA, NAPABA and other Asian American bar associations.
- 1994 – Anti-immigration fervor hits a peak as Proposition 187 is passed in California to deny basic benefits to illegal immigrants. Civil rights and immigration rights groups immediately and successfully challenge the constitutionality of the law, obtaining a TRO preventing its implementaiton. The appeal of the decision is dropped when Governor Gray Davis takes office in 1998.
- 1996 – Justice Ming Chin is appointed to the California Supreme Court after a distinguished career as a prosecutor and in private practice.
- 1996 – Democratic Party fundraising scandal breaks, centering on contributions solicited by then Democratic National Committee vice finance chairman John Huang. Huang is removed from his position in 1996. APA political candidates suffer in the polls. APAs and APA groups come under intense scrutiny for contributions made to candidates and parties, and APA political candidates suffer.
- 1996 – Proposition 209 is passed, effectively prohibiting affirmative action programs in state and local government, and public schools and universities in California.
- 1998 – Susan Oki Mollway is appointed to United States District Court, District of Hawaii, becoming the first Asian American woman federal judge in U.S. history.
- 1999 – Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee is accused of disclosing alleged nuclear secrets. After spending nine months in prison (most of that time in solitary confinement), 58 of the 59 charges against him are suddenly dropped and Lee is released after pleading guilty to a single count of mishandling of documents. Lee’s prolonged incarceration and unjust treatment sparks activism and controversy over the use of racial profiling.
- 2000 – In the closest and perhaps most controversial presidential election in U.S. history, George Bush, Jr. becomes President of the United States, defeating Al Gore, despite not winning the popular vote.
- 2001 – ACLU attorney and former AABA Board member Ed Chen is appointed as magistrate judge in the Northern District of California (Editor’s Note: In September 2009, Chen was nominated to become a district court judge, under Article III; after confirmation, he would become the first and only Asian Pacific American district court judge in the Northern District).
The dot-com boom goes bust. Later in the year, terrorists bring down the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Congress passes the Patriot Act to fight the war on terrorism but curtail civil rights and liberties in the process.
- 2002 – Jeff Adachi is elected San Francisco Public Defender. Adachi had spent 15 years in the public defender’s office and had risen to the number two spot in the office when he was unceremoniously fired by Kimiko Burton who had been appointed SF Public Defender when then-Public Defender Jeff Brown was appointed to the Public Utilities Commission. Adachi defeated Burton in an election the next year. His well-established track record and strong grassroots support prevailed. Adachi became the first Asian American elected to the SF Public Defender’s office.
- 2003 – Kamala Devi Harris is elected as San Francisco District Attorney. Harris, of South Asian and African American descent, became the first Asian American DA in San Francisco’s history. She received widespread support from diverse groups.
- 2004-2005 – AABA continues to advocate for the appointment of APA judges on the bench, holding a press conference denouncing the California Governor’s failure to appoint APAs to the San Francisco Superior Court. In 2005, former AABA Board Member, Garrett Wong, is appointed to the San Francisco Superior Court, becoming one of five Asian American judges on the court. Elizabeth Lee is appointed to the San Mateo County Superior Court bench, and Lillian Sing returns to the San Francisco Superior Court after election, becoming the sixth APA judge on the bench, out of approximate 50 judges.
- 2007 – Amul Thapar is confirmed as a federal distict court judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky, becoming the first district court judge of South Asian descent, and the first Asian American federal district court judge (Article III) outside of California, New York and Hawaii.
- 2008 – In a historic election, Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) is elected the first African American President of the United States. Asian Americans overwhelmingly support Obama. Former AABA President David Chiu is elected to the SF Board of Supervisors, and is then elected Board President, becoming the first Chinese American to serve in that positionProposition 8, banning same-sex marriages, passes in California. Civil rights groups challenge the constitutionality of the proposition in court.
- 2009 – AABA receives the California State Bar’s Diversity Award (bar association) in honor of its long history of advocating for diversity in the legal profession.
AABA’s original logo from 1976 (updated). Each year, AABA presents the Joe Morozumi Award for Exceptional Legal Advocacy and its Distinguished Service Award, as well as law student scholarships. See a photo list of past AABA presidents, and see a roster of all past officers, board members and committee co-chairs. Click on the AABA Timeline to see events from AABA’s History.
From its start at a small storefront in Oakland, the Asian Law Caucus. has become a nationally recognized civil rights group, at the forefront of legal issues affecting APAs.
Supporters attend a rally for Chol Soo Lee, who was finally released from prision in 1983. (Credit: From East Wind Magazine Vol. 1 No. 2 (1982), article by Ranko Yamada, as reprinted in www.aamovement.net).
Vincent Chin’s violent death in 1982, followed by the miscarriage of justice in which his killers served no jail time, led many APAs to become politically active and advocate for APA rights.
AABA and ALC attorneys with Fred Korematsu at a 1983 press conference on his internment case. Read articles about the Korematsu decision; read Judge Patel’s opinion in Korematsu v. United States, 584 F.Supp. 1406 (N.D. Cal. 1984) overturning Korematsu’s conviction.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is formed in 1989. NAPABA is the first national APA bar association in the country.
Fred Korematsu with redress & reparations letter and check.
(Photo credit: Shirley Nakao)
Judge Susan Oki Mollway (left) became the first Asian American woman appointed to a federal court in 1998. In 1989, Justice Joyce Kennard (right), born in Indonesia, became the first APA appointed to the California Supreme Court.
After the federal government dropped 58 of the 59 charges it originally brought against him, Wen Ho Lee (center) was released from prison on September 13, 2000, having spent nine months in solitary confinement. Judge James A. Parker openly questioned why Lee was incarcerated for so long and apologized to Lee “for the unfair manner you were held in custody by the Executive Branch.”
AABA leader Jeff Adachi was elected San Francisco Public Defender in 2002, after a contentious election against Kimiko Burton, daughter of Assemblyman John Burton. Adachi received strong grassroots support from San Francisco’s progressive community as well as many other constituencies. (Photo: Nichi Bei Times).
APAs at a reception for Kamala Harris (right) during the 2003 election campaign. Harris, who is half South Asian, became the first woman and first APA District Attorney of San Francisco.
Dale Minami (above in 1983 and 2003) received the ABA Thurgood Marshall Award in 2003 for his civil rights work.
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Bats occupy Israeli army ghost bunkers
Published Friday 27/01/2012 (updated) 03/02/2012 09:43
A bat hangs from mesh sheets and insulating foam placed by Israeli researchers
to give the bats more grip, in an abandoned Israeli army bunker near the West
Bank city of Jericho Jan. 23, 2012. (Reuters/Ammar Awad)
By Ori Lewis and Naama Shilony
QASR AL-YAHUD, West Bank, (Reuters) -- Abandoned Israeli army bunkers along the Jordan River are providing a lifeline for bats on the endangered species list, researchers say.
Soldiers left Israel's underground forts along the frontier with Jordan after a 1994 peace treaty between the two countries. With much of the former front line, some of it dotted by mine fields, still designated by the military as off-limits to civilians, bats swooped into the secluded and dark steel caverns.
Several years ago, researchers from Tel Aviv University were granted access to the ghost bunkers. Now, they say, they have identified 12 indigenous bat species in the 100-kilometer-long tract between the Sea of Galilee in Israel and the Dead Sea's northern edge in the occupied West Bank.
Two of the species commonly known as the Mediterranean horseshoe bat and Geoffroy's bat are on the critical list and three others are designated as endangered.
"There is no doubt that by being in a closed military zone that has prevented human interference, the bat habitat will allow these delicate creatures to thrive," said one of the researchers, Eran Levin.
But he said it was too early to quantify the growth of the local bat population, estimated to be in the thousands, because the research project was not yet complete.
One former bunker -- overlooking the spot along the Jordan River where some Christian faithful believe Jesus was baptized by John -- has been turned into a more accommodating home for the webbed-wing mammals.
To give the bats more grip, the research team roughed up its smooth steel and concrete walls, suspended mesh sheets and wooden palates, sprayed insulating foam and stuck stones to surfaces.
Different bat species each preferred different grip surfaces, Levin said.
A thick layer of bat guano now covers the floor and metal bunk-bed frames the military left behind.
A night-vision camera follows the bats' movements during the period they inhabit the bunkers from March to October when daytime temperatures in the area soar above 40 degrees Celsius .
Enjoying their own peace dividend, the bat population could also give something back to Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians in the area.
Aviam Atar of Israel's Nature and Parks Authority said the bats help to reduce crop damage by eating insects at night, coming out to feed in the dark when the fields are empty.
"Because each bat can eat a few grams of insects each night, they reduce the need for the use of pesticides and this certainly has potential for facilitating green farming. The crop growers don't even know this is happening," he said.
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RHS Wisley Garden is a great resource for all things garden-related. It’s a wonderful garden, with acres of plants, fruit and vegetables. It has some good model gardens to gain inspiration from, a glass house, garden centre and a library full of all the gardening books you would ever want to read. They have good children’s activities and a new outdoor natural playground. My visit this week was, unusually, without children in tow. I attended a talk on growing vegetables and fruit in pots. Two hours of tips and advice from two RHS fruit and vegetable specialists plus a tour of the gardens they manage. Heaven.
Here are a few snippets of information I picked up. The grow bag of choice was an organic peat free one from New Horizon. They had found it performed really well. For strawberries and other water hungry plants it is best to slit more drainage holes along the side of the grow bag. The strawberries in the photo had been taken in under glass in early spring to force on. I also learnt that you can get pink flowered strawberries. I’ll be on the look out for them next year.
All fruit bushes and trees grown in pots need to be repotted every couple of years and, if necessary, some of the roots cut away before being repotted in the same container. No wonder my patio pear, never repotted, has just about stopped bearing fruit.
You’ll see from the photo the approach to growing carrots. Complete protection from the carrot fly. The fleece stays over the carrots until they are harvested. I am now beginning to wonder if I am being too optimistic in not having any protection over mine.
They were growing two types of leaves in pots which I had not come across before. Mustard Green ‘Red Giant’ which looked very ornamental with lime green and purple leaves. On checking it out I find that it only takes 45 days to grow and has a mild mustard flavour. The other was land cress. Both are suitable for over wintering so they will be on my seed list for the autumn.
On a more local note my local horticultural society held a plant fair at a nearby allotment site last weekend. It was a well attended event with lots of local families there. So much better to buy plants that have been grown locally. So I took the opportunity of rejoining after a 5 year gap. Membership was £2.50 and came with a free moneymaker tomato plant. Bargain! I know this is where the local gardening experts will be and I intend to make full use of my membership.
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What to invest in
Unit and Investment Trusts
Saving via a unit trust means pooling your money with others. A financial manager invests the pool of money in potentially lucrative ways and puts the shares into a fund. You then buy units in the fund. You can then buy and sell units. The value of the units goes up or down in line with the overall value of the fund.
Investment trusts invest in the shares of different companies, therefore spreading the financial risk. Investment trusts are themselves companies in which you buy shares. This means you're investing directly, whereas with unit trusts you're investing indirectly.
Bonds are effectively corporate IOU notes that pay interest. You buy a bond, whose value can rise or fall just like an ordinary share, and receive interest. This interest is either paid regularly, or in one lump sum at the end of the bonds life. The key features of a bond are; the Nominal, Principal or Face amount on which you receive interest, the Price it costs you to buy the bond and the Maturity Date, on which the issuer has to repay the Nominal Amount. The time between a bond being issued and it maturing is often referred to as the tenure or maturity term of a bond.
Stocks and Shares
Stocks and Shares are the same thing. The word Stocks is normally used when referring to the Shares of more than one company. Shares are literally a share or part ownership of a company that can be bought and sold. Companies often pay Dividends, which are distributed amongst shareholders. Shares can both rise and fall in value.
Funds are baskets of stocks, bonds and other investment products. Investing in a fund gives you the chance to indirectly hold a wide range of products without requiring you to make multiple smaller investments. They can be simple funds that track a stock market, or targeted at a specific region, industry type, etc.
Payment protection & Insurance
It is possible to take out an insurance policy that specifically ensures the payment of your children's school fees in the event of a change in your personal circumstances due to serious illness, injury, death or loss of earnings due to redundancy.
You can get policies that cover the rising cost of fees, not just what they cost now, and can pay out either lump sums or ongoing termly pay-outs. Many policies are written so that payments are made directly to the school and are not subject to inheritance tax.
These policies can be expensive, especially loss of earning due to redundancy, but we do suggest you at least look at the market and see what it would cost to get yourself covered. We've identified a selection of main providers in our Useful Links page for you to check out.
Finally, many schools offer their own insurance policies, so be sure to check their sites, or ask the school directly.
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Top 5 New Years Resolutions & How To Keep Them
January 1st is the day we make a promise to ourselves to change something and have a healthier new year, but many do not succeed past the first couple weeks. No question, it takes commitment and dedication. Here are a few tips to get you started and help you stay on track with the top 5 New years Resolutions.
This Year I’m Going To:
Work Out More
Find something you like to do and something you can suffer through! Truth is, most runners and cyclists you see had to talk themselves in to getting out there and making their workout a priority over a lazy morning cup of coffee. Everyone at the gym had to make a decision to fit a weight workout into their day and each one of them is just as busy as you are! They do it because they know they will feel great afterwards, they know it is building a stronger body and they know it is part of a healthier lifestyle. Sing up for a class, join a gym, buy a workout DVD and then make it a priority! TIP: Commit to it!
Fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, lean protein, vitamins, no processed foods, less packaged foods. That’s the secret. Fill your plate with vegetables first, start your day with protein rich breakfast, skip the processed treats, chips and granola bars. Reach for whole foods, everyday. Find snacks that are healthy, bake at home instead of buying packaged, make a meal plan and stick to it long term. Eating healthy is a life long habit, not a short term change in your diet! TIP: Commit to it!
Research says 7-8 hours of sleep in minimum for adults, but each of us is different, you may need more. To wake up rested, try getting to sleep at the same time every night. Set an alarm at night to remind you when its lights out. Getting enough sleep at night is good for your health in many ways including boosting your immune system, allowing your body time to repair after a busy day and giving you the energy for the new day ahead. TIP: Commit to it!
Drink More Water
Not juice, coffee, soda or alcohol, just plain water. It’s benefits are many, including hydrating your skin, aiding in digestion, helping your kidneys flush out toxins, and balancing your body’s fluids. Find a water bottle you will keep with you at all times and fill it up at least 3-4 times a day. Add cucumber slices, mint, frozen berries or lemon wedges for a splash of flavour! TIP: Commit to it!
Omega 3’s and Vitamin D are important for optimal health and difficult to get enough of in your food alone. B-Complex and B12 are vital for converting food to energy. The benefits of a high fibre diet are many. Vitamin C is the ultimate immune booster. Calcium works with Vitamin D for strong bones and teeth. Talk to your doctor and find out what vitamins are right for you and then find some you enjoy taking, like Gummies! If they taste good, you are more likely to remember to take them. TIP: Commit to it!
The secret to making changes that stick is to Commit to it! You can do it, your health depends on it! Here’s to a Happy and Healthy New Year!
BIO: Deb Lowther is a mother of 3 young daughters who, when not running after the kids, is running in the trails! She blogs about Raising Healthy Kids and ensures her own have fun while eating healthy & staying active. To read more articles you can visit her websites www.iron-kids.com & www.adultgummies.com or visit her on Facebook at IronKids.Health and Adult Essentials.
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All News & Blogs
Fewer young people smoking cigarettes
TELLING young people that an activity may harm or kill them seldom succeeds as a deterrent. But maybe not when it comes to smoking cigarettes. Who says wisdom and foresight are beyond youthful reach?
The Virginia Youth Tobacco Survey reports that the number of high-school students who smoke dropped from 28.5 percent in 2001 to 13 percent 10 years later. During that period, the number of regular middle-school smokers shrank from 10.6 percent to 3 percent.
Even more remarkable is that the National Centers for Disease Control puts the U.S. rate for high-school smokers at 18 percent--five points higher than in Virginia, whose heritage is entwined with the Golden Leaf.
A round of applause is due the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth for helping educate young people about the dangers of smoking and persuading them not to light up. The demise of "Joe Camel" and youth-targeted tobacco ad campaigns have also played roles.
That tobacco kills more people each year than HIV, illegal drugs, alcohol, motor-vehicle accidents, suicide, and murder combined should convince anyone, of any age, that smoking cigarettes is more than just a stinky habit.
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Do you have a child with an autism spectrum disorder?
LucasWorks has autism products to help!
But wait, there's more...many of our autism products (like our autism awareness jewelry) are made and ALL of our orders are filled by someone with an autism spectrum disorder!
Autism Awareness Jewelry - Made by someone with autism!
Now in YOUR CHOICE of ENGLISH, SPANISH or JAPANESE! DETAILS
The beads and charms help teach about autism.
LucasWorks Autism Awareness Jewelry is made with the help of someone with autism.
We offer a variety of styles, colors and sizes of autism awareness jewelry, including our very popular autism awareness bracelet. And all of it helps to promote an understanding of autism, pdd and autism spectrum disorders.
A Child ID Kit selection for Special Needs -
How would first responders know about your child's special needs?
We have a child id kit for everyone with a medical condition or special needs. Choose from several types of "wearable" ID, in addition to the standard "wallet" type.
Child Safety Products to keep them safe, at home and elsewhere -
If you have a child with an autism spectrum disorder, a medical condition or any other type of special needs, LucasWorks can help you to keep them safe with our selection of child safety products.
Teaching Temperature and how to dress for it -
This Apparel Indicating Thermometer is a wonderful "Visual aid" to help teach your child the important (and sometimes life saving) skill of dressing correctly for different temperatures.
It's specifically designed for teaching those with autism and other developmental disabilities,
Along with our Autism Awareness jewelry, this thermometer is also assembled by people with autism!
Autism Parent Support Articles -
We also try to provide you with some inspirational articles.
LucasWorks has collaborated with a local school district's Vocational Training program to teach job skills to students with autism and other special needs.
These students assembled autism products like our Apparel Indicating Thermometer and our Autism Awareness bracelet and other jewelry. They also prepared orders for shipping and kept inventory straight. We hope to someday employ people with autism and other special needs.
Our goal here at LucasWorks is to offer high quality, affordable autism products to help you help your child, and to eventually provide job training and employment to people with an autism spectrum disorder.
Learn more about LucasWorks and our mission to help those with autism, through both training and with our autism products.
Autism defined -
Autism Spectrum Disorder -
And if that's not enough to contend with, some of the other names that fall under the definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder are "classic autism", "Asperger's syndrome", "PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified)" and "atypical autism".
For Parents -
Lucas - The youngest child of LucasWorks' founders Lauren & Alan Padgett, Lucas was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder when he was 2.5 years old. The doctors and education specialists told the Padgetts that Lucas would never speak or communicate.
The 'experts' told Lauren and Alan to prepare for institutionalizing Lucas by the time he was around 10 years old, because in addition to autism, he was unbelievably hyperactive, which the doctors felt contributed to the prognosis that no one would ever be able to reach him or help him.
Lauren & Alan can now look back over the years, see how far Lucas has come, and try to offer you hope for the future. Don't let anyone tell you what your child with an autism spectrum disorder will or will not achieve; the truth is, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU AND YOUR CHILD ARE CAPABLE OF, DO THEY?
Safety issues - Of course, in addition to learning how to deal with and help someone with an autism spectrum disorder, the Padgetts also had to deal with figuring out how to keep Lucas safe, and with all of those "what if" questions, like, "what if he takes off in WalMart and I can't catch him" or "what if he gets out of the house through a window one day".
Spreading hope and help - LucasWorks was started when the Padgetts found themselves having to design some of the autism products they needed to help Lucas, because they couldn't find what they needed on the market.
Now they want to give other parents a place to find autism products that will help them to help their child and to keep them safe, while also helping to teach job skills to people with an autism spectrum disorder. Ordering from LucasWorks Autism Products is a win-win situation for fighting autism!
Experience and advocacy - In addition to having first hand experience raising a son with autism, Lauren Padgett has also spent many years working as an advocate for those with autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities.
She's not just talking as the parent of a child with an autism spectrum disorder, but as someone who has worked at many different levels of both educational and advocacy groups to help provide the best services to children with special needs, especially those with an autism spectrum disorder.
So enjoy your visit to LucasWorks - You'll find articles filled with all sorts of information, products to help keep your loved one safe, and the most amazing Autism Awareness jewelry, all offered to help those with autism and those who love them.
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Resources - Homeschool Groups - Article
This article was published in the HSLDA Discount Groups E-Zine, March 2007.
Guest Article: A Mom Shares Her Perspective—
Making Families of Handicapped Students Welcome
By Esther Mast
Given that homeschoolers come in all shapes and sizes, it is not surprising to find a few in wheelchairs. The local homeschool group is in a position to make these students feel as valued and included as possible. There are a few practical ways to do this:
First of all, keep the physical limitations of handicapped students in mind when planning group activities. Try to arrange at least a couple events a year that can include everyone, even those who can’t kick a ball or run races. Such awareness of limitations is especially important when planning a field trip. A considerate coordinator will research the proposed location well beforehand and inform the pupil’s parents about accessibility issues, so that there is less chance of an unpleasant surprise on arrival.
In addition, all students must be treated with respect by their homeschooled peers. Even if the venue of an activity is physically accessible, a handicapped student may feel out of place if other people constantly stare, ask awkward questions, or try to be too helpful by pushing the wheelchair for him. Remember, it is not the responsibility of the handicapped family to educate the entire group on demand, they have enough stress as it is. Make it a priority to teach proper courtesy to your own able-bodied children; if you must ask, direct a tactful question to the parents privately. If a handicapped student senses that others are uncomfortable around him, he will also feel very uncomfortable.
A wheelchair indeed places certain restrictions on the student and her family and homeschool group. With thoughtful planning and good manners, however, it need not be a hindrance to the homeschool experience.
The Masts have homeschooled eight children, four of whom have graduated and gone on to college. One of these college students is in a wheelchair.
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Allegations of sexual misconduct by Indian peacekeepers in Congo four years ago have been found to be true in at least one case, bringing disrepute to the Indian Army.
Complaints about Indian troopers fathering children in Congo were forwarded by the United Nations to the army headquarters.
A court of inquiry concluded in Meerut recently has found enough ground for disciplinary action against a jawan. It is learnt that his DNA sample matched with one of the children born to a Congolese woman.
Three other army men, including a major, have been charged with control and command failure and administrative action has been recommended against them.
Though the complete report of the probe is yet to be declared, its conclusion, shared by the army authorities, points to the fact that other accused officers and jawans have been given a clean chit.
An entire battalion of the Sikh regiment was under the scanner following the startling revelations about sexual misconduct by four women. The allegations gained ground after children with distinct Indian features were delivered by the women.
India takes pride in the fact that it is one of the biggest contributors to the UN peacekeeping missions, but its participation in Congo has remained controversial with reports of misconduct surfacing from time to time.
The army’s internal mechanism is such that any breach of discipline does not go unpunished. In this case, too, a court of inquiry was promptly ordered which looked into the conduct of 12 officers and 39 jawans.
The court collected the DNA samples of all the officers and jawans to ascertain the veracity of the complaints. As it turned out, one of the DNA samples matched with a child in Congo.
The Congo sex scandal has also been in news because of the name of current army chief General Bikram Singh being dragged into the controversy.
General Singh was the deputy force commander in Congo when the incidents of sexual misconduct allegedly took place.
The government, however, gave him a clean chit and cleared his appointment to the top post in the army, replacing General V.K. Singh whose tenure was mired in controversy over his date of birth.
Until the findings of the court of inquiry are shared, it would be difficult to establish the extent of the “misconduct” as the victims are in Congo. Also, it remains to be seen if all the children born out of such encounters have been taken into account.
The findings of the court of inquiry would be approved by the army headquarters, after which the punishment of the guilty will be pronounced.
One of the victims had claimed that the Indian Army personnel used to meet her in a hotel in Goma. The army man would give her gifts and also pay money. Most of the victims are said to be from extremely poor families.
-via India Today.
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Chicago, IL — Last night a brave South Side fireman took on the Chicago River Monster, who had been dormant for the last fifty-seven years.
The 200-ton reptile that first terrorized Chicago residents back in 1953 emerged again last night. The monster would have done millions of dollars of damage and may have cost a number of lives, if it weren’t for a brave firefighter who stood up to the monster on his own with a fire gun. Alvin Johnson, who had just joined the CFD a year ago rushed in to lend a hand. The battalion captain had advised all of his men to stay back and they were going to call in the National Guard, but Alvin couldn’t be stopped.
With no regard for his personal safety, Johnson ran to a water pump, got the controls and started unleashed a torrent of water on the monster. “I didn’t think about it. If I did, I would have run away, too. My adrenaline was pumping and I just got to the controls and let that ugly monster have it,” Firefighter Johnson said. Some baby boomers that were familiar with the Chicago River Monster thought Johnson was incredibly brave, others thought he was incredibly stupid. “He could have got torn to pieces. That boy had no sense,” said Sheila Bourelly. “I ran home, locked the doors and prayed. That is one nasty monster.”
Weekly World News spoke with fifteen witnesses who say that the water from the fire hose only agitated the monster more, and the monster smashed a pier and a bridge. But Johnson persisted. “I wasn’t gonna let that ugly thing get the best of me. No, sir.” Johnson kept at it and after forty minutes the monster went back into the water. Local authorities think the monster may be in Lake Michigan now, but they can’t say for sure.
The Chicago River Monster was first sighted back in 1953 when Dolores and Fred Williams were on a stroll following their thirtieth wedding anniversary. They saw the monster rear it’ head out of the water. They tried to run, but the monster grabbed them and tossed them at a nearby building. At least they died together.
Firefighter Johnson will be honored at a ceremony next month and will receive the “Fireslayer of the Year” award. He also received a call from President Obama who is thankful for him protecting his hometown city.
Many local residents are still on edge. The Chicago River Monster has been dormant for a long time, but once he’s awakened, there’s no telling what he will do. At least Chicago residents will be comforted to know that Firefighter Johnson is ready to take on the monster again.
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ANC must beware the enemy within: Zuma
The ANC had to beware of the enemy within its organisation, President Jacob Zuma said.
"The enemy is always present... in different guises, sizes and shapes," Zuma said in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.
"OR Tambo warned us all the time," he said, referring to former African National Congress president Oliver Tambo, who had been quoted as saying "beware of the enemy within; remain vigilant".
Zuma, the current ANC president, was addressing the elective conference of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans' Association (MKMVA).
He told delegates there were "alien tendencies" within the organisation. These were factionalism, lobbying for positions, ill-discipline, fraud and corruption, gate-keeping and bulk-buying of members.
"We shouldn't allow the organisation to be destroyed in front of our own eyes."
Zuma said people "burning the house in defence of those inside the house" should be stopped.
"There are people who don't like this revolution and are trying to destroy it."
However, even in the face of bitter, negative attacks the ANC had grown. During the ANC's last elective conference in Polokwane in 2007, the party had about 600,000 members, he said.
"When we [ANC leaders] finish this term as we are now, we will have fulfilled the desires of [past] leaders that when we celebrate the centenary we must be a million members. We are more."
Earlier, Zuma MKMVA members welcomed him, singing songs expressing their support for him to serve a second term as ANC president.
"We will walk with Zuma all the way to Mangaung," they intoned, while some held up two fingers, to signify a second term.
ANC Youth League deputy president Ronald Lamola was also at the conference.
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Argument preview: Right to counsel for civil contempt cases
Petitioner Michael Turner and respondent Rebecca Rogers are the parents of a child. In 2003, a South Carolina family court ordered Turner "“ who was then unemployed "“ to pay approximately sixty dollars per week in child support through the court. Four years later, in 2007, Turner was nearly six thousand dollars in arrears on his payments, and the court issued a warrant for his arrest. At a hearing in 2008, Turner "“ who was not represented by counsel "“ told the judge that he had been using drugs but had stopped. He apologized for not paying his child support and asked the judge to "give me a chance." However, the court deemed Turner to be in "willful contempt" and sentenced him to twelve months in prison, explaining that Turner could "purge himself of the contempt and avoid the sentence by" paying his arrearages. Turner was therefore jailed — his fourth such stint for failing to pay child support.
Turner obtained pro bono counsel, who filed an appeal arguing that he had a right under the Sixth Amendment and the Due Process Clause to have appointed counsel in the contempt proceeding. Before the state's intermediate appellate court could decide the appeal, the South Carolina Supreme Court granted review and affirmed the family court's decision. It emphasized that because Turner's conditional sentence "“ which allowed him to avoid the sentence by paying his back child support "“ was a "classic civil contempt sanction," he was not entitled to appointed counsel.
Turner filed a petition for certiorari, which the Court granted on November 1, 2010. In addition to the question presented by the petition "“ regarding whether Turner had a due process right to appointed counsel "“ the Court asked the parties to brief the question whether it has jurisdiction to review the state court's decision at all, because Turner had already completed his prison term.
In his brief on the merits, Turner first contends that the Court has jurisdiction to review the decision below, which he characterizes as a "final judgment of the State's highest court conclusively resolving [his] right-to-counsel claim under the U.S. Constitution." And the case is not moot, he argues, because the controversy "is virtually certain to recur" in light of his poverty, the amount of money that he owes in back child support, and the state's enforcement procedures.
Turner next argues that the same considerations that have led the Court to hold in other contexts that appointed counsel is required for a defendant who could be incarcerated apply to his case: he needed an attorney to help him avoid incarceration by demonstrating that he could not afford to pay his child support obligations. This conclusion, he continues, is also bolstered by due process considerations: the risk of an erroneous outcome, with a resulting prison term, is high, particularly when compared with the state's "minimal financial interest in refusing to provide counsel" and its complete lack of "interest . . . in maintaining a de facto debtors' prison for child-support obligors who genuinely cannot pay."
The United States filed an amicus brief supporting reversal. It agreed with Turner that the Court has jurisdiction to review the South Carolina Supreme Court's decision. It further agreed that Turner's prison sentence violated due process, but in its view the due process violation stemmed from the family court's failure to determine whether Turner was actually capable of paying his child-support arrearages, rather than its failure to provide Turner with appointed counsel. The government argued that appointed counsel "would have been a sufficient, but not a necessary, means of satisfying due process," as other avenues "“ such as asking him to complete a basic form regarding his finances "“ could also help him to establish his inability to pay.
In their brief on the merits, respondents Rebecca Rogers and Larry Price (Rogers's father, who now has custody of the child) begin by emphasizing the plight of custodial parents and the extent to which noncustodial parents such as Turner seek to avoid paying child support. Civil contempt proceedings, they contend, are an effective last resort to induce parents to pay child support.
Turning to the question of the Court's jurisdiction to hear the case, Rogers and Price argue that the case is moot because Turner could have asked for a stay of his sentence pending appeal, but failed to do so. In any event, they assert, there is no constitutional requirement that appointed counsel be provided whenever a defendant faces the prospect of incarceration. Such a requirement finds no basis in the Sixth Amendment, which refers only to "criminal prosecutions"; moreover, they warn, requiring appointed counsel in civil cases could "blur the venerable distinction between criminal and civil contempt, inviting extension of a host of criminal procedures to various civil cases, such as immigration detentions."
Nor does due process require appointed counsel in all cases, particularly given the relative simplicity of the child-support civil contempt proceedings at issue in this case. Rogers and Price concede that "more tailored remedies" may be appropriate to ensure due process in some cases "“ for example, by appointing counsel in "unusually complex cases" or, as the federal government argues, by using financial disclosure forms. However, they emphasize that these issues were neither litigated below nor included within the question presented.
Recommended Citation: Amy Howe, Argument preview: Right to counsel for civil contempt cases, SCOTUSblog (Mar. 22, 2011, 12:32 PM), http://www.scotusblog.com/2011/03/argument-preview-right-to-counsel-for-civil-contempt-cases/
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A Healthy Christmas Tree for a Healthy Home
What's worse than a dry and brittle Christmas tree? Well, O.K., coal in your stocking, but still, nothing says bah humbug like a dead tree.
So keep yours looking healthy with these 5 Tips for Christmas Tree Maintenance:
1. Make sure you choose a healthy tree. When shopping for trees, grab them by the trunk and tap them on the ground to make sure green needles don't fall off.
2. After you bring it home, cut two inches off the bottom and put in water. Allow to settle for a day inside before decorating.
3. Set tree up at least three feet from radiators and heating vents (and far enough away from fireplaces)
4. Don't get fancy with fertilizer, Aspirin or other additives, your tree just needs plain water, according to the National Christmas Tree Foundation
5. When disposing of the tree, avoid pissing off your downstairs neighbors by using a Needle Nabber
or Christmas tree garbage bag (harder to come by but usually bought where you got the tree). Or better yet: compost the tree
. The needles and smaller branches will add nitrogen and carbon to your compost pile.
Want more holiday ideas? Here are Tips for Greening Your Holiday, 5 Great Holiday Decorations Under $20 and some Home Safety Tips for the Holidays.
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Database management: Tuning with Oracle replication
January 7, 2004[From Builder.com]
Oracle replication has been around for quite some time and has become a mature, feature-rich environment to satisfy widely dispersed processing requirements. Replication was first introduced as a way to allow Oracle tables or subsets of tables to be available locally on widely separated database servers. This was accomplished via the use of snapshots (point-in-time copies) of required tables that were copied from a master server to one or more remote slave servers. The snapshot technique was particularly effective for relatively static tables that did not require frequent refresh operations to be kept in sync with the master tables. Read-only applications benefited from the use of snapshots since wide-area network transmission time was eliminated, significantly improving performance.
Snapshots are now more commonly known as materialized views, and while the creation of remote materialized views of master tables is still a common use of replication, the technology has matured significantly, supporting a much broader spectrum of database objects. I'll discuss the snapshot method and then explore more advanced techniques.
The article continues at http://builder.com.com/5100-6388_14-5121411.html
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This volume is the first of three on the Book of Mormon. It covers 1st Nephi through the Book of Mosiah. This includes the journey of Lehi and his family across the Arabian Peninsula to Bountiful. It follows them on to the promised land, where the Nephites and Lamanites separated. It contains the marvelous prophesies of Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob. We then read remarks from the book’s editor in the words of Mormon, and follow the Nephites until their establishment in the land of Zarahemla under King Mosiah. In all, it...
This volume is the first of three on the Book of Mormon. It covers 1st Nephi through the Book of Mosiah. This includes the journey of Lehi and his family across the Arabian Peninsula to Bountiful. It follows them on to the promised land, where the Nephites and Lamanites separated. It contains the marvelous prophesies of Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob. We then read remarks from the book’s editor in the words of Mormon, and follow the Nephites until their establishment in the land of Zarahemla under King Mosiah. In all, it covers 508 years of Nephite history up until about 92 BC when the book of Alma began. The cover features a beautiful photograph of the Land Bountiful taken by Scot Facer Proctor.
Table of Contents
Ch. Title Scripture Refs
1. Intro to the Book of Mormon: Keystone
2. Revelation, Obedience, & Brass Plates (1 Nephi 1–7)
3. The Meaning of the Tree of life (1 Nephi 8–12, 15)
4. Nephi’s Prophetic Visions (1 Nephi 12–14)
5. The Journey to the New World (1 Nephi 16–22)
6. Lehi’s Final Blessings and Teachings (2 Nephi 1–2)
7. Joseph & Restoration; Nephites Depart (2 Nephi 3–5)
8. The Early Teachings of Jacob (2 Nephi 6–10)
** Interpreting Isaiah (1Ne20–21;2Ne7–8;Isa48–51)
9. Isaiah in the Book of Mormon (2 Ne 11–24; Isa 2–14)
10. The Prophecies of Nephi (2 Nephi 25–30)
11. The Doctrine of Christ (2 Nephi 31–33)
12. Jacob’s Teachings at the Temple (Jacob 1–4)
13. Zenos’ Allegory of the Olive Trees (Jacob 5–7)
14. Prayer; God’s Foreknowledge (Enos,Jarom,Omni,W.Mormon)
15. King Benjamin’s Final Sermon (Mosiah 1–3)
16. The People’s Great Conversion (Mosiah 4–6)
17. Zeniff & Noah in the Land of Nephi (Mosiah 7-11)
18. Abinadi’s Message and Death (Mosiah 12-17)
19. Nephite Bondage and Liberation (Mosiah 18-24)
** Special chapter providing additional information
For more information, visit the book’s web page at:
Making Precious Things Plain . . . is a great series. . . . These books contain a wealth of information, including scripture references and many quotes . . .from past and present prophets, apostles, and general authorities of the Church. Some are humorous and some are purely informative. All of them will help the reader to reach a new level of faith and understanding. . . . Dr. Chase writes in a very personal, upbeat manner. It has the feel of attending one of Dr. Chase's institute classes.
Randal S. Chase spent his childhood years in Nephi, Utah, where his father was a dry land wheat farmer and a businessman. In 1959 their family moved to Salt Lake City and settled in the Holladay area. He served a full-time mission in the Central British (England Central) Mission from 1968 to 1970. He returned home and married Deborah Johnsen in 1971. They are the parents of six children—two daughters and four sons—and an ever-expanding number of grandchildren.
He was called to serve as a bishop at the age of twenty-seven in the Sandy Crescent South Stake area of the Salt Lake Valley. He served six years in that capacity and has since served as a high councilor, a stake executive secretary and clerk, and in many other stake and ward callings. Regardless of whatever other callings he has received over the years, one was nearly constant: he has taught Gospel Doctrine classes in every ward he has ever lived in as an adult—for a total of thirty-five years.
Dr. Chase was a well-known media personality on Salt Lake City radio stations in the 1970s. He left on-air broadcasting in 1978 to develop and market computer-based management, sales, and music programming systems to radio and television stations in the United States, Canada, South America, and Australia. After the business was sold in 1984, he supported his family as a media and business consultant in the Salt Lake City area.
Having a great desire to teach young people of college age, he determined in the late 1980s to pursue his doctorate, and he received his PhD in communication from the University of Utah in 1997. He has taught communication courses at that institution as well as at Salt Lake Community College and Dixie State College of Utah for twenty-one years. He is currently a full-time tenured faculty member in the Communication Department at Dixie State College in St. George, Utah.
Concurrently with his academic career, Dr. Chase has served as a volunteer LDS Institute and Adult Education instructor in the CES system since 1994, both in Salt Lake City and St. George, where he currently teaches a weekly Adult Education class for three stakes in the Washington area. He has also conducted multiple Church history tours and seminars. During these years of gospel teaching, he has developed an extensive library of lesson plans and handouts that are the predecessors to these study guides.
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THERE’S MORE LIKE THIS ON OUR NEW SITE – POLANDIAN.COM
The Warsaw ghetto was a big place so it may take a while to get through all this. When I say big, I mean the biggest Jewish ghetto established by the Nazis in WWII, not big as in spacious. It held around 440,000 people, which was around 38% of the population of Warsaw in about 4.5% of the area. It was established in October 1940 by German Governor-General Hans Frank and destroyed in April/May 1943 by a very enthusiastic lunatic called Jurgen Stroop.
Here is the smoke caused by Jurgen’s hard work. (you can click all the photos here for bigger sizes)
By all accounts, the photo above was taken from a point close to where we live today and on my route home. Needless to say it looks nothing like the above picture, today. Here’s a sat-map to give you an idea of scale.
The yellow pin shows where the photo was taken from. Red is Arkadia shopping centre, green is Gdanski rail station and purple is the umschlagplatz. The area bounded by the yellow line is the rough outline of the ghetto, from where the smoke was coming.
We should be clear on “uprisings” as the word might come up a lot. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising happened between January and April 1943 and was action by Jewish armed resistance fighters inside the ghetto against the Germans when they started the final expulsion of remaining Jews. The Warsaw Uprising (or just ‘Warsaw Rising’) was between August and October 1944 and was action by the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa), also against the Germans. The German response to both uprisings was the same, kill people and destroy buildings. The Russians, who had been watching from the sidelines most of the time, finally arrived in January 1945 by which time Warsaw effectively didn’t exist.
The fact that there were, in effect, two struggles going on in the same city at the same time makes it very slightly more complicated for a tourist than it otherwise might be. The monuments and places of interest tend to overlap leading to some confusion if you’re not careful. There has been little, or no, attempt over the years to give the visitor a coherent picture of what happened, it is very much – here’s what happened to Jews and here’s what happened to everyone else. I think it’s a shame that either the Jews feel their dead are different to anyone else’s or the Poles think the Jews weren’t from Warsaw, or both. Maybe one day they’ll work it out.
To make matters worse, many of the ghetto “sights” are well hidden, so well hidden that I, as a long time Warsaw resident, had trouble finding them. Hopefully these posts will save anyone who’s not au fait with the city a lot of time and also ensure they don’t miss anything significant.
Let’s start the tour at the end, so to speak. The last point of contact between the majority of Jews and Warsaw was the “umschlagplatz”, the collection point from which they were shipped in trains to Treblinka extermination camp (yes, Treblinka, not Auschwitz).
On this fragment of a ghetto map the umschlagplatz is shown in purple colour. You can see the rail tracks leading away from it. I’ve marked the current location of Arkadia shopping centre for later reference.
Now here’s a sat-map of the same area today. Arkadia is in red again, yellow is existing rail tracks, blue is missing rail tracks. The green is the Gdanski rail station which can also be seen on the old map. The purple is the umschlagplatz and the arrows are the direction of my photos, further below.
I looked behind the umschlagplatz monument to see if I could find traces of the rail tracks but as you can see from the sat-map, everything has been redeveloped. This is a view today looking across what would have been a busy loading area
Taking a similar view in 1942 you would have seen this, with thousands of people being transported every day
Here’s the view of the umschlagplatz monument today, on ul. Stawki.
The buildings going down the street adjacent to the rail terminal used to be a hospital and were used by the Germans to hold prisoners pending transportation to the death camps.
This is a photo of Jews being taken to the umschlagplatz. Judging by the smoke in the background, this was during or at the end of the ghetto uprising.
The comment in English reads – “Along this path of suffering and death, over 300,000 Jews were driven in 1942-1943 from the Warsaw ghetto to the gas chambers of the Nazi extermination camps.”
I have not done any research on who else might have been transported out of Warsaw to an uncertain fate from this terminal. The terminal was outside the ghetto so it was certainly accessible for general use and one has to assume there were non-Jewish sufferers as well. If there were, they go without comment.
Just as an example of the mixing of Jewish and other history in the same place. About ten yards to the right of the umschlagplatz is a plaque on the wall, the arrow points to it in this photo
This is what it says – “1st August 1944. In the first hours of the Warsaw Rising, after heavy fighting with SS units, 75 soldiers of the Kedyw Kolegium “A” AK – Armia Krajowa special operations commando under Lt. Stanisław “Stasinek” Sosabowski – captured this building and freed 50 Jewish prisoners. The building had formerly been the umschlagplatz, the place from which hundreds of thousands of Jews were sent to their deaths. In this action, the Kedyw Kolegium “A” came into the open for the first time after a long and bitter clandestine struggle in the underground. Henceforth it would face the German enemy along a combat route stretching from Wola, Stawki and the Old City to the city centre, Czerniakow and Wilanowska street. This plaque was set up on the 46th anniversary of the rising in order to pay homage to both our fallen comrades and to the heroism of the unit as a whole.”
Lastly, for part 1, is a fantastic example of what I was saying about not being able to find anything. The point of interest is known as “Miła 18″. Miła 18 might be something you’re looking for because you’ve read the book, or just because it is a famous landmark in the history of the Warsaw ghetto. It is famous as the headquarters of the Jewish Fighting Organisation and the burial place of Mordechaj Anielewicz, the leader of the uprising.
So, off we go. Set the sat-nav to Miła 18 and it will take you here, to the apartment of Pani Kowalska.
That can’t be it, you think, so you spend 20 minutes scouring every inch of this end of ul. Miła without finding anything that looks remotely like a monument. You check the map again and find that Miła has two parts, one where you are and the other on the opposite side of Aleja Jana Pawla II. You spend a while driving around to find the other half of the street, get out and find a cute old sign a short distance down from JPII, for Miła 17
Must be getting close, you think, so you spend a while longer hunting at this end of Miła. To no avail. Almost at the point of giving up, you decide to walk to the far end, beginning actually, of Miła, just in case. You’re in luck! Miła 18 is actually directly opposite this
Flushed with your newly found navigational skills you finally get to check out the monument. (The height of the mound is meant to be the height of the rubble that was left after its destruction)
From the top looking down to the entrance (not on ul. Miła of course!) complete with two Israeli tourists and tour guide. Well, they were speaking Hebrew at any rate.
The small stone they were standing by….
…..gives us our last inscription for this post – “Graves of the fighters of the Warsaw ghetto uprising built from the rubble of Miła Street, one of the liveliest streets of pre-war Jewish Warsaw. These ruins of the bunker at 18 Miła Street are the place of rest of the commanders and fighters of the Jewish combat organization as well as some civilians. Among them lies Mordechaj Anielewicz the commander in chief. On May 8th 1943, surrounded by the Nazis after three weeks of struggle, many perished or took their own lives refusing to perish at the hands of their enemies. There were several hundred bunkers built in the ghetto. Found and destroyed by the Nazis they became graves. They could save those who sought refuge inside them yet they remain everlasting symbols of the Jews’ will to live. The bunker in Miła Street was the largest in the ghetto. It is the place of rest of over 100 fighters, only some of whom are known by name. Here they rest, buried where they fell, to remind us that the whole earth is their grave.”
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Data from B+LNZ’s annual stock number survey revealed that sheep numbers increased 2.6%, in the 12 months leading up to 30 June 2012, while beef cattle numbers increased 1% in the 12 months leading up to 30 June 2012. This was a considerable improvement on last year, which saw sheep and beef numbers plummet by 4.4% and 2.6% respectively.
B+LNZ Economic Services director, Rob Davison, said that early indications suggest the 2012 lamb crop could be as much as 4% (1m lambs) up on last spring.
“Ewe condition is good across the country. Scanning results for most regions show in-lamb ewes are carrying more multiple lambs, with the general comment that scanning percentages are up 5-10% on last year,” he said. “All we need now is an excellent spring to ensure a high survival of the lambs born.”
For cattle, recovery came from the North Island, where numbers rose by 3.6% overall, with increases in both the beef cow herd and weaner cattle numbers. The South Island beef herd, in contrast, declined by 5.7% as a result of early slaughtering and pressure for alternative land use.
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The State of Trade, Competitiveness and Economic Well-being in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region
More than a billion dollars of goods are traded across the US-Mexico border each day. With so much commerce, efficient and secure border management is essential to promote the competitiveness and economic well-being of not only the border region, but also the interior states of the US and Mexico. This report identifies strategies to meet the challenge of the dual mandate to manage the border in a manner that promotes security and trade at the same time.
The paper will be published in thespring of 2013 as a chapter in the forthcoming State of the Border Report, which seeks to provide a comprehensive yet accessible look at the state of affairs in border management and the border region, focusing on four core areas: trade and economic development, security, sustainability, and quality of life. The State of the Border Report is an initiative of the Border Research Partnership, which is comprised of the Woodrow Wilson Center's Mexico Institute, Arizona State University's North American Center for Transborder Studies, and el Colegio de la Frontera Norte.
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Sixteen juniors and seniors from Ithaca High School participated in a unique project funded through the Foundation. They interviewed Gratiot veterans about their war expereinces, and the interviews were sent to the National Archives to be kept as part of their Veterans History Project.
These Advanced Placement U.S. History students used a camcorder, purchased with the grant, to interview eight individuals each of whom were involved in one of four conflicts: World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or the Persian Gulf. Students also recorded the story of Ingeborg A. Meyer, a WWII civilian living in Austria when her father was forcibly conscripted into the German Army.
The veterans' experiences were recorded so that "Future generations have a chance to hear directly from veterans and gain a better understanding of war," according to teacher Tim Lambrecht. The project resulted in some new relationships. One veteran was a neighbor of a sutdent, and that created a stronger relationship. Another student's uncle was interviewed deepening that relationship. A new set of veterans will be interviewed this year. For more information, visit the Library of Congress website at www.loc.gov/vets
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Work in progress
The third issue of Gender Indicators, Australia (cat. no. 4125.0) was released in July 2012. It presented data that showed that men continue to fare worse than women in education, health and crime. It also contained a new indicator and commentary on men and women living in low economic resource households, new data on men and women who were independent contractors or other business operators, and a new commentary on men and women who feel rushed or pressed for time.
Gender Indicators, Australia presents a national set of indicators to support analysis and monitor the outcomes of women and men in Australia. By drawing on a wide range of statistics from the ABS and other official sources, Gender Indicators, Australia explores differences between males and females, and how their economic and social conditions are changing over time. This information assists government policy and decision makers in the development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs aimed at achieving gender equality.
The indicators are organised into six domains representing major areas of social concern for gender equality - Economic security, Education, Health, Work and family balance, Safety and justice, and Democracy, governance and citizenship. The publication presents data for 50 key indicators and 45 related supporting indicators - across all the six major areas of social concern. Some indicators are also accompanied by written commentary of key points and graphical representations.
Work in progress
Gender Indicators, Australia (cat. no. 4125.0) is updated six-monthly. Each release includes updated data and commentary for the indicators wherever available. Future releases will also include new commentary, further disaggregation of the data by populations of interest or geography and, as required, new indicators.
The next release, to be published 30 January 2013, will include updates to data and commentary for data released since July 2012. It will also include new commentary for other indicators not presented in previous issues.
Gender Statistics Advisory Group
The Gender Statistics Advisory Group (GSAG) is a group of experts in gender policy, research and analysis which was established to advise the ABS on issues relating to the Gender Indicators, Australia project, and on developments more generally in this field of statistics. The second GSAG meeting was held in May 2012, and it is expected to meet again in early 2013.
Review of the Sex Standard
As part of its regular program of standards review, the ABS is conducting a review of the Sex Standard. The review will focus on:
- distinguishing the concept of sex from the concept of gender;
- the capacity and need to collect information on gender/ sex for those that do not identify as either male or female, and;
- the practicality of what can be collected and output in different types of statistical collections.
The ABS invites interested parties to provide submissions for the review. For more information, please see Review of the Sex Standard.
Submissions are due by close of business on Thursday 28 February 2013.
Census 2016 consultation
Every five years the Census of Population and Housing measures the number and key characteristics of people in Australia on Census night. It provides timely, high quality and relevant data for small geographic areas and small population groups to complement the rich but broad level data provided by ABS surveys.
Public consultation is currently underway to review and determine content for the 2016 Census. For more information on the topics recommended for retention, review and exclusion - and potential new topics - see Census of Population and Housing: Consultation on Content and Procedures, 2016 (cat. no. 2007.0).
Submissions are due by Friday 31 May 2013.
The ABS is a member of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe international task force on indicators of gender equality. The main objectives of the task force are to:
- select indicators for measuring a country's progress on gender equality;
- improve the monitoring of gender equality in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) region by consolidating and systematising the existing proliferation of gender-relevant statistical indicators; and
- propose ways for sustainable data collection on selected indicators.
The work of this task force is expected to be completed in early 2013.
The OECD recently launched a new Gender Equality website which presents the work carried out under the OECD Gender Initiative. The Gender Data Portal includes selected indicators which shed light on gender inequalities in education, employment and entrepreneurship. The data cover OECD member countries, as well as Russia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and South Africa.
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from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2004, Issue No. 34
April 7, 2004
INSIGHT INTO FOREIGN "THOUGHTWORLDS" NEEDED
- INSIGHT INTO FOREIGN "THOUGHTWORLDS" NEEDED
- OVERCOMING ANIMOSITY IN MULTINATIONAL COALITIONS
- INTELLIGENCE TRANSFORMATION ACT
- CRS ON FBI INTELLIGENCE REFORM
Policy makers require greater insight into the "thoughtworlds" of adversaries -- their culture, motivations, and characteristic modes of perception and behavior -- in order to advance national interests by means other than the blunt instruments of force, according to a new study from the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), a defense contractor.
The problem is that "A strategy of using [military or economic force] to compel desired outcomes... is poorly suited to many present challenges, notably in the strategic war against terror, a number of taxing regional crises, and in countering a global wave of anti-U.S. sentiment."
"There are alternative strategies that, instead of seeking to compel or force, actively engage foreign partners or adversaries in a way that recognizes their interests, perspectives, will, and energies and that seek to effectively communicate, influence, channel extant dynamics, or sometimes effect more fundamental changes in thought or action."
"Such strategies, not without their own limitations, should now receive relatively more consideration and emphasis in U.S. national security affairs."
In an astute and literate analysis, the author is careful to place bounds on his argument, observing, for example, that improved communication and understanding can sometimes exacerbate conflict rather than relieve it.
And he notes the obstacles to his own proposals, including a cultural predisposition that is unfavorable to the kind of insight he says is needed.
"A nuanced understanding of how people in other societies think -- their thoughtworlds -- ... has not been commonly reflected in U.S. national security affairs, and is not prominent in U.S. society generally." (The very word "thoughtworld" is not normally used in American English and is apparently borrowed from the German "Gedankenwelt.")
See "Insight Into Foreign Thoughtworlds for National Security Decision Makers" by J.W. Barnett, Institute for Defense Analyses, January 2004:
OVERCOMING ANIMOSITY IN MULTINATIONAL COALITIONS
Cross-cultural conflicts are also addressed in a new report published by the U.S. Army, which notes "an apparent increase in anti-American sentiment expressed by and within" military partners in multinational coalitions.
"If the Army is to be successful in its cooperation with other countries' militaries, it is essential that it understand the sources of the anti-Americanism as well as what can be done to ameliorate those sentiments," wrote Zita M. Simutis, Chief Psychologist of the U.S. Army in a foreword to the study.
Some of those sources of animosity, and proposals to address them, are explored in "International Military Education and Multinational Military Cooperation" by Charles Moskos, January 2004:
INTELLIGENCE TRANSFORMATION ACT
The text of the "Intelligence Transformation Act of 2004" (HR 4104), a bill which was introduced on April 1 by Rep. Jane Harman and other Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee, is now available here:
CRS ON FBI INTELLIGENCE REFORM
The efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to "transform itself into an agency that can prevent terrorist acts, rather than react to them as criminal acts" are examined in a major new report from the Congressional Research Service.
"Both supporters and skeptics of the adequacy of FBI's reforms agree that collecting intelligence by penetrating terrorist cells is critical to disrupting and preventing terrorist acts," the CRS report observes.
"Supporters argue that the FBI has a long and successful history of such penetrations when it comes to organized crime groups, and suggest that it is capable of replicating its success against terrorist cells.... Skeptics say recruiting organized crime penetrations differs dramatically from terrorist recruiting [and that strategic intelligence collection is a qualitatively different function than gathering information on criminal activity]."
The new CRS report synthesizes a considerable volume of recent debate regarding the future of the FBI and outlines the policy choices available to legislators.
See "FBI Intelligence Reform Since September 11, 2001: Issues and Options for Congress" by Alfred Cumming and Todd Masse, Congressional Research Service, April 6, 2004:
Congressional leaders including Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), chair of the House Administration Committee, oppose direct public access to CRS reports like this one.
Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the Federation of American Scientists.
To SUBSCRIBE to Secrecy News, send an email message to email@example.com with "subscribe" (without quotes) in the body of the message.
To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a blank email message to firstname.lastname@example.org.
OR email your request to email@example.com
Secrecy News is archived at:
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WOMEN WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Ibu Robin Lim: "Gentle Birthing"
Ibu Robin Lim is a professional midwife, with a passion for delivering babies gently.
Lim couples modern methods with ancient rituals during the delicate labour process to etch a lasting impact on the baby and mother. The way a baby is brought into the world greatly affects the way he turns out, says Lim.
"The world would be a better place if all children are greeted gently into the world," says Lim.
Her interest in birthing came after she experienced becoming a mother at a very young age.
Ibu Lim's Health Mother Earth Foundation has been assisting mothers and babies from a pro bono health clinic in the rice fields of Bali and Aceh, Indonesia for years.
Lim says she lives for love and believes in miracles.
"Every life makes a difference and I follow a religion of gratitude."
In 2004, her organization responded to the Indian Ocean tsunami, which destroyed the coastal regions of Indonesia's Aceh province, the worst hit area from the disaster.
Lim has received regional and global recognition for her work. But the Mother Earth Foundation is struggling to stay afloat. The infant mortality rate in Indonesia is the highest in all Asia, but Lim only has a few full-time workers and limited funds.Listen to other Inspiring Women
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Books on Books
By Kurt Kuss, SCUA
I enjoy reading about books. Books about books, book shops, book dealers, libraries, librarians, collectors, and collections – these are all perfect candidates for my reading list. The relationship between bookshops, collectors, and libraries is filled with stories of discovery and intrigue, fortune and misfortune, integrity and greed, moral choices everywhere, the sacred and the profane. Consequently, the subject of books, and the various settings of libraries, archives, makes for good fiction too. Here, then, is a short list of good reading with some helpful links.
Rosenbach: A Biography by Edwin Wolf and John Fleming. Z473.R7 W6. A.S.W. Rosenbach was a giant among 20 th century book collectors and book dealers. In 1903, he formed a company with his brother to sell books and prints. The Rosenbach Company went on to help assemble the extensive collections of the Huntington Library and the Folger Shakespeare Library. He also worked for private clients such as J.P. Morgan, Lessing Rosenwald, whose collection was given to the Library of Congress, and Harry Widener. In 1947, Rosenbach presented his own collection of 816 early American children’s books to the Philadelphia Free Library. The collection has now grown to over 13,000 volumes.
Books and Bidders (1927), The Unpublished Memoirs (1917), and A Book Hunter's Holiday (1936) are some of the books written by Rosenbach which may also be of interest.
Infinite Riches: The Adventures of a Rare Book Dealer by David Magee. Z473. M22 A3. Originally from England, Magee was a prominent antiquarian book dealer in San Francisco. Magee worked closely with the Grabhorn Press and compiled an extensive bibliography of the press, published in 1957. He also compiled a bibliography of the California Book Club that was published by the Club in 1958. Magee collected the works of P.G. Wodehouse.
Between Boards : New Thoughts on Old Books by Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine B. Stern. Z987.R83 1978. Rostenberg and Stern owned and operated a bookshop in New York for many years. In 1997, they issued their 160 th catalog. In addition they collaborated on a half-dozen books. Together they were a veritable institution. In addition, Rostenberg was a scholar on English printers and publishers during the Reformation. Stern is a scholar on the writings of Louisa May Alcott.
Other books Rostenberg and Stern wrote together include Old and Rare: Thirty Years in the Book Business (1974), Old Books in the Old World: Reminiscences of Book Buying Abroad (1996), Old Books, Rare Friends: Two Literary Sleuths and Their Shared Passion (1997), New World’s in Old Books (1999), and Books Have Their Fates (2001), Fun link: http://www.randomhouse.com/boldtype/0897/ros_stern/essay.html
Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen: Reflections at Sixty and Beyond by Larry McMurtry. McMurtry, author of more than twenty novels, owned and operated a bookstore for many years in Washington, D.C. In 1987, he opened a shop in Archer City, Texas and shortly afterwards he packed up his D.C. store and moved everything to Archer City. Since then, he’s filled four different buildings in Archer City with more than 400,000 books. Earlier this year he closed up shop, at least temporarily.
This book is about a lot of things, but books are a central theme.
Collections and Collectors
Outwitting History: the Amazing Adventures of a Man who Rescued a Million Yiddish Books, by Aaron Lansky. Z987.L25 2004. Lansky is the Director of the National Yiddish Book Center ( http://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/+2) in Amherst, Massachusetts which was established in 1980. This is the story of how it came about and how it evolved. And it truly is amazing!
Collector's progress by Wilmarth S. Lewis. Z989.L4 A3. This is a very interesting book by a very serious collector. Lewis collected one of the most extensive collections of books and manuscripts by and about Horace Walpole.
Bibliophile in the Nursery by William Targ, ed. This is a collection of writings about collecting children’s books from the earliest through the beginning of the 20 th century. Targ also edited two other collections of writings about book collecting: Carrousel for Bibliophiles (1947) and Bouillabaisse for Bibliophiles (1955).
A Passion for Books by Lawrence Clark Powell. Z992.P65. This book begins with an essay entitled: ‘My Favorite Four Letter Word; or, How I Feel about the B—k.’ How can you not enjoy this?!
Lawrence Clark Powell was UCLA’s second Librarian. He wrote numerous books, including several works about the poet Robinson Jeffers. Others are Islands of Books (1951) and Life Goes On (1986). For a nice online exhibit about Powell see http://www.library.ucla.edu/special/scweb/lcpintro.htm
What exactly are bibliomysteries?
‘Keeper of the Collection’ at Simmons College, bibliomysteries are mysteries in which books, manuscripts, libraries, archives, publishing houses, or bookstores occupy a central role, or in which librarians, archivists, booksellers, etc. are protagonists or antagonists. They are NOT to be confused with the Academic mystery unless, of course, the above criteria applies.
The bibliomystery is quite popular today. A number of bookstores and libraries have begun to identify the Bibliomystery in their catalogs or their web sites. Included in this sub-genre are some classic works like A Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley, Dewey Decimated by Charles Goodrum, a librarian at the Library of Congress, (all of Goodrums’ works take place at the fictitious Werner Bok Library), a number of works by Michael Innes, pseudonym for J.I.M. Stewart, and, as you can imagine, a zillion others.
There are a few websites that are devoted to the bibliomystery. On these you’ll find long lists of books and other useful resources. Enjoy.
http://www.bibliomysteries.com/collectors.htm. This is the ‘original’ bibliomystery site. It was created by Marsha McCurley, a librarian at Clemson University, who passed away in 2004. Although the site is no longer maintained the A-Z list of authors is very nice as well as the bibliography.
http://web.simmons.edu/~schwartz/bibmyst.html. This site is maintained by Professor Carolyn Schwartz, Keeper of the Collection, Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science.
OTHER WEB RESOURCES
The Fictional World of Archives: http://www.victoria.tc.ca/~mattison/ficarch/index.htm
Librarians in Fiction: http://valinor.ca/el3.htm
Wakefield , MA Public Library: http://www.wakefieldlibrary.org/zrabibliomys.htm. Another good list of bibliomysteries arranged by author.
Academic Mysteries: http://www.cluesunlimited.com/academe.htm. While not necessarily a bibliomystery, the academic mystery can be a lot of fun too. This is a list of academic mysteries maintained by Clues Unlimited, a mystery bookstore in Tucson, Arizona.
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This department will attempt
to provide solutions to problems readers may have getting into and using
digital cameras, scanning, and using digital photographic images with
a computer and different kinds of software. All questions sent to me
will be answered with the most appropriate information I can access
However, not all questions and answers will appear in this department.
Readers can send questions to me addressed to Shutterbug magazine, through
the Shutterbug website, directly via e-mail to: email@example.com
or by US Mail to: PO Box 2830, Lompoc, CA 93438.
An All-In-One Photo
Printer Not Reviewed
Q. I am planning to buy a photo printer. My friend suggested Epson's
RX500 multifunctional printer. Can you give some feedback on this printer?
Epson RX500 should provide photo printing performance very similar to
the Epson Stylus Photo 900 model I reviewed in the October 2003 issue
of Shutterbug, as the printing specifications are the same. The report
is available to read on the Shutterbug website at: www.shutterbug.net/test_reports/1003sb_epson/index.html.
Camera File Size/Resolution?
Q. My Sony DSC F828 gives me a picture resolution of 45x34" at
72dpi. If I change the resolution to, let's say, 8x10" at
300dpi in Photoshop for printing, will that detract from the image quality?
And if so, is there another way to go about changing size and resolution
for printing? And could you explain to me why they use 72dpi and a large
picture size instead of a higher resolution and a smaller picture size,
since the file size would be the same either way?
answer your last part first, I would guess that 72dpi was established
with some early digital camera makers because the first low-resolution
cameras were used mostly to make pictures for the web, and 72dpi is
VGA screen resolution.
To preserve quality integrity for printing digital camera files, I would
suggest re-sizing with Resampling turned Off, and just adjust the dimensions
letting resolution reset itself proportionally.
Digital Camera Depth
Q. I recently took photos of fields of wildflowers with two cameras:
a Pentax *ist D digital with a Tamron 28-300mm zoom lens and a Pentax
645 with the 80-160mm zoom. It looks as if--at the same aperture
(e.g., f/11)--the *ist D digital has greater depth of field. This
seems to make no sense. I noticed the same thing using a Pentax Optio
550 compared to a film 35mm. Can you offer any explanation?
all other factors are the same and the exposure area (film frame size)
is smaller, depth of field is greater because the effective aperture
is smaller. In other words, if you take the same picture area, focus
distance, at the same exposure setting (like f/8 and 1/250 sec) with
a film camera like a Mamiya 645, compared to a digital camera that has
a sensor area that is about 1/4 or less the size of the film frame of
6x4.5cm, the actual size of the aperture will be proportionally smaller.
The physical size of the lens aperture opening determines the size of
what is called the "circle of confusion." In optical performance
this defines the difference between in focus and out (soft/sharp) as
seen in a same size print, for instance.
For those of us old-timers used to working with both a 35mm camera and
a very large view camera, particularly an 8x10, it was much easier to
realize the way aperture functions and effects depth of field between
different sized exposure areas. A normal lens for a 35mm is 50mm; a
normal lens for an 8x10 is 300mm, a 6x difference. With both lenses
you get about the same subject coverage, or angle of view. If you look
at both a 50mm and a 300mm lens set at f/8, the physical size of the
aperture of the lens is obviously quite different. To obtain the same
depth of field (the same size circle of confusion) the actual aperture
size has to be the same, so then with the 50mm set at f/8 you would
have to set the 300mm lens aperture to f/22 to achieve a similar depth
of field. That's why Ansel Adams' friends and colleagues
of photographers called their informal club f/64--they all used
large cameras and preferred to make photographs that were sharp from
foreground to infinity.
For Digital Camera Files
Q. I've been a long-time Shutterbug reader, mostly about film
cameras. On page 102 of your May 2004 edition, there is an ad for the
EZDigiMagic Portable Digital Photo Storage Device. This device appears
to solve the problem of having to lug around an expensive, heavy laptop
computer and all of its numerous heavy, expensive accessories for downloading
digital camera cards on longer trips. Has Shutterbug reviewed this device
in the past, or will it? Any thoughts on its usefulness?
EZDigiMagic Portable Digital Photo Storage Device is one of several
similar portable storage devices containing a hard drive and card reader
that will download card data in the field. I believe if you made a search
at Google you will find several other brands with comparable features
and specifications. These devices come from putting together some relatively
standard components, mostly from the laptop computer field, with an
auto-controller firmware chip to facilitate the card download.
You might want to check out some websites for more information: www.xs-drive.com;
www.directsalesinc.com/ simcppordigp.html; www.peddlerstore.com/cgi-bin/miva.cgi?Merchant2/
merchant.mv+Screen=SFNT; and www.adorama.com/ ICDDPP40.html?sid=10815462751012602.
I have also seen portable CD-R burners offered which will record from
a built-in card reader. You might look at Micro Solutions RoadStor at:
Q. I have been using a Dell PII computer running Windows 98 until now
and I'm switching to a new machine--either a Windows XP PC
or a Mac G5. The Mac would be significantly more expensive than the
PC considering the need to replace my Windows-based software. My specific
area of comparison between the two systems at the moment relates to
color management. I use a Fuji S2 digital SLR camera mostly doing studio
work--portraits, fashion, figure studies, etc. In your column in
the May 2004 issue of Shutterbug you wrote in response to one question,
"Windows hardly meets current color management industry standards
considering Microsoft is still using ICM 2.0, a CME released in 1998,
which was not even competitive with other CMMs in use at that time."
This seems to suggest that Mac's ColorSync system is still really
the only viable game in town up to this time. I have to admit that the
use of color management in my own work has been minimal mainly due to
my own inability to wrap my brain around the many concepts and the language
involved in understanding this aspect of digital photography. Maybe
it's my own laziness and maybe it's also the fact that my
clients have been entirely satisfied with the work I present to them,
despite the fact that I have an abysmal understanding of this subject
(color management). I have always been able to get by using Photoshop
7 for my manual corrections while setting my Epson 1270 printer on automatic.
My camera has been set to custom white balance settings, which are easy
to create on my Fuji S2. But I am not really lazy and would like to
gain a good understanding of the subject of color management, especially
now that I am investing in one or other of the latest computer platforms.
My question is: Does that mean my only realistic option is to re-equip
with a Mac in order to benefit from the best that color management can
bring to my photographic output?
Regarding making the transition to a Mac, there should not be any major
cost for software. Adobe will provide the means to migrate from Windows
to Mac for their software. You just have to agree to destroy the old
software and pay a very small fee for a new disc and shipping. All hardware
makers, like Fuji and Epson, provide free software drivers for their
devices for either Mac or PC. In fact the CDs for any devices you have
should have drivers for both operating systems--however, I would
use a switch to a new computer as an occasion to install the latest
version of software drivers for all your peripheral devices.
As to getting a Mac G5, I am still working with an eMac and two G4s.
If you need a new monitor, and probably do if it is over 3 years old,
get either a Sony or Mitsubishi CRT, and not an LCD flat panel. As to
cost, I believe you can still buy a PowerMac G4 from Apple at a very
Regarding color management, it is relatively easy to set up and configure
(almost automatic) with ColorSync and a new Mac. To use it with Photoshop
to obtain the best image quality results involves a bit more detail,
called workflow. I have covered much of the subject over the last few
years in past issues of Shutterbug.
I have been recommending Apple Macintosh for digital photography for
some time now, and a number of Shutterbug readers have followed my suggestions
in this regard. So far,
not one has expressed any regret. In fact, just the opposite is
The Best & Most
Efficient Way To Use A Scanner
Q. You answered my previous e-mail (via Shutterbug) with the following
suggestions: "The best 35mm film scanner I have used to date,
and one I purchased for myself after reporting on it is the Minolta
DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400. It is currently selling for under $800 if you
shop carefully. For 120 film and 4x5, the new Epson Perfection 4870
Pro at under $600 is quite incredible, especially with Digital ICE for
medium and large format transparency scans."
I've always left all scanner controls at neutral (Nikon LS2000)
and do all the work in Photoshop. Do I need the extra SilverFast software
for the Minolta DiMAGE? (Not cheap--the Epson 4870 comes with it.)
of the most popular and successful scanner lines is Epson. Even though
Epson provides their own software drivers for their highest performance
scanner models they also bundle LaserSoft's SilverFast Ai with
the product. In fact, quite a number of years ago I became acquainted
with LaserSoft's SilverFast and its owner and founder Karl Heinz
Zahorsky when his relationship with Epson began with Epson's first
high-performance professional scanner, the Expression 836XL.
As for using Photoshop to do raw scan file color correction and adjustment,
for the amount of scanning I do, I would never get any sleep if I did
all my scan adjustment and correction work in Photoshop. In addition,
Adobe has been riding on its laurels too long and has not kept up with
developing their image adjustment tools. In my opinion they have fallen
far behind LaserSoft in efficiency and sophistication. Finally, it is
grossly inefficient to have to scan to file in 48 bit, creating (with
either of the scanners I recommended) huge files of over 200MB, and
then in Photoshop the entire file must be open and each adjustment made
to that entire file for every correction. Even with my fairly fast Macs,
it would slow my work down enormously, and then the final result would
not be as good as I get easily with SilverFast.
I do not recommend anything which I do not use day in, day out myself,
and with complete confidence and satisfaction.
SilverFast Ai 6 comes with the Epson Perfection 4870 Pro. It is extra
and each SilverFast is exclusive to each scanner because the scanner
command controls are different for each scanner. But you can try the
Minolta software. Unlike the Nikon software it works reasonably well,
and is not that difficult to use, nor does it lack efficiency. Then,
after using SilverFast for a while with the Epson (if you get it) I
am sure you will also want SilverFast for the Minolta.
The Future Of Digital?
Q. I'm a recent college graduate and love to take pictures. I
love the point-and-shoot, development, picture album experience, but
I need to save money. I have a couple of questions. I am on a budget.
But, I really want a Nikon D70. Should I buy one and love it even though
it will be matched in a year or two by an affordable camera, or buy
a good, but cheaper camera and wait on technology? I hate waiting a
second or two for my next shot and I want control. Also, I've
been told that a good computer program can make up for the difference
in a $500 camera and a $1500 one. True? I was thinking maybe I should
invest in an Apple and good software and a camera that isn't quite
a D70. I need lots of advice!
If what you describe as the "picture album experience" is
true and accurate, the limited print size involved indicates you really
do not need a 6.1-megapixel $1500 prosumer camera.
I would also suggest that Nikon is a good maker of digital cameras,
but there are others, including some that will provide somewhat more
performance for the money. A good computer and software is essential
to doing good digital photography, but if you don't have good
quality going into a computer it won't come out as prints of good
quality images--there is a long standing computer adage that goes:
garbage in, garbage out. That does not say that there is not a lot some
skill and a good computer can do to enhance and get the best out of
an image, but you must have the potential to begin with.
Unless you are doing specialized photography like action sports or close-ups
of nature, and you don't already have an investment in compatible
lenses, you really don't need a prosumer SLR. Many of the 4- to
5-megapixel compact digital cameras are quite capable. I would suggest
also paying attention to whether comprehensive manual control is provided,
and whether the optical performance covers the kinds of photography
you want to do. Some of the brands of digital cameras you should explore
besides Nikon are Fuji, Olympus, Minolta, and Canon.
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Pesticides & Profit
There are 2 million farmers and 300 million eaters in the U.S. In between stand a handful of corporations that control how food gets from one side to the other. Whether grain traders, processors or pesticide makers, these global concerns are among the most profitable, highly subsidized and consolidated industries in the world.
Ten corporations now control half of the global seed market, there used to be hundreds. Ten companies control 90% of the global pesticide market, down from 20 companies in the late 1980s. Many of the top ten seed corporations also dominate the pesticide market, creating a chokehold on the agricultural input sector such that non-genetically engineered seeds become hard to find and they can raise prices at will. In the U.S., these powerful industries also enjoy unprecedented influence over the regulatory system tasked with protecting public health and the environment from the dangers of their products.
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If the medicine comes in suspension form, shake well before using.
Do not use silverware spoons for giving medication. They are not all the same size. A silverware teaspoon could be as small as a half teaspoon or as large as 2 teaspoons.
Measuring spoons used for cooking are accurate, but they spill easily.
Oral syringes have some advantages for giving liquid medications.
There can be problems with oral syringes, however. The FDA has had reports of young children choking on syringe caps. To be safe, remove the cap before you use an oral syringe. Throw it away if you do not need it for future use. If you need it, keep it out of reach of infants and small children.
Dosing cups are also a handy way to give liquid medications. However, dosing errors have occurred with them. Always check to make sure the units (teaspoon, tablespoon, mL, or cc) on the cup or syringe match the units of the dose you want to give.
Liquid medications often don't taste good, but many flavors are now available and can be added to any liquid medication. Ask your pharmacist.
Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2013, A.D.A.M., Inc. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized in writing by ADAM Health Solutions.
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An interesting idea that can emerge is the ability to let a business communicate effectively with its customers (present or future) via push-based channels. After all, it is customers that generate the revenue. This is what Google enables a business to do – get new customers to a website. Google does it for businesses that have an online presence. But it does nothing for businesses that may not have an online presence – and that is one of the opportunities that we can tap into. It can also work well as an awareness spreading tool.
Here is how it would work. A Customer is identified by an Address — either an email ID or a mobile number. These two may or may not be linked. The customer address (email ID, mobile number) may also have certain Attributes linked with it. In addition, a customer can also be given an opportunity to enhance their profile. <any such Customer Addresses make up a Database. A database can be created for a business in one of four ways: existing DB (semi-opt-in), future DB (built around opt-in), dynamic DB (built via queries run on a set of Addresses), media DB (like MyToday SMS).
Communication to this database happens primarily via Push-based channels — email and SMS. This is perhaps the biggest change in India in the past five years. Today, over 350 million Indians have mobile phones and 75 million Indians have email addresses — both these numbers are many times what the equivalent numbers were in 2004.
The key question: how to make this Push-based Customer Communications a reality? This is one business that could scale well globally, with India being the first market.
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Australia's Contribution to ICAO
by Roger Meyer and Vicki Huggins
On 7 December 1994 the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), one of the most successful of the worlds international institutions. Australia has always played a leading role in ICAO and this article highlights Australias past and present contributions.
It soon became clear that there was a need for uniform, universal regulations. The Paris Air Convention of 1919 established the International Commission for Air Navigation (ICAN), which provided for the collection and exchange of information among ICANs member States.
following 20 years, international air traffic expanded rapidly, first
in Europe whose short international distances were within the range
of aircraft of the 1920s. The beginning of a Carribean air service by
the fledgling Pan American Airways in 1928 created a need for international
co-operation on air transport matters in the Western Hemisphere. This
led to the Havana Convention, which was ratified by the USA and ten
other American Republics.
Eventually, the Chicago Conference was held at the invitation of the United States, and was attended by 52 of the 54 invited allied and neutral countries. The conference began on 1 November 1944 in the Stevens Hotel, Chicago, and was attended by 700 participants. It was scheduled to last 25 days, but finally concluded after 37 days, on 7 December.
The Australian contingent comprised:
The deliberations of the delegates resulted in the adoption of a number of resolutions and recommendations constituting the Final Act of the Conference. Briefly, these were:
The Convention on International Civil Aviation, which needed to be formally ratified by 26 member States to come into force. This was accomplished in just two years and the Convention is now adhered to by 182 States, making it the most widely accepted of all such international agreements. It laid down principles and arrangements "in order that international civil aviation may be developed in a safe and orderly manner and that international air transport services may be established on the basis of equality of opportunity and operated soundly and economically".
An Interim Agreement on International Civil Aviation which provided a bridging mechanism to permit an early beginning of the global effort while awaiting formal ratification of the Convention. It came into effect on 6 June, 1945 upon its acceptance by 26 States. Thus, the Provisional International Civil Aviation Organization (PICAO) was born. It functioned remarkably well until the permanent organization, ICAO, came into being.
The International Air Services Transit Agreement, commonly known as the Two Freedoms agreement gave the accepting States free and unlimited right of passage for the aircraft of each State through the airspace of every other, and gave their aircraft a general right to interrupt their passage for non-traffic purposes (for refuelling or mechanical attention to the aircraft).
The International Air Transport Agreement, commonly known as the Five Freedoms of the Air', was a convenient means for classifying rights which one country might give to the aircraft of another over its territory. Specifically, they were the right of an aircraft of one state to:
It will be noticed that the first two of these Freedoms are the substance of The International Air Services Transit Agreement. The Fifth Freedom was the cause of major controversy. The United States consistently maintained the necessity of complete freedom of operation for commercial air service, while the United Kingdom, supported by New Zealand and Australia, proposed international regulation.
These and other issues were referred for further study by PICAO which was to be established in Canada. It was agreed by member States that PICAO would remain in operation until a new permanent convention, ICAO, came into force - a period not exceeding three years.
Two weeks later, a Canadian Preparatory Committee swung into action with office accommodations at Dominion Square in Montreal. The first Council Meeting was held on 15 August 1945, the day after World War II hostilities had effectively ended. The meeting elected Dr Edward Warner (United States) as Council President and Dr Albert Roper (France) as Secretary General. Australias representative was Mr A.R. McComb, who at the time was Director of Airports with DCA.
The general structure of PICAO was that it was to remain in operation until a new permanent convention on civil aviation came into force - a period not exceeding three years. The governing bodies of the Organization were the Interim Assembly and Interim Council.
The Assembly was composed of delegates from Member States, and was convened by the Council. It met annually. It elected its own President and other officers, and elected Member States to be represented on the Council. The Assembly was responsible for the financial arrangements of the Organization, and acted on matters referred to it by the Council.
The Council was the executive instrument of the Organization and derived its powers and authority from the Assembly.
The Interim Council quickly got to work and began addressing the numerous administrative matters facing a new international organization. But the Council never lost sight of the critical and immediate need to begin facilitating international air transport in all its aspects. This was, after all, its post-war mission.
Since the end of the Chicago Conference, States had been submitting their recommendations for additions, deletions and amendments to the 12 initial Annexes to the Chicago Convention. Thus, substantial groundwork had already been laid for the technical sub-committee work of the PICAO Council. The emphasis was on arrangements for the provision of adequate air navigation facilities and for setting up air safety standards. Two principal committees of the Council were thus formed: the Air Navigation Committee and the Air Transport Committee. In addition, a special Radio Technical Division was convened to appraise wartime communications and navigational devices and technologies that might be adaptable to civil needs.
Australias Mr A.R. McComb was elected Chairman of the Air Navigation Committee, while Mr A.G. Berg, DCAs Superintendent of Airworthiness was elected Chairman of the first session of the Airworthiness Division. Thus began the tradition of Australias significant involvement in, and contribution to, the workings of ICAO.
The First (and only) Session of the Interim Assembly met in Montreal from 21 May to 7 June 1946. All 44 member States were represented, with 10 Observers from non-member States. The Australian delegation was:
ICAO has a sovereign body, the Assembly, and a governing body, the Council.
The Assembly meets at least once in three years and is convened by the Council. At this session the complete work of the Organization in the technical, economic, legal and technical assistance fields is reviewed in detail and guidance given to the other bodies of ICAO for their future work. The first Assembly Meeting was convened in Montreal on 6 May, 1947. The Australian Delegation was lead by the Minister for Civil Aviation, the Hon. A.S. Drakeford, who was later unanimously elected as President of the Assembly. The Assistant Director-General, Captain E.C. Johnston was Deputy Leader and the other delegates were Mr A.R. McComb and Mr D. Ross.
The Council is a permanent body responsible to the Assembly and is composed of 27 contracting States elected by the Assembly for a three-year term. Australia has always been represented on the Council as one of the "States of chief importance in air transport". The Council, together with its specialist sections the Air Navigation Commission, the Air Transport Committee, the Committee on Joint Support of Air Navigation Services, and the Finance Committee provides the continuing direction of the work at ICAO. One of the major duties of the Council is to adopt international Standards And Recommended Practices (SARPs) for aviation. One of the strengths of the Council has been its stability and continuity by virtue of there having been just three Presidents: Dr Edward Warner (1947-1957); Dr Walter Binaghi (1957-1976); and Dr Assad Kotataite (1976 to the present).
Australian Council representatives in the early days included Roland McComb, Dr Bill Bradfield (1947-1952 and 1968-1972), Byron Lewis (1972-1975), Jim Stone (1952-1956, and 1965-1968), David Medley, Jack Fogarty, Reg Gross (1975-1981), George Birch (1981-1984), Jack Sansom (1984-1988), Bruce Weedon and Jim Webber.
The Air Navigation Commission (ANC) exists to secure the highest degree of uniformity in regulations, standards and procedures which will facilitate and improve air navigation to international standards. The Commission comprises up to 15 persons nominated by member States and appointed by the Council. They are chosen on their technical competence, and act as individuals, not representatives of their Country. Australian Nominees to the Commission have included Max Edey, Len Jacobe, (both elected President), Kel Arnold, Jack Sansom, Derek Jordon, Howard Cronin, John Cappeletti and Matt Wilkes (also elected President).
AIR NAVIGATION MEETINGS
The object of the meeting was to develop a regional plan detailing facilities, services and procedures required for international air navigation within the Region. Among the agreements were the sites of additional aerodromes, runway approach lighting, point-to-point and air-to-ground radio communications networks, a weather reporting network, new Flight Information Regions and a Search and Rescue organisation.
UP AUSTRALIA'S CONTRIBUTION
Perhaps Australias contribution is best summed up by one long-serving representative who simply expressed Australias unique contribution thus: "Australia, whatever the discussion, caused small countries to be given the same weight as the big countries".
EDWARD WARNER AWARDS|
Even a brief account of Australias contribution to ICAO would be incomplete without reference to the Departments two recipients of ICAOs prestigious Edward Warner award for outstanding contributions to the organisation.
The 25th Award in 1992 was conferred on Dr K.N.E. Bradfield OBE "in recognition of his eminent contribution to the development and provision of the technical and operational requirements of the ground-based infrastructure of international civil aviation. He applied himself with dedication and meticulous attention to detail through his long career in civil aviation, contributing to the design and development of aerodromes, ground aids and facilities".
The 37th Award was presented in 2004 to Professor Brian O'Keeffe AO "in recognition of his eminent contribution to the development of international civil aviation, in particular his leading role in the field of air navigation systems."
Back to the main Industry Regulation & Aviation Policy index
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s what Hadoop gives you for free.
It isn't free if you don't already have the cluster set up to use it.
And once you've gone through the cluster set-up process, just in order to deliver a couple of hundred k of filenames to the clients, they still have to get access to each of the huge image files, which they cannot do in-situ, they would have to be shipped to the local HDFS filesystem. And then Hadoop has nothing whatsoever to offer in the processing of that file.
And if you can think of some legitimate reason for going through all of that in order to distribute a few thousand filenames...
Let's face it. Your suggestion is a crock.
|Comment on Re^19: randomising file order returned by File::Find|
|Re^20: randomising file order returned by File::Find|
by jeffa (Chancellor) on Mar 02, 2011 at 04:35 UTC
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August 9, 2012 12:10 pm
The latest awesome infographic from Tim De Chant’s Per Square Mile answers the question, how much land would 7 billion people need to live like the people of these countries?
Despite having a population of 150 million, if we all lived like Bangladeshis there’d be plenty of Earth left over for Mother Nature to do her thing and provide resources for all.
At just 4.7 million people, however, Costa Rica tips the scale. We’d need nearly another half-Earth to support everyone.
Whoops, here comes the US. As usual, our 311 million citizens have some of the most embarrassing stats and highest global footprints.
But we’re still not as bad as the UAE. If everyone lived like these 7.8 million citizens, we might as well start expanding to other planets to meet our ravenous natural resource and artificial island needs.
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Q: Which type of window is the right one for me?
A: Before determining which type of window you should purchase, there
are a number of issues to consider first:
- The age and style
of the house, the desired look and operation of the new window, and
- Aluminum frame windows are attractive to those
who want maximum daylight and minimal cost.
- Vinyl frame windows are a good choice
for those who like the look and feel of wood windows at a more affordable
- Wood windows are a good choice for the discriminating homeowner
as they provide superior energy savings and aesthetic beauty.
are a number of possible window manufacturers, each varying in price
Q: What exactly is a "clad" wood
A: A clad wood window is a wood window that has a protective exterior
surface or "cladding" engineered into the window design.
Generally this is painted aluminum, vinyl or fiberglass; they are available
in many color choices.
Q: What is a "retrofit" window?
A: A retrofit window is a new window that is ordered to fit within the
existing window frame opening. Proper installation of a retrofit window
requires that the perimeter of the existing window frame be left intact,
thus not disturbing the existing moisture barrier on the exterior of
Q: How do I measure for new windows?
A: The installer should be the one taking final measurements for ordering
new windows. On new construction windows, rough opening dimensions
are required. On retrofit windows, daylight openings are needed. The
daylight opening is the opening within the existing window frame after
glass has been removed.
In all cases, the width comes before the height
(e.g., 36" wide x
24" high). Crude or nominal dimensions can be taken for quoting
purposes on aluminum and vinyl windows, since these windows are exact
custom sizes. You need actual rough opening measurements for an accurate
quote on wood windows.
Q: What size rough opening do I need for my new window?
A: Aluminum and vinyl frame windows are all framed by the call out
size. For instance, a 6'0" x 4'0" window requires a 72" x
48" rough opening. Wood windows vary by manufacturer and rough
openings should be confirmed with the salesperson.
Q: What is "Low-E" glass
and do I need it?
A: Low-E, or low emissive glass, is a higher performing glass than
clear glass. Low-E is a special coating used on one of the inside surfaces
of a double pane glass unit. It will reduce radiant heat transfer for
better overall insulation; it reduces heat from direct sunlight like
tinted glass without heavy darkening, and greatly reduces UV infiltration
to protect floors and furnishings. Depending upon the individual window's
exposure to sunlight, as well as the local climate and insulation requirements,
Low-E glass is usually a good choice. You will lose a little more light
and there will also be a negligible grayish-green hue in the glass.
Q: Do I need argon inside my insulated glass?
A: There is no question that argon gas performs better than plain air
in insulated double pane glass. However, because it is invisible, and
by normal means undetectable, there is no way of knowing whether you
are getting what you are paying for. Considering the moderate climate
of the area we live in along with the fact that argon gas will dissipate
over time, our recommendation is to not fret over it. In some cases
it is a very nominal charge for the addition of argon gas and in others
it is automatically included.
Q: What do the X's and O's refer to in window language?
A: An "X" is an operable panel and an "O" is a fixed
panel as viewed from the exterior of the home. For instance, an "XO" window
would be a two-panel, horizontal sliding window with the operable panel
on the left from the exterior side.
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What is melee?
Melee refers to one of two attack types. Melee is the attack type that a close range combatant uses to physically strike a target unit. Generally this ranges from an attack range of 128, with the exception of a few heroes. Most melee heroes tend to be strength or agility orientated.
What is ranged?
Ranged is referencing the second of the attack types. Ranged attacks are conjured items or energy that is slung at a range to inflict damage to the target. Ranged attacks can very greatly in the overall length of attack. Ranged heroes are commonly intelligence or agility based.
I bet you're wondering why I listed this basic information. Well why isn't this relevant? Knowing the difference between these mechanics can make or break a game. I often see a very irrelevant section in guides consisting of pros and cons, I find this to just be a filler to make the guides longer. Within these guides lye a very common misconception, example:
A guide is generally written by a mediocre DoTA player who wants to share his personal play style with his peer players. The same mediocre player will look at other's guides to see their personal options and then take these guides to heart. The problem with this, is that with most opinions comes falsities. Often a hero will be criticized based on role or attack type:
"A support? No that's lame, where's viper?"
"Dude, we already have 3 carries! We need a support."
"No, I got it, Dazzle doesn't do any damage anyways."
This. DoTA2 matchmaking at it's finest. A misinformed player is not necessarily an ignorant player, just a misguided player. Often times a player provides themselves the notion that because a hero can attack you from a further range, that you automatically will be zoned from the lane. If this is the case then why are Nightstalker and Tiny so well at dominating mid lane? To answer this we have to look at the statistics and truths provided below.
Here is a list of SOME of the items that differentiate between melee and ranged heroes. Some have a quite small margin of difference, and some have a quite big impact on the play style of certain heroes.
Quelling Blade, bonus damage versus creeps: 32%
Vanguard, damage block: 40
Poor Man's Shield, damage block: 20
Skull Basher, bash proc chance: 25%
Manta Style, illusions deal 33% damage and take 350% damage. Cooldown: 35 seconds.
Vladimir's Offering, bonuses: lifesteal 16% and 15% bonus damage. Armor 5, mana regeneration 0.8.
Venom Orb, movement slow: 12%
Quelling Blade, bonus damage versus creeps: 12%
Vanguard, damage block: 20
Poor Man's Shield, damage block: 10
Skull Basher, bash proc chance: 10%
Manta Style, illusions deal 28% damage and take 400% damage. Cooldown: 50 seconds.
Vladimir's Offering, bonuses: Armor 5, mana regeneration 0.8.
Venom Orb, movement slow: 4%
There are certain attack modifications and auras that only affect heroes of a certain attack type. Most of these modifications have quite the impact on a hero. I've provided a list of SOME of these mechanics.
Denied Creep Experience: 36
Vladimir's Offering Melee Damage Bonus
Vladimir's Offering Lifesteal
Skeleton King's Lifesteal
Denied Creep Experience: 18
Drow Ranger's Ranged Damage Bonus
Ranged Units, Chance to miss uphill: 25%
Skadi, Buffplacer (Can stack with Lifesteal orbs)
Orb walking is a vital skill that allows ranged units to generate some severe harass. This mechanic is exploited by using the current spell system to work in your favor. Usually I'd write this section myself, but due to incompetence, I have brought in two sources to properly display this advanced technique:
" One of the strongest mechanics of some ranged carries is their ability to orb walk. An orb is a unique attack modifier that changes how your auto attacks will affect the enemy or yourself, such as lifesteal (Morbid Mask, Satanic), armor reduction (Deso), and movement slow (Orb of Venom, Skadi). Some ranged heroes, like Viper, Huskar, and Drow, have skills that are orbs you can toggle on and off to give unique orbs. The strength of these orbs is that they cost low mana and they count as spells. The reason why it is important that these orbs are spells is that they do not draw aggro from creeps when in lane. In a typical situation, if you right click to attack an enemy hero in the early game, the enemy creeps will re-aggro themselves to you instead of your allied creeps. When you cast a spell on an enemy, the aggro does not change. This is the real power behind orb walking; you can get free harass on the enemies in your lane while while not taking the counter attack from the enemy creeps.
Let's use Clinkz as an example. Clinkz's W, Searing Arrows, is an orb effect. To orb walk, simply press the W key on your keyboard, then left click on the enemy to cast it. This will allow for long range harass with no creep revenge. " - Awes0meo
" Typically when you right-click on an enemy hero, the nearby creeps will agro you, and attack you. When you cast spells on enemy heroes this is not the case. Orb-Walking involves using abilities that have Unique Attack Modifiers. Select the ability once and click on an enemy hero, this is now considered casting an ability so nearby enemy creeps will not attack you. You can repeat this as many times as necessary. On the contrary, however, if you enable auto-cast for the Unique Attack Modifier and right-click on a hero creeps will attack you. " - www.dota2wiki.com
I believe that within DoTA, every basic mechanic is balanced; and punishes the player appropriately. If you are being voided from your lane by Sniper, that's all on you. I'm not saying that DoTA is completely balanced, obviously values change and updates happen often, but what I am saying is that; if you're losing its not the game, its you.
If you have learned anything from this guide, or even if you just enjoyed the little rant, please give this a thumbs up so others may read this and also agree or disagree on this.
These guides are somewhat time consuming to produce, and most of them do lack some at the moment, but for the most part I believe they provide enough information to play properly with the given information. Even though the guide is still UNFINISHED, I still need feedback on how to better it. The opinions and such are always up for change, and your opinion is wanted as long as it's not something that smashes the entire guide because you don't like a little detail. Please keep in mind: if you have the time to read this guide and vote on it then you should have a sufficient amount of time to comment what pleased or displeased you.
Please take the time to provide feedback.
What can I change? What areas need improvement? Is the guide visually unappealing?
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I’m a web designer, every day I design stuff from websites, UI’s, iPhone apps, Facebook tabs, emailers. All of these come as second nature to me, I enjoy designing them, I enjoy coming up with the best solutions for the problems and making the dullest of sites look fun. So I must be pretty adept at the coding side of things too right? nope, wrong!
This of course isn’t an issue as such at 383 as I work alongside some incredibly skilled Front and Backend developers, who are amazing at putting my designs into reality. But, it is still something that i’ve always been ashamed of, I can’t really call myself a Web Designer if I don’t have at least a basic understanding of coding myself. So this weekend I decided enough’s enough, its time that I start getting my head around it.
I sat down properly with ‘HTML & CSS: Design and Build Web Sites’ by Jon Duckett and made initial progress in learning this side of my job. I have to say, from someone coming from a design background, where staring code directly in the face, is usually a very daunting and confusing experience. This book is brilliant. Unlike other books I have looked at it is very visual, full of colours and nice type, all the little things that help keep a designers mind interested. I know there’s plenty of other learning tools out there and Treehouse has also caught my eye, but right now i’m really enjoying working my way through this book.
So I thought i’d keep you guys updated with my progress as I go along and hopefully be able to have something to show for it in the end.
Right now, im at the very early stages, i’ve learnt putting in headers and body copy, inserting links and images. I have my ordered and unordered lists nailed and dropped in the odd iframe here and there. I’ve learnt how to insert forms, radio buttons and checkboxes and applied first bits of CSS.
Now I understand that to anyone who does have an understanding of code, all of this is the same as someone saying to me, “Hey! I’ve worked out how to type out some text and colour it red Yo!”. But i’m still enjoying getting my head around something that has always seemed alien and scary to me.
I’ll try and keep you all updated with how I get on!
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Sure, most OTC painkillers can effectively knock out your cramps, headache, and many other pesky aches. But there may be an even better reason to pop those pills—and make sure they contain aspirin: new research shows that regularly taking an aspirin-based pain reliever may reduce your risk of the fifth-leading cause of cancer deaths among women—ovarian cancer.
The recent Danish study of 2,320 women between the ages of 35 and 79 (including 756 with ovarian cancer of varying severity) found that women who took aspirin two or more times per week for longer than a month were less likely to develop ovarian cancer than those who typically took non-aspirin pain relievers, or none at all.
Aspirin’s cancer-fighting power comes from its anti-inflammatory effects, which reduce the chronic inflammation suspected to play a role in the development of cancer, says study author Susanne Krüger Kjær, M.D., of the Danish Cancer Society Research Center and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Copenhagen University Hospital, both in Copenhagen, Denmark. So why were non-aspirin pain relievers—which may also reduce inflammation—found to be less effective at curbing cancer? “This may reflect differences in the way these drugs induce their effect on inflammation,” says Kjær.
The medicine cabinet staple boasts even more beyond-the-label benefits. While the OTC drug won’t necessarily shield women from heart disease, it could help reduce men’s risk of heart attack. And for women ages 55 to 79, the U.S. Preventive Task Force recommends taking regular doses of the aspirin to stave off strokes. (Younger than 55? Strokes are more common than ever among younger women. Here’s how to reduce your stroke risk.)
So are the virtues of aspirin reason enough to start popping pills as if they’re candy? Kjær says the protective effects should be balanced against possible adverse effects, such as risk of bleeding and peptic ulcers.
Heal your body with seven simple strategies for age-reversing, lifesaving weight loss and optimal health from The South Beach Diet Wake-Up Call: 7 Real-Life Strategies for Living Your Healthiest Life Ever. Buy the book today!
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NAEP Governing Board Chair on hands-on science study: “It’s tragic that our students are only grasping the basics”
Update (Wednesday morning): Here is a link to the story on Education Week.
“The report shows that students were challenged by parts of investigations requiring more variables to manipulate, strategic decision-making in collecting data, and the explanation of why a certain result was the correct conclusion,” the NAEP folks said…
…“Science is fundamental to education because it is through scientific inquiry that students understand how to solve problems and ultimately how to learn,” said David Driscoll, chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, in a statement. “So it’s tragic that our students are only grasping the basics and not doing the higher-level analysis and providing written explanations needed to succeed in higher education and compete in a global economy.”Uncategorized
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ANDRONICUS, thirty-seventh patriarch of the See of Saint Mark (616-622). Andronicus was unanimously elected by the clergy and the bishops of the Coptic church. His election was universally acclaimed by the people of Alexandria to whom he was well known not only for his piety but also for his charitable character, since he gave generously to the poor of his community. Even the Chalcedonian dissidents among the inhabitants did not contest his nomination.
Andronicus was a man of immense wealth, and his family had a high social and political standing. His cousin became Alexandria's chief administrator, "the head of the council of Alexandria," according to the HISTORY OF THE PATRIARCHS (p. 484). By vocation, Andronicus was an accomplished scribe, and although there is no record to prove that he was a theological scholar, he was undoubtedly a man of profound faith and a religious leader in his church. He was one of the very few laymen to attain the patriarchal dignity in Coptic history, for he was only a simple deacon in the Church of the Angelion at the time of his election. Though he was not a monk or a full-fledged presbyter, he remained a bachelor all his life and confined himself to a cell adjacent to the Church of the Angelion.
The reign of Andronicus came to pass during one of the most critical periods in Egyptian history, since it coincided with the last Persian invasion of the country at the beginning of the seventh century and before the Arab conquest of 642. Egypt was still under Byzantine rule during the reign of Emperor Heraclius (610-641). The Persians had no regard for Christianity and Christians. According to the History of the Patriarchs, their armies, under the leadership of the Persian emperor Chosroes II Parviz, descended upon Egypt and the Egyptians like locusts and "trod them down as the oxen tread the thrashing floor, and collected their wealth and all that they had into his [Chosroes'] treasuries" (p. 484 ). After the conquest of the country, the Persian emperor dispatched a section of his armed forces, under the command of a certain Salar (probably a corruption of Shahr Baraz), to seize Alexandria and the adjacent district of Mareotis in the northern Nile Delta. On his way toward the capital, the Persian commander surrounded the rich area of the ENATON monastery and seized all its establishments by storm. The Persians slaughtered all its monks save a few who succeeded in concealing themselves in hiding spots. The troops pillaged everywhere and denuded what was probably the richest of Coptic monasteries of all its wealth and vast possessions. They left the Enaton completely in ruins. Once a flourishing monastic institution, it disappeared from the map, never to rise again.
When the news of this terrible catastrophe reached Alexandria, its authorities decided to negotiate a peaceful surrender in the hope of saving the city from being sacked and ruined. Thus they opened the city gates to the invaders who entered it without lifting a finger. Apparently the Persians feigned a peaceful entry. After establishing themselves in headquarters later known as the Castle of the Persians, they invited the young men of Alexandria from the age of eighteen to fifty years to go out of the walls for receiving a gift of twenty gold denarii each in a show of magnanimity. The unsuspecting citizens, eighty thousand in number, responded, and as soon as they were assembled unarmed, Salar issued an immediate order to his troops to surround them and slay them all. After this sacrilege, the Persians left with their loads of loot and returned to Upper Egypt. When they reached the city of NIKIOU, a native traitor who may have been a Chalcedonian showed them the way to some adjacent monasteries, which were destroyed in the same way as all other places seized by the Persian battalions.
It was not until the Byzantine emperor Heraclius was able later in his reign to recapture his lost territories that Egypt could shake off the Persian yoke. Throughout that period, Andronicus remained hidden in his cell at the Angelion church. Although safe himself, he must have suffered at the loss of his people and the ruined monasteries. Within six years of his accession, he died on 20 Tubah, the day of his annual commemoration in Coptic churches.
AZIZ S. ATIYA
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.
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July 26, 2011
You are what you eat isn't just an expression - the foods we put into our bodies have a direct influence on our appearance, mood and overall health. Our skin is particularly sensitive to the influence of foods we eat. If you want to make sure you always look radiant and healthy, amp up your diet by consuming these power foods:
1. Antioxidants. Antioxidants fight toxins and free radicals that our skin accumulates from the environment, helping us to stay healthy and blemish-free. Examples of antioxidant-packed foods include blueberries, pomegranates and green tea.
2. "Healthy" fats. We're taught to think of all fat as bad, but the truth is they're an integral part of our diet, as long as we're taking in the right kinds. Saturated and trans fats should be kept to a minimum, as they do little more than add inches to our waists and extra grease in our skin. Unsaturated fats, however, are a healthy and necessary component of our diets because, in addition to providing fuel, they send the signal to our brains that we are full. Foods that include these healthy fats are avocados, olives and nuts.
3. Whole foods. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, eggs and yogurt are nutritious, and can help fight premature wrinkles and aged skin.
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The Office of Naval Research (ONR) achieved a milestone Dec. 10 when it successfully conducted a world-record 33 megajoule shot of the Electromagnetic Railgun at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. In 2008, ONR conducted a 10-megajoule shot for media and visitors at Dahlgren. Friday’s demonstration showed researchers are steadily progressing toward developing a gun that could hit targets almost 20 times farther than conventional ship combat systems. A 33-megajoule shot, for example, could potentially reach extended ranges with Mach 5 velocity, five times the speed of sound.
The Electromagnetic Railgun is a long-range, high-energy gun launch system. It uses electricity rather than gun powder or rocket motors to
launch projectiles. Its projectiles strike at more than 200 nautical miles in approximately six minutes. Electricity generated by the ship is stored over several seconds in the pulsed power system. Next, an electric pulse is sent to the railgun, creating an electromagnetic force accelerating the projectile to Mach 7.5. The kinetic energy warhead eliminates the hazards of high explosives in the ship and unexploded ordnance on the battlefield.
“Today’s Railgun test demonstrates the tactical relevance of this technology, which could one day complement traditional surface ship combat systems,” said Rear Adm. Nevin Carr, chief of naval research.
“The 33-megajoule shot means the Navy can fire projectiles at least 110 nautical miles, placing Sailors and Marines at a safe standoff distance and out of harm’s way, and the high velocities achievable are tactically relevant for air and missile defense,” he added. “This demonstration moves us one day closer to getting this advanced capability to sea.”
The Electromagnetic Railgun INP was initiated in 2005. The goal during phase I is a proof-of-concept demonstration at 32 mega-joule muzzle energy. This is about half the energy required for a fully capable 200-plus nautical mile system and would be capable of launching a 100-nautical mile projectile. This launch energy has the advantage of being able to stress many components to evaluate full-scale mechanical and electromagnetic forces.
Phase I is focused on the development of launcher technology with adequate service life, development of reliable pulsed power technology and component risk reduction for the projectile.
A second phase INP, proposed to start in 2012, will advance the technology for transition to an acquisition program. Phase II technology efforts will increase launcher muzzle energy and concentrate on rep-rate fire capability. Thermal management techniques required for sustained firing rates will be developed for both the launcher system and the pulsed power system.
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BROWSE BY TAGS
» field experts
Showing page 1 of 2 (17 total posts)
I am taking a brief departure from the soon-to-be-wrapped-up ''Book It''
series on using picture books in language interventions in order to report back
from ASHA Convention in San Diego.
I was super excited to attend this year's ''Divas + One Players'' Session:
Language Intervention in Science and Social Studies: A Panel Discussion. ...
I'm working with
several young, bright children on the autism spectrum and I need a new,
creative way to teach the alphabet. I want to take them beyond rote memory
skills and into conversational speech. What kind of ideas do you have for me?
Tips: Have I got a
great, new, techie, alphabet chart to share ...
I am happy to share some good news for those of you who have
been following the Speech in the Schools Blog over the past year. Last October in
blog post I recommended a book called ''The Spooky House of Horror'' by
Charles Fuge, Ian Craig and Ron Van der Meer. I felt horrible to discover that
it was a collectors' item and now costs a ...
love my Humpty Dumpty.
right here by me
To wish you a happy Halloween
support of ASD.
always think of ASD
courage and with grace.
has its thunder
its mask is spooky too.
underneath's a loving face.
Halloween message from Humpty and ...
A couple of
blogs ago, I wrote about several new therapy techniques/strategies/programs
that I was trying with my students this year. Now that it is nearly the end of
the first marking period (Friday!), I think I've had enough time and experience
trialing these programs to give you my opinion of each in this blog. One of the
four new ...
With Halloween coming next week, Pumpkin
Circle is a picture book you might want to consider using in your therapy.
Pumpkins are a surprisingly rich context for eliciting language! Kids love
them, and in a way, they are fruit, an activity (carving jack o'lanterns), a
scary symbol, and a link to the curriculum, all at the same ...
It scares me to
think that a child with ASD could have a tantrum on my watch. My knees -- they are a-shakin' at the
thought. It will happen, and when it does, what will I do?
Children with ASD have
tantrums. They hit and pound. They flail. They scream. They may bang their
heads against a wall or throw items. They may spit or ...
posted last week, my blog presented some fun strategies for targeting humor/
laughter and attention/focus for the very young autistic mind. The purpose of
these two blogs is to mesh the right side of the brain with the left side of
the brain and to help a person with ASD ''dance'' in a more synchronized fashion.
are two ...
Many of us feel a little torn
about this holiday at this point, with all that Native populations suffered as
a result of European exploration and colonization. A 5th grade teacher, Lynn
Penczar, who I had a great collaboration with (and still miss, as I have moved
to a different school), introduced me to a great picture book that can be ...
Part I I talked about the characteristics of
the right and left sides of the brain and how they do not dance together in people with autism/ASD. I gave you twenty signs
that I see that indicate how Mr. Left Brain and Mrs. Right Brain dance alone.
Part II I was on a kick
about strategies that SLPs bring to the table to assist ...
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Feminism | Posted by Fiona L on 04/4/2012
To Educate A Girl
I’ve often wondered if those who are provided with less, make more with what they are given. A few weeks ago, I went to a screening of a documentary called To Educate A Girl, and was convinced once again of the life-changing importance of education for girls and women. More importantly, I also realized the incredible drive to learn that permeates communities where girls are not given such opportunities.
Filmmakers Frederick Rendina and Oren Rudavsky focused on the factors that inhibit girls around the world from getting an adequate education, through chronicling the stories of several girls in Uganda and Nepal, two countries emerging from violent civil wars.
To Educate a Girl begins with Manisha, a daughter of a brick-carrier in Nepal, who has been unable to attend school …
Feminism | Posted by Claire C on 03/12/2012
Small Steps On The Feminist Journey
I can’t pinpoint one event that transformed me into a feminist activist – rather, a succession of small personal events led to a decision to co-found my own women’s rights organization and make a lifelong commitment to fighting gender inequality wherever it may be.
I feel like I always knew I was a feminist. There were things in life that bothered me, that I knew were wrong. Walking to take the bus to school one morning, at 17 years old, a nagging realization bothered me. The domestic worker (or maid as she is called here in Singapore) was washing the car in her employer’s driveway at 7:30 in the morning. I heard that she wasn’t given a day’s rest, ever. She could only leave the house when her employer allowed …
Pop-Culture | Posted by Bethan S on 02/29/2012
Yorkie: Not Just For The Blokie
The majority of us in the UK will remember the controversial 2002 campaign for the chunky, ‘King size, not Queen sized’ Yorkie chocolate bar. This campaign’s primary slogan stated daringly: ‘It’s Not For Girls’.
My younger brothers found the campaign a great novelty and drew amusement by purposefully eating the blue-wrapped bar with over-exaggerated pleasure while simultaneously boasting and proclaiming that because I was a girl, I wasn’t allowed to consume the chocolate. Be it petty child-like banter on display, it was clear that the story ran much deeper. Nestle (the company that makes the candy bar) pretty clearly implied through their slogans that women are inferior, if only to persuade males (in particular young male children) to purchase a chocolate bar.
The overall reaction to the campaign …
Feminism | Posted by Rinckey R on 02/20/2012
Jean Kilbourne’s “Killing Us Softly”
As Grand Rapids, Michigan yawned good morning at 7:45 am and the sun began blinking hello, I sat in my human sexuality and relationships class, watching one of the best videos I have ever seen in an academic setting. I strongly recommend that each and every one of you watch Jean Kilbourne’s “Killing Us Softly 4”.
As an advocate for women’s rights, I found this video very compelling and inspirational. It describes the advertising business and its push for narrowly defined sexuality, materialism, and the objectification of women.
The funny thing is that I have always been infatuated with the glossy covers of Cosmo, Glamour, and Vogue. There was something so undeniably glamorous and appealing to me about these magazines and the flirty techniques they promoted. I even used to …
Feminism | Posted by Toni FG on 01/23/2012
I Am A Huge Slut
Recently, I participated, in a willing, great hook-up. The week before I participated in a willing make-out session. I just moved to a new town. I don’t know anyone around here that well, and the unfortunate thing about that is that I don’t know who knows who — for instance how close hook-up A is to hook-up B. This is where my story really starts.
Let’s call the two guys I’ve hooked up with Boy A and Boy B. Boy A had a crush on me. Since I had only known him for about a week, I assumed it was casual. I was wrong. At some point during our short time together, he decided we were in a relationship. Now, we’re talking about a guy that I’ve probably seen four …
Feminism | Posted by Gina S on 01/20/2012
Countering Hatred on the Internet
Let’s face it: hatred on the internet is big. Hatred of all varieties including sexism, racism and homophobia (etc.) are found everywhere online, and some sites in particular are known as a breeding ground for offensive and insulting users (yes YouTube, I’m looking at you… )
Recently I was fortunate enough to stumble upon the Feminist Frequency YouTube channel. For those of you who aren’t familiar it, Feminist Frequency is a YouTube-based video series run by Anita Sarkeesian, who creates intelligent, thought-provoking videos on the rampant sexism in the pop culture of contemporary society. I very much enjoy watching all of Anita’s great videos, and was happy to find that on each there was an intellectual exchange of ideas, praise, and even debating – that’s reasonable debating- going on …
Feminism | Posted by Katherine P on 01/16/2012
Is This Really What I’m Going To Face?
I’ve always wanted to be a historian, and not just your run of the mill historian but one that changes the study and review of the discipline. But I’ve faced a problem, it’s such a subtle problem that I almost missed it, but in hindsight I realise it’s something I need to tackle head on.
To begin with, you must meet my male friend, J, now J and I are best friends due to our love of history. In fact we both want to study it in university, the difference being that J wishes to be a teacher and I wish to be an academic. During my final year of High School, J and I and others were asked continually what we wished to study.
Friend: So, what do you …
Pop-Culture | Posted by Brian S on 01/4/2012
Rudolph the Sexist Reindeer
With the holiday season just behind us, we’re all probably a little tired of Christmas movies. Many, it seems, are tired of one specific movie: Rankin/Bass’ “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. As a young child, I had my mother record this on VHS and I would watch it on loop until well into January.
It wasn’t until I got this movie on DVD a few years ago that I began to notice that the movie isn’t really that good. The animation is crude, even when compared to other stop motion animation of the time. The sound quality is a notch below what you hear in those singing Hallmark cards. The plot barely holds together under even the loosest scrutiny. Also, the messages in the movie are rather objectionable.
A few articles …
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Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.
"I'm fed up with teachers and their hefty salary guides. What we need
here is a little perspective. If I had my way, I'd pay these teachers
myself...I'd pay them baby-sitting wages. That's right...instead of
paying these outrageous taxes, I'd give them $3.00 an hour out of my own
pocket. And I'm only going to pay them for five hours, not coffee
breaks. That would be $15.00 a day - each parent should pay $15.00 a
day for these teachers to baby-sit their child. Even if they have more
than one child, it's still a lot cheaper than private day care.
Now how many children do they teach a day - maybe twenty? That's $15.00
X 20 = $300 a day. But remember, they only work 180 days a year! I'm
not going to pay them for all those vacations.
$300 X 180 = $54,000. (Just a minute, I think my calculator needs
I know now you teachers will say what about those who have ten years'
experience and a Master's degree? Well, maybe (to be fair) they could
get minimum wage, and instead of just baby-sitting, they could read the
kids a story. We can round that off to about $5.00 an hour, times five
hours, times 20 children. That's $500 a day times 180 days. That's
$90,000...HUH????? Wait a minute, let's get a little perspective here.
Baby-sitting wages are too good for these teachers. Did anyone see a
salary guide around here????"
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Update 10/20/2009: When this was posted I did not realize that October 15 was "blog action day" and the theme was environmentalism. My choice of topic for this day was purely a coincidence. (HT: Gus Van Horn)
I am generally not one to jump on bandwagons. I usually find them too crowded for my tastes, not to mention the foul odor that seems to emanate from them. But over the summer I decided to hop aboard the "go green" bandwagon.
My green initiative has several aspects. The first, and perhaps most significant, was dumping tons of water on my plants during this summer's drought. I realize that most "go green" initiatives involve conserving water, but as an individualist I will "go green" any damn way I want, thank you very much. The results of this prodigious water use were two-fold. First, my water bill rose significantly. Second, my plants stayed alive, and a few actually thrived. In contrast, my neighbor's yards turned brown, which is not very green in my book.
Another thing I did this summer was get serious about man-made pesticides. In the past I have used pesticides sparingly, primarily because I don't enjoy wandering around my yard spraying toxic chemicals when the temperature is approaching 120 degrees. But I enjoy lace bugs on my azaleas, mealy bug on my hibiscus, and white fly on everything else even less. (Just in case you don't know, lace bugs will turn the leaves of azaleas a putrid gray color, and gray isn't green. Mealy bugs are scaly creatures that suck the life out of plants, and like white fly they are--can you guess--white. White isn't green either.) I realize that true "greenies" don't use man-made pesticides, but as I previously stated, I will "go green" in the manner that I choose.
Another part of my "go green" initiative actually involved something that rabid environmentalists might actually approve. I spent time perfecting my compost piles. You (and my wife) might think it silly to have compost piles in the middle of the nation's fourth largest city. You (and my wife) are wrong.
Compost provides micro-nutrients, microbes, and other yummy stuff to the soil and plants. It makes plants healthy, wealthy, and wise. It breeds earthworms, and earthworms are our friends--they chew up dead organic material and create lots of tiny holes in the ground. And the best part is, worm poop (technically called "castings") is very nutrient rich.
I used to buy dozens of bags of compost each year to spread throughout my yard and gardens. I tended to do this over a few weekends each spring, and it was back breaking work. Now, I can spread a little compost each week, providing my adorable little plants with fresh compost throughout the year. It saves my back and the soil benefits from the steady application of humus. (Humus should not be confused with hummus, which I actually enjoy eating.) And my wife doesn't think that so silly.
An unexpected benefit of my increased interest in compost was the opportunity to commune with nature. There is nothing quite like spending an hour turning a compost pile and letting the earthy smell of rotting vegetable matter waft into your nostrils. You just can't get that experience living in an apartment.
I've also learned many interesting facts about the biology of composting. For example, the ideal compost pile has about 5 parts "brown" to 1 part "green". Now, a rational person might think that "brown" and "green" refer to colors. And that would be wrong. "Brown" refers to carbon rich materials, like dead leaves. "Green" refers to nitrogen rich materials, like fresh grass clippings. So far the brown/ green dichotomy makes sense, but coffee grounds, manure, and urine are "green".
The results of my "go green" initiative have been mixed. This summer's drought undoubtedly stunted the growth of many of my plants. But I am optimistic about the long-term. My adventures with composting are showing signs of greatly benefiting the plants and reducing my watering requirements. My indiscriminate use of pesticides resulted in no mealy bugs or lace bugs this year. My "go green" initiative is not intended to save the planet or anything along those irrational lines. My "go green" initiative is intended for my benefit and my pleasure (and my wife's). And anyone who doesn't like that can kiss my jolly green thumb.
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April 5, 2012
ANALYSIS OF SHB 5350, AN ACT CONCERNING ACHIEVING UNIVERSAL LITERACY BY GRADE THREE
By: John Moran, Principal Analyst
You asked for an analysis of sHB 5350, An Act Concerning Achieving Universal Literacy by Grade Three.
This bill requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to create a new state-wide reading program. It establishes new requirements for SDE, local and regional school boards (“boards”), and teachers to implement the program and sets a new standard regarding K through third grade reading. Under the program, a student who is deficient in reading must receive supplemental instruction. A student who does not achieve a satisfactory score on the third grade reading portion of the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) must be held back from promotion to fourth grade, with certain exceptions. Boards must take a number of steps regarding these students, including requiring them to complete a mandatory intensive summer school reading instruction program.
The bill does not define “satisfactory.” The CMTs are scored at five achievement levels: below basic, basic, proficient, goal, and advanced. It is not clear what level would meet the satisfactory standard.
The bill also has provisions regarding:
1. school districts that over-identify minority students for special education,
2. additional professional requirements regarding reading for teachers and administrators, and
3. developing incentives for teachers that demonstrate improvement in student reading.
The bill makes technical and conforming changes. It is effective July 1, 2012 and applies to school years beginning July 1, 2013 and each following year.
The bill was referred to the Appropriations Committee, which reported it out on April 3 with substitute language that removed the third grade hold back requirement and a number of related provisions including the supplemental instruction and mandatory summer school for some students. The substitute language instead expands an existing early literacy pilot program so it applies to more schools. The Appropriations Committee substitute keeps the provisions (1) requiring SDE to develop or approve new reading assessments, (2) regarding districts that over-identify minority students for special education, and (3) regarding teacher professional development in reading. The bill will have a separate analysis when it is printed in file copy.
K THROUGH THIRD GRADE READING PROGRAM (§ 1)
The bill requires SDE to develop and implement, by July 1, 2013, a coordinated state-wide reading program for students in K to third grade that contains research-driven strategies and frameworks to produce effective reading instruction and improvement in student performance. Boards must implement this program for the school year beginning July 1, 2013, and each following school year. Under the program any third grade student who does not achieve a satisfactory reading score on the CMT must be held back from promotion to fourth grade, with some exceptions.
The SDE program must require:
1. the alignment of reading standards, instruction, and assessments for K through third grade students;
2. teachers to use student progress data to adjust and differentiate instruction to improve student reading success;
3. the collection of information about each student's reading background, level, and progress for teachers to use to assist in a student's transition to the next grade level;
4. an intervention for each student who is not making adequate reading progress to help the student read at the appropriate grade level;
5. enhanced reading instruction for students reading at or above their grade level;
6. reading instruction coordination between parents, students, teachers, and administrators at home and school;
7. school district reading plans, as described in the bill;
8. parental involvement by providing parents and guardians with opportunities to help teachers and school administrators to (a) create an optimal learning environment and (b) receive updates on their student's reading progress;
9. teacher training and reading performance tests to be aligned with teacher preparation courses and professional development activities;
10. incentives for teachers and schools that demonstrate significant student reading improvement;
11. research-based literacy training for early childhood care and education providers and instructors working with children birth to age five;
12. reading instruction alignment with the common core state standards that the State Board of Education (SBE) sets; and
13. any student who is held back because he or she did not receive a satisfactory reading score to complete an intensive summer school reading program and an intensive accelerated reading class, as described in the bill.
SCHOOL DISTRICT READING PLANS AND PLAN MONITORING (§§ 2 & 3)
As part of the program, boards must develop and implement a school district reading plan. The bill requires the plan to include several elements and details how boards must monitor their plans. The bill repeals a similar requirement under current law for all boards to craft reading skills plans for students in grades K through three (CGS § 10-221h).
The district reading plans are required, starting with the 2013-14 school year, to indicate at a minimum how:
1. reading data will be collected, analyzed, and used for purposes of instructional development;
2. professional development will be related to reading data analysis and used to support individual teacher needs;
3. the district will communicate with parents and guardians on reading instruction strategies and student reading goals, and on opportunities for parents and guardians to help teachers and administrators improve reading at home and at school;
4. teachers will be trained in the science of teaching reading;
5. the plan will be monitored at the school and classroom level, as required by the bill (see below); and
6. the district will incorporate leadership, curriculum and instruction, professional development, and student assessment to improve student reading performance.
The bill requires each school board to annually monitor the district reading plan implementation at the school and classroom level to improve it. As part of the monitoring, the bill requires boards to, at a minimum, determine whether the reading curriculum, strategies, and interventions are achieving the plan's student performance goals.
The school board must submit an annual report to SDE that includes (1) the results of the reading plan monitoring and (2) an explanation of the student reading assessments it used and how student reading performance data will be collected and how often it will be analyzed.
NEW STATEWIDE READING ASSESSMENTS (§ 5)
The bill requires SDE to develop or approve a reading assessment that districts must use to identify K through third grade students who are reading deficient and thus require supplemental reading instruction so that they may obtain a satisfactory CMT reading score.
The bill requires the assessment to:
1. include frequent student screening and progress monitoring;
2. measure phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension;
3. provide opportunities for periodic formative assessment during the school year;
4. produce data that is useful for developing individual and classroom instruction; and
5. be compatible with best practices in reading instruction and research.
SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION, REMEDIATION PLANS, AND PARENTAL NOTIFICATION (§ 4)
Starting with the 2013-14 school year, the bill requires school boards to provide supplemental reading instruction to students in grades K through three who are identified as reading deficient. Furthermore, when a child is identified as reading deficient the district must (1) develop a reading remediation plan for each student, and (2) notify his or her parent or guardian (a) that he or she has a reading deficiency, (b) what the school district plans to do, and (c) that the student will not be promoted to fourth grade if he or she does not achieve a satisfactory score on the third grade reading CMT.
The supplemental instruction must be provided during regular school hours in addition to the regular reading instruction period and be aligned with the student's remediation plan.
The bill requires each student's remediation plan to address and correct his or her reading deficiency. It must include (1) alternative instructional strategies that use research-based reading instruction materials and teachers trained in reading instruction, (2) parental involvement in the plan's development and implementation, and (3) regular student progress reports. The plan may include an extended school day, an after school reading program, Saturday sessions, an extended school year, or transitional classes.
The bill requires the school principal to notify the parent or guardian of any student in K through grade 3, who has been identified as reading deficient under the bill's assessment.
The notice must be in writing and:
1. explain why the student is reading deficient;
2. inform the parent or guardian that such student will receive supplemental instruction and a remediation plan will be developed to provide the student with supplemental reading instruction, including strategies for the parent or guardian to use at home; and
3. include a statement that if the student is deficient in reading at the end of grade three and cannot achieve a satisfactory score on the reading component of the CMT, that the student will (a) not be promoted to grade four unless such student meets one of the bill's exceptions and (b) be enrolled in an intensive summer school reading program.
FOURTH GRADE PROMOTION WITHHELD FOR STUDENTS NOT ACHIEVING A SATISFACTORY READING SCORE (§ 6)
With certain exceptions, a student who does not receive a satisfactory score on the third grade CMT reading test cannot be promoted to fourth grade and must complete an intensive summer school reading program and enroll in an intensive accelerated reading class.
Under the bill, a student may be promoted to fourth grade if he or she:
1. is a limited English proficient student who has received less than two years of instruction in an English language learners program,
2. receives special education and his or her individualized education program (IEP) states that the grade reading test is not appropriate for the student,
3. demonstrates an acceptable level of performance on an alternative standardized State Board of Education-approved reading assessment,
4. demonstrates through a student portfolio that he or she is reading at an acceptable grade level,
5. is a student with disabilities whose IEP indicates that he or she has received intensive reading remediation for more than two school years but is still deficient in reading and who has been held back in K or grades one through three, or
6. is a student who has received intensive reading remediation for two or more years but still demonstrates a deficiency in reading and who has been held back in K or grades one through three at least twice.
In any of the above scenarios, the student's teacher must also recommend to the principal that promotion is appropriate based on the student's record. Any student promoted to fourth grade through one of these exceptions must receive additional reading instruction during the school day. The instruction must be based on special diagnostic information and include specific reading strategies.
Summer School Reading Program
Any student who is held back from fourth grade because he or she did not receive a satisfactory CMT third grade reading score must be enrolled in an intensive summer school reading instruction program. The program must include:
1. a comprehensive reading intervention program,
2. scientifically-based reading research strategies and interventions,
3. curricula, and supplemental and intervention materials that were not used during the previous school year,
4. diagnostic assessments administered before or during the program to determine the student's instructional needs,
5. teachers who are trained in teaching reading and reading assessment and intervention,
6. weekly monitoring to assess the student's progress and tailor his or her instruction, and
7. the opportunity for the student to retake the CMT reading component at the conclusion of the summer school program and to be promoted to fourth grade if he or she receives a satisfactory test score.
Intensive Accelerated Reading Class
The bill requires that an intensive accelerated reading class be designed to improve the reading level of each reading deficient student who was held back.
The intensive reading class must include:
1. a reduced student to teacher ratio;
2. a 90-minute period of uninterrupted reading instruction during the school day;
3. opportunities to master fourth grade standards in other core academic subject areas;
4. a scientifically-based reading research program that has proven results in accelerating student reading achievement within the same school year;
5. intensive language and vocabulary instruction using a scientifically-based reading research program and a speech and language therapist;
6. weekly student progress monitoring;
7. personalized teaching strategies and methods tailored to the particular needs of the student;
8. a teacher trained in reading instruction; and
9. at least one of the following instructional options: (a) before or after school tutoring, (b) parent workshops and a parent-guided home reading program, (c) a mentor or tutor with specialized reading training, (d) extended school day programs, or (e) supplemental educational services.
Any student who completes the intensive accelerated reading class but does not receive a satisfactory score on the reading component of the CMT may be placed in a transitional instructional setting. This setting must be individually designed for the student to help him or her achieve fourth grade performance standards.
Each board must report to SDE on the reading progress of the students in the accelerated reading class and the specific reading interventions and supports instituted as part of the accelerated class. Progress for the students in the class must be based on the data collected using the bill's reading assessments.
The bill contemplates promotions to fourth grade that may take place when a student who initially fails to meet the standard later meets it after certain interventions. The bill specifies that a student who fails to receive a satisfactory score on the reading component of the CMT may be eligible for promotion to fourth grade when he or she:
1. completes the summer reading program and receives a satisfactory CMT reading score before beginning to repeat third grade, or
2. receives a satisfactory CMT reading score during the student's repeat year and demonstrates proficiency in fourth grade reading skills.
BILL COMPARED TO CURRENT LAW REGARDING READING DEFICIENCIES IN EARLY GRADES
Table 1 below compares certain provisions of the bill to existing state law that addresses reading deficiencies in early grades. The existing law applies to priority school districts, while the bill would apply to all districts. It is not clear how the bill could be applied in priority districts that already must comply with the existing law. There are 15 priority districts in the state, based on those with the greatest academic need as determined by statute.
Table 1: Reading Deficiencies in Early Grades
Grades K through 3
Grades K through 3
Assessment to determine Reading Deficiency
Third grade CMT reading test and other ongoing assessments in earlier grades
Determined through SBE-established measures, based on middle of year or end of year evaluation.
Parental Notification of Reading Deficiency
Required to Attend Summer School Reading Program
Mandatory Hold Back of Reading Deficient Students
Yes, those who do not score satisfactorily on third grade CMT reading
Yes, only for students deficient in reading who fail to attend summer reading program (grades 1 through 3)
Required Individual Reading Plan for Deficient Students
OVER-IDENTIFYING MINORITY STUDENTS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION (§ 8)
The bill requires SDE to identify school districts that disproportionately or inappropriately identify minority students as requiring special education due to reading deficiencies. It requires these districts to submit annual reports to SDE describing their plan to reduce the misidentification of minority students by improving reading assessments and interventions for students in K to third grade.
Furthermore, the bill requires SDE to study the plan and strategies the districts use that demonstrate improvement in this area. The SDE study must examine the correlation between improvements in teacher training in the science of reading and the reduction in misidentification of students requiring special education services.
REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS (§§ 9, 10 & 12)
The bill requires all certified employees (i.e., teachers and administrators) working in grades K through third grade to pass the SBE-approved reading instruction exam. A teacher who does not pass must complete five hours of continuing education in reading instruction and retake the exam. A teacher who does not pass the exam on the third try, becomes ineligible to teach K through third grade and must be reassigned to another position.
It also requires:
1. teachers and administrators with elementary endorsements to have 30 rather than 15 hours of continuing education in reading instruction every five years, and
2. all special education teachers to pass the SBE reading exam to get their special education endorsement.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (§ 11)
By July 1, 2013 the bill requires the education commissioner to establish a professional development program in reading instruction for teachers.
The program will:
1. count towards the continuing education requirements,
2. be based on student reading assessment data,
3. provide differentiated and intensified training in teacher reading instruction,
4. be used to identify mentor teachers who will train teachers in reading instruction, and
5. outline how model classrooms will be established in schools for reading instruction.
The bill also requires the education commissioner to annually review the continuing education training required under law for teachers with a professional certificate who hold an early childhood nursery through third grade or elementary school endorsement and hold a job requiring such endorsement. The commissioner will assess whether the training meets state goals for student academic achievement as adopted by the SBE. He must submit his review to the Education Committee.
TEACHER AND SCHOOL INCENTIVES (§ 13)
By July 1, 2013, the commissioner must develop incentives, within available appropriations, for teachers and certain schools that demonstrate improvement in student reading in grades K through third grade.
The teacher incentives may include:
1. a master teacher designation for teachers who have significantly improved student reading skills,
2. performance bonuses, and
3. an option to delay the expiration of a teacher's certificate for those designated as a master teacher.
The commissioner must evaluate teachers under the program by measuring improvements within the school population where the teacher is employed.
The school incentives are for schools that (1) increase by 10% the number of students who meet or exceed the state-wide goal level in reading on the CMT and (2) demonstrate the methodology and instruction the school used to improve student reading skills and scores on the CMTs.
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Make a Plan in advance of what you’ll do in an emergency. Your life can change in an instant.
It's so important for you and your family to have a plan in place to guide everyone to safety. Take advantage of the following information to help care for yourself and your loved ones.
Read on to begin making a plan today!
FAMILY COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
Who will Everyone Contact to Say They're Okay?
Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in different situations.
Consider a plan where each family member calls or emails the same friend or relative in the event of an emergency. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
Be sure each person knows the phone number and has coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. You may have trouble getting through, or the phone system may be down altogether, but be patient.
Do You Stay Where You Are or Get Away?
Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the emergency, the first important decision is whether you stay put or get away. You should understand and plan for both possibilities.
Use common sense and the information you are learning here to determine if there is immediate danger. Watch television and listen to the radio for official instructions as they become available.
Download a printer-friendly Family Emergency Plan.
Additional information to:
Know Emergency Plans at
School and Work
Think about the places where your family spends time: school, work and other places your family frequents. Talk to your children’s schools and your employer about emergency plans. Find out how they will communicate with families during an emergency.
If you are an employer, be sure you have an emergency preparedness plan. Review and practice it with your employees.
For more information, visit Ready.gov.
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Strait of Magellan -Pali Aiki -Penguins
Trip Start Jan 30, 2010
43Trip End Sep 12, 2010
Map your own trip!
Show trip route
Where I stayed
Pali Aiki National Park, close to the Argentinian border, is a Chilean "B" list park, which in a country of incredible natural beauty, is none-the-less well worth a visit. The park encloses a region of intense volcanic activity that thousands of years ago left deep craters of varying sizes, and fantastic lava formations in shimmering shades of green, red, pink and orange. These rugged shapes and textures made hiking a daunting, even painful, endeavor. Yet, even in this charred moonscape, life endures. In the grassy lowlands, foxes and puma hunt, and herds of guanaco and ostrich-like nandu graze
We spent one night in the small town of Punta Delgada, close to the main ferry crossing to Tierra del Fuego. Thanks to natural gas exploration in these parts, the town has seen something close to a boom in recent years, with less signs of decay and abandonment than elsewhere in Patagonia, and even a few new buildings. Next morning, we at last rejoined paved highway and followed the Strait of Magellan west 150kms into Punta Arenas.
Over the next few days, we would come to know the Strait's diverse moods: dismal grey under cloud, roiling onyx with wind-whipped white caps, or, as it was the first time we saw it; still as glass and brilliant blue. Ruta 9 took us past abandoned estancias and wool processing factories and shipwrecks in various states of decay. The only things moving besides ourselves were the few cars we passed on the carreterra and seabirds over the strait. No signs here of the graceful leaping guanacos, ostrich-like nandu, grey foxes, and diverse bird life we had encountered on our "wildlife safari" across the Patagonian steppe.
We rolled into Punta Arenas on March 7, to find a bustling port city. This city of 160,000 was under construction in the center and port area, so we didn't see it in its' best light. We did appreciate its city ¨buzz¨, and low-key approach to tourism. After being on the tourist trail for weeks, here we were refreshingly invisible
Punta Arenas' major attractions include two Magellanic penguin colonies. We visited the penguins at Seno Otway, the smaller of the two. This colony has been in rapid decline, dwindling, from 10,000 in 2002, to a peak of 1,000 recorded this year. When we queried a reserve volunteer, we were told that global warming is the suspected cause -- the Arctic waters of the Humbolt current that flow up the coast of South America are not as frigid as they once were, so cold water fish that feed sea mammals are not as plentiful. Early March is near the end of nesting season, so we counted only 85 of the little fellows. Adorable they definitely are, and seeing them up close as we ambled along a roped boardwalk was a treat, Even Michael, who's generally unimpressed by cute animals, enjoyed himself. He did observe that we could see more Magellanic penguins at the San Francisco zoo (an exaggeration, but not by much).
A two hour ferry ride across the Strait of Magellan delivered us once more to Tierra del Fuego, and into the sleepy seaside hamlet of Porvenir; located on Inutil ("useless") Bay
Our final day in Punto Arenas was wild and windy, rainy and bitterly cold - a sharp reminder that winter in the southern hemisphere is around the corner. With little to do on a rainy day, we headed to the airport early and boarded an evening flight to Santiago, giving ourselves lots of time before our continuing flight to Easter Island the next morning. Having no access to television (even in Punta Arenas) or other news sources, and still unable to understand Spanish well (especially rapid-fire Chilean Spanish), we were not aware of the magnitude of damage caused by the February 27th Chilean earthquake, which measured an unbelievable 8.8 on the moment scale (similar to the old Richter scale)
That night, we took little comfort in the fact that warm tropical breezes of Easter Island were just a few hours away.
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Living with a chronic illness is much like Henry David Thoreau's experiment on Walden Pond: life is pared down to essentials. The difference is that Thoreau chose the constitutive limits of Walden Pond as part of an experiment in "living essentially," while my confinement is unbidden.
The spiritual practice of Lent is nothing less than an invitation to live essentially, whether one is healthy or chronically ill. Lent, with its introspection and sparseness, aims at stripping life down to its holy, mundane essence so that bits of heaven on earth might be discovered: without and within. For those whose physical limitations constrict them to the footpath of home, Lent's discipline is a familiar one.
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Make Money in College
Work-Study is a federally funded program that provides employment opportunities for students while enrolled in school. Federal Work-Study is awarded to qualifying undergraduate students based on financial need and the availability of funds.
As a Federal Work-Study participant, you'll earn a monthly paycheck, which can be used to pay for educational expenses. You'll also gain valuable work experience, an important asset when applying for employment opportunities after graduation. You'll select from job listings that interest you and establish a work schedule with your employer.
What You Should Know
Federal funds pay a percentage of the hourly wage, with the employer contributing the balance. Hourly rates comply with minimum wage laws and vary with the type of work performed. In 2011-12, hourly rates at UCR range between $8.00 and $15.00.
If You Get a Job
Most students awarded Federal Work-Study in their first year will receive a renewal award the subsequent year. Students who accept Federal Work-Study offers but don't actually have earnings (i.e., who don't work in a Work-Study position) will not be offered a renewal Work-Study award the following year.
Not Eligible for Work-Study?
If you don't qualify, apply for part-time (non Work-Study) positions on- or off-campus through the Career Services Center.
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Definitions of Social Search
Over the next couple of months I am going to comment on the world of Social Search! I am just about to start a dissertation on the effectiveness of search engine marketing (SEM). I am intrigued to find out whether what I have been hearing is correct. Is social search going to become the new big thing and give search engines a run for their money? Already I have read a number of conflicting views on this subject.
There have already been dramatic developments with company after company jumping on the band wagon with the introduction of social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Myspace (for the little nippers) and Friendster (for teenage ninja turtles..only joking). I have to say I am a member of facebook and despite being a little reluctant to use the site at first; I am now quite a big fan.
Social networks are already pulling in a significant and increasing number of web users.
It is a new subject to me but I plan on becoming an “expert”-so watch this space!
My research into social search so far has been mainly focused upon definitions, other people’s ideas and the latest news. I felt it important to find out all I can on social search before I can cast a critical eye.
So what is Social Search?
Social search is a type of social networking. Before internet and major search sites, such as Google, social networking was our way of collaborating information on services, products or anything for that matter. For example asking a neighbor for advice on a good hairdresser - now we'd just type it into Google! Social networking is extremely old and it was really a matter of time before someone bought it online. Social networking as defined by Google as 'a map of the relationships between individuals, indicating the ways in which they are connected through various social familiarities ranging from casual acquaintance to close familial bonds'.
Written in simple terms, social search tools provide users with way finding services conversant by human judgement.
I have searched meticulously for the different types of social search tools which are around. I decided categorising them was the easiest way. However, there are many different terms, descriptions and groups that have been used to describe the many diverse social search tools. Below are some of the most popular social search tools and i have placed them under headings which i felt were most appropriate.
Social Bookmarking Sites
Social bookmarking sites are sites that allow the user to save a particular page into their favourites, using tags to catalogue and arrange them. These bookmarks are then added to their own compilation and can be shared with other users.
The top 10 Social Bookmarking sites are (websearch.about.com):
Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites offer a virtual community to people with similar interests, hobbies or for those that like to "hang out". Communication between users is brought on through voice, chat, instant messages, videoconference and blogs.
The most popular Social Networking sites:
Social tagging is a popular way to locate, classify, rank, and share Internet resources through the use of shared lists of user-created Internet bookmarks.It is a way of recommending sites to other web users.
Two examples of social tagging sites are Stumble Upon and Eurekster.
I found loads of different views, even on the definitions, so if anyone has any comments or things to add please feel free. I would love to hear some different opinions.
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California schools are about to hit the jackpot – or at least 32 percent of it.
While hundreds of thousands of lotto-players line up for a chance to win $640 million in the Mega Million Lotto, schools are poised to win regardless of the numbers drawn Friday night.
This is because California schools get about 32 cents of every dollar spent in the state on the lottery, said Alex Traverso with the California Lottery.
Traverso estimated that Californians have spent about $300 million on the Mega Millions Lotto since Jan. 24. This means state schools and universities will win about $100 million.
This may not do much to mend the damage of the past several years' budget cuts. Since 2007, the San Diego Unified School District lost about $500 million in budget cuts. Spending on public univeristies in California has been cut by more than $2.65 billion since 2008.
And spread throughout all schools and universities, more will be funneled into the schools with higher enrollment.
"It's all based on enrollment, so schools with higher enrollment obviously are going to get a little bit larger share of lottery funds," Traverso said.
Over half of the lotto is used for the prizes. The remaining 16 percent is spent on retailer commissions, advertising and administrative fees.
Lotto money is distributed by the State Controller’s Office.
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| 0.96506
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Lomnitz is the director of Isla Urbana, a local environmental group that is pushing what it says is a simple solution to at least part of Mexico City’s water crisis — rainwater harvesting. Lomnitz says, “As the water situation gets worse and worse, our proposal gets stronger and stronger.” He explains that rainwater harvesting is a natural fit in Mexico City, since over a million homes already have tanks, or cisterns, for storing water from either the intermittent city water system or delivery trucks.
Lomnitz says water from the rainy season in the summer and fall can supply a household for up to six months. And with tanks already in place, he says Isla Urbana’s system is quick and easy to install. All that is required are some new gutters to channel the rainwater, new plumbing to draw off the first flush of water in a rainstorm, which is often contaminated with air pollutants, and a couple of special filters. The total cost is no more than six hundred bucks per household.
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Bruce, the U.S. mobile segment manager at ARM Holdings (ARMH), announced this week
another important step in ARM's plans to try to further dethrone the veteran
x86 and become the world's most used computer architecture.
I. Superpower Smartphones Almost Here
Starting late next year or in early 2013, Mr. Bruce announced this
week, smartphones, tablets, and possibly laptops using ARM's new Cortex A15
core will go on sale. Initially the chips will be dual-core designs, but
the architecture supports up to 16 cores. The cores can be clocked at up
Expect top ARM chipmakers NVIDIA Corp (NVDA),
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005390) (and
its partner Intrinsity, Inc.), Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN), and Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) to all be readying
Cortex A15 designs to ship next year. NVIDIA and Texas Instruments
recently became the first Cortex A15
licensees, indicating their design efforts have already started.
All ARM cores of a specific architecture share a certain amount of commonality,
but the actual design and performance can vary significantly between licensees.
Current cutting-edge smart phones and tablets like the
Motorola Xoom, the new
Galaxy Tab 8.9/10.1-inch models, and the LG G-Slate use
Cortex A9 processors. Cortex A9 can only support up to four cores and
clock speeds of up to 2 GHz, maximum.
But aside from bumping the core count and the speed, Cortex A15 delivers
numerous architectural improvements that should bump power performance and
increase the efficiency of parallel processing on mobile devices.
The Cortex A15 design was previously announced
in September, but this was the first time concrete availability information
II. What's Next?
Along side the architectural efforts of ARM Holdings and its corporate partners
will be a series of die shrinks. Intel Corp. (INTC) recently stated it was confident
it would beat ARM in power consumption by 2013, by moving to the 22 nm
But ARM Holding's Mr. Bruce says that Qualcomm is already moving to a 28-nm
process and will soon be joined by the other licensees. Intel currently
is at the 45 nm node, for its
latest Atom (Lincroft) mobile designs.
By 2013 ARM will likely be on the 22 nm node as well.
Mr. Bruce says that his company won't target the server market, which it calls
a "legacy" market, till 2014. Many are looking forward to ARM
servers, as they would offer a very power efficient, presumably affordable RISC
alternative to x86 designs. And with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) announcing that it would
support ARM with Windows 8, the possibility that future version of Windows
Server will support ARM seems strong.
In the meantime Mr. Bruce says that ARM Holdings and its partners will continue
to focus on mobile devices like smart phones and tablets. He says he is
excited about new "convertible" designs
like the Motorola Atrix 4G, which transform a smartphone into an impromptu
He also says that future ARM-powered devices will be capable of streaming video
over Bluetooth to your television. He states, "The interesting thing
in the smartphone space is the small screen coming to the big screen."
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|
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Recently I was at a talk by Prof David Nicholas project lead of the JISC funded Google Generation project which got a lot of attention in 2008 (the one that highlights most search is broad and shallow; users don’t go beyond first page of results, 40% never return to a site, rarely going beyond the first 3 pages etc etc)
During David’s presentation he kept going back to the idea that, historically, search for academic resources was controlled by librarians, they were the gatekeepers. If you needed to do a search you’d take your slip of paper with your keywords and search operators for approval before being allowed on a terminal to try and find what you were looking for. Internet search has obviously changed this. Now you can search almost anytime, anywhere. As a consequence the librarian is largely out of the loop, unable to assist when the person pops in their 2.3 keywords and pulls the handle, hoping they hit the jackpot with what pops out.
So what has happened is that original awareness mechanism, the slip of paper, has been lost removing the opportunity for the librarian to share their expertise. But whilst librarians secretly plot about how to turn Google off a new awareness mechanism is emerging.
The new slip of paper is something I’ve known about for a while, but it wasn’t until I was listening to David that I understood what it meant. The foundation of this understanding is Tony Hirst’s Joining the Flow – Invisible Library Tech Support (posted in September 2008!!!), which highlights how twitter could be used to “provide invisible support to their patrons by joining in the conversation” . So basically instead of waiting for that slip of paper to cross your desk you go rummaging in the bins trying to find it.
Business is already tapping into this channel below is an example of a recent experience of ‘invisible help’:
Establishing a Twitter based invisible helpdesk isn’t that hard. All you need to do is setup and monitor a some search keywords and not before long you can find yourself becoming a good Samaritan. I’ve started using Tweetdeck to monitor keywords related to blog posts I’ve written so that I can gorilla market my wares (hmm that might make a good WordPress plugin, attach some keywords as meta data and setup a Twitter robot to play good Samaritan for you). There are also some besoke tools emerging in this area. The main one I know of is the Chrome extension InboxQ, which uses Twitter to help you “find people asking questions about things you know”.
The main problem is whereas people like Zoho have a global operation your library will probably have a limited geography and Twitter is probably still used by the minority of patrons (there are ways around the geography problem like promoting a common hashtag), I still think it’s worth trying to search for those slips of paper.
Last updated byat .
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Why Gasoline Is Still King
From the Magazine: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Electric roadsters are the darlings of the press, but it is likely that gasoline will continue to dominate personal transportation.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
A little respect, please. For gasoline. Yes, we know it contributes to pollution, and yes, it is “nonrenewable,” and yes, we still haven’t learned to use it as efficiently as we could. But the fact remains: no other fuel delivers so much energy in such a small package with such flexibility, utility, safety, and simplicity. That’s precisely why it caused so much national heartburn when its price spiked this summer. It was like suddenly being told you had to pay for air.
Even though the higher prices caused a temporary downturn in gasoline consumption, the general figures still hold true: We Americans drive our 210 million motor vehicles—from abstemious little Smart Cars to big Mercedes S-Class sedans and hulking Hummers—7 billion miles and consume 390 million gallons of gasoline every day. But we still don’t seem to appreciate this amazing liquid. Gasoline is just … well, there. At the pump in about 167,000 locations across the country. Ready to power a Lamborghini or a leaf blower. One gallon contains so much energy (113,000 to 117,000 Btus) that even though almost 80 percent of it is wasted as heat and exhaust, it will still carry a loaded Chevy Suburban over the mountain or a Mini Cooper to the mall swiftly and with ease.
U.S. refineries currently wring about 20 gallons from each 42-gallon barrel of oil they process. And although this mysterious mixture of hydrocarbons has been adulterated, oxygenated, and reformulated to improve its performance and reliability and comply with ever-more-stringent air pollution standards, gasoline remains an incredibly elegant helpmeet for our personal transportation.
Once feared for its explosive properties, sometimes used as a cleaning fluid, and often dumped by early refiners as a “useless” byproduct, gasoline grew to become the magic elixir of the modern world. We’ve lost sight of the magic because gasoline is so commonplace. We grumble about its price, but we don’t really think about its true value to us.
We’ve lost sight of the magic because gasoline is so commonplace. We grumble about its price, but we don’t really think about its true value.
Whatever the price, gasoline is still an extraordinary bargain. The utter simplicity of its daily use belies its exceptional complexity. Crude oil can contain as many as 100,000 carbon compounds, and gasoline is a refined blend of several hundred of these compounds, formulated to perform in extremes of hot and cold and at widely varied altitudes, not burn too fast or too slowly, burn as cleanly as possible, and remain stable during transportation and storage.
Gasoline comes to us through a prodigious formulation and delivery infrastructure. It leaves refineries mostly through pipelines and is stored in bulk terminals near main consuming areas. Then, it is pumped from the terminals into tanker trucks that typically hold 10,000 gallons. Special additives such as ethanol or detergents that keep fuel systems clean, as well as lubricants and stabilizers, are blended into the gasoline as it goes into the tankers. When you buy a nationally branded gasoline, you are essentially getting its special additive package. The gasoline itself may have been piped to bulk storage from refineries that have processed a variety of domestic and imported crude oil, which makes it impossible to boycott oil from a particular country by your choice of gas station.
The result of all this complexity, this technical sophistication in manufacture and delivery, is gasoline of reliably high quality throughout the country—a user-friendly substance, simple to dispense; a compact and powerful liquid sitting in our fuel tanks, waiting to be summoned into the combustion chambers of the engines of our cars, boats, motorcycles, lawn mowers, string trimmers, and home generators. We may expatiate on the latest developments in electric cars and the delicious prospects of hydrogen fuel cells and various biofuels made with everything from switch grass to garbage; we may earnestly speculate about flywheels and compressed air and various gases, natural and unnatural—but we go with gasoline.
A gallon of gas weighs about 6.3 pounds and produces roughly 35 kilowatt hours of energy. That’s enough to burn a 100-watt light bulb continuously for more than two weeks. A lead-acid battery could do the same thing without needing a recharge—if it were the size of a desk and weighed a ton. Energy density is the point. We just haven’t come up with a fuel or a device that will safely and economically offer the same calorific value in such a small space as an automobile’s gasoline tank. Compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) intrigue us, but the problems of storing them (or hydrogen) in a car in sufficient quantity to approach gasoline’s range and performance continues to be a sticking point. We always come back to density.
Oddly, nothing better illustrates the overall efficacy of gasoline than an electric car. In 1900, when electric, gasoline, and steam cars were vying with one another, an article in American Monthly Review of Reviews pointed out that the gas car had “developed more all-round good qualities than any other carriage,” not the least of which was that “it carries gasoline enough for a 70-mile journey and nearly any country store can replenish the supply.” It was true back then and it remains true today. The standard to which electric cars aspire—for speed, flexibility of operation, and range—is the gasoline standard.
We may earnestly speculate about flywheels and compressed air and various gases, natural and unnatural—but we go with gasoline.
Right now the impressive Tesla electric roadster is the darling of the automotive press. Its beguiling style and cutting-edge technology have made it a sensation, albeit an expensive one, at close to $100,000 a copy. Instead of conventional lead-acid batteries, or nickel metal-hydride (NiMh) batteries such as those that are used in the Toyota Prius hybrid, the Tesla draws its energy from an elaborate and sophisticated array of 6,831 interconnected lithium-ion batteries—the kind used to power top-line laptops. These batteries, each a little bigger than a common AA alkaline, are immersed in a liquid cooling system to prevent them from becoming too hot and possibly bursting into flames when under the stress of feeding a total of 375 volts to the Tesla’s electric induction motor.
Enthusiasts see the Tesla as the “I told you so” electric car, with its world-class acceleration (a reputed 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds), a top speed of over 120 mph, and a claimed range of 220 miles. But that range will bear some scrutiny in real-life conditions as Teslas start getting into the hands of owners. Automotive testers are already sounding some warning bells. John O’Dell, who test-drove the car for Edmunds Inside Line, notes that its range may be “more like 180 miles if you like to goose it every once in a while and down around 150 if you regard speed limits as mere suggestions.” In other words, if you drive it like a sports car (which it is) you will experience a steady deterioration of performance as you drive. Add the weight of a passenger or the challenge of a curving road through hills and the downturn is more pronounced. O’Dell observes: “The quickest your electric sports car will be is in the first few minutes after you leave the garage. It just gets slower after that until you return home again.”
Make no mistake—the Tesla is an impressive performer, praised for its handling, its responsiveness in tight spots, and its rocket-like acceleration. It is often compared to a Porsche 911. Okay. Let the Porsche drag with the Tesla a few times. The Tesla may well reach 60 mph slightly faster than some versions of the 911. But, while the Tesla’s batteries are electronically panting and cooling off and its dash displays are flashing warnings about decreased range and automatically restricting the electric motor’s torque, the Porsche will go merrily on its way and cruise up to 400 miles on the remaining gasoline in its 17.7 gallon tank.
And while the Tesla is recharging its batteries over a period of hours, the Porsche can have its tank refilled in a minute or two and be on its way. The electrically refreshed batteries in the Tesla will then begin another cycle of diminishing performance, while the gasoline in the Porsche’s tank will give it optimum performance to the last drop. For all its technological edginess, the Tesla is really just another example of why gasoline is still king. After all the promises of their yesterdays, electrics remain the cars of tomorrow because no battery or combination of batteries has duplicated the energy density of a gallon of gasoline.
Ethanol as a fuel—even when it is combined with 15 percent gasoline—delivers only about two-thirds the performance and mileage of a gasoline-powered car. As a fuel additive (10 percent of a gallon) it adds absolutely nothing to gasoline’s efficacy. Its main use is as an oxygenate, which may help reduce some emissions, but at the expense of overall performance and mileage. Indeed, gasoline could be formulated to meet federal pollution standards without the addition of ethanol by increasing its alkylate content. But ethanol, an old product anointed by a new political religion, has a lot of traction right now in Washington. It is mandated to “enhance” gasoline as well as the wallets of corn farmers. Even when burdened with ethanol, gasoline soldiers on.
We Americans drive our 210 million motor vehicles 7 billion miles and consume 390 million gallons of gasoline every day.
When we get over the latest panic about gas prices, we will still want to tow boats and take our families to the lake or drive to the amusement park, and it is very likely that we will be burning gasoline to get there. We will be burning it much more cleanly, much more efficiently. Internal combustion engines continue to increase in efficiency, and we can expect advances as technologies are refined in such areas as higher voltage electrical systems; on-demand rather than continuous power for steering; continuously variable transmissions; and more efficient engine breathing through more precisely controlled valving.
The cars we drive may be more Prius-like in one sense, mating the virtues of electricity and internal combustion, but they will very likely be larger and more powerful than a Prius. The cars of a decade from now may be more like the Mercedes-Benz F700 research car now being tested. It’s a big car, as big and roomy as the present S-Class Mercedes flagship sedan. The F700 can accelerate from 0 to over 60 mph in 7.5 seconds and has a top speed of 120 mph, but it averages 44 miles per gallon and has a very clean exhaust.
This experimental sedan’s secret is its “DiesOtto” concept. An electric motor incorporated directly into the car’s seven-speed automatic transmission is combined with a turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine, which, as AutoWeek Magazine has noted, incorporates both gasoline and diesel technology to “combine the power, smoothness and low emissions of a gasoline engine with the torque, flexibility and frugality of a diesel.” Mercedes says it still has a lot of refinement to do on this drive system, but the F700 plainly shows the possibility of a large, comfortable car that weighs almost two tons, produces 238 horsepower to move with alacrity, and yet gets exceptional gas mileage for its size.
We are now in a period of what renowned energy consultant and Pulitzer Prize-winning oil historian Daniel Yergin has called a “very fevered psychology in the oil market” concerning long-term oil supplies. But the market is only beginning to awaken to how much oil the Earth can still give up—at a price. This coming decade will be an exciting and challenging one in energy, filled with surprises. One of those surprises may be a breakthrough, at last, in energy storage for electric cars. But another surprise to some, and a more likely one, will be the degree to which gasoline—used more efficiently and burned more cleanly by ever-improving engines—continues to dominate personal transportation.
Ralph Kinney Bennett writes the Automobility column for The American. He last wrote for the magazine about the secrets of success for the best-selling cars of all time.
Image by Darren Wamboldt/Bergman Group.
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Victorians from various cultural backgrounds gathered in Melbourne today to explore how they could become more involved in volunteering activities across the metropolitan area.
The Strength and Diversity in Supporting Communities seminar at Melbourne’s Multicultural Hub was launched by Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship Nicholas Kotsiras on behalf of Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan.
Minister Kotsiras said the event was one of six Coalition Government funded seminars organised by Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES) to promote the benefits of volunteering to people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
AMES is one of four volunteer-driven peak bodies that each received $175,000 last year to help community organisations attract and retain volunteers in a way that is best for them and their specific community needs. Other organisations that received funding are the Youth Advisory Council of Victoria, VicSport and Parks Victoria.
Mr Kotsiras said around 200 Victorians from different multicultural backgrounds are expected to attend the free AMES seminar series, which also includes sessions in regional and rural Victoria.
“AMES’s Strength and Diversity in Supporting Communities seminars celebrate Victoria’s culturally diverse society,” Mr Kotsiras said.
“Members of CALD communities across our state can provide a precious resource, with their wealth of cultural knowledge and language skills. Volunteering also allows people from CALD backgrounds to feel more engaged with the wider Victorian community and can provide valuable workplace experiences for migrants.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan said the Coalition Government highly valued the enormous contribution volunteers made to the broader community.
“Volunteering is vital to building strong communities. It not only improves the lives of others but also provides benefits to volunteers who can learn new skills, extend their networks and experience a sense of fulfilment through helping someone else,” Mr Ryan said.
“Research shows people who volunteer often enjoy improved health and wellbeing.”
Mr Ryan said people interested in volunteering could find useful information and a range of volunteering opportunities at Victoria’s Volunteering Portal at www.volunteer.vic.gov.au
110419 Ryan - Budding volunteers bring wealth of cultural and language skills (PDF 43KB)
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“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms…disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed one.”
“While anti-gun advocates put forth every argument under the sun for why you should not be able to own a “high capacity” magazine that holds more than 10 rounds, or that you shouldn’t be able to buy ammunition online, or that police should stop going to work until guns have been completely banned, the evidence for disarmament of law abiding citizens as a failed policy is overwhelming.
In Chicago, where guns have essentially been banned for personal defense, the murder of innocents has risen so sharply in recent months that Mayor Rahm Emanual has been left with no other option but to call on criminals to look to their morals and values to stop the carnage. Washington D.C., which bans the carrying of concealed weapons, has maintained one of the highest gun crime murder rates in the country for over three decades – since the legislation was passed in 1975. As the Washington Post notes, the disarming of local residents has been wholly ineffective noting that the “guns kept coming, and bodies kept falling.””
Via SHTF Plan
“Lt. General William Boykin (retired) told TruNews Radio Tuesday that the U.S. economy of the United States “is just about the break” and collapse. And when the dam gives way, severe food shortages and pervasive violence throughout America will warrant, in his opinion, an executive declaration of martial law.
“I’ll be very honest with you; the situation in America could be such that martial law is actually warranted, and that situation in my view could occur if we had an economic collapse,” said Boykin, a former CIA Deputy Director of Special Activities.
“The dam is just about to break on our economy, and I think when it does, there’s going to be a major disruption of the distribution of food,” he added. “And I think what you’ll see particularly in the inner cities is you will see riots, civil unrest that ultimately might justify martial law.”
Though the U.S. is the world’s largest exporter of agriculture, in the case of a currency collapse, producers will withhold shipments to retailers and consumers unable to pay in a currency other than U.S. dollars. For a time, barter will take the place of currency for those living in rural areas, but for the majority of Americans living in cities and adjacent suburbs, food shortages can emerge within 24 hours”
Via Alt Market
Only 24.6 Percent Of All Jobs In The United States Are Good Jobs per Center for Economic and Policy Research
“Do you want to know why it seems like good jobs are very rare in the United States today? It is because good jobs are very rare in the United States today. According to a paper that was just released by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, only 24.6 percent of all American jobs qualified as “good jobs” in 2010. Over the past several decades, there has been increasing pressure on corporations to reduce expenses and increase corporate profits. One of the biggest expenses that any corporation faces is labor. Large corporations all over the globe are in an endless race to gain a competitive advantage by pushing labor costs as low as possible. Sometimes this is done by using technology. Computers, automation, robotics and other forms of technology have eliminated millions of jobs in the United States and those jobs are never coming back. Millions of other jobs have been eliminated by offshoring. In our globalized economy, American workers have been merged into one giant labor pool with everyone else. That makes it very tempting for big corporations to move jobs from areas where workers are very expensive (such as the United States) to areas of the world where it is legal to pay slave labor wages. When big corporations do this, corporate profits go up, but the number of good jobs in the United States goes down. As a result, there is increased competition for the jobs that remain in the United States and this drives down wages. Meanwhile, the cost of living just keeps going up. So millions of American families have fallen into poverty in recent years, and millions of others have gone deep into debt in an attempt to survive. This dynamic is absolutely shredding the middle class in the United States.”
“The financial chess game in Europe is still being played out, but in the end it is going to boil down to one very fundamental decision. Is Germany going to allow the ECB to print up trillions of euros and use those euros to buy up the sovereign debt of troubled eurozone members such as Spain and Italy or not? Nothing short of this is going to solve the problems in Europe. You can forget the ESM and the EFSF. Anyone that thinks they are going to solve the problems in Europe is someone that would also take a water pistol to fight a raging wildfire. No, the only thing that is going to keep Spain and Italy from collapsing under the weight of a mountain of debt is a financial nuke. The ECB needs to have the power to print up trillions of euros and use that money to buy up massive amounts of sovereign debt in order to guarantee that Spain and Italy will be able to borrow lots more money at very low interest rates. In fact, this is probably what European Central Bank President Mario Draghi has in mind when he says that he is going to “do whatever it takes to preserve the euro”. However, there is one giant problem. The ECB is not going to be able to do this unless Germany allows them to. And after enduring the horror of hyperinflation under the Weimar Republic, Germany is not too keen on introducing trillions upon trillions of new euros into the European economy. If Germany allows the ECB to go down this path, Germany will end up experiencing tremendous inflation and the only benefit for Germany will be that the eurozone was kept together. That doesn’t sound like a very good deal for Germany.”
“Here is an overview of today’s release.
US Payrolls +163,000 – Establishment Survey
US Employment -195,000 – Household Survey
US Unemployment Rate +.01 at 8.3% – Household Survey
The Civilian Labor Force fell by 150,000. Otherwise the unemployment rate would have risen more.
Average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls steady at 34.5 hours
The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls steady at 33.7 hours.
Average hourly earnings for all employees in the private nonfarm workers sector rose by 2 cents.
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for May was revised from +77,000 to +87,000, and the change for June was revised from +80,000 to +64,000.”
“In a sign that the employment picture remains weak, 4.4 million people reported being permanently out of work in July, according to government figures. That number has remained abnormally high since the recession ended three years ago.
While the total number of unemployed persons increased by 45,000 in July to 12.8 million, that figure masks the true causes of unemployment, which can range from retirement to temporary layoffs to being fired.
This is because the government calculates unemployment by asking people if they have jobs and, if not, if they have looked for work in the past month. If they don’t have jobs but have looked for work, the government classifies them as unemployed – and only then does it ask why they are unemployed.”
Via CNS News
“Media bias has gone from bad to ridiculous.
During Mitt Romney’s overseas visit earlier this week, 86 percent of the coverage on ABC, CBS and NBC “emphasized Romney’s perceived gaffes,” according to a content analysis of 21 major news stories by the Media Research Center, which also compared Mr. Romney’s trip to a similar excursion made by President Obama in 2008.
The results: The broadcast networks committed 53 minutes of almost entirely negative coverage to Mr. Romney, and 92 minutes of “gushing” to Mr. Obama.”
Via Washington Times
“If you remember from the Richmond services I said that the ISM Services would likely come in around 51, maybe 52. This is a bit higher than I expected, but not crazily so. Let’s look inside.
Services activity and new orders were up, which is interesting; production registered 57.2, a major increase from 51.7 last month. But — employment went into contraction at 49.3 from 52.3.
Do service providers smell something burning? It would appear so, from the employment number.
Let’s keep an eye on those Fed Surveys — we’ve got a clear recessionary indication out of them thus far, so this month the key will be to watch those indicators and see if there’s a potential for a false alarm or if they continue to confirm a weakening trend.”
Via Market Ticker
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http://evilofindifference.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/
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Coro::LWP - make LWP non-blocking - as much as possible
use Coro::LWP; # afterwards LWP should not block
Over the years, a number of less-invasive alternatives have popped up, which you might find more acceptable than this rather invasive and fragile module. All of them only support HTTP (and sometimes HTTPS).
Works fine without Coro. Requires using a very different API than LWP. Probably the best choice iff you can do with a completely different event-based API.
Makes LWP use AnyEvent::HTTP. Does not make LWP event-based, but allows Coro threads to schedule unimpeded through its AnyEvent integration.
Let's you use the LWP API normally.
Basically the same as above, distinction unclear. :)
A different user agent implementation, not completely transparent to users, requires Coro.
This module is an AnyEvent user, you need to make sure that you use and run a supported event loop.
This module tries to make LWP non-blocking with respect to other coroutines as much as possible, and with whatever means it takes.
LWP really tries very hard to be blocking (and relies on a lot of undocumented functionality in IO::Socket), so this module had to be very invasive and must be loaded very early to take the proper effect.
Here is what it currently does (future versions of LWP might require different tricks):
This is necessary because LWP calls select quite often for timeouts and who-knows-what.
Impact: everybody else uses this (slower) version of select, too. It should be quite compatible to perls builtin select, though.
This is necessary because LWP might (and does) try to resolve hostnames this way.
Impact: some code might not expect coroutine semantics, for example, when you fork you might prefer the blocking variant because other coroutines shouldn't actually run.
This is necessary because LWP does not always use select to see whether a filehandle can be read/written without blocking, so the base class
IO::Socket::INET needs to be replaced by
Impact: Coro::Socket is not at all compatible to IO::Socket::INET. While it duplicates some undocumented functionality required by LWP, it does not have all the methods of IO::Socket::INET and might act quite differently in practise. Also, protocols other than the above mentioned will still block, at least some of the time.
All this likely makes other libraries than just LWP not block, but thats just a side effect you cannot rely on.
Increases parallelism is not supported by all libraries, some might cache data globally.
Marc Lehmann <email@example.com> http://home.schmorp.de/
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This year, the U.S. president designated July as National HIV/AIDS Awareness Month. In fact, the country was host to world leaders, scientists and health-care providers for the first time in 20 years for the International AIDS Conference in July.
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). It is spread through bodily fluids, including blood and semen, and is generally spread by unprotected sexual activity and sharing of dirty needles. HIV is not spread through casual contact. Recent studies show that young people ages 13 to 29 have the highest rate of new cases of HIV.
Preparing to write this article, I stepped out of my comfort zone, and on Nov. 3, I had a rapid HIV test. The test was done was as I was taking blood pressures for participants during a fundraiser bike run. The New Mexico Department of Health Disease Prevention Team was doing free HIV testing and providing information about all of their services, including testing for many other sexually transmitted diseases.
Before I was tested, Roxy, my disease prevention contractor, talked to
"It's vitally important that I know my HIV status." Roxy asked questions to determine my risk factors for having the disease, but about one-third of people who test positive for HIV have no risk factors. Using a small device much like diabetics use to test their blood sugar, I had a quick poke to my finger, extracting a little blood, which was applied to a strip that a medium is added to which then determines the result.
I decided to get my results immediately, so we sat together for 10 minutes. I asked her questions about the Disease Prevention Team and told her I would be writing this article. I was still very nervous, but she listened and answered all my questions. She was calm and reassuring. The test is totally confidential. You can be identified by a random number without ever giving your name. You can also have the results sent to you or given to you two weeks after the test if you're not prepared to know the results immediately. You may also request a swab used in your mouth, although this method of testing requires the swab to be sent to the lab and it takes longer to get the results.
The Disease Prevention Team's local office is at 1170 N. Solano Drive, Suite 1, in the New Mexico Department of Health building. They provide free testing, but they don't stop there. They have a team of experts that connect HIV-positive people with doctors, community agencies, mental health providers and others who provide comprehensive medical care and support. Local community partners provide collaborative care for HIV/AIDS patients and provide the resources to help people diagnosed with HIV live healthy, productive, long lives. Without treatment and interventions, HIV-positive people have a high risk of spreading the virus to other people. Additionally, HIV progresses to AIDS and it then becomes fatal, because AIDS attacks the immune system, making it impossible for those with the disease to fight infections. People with AIDS can die from a variety of diseases.
My message is this: Be informed, get tested, have your partners tested. HIV is still very much a dangerous disease and is a global public health issue. Its spread can be prevented by using condoms, by not sharing needles and by getting tested regularly whether or not you have risk factors. Please be brave for your sake and for those you love.
Biviana Cadena is the School Nurse at Mesa Middle School. She can be reached at email@example.com
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New research from Michigan State University could explain what causes the star basketball player to miss a game-winning shot: It may be because he or she is paying too much attention to the task at hand.
Doctoral student Sina L. Beilock and Thomas H. Carr, PhD, present their findings in the December issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (Vol. 130, No. 4). In their study--"On the fragility of skilled performance: What governs choking under pressure?"--Beilock and Carr examined the performance of novice golfers under three conditions. All three groups were trained to putt the golf ball at a high level of skill. However, while the first group was trained to putt under normal conditions, the second group learned to putt while simultaneously listening to lists of words from a tape recorder and saying the word "cognition" every time they heard it--a condition intended to adapt golfers to being distracted while putting. The third group learned putting with a video camera set up in front of them and after being told that professional golfers would review a tape of their performance. The researchers used this third condition to adapt putters to being in the spotlight--raising self-consciousness and increasing attention to their performance while under scrutiny.
After extensive practice, the study's golfers participated in both a low-pressure and high-pressure golfing test. The researchers were looking to see whether learning to putt while being distracted or while focusing would better prepare the golfers to perform under pressure. In other words, would adapting to focusing too little on the task at hand or adapting to focusing too much cause the golfers to choke under pressure?
During the low-pressure test, golfers putted without distraction, and all three groups sunk the ball with about the same accuracy. But in the high-pressure test, when golfers were told their performance could earn a monetary award for themselves and a golfing partner, the results were different. The group who learned putting with no distractions and the group that learned with the tape recorder distraction both did worse. But the self-conscious, videotaped group improved.
"This suggests that adapting to an environment where one is forced to attend to performance from the initial stages of learning may provide immunization against the negative effects of performance pressure," says study co-author Beilock.
That interpretation supports the hypothesis that people under pressure are more anxious and self-conscious about their performance, and, consequently, try to exert more control over their actions. The result is they disrupt their "flow." Beilock and Carr propose that the golfers in the self-conscious group were protected from choking because they adapted to the impact of being self-conscious while learning to putt.
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Historian Charles Russell Branham was born on May 25, 1945 in Chicago, Illinois to Charles Etta Halthon and Joseph H. Branham. Branham graduated from Manassas High School in Memphis, Tennessee in 1963. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rockford College in 1967 and earned his Ph.D. in history in 1980 from The University of Chicago where he was a Ford Foundation Fellow.
Branham has been a professor of history at various colleges in Chicago, including Chicago State University and Roosevelt University. From 1974 through 1985, he taught at The University of Illinois at Chicago where he was awarded the Silver Circle Excellence in Teaching Award. From 1985 through 1991, Branham was an Associate Professor at Northwestern University, and from 1991 through 1997, an Associate Professor at Indiana University Northwest. In 1984, Branham began working as an historian at the DuSable Museum of Afro-American History where he served as Director of Education and is now Senior Historian. Branham is the author of many publications on African American history and politics, including The Transformation of Black Political Leadership in Chicago, 1865 – 1943.
Branham is a member of the Organization of American Historians and the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History. He served on the Board of Directors for The Chicago Metro History Fair, DuSable Museum of African American History, the Illinois Humanities Council and on the Executive Committee for the Chicago Archives of the Blues Tradition. From 1989-1990, he was the Chairman of the United Way of Chicago’s Committee on Race, Ethnic and Religious Discrimination. In addition, Branham has served as a consultant to the Chicago Board of Education for their curriculum development for a Black History study unit. Branham also sat on the Board of Trustees for Rockford College from 1990 to 1992. He won an Emmy Award as the writer, co-producer and host of "The Black Experience," the first nationally televised series on African American History. In 1983, Branham was an expert witness in the PACI case which forced the City of Chicago to give greater political representation to African Americans, and in 1990, his testimony before the Chicago City Council laid the foundation for the city's minority business affirmative action program.
Branham was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on November 3, 2008.
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Researchers in the Netherlands have found that 39 percent of Dutch pigs and 20 percent of pig farmers are infected with an antibiotic resistant bacteria strain known as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).
This particular new strain has infected humans in several other European countries as well as Canada and Singapore.
Scientists fear that an MRSA epidemic in livestock may be inevitable, with animal farms a major source of MRSA infections among humans. Variants of the bug have also been found in pig and cow meats.
New serious contagions like MRSA could impose added burden to health and disease control systems already struggling with the current swine flu pandemic.
Official counts of swine flu pandemic cases in at least 168 countries and territories have reached 219,681 with 1,882 deaths, though the real tally is many times higher.
Cases in Asia have been rising relentlessly, with Macau reporting 300, China 2,350, and Indonesia 812.
Nearby Australia reported 5 more fatalities in adults.
Upon being diagnosed with swine flu on Tuesday, Nobel Peace Laureate and Costa Rican President Oscar Arias stated, “The pandemic makes no distinctions. I am one more case in this country and I am being submitted to the recommendations that health authorities have established for the entire population.”
Meanwhile, the widely applied remedy Tamiflu is raising concerns in the United Kingdom, where so far 418 reports have been filed reporting adverse side effects including allergic reactions and nausea.
We send our prayers for a safe recovery, Your Excellency President Arias and all others suffering from the swine flu virus as well as MRSA.
Our condolences to the loved ones of those who have succumbed to these diseases.
May we prevent such grave ailments through greater compassion shown toward our mistreated animal co-inhabitants. Referencehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18325034 http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE57A0JR20090811?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNewshttp://www.spa.gov.sa/English/details.php?id=691879 http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=2019060&Language=enhttp://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/11/content_11862295.htm http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=161320http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25908602-5006784,00.html
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|Home > Programs & Services > Migrant Education|
Graduation Enhancement / Counseling
(956) 984 - 6248
Title I, Part C –Education for Migrant Children states the following: we are to support high quality and comprehensive educational programs for migratory children to help reduce the educational disruptions; ensure that migratory children who move among the States are not penalized in any manner by disparities among the states in curriculum, graduation requirements, and State academic content and student academic achievement standards; and design programs to help migratory children overcome educational disruptions.
Secondary Credit Exchange and Accrual: As secondary education students move from school to school, and migrate from state to state, documentation of courses taken and recommended becomes significant in their educational development. Districts are also responsible for complete and partial credits awarded by schools.
Graduation Enhancement: The Migrant Education Program promotes the transition to postsecondary education through the promotion of students leadership academies, the development of college entrance exam support, TAKS performance improvement activities, correspondence courses through The University of Texas of Austin, counseling, and coordination of activities that ensure that all migrant students are processed for post secondary opportunities.
The following websites are beneficial for Coordinators, Directors, and Counselors;
Office of Migrant Education
The mission of the Office of Migrant Education OME is to provide excellent leadership, technical assistance, and financial support to improve the educational opportunities and academic success of migrant children, youth, agricultural workers and fishers, and their families.
Counselors and teachers can find current workshops and latest information relative to migrant students:
Intercultural Development Research Association
IDRA is a vanguard leadership development and research team working with people to create self-renewing schools that value and empower all children, families and communities. Audio classnotes podcast available.
Texas Education Agency
The mission of the Texas Education Agency is to provide leadership, guidance, and resources to help schools meet the educational needs of all students.
Counselors have access to conference information, frequently asked questions, guide for program development, links, and contacts.
Graduation Requirements for students entering 9th grade from 2001-2002 and thereafter; 2004 -2005 and thereafter; and 2007 -2008 and thereafter;
Senate Bill 1108 passed during the 78th Texas Legislature, Regular Session 2003, requires that secondary schools create Personal Graduation Plans for secondary students who are not passing the TAKS and those who, are at risk of not graduating.
The High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) have existed since 1967 and 1972 respectively.
Migrant Scholarship information:
National Portable Study Sequence Program
The Portable Assisted Study Sequence (PASS) Program consists of self-contained, semi-independent study courses which enable students to earn secondary-level academic credits.
Out of State TAKS testing and intra/inter state coordination of migrant student services;
ACT is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides more than a hundred assessment, research, information, and program management services in the broad areas of education and workforce development.
Teachers and counselors are the linchpins to excellence in education. College Board Advocacy aims to raise awareness of the value and importance of K-12 teachers and counselors, who provide direct services to students and their families.
“Children in the Field”
Texas Migrant Interstate Program
Contact TMIP at 1-800-292-7006
Title I, Part C Migrant Education Consolidated Application PS3101, Part 3. Before the first day of school, districts must develop a Priority For Services action plan for serving PFS srtudents. The Plan must clearly articulate criteria for defining student success, including timelines for achiving stated goals and objectives.
2008-2009 Priority for Services Action Plan powerpoint and sample template
(Click on a link below to download)
Region One Education Service Center - 1900 W. Schunior - Edinburg, Texas 78541 - Phone: (956) 984-6000 Fax: (956) 984-7655
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The benefits of overseas aid
(Text of a letter published in the Sunday Business Post, 25 July 2010)
Earlier this month, when Minister Martin reported in the Oireachtas on his trip to Ethiopia and Uganda, he spoke of the “enormous progress” made in that country in the last 25 years. The Minister’s trip showed, again, that Ireland’s overseas aid programme is working, and that Irish aid is making real and lasting changes in the lives of some of the world’s poorest people.
The Minister’s trip is one more illustration that the ‘recipe’ to eradicate the worst forms of poverty – the eight “millennium development goals” – is working, and that 11 of the 20 countries making the most absolute progress towards the Goals are amongst the poorest countries in Africa.
The investment of the past is now making a tangible and large-scale difference, and Africa’s economies are growing at ever increasing rates. Overseas aid is contributing to international stability, and it is encouraging trade and helping to create new economic partnerships with Africa’s 900 million potential producers and consumers.
Aid is helping to improve the climate for investment in developing countries and is generating enormous amounts of good-will towards Ireland and Irish companies. Our aid programme is the catalyst for many of these opportunities. What’s more, it is Ireland’s calling card to the world.
And our overseas aid programme can help us get out of the downturn: Our strategy to combat the recession is based on the need to repair the damage to our international reputation that has arisen out of the banking crisis. We now need to demonstrate that we are a country capable of keeping its promises, and willing to play its full role in the global society of states. Through the aid programme, we are given a chance to do just that.
We must, therefore, deliver on our overseas aid promise. We cannot afford not to.
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Most people who live in the United States agree that America is a nation of immigrants. During the course of the country's history, our "melting pot" culture has spoken to generations of people seeking a better life for their family. Regardless of how long one's lineage has existed here, whether thousands of years if Native American or a few months if a recent émigré, we all share the same passion for democracy and the pursuit of happiness.
That's why I take this opportunity to voice my concerns about the controversial views put forth by Samuel P. Huntington in "The Hispanic Challenge," published in Foreign Policy magazine by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Although the information presented is based on hard data, his personal "spin" on the current and future status of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. is terribly divisive and attacks one of our society's greatest strengths--our diversity. Just as Huntington exercised his first amendment right to free speech, I will do the same.
Taking the Challenge
I must admit that until my managing editor sent me the link with a short article summary, I was not familiar with Huntington or his writings, but this blurb was enough to get my attention:
The persistent inflow of Hispanic immigrants threatens to divide the United States into two peoples, two cultures, and two languages. Unlike past immigrant groups, Mexicans and other Latinos have not assimilated into mainstream U.S. culture, forming instead their own political and linguistic enclaves--from Los Angeles to Miami--and rejecting the Anglo-Protestant values that built the American dream. The United States ignores this challenge at its peril.
After taking some time to read the essay, I wanted to know more about the author. Samuel P. Huntington is an Albert J. Weatherhead III University Professor and chair of the Harvard Academy of International and Area Studies at Harvard University. He has published other works such as his 1996 The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order and Reconsidering Immigration: Is Mexico a Special Case? written for the Center for Immigration Studies in 2000.
Although I don't agree with many of the views offered in "The Hispanic Challenge," I'm glad it was written because it sparks debate and intellectual curiosity. Believe it or not, many people share the same views even if they don't admit it. The best way to confront the issue is to put everything on the table and invite rational discussion. To read other responses to the essay, please see the text box below.
The "Challenge" is much too long for me to provide excerpts and commentary on each disputed assertion, so I'd like to address a few of the "big picture" topics. These include immigrant numbers, language, and tolerance.
This particular quote seems to encompass the crux of his paper and all of the subtopics.
In this new era, the single most immediate and most serious challenge to America's traditional identity comes from the immense and continuing immigration from Latin America, especially from Mexico, and the fertility rates of these immigrants compared to black and white American natives.
As mentioned earlier, America was built on the backs of immigrants. Although he doesn't say we should "shut the door" to prevent more Mexican immigrants from entering the country, he implies that something must be done to stem the tide. He admits the logistics of policing the 3200-kilometer border would be impossible, but even if we could do it, do we have the right to stop accepting foreigners because we are afraid of becoming outnumbered?
From the beginning mankind has been a wanderer and has settled around the globe. Does he think things will change now just because we will it so? Other countries have to deal with immigrants from former communist-block countries, political refugees, and those fleeing war and famine. The U.S. isn't the only sovereign state having to deal with large numbers of immigrants.
When I asked Emilio Bruna, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of wildlife ecology and conservation and the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Florida, whether Mexicans were changing the "flavor" of America he said, "We ARE changing the flavor of America and though Huntington may not like to admit it, many of those changes are for the better. The contributions of Latino immigrants to the development of U.S. science and technology have been impressive, considering the barriers many have had to overcome. As a Mexican I am particularly proud of Mario Molina's 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and I'm sure his students are glad he chose to teach and conduct his research at MIT."
Huntington offers more data on birth rates and the continuing trend:
In 2002, fertility rates in the United States were estimated at 1.8 for non-Hispanic whites, 2.1 for blacks, and 3.0 for Hispanics.
By 2002, more than 70 percent of the students in the Los Angeles Unified School District were Hispanic, predominantly Mexican, with the proportion increasing steadily; 10 percent of schoolchildren were non-Hispanic whites. In 2003, for the first time since the 1850s, a majority of newborn children in California were Hispanic.
Huntington's information is backed up by census data. The number of native-born Caucasians in the U.S. continues to decrease. In 1999, Caucasians represented 72%, African Americans 12.1%, Hispanics 11.5%, Asian or Pacific Islander 3.8%, and Native Americans less than 1%. But, by 2025 the U.S. population is projected to have 62% Caucasian, 18% Hispanic, and 13% African American with Hispanics comprising almost half of the population by 2050 according to " The Changing American Pie, 1999 and 2025" from the Population Reference Bureau, a Social Science Data Analysis Network. However, Huntington ignores the fact that almost two-thirds of Earth's population is brown. Although those of European descent are the majority in the U.S., they are the minority on the rest of the planet.
I also asked Jabbar Bennett, Ph.D., a research and science specialist in the Office for Diversity and Community Partnership (DCP) at Harvard Medical School, to comment on Huntington's use of population data. He says, "We should use current census data, racial and ethnic population distribution forecasts, and factors such as fertility rates to our benefit. We need to put policies in place that support these growing populations of people who may be uninsured or underinsured. We need to form policies that will protect these Americans and their children that will ensure their rights to health care and education as citizens of this country just like any other taxpayer. Adding to the list of existing disparities in health and health care by denying immigrants their essential rights is not something the U.S. government should contribute to."
Huntington's article goes on to point out individual state increases in the Hispanic population from the recent past. These also seem to confirm future projections.
While the absolute numbers are often small, the states with the largest percentage increases in Hispanic population between 1990 and 2000 were, in decreasing order: North Carolina (449 percent increase), Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Nevada, and Alabama (222 percent).
Because I live in North Carolina, I've seen this increase first-hand, but a Public Broadcasting System documentary titled " Matters of Race, The Divide," helped me to really understand the reason so many Mexicans are moving to these states, particularly North Carolina. The film, directed and produced by John Valdez and associate produced by Malinda Campbell, discussed the fluid situation in Siler City, North Carolina (see the text box below). A decade ago Siler City was like any other small town in the South. It was largely composed of Caucasian and African-American working-class people, but now Mexicans have become a major part of the local fabric. This migration started when a group of Mexicans came to town looking for work, but because the town's industrial plants were hiring and the new immigrants were making a living and sending wages back home, word spread that jobs were available.
"The Divide" brings us to one of the real reasons for the immigration explosion--jobs. Many Mexicans do the jobs most Americans wouldn't touch. I was always taught there is dignity in all work, so we citizens shouldn't trash a job because we think it is beneath us. What would any human do if they were poor, hungry, and watching their children starve? We all need to work to secure basic needs, so why deny a group or groups who are willing to work for it?
¿Habla Español o Inglés?
Huntington acknowledges a major shift in pre-World War I immigrant languages spoken in the U.S. such as Italian, Polish, Russian, and German to the present influx of Spanish, but continues to color the debate with citizenship issues.
A persuasive case can be made that, in a shrinking world, all Americans should know at least one important foreign language--Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Russian, Arabic, Urdu, French, German, or Spanish--so as to understand a foreign culture and communicate with its people. It is quite different to argue that Americans should know a non-English language in order to communicate with their fellow citizens.
When I took a foreign language in school, we were taught the reason behind it was to be able to "communicate" with others regardless of where they were from or their citizen status. His close-minded comments, however, could easily be applied to other ethnic groups. For example, most large American cities have a "Chinatown" section, and any English-speaking person visiting this area would be hard pressed to see English written on billboards or businesses or heard it spoken most of the time. If American-Chinese immigration numbers had risen to the same level as Mexicans, would we be talking about them the same way?
One might suppose that, with the rapid expansion of the Mexican immigrant community, people of Mexican origin would have less incentive to become fluent in and to use English in 2000 than they had in 1970.
Huntington fails to give both sides of the story when it comes to language. He acts as if Mexicans are thumbing their noses at English, but actually many Mexican immigrants are trying to learn English, to make their transition into U.S. society easier. According to Mary Ann Zehr's January 2003 article in Education Week, " Poll: Immigrants Value Speaking English," 90% of the 1002 foreign-born immigrants who took part in the phone survey believed that learning English was important in getting a job or doing well in the U.S. In addition, two-thirds said, "the U.S. should expect all immigrants who don't speak English to learn it."
The same article also states, "Mexican and Caribbean immigrants are more supportive of bilingual education than Europeans and East Asians, but a majority of each subgroup surveyed still favors classes only in English." So, Latino parents want their children to learn English just as much as Huntington does, but they still want to retain the right to speak their native tongue, just like other immigrant groups in this country.
Will this work? In an article published by the Advocates of Children , written by Catherine Mann, the Hostos-Lincoln Academy of Science in New York City has been successful in urging Latino students to move from bilingual classes to English-only classes. Some 86% graduate on time and most go on to attend college. They even offer "English as a Second Language" courses on Saturdays to parents and students.
Well, if native Spanish speakers are trying to learn English, what are native English speakers doing? Spanish continues to lead all languages in high school and college according to a 2003 article by Cindy Rodriguez published on FreeRepublic.com. Out of the 6 million high school students who took a foreign language, 4 million took Spanish with French being the next popular with 1 million.
Also, approximately 700,000 college students take Spanish courses each year, compared with 500,000 studying all of the other languages combined. Finally, the nation's largest Spanish-language school, Command Spanish, has seen its enrollment double between 1997 and 2002 (40,000 completed coursework in 2002). Other Spanish-language schools are opening in small and medium-sized cities all over the country.
Being fluent in other languages is beneficial, as Bruna can attest. "The fact that my students and I speak Spanish in my classroom and lab [as well as Portuguese and English] can only enhance the quality of their education." Bennett concurs by saying, "It is true that there are economic and political advantages to being bilingual, simply meaning that you are able to communicate with audiences that constitute a large portion of the population, that others cannot. This makes you more marketable and aids in your survival, prominence, and success. To me this is simple arithmetic, not part of a ploy to undermine the entire U.S. political, social, cultural, and financial infrastructure."
Love Thy Neighbor
Huntington agrees that after the civil rights movement and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, Americans see themselves as a multiethnic and multiracial nation, which means by definition having "many ethnicities and races," so how does this square with his view that Mexicans are threatening the situation? This appears to contradict the basis of his argument.
Also, according to the last sidebar in the article, "The Threat of White Nativism," there is a movement in America called white nativism which is "an anti-Hispanic, anti-black, and anti-immigrant movement composed largely of white, working- and middle-class males, protesting their job losses to immigrants and foreign countries, the perversion of their culture, and the displacement of their language." Although Huntington does not place himself in this category, one does wonder whether he is a champion of the cause or a purely objective political analyst reporting the data as he sees it.
Finally, I have to address one important point Huntington makes early in his declaration. He provides six key elements of Anglo-Protestant culture and lists Christianity and religious commitment as two of them. Yes, the U.S. is and always has been largely Christian, but he fails to emphasize the one tenet that the New Testament commands, that we MUST love one another and help each other. We are all children of the most high and no one is better than the next person. We truly do have more similarities than differences. Sadly, we humans haven't learned our lessons from the past. Cultural, social, or racial clashes won't solve anything; they'll just make matters worse. If we don't learn to live together, we'll all die together.
Robin Arnette is editor of MiSciNet and may be reached at email@example.com.
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White Hospital - 1894
In 1894, Wilford W. White, M.D., a young surgeon, saw the need for a hospital to treat accident victims in the area. Dr. White, who was also instrumental in early plans for what is now The Cleveland Clinic, came to Ravenna after completing his studies at the Western Reserve Medical College. He purchased a home on East Main Street in Ravenna, and the facility became known as The White Hospital, housing 18 beds and an operating room.
The White Hospital soon expanded to offer limited surgical services. But overcrowded conditions prompted Dr. White to build a new facility on North Chestnut Street at the corner of Cedar Avenue where the current Ravenna Post Office now stands.
The new, 25-bed hospital opened Oct. 1, 1903, in a two-story brick building featuring private rooms, small wards, a second-floor operating room and a kitchen on the first floor. The White Hospital continued to grow with 243 operations performed in 1909. By 1912, 10 physicians staffed the 30-bed facility.
Becoming a county-owned hospital - 1917
In September 1917, an ailing Dr. White offered the county the option to purchase the hospital, and in November of that year, voters approved a $50,000 bond issue to fund the purchase. It was then the hospital became a county facility directed by a board of directors appointed by the Portage County commissioners and common pleas court judge.
By 1920, 48 beds were available, but increased local population and patient needs forced the hospital to operate for nearly a decade at double its capacity. The situation attracted the help of three brothers, Thomas Robinson, a New York City Lawyer; Navel Architect Richard M. Robinson and California banker Henry Robinson. The Robinson brothers grew up in Ravenna and proposed presenting their deceased parent's homestead to the county along with $75,000 for a new hospital. The gift was offered on the condition the county residents contribute an additional $75,000 for construction, which was approved in 1931.
George F. and Mary A. Robinson Memorial Portage County Hospital - 1932
The hospital was designed by Good and Wagner of Akron and by Kent architect Charles G. Kistler. P.L. Frank Construction Co. of Ravenna built the hospital and finished two weeks ahead of schedule. On Feb. 21, 1932, 1,600 residents celebrated the dedication of the George F. and Mary A. Robinson Memorial Portage County Hospital. The hospital was named for the Robinson brother's parents. During the dedication celebration, a 15-piece orchestra performed and guests could view a display of roses from the White House courtesy of President Herbert Hoover, a friend of Henry Robinson. The facility now serves as the Portage County Administration Building.
The Robinson's nearby home became a boarding house where nurses could live for $15 a month. It was torn down in 1956.
The new hospital originally housed 50 adult beds, eight infant bassinets, two operating rooms, a labor room and a delivery room. Additional services were soon added, including an emergency room, laboratories and an x-ray department.
It was not long before residents recognized the demands on the facility and the need for expansion. By the late 1930s, the hospital was once again overcrowded, and in 1940, voters approved a bond issue for an addition. The addition allowed for 110 beds and 30 bassinets.
The 1950s saw continued growth and expansion at the hospital, including a laundry and storage building, an administration facility, an expanded x-ray department, two new elevators and an increase to 206 licensed beds. A 1961 renovation program provided for the remodeling of the children's ward and an additional 38 hospital beds, for a total of 244. By 1962, more than 10,000 people were seeking treatment in the emergency department that was originally built to serve between 700 and 800. A much-needed emergency room expansion and an intensive care unit were part of the renovation in 1966.
Following the defeat of a bond issue for further expansion, a feasibility study in 1972 determined that the county needed a new hospital. Voters approved a bond issue in 1973 and the county purchased the Tisher family farm on North Chestnut Street as the site of the new hospital. Groundbreaking on July 27, 1975 marked the beginning of a two-year construction period, which ended with the hospital dedication on Aug. 7, 1977. Total construction costs were $23 million.
Robinson Memorial Hospital - 1977
Moving to the new hospital was a major operation as both facilities had to be up and running at once. August 20 was moving day, and it took 4 hours to move 117 patients - including one in traction with a neck injury - to the new facility. Hundreds of volunteers helped, and the army reserve medical unit also assisted. The Conrail trains were halted through Ravenna so as not to disrupt the 2.5-mile move. During the move, a baby was born at the old hospital and a baby was born at the new hospital. The next day, the hospital had 52 new admissions.
The hospital campus has undergone a number of changes since opening in 1977. In 1984, under Phase II of the new hospital, the North Wing was added for outpatient services and other departments, and the South Wing was expanded. The hospital also began acquiring new diagnostic radiology equipment for MRIs, CT scans and mammograms.
Outpatient Centers - 1984
The hospital began its first experiment with an off-site facility in 1984 when it acquired Med Center One - Kent. This urgent care center treats patients when their primary care physician is not available and offers evening and weekend hours. Med Center One - Streetsboro, another urgent care center opened to the pubic more than a decade later in 1996.
Hospital officials continued to explore healthcare opportunities in communities like Kent and Streetsboro in the mid-90s. The hospital began work on the Kent Medical Arts Building in 1993. This building was the first in a complex of physician practices, diagnostic centers and healthcare facilities. It originally housed more than 15 physicians, the Kent Outpatient Services Center and the Kent Mammography Center. Later, the Diabetes Care and Education Center was added and the Portage Kidney Center opened. The Robinson Surgery Center opened next door to the Kent Medical Arts Building in 1997. This free-standing surgery center is the only one of its kind in the county backed by the full services of a hospital. In Streetsboro, a new medical building accommodating Portage Pediatrics opened in May 2000, and a new building for Streetsboro Family Practice opened in September of the same year.
Back at the hospital's main campus, the 1990s were also watershed era for construction projects and hospital renovation. In 1993, an addition was built for a new cardiac catheterization lab to support the diagnosis and treatment of cardiology patients. The Emergency Department began a FastTrack program in 1995 to separate patients with minor injuries and illnesses from those with urgent needs. Also in 1995, the cafeteria was renovated providing more menu choices and dining comfort. A major expansion and renovation of the laboratory was completed in 1997 as was a renovation of all patient rooms and nursing units on 2-East, 2-West, 3-East and 3-West. The hospital also built an annex in 1997 called the Robinson Medical Arts Building. This three-story facility houses two floors of physician offices, The Rehab Center at Robinson and Robinson Radiation Oncology.
During this era, the hospital also began acquiring local health care organizations to provide additional services. In 1996, the hospital affiliated with Allied Health Rehab and created the Rehab Center, which now also includes a Sport Clinic and has offices in Kent, Ravenna and Streetsboro. In 1997, the hospital absorbed the Greater Portage Area Visiting Nurse Association and formed the department Robinson Visiting Nurse and Hospice. This organization helps individuals deal with life-threatening illness and surgery recovery at home.
The Millennium - 2000
Robinson greeted the new millennium with its first Web site, launched in 1999, redesigned in 2004 and again in 2010.
Construction momentum from the earlier decade continued with a new Emergency Department, now a level III Trauma Center, opening in January 2000. The newly renovated Cardiovascular Center opened in June and the new Birth Center at Robinson was unveiled in September. The hospital broke ground on a new Radiology Department in 2002, which began serving patients in 2003. Also in 2003, Robinson expanded services to Aurora with the addition of a new medical center. The hospital also redesigned front roadways and its main entrance appearance, adding a distinct copper-colored cupola, in 2004.
The Robinson Memorial Foundation launched its first major fundraising campaign, Robinson Tomorrow, in 2003, which aims to raise $3 million by the end of 2007.
The turn of the century was also a time of rising healthcare costs and increased competition from hospitals in other counties. Robinson responded by forming cost-saving alliances with some of the top healthcare providers in the region. Officials cut the ribbon for Children's at Robinson, a pediatric in-patient unit affiliated with Akron Children's Hospital, in 2005. In February of that year, the hospital also began a joint venture with Akron General Medical Center in radiation oncology. In 2007, the hospital became an affiliate member of Summa Health System, aligning it with one of the best healthcare systems in the country.
The hospital kicked off its first advertising campaign in 2005 with the slogan "Excellent Healthcare Where You Need It" emphasizing its convenient location - 20 minutes from anywhere in the county. The campaign continues to evolve, and features billboards, TV commercials and in-house displays. After one year of the campaign, the hospital was distinguished as having the most improved hospital image of any in the nation, as surveyed by the Jackson Organization.
Robinson Memorial's efforts to build off-site continue today. The Robinson Imaging Center at Kent opened its doors in 2006, offering state-of-the-art radiology diagnostic procedures. In 2006, the hospital broke ground on a second medical arts building on the main campus. This building will house the Endoscopy Center and a Cardiac Center of Excellence. Construction plans for a Brimfield medical office are currently underway as well as plans for a medical arts building in Streetsboro. Today, the hospital has 14 health affiliate practices and hospital centers in 11 locations.
Robinson Memorial Hospital also earned its share of recent accolades. The hospital achieved Magnet recognition status in 2006, becoming one of only 235 hospitals nationwide highlighted for outstanding nursing care.
Ninety Years Strong - 2007
In 2007, Robinson Memorial Hospital celebrated 90 years as a county-owned facility, 75 years as Robinson Memorial Hospital and 30 years at the Chestnut Street location in Ravenna. The hospital hosted a picnic for employees, volunteers, Auxilians, board members, distinguished guests and their family members. Children enjoyed inflatable slides, face painting and music. Robinson Memorial's President & CEO Stephen Colecchi and Board President Gordon Ober made statements to the crowd, and proclamations were presented by Ravenna Mayor Kevin Poland; County Commissioners Maureen Frederick, Chris Smeiles, and Chuck Keiper; State Representative Kathleen Chandler and U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, who also presented a flag flown over the Capitol Building in honor of Robinson Memorial Hospital. The evening ended in a 15-minute fireworks display.
Robinson Memorial Hospital will continue to expand and bring top medical care and technology to the residents of greater Portage County.
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| March 1, 2011
A World in Turmoil
The world is a quite an unsettled place as I write this. Decades of bottled-up frustration have exploded in the Middle East. The area once led the world in science and commerce. But despite all the wealth derived from oil, the lives of most people in the region showed little advancement and opportunities for growth and prosperity seemed out of reach.
I hope that these revolutions that have toppled the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt and seem likely to do the same in Libya, while forcing governmental policy changes in Syria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and other states, is more akin to the American Revolution than the French. I say that not because I’m an American, but because our revolution was about removing a remote authoritarian ruler who siphoned off some of the money, and did not become a vengeful, mob-ruled chaos leading to another authoritarian leader.
People in North America in the mid-1770s wanted more say in political decisions, and opportunity to create better lives for themselves. I’ve seen a similar sentiment in areas of the Middle East. Politics is complex, and I can’t begin to analyze everything. But I know that one problem is with educated people without good prospects for middle-class jobs. Some of the stories coming from Egypt reflected on that theme.All about opportunityWhen I was in that country a couple of years ago, I met a man and started a conversation. He asked what work I did. I gave him a business card and told him I wrote about manufacturing and automation, and how to make these industries and the world a better place because of it. He told me his son had recently graduated with a chemical engineering degree, but he couldn’t find work. I told him to send me a note and I’d suggest some possibilities. I didn’t know how bad it was at that point.This discussion is ironic because here in the United States, we’re worried about how to find and train more good engineers. With an unemployment rate still hovering above 9 percent, good manufacturing jobs requiring skills and education go begging. We received several letters and essays in response to an article based on interviews I did with chief technology officers of major automation corporations. There will be much more discussion of education, training and evangelizing, trying to entice more of our young people to take up science, engineering and technology careers.If there is one place where science and politics intersect where it shouldn’t, it’s in the area we now call sustainable manufacturing. The roots of today’s sustainable manufacturing came from early efforts at energy saving—mostly to reduce or eliminate the necessity of building more power plants. I believe that the Lean movement and its focus on reducing waste was also influential. The political part comes from the third root—“green.”Green became a political movement and actually a political party in some countries. Green party members have been elected to several national legislatures. In the United States, conservatives conjure up one special bogeyman—Al Gore. But, as I quoted one manager in my sustainability article this month (see p. 34), the discussion is about business, not politics.I’m from rural Ohio, and was taught to not “live like the hogs,” that is, don’t live in filth. That is part of the sustainable manufacturing movement—to reduce or eliminate material sent to landfills. But the other part of my early life education was to not waste. This I carried over to my manufacturing experience. Lean was a natural, common-sense thing for me. Where you reduce waste, you improve things—profits, efficiency and life.Automation is an integral part of sustainable manufacturing. Things must be measured, analyzed and controlled. Automation often gets accused of putting people out of work. Several people we interviewed for this month’s issue maintained that, based upon their experience, automation actually both saves jobs and offers opportunity for more jobs with better pay and greater engagement.
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Those bullies who were there through your teenage years may end up turning into the bullies in your work environment. But, how do you deal with aggressors? Is it similar to running to tell a teacher or principal? Well …. not if your boss is the culprit.
Workplace bullying is a problem that many people face as evidenced by the creation of the Workplace Bullying Institute. The Institute strives to prevent bullying in the workplace throughout the U.S. through the implementation of the Healthy Workplace Bill (HWB). If your state doesn’t have the HWB, Madame Noire highlights things that you can do on your own to deal with the problem:
If you find yourself a victim of workplace bullying, there are some first immediate steps you should take. “Document and isolate,” advises former Old School rapper turned sports agent and children’s author Glenn Toby, author of Lil G Faces the Brooklyn Bully. “This means contact a person in authority in or out of your organization to get assistance and consult them regarding the matter. Isolate means to identify each of the violations. Use eyewitnesses [and] recording devices (check local and regional laws). If there is a group of people offending you, breaking up the mob will help you in creating a strategy to identify who is lying or can help legal personnel or a law enforcement professional to better investigate and document the abuse.”
Read more at Madame Noire …
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These languages have been spoken in the British Isles since at least the Iron Age until today, originally as the majority languages but now as minority ones in Wales and Cornwall. In Ireland, the Isle of Man and Scotland the Brythonic languages have been replaced by Goedelic ones. By emigration there are also communities of Brythonic language speakers in Brittany, and Patagonia.
Other major characteristics include:
The major Brythonic languages today are Welsh and Breton, both of which survive as community languages. The Cornish language died out at the end of the eighteenth century, but attempts at reviving it started in the 20th century and are ongoing. Also notable are the extinct language Cumbric, and possibly the extinct Pictish although this may be best considered to be a sister of the Brythonic languages. The late Kenneth H. Jackson argued during the 1950s, from some of the few remaining examples of stone inscriptions, that the Picts may have also used a non-Indo-European language, but some modern scholars of Pictish do not agree.
The modern Brythonic languages are generally considered to all derive from a common ancestral language termed British, Common Brythonic, Old Brythonic or Proto-Brythonic, which is thought to have developed from Proto-Celtic and which was possibly introduced to Great Britain by the 6th century BC. The retired German linguist Vennemann has suggested that an earlier hypothetic language, Atlantic, may have influenced the Brythonic languages, but this is not generally accepted. Mario Alinei denies the existence of a pre-Celtic language and says that Celtic languages arrived in the Paleolithic but this is not generally accepted either. It is possible that a Germanic language may have been present in Eastern England because of cultural links across what is now the southern North Sea but was dry land in the Mesolithic, and this could have influenced the Brythonic languages. Stephen Oppenheimer has suggested that the Belgic invasions in the first century BC could have brought a Germanic language to Britain. However, it is clear from classical authors that Celtic was used for place and river names by 300 BC.
Brythonic languages were probably spoken prior to the Roman invasion at least in the majority of Great Britain south of the rivers Forth and Clyde, though the Isle of Man later had a Goidelic language, Manx. Northern Scotland mainly spoke Pritennic, which became Pictish, that may have been a Brythonic language. The theory has been advanced (notably by R. F. O'Rahilly) that Ireland was populated by speakers of Brythonic before being displaced by speakers of a Q-Celtic language (possibly from the Quarietii tribe of southern France), although the authors Dillon and Chadwick reject this theory as being implausible.
During the period of the Roman occupation of southern Great Britain (AD 43 to c. 410), Common Brythonic borrowed a large stock of Latin words, both for concepts unfamiliar in the pre-urban society of Celtic Great Britain, such as urbanisation and tactics of warfare, and for rather more mundane words which displaced native terms (most notably, the word for "fish" in all the Brythonic languages derives from the Latin piscis rather than the native *ēskos > Wysg river). Approximately eight hundred of these Latin loan-words have survived in the three modern Brythonic languages. Romano-British is the name for the Latinised form of the language used by Roman authors.
It is probable that at the start of the Post-Roman period Common Brythonic was differentiated into at least two major dialect groups - Southwestern and Western (in addition we may posit additional dialects, such as Eastern Brythonic, spoken in what is now eastern England, which have left little or no evidence). Between the end of the Roman occupation and the mid sixth century the two dialects began to diverge into recognisably separate languages, the Western into Cumbric and Welsh, and the Southwestern into Cornish and its closely related sister language Breton, which was carried from the south west of Great Britain to continental Armorica. Jackson showed that a few of the dialect distinctions between West and Southwest Brythonic go back a long way. New divergencies began around AD 500 but other changes which were shared occurred in the 6th century. Other common changes occurred in the seventh century onward and are possibly due to inherent tendencies. Thus the concept of a common Brythonic language ends by AD 600. It is thought that substantial numbers of Britons remained in the expanding area controlled by Anglo-Saxons, but the only information on their language may be obtained from place names. Over time it is thought they gradually adopted the English language.
The Brythonic languages spoken in Scotland, the Isle of Man and England began to be displaced in the 5th century through the influence of Irish (Scots), Norse and Germanic invaders. The displacement of the languages of Brythonic descent was probably complete in all of this territory, (except Cornwall and the English counties bordering Wales), by the 11th century (date of extinction in various parts of the territory is debated). Ivernic is a Brythonic language that may have been spoken in Ireland.
The number of Celtic river names in England generally increases from east to west, a map showing these being given by Jackson. These names include ones such as Avon, Chew, Frome, Axe, Brue and Exe.
Some researchers (Filppula et al., 2001) argue that English syntax reflects more extensive Brythonic influences. For instance, in English tag questions, the form of the tag depends on the verb form in the main statement (aren't I?, isn't he?, won't we? etc). The German nicht wahr? and the French n'est-ce pas?, by contrast, are fixed forms which can be used with almost any main statement. It has been claimed that the English system has been borrowed from Brythonic, since Welsh tag questions vary in almost exactly the same way. This view is far from being generally accepted, though.
An alternative way to teaching the hypothetic-deductive method/ Una forma alternativa para la enseñanza del metodo hipotetico-deductivo/ Uma forma alternativa para o ensinamento do metodo hipotetico-dedutivo.(ESSAYS/ ENSAYOS/ ENSAIOS)
Oct 01, 2007; SUMMARY The hypothetic-deductive method (HDM) is a very useful tool to understand the functioning of natural systems....
"Compensating Devices and Methods for Detecting and Compensating for Sampling Clock Offset" in Patent Application Approval Process
Mar 20, 2013; By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Electronics Newsweekly -- A patent application by the inventors Chen, Yi-Chuan (Kaohsiung...
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Talking It Out
If truth can be listened with calm
CHIT CHAT BY ADARSH AJIT
Maharaj was fond of collecting stones of different natural shapes; stones were his friends.
Yesterday while walking on the road his feet tossed against a little stone. He stopped and picked it up. He kept the stone on his table. Suddenly his mood changed. He believed that like human beings stones reflect different moods. But these were not gems or those stones which are studded in the rings to change luck. His stones unfolded mysteries. Once he picked up a fish-like stone from a local nallah. In the evening he met an accident. He is still limping. He wants to throw that stone away. Courage fails him.
Next morning he went to his office. He is a displaced employee.
Like other days, all was normal. Fatigue, sickness, pain of losing things and depressive outlook were the identification marks of most of the displaced employees though they were given the salaries.
Dr Faesal who stood first in the civil services examination was the talk of many Kashmiris living in Jammu. Some were jealous of him. Five displaced employees were sitting in that 5 x 6 feet room. A table, three chairs, an old settee, a broken trunk and a locker were the official property. The past and future of the dwindling employees were imprisoned. But more imprisoned were the minds of all. Intense heat, domestic tensions and hostile conditions have made the minds blunt. Nothing to accept!
“Don’t talk now about Faesal,” Dalip said.
“I believe that Kashmiri Muslims are much advanced intellectually,” Maharaj replied
“This is appeasement. Kashmiri Pandits have done splendid,” Dalip countered
“Please don’t misinterpret. I am plain. Muslims are now advanced. Why do you deviate?”
“Kashmiri Pandits are also advanced but they are suppressed.”
“Dear Sir, I simply say that Kashmiri Muslims are advanced in every field. And Dr Faesal has made everyone proud.”
“What exemplary deed has he done? He has done IAS through Urdu. I can do IAS in no time.”
Maharaj was this time in anger. Arrogance of Dalip prompted him to react. He said: “Kashmiri Pandits can also do IAS through Hindi. By the way, if it is so easy then why among fifty lac Muslim population only three Muslims passed? But my point is this; You are a PhD and I am a matriculate, right, why don’t you accept it? Why oppose unnecessarily because he is a Muslim and you are a Pandit? By the way, during a seminar organized recently on state level, only Dr Nisar impressed me. He was to the point.”
“Leave this chanting…..Dr Nisar. What have you seen? My brother worked in Kashmir for two years. He was PA to…..”
“My brother worked for twenty years in Kashmir. But what has it to do with Dr. Faesal? I say Muslims are advanced intellectually and educationally. There are writers, poets, columnists and economists. I saw recently on a television channel a Kashmiri Muslim economist taking part in a discussion and speaking sense.”
“What economist? How can there be an economist? There are no industries.”
“Ha, ha… Are industries important for anybody to become an economist?” You seem to be a fundamentalist. We have become masters of press conferences and Abhinav theatre functions. We are living in shallow wells. We have restricted knowledge. Have we ever tried to compare the writings of Kashmiri Muslims with those of exiled writers? Have you read Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer who is a young man? Do you read the poetry of Kamil?”
“Stop this now. You know nothing. You are a ninny.”
“You are really a fundamentalist. I am talking of intellectual and educational advancement of Kashmiri Muslims. You are talking something else.”
“Listen……..” Dalip was absolutely out of wits. He was seething with anger. Lack of reason and knowledge had made him absolutely dull. Some leaders and professors proclaiming themselves the messiahs of Kashmiri Pandits and masters of Kashmiri culture and literature have turned the youths unthinking. Instead they should have advised the community to learn the lessons even from their enemies. Accepting truths and learning from the enemies could have helped us. Big spectacles but lesser vision! Big heads but narrow minds. Big poets but lesser poetry! Great analysts but zero analysis! Only publicity! Hypocrites!…Ignorant!
“Stop it now,” Maharaj told.
Dalip went out gnashing his teeth. Maharaj returned home. He was disturbed. He felt that he should have stopped discussing when Dalip had told him that he could do IAS in the twinkling of an eye and that Faesal had done his IAS through Urdu.
Maharaj took a cup of tea and was talking to his stones at home. More knowledgeable than the arrogant and the ignorant in the room 5 x 6 feet!
Since then Maharaj has not seen Dalip.
All Party Parliamentary delegation recently visited Kashmir. For the last three months the people of Kashmir are on the roads. They have attracted world attention. Dalip would be listening to the stories of self-glorification from his scholar friends and leaders in any 5x6 room this time.
Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST
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Washington, Apr 25: Emotional upheaval is more likely to impose a heavier burden on women's hearts than men's, says a study. These findings show that coronary (heart related) blood flow actually increases More
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The History of WSOP
Ted Binion is credited with founding the World Series of Poker (WSOP) back in the 1970s. The tourney was based on a 5-month high-stakes contest between legends Johnny Moss and ‘Nick the Greek’ Dandalos, over 20 years ago. The popular of that event and those succeeding it were the cornerstone of today’s WSOP.
Johnny Moss won the very first WSOP, by popular vote, not by process of elimination. By the 2nd WSOP event, the winner was selected by process of elimination: the last man standing. This time it was Johnny Moss too. The 3rd WSOP was won by Amarillo Slim. Subsequent winners have become the stuff of legend.
The worldwide explosion in poker gaming popularity means that this game has come a long way since the 1970s. The more WSOP bracelets a player wins, the more popular that player is. The hype around the WSOP has grown in leaps and bounds with the addition of satellites and online poker tourneys.
The determination of the WSOP final table sparks lots of interest. Back in 2008, the WSOP generated tremendous buzz with advertising spots being sold on players’ bodies for the final table via Ebay. That same year, Peter Eastgate became the youngest-ever player to scoop the WSOP Main Event and $9.1 million, at the tender age of 22. Before him, Phil Helmuth held the mantel.
The World Series of Poker – All Are Eligible
Owing to the prolific nature of online satellites, the WSOP is now a global phenomenon. Virtually anyone, anywhere in the world has a chance to compete in a WSOP event. Prior to Chris Moneymaker winning his seat to the WSOP via PokerStars in 2003, few folks believed the concept of satellite tourneys held much water.
That changed overnight when Moneymaker won the WSOP that year.
The WSOP is held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada – just as it was back in 1970 with but a few players. Today there are tens of thousands of entrants from all over the world competing in this prestigious tournament. The Main Event buy-in costs $10,000.
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The Department of Homeland Security today released details on its plan to grant “deferred action” to immigrant youths who were brought to the country as children. The announcement, which was accompanied by an updated FAQ and other materials on how to apply, comes eight weeks after DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano revealed the initiative, which could immediately benefit more than 900,000 immigrants. The new guidance from DHS addresses many questions about the application process—the answers to which appear below—but leaves others unresolved.
Who will be eligible for deferred action under the initiative?
Immigrants may apply for deferred action if they have no valid immigration status; entered the United States before age 16; were 30 or younger as of June 15, 2012; have lived continuously in the United States since June 15, 2007; have not been convicted of specified criminal offenses (see more details below) or otherwise pose a threat to public safety; and are in school on the date the application is filed, have graduated from high school or earned a GED, or served in the military. Applications will only be considered for immigrants who are currently 15 or older, unless they are currently in removal proceedings or have a final order of removal or voluntary departure.
How and when can applicants apply?
Starting August 15, qualified immigrants may apply for deferred action by submitting a form, which has not yet been released, to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Before submitting an application, however, immigrants who are currently in detention should first contact their detention officer or the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Public Advocate at (888) 351-4024.
How much will the application cost?
There will be no fee associated with the deferred action application itself. However, all applicants will have to pay an $85 biometrics fee associated with a background check. In addition, unless falling under certain exemptions for impoverished individuals, recipients of deferred action who want a work permit will have to pay the standard $380 fee to obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD). More information on fee exemptions will be made available on August 15.
What evidence must be submitted with the application?
Among other evidence, applicants may submit financial, medical, school, employment, or military records to demonstrate their eligibility. School records include, but are not limited to, GED certificates, report cards, and school transcripts. Affidavits will generally not be sufficient to demonstrate eligibility, except for the requirement that the applicant has been continually present in the United States since June 15, 2007. Additional information will be made available on August 15.
Will information in the application be kept confidential?
According to DHS, any information provided in the application, including information relating to applicants’ family members or legal guardians, will not be used for immigration enforcement proceedings, unless the applicant meets the existing criteria for referral to ICE or issuance of a Notice to Appear (NTA) in immigration court. (See below.)
Will applicants who are denied deferred action be placed in removal proceedings?
According to DHS, the administration will follow existing policies regarding the initiation of removal proceedings for immigrants who are denied benefits for which they affirmatively applied. Under a November 2011 memo, such immigrants will only be placed in removal proceedings if they engaged in fraud during the application process; have been convicted of an offense making them removable from the United States, or are under investigation or have been arrested for an “egregious public safety” criminal offense; or pose a threat to national security.
What criminal convictions will make applicants ineligible for deferred action?
Applicants will not be eligible for deferred action if they have been convicted of (1) a felony, defined as any crime punishable by more than one year in prison, (2) a “significant” misdemeanor (defined below), or (3) three or more other misdemeanors for which they were sentenced to more than five days in jail, not including minor traffic offenses. Convictions for immigration-related offenses classified as felonies or misdemeanors by state laws (e.g. Arizona SB 1070) will not be considered.
What is a “significant” misdemeanor?
DHS will deem “significant” any misdemeanor, regardless of the sentence imposed, involving burglary, domestic violence, sexual abuse or exploitation, unlawful possession of firearms, driving under the influence, or drug distribution or trafficking. In addition, DHS will deem significant any other misdemeanor for which an applicant was sentenced to more than 90 days in jail, not including suspended sentences and time held pursuant to an immigration detainer.
Will deferred action recipients be permitted to travel outside the country?
Yes, but only if they first apply for and receive a special travel document known as “advance parole.” Generally, advance parole is only granted for travel relating to humanitarian, educational, or employment purposes. By departing the country, however, immigrants who were previously unlawfully present in the United States for more than six months after their eighteenth birthday could face legal obstacles re-entering the country or applying for a green card in the future.
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By Todd Misura via Who Forted? Magazine
When skeptics and believers alike look for evidence in the paranormal fields of inquiry the overwhelming question regards evidence. Where is it? What is it? What should be counted as evidence?
We have video, picture, and eyewitness testimonials, and even physical evidence in some cases, but it never seems to hold up. Why is that? It’s possible that the reason we don’t have evidence that even believers can stand behind a hundred percent is tri-fold. I’m going to break down several topics of interest, and give my thoughts on why we might not have any usable evidence. Well, public evidence at least.
Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Other Hairy Dudes
When Sasquatch researchers go searching for clues or evidence, one of the biggest finds happens to be the reason for the creature’s nickname: footprints in soft dirt, sand along creek or riverbeds, and other soft marshlands. We seem to have many footprints, but not any real fur, bone, scat, or even a body. When it comes to Sasquatch sighting and there is visual evidence of video or pictures, it seems to be very blurry or out of focus. When we do have fur or hair to be analyzed it comes back inconclusive at best, American Black Bear at worst.
So, what gives? Why is solid evidence of Bigfoot so hard to find? Here’s a few thoughts:
Sasquatch is metaphysical in nature
Perhaps Sasquatch is a physical creature only part of the time, almost as if he is half here, and half in another dimension. There are strange stories of Sasquatches and other creatures being picked up or dropped off in UFOs, arriving or leaving in green mists, and other just plain bizarre acts of arrival or disappearance. This is a strange enough idea, but if Sasquatch were metaphysical they could only leave partial evidence behind, like, say.. footprints.
Sasquatch is entirely supernatural, a woodland spirit
When one is sighted by human eyes, they’re as real as anything else, just ask a witness. But once photographed or recorded on video, the recordings lose definition or clarity, particularly while the subject is on camera. Of course, there are hoaxes out there, and we can and do get duped every now and then by those that are particularly well-done, but what of the unsolved evidence that really stands out?
The Sasquatch or Yeti tend to be the focal point of the shot, they’re blurry yet usually identifiable, though other pictures taken with the camera or even in the same shot, things are in focus and clear. If these creatures are either metaphysical or entirely supernatural, I would hazard a guess that they might have the ability to, well.. “blur” reality. Or perhaps have the ability to “jam” electronics if they want to be photographed. Hell, maybe it’s a passive thing.
If we can believe that something is a form of supernatural or metaphysical creature or entity, we can also believe they will be able to warp or effect reality if strong enough. If Sasquatch is a personification of the earth or woodlands, technology isn’t exactly its best friend…
Unidentified Flying Objects
The field of ufology makes me the most curious as to the things that are really going on, specifically why we don’t have particularly good evidence. This is especially perplexing considering the high speed cameras and advanced technology widely available to observe and record strange things everywhere.
One reason for lack of concrete evidence is actually quite simple: they don’t land on the ground and are just really good at avoiding being shot down or captured.
Aside from the theory of being fantastic escape artists, there could be several other reasons why we lack good evidence of extraterrestrial craft.
It’s an entirely natural phenomena on Earth
It’s possible that the UFOs we see in photographs and video clips are just a natural occurrence that we don’t quite understand. The spheres, lights, and even tube-like objects reported could be a form of plasma, a biological response to certain geological conditions, or even simply a kind of weather related phenomena.
The uniform shape, colors and speeds of similarly shaped objects can’t be denied, though. When someone actually manages to snap a photo, or are lucky enough to capture a video, they seem to blend into the skies they occupy, and video footage is usually too shaky to examine properly. Those particular objects might lend themselves to military craft. Good luck getting information about that.
They are multi-dimensional, or have a “bubble” around them.
We’ve seen UFOs capable of some astounding feats, many of which are completely un-repeatable by modern technology if piloted. The 90 degree turns and sudden bursts of speed exhibited by these objects tend to make me think that they are either not fully here, or have shields of some sort. The occupants of most space vehicles will tell speak of the toll it takes upon the body for exiting and re-entering our atmosphere. It’s certainly not the thickest around, but the g-force exerted during some of these maneuvers would crush a man. So, to have a machine perform these maneuvers with occupants is unheard of unless they have anti gravity tech that compensates.
Extraterrestrials, Ghosts, and Other Creatures
This is a catch all for the entities that are extremely random or unclassifiable that happen to turn up in blurry photos from time to time. We have the extraterrestrial peeping toms, the cave goblins, the duende, or the ghost haunting an old prison. Again, with these creatures, no real evidence seems to exist.
MORE . . . .
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Amazon drops California associates to avoid state sales tax
This post has been corrected. See note at bottom for details.
Amazon.com dropped about 10,000 California-based associate sales partners late Wednesday so that it would not be forced to collect California state sales tax on purchases made through them. The tax is new and was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday as part of a plan to close a gap in the 2011-12 budget.
As passed, the law requires large out-of-state retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases that California customers make on the Internet. Those taxes were lowered by 1 percentage point to ease the implementation.
What Amazon expects to gain from cutting off its sales partners is "not entirely clear," the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
Amazon's associates, better known as affiliates or marketing affiliates, use Amazon to help sell their products and either pay a percentage of each sale to Amazon or collect a small commission from Amazon on each sale, depending on the arrangement....
Apart from losing the income generated by the affiliates, the company would still have to pay sales taxes on goods purchased by Californians directly from its site, assuming the law stands up to likely legal challenges.
Connecticut, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Arkansas and Rhode Island have all passed similar laws requiring Internet retailers to collect sales tax -- sometimes called an "Amazon tax" -- and Amazon responded by dropping its associate partners in those states, CNN Money reported.
Only in New York state, which also passed a similar measure, has Amazon not dropped its associates; there, it has challenged the law in court.
"It's odd that a company would voluntarily dilute its business in the most populous state in the country simply because it's being asked to collect what is lawfully owed," Mark Hedlund, a spokesman for California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, told CNN Money.
According to two experts contacted by the Wall Street Journal, the California law is a likely candidate for a court challenge. California lawmakers maintain that it is designed to help level the playing field for brick-and-mortar retailers in the state.
[For the record, 6:16 a.m., June 30: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said Amazon had dropped its California sales partners late Thursday and that Gov. Brown had signed the legislation Thursday.]
-- Carolyn Kellogg
Photo: Scott Eells / Bloomberg News
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Water as dumpster.
Water as transportation. Connection.
Water as design challenge, as failure. As words and environment.
As business, cure-all pharmaceutical, and resource.
But mostly, water in a multi-faceted study by artists and scientists.
“Surface Tension,” which ran through August 11th at the Eyebeam Art + Technology Center, explores the subject of water, showing how it links innumerous areas of life. I entered aware that water is central to agriculture, survival, and the environment, but exited Eyebeam with a hunch the dozen or so represented ideas do not even begin to cover water’s ubiquity.
While conservation and access to safe drinking water is stressed—this is what the reusable bottle-toting, efficient shower head-using crowd would expect—the exhibition becomes much more elusive by muddling the line between art and science (all entries have been chosen by open call). [click to continue….]
The play ends on a dramatic note, although the resolution has been evident from the start, and the audience gives a generous applause. “Olives and Blood” imagines the intertwinement of Federico Garcia Lorca (the liberal writer who lived in his native Spain through the turmoil following the Spanish American War in 1898) and Trescante (a Fascist who part-took in Lorca’s murder).
The story is so simple: political extremes are blinding and stunt the poles’ original missions for progress. Olives and blood, peace and war. Yet what recovers the audience from the initial confusion, or possibly even disappointment, is the strong themes that are probed by both Lorca and Trescante. The first scene, to give a bit away, can be thought of as the inner struggle; the cartoonish devil on one shoulder and angel on the other, battling it out. To locate the voice of good based on personal understanding of violence would be to obfuscate the struggles each character faces individually. They have excuses and we have compassion. It is a trap. [click to continue….]
"Maurizio Cattelan: All" at the Guggenheim. Photo Credit: Chang W. Lee
How much do we trust amusements parks and museums with our lives?
If you think that only the former creates some risk, then visit the Guggenheim Museum
and stand under — that’s right, under — the behemoth of “Maurizio Cattelan: All
,” up through January 22, 2012. The Italian artist
has taken his work, mainly sculpture, and suspended it from the ceiling. Much of the work deals with frustration, animals, politics, and Cattelan’s likeness, or play with proportion. There is a miniature functioning elevator, a little boy who drums out a non-rhythm sitting on a horse cart, realistic pigeons that claim all of the works involved, and 121 other works of art.
At the top floor visitors can see the circular metal platform which holds up the densely presented works; most of the ropes (whether for physics, aesthetics, or for a more fanciful idea) hold up only one piece but drop off at varying heights throughout the rotunda’s six stories from ceiling to lobby level — in other words the rope does not tie to one sculpture and then continue down to hold another sculpture’s weight. It is a retrospective, where the work is an end to itself.
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1836 Occupied by aborigines.
1837 August 16: Probable arrival of first white land seekers.
1837-38 First white settlers. Henry Anderson settled on the Woolshed Creek at east end of Bala Street, but gave the area over to 18 year old William Cross Yuille. Anderson went south, about three miles, and settled on what was then Saltwater Creek. He later sold to Jock Winter, who renamed the area "Bonshaw". Archie Yuille built the first house in the Sebastopol area, on the south side of the Woolshed Creek, so named because Yuille had built a woolshed on the east side of the Yarrowee Creek.
1838-51 Stock routes had become well worn roads. The main ones being: the Government Road, which later became Albert Street; Three Chain Road, which was the route to Trawalla, Raglan, Elmshurst, Crowlands, Glenorchy, Four Posts and Horsham. Portland Bay Road which went more or less from the south end of Sebastopol, across west of Waterholes, and through the Ranges. There were no towns at this time. The main Geelong to Portland road, marked on early map.
1851 February 6: Black Thursday when all the country was burnt out. Black Hill became so named because of this. Discovery of gold at Clunes, Buninyong and Ballarat.
1851-54 When gold was discovered, the Main Road was the stock route. Being in the wet season Winter's Flat became a bog, and so the prospectors kept to the east side of the creek, and so the road became the Miners Road. This road was used for many years. It later became the main road in Magpie Gully, which during the working of the Franchmans, Whitehorse, Raglan and other leads, became quite a busy place, with many hotels, stores and shops. The Wesleyian Church was on the hill to the centre and the first Welsh Chapel was about quarter of a mile to the north.
1852-54 First church services held in slab hut at Magpie Gully. This place was east of the Magpie Methodist Church on the old Miners Road. A plaque was on the wall of this house up until the 1940's.
1854 December 3: Eureka rising, a large number of people took refuge from the licence hunters in Magpie Gully. Whitehorse lead opened up.
1854-55 Seige of Sebastopol in Russia, October 9, 1854 to September 18,1855. "Sebastopol" was named because of the blasting in the rock at the Frenchmans Lead, it went under the plateau.
1855-56 Four tent camps within the boundary of Sebastopol.
1855 "Redan", that locality without a boundary, but, because a part is in Sebastopol, was also named during the sedge of Sebastopol.
1856 First steam engine erected in Sebastopol by James Cuthbertson, on the claim No. 35 on the Frenchmans Lead (the Equitable Co).
1856 May: Cumberland, Durham and Cornish Co, Round Tower Co and United Miners Co began sinking their shafts. Cobblers Lead opened up and Cobblers Township established. Cobblers was the area surrounding Queen Street. Mr John Wall of Sebastopol appointed first mining surveyor on the district goldfields.
1856-60 Many famous Sebastopol alluvial mines commenced operations.
1857 Magpie Gully school No. 415 in use.
1858 From the Miner and Weekly Star December 31, 1858 report: The Welsh residents of Ballarat held a grand Eisteddford in the United Presbyterian Church, Armstrong Street on Christmas Day. The Welsh choirs performing were: Ballarat Welsh Choir, Sebastopol Welsh Choir, and Cambrian Hill Welsh Choir. Prizes were competed for in duets, recitations and rehearsals. This Eisteddford continued for a number of years always on Christmas Day. (Extract from the diary of a Welsh swagman, December 1869: I walked ten miles to the Welsh Eisteddford at Ballarat on Christmas Day). This Eisteddford was the fore runner of the famous South Street Competitions, and was held as early as 1858 and still recorded in 1882. The Eisteddford changed dates to St David's Day, March 1.
1858 October 4: Albion Mining Co began sinking their shaft. Woolshed lead opened up. Welsh Chapel opened in Cobblers.
1859 A prosperous year in Sebastopol, shops, stores, hotels and homes being built.
1860 April 24: Extensive flooding.
1861 A Miss Kent had a Girl's School near the Albion No.1 mine. Welsh Presbyterian Church established. Zion Congregational Church established.
1861 September 9: Sebastopol Common School No. 578 came into being, presided over by Edward Swiss. Sebastopol and district population estimated at 20,000.
1862 February 28: First race meeting at Miners Racecourse.
1863 Sebastopol police station opened and police reserve established. January: Miners reserve became Miners Racecou rse. First crushing of quartz in Sebastopol at the Prince of Wales mine.
1864 January 1: Edward Whatty presides over the Common School No. 578, which was on the site of the Anglican Church.
1865 W J Clark also had a large butchering business in Cobblers Gully, this could have been the business taken over by Thomas Dickenson.
1866 February 25: Magpie Wesleyian Church opened.
1867 April 8: Opening of Welsh Presbyterian Church in Welsh and English. Boom year for all Sebastopol alluvial mines.
1868 June 23: Sebastopol Primitive Methodist Church foundation stone laid.
1868 December 31: Town water connected to the borough. First Fire Brigade formed (Mr Muller first Captain) and received a donation from council for equipment. First rifle range used. Many notable people visit Sebastopol, including the Earl and Countess of Belmore - Miss Gladstone. Winters Freehold Mining co floated and then purchased land for 25,000 sovereigns and a £25,000 cheque from the famous Jock Winter who originally squatted on the whole of the land that later became Sebastopol.
1869 January 12: Sebastopol Masonic Lodge first meeting.
1865-70 Town gas comes to the borough.
1870 January: The Ballarat and Sebastopol Miners Union formed. This was the first miners union in Victoria.
1871 May 3: 10/- reward for the conviction for damaging the public gardens; also the Welsh Baptist Church held a picnic in the gardens located in the reserve. Alluvial mining declining. December 11: Gas lamps replace kerosene lamps.
1865-72 There were five private schools in Redan and the same number in Sebastopol.
1873 January 22: Sebastopol State School No.1167 officially opened, but classes were held in Holy Trinity Hall and Primitive Methodist Church, with W E Whatty the first head teacher. Local school of design operating at Mechanics Institute. Sebastopol Fire Brigade compete along with 13 other brigades in Melbourne at the first fire demonstration held in Victoria.
1874 Many alluvial mines wound up and Prince of Wales mine flooded out.
1875 January: New Sebastopol State School No.1167 in Yarrowee Street first occupied. Redan State School No.1289 opened. John Dennant first head teacher.
1876 Winters freehold only mine working in Sebastopol. The City of Melbourne Bank in business at Sebastopol (almost on the same site as the present State Savings Bank), courtesy of LaTrobe Lib.
1877 Winters Freehold Co taken over by Bank of Victoria.
1878 The Guiding Star claim again taken up and rich quartz located in the old workings.
1879 Star of the East Quartz Co began operations.
1880 Star of the East Co commences sinking shaft. Visit of Duke of Clarence and York, Prince Albert, Victor and George, and Marquis of Normandy. Winters Freehold Co closes down, last of the alluvial mines. Sebastopol Brass band formed under bandmaster Sammy Prout. Photo: courtesy Mytle Davies.
1882 Edwards Pyrites Works established.
1883 1884 1885 No gold produced in Sebastopol.
1885 The store "Melbourne House" built and occupied by C Blyth & Son. The store is still here in 1980.
1886 The Star of the East Co find rich ore. The South Star, Sebastopol plateau and Central plateau begin sinking their shafts. Two plans to drain the plateau of Sebastopol were suggested but never got beyond the suggestion.
1887 Queen Victoria's Jubilee; visit of Lord Brassey. First rifle club formed in vicinity of Pyrites works.
1889 E Jenkins Butcher established. Still in family in 1980, and the oldest established business still in Sebastopol.
1890 Sebastopol brass band functioning.
1892 Several hotels closed down by local option.
1893 September 3: Foundation stone laid for second Rubicon Street Methodist Church on north-east corner of Rubicon and Talbot Streets.
1895 August: John Edmund Jones at the age of 24 years was elected to the Sebastopol council, and after several terms as Mayor, he died while still a councillor on July 13,1939. He was Sebastopol's longest serving councillor, serving for 44 years.
1895 - 1900 Electricity comes to Sebastopol.
1897 Severe earthquake shock.
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Under the layers of a seventeenth century painting
An interactive look at how oil paintings were produced in the seventeenth century.
Below is an example of a seventeenth century oil painting on canvas showing typical materials and techniques developed by artists in Italy during the Renaissance. Some are still used by artists today.
There are many processes required in producing oil paintings; from bare canvas to finished work of art.
Click on the links below to find out about the layers that make up this seventeenth century painting.
1. Stretched canvas
This is a coarse textured, linen canvas stretched tight over a wooden frame and fastened with metal tacks. Using canvas allowed artists to make bigger paintings. It is cheaper, lighter and easier to move than a wooden panel.
2. Glue size preparation
A thin coat of glue-size made from animal skin and water is brushed on. It prevents the canvas from absorbing oil, which would make the priming dry and brittle.
3. Oil priming and under-paint
A thin, flexible priming made from mixing red pigment with oil. This stops the paint being absorbed by the canvas. Here the artist has roughly sketched the design on top of the priming and under painted some areas such as the sky.
4. Oil paint layers
This image is created using oil paints. This allows artists to use larger brushstrokes and blend colours. Highlights are thick and opaque. Look at how the red priming affects the painting's tone, especially in the shadows.
5. Varnished painting
The oil paint is left to dry for at least a year before a thin coat of clear picture varnish is brushed on. During the seventeenth century artists started making varnish from tree resin dissolved in turpentine. It protects the paint surface and makes it easier to see the colours.
Compare this to a painting from the sixteenth century
- 8 October 2010
- 28 September 2010
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In the digital era there seems to be little space left for the old-fashioned photo albums. People tend to organize their pictures the digital way, which leaves one question to be answered: Where do all those old albums go? Erik Kessels has the answer for us, and you can check it out at FOAM in Amsterdam.
When I was a little girl, I used to spend many weekend afternoons on my grandmother’s lap. We’d leaf through old books with spider webbed see-through paper covered images. I was mostly interested in pictures in which my mother looked as young as I did! And when growing up, I realized that photo albums are an important part of my family’s heritage. My mom and dad also have a shelf filled with pictures. Some are holiday albums, others are full of everyday images of my parents, friends, and my sister. Just like my family, I still make albums out of my trips, write down where I was and who I was with. It’s a piece of nostalgia and a family tradition I want to keep going.
A lot of people choose not to fill up albums any more, well, not the analogue types. More and more sharing of moments is being done through social media and by digital organizing. Erik Kessels is a Dutch collector and loves everyday photography. He ventures out into the world to collect those moments most of us have forgotten, and in the past years he spent many weekends at garage sales and second-hand stores. He loves the imperfection of that 1970’s out-of-focus birthday picture and the accidental double exposure wedding pictures.
In the exhibit ‘Album Beauty’ you can see a lot of different photographs and albums. Huge stacks of old books are there to leaf through and the walls of FOAM (Photography Museum Amsterdam) are covered with distinguished pictures of young soldiers and poodles with flowers in their hair (nice contrast eh?).
For me, ‘Album Beauty’ is an ode to ‘ordinary’ photography. It’s an homage to those afternoons in my grandmother’s lap and the (forgotten?) art of cataloging time in albums. It also gave me a lot of hope. Maybe in 60 years, someone like Erik Kessels will find my albums and will appreciate my album beauty.
‘Album Beauty’ by Erik Kessels will be on display until October the 14th of 2012.
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- About Us
- What we do
- What You Can Do
- What is Responsible Investment?
- Investor Resources
= LIVING WAGES CAMPAIGN
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Living Wage?
- What is the nature and size of the low pay problem?
- What is the aim of the campaign?
- Why is this campaign relevant to ShareAction?
- Why the focus on UK FTSE 100 companies?
- What benefits will flow to individuals, families and communities if the campaign is a success?
- What is the ‘activate your money' action all about?
- What is the business case and why should investors take a particular interest?
- What does it cost employers?
- Will it create unemployment?
- Who already applies Living Wage standards?
- Is this a party political issue?
- How does Living Wage Accreditation work and what does it cost?
- How can I get in touch ShareAction for more information?
What is the Living Wage?
A Living Wage is the minimum hourly wage necessary for housing, food and other basic needs for an individual and their family. Living Wage rates are based on Minimum Income Standards methodology and take account of real living costs for essential goods and services. Within London, the Mayor's Office announces the Living Wage figure each year - currently £8.55 per hour. Outside London, the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University has calculated a single rate for the regions which is £7.45 per hour. Accredited Living Wage employers ensure all their own staff and those of their on-site contractors are paid at least the Living Wage across all UK operations.
What is the nature and size of the low pay problem?
Low pay is a growing problem in the UK. Excluding young workers, amongst whom low pay is even more prevalent, 3.5 million working adults aged over 22 were earning less than £7 in 2010. Two thirds of these were women. Low pay has a particularly significant impact on children. In 2008/9, 2.2 million children growing up in households below the poverty line had at least one parent in work, accounting for 53% of all poor children in the UK. Between 2003/4 and 2008/9, the number of poor children in households with a worker grew by 25% (450,000 children). Low pay is closely associated with others social disadvantages including poor health, substandard housing and personal debt.
What is the aim of the campaign?
ShareAction's campaign aims to permanently embed Living Wage standards in the UK's private sector, beginning with the biggest companies on the London Stock Exchange, namely the FTSE 100. The campaign aims to secure the support of major investors including pension funds and City fund managers as lead activist investors, as well as to mobilise the public. ShareAction's campaign builds on ten years of work by Citizens UK, with whom we are working closely along with other partners, but brings to bear the leverage of investors.
Why is this campaign relevant to ShareAction?
Pension funds and their asset managers are major holders of equity in FTSE listed companies. The investment industry, including pension providers, has significant influence on corporate behaviour and is well positioned to encourage commitment to Living Wage standards. Pension providers take care of the savings of millions of working people who are uneasy about the rapid growth in wage inequality in many listed companies. The campaign gives expression to that concern and provides one practical remedy to resolve it.
Why the focus on UK FTSE 100 companies?
Although FTSE 100 companies are a highly diverse range of companies, all enjoy the benefits of being in Britain's business premier league. In every sector of the economy these companies help to set standards. Adoption of Living Wage standards by FTSE 100s is critical to embedding Living Wages in the lexicon of corporate social responsibility in the UK. Almost anyone with a private or occupational pension has investment exposure to the FTSE 100, giving millions of UK workers a stake in this campaign and a legitimate reason to voice their support.
What benefits will flow to individuals, families and communities if the campaign is a success?
Living Wages give workers the dignity of achieving a ‘low cost but acceptable' living standard through their own labours. These rates of pay allow working people to make time for family and community in a way that is not guaranteed on the National Minimum Wage. The nutritional analysis which goes into costing the level of the Living Wage shows that workers' health is at risk below this rate of pay. Low pay and the poverty which results from it is costly to the wider community. Joseph Rowntree Foundation's research shows that child poverty alone costs £25 billion each year to the Exchequer and in reduced GDP.
What is the ‘activate your money' action all about?
Together we hold billions of pounds through our bank accounts, ISAs, pensions, and even insurance policies. This gives us the power to positively influence some of the biggest companies in the world. We believe that activating the power of our organised money can literally change lives, helping to lift families out of working poverty.
We asked people to take action by emailing any finance company that they are a customer of (whether it's your bank account or pension provider or mortgage broker, etc) to ask them to become a Living Wage employer. At a later date, we will be turning our attention to other sectors within the FTSE 100, so keep an eye out for more updates. The overwhelming response we have received has helped us make the case for a Living Wage.
The Business Case
What is the business case and why should investors take a particular interest?
Companies who have adopted Living Wage standards report a range of business benefits including significantly improved staff retention, workforce productivity, staff morale and enhanced corporate reputation. KPMG is a leader on this issue, having written Living Wage standards into all UK contracts. Guy Stallard, Director of Facilities at KPMG, has said, "We've found that paying the Living Wage is a smart business move as increasing wages has reduced staff turnover and absenteeism, whilst productivity and professionalism have subsequently increased."
Labour practices, particularly remuneration strategies, of individual employers impact the business environment for companies in the wider economy. Investors with a well diversified portfolio of UK stocks have an incentive to be enlightened in their approach to this issue because the payment of Living Wages adds materially to consumer spending power and confidence at a time when this is a vital determinant of business success and profitability.
What does it cost employers?
Moving a full time worker from National Minimum Wage (NMW) to the Living Wage costs £2,500 a year. Where workers earning less than the Living Wage already get more than the NMW, the cost is obviously less. Companies which outsource cleaning, catering and other facilities services must require their contractors to pay at least the Living Wage to qualify for accreditation. Where low paying services are outsourced, the cost of introducing Living Wages is often shared between contractor and client. It is important to note that there are also cost benefits of Living Wage standards - see the business case above.
Will it create unemployment?
No. The Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers who choose to make it a priority and can afford it. This militates against the risk of unemployment. As stated above, the payment of Living Wages is an efficient way to increase spending power in the economy. Indeed the anticipated macro-economic effect of this campaign is to increase the overall supply of jobs and to boost economic growth.
Who already applies Living Wage standards?
The Living Wage campaign started in London ten years ago. Over 100 significant employers in the public, private and voluntary sectors are London Living Wage employers. Financial services providers have been at the forefront of private sector adoption of Living Wage standards in the capital. Meanwhile, the Living Wage movement has been taking off in many other parts of the country. For example, in Scotland, the NHS recently moved 4500 staff onto Living Wages. In Wales, the North West and the South East, Living Wage work is on-going and scoring successes in all sectors of the economy.
Is this a party political issue?
No. Senior figures in all major parties have endorsed Living Wages. Prime Minister David Cameron has stated that the Living Wage is "an idea whose time has come". Boris Johnson, Conservative Mayor of London, is a particularly outspoken supporter, having adopted the standards through out the Greater London Authority and promoted them to major employers in the capital. On the Labour side, party leader Ed Miliband has long been a strong and vocal supporter of Living Wages.
How does Living Wage Accreditation work and what does it cost?
The Living Wage Foundation launched in May 2011, modelled on the highly successful Fairtrade Foundation. The LWF will provide technical support and advice on implementation of Living Wage standards and will administer the accreditation scheme for compliant employers. Accreditation fees are charged on a sliding scale. The highest fee is £1000 pa.
For media enquiries, please contact our Press Officer:
email@example.com | +44 (0)20 7403 7806
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You and your baby are what you eat!
Did you know that your pre-pregnancy weight affects the health and weight of your baby? Or that a pregnant woman needs to add about 300 extra calories daily to meet the needs of her body and her developing fetus?
However, they can’t be just any calories – they must be healthy, balanced, and nutritious. Keep in mind fruits and vegetables help fight off disease and fill our bodies with essential vitamins and minerals.
All women of childbearing age (even if they're not trying to get pregnant) are urged to take the recommended amount of folic acid daily.
Good nutrition is important at any stage of life, but it becomes even more important when you’re eating to meet the crucial nutritional needs of your growing baby.
The physical health of the mom and dad before pregnancy affect the health of their future baby. There are specific things you can do to help your baby even before you’re pregnant.
In addition, you might encounter medical conditions like gestational diabetes during your pregnancy, which require following strict nutritional guidelines. Our registered dietitians offer private consultations designed to help you make the right nutritional choices before, during and after your pregnancy.
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Ossian, after some general reflections, describes the situation of Fingal, and the position of the army of Lochlin.--The conversation of Starno and Swaran.--The episode of Corman-trunar and Foina-bragal.--Starno, from his own example, recommends to Swaran to surprise Fingal, who had retired alone to a neighboring hill. Upon Swaran's refusal, Starno undertakes the enterprise himself, is overcome and taken prisoner by Fingal. He is dismissed after a severe reprimand for his cruelty.
WHENCE is the stream of years? Whither do they roll along? Where have they hid, in mist, their many colored sides.
I look unto the times of old, but they seem dim to Ossian's eyes, like reflected moonbeams on a distant lake. Here rise the red beams of war! There, silent dwells a feeble race! They mark no years with their deeds, as slow they pass along. Dweller between the shields! thou that awakest the failing soul! descend from thy wall, harp of Cona, with thy voices three! Come with that which kindles the past: rear the forms of old, on their own dark-brown years!
U-thorno, hill of storms, I behold my race on thy side. Fingal is bending in night over Duth-maruno's tomb. Near him are the steps of his heroes, hunters of the boar. By Turthor's stream the host of Lochlin is deep in shades. The wrathful kings stood on two hills: they looked forward on their bossy shields. They looked forward to the stars of night, red wandering in the west. Cruth-loda bends from high, like formless meteor in clouds. He sends abroad the winds and marks them with his signs. Starno foresaw that Morven's king was not to yield in war.
He twice struck the tree in wrath. He rushed before his son. He hummed a surly song, and heard his air in wind. Turned from one another, they stood,
like two oaks, which different winds had bent; each hangs over his own loud rill, and shakes his boughs in the course of blasts.
"Annir," said Starno of lakes, "was a fire that consumed of old. He poured death from his eyes along the striving fields. His joy was in the fall of men. Blood to him was a summer stream, that brings joy to the withered vales, from its own mossy rock. He came forth to the lake Luth-cormo, to meet the tall Corman-trunar, he from Urlor of streams, dweller of battle's wing."
The chief of Urlor had come to Gormal with his dark-bosomed ships. He saw the daughter of Annir, white-armed Foina-bragal. He saw her! Nor careless rolled her eyes on the rider of stormy waves. She fled to his ship in darkness, like a moonbeam through a nightly veil. Annir pursued along the deep; he called the winds of heaven. Nor alone was the king! Starno was by his side. Like U-thorno's young eagle, I turned my eyes on my father.
We rushed into roaring Urlor. With his people came tall Corman-trunar. We fought; but the foe prevailed. In his wrath my father stood. He lopped the young trees with his sword. His eyes rolled red in his rage. I marked the soul of the king, and I retired in night. From the field I took a broken helmet; a shield that was pierced with steel; pointless was the spear in my hand. I went to find the foe.
On a rock sat tall Corman-trunar beside his burning oak; and near him beneath a tree, sat deep-bosomed Foina-bragal. I threw my broken shield before her! I spoke the words of peace. "Beside his rolling sea lies Annir of many lakes. The king was pierced in battle; and Starno is to raise his tomb. Me, a son of Loda, he sends to white-handed Foina, to bid her send a lock from her hair, to rest with her father in earth.
[paragraph continues] And thou, king of roaring Urlor, let the battle cease, till Annir receive the shell from fiery-eyed Cruth-loda."
Bursting into tears, she rose, and tore a lock from her hair; a lock, which wandered in the blast, along her heaving breast. Corman-trunar gave the shell, and bade me rejoice before him. I rested in the shade of night, and hid my face in my helmet deep. Sleep descended on the foe. I rose, like a stalking ghost. I pierced the side of Corman-trunar. Nor did Foina-bragal escape. She rolled her white bosom in blood.
Why, then, daughter of heroes, didst thou wake my rage?
Morning rose. The foe were fled, like the departure of mist. Annir struck his bossy shield. He called his dark-haired son. I came, streaked with wandering blood: thrice rose the shout of the king, like the bursting forth of a squall of wind from a cloud by night. We rejoiced three days above the dead, and called the hawks of heaven. They came from all their winds to feast on Annir's foes. Swaran, Fingal is alone in his hill of night. Let thy spear pierce the king in secret; like Annir, my soul shall rejoice.
"O Son of Annir," said Swaran, "I shall not slay in shades: I move forth in light: the hawks rush from all their winds. They are wont to trace my course: it is not harmless through war."
Burning rose the rage of the king. He thrice raised his gleaming spear. But, starting, he spared his son, and rushed into the night. By Turthor's stream, a cave is dark, the dwelling of Conban-carglas. There he laid the helmet of kings, and called the maid of Lulan; but she was distant far in Loda's resounding hall.
Swelling in his rage, he strode to where Fingal lay alone. The king was laid on his shield, on his own secret hill.
Stern hunter of shaggy boars! no feeble maid is laid before thee. No boy on his ferny bed, by Turthor's murmuring stream. Here is spread the couch of the mighty, from which they rise to deeds of death! Hunter of shaggy boars, awaken not the terrible!
Starno came murmuring on. Fingal arose in arms. "Who art thou, son of night!" Silent he threw the spear. They mixed their gloomy strife. The shield of Starno fell, cleft in twain. He is bound to an oak. The early beam arose. It was then Fingal beheld the king. He rolled awhile his silent eyes. He thought of other days, when white-bosomed Agandecca moved like the music of songs. He loosed the thong from his hands. Son of Annir, he said, retire. Retire to Gormal of shells; a beam that was set returns. I remember thy white-bosomed daughter; dreadful king, away! Go to thy troubled dwelling, cloudy foe of the lovely Let the stranger shun thee, thou gloomy in the hall"
A tale of the times of old!
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Here’s the real debt crisis: student loan debt. Today, the average student graduates from college with a diploma and an anchor — $25,000 of debt.
And if Congress doesn’t act, student loan interest rates will double on July 1.
President Obama supports keeping the current Stafford Loan interest rate at a low 3.4% rate. His opponent Mitt Romney just reversed his position and said he agrees. This should not be a partisan issue.
Yet the House bill to stop the scheduled rate increase has no Republican sponsors.
The Republican chair of the House education committee says he has “serious concerns” about the bill. And the Republican budget — championed by Paul Ryan and embraced as “marvelous” by Mitt Romney — both calls for deep cuts in Pell grants and assumes that the interest rates on government sponsored student loans will double.
What are the Republican “concerns”? They claim to be opposed to the $6 billion cost of keeping the rate low.
But jacking up the rate simply shifts that $6 billion cost onto the next generation of students who are already crushed by debt.
And House Republicans didn’t have a problem last week passing a bill with yet another tax break for the rich that would add $46 billion to the national debt.
It gets worse, the key Republican subcommittee chair recently revealed her ignorance about today’s high cost of college. Rep. Virginia Foxx declared she had “very little tolerance” for students with major debt because there is “no reason” to take out big student loans.
Why? Because she worked her way through college 50 years ago … when the cost of college was about three times cheaper.
Conservatives routinely claim we need severe austerity to save the next generation from massive debt. Yet here they are, about to dump more debt on them right now.
Instead of kicking students when they are down, we should end the student debt crisis. The Federal Reserve lends money to banks at rates near 0%, why not lend to students at similar rates? Unlike banks, graduates won’t use the money to blow up the economy.
We need bold ideas to make college affordable and give every child the tools to thrive in the modern economy.
For example, estimates on what it would cost to give every student free tuition at public colleges are LESS than the cost of Ryan and Romney’s pledge to eliminate the estate tax on multi-million dollar fortunes.
Surely it makes more sense to insure that every qualified student can afford the education that he or she has earned than it does to guarantee that the heirs of the wealthy need never work another day in their lives.
We cannot simply protect the status quo. But the absolute last thing our college graduates need right now is to add to the burden of their school debts.
We need to win this fight against the loan rate increase today , and build momentum to win big progressive reforms tomorrow.
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Private Contractors Fight to Keep the Shuttles Truckin'
Though they're not holding their breath, several contractors are clinging to a thread of hope that the old space shuttles, plus a new rocket that borrows from shuttle technology, may get NASA's nod -- and the funds needed -- for development as privately operated commercial spacecraft.
Rocket and space shuttle contractors are orbiting U.S. space agency NASA, searching for the future of space flight through contracts that would privatize key missions.
After the Space Shuttle Program completes its final flight this year, United Space Alliance (USA) -- the Boeing-Lockheed-Martin joint venture presently charged with shuttle operations -- hopes to keep the old birds flying commercially.
USA would retain all three existing shuttles: Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. For-hire flights would head into orbit twice a year, starting in 2013. The missions would carry cargo and space tourists, according to a USA proposal company representatives call a "long shot" that seeks 200 million NASA dollars.
A different joint venture seeks to transform the overpriced Ares I rocket that Congress canceled into the Liberty, a commercially viable marriage of the European Ariane 5 rocket with a longer version of the space shuttle booster rocket manufactured by Alliant Techsystems (ATK).
"The main purpose of the Liberty is to launch people safely and cost-effectively into space," said ATK Liberty Launch System program manager Kent Rominger. "But whereas the space shuttle weighs around 250,000 lbs. and isn't designed to move beyond a low-Earth orbit, the Liberty rocket can transport payloads of roughly 30,000 to 44,000 lbs. well beyond low-Earth orbit."
Liberty would also fly over twice as often as the shuttle, four to six times per year.
A marriage of know-how between ATK and Astrium, the Liberty rocket would transport people and cargo for "a lot less than Ares I," Rominger told TechNewsWorld. "We're offering the nation a great value: the safest vehicle at the lowest cost."
In space, cost and safety are inseparable, and part of the secret to keeping costs down is also the key to in-flight safety. "Though it's a very big deal to outfit a space vehicle for human travel, the best designs are as simple as possible," Rominger said. Complicated parts generally mean higher costs but also cause "most of the safety problems these vehicles encounter."
Though ATK and Astrium are also seeking part of NASA's US$200 million commercial flight cash stash, their Liberty project isn't in direct competition with USA's shuttle redux. Unlike the shuttle, "Liberty would carry a much smaller space capsule or space plane," Rominger explained.
Saving the shuttle also faces more challenging difficulties. "The shuttle is an expensive beast, and it's not the safest vehicle around," said Rominger, who worked for NASA when the shuttle Columbia exploded in 1986. "The chances of having a bad day aboard a shuttle are about one in 100, versus one in 1,000 on a rocket like the Liberty."
At a proposed cost of less than $1.5 billion, the USA Commercial Shuttle Transportation Service would more than halve NASA's 2010 shuttle budget of $3.1 billion. Numbers like those are commercial space flight's driving force, said University of West Georgia emeritus physics professor Ben de Mayo, Ph.D., a member of the NASA-Georgia Space Grant Consortium. "It's all economic. They've calculated all the numbers and determined that commercial flight makes sense and allows us to continue to explore and make use of space," de Mayo told TechNewsWorld.
Nonetheless, "this development definitely is a long shot," he added. Tight NASA budgets, other priorities such as deep space exploration, and nagging safety concerns have kept pressure on to retire the shuttle permanently.
USA sees the issue in a more idealistic light, with a mission statement that begins, "More than 46 years since humans first ventured into space, people around the world continue to be directly impacted by the thousands of benefits stemming from exploration."
Space exploration encourages discoveries, enables innovations, and produces technology that affects the everyday lives of people around the world, the statement concludes.
UWG's de Mayo is also generally optimistic. "We wouldn't be people if we stopped exploring space -- we have a strong exploration driver within us," he said. "Regardless of economic limitations, we still need to be curious and explore our surroundings in the universe."
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By: Muhammad Jawad Sahibi
He life shows that he was always after the truth through research. He changed his mind many times while he was along this path. He stated about himself:
“From my childhood until the present, while I am fifty years of age, I have always looked into the viewpoints of other sects and nations. I have reviewed religious ideologies, philosophies, mystic patterns, theology, etc. The great thirst that I had for discovering the truth has been inside of me since childhood. This caused me to break the chain of imitation and doubt about inherited beliefs because I saw that Christian children only look at Christianity; Jewish children only look at Judaism; and Muslim children only look at Islam. The Prophet (s) has stated: ‘Every child is born with a pure divine disposition.’ Therefore, I was instigated to find the truth; to find the roots of my beliefs.” [Yadnamah Shahid Mutahhari, v.2, p.140]
After he finished in preliminary studies he went to Nayshapur to study with the head of the ‘two shrines,’ Javini. He benefited from Javini his teacher passed away (478 h.). At this time was less than twenty years of age and was considered a mujtahid. He left Nayshapur and headed for Baghdad where he taught at a military school. [Nahadha va Andishahha-i Siasi dar Iran va Islam, by Hamid ‘Anayat, p.118]
Later he became the head of the military congregation in Baghdad which was the highest position a religious scholar could have at that time. But, he felt that his knowledge and that position did not satisfy him. He would hide himself from the people and try to purify himself. He stayed in Jerusalem, away from all those that knew him, for ten years where he practiced mysticism (‘irfan). He did not take any other position for the rest of his life. The book Ahya ‘Ulum al-Din was written after he purified himself. He passed away in the year 505 h. in Tus, his original hometown.
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