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- About Us
- Our Work
- Work With MSF
- Public Events
- Press Room
Kenya: Possible Influx Of New Refugees Will Worsen Already Dire Conditions In Camps
NAIROBI, DECEMBER 28, 2012 – Relocating thousands of Somali refugees in Kenya to overflowing and crisis-ridden camps will threaten their own health and exacerbate already disastrous humanitarian conditions, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned today.
Kenyan authorities recently publicly exhorted thousands of Somali refugees living in urban areas of Kenya to uproot and move to refugee camps in Dadaab, a sprawling complex in a vast desert landscape in eastern Kenya. The camps, which together comprise the largest refugee settlement in the world, are already home to close to half a million people, well beyond their original capacity of 90,000. Squalid living conditions and insufficient assistance have been compounded by increasing insecurity in the camps over the last year.
“The assistance provided in Dadaab is already completely overstretched and cannot meet existing needs,” said Dr. Elena Velilla, MSF’s head of mission in Kenya. “In the event of an influx of new arrivals, MSF would not be able to increase its assistance or respond to a new emergency due to ongoing insecurity.”
The possible arrival of thousands of additional refugees will further deteriorate the precarious conditions, already worsened by seasonal rains and an attendant increased risk of epidemics. There are already sporadic cases of cholera and hepatitis E reported throughout the camps.
MSF, one of the main health providers in Dadaab, is operating a 200-bed hospital serving as a referral facility for the camps, but it has struggled to cope with the considerable and growing medical and humanitarian needs.
“Since the beginning of December, heavy rains have flooded the camps, and the already fragile shelter and sanitation conditions have become even more deplorable, with dramatic consequences for the population’s health,” said Velilla.
Over the last month, the number of children admitted to the MSF hospital for severe acute malnutrition has doubled, with approximately 300 children hospitalized. Most of them are also suffering from acute watery diarrhoea or severe respiratory tract infections, attributable to the poor living conditions in the camps.
Since the camps were established more than 20 years ago, emergencies have plagued Dadaab, with floods, nutritional crises, and disease outbreaks occurring regularly. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which administers the camp complex, 11 epidemic outbreaks were reported in 2012.
MSF operates a hospital in Dagahaley, one of the five refugee camps in Dadaab. Medical teams carry out an average of 14,000 outpatient medical consultations each month and admit 1,000 patients from the refugee and host communities to the hospital. There are currently more than 400 severely malnourished children enrolled in the nutrition program, 63 of whom were admitted to the intensive care unit this week due to medical complications.
In October 2011, two MSF aid workers, Montserrat Serra and Blanca Thiebaut, were abducted in Dadaab while providing emergency assistance to the Somali population. They remain in captivity in Somalia. While MSF continues to respond to acute crises in Somalia, it has suspended the opening of any non-emergency projects in the country until Montserrat and Blanca are released.
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This week-end(27th. and 28th.) August we shall be transcribing the stones at Lilliesleaf.
Lilliesleaf is a very old Church which can trace its history back to 1116 although perhaps fortunately from our point of view we shall not be called upon to transcribe stones quite so far back although there will certainly be a number going back to the 18th. and 19th. centuries which will no doubt prove challenging.
The transcribing of these stone is a vital service for family research as often information contained on the stones is simply not available from any other source and if not recorded is in real danger of being lost. Once transcribed the information with photographs of every stone and also other information pertinent to the parish such as the Hearth Tax, Militia Lists, lists of Ministers etc. is produced on C.D. and is available both to purchase and to view within our Archive. For a full list of the parishes/graveyards which we have transcribed to date see our Sales List.
We shall be transcribing on Saturday between 10 and 4 p.m. and on Sunday between 1 and 4 and we invite anyone interested in helping to come along even for a brief period during these hours. Don’t worry if you have no previous experience in transcribing as full training will be given. Bring though a notebook and pen/pencil and also a soft brush and also optionally chalk, water and a kneeling pad.
This is an opportunity to meet with other members of the Society who usually bring along a picnic so it becomes quite a social occasion.
Lilliesleaf is situated about 7 miles north-east of Hawick, 7 miles south-east of Selkirk, 7 miles north-west of Ancrum, and 7 miles south-west of Melrose so very central for all these places. The Church is situated on the left hand side of the village approaching from Melrose.
If you can manage let me know as this helps with organizing or if you wish further information please contact.
Looking forward to a successful week-endand fingers crossed the weather holds.
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This is one of the most common inquiries we receive. The simple answer is no, but it depends…
Unlike other professions, there is no national education standard or requirement for police officers. Over the years, there have been a few efforts to change this, notably, the 1967 President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice and the 1973 National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals. But to this day, every state and agency is different, each with its own education requirements.
Only two states mandate higher education for officers: Minnesota and Wisconsin both require associate’s degrees. Other states require a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. It’s up to the individual agency to meet or exceed that requirement – which many do. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1% of all local police departments require a 4-year college degree; 15% require a 2-year college degree or some college.
The Police Association for College Education tracks departments requiring four-year degrees and offers a listing on their website. A sample of agencies include:
- Arlington Police Department- TX
- Centerville Police Department- OH
- Lakewood Police Department- CO
- Tulsa Police Department- OK
- Gaston County Police Department- NC
- Redlands Police Department- CA
- Smithfield Police Department- RI
- Flint Township Police Department- MI
The pros and cons of college education requirements and their effect on professionalism in policing is an interesting debate … perhaps one for a future blog post. For now, if you’re a jobseeker considering a career in law enforcement, here’s your takeaway: You cannot go wrong with more education. Most departments, regardless of their requirements, give higher pay to recruits with four-year degrees.
Furthermore, if you want to advance in the profession (i.e., get promoted), in many cases a degree – or even an advanced degree – will be required. And some agencies will even help you pay for it – something else to consider when looking for the department that is right for you.
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Anna Wilson has generalised dystonia. She has tried a variety of treatments but unfortunately none has managed to stop her regular muscle spasms and dystonic storms. However, she has not let that prevent her from leading a creative life and helping others. Here’s her story:
“My dystonia appeared when I was 21 and working as a chef. I started walking on tiptoes and couldn’t put my feet down. The symptoms started to spread to the rest of my body and eventually the day came when I could no longer go to work.
I spent the next 18 months going in and out of hospital weekly until my condition was finally diagnosed as generalised dystonia at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. The first treatments they tried were botulinum toxin and some drugs – but these didn’t really help so, after discussion with my doctors, I decided to try deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS doesn’t work for everyone – and unfortunately I was one of the minority where it didn’t help. I still experience severe muscle spasms – which I find get more violent if I’m stressed. Sometimes, my dystonic storms mean I need to go to hospital in an ambulance.
Currently, my doctors are reducing my medication as I’ve been on it for so long it no longer seems to making a difference – so they are going to try something new. Despite the fact the treatments didn’t work, the people responsible for my care have been brilliant – really kind and supportive. However, I do come across medical professionals who don’t know about dystonia – ambulance drivers often think my dystonic storms are epilepsy and one weekend I was in hospital and none of the doctors knew about dystonia.
I have a cheerful attitude to life and like doing art. I enjoy making ceramics and painting them – I find this very therapeutic and I think it relaxes me and reduces my spasms. Unfortunately, the ceramic sessions have been stopped due to the cuts. I’ve also done courses on cake-making and sugar-craft. I completed an NVQ in art and paint watercolours. I’m still an enthusiastic cook, even if I can no longer cook professionally, and I’m working towards independent living – which I’m really looking forward to although it’s quite stressful.
Once or twice a week, I volunteer helping disabled children do art which I really enjoy. A particularly successful project we did was making a collage of musical instruments which we put on the wall.
I haven’t let the dystonia stop me travelling – and my family have been really supportive to help me do this. Over the last few years, I’ve been to Tenerife and on Mediterranean cruises. One highlight was a sailing holiday. All the week before I’d been having muscle spasms, perhaps due to the stress of going but thankfully after a couple of days of the holiday they eased off. After that I found the motion of the boat incredibly relaxing and it was wonderful.”
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Dear Capt. Steve,
I’m a sailboater and I’m just about fed up with you stink potters failing to give
the right of way. Recently, I was tacking back and forth across the channel against
a stiff headwind, when here comes a ferryboat that just about runs me over. He slowed
but never stopped and never altered course to avoid me. I had to come hard about
to avoid hitting HIM. And this is coming from a professional. The Rules of the Road state
that powerboats shall give the right of way to sailboats, so why are powerboaters
so thick-headed about this?
David S. Block Island, MA.
“You move!” “No...you move” “I’m not moving, you move!”
“If I have to come down there…”
First of all, David, lighten up.
Maybe you sail boaters feel like we treat you as second rate citizens but that’s
because you have it coming and your question is a prime example of why.
You’re tacking out of the channel and the ferry fails to give way to you.
While the rules do state that power driven vessels shall keep out of the way of
a sailing vessel (Rule 18a in your
program, if you’re following along) there are circumstances that take this right
of way privilege away from sail boaters, only sail boaters never bother to read
that far into the rules. In your case (here it comes), you said that you were in
a channel. Now Rule 9b comes into
play. “A vessel of less than 20 meters (you) or a sailing vessel (you again) shall
not impede the passage of a vessel that can safely navigate only within a narrow
channel or fairway.” The reason for this is simple. Ferries are usually
very heavily burdened with the weight of their passengers, and perhaps their cars,
and as such, are very hard to maneuver without much power on. Any prevailing wind
won’t help matters either. They need thrust from the propellers acting against the
rudders to maneuver, and the more of it the better. Thus, when in a narrow channel,
stopping for a clueless sail boater tacking back and forth can spell disaster. The
fact that your ferry captain slowed is a credit to his courtesy and instinct in
seeing that you were going to be reluctant to give way.
Got a question for Capt. Steve?
Send it to firstname.lastname@example.org
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Celiac Disease Articles
Browse eMedTV's wide range of articles related to celiac disease including topics such as celiac disease statistics, celiac disease treatment, and diet for celiac disease. Use the search box at the top-right corner of the page to find information about other health topics.
Featured Celiac Disease Articles
Select a link from this list to read the article, or scroll down to see a short description of each article.
Descriptions of Featured Celiac Disease Articles
- Celiac Disease
People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and other foods. This eMedTV article takes a look at this disorder, including the damage it can cause in the body, symptoms that may occur, and how it can be treated.
- Gluten-Free Diet
People who have a sensitivity to gluten may need to avoid sources of it in their diet. This eMedTV page offers detailed information for those following a gluten-free diet, including how to identify hidden sources of gluten and foods to eat instead.
- Symptoms of Celiac Disease
Common symptoms of celiac disease include chronic diarrhea, bloating, weight loss, and others. This eMedTV page describes several signs and symptoms of this condition and its possible complications, such as osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.
- Diet for Celiac Disease
As this eMedTV page explains, a diet for celiac disease contains no gluten. This article explains why following a gluten-free diet is so important for people with celiac disease and provides tips on how to adhere to such a diet when going out to eat.
- Celiac Disease Diagnosis
As this eMedTV segment explains, diagnosing celiac disease often involves blood tests and a biopsy. Diagnosing this disease can be difficult because its symptoms are similar to those of other illnesses, such as Crohn's disease.
- Celiac Disease Treatment
Typically, celiac disease treatment involves following a gluten-free diet. This portion of the eMedTV library explains how adhering to a gluten-free diet will heal existing intestinal damage and prevent further damage in most cases of celiac disease.
- Causes of Celiac Disease
The exact causes of celiac disease are not yet known; however, as explained in this portion of the eMedTV library, scientists have identified specific genes that appear to play a role in causing this condition.
- Celiac Disease Statistics
Approximately 2 million Americans have celiac disease. Statistics on celiac disease, as noted in this eMedTV article, also indicate that as many as 1 in 22 people with first-degree relatives who have the disorder will be diagnosed with the disease.
- Celiac Disease and Osteoporosis
As explained in this eMedTV segment, there is a relationship between celiac disease and osteoporosis -- untreated celiac disease can cause osteoporosis. This article explains how celiac disease may lead to osteoporosis and discusses good bone health.
- Celiac Disease Screening
As explained on this eMedTV Web page, celiac disease screening involves using blood tests to check for the presence of antibodies in people who show no symptoms of the disease. Relatives of people with celiac disease may wish to undergo screening.
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Beloved Prophet Muhammad, may God send His praises upon him, was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia circa 570 C.E. He is an example for all of humanity. He was a remarkable man at all times. He excelled in all walks of life by being a prophet, ruler, philosopher, orator, soldier, husband, friend, father, uncle, nephew, and a grandfather. He was a man of love, patience, courage, wisdom, generosity, intelligence and magnitude who inspired millions of lives throughout the world.
God says in the Quran that he was sent as a mercy for the people of the world.
“We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples.” (Quran 21:107)
His Prophetic Mission began at the age of forty, circa 610 C.E., and continued until 632 C.E. From the path of ignorance, mankind was lead to the straight path and was blessed with the guidance of God.
Shortly before his death, Prophet Muhammad delivered a sermon during the Hajj, which came to be known as his “Final Sermon”. This final sermon was not only a reminder to his followers, but also an important admonition. The final sermon confirms the end of his Prophetic Mission.
Year 10 A.H. of the Islamic Calendar is considered to be one of the most significant years for three reasons. Firstly, this was the year when the Prophet delivered his Last Sermon during his farewell pilgrimage to Mecca. Secondly, this was the year where number of deputations came to the Prophet to announce their Islam as well as their tribes. Thirdly, it was the golden period of Islam when multitudes of people embraced the faith by accepting the message of the Prophet.
Prophet Muhammad undertook his farewell pilgrimage in the year 10 A.H. His farewell pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the most significant historical events in the minds of Muslims, for it was the first and last pilgrimage made by Prophet Muhammad, as well as being the model for performing the fifth pillar of Islam, the Hajj.
Prophet Muhammad’s final sermon was delivered during the Hajj of the year 632 C.E., the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month of the lunar year, at Arafat, the most blessed day of the year. There were countless Muslims present with the Prophet during his last pilgrimage when he delivered his Last Sermon.
The Final Sermon
After praising, and thanking God, the Prophet, may God send His praises upon him said:
“O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore, listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.
O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. God has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. God has Judged that there shall be no interest, and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn Abd’al Muttalib shall henceforth be waived...
Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.
O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under a trust from God and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.
O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God, perform your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan, and offer Zakat. Perform Hajj if you have the means.
All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; white has no superiority over black, nor does a black have any superiority over white; [none have superiority over another] except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.
Remember, one day you will appear before God and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.
O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me, and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O people, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah, and if you follow these you will never go astray.
All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and it may be that the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O God, that I have conveyed your message to your people.”
Thus the beloved Prophet completed his Final Sermon, and upon it, near the summit of Arafat, the revelation came down:
“…This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My Grace upon you, and have chosen Islam for you as your religion…” (Quran 5:3)
Even today the Last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad is passed to every Muslim in every corner of the word through all possible means of communication. Muslims are reminded about it in mosques and in lectures. Indeed the meanings found in this sermon are indeed astounding, touching upon some of the most important rights God has over humanity, and humanity has over each other. Though the Prophet’s soul has left this world, his words are still living in our hearts.
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The prologue (which we went through last week), ends with Dr. Roseveare reflecting of Mark 12:29-31 where Jesus reminds us of what the greatest commandments are:
“…’Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment than these.”
The rest of the book is essentially a more detailed reflection on what it will actually cost us to love God in this way, the first chapter dealing with what it means to love God with all of our heart. Again, the chapter is packed with stories, beginning with her arrival in the Congo. She was thrilled to be there and “couldn’t wait to become one with the people,” no matter what the cultural or dietary barriers were (30). And those never seem to be a problem for her (she attributes that to her upbringing during WWII). In each and every situation Dr. Roseveare draws our attention to the reality that the problem was primarily with her heart. I will share one story with you in this post (though it is really hard to choose…she draws such amazing lessons from them all!).
She recalls the time when she felt God was re-emphasizing a particular lesson in her life – a lesson in dying to self. She was ill with Malaria and Jaundice (and probably just mere physical and emotional exhaustion), but was informed that another missionary was now in need of her medical services (I believe she promised them her services at a previous time, before she was very ill). The woman in need was about to deliver a baby, and because their only vehicle was not working and because of past complications, they needed her to come to them as soon as possible. Dr. Roseveare responded to them with a letter explaining that she would come as soon as she was able to travel and suggested that they try to make their way to a nearby hospital. The couple received the letter, but in an abrupt almost annoyed response “practically demanded” that she go immediately. She agreed to go, but was angry. Her leader at that time saw what she was going through and attempted to counsel her by reminding her of the couple’s situation – alone in the forest with no readily available transportation about to give birth in very dangerous circumstances, circumstances which could result in the death of both mother and child. They were not thinking of her sickness, and if they were, it paled in comparison to their needs at that moment. Dr. Roseveare heard what he was saying, but was “nursing [her] own grievance, and [her] right to be hurt by their apparent selfishness.” (39) Assuring her that he respected her decision to go and help them, her leader then asks her to do something remarkable (I think), and to do it for Christ’s sake:
…Just die to yourself, Helen, and the Lord will bless you….You are going there to help them. Don’t waste your time justifying your delay, or underlining your virtue in going at all. You are going as Christ’s servant. You’ll only regret anything you say in hast or in anger: and most probably it would only be in self-defense or self-justification. Can you no trust God with all that? The Lord, when he was reviled, reviled not in return, but He trusted Him who judges rightly (1 Pet. 2:21-24). If you can accept that to these two your delay has cause distress and anxiety, God will help you to go to them in humility and to ask their forgiveness for it. (40)
Can you imagine! Being asked in that situation to humble yourself and be the one to ask for forgiveness. I know what a struggle it would be for me. But Dr. Roseveare looks back on that situation and sees how God was teaching her…and she was “slowly learning.” Learning that to love God with all of her heart meant that she would have to forgo her rights in some situations so that, as she saw it, God could love others through her. It was a higher goal that she found herself dimly groping towards (41).
I feel challenged when I read this story and Dr. Roseveare’s subsequent reflection on it. Am I willing to love others this way? Am I willing to hand my heart over to God in this way? It seems so painful and counterintuitive. But perhaps this is the way of the Christian life. I hear often that we are to do what at times feels like death, and I think that is a very helpful thought. It may feel right to defend yourself and stand up for your rights (and sometimes it is). But what will come of it? Who will get the glory? Whose name are you really concerned about? It is not our feelings that should guide us, but rather a commitment to give ourselves over to one who gave himself for us, even if it means death.
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Anyone who's ever seen a fashion magazine or Victoria's Secret commercial has seen some unrealistic expectations for female weight. However, these unrealistic standards don't exist only in the world of fashion. The medical community has also had weight height standards for women that have been shown to be unrealistic and lacking in important information.
For instance, old weight height standards didn't take into account body composition or exactly how a person's weight was distributed. Muscle also weighs more than fat, which can create a false "overweight" rating. The formulas used were also often only tested on Caucasian (white) women, which is a problem because women of different races often have differences in frame and body composition.
Over the years, doctors and physical therapists have had to come up with several new weight height standards for women in an attempt to determine what weights and body fat ratios are ideal. New American Heart Association weight standards for women are continually being developed to reflect a more accurate and thorough understanding of how the female body works. They may not be perfect, but the new weight height standards have helped to create more realistic weight charts for women.
Ranges for Women Based Upon Height and Age
As time has gone on, the medical community has created more realistic weight charts to show the new weight height standards for women. These scales are still somewhat flawed, but take things into account that previous charts for women's weight missed. There are also tests to determine how much of a body is fat as opposed to muscle. Here are some of the new weight-height standards in use today:
Body Mass Index (BMI): These charts measure a person's weight-height ratio with allowance for different builds. The frames considered are usually small, medium and large, although some charts will also allow for extra-large. Generally, you can find out what category you fall in by wrist measurements. While better than previous charts, the BMI doesn't consider age or body composition. People who are very muscular, for instance, may appear to be obese by BMI standards simply because muscle weighs more than fat.
Caliper Test: Otherwise known as a pinch test, a trainer or other expert pinches skin at various parts of the body and measures using a device known as a caliper. The tester will use the results of the measure in a formula to figure out body fat percentage. The idea is that the amount or thickness of fat found under the skin with each pinch is representative of total body fat. This might be a painless test, but it isn't completely accurate. A lot depends on the person doing the testing finding the right places to pinch.
Waist-to-Hip Ratio: Some fairly recent studies from The American Heart Association have shown that a person's hip-to-waist ratio can affect the risk for heart disease. People who carry more of their weight around the midsection have a higher risk of getting diabetes or heart disease than those who carry more of their weight around the hips and butt. To determine this ratio, doctors will take a person's waist measurement and divide it by the hip measurement. For women, a waist-to-hip ratio of more than 0.8 is considered to be in a higher-risk category than a lower ratio.
The fact is, there hasn't been any real consensus on exactly what constitutes a healthy weight height ratio. However, these new weight height standards can give women and their doctors a better idea of what a healthy weight is. Each woman is an individual, so any chart regarding women's weight should be taken as a guideline only. Most doctors recognize this, but it's always a good thing for women to know as much as they can about their own health.
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1966 Revolution Day: January 3
1966 Revolution Day is a public holiday in Burkina Faso.
The Republic of Upper Volta, now known as Burkina Faso, went through many changes after its establishment as a self-governing French colony in 1958. On December 11, 1959, Maurice Yaméogo became president of the colony, and soon after, he declared its independence from France. Over the next five years, Yaméogo’s actions caused great disapproval among citizens, leading to his ousting on January 3, 1966.
This day is still celebrated every year and is known as Revolution Day, 1966 Revolution Day, or Anniversary of the 1966 Coup d’État.
History of 1966 Revolution Day in Burkina Faso
After Maurice Yaméogo declared the Republic of Upper Volta as independent on August 5, 1960, he began work on a new constitution that would give greater presidential powers and create a single-chambered parliament, yet still allow for multiple political parties. The constitution was approved by voters on November 27, and Yaméogo was elected officially as the president under the new constitution on December 8.
However, Yaméogo didn’t wait long to change his political policy, imposing a one-party system later that month, without changing the constitution. When officials complained, Yaméogo had them arrested. The Rassemblement Démocratique Africain (RDA) party was declared as “[t]he only party that legislates in Upper Volta…”
This change, coupled with the mass organization of the RDA across all institutions great and small, brought strict controls of Upper Volta to Yaméogo and the RDA. State employees were given large salaries and unsupervised control of many aspects of the government as part of a means to “buy” a strong base of supporters.
Only the trade unions had any real power against the authoritarian government, applying unified pressure against Yaméogo’s practices. Annoyed, Yaméogo’s National Assembly put a ban on strikes and placed limitations on the rights of workers on April 24, 1964.
It wasn’t long before deficits in the budget were common, and the government had to resort to borrowing from France and Ghana. The authenticity of the loans taken out from Ghana was disputed, and they were never repaid. France cut off financial support when it closed its military base, causing even greater problems in balancing the budget.
Subsidies to schools and benefits given to families were cut, adding to the discontent of the poorer people of the Volta. At the same time, luxury spending by Yaméogo on a second presidential palace and a second marriage, accompanied by a measles epidemic, put public tensions on edge. A sham presidential re-election in October 1965 ratcheted the disdain even higher.
On December 27, Yaméogo put forward a new budget that significantly reduced spending in order to pay back numerous debts. Civil servants saw their salaries cut by as much as 20 percent and social security payments were reduced. The trade unions rebelled.
On December 31, trade leaders called for a strike to be held on January 3. Military personnel began surrounding the offices of union leaders that night, attacking with tear gas. Furious, Yaméogo ordered his trade union opponents arrested as supporters of communism on January 1. Undeterred, mass protests were held as planned on January 3, 1966. Rather than being deterred by the military presence, protesters began chanting slogans, encouraging the military to rebel against its leaders. Lt. Colonel Sangoulé Lamizana stepped up at the request of the trade unions and forced Yaméogo from power though a coup d’état, finally putting an end to his regime.
Burkina Faso’s 1966 Revolution Day Traditions, Customs and Activities
The actions taken by Lamizana, the trade unions, and the military in ousting the inept Yaméogo regime is remembered every January 3 with historical presentations and speeches by government officials.
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A large body of evidence implicates the limbic system in emotional reactions. Apparently, this system is designed to attach emotional significance to environmental input and to generate adaptive responses to emotion-producing stimuli.1 Studies indicate that dysfunction of the limbic system is correlated with clinical disorders of mood and with anxiety states.2—4
Theories and models relating emotional experience to dreaming have had a long and varied history in psychology and psychiatry.5,6 It is surprising, therefore, that little research has been conducted on the putative connection of limbic system functions and dream content. It is known that limbic structures are highly active during rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep.3,7,8
A recent model that provides a novel and unique perspective on the functional significance of dreaming has proposed that dreams are readouts of evolutionary mechanisms designed to improve Darwinian fitness. The model suggests that human evolutionary history was filled with dangerous environments and, therefore, it presumably was adaptive to evolve a mechanism that allowed the rehearsal of threat-avoidance techniques prior to being forced to cope with dangerous situations. Dreams, it was proposed, allowed such coping rehearsals to occur in relatively safe circumstances.6
It has been reported that individuals living in stressful, traumatic, or dangerous environments are more likely to have recurrent dreams pertaining to threat and aggressive situations.9,10 Furthermore, such individuals tend to score highly on measures of mood disorders, such as depression, that are known to involve limbic mechanisms.9
Studies have shown that various limbic structures are differentially active during dreaming. Maquet et al.7 used positron emission tomography (PET) and statistical parametric mapping to ascertain which structures are active during REM sleep. Using 30 healthy, right-handed males, they demonstrated that, over three nights of observed sleep, the hippocampus was relatively inactive, whereas the cingulate gyrus and, especially, the amygdaloid complex demonstrated increased cerebral blood flow and elevated EEG activity. Braun et al.11 also used PET data, with 10 healthy male subjects, to determine that limbic and paralimbic structures are highly active during REM sleep. Amygdalofugal pathways to the right parietal operculum, entorhinal cortex, thalamic nuclei, dorsal mesencephalon, and pontine tegmentum were also found to be activated during REM sleep. These areas, in addition to the visual association cortices, were suggested to function as a "closed unit" during REM sleep.11
In terms of general limbic function, the hippocampus appears to be responsible for the processing of "cool," episodic, explicit experiences, whereas the amygdala is active during emotional activity that is often implicit and tied to conditional fear and aggression responses.12 It appears that the amygdala and its connections with the hypothalamus and lower brainstem areas become engaged when an individual is under stress. This limbic structure also facilitates the organism's efficiency in processing threatening information and quickly initiates response mechanisms to successfully avoid threat. In other words, the "hot" emotional processing system that is activated during waking hours to assist in the detection of threat is also highly active during REM sleep.12,13
Recently, Teicher et al.14 published a noninvasive instrument designed to measure temporolimbic activity, the Limbic System Checklist (LSCL-33), which was based on functional features associated with this region. The questionnaire is a 33-item checklist measuring somatic, sensory, behavioral, and memory symptoms associated with temporolimbic abnormalities. These symptoms could be generally described as brief hallucinations, paroxysmal somatic disturbances, automatisms, and dissociative disturbances.14 The validity of the LSCL-33 was ascertained by comparing the scores of 10 persons with no history of diagnosed temporolimbic abnormalities with the scores of 10 subjects who had been diagnosed with, and were receiving effective treatment for, temporal lobe epilepsy. Most normal subjects had scores of less than 10, while patients with temporolimbic abnormalities scored between 33 and 60 on the checklist.14 The scores on the checklist were also correlated with other measures of limbic dysfunction, such as the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist. All correlations were 0.81 or greater.
The scores on the LSCL-33 were then correlated with stressful life events in a sample of 253 psychiatric patients. Teicher et al.14 found that limbic hyperfunction was significantly more prominent in adults who had been exposed to severe trauma in childhood. In addition, Ito et al.15 studied cortical development and hemispheric asymmetry in abused children. Their results supported the original conclusions of Teicher et al.14 that childhood abuse and other traumatic experiences might adversely effect the development of the maturing limbic system, producing LSCL-33 measures indicative of limbic hyperfunction.
The present study investigated the relationship between limbic functions, as indexed by LSCL-33 measures, and prevalence of fear-related dream content. It was hypothesized that limbic hyperactivity might be related to a greater incidence of such dream material, and also of recurrent dreams, allowing the dreamer to rehearse possible coping strategies for threatening circumstances.
Five hundred and sixty introductory psychology students at St. Francis Xavier University, Canada, voluntarily completed the LSCL-33. Students with scores in the bottom quartile (scores: 4—19) or the top quartile (scores: 36—74) were asked to participate further in the study; 260 students met these criteria, 134 low scorers and 127 high scorers. Eighty-one of these students, comprising 38 (46.9%) from the upper quartile and 43 (53.1%) from the lower quartile, agreed to complete the remaining portion of the study. Of the 81 subjects, 28 were male and 53 were female, and all were between the ages of 18 and 24 years. No independent measures of psychiatric disturbances were obtained. Prior to the study, all participants were informed only that the study was concerned with possible connections between dream content and certain areas within the brain. No hypotheses or interests of the present study were divulged to subjects at any time throughout the experiment.
Groups of up to six participants were scheduled to visit the laboratory. Participants were asked to provide a written answer to four questions:
The dreams were collected and, under blind conditions, subjected to a content analysis to determine the degree of threatening content. The scoring was based on criteria developed by Gregor,16 modified from Hall and Van de Castle.17 Gregor studied the Mehinaku, an aboriginal ethnic group of Brazil whose daily living is reminiscent of ancestral times. The Mehinaku placed great value on the content of their dreams and developed the habit of recording and discussing them. Gregor was interested in determining if there were differences between the dream content of the average North American and that of a Mehinaku. He found that there were. As compared to Hall and Van de Castle's analysis of American dreams,17 there was significantly more threatening content in the dreams of the aborigines.16 Likewise, pleasant dream ideation was significantly reduced in the aboriginal sample population. Gregor's analysis classified the dreams by content and then coded them as containing either a) objective threat, b) subjective threat, c) peaceful activity, or d) none of the above.
For the dream to be classified as containing an objectively threatening event, the dreamer had to report an event that had the potential to decrease the probability of reproductive success for the dreamer or his or her kinship group or any member their community. Such events could include death or threat of death, injury or threat of injury, or the loss or destruction of social or physical resources. These dreams were fairly self-evident within our sample. One example of an objectively threatening dream is that of a young woman in our study who dreamed she was being stalked in her own home. Trying to escape her assailant, she and her younger brother sneak from room to room, heading for the front door. When they are almost there, the attacker traps them and then, screaming, the subject awakens. The lives of the subject and her brother are clearly threatened in this dream, and the threat therefore clearly has the potential to reduce the reproductive success of the dreamer and her family member.
Subjective threat consisted of events or feelings that did not reduce reproductive success but nonetheless inspired anxiety or fear in the dreamer. One subject in our study reported being chased down the street by his mother, who was brandishing his toothbrush and yelling at him to brush his teeth. The subject recalled feelings of deep anxiety as he ran away from his mother, stemming from an intense fear of brushing his teeth. While the anxiety he felt appeared to be real in the context of his dream, his mother was indeed unlikely to diminish his chances for reproductive success by insisting that he brush his teeth.
The most important difference between objective and subjective threat is that subjective threats cannot inhibit survival potential or reproductive success. By the same token, objectively threatening events must reduce survival capabilities. Whether this fear of death, injury, or social reprise comes from a realistic source, such as the threat of murder by a human being, or a fantastical source, such as a physical attack by a monster, is irrelevant. As long as the potential to hinder reproductive ability could be perceived as realistic and fear-invoking to the dreamer, even after he or she awakens, the dream is classified as objectively threatening.
Peaceful activity encompassed all activity that was judged to be pleasant and nonviolent. For example, one subject reported meeting her friend at the campus bar for a drink; another reported going fishing with his friends. The final category, "none of the above," was designated only when a dream was unclassifiable into any of the categories listed above. It was not necessary to assign any of the dreams recorded in the present study to this category.
Interrater reliability for two judges was established for one-third of all dreams analyzed. In the total group of 81 subjects, 78 reported their most recent dreams and 51 reported recurrent dreams. The recent dreams of 30 subjects were randomly selected and analyzed for reliability; 18 of the 30 subjects also had recurrent dreams, and these dreams were assessed for reliability as well. These results were then averaged across the whole sample to produce a reliability coefficient. All disagreements were resolved through further discussion.
Interjudge reliability was 93%. A Pearson's chi-square test of independence was conducted to determine whether limbic system function, as measured by the LSCL-33, was related to the content of the last dream remembered by each subject. A high or low level of limbic functioning did not determine whether or not participants remembered the content of their dreams (χ2=0.631, df=1, not significant). However, there was a significant difference between those scoring in the upper and lower quartiles on the LSCL-33 in the reported frequency of the different categories of dream content (objective threat, subjective threat, and pleasant; χ2=7.672, df=1, P=0.02; F1).
A detailed follow-up analysis to explore the specific relationships revealed that quartile placement on the LSCL-33 was related to the proportion of threatening dreams (χ2=7.537, df=1, P=0.006). The high LSCL-33 scorers reported 67.9% of the objective-threat dreams, whereas lower quartile scorers reported only 32.1% of those dreams. In addition, pleasant dream ideation was significantly related to quartile placement on the LSCL-33 (χ2=5.735, df=1, P=0.01): low scorers (66.7%), as compared with high scorers (33.3%), had more frequent pleasant dreams. The relationship between subjective threat and score on the LSCL-33 was not significant (χ2=0.952, df=1).
Results were similar for recurrent dreams. Although the likelihood of having recurrent dreams was not significantly different between groups (χ2=0.156, df=1), the content of such dreams did vary significantly by quartile placement (χ2=6.423, df=2, P=0.04; F2).
Follow-up analysis was also completed for recurrent dreams, with similar results. Recurrent dreamers who scored on the upper end of the LSCL-33 were more likely to have objectively threatening (61.5%), as opposed to pleasant (12.5%), dreams (χ2=6.460, df=1, P=0.01). Low scorers, however, were more likely than high scorers to have pleasant content in their recurrent dreams (87.5% versus 38.5% respectively; χ2=4.221, df=1, P=0.04). Again, the relationship between subjective threat and limbic system function was not significant (χ2=0.899, df=1).
The hypothesis of the present study was generally confirmed. Limbic system functioning did appear to be related to the reported threatening or pleasant content in the dreams of the participants. Upper quartile scorers on the LSCL-33 had more objective threat and less pleasant content in their dreams. The inverse was found for the lower quartile scorers, who demonstrated more pleasant and less threatening dream content. However, the relationship between subjective threat and limbic function was not significant.
It was predicted that recurrent dreams would be more prevalent among upper quartile participants. This hypothesis was not supported by our data; the proportions of recurrent dreamers in the two groups were relatively similar. Robbins and Houshi9 have suggested that a significant number of recurrent dreamers have clinical disorders of the limbic system; however, in our study the relationship between recurrent dreams and quartile placement on the LSCL-33 was not significant. One possibility is that the participants in the present study did not score high enough on the LSCL-33 to demonstrate this relationship. Even the upper quartile scorers were generally within the range of normal scores. It is possible that such a relationship between recurrent dreams and scores on the LSCL-33 might be detected within a clinical sample. Replication of the current study within a clinical population would therefore be relevant.
The present findings also indicate an absence of a relationship between limbic functioning and subjective threat. Subjective threat refers to an event that is perceived by the dreamer as unpleasant or fear-invoking but that has no consequence for evolutionary fitness (such as a subject's dream that his mother was pursuing him to get him to brush his teeth). On the other hand, subjects with limbic hyperfunction were significantly more likely to have dreams that related to objective threat, that is, fears related to interference with reproductive success (such as another subject's dream of being stalked in her own home). The finding that limbic hyperfunction predicts only objective threat, and not subjective threat, in dream content suggests that differential limbic activity is primarily related to the rehearsal of coping strategies in circumstances of evolutionary relevance. If threatening events or feelings exist in the dreams of an individual with relative limbic hyperfunction, they tend to be threats that have evolutionary consequences.
Overall, the results of this study support the idea that the limbic system plays an active role in the generation of specific types of dream content. The results indicate that individuals with relative limbic hyperfunction have dreams in which objective-threat—related content is highly prevalent and pleasant dream content greatly diminished. Numerous studies with various species have shown that the limbic system is highly active in situations that have threatening connotations.9 The limbic system is also known to be active in REM sleep.5,10 In addition, during REM sleep limbic structures are active as a part of a closed-loop system, disengaged from overt behavioral mechanisms.5,10,16 This system would make possible the realistic rehearsal of threatening situations without active bodily responses.
Revonsuo6 suggested that dreams might function as a rehearsal mechanism, wherein threatening situations are rehearsed mentally during sleep in order to increase the organism's efficiency and vigilance in dealing with potentially life-threatening situations. In the presumably danger-ridden environment of our evolutionary ancestors, such a mechanism would have the potential to increase Darwinian fitness because the ability to deal with threatening situations would be enhanced.
This study examined the proposition that limbic involvement in the generation of dream content is beneficial to Darwinian fitness. However, it is possible that in some cases limbic system activity may be dysfunctional. Abnormal limbic activity, possibly related to the kindling effect, has been related to various mood disorders, clinical anxiety states, and psychotic states2—4 that are clearly detrimental to Darwinian fitness.
Our data suggest that limbic system activity, as inferred from LSCL-33 scores, predicts the relative prevalence of such objective-threat-related dreams. Limbic hyperfunction, either due to specific environmental influences, genetic predisposition, or both, would be expected to produce a greater proportion of such threatening dream experiences. The results of the present study provide preliminary support for this conclusion.
Whether or not the apparent relationship between limbic functions and dream content is based on evolutionary adaptations is unclear at this point. Further study may help clarify this issue. In any event, the present data support the idea of a connection between limbic mechanisms, implicated by a large body of evidence in fear and anxiety states, and threat-related dreams in university students.
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Dáil Éireann (dôl āˈrôn, dĪl ârˈən) [key] [Irish, = diet of Ireland], the popular representative body of the Oireachtas, or National Parliament, of the Republic of Ireland. The second, smaller chamber, the Saenad Éireann, or Senate, has very limited powers, and the executive, as represented by the prime minister, is responsible to the Dáil, whose members are elected by universal adult suffrage. The members of the first Dáil were elected in Dec., 1918, ostensibly to the British Parliament, but they established themselves as a separate revolutionary body. It first convened at Mansion House, Dublin, in Jan., 1919, and proclaimed the Irish republic. The Dáil existed precariously until the creation of the Irish Free State in 1921, and established itself firmly in the period of civil war that followed. See also Ireland; Sinn Féin.
See study by J. L. McCracken (1958); B. Chubb, The Government and Politics of Ireland (2d ed. 1982).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Foreign Government Agencies
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Roman Gallo, director of media strategies, PPF, explained how his hyperlocal weekly papers, websites, and newsroom cafes have directly affected the monetization of media content.
When Nase Adresa introduced its pilot hyperlocal program six months ago, the company chose four of the fourteen regions in the Czech Republic in which to launch three hyperlocal weeklies, five websites, and a specialized newsroom café in the Kroměříž district.
The print weeklies are created in part by the editors with direct involvement from the local communities and suggestions given at the cafés. Gallo said that people are able to walk directly into a café and work alongside the news staff to contribute ideas.
He said that printing dailies on Monday morning enables them to be the first medium in the Czech Republic to bring the people the news on popular topics like football.
They decided against mimicking the classic newsroom and instead built a newsroom café where the people can have direct contact with journalists and editors while enjoying the same amenities of a normal café . The café also offers entertainment to increase community involvement. The sales from the café are able to pay for rent and expenses, 25 to 35 percent of which go directly towards the centralized newsroom, said Gallo.
He said it's difficult to find the right people for this project because the café's interactive environment asks more from journalists and editors. Not only do the editors oversee newsroom operations, they must also work directly with readers.
"I think it's exactly the kind of project we need," said WEF director Bertrand Pecquerie.
After receiving promising pilot results, Nasa Adresa will build 150 weeklies, 1,000 websites, and 90 cafés across the entire Czech Republic but he'll need about 800 journalist to do so. Roman Gallo said that by the end of 2011 Nasa Adresa will be the Czech Republic's strongest medium.
He jokingly said, "We will be bigger than McDonald's, in Czech Republic."
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Killing cougars is the easy choice
The state of Oregon is back in the business of killing cougars. After a long and contentious public comment process, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission recently approved a management plan for the state's top predator that would allow government-paid hunters to reduce cougar numbers back to 1993 levels. That could ultimately mean the killing of 40 percent of the cougars in the state. Oregon's experience is being played out across the West, as government agencies struggle to reconcile two irreconcilable forces: our love of cougars and our hate of cougars.
Why do we love cougars? The reasons aren't hard to find. They are beautiful. Their power, grace and skill inspire awe and admiration. As top predators, they help to keep things in balance by controlling prey numbers and removing vulnerable individuals.
Why do we hate cougars? The reasons aren't hard to find. They sometimes attack our livestock and our pets. They compete with us, killing the deer and elk that we enjoy killing ourselves. They can threaten vulnerable populations of prey like bighorn sheep. They scare us, because in California and Colorado, though never in Oregon, they have killed human beings.
These passionate feelings have led to political action. In 1994, the voters of Oregon approved a ballot measure banning the hunting of cougars with hounds, and two years later defeated an effort to overturn that ban. Advocates of cougar hunting have never accepted these defeats, and tirelessly portray rising cougar populations as a threat to livestock and to human safety. Now, the issue has become polarized. As the Oregon Cougar Management Plan notes, with considerable understatement, "Oregonians ... have shown a clear desire to be involved in cougar management."
You have to feel sorry for state wildlife managers: Whatever cougar management plan they adopt is certain to infuriate a large segment of the public. In such a situation, the best they can do is to ground their plan firmly in science — specifically, the ecology and population biology of cougars and their prey. Unfortunately, although Oregon's Cougar Management Plan contains much data on these topics, in the end the plan is based not on science, but on public pressure, pure and simple.
The plan's stated goal is to manage the cougar population so that the levels of reported "cougar-human conflicts" and "cougar-livestock conflicts" do not exceed the levels of complaints back in 1994. The message to anti-cougar activists could not be clearer: The more you complain, the more cougars we will kill.
Public complaints about cougars are almost never verified, as the plan acknowledges, but that would make no difference in the state's response.
Why choose 1994 as the baseline? Good question. The answer is that 1994 was when the ban on cougar hunting with hounds took effect — a year that lives in infamy for the hound-hunting community. There is, however, no scientific reason to select the cougar population in that year, estimated at 3,100 cougars statewide, as a biologically appropriate baseline. Besides, the human population of Oregon has increased by more than 16 percent since 1994, and the proportion of homes being built on the scenic edges of wild country has undoubtedly increased even more than that. Keeping complaints at 1994 rates could actually require reducing cougar populations far below their 1993 levels, since there are now so many more opportunities for conflict.
Missing from the Oregon plan is any serious attempt to hold people responsible for their choices. If you choose to build a house deep in the forest, as many Westerners are now doing, is it reasonable to expect the state to avenge your dog if it is eaten by a cougar? How much freedom from risk can we reasonably expect?
In his classic essay "Thinking Like a Mountain," Aldo Leopold wrote about the extermination of wolves in the Southwest, and about the ecological disaster that followed. "We all strive for safety, prosperity, comfort, long life, and dullness... but too much safety seems to yield only danger in the long run."
That danger may be the overpopulation of deer and the degradation of forests, as happened throughout the Eastern United States following the extermination of cougars. Or the danger may be less tangible. It may be a loss of wildness, of an attitude of appropriate respect for nature. As long as Oregon and other states manage predators based on public complaints rather than science, we will never be required to show that respect, or to learn how to live with nature rather than against it.
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April 13, 2001
Colleges Object to Planned Fee for Foreign Students
College lobbyists are expressing outrage over a plan by the federal government to collect new fees from foreign students. University officials say the proposed collection system, which would finance a program to monitor students from other countries, could hurt the enrollment of international students and be an unfair hardship to those from the poorest countries.
By early summer -- after the Justice Department and the White House have completed their reviews
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The Sahel: UN agencies call for urgent scale-up of aid
Heads of UN agencies, representatives from affected governments and major donors today called for an urgent scale up of humanitarian aid to help millions of people affected by hunger and malnutrition in the Sahel region of West Africa.
In a joint statement issued at an emergency meeting at the World Food Programme (WFP) headquarters in Rome, heads of UN agencies, the European Commission and USAID said “the time for humanitarian action in the Sahel is now.”
A combination of drought, poverty, high grain prices, environmental degradation and chronic under-development is affecting Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad, northern Cameroon and Nigeria. More than 10 million people are struggling to get enough to eat, including 5.4 million in Niger.
"High-levels of food and nutrition insecurity are now threatening to reverse the fragile development gains in some countries," stressed Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos at the meeting. "These crises have a human face - about 1 million children under five are at risk of severe acute malnutrition."
Leaders attending the meeting called for a comprehensive and rapid response to the crisis. They also said they would support programmes to address the root causes of the crisis, and to strengthen the resilience of communities in drought-prone areas.
WFP plans to reach more than 8 million people across the Sahel in the coming months with 570,000 metric tons of food aid. In Niger, it has supported more than half a million people through food-for-work and cash-for-work initiatives since November 2011.
The statement also called for “a quick and effective response” to help tens of thousands of people displaced by fighting in Mali, many of whom have sought refuge in neighbouring countries like Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will be airlifting tents and relocating these refugees to safer locations away from the borders.
Aid agencies are asking for more than US$720 million to support national efforts to respond to the crisis. So far, donors have provided $135 million, and relief activities have already begun.
"I thank donors, including ECHO, for their early contributions," said Ms. Amos. "However, we need more resources now. To prevent a large-scale crisis, we need to act now.”
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Lights and lamps come in a huge variety of models, designs and versions. Lights have been one of the forefronts of house improvement and home making for many years now. Lights and lamps are used to consolidate interior designs, to create a certain mood, to make a statement of class and style. The rapid development of technology in recent years has given industrial designers and engineers a new playground to play on and it’s called lighting.
The days when the room light was just a means of illuminating the rest of the room or house are long gone, now consumers can choose from a wide range of somewhat alternative and even experimental house lights. Designers are making excellent use of new LED illumination technology which provides for more power efficiency, smaller product designs and intriguing applications. Many designers are also turning their attention to outside lighting, even though many people would say that outside lights are nothing but light pollution, new models are both intriguing and don’t make a mess of the landscape.
If you are looking to purchase yourself some interesting new lights for your home, indeed there is much to select from, but keep in mind that these new versions are made of sensitive and unconventional materials like fine plastics, fabrics that need special handling and incorporate many intricate details. Although they do look great, some of them are a pain to clean and maintain as they can be damaged and take a lot of effort and time to dust and polish if necessary.
In such instances where a professional touch might be needed, you can opt for professional house cleaners from Park Royal companies can offer you a wide range of quality and affordable house services. The companies around the area work with flexible appointment hours and with professionally trained and experienced cleaners Park Royal households are quite happy with the convenient service times and the reasonable pricing. Their cleaners have extensive background experience and additional company training, you can rely on them to provide you with highest quality cleaning within Parklane services that pays attention to fine detail and doesn’t cut corners.
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Delaware Judge Rules No GPS Tracking Without Warrant
A judge in Delaware has ruled police may not use GPS devices to track a suspect 24/7 without a warrant. The ruling is based on Delaware's state constitution, which like those in many states, provides greater protection than the federal counterpart. In suppressing the evidence obtained from the surveillance, the Judge wrote:
"The advance of technology will continue ad infinitum....An Orwellian state is now technologically feasible. Without adequate judicial preservation of privacy, there is nothing to protect our citizens from being tracked 24/7."
Though police can follow a suspect in public, there are limits to how long officers can keep up the tail, whereas a GPS device never sleeps and "provides more information than one reasonably expects to be 'exposed to the public,' " the judge wrote....
....if no warrant is required for such surveillance, "any individual could be tracked indefinitely without suspicion of any crime. ... No one should be subject to such scrutiny by police without probable cause,"
There is a split among courts on the issue. While the decision may be appealed, for now Delaware joins New York, Oregon and Massachusetts which say a warrant is required.
|< DOJ Withdraws Bush Rules for Fast-Tracking Death Penalty Cases | Feds Sue To Get Michigan Medical Marijuana User Records >|
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Oil pricing, like other risk-driven activities, can be wrong, depending on the expectations involved.
A Market Driven by the News
Al Hegburg is a senior fellow for the Energy and National Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Updated March 9, 2011, 11:28 AM
Commodity prices are based on replacement costs, not production costs.
Oil and natural gas are commodities. Market expectations for oil indicate that it is a commodity that will become more expensive over time. That market expectation is probably driven by investors and traders concerned about the political activity in the main oil producing countries in the Arabian Gulf.
The oil market is event driven and reports and interpretations of these events can be dramatic, leading to over interpretation of the future. Likewise, the episodes can be downplayed by market participants, leading to moderate interpretations of potential events.
Future oil prices are one means to interpret the value of the commodity, albeit perhaps incorrectly. These prices reflect an effort to price future risk and like all risk-driven activities the outcome can either be accurate or overestimated, driven by political and economic expectations.
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Protect Energy, Utility, and Transportation Grids with ViaSat Critical Infrastructure Security
CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Critical infrastructure, such as energy grids or other utility networks, can now be managed and protected with a new security system from ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq: VSAT). The system is designed to avert or minimize security breaches and ensure continued operation of these networks. The public introduction of ViaSat Critical Infrastructure Security is taking place at the DistribuTECH Conference and Exhibition this week in San Diego.
Using a virtual view of their networks, energy, water, oil and gas, and transportation operations crews can manage security with a mouse click, based on real-time intelligence information. Sensors continually update the information, creating a hierarchical view that operators can use to identify issues, then drill-down to individual nodes to contain or fix them.
"In critical networks like these, the most important thing is to identify the problem quickly and accurately to prevent a major catastrophic event," said Jerry Goodwin, VP and general manager of Information Security Systems at ViaSat. "This system provides a distributed sensor network that enables real-time detection of problems in the network combined with mechanisms to quarantine bad behavior, whether it is caused by malfunctioning equipment, malware, or disgruntled insiders."
This is a new market for ViaSat, but the company has extensive experience in developing products and new technology for the highest levels of information assurance and cybersecurity for the U.S. Department of Defense. ViaSat Critical Infrastructure Security is already being deployed by an undisclosed U.S. energy provider.
See the new system at DistribuTech in San Diego (Booth #2146), January 29-31. ViaSat will also be discussing and sharing the results of a recent joint study with Zpryme that explores critical infrastructure security issues.
For more information go to www.viasat.com/critical-infrastructure-security or call 888-ViaSat1.
About ViaSat (www.viasat.com)
ViaSat delivers fast, secure communications, Internet, and network access to virtually any location for consumers, governments, enterprise, and the military. The company offers fixed and mobile satellite network services including Exede® by ViaSat, which features ViaSat-1, the world's highest capacity satellite; service to more than 1,750 mobile platforms, including Yonder® Ku-band mobile service; satellite broadband networking systems; and network-centric military communication systems and cybersecurity products for the U.S. and allied governments. ViaSat also offers communication system design and a number of complementary products and technologies. Based in Carlsbad, California, ViaSat employs over 2,400 people in a number of locations worldwide for customer service, network operations, and technology development.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward looking statements include statements about protection against powerful threats. ViaSat wishes to caution you that there are some factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including but not limited to: contractual problems, product defects, manufacturing issues or delays, regulatory issues, technologies not being developed according to anticipated schedules, or that do not perform according to expectations; and increased competition and other factors affecting the information security industry generally. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in ViaSat's SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including ViaSat's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. ViaSat undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Yonder is a registered trademark of ViaSat Inc. Exede is a registered service mark of ViaSat Inc.
Contact: Scott Cianciulli / Sharon Oh Brainerd Communicators 212.986.6667 email@example.com firstname.lastname@example.org
SOURCE ViaSat Inc.
[ Satellite Spotlight's Homepage ]
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The American Liver Foundation is a national, voluntary nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of hepatitis and other liver diseases through research, education and advocacy. Although liver diseases are among the leading seven major causes of death in the United States, there was no national voluntary health agency devoted exclusively to combating liver diseases until 1976, when the American Liver Foundation was formed. Many serious liver diseases are potentially preventable; education about them can give individuals an opportunity to participate in their own preventive health care. An increase in research can make it possible to develop improved treatments and find cures. A major effort is necessary to control the increase in liver diseases.
The Children's Liver Association for Support Services has a mission to provide family support, emotional support and educational materials for families with children afflicted with liver disease and liver transplantation and they provide medical research seed grants. Additionally, they strive to increase public awareness about the importance of organ donation.
CLASS maintains a telephone hot line to enable liver disease patients, their families and the general public to obtain information about liver disease, services of the organization, and referrals to medical professionals. They perform family matching with other families in their geographical area via database and provide direct financial assistance to families in need directly related to their child's liver disease.
CLASS publishes a quarterly newsletter, CLASS Notes, that is free, and are planning to have several brochures available. They have a bibliography of books and articles that are available to members and a lending library of articles on liver transplants, immunosuppressant medications, hepatitis, and books that include, "Puzzle People, Love, Medicine, Miracles," and "How it Feels to Fight for Your Life."
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Quotes to your Site
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Dave Barry's quotes
"It is a scientific fact that your body will not absorb cholesterol if you take it from another person's plate."
"It is a good idea to "shop around" before you settle on a doctor. Ask about the condition of his Mercedes. Ask about the competence of his mechanic. Don't be shy! After all, you're paying for it."
"It always rains on tents. Rainstorms will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds for the opportunity to rain on a tent."
"In the past decade or so, the women's magazines have taken to running home-handyperson articles suggesting that women can learn to fix things just as well as men. These articles are apparently based on the ludicrous assumption that men know how to fix things, when in fact all they know how to do is look at things in a certain squinty-eyed manner, which they learned in Wood Shop; eventually, when enough things in the home are broken, they take a job requiring them to transfer to another home."
"In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukkah' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukkah!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!'"
"In some versions of my original contest column I had proposed, in a lighthearted manner, that we reduce the deficit by 'selling unnecessary states such as Oklahoma to the Japanese.' This caused a number of Oklahomans to send in letters containing many correctly spelled words and making the central lighthearted point that I am a jerk. They also sent me official literature stating that Oklahoma has enormous quantities of culture in the form of ballet, Oral Roberts, etc., and that the Official State Reptile -- I am not making this up -- is something called the 'Mountain Boomer.' So I apologize to Oklahoma, and as a token of my sincerity I'm willing to sell my state, Florida, to the Japanese, assuming nobody objects to the fact that Japan would suddenly become the most heavily armed nation on Earth."
"In fact, just about all the major natural attractions you find in the West -- the Grand Canyon, the Badlands, the Goodlands, the Mediocrelands, the Rocky Mountains and Robert Redford -- were caused by erosion."
"If you were to open up a baby's head -- and I am not for a moment suggesting that you should -- you would find nothing but an enormous drool gland."
"If you surveyed a hundred typical middle-aged Americans, I bet you'd find that only two of them could tell you their blood types, but every last one of them would know the theme song from The Beverly Hillbillies."
"If God had wanted us to spend our time fretting about the problems of home ownership, He would never have invented beer."
"If God had wanted us to be concerned for the plight of the toads, he would have made them cute and furry."
"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base."
"I would not know how I am supposed to feel about many stories if not for the fact that the TV news personalities make sad faces for sad stories and happy faces for happy stories."
"I recently had my annual physical examination, which I get once every seven years, and when the nurse weighed me, I was shocked to discover how much stronger the Earth's gravitational pull has become since 1990."
"I realise that I'm making gender-based generalizations here, but my feeling is that if God did not want us to make gender-based generalizations, She would not have given us genders."
"I probably should never have been there anyway, and it served me right when the two alert police officers fired up their siren, pulled me over, and pointed out that my car's registration had expired. I had not realized this, and as you can imagine I felt like quite the renegade outlaw as one of the officers painstakingly wrote out my ticket, standing well to the side of the road so as to avoid getting hit by the steady stream of passing unlicensed and uninsured motorists driving their stolen cars with their left hands so that their right hands would be free to keep their pit bulls from spilling their cocaine all over their machine guns. Not that I am bitter."
"I have not felt remotely cool for a long time, thanks largely to the relentless efforts of my teenage son, whose goal in life is to make me feel 3,500 years old. We'll be in the car, and he'll say, 'You wanna hear my new CD?' And I, flattered that he thinks his old man might like the same music he does, will say 'Sure!' So he increases the sound-system volume setting from '4' to 'Meteor Impact,' and he puts in a CD by a band with a name like 'Pustule,' and the next thing I know gigantic nuclear bass notes have blown out all the car windows and activated both the driver- and passenger-side air bags, and I'm writhing on the floor, screaming for mercy with jets of blood spurting three feet from my ears. My son then ejects the CD, smiling contentedly, knowing he as purchased a winner. On those extremely rare occasions when I like one of his CDs, I imagine he destroys it with a blowtorch."
"I hate rap music, which to me sounds like a bunch of angry men shouting, possibly because the person who was supposed to provide them with a melody never showed up."
"I figured out why I'm not getting seriously rich. I write newspaper columns. Nobody ever makes newspaper columns into Major Motion Pictures starring Tom Cruise. The best you can hope for, with a newspaper column, is that people will like it enough to attach it to their refrigerators with magnets shaped like fruit."
"I don't know what the new Ford will be called. Probably something like the 'Ford Untamed Wilderness Adventure.' In the TV commercials, it will be shown splashing through rivers, charging up rocky mountainsides, swinging on vines, diving off cliffs, racing through the surf, and fighting giant sharks hundreds of feet beneath the ocean surface -- all the daredevil things that cars do in Sport Utility Vehicle Commercial World, where nobody ever drives on an actual world. In fact, the interstate highways in Sport Utility Vehicle Commercial World, having been abandoned by humans, are teeming with deer, squirrels, birds, and other wildlife species that have fled from the forests to avoid being run over by nature-seekers in multi-ton vehicles barreling through the underbrush at 50 miles per hour."
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Where a Child Is Tested May Affect Autism Diagnosis
Centers vary on how a child is deemed to have autism, Asperger or other developmental disorder.
MONDAY, Nov. 7, 2011 (HealthDay News) —
Whether health professionals diagnose a child with autism
or with a milder form of the neurodevelopmental disorder such as Asperger
syndrome isn't determined only by the child's symptoms, but by where
the child is assessed, a new study finds.
Researchers found wide variability at autism centers across the
nation in the criteria health professionals used to determine whether a child
should be diagnosed with
"autistic disorder" or instead receive a diagnosis of a subtype of
autism, including pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified
(PDD-NOS) and Asperger syndrome.
The study authors said the findings support the growing movement
among some autism experts to do away with distinctions such as Asperger and
instead put everyone who meets certain criteria under the same umbrella,
"autism spectrum disorder."
In the study, researchers collected data on about 2,100 children
aged 4 to 18 who met the criteria for an autism spectrum disorder and had been
seen at one of 12 university-based autism centers across the United States. The
children had all undergone a battery of tests commonly used to measure
language, thinking and communications skills, and behavior. A psychologist,
psychiatrist or other health professional with autism expertise used the
results of the tests and an examination to make the final diagnosis.
At one site, every child was diagnosed with autism; no child was
diagnosed with Asperger or PDD-NOS. Conversely, another site labeled about 40
percent of kids as having Asperger and 40 percent with PDD-NOS, leaving only 20
percent with autism.
The reason for the inconsistency was that each site appeared to be
using its own cutoffs and criteria for autism versus Asperger and PDD-NOS. For
example, at one site, kids with an IQ of over 70 were given an Asperger
diagnosis, while at another site, kids had to have an IQ of 115 to be given an
Asperger diagnosis, said lead study author Catherine Lord, director of the
Institute for Brain Development at Weill Cornell Medical College and New
For the 61 percent of children with severe language,
communications and social deficits, and clearly repetitive behavior —
all classic signs of autism — there was good consistency among the
various centers in the autism diagnosis, according to the report in the Nov. 7
online issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
But for the 39 percent of children with milder problems, there were
large inconsistencies in whether the child was labeled with autism, Asperger or
PDD-NOS, the investigators found.
"The second most important predictor of which diagnosis the
clinician made was where they worked, not any characteristic of the child,
which is not good," said Lord.
Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer for Autism Speaks, agreed
that it may be time do away with diagnosing specific autism subtypes and
instead use the broader, and more reliable, autism spectrum disorder.
"Given the subtle distinctions among the subtypes of autism
spectrum disorder, it is not surprising that clinicians were not consistent in
how they applied these diagnoses," Dawson said. "In the future, it is
likely that we will no longer attempt to classify individuals in the autism
spectrum into different subtypes."
Furthermore, whether a child is diagnosed with Asperger or autism
doesn't change the treatment.
There are several possible reasons for the discrepancies among
autism centers. Parents may want to hear that their child has Asperger rather
than autism, and health professionals may be influenced by that, Lord said.
On the other hand, in some regions, kids can only get certain
services if they have autism, so those centers may apply that term more
Generally speaking, children with significant impairments in
language, communications and social skills, who exhibit repetitive behaviors,
and who have intellectual disabilities are diagnosed with autism.
Children who have some of the characteristics of autism, such as
language delays and social problems, but who have only very subtle or not
obvious repetitive behaviors, may be diagnosed with PDD-NOS. And those who have
some characteristics of autism but who have good verbal skills, or who are
highly intelligent, or who have some less obvious social impairment, are often
said to have Asperger, Lord noted.
Within individual centers, health professionals were consistent on
the criteria they used to diagnose children. The discrepancies emerged when
comparing one center's diagnostic criteria to another's, she explained.
"It's really much more valid to talk about autism spectrum
disorder," Lord said, with the acknowledgment that the people who fall
within it can have a very wide range of abilities.
"Using one broad category and then characterizing the specific
strengths and challenges of each child may be clinically more useful,"
added Dawson. "That said, people who have come to identify with a specific
diagnosis, such as Asperger syndrome, may want to continue to use that diagnostic
label. We need to be sensitive to the fact that some people with autism
spectrum disorder may not embrace these diagnostic changes."
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One more good reason to send the kids to grandma's for the weekend! A study published in Pediatrics found that kids are actually safer in crashes when driven by grandparents than when driven by their parents. And not just a little bit safer — taking risk factors like proper seat belt use and type of car into account, the study concluded that there's a 50 percent reduction in injury risk with grandparent drivers.
Busy parents spend an awful amount of time in the car. How much do you know about carting your kids around safely?
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An Ecumenical Age
God has moved throughout the 20th century to impel a worldwide movement toward Christian unity, of which the United Church of Christ is but a part. Understood deeply as obedience, the movement is seen more expediently as an antidote to the rising forces of paganism. The ecumenical movement calls the churches to restore their oneness in Christ by union. A divided church is unlikely to convince the world.
Two world wars and religious sectarianism had made clear a need for the church to take seriously its responsibility as agents of God's healing, and in repentance, to acknowledge in its divisions a mutual need for Christ's redemption. The World Council of Churches, Protestant and Orthodox, met at Amsterdam in 1948 under the theme "Man's Disorder and God's Design." In 1961, it merged with the International Missionary Council. The Second Vatican Council at Rome, called by Pope John XXIII, met between 1962 and 1965, with a primary purpose of "peace and unity." Ending with a reemphasis on ecumenicity, the Pope participated in a joint religious service with non-Catholic Christian observers, and resolved to "remove from memory" the events of A.D. 1054 that first split the Christian church "in two great halves," Catholic and Orthodox.
The United Church movement overseas had an early beginning in the South Indian United Church (1908), later to be the Church of South India and the Church of North India. The Church of Christ in China (1927) followed and, much later, in Japan the Kyodan (1941), The United Church of Christ of the Philippines (1948) and the National Christian Council of Indonesia (1950). Common historic missionary roots were celebrated during a 1976 ecumenical visit to four of the United Churches by a delegation from the United Church of Christ, U.S.A., led by its distinguished ecumenist president, Robert V. Moss, recognized as a world church leader.
Between 1900 and 1950, Congregational churches of ten nations united with other denominations, many losing the name "Congregational." Others followed as the United Church movement proliferated. In the United States, the Congregational Churches had, since 1890, been making overtures of unity toward other church bodies. German "union" (Lutheran Reformed) churches in western Pennsylvania and in Iowa, recognized and received as German Congregational Churches in 1927, were absorbed and integrated.
Congregational associations during and following World War I received into fellowship Armenian Evangelicals, a refugee remnant of the 19th-century reform movement in the Armenian Apostolic Church in Turkey. During a period of Turkish genocidal persecution of Armenians, thousands escaped to America, many Evangelicals. In the 1980s there are 16 Armenian Evangelical churches holding membership in the United Church of Christ. Locally, the association relationship among churches made it easy to extend congregational fellowship across denominational lines.
Although it frequently stated convictions of unity, the Christian Church (perhaps because of its long travail over its own North-South division and its disinterest in organizational structure) had remained separatist. Correspondence with the Congregationalists led to a meeting in 1926, when a decision to pursue union was taken. On June 27, 1931, at Seattle, Washington, the Christian Church, with a membership of 100,000, including 30,000 members of the 65 churches in its Afro-American Convention, joined with the Congregational Churches of nearly a million members. They saw their temporal organization of Christian believers as one manifestation of the church universal, a denomination that they intended would remain adaptable, so as to enable a faithful response to the biblical Word of God in any time, in any place, among any people.
Such an understanding of the church had also matured in the Evangelical and the Reformed churches from seeds planted centuries before in Switzerland and Germany and replanted in America by the Mercersburg movement. With resolve strengthened by the great ecumenical assemblies, the Reformed Church in the United States, led by George W. Richards, in 1918, produced a Plan of Federal Union in hope of uniting churches of the Reformed heritage. Similarly inspired, Samuel Press, supported by the local churches represented at the 1925 General Conference, led the Evangelical Synod of North America to undertake negotiations looking toward organic union. While other communions of shared tradition had become involved, by 1930, only the Reformed Church and the Evangelical Synod pursued their long-hoped-for union.
After six years of negotiation, a Plan of Union evolved, approved in 1932 by the General Synod of the Reformed Church, ratified by the Evangelical Synod at its General Convention of 1933. Significant and unprecedented was the decision to unite and then to work out a constitution and other structures for implementation, surely an act of Christian obedience and faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to sustain trust in one another. On June 26,1934, the Evangelical and Reformed Church was born at Cleveland, Ohio.
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College students arrive to help Habitat build
Habitat for Humanity of Jefferson County was the recipient of international help last week when a number of students traveled to Southeast Texas to assist with the construction of a new home.
Eighteen students from University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, made the 1,500-mile trek to Southeast Texas to help out with the framing of a new Habitat home.
The venture is possible because of Habitat’s participation in the annual Collegiate Challenge program organized by Habitat for Humanity International. Through the Collegiate Challenge, the local affiliate will receive volunteer help from college students during their spring break, what Uliana Trylowsky, executive director for Habitat for Humanity of Jefferson County, called an “alternate spring break.”
“It’s always a pleasure to work with these groups of college students who’re so motivated and interested in helping others,” said Trylowsky. “These students travel at their own expense and stay in local churches, sleeping on the floor, so they can help us frame up a house. I am always impressed by this sense of duty and desire to help others.”Prior to getting to work, students were able to enjoy some tourist attractions during their journey to Texas, stopping by Graceland in Memphis, shopping in Louisiana, spending a day on Galveston Island, followed by a trip to Gator Country.
Construction began on a new house on Shalom Street in Beaumont on Tuesday, Feb. 22, and Trylowsky said the students were very generous.
“They actually pay the affiliate a donation to come and work with us. Each Habitat affiliate sets their own rate. We only charge $125 per person to come for the week. That money helps with material costs for the house and food that I buy them for lunch,” she said. “They have free lodging by staying at Wesley United Methodist Church. It’s not like staying in the hotel room, but it works for them to stay and cook their meals. And for the most part, they drive down.”
The students were able to take part in the spring break road-trip adventure that also benefits the less fortunate because the university is a Habitat campus chapter.
“Habitat for Humanity is a very big organization and it offers many different programs to attract different types of volunteers and their interest levels. One thing they do for young people to get them involved in volunteering, they have a program called Campus Chapter. The organization applies for that designation from Habitat for Humanity International. They have to be accepted as a campus chapter and be tied to the Habitat affiliate in that area,” said Trylowsky.
As members of a Habitat for Humanity campus chapter, students like those from Guelph are already active in their local communities by taking part in Habitat for Humanity.“The campus chapter will offer the alternate spring break to the students. And if they like doing that kind of thing and are looking for a fun adventure they’ll sign up,” she said.The group spent the week framing the house. And in coming weeks, other groups of students will follow in their footsteps when students from Coe College, located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, make the trip to Southeast Texas on March 7, followed by Salem State College students from Massachusetts on March 14, and students from the University of Colorado-Boulder on March 21.
Jennifer Trahan can be reached at (409) 832-1400, ext. 248, or by e-mail at j [dot] trahan [at] theexaminer [dot] com.
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FEMA for Anti-Terrorism; DOJ for Counter-Terrorism!
FEMA's lead in the new Office of National Preparedness requires congressional approval. FEMA as a consequence management agency is ideal for post-weapons of mass destruction operations. However, if it is a crime scene, DOJ is the crisis management agency and still has jurisidiction of the scene. Is a Fireman/Hazmat/EMS going in if the perpetrator is still on scene dispersing toxic agent or committing a traditional secondary crime (shooting, hostages, barricading, threatening etc...)? A tactical agency from the local community will contain the scene, assess the scene, wait for support or execute an entry and take down rendering the area safe for consequence management personnel to respond. Anti-Terrorism is a concept that reacts to terrorist events whereas Counter-Terrorism is proactive efforts toward defeating terrorism before it can be effective or during its actual impact.
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Capturing! A MyTimeDesign 1.1.Plus+ Quiz
If you can't view the video, here is a short summary:
Capturing involves the intake of time demands* into your life, and they exist in two forms: those that come into your life automatically, without your choosing, (like snail-mail, or voice-mail messages,) and those that you must manually capture once they are created (like a good idea that you woke up with in the morning.) As they come in, they are saved for later use in capture points* of all kinds.
This quiz gives you some insight into the habits that you currently have in place for Capturing, and how you can improve them if you'd like. At the end, you'll know whether or not you have a White, Yellow or Orange Belt in this skill.
Tip: Answer conservatively, so that you can illuminate the maximum opportunities for improvement.
*Definitions: "time demands" are all the things that you decide to do in life (or consider doing) that take up valuable minutes, hours and days.
"Capture points" are temporary points of storage for time demands, where they are kept until they're ready for later use.
These definitions aren't essential for the quiz, but they'll make more sense when you have viewing the assessment videos at the end.
Enjoy this first in the series of MyTimeDesign plus quizzes! (Incidentally, this is the only one with video content in the program as you'll see.)
P.S. Sharing your contact information below is optional, but the correct email address will ensure that the results of the assessment are ALSO emailed to you.
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Soda Pop Alternatives for Kids
Curb your family's cravings for sugary, super-sweet, calorie-packed beverages with these five incredibly tasty substitutes
Ready to end your child's craving for soda? It's always important to stay hydrated, but it's absolutely necessary in the hot August weather. And a can of pop isn't going to quench your child's thirst – or do him any health favors.
Some of the most popular sodas are Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Coca Cola and Sprite. In theses top pops, the amount of sugar in a serving of eight fluid ounces ranges from 26 to 31 grams – and the number of calories is between 100 and 110. (Note: All of this information is from nutrition labels on the product.)
Fortunately, there are plenty of delicious, healthy drinks that your family can savor, instead. Check out the list of recipes and ideas below that are very low in sugar (or sugar-free), healthy and delightful to the taste buds!
Enjoy this classic summer beverage with some natural sweeters. This recipe was altered from an inventive idea from Self.com.
5 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 quart of water
Mix all of the ingredients well in a large pitcher. Makes four servings.
Kraft Crystal Light
Boasting 90-percent fewer calories than leading soft drinks, Crystal Light can be purchased in On The Go packets or in eight or 12-quart canisters. There's a large variety of flavors – and almost all of them are sugar-free. Try an enhanced sugar-free flavor, as well, to help boost immunity and fiber. It's a delicious way give your family's water a kick.
Flavored Ice Cubes
Another fun and tasty addition to water is flavored ice cubes. Fill your ice-cube tray with your child's favorite low-sugar juice. Once they've frozen up, toss them into a glass of water. The juice will be diluted in the glass of water – and it's healthier than drinking just the juice alone.
Amp up that antioxidant intake with this tasty-fruity blender recipe from GoodHousekeeping.com.
2 cups (1-inch cubes) seedless watermelon
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup ice cubes
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Real Strawberry Milk
Milk is important for children – but not something they always want to drink. This recipe from Parents.com puts a delightfully healthy spin on the typical glass of milk.
3 cups fresh, hulled strawberries
1 1/2 cups low-fat or fat free milk
Fresh strawberries, optional for garnish
Mix main ingredients in a blender until smooth. Divide among glasses and garnish with the extra strawberries, if desired.
For an ice-cold twist, put your glasses in the freezer for a few hours before you blend the milk. Pour the finished product into the frozen glass. It's perfect for a hot day!
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The Presidential DVD Collection
SKU ID #83837
You Save: $14.97 30% off
Additional 10% off for History Club Members. Join Now
To Order by Phone Call 1-800-933-6249
HISTORY™ goes behind the velvet ropes at America’s most famous address and the cockpit of Air Force One. Hear the secrets and see all the details that must be checked to ensure the President’s safety.
Secret Access: Air Force One DVD
It is a uniquely modified Boeing 747 jumbo jet. On every flight, it must run perfectly. It is the personal plane of the President of the United States, Air Force One. Tag along on the President's journey to Africa. See all the technology and manpower at work in the plane. Discover how each stop must meet rigorous safety and security standards.
Go into the cockpit of Air Force One with Colonel Mark Tillman. Security it so strict that many top-level White House staffers are not allowed inside this specially modified Boeing 747. Inside the plane is a plethora of technology and security to keep the most powerful man in the world safe.
The security on board is only the beginning on the President's Central African tour. At each of his six stops, special measures are taken. Each airport must be upgraded to meet safety specifications. Armored limousines and helicopters are airlifted in for additional transport. Secret Service marksmen stand at the ready at each engagement. Even the plane's fuel is tested and secured. Every stop must be a "zero-fail" operation, everything must be perfect.
See all the details that must be checked to ensure the President's safety. Go inside compartments that are rarely seen by the public. Take a ride aboard AIR FORCE ONE.
The White House: Behind Closed Doors DVD
The White House has been home to America’s presidents and their families for more than 200 years. It is the most photographed and toured residence in the country, but private areas in the White House are normally off limits to television cameras. Now, almost half a century since Jackie Kennedy took viewers on a personal tour of the home, HISTORY™ goes behind the velvet ropes at America’s most famous address for a long overdue look inside.
Accompanying George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush on the tour will be America’s foremost antique experts, Leigh and Leslie Keno, of “Antiques Roadshow” fame. Learn who installed running water, who commissioned the construction of the famous balcony off the third floor’s private quarters and what happened to the White House swimming pool, as The White House: Behind Closed Doors reveals the secrets of America’s most recognizable residence.
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It’s amazing how seeing a moped with larger wheels can throw you. Although the wheels on the 125CC City moped are not as large as say the wheels on my Blade, they stand out as significantly larger than those on most mopeds.
Why is this important? Well experts will tell you that larger wheels give the possibility for more rubber on the road, and more rubber on the road can equal more grip and more grip is obviously safer.
I’m not a mathematician, but I know a couple who helped me work this out.
The equations are quite complex they are to do with pi, as well has the compression ratio of air in rubber. Overall, I was convinced by the end of my friends explanation, that the slightly larger wheel the 125CC city moped offered about 6% more rubber on the road at any point in time.
I can’t make claims to know how much safer this is It may be 6% safer in terms of making the bike a little more skid proof, but the acid test is surely when riding the bike itself.
So of course, that’s what I did. First of all on the private test track at Throckmorton airfield, the 125CC City moped reached a comfortable 50 miles an hour with my large frame on board, the seating was perhaps the most comfortable of any 125 bike I have ridden, there seemed to be more legroom which in turn meant that my arms rested more comfortably at my side.
Whether consciously or subconsciously, I found myself steering with a little more “knees down” action than I would normally on a moped. I’m certain this is due to me having a little more confidence in the wheels. Having said that, this bike reached 52 mph, and seemed to have a great deal of power left.
It is worth bearing in mind, that as standard, this bike is delivered restricted to about 50 mph.
Out on the open road, the blessings of a 125CC mopeds over a smaller engine machine are immediately apparent. For the most part the 125CC City moped will keep up with the flow of traffic on a busy “A” roads, thus allowing you to concentrate on riding correctly, and worrying less about being overtaken all the time.
Was it a smoother ride? Well, you know, it really was.
Again I am assured this is probably in my imagination, I am subconsciously expecting a smoother ride due to the larger wheeled radius. That’s as maybe, but at the end of the day, if it felt smoother, then as far as I’m concerned that’s all good.
It’s a neat little bike, though it may not have the boy racer appeal of a bike like the Viper, but it is elegant and stylish in appearance and very robust in build quality.
If you are looking for a more adult mopeds style, and (in my opinion at least) a smoother ride, then the 125CC City moped could be the bike for you.
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Learn About Elder Abuse
Elder abuse is a sensitive issue for various reasons. Most people declare unadulterated respect for elders; however, there are over 500,000 cases of elder abuse reported annually. Elder abuse is a very far-reaching subject matter, for there are countless types of elder abuse which occur in varying environments. Public knowledge may suppose that elder abuse primarily occurs in elder care facilities; when in fact, elder abuse spans from many settings such as: hospitals, doctors’ offices, and home settings. Perhaps even more disturbing than the extensive venue of elder abuse, is the myriad of suffering elders endure. Elder abuse encompasses physical, emotional, financial, sexual, and spiritual abuse. In addition, the abusers are not limited to medical professionals. Surprisingly enough, elder abusers can come in the form of: family members, lawyers, salespersons, live in companions, caregivers, and even preachers.
Why does Elder Abuse Happen?
No study can definitively state the reason elder abuse occurs. In recorded cases alcohol and drug abuse have been some of the culprits. Other abusers may have a family history of abuse. In some situations, abusers took advantage merely because it was so simple to do so. Caring for the elderly is taxing and emotional; it is a task that necessitates much patience and compassion. Unfortunately, in many cases frustration seems to have been the underlying motive.
Background and Statistics of Elder Abuse
Laws Associated With Elder Abuse
Much effort has been spent in attempts to terminate this horrid abuse. While all 50 states have elder abuse laws, each state’s laws and penalties vary. There are national statutes regarding elder abuse protecting elderly adults. There are separate laws for institutional abuse as well as long term care abuse. Criminal Laws against elders also remain in a separate category. Though each state’s mandates differ, all require certain professionals to report suspected elder abuse. As with state laws, penalties for elder abuse vary as well. In most states, elder abuse results in jail time and punitive damages.
Signs of Elder Abuse
Because elder abuse is such a broad-spectrum term, the signs are as broad as the topic “Elder Abuse,” itself. Elder abuse can manifest itself in physical forms such as bruises, bed-sores, and dishevelment of the elder. Signs of elder abuse can present themselves in unsuspecting forms like being asked to take unnecessary medical tests. Physical abuse of elders is obviously easier to discern than other forms of elder abuse, though emotional abuse may pose as much of a threat. Signs of elder abuse can be best noticed by observing elders carefully, taking note of changes in routines, emotions, and personalities.
Who to Contact to Report Elder Abuse
Elder abuse can be reported in various ways. The simplest of this is to call 911. However, elder abuse can be reported to doctors, nurses, or other care providers, who then, in turn, must contact state authorities. Most states have toll-free hotlines solely provided for the reports of elder abuse. In addition, there are also national toll-free hotlines set aside for the same purpose.
Elder abuse is very emotional for victims and their families. Subsequent to elder abuse, trust quickly becomes an issue for elders, and care becomes much more difficult. It is, therefore, vital to have resources available to victims and families. Even though all cases of elder abuse cannot be deterred, prevention truly is the key to ending elder abuse. Utilizing responsible elder care resources may be an initial step to take in the prevention of elder abuse.
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Job market: To be young… and doomed
17 August 2010
"Europe fears for its lost generation," the Czech daily Hospodářské noviny declares, leading with the claim that the level of youth unemployment is now the highest since the second world war. A report by the confirms that five million young Europeans were without work in 2009, with Spain the worst hit, with 40% of young people jobless, followed by the Baltic states. The Prague daily blames the economic crisis, the rigidity of the labour market and the lengthening of the retirement age for forcing 18 to 25 year olds out of the labour market. Even if it is not yet among the worst hit, the generation who grew up in the UK during the boom years are now confronted with the worst period of austerity since the Thatcher years of the early 1980s, The Independent reports. With unemployment spiralling, and universities forced to make brutal cuts, tens of thousands of student are likely to be left without a place when the new term starts in September. "Who would want to be 18 today?" it asks, when even those who get into college are likely to emerge into a depressed job market weighed down with debt.
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The Ramsar Bulletin Board, 4 May 2011
Malheureusement, il n'y a pas de version française de ce document.
Exhibition - underwater photographs by Michel Roggo in UAE
The Emirates Wildlife Society - WWF UAE in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy and the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi organised two photo exhibitions in April in the United Arab Emirates to celebrate Ramsar's 40th anniversary, the designation of Wadi Wurayah as a Ramsar Site, and wetland conservation in general.
Taken by Swiss photographer Michel Roggo, the photo exhibition showcases the beauty of Wadi Wurayah and Wadi Shawka as well as some of the dunes of Rubʼ al Khali and the mangroves of Khor Kalba and draws attention to conservation efforts to protect one of the last permanent freshwater wadis of the country. The Swiss Embassy hopes to bring this exhibition to Switzerland soon - maybe even to Gland. [03/05/11]
More on the exhibition, the photographer and his photos.
16th meeting of STRP: Final report available
The full report of the 16th meeting of the Convention's Scientific & Technical Review Panel (STRP), held in Gland from 14-18 February 2011, is now available from download here. [02/05/11]
On 18-20 April 2011, the Estonian Fund for Nature (ELF) organised an international conference on “Mires and Wilderness” in the historical university town of Tartu. The meeting brought together more than 100 mire experts and students from Estonia and beyond. More [29/04/11]
Blue and Gold Macaws returned to the Nariva Wetlands Ramsar Site, Trinidad & Tobago
The Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust has released 10 Blue & Gold Macaws (Ara ararauna, anendangered species in Trinidad & Tobago) into their natural home, the Nariva Wetlands Ramsar Site, to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of the Trust this year. More [26/04/11]
The Republic of Korea, which has joined the Ramsar Convention in 1997, has presently 16 Wetlands of International Importance with a total surface area of 14,547 hectares. Read more [21/04/11]
Dominican Republic names a wildlife refuge
The Dominican Republic, which joined the Convention in 2002, designates the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Laguna Cabral o Rincón (4,600 ha; 18°16’N 071°15’W) as its second Wetland of International Importance. This Ramsar Site located in Barahona and Independencia includes a freshwater lagoon, permanent and stationary rivers and inundated agricultural areas within the Laguna Cabral o Rincon Wildlife Refuge. More | Español [19/04/11]
The Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia supported the Asian Wetland Management Forum
From the 17-19 of March 2011, the Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia (RRC-EA-Honorary Director Dr Gea Jae Joo), in conjunction with the Ramsar Center Japan (RCJ), Wetlands International China (WI China), Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) and Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) supported the Asian Wetland Management Forum which was held at the Rainforest Development Center in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. More [18/04/11]
Wetlands Management moving forwards in the Lower Mekong Region
With the accession of Lao PDR to the Ramsar Convention in 2010, all the countries of the Lower Mekong River Basin are now Contracting Parties to the Convention. In order to assist the Lao government to implement the Convention, the IUCN Mekong Water Dialogues funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, together with additional support from the Ramsar Secretariat, organised a workshop from 21 - 25 March 2011 in Vientiane, Lao PDR. More [11/04/11]
Romania names a natural park
Iron Gates Natural Park (115 666 ha; N 44°41’ E 21°56’) is located in Caras Severin and Mehedinti Counties and is listed as a Natural Park. The site is situated in South West Romania. It is a potential Transboundary Ramsar Site of outstanding beauty bordering the Republic of Serbia along the course of the Danube river.It is mostly covered by forest that is interspersed with streams and freshwater pools. More [07/04/11]
On 30 March the Ramsar Secretariat welcomed two guests, Laura Doxan from the Centre Natura in the Danube Delta, Romania, and Leyani Caballero Tier from the visitor centre at the Ciénaga de Zapata Ramsar Site in Cuba. They both work as animators in their centres but they also share something else in common – they are currently staying for one month at the Champ-Pittet Visitor Centre (situated in the Grande Cariçaie Ramsar Site in Switzerland) to benefit from the centre’s long experience in providing a ‘wetland experience’ for visitors to the centre, an experience they will put to good practice in their own centres. Read more about their visit to the Secretariat, discussion we shared on wetland centres and their potential for staff exchanges, and moving the ideas forward to reality. [04/04/11]
Kati Wenzel, Senior Advisor Assistant for Europe is in Geneva on 2 and 3 May to attend the twelfth meeting of the Working Group on Monitoring and Assessment under the UNECE Water Convention. Tobias Salathé, Senior Regional Advisor for Europe will also attend this meeting on 4 May. [03/05/11]
Lew Young, Senior Regional Advisor for Asia – Oceania, will be attending the IUCN Regional Conservation Forum in Kuwait from 2 – 4 May. During this time, he will also be giving a presentation to officials from the government of Kuwait about the work of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands since the country is not yet a Contracting Party to the Convention. [29/04/11]
Towards a community of practice of wetland project managers
A workshop, entitled ‘Towards a community of practice of wetland project managers: lessons learned from Central and West Asia and the Mediterranean’, was held from 9-13 October 2010 on the shores of Lake Uromiyeh in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The workshop was organised and hosted by the UNDP/GEF Conservation of Iranian Wetland Project and the Ramsar Regional Center for Central and West Asia, and brought together the managers of 11 (mainly Global Environment Facility funded) case study wetland conservation projects from Central and West Asia and the Mediterranean, with the aim to exchange best practices and lessons learned between the project managers. This is so as to establish a basis for establishing a community of practice to enhance the delivery of these and future projects in the region.
The workshop identified success indicators, lessons learned and examples of best practice from the case study projects across eight key implementation themes. Additionally it reviewed lessons learned and best practices in project design, management and exit strategies. A resource book (download PDF here) has been produced from the workshop that summarises the findings. The workshop was the first step towards establishing a community of practice and the participants at the workshop are looking forward to suggestion for a host and/or donor for the next workshop. [31/03/11]
Star Alliance’s new campaign features two Ramsar Sites
Today, Star Alliance has launched its new brand campaign featuring the Alliance’s “Biosphere Connections” initiative. Five high quality films are now being completed by the National Geographic team who shot them in the USA, Turkey, Brazil, Tanzania and India. More [30/03/11]
The Government of Indonesia has designated two additional Wetlands of International Importance, Rawa Aopa Watumohai and Sembilang National Parks, bringing that country's Ramsar Sites total to five sites covering 964,600 hectares. Read more
Launch of a leaflet on Nishinoko, part of Lake Biwa Ramsar Site in Japan
Shigeki Komori, Conservation Officer at WWF Japan has shared with us a 32-page color brochure to introduce Nishinoko (part of Biwa-ko Ramsar Site) in Japan. The brochure was produced last October by Omi-hachiman Heartland Advancement Foundation, with whom WWF Japan has worked to conserve Nishinoko. It contains beautiful site pictures and presents the fauna and flora of this biologically and culturally important area.
Download the brochure here (PDF)
Youth Model Ramsar Convention 2011 in Changwon, Republic of Korea
Maurice Lineman from the Ramsar Regional Centre - East Asia has written to inform the Secretariat of this year's Youth Model Ramsar Convention 2011 hosted at the Changwon Exhibition Centre (CECO) in Changwon, Korea. The meeting took place on 12 and 13 February and gathered some 150 high-school students from all Korea. [24/03/11]
> Read the full report here (PDF)
> Click here to access the associated Model Ramsar Operation Protocole Files
Feedback and suggestions are welcome to the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ).
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In an increasingly resource limited world, a growing global economy will likely result in accelerating price pressures in practically all major commodity segments. But at the same time, the threat of a slow-growing or decelerating global economy also creates the possibility of commodity deflation, especially from saturated developed economies. For investors, it creates a classic "What is it worth?" puzzle, with the opportunity for significant investment gains paired with the potential for significant losses and volatility along the way.
We see tremendous opportunities in the commodity space in 2013, not because we're overly bullish on the global economy, but because we forecast a continued "push and pull" on commodity prices. Additional global stimulus would work to create an attractive inflation play, but the lack of further stimulus would almost certainly cause commodity prices to plunge. While both outcomes are plausible, we continue to believe that basic supply/demand fundamentals will drive prices in either direction, and this is a great scenario for a flexible commodity investment strategy.
There are basically two broad types of commodities to invest in: those from above ground (commodities from heaven) and those from below ground (commodities from hell). To take advantage of these opportunities, we're launching two new separately managed accounts - one for each - comprised exclusively of exchange traded funds (ETFs) and exchange traded notes (ETNs). Our portfolios will be comprised of commodity exposure from each broad segment, with both employing an active trend-following strategy to manage risk along the way. Here's what we'll be looking for:
First, we'll be addressing the question of "What to Own?" through a conventional security screening process. Commodities from Heaven will include segments that are a direct or indirect result of the heavens: solar power (KWT), water (PHO), wind energy (FAN), and a wide assortment of agricultural commodities such as sugar (SGG), cocoa (NIB), wheat (WEET), corn (CORN), livestock (LSTK), cotton (BAL), and others.
Commodities from Hell will include market segments from below ground, including oil (OIL), coal (KOL), natural gas (GAZ), precious metals such as gold (GLD) and silver (SLV), and industrial metals such as copper (JJC) and aluminum (JJU), among others. Investment selections will be based on liquidity, daily float, fund expenses, execution, and overall efficiency.
The advent of a wide variety of ETFs and ETNs over the past several years make this type of specialty portfolio quite attractive. Add to it the liquidity and transparency available like never before, and the "what to own" part of portfolio construction becomes especially fun.
Second, we'll be addressing the question of "How much to own?" through a rigid, targeted asset allocation methodology. This allocation will largely be equally-weighted among each portfolio's constituents, although it will have the flexibility to overweight those investments that are demonstrating strong upward price trends and to underweight those demonstrating weakening or declining price trends.
Lastly, both portfolios will address the question of "When to Own?" using our firm's trend analysis software, clearTREND. With the significant advances in analytical software over the past several years, these portfolios will be employing an active trend-following strategy that measures historic price trends for a wide variety of securities, and uses that analysis to prescribe portfolio adjustments accordingly. Trend analysis indicates significant potential in the commodity segment of the markets due to its sensitivity to accelerating/decelerating economic growth, capital flows, and of course demographic shifts.
I've compiled several research snapshots from clearTREND on recent standout commodity performers (those that have recently benefited from global stimulus packages but have been punished by the fear of future economic slowdowns). Keep in mind that this flexible commodity strategy targets those segments that continue to demonstrate the largest sustained price and capital flow trends, both rising and falling:
Commodities from Heaven, Commodities from Hell: Two investment themes for 2013 that offer the potential for capital appreciation when coupled with meaningful risk management along the way.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.
Additional disclosure: clearTREND Research performance assumes no shorting, no leverage, and is presented gross of trading/management fees. Shorting tends to increase both potential return and standard deviation. Complete research information is available at www.cleartrendresearch.com.
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Analysis of arterial intimal hyperplasia: review and hypothesis
Mirus Bio Corporation, 505 S Rosa Rd, Madison, Wisconsin, 53719, USA
Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling 2007, 4:41 doi:10.1186/1742-4682-4-41Published: 31 October 2007
Despite a prodigious investment of funds, we cannot treat or prevent arteriosclerosis and restenosis, particularly its major pathology, arterial intimal hyperplasia. A cornerstone question lies behind all approaches to the disease: what causes the pathology?
I argue that the question itself is misplaced because it implies that intimal hyperplasia is a novel pathological phenomenon caused by new mechanisms. A simple inquiry into arterial morphology shows the opposite is true. The normal multi-layer cellular organization of the tunica intima is identical to that of diseased hyperplasia; it is the standard arterial system design in all placentals at least as large as rabbits, including humans. Formed initially as one-layer endothelium lining, this phenotype can either be maintained or differentiate into a normal multi-layer cellular lining, so striking in its resemblance to diseased hyperplasia that we have to name it "benign intimal hyperplasia". However, normal or "benign" intimal hyperplasia, although microscopically identical to pathology, is a controllable phenotype that rarely compromises blood supply. It is remarkable that each human heart has coronary arteries in which a single-layer endothelium differentiates early in life to form a multi-layer intimal hyperplasia and then continues to self-renew in a controlled manner throughout life, relatively rarely compromising the blood supply to the heart, causing complications requiring intervention only in a small fraction of the population, while all humans are carriers of benign hyperplasia. Unfortunately, this fundamental fact has not been widely appreciated in arteriosclerosis research and medical education, which continue to operate on the assumption that the normal arterial intima is always an "ideal" single-layer endothelium. As a result, the disease is perceived and studied as a new pathological event caused by new mechanisms. The discovery that normal coronary arteries are morphologically indistinguishable from deadly coronary arteriosclerosis continues to elicit surprise.
Two questions should inform the priorities of our research: (1) what controls switch the single cell-layer intimal phenotype into normal hyperplasia? (2) how is normal (benign) hyperplasia maintained? We would be hard-pressed to gain practical insights without scrutinizing our premises.
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Atlanta History Center highlights Olympic spirit | News
ATLANTA -- In a wing of the Atlanta History Museum, America's only complete collection of modern Olympic torches and medals is housed in a permanent exhibition.
It includes another London Olympics, the one in 1948. It was organized after the the two previous games were canceled during World War II.
"The Olympic movement has endured because it is about our commonality," said Don Rooney, curator of the Centennial Olympic Games Museum.
It represents about 15 percent of the artifacts collected by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.
On display, you'll find a muddy home plate from the baseball venue, a pair of purple shoes that Michael Johnson wore during the Olympic trials in Atlanta, and three tennis balls from Andre Agassi's gold-medal winning match.
There's also a small section dedicated to the bombing at Centennial Olympic Park.
The exhibit opened in 2006 on the 10-year-anniversary of the Atlanta games.
It highlights the founders of Atlanta's Olympic movement, known as the Atlanta Nine, including Billy Payne and then-Mayor Andrew Young.
"It's the people story that we try to show here in the exhibit," Rooney said.
The Atlanta History Center will hold a special family program called "Go for the Gold" on Saturday, August 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
You'll have a chance to meet some former Olympians and even test your own athletic skills.
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The Ras/ERK MAP kinase signaling cascade is activated by many extracellular stimuli and is critical to a variety of cellular processes. The molecules that make up this cascade are present in different subcellular compartments and exactly where the cascade is activated depends on the extracellular stimulus. ERK activity can influence molecules in the cell cytoplasm or it can influence whether target genes in the nucleus are turned on or off. It is not known exactly how a particular stimulus can confine Ras/ERK MAP activity to a specific region of the cell.
A molecule called hSef was recently identified as an inhibitor of this cascade but the molecular mechanisms of inhibition are unclear. Dr. Eisuke Nishida from The Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at Kyoto University in Japan examined exactly how hSef influences Ras/ERK MAP kinase signaling in the cytoplasm and nucleus. When cells were stimulated with a common growth factor, hSef interacted with activated ERK in the cytoplasm. The inhibitor was only switched on when the Ras/ERK MAP kinase pathway was activated. Interestingly, activated hSef works not by directly inhibiting the activity of ERK, but by preventing activated ERK from entering the nucleus. When hSef levels were experimentally reduced, stimulus-dependant ERK activation in the nucleus increased dramatically.
These results demonstrate that the newly discovered inhibitor hSef is a signaling-dependent regulator of the Ras/ERK MAP kinase cascade that blocks MAP kinase influence on target genes by res
Contact: Heidi Hardman
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The SME Education Foundation’s mission is to prepare the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists through outreach programs to enrich students to study Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as well as Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) education. Providing scholarships to these students ensure that we enrich the pipeline of students pursuing manufacturing engineering and engineering technology degrees.
Over our 30 year history, we have:
- Invested $5.3 million in youth programs, helping over 15,000 to explore career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education
- Granted-funded over $4.7 million in scholarships to students pursuing manufacturing-related careers
- Invested $17.3 million in grants to 35 colleges and universities to develop industry-driven curricula
Find out more at www.smeef.org.
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Groundbreaking is scheduled for Saturday for Masdar City, a nearly self-contained mini-municipality designed for up to 50,000 people rising from the desert next to Abu Dhabi’s international airport and intended as a hub for academic and corporate research on nonpolluting energy technologies.
The 2.3-square-mile community, set behind walls to divert hot desert winds and airport noise, will be car free, according to the design by Foster + Partners, the London firm that has become a leading practitioner of energy-saving architecture.
• Even higher congestion charges in London:
London Mayor Ken Livingstone will triple the city’s daily congestion charge to 25 pounds ($49) for the most-polluting cars and sport utility vehicles, his latest plan to cut carbon emissions by boosting driving costs.
Owners of vehicles that emit more than 225 grams (0.5 pounds) of carbon dioxide a kilometer — the so-called ‘G band’ rating used for calculating U.K. vehicle tax — will pay the increased fee to enter central London’s congestion zone starting Oct. 27. The charge will be waived for owners of the least- polluting vehicles, Livingstone said at a news conference today.
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The Future of Group Fitness
"Feel the burn!" "Bet you can't do it all!" These were the cues of aerobics classes of the past. "Jab-jab-punch!" "Visualize yourself climbing a steep hill" and "Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth," are common cues in group fitness classes today. And just as verbal cues have changed, so have fitness classes. Some believe that group exercise classes were left behind in the '80s, and that it is dead. But as Mark Twain once said, "Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated...." Group exercise is alive and well. What will group fitness classes be like in the future? To predict this, past and current trends need to be examined.
Historical group fitness
Group fitness classes in the U.S. originated from a dance background, with programs such as Jazzercise and Jackie Sorensen Aerobics. Movements were given specific names that were choreographed to music, and a group of moves was taught at each session. If you missed a session, you needed to learn the choreography by the next class to keep up. Then, Jane Fonda-style classes became popular. These classes incorporated more calisthenics, and the aerobics movements were more free-form than choreographed. This enabled participants who had never taken a class to feel comfortable since the instructor gave spontaneous cues for moves. Instructor training and certifications were just beginning to be accepted.
Then, in 1989, the step was born. All of a sudden, a piece of equipment became an essential part of group fitness, and classes that incorporated all types of exercise became the norm instead of the exception. Classes started to be called group fitness rather than aerobics.
Current group exercise
The main theme of current group fitness classes is variety. Settings vary from the traditional studio to workouts on cardio equipment to outdoor hiking and inline skating. Class types and experiences vary from sculpting to aerobics to pre-choreographed strength training to indoor treadmill training to heavy-bag kickboxing. And the types of equipment used for classes vary from weighted bars to rubber bands to stability balls to workouts on stairclimbers, treadmills and bikes. Basically, if clients have a need or desire, a class is created to fill it.
S.A.F.E. (Simple, Adventurous, Fun and Effective) is the foundation of group fitness classes today. Following are the key components of S.A.F.E., and how it relates to group exercise.
When a new exercise or program is introduced, a learning curve takes place. Whether you're an instructor or a participant, moves are learned progressively starting with the basics. This is the kinesthetic phase of learning. Take step training for example. In the kinesthetic phase, an exerciser is most concerned about executing the basic moves. Once the basics are mastered, a participant will feel more comfortable adding arm movements and increasing the complexity of lower-body movements. This is the associative phase, where feelings and descriptions are associated with specific moves. In the autonomic phase, participants usually know what the instructor is going to do before the instructor cues the moves. (These people are usually in the front row of the class.)
Now, group fitness classes usually consist of participants who have already experienced all of the phases of learning. Classes can be 90 percent full of "front row" participants. This can be intimidating for new members, first-time group exercise participants and the deconditioned market. To attract all types of participants, group fitness instructors have had to focus on teaching to everyone, regardless of their level of experience, age or fitness abilities. Classes that have become popular and successful today are athletic and repetitive, and have no or very simple choreography. People enjoy classes more and feel successful when they don't feel awkward and uncoordinated.
Group fitness has never been so exciting. Whether inside or outside the club, walls, mirrors and a sound system no longer restrict classes. If your members want a Latin dance class, a class to walk their dogs, a class to inline skate, a class to rock-climb, a class to go hiking, an African dance class, a class for Brazilian-style martial arts, a tumbling class for kids or a hip-hop class for teens, no problem. Instructors who are the most creative create the most unique experiences for members.
Fun is the key to motivation and adherence. Fun begins with professional group fitness instructors and great programming. Professionalism equals consistent quality in the classes that each group fitness instructor teaches. Certifications and continuing education for instructors are necessary to improve your programs and to provide consistent high-quality classes. Instructors who are well-educated and well-versed in their areas of expertise can help participants to vary their experiences, which is an essential part of motivation. If participants never know what to expect from each class, they will never get bored.
Creative group fitness programming helps to retain existing members, recruit new members, and keep both instructors and members motivated. A basic rule of thumb for developing new classes is, if there are more than two people interested in a particular type of fitness program, promote it as a class. Chances are, interest will build, since people generally like to experiment with different classes to escape stress and relax their minds. When it comes to group fitness programming, anything goes. Following are a few hot programming ideas:
* Combination classes (i.e., aerobics and step), indoor cycling, group strength training, martial arts, mind/body (yoga, tai chi, meditation, Pilates, Feldenkrais, NIA, qi gong, stretch, chi ball), mini-trampolines
* Belly dancing, Afro-Caribbean, Swing, Latin-Salsa, hip-hop, jazz, ballet, tap
* Group rowing, treadmill, stairclimbing, cycling, elliptical training
* Sport conditioning (snow sports, golf, running, training drills, triathlon training, racquet sports, etc.), jump rope, group personal training
Classes for special populations:
* Cardio rehab, senior classes (aerobic and strength), back class, family-fun Fridays, kickboxing for kids
* Aqua aerobics, swim lessons/techniques, stretch, toning/strengthening, youth programs
* Walking, running, cycling, hiking, inline skating
Time is a valuable commodity for fitness professionals and their clients. In the past, members loved taking classes that lasted more than an hour. Now, quick 30-minute classes are more the trend. Quality training that doesn't require a lot of time is the most efficient way to help members reach their health and fitness goals. Physical results may not be the main reason why members stay with a club, but they help members to feel good about themselves and help fitness professionals have a sense of purpose.
The "E" in S.A.F.E. also represents Entertaining. Classes where the instructor wears a costume, teaches by candlelight or recites poetry have become more of a norm rather than an exception.
Future group exercise
The future of group fitness is exciting. Having S.A.F.E. (Simple, Adventurous, Fun and Effective) programs will give your classes a focus and keep your members and instructors happy. Remember, the more variety you have, the more safety is increased, risk of injury is reduced and exercise adherence is increased.
Clients will continue to be well-informed about fitness, training techniques, disease prevention and training options. Fitness professionals will simply have to stay abreast of trends and information, and step out of their comfort zones to provide the most efficient, effective and safe workout experiences possible.
There's a place in group fitness for literally everybody, whether it is dance, athletic training or mind/body classes. Group fitness has come a long way, and its ongoing changes will help to make the future of health clubs that much more exciting. Remember, people join health clubs as an individual, but they remain a member when they are part of a group. FM
Lynne Brick is the founder and president of Brick Bodies Fitness Services. She owns a chain of Brick Bodies health clubs, has starred in more than two dozen videos, has authored five books and is an international presenter. Her website can be found at www.brickbodies.com.
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Kayan Mentarang National Park, East Kalimantan
Asia/Pacific > Southeast Asia > Indonesia > Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) > East Kalimantan (K. Timur) > Kayan Mentarang National Park
The project's main objective is to prepare a management plan and a 3-5 year operation plan for the park. This work involves research and information gathering on topics such as conservation biology, economic development plans and options, social and cultural systems, and traditional land use patterns.
Other important components are awareness and education activities to build support for the park, as well as the development of a participatory management system that involves the critical stakeholders, particularly the approximately 10,000 indigenous Dayaks that live in or near the national park.
The Kayan Mentarang Nature Reserve contains the largest unbroken stretch of protected rainforest in Borneo, and is an important refuge for numerous species, particularly rare and endemic ones. About 70% of the reserve lies below 1,000 m and contains areas of species-rich lowland dipterocarp forest.
An estimated 12,000 people live within the reserve, and an additional 13,000 inhabit the reserve's buffer zones. Populations within the reserve boundaries, and to the south, have decreased following emigration from the border region of east Kalimantan to the lowlands. Expansion of shifting cultivation into primary forest located well inside the reserve is not therefore a problem. It is encroachment by loggers and commercial farmers in the lowlands on the eastern side of the reserve that is likely to be a threat, particularly to the richest areas of lowland dipterocarp forest.
Some logging has already occurred within the reserve boundaries. Prevention, or stabilization, of these activities, will have to be addressed as part of the management plan.
1. Redefine and secure the boundaries of the reserve complex, with revisions in protected area status as appropriate, with the ultimate objective of converting it into a national park. This will legalize a zonation and nature protection system that will accommodate the traditional land tenure and resource-use patterns of the tribal people who have lived in and around the reserve area for millennia.
2. Secure broad support for conservation from local communities, provincial government, and local non-governmental organizations.
3. Resolve land-use conflicts between the reserve and commercial operations, such as logging and plantation agriculture.
4. Complete a database on the reserve area for use as a planning and management tool, including relevant information on species distributions, land tenure and resource-use patterns of local inhabitants, and Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping.
5. Prepare a management plan and implement interim conservation activities.
This project is the first major effort to conserve the Kayan Mentarang reserve, one of Indonesia's largest, and biologically richest protected areas. The reserve, and its proposed extensions, covers over 2 million ha along east Kalimantan's border with Sarawak and Sabah. Revised boundaries of the reserve, and a management plan, are being drawn up, in consultation with, and the cooperation of, the people living in the reserve and its buffer zones. Buffer zone development will focus on economic activities and products that reduce pressure on endangered plant and animal populations.
- The conservation status as a national park, to replace the previous status of a nature reserve, for Kayan Mentarang (1,360,500 ha) was formally announced by the Ministry of Forestry in 1996 - although no Park Management Unit is assigned yet up until 2005.
- The required work for preparation of a 25-year Park Management Plan (zonation, scientific expeditions and researches) is completed; WWF introduced and facilitated negotiations on the roles of the indigenous community groups in the management of the park .
- The government formally (in a Ministerial Decree) adopted the Park Management Plan in 2002, with another accompanying decree on the representation of local communities in the (supervisory) management structure of Kayan Mentarang National Park (KMNP).
Currently, WWF is continuing the work on completing the related surveys (biodiversity monitoring, preparation for the 5-year spatial planning, aerial surveys for alternatives related to the ongoing development plans by the local governments, boundary zonation, community mapping). Work is also focused on community empowerment through the FOMMA - the forum of 10 customary groups whose lands are within the park boundaries, and facilitating negotiations towards ensuring implementation of collaborative and community based management in the KMNP.
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Latino Quote Of The Day™ by Estaban Montejo
“You never saw a black lawyer because they said that blacks were only good for the forest. You never saw a black teacher. It was all for the white Spaniards. Even the white criollos were pushed aside. I seen that myself. A night watchman, whose only job was to walk around, call out the hour, and put out the candle, had to be a Spaniard…”
- Estaban Montejo (1860-1973), a103-year-old Cuban man of African descent who had lived as a slave in captivity, a fugitive slave in the Las Villas wilderness, and a soldier in the Cuban War for Independence.
“Latino Quote Of The Day”™ is curated by Bobby Gonzalez.
Bobby González is a nationally known multicultural motivational speaker, storyteller and poet. Born and raised in the South Bronx, New York City, he grew up in a bicultural environment. Bobby draws on his Native American (Taino) and Latino (Puerto Rican) roots to offer a unique repertoire of discourses, readings and performances that celebrates his indigenous heritage.
For more info on Bobby, visit http://www.bobbygonzalez.com/
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| 0.961877
| 267
| 2.53125
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This recital from Havana-born
Marco Tamayo provides a fascinating
insight into the influences on Cuban
guitar music. We are informed that Cuban
culture is an accumulated blend of Spanish
colonial rule which ended in 1901, religious
influences from various émigré
populations and the more recent exposure
to North American culture. It is these
multi-faceted influences which have
significantly shaped the direction of
music which contains an amalgam of jazz,
blues, traditional European Classical
and Romantic music, Afro-Caribbean rhythms,
twentieth century harmonies et al.
In short it has to be appreciated that
Cuban music contains a immensely colourful
and diverse mixture of influences.
Cuban by birth and
Austrian by adoption Marco Tamayo proves
himself to be a fine guitarist. His
playing is rather understated which
seems to assist the mood of the music,
with more subtlety than flamboyance,
more sensitivity than grit; unaffected
rather than pretentious. Tamayo leaves
the listener with a real sense of ‘a
soloist at one’ with this repertoire
from his homeland. The only one of the
seven composers on this release that
I am familiar with is Leo Brouwer who
acted as a music spokesman for the Revolution
and is arguably Cuba’s best known composer.
For the most part I
did not find this Cuban music for guitar
to be thrilling or uplifting but rather
moody, reflective and accessible. Mainly
uncomplicated in expression and relying
on mood painting rather than melodies,
it is difficult to classify stylistically.
The lyricism is more restrained than
the guitar music from Spanish composers
such as De Falla, Tarrega, Torroba,
Albeniz et al. It is no coincidence
that my two favourite works on the release
were the ones which were the most melodic,
namely Edward Simon’s El manicero (The
peanut seller) and Brouwer’s Cancion
de cuna (Berceuse).
No problem with the
sound quality here and the release has
interesting and informative annotation.
An exceedingly well performed release
from Naxos but not one that I will be
revisiting for a while.
see also review
by Patrick Gary
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US debut for vertical shaft machine technology Apr 2012
Peter Kenyon, TunnelTalk
- Vertical shaft machine (VSM) technology is being used for the first time on a North American tunneling project.
- Ballard Siphon Project General Contractor James W. Fowler of Oregon has partnered with Herrenknecht to use the German manufacturer's VSM technology to construct a 145ft x 30ft launch shaft on the south shore of Seattle's Lake Washington ship canal.
- A 2.6m diameter Herenknecht EPBM, which is currently completing a short drive in England, is scheduled to launch on its 2,000ft drive in September.
Herrenknecht VSM at the south shore launch shaft
- The main parts of the VSM began arriving from Spain in February, with assembly beginning in the early part of March. Shaft excavation is expected to start next week, on or after April 16, with completion scheduled for June. Traditional construction methods, such as pile driving and ground freezing, would have taken 2-3 months longer.
- Risk sharing
The Herrenknecht/ James W. Fowler JV was formed after a series of events occurred whereby the General Contractor was unable to come to terms, on grounds of cost and schedule, with their original subcontractor to build a slurry wall. So instead James W. Fowler formed a JV with Herrenknecht to create a new shaft subcontractor, Fowler Shaft Contractors, and will use a VSM to install a caisson shaft.
- According to King County Project Representative Marty Noble, American reluctance to use the caisson method for shaft excavations over 80ft deep in areas like Seattle's Puget Sound, which suffers from complex geological and groundwater conditions, could now change.
- The technology has been used in Europe and the Middle East for the last 6-7 years, but so far has not been utilized on American soil.
- Noble told TunnelTalk from Seattle: "King County, as a public owner, typically doesn't make decisions on the means and methods for constructing the design intent of a project. Our contract specifications are more performance based as opposed to being prescriptive, as are most public, design-bid-build projects."
King County Project Representative Marty Noble
- "For example, this project allowed for three types of shaft construction – caisson, slurry wall or ground freezing. In other words - what we wanted, not how to do it. Because most projects in the US are based on the low bid concept, contractors do not go out of their way to try out new and potentially risky means and methods. The low bid generally cannot support the financial hit if things go wrong. In some parts of Europe and the Middle East the culture of public and/ or major private contracting is sometimes based on partnering arrangements where the gain (or loss) resulting from the use of new technology is shared."
- "This helps immensely with the contractor's ability/ willingness to try new methods. On the Ballard Siphon Project a series of events occurred where the General Contractor, the James W. Fowler Company, was unable to come to terms with their original subcontractor to build a slurry wall, and partnered with Herrenknecht to Install a caisson shaft with the VSM."
Ballard siphon replacement alignment
- Lesser of three evils
Noble explained: "The depth of the shaft (145ft) would have made a traditionally installed caisson shaft extremely risky because of problems associated with keeping the shaft vertical as it went down. A slurry diaphragm wall shaft would be the logical choice for most contractors but in this case the equipment/ specialty contractor was not available to meet the project schedule/ budget. Slurry wall construction is a highly specialized method of construction and no other contractor was immediately available.
- "The contractor looked at ground freezing but because of the complex geology/ groundwater conditions felt this method was too risky to the project schedule. Left with the not so pleasant aspects of all three of the above scenarios the contractor chose to partner with Herrenknecht to use the VSM to install a caisson."
- The biggest risk with this method is the ability to keep the caisson vertical as it descends. Because the clam bucket cannot excavate directly below the shaft, it may begin sinking unevenly and eventually get stuck before it reaches the desired depth. While there are methods to mitigate this problem the caisson usually has to remain flooded with water (no visibility) to equal out groundwater pressures. Attempts to maintain verticality to avoid the caisson from getting wedged into the formation can be very difficult and costly.
- Noble said: "In the Puget Sound area if a shaft needs to be deeper than 80ft it won't be done with the caisson method. However VSM technology may change that idea. With VSM, the caisson is held from sinking on its own by four sets of 20 steel cables each anchored to hydraulic strand jacks at the ground surface. The descent of the caisson can be precisely controlled thus maintaining verticality. The digging arm of the VSM is able to excavate directly below the caisson cutting shoe, removing any obstructions that may prevent the shaft for going down evenly. The excavating is also precisely controlled by an operator inside a surface mounted control station. Remember, all of excavation is done underwater with no visibility from the surface."
- The TBM is scheduled to launch from the shaft in September (2012), and will run below the existing 77-year-old wooden dual siphons, which will be slip lined as part of the project, beneath Salmon Bay.
- In addition to being less disruptive than traditional shaft construction, VSM works well in tightly confined city spaces and in areas with difficult soils and high water tables. The machine is also powered by electricity and does not require the continuous operation of noisy diesel generators.
- The shaft is kept full of water during excavation to help balance groundwater levels and to allow the excavated material to be pumped out and sent through separation equipment for disposal. The machine is capable of excavating and lining 3ft-15ft each day.
- The new siphon, about 60ft beneath Salmon Bay, will run from Seattle's Ballard Regulator Station to the North Interceptor in the Interbay. Owner, King County specified EPBM over horizontal directional drilling and microtunneling methods, because it was deemed the least risky and would have the least impact on local neighborhoods and businesses. In addition to the technical challenges, space is limited by underground utilities, railroad tracks and businesses on both sides of Salmon Bay.
- Seattle mobilizes for sewer upgrade - TunnelTalk, September 2011
Add your comment
- Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and comments. You share in the wider tunnelling community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language professional.
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Plants of Lake Pueblo
At first glance, you might not think Lake Pueblo has diverse plant life. But in fact it is considered a “botanical hot spot” by most botanists. The riparian area on the east end of the park is home to a variety of tree and wildflower species including cottonwood trees, willows, wild roses ,wild onion and varieties of primrose.
The pinon-juniper woodland on the north side of the park has juniper trees that are hundreds of years old. Imagine the stories they could tell! Indian paintbrush grows throughout the area, along with the grama and rice grass that they need to survive. Winterfat and four-wing saltbrush are an important staple for the local mule deer.
The short grass prairie that makes up the park property is full of penstemons, princes plume,asters and a variety of cactus both large and small. The cactus can cause quite a yelp if encountered by a dog off the trail, so keep them on a leash please.
Yucca plants are found throughout the park.
Lake Pueblo is known for being the home of five rare plants. The Arkansas Valley Evening Primrose, Golden Blazing Star, Pueblo Goldenweed , Dwarf Milkweed and the Round–leaf four-o’-clock have documented populations on the park. These plants are considered imperiled and are protected.
Lake Pueblo Rare Plant Handout
When using the trails, please protect our plants by staying on the established trail. Do not pick plants or chop trees for firewood. Help us keep our plants safe for future visitors to enjoy.
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Childrens wood toys have a wonderful solid, traditional feel to them and can outlast many others. Traditional wooden toys have a comforting familiar feel to them and allow children to explore their own creativity while stretching their imagination and understanding. In an age of computers and television these toys can bring a sense of more natural and comforting play.
Many wooden toys are designed to make use of tried and tested methods of teaching through play. Shape sorters come in many different guises and help children develop hand eye coordination and special awareness without even realising it. Beautifully painted picture blocks can help progress memory skills and are sure to be much loved for their appearance alone. Wooden toys are suitable for children of all ages and children will enjoy progressing onto using mobile toys like pull-a-long animals and push-a-long buggies and carts.
Creative play is an important part of any child's progress and toys designed to mimic the adult world around them are always popular. Girls and boys alike can enjoy a variety of imaginative play with scenarios as varied as dolls houses, kitchens and toys depicting settings like shops and fire stations.
Wooden puzzles come in a variety of different complexities suitable for the very youngest of children. Simple jigsaws help memory and coordination while nursery toys like clocks and alphabet blocks can help them learn the early skills to give them a head start at school.
One of the main attractions of wooden toys is their longevity. Well-made and extremely robust they will last a good deal longer than plastic. Indeed, wooden toys often become favourite family heirlooms passed down through generations to be played with again and again. They are also extremely safe when played with as there are no small parts to cause any safety worries.
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Borrowing costs rose in Spain Wednesday, with the 10-year yield crossing the 6% mark for the first time in two weeks amid rising concerns about the banking sector.
The yield jump was triggered by concerns that Spanish authorities will push banks to increase provisions to cover potential losses on the real estate portions of their portfolios, said Elisabeth Afseth, fixed income analyst for London-based Investec.
And that could be problematic, she said, as the hard-hit banking sector might need to borrow money to satisfy further provisions. But Afseth questions how the banks will be able to pull that off, with government bond yields at their highest point since April 23.
"I think it's getting very difficult for the Spanish banks," said Afseth. "The government is their backstop but the Spanish government is finding it difficult to borrow, as well, when the yields are over 6%."
The Spanish government is expected to announce Friday that banks will be required to set aside an additional €35 billion to cover potential losses on real estate assets, according to reports.
This would be on top of the €36 billion in loss provisions that Spanish banks are required to raise under legislation announced in February.
While the provisions may not cover all of the potential losses that banks face, the reserves could help restore investor confidence, according to analysts at Nomura Securities.
"In aggregate, this is a material increase and should go some way to meeting the concerns of the market," the Nomura analysts wrote in a note to clients.
Meanwhile, Spanish authorities have suggested that the government will also announce a framework to remove bad assets from bank balance sheets, such as a so-called bad bank.
But the details are sketchy and it remains to be seen how Madrid would finance any additional support for the banking sector.
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Gil Corral’s questions and answers in Biddeford
COSMIC CACOPHONY: “Gumball Genetics.”
Biddeford artist Gil Corral seems to be one of those people whose curiosity and surreality often seem detached from everyday, practical matters, but who can at times distill that perspective to impossibly simple truth. His paintings, on display at Franklin Street Art Space, evince both a passion for armchair philosophy and a desire to use art as a means to plumb his subconscious. For the viewer, the body of work is off-putting at times but ultimately invaluable.
In “Gumball Genetics,” Corral depicts nothing short of a cataclysm of consciousness. Human remembrance is rendered as a collision of objecthood and our species’s strange tendency to symbolize. A gumball galaxy of pink, orange, and white polka-dots becomes a primordial sea from which explodes a big bang of images. A sumo wrestler rides a tricycle. A computer mouse rests next to its namesake from the animal kingdom. The Dalai Lama bows piously but his head is replaced with a jet black orb. Below him, a woman with a familiar air of celebrity repeats his gesture. Bees mate while Stephen Hawking presides over the entire scene. A common theme of DNA helixes weaving through the composition suggests the artist is attempting to depict a zero point of the Platonic and the scientific. Somewhere between our observational abilities and powers of imagination is a cosmic code from which we ourselves are written — our striving for a sense of progress and the material is seen in a new light.
If all this sounds like a bit much before your morning cup of coffee, that sense of unsettling chaos is reflected in the work. Corral forgoes a refined painterly approach in favor of excitable execution, resulting in an impressive conversation piece that otherwise could benefit from further development of form. Smaller pieces in the show follow suit. The horse on a yoga ball in “Charioteer” or the human-animal hybrids of “Sensitive” are alluring in concept but feel more like studies than works capable of projecting the undercurrents of consciousness and emotion with which Corral consumes himself.
That unease and underdevelopment disappears completely when Corral simplifies his content. In “Board,” the subject is reduced to pure sky and a lone bumblebee, resulting in the artist directing his intuitive sensitivity away from concerns of the mind and toward a physical approach to the materials of the piece itself. A blue sky is pushed almost entirely to white, the paint built up confidently with a palette knife. Subtle reds become minor epiphanies within a color-field that supports a bee rendered so softly and swaddled in resin to give the whole piece greater physical presence. Corral rips through the thick paint at the bottom of the canvas in two decisive strokes of the knife as though to make the air manifest and show us the underlying fabric of both the painting and the world it represents. The most successful work in the show, “Board,” is less about questions and process and instead elicits a Zen-like calm of “this IS.”
: Museum And Gallery
, Dalai Lama, Painting, Visual Arts, More
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Go to consortiumblog.com to post comments
Age of Obama
Barack Obama's presidency
Bush End Game
George W. Bush's presidency since 2007
Bush - Second Term
George W. Bush's presidency from 2005-06
George W. Bush's presidency, 2000-04
Who Is Bob Gates?
The secret world of Defense Secretary Gates
Bush Bests Kerry
Gauging Powell's reputation.
Recounting the controversial campaign.
Is the national media a danger to democracy?
Behind President Clinton's impeachment.
Pinochet & Other Characters.
Rev. Sun Myung Moon and American politics.
Contra drug stories uncovered
America's tainted historical record
The 1980 election scandal exposed.
From free trade to the Kosovo crisis.
Ray McGovern on Illness and Health
Editor’s Note: Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern – one of our favorite writers – underwent a successful medical procedure to open a clogged artery near his heart. Though Ray had health insurance, the scary moment gave him an insight into the life-and-death dilemma that Americans who lack insurance face:
Dear family and friends,
At first I thought the BEFORE picture of the arteries around my heart may have been doctored. There it was big as life...or imminent death — the circumflex artery was 90 to 99 percent blocked.
(Hadn’t heard “circumflex” since studying classical Greek. It’s what we called the mark placed over long vowels; and, sure enough, that artery had the same form as that mark.)
Turns out the picture was not doctored. But, happily, I was — by an excellent cardiologist who performed a cardio catheterization and emplaced a stent to unclog the artery. The AFTER picture showed a far happier circumflex with blood flowing freely through it.
I have not tried it yet, but I'm looking forward now to walking up that big hill from the Metro station without the minor distress. That was the only symptom I had had....and only twice, and both times the distress went away quickly.
No pressure on chest, no trouble breathing, no sweating, no dizziness; no numbness in arm or elsewhere. Just some quickly passing discomfort.
I was "sure" enough that it was nothing serious that I know I would never have gone to the doctor, IF I DID NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE.
And so, by now I could well have been a heart attack victim — and maybe dead — IF I DID NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE ... which some 50 million of our brothers and sisters in this wealthy country DO NOT HAVE!
Medical insurance occupies part of my knapsack of unearned privilege, the knapsack about which I am barely conscious as it adheres to me like glue.
Perhaps it's my own medical emergencies over the past year and a half — lymphoma in 2008, and then the almost-out-of-business artery — that have made me more conscious of the scandal that our country does not treat all as "created equal" when it comes to access medical care. And I think this applies in spades to before-it-is-too-late diagnostic testing, without which illnesses like mine would have remained undiagnosed and untreated.
To be blunt about it: Whether from the relatively symptom-less lymphoma (only discovered when the tumor was the size of a large orange), or as a result of the "minor distress" blockage in my artery, I most likely would be dead now — the only saving grace being that you wouldn't have to read this.
The lymphoma has been in remission for 10 months, and the oncologist — in an atypical burst of guarded optimism — has said it may even be cured! And if I regularly take the five heart-related prescriptions written for me on Tuesday, the stint should continue to do its work unstintingly, the circumflex and less circular arteries should keep the heart working, and I can die from something else!
This is my second wake-up call. (Thick Irishmen need at least two.) Maybe one needs to be affected in a personal way to gain some sense of what having no health insurance actually means.
I'm going to do all I can to promote single-payer health insurance as the only real way to get everyone covered, and urge you to do the same. Our son the doctor heartily agrees with the sizable majority of physicians who believe that single-payer is by far the best solution.
We're supposed to care about our brothers and sisters in this great country of ours, right?
No one should have to think twice before seeking needed medical help ... even after just one seemingly paltry symptom.
Thanks for your prayers and the good vibes you have sent along. Looks as if I’ll be around for a while more. Let's see if we can get medical insurance for ALL Americans.
In truth and justice,
Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, the publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. After serving as an Army infantry/intelligence officer, he spent a 27-year career as a CIA analyst. He is co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).
To comment at Consortiumblog, click here. (To make a blog comment about this or other stories, you can use your normal e-mail address and password. Ignore the prompt for a Google account.) To comment to us by e-mail, click here. To donate so we can continue reporting and publishing stories like the one you just read, click here.
to Home Page
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Australia needs physician assistants. So why aren’t we getting them?
As you may have noticed, Croakey has recently been running a series of articles examining the potential of physician assistants to improve access to health care, particularly in rural and remote areas.
These articles have been positive about the role of PAs. But we know that a number of groups are on the record opposing or raising concerns about the introduction of PAs, including the Queensland Nurses Union, the Australian Medical Students Association, the AMA and the 2010 Australasian Junior Medical Officer Forum. No doubt others have been working against PAs behind the scenes.
If any of those groups – or any other PA sceptics – would like to contribute to the Croakey series, please get in touch. It would be good to hear your responses to the pro-PA arguments that have been made.
Meanwhile, Professor Peter Brooks, director of the Australian Health Workforce Institute, explains below why he believes that Australia needs PAs. (Incidentally, he is also due to speak at at a University of Sydney seminar on May 3 titled “Are we training too many doctors?”.)
Professional self-interest is blocking introducton of physician assistants
Peter Brooks writes:
Well done Croakey for running these stories on Physician Assistants (PAs). The opposition to the introduction of these health workers mirrors very much what happened in the US some 40 years ago.
Strident cries from the American Medical Association that their introduction would end life as we know it. But interestingly – it didn’t!
Why the nurses are so actively against it is interesting but one would have to ask all opposing groups are they interested in opposing for oppositions sake, are they interested in providing health services to patients who currently find it difficult to access them because the workforce is not there, or are they interested in preserving the status quo with siloed health professional practice?
The health service and its constituent parts is a very complex organism but every part of it should work together to improve patient care and not work only in the interests of the health professional – or have I got that wrong ?
The health and social welfare workforce is currently the largest in Australia – 1.4 million – and like the rest of the population, it is ageing.
We will need to recruit about half a million new workers at least to this sector over the next decade – a significant challenge that policy makers and politicians do not seem to be fully accepting at present.
Where are these new workers to come from? Current recruitment will not achieve these targets so perhaps some innovation is required. Trials of new models of care have been carried out by Queensland Health and the South Australian Health Commission in respect to PAs.
These trials, albeit small, did suggest that these new health professionals would be useful across a variety of health care situations. They actually assisted doctors in care delivery, worked together with Nurse Practitioners as part of the care team, and value added to teaching of students rather than impairing it.
So why the opposition? Sad to say but may I suggest pure self interest – as always wrapped up in cries that the introduction will impact negatively on patient safety and quality, reduce learning opportunities for medical and nursing students and generally speed the dumbing down of health care delivery – none of which can be supported by the many trials of PAs in Australia and overseas .
Now I have to declare my bias, having introduced the PA program at the University of Queensland in 2009. One of the reasons was that of recruitment, the fact that in the US those joining PA programs do not want to be doctors or nurses. So it adds to the health workforce, and that is what we have to do.
There is going to be so much work out there in health care, we need all the person power we can get.
Policy makers need to ensure that there is appropriate recognition of PAs and that the educational programs are well designed and provide graduates with the right competencies for practice.
This is a time when the professional organisations and policy makers need to rise to the occasion. They need to look outside their own silos and facilitate the introduction (and evaluation ) of new models of health care – which will all be team based – so that we can really reform what is a very good health system, but one that cannot cope with the challenges of an ageing and chronically diseased population as we move into the next decade .
I’ve just come across a recent systematic review, published in The Journal of Rural Health, in the US: The Role of Physician Assistants in Rural Health Care: A Systematic Review of the Literature Lisa R. Henry, PhD;1 Roderick S. Hooker, PhD, PA;2 & Kathryn L. Yates, BA1
(If you’d like a copy, leave your details below or email me and I will send it on…)
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I had a day off Friday from class, so I volunteered in the morning at Casa de Luz, Austin’s premiere (and possibly only) macrobiotic restaurant. Casa de Luz was how I heard about The Natural Epicurean culinary school, so in a large sense, it was very instrumental in my life! The food was so delicious and nourishing, and the space was so tranquil and enriching, that I had to know how I could learn those skills.
Volunteering at Casa means chopping veggies for three hours and at the end getting a free lunch (or dinner, if you volunteer in the afternoon). I figured it would be a good chance to practice higher volume chopping. I got what I bargained for there! And the meal was fabulous as usual.
Below: A pallet of fresh vegetables delivered to Casa that I noticed as I entered the restaurant.
Below: Cauliflower that I chopped. I’m not sure where this ended up.
The meal below is a great example of balance on a plate. To feel truly satisfied after a meal, one needs a balance of tastes and mouthfeel plus nutrients. Popcorn as a meal doesn’t work – it’s a simple flavor (buttery, salty) and one texture (crunchy/starchy) over and over again. Plus, it’s very light on nutritive elements. As a meal, it doesn’t work. Believe me, in desperation, I have tried.
This meal, however has warm and cool, crunchy and smooth, acid and neutral. It even has the slight sweetness of root vegetables and the saltiness to contrast against. In macrobiotics, overly sweet food is generally not suggested, but every plate has some element of sweetness to maintain balance. Japanese sweet potatoes are a great example of this that I’ve seen used at Casa de Luz. As for nutrients, this plate is loaded with carbs, protein, fiber, and an adequate amount of fat. If I had a choice between this plate and almost anything else, I would choose this. I might need a second helping, though.
Below: What a meal, and I helped make it! Blanched greens with a nut/seed sauce on top (just made a similar sauce in class called sun cheese, which is also used at Casa), short-grain brown rice, lentils with cilantro (amazing), pickled radish that I chopped, and steamed veggies.
Below: I love the natural lighting at Casa de Luz. Maybe that’s where they got the name from!
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Healthy You is a series of health management programs designed to help faculty and staff understand, improve, and maintain their health. The programs are completely voluntary and totally confidential. Through the Healthy You programs, you can:
• Take a personal Health Questionnaire (HQ to learn about your health and any issues you may have.
• Participate in lifestyle coaching to identify those long-term actions that will improve your health
through the life choices you make by building skills that last a lifetime.
• Receive outreach and resources to help you take an active role in understanding and managing
chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Have access to a variety of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care-provided tools and education including
websites, informational sessions and onsite events.
The Office of Health Promotion directs programs and services that foster the health and well-being of our students and campus community. The Health Promotion team is comprised of health educators, health coaches, and student volunteers who work collaboratively to advance healthy living habits on campus.
The Office of Health Promotion provides information on a range of topics related to student health, including: stress management, alcohol and drug use, nutritional health, sexual health, bystander education, prevention of relationship violence, LGBTQ health issues and more.
Find nutritional information and ingredient listings for BC menu items from Hillside, Corcoran, McElroy and other dining locations on campus as well as links to pertinent information regarding health and nutrition.
Open 24 hours a day, UHS is a good place to start if you are having any physical, emotional or transitional issues. They can provide you with the necessary treatment, resources, or referrals.
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|Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.211|
|Link||view program website|
|Sponsor||Office of Rural Health Policy|
|Deadlines||Feb 13, 2013|
|Contact||For business, administrative, or fiscal questions:
Grants Management Specialist
For programmatic questions:
|Purpose||The primary objective of the Telehealth Network Grant Program is to demonstrate how telehealth programs and networks can improve access to quality health care services in rural and underserved communities. Applicants are encouraged to develop innovative applications that meet new and emerging needs in a changing health care delivery system with a focus on value and improved health care outcomes.
Grantees should demonstrate how telehealth networks improve healthcare services for medically underserved populations in urban, rural, and frontier communities.
TNGP networks are used to:
Projects selected for funding must provide clinical services for which performance measures can be developed. In particular, an emphasis on clinical services that focus on one or more of the chronic disease states of high priority (i.e. congestive heart failure, cancer, stroke, chronic respiratory disease and/or diabetes) is strongly recommended.
|Eligibility||Eligible applicants include rural or urban nonprofit entities that will provide services through a telehealth network. Each entity participating in the networks may be a nonprofit or for-profit entity. Faith-based, community-based organizations, and tribal organizations are eligible to apply. Services must be provided to rural communities, although the applicant can be located in an urban area.
The Telehealth Network shall include at least two of the following entities (at least one of which shall be a community-based health care provider):
Applicants should have a successful track record in implementing telehealth technology and have a network of partners in place and committed to the project as of the date of application. Signed Memorandum of Agreements (MOA) from network partners committed to the proposed project must be included in the application. Applicants failing to submit verifiable information with respect to the commitment of network partners, including specific roles, responsibilities, and clinical services to be provided, will not be funded.
|Total Funding Available: $2,250,000
Grant Ceiling: $250,000 per year, up to three years
Number of Awards: Up to 9
|Links to the full announcement and online application are available through grants.gov.|
|Tagged as||Critical Access Hospitals, Hospitals, Networking and Collaboration, Telehealth, Tribal Health and Human Services|
For complete information about funding programs, including your application status, please contact funders directly. Summaries are provided for your convenience only. RAC does not take part in application processes or monitor application status.
Office of Rural Health Policy, view details
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Prebiotics are a great way to boost the effectiveness of the probiotics you are taking. They are literally the food for your probiotics.
By not feeding yourself, you could literally die. And the rules are no different for the probiotic bacteria in your guts. Feed them or they won’t help you.
Copyright © 2009-2012 by Probiotics.org - our policy to protect your privacy
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Primary Care Docs Can Help Keep Kids Off Cigarettes
Behavior-based interventions were effective only in reducing smoking initiation among nonsmoking young persons and had no effect upon current smokers.
Medically Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD and Dorothy Caputo MA
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 12, 2012 (MedPage Today)
— Behavioral interventions either directly or
indirectly involving primary care providers appeared to be effective in
preventing children and teens from taking up smoking, a systematic review
A pooled analysis of trials using a variety of behavior-based
interventions showed a 19 percent relative reduction in the risk of smoking
initiation, according to Carrie Patnode, PhD, MPH, of the Kaiser Permanente
Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., and colleagues.
Behavioral and medication interventions did not, however,
significantly reduce rates of cessation among those who were already smokers,
the researchers reported online in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Citing the wide variability in the components of interventions,
outcome measures, and results among the included studies, the authors wrote
that "the need to replicate promising interventions and specific
intervention components in well-controlled trials is
"This research would include incorporating longer-term outcomes
to examine the extent to which results hold over time, involving more diverse
samples of young persons (including those at various stages of risk), estimating
intervention effects in real-world settings, and determining the feasibility
and sustainability of these interventions in a healthcare setting," they
The 2012 Surgeon General's Report highlighted strategies that have
been proven effective for reducing tobacco use in children, teens, and young
adults — multi-pronged interventions containing mass media campaigns,
price increases, and school-based policies and programs, as well as statewide
or community-wide policy changes.
But the report also noted that there was no definitive evidence that
interventions delivered in healthcare settings have an impact on adolescent
smoking initiation, a conclusion similar to the one drawn in 2003 by the U.S.
Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).
To help update that 2003 guidance for the USPSTF, Patnode and
colleagues searched for publications of primary care-relevant interventions —
defined as those that were conducted in healthcare settings or were based on a
referral from a healthcare professional — for prevention and
cessation of tobacco use in children and teens.
The review turned up 19 trials — four with good quality and
15 with fair quality, according to the researchers — aimed at
prevention of smoking initiation, promoting cessation, or both. Smoking status
was based on self-report because biochemical verification was not consistently
In pooled analyses, the only significant benefit observed was in the
prevention of smoking initiation by behavioral interventions.
The targets and components of those interventions varied widely, with
most directly targeting the children and teens and the rest targeting a
combination of children and their parents or the parents alone.
Of the 10 trials included in the analysis of preventing smoking
initiation through behavioral interventions, four were conducted in the primary
care or dental care setting and six mostly involved mailings to the
participants' homes. Approaches included in-person counseling, tailored
computer programming, and booster telephone calls.
In a meta-analysis, the rate of smoking initiation was 8.8 percent in
the intervention group and 10.4 percent in the control group, an absolute risk
reduction that yields a number needed to treat of 50.
As for trials evaluating smoking cessation in young people, neither
behavioral nor bupropion interventions improved quitting rates.
The authors added, however, that the findings varied widely among the
trials, with absolute differences in quit rates ranging from 5 percentage
points lower to 21 percentage points higher in the intervention group compared
with the control group.
"The lack of effect seen across the cessation trials may reflect
the limited number of studies that targeted established smokers or presented
stratified data to examine the effects among these young persons," the
authors wrote, noting that "there were some promising
"A logical next step would be to replicate the few effective
interventions and either limit the trial to established smokers or stratify the
results according to the stage of acquisition of the young persons," they
None of the trials of behavioral interventions reported on potential
harms. Of the three bupropion trials, one showed that users of the active
treatment were more likely to have an adverse event (64 percent versus 48
Patnode and colleagues acknowledged some limitations of their review,
including the fact that none of the trials reported health outcomes or
subsequent adult smoking rates, the between-study variation in outcome measures
and interventions, and the lack of information on tobacco use other than
In addition, most of the studies were performed 5 to 15 years ago, and
thus may not reflect recent public health efforts to reduce tobacco
Care Docs Can Help Keep Kids Off Cigarettes
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Posted: Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Canadian Labour Congress Comments on Completion of United Nations Climate Change Talks
The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) calls Canada's decision to formally withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change an international embarrassment that tarnishes Canada's international reputation.
The CLC led a delegation of representatives of Canadian unions to the United Nations climate change talks in Durban, South Africa, to press for an ambitious commitment and credible plan for Canada to reduce its greenhouse gas pollution as part of a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. The CLC also called on the Canadian government to do our fair share to support poorer countries to adopt clean energy technologies and to adapt to the effects of climate change.
The talks however were a failure of political will, and Canada put the final nail in the coffin with its announcement that it will officially withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol. Canada’s actions will only underline the global slide from climate crisis to potential climate catastrophe.
Over the past few weeks, the government of Canada has done nothing to deny the rumours that it would pull out of Kyoto. Despite its intentions to pull out of this binding international climate treaty, the Canadian government representatives tarnished our international reputation by joining the international negotiating table in Durban. Canada is now known as a country which doesn’t keep its word.
The formal announcement that Canada will pull out of Kyoto is an example of this government’s support for short-term oil company profits over the long-term employment, economic and social justice needs of Canadians.
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Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era
Business – motivated by profit, supported by civil society, and sped by smart policy – can get the US completely off oil and coal by 2050, and later beyond natural gas as well.
by Amory Lovins
Imagine fuel without fear. No climate change. No oil spills, no dead miners, no dirty air, no devastated lands, no lost wildlife. No energy poverty. No oil-fed wars, tyrannies, or terrorists. No leaking nuclear wastes or spreading nuclear weapons. Nothing to run out. Nothing to cut off. Nothing to worry about. Just energy abundance, benign and affordable for all, forever.
That richer, fairer, cooler, safer world is possible, practical, even profitable–because saving and replacing fossil fuels now works better and costs no more than buying and burning them. Reinventing Fire shows how business – motivated by profit, supported by civil society, sped by smart policy – can get the US completely off oil and coal by 2050, and later beyond natural gas as well.
This book maps a robust path for integrating real, here-and-now, comprehensive energy solutions in four industries – transportation, buildings, electricity, and manufacturing – melding radically efficient energy use with reliable, secure, renewable energy supplies. Smart businesses are creating a potent, global, market-driven, and explosively growing movement to defossilize fuels, creating trillions in potential savings over the next 40 years, and trillions more in new business opportunities. Whether you care most about national security, jobs, competitive advantage, or climate and environment, Reinventing Fire provides startling innovations that will support your values, inspire your support, and transform your sense of possibility.
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A 30MW solar plant in New Mexico. Credit: First Solar.
With so many solar company bankruptcies, you’d think the industry is in a death spiral. But a study out today shows that manufacturers’ pains–and new financing options–have led to brisk business for installing solar power.
Installations of solar photovoltaic power hit 506 megawatts in the first quarter of this year in the U.S. across 18,000 sites, an 85 percent jump in megawatts from the first quarter last year, according to a report from the Solar Energy Industry Association done with GTM Research.
The surprisingly strong numbers led forecasters to revise estimates for total installations this year upward to almost 3,300 megawatts, or 3.3 gigawatts of newly installed capacity.
The main reason solar panels are flying onto rooftops is the same reason so many solar manufacturers are struggling: falling prices. The average price for a solar array fell 17 percent in the first quarter alone and the average module, or panel, price dropped below $1 per watt for the first time.
Led by Chinese producers, the industry has essentially flooded the market with all manner of components, leading to an overcapacity which GTM Research analyst Shayle Kann doesn’t see ending until well into next year. On the business side, brutal price competition has contributed to a number of solar company bankruptcies, including Solyndra, Germany’s Solon, and BP Solar, and tough times even for price leader First Solar.
But cheaper product isn’t the whole story behind the buoyant demand. Financing has matured substantially in the past few years to the point where dozens of companies now offer a solar lease or power purchase agreement to consumers and businesses. Financing options–either by paying for the power panels produce or a monthly lease–means consumers don’t need to spend a lot of money upfront to purchase solar panels, a perennial barrier to broad market penetration.
“We’re seeing these new innovative models such as solar leasing taking off in many of the states where it’s legislatively allowed,” said Tom Kimbis, the vice president of strategy and external affairs at SEIA.
Technology-wise, polycrystalline solar panels remain the dominant technology but the SEIA/GTM Research report notes that concentrating solar power systems are making headway in the utility market. In the first quarter, 1.1 gigawatts of concentrating solar power capacity is now under construction, which includes heat-driven concentrating solar power and concentrating photovoltaic systems.
New solar cell technologies are pushing prices downward on flat panels as well. Manufacturers, such as First Solar and General Electric, are ramping up production of more efficient thin film panels to compete better on cost per watt.
The forecast for next year in the U.S. is mixed. A federal cash grant program expired at the end of last year, which will create a financing bottleneck for utility and commercial projects early next year, Kann said. Also, tariffs imposed on Chinese solar panels by the U.S. Commerce Department could affect prices significantly, he said.
But even those factors and a shaky global economy, the U.S. market has good prospects, with GTM Media predicting 25 gigawatts of solar installed by the end of 2016.
“It would be unimaginable to consider the U.S. market would actually shrink any time in the near future. But we’ve come to expect growth like what we’re reporting today so if it only grew 25 percent (next year) I think, by a lot of players, that would be considered a down year,” Kann said.
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As boring as it may to many students, the lesson in statistics is crucial. It's the basis of decision making.
It's a dry subject unless you are able to see the wisdom behind it.
Meticulous calculation, charts, tables and not to forget the ever confusing concept in probability.
But, statistics offers some significant objectives. It teaches you not to be judgmental, not to make claims, not to jump into conclusion, before you have the facts. It gives you the method in collecting the proper data so that your decision is based on actual facts, free from prejudice and bias opinion.
We are at a cross road now. The whole nation is.
We need to learn the facts, we need to examine the data. We can't make a wise decision using some nostalgic and emotional racial sentiment, let alone some hideous immoral campaigns.
Time has changed. This is the information age. We cannot simply rely on old fashion, traditional method of obtaining information, such as the old television channels, the old newspapers, the ones that are still using childish way of influencing the mass.
Be a grown up. Be mature. Be wise. Because I believe our nation is.
Our beloved nation has indeed progressing beyond the boundaries of rigid racial prejudice and baseless suspicions. And to move forward we need fresh new ideas.
In the end, we cannot run away from the fact that part of being mature is having the courage to make brave decisions and not to be afraid of changes.
Decision is a reflection of who you are, and what you believe in.
And on the day of judgment, we surely shall be held accountable for all our decisions.
To my dear students,
I hope the lessons that you learn from my statistics class can be used as guidance.
The future of our nation is in your hands. Literally.
To all my readers and followers who will be voting in May 5th, 2013,
All the best to you..
Let's pray for a better future.
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Here’s another great post from Woody Bendle, who debuted as a guest Brainzooming blogger last week. In the intro on Woody’s first Brainzooming post, I didn’t go into much biographical information on him. An economist by training, Woody is currently the Director, Insights & Innovation at Collective Brands, Inc. in Topeka, KS. Previously he was with Blockbuster as Vice President of Marketing, Customer Analytics & Strategic Systems. Today, Woody Bendle is sharing his perspective on how innovation and improvement can both be continuous.
Continuous Innovation and Continuous Improvement
Executives face constant pressure to increase shareholder value. For the past several decades, one answer to this challenge has been to strip away inefficient processes and unnecessary costs. The bottom line benefits to Continuous Process Improvement programs (i.e., Lean Six Sigma) and DMAIC methods are well documented with organizations such as Toyota and General Electric (pdf). At some point however, improving profits through cost cutting approaches a limit, but there is still the pressing need to create more shareholder value. The answer – Innovation.
Innovation Is Everywhere
The word “innovation” is everywhere today. And frankly, I feel it is approaching overuse. It seems as though every other commercial on TV makes an overt innovation claim. President Obama even used the word six times and ingenuity twice in his 2012 State of the Union address. A quick search on Google Trends shows a steady increase in news reference volume since the beginning of 2008. This timing is not coincidental. As the recession set in and the benefits to Continuous Improvement initiatives began to level off, firms increasingly began to realize that they needed to innovate in order to drive the top line. In fact, in a 2010 report from the Boston Consulting Group (pdf), 84 percent of the nearly 1,600 global executives surveyed said they “consider innovation an important or extremely important lever in its ability to reap the benefits of an economic recovery.” So, while the word may be overused in today’s culture, the need for it is very real.
Seeking innovation mojo
To me, trying to regain innovativeness is one of the greatest ironies of businesses. Most, if not all firms start out as an innovation of some sort. However, many organizations, in their quest to become ever efficient as they scale, unfortunately lose their innovation mojo. Or as is described by Dyer, Gregersen, and Christensen in “The Innovator’s DNA”, the pursuit of ‘Delivery’ often displaces an organization’s ‘Discovery’ capabilities. But as the authors point out, ‘Delivery’ (or execution) is critical for producing results and “translating an innovative idea into reality.” Put another way, processes are needed in order to repeatedly take new ideas to market and create consumer and shareholder value. To become continuously innovative, organizations need to employ a continuous innovation process.
I recently gave a talk and during the Q&A session was asked whether Innovation and Continuous Improvement could really coexist. I suspect that many reading this are also asking the same question. My answer is a resounding Yes… And. Yes, I do believe they can coexist, And, in order for an organization to thrive, they need to coexist. I tend to think about the two as best friends – if not perhaps even Siamese twins. On the surface, these two concepts do seem to be diametrically opposed. Continuous Improvement is all about defining, refining, and measuring (left brain stuff). Innovation… well, it is about creativity (right brain stuff). Left brain, right brain, cats and dogs, oil and water, how can the two coexist? But, the principles and practices of Continuous Improvement are actually the foundation of a sustainable Innovation competency.
i3 Continuous Innovation
If any organization intends to grow continuously though innovation, they must adopt repeatable processes which will allow them to systematically:
1) Identify opportunities for new products or services
2) Innovate and create new products or services
3) Implement and scale
That’s it – the Continuous Innovation process essentially boils down to these three steps: 1) Identify, 2) Innovate, 3) Implement (i3); which feels quite similar to Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control (DMAIC). Further, an effective and efficient Innovation Process will incorporate the DMAIC process throughout each step of the i3 Continuous Innovation process. Thus, innovation benefits from, and is reinforced through continuous improvement. And as W. Edwards Deming stated in “The New Economics”, “Absence of defects does not necessarily build business… something more is required.”
And that something is innovation. - Woody Bendle
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In October 2009 I announced the JavaFXpert RIA Exemplar Challenge, which was to:
"Create an application in JavaFX that exemplifies the appearance and behavior of a next-generation enterprise RIA (rich internet application)".
I am pleased to announce that the winning entry, the Beechcraft Cargoloader, was submitted by Abhilshit Soni. Here's a screen capture of Abhi's entry:
Abhilshit Soni is a 24 year old Software Engineer living in Mumbai, India. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in BioInformatics and is currently working with Zycus as a Software Engineer in the Product Engineering Team. He has been involved in developing web-based enterprise applications based on Java EE and Spring technologies for almost three years.
About Abhi's Application
According to Abhi, his Beechcraft Loader application "tries to solve a typical engineering problem of loading cargo containers into a Cargo aircraft. It needs a proper way in which your aircraft should be loaded with containers so that the resultant center of gravity of the aircraft is stable. For big cargo carriers like Boeing 747-400F or Airbus A380 there are set of calculations defined in their weight and balance handbook which are always calculated to ensure that center of gravity of the aircraft is and will be stable in all the conditions. This application tries to calculate the same for a relatively smaller Aircraft called BeechCraft 1900C by the Hawker-Beechcraft Corporation. The cargo aircraft manufacturer describes the operational center of gravity limits (varying based on the total aircraft weight) for a particular aircraft which can be viewed by the "Aircraft weight" vs "center of gravity" chart. The aim is to load aircraft in such a way that your current center of gravity falls between these operational limits, otherwise your aircraft is either nose heavy or tail heavy. This application considers only Beechcraft 1900C for cargo loading with a specific set of containers . All the equations and Aircraft master data are obtained from Chapter 7 of the FAA Aircraft Weight and Balance Handbook. The application currently does not cover all the functional use cases, like calculating lateral Center of Gravity and many other functional validations which are out of scope as of now".
Instructions for Using the Application
You can take the application for a test flight via Java Web Start by visiting Abhi's blog. Here are some pre-flight instructions from Abhi:
- Drag a cargo container from the cargo panel on the left side.
- Place it on any of the sections on bechcraft 1900C main deck in the upper center.
- See the change in center of gravity in the data table.
- Also see the change in weight v/s CG chart, and the weight coverage pie chart, in the lower right and left respectively.
- To remove a dropped container double click it.
- Change the container's position by by dragging from old position to new position.
- To reset the plan click 'Reset Container' button on the toolbar in the center just below the Main deck.
- To enable/disable Drag and Drop animation toggle 'Disable Animation' button on the toolbar in the center just below the Main deck.
- To quick view/hide cargo weights toggle the "View Weights " button on the toolbar in the center just below the Main deck
- Click on Weight Coverage chart or Weight vs CG chart to get a larger image.
- The yellow dot in the Weight v/s CG chart represents the current center of gravity, and the polygons drawn in the chart are the operational limits provided by the aircraft manufacturer.
- Check out Help and About buttons for more info about the application.
Each of the participants were asked how their entry exemplifies the appearance and behavior of a next-generation enterprise RIA. Here is Abhi's response:
"To an end user the enterprise RIA is more about the way user sees the information shown in the application. All that an end user expects from an enterprise RIA is to access the information in the fastest and coolest looking way. The definition of coolest may be interpreted as drag drop interfaces, animation and effects, different data viewing formats, but not at the cost of performance. By using JavaFX I have tried to achieve the same to an extent by adding drag-drop spot data update in multiple formats like grid and charts, and also onclick zooms, animations and effects with performance as priority."
Also, per the contest rules, Abhi has submitted the source code of this application to the JFXtras open source project in the samples repository.
Congratulations to Abhi, and thanks to everyone who submitted an entry to this RIA Exemplar Challenge!
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Neither the determination of al Qaeda, nor the tactic used in this incident seem particularly shocking or new. Perhaps this kind of thing has something to do with a news search for "Napolitano" today bringing up three calls for her resignation.
Napolitano's answer. Watch the video, here.
I think, following up on that, not just the determination of al Qaeda and al Qaeda Arabian Peninsula, but the tactic of using an individual to foment an attack, as opposed to a large conspiracy or a multi-person conspiracy such as we saw in 9/11, that is something that affects intelligence. It really emphasizes now the renewed importance on how different intelligence is integrated and analyzed, and threat streams are followed through. And, again, it will impact how we continue to review the need to improve airport security around the world.
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Renewed factional violence in Gaza; interior minister resigns
Monday, May 14, 2007
Hamas and Fatah officials said Sunday that the cease-fire would begin at 1:00 a.m. local time. The ceasefire between their armed factions was mediated by Egypt, but it did not last until sunrise.
A unity government including both groups was formed in February.
Violence in the Gaza strip has claimed the lives of seven people in two days.
Qawasmi had offered to resign on earlier occasions, and this time it was accepted by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.
- "Hamas-Fatah cease-fire collapses; top official resigns" — , May 14, 2007
- "Resignation deepens Gaza crisis" — , May 14, 2007
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Office Of Public Affairs
$2.5 Million to Fight Disease, Bioterror
$2.5 Million to Fight Disease, Bioterror
Jun 7, 2005 6:00 PM
University of Utah is Part of $40 Million Regional Effort
The University of Utah will receive at least $2.5 million as part of a $40 million, six-state program to develop new ways to diagnose, prevent and treat emerging infectious diseases and fight bioterrorism.
The money coming to the U will be used to improve education and emergency preparedness for disease outbreaks and biological terrorism; convert basic laboratory findings into new medicines and vaccines to help patients; and determine why some people are genetically more susceptible than others to the West Nile virus.
"This is an exciting development for the university and for Utah," says chemistry Professor Jill Trewhella, special projects director for the U's Office of the Vice President for Research. "We are going to be working at the forefront of biomedical research to address emerging infectious diseases like West Nile virus and preparedness for defending our citizens in the event of a bioterrorist attack."
The $40 million program - named the Rocky Mountain Regional Center for Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases - is headquartered at Colorado State University and includes 15 universities, hospitals and government agencies in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.
A $40 million grant to the center was announced June 1 by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is one of the National Institutes of Health. Another $40 million grant was announced the same day for a regional center led by the University of California, Irvine. Eight other centers covering the rest of the United States were set up in 2003 with $350 million. So the new centers bring the total to $430 million.
The Rocky Mountain center "is going to take advantage of this university's excellence in human genetics and our medical school, with its capabilities in dealing with infectious diseases," Trewhella says. "Our hospital and medical facilities will be networked with others in the state and the region to provide the best possible treatments and responses to outbreaks of infectious diseases."
Barry Beaty, a Colorado State University virologist and director of the Rocky Mountain Regional Center for Excellence, says the consortium's goal is to develop new vaccines, treatments and diagnostic methods for animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans. Such diseases include illnesses caused by the West Nile virus, hantavirus and equine encephalitis virus, as well as bacterial diseases such as plague and tularemia, or "rabbit fever."
"If it's a normal outbreak or by bioterrorism, you need to be able to respond," Beaty says. "The idea is to help companies and industry develop products and get them out there to protect people and animals."
Four University of Utah faculty members will run five projects for the regional effort. Preliminary four-year funding amounts and the projects are:
-- $1,294,729 to physician-geneticist Michael Bamshad, who will study "human susceptibility to West Nile virus, how different people respond to the infection and some get much sicker than others, and what the genetic basis for that is," Trewhella says. (Media note: Bamshad is out of the country this week and not available for interviews.)
-- $594,163 to infectious disease physician Woody Spruance for postdoctoral fellowships to train physicians in infectious disease, particularly as it relates to potential bioterrorism. Spruance says the training will be for doctors who already have received their M.D. degrees and are undergoing subspecialty training in infectious disease.
-- $235,261, also to Spruance, for a regionwide educational program aimed at medical personnel, emergency responders and the public, including doctors in small towns who might be the first to detect an infectious disease outbreak. He says the program will include 15 to 20 lectures annually for four years.
-- $187,635 to Steve Kern, assistant professor and interim chair of the university's Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, who will lead the Regional Center for Excellence's effort to convert the findings of research into new products to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases. Kern says he will "help move promising research projects from the laboratory to the clinic for testing and evaluation," including initial human trials of new medicines and other technological advances.
-- $187,635 to Colleen Connelly, emergency preparedness manager at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center, who will coordinate the Regional Center for Excellence's examination of preparedness for an infectious disease outbreak or bioterrorism. Connelly says she will work to coordinate the federally funded program with existing state and local emergency preparedness efforts.
Beaty says the University of Utah's total of $2,499,423 does not include equipment costs and new projects that will be added later.
Kern says that because the new program includes researchers from many institutions and academic disciplines, it "should speed the progress in developing effective strategies for infectious diseases and related potential bioterrorism threats."
Spruance adds: "It strengthens our regional ability to react to bioterrorism or any outbreak of a new infectious disease."
This news release along with related news releases from Colorado State University and the National Institutes of Health may be found at: http://www.utah.edu/unews/releases/05/jun/bioterrorbucks.html
# # #
Visit our News Archive for a complete list of previous News.
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Chinese cooking is resourceful cooking. Steaming, stir-frying, braising, roasting – each technique brings out the best flavor and texture of foods. We'll guide you through cooking techniques that help you develop your own cooking style. Incorporating a variety of Kikkoman sauces will ensure you prepare an impressive array of flavorful foods.
Braising browns ingredients in oil quickly, then cooks them over low heat, covered, in a heavy pan with a little liquid to keep foods moist. This is a great way to cook tougher cuts of meat (such as roasts), sturdier vegetables (such as potatoes or other root vegetables) or poultry. Kikkoman Stir-Fry Sauce and Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce add rich flavor to braised dishes.
In Chinese deep-frying, ingredients may be marinated first, then coated in a batter or dredged in cornstarch. Oil is added to a wok or skillet to enable the food to be covered in the oil. For most ingredients oil temperature should be at 365°F. Use a frying thermometer to test the heat. Fry a few pieces of food at a time to keep the heat of the oil constant. Drain fried foods on a rack or on paper towels.
To avoid spatters, make sure the ingredients are dry before submerging them in the oil. For some fried food, such as egg rolls, you can fry partially until light golden, then refrigerate and refry just before serving. Kikkoman Sweet & Sour Sauce's perfect balance of flavor makes an excellent dipping sauce for fried foods.
Cooking whole poultry, and large cuts or cut-up pieces of meat, in a soy sauce infused liquid gives dishes a mahogany or "red" coloring. Brown ingredients in oil quickly, then cook over low heat, covered, in a heavy pan with enough liquid to make a sauce. And, leftover red-cooked dishes can taste better days later. The sauce can be reused over and over with fresh cuts of meat to create a richer "master sauce." Kikkoman Soy Sauce is an essential ingredient for the deep color and flavor provided by this technique.
This method cooks foods in the oven using dry heat. Usually, roasted foods are marinated before roasting or brushed with sauce during roasting. Kikkoman Soy Sauce, Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce and Kikkoman Stir-Fry Sauce are easy ways to add the perfect seasoning to this technique.
When foods are cooked by steaming instead of boiling, water-soluble nutrients are retained. To steam, put food in a steamer basket and put the basket into a wok with boiling water below the basket level. Or use a collapsible metal steamer in an ordinary pot. Cover the wok or pot to keep the steam from escaping. Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce is the perfect addition to the delicate flavors of steamed dishes.
In this cooking method, cut-up foods are tossed briskly over high heat. Because the action is quick, all foods must be prepped and sauce ingredients measured before the actual cooking begins. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet. Add ingredients and toss vigorously. The hot oil seals in the juices. Add a little liquid toward the end.
To keep some food from overcooking while others are underdone, cook in batches with ingredients of similar density cooked together. Start with the items that take longer to cook, then add ones that cook quicker so everything is done at the same time. Be sure to use a wok or skillet that's large enough so ingredients aren't too crowded, which results in steaming instead of sizzling. Kikkoman Stir-Fry Sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce, and Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce are excellent choices for stir-fried foods.
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Napoléon COSTE (1805-
Guitar Works. Vol
Recorded Newmarket, Canada. 16 - 20 December 1998
This is Volume 3 of a Series and as the earlier recordings have not come
my way to review, so a brief biography of the composer may be helpful. Coste
was French, named at birth after the then new Emperor Bonaparte, and destined
for a military career which was duly ruled out through poor health. He seemed
to have a natural affinity for the guitar, and with a minimum of formal training
he moved to Paris in his mid-twenties to pursue his chosen career with the
instrument, with further study and later, with help due to his friendship
with Fernando Sor. With the retirement and deaths of the previous generation
of guitarists Coste, with a magnificent technique, found himself the leader
in his field. An accident to an arm ended his playing career at 57.
His compositions, as illustrated on this disc, reveal the skill of a composer
whose writing covered a wide range, including pieces written to celebrate
leading composers of the day and fashionable dances. In total the eight tracks
show a composer who clearly knew how to write pieces that would appeal to
potential audiences. He tapped into current fads and fancies and utilised
their popularity in his compositions.
The opening piece, Deuxième polonaise has an introduction and
a middle passage as well as the lively dance tune and its recapitulation.
In Le Tournoi, by the use of a muted opening clarion call and the
subsequent graceful, yet gently martial writing, one can visualise the Tournament
and the chivalry the 1830's believed it saw looking back at the Middle Ages.
Interestingly, the dedicatee was Hector Berlioz, who was proficient on two
instruments only, flute and guitar. Andante and Allegro - identified
as an early work - has the slightly introspective feel of a work written
for the performers personal pleasure. The short La romanesca with
its simple, catchy melody is based on an older (Sixteenth Century) piece
and the transcription was extremely popular after publication.
Bellini's Norma, which was performed in Paris in 1833, was the source
of Fantasie,Op.16. Coste took two arias "Ah! Bello a me
ritorna" and "Si, fino all'ore" to which he added a short linking
section and a closing passage. Bellini was also the composer of the theme
used in Introduction et variation sur un motif de Rossini. The item
wrongly credited to Rossini was actually "Tu vedrai la sventurata
from Il Pirata which embellishes the theme in a fine set of variations
with a rousing conclusion. Two attractive,short Quadrilles complete the disc.
The recording is excellent and the playing of the Czech guitarist Pavel Steidl
is flawless. There is much for the non-aficionado of the guitar to hear and
enjoy in music that is consistently attractive and tuneful.
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Live video broadcasts from a cell phone? On the flight home from CES 2008 we realized watching Robert Scoble walking and streaming live video with Qik was way cool... and something we wanted to play with on Systm.
It's pretty cool to watch somebody streaming video (and audio) live from a cell phone over the cell phone's network to an audience that can ping questions back thru the cell phone's monitor.
That's what we saw Robert Scoble, of Scobleizer fame, doing down at CES.
Unfortunately, it turns out the secret ingredient for live video broadcasts from his cell phone is Qik. It works great, but it won't work with any of the cell phones we own. It's a Nokia and Nokia only kind of deal.
OK, a notebook and camera isn't nearly as slick (or as portable) as using a cell phone to broadcast video over the net... but it's a lot easier to set up.
1) Get a remote connection to the net: we used our EVDO modem, since it's the most portable net connection we have.
3) Connect your camera, whether it's the camera built into your Macbook, or a USB or Firewire video camera.
4) Fire up the stream, and let the folks back East see that soccer game, Bat Mizvah, birthday or, hey, the annual burning of the log in your backyard.
Next week we'll be setting up our Wireless Access Truck: how about an open WAP that can do 100 mph?
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Parents are vital part of any school’s success
I recently attended an event at Tapestry Charter School, a showcase of student work focusing on the charter school movement that drew hundreds of parents, community members and leaders on the same night the District Parent Coordinating Council held its parent assembly. It was distressing to read in The News that the assembly didn’t attract the expected numbers, particularly when the district and the council made tremendous effort to get parents there.
Tapestry’s success in drawing parents into its school community is intentional and worth consideration by city school leaders. The school works tirelessly to develop strong, interpersonal relationships with students and families. Before school begins in September, every parent receives a phone call from his child’s teacher or adviser welcoming the family to the school community. Those new to Tapestry have an in-depth, face-to-face “intake” meeting with their child’s teacher(s) before school begins. Advisory groups that build school families are an integral part of the school day. Every child is well known by at least one adult in the school community. Communication between school and family is ongoing. This deliberate and thoughtful process of relationship building engages families and makes them feel connected to and comfortable in the school community. If an issue arises that may negatively impact a student, the family relationship has been established and the issue is more easily resolved.
Parents are an integral part of the success of our schools and must be embraced as equal partners in all aspects of school culture and governance. The DPCC has worked so hard to have the parent voice heard. Academic success and positive school culture begins with individual school communities recognizing and valuing the importance of meaningful family engagement and one-on-one relationship building.
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Tired of the mainstream and commercial ?
Cook Shire offers a relaxed lifestyle in a beautiful environment without foregoing modern services and technologies.
Cooktown is the central hub of the shire and services the outlying towns of Ayton, Rossville, Laura, Lakeland and Coen.
Cooktown is a beautiful, unspoilt small historic coastal town surrounded by stunning countryside. It is also Australia's closest town to the Great Barrier Reef. With its laid-back atmosphere and friendly people, this is the perfect base to explore the rugged beauty of the lower Cape, noted for its pristine environment and Aboriginal culture.
One of Australia's most historically significant townships, Cooktown, nestled between Mount Cook and the mouth of the Endeavour River, was the site for the beaching of the HM Bark Endeavour in 1770 under the command of Lt James Cook.
The pioneering spirit that opened and developed this region is still alive and strong in the 21st century.
Cook Shire .... the history is just the beginning.
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TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS, Lucius, son of the preceding, and son-in-law of Servius Tullius, immediately succeeded the latter without any of the forms of election, and proceeded at once to repeal the recent reforms in the constitution, seeking to establish a pure despotism in their place. Wars were waged with the Latins and Etruscans, but the lower classes were deprived of their arms, and employed in erecting monuments of regal magnificence, while the sovereign recruited his armies from his own retainers and from the forces of foreign allies. The completion of the fortress temple on the Capitoline confirmed his authority over the city, and a fortunate marriage of his son to the daughter of Octavius Manilius of Tusculum secured him powerful assistance in the field. His reign was characterized by bloodshed and violence ; the outrage of his son Sextus upon Lucretia precipitated a revolt, which led to the expulsion of the entire family, after Tarquin had reigned twenty-five years. All efforts to force his way back to the throne were vain, and he died a lonely and childless old man at Cumin. See vol. xx: p. 734.
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| 0.978736
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Some of the photographs we inherit from our now-long-gone relatives are of the non-labeled type maddeningly portraying people we are sure must be family members. We agonize over such pictures, wishing to know which faces might match the names from our research database—those names we already know too well.
Some snapshots, however, capture the sights from our relatives’ past, constructing for us a tale of the places they’ve been. Usually, we can guess—or, more happily, even infer—identities of such locations, based on our knowledge of the whereabouts of our ancestors.
In the case of Bill Bean, however, the act of guessing may not come remotely near the fact of the matter. In his later years, Bill—along with his wife, Ellen, of course—was quite the traveler.
Such is most likely the case with one picture in Bill Bean’s collection of unmarked photographs. Set in a geography I can’t quite place, the subject of the composition is not Bill, not his wife, not even “natives” of the area he was visiting.
The subject is a building.
Set on what appears to be a sandbar at the edge of a lake perched near bald hilltops, the building looks like a hotel—all except for one distinguishing detail: no people. Oh, there may be a speck or two on this photograph that might be human, but the building is conspicuously void of the throngs of people one might assume would accompany a building of this size.
Another surprise: the building seems to lack any of the customary signage of such a commercial enterprise. What kind of building is this? And why was Bill there to take its picture?
Granted, my eyes have already failed the test of determining telltale clues. I’ve already mistaken geese for fish, not to mention a mother-and-daughter duo for twin teenagers.
So perhaps I had better leave well enough alone, and leave it to you: what do you think? Is this a remote mountain hideaway? An exclusive resort of a bygone era? A wealthy recluse’s compound?
You may be noticing my romantic muse is getting carried away with itself.
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| 0.968359
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Significant Proposed Changes For Federal Health Care Programs In President’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Plan
From: McDermott, Will & Emery
Article by Eric P. Zimmerman and Elizabeth K. Isbey
On April 10, 2013, President Obama released his budget proposal for fiscal year (FY) 2014 (the Budget). The President reiterated his long-standing goal of reducing the deficit by $4.3 trillion over 10 years and his willingness to do so in part by saving $400 billion from changes to federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. According to the President’s budget document, these savings would be enough to cancel the sequestration required by the Budget Control Act of 2011, which went into effect in March 2013.
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| 0.959958
| 150
| 1.585938
| 2
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Cooking, for some us, is a very enjoyable activity and for others it seems like a rather daunting task. However, cooking your food is such an important component to healthy eating. When you cook your food not only is it easier to plan your meals but you can also control the ingredients that are put into your food. For those of us who are new to cooking, I suggest starting off with very simple and quick recipes.
The Shaved, Avocado Salad is one of my absolute favorites because you basically just toss all the ingredients in a large bowl, mix them together and that’s it! How simple is that? Simple, Nutritious, and Delicious…! Give it a try and let me know how you liked it!
1 head Kale, shredded (or about 4 cups/ 3-4 leaves)
1 cup tomato or red bell pepper, diced
1 cup avocado, chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or flax oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
In mixing bowl toss all ingredients, squeezing as you mix to “wilt” the kale and cream the avocado.
As a variation, add chopped fresh herbs or your choice of diced vegetables. You can also substitute swiss chard or spinach for the kale.
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| 0.938116
| 278
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The shape of a real ponytail at various lengths is given by “a”. Calculated shapes by “b” and “c”, where “c” includes a term for frizziness. (Courtesy: American Physical Society)
By Hamish Johnston
Here is some research that is truly on the fringe – or a “big bangs theory” for our readers in North America.
Physicists in the UK have published a paper in Physical Review Letters entitled “Shape of a ponytail and the statistical physics of hair fiber bundles”.
Written by Raymond Goldstein of the University of Cambridge, Robin Ball of the University of Warwick and Patrick Warren of the shampoo-maker Unilever, the article offers an “equation of state for the human ponytail”. Amazingly, the physicists are not the first to calculate an equation of state for hair – that was done back in 1946 by C F van Wyk, who was interested in the compressibility of wool.
According to the UK-based trio, the shape of a ponytail is defined by the competing effects of the elasticity of individual hairs, gravity and mutual interactions between hairs in a bundle. And because a ponytail can contain as many as 100,000 hairs, the problem is best addressed using statistical physics.
The researchers derived a relatively simple equation of state that includes the “Rapunzel number”, which they describe as a dimensionless measure of ponytail length. The team then used the equation to predict the shape of a ponytail as a function of length and compared the results with the shapes of ponytails made with real human hair.
The derivation that best describes a real ponytail also includes a term that reflects the observation that hair becomes “frizzier” as it grows out.
What’s next for the trio? The researchers want to apply their newfound equation of state to study the dynamics of ponytails – how they swish back and forth when the wearer is running.
You can read the paper here, but a subscription may be needed.
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| 0.958878
| 437
| 3.21875
| 3
|
PROTIP: Press 'i' to view the image gallery, 'v' to view the video gallery, or 'r' to view a random entry.
This submission is currently being researched & evaluated!
You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation.
Underage Drinking Prevention Poster Parodies (Japanese: 未成年者飲酒防止ポスター) refer to a series of parody illustrations based on a public service announcement campaign seeking to raise awareness for underage drinking prevention. In January 2013, one of the posters carrying an anti-drinking message quickly began to spread on Twitter and subsequently became an easy target for parodies and satires.
This poster was originally drawn by Miyu Ikeba, a student at the Tajimi Technical High School in Gifu Prefecture, and submitted to the 11th Underage Drinking Prevention Poster Design Competition, which was co-hosted by the Brewers Association of Japan and other Japanese major beer companies in November 2012. Ikeba’s submission received the highest award in the high school category.
The poster gained its critical momentum on January 22nd, 2012 when Japanese Twitter user nagarehoshi0415 tweeted a link to the poster, generating more than 9,800 retweets and 3,000 favorites within the first week.
Ikeba’s poster soon inspired viewers to create and share their parody illustrations featuring other fictional characters and temptations, such as riding on the Evangelion, getting into the monster ball or signing a contract with magical girls. The parody phenomenon was picked up by IT Media News on January 25th, 2012. In the following days, various compilations of parody illustrations were featured on the search portal site Naver Matome while more than 170 illustrations and 482 tweets containing the phrase “Underage Drinking Prevention Poster” (“未成年者飲酒防止ポスター”) were submitted to Pixiv and Twitter during its first week, respectively.
There are no videos currently available.
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| 0.95106
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The Little Church of Horrors
IF THE CURRENT news reports are true, it looks like the suspected gunman in the church massacre in suburban Milwaukee grew carnivorous plants as a hobby. He's described as an avid gardener, press reports say he raised such meat-eating vegetables as Venus flytraps, and I found on the Web what may be Ratzmann's photo (see above) of a carnivorous plant.
But the Living Church of God, the small sect he belonged to, was also one of Terry Ratzmann's passions. Perhaps he was driven past the edge by the right-wing sect's nonstop apocalyptic warningsa set of scare-tactic teachings similar to those used to great effect by the Bush regime's religious zealots.
Incessant fear-mongering is a proven strategy of evangelists and other politicians. It worked in the last presidential election. As for Terry Ratzmann, who knows what was going on with him? Reports are that he was about to lose his job and that he was upset about a sermon he'd heard a few weeks ago. Well, considering the sermons he got a steady dose of, no wonder he was even more agitated. Yes, yes, he was such a "mellow" fellow, his neighbors recalled. Aren't they always?
The Living Church of God is a splintered offshoot of once-famed radio evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God, a Pasadena, California, empire noted for Plain Truth magazine and "The World Tomorrow!" radio broadcasts warning everyone, in typical '50s fashion, to duck and cover because the end was near. Setting that denomination apart was the avid participation by legendary cartoonist and illustrator Basil Wolverton, a gifted contributor to Mad and other mags and comic books.
Check out the unbeatably weird combo of Wolverton's end-times drawings with Armstrong's exclamatory doomsaying in this 1956 work titled 1975 in Prophecy!, featuring Wolverton's creepy deathscapes juxtaposed with the preacher's equally scary captions:
- This scene of utter destructionthe grim, lifeless result of misused human inventionswould take place but for God's promised intervention to save man from this terrifying end.
Take a look at HollywoodJesus.com for Wolverton's apocalyptic drawings in color.
Armstrong's son, the slick and suave Garner Ted Armstrong, later took over the empire, but it fell apart amid accusations of adultery and financial hanky-panky. The Living Church of God was one of a few sects that arose from the ashes of Herbert W. Armstrong's nightmarish vision.
If Terry Ratzmann went bonkers, it's no wonder, considering how much doom and gloom was preached at himwith the typical crapola about how the world is divided into good and evil and how Satan is responsible for bad stuff. Take, for instance, the Living Church of God's commentary after the Columbine massacre a few years ago. The sect's Richard F. Ames wrote:
- What prompted these two murderers to violate the common standards of all civilized societies on earth? Was it the violent video games that some have called "murder simulators"? Had the electronic world made killing a reflex action? Was it the lack of parental involvement in their lives? Was it a tolerant world become so indifferent that it ignored the many warning signs of behavior and comments of the killers?
And Ames, of course, provided answers that had nothing to do with the real world and simply stirred up even more fear and helplessness:
- My friends, let me tell you why! Certainly there are many contributing factors, but No. 1, contrary to the unreal world of video games, there is a real spirit of murder and evil in the world.
Ever since Cain slew Abel about 6,000 years ago, the nature of hate and murder has characterized much of human history. The Bible reveals the existence of a REAL, UNSEEN EVIL SPIRIT called Satan the Devil. In the gospel of John, Jesus of Nazareth uncovered the Devil's battle plan.
Sounds like mad General Jerry Boykin, the Pentagon Pentecostal. (See my item "The Christocrats" from last September.) Ames ends his screed like this:
- The famous 19th century American statesman, Daniel Webster, stated this about the Bible and our national futurelisten to this: "If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity."
How true and how prophetic those words are! That's what's going to happen to all Bible-rejecting peoples, particularly those who claim to be Christian nations. We applaud those teenagers who actively seek to live by the Bible and the commandments of God. But the REAL TRAGEDY is a society that rejects the TEN COMMANDMENTS and rejects the instructions of the Creator God who gave us all the blessings we enjoy in the first place! When our whole society increasingly IGNORES the instructions of the true God, when it continues to embrace the wild, amoral influences of the media, when it fails to seek the way of life as taught in the Bible, we, my friends, will see more and more such tragedies. Perhaps then you will understand the real answer to the question, "WHY?"
Or perhaps you won't.
Anyway, after Saturday's church massacre, the cops had their own battle plan. The New York Times reported that cops and feds "swarmed" the home where Ratzmann, a church member, lived with his mom and sister. The Times story continued:
- Neighbors said Mr. Ratzmann was a computer programmer and prolific gardener who mostly kept to himself but dressed in a tie, jacket and dress pants every Saturday for church. "He's a normal Joe, you know, he's the guy that you'd never suspect to have done this," said Shane Colwell, who lives across the alley from the Ratzmanns. "I don't want his mother thinking that she's raised a lunatic that she should have known was going to do this."
Mr. Colwell said that Mr. Ratzmann had built a garage, a greenhouse, and a filtration system that collected rainwater for fish tanks where he raised trout and that he took his Toyota pickup truck on camping trips to "listen to the coyotes under the moonlight," but did not hunt.
"He said he never even shot a thing in his life," Mr. Colwell said. "The guy caught bunny rabbits in a humane trap and drove 20 miles to release them, because he didn't want to kill them."
Uh-huh. Even though he belonged to a religious sect that fervently believed that worldwide carnage was just around the corner.
You'd think that growing carnivorous plants (see photo) would have been enough of an outlet so that he didn't have to shoot anyone. Reports are, however, that he was about to lose his job. Well, in those circumstances, nothing like a gloom-and-doom sermon about the frightening end to all life on Earth to brighten your spirits. Dave Umhoefer of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel gives a flavor of the sect's teachings:
- The slayings came on Saturday, the church's day of worship as practiced in the time of the Old Testament. Members, who believe the Bible is the literal word of God, were gathering as they do throughout the country in small groups at rented halls, hotels and other locations.
Members believe that the "Great Tribulation"war and famine as prophesied in the Bibleis nearing and that Christ will return as "King of kings."
But listen for yourself to Roderick C. Meredith, the head guy of the sect, ordained more than half a century ago by Herbert W. Armstrong himself. Meredith's recent epistolary "Are You PREPARED?"all the underlines, boldface type, and exclamation points are hisstarts this way:
- Events prophesied in your Bible are now beginning to occur with increasing frequency. In this Work of the living God, we are able to warn you about what is going to happen soon. We are not talking about decades in the future. We are talking about Bible prophecies that will intensify within the next five to 15 years of your life!
Please understand. We are not "scaremongers." We love our fellow man. So it is our responsibility to warn our peoplesahead of timeto prepare for the future. Most of our advice is spiritual in nature. However, in this editorial I want to give you some common sense advice involving your physical survival and your financial well-being.
We must always remember the "Big Picture" prophecy of Matthew 24:6-11. Christ explains that there will be smaller wars within "nations" and major conflicts between "kingdoms." He indicates in Luke 21:11 that "fearful sights"or, as a number of translations have it, "terrors"will come upon us, as well as truly "great" earthquakes at the time of the end. Concurrently, there will be famine and disease epidemics.
If we are truly Bible-believing Christians, we need to prepare for these situations. We are reminded of the old adage, "God helps those who help themselves!" Many examples indicate that although God will often intervene supernaturally to deliver us, He expects us to use wisdom and do our part to protect ourselves.
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Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ratified by the Congress of the Confederation on January 14, 1784 and by the King of Great Britain on April 9, 1784 formally ended the American Revolutionary War between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United States of America. Under the terms of the treaty, Britain recognized the new nation.It agreed to remove all troops from the nation and also set new borders of the United States. the United states agreed to allow British troops to leave and to pay all debts owed to Britain. They also agreed not to persecute the Tories (people loyal to the king, also known as loyalists)still in the United States and allow those who left America to return. The Treaty of Paris ended the Seven years War which had gone global by 1763 and gave control of North America ( Canada ) to Britain. France was only left with two small islands : Saint-Pierre and Miquelon for it's cod fishery.
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As Republican presidential candidates vie for the GOP nomination, the field narrows and the remianing contenders will further define and differentiate themselves from each other on the issues. With gun violence last year involving Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords and the mass shootings by Jared Loughner that left six killed and 14 injured together with the tragedy at Chardon High School last week, the public conversation is turning to gun law legislation and where the candidates stand on gun control.
Romney’s views are murky and appear to have changed. In February he said, “find common ground with pro-gun and anti-gun groups. In the past he signed the nation’s first ban on assault weapons in Massachusetts as governor and increased gun owners fees by 400%. How does he propose to reconcile this with groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA), the most powerful gun lobby in the U.S.?
He proposes legislation that is crafted both by the pro-gun lobby and the anti-gun lobby. The pro-gun lobby said "this legislation allows us to cross roads with weapons when we're hunting that had not been previously allowed." And the day when we announced our signing, we had both the pro-gun owners and anti-gun folks all together on the stage because it worked. We worked together. We found common ground.
“My view is that we have the Second Amendment right to bear arms and my view is also that we should not add new legislation. I know that there are people that think we need new laws. I disagree with that. I believe we have in place all the laws we need. We should enforce those laws. I do not believe in new laws restricting gun ownership and gun use.”
In 2002 when he ran for governor, he supported a ban on assault rifles and the Brady Bill's five-day waiting period for gun purchases. He proudly said those positions wouldn't make him "the hero of the NRA." As governor, he made Massachusetts the first state to permanently ban assault weapons.
He has even flip-flopped about whether he owns any guns. In New Hampshire, he was asked his view on the Second Amendment. He responded that he had been a hunter "pretty much all my life." Later, red-faced aides of Romney had to admit that Romney had never had a hunting license, and under further questioning, Romney acknowledged that his "lifetime of hunting" was having shot at some birds during a Republican governors meeting during a fund-raising event and maybe shooting at "small varmints" when he was 17 with his cousin.
With these statistics it’s difficult to define and more importantly predict what Romney’s gun policies would be if he were elected president.
Gingrich believes that the Supreme Court has become a permanent constitutional convention in which the whims of five appointed lawyers have rewritten the meaning of the Constitution. And furthermore, anyone who thinks various Supreme Court decisions are not adequately worrisome need only look at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to see how domination by secular left-liberal judges will change America. He views the court decisions to be “out of step with the views of the vast majority of the American people.”
Let’s take a look at what the “vast majority of Americans” think. The facts do not support Gingrich’s statements. After the assault and mass shootings in Tucson, Ariz., last year, Americans remain split on the issue of gun control with the scale tipping to more controls, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll.
The poll results revealed that 46 percent of Americans think gun laws should be made stricter, while 38 percent want them to stay the same. Thirteen percent said they thought gun control laws should be made less strict. In a similar poll conducted in April 2010, 40 percent of Americans thought gun laws should be made tougher, while 42 percent wanted them to stay the same. Sixteen percent wanted them to be made less strict.
Public support for a nationwide ban on assault weapons has risen. Sixty-three percent of voters said they would support such a ban, up from 54 percent in 2009.
Gingrich believes in the absolute right to gun ownership. While in Congress, Gingrich voted against the 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act that was eventually enacted and required background checks for those purchasing firearms. Two years later he voted in favor of the Gun Free School Zone Act, which made it illegal to be in possession of a gun while in a school zone. The second was the Domestic Violence Offenders Act. This legislation made it illegal for anyone convicted of domestic violence to own a firearm
While running for the presidency, Gingrich has been very vocal in his support for Second Amendment rights. In a speech to the NRA, Gingrich stated that the Second Amendment was not put in the Constitution to affirm the people's right to vote, but rather to allow them to defend themselves from the government.
In December of 2011, Gingrich filled out the Gun Owners of American survey in which he took a pro-Second Amendment stance on all questions. This included stating he would support the repeal of the Domestic Violence legislation and the Gun Free School Zone Act. These are the two pieces of legislation that he was instrumental in passing in 1996.
With these astonishing statistics it’s anyone’s guess as to what his policies as president would be.
Santorum has the distinction of having a lifetime A+ rating with the NRA.
He did, however, vote in support of requiring trigger locks on handguns, and voted for background checks on firearm purchases made at gun shows.
Both of these positions are supported by the NRA and were initiated during the Clinton administration.
One of the reasons Santorum gets his A+ rating with the NRA is his voting against the ban on assault weapons. He described his vote with the NRA as follows, “they [NRA] supported, and worked with me to make sure that we'd not have something far worse pass. And so sometimes you have to pass something that can get enough votes to be able to satisfy folks that they won't pass something that's much worse. And so that's what you have to do to make sure that rights aren't taken away. I have a lifetime A-plus record with the NRA. They came to me repeatedly when I was in the Senate to help them and sponsor legislation and work toward making sure in ensuring gun rights.”
His voting record on gun legislation: No on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence; No on background checks at gun shows; Yes on loosening license and background checks at gun shows; Yes on maintaining current law; guns sold without trigger locks.
With these statistics Americans would definitely know what Santorum’s gun policies would be.
The people’s choice for the Republicans will ultimately be pitted against President Obama’s positions on gun control in November.
The president’s position is states and cities should be able to determine local gun laws; however the federal government has the right to increase state restrictions on gun purchases.
The president believes as a general principle, the Constitution confers an individual right to bear arms. But just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can’t constrain the exercise of that right, in the same way that we have a right to private property but local governments can establish zoning ordinances that determine how you can use it.
Registration and licensing of guns requires a common sense approach to guns ending up on our city streets. We can make sure that criminals don’t have guns in their hands. We can make certain that those who are mentally deranged are not getting a hold of handguns. We can trace guns that have been used in crimes to unscrupulous gun dealers who may be selling to straw purchasers and dumping them on the streets.
Principles of President Obama on gun issues: Stop unscrupulous gun dealers from dumping guns in the cities; ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi automatic weapons; increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession firearms; require manufacturers to provide child safety locks with firearms. In the past he has been against prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. This would make manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms and ammunition liable for damages resulting from the misuse of their products by others.
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Sacred Heart Schools (SHS) traces its heritage back to the year 1800 when Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat founded the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in France. Her good friend St. Rose Philippine Duchesne brought the Society to North America in 1818, settling in St. Louis and New Orleans, and eventually reaching her beloved Pottowatomi Indians in the Kansas area.
The Religious came to Menlo Park in 1898 and founded a boarding school on 40 acres of land purchased from the Atherton family. Mother Jane Fox was the superior at the time, and the first graduate, Eleanor Deming, entered and became a much-loved superior in the 40's, 50's and early 60's.
For the first forty years, most of the students were boarders; after WWII, day students began to predominate. Now SHS is day only and fully coeducational, with the largest enrollment in its history, 525 in preschool through grade 8 and 550 in grades 9-12.
A college division opened in 1921, with professors drawn from Stanford and Santa Clara Universities. In 1930 the college moved to San Francisco and flourished until the 1970s. In 1978, the property, ;Lone Mountain campus, was sold to the Jesuits at USF.
In 1904, Mrs. Emilie Donohoe gave 5+ acres to the Religious to establish a separate free elementary school expressly for the village children of Menlo Park. The school was named St. Joseph's after her late husband, and the street on which it fronted became Emilie Avenue in honor of her.
After only eight years, when the Academy was beginning to grow, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake struck, causing the nuns to interrupt their plans for a four-sided building. Instead, during the next nine years, one additional wing was built. It was graced by a large Porte Cochere, contained a new chapel, two spacious parlors and new classrooms and dormitories for the growing school. A third floor with a Mansard roof was added to both wings, and a lofty bell tower became the symbol of the campus. St. Joseph's, just completed in 1906, became a refuge for the Academy students after the earthquake until the Main Building could be used again for classes and residence.
The Society of the Sacred Heart is internationally known for its strong education with an emphasis on the whole child, and there are twenty-one schools in the U.S. Network of Sacred Heart Schools that embody this educational spirit.
With a graduation rate of 100 percent, waiting lists for every grade level, a growing endowment, state championship athletic teams, planned technical advancements and the restored Main Building, all signs indicate that SHS is well-positioned to continue the success it has enjoyed since 1898.
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By Heather Gerken, J. Skelly Wright Professor of Law, Yale Law School & former Clerk to Justice David Souter (1995-96)
Adam Gopnik once observed that "Paris is a struggle between its pompous official culture and its matchless ... commonplace civilization." That description applies even more aptly to the Supreme Court. Officially, it is an institution cloaked in formality. It is also an institution that takes itself extremely seriously, with its strongest opinions pronounced when it thinks another institution - Congress in passing Commerce Clause legislation or the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or the Florida Supreme Court in its rulings during the Bush v. Gore litigation - is treading on the court's privileges. Only the court's pompous official culture could explain why the majority in Bush v. Gore - in which the court shut down the Florida recount in an opinion now widely considered an embarrassment - could have claimed that their intervention was an "unsought responsibility." This is not an institution cursed with self-awareness.
Justice Souter, however, is at the core of the court's matchless commonplace civilization, something that may explain why he dissented in each of those cases. He is a judge's judge, a courtly lawyer who manages to be both a serious intellectual and a pragmatic decision-maker. He reads everything, is open to new ideas and new arguments, and yet is not swayed by the political winds that waft through the court.
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DAMASCUS, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the cost of any foreign military intervention in Syria will be higher than what the entire world could handle, vowing to "live and die in Syria."
Assad made the remarks during an interview with the Russia Today TV, whose excerpts were published Thursday, while the entire interview will be aired Friday.
"I think that the cost of the foreign invasion -- if it happened -- would be higher than what the entire world could handle," Assad said.
The president said Syria is a last bastion of secularism, stability and coexistence in the region, adding that if anything happens in Syria, "it will have the domino effect that would rattle the world from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean."
"I don't think the West will move on in this direction (of intervention), but if they did, no one can predict what will happen after that," he said.
In an apparent response to recent Western voices about granting asylum to Assad in case he decides to leave power, Assad said, "I am not a toy, and the West hasn't made me go to the West or to any other country. I am a Syrian and made by Syria, and I have to live and die in Syria."
DAMASCUS, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Syrian state-run newspaper al- Baath expressed Thursday expectation that the U.S. administration would consider a political solution to the Syria crisis after the re-election of President Barack Obama.
"As for the Syrian crisis, it is expected that the U.S. administration under Obama's second term would consider the political solution in general and the Geneva Convention specifically," al-Baath said in an editorial titled "What after Obama's victory".Full story
DAMASCUS, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The daily grind of violence kept its escalating momentum on Wednesday with fresh blasts and clashes that have sent people on edge.
The capital Damascus woke up Wednesday morning to the rattling sound of multiple mortar shells fired by the armed rebels and struck the al-Mazzeh-86 district, killing three people and injuring other seven.Full story
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Seattle Art Museum presents Ancestral Modern: Australian Aboriginal Art from the Kaplan & Levi Collection, on view May 31–September 2, 2012. With more than 100 works created from 1970 through 2009, the exhibition showcases what has been called the artistic renaissance of the world’s oldest living culture.
BURNING ISSUES: Value and Contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art
MAY 31, 2012 | Symposium transcript available for download now → (PDF)
Modern-day Aboriginal Australians are the direct descendants of the first people who arrived in Australia as early as 50,000 years ago. The Indigenous Australians revere the land, and their understanding of land and water is the living cultural knowledge that is passed down from generation to generation. The connectedness extends from the past, and shapes both present and future.
The Kaplan & Levi Collection comprises art from Arnhem and the northern regions, the vast desert areas of central and western Australia, the Kimberley, the southeast, and the Torres Strait.
The Dreaming encompasses the cosmologies and belief systems of Aboriginal societies, and it also provides the great themes of their art. Even though there is no word for art in Aboriginal languages, visual literacy is an essential means of transferring knowledge over generations. Thus, from an early age everyone learns to draw and paint or weave, and although not all become practicing artists, each person is equipped to interpret the signs and symbols that appear in various forms of art. Aboriginal art is essentially spiritual in nature. Traditionally, it is produced in greatest volume on ceremonial occasions, but it can also serve the purposes of teaching, magic, and sorcery (whether to assure a successful hunt or to attract a wife or husband). And it can be made purely for pleasure.
When the British began settling the continent some 230 years ago, Aboriginal people were regarded as among the most miserable societies, possessing little in the way of culture. Without framed paintings or sculptures on pedestals (the Euro-pean archetypes of art), they were considered a people with no art at all. In fact, because most Aboriginal art was being made for the restricted context of ceremony, it was intentionally hidden from public view. During the last one hundred years, Aboriginal artists have chosen to change that. While they continue to make art for ceremonies that are part of the longest continuing tradition of art known to humanity, they now also create art that is disseminated to an international audience.
Welcome to visions of the long haul and big picture of our existence on Earth. Finally, after over 50,000 years of making art, we are able to see what the oldest continuous culture on the planet has in mind. Isn’t it about time? This art takes us into immense deserts and shimmering billabongs, into night skies and underground.
It is an aesthetic pleasure unlike any other. Utilizing contemporary mediums, these artists adapt visual languages that evolved over centuries. What may look abstract is full of symbols and stories that take on common human dilemmas—greed, desire, the search for nourishment, and punishment of deceit. Most often, this art offers veneration of the lands that are in their care and the founding ancestors who continue to provide direction.
Click image to see more
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Kevin Hayden – TruthisTreason.net
Originally published Sept 16, 2011
If you are unfamiliar with the “Primal Diet” or “Paleo” meal idea, the best way I can describe it would be doing away with the refined carbs, the grains, the sugar and the like. Raw foodism is very similar – a lifestyle that promotes the consumption of uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods as a large percentage of the diet. The Primal food-style adds a lot of quality grass-fed and organic animal meats and healthy fats.
Ask yourself, “What would a caveman have access to?” Certainly not modern farming techniques and a never-ending supply of GMO corn and wheat. Certainly not mass quantities of bleached starches and monosodium glutamate. The human body has been constantly evolving for millions of years and it is an incredible machine when fed fuel that it is geared for. You don’t put Kool-Aid in your truck and expect it to run very well because it’s not designed for it. Likewise, the human body is not designed nor adapted to operate efficiently to the Westernized surge in cereal grains, refined pastries, chemically preserved snacks, excess fiber, and lots of alcohol (also mostly grain).
Fruits, vegetables, and animal meat are what our body is instinctively craving because it allows us to function at our peak level, both physically and emotionally. Over-consumption of sugar wreaks havoc on our insulin regulation, leading to diabetes, mood disorders and cancer. Over-consumption of wheat and grain items lead to IBS and other intestinal problems, and again, cancer. Pseudo-franken-foods do not offer the vitamins and minerals in amounts that we need and crave internally.
I’m not saying that we can’t function on these false, deadly McPoison-foods, because we can. That is sadly evident by a large percentage of Americans. But the side effects are also evident in a population with astronomical heart disease, insanely high cancer rates, morbid obesity, horrendous blood pressure and a severe diabetes problem just to name a few.
And how do we typically solve these issues? …
By shaking hands with Big Pharma and taking another pill in order to mask and suppress our symptoms. Our society wants instant gratification and we tend to look for the easiest route to obtain it. The perils and effort exerted in truly changing our lifestyle and discovering the root problems for our symptoms are often too difficult for most to research, let alone endure. Only by feeding our bodies what they need can we operate efficiently and begin to enjoy ”symptom-free” health.
If you’ve contemplated on changing your life once and for all, or perhaps have been diagnosed with diabetes and other health issues, I suggest you look into the Primal Diet (I say diet, not as a suppression of calories, but as in “daily diet” or nutritional intake). I also recommend this same food-style for athletes, body-builders, active teenagers, grandparents and everyone in between.
There are many ways to slowly get used to it, and I’ve listed several ways in which to help you on your journey below, via Mark’s Daily Apple. I also suggest what some call the “80/20″ Rule; strive to eat Primal 80% of the time and allow yourself to have some personal vices and set-backs or even those last-minute business lunches that might not cater to the Primal lifestyle. Don’t beat yourself up over not eating 100% Primal, especially at the beginning. By slowly changing 80% of what you eat, you will see a massive return on your health investment within just a few short days.
Source: Mark’s Daily Apple (It’s a great website for those just getting started in raw foods, organic lifestyles, Primal diets and more.)
Even as we accept that our own Primal journey will be different from the next person’s, it can be a little awkward or discouraging to be the one feeling out the shallow end while others are doing flips and belly flops in the deep side of the pool. We thought a post on baby-stepping, breaking down the transition into small and very manageable steps, might come in handy for many of our readers – newcomers, renewers, or even old-timers who are coaching friends and family in a Primal direction. Kick back and get brainstorming for your next baby step!
Re-make a meal
Not that a single meal doesn’t count for something, but we actually mean a meal category (or maybe snack) each day. Maybe you want to tackle your least Primal serving of the day first (if you’re still stuck in a carb rut at breakfast, say). On the other hand, perhaps you’re more inclined to take on the simplest meal and work your way up. (Morning snack first? Meat and salad for dinner?) Setting a consistent pattern for a meal each day not only gets you on a solid track; it offers the mental boost of daily accomplishment. Furthermore, it can serve as a template for tackling further food overhauls. Remaking one meal a day gets you in the mode of delving into Primal variety, trying new recipes and eating for health rather than habit.
Drop or swap a vice
Perhaps there’s a particular offender, a persevering and pesky element of your diet that will take special time and energy to ditch. We’re not talking here about an occasional indulgence item but a regular player in the lineup. Whether it’s your favorite creamy stout, morning danish or afternoon microwave popcorn fix, you might find it easier to isolate and conquer before expanding the battle. Some readers have shared stories of choosing “better” but not totally Primal alternatives for their old favorites first and then going back to phase out these “lesser evils” once they had the rest of diet more fully Primalized.
Give up a grain at a time
Those vexing little granules that litter the dinner plates of unsuspecting diners everywhere… We’re only half kidding of course. (You know our shtick on this subject.) Sure, not all grains are created equal. Some, like brown rice, don’t seem to do quite the same number on the intestines as others. Yet, at the end of the day they’re still the same insulin and inflammation inciters. As we’ve said time and again, they add little to a healthy diet and generally fill the space of more nutritious fare. Tick them off the list based on preference or prevalence in your diet. Or work your way through the grain chain with more of a mind to gluten, bidding adieu to wheat and its various derivatives first, then continuing onward through the inventory.
Sample a new vegetable (or other Primal ingredient) each week
Out with the old, in with the new as they say. Your Primal conversion shouldn’t be a story of the incredibly shrinking menu. Take a hint from those middle school food science/home ec journals and explore a veggie a week. Remember the color illustrations, origin histories and recipe lists? Of course, adding more than one new item a week is ideal (especially with the best of summer’s bounty). And there’s nothing wrong with mixing it up either with other new-to-you Primal fare like almond butter or less appreciated cuts of meat. Don’t worry if you have to do some less than ideal adaptations at first like hiding the new item in the midst of other ingredients or incorporating favorite dips or sauces. The idea here is to add, not limit. Your taste buds will adapt with time, and you’ll find yourself with less need for the camouflage or accompaniment strategies.
Ditch the deadbeat drinks
Now more than ever Americans get an enormous amount of their calories and sugar from drinks, an easily overlooked food category. (Too many people delude themselves into thinking liquids somehow don’t count!) With the likes of mega sodas, energy drinks, syrup loaded coffee beverages and alcohol, it’s not hard at all to drink your dinner: carbs and calories through the roof, nutrients generally nonexistent. Nixing deadbeat drinks and replacing them with water, tea (and a single cup of regular joe for a morning pick-me-up) can mean a major difference in your carb count for the day, not to mention your insulin response and “real” (as opposed to jacked-up) energy level.
Change one workout a week
Whether you’re stuck in the chronic cardio circuit, the heavy lifting mode or a plateau of the same low level activity, consider mixing things up. Exercise outside your comfort zone by venturing into a different part of the gym (yoga studio, free weights?), hitting a different venue (the trails, the pool?) or just slowing it down (you cardio addicts out there). Get up the gumption to try one of Mark’s sprints, join a casual sports league or let your hair down and initiate a game of flag football or Ultimate (Frisbee) with the family.
Add a workout a week
A logical permutation of the previous tip of course… If your situation isn’t characterized so much by too much cardio or an imbalance of lifting and low level activity, you might be looking at the need for simply adding workouts period. (No worries here: everyone starts somewhere.) The idea might be to just get moving. Low level workouts are generally easiest to incorporate. We’d definitely recommend trying to add more than one a week if you find yourself in this boat. If you’re already exercising a few times a week but know you’re capable of or ready for more, throw in a weight training or sprint session. Even adding an additional day of low level work can make a difference and can help up your game later with the time you’ve learned to set aside.
Start a supplement
Mark has said unequivocally that no supplement can be a stand in for a truly healthy diet and lifestyle. That said, a quality supplement can kickstart and continually enhance the biochemical balance that characterizes good health. As you begin your own efforts in the realms of exercise and nutrition, why not give yourself a leg up? Another benefit? A supplement can help mitigate the disadvantages of less than fully Primal living as you make your transition.
Make the mental – and logistical – commitment
Of course we all have a million excuses for not getting Primal even though we know it makes sense. We care about our health. We want to eat right and be in good shape. Right? But there are all those hours of low level cardio, the sweaty sprints and all that vegetable cutting…. Hmmm. How can I possibly fit in anything extra right now? Living Primally doesn’t require more time than any other active lifestyle. When you consider the lack of chronic cardio prescriptions and the short investments of sprints and targeted weight training sessions, you’ll likely be looking at less time expenditure. As for food, food shopping is generally food shopping. (And if you do the CSA/cowpooling/etc., it’s actually less weekly outlay of time.) Cutting, chopping and cooking might add a few extra minutes, but they’re well worth the extra energy healthy food will give you. Get more done in less time and sleep better when your head hits the pillow.
There are few moments in our lives when we can truly say we don’t have the time to take care of ourselves. The weeks following a death or serious illness of a loved one, the birth of a child maybe. Even in the most difficult times, however, we can make progress even as we give up the ideal of perfection (who ever said anything about being perfect anyway?).
In other busy but regular circumstances, we are able to consider what we want to bring into our lives (e.g. healthy living) and earnestly examine what we’re willing to give up to achieve this. T.V.? Wii? Getting through the whole newspaper in the morning? Ditching the car commute for a daily walk to the bus or a bike ride? Relocating nightly discussions to the kitchen while you put together lunch for the next day? Making family outings or time with the kids more active? It’s generally not an issue of giving up valuable activities or interactions in our lives but instead a challenge/opportunity to remake them into equally fulfilling and life balancing Primal adaptations.
Develop a personal Primal diversion
By all means, remake everyday responsibilities into time-saving Primal activities, but also find a bit of time and energy to initiate something new for yourself. Figure out what will “feed” your spirit in a necessary and vital way. For some it might be a meditation practice. For others it might be a new commitment to play – the enjoyment of a favorite sport or a relaxing, rejuvenating activity that fulfills a need for space, solitude or nature. Whatever your Primal diversion of choice is, enjoy it as a gift to yourself. Use it to recenter and rediscover self-care. The small bit of investment/indulgence will make the rest of your Primal commitment come more naturally. When you believe your overall well-being is worth the time and effort, you’re ready to embrace the steps toward Primal vitality.
Got enough to get you going? Comments? Feedback? Other baby step ideas you’ve used or recommended to inspire the Primal journey? Thanks for reading.
Subscribe to Mark’s Daily Apple feeds
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Palace of the Soviets
|Palace of the Soviets|
|Type||Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union|
|Antenna spire||495 m (1,624 ft)|
|Roof||415 m (1,362 ft)|
|Design and construction|
|Architect||Boris Iofan, Vladimir Shchuko|
The Palace of the Soviets (Russian: Дворец Советов, Dvorets Sovetov) was a project to construct an administrative center and a congress hall in Moscow, Russia, near the Kremlin, on the site of the demolished Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. The architectural contest for the Palace of the Soviets (1931–1933) was won by Boris Iofan's neoclassical concept, subsequently revised by Iofan, Vladimir Shchuko and Vladimir Gelfreikh into a supertall skyscraper. If built, it would have become the world's tallest structure of its time. Construction started in 1937, and was terminated by the German invasion in 1941. In 1941–1942, its steel frame was disassembled for use in fortifications and bridges. Construction was never resumed. In 1958, the foundations of the Palace were converted into what would become the world's largest open-air swimming pool. The Cathedral was rebuilt in 1995–2000.
A nearby subway station, built in 1935 as Palace of the Soviets station, was renamed Kropotkinskaya in 1957.
History of the concept
The Soviet Union was officially formed at the first Soviet Convention in December 1922. Sergey Kirov, speaking at the Congress, proposed building the congress palace "on the sites of palaces once owned by bankers, landlords, and tsars." Very soon, Kirov said, existing halls would be too small to fit the delegates from new republics of the Union. The palace "will be just another push for the European proletariat, still dormant...to realize that we came for good and forever, that the ideas... of communism are as deeply rooted here as the wells drilled by Baku oilers."
In 1924, Vladimir Lenin's death and the construction of the temporary Lenin's Mausoleum initiated a national campaign to build Lenin memorials across the country. Victor Balikhin, a graduate student at VKhUTEMAS, proposed to install Lenin's memorial on top of a Comintern building, on the site of Christ the Savior Cathedral. "Arc lamps will flood the villages, towns, parks and squares, calling everyone to honor Lenin even at night..." Balikhin's concept, forgotten for a while, emerged later in Boris Iofan's design.
Demolition of the cathedral
Six years later, in February 1931, the State declared the first contest for the Palace of the Soviets, distributing preliminary proposals to 15 architectural workshops (avant-garde and traditional architects). This contest ended in May 1931, with no winners.
On June 2, a conference of Party elders identified the site of the future Palace and condemned the Cathedral. This was formally endorsed on July 16 by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union commission. July 18 (the day when Izvestia announced the second, international contest), state commissioners started an inventory count of Cathedral properties. A small fraction of them were removed and stored at state expense and the expense of Donskoy Monastery; the rest perished. Demolition began on August 18; on December 5, the structure was finally destroyed in two rounds of explosions. Hauling out the rubble took more than a year.
The second, public, international contest was declared on July 18, 1931. A total of 272 concepts were collected, including 160 architectural works (136 Soviet, 24 foreign). The contest attracted international architects like Le Corbusier, Joseph Urban, Walter Gropius, Erich Mendelsohn, and Armando Brasini, Boris Iofan's Italian teacher; American entries were coordinated by Albert Kahn. It was the foreigner Brasini who literally expressed the idea of "Lenin atop the skyscraper" in the most clear form.
Enormous publicity followed the project until 1941; in 1931–1932, it was broadcast internationally, with reviews and reports published all over the world. The Council of Experts was chaired (at least formally) by old Bolshevik Gleb Krzhizhanovsky; Time magazine called it "a jury whose most noteworthy member was Dictator Stalin."
Instead of announcing a clear winner, in February 1932 the Council declared three leading drafts by Boris Iofan, Ivan Zholtovsky and a 28-year-old British architect living in New Jersey, Hector Hamilton. This outcome called for a third round of competition—or a state intervention. All three runners-up turned their backs on the avant-garde and leaned towards neoclassicism (or eclecticism). This "reactionary" decision caused an uproar among European avant-garde artists. Le Corbusier and Sigfried Giedion, leader of the CIAM, claimed to Stalin that the "decision of the council is a direct insult to the spirit of Revolution and the Five-year plan... [it is] a tragic betrayal."
Virtual Palace of Soviets
The international contest was followed by not one, but two more rounds of closed competition. The third contest (March–July 1932) round invited 15 design teams, the fourth (July 1932–February 1933) invited only five. On May 10, 1933, Boris Iofan's draft was declared the winner. A duo of neoclassicist architects, Vladimir Shchuko and Vladimir Gelfreikh, were assigned to Iofan's team, and the design became known as the Iofan-Schuko-Gelfreikh draft.
Recently published correspondence between Joseph Stalin and Lazar Kaganovich, however, pinpoints the moment of selection as no later than August 1932. On August 7, Stalin wrote a memo to Kaganovich, Vyacheslav Molotov and Kliment Voroshilov, clearly naming Iofan's draft as the best, and proposing changes:
- Drive the main tower upward, like a column (as Iofan did in his first entry)
- Make it as tall as the Eiffel tower or even taller
- Crown the column with a brightly lit Hammer and Sickle
- Place monuments to Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in front of the building
The Iofan-Schuko-Gelfreikh design
Iofan's original draft was crowned with a relatively small statue of "The Free Proletarian". In August 1932, as is clear from Stalin's memo, this statue disappeared from his draft, and Stalin personally intervened to correct the omission. A taller tower and Lenin's statue appeared after the fourth contest, in response to Stalin's public speech: "The Palace of the Soviets is a monument to Lenin. Don't be scared of height; go for it." In the process, the total height increased from 260 m (853 ft) to 415 m (1,362 ft). The Main Hall with a capacity of 21,000 seats was 100 m (330 ft) meters high and 160 m (525 ft) in diameter (the Little Hall in the Eastern Wing was 6,000 seats). This project was released to the public in March 1934. The Lithuanian-American artist William Zorach "let out a cry of protest, charging that the Soviets had stolen an idea submitted by him for a Lenin memorial in Leningrad" in vain. The statue structure was designed later; a 100 m (328 ft) 1936 version weighed in excess of 6,000 t (6,600 short tons). In 1937, Frank Lloyd Wright, addressing the Congress of Soviet Architects, remarked "This structure — only proposed I hope — is good if we take it for a modern version of Saint George destroying the dragon."
The foundation was completed in 1939. The builders drove a perimeter of 20 m (66 ft) steel piles, excavated the pit, demolished and hauled out the old cathedral foundations. The new foundation was a slightly concave concrete slab with concentric vertical rings, intended to carry the main hall columns. By June 1941, the steel frame for the lower levels was erected. Then World War II interfered: the steel frame was cut in 1941 and 1942 and used for Moscow's defense fortifications and railroad bridges. The empty foundation stood unused, filled with seepage water, but well guarded, until 1958.
Meanwhile, Iofan's team, relocated to Sverdlovsk, continued perfecting the design. After the war, Iofan produced another iteration of the original concept, this time incorporating the Victory theme, literally: interior halls were decorated with Order of Victory motifs. These drafts remained unused; construction on the old site never resumed. Iofan bid for the design of the Sparrow Hills Skyscraper, but lost to Lev Rudnev. Rudnev and other post-war architects designed their towers as if the Palace existed, referencing all major projects to the Palace skyline. As an example, 1947 placement map for the Moscow Skyscrapers is centered on the Palace.
The Palace project forced the development of new technologies, notably the DS (ДС, Дворец Советов) family of construction steel. ODS (ordinary DS) and SDS (special DS) steel were used in Moscow bridges built in the 1930s and Moscow Canal structures. A nearby metro station, a 1935 award-winning design by Alexey Dushkin, was named Palace of the Soviets and renamed Kropotkinskaya in 1957.
As soon as the 1934 Iofan-Shuko-Gelfreikh draft was published, the Palace became a symbol in Soviet art, appearing in propaganda pictures such as those by Alexander Deineka. The unbuilt Palace animation was inserted in films (including the 1944 Six o'clock after the war made when the Mosfilm studio was evacuated to Tashkent). Images of the unbuilt Palace were copied onto real buildings like the 1937 North River Terminal.
From 1958 to 1960, the Palace foundations were cleared of rubble and converted to the open-air Moskva Pool. The one-of-a-kind circular pool had a diameter of 129.5 m (424 ft 10 in).
In the 1970s, the State ran an architectural contest for the new V. I. Lenin Museum on a nearby site between the Pushkin Museum and the Kremlin. Some of the competitors, however, proposed building the Museum on the site of the Moskva pool, following the Iofan concept. This project never materialized.
The Cathedral was rebuilt between 1995 and 2000.
In literature and culture
Ex-Soviet Spy Viktor Suvorov describes building the Palace of the Soviets as the ultimate sign of communist supremacy in the world, in the book "Last Republic".
Stalinist Architecture Projects:
- Narkomtiazhprom architectural contest (1934)
- All-Russia Exhibition Centre (1936–1939, 1951–1954)
- Seven Sisters (Moscow) (1947–1954)
- List of skyscrapers in Europe
- Latvian Academy of Sciences
- Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science
Similar Projects commissioned by Adolf Hitler for the Third Reich:
- Pioneers of Soviet Architecture: The Search for New Solutions in the 1920s and 1930s, by Selim Khan-Magomedov, Thames and Hudson Ltd, ISBN 978-0-500-34102-5 (Complete Russian edition: Russian: С.О.Хан-Магометов. «Архитектура Советского авангарда», Москва, Стройиздат, 1996, 2001)
- Architecture of The Stalin Era, by Alexei Tarkhanov (Collaborator), Sergei Kavtaradze (Collaborator), Mikhail Anikst (Designer), 1992, ISBN 978-0-8478-1473-2
- Architecture in the Age of Stalin: Culture Two, by Vladimir Paperny (Author), John Hill (Translator), Roann Barris (Translator), 2002, ISBN 978-0-521-45119-2
- The Edifice Complex: How the Rich and Powerful Shape the World, by Deyan Sudjic, 2004, ISBN 978-1-59420-068-7
- Russian: Cathedral of Christ the Savior, official site History page
- Russian: Kirov's speech transcript, December 30, 1922 Moscow Museum of Architecture, www.muar.ru quoting 1957 official edition
- Russian: Extract from Balikhin's article, www.artchronica.ru, May 2002
- Time Magazine, December 14, 1931, mentioned demolition by liquid air cartridges; this is not corroborated by current Russian sources www.time.com
- Russian: Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, official site Destruction page
- English: Brasini Exhibition brief, www.muar.ru
- Russian: М. Маркуша , Д. Хмельницкий, "Конец утопии – конкурс на Дворец Советов в Москве", www.archi.ru, July 2005
- Brasini Exhibits: Palace of the Soviets www.muar.ru
- "Soviet Palace", Time, March 19, 1934 www.time.com
- Hamilton's Palace, Time, March 14, 1932 www.time.com
- Russian: Дмитрий Хмельницкий, "Сталин и архитектура", гл.2, www.archi.ru (Khmelnitzky, chapter 2)
- Overview Interior
- "www.wbb.ru". Retrieved 2011-06-11.
- Khmelnitsky, ch.2, quoting Russian edition of "Сталин и Каганович: Переписка, 1931–1936 гг.", M, 2001, p.259, ISBN 5-8243-0241-3
- Khmelnitsky, ch.2, quotes a 1940 edition of "Palace of the Soviets" by N.Atarov
- Russian: Глазычев, В.М., "Россия в петле модернизации", гл.10, 1989 www.glazychev.ru
- Frank Lloyd Wright, "Address at First All-Union Congress of Soviet Architects", June 21, 1937, archive publication by Vladimir Paperny
- *High-resolution graphics of different exterior designs (1937–1940) at www.muar.ru: Elevation Plaster model Cutaway *Animated newsreel: New Moscow (1937) (Divx .AVI format: Video 1, Video 2, Video 3, Video 4)
- "another iteration". Muar.ru. Retrieved 2011-06-11.
- "1947 placement map". Archived from the original on March 8, 2008.
- Russian: Носарев В.А., Скрябина, Т.А., "Мосты Москвы", М, "Вече", 2004, стр. 77–79 (Bridges of Moscow, 2004, p.77–79) ISBN 5-9533-0183-9
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Question: When I have been ill with a high temperature, my wife has tried to persuade me to take paracetamol to reduce my temperature. However, I prefer to take nothing because I have heard that the body increases its temperature to fight the infection. Which of us is right?
Answer: You are probably right. There is considerable experimental evidence indicating that fever is an adaptive response that facilitates host resistance and slows the growth of the pathogen. The fact that fever evolved hundreds of millions of years ago (it is a common response to infection in vertebrates, as well as in many invertebrate species) indicates its adaptive value.
Elegant studies in lizards conducted by Matthew Kluger some 25 years ago showed that, in general, moderate fevers decrease morbidity and increase survival rate. Lizards, like other "cold-blooded" animals, develop fever by moving to a warmer environment. A rise in body temperature ...
To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.
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Tuesday, December 11, 2012
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Dr. Rotua Lumbantobing, Westminster College assistant professor of economics, was recently published in the American Journal of Business Research and presented research at the Southern Economic Association 82nd Annual Meeting Nov. 16-18 in New Orleans, LA.
"How Water Access Affects Housing Price in a Developing Country: A Hedonic Analysis" studies 1,723 households around the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Households obtain water from three sources: public water sources; private wells; and tap water access, where households pay a fee in exchange for a certain level of water service. The results show that a private tap water connection is capitalized into higher house prices. A benefit of the study is that it can be used to help governments in cost-benefit analysis of investment in public infrastructures, and can be used to measure changes in household welfare via water access improvements.
The American Journal of Business Research is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary academic journal based at Fayetteville State University. It is indexed in Cabell's Directories, ProQuest ABI Inform and EBSCO's Education Research Complete. The journal is available through EBSCO Publishing and ProQuest.
Lumbantobing's presentation "Sorting Equilibrium with Respect to Water Access: An Analysis of Household Location Choice in Southwestern Sri Lanka" extends the analysis in the paper above using sorting equilibrium framework. The model incorporates household preferences and their interaction with neighborhood characteristics. Results show that households value access to tap water, despite its service limitations, and like to have other alternative water access - such as a private well - to complement tap water. An important implication is that crowding out can be avoided when alternatives with comparable cost and quality exist.
Lumbantobing earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Indonesia, an MBA from the University of Rochester, and master's and Ph.D. degrees in economics from North Carolina State University.
Contact Lumbantobing at (724) 946-6061 or email for additional information.
About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College ranks first in the nation as "Best College for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math," according to Forbes.com. Westminster is a top-tier liberal arts college and a national leader in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Best Colleges guide. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 377 Colleges" by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President's Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.
Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 41 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus. Visit www.westminster.edu/advantage to view "Advantage: Westminster" A Strategic Plan 2010-2020.
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We know we should eat our vegetables. They're packed full of vitamins and nutrients and can be instrumental in warding off illness and improving our overall health.
But all vegetables aren't created equal. Each one packs its own nutritional punch, and some are heavier hitters than others.
So which ones should we pile most often into our cart or recyclable bag to get the benefit?
Here are the top five vegetables every woman should try to incorporate into her diet:
Kale is one of the first vegetables to make any list of super foods. In its curly green leaves, it packs everything from manganese and iron to calcium and vitamin C. It also provides a hefty dose of vitamin A, which helps boost the immune system. It's also considered an anti-inflammatory.
How to prepare: Kale chips are a great, easy-to-make snack.
These leaves are also packed with nutrients vital to women like calcium, folic acid, vitamin K, and iron. It has been shown to do everything from helping prevent cancer to reducing one's risk for heart disease.
How to prepare: Subbing spinach for basil is a great way to add a nutritional boost to pesto.
Some call it a miracle food and claim it be king of all the vegetables when it comes to nutrition. In addition to things like calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folic acid, it's an incredible source of fiber -- both soluble and insoluble.
How to prepare: You won't even notice you're eating a vegetable if you work it into a great pasta dish.
These cute little cabbage balls are full of fiber as well as vitamins A and C. They may not smell that good, but that odor is actually the scent of their cancer fighting property, allyl isothiocyanate, which has been shown to destroy precancerous cells.
How to prepare them: If you need to ease into the taste, try a recipe that incorporates a little bacon, which complements them nicely.
Low calorie (only 30 to 40 calories per pepper), red peppers are a great source of vitamins C, A, and E.
How to prepare: They are perfect for dipping into low-fat dips raw, or incorporating into a dip of their own such as red pepper hummus.
Which of these vegetables is your favorite?
Image via Masahira Ihara/Flickr
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‘Very nice. Who’s next?’
Chris Ware’s new book, Building Stories, isn’t a book at all. It’s a cardboard box, about the size of a board game, covered in bright, blocky illustrations and stuffed with comics. A couple of these are hardbound: one in plain charcoal grey; one with a picture of a girl on the cover, drawing. The rest are paper: some the size of the Beano, some as big as old broadsheets – one is done up as a newspaper for bees, called the Daily Bee, motto ‘God Save the Queen’. Others are mere slivers, a frame or two high. There’s even a comic book that works like a board game: you unfold its stiff cardboard and read it like you’re playing Snakes & Ladders, following an elaborate maze of arrows from frame to frame. The cartooning is old-school: minimal shading, lots of primary colours. Most writers of serious comic books, many of them inspired by Ware – according to the Canadian cartoonist Seth, Ware made his generation realise they needed to ‘try harder’ – fit a sober style to their grown-up stories: Seth’s diachromatic noir, Adrian Tomine’s clean-line realism. But Ware, for the most part, favours the vivid, pared down style of Siegel and Shuster’s early Superman strips. There’s a mismatch, as there was in Art Spiegelman’s Maus, between the style of cartooning and the bleak stories Ware tells; the style makes the stories easier to persevere with.
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Robots: The Lower Cost, More Flexible Process Improvement Alternative to CNC Machine Tools
by Greg Webb, Manager Software R&D
, and Mary Kay Morel, Staff Editor/Writer
Motoman Robotics Posted 09/19/2005
Robots are poised to take away a significant portion of the CNC machine tool market. Emerging technology is making it possible for robot systems to perform many diverse manufacturing processes -- such as complex cutting and material removal, grinding, mold creation, surface finishing, and drilling and tapping applications -- that were previously performed by CNC machines almost exclusively.
CNC machine tools are the workhorses of precision manufacturing. They represent mature technology, and thousands upon thousands of them are deployed in a wide array of industries and applications. To support the myriad of CNC machines, a host of mature third-party CAD/CAM packages have evolved that use highly developed, process-specific tools to quickly create complex cutting and material removal paths. Process-specific expertise about material removal rates, drilling metals and rotation speeds, along with cutting angles and optimized cutting paths, are just a few of the issues that have been solved and encapsulated in these third-party CAD/CAM programs.
CNC programs follow a standard call RS-274D created by the Electronic Industry Association (EIA) in the early 1960s. This standard is almost universally known as ‘‘G-Codes.’‘ Over its history, the standard has evolved and fragmented. Depending on the industry, G-codes (motions) and M-codes (functions) used in CNC programs can have different meanings. Other variations -- such as programs with one or multiple instructions per line, with or without line numbers, and with or without spaces – are also allowed. From a machine’s perspective, all of this process-specific knowledge built into the CNC programs ultimately produces a path, a speed and the orientation of the tool relative to the part.
Robots use the same kind of information to process a part. However, each robot manufacturer uses its own proprietary programming language; no industry standard exists. This lack of standards is the reason that the robot industry has not enjoyed the same kind of third-party CAD/CAM support as the CNC industry. The robot market was too small and fragmented to provide the kind of return on investment needed to make third-party software development efforts worthwhile. Additionally, robot manufacturers were not willing to share their proprietary programming language codes with third parties.
To avoid having to ‘‘reinvent the wheel,’‘ robot manufacturers needed a way to tap into the expertise of third-party CAD/CAM packages developed for CNC machine tools. Software was the answer. Individual CNC programs often contain tens of thousands of programming points, representing untold man-hours of program development. However, PC-based software now exists that easily and quickly translates programs written for CNC machine tools, including I/O and other non-motion commands, into robot programs that are ready to run. This conversion is all done off-line, so production is not interrupted. While some translators (sometimes called post-processors) are specific to a particular industry and/or CNC process, other software translators have the capability to handle the variations in format and different G- and M-code meanings among diverse industries with only minor changes to the software configuration files.
This CNC machine tool program conversion software allows manufacturers to take advantage of the lower overall equipment cost and increased flexibility that six-axis robots can offer as opposed to more expensive CNC machines with only three- to five-axes of motion. Six-axis robots can perform many of the same tasks more efficiently, with a faster and cleaner process that provides high throughput rates and virtually unlimited flexibility. Some applications will still require the extremely high tolerances and accuracies provided by CNC machines, but many do not require quite the same level of precision. Examples of these types of applications are far-ranging. Many applications in the plastics industry require trimming, deburring, drilling and routing of molded parts. Examples include deburring of plastic toys and furniture and the trimming of dental products such as custom dentures and dental alignment inserts. Water-jet trimming and cutting of automotive carpets and headliners are other processes that are being done by robots programmed like traditional CNCs. More traditional applications such as robotic trimming, deburring and drilling of aircraft body panels are currently being evaluated. Today’s robots now have the positioning accuracy, repeatability, and rigidity (mechanical stiffness under load) required to process these slightly less stringent applications.
One automotive supplier was able to use PC-based software -- offline -- to convert a CAD/CAM program for the creation of an automotive door handle mold with more than 27,000 points into a robot program in approximately 10 minutes. As a result, the automotive supplier was able to manufacture the door handle mold with a flexible robotic system that cost less than $150,000 – less than half the price of a $300,000 CNC machine. In this case, the robot system was fast, cleaner and more flexible than a CNC machine would have been.
In another example, this same automotive supplier used a $300,000 CNC machine to create an automotive hood scoop mold. The CNC machine first removed all unwanted material in one plane. The operator then indexed the mold 90-degrees (with respect to the CNC machine). The CNC then removed the unwanted material in the new plane. A more flexible six-axis robotic system costing $100,000-$150,000 could perform the same material removal process, completely automatically, in fewer operations without having to re-index the part. The robot would simply remove the unwanted material in the first plane, reorient its end-of-arm tool automatically, and then use it to remove the unwanted material in the new plane. Since the part does not move during robotic processing, the potential for inaccuracies caused by improper index of the part in conjunction with the CNC machine is eliminated.
For the opportunity to reduce capital equipment expenditures by 50 percent or even more while increasing flexibility over traditional three- and five-axis machine tools, many manufacturers will no doubt make the switch from CNC machine tools to six-axis robots now that software tools have solved the program translation barrier. Leveraging robot flexibility will provide significant process improvements, including cleaner operations that require less manual intervention, decreased cutting, grinding and sanding times, and a shorter overall manufacturing cycle.
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K-NET Limited, a network solutions provider operating throughout Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa, brings first-time mobile voice and data connectivity to rural communities.
Haruna Iddrisu, the minister of communications in Ghana, on Wednesday, 21 November 2012, inaugurated 10 mobile communication towers in rural areas in Ghana, built by K-NET Ltd and providing service on the Tigo network.
Speaking at one of the sites in Botoku in the Volta Region, Iddrisu commended both K-NET and Tigo for their initiative, together with the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC) who funded the project. He also said that he expected that the advent of these facilities in the rural areas will attract investors and open up more business opportunities and enhance teaching and learning in schools.What the towers can do
Each communication tower can serve an area of up to 300km2
, potentially covering several townships. Currently 143 000km2
(60%) of the land area and 5 million of the population (20%) of Ghana have no mobile coverage.
The 10 rural communication towers implemented to date by K-NET have experienced substantial levels of traffic and very strong growth of more than 25% since the last one was completed at the end of July 2012. Some of the towers are now carrying more than 250 000 minutes of voice traffic each month, and more than 15,000 SMS messages.Strategic partnerships
K-NET Limited, a network solutions provider operating throughout Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa, together with strategic partners Altobridge, Ameresco Solar, iDirect and Tigo, is bringing first-time mobile voice and data connectivity to rural communities in Ghana and beyond.
K-NET and its partners have developed a highly innovative solution which is optimised for rural applications and reduces the total costs of ownership by up to 65% compared to a conventional solution, meaning that rural communities with relatively low population densities of less than 1 500 people may now be served profitably by the mobile network operators.
The K-NET led partnership to develop the low-cost solution includes the provision of a 2G or 3G Base Station Subsystem by Altobridge, the provision of a Solar Power Solution by Ameresco Solar, the provision of satellite communication equipment by iDirect, together with the mobile network operator Tigo. Providing communication links
In addition to the turnkey system integration, K-NET uses its state-of-the-art Teleport at McCarthy Hill in Accra to provide the communication links between each remote site and the central switching network of the mobile operator, Tigo.
K-NET provides the network management and the operations and maintenance services for the network. The advanced BSS equipment from Altobridge optimises capacity for the rural environment and reduces power consumption to less than one twentieth (5%) of a conventional implementation. This enables a highly-efficient solar-based power system from Ameresco Solar to be used, which offers substantially lower running costs than a conventional power system with diesel generator backup.
Speaking at the inauguration in Botoku, Michael Darcy, CEO of K-NET said, "K-NET is proud to be working with GIFEC, Tigo and its other partners to bring mobile services to rural communities such as Botoku, to enrich the quality of life for individuals and to enable small businesses to operate more efficiently."
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ADVENTURE OF LIFE
(A Wholistic view)
of the greatest searches of mankind that have occupied people, especially those
who seek insight into the world in which we live, is the search for the meaning
and purpose of existence.
think that most people, at one level or another, have sought an answer to this
question. Some find an answer from within their own personal philosophy of life.
Others draw upon one or another religion or existing philosophy to provide an
answer, and although they may be satisfied with the answers that they are given,
it is interesting that these answers are not all the same. This poses the question
as to which one is right, or whether so far, none are correct.
us look at an approximate idea of some of the answers that have been furnished
as serious answers to the question. They fall roughly into the following groups.
There is no meaning to existence beyond the material
world of everyday life. If there is any meaning or purpose, it is simply to survive
as long and as well as possible along with those closest and dearest to us.
Religions: We were created as the children
of God (cast as a patriarchal figure) and the meaning and purpose of our existence
is to serve Him and to obey His laws. If we comply with these dictates, we may
in the next life exist along with God and His hierarchy in a Heaven free of sin
and pain. If not we go to a world of suffering called Hell. Some believe that
if we have not offended seriously we may go to 'Purgatory' instead, where we go
through a process of being purged of our sins, (not always a very comfortable
experience, depending on the degree and level of the sinning ! ).
The Supreme Power behind and within the universe
is named 'Brahman'. Brahman is considered to be the 'ground of all being and of
existence itself, which equates with what we call God. Thus, the most fundamental
'essence' of man is grounded within the being of God. Any idea of separateness
from this is but an illusion perceived by the mind. Within the process of birth
and rebirth under reincarnation, we live our lives firstly moving deeper and deeper
into the illusion of separation from God. Eventually, we tire of the movement
away from Oneness with God, and begin the process of
returning. We discover
in all of this cycle of existence, that true fulfilment is only achieved through
unity of the soul with God. This is the meaning and purpose of life, to find the
way back to this fundamental unity, having previously strayed far from it.
According to Buddhism, human beings are subject
to an unbroken cycle of birth and rebirth (reincarnation). This is termed 'Samsara'.
Ultimately, all of life can be found to be based on suffering. The purpose of
life for the human being is to gain freedom from this cycle of birth and rebirth
by reaching Enlightenment (Nirvana). This is done by following Buddhist practise
in the form of the Noble Eightfold Path: Right Views, Right Intent, Right Speech,
Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.
Incorporated in this is the practise of Buddhist meditation. The above are based
upon Four Noble Truths: that all life is suffering; that the cause of suffering
is desire; that suffering will cease when desire ceases; and that the Noble Eightfold
path will lead to the cessation of desire. At the achievement of Enlightenment,
the existence of the separate self (ego) is transcended. This state of freedom
from craving, achievement of total peace, and existence in the blissful state
of Oneness of Being called Nirvana is thus accomplished.
Emerging Philosophies (connected to New Age thought):
God is consciousness, or perhaps better expressed
as 'Cosmic Consciousness'. Purpose and meaning for life are achieved by gaining
insight in the sphere of metaphysics, resulting in expansion of consciousness
and fulfilment for the individual.
is in partial agreement with some aspects of these other religions and philosophies.
We consider them to be all part of God's 'Orchestra', and meeting the needs of
the different mentalities of people of the world, (people at different levels
of approach and insight into existence). But wholism includes another, and most
important aspect of the purpose of life. If we look objectively and accurately
at what all of life is doing, we will see that we are all deeply engaged in the
adventures and challenges of existence in the world.
Ask any ordinary person
who looks at life in a practical way and in one way or another they will say that
what they most like about living is the adventure and challenge of involvement
with it all.
now outline a comprehensive idea of the purpose and meaning of life from the Wholistic
view of existence.
There exists (often hidden or suppressed) within
every human being a pure soul-being. Its qualities are love, kindness and compassion,
and a sense of brotherhood/ sisterhood with others. This spiritual soul-being
is a gift from a loving God of a spark of its own beingness. Ultimately, the purpose
and meaning of life is to achieve full unity with the soul-being, and thus a blissful
state of Oneness and Unity with God, and all of existence. However, that, though
it is the eventual goal and purpose, is not the immediate purpose of life as human
have come into existence to seek adventure and to engage the challenges with which
life presents us. And so it is that we are God's adventurers. Through us, God
experiences His/Her/Its Creation. One of the qualities of God is total and pure
awareness. But the material world is based upon conditioned perceptions that are
at a lower level of awareness than the Pure and Total Awareness of God. Such God-Consciousness
is totally senior to that required to be able to be gripped by the perception
of the lower material world.
what is the point in God creating the universe if He/She/It does not experience
it? It requires the limitation of consciousness via conditioned awareness (which
leads to states of impurity), to experience the 'virtual reality' of the physical
world. Though this is not compatible with the Total Pure Consciousness of God,
at the same time, there is nothing that God cannot overcome, and so we are created
so that God can experience the created universe through human consciousness.
Therefore in giving existence to us, we are not only given our soul-being, but
we are given also a mind and an ego that are based on the perception of being
separate from everything else. This is necessary if we are to be able to experience
adventure and challenge.
But it is impossible to have adventure without
the possibility of misadventure. THIS IS THE FUNDAMENTAL SOURCE OF ANY AND
ALL OF THE SUFFERING OF LIFE IN THIS WORLD. If we want to have the great gift
of adventuring in the material world, it's impossible without the existence of
suffering ! We have to have the existence of that if we want to have this adventure
which we call life.
And so it is that we have to admit that suffering, though
most unpleasant is necessary to the gift of being able to have adventure, and
therefore, the existence of suffering is also a gift, but there is more to be
said on this shortly. First of all, though, we need to look at another basic principle
that is necessary for existence in our conditioned human consciousness if we are
to be able to experience life on this material plane.
One of the 'programs' of conditioned awareness that are installed within the mind
and the ego, are the 'Dualities' (awareness of the opposites of the world).
Some examples follow:
create and experience the perception of space, time, and dimension, the awareness
of the following concepts and perceptions are given us:
of the other dualities necessary to 'awareness conditioning' so that we may experience
and live within the 'virtual reality' of the material plane are as follows, (this
is only a short sample list to illustrate the principle, and is far from a complete
all the other many perceptual, conceptual, and experiential conditionings and
'circuits' of consciousness that are required in order to experience this form
of virtual reality that is both life and adventure in the 'physical world'.
it's time to return to the relationship of adventure to suffering.
And How To Regulate How Much Suffering
We Have To Experience.
is an especially important subject for today's world. Humanity today, has lost
awareness of these fundamental matters, so necessary for maintaining happy and
fulfilled lives. We have reached a stage now where one of our greatest advantages,
the power that scientific knowledge has given us, could become a threat to our
very survival. I think that most of us are by now becoming concerned about whether
mankind has the wisdom to ethically and morally apply all of the powers endowed
to us by science. We can see that the environment of the planet is being polluted,
even perhaps, undermined. If these fears are correct, we may make our planet uninhabitable.
Even if we can avoid this, what sort of a world will we have to live in?
are now capable of tampering with the building blocks of life itself through genetic
engineering. Yet not all of the ethical rules to prevent the opening of a Pandora's
Box of disasters on this front have been thrashed out and agreed upon. Even if
they become established in time, what is to stop individuals from breaching the
rules? We humans seem to love stepping over the boundaries, but in this area of
genetic engineering, it could be disastrous. We have the ability now to start
working towards messing with things such as crossing animals with humans for purposes
that could in the future create an underclass of slave type hybrids or chimeras.
Though we may pass laws to prevent it, you can be sure those laws will be broken.
What dreadful outcome could be produced upon the Earth?
means that right at this time in our history, we need to find and create a greater
wisdom and sense of ethics and morality than mankind currently demonstrates. This
can only be done by applying a deeper understanding to the education of, and the
uplifting of the ethical awareness of humanity. If such a project is not engaged
on really urgently, I believe that the sufferings of mankind will progressively
increase. This is just the area that is the domain of Wholistic knowledge and
insight. We understand that the answer to this problem is to educate people in
how to find greater contact with, and be in tune with their inner soul-being.
This would open us to the love/wisdom centre of our fundamental being, from which,
over the ages, we have strayed. The principle involved here is that THE
MORE THAT WE LIVE IN ALIGNMENT WITH SOUL-BEING, THE LESS THE SUFFERING.
When the suffering is on a world scale, this principle is only effective if the
majority can be brought to be involved.
this is exactly where a deeper understanding of suffering comes in. Mankind seems
disillusioned with a God whom they see as creating a world of suffering. The clergy
do not seem to be able to explain it properly in a way that people can understand
and accept. And so the subject of the spiritual soul, being that it associated
closely with things to do with God, has become unpopular. Anything to do with
the 'soul' is about as fashionable and popular, as is a pork chop to a Jewish
person in today's world. Science tries to discount the notion of a God, or a soul.
This is quite understandable because of some of the past behaviour of the Church.
it is now fashionable among scientists to put down other types of knowledge, wisdom,
and understanding, other than their own as 'unscientific.' What about good old
common-sense? What about the wise people, and sages of past times? Are they to
be discounted and insulted as having been unscientific?
I am certainly not
against science, but it is time for scientists to start curbing this kind of arrogance,
similar to that of some sections of the Church of past times. There are other
valid forms of knowledge than those that only have knowledge on the level of the
physical plane ! I'm very sorry, but if we are going to rely on scientists to
provide the wisdom needed for bringing mankind out of this problem, it's just
not going to happen in time !
is urgently needed is to find and engage support from philanthropists who already
sense the problem, and are willing to finance the project to turn things around.
have covered a lot of ground here, but perhaps you can see that there are many
levels of adventure that can be engaged upon by humanity as a whole. Which level
we are going to choose to work for is the question now. Many, many people are
going to be needed to give time and support to the project we have been discussing,
and many, many existing organisations and groups will need to go into alliance
to work to achieve this very Wholistic project.
Note: Permission to reproduce the above is freely
given, provided that acknowledgement of origin is shown, and contact details are
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Great op-ed by James Carville explaining how the government would respond if the top 1% of wealthiest Americans lost 40% of their wealth. Unfortunately – this is what is true of the middle class … and yet – you hear crickets when it comes to passing legislation that are really focused on protecting the middle class. Unfortunately – government now protects it’s donors … and that more often than not is people with lots of money. As the expression goes – “Dance with the one who brung ya.”
James Carville explains what would happen if the 1% lost 40% of it’s wealth HERE:
The elite would call for the suspension of habeas corpus, the government would call out the National Guard, invade Honduras and the Supreme Court would announce that it is in session 24/7 to take any action deemed necessary to help their friends.
The Wall Street Journal would have a black border on the newspaper. The Financial Times would go from pink to gray. CNBC would play funeral music for nine months. Steve Schwarzman would compare it to the H-word. Cable networks would roadblock all coverage.
Minimum wage laws would be suspended, the 40-hour work week would be thrown out, perhaps they would even do away with child labor laws to get productivity up so profits could increase to make up for lost revenue.
Of course – the middle class did see a loss of 40% in wealth from the early 90′s to 2010. We shared the FED report HERE:
The Federal Reserve put out an 80 page report on wealth and income and the impact of the Bush economic crisis on Monday. In summary – everyone was affected in a negative way when you compare incomes and net worth in 2010 vs. 2001 except for the net worth of the top 10% of Americans. And … you can be sure the vast, vast majority of that wealth creation came among the 1% wealthiest households. After the Bush economic crisis hit – Americans wealth were back on par with where they were in 1992 … almost 2 decades behind. That’s pretty serious.
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Men's News Daily Contributor Exposes Media's Misrepresentation of Intelligent Design as Creationism
Over at Men's News Daily, editor Mike LaSalle has a post entitled, "Darwin Ist Tot: Intelligent Design is Not Creationism" that observes, "Science is practiced by scientists, not by priests. But recently science and religion appear to have become indistinguishable, as for example in their respective institutional intolerance of competing ideas." Since leading scientists oppose ID by misrepresenting it as a silly appeal to "magic," LaSalle observes that "[m]y daily crop of the term 'Intelligent Design' on Google News usually brings a plurality of articles that have in common a missionary intent to define Intelligent Design as a hands-down flavor of biblical creationism." LaSalle offers his witty suspicions about what goes on in the backrooms of the newsmedia:
It's almost as though everyone in the Science-as-Public-Opinion business got a YouTube saying something to the effect, "Attention all Science Opinion contributors in the Main Stream Media: The following is an instruction from the Supreme Politburo at Central Command. You are hereby advised that whenever you are forced to use the two words 'Intelligent' and 'Design' together in the same sentence, you must ALWAYS include 'Creationism' as a qualifier. If you have questions about this, please submit them in writing to your supervisor. That is all."Sadly, Mr. LaSalle has many examples to justify his observations about the newsmedia's confusion on this issue. Let us hope that perhaps some members of the media are watching so they can avoid this confusion in the future.
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Every other Thursday we will post about different basic cooking skills. Knowing how to prepare meals from scratch is a very important step in becoming self-reliant, which in turn is a crucial component of being prepared. Being able to cook meals for your family will give you confidence, more family togetherness time, and lower your food budget=more money for food storage! If you have a basic cooking skill you'd like to learn, email us! These meals contain perishable food items as this is a different series than our food storage recipes.
It's starting to get colder and soup is starting to sound better and better! This chicken noodle soup is quick and easy (just like the title says) and is great to make for your sick family and friends, or have just when you want something warm.
Ingredients: cooked chicken, carrots, celery, onion, chicken bouillon or chicken stock, cream of chicken soup, noodles and basil.
Cook your chicken first. I used this method talked about in weeks prior, and just cut it into cubes instead of shredding it. Peel your carrots (here's another way to cook full size carrots deliciously) and chop your celery and onion. I think Rachael Ray's idea of a garbage bowl on the counter is great. Less time spent shuffling back and forth to the garbage, and less mess on the floor from shuffling back and forth. Also, if you have a compost pile, the bowl is easily taken outside to dump.
Plop all your chopped veggies and the chicken bouillon in the pot and add water.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the veggies are tender.
At this point, add the cooked chicken
cream of chicken soup and the seasonings.
Now, the original recipe calls for some fancy refrigerated or frozen noodles that you defrost and add. But I never have those on hand--but I always have pasta. I used fettuccine today and just chopped it up into smaller pieces so it would be more manageable to eat.
Add the noodles, and frozen peas right now if you want. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
Dish some up to take to a friend in need.
And save the rest for your family.
Quick Chicken Noodle Soup
4 chicken breast, cooked and cubed
5 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 quarts water
4 chicken bouillon cubes (or 4 tsp chicken bouillon granules)
1 (10 3/4-oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp basil
pepper to taste
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
5-6 oz of pasta
Boil veggies, bouillon and water together for 15-20 minutes. Add cut up chicken. Add cream of chicken soup, basil, pepper and bring to a boil again before adding pasta and peas. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
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This is the Child that Teachers Built…
Title – This is the Child that Teachers Built…
By – Rachid Khouya
When people show their homes to others, they proudly show off the many different rooms, the nice furniture, the beautiful decorations and how well built the house is, but they never talk about the builders who worked so hard to make that house what it is today.
When parents talk about their successful children, about their jobs, their social, political, and economic status and about their many degrees, parents never talk about the teachers who have placed the bricks, one upon one, to make those kids what they are today.
Being a teacher of English for more than five years, I have learned one thing: if I am successful today, it is thanks to the work of all my former teachers who have taught me how to love the ABCs from the cradle to the grave.
Being a good teacher today means being faithful to the memory of all the good teachers who have motivated me and pushed my life boat within the oceans of life, through its waves and storms, and even when it occasionally got stuck in the sand of a shore.
My teachers, both good and bad, have done a lot good things to me, to my mind and to my heart. Today it is easy to remember all those bad teachers and think about how harsh they were. But it is better to remember that I do not have to be like them and to be aware that my kids don’t have to think bad thought about me one day.
Today, thinking and remembering all the good teachers who have taught me makes me feel the great responsibility I shoulder to be like them and to become better than them, because I want my students to see me as a role model in the future.
Parents also need to remember that if their students are successful today, that is because their personality skyscraper is built upon the shoulders of teachers.
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Outbreak of deadly virus closes more than 9,000 schools in Cambodia
Deputy Education Minister Mak Van said more than 2,700 kindergartens and 7,000 primary schools closed Wednesday to try to cope with the menacing form of hand, foot and mouth disease known as enterovirus 71 strain, or EV-71.
The victims sometimes suffer high fever, brain swelling, paralysis and respiratory shutdown, though they may have been infected by people with few or no symptoms. The recent deaths of almost 60 Cambodian children raised the alarm over the disease. A joint investigation between the Cambodian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization revealed most of the deaths occurred in children younger than 3, and some of the kids had been treated with steroids at some point during their illness. Steroids have been known to worsen the health of people with EV-71, according to the WHO.
Vietnam and China have also had outbreaks. And in neighboring Thailand, three schools in Bangkok closed Wednesday over new cases in students.
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home | metro santa cruz index | features | santa cruz | feature story
Former UCSC writing professor Don Rothman on funding the arts in a downturn.
By Don Rothman
SHOULD NERO have fiddled while Rome burned? Should Yo-Yo Ma or Bruce Springsteen put aside their instruments, art museums shut their doors and theater companies go dark until the serious business of repairing our economy is completed? In 1642, Puritans closed England's theaters, which they saw as the devil's venue, places where people replaced piety with their own wayward imaginations. What's left of that moralistic distrust of art is a nagging suspicion that during times of suffering, art is frippery, luxury, certainly not a necessity. I beg to disagree.
Maxine Greene, professor emerita at Teachers College, Columbia University, has argued that for a democracy to thrive, people need to be able to walk in each other's shoes. Empathy leads us to appreciate others' suffering and sustains our commitment to equality. Once we appreciate that another human being has the same claims to dignity and well-being as we do, we structure laws and a social and political system accordingly.
Greene believes, as John Dewey and many others do, that to have empathy we need to nurture imagination. After all, it is an act of imagination to recognize the suffering of a stranger in a strange land and to act on our responsibility to alleviate it if we can. Art, Greene points out repeatedly in her articles and books, nurtures our imaginations. Our schools, therefore, must embrace art if the curriculum can ever hope to nurture citizens with democratic habits of mind.
We shouldn't be naive about all this. Some Nazis enjoyed classical music and some fascists designed imaginative ways to commit genocide. We know that art, like all forms of human creativity, can also silence, humiliate and degrade people.
However, I also know that in the presence of art we experience not only personal revelation but also social connections that enhance our communities. Take, for example, the conversations that occur between neighbors in Santa Cruz every summer as a result of the Cabrillo Music Festival or Shakespeare Santa Cruz; consider how strangers and friends talk to each other at the Museum of Art and History in the presence of plein-air paintings or avant-garde installations.
A few personal examples: In a conversation with a group of minority science students before and after the 2007 Shakespeare Santa Cruz production of The Tempest, they wondered why a play about knowledge and power wasn't required reading for science majors. Another group of premed students asked me why Dr. Faustus, which we'd just finished reading, wasn't a core text for researchers concerned with the health of their souls as they unraveled nature's mysteries. These students wanted more from their education than information; they wanted to deepen their capacity to interpret a confusing, complex world.
We are searching for new paradigms with which to understand the global economy. It occurs to me that it's through our exposure to art that we have developed a capacity to keep asking "what if?" and to discern the human consequences of catastrophes. Art can prompt us to hope for and design a better way.
So don't feel guilty about fiddling in these uncertain times. Someone may be listening, and someone may find the inspiration to put out a fire because of the beauty you--or an artist you supported--created.
Don Rothman taught writing at UCSC for 34 years, directed the Central California Writing Project and is now on the Shakespeare Santa Cruz Board.
Send a letter to the editor about this story.
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HOW TO KILL A BILL
exerts from AKC Legislative Action Manual
by Janice Mullen-Stewart
Defeating a bad bill is often more important than passing a good one. Here are some tried and true tips on How To Kill A Bill.
Ask John Q. Public what the chief functions of legislators are, and he will answer
1) spending money, and
2) passing more bills.
Mr. P will get no argument on point #1. Point #2 however, is not true. The real job of elected officials is to kill, not pass, bills. Probably less than one third of the bills introduced in any legislative session survive the entire process and become laws.
Someone once said, "No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session." Just think how bad things might be if all the bills passed!
If a bill has been introduced that you think is an abomination, what can you do about it? You need to take whatever actions necessary to make this bill fall into the category with the two thirds that never make it. There are myriad ways to kill bills. This chapter will explore some of them.
Because of the volume of work legislators have each session and the time constraints they work under, the bills they pass are usually those that are well executed, clear, and broadly supported, or those with lots of political muscle behind them. With extra work, even these bills can be killed.
Timing is important. The earlier you can stop a bill, the less resources you will have to expend, and the less time will be diverted from the important job of passing your own bill.
Certain reactions work best at different points in the bill's progress. Here are some methods and suggestions on the most effective timing.
I. You learn the bill will be introduced.
A. Contact the sponsor; ask who requested the bill, and what they hope it will accomplish. State your opposition, and say why you oppose it.
B. Gather information that will prove the bill is not necessary; will result in strong opposition; will be costly to administer. If this is a vicious dog bill, provide the sponsor with information from the AKC and the ADOA.
II. The bill is introduced.
A. Prepare an alternative bill and urge the sponsor to replace his with yours.
B. Warn your troops of an impending fight.
III. Bill is assigned to committee.
A. Contact the committee chair to state your opposition, and offer your alternative bill again.
B. Prepare for the hearing; plan your strategy.
C. Contact (phone or in person) all members of the committee to state your opposition to the bill, and provide information to any who are interested.
D. All members of your group (the troops) should contact the committee members from their district to ask that they vote against the bill.
IV. Hearing is scheduled.
A. Plan who will attend, and prepare testimony for each witness. If this is a vicious dog law, plan to bring sufficient copies of the AKC packet on vicious dog laws and ADOA information for each committee member, the committee secretary, and any press people at the hearing.
B. Prepare a press release to issue immediately after the hearing. It should state your group's opposition to the bill and some pertinent reasons.
C. Reread the chapter on hearings (Typist's Note: this section will follow within 24 hrs) All rules apply, but this time your purpose is to kill, not pass, a bill.
Your testimony should be planned to cast doubt on any supposed benefits claimed for this bill. You want to show widespread opposition (ideally including from the government branch named in the bill to enforce its provisions). Effective arguments include: bill would cost too much money to enforce; enforcement would be difficult, or discriminatory; bill would be harmful to a particular group such as the elderly, handicapped, children, farmers, etc. (use your imagination, but do not fabricate); bill is confusing, unclear, vague, open to misinterpretation; bill will impact on small towns, or on rural areas, etc. If all else fails, attempt to have the bill referred to interim study. If the bill offends you only in part, prepare an amendment to deal with that part and present it at the hearing.
V. Committee passes the bill.
A. Check the date the bill is scheduled for floor action.
B. If the committee vote was not unanimous, will a person from the losing side file a minority report or speak against the bill during floor action?
C. Ask a friendly legislator to remove the bill from the Consent Calendar, and lead a floor fight against the bill.
D. Distribute fact sheets to all house members, outlining briefly the strongest points against this bill. Try to have the fact sheets delivered to each house member's assigned seat, or if that is not possible, distribute them as the members file into the house the day the bill is scheduled for debate.
E. Issue press releases to follow up on earlier release. This release should urge citizens to ask their legislators to vote against the bill.
F. Attempt to include other groups in your opposition, and urge them to make their position public.
G. All people who have any interest in this bill should contact their own legislators and urge them to vote against the bill.
There are dozens of parliamentary maneuvers that, in the hands of an astute legislator, can effectively end the life of any bill for at least the current session. As one example, if your head count tells you that you have almost enough votes to defeat this bill, but not quite - have one of your supporters vote with the other side. Later, as one of those on the winning side, he can move for reconsideration at another time, when you have had time together a few more votes.
You and your supporters should be visibly present in the state house the day your bill is debated. An effective ploy to call attention to your presence without giving offense is to have each supporter wear the same insignia. For example, you might all wear arm-bands printed with the logo "Responsible Dog Owner". Do not sport tee shirts emblazoned with "I love my dog". This is serious business; do not appear frivolous or antagonistic.
VI. Bill passes and is sent to the other house.
A. Return to step III and retrace your steps. Do not give up. The game is far from over.
Bills are heard first in whichever house they are introduced (House bills start in the House, Senate bills in the Senate). Often there will be diminished enthusiasm in the second house, especially if the bill was opposed in the first. Negative momentum will be on your side, If you do not give up too soon. When is too soon? Any time before the bill is defeated.
VII. Bill passes second house and is sent to the governor.
A. Meet with the governor and urge him to veto the bill, or if that seems to be politically inexpedient, to re-refer the bill for further study to the originating committee.
B. Continue to issue regular press releases listing arguments against the bill and asking citizens' help in urging the governor to veto it.
C. Utilize local radio talk shows to spread support for your side, as with press releases.
D. Request your legislative friends contact the governor and ask him to veto the bill. Pocket vetoes are less politically risky for the governor, since they are not confrontational.
End AKC How to Kill a Bill
Bless the Bullys - Defending Dog - Bull Breed Alliance of Tennessee
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In an effort to improve the elementary school student evaluation process, the Levittown Union Free School District administration introduced a new report card proposal during Wednesday night’s Special Board of Education Meeting at the Memorial Education Center.
Under the new plan, elementary school report cards would be broken up into three marking periods, instead of four. The system, which has been developed for grades two through five, is based on the new Common Core Standards, according to Levittown Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Debbie Rifkin.
“The feedback that we’ve gotten across the district is that it was very difficult to assess the elementary students so early in the school year,” Rifkin said. “This will give us a little bit more time at the beginning of the year to make an accurate assessment.”
Under the proposal, students will be graded on a four through one rubric, with four being the highest. The report card will incorporate both standards of learning and participation and effort grades, according to Rifkin.
“I like the new report card a lot,” Trustee Peggy Marenghi said. “I think it really supports what we’re moving towards, getting away from grades. When parents see grades, they’re not looking to what the sub-categories are and where your child really needs to improve.”
One of the chief concerns of other trustees surrounded the elimination of a fourth marking period.
"I think a big part of education is progress monitoring on behalf of the parent,” Board President Michael Pappas said. “This is eliminating one chance to see how my child is doing.”
Pappas expressed concerns about parents of children in the low to middle section of the evaluation rubric. They would, he cautioned, not receive a proper evaluation of their child until late November.
“For the kid who is failing, the parents will know,” Pappas said. “For the kids who are getting threes and fours, they’re not going to need going to need additional help. It’s the [students] who receive twos that I’m concerned about. It’s the two that we forget about a lot of times. The kid that’s a mid-range two is not going to get the call home.”
Despite the concerns, the board gave the committee permission to continue formulating the new report cards, provided teacher conferences occur in October.
During meetings scheduled for the summer, the committee intends to draft both a teacher and parent handbook that will aid the transition to the new grading system. Fall teacher and parent workshops will also be held, according to Rifkin.
Teacher evaluations were also discussed during the meeting. Superintendent Dr. James Grossane announced that the district has completed its APPR plan for the 2012-13 school year. This guarantees that the district will have “no issue” receiving additional state aid, according to Grossane.
“A lot of districts are not in the same position that we are,” Grossane said. “...It was a great professional discussion and I think we’ll be able to move instruction forward because of this APPR plan. I’m hopeful that it will do everything that we anticipate."
What do you think of the elementary report card proposal? Tell us in the comments below.
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