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The first step in How to Get Out Of the Friend Zone is to ask yourself why you ended up there in the first place. Now it may be you genuinely did not have romantic feelings for this person in the first place and that is fine. Some great relationships can grow out of friendships. But it is not the norm! First impressions count and as a general rule of thumb you should start out how you intend to continue in a relationship. Committing yourself to asking someone on a date is risky, but it sets the tone from the beginning that you have a romantic interest in this person, and gives you both the chance to be on the same page from the beginning. Continue reading to find out exactly How to Get Out Of the Friend Zone.
Was it your choice to be friends and if so, why? Perhaps you have been unclear of whether you two would be a good fit romantically. It can help to write out a list of ten qualities (no more) that you really want in a romantic partner and then choose the three qualities you can’t live without. You can review and change the list at any time, but knowing what you are looking for will make it much easier in the future to recognize what opportunities you want to go for, when possible romantic partners cross your path. It will give you courage to go after what you really want and avoid the confusion that the friend zone can bring.
If you are honest with yourself and recognize you are afraid of commitment, it would be worth working on some of your issues before attempting the transition of your friendship into something more meaningful, because if things go well, the next stage of your relationship will involve a greater commitment. You could start out by committing to a pet, something as small as a goldfish can help develop responsibility and the idea of having someone (or something) else’s interests at heart.
Now to help you prepare for the moment where you are going to make your move, you can start by taking some risks in other areas of your life first to build up your courage. How about sky diving? Paragliding? A trip to some place new? These mini experiences will build your confidence and set the stage for moving out of the friend zone.
The second step is you need to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. How is this revelation going to affect them? Have they given you any indications they share your feelings? If so, great. If not, it might be wise to put some feelers out there. Are you friends with their other friends? Try and find out casually if they have mentioned being interested in anyone. (You don’t want to find out they are actually in a relationship you didn’t know about when you make your move). Be assured, it will filter back to them that you were asking, and work in your favor. It might even open the conversation for you to make your move then and there, but at the least it will awaken their curiosity.
Do they have a favorite activity like ice skating? Planning a date around an activity they enjoy shows you know them and is going to give you an edge over other people who haven’t built that friendship first. If there is something they always wanted to do, plan this as a surprise date. Even if they don’t reciprocate the romantic feelings they will appreciate the gesture.
Bringing flowers, or a single flower to the date is a gesture that will drop a major clue you have romantic interest in your friend. Try and keep the gesture small but thoughtful, remember you don’t want to overwhelm them on the first date, but you do want to make it clear you are ready to change tracks and have a romantic interest in them. It is better to be more obvious in your gestures so there is no mistaking your intentions, because half-heartedness or being too subtle is only going to create confusion and awkward embarrassing tension between you.
Now, bonding takes place through shared experiences. If you have ever watched the Bachelor, you’ll notice they plan impressive dates, and with the individual dates, it usually has a meaningful personal twist. Sharing a helicopter ride, a tour of a new place or city, a hot air balloon ride or other adrenaline type activity, something outside of the everyday routine, will help you bond over a new experience together. Don’t feel pressured that it has to be something big, because the most important aspect is going to be the talk, but be aware if you have been friends a long time, you may need to make a big effort to show your interest has switched to a romantic interest and that you are serious and ready to commit if they are willing.
Next comes the face to face talk. Forget the laziness of texting, emailing, or sending the message through a mutual friend or third party. This is the time to man or woman up and give your friend the respect of face to face communication.
You could plan the elaborate ploy of a blind date, or some other white lie to get them there (as long as it is harmless), or you could describe the date you have planned, watching for their reaction and then reveal you would like them to be your date. If you have chosen something they enjoy, it will be easier for them to say yes.
Be prepared for shock, confusion, emotion, embarrassment or reactions such as silly giggling. The Worst case scenario of How to Get Out Of the Friend Zone is they may turn hostile if they don’t enjoy surprises being sprung on them. Hopefully you know your friend well and where they stand on surprises before you spring this on them. When people don’t know how to respond, they may laugh, or cry, or simply flee. Don’t take it personally but seize the moment and tell them clearly and concisely (don’t quote a Shakespearean sonnet) how you feel about them. Let them know your feelings have changed and choose a few qualities you love about them as a sincere compliment. Most important is to just be honest and vulnerable in this moment. Resist the temptation to put too much pressure on them. Your only goal right now is to win them over for the first date. If all goes well you can ask for a second date.
Remember when learning How to Get Out Of the Friend Zone if you are rejected, your friendship is going to take a knock. Back off for a while and give them some space and allow them to make the next move. But put your shoulders back and hold your head high because you had the courage to be true to your heart.
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There is some confusion about the memory speeds of AM2 cpu's with ddr2. The basic method is the divider is divide the multi by 2, and increase to the next whole # if a fraction.
The divider for a 12 multi is 6, and the same for an 11 multi (5.5=6) This means that odd multies cannot run ddr2 800 at stock speeds
Here is a pretty complete list of memory speeds with HTT sttings with various dividers.
Stolen from http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=105798
This should make it easy to figure your memory speed with various overclocks.
Low multies appear to be a bit wacky.
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March 22, 2012
The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a discrimination case filed by Christian college organizations at San Diego State University, CBN News reports. A Christian fraternity and sorority at SDSU had filed suit over a school "anti-discrimination" policy forbidding them from requiring members to follow certain standards, such as abstaining from pre-marital sex and defining marriage as between a man and a woman. The policy made Christian groups on campus ineligible for student funding and other privileges, such as reserving campus space for meetings, hanging posters and promoting their group on the university's website, but a lower court ruled that it didn't violate the Constitution. David Cortman of the Alliance Defense Fund, who argued the case for the Christian groups, said the court's decision would ensure that SDSU would "remain a stronghold of censorship."
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Created on Monday, 13 December 2010 10:11
By Georgia Pabst. Along with the dancing, music, pageantry, cultural exhibits and food that celebrate the Hmong New Year this weekend at Wisconsin State Fair Park, the community will honor Chasong Yang, a longtime leader from Sheboygan, as the Hmong Man of the Year.
The honor of Hmong Woman of the Year ended in a tie, according to Vicki Kalman, a member of the award selection committee.
So both Chia Youyee Vang, an assistant professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Mayhoua Moua, founder of a consulting firm that provides translations and diversity training, will share the award.
Modeled after awards presented in the Latino community by UMOS Inc. that each year selects a Hispanic man and woman to honor, the Hmong community last year began to recognize a man and woman who have done outstanding work in their community, Kalman said.
Yang, whose family was one of the first Hmong families to settle in Sheboygan in 1976, has been executive director of the Hmong Mutual Assistance Association for the past 27 years.
He's the most senior director of a Hmong association in the state and has served two terms as president of the Wisconsin United Coalition of Mutual Assistance Associations, the statewide umbrella organization of all Hmong associations.
Now 50, he came to the U.S. at age 17 after his father sent him from Laos to France to study until the family could leave a refugee camp and resettle here.
After studying English, Yang said, he worked doing translations for his family and the community in clinics, hospitals and schools and eventually went to work helping refugees with Lutheran Social Services and later with Dane County Social Services.
In 1983 he went to work as director of the association, an organization his father helped start with other early Hmong arrivals.
In his spare time, he coaches soccer. He is married to Miva T. Yang, a public health nurse, and they have four children.
Hmong studies professor
With a doctorate in American Studies, Vang, 39, is the only Hmong tenure-track faculty member at UWM, where she helped establish the new certificate program in Hmong studies.
She was born in Laos, and her family immigrated to St. Paul, Minn., where she grew up. Five years ago, she said, she moved to Milwaukee to teach at UWM, where she's an assistant professor in history teaching ethnic and Hmong studies.
Her area of research is refugee resettlement, Hmong history and diaspora studies. Her latest book is "Hmong America: Reconstructing Community in Diaspora," published by the University of Illinois Press.
She's also on the board of the Hmong American Peace Academy and serves on various boards including the Hmong Cultural Center.
She's married to Ton Yang, who runs a printing business in Minnesota. The couple have two sons.
Community role model
Moua, 41, won't attend the Hmong New Year here because she will be in Thailand this weekend on a previously planned trip, said her sister May yer Thao. This is Moua's second trip to Thailand, where she works with missionaries and the Catholic community there, she said.
So Thao plans to accept the award on behalf of her older sister, whom she said she considers a role model.
"My sister is the oldest of nine, and when my parents were divorced she became my mom's right hand helping to raise us," she said. "She's been a role model for me and the community."
The family originally settled in South Dakota, then moved to California and later Minnesota. When Moua married she moved to Milwaukee.
In addition to running her consultant firm, Moua is chair of the Hmong Milwaukee Catholic Community of St. Michael Church. She also was a founder and chair of the Hmong American Women's Association.
In her new book, Vang discusses the importance of the Hmong New Year, which traditionally takes place after the harvest.
"It's a time to eat and enjoy and a time to celebrate and to give thanks," she said.
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This time during the Great War has probably been one
of the best times for business. The United States have been able to move from a large
free-market into a new order system which has government planning and
intervening. This has all been due to the war collectivism
. The new
order system is similar to the old ways of mercantilism, yet it has been so
much better. There is new imperialism, as well as mercantilism and
nationalism. These new ways have been able to promote national interest
and even better the welfare of workers. Workers rights have been abused
before, but now the new order seems to give them better wages and make
it better for all. This makes running my business so much easier than
it was before. The workers seem to happier which results in better
products. This all results in more consumers meaning more income, which
in the end, makes me happy. It is amazing how much war collectivism has
benefited all of us.
Not only has business been expanding and increasing for the better
in the United States, but it has also began mobilizing and beginning to
imperialize with our allies and other countries. The Committee of
just started to move toward economic
mobilization, and has been the only organization so far. This means that the industrialist members of the committee have been able to keep their private positions and incomes. I have been
able to organize a national inventory. Also, my Hudson Motor Company
has been able to have propaganda and not only expand my own business
but a majority of other business. We have been able to gain more power
as we are now sharing the power with the government.
I have been very proud of myself lately because not only have I been vice-president of the Hudson Motor Company of Detroit, chairman of the CIP, but I have also been able to mobilize the American Press Association, the Associated Advertising Clubs of the World, and the New York Times.
The War has been better for business in such immense ways. I'm glad that so far I have been able to take full advantage of these great opportunities. Well I must go back to work and keep up the good work throughout my businesses.
Howard E. Coffin
photo credited by:
http://automotivehistoryonline.com/First Hudson Motor Car Company factory 1909.jpg
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(Chipotle) On Wednesday, August 29th when you purchase a burrito, tacos, salad or bowl with any of their naturally raised meats, at any of their restaurants, Chipotle will donate 100% of the proceeds, up to $50,000, to Farm Aid.
Chipotle Teams with Farm Aid to Help Family Farmers
AUGUST 28, 2007By Press Release, Business WireEat a Burrito, Help a Family Farm.Carnivores rejoice. As part of its ongoing commitment to helping family farms, on August 29 Chipotle Mexican Grill will donate proceeds from sales of items made with naturally raised pork, beef, and chicken to Farm Aid, a nonprofit organization that supports and promotes family farming and sustainable agriculture. Chipotle will contribute up to $50,000 to Farm Aid.Since the early 1980s, family farms have been disappearing from America's rural landscape, often replaced by factory farms or CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations) that house animals in high density in tiny pens where copious amounts of antibiotics are needed to prevent disease. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, pork producers alone use three times the amount of antibiotics as are used to treat human illness to keep confined hogs from getting sick.In contrast, family farms usually promote more sustainable farming practices, such as providing ample pasture on which to graze, disallowing the use of antibiotics and added hormones, and favoring vegetarian feed for livestock."We decided long ago that we didn't want Chipotle's success to be tied to the exploitation of animals, farmers, or the environment," said Chipotle Founder, Chairman, and CEO Steve Ells. "Family farms tend to preserve more traditional ways of farming, and produce better food because of it. Like Farm Aid, Chipotle understands the important role of family farmers and that helps guide the decisions we make in sourcing food." Chipotle began its quest to serve better food in 2000, when it became the first restaurant chain to buy only naturally raised pork - pork that comes from pigs that are raised in a humane way, on open pastures or in deeply bedded barns; that are never given antibiotics or added hormones; and fed a pure vegetarian diet - from a network of family owned farms.Chipotle had always used only fresh ingredients in its food, but its review of pork rearing practices prompted the realization that fresh wasn't enough. To buy the best ingredients, the company began taking a hard look at the way animals are raised and vegetables are grown to be sure it was using only the best ingredients it could find. Chipotle calls this vision "Food With Integrity" and today it extends well beyond just pork. In fact, Chipotle now serves more naturally raised meat than any restaurant in the world, including 100 percent of its pork, more than 70 percent of its chicken, and nearly half of its beef.In addition to naturally raised meats, Chipotle has begun sourcing organic beans (about 25 percent of all of the beans it buys this year will be organically grown) and using dairy products that are free of the synthetic hormone rBGH."Too often, great food seems to be an elitist pursuit, but we don't think it should be," said Ells. "Making great food available to all consumers, not just the elite, is one of the ways Chipotle is changing the way Americans think about and eat fast-food."About Farm Aid
Founded by Willie Nelson and with Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews serving on the board, Farm Aid has built a nationwide legacy promoting food from family farmers, growing the good food movement, helping farmers thrive and taking action to change the food system for more than two decades. Its annual benefit concert features pioneers in the good food movement, young farmers and food activists. Farm Aid's vision is for family farmers to provide food, fiber and alternative fuels that protect America's land, health and environment. To learn more, visit www.farmaid.org.
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG and CMG.B) offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food not only from using fresh ingredients, but ingredients that are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. Chipotle opened its first restaurant in 1993 and currently operates 640 restaurants. For more information, visit www.chipotle.com.
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TEDxOjai - Behrokh Khoshnevis - Contour Crafting: Automated Construction
Behrokh Khoshnevis is a professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering and is the Director of Manufacturing Engineering Graduate Program at the University of Southern California (USC). He is active in CAD/CAM, robotics and mechatronics related related research projects that include the development of novel Solid Free Form, or Rapid Prototyping, processes (Contour Crafting and SIS), automated construction of civil structures, development of CAD/CAM systems for biomedical applications (e.g., restorative dentistry, rehabilitation engineering, haptics devices for medical applications), autonomous mobile and modular robots for assembly applications in space, and invention of technologies in the field of oil and gas. His research in simulation has aimed at creating intelligent simulation tools that can automatically perform many simulation functions that are conventionally performed by human analysts. His textbook, "Discrete Systems Simulation", and his simulation software EZSIM benefit from some aspects of his research in simulation. He routinely conducts lectures and seminars on invention and technology development.
He is a Fellow member of the Society for Computer Simulation and a Fellow member of the Institute of Industrial Engineering. He is a senior member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. His website: http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~khoshnev/
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
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July 28 Thank you for this reminder about the Muslim world. The difficulty with the "Common Word" documents and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's words, "a genuine democracy and stability," is that for Muslims the rest of us are simply dhimmis, protected people. Our protection would be on their terms and would not last long. I do not believe that Western secular leadership will ever understand this.
-John Monroe, Carrollton, Texas
As a scholar of Islamic history, I reject the Salafist doctrine of the "uncreated Quran," which forbids the use of reason to understand its origins. I withdrew my signature from the "Christian Response to the 'Common Word'" because I am alarmed that influential evangelical leaders refuse to have a realistic view of Islamism. The Muslim Brotherhood seeks to re-establish the Caliphate, make the Quran its constitution, and jihad its domestic and foreign policy. But some Muslims are fighting for the reformation of Sunni Islam and political freedom in the Muslim world. We in the West must continue to support them.
-Judith Rood, La Mirada, Calif.
The photo with the victim's spilled blood was a graphic reminder of the inherent evil we see in this world. The press in America seldom shows the tremendous evil of innocent slaughter. This is true evil and we must never forget it.
-Neil Johnston, Grand Prairie, Texas
July 28 Thank you for laying out the plight of persecuted Christians in Egypt and for warning about radical Islam. If our government leaders would study the foundational documents of Islam (including the Quran and Hadith), note what they say about Muslim attitudes and policies toward us "infidels," and study the history of the spread of Islam by the sword, we all would be more secure.
-K. Spevacek, Avondale, Ariz.
I'm not surprised. Islam demands its adherents convert or conquer the whole world. Our lack of response to this threat is speeding its fulfillment, both from wars outside our borders and from the spread of Islam within. Thank God He is in control.
-Rich Thorne, Bettles, Alaska
July 28 In her excellent column Andrée Seu Peterson says, "Things are moving at breakneck speed now," and that pretty much sums it up. So often we hear of some celebrity "coming out" as a homosexual or some politician endorsing homosexual "marriage."
-Dick Dickerson, Mechanicsville, Va.
Borrowing a page from the comic books, Peterson portrays homosexual activists as crafty and malevolent super-villains. But healthy Christian engagement with homosexuals must begin with truth-telling, not caricature.
-Andrew Needham, Durham, N.C.
This was the best synopsis I have read on the state we are in now. Mothers like me have been trying to hold up the dike so our children would have a society that was morally "normal" and biblical, but the dike burst. I have very deep dread for current and future generations, but the Lord knows what is happening and He is faithful.
-Janet Mulvanny, Shoreline, Wash.
Sometimes I have Elijah moments where I feel that so many, even in the church, seem to be blind to how rebellion against God has infiltrated every part of our society. But this column reminded me that God has preserved many who have not bowed the knee to Baal.
-Sharon Henning, Longview, Texas
July 28 Janie B. Cheaney reminded me to lift my eyes up past the hills of earth's troubles to see the Lord, whence cometh our help. Her faithful words rekindled hope for me both about our world situation and my own health as I recover from cancer surgery.
-Rick Porter, Yarmouth Port, Mass.
Cheaney quotes the saying that "we don't want to be too heavenly-minded for any earthly good, do we?" But as C.S. Lewis noted, it is only as we are heavenly-minded that we are any earthly good: "If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next," from the apostles to the Christians who abolished the slave trade.
-Paul Enns, Tampa, Fla.
July 28 I know that WORLD is opposed to the idea of same-sex marriage, but in reporting on Barney Frank you appeared to have accepted the redefinition of marriage. Whatever Frank and Jim Ready did, they were not "married" or "wed," not according to the correct definition of the words.
-Ben Firth, Anchor Point, Alaska
July 28 It's good basic advice not to share photos and updates via Facebook while on vacation but that may not be enough. If others traveling with you or people you're visiting post a picture and "tag" you, it's going to appear for your friends and acquaintances to see that you're away.
-Sally Foisey, Blair, Neb.
July 28 President Obama certainly is dialing back the wattage of star power for his 51st birthday celebration-he's even giving us ordinary folk a chance to celebrate with him. For a mere $3 donation to his campaign, "you'll be automatically entered to join me for my birthday in Chicago." I joined his mailing list and the solicitations have been very entertaining.
-Gerri Hawes, Allen, Texas
July 28 Maybe I'm connecting the wrong dots, but it sounds like Chief Justice John Roberts made a political decision in the Obamacare case to make the Supreme Court a less politically charged institution. But was the attempt politically correct, or incorrectly political?
-Mark Anderson, Wilmington, N.C.
July 28 Jurors also need to improve their game and not be intimated by prosecutors, judges, or other jurors. They must base their vote on hard evidence. Have we forgotten that we start with the presumption of innocence?
-Larry Marsh, Colton, Ore.
July 28 Regarding the controversy over a recent SBC resolution, some have misconstrued the remarks of Pastor David Platt, who is also head of our parachurch ministry, Radical. He does not advocate throwing out the "Sinner's Prayer" but has expressed concern over authentic conversion. He also voted in favor of the resolution that declared the prayer a "biblical expression of faith."
-Angelia Stewart, Radical, Birmingham, Ala.
July 14 As a fourth-grade teacher, I encourage my students to read, read, and read during their summers. I try to do the same. How wonderful to see your regular reading recommendations. From them I purchased We the People, Gospel Powered Humility, and The Intolerance of Tolerance. Also I found your Randy Alcorn recommendations to be pure gold. All in all, I have found a delightful month of reading.
-Patrick Davis, Sacramento, Calif.
Being constantly bombarded with bad news, worrisome news, and prospects of a disastrous future, it's refreshing to read in WORLD of the many excellent and good things that are going on in the world. Your articles give hope for the future that, after all, not all is lost.
-Roger A. Faber, Westminster, Colo.
The NAE received $1 million from the National Campaign for the Prevention of Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy; Proverbs 5:18 begins, "Let your fountain be blessed" ("Cashed out," Aug. 11, p. 39).
Lake Geneva, Wis.
Submitted by Brian Smith
Send photos to:
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LONDON -- Bestselling Irish author Maeve Binchy, one of Ireland's most popular writers who sold more than 40 million books worldwide, has died in Dublin after a brief illness, Irish media and national leaders said. She was 72 years old.
She was best known for her depictions of human relationships and their crises, mainly in the small towns of Ireland but also in London.
"We have lost a national treasure," said Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny.
The Irish Times, her former employer, told the AP it had spoken to Binchy's family and said the acclaimed author had died in a Dublin hospital on Monday with her husband, Gordon Snell, by her side.
"She was an outstanding novelist, short story writer and columnist, who engaged millions of people all around the world with her fluent and accessible style," said Ireland's president, Michael D. Higgins.
"In recent years she showed great courage and thankfully never lost her self-deprecating humor, honesty and remarkable integrity as an artist and human being," Higgins said.
Binchy, author of "Circle of Friends" and "Tara Road," wrote 16 novels, four collections of short stories, a play and a novella. Her work landed her on The New York Times' bestseller list and in Oprah's Book Club.
In recent years she continued to write despite being slowed down by arthritis and a heart ailment.
"I do realize that I am a popular writer who people buy to take on vacation. I'm an
"I was just lucky I lived in this time of mass-market paperbacks," she added.
Describing her childhood in Dalkey in County Dublin, Binchy wrote on her official website that she was "full of enthusiasms, mad fantasies, desperate urges to be famous and anxious to be a saint. "
After graduating from University College Dublin, Binchy worked as a teacher before becoming a journalist, columnist and editor at the Irish Times, one of the country's leading newspapers.
She later moved to England, where she became the newspaper's London editor in the early 1970s.
Her first novel, "Light a Penny Candle," was published in 1982 -- after being rejected by five publishers -- and became a bestseller.
That book led to an invitation to appear on a French TV program, "a terrifying serious program about books," she recalled two years ago in an interview with Donald O'Donoghue of broadcaster RTE.
"Suddenly they asked me, as only the French would, 'Madame, what is your philosophy of life?' What a cosmic question, but I had to answer, and answer quickly, because it was live.
"So I said, in French, 'I think that you've got to play the hand that you're dealt and stop wishing for another hand.'"
Several of her works -- including "Circle of Friends" and "Tara Road" -- were turned into films. "Tara Road," about Irish and American women who switch homes without having met, was chosen by U.S. TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey for her popular book club, bringing Binchy many new readers.
Binchy's novel "Minding Frankie" was published in 2010, the same year she received a lifetime achievement honor from the Irish Book Awards. Her latest novel, "A Week in Winter," is to be published later this year.
In an interview two years ago, Binchy said she preferred to deal with issues which could be argued from either side.
"I often wonder that if I had met Hitler, I reckon I might have found some streak of decency in him," she told O'Donoghue.
"I once tried to write a novel about revenge. It's the only book I didn't finish. I couldn't get into the mind of the person who was plotting vengeance," she said.
The best advice, she added, comes from the "Coronation Street," a British soap opera: "Oh, get over yourself."
Binchy is survived by her husband, her brother, William, and her sister, Joan. Funeral arrangements were not immediately announced.
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 Review: Retaking The Performance Crownby Ryan Smith on March 22, 2012 9:00 AM EST
GPU Boost: Turbo For GPUs
Now that we’ve had a chance to take a look at the Kepler architecture, let’s jump into features. We’ll start with the feature that’s going to have the biggest impact on performance: GPU Boost.
Much like we’ve seen with CPUs in previous years, GPUs are reaching a point where performance is being limited by overall power consumption. Until the last couple of years GPU power consumption has been allowed to slowly drift up with each generation, allowing for performance to scale to an incredible degree. However for many of the same reasons NVIDIA has been focusing on efficiency in general, GPUs are being pressured to do more without consuming more.
The problem of course is compounded by the fact that there are a wide range of possible workloads for a GPU, much like there is for a CPU. With the need to design video cards around specific TDPs for both power supply and heat dissipation reasons, the goal becomes one of maximizing your performance inside of your assigned TDP.
The answer to that problem in the CPU space is turbo boosting – that is increasing the clockspeed of one or more CPU cores so long as the chip as a whole remains at or under its TDP. By using turbo, Intel and AMD have been able to both maximize the performance of lightly threaded applications by boosting a handful of cores to high speeds, and at the same time maximize heavily threaded performance by boosting a large number of cores by little to none. For virtually any CPU-bound workload the CPU can put itself into a state where the appropriate execution units are making the most of their TDP allocation.
Of course in the GPU world things aren’t that simple – for starters we don’t have a good analogy for a lightly threaded workload – but the concept is similar. GPUs need to be able to run demanding tasks such as Metro 2033 or even pathological applications like FurMark while staying within their designated TDPs, and at the same time they need to be sure to deliver good performance for compute applications and games that aren’t quite so demanding. Or put another way, tasks that are GPU limited but aren’t maxing out every aspect of the GPU need to be able to get good performance without being held back by the need to keep heavy workloads in check.
In 2010 AMD took a stab that this scenario with PowerTune, which was first introduced on the Radeon HD 6900 series. With PowerTune AMD could set their clockspeeds relatively high, and should any application demand too much of the GPU, PowerTune would throttle down the GPU in order to avoid going over its TDP. In essence with PowerTune the GPU could be clocked too high, and simply throttled down if it tried to draw too much power. This allowed lighter workloads to operate at higher clockspeeds, while keeping power consumption in check for heavy workloads.
With the introduction of Kepler NVIDIA is going to be tackling this problem for their products, and their answer is GPU Boost.
In a nutshell, GPU Boost is turbo for the GPU. With GPU Boost NVIDIA is able to increase the core clock of GTX beyond its 1006MHz base clock, and like turbo on CPUs this is based on the power load, the GPU temperature, and the overall quality of the GPU. Given the right workload the GTX 680 can boost by 100MHz or more, while under a heavy workload the GTX 680 may not move past 1006MHz.
With GPU Boost in play this adds a new wrinkle to performance of course, but ultimately there are 2 numbers to pay attention to. The first number is what NVIDIA calls the base clock: this is another name for the regular core clock, and it represents the minimum full load clock for GTX 680; when operating at its full 3D clocks, the GTX 680 will never drop below this number.
The second number is what NVIDIA calls the boost clock, and this one is far more nebulous, as it relates to the operation of GPU Boost itself. With GPU Boost NVIDIA does not have an explicit top clock; they’re letting chip quality play a significant role in GPU Boost. Because GPU Boost is based around power consumption and temperatures, higher quality GPUs that operate with lower power consumption can boost higher than lower quality GPUs with higher power consumption. In essence the quality of the chip determines its boost limit under normal circumstances.
Accordingly, the boost clock is intended to convey what kind of clockspeeds buyers can expect to see with the average GTX 680. Specifically, the boost clock is based on the average clockspeed of the average GTX 680 that NVIDIA has seen in their labs. This is what NVIDIA had to say about the boost clock in their reviewer’s guide:
The “Boost Clock” is the average clock frequency the GPU will run under load in many typical non-TDP apps that require less GPU power consumption. On average, the typical Boost Clock provided by GPU Boost in GeForce GTX 680 is 1058MHz, an improvement of just over 5%. The Boost Clock is a typical clock level achieved running a typical game in a typical environment
In other words, when the average GTX 680 is boosting it reaches 1058MHz on average.
Ultimately NVIDIA and their customers are going to go through some teething issues on this, and there’s no way around it. Although the idea of variable performance isn’t a new one – we already see this to some degree with CPU turbo – this is the first time we’ve seen something like this in the GPU space, and it’s going to take some time to get used to.
In any case while we can’t relate to you what the average GTX 680 does with GPU Boost, we can tell you about GPU Boost based on what we’ve seen with our review sample.
First and foremost, GPU Boost operates on the concept of steps, analogous to multipliers on a CPU. Our card has 9 steps, each 13MHz apart, ranging from 1006MHz to 1110MHz. And while it’s not clear whether every GTX 680 steps up in 13MHz increments, based on NVIDIA’s boost clock of 1058MHz this would appear to be the case, as that would be 4 steps over the base clock.
At each step our card uses a different voltage, listed in the table below. We should note that we’ve seen different voltages reported for the same step in some cases, so it’s not entirely clear what’s going on. In any case we’re listing the most common voltage we’ve recorded for each step.
|GeForce GTX 680 GPU Boost Step Table|
As for deciding what clockspeed to step up to, GPU boost determines this based on power consumption and GPU temperature. NVIDIA has on-card sensors to measure power consumption at the rails leading into the GPU, and will only allow the video card to step up so long as it’s below the GPU Boost power target. This target isn’t published, but NVIDIA has told us that it’s 170W. Note that this is not the TDP of the card, which is 195W. Because NVIDIA doesn’t have a true throttling mechanism with Kepler, their TDP is higher than their boost target as heavy workloads can push power consumption well over 170W even at 1006MHz.
Meanwhile GPU temperatures also play an important role in GPU boost. Our sample could only hit the top step (1110MHz) if the GPU temperature was below 70C; as soon as the GPU reached 70C it would be brought down to the next highest step of 1097MHz. This means that the top step is effectively unsustainable on the stock GTX 680, as there are few if any applications that are both intensive enough to require high clockspeeds and light enough to not push GPU temperatures up.
Finally, with the introduction of GPU Boost overclocking has been affected as well. Rather than directly controlling the core clock, overclocking is accomplished through the combined manipulation of the GPU Boost power target and the use of a GPU clock offset. Power target manipulation works almost exactly as you’d expect: you can lower and raise the GPU Boost power target by -30% to +32%, similar to how adjusting the PowerTune limit works on AMD cards. Increasing the power target allows the video card to pull more power, thereby allowing it to boost to higher steps than is normally possible (but no higher than the max step), while decreasing the power target keeps it from boosting at all.
The GPU offset meanwhile manipulates the steps themselves. By adjusting the GPU offset all of the GPU Boost steps are adjusted by roughly an equal amount, depending on what clocks the PLL driving the GPU can generate. E.G. a +100MHz offset clock would increase the 1st step to 1120MHz, etc up to the top step which would be increased to 1210MHz.
While each factor can be adjusted separately, it’s adjusting both factors together that truly unlock overclocking. Adjusting the GPU offset alone won’t achieve much if most workloads are limited by GPU Boost’s power target, and adjusting the power target alone won’t improve the performance of workloads that are already allowed to reach the highest step. By combining the two you can increase the GPU clock and at the same time increase the power target so that workloads are actually allowed to hit those new clocks.
On that note, overclocking utilities will be adding support for GPU Boost over the coming weeks. The first overclocking utility with support for GPU Boost is EVGA’s Precision X, the latest rendition of their Precision overclocking utility. NVIDIA supplied Precision X Beta 20 with our review samples, and as we understand it that will be made available shortly for GTX 680 buyers.
Finally, while we’ll go into full detail on overclocked performance in a bit, we wanted to quickly showcase the impact GPU Boost, both on regular performance and on overclocking. First up, we ran all of our benchmarks at 2560 with the power target for GPU boost set to -16%, which reduces the power target to roughly 142W. While GPU Boost cannot be disabled outright, this was enough to ensure that it almost never activated.
As is to be expected, the impact of GPU Boost varies depending on the game, but overall we found that enabling GPU boost on our card only improves performance by an average of 3%, and by no more than 5%. While this is effectively free performance, it also is a stark reminder that GPU Boost isn’t nearly as potent as turboing on a CPU – at least not quite yet. As there’s no real equivalent to the lightly threaded workload for GPUs, the need for a wide range of potential GPU Boost clocks is not nearly as great as the need for high turbo clocks on a CPU. Even a light GPU workload is relatively heavy when graphics itself is an embarrassingly parallel task.
Our other quick look is at overclocking. The following is what our performance looked like at 2560 with stock GPU Boost settings, a power target of +16% (195W), and a GPU offset of +100MHz.
Overall raising the GPU offset is much more effective than raising the power target to improve performance, reflecting the fact that in our case most games were limited by the GPU Boost clock rather than the power target at least some of the time.
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It’s Wednesday, May 22 and 4:25pm in Downtown New Orleans.
Sail the waters of the mighty, muddy Mississippi during the nightly dinner jazz cruise. The ship boards at 7 p.m. and departs the dock at 8 p.m.
Constructed in Moss Point, Mississippi, the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen took her maiden voyage on October 1, 1983. She is an authentic paddlewheeler powered by a 24 foot diameter paddlewheel and the most modern, fuel efficient GE diesel-electric system ever installed in a boat of this class. Even though the Creole Queen would have been right at home in the New Orleans of 1850, passengers of that era could never have conceived of a paddlewheeler with her luxury, comfort and safety. Ninety tons of air conditioning and heating keep the interior spaces pleasant all year round. Luxurious private rooms, stereo music and sound systems, modern restrooms and handicapped accessible facilities all combine to make the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen a true “floating palace”.
Customizing parties is no problem at New Orleans Paddlewheels. You can reserve an entire deck or the entire boat allowing privacy and greater flexibility in planning your party. You can choose any type of entertainment you desire. You can remain dockside or cruise down the mighty Mississippi River. We can assist you with transportation and hotel rooms. The options are endless with New Orleans Paddlewheels.
The Creole Queen features outer decks with authentically patterned wrought iron trims inviting guests to stroll back in time as they settle into the mood of a bygone era. The interiors are richly appointed with plush Victorian style draperies, soft period lighting, wooden parquet dance floors, and Louisiana Cypress bars accented with brass railing for a warm and welcoming setting.
DETAILS1 Poydras St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
New Orleans ranked #2 employment market in the country Manpower
New Orleans ranked #1 Most Improved on "Best Cities for Business" Wall Street Journal Marketwatch
New Orleans tops New Geography's list of "America's Biggest Brain Magnets" NewGeography.com
Downtown welcomes approximately 120,000 people on a given week-day, enough to make it the fourth largest city in Louisiana
Looking for a place to live? There are 2,875 residential units Downtown and even more in the pipeline.
Hungry? There are 176 restaurants and 32 sidewalk cafes in Downtown New Orleans
New Orleans listed as 1 of 5 safe havens to ride out the recession Christian Science Monitor
New Orleans named Major Market of the Year Southern Business and Development
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Israel's Security FenceInside a Palestinian border town.
In 1948 the Israeli army marched through the small Palestinian town of Wadi Fukin and forcibly evacuated the residents as part of a battle over the newly established border of Israel. More than once the townspeople tried to return to their homes, only to be driven out again. Finally, in 1953, an Israeli border patrol unit dynamited the town, destroying all but a few of the houses. By that time most of the town lived in the Dheisheh refugee camp a few miles away, near Bethlehem and beyond the new border. In Dheisheh and other camps, the residents of Wadi Fukin were among hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who were forced to flee their towns during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. It would not be until 1972 that the residents of Wadi Fukin were allowed to return and rebuild their town. When they rebuilt, it would be the only time, as far as Palestinians can recall, that residents reconstructed a town destroyed in the 1948 war. Today, residents fear history is about to repeat itself in this town of about 1,200 people. Sometime soon, Israel's separation barrier is scheduled to reach Wadi Fukin, which sits just on the Palestinian West Bank side of the Green Line. The barrier will cut off Wadi Fukin and four nearby towns from the rest of the West Bank, which is these towns' main source for health care, jobs, and higher education. Instead of destroying people's houses and forcing them to flee, the barrier will have a slower effect, believe the residents. They predict that much of the younger generation will choose to leave and move farther into the West Bank to avoid navigating the barrier. Without younger residents to inherit the land, many fear the town will eventually disappear.
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Martzen MR, et al. (1999) A biochemical genomics approach for identifying genes by the activity of their products. Science 286(5442):1153-5
Abstract: For the identification of yeast genes specifying biochemical activities,a genomic strategy that is rapid, sensitive, and widely applicable was developed with an array of 6144 individual yeast strains, each containing a different yeast open reading frame (ORF) fused to glutathione S-transferase (GST). For the identification of ORF-associated activities, strains were grown in defined pools, and GST-ORFs were purified. Then, pools were assayed for activities, and active pools were deconvoluted to identify the source strains. Three previously unknown ORF-associated activities were identified with this strategy: a cyclic phosphodiesterase that acts on adenosine diphosphate-ribose 1"-2" cyclic phosphate (Appr>p), an Appr-1"-p-processing activity, and a cytochrome c methyltransferase.
|Status: Published||Type: Journal Article||PubMed ID: 10550052|
Topics addressed in this paper
Number of different genes curated to this paper: 3
- To find other papers on a gene and topic, click on the colored ball in the appropriate box.
- displays other papers with information about that topic for that gene.
- displays other papers in SGD that are associated with that topic.
The topic is addressed in these papers but does not describe a specific gene or chromosomal feature.
- To go to the Locus page for a gene, click on the gene name.
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Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new treatment approaches for a disease. If you are being treated for a head and neck cancer, you may be offered the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial at some point during your treatment.
In some cases, a study may give you access to new therapies that are not yet readily available. Clinical trials may also be used to compare diagnostic tests, prevention strategies, or other aspects of your care.
If you are asked to participate in a clinical trial, your doctor or nurse will explain exactly what is involved and any possible benefits or drawbacks posed by the trial. They will explain to you that that unexpected side effects may occur if you enroll in a clinical trial. You will need to sign an informed consent agreement in order to participate in the trial. Before agreeing to participate, make sure you know what the costs will be and how much your insurance will cover.
You are not required to participate in clinical trials. If you decline, this will not jeopardize your relationship with your physician. You may leave a trial for any reason and at any time, even after signing the agreement.
Here you can find a continually updated listing of Memorial Sloan-Kettering's current clinical trials for head and neck cancers. To learn more about a study, choose from the list below.
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President Obama Orders Federal Agencies to Trim Greenhouse Gases
October 7, 2009
The federal government's commitment to sustainability is demonstrated at Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas, Nevada, where a 14-megawatt solar power facility forms a patchwork pattern on the landscape. Enlarge this photo.
President Obama signed an executive order on October 5 that sets sustainability goals for federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in their environmental, energy, and economic performance. The Executive Order requires federal agencies to set a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for 2020 within 90 days. It also requires federal agencies to increase their energy efficiency, reduce the petroleum consumption of their fleets, conserve water, reduce waste, support sustainable communities, and leverage their federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies. The new Executive Order makes reducing greenhouse gas emissions a priority for the federal government, which occupies nearly 500,000 buildings, operates more than 600,000 vehicles, employs more than 1.8 million civilians, and purchases more than $500 billion per year in goods and services.
In his order, President Obama requires agencies to meet a number of energy, water, and waste reduction targets, including reducing their vehicle fleet petroleum use by 30% by 2020; beginning in 2020, designing all new federal buildings to achieve net-zero energy use by 2030; improving their water efficiency by 26% by 2020; minimizing their buildings' impacts on storm water runoff; recycling or diverting 50% of their waste by 2015; and meeting sustainability requirements in 95% of all applicable contracts. Within 180 days of the order, the federal government will also develop guidance for locating federal buildings in a manner consistent with sustainable development. Some recent examples of federal environmental stewardship include the planned construction of a 600-kilowatt wind turbine at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and the planned installation of an 8-megawatt solar photovoltaic system at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado. See the White House press release and the Executive Order (PDF 87 KB). Download Adobe Reader.
The Executive Order follows the president's proclamation of October as National Energy Awareness Month. The president called on the people of the United States to mark the month by making clean energy choices that can both rebuild our economy and make it more sustainable. Noting that the federal government is the largest consumer of energy in the United States, the proclamation noted that the Obama Administration is committed to lead by example in the use of clean energy and energy efficiency. The proclamation also notes that we face a turning point in our nation's energy policy, and that we can either allow climate change to wreak unnatural havoc, or we can create jobs deploying low-carbon technologies to prevent its worst effects. See the president's proclamation.
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A total of $23-billion a year needed to be invested in power infrastructure development in Africa over the next ten years to enable the continent to become internationally competitive, John Rocha, the senior project manager for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) Business Foundation said at the recent African Renaissance Festival.
“Because of the huge upfront costs, the private sector has shied away from investing in the sector but, in many cases, African governments cannot afford to foot the bill themselves,” he said.
“Foreign assistance is, therefore, imperative.”
While international response to Nepad infrastructure had been initially lukewarm, it, nevertheless, improved in the latter part of the decade, Rocha said.
There were at least 20 bankable projects in Africa, and China, in particular, had
responded to the opportunities and had
invested more than $10-billion.
Africa’s biggest advantage is its natural resources, and a study commissioned by Nepad in 2005/6 found that these must be used to attract private-sector investment in development corridors where large-scale investments would be promoted.
Rocha pointed out that, in the Maputo Development Corridor, there had been an opportunity for an aluminium smelter, which had resulted in a highway being built between Gauteng and Maputo, at a cost of $5-billion.
Two corridors are currently in the pipeline – the central corridor, which would soon go out to tender and would comprise a refinery and oil storage tanks in a plan to upgrade the Dar-es-Salaam port – and the $1,6-billion north–south development corridor, in Zambia.
Rocha said there were four key priorities to Africa’s infrastructure development: energy, informationa and communication technology (ICT) and transport, and water and sanitation.
“While the Inga dam, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has huge potential and can supply enough energy for the whole of Africa, as well as other countries, the continent is still suffering from an energy crisis,” he said.
“In fact, Spain uses more electricity than the entire African continent.”
The problem with the ICT sector in Africa was that it was very expensive compared with the ICT sectors of the developed world and contributed significantly to the cost of doing business.
However, Rocha said the submarine cable running up the west coast of the continent would connect African countries directly with their destinations and thus help reduce business costs.
ICT companies had, however, invested in the continent while there were serious constraints in other sectors.
Transport was also a huge cost to business and it was sometimes cheaper to fly to London than to other African countries, Rocha said.
High transport costs added to the cost of building materials, making it nearly impossible to build roads in the DRC, with a bag of cement, for example, costing $4 in South Africa, compared with $25 in some other African countries.
Rocha said there were tremendous opportunities for engaging with governments on the need for rail infrastructure upgrades.
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BP Biofuels Launches Local Scholarship Program
Six Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana Students Receive Awards
Jennings, LA: BP Biofuels announced today the inauguration of the BP Biofuels Alternative Energy scholarship program. Students of Jefferson Davis Parish, LA will benefit from the creation of six scholarships created by BP Biofuels’ facility in Jennings, LA.
The BP Biofuels Alternative Energy scholarship provides a fund of $18,000 to local high school students in the Jeff Davis Parish. Each winner receives $3,000 to assist with further education at local colleges or universities.
Winners of the scholarships include D’Corey Savoy from Jennings High School; Elizabeth Fox, Estelle Langley, and Karl Monceaux from Welsh High School; Christopher McVicker from Lacassine High School; and Clint Hunter Manuel from Hathaway High School.
Carey Buckles, plant manager at the Jennings facility, said it is critical for the business to support the community in which it operates. “We have a responsibility to partner with the community and help them in any way we can,” he said. “We could not be more proud of these students who have already shown commitment to their education and future.”
Each winner of the scholarship had to write a 500 word essay on “How I envision myself participating in the development of the cellulosic ethanol industry”. In addition, students must attend a Louisiana Technical College or University and meet a GPA standard.
Jeff Davis parish Superintendent David Clayton said this scholarship program will help change people’s lives. “Each year students start thinking about what college they are going to attend, but more importantly, which one’s can they afford. With this scholarship program from BP Biofuels, six students can now commence higher education with a bit of breathing space.”
BP Biofuels operates a large scale cellulosic ethanol demonstration facility near Jennings that employs 75 full time people and about 30 additional contractors.
About BP Biofuels
In 2005, BP made a commitment to spend $8 billion over 10 years on alternative energy. BP Alternative Energy is investing at a faster pace than this and has invested approximately $7 billion, with over $4 billion in the US. BP Alternative Energy has a focused biofuels strategy: the production of ethanol from sugarcane in Brazil, developing advanced fuel molecules including biobutanol, and commercializing cellulosic biofuels technology. Our cellulosic biofuels technology will use lignocellulosic biomass from dedicated energy grasses to produce advanced biofuels.
BP has invested more in the United States over the last five years than any other oil and gas company. With more than $52 billion in capital spending between 2007 and 2011, BP invests more in the U.S. than in any other country. The company is the nation’s second largest producer of oil and gas, a major oil refiner and a leader in alternative energy sources including wind power and biofuels. BP provides enough energy each year to light the entire country. With 23,000 U.S. employees, BP supports nearly a quarter of a million domestic jobs through its business activities. For more information, view our BP in America animation video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6n9cZ1xxQw or visit www.bp.com.
Note to Editors:
Photos of scholarship recipients available upon request.
For further information:
BP Press Office: 202 457 6575
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Across the Northern Hemisphere, students and their teachers are heading back into the classroom for another year of reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. While what we learn has broadly stayed the same for years, how we learn is changing rapidly as technology advances. The rise of online educational videos is giving learners access to the world’s greatest thinkers and teachers, leveling the playing field for all.
We believe that inspiring online educators can come from all walks of life, and we want to find the next generation of educational YouTube stars – people with a talent for explaining tough concepts in compelling ways, and the passion and drive to assemble a global classroom of students. YouTube educational channels like Khan Academy,CrashCourse, Veritasium, Numberphile, MinutePhysics and Ted-Ed have grown to millions of views and subscribers – could you be next?
Today we’re teaming up with Khan Academy to start a search for the Next EDU Gurus–10 super talented and engaging content creators who we’ll support with training, promotion, and a $1000 B&H gift card for production equipment, so they can take the next step in their YouTube – and education – careers.
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Welcome to The Quote Garden!
celebrating 15 years online 1998-2013
Quotations about the Tooth Fairy
and Kids Losing their Baby Teeth
Other than a dimple in a cute little chin,
What's more adorable than a toothless grin?
~Azu "Betty" Espezia
In this pocket you will find
A teensy, tiny tooth of mine.
So while I sleep where dreams are made,
Let's see if you can make a trade.
Every tooth in a man's head is more valuable than a diamond. ~Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, 1605
You don't have to brush your teeth - just the ones you want to keep. ~Author Unknown
The tongue is ever turning to the aching tooth. ~Thomas Fuller
Money is much more exciting than anything it buys. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
The tooth fairy teaches children that they can sell body parts for money. ~David Richerby
Parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth. ~Peter Ustinov
But no one ever is allowed in Sleepytown, unless
He goes to bed in time to take the Sleepytown Express!
~James Jackson Montague, The Sleepytown Express
Listen to the wisdom of the toothless ones. ~Fijian Proverb
When one of Lisa's baby teeth fell out here, the tooth fairy left her 50 cents. Another tooth fell out when she was with her father in Las Vegas, and that tooth fairy left her $5. When I told Elvis that 50 cents would be more in line, he laughed. He knew I was not criticizing him; how would Elvis Presley know the going rate for a tooth? ~Priscilla Presley
Losing baby teeth were a part and parcel of one's life - a symbol of growing up, and it is the tooth-fairy that makes this otherwise dreaded and painful process an exciting one - something to look forward to. ~Mansi Maheshwari
A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore. ~Yogi Berra
The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to. ~F. Scott Fitzgerald
The little Plumpuppets are fairies of beds;
They have nothing to do but watch sleepyheads;
They turn down the sheets and they tuck you in tight,
And dance on your pillow to wish you good night!
What we remember from childhood we remember forever - permanent ghosts, stamped, inked, imprinted, eternally seen. ~Cynthia Ozick
There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I got rid of my teeth at a young age because I'm straight. Teeth are for gay people. That's why fairies come and get them. ~Dana Snyder
Adam and Eve had many advantages, but the principal one was that they escaped teething. ~Mark Twain
The only thing worth stealing is a kiss from a sleeping child. ~Joe Houldsworth
Last modified 2010 Sep 09 Thu 20:33 PDT
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Melanoma is an easily treatable disease with nearly a 100-percent cure rate—assuming you discovery it before the cancer metastasizes. A newly FDA-approved imaging device—based on a guided-missile navigation system—will find suspect moles faster, easier, and more accurately than ever before.
According to estimates from the National Institute of Health, some 70,000 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma this year—though 16 percent will find it after the disease has metastatized and will have just a 15-percent chance of surviving more five years.
Normally, when a dermatologist is inspecting moles for biopsy and further study, he selects his specimens based on rigorous guidelines as to the growth's size, shape and color. Most cancerous moles are relatively easy to spot—they're the big, oddly-shaped ones—but many others that may be just starting to turn are much more difficult to diagnose.
"Every day patients come in with 20 moles on their back and the dilemma is, which ones are suspicious and need to be biopsied?" said Dr. David Pariser, former president of the American Academy of Dermatology told HuffPo. "The diagnosis of melanoma is the most serious one a dermatologist makes, and we have sleepless nights worrying about it."
Dermatologists across the country will sleep easier once the recently FDA-approved MelaFind device hits the mainstream. Developed by the MelaScience company and adapted from a 1990's DoD Target of Interest Identification program, this revolutionary system objectively and accurately analyzes suspicious moles for early signs of melanoma.
The MelaFind imaging system, which was made available in October of 2011, stands about five feet tall atop a rolling base and utilizes a handheld scanner with a Zeiss lens. When the dermatologist presses the scanner against a mole, the scanner emits 10 unique wavelengths of light, records those images and then applies a set of proprietary algorithms analyzing the various aspects of the mole and comparing them against a database of 10,000 clinical images of moles that had been biopsied. The system will arrive at a conclusion within a minute and alert the doctor to the mole's likelihood of being cancerous.
Despite a 98-percent accuracy predicting melanoma in clinical studies and a 90-percent reduction in unnecessary biopsies, the device has faced immense contention to receive its FDA approval. Members of the FDA worried that the technology could lull doctors into a false sense of security or provide misleading results (roughly eight percent of results from a recent study were returned as "unevalubale." In fact, the FDA only approved its limited use by specially-trained, board-certified dermatologists by a vote of 8-7.
That lack of faith by the FDA is certain to delay this technology's wide release. Currently it is only available through 200 dermatologists in the Northeast and Germany—each of which has to shell out $7,500 to lease the device and undergo training to use it. Patients will have to drop $150 of their own money as well—MelaScience won't be submitting it for insurance coverage for a few years still.
As Darrell S. Rigel, MD, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at New York University Medical School, said:
MelaFind has the potential to provide dermatologists with significantly more information about indeterminate pigmented skin lesions to help us when deciding on which lesions to biopsy to detect melanoma as early as possible. While there have been incremental improvements in imaging tools for melanoma detection, we still primarily rely on our judgment based on a visual examination to select the lesions to biopsy; data show that this is often not enough.
So, if you're rich, hate sunscreen, and live New York, huzzah! You've got access to cutting edge healthcare technology that will ensure you live to a ripe old age. [Fastco - MelaFind - MelaScience - HuffPo - FDA - Medical News Today - Image: D. Kucharski & K. Kucharska / Shutterstock]
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The US Charter Schools web site summarized comments by charter school leaders about relationships with their districts. The comments are very interesting--from very positive to very pessimistic.
As I've looked at two districts in Colorado Springs, I've found that charter school relationships can be very good. Our school, The Classical Academy, is in Academy School District 20. Our district is one of the top school districts in the state of Colorado. We are a suburban district. Approximately 51% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher. Approximately 55% of households have incomes of $75,000 or greater. I say "we" because in our case, our charter school functions very much as a partner with our district. District 20 is a choice district, and we view ourselves as one more choice in the district. For example, one of the district high schools is an IB school. Other schools have extensive AP course offerings as well as some distinct technology and other tracks. We don't (and can't afford to) offer those extended offerings. We are a school focused on specific methods of instruction and a narrowly focused college preparation. So, it is good that our district has excellent offerings for students who can't get into our school or don't want the option we provide.
Falcon School District (District 49) in northeast Colorado Springs also appears to have a reasonable relationship with their district. The district has diverse demographic characteristics. It has about 50% more students representing racial minorities, and it crosses into more rural areas. Approximately 30% of households have a bachelor's degree or greater. Approximately 40% of households have incomes of $75,000 or greater. Although the western portion of Falcon is developing, there is a huge area that is still less developed in terms of housing and business. Even with the difficult challenges, some of which are financial due to the difficulty of passing a bond issue, Falcon strives to maintain good relationships with its charter schools. Falcon also has schools that are rated average or above, which is about the same rating as their charter schools. Falcon strives through its own offerings and its charter offerings to provide choice. It has a night school option as well as Career Academies to help students focus on particular vocational areas.
While there are reasons that districts can be negative about charter schools, districts that view charters as a good way to increase choice can maintain good relationships if they choose to. There are issues of balance and financial responsibility to consider, but in these two examples, we can see that a healthy relationship is not only good for charter and district leadership, but also for the kids.
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|Being a supplier of both components and complete solutions, we master a wide range of technologies, including various metal processing technologies:|
Injection MoldingOur machinery includes injection-molding machines with a clamping force ranging from 25 to 400 metric tons. Among the injection molding technologies we use are multi-component molding, stack moulding, insert-moulding and Spin Stack technologies.
Surface TreatmentOur surface treatment technologies include PTFE and hydrophilic spray and dip coating, PVD coating, plasma coating and hard coating.
Assembly and FinishingWe also perform other work on components such as manual or fully automated assembly, welding, decoration, embossing, glueing and chip-cutting.
Our metal processing technologies include chip-cutting and chipless processing for purposes such as production of Guide Wires, complete and ground needles and canulla
Packing and Sterilization
We offer manual and fully automated packaging and labeling of components and complete devices as well as sterilization of units.
|We also have an extensive network of regular business partners in technologies such as metal finishing, punching and bending services, x-ray sterilization and gas sterilization.|
Automation...is a natural part of the manufacture of plastic products and surface coating. We have extensive experience in production automation, such as robotic handling of parts, materials handling, assembly, packaging and in-line quality control, including vision control and functional tests.
Production EnvironmentsOur production environments include monitored Class 7, 8 and 9 cleanrooms as well as controlled environments. Our cleanroom environments are built and maintained in accordance with ISO 14644 and ISO 14698.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.sp-medical.com/capabilities/technology
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This week is National Safe Boating Week, a reminder to us all of the dangers that accompany careless and reckless boating on Wisconsin's waters. That's why we met up with the Department of Natural Resources' warden supervisor and warden to give us some tips on how to keep your families safe.
This, especially after reports recently delivered show Wisconsin having the 9th highest boating casualty rate in the nation.
Warden Supervisor Korey Trowbridge says boaters don't remember to take precautions such as not wearing life jackets as often as they should. Other factors he listed which contributed to high casualty rates were careless driving, operating while intoxicated, and drowning. Out of the 23 boating deaths in Wisconsin last year, 17 were from drownings.
For those boaters who forget their life jackets or have extras they no longer use, a kiosk is set up by BEPCO at the Big Eau Pleine Flowage. The stand is set up their for families to borrow and return the jackets, but donating is also strongly encouraged.
For more information on boating safety or about the kiosk, visit the DNR's website at dnr.wi.gov.
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http://www.wsaw.com/news/sunrise7/headlines/Tips_on_Safe_Boating_National_Safe_Boating_Week_154062845.html?site=mobile
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Having a positive attitude towards life is the key to happiness. Some people would have all the success or wealth in the world yet they remain unhappy and not contended with what they have. Some may have less but they remain happy and fulfilled.
The secret? It’s no less that having a positive mindset. It’s all about having the right outlook and accepting things as they are. So here are some tips on how you can achieve a positive mindset.
How to Have a More Positive Mindset
1. Accept things as they are
Before you can achieve a more positive mindset, the first thing you need to have is acceptance of the way things are running in your life. You can never move on from failure, anger, or depression if you don’t learn to accept your fate. Acceptance would take some time though. You can attend counseling or spiritual sessions to help you. You can also find time to contemplate on your own or seek the advice of friends and family when you have problems.
2. Live life to the fullest
The next step is to wake up each day and try to live life to the fullest. Be passionate about life. If you have tasks to work on, do your best and always think positive about them. Spend quality time with yourself, family, and friends. Make every day an opportunity to show the world your innate talents and goodness. When failure comes, don’t think of it as the end of the world, rather, use it to improve yourself further and learn important lessons from it.
3. Keep your sense of humor
Another secret to having a positive mindset is to keep your sense of humor. Remember, laughter is the best medicine. Laugh more often or take time to talk to people who can make you laugh to relieve your stress and frustrations. Sometimes, you have to avoid being too serious or you might end up more depressed. When you have good humor, you can build a more positive attitude.
4. Be proactive
Instead of reacting to issues right away, learn how to be proactive instead. Sometimes, we need to get into action in order to address problems instead of waiting for them to get worse. There’s no use crying over spilled milk right? So instead of sulking over your problems, get up, gather your senses, and do something about it.
5. Have faith
You will achieve a positive mindset if you believe in yourself. Always think of it this way, good and bad things happen in our lives and we can never avoid that. The least we can do is to prepare ourselves for problems and challenges and learn lessons from them.
Having a positive mindset is the key towards a full and happy life. So try to follow these tips and it will do wonders.
Surprise your friends and share this article about tips to have a positive mindset.
This article is provided by HevlaCoffeeCo.com. If you’d like to explore some great coffee flavors, be sure to check out HevlaCoffeeCo.com.
Picture: Melody Campbell
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About Universe in the Classroom
The Universe in the Classroom is an electronic educational newsletter for teachers and other educators who want to help children of all ages learn more about the wonders of the universe through astronomy.
Don’t be afraid to get a little star dust in your eyes! Each issue is designed for teachers who want to learn more about astronomy themselves and to bring more astronomy into their classrooms. You’ll find information on a topic of current astronomical interest, along with hands-on classroom activities to make the topic come alive for students. Each issue also contains resource links to take you deeper into a subject if you want to dive in and explore a topic more thoroughly. The newsletter is posted in a printer friendly version as well as a PDF document to make it simple to take right into the classroom.
The Universe in the Classroom has been helping teachers around the world bring astronomy alive for their students since 1984 and is currently downloaded and read by thousands of educators around the world. The ASP is now able to revitalize the newsletter and publicize and distribute it around the world. This expansion is made possible by a generous gift from well-known astronomy educator Dr. Donat Wentzel and from other ASP members.
You can also help teachers all over the world bring astronomy to their students buy writing an article, translating the newsletter, distributing it in your part of the world or making a donation. Visit the “How You Can Help” section to get started.
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In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation (Resolution A/RES/65/154).
Global Education with EE
We are currently building up the resources.
Please contact firstname.lastname@example.org if you have any resources you wish to share.
Tide~ global learning is a teachers' network promoting the idea that young people have an entitlement to global learning through engaging with global perspectives, human rights, sustainability and international development.
We encourage teacher creativity, stimulate learning and inspire curriculum development. www.tidec.org
Cumbria Development Education Centre is a registered charity that inspires young people and their teachers to engage with the environment , take responsibility – individually and together – for the world in which they live, and contribute towards a fair and sustainable world.
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Farmers looking to expand through land purchases are facing a new competitor today. Or maybe it’s a new partner, if the interest shown by many of the participants at the Top Producer Seminar
on Thursday was any indication. Biff Ourso, director of Global Private Markets for TIAA-CREF, explained his company’s interest in farmland investments and how they work with tenant farmers to expand their business portfolio.
Ourso outlined the five basic principles, all related, that are driving their interest in the market:
1. Growing populations. "There is an increase in global demand for food, fiber and fuel products. We think that will continue for a long time."
2. An emerging middle class in developing countries. "With this development there is increasing protein consumption. That creates a multiplier effect, it is a key driver for grain demand going forward.
3. Biofuels mandates. "In the U.S. and abroad the support for biofuels is growing exponentially and it looks to continue for the forseeable future."
4. There is a limited supply of farmland.
5. Foreign governments are taking a more active role in global grains markets. "China has approximately 20% of the world population to feed on only 7% of the farmland in the world."
Ourso says adding to these factors is that farmland returns have compared favorably to stocks and other investment opportunities and has also demonstrated a positive correlation to inflation and that is why TIAA-CREF is looking at this as a long-term conservative investment.
He says the U.S. market provides a good, safe long term investment opportunity, despite cheaper and equally productive land in areas like Brazil and Australia. The company has investments in those countries as well, but the U.S. market remains a focal point for investment.
"We focus on major grain exporting countries, who will meet the global increase in demand. At the end of the day, U.S. is our anchor market."
That’s where the opportunity comes in for U.S. farmers who are looking to expand their operations without purchasing large tracts of land.
Ourso lists farming experience, access to capital and equipment that will allow for easy access. Beyond that, he says relationships are key.
"Successful farmland investing is about good relationships. In order to be a good farmland partner, you just can’t worry about yield today. You have to make sure you are good managers and stewards of the land in sustainable way for the long term."
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The City of Calgary is looking for qualified and motivated individuals to join our team of more than 15,000 employees. The City offers a range of job opportunities and career path possibilities which is unique, providing services and delivering programs in more than 500 lines of business.
As an international applicant, there are a number of important steps, such as a valid work permit, employer labour market opinion (LMO), you have to take before moving to Calgary for a new career.
The following information on international recruitment provides an overview of Alberta Immigration, work permits, labour market opinions (LMO), and labour market opinion exemptions. This information is subject to change, and the author is not responsible for the visa and immigration information provided below. Information should always be validated by applicants by accessing the links provided.
If you are not a Canadian or a permanent resident, you will require a work permit in order to work in Canada.
A work permit is not a contract. The employee (you) or the employer can end a job at any time. However, if the job duties change or the job is to be extended, the employee (you) must contact a Canada Immigration Centre (CIC)
immediately, before the expiry date of the current authorization. If your work permit is connected to a LMO, a new LMO must be included with your application for a new work permit to extend your stay or change your job duties.
Labour market opinion (LMO)
In most cases, employers who wish to hire temporary foreign workers must first apply to Service Canada, an arm of the federal government, for a LMO. The opinion assesses the impact the foreign worker would have on Canada’s labour market or, in other words, how the offer of employment would likely affect Canadian jobs. The foreign worker needs a copy of the positive LMO and a job offer from a Canadian employer in order to apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for a work permit.
There are some types of individuals who need a work permit but do not require a LMO. If you fall under any of the four LMO exempt categories below, and are qualified for a position you are considering, you can apply for this position online, and select "yes" on the pre-screening question which asks: "Are you legally entitled to work in Canada?"
- Workers covered under international agreements – Eligible professionals under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA), or the General Agreement on Trades and Services (GATS) are exempt from LMOs. A summary of NAFTA professional titles can be located in Appendix G, B, and D respectively of the CIC Foreign Worker manual.
- Spouses or common-law partners of temporary foreign workers if the principal worker possess a temporary work permit, his/her spouse or common-law partner may be able to work while in Canada, and they must apply for their own work permit. Normally, they must meet the same requirements as the principal worker, including (if needed) the LMO from Service Canada. However, they may qualify as LMO exempt if the principal worker meets the following conditions:
International students, recent graduates, and spouse or common-law partners of students or recent graduates: There are various CIC student work permits available to international students while they are studying, to work on or off campus or as part of a co-op program. Other work permits allow recent Canadian graduates to work in Canada. In Alberta these work permits are for up to three years, depending on the length of the original school program. A spousal work permit will allow your spouse or common-law partner to work for the same period of time.
Participants in exchange programs: Appendix E of the CIC Foreign Worker manual provides a list of international youth exchange programs which are exempt from LMOs.
- The principal worker is authorized to work in Canada for six months or longer.
- The job done by the principal worker is listed in skill level O, A or B in the National Occupational Classification.
If the principal worker meets these two conditions, the spouse or common-law partner may apply for a work permit that is "open" and that will allow her or him to accept most jobs with any employer. This permit will be valid for the same period as the principal worker's authorization to work in Canada. For more information on work permits view CIC frequently asked questions.
View some of our employee testimonial videos
to learn more about some employees who chose to move to Calgary and work for The City of Calgary.
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The complex needs of our 21st century learners are driving our education systems to a new focus on personalized learning. Articles, videos and blogs with impressive examples of personalized learning are flooding the media. Many examples involve uses of technology that amaze and motivate us to move forward in that direction, but what can we do in the meantime? Are there basic shifts in focus we can take to move us forward without weeks of pro-D or specialized training? The four descriptions below help to clarify PL and identify some strategies that foster this preferred way of learning. These strategies are already evident in our classrooms and with more emphasis can be used as a springboard to greater personalized learning opportunities.
This shift changes the focus on learning outcomes that are knowledge and content based to a focus on student thinking skills that show evidence of problem solving and critical thinking. Allowing students to conduct inquiry-based projects is a step in the right direction. When students are required to follow up with reflections on why and how they learned, the process of teaching students how to think expands.
2. Opening the door to Choices
The role of the teacher is shifting from ‘Controller’ to Coordinator. Giving students options in their assignments and then guiding them through the process allows them to chose formats that interest them. Even if the criteria for an assignment remain the same, allowing for variation in methods of delivery (i.e. poster, power-point, video, etc.) allows for individual skills to develop and unique strengths to shine.
3. Creating collaborative cultures
Personalized learning does not mean individualized learning. According to B.C. Education Minister George Abbott, “the school curriculum will continue to focus on basic core skills, but it will now emphasize critical thinking, insight and teamwork.” This is more more fully explained in the B.C. Education Plan. Teaching and modeling effective group and teamwork skills with plenty of practice time is the only way to achieve this goal.
4. Showcasing the Learning Process
Teachers that have adopted the use of learning portfolios (collections of work that show what students have done,) have discovered a great tool for personalized learning. Even if the format of the portfolio is very basic, the student can see and demonstrate how work has progressed and can better identify learning gaps and develop plans for future learning.
UPDATE: I just became aware of the four “C”s for 21st Century learning. This diagram really helps to clarify the skills we need to emphasize with our students, our teaching, and our administrative leadership.
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TripAdvisor - Germany
home | art & architecture | books & cds | dance | destinations | film | opera | television | theater | archives
Homosexuality remains controversial well over three decades after it
became widely politicized at the Stonewall Riots of 1969. Gender issues, a wholly
different set of variables, have, in large measure, followed the gay issue into the
limelight, but more recently and more gingerly and with a good deal less understanding and
acceptance on the part of the general public. Spanning a range from transvestitism to
transsexuality, transgender people make up a smaller percentage of the population and are
dealing with fundamental issues of identity that reach more deeply than sexual acts alone.
For all the gender ambivalence embraced by contemporary fashion advertising, most
mainstream folks remain mystified, suspicious, even threatened by the idea of men or women
who cross-dress, no less men or women who embrace modern medical techniques for physically
changing their sex.
In that context, the story of transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, born Lothar Berfelde (1928-2000), a German biological male who dressed as a woman and survived both the Nazis and the Communists in East Germany, is at once both exotic (and perhaps to the uninitiated, titillating) and inspiring--being different is hard enough in democracies; in fascist states survival becomes a matter of wit, courage, and determination.
Playwright/screenwriter Doug Wright (Quills, Unwrap Your Candy) met with and interviewed von Mahlsdorf over a period of months between 1992 and 1994. His one-person play, I Am My Own Wife, is a lightly fictionalized retelling of von Mahlsdorf's life that utilizes material from those interviews as well as letters and the public record. Interpreted in a remarkable performance by Jefferson Mays, I Am My Own Wife immortalizes von Mahlsdorf without idealizing her; she emerges a fascinating character, a survivor who did what she thought she had to do to make it through some of the darkest, most repressive times in modern history.
Von Mahlsdorf was a collector of all the varied forms of early phonographs and music of the time, as well as the furniture of a period in which all too many of the tangible artifacts of a way of life were disappearing. In the play she acts in part as a tour guide, showing through the clever use of miniatures the items she lovingly preserved. She never restored, only preserved, since she believed the scars of age and usage told more fully the history behind the material evidence.
The daughter of a wife-beating Nazi, she had a Prussian aunt who dressed as a man and told her, "Nature has played a trick on us." Her aunt introduced her to the important work of Magnus Hirschfeld, the physician who pioneered the study of sexuality in the early 20th century, and in which she read that transvestitism was a "common, utterly natural phenomenon." Since her sexuality was directed at women, von Mahlsdorf considered herself to be a lesbian.
The play follows the biographical thread of von Mahlsdorf's story, offering a wealth of factual information as well as the more subtle shadings of values and attitudes that shaped her and those around her. The writing is fully deserving of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Drama that it garnered, structuring a vast amount of material into a cogent, literate, dramatically effective piece of theater. Jefferson Mays, who won a Tony for this performance, seamlessly segues from Charlotte's somewhat reedy German accent to a variety of other accents and voices as the script briefly introduces some three dozen other key characters. Under the direction of Moises Kaufman (Gross Indecency: The Trial of Oscar Wilde, The Laramie Project), it is a tour de force performance, but not a gimmicky one--versatile, subtle, and utterly winning.
In presenting a transvestite as a fully-developed character--charming, intelligent, imperfect--I Am My Own Wife is an essentially subversive work, one that refuses to fall back on stereotype or simplification, but forces the viewer to deal with a three-dimensional, real person who happened to be different. The differences are not underplayed, but nor do they subsume the common humanity that subject and viewer share.
September 29, 2004 - Arthur Lazere
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Can Brazil Meet the World’s Growing Need for Ethanol?
- Brazil is a major supplier of ethanol due to its natural advantage in sugarcane production, productivity gains in both sugarcane production and ethanol processing, and supportive government policies.
- Brazil has the potential to fill the growing world demand for ethanol based on its vast arable land area, robust productivity, and Brazilian ethanol's status as a low carbon renewable fuel.
- However, Brazil's ability to supply the world ethanol market also depends on domestic ethanol demand; relative prices of ethanol, sugar, and crude oil; the exchange value of the Brazilian real; and improvements to infrastructure.
Worldwide production and use of ethanol as an alternative to fossil fuel has increased dramatically since 2000. Ethanol demand is being driven by rising world crude oil prices, increased use of ethanol as an environmentally friendly fuel oxygenate, and government incentives in many countries to reduce dependence on fossil fuel by increasing the use of renewable energy sources. Global ethanol use will continue to rise over the next decade if countries fulfill their ethanol use targets.
Brazil is the world's second largest ethanol producer and exporter (after the United States). Several factors have combined to stimulate the development of Brazil's ethanol industry: an increased capacity to produce sugarcane as an ethanol feedstock, supportive government policies, and improved efficiency in sugarcane production and ethanol conversion processes. But Brazil will need to sustain production growth in the ethanol sector in order to meet increasing domestic demand and maintain its export share.
Brazil's Production of Sugarcane-Derived Ethanol Expanded Rapidly
Brazil is now the world's largest grower of sugarcane at 719 million tons in 2010, accounting for a third of world production. Cultivated sugarcane area has expanded rapidly from 4.3 million hectares (1 hectare = 2.47 acres) in 1990, to over 10 million hectares in 2010. Sugarcane cultivation has been central to Brazilian agricultural development since the 1950s. Sugar was Brazil's most valuable export crop in the 1950s and 1960s. In the mid-1970s, emphasis switched from sugar to ethanol production to meet domestic fuel needs, and, with the current boom in renewable fuels demand, Brazil has become a large-scale ethanol producer and exporter.
The rapid expansion in Brazil's sugarcane production is the result of a favorable climate, land availability, abundant labor, a pro-ethanol public policy, and research by public agencies to develop higher yielding cane varieties and new planting techniques to increase efficiency. While much of the expansion has been due to the conversion of former pastureland to sugarcane cultivation, with area increasing annually by 3.2 percent since 1975, productivity increases have also contributed to sugarcane growth. Continual improvements in sugarcane productivity since the 1970s have increased yields by almost 34 tons per hectare to the national average of nearly 80 tons per hectare in 2010, one of the world's highest. In São Paulo, Brazil's leading cane-producing State, yields are 20-25 percent above the national average.
In 2010, Brazilian sugarcane used for ethanol production totaled 398 million tons, or 55.4 percent of the sugarcane harvested. Domestic and global growth in ethanol demand has boosted the share of cane used for ethanol since 2006/07. The allocation of sugarcane to production of sugar versus ethanol is set by millers based on expected sugar and ethanol prices and market demand. This marks a significant change from the early years of Proálcool (Brazil's ethanol program), when the allocation of sugarcane to ethanol production was an administered policy instrument to counter oversupply of sugar and low international sugar prices.
Brazil's Ethanol Production Capacity Has Also Increased With Growing Number of Plants
Brazil's ethanol production capacity rose from 11 billion liters (1 liter = 0.26 gallon) in 2000 to 27 billion liters in 2010, accounting for 26 percent of worldwide ethanol production in that year. Brazil is now the second largest ethanol producer behind the United States. Since 2000, the number of ethanol-producing plants (distilleries and mixed sugar-ethanol processing mills) in Brazil has doubled to 430. Most are located in São Paulo (SP), which accounted for 58 percent of total Brazilian production in 2010.
Growth in ethanol production has been fastest in Brazil's Center-West region, where production has increased 15 percent yearly since 2001. This region includes the States of Goias (GO), Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), and Mato Grosso (MT), which together accounted for 16 percent of Brazil's ethanol production and where future ethanol expansion is expected to occur.
At the same time, processors are becoming more efficient in producing ethanol from sugarcane. Ethanol yields at distilleries have grown 4 percent per year since 2000 as plants have adopted more efficient processing technologies.
Brazil's position as an exporter of ethanol continues to grow in importance: the ratio of exports to production increased from an average of 4 percent in the early 2000s to 19 percent in 2008, before declining to 7 percent in 2010. Until 2008, Brazil was the world's largest supplier of ethanol, reaching a peak of 5.1 billion liters in 2008 and accounting for over 62 percent of the world ethanol export market. Brazil's ethanol exports declined in 2009 and 2010 because of strong domestic demand for ethanol and greater diversion of cane to sugar production in response to high global sugar prices and strong demand by India for sugar imports.
Government Policies Promote Brazil's Ethanol Production and Consumption
The push to promote Brazil's ethanol industry began in 1975 when the Government implemented the Proálcool program in response to soaring crude oil prices and a crisis in the international sugar market. The program encouraged replacement of imported crude oil with domestically produced ethanol, which was blended with gasoline. Under the program, the Government provided financial support for the construction of distilleries. To ensure a domestic market for ethanol, the Government stimulated demand through mandatory ethanol blending targets, subsidized credit to factories producing cars that use ethanol, and tax exemptions for consumers to buy them. Vehicles that ran only on ethanol were introduced in 1979, and by 2003, flex-fuel vehicles that can be powered by gasoline and ethanol in any proportion up to 100 percent ethanol were available. As in the U.S., support for consumption of ethanol continues through mandatory blending of ethanol with gasoline. Credit granted by public financial institutions has also been an important factor in development of the sector. Government- subsidized credit allocated to sugarcane cultivation grew from less than $200 million in 2000 to $3.1 billion in 2010, while credit allocations to the ethanol industry expanded 80 percent per year since 2000 to $1.7 billion in 2010. Historically, sugarcane producers in Brazil's Northeastern region have been given special subsidies (currently R$5 per ton) and protection because of the region's weak economy and its dependence on sugar.
Demand for Ethanol Slated To Grow in Major Consuming Countries
Demand for ethanol in major consuming countries has risen rapidly. According to the International Energy Agency, world ethanol use increased by nearly 300 percent between 2000 and 2010, with consumption reaching over 104 billion liters. Global ethanol trade nearly doubled during the same period, but at 5.9 billion liters in 2010, world trade is still a small share of total use. World demand for ethanol is expected to continue to increase in response to anticipated economic growth, rising oil prices, and the mandates in many countries to replace fossil fuel use with renewable energy sources. Brazil is in a good position to satisfy demand: sugarcane-based ethanol is one of the most efficient sources of biofuel per hectare, with a yield in liters of ethanol per hectare that is almost double that of corn-based ethanol, according to USDA.
The U.S. and the European Union (EU) are two of the major consuming markets for Brazilian ethanol. The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 requires transportation fuel producers to use at least 136 billion liters of biofuels by 2022. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) provision established under EISA mandates minimum use of 57 billion liters of corn-based ethanol by 2015, up from about 49 billion liters in 2010. The RFS also requires the use of at least 80 billion liters of cellulosic and advanced biofuels (which includes ethanol from sugarcane and biodiesel) by 2022. The 54-cent per-gallon surcharge on imported ethanol is scheduled to expire at the end of 2011. If this happens, it may stimulate U.S. imports of Brazilian ethanol.
The EU's Renewable Energy Directive sets a mandatory minimum share of renewable energy in total fuel consumption in the transport sector of 10 percent per member state by 2020. While biodiesel is the principal biofuel used in Europe, the European Commission estimates that its ethanol consumption could rise from less than 5 billion liters in 2010 to about 10 billion liters by 2020. Several other importing countries, including Japan, have energy mandates that encourage the use of agriculture-based ethanol in their transportation sectors.
Brazil's Ability To Expand Ethanol Exports Uncertain
Global ethanol production, concentrated in only a few producing countries, may not keep pace with rapidly growing demand. Concerns about food and fuel tradeoffs may limit some countries' ability to increase ethanol production, particularly production of ethanol from grains. Based on USDA long-term projections, Brazil's ethanol production is expected to rise 45 percent during the coming decade to 43.8 billion liters by 2020. However, Brazil's ability to provide the bulk of the world's import needs will depend on its domestic ethanol demand, world sugar and oil prices, Brazil's currency exchange rate, and the capacity of its infrastructure to move ethanol to ports.
Growing domestic demand is certain to put pressure on Brazil's export supply. Brazil is the world's second largest ethanol consumer, behind the United States, and accounts for over 30 percent of global ethanol consumption. Brazil's domestic demand is projected to grow as sales of flex-fuel cars rise with increased income.
The world price of sugar is an important determinant of Brazilian ethanol supply. When the sugar price is high, more sugarcane is used for sugar; lower sugar prices favor conversion of sugarcane to ethanol. In 2009-10, drought in Brazil led to a smaller sugarcane harvest, declining stocks, and higher sugar import demand in major consuming countries such as India, China, and Pakistan. With higher international sugar prices, a larger share of the Brazilian sugarcane crop was allocated to sugar production. In late 2010, when the world sugar price fell to under 14 cents per pound from a 29-year high of 30 cents per pound earlier that year, the share of sugarcane used for ethanol rebounded.
Although the ethanol blend requirement tends to insulate Brazil's domestic ethanol prices from fluctuations in world oil prices, changes in the world price of oil affect the ethanol/gasoline price relationship in Brazil. When oil prices fall, ethanol demand weakens. Conversely, higher world oil prices encourage increased use of ethanol in Brazil's rapidly expanding fleet of flex-fuel vehicles.
Both real (adjusted for inflation) and nominal exchange rates have enormous effects on Brazil's international competitiveness, export volumes, farm earnings, and processing margins for distilleries and sugar-ethanol processing mills. Brazil's currency, the real, appreciated in 2009, making Brazil's ethanol exports more expensive and reducing the competitiveness of Brazil's ethanol in the world market. Brazil's ethanol exports slipped to 3.3 billion liters in 2009 and to 1.9 billion liters in 2010.
Infrastructure Constraints Present Further Obstacles
Brazil faces considerable infrastructure and transportation constraints along its ethanol supply chain. The bulk of ethanol is transported from processing plants to collection centers and then to ports by truck. Adequate and modern road infrastructure is thus critical to maintain competitiveness in the industry. Poor roads impose even higher costs on farmers located in the Center-West frontier, where new distilleries are being established. The average distance from the Center-West region to export ports is over 600 miles.
Large investments in maintenance and expansion of road infrastructure are needed to keep up with the expected growth in demand and to lower delivery times and costs. Brazil's state-owned oil company, PETROBRAS, plans to start building two ethanol pipelines by 2012--a 715-mile-long pipeline from Goiás to the port of São Sebastião on the southeast coast and a 325-mile-long pipeline from Minas Gerais to the port in Rio de Janeiro. PETROBRAS estimates that the new pipelines, to be completed by 2016, will accommodate about 22 billion liters (doubling current transportation capacity) at about one-third the current cost of shipping ethanol by truck. The Government has allocated $4.6 billion for improvements in port infrastructure by 2016.
Can Brazil's Ethanol Industry Meet Global Demand?
Several factors favor the ability of Brazilian ethanol producers to increase production of ethanol from sugarcane and fill future global ethanol needs. Brazil has large areas of arable savannas that could be brought into production of sugarcane without risk of deforestation. Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply estimates the scope for cropland expansion in Brazil at 119 million hectares, with 69 million hectares in savannas and 50 million hectares from pastureland conversion. According to USDA long-term projections, an additional 12 million hectares of Brazilian cropland will be brought into crop production over the next decade.
Technological advances to boost sugarcane yields per hectare and efficiency gains in producing ethanol from sugarcane seem assured given the new technologies being generated by the Brazilian Corporation for Agricultural Research. Brazil's current yields of 90-100 liters of ethanol per ton of sugarcane are projected to increase by an additional 80 percent over the next decade based on new technologies, including the use of crushed sugarcane stalks, or bagasse, for further processing of the sucrose content for ethanol. The Brazilian Economic Development Bank has allocated $22 billion for investments in 2011-14 to double the sector's production capacity over the next decade. Plans for new investments in the construction of new distilleries will provide an additional 18 billion liters of ethanol production capacity by 2020, according to UNICA (the Brazilian sugarcane industry association).
A number of other conditions will be necessary for Brazil to fulfill a large part of future global ethanol demand. Sugar and crude oil prices will need to remain at levels that will encourage increases in ethanol production beyond gains that can be realized through technological advances. Planned construction of pipelines and mill/port ethanol storage capacity investments must occur. The policy environment in which Brazil's ethanol industry operates will also have a major influence on future production and investment trends. The Brazilian Government announced in April 2011 that Brazil's National Petroleum Agency will regulate the chain of production of ethanol, including exports, to treat ethanol as a "strategic fuel" and no longer as an agricultural commodity, in an effort to provide a stable and reliable supply of ethanol. An easing of the government-mandated fuel alcohol content in gasoline would result in increased Brazilian sugar production and exports.
This article is drawn from...
Brazil’s Ethanol Industry: Looking Forward, by Constanza Valdes, USDA, Economic Research Service, June 2011
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Brazil, by Constanza Valdes, USDA, Economic Research Service, May 2012
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Provides a readable interpretation of the sequence of rock carving on the outcrop arising from an excavation by Clive Waddington in 2004.
Rock surfaces carved in the early Neolithic (Phase 1) were later partially quarried and new symbols applied to the exposed surfaces. The Phase 2 carvings are more varied but more crudely executed and take less account of the rock surface. Shortly after they were made, it is likely that they were covered by a cairn incorporating an Early Bronze Age burial cist positioned in a cleft between massive slabs of quarried rock, some with the ancient cup and ring markings. At a much later stage, the outcrop and cairn was embedded into field boundaries of the Iron Age or Romano-British period which may have been partly protective from more extensive quarrying.
The changes in carving between the two phases may imply that the original significance had been lost by the Bronze Age but the power of an already ancient place was adopted to provide a ceremonial monument for the dead.
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God doesn’t just need missionaries in the jungles or the mountains of impoverished third world regions. He also needs missionaries right here in the Western world of business—on Main Street,in a downtown office, on the floor of the exchange, and everywhere else Wall Street leads. He needs men and women who can be salt and light in the marketplace, transforming the culture through their witness.
If you feel called to be that salt and light, a degree from Franciscan University’s Department of Business will equip you to answer that call.
Our faculty members are teacher-practitioners. They bring a wealth of experience from a range of industries into the classroom and use it to share sound techniques, practices, and theories of accounting, economics,finance, international business, management, and marketing.
But they don’t just bring experience and sound instruction to the classroom. They also bring a deep understanding of the Church’s social teaching. At Franciscan University, we believe that the free market works best when those working in it recognize the difference between right and wrong, the importance of serving others, and the value of hard work. And our campus atmosphere reinforces the foundational principles from which good business ethics spring. Both in and out of the classroom, you’ll receive the moral and ethical formation you need to be a leader in every sense of the word in the world of business.
When planning your future in the business world you can plan on finding what you’re looking for here at Franciscan. Our department offers a number of different degrees and courses of study, some that will take you to other countries as part of the curriculum.
Our department offers a variety of degrees and majors for undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates can earn their degree in six different major areas—accounting, economics, finance, management, international business management, or marketing.
Graduates can continue their studies here at Franciscan and pursue a Master of Business Administration.
We're working to improve your experience here at Franciscan.edu. Please take this short survey to share your insight about what works and what could work better. Thanks!
Class of 2005Major: Finance
Angela Coppa knew she wanted an accounting career in New York City. She also knew it would take dedication and work to achieve her dreams.
After graduating from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2005 with a degree in finance, Coppa spent a year and a half doing technical accounting for PricewaterhouseCoopers in New Jersey, then transferred to PwC's New York City office...
Information for Future:
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|Front Corner of Rain Garden|
The first one was featured in the front yard, accomodating the rainfall from about half of the front roof. The homeowner had it professionally designed and installed it herself including digging the 'bowl' out.
|View from the house corner|
Native perennials on the moister end of the rain garden where the buried downspout extension emerged included Black Eyed Susans, Mountain Mint, Big Bluestem, Nodding Onion and Butterfly Milkweed. The homeowner has signage at the curb explaining what the purpose of a rain garden is.
Rain gardens are a win-win providing a way to capture and improve water quality as well as beautifying your landscape with native plants. If you live in the Twin Cities metro area, there are many grants available for rain gardens. See the Blue Thumb website for details.
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Banjarmasin (aka Bandjermasin or Bandjarmasin) is the capital of South Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is located on a delta island near the junction of the Barito and Martapura rivers. As a result, Banjarmasin is sometimes called the "River City". Its population was 625,395 at the 2010 Census. Banjarmasin, together with its neighbour city, Banjarbaru become the center of the ninth metropolitan area in Indonesia, named Banjar Bakula, which also consist of the area of Banjar Regency, Barito Kuala Regency, and Tanah Laut Regency.
Banjarmasin is served by the Syamsudin Noor Airport, located about 25 km outside the town. The town is also served by a port, named Trisakti Harbour. A fairly important deepwater port, Pelabuhan Trisakti Banjarmasin is the trade center of the Barito basin; exports include rubber, pepper, timber, petroleum, coal, gold, and diamonds. Passenger ships and ferries to and from Java also carry their operation here.
Main economic sectors in order of their contribution to Banjarmasin’s GDP (2005): transportation and communication (26.1%), processing industries (24.9%) and trade and commerce (16.5%). Main processing industries are: plywood, rattan and rubber manufacturing.
Indonesia (i// IN-də-NEE-zhə or // IN-doh-NEE-zee-ə), officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia Indonesian pronunciation: [rɛpʊblik ɪndonesia]), is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 17,508 islands. It has 34 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an elected legislature and president. The nation's capital city is Jakarta. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia. Other neighboring countries include Singapore, Philippines, Australia, Palau, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Indonesia is a founding member of ASEAN and a member of the G-20 major economies. The Indonesian economy is the world's sixteenth largest by nominal GDP and fifteenth largest by purchasing power parity.
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Ed Andrieski, Associated Press
DENVER — In a trial of a politically divisive program, U.S. prosecutors in Denver and Baltimore are reviewing thousands of deportation cases to determine which illegal immigrants might stay in the country — perhaps indefinitely — so officials can reduce an overwhelming backlog by focusing mainly on detainees with criminal backgrounds or who are deemed threats to national security.
Federal deportation hearings for non-criminal defendants released from custody were suspended Dec. 5 for the review and resume this week. Similar reviews are planned across the country to allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to target deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records or those who have been deported previously.
While the immigration courtrooms in Denver have fallen silent, prosecutors had time to examine case files, check residency history — such as whether someone was brought to the country as a child — as well as criminal history.
In Denver, 25 ICE prosecutors and three managers spent their work days during most of December and early this month poring over as many files in their case load as possible, ICE spokeswoman Barbara Gonzalez said.
"They come in on weekends," Gonzalez said. "They're looking at every case."
Officials have not released information on how many cases will be placed on low priority based on the review. When they're finished, cases of those here illegally but deemed not a threat to public safety or national security will be placed on administrative hold and the numbers will be released.
Citing tight budgets, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced this summer that nearly 300,000 deportation cases would be reviewed to determine which could be closed through "prosecutorial discretion." Republicans have decried the policy as a back-door way of granting amnesty to people who are living in the U.S. illegally.
"We simply cannot adjudicate all these cases that are pending," said spokeswoman Gonzalez. Some cases in Denver date to 1996, she said.
"It's a holiday for anybody in the country illegally," said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform, which opposes the initiative. "They're doing this with the intention of dismissing as many of them as they possibly can."
Several attempts at immigration reform have failed in recent years, including the so-called DREAM Act, which would have allowed some young illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to earn legal status if they went to college or joined the military.
In June, ICE director John Morton announced that prosecutors and immigration agents would consider a defendant's length of time in the country, ties to the community, lack of criminal history and opportunity to qualify for some form of legal status in deciding whether to press for deportation.
Denver has about 7,800 deportation cases pending, while Baltimore has about 5,000. Hearings and deportations involving criminal immigrants continued in both Baltimore and Denver. The suspended hearings dealt only with non-criminal defendants.
Before expanding the program, officials will examine the effect of the review on caseloads. They are also seeking to balance hearing high priority cases with those in which a person might have a strong case but has waited years for a hearing because of the backlog, said former Immigration and Naturalization Service commissioner Dorris Meissner.
Those who offered prosecutorial discretion don't have to accept, and can insist on having their case heard by a judge.
"Everybody thinks that people just want to have their case dismissed," said Meissner. "If they accept prosecutorial discretion, it's true they don't go before a judge and they don't get deported, but their case is in limbo."
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We welcome you to take advantage of the many resources NICHQ has to offer for people working to make children's health and healthcare better. These include:
Success Stories – inspiring narratives about specific improvement efforts.
Videos – exciting stories of challenges faced and lessons learned.
Toolkits – step-by-step guides to help improve practice.
Publications – documents capturing best practice knowledge.
We also offer many useful resources to help parents.
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Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles, California and it is home to the Rose Bowl football game, as well as the annual Tournament of Roses Parade. However, there are many other things that Pasadena is noted for as well. The original residents of Pasadena were Native American Hahamog-na tribe, part of the Shoshone dialect. Pasadena was originally under the control of the Spanish, in a land grant called Rancho del Rincon de San Pascaul. It was called this because it was deeded on Easter Sunday, and the Rancho originally contained the communities of Pasadena, Altadena and South Pasadena.
In order to receive their own post office, the residents had to come up with a more suitable name. The responsibility went to three residents, first choice was Indianola, the second was Grenada in keep with Spanish heritage, and the third resident submitted four different names. Each one ended with pa-sa-de-na, which means "of the valleys''. These names were put to a vote and unanimously, Pasadena was chosen. The popularity of the area drew in people from across the country and Pasadena grew at a fast pace.
During the real estate boom during 1928, the area blossomed with tourist hotels, as Pasadena became a sort of winter resort for wealthy people. Many establishments were razed during the Great Depression, of all the buildings only two survived, The Green Motel and the Vista Del Arroyo, which is now home to the Federal courthouse.
There are several major events that find their roots in Pasadena, The Rose Bowl and The Tournament of Roses Parade. The Rose Bowl is a yearly American College Football bowl game that is played on the 1st of January, and the first ever game was hosted in Pasadena in 1901, which paved the way for other New Years, "bowl'' game traditions. The Rose Bowl is the oldest of all football games played. Members of the Pasadena Valley Hunt Club hosted the first parade in 1890, since then the Tournament Of Roses Parade is held every January 1st, and it precedes the Rose Bowl game. The events have grown in popularity and have draws viewers by the millions every year.
In addition to the Rose Bowl and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is also the home of many leading scientific and cultural institutions. It is home to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena Playhouse, the Norton Simon Museum of Art, as well as being the home of the first original Busch Garden. Old Pasadena is an area that has experience a revitalization and is home to many restaurants, shops and markets that many locals and tourists can enjoy year round.
Review, comment, or add new information about this topic:
Discuss this city on our hugely popular California forum
|Business Search - 14 Million verified businesses|
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Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787
by James Madison
Tuesday, August 28
That there be inserted after the 4 clause of3 7th. section
“Nor shall any regulation of commerce or revenue give preference to the ports of one State over those of another, or oblige vessels bound to or from any State to enter, clear or pay duties in another and all tonnage, duties, imposts & excises laid by the Legislature shall be uniform throughout the U. S.”
Ordered to lie on the table.4
“it shall be appellate” & to insert the words “the supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction,”-in order to prevent uncertainty whether “it” referred to the supreme Court, or to the Judicial power.
On the question
N. H ay. Mas. ay. Ct. ay. N. J. abst. Pa. ay. Del. ay. Md. no. Va. ay. N C ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay.7
Sect. 4.8 was so amended nem; con; as to read “The trial of all crimes (except in cases of impeachment) shall be by jury, and such trial shall be held in the State where the said crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, then the trial shall be at such place or places as the Legislature may direct.” The object of this amendment was to provide for trial by jury of offences committed out of any State.
Mr. PINKNEY, urging the propriety of securing the benefit of the Habeas corpus in the most ample manner, moved “that it should not be suspended but on the most urgent occasions, & then only for a limited time, not exceeding twelve months”
Mr. Govr. MORRIS moved that “The privilege of the writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended; unless where in cases of Rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.”
Mr. WILSON doubted whether in any case a suspension could be necessary, as the discretion now exists with Judges, in most important cases to keep in Gaol or admit to Bail.
The first part of Mr. Govr. Morris’ motion, to the word “unless” was agreed to nem: con: -on the remaining part;
N. H. ay. Mas. ay. Ct. ay. Pa. ay. Del. ay. Md. ay. Va. ay. N. C. no. S. C. no. Geo. no.:10
Mr. WILSON & Mr. SHERMAN moved to insert after the words “coin money” the words “nor emit bills of credit, nor make any thing but gold & silver coin a tender in payment of debts” making these prohibitions absolute, instead of making the measures allowable (as in the XIII art:) with the consent of the Legislature of the U. S.
Mr. GHORUM thought the purpose would be as well secured by the provision of art: XIII which makes the consent of the Genl Legislature necessary, and that in that mode, no opposition would be excited; whereas an absolute prohibition of paper money would rouse the most desperate opposition from its partizans.
Mr. SHERMAN thought this a favorable crisis for crushing paper money. If the consent of the Legislature could authorise emissions of it, the friends of paper money, would make every exertion to get into the Legislature in order to licence it.
The question being divided; on the 1st. part-”nor emit bills of credit”
N. H. ay. Mas. ay. Ct. ay. Pa. ay. Del. ay. Md. divd. Va. no. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay.13
Mr. KING moved to add, in the words used in the Ordinance of Congs. establishing new States, a prohibition on the States to interfere in private contracts.
Mr. Govr. MORRIS. This would be going too far. There are a thousand laws, relating to bringing actions-limitations of actions &14 which affect contracts. The Judicial power of the U. S. will be a protection in cases within their jurisdiction; and within the State itself a majority must rule, whatever may be the mischief done among themselves.
Mr. SHERMAN. Why then prohibit bills of credit?
Mr. MADISON admitted that inconveniences might arise from such a prohibition but thought on the whole it would be overbalanced by the utility of it. He conceived however that a negative on the State laws could alone secure the effect. Evasions might and would be devised by the ingenuity of15 Legislatures.
Col: MASON. This is carrying the restraint too far. Cases will happen that can not be foreseen, where some kind of interference will be proper & essential. He mentioned the case of limiting the period for bringing actions on open account-that of bonds after a certain lapse of time-asking whether it was proper to tie the hands of the States from making provision in such cases.
Mr. MADISON. Is not that already done by the prohibition of ex post facto laws, which will oblige the Judges to declare such interferences null & void.
N. H. ay. Ct. no. N. J. ay. Pa. ay. Del. ay. Md. no. Virga. no. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay.19
Mr. MADISON moved to insert after the word “reprisal” (art. XII) the words “nor lay embargoes.” He urged that such acts by the States would be unnecessary-impolitic-and unjust.
Mr. SHERMAN thought the States ought to retain this power in order to prevent suffering & injury to their poor.
Col: MASON thought the amendment would be not only improper but dangerous, as the Genl. Legislature would not sit constantly and therefore could not interpose at the necessary moments. He enforced his objection by appealing to the necessity of sudden embargoes during the war, to prevent exports, particularly in the case of a blockade.
Mr. Govr. MORRIS considered the provision as unnecessary; the power of regulating trade between State & State already vested in the Genl. Legislature, being sufficient.
On the question
N. H. no. Mas. ay. Ct. no. N. J. no. Pa. no. Del. ay. Md. no. Va. no. N. C. no. S. C. ay. Geo. no.20
Mr. MADISON moved that the words “nor lay imposts or duties on imports” be transferred from art: XIII where the consent of the Genl. Legislature may licence the act-into art: XII which will make the prohibition on the States absolute. He observed that as the States interested in this power by which they could tax the imports of their neighbors passing thro’ their markets, were a majority, they could give the consent of the Legislature, to the injury of N. Jersey, N. Carolina &c-
Mr. WILLIAMSON 2ded. the motion
Mr. SHERMAN thought the power might safely be left to the Legislature of the U. States.
Mr. MADISON. The encouragement of Manufactures in that mode requires duties not only on imports directly from foreign Countries, but from the other States in the Union, which would revive all the mischiefs experienced from the want of a Genl. Government over commerce.
On the question
N. H. ay. Mas. no. Ct. no. N. J. ay. Pa. no. Del: ay. Md. no. Va. no. N. C. ay. S. C. no. Geo. no.22
Art: XII as amended23 agreed to nem: con:
On this question it passed in the affirmative.
N. H. ay. Mas. ay. Ct. no. N. J. ay. P. ay. Del. ay. Md. no. Va. no. N. C. ay. S. C. no. Geo. no.26
Mr. SHERMAN moved to add after the word “exports”-the words “nor with such consent but for the use of the U. S.”-so as to carry the proceeds of all State duties on imports &27 exports, into the common Treasury.
Mr. MADISON liked the motion as preventing all State imposts- but lamented the complexity we were giving to the commercial system.
Mr. Govr. MORRIS thought the regulation necessary to prevent the Atlantic States from endeavoring to tax the Western States-& promote their interest by opposing the navigation of the Mississippi which would drive the Western people into the arms of G. Britain.
Mr. CLYMER thought the encouragement of the Western Country was suicide on28 the old States. If the States have such different interests that they can not be left to regulate their own manufactures without encountering the interests of other States, it is a proof that they are not fit to compose one nation.
Mr. KING was afraid that the regulation moved by Mr. Sherman would too much interfere with a policy of States respecting their manufactures, which may be necessary. Revenue he reminded the House was the object of the general Legislature.
On Mr. Sherman’s motion
N. H. ay. Mas. no. Ct. ay. N. J. ay. Pa. ay. Del. ay. Md. no. Va. ay. N. C. ay. S. C. ay. Geo. ay.29
Art XIII was then agreed to as amended.
Genl. PINKNEY was not satisfied with it. He seemed to wish some provision should be included in favor of property in slaves.
On the question on Art: XIV.
N. H. ay. Mas. ay. Ct. ay. N. J. ay. Pa. ay. Del. ay. Md. ay. Va. ay. N. C. ay. S. C. no. Geo. divided.32
Art: XV30 being taken up, the words “high misdemesnor,” were struck out, and33 “other crime” inserted, in order to comprehend all proper cases: it being doubtful whether “high misdemeanor” had not a technical meaning too limited.
Mr. WILSON. This would oblige the Executive of the State to do it at the public expence.
Mr. SHERMAN saw no more propriety in the public seizing and surrendering a slave or servant, than a horse.
Mr. BUTLER withdrew his proposition in order that some particular provision might be made apart from this article. Art XV as amended was then agreed to nem: con:
7 In the transcript the vote reads: “New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, aye-9; Maryland, no-1; New Jersey absent.” Return to text
13 In the transcrip the vote reads: “New Nampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, aye-8; Virginia, no-1; Maryland, devided.” Return to text
20 In the transcript the vote reads: “Massachusetts, Delaware, South Carolina, aye-3; New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, no-8.” Return to text
27 In the transcript the vote reads: “New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, aye-6; Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, no-5.” Return to text
29 In the transcript the vote reads: New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, aye- 9; Massachusetts, Maryland, no-2.” Return to text
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A previous series of articles covered the basic tools of computational geometry. In this article I'll explore some more advanced algorithms that can be built from these basic tools. They are all based on the simple but powerful idea of a sweep line: a vertical line that is conceptually “swept” across the plane. In practice, of course, we cannot simulate all points in time and so we consider only some discrete points.
In several places I'll refer to the Euclidean and Manhattan distances. The Euclidean distance is the normal, everyday distance given by Pythagoras' Theorem. The Manhattan distance between points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) is the distance that must be travelled while moving only horizontally or vertically, namely |x1 − x2| + |y1 − y2|. It is called the Manhattan distance because the roads in Manhattan are laid out in a grid and so the Manhattan distance is the distance that must be travelled by road (it is also called the "taxicab distance," or more formally the L1 metric).
In addition, a balanced
binary tree is used in some of the
algorithms. Generally you can just use a
Suppose that we have processed points 1 to N − 1 (ordered by X) and the shortest distance we have found so far is h. We now process point N and try to find a point closer to it than h. We maintain a set of all already-processed points whose X coordinates are within h of point N, as shown in the light grey rectangle. As each point is processed, it is added to the set, and when we move on to the next point or when h is decreased, points are removed from the set. The set is ordered by y coordinate. A balanced binary tree is suitable for this, and accounts for the log N factor.
To search for points closer than h to point N, we need only consider points in the active set, and furthermore we need only consider points whose y coordinates are in the range yN − h to yN + h (those in the dark grey rectangle). This range can be extracted from the sorted set in O(log N) time, but more importantly the number of elements is O(1) (the exact maximum will depend on the metric used), because the separation between any two points in the set is at least h. It follows that the search for each point requires O(log N) time, giving a total of O(N log N).
Line segment intersections
To handle either of the horizontal line events, we simply need to add or remove an element from the set. Again, we can use a balanced binary tree to guarantee O(log N) time for these operations. When we hit a vertical line, a range search immediately gives all the horizontal lines that it cuts. If horizontal or vertical segments can overlap there is some extra work required, and we must also consider whether lines with coincident endpoints are considered to intersect, but none of this affects the computational complexity.
If the intersections themselves are required, this takes O(N log N + I) time for I intersections. By augmenting the binary tree structure (specifically, by storing the size of each sub-tree in the root of that sub-tree), it is possible to count the intersections in O(N log N) time.
In the more general case, lines need not be horizontal or vertical, so lines in the active set can exchange places when they intersect. Instead of having all the events pre-sorted, we have to use a priority queue and dynamically add and remove intersection events. At any point in time, the priority queue contains events for the end-points of line-segments, but also for the intersection points of adjacent elements of the active set (providing they are in the future). Since there are O(N + I) events that will be reached, and each requires O(log N) time to update the active set and the priority queue, this algorithm takes O(N log N + I log N) time. The figure below shows the future events in the priority queue (blue dots); note that not all future intersections are in the queue, either because one of the lines isn't yet active, or because the two lines are not yet adjacent in the active list.
Area of the union of rectangles
We now know which rectangles are cut by the sweep line (red in the diagram), but we actually want to know the length of sweep line that is cut (the total length of the solid blue segments). Multiplying this length by the horizontal distance between events gives the area swept out between those two events.
We can determine the cut length by running the same algorithm in an inner loop, but rotated 90 degrees. Ignore the inactive rectangles, and consider a horizontal sweep line that moves top-down. The events are now the horizontal edges of the active rectangles, and every time we cross one, we can simply increment or decrement a counter that says how many rectangles overlap at the current point. The cut length increases as long as the counter is non-zero. Of course, we do not increase it continuously, but rather while moving from one event to the next.
With the right data structures, this can be implemented in O(N2) time (hint: use a boolean array to store the active set rather than a balanced binary tree, and pre-sort the entire set of horizontal edges). In fact the inner line sweep can be replaced by some clever binary tree manipulation to reduce the overall time to O(N log N), but that is more a problem in data structures than in geometry, and is left as an exercise for the reader. The algorithm can also be adapted to answer similar questions, such as the total perimeter length of the union or the maximum number of rectangles that overlap at any point.
Andrew's algorithm splits the convex hull into two parts, the upper and lower hull. Usually these meet at the ends, but if more than one points has minimal (or maximal) X coordinate, then they are joined by a vertical line segment. We'll describe just how to construct the upper hull; the lower hull can be constructed in similar fashion, and in fact can be built in the same loop.
To build the upper hull, we start with the point with minimal X coordinate, breaking ties by taking the largest Y coordinate. After this, points are added in order of X coordinate (always taking the largest Y value when multiple points have the same X value). Of course, sometimes this will cause the hull to become concave instead of convex:
The black path shows the current hull. After adding point 7, we check whether the last triangle (5, 6, 7) is convex. In this case it isn't, so we delete the second-last point, namely 6. The process is repeated until a convex triangle is found. In this case we also examine (4, 5, 7) and delete 5 before examining (1, 4, 7) and finding that it is convex, before proceeding to the next point. This is essentially the same procedure that is used in the Graham scan, but proceeding in order of X coordinate rather than in order of the angle made with the starting point. It may at first appear that this process is O(N2) because of the inner backtracking loop, but since no point can be deleted more than once it is in fact O(N). The algorithm over-all is O(N log N), because the points must initially be sorted by X coordinate.
Manhattan minimum spanning tree
We first break this down into a simpler problem. Standard MST algorithms for general graphs (e.g., Prim's algorithm) can compute the MST in O((E + N) log N) time for E edges. If we can exploit geometric properties to reduce the number of edges to O(N), then this is merely O(N log N). In fact we can consider, for each point P, only its nearest neighbors in each of the 8 octants of the plane (see the figure below). The figure shows the situation in just one of the octants, the West-Northwest one. Q is the closest neighbour (with the dashed line indicating points at the same Manhattan distance as Q), and R is some other point in the octant. If PR is an edge in a spanning tree, then it can be removed and replaced by either PQ or QR to produce a better spanning tree, because the shape of the octant guarantees that |QR| ≤ |PR|. Thus, we do not need to consider PR when building the spanning tree.
This reduces the problem to that of finding the nearest neighbour in each octant. We'll just consider the octant shown; the others are no different and can be handled by symmetry. It should be clear that within this octant, finding the nearest neighbour is equivalent to just finding the point with the largest value of x − y, subject to an upper bound on x + y and a lower bound on y, and this is the form in which we'll consider the problem.
Now imagine for the moment that the lower bound on y did not exist. In this case we could solve the problem for every P quite easily: sweep through the points in increasing order of x + y, and Q will be the point with the largest x − y value of those seen so far. This is where the divide-and-conquer principle comes into play: we partition the point set into two halves with a horizontal line, and recursively solve the problem for each half. For points P in the upper half, nothing further needs to be done, because points in the bottom half cannot play Q to their P. For the bottom half, we have to consider that by ignoring the upper half so far we may have missed some closer points. However, we can take these points into account in a similar manner as before: walk through all the points in x + y order, keeping track of the best point in the top half (largest x − y value), and for each point in the bottom half, checking whether this best top-half point is better than the current neighbour.
So far I have blithely assumed that any set of points can be efficiently partitioned on Y and also walked in x + y order without saying how this should be done. In fact, one of the most beautiful aspects of this class of divide-and-conquer plus line-sweep algorithms is that it has essentially the same structure as a merge sort, to the point that a merge-sort by x + y can be folded into the algorithm in such a way that each subset is sorted on x + y just when this is needed (the points initially all being sorted on Y). This gives the algorithm a running time of O(N log N).
The idea of finding the closest point within an angle range can also be used to solve the Euclidean MST problem, but the O(N log N) running time is no longer guaranteed in the worst cases, because the distance is no longer a linear equation. It is actually possible to compute the Euclidean MST in O(N log N) time, because it is a subset of the Delaunay triangulation.
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News for December 31, 1999
EPO vs altitude Vs hypobaric chambers
The latest, and possibly the greatest investigation (so far) into drug taking in the professional peloton again deals with the use of injecting the drug erythropoeitin (EPO) to increase riders' red blood cell count. In the current investigation, two of the highest profile medical practitioners that have worked with cyclists - Dr Michele Ferrari and Professor Francesco Conconi - have been placed under suspicion of systematically administering a large number of athletes with EPO over the course of several years.
The investigation is not straightforward of course, as scientists have still not developed a surefire test for the drug, which is produced naturally by the body in response to various stimuli. However, there has been a good deal of research being conducted into the area, and scientists from Australia and Sweden, as well as several other countries are reasonably confident of having a reliable test soon, subject of course to the all-powerful funding dollar.
However, an important ethical point has been raised several times in the past - what is the difference between injecting EPO, or training at altitude, or training while sleeping in a low-pressure "altitude chamber"? It was noted in Tuesday's news that a Norwegian skier was refused entry into the World Championships because his hematocrit was too high - not from EPO use, but from training and sleeping in a hypobaric chamber.
Head physiologist at the Australian Institute of Sport, DR David Martin, wrote to cyclingnews commenting on the difference between the above cases:
"1) Injecting EPO is illegal whereas living in simulated or actual altitude environments is legal.
2) When an athlete is exposed to actual or simulated altitude a number of physiological responses to the novel environment take place including an increase in the production of the hormone EPO. It is important to note that at moderate altitude some athletes have a big increase in circulating EPO concentration whereas others do not. The basic goal of training is to use a variety of external stimuli (exercise, environmental conditions, nutritional therapies, etc.) to produce a physiological adaptation. Injecting EPO bypasses the stimulus - physiological response association and this is the problem because the stimulus - physiological response association and the genetic and environmental factors that influence this relationship is essentially what training for sport is all about. Although not all athletes will have the same EPO response to altitude, all athletes will show the same EPO response to injecting EPO.
3) The increase in EPO that naturally occurs when an athlete is exposed to altitude is similar to the increase in EPO we recently identified following completion of a six day stage race - approximately 20-40% (1999 Tour Down Under, N=21). When athletes are injected with EPO resting concentrations will increase by over 100% and the increases will persist for much longer.
In summary - as a sport scientist working with elite sport I am constantly trying to make sure that the teams I work with are not at any disadvantage when they compete against the best athletes from other countries at big events such as the Olympics. My colleagues and I can now read many scientific studies published in reputable journals suggesting that some moderate altitude exposure protocols are beneficial for the elite athletes. The use of a simulated altitude chamber is safe, legal and potentially effective. Many of the coaches and athletes I work with would consider me unethical if I did not do everything in my power (legally of course) to ensure that they were not at a disadvantage at major competitions because they did not use altitude effectively."
The key point is that injecting EPO bypasses the training stimulus, and the same goes for taking any other drug. Also, it is easily possible to increase athletes' EPO concentrations beyond their natural limits using an injection. However, an altitude chamber does not do this, although it does make it a lot easier for athletes to increase their EPO levels - just not beyond their natural limits. It probably costs more than a few ampoules of EPO or a trip to Mexico (depending on who you are).
So, on the one hand we have the issue of training stimuli and natural (or should we say legal) recovery from training, producing improvements in performance while on the other, drugs are used, again to help recovery but doing this independently of other adaptations, and presumably at a greater rate. Altitude chambers currently lie within the realm of vitamin supplements, carbohydrate drinks, massage, stretching, sleep, and correct eating. They accelerate or magnify the response to training stimuli. Drugs such as EPO artificially elicit a response from the body that is not reproducible in another way. The line is there but it is subtle, and the powers that be could conceivably shift it so that altitude chambers become off-limits, in the same way that other technological advancements in cycling have been banned.
Italian doping: Ferrari investigated
The public prosecutor Giovanni Spinosa in the north Italian city of Bologna has opened a formal criminal case against Dr. Michele Ferrari, who is suspected to have administered Erythropoietin, EPO, to a number of cycling stars from several countries. As revealed recently, the investigators have found notes on huge variations in the blood values of the cyclists, in one case as much as 16.5 percentage units in a very short time. "Such unsuitability can only be explained by the taking of various substances", said professor Plebani from the University of Padua.
Ferrari has also worked with Professor Francesco Conconi in Ferrara, who is also being investigated. Conconi is alleged to have given EPO to 22 top Italian athletes in various sports from 1992 to 1995, while running a program to find a method to detect the use of EPO. Cyclists and cross country skiers were the dominant sports but also athletics, canoeing and swimming were involved.
Dutch stars to talk about doping
Three former Dutch professionals, Peter Winnen, Maarten Ducrot and Steven Rooks - the latter who rode for the PDM team more than a decade ago, will give a frank discussion about their respective teams' medical programs on the Dutch TV documentary, "Reporter", this evening.
The three riders will speak about their almost daily doping regimes. Rooks is perhaps the highest profile of the ex-professionals, winning the mountains jersey in the Tour de France in 1988 as well as coming second overall that year. Ducrot won a stage of the Tour in 1985, while Winnen came second in the Tour de Suisse and third in the Tour de France in 1983. The three are "coming clean" in order to make more of today's professionals aware of the health risks of doping, as well as better medical control for teams.
Italian cyclist Massimo Strazzer, who rode with Mobilvetta this past season is moving to new Italian outfit, Alessio-Banca S.G.M. for next year
Canada's cyclist of the century
The Canadian award for their "Cyclists of the Century" went to Alison Sydor and Steve Bauer, who shared the honor. The top five list:
1. Alison Sydor and Steve Bauer
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Momtography 101 Class Coming Soon…
Before my daughter was born, I had never studied photography and never held a DSLR camera. But soon after she was born, I was compeled (and obsessed) with getting beautiful photos of her. I didn’t understand why my point and shoot digital camera wasn’t taking the kind of photos that were in my head. The kind of photos that showed just how beautiful and amazing my daughter really was. So, when my daughter was about 3 months old I decided to buy a DSLR camera (a.k.a. Fancy Camera).
As soon as I hit the “buy” button on that baby I was scouring the internet for user manuals and tutorials and any camera/photography related information I could get my hands on. I checked out every book in the EBR parish library systems on photography. seriously.
Slowly, I began to learn the techniques, the science behind photography, and I my photos began to align with what was in my head. But it didn’t happen over night, and it surely didn’t happen just because I had a fancy camera!
Now that I am a professional, I think back to those early days of learning and I can’t help but think that it didn’t need to be so difficult. Why do the books have to use photography jargon like f-stops and ISO? Why can’t the user manuals be written in a down-to-earth tone? Why is there no “start here if you know nothing” page?
So, I decided I could do something about that. Learning to use your camera doesn’t have to be hard and grueling. Taking better photos doesn’t have to be a mystery or a secret that only a select few know. Instead, learning photography can be fun and easy…and I will teach you in a language you understand, with real-world examples, and with guided practice.
I promise, YOU can learn to use your camera to it’s full potential, and you can take better photos of your child.
Here is one of my first images using my fancy camera years ago:
And here is a recent image of my daughter:
Ready to take control of your fancy camera and get some great photos?
Learn more about my Momtography 101 Class this coming August.
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Should we all pay more taxes?
Would it be wrong to expect the middle class to pay higher taxes to help reduce the federal debt?
If I had a dollar for each time I've heard someone say that we're burdening our kids and grandkids with a huge federal debt -- Rick Santelli's recent rant about "all kids left behind" should count for a lot -- I'd happily give that money to the U.S. Treasury.
I'd be in good company. Last year righteous Americans donated a record $7.7 million -- over and above their tax bills -- to cut the nation's debt, CNN says.
It could use some help. With the federal debt at $16.4 trillion, the Congress has racked up a big stack of IOUs, which means we all owe this. You may disagree about how essential it is to reduce this large amount immediately, but we can all agree that the interest on the debt -- $220 billion in 2012, says U.S. News & World Report -- could be better spent elsewhere.
For whatever reason -- lack of political will is at or near the top of the list -- the president and Congress decided as part of the so-called fiscal cliff pact to raise income and investment taxes only on those making more than $400,000. (I'm not counting the 2% increase for payroll taxes for Social Security, which nearly every worker will pay. It was generally understood that the payroll tax holiday was a temporary stimulus measure that would end.)
Now President Barack Obama is talking about closing tax loopholes that favor the wealthy, as the next phony crisis -- votes on raising the debt ceiling and automatic and drastic spending cuts put off by the fiscal cliff deal -- approaches. Others believe the solution should be drastically shrinking the size of government.
Now, if you read personal finance blogs, you know that reduced spending is only part of the solution for restoring fiscal sanity in a household overwhelmed by debt. The other half is raising revenue. And that's where all the rest of us come in. Wouldn't a modest tax increase on the middle class -- not just the wealthy -- help the country? Surely more households could be taxed a little more without triggering another recession.
The idea surfaces from time to time but is hardly heard above the din of so many complaining about their tax burden.
"But in fact, most Americans in 2010 paid far less in total taxes -- federal, state and local -- than they would have paid 30 years ago," reported The New York Times in late November. "According to an analysis by (the Times), the combination of all income taxes, sales taxes and property taxes took a smaller share of their income than it took from households with the same inflation-adjusted income in 1980."
Since 1980, state and local taxes increased while federal income tax rates declined. If it doesn't feel that way to some old-timers, there's a reason. Adds The Times, "The average American in 2010 paid 30% more of income in payroll taxes (for Social Security and Medicare) than in 1980, even while paying 27% less in federal income taxes."
The Times says that those making more than $200,000 a year were the biggest beneficiaries of federal tax cuts over the years. But others with lower incomes also gained, so isn't it fair that more of us should pony up now?
Among those who agree are:
- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who suggested in 2011 that the Bush tax cuts be allowed to expire across the board.
- Former U.S. Senator (and NBA star) Bill Bradley, who said last summer on CNN, "The deficit is one problem (we face) -- and that requires taxes on a lot of people, not just the wealthy."
- Wrote David Callahan, a senior fellow at Demos, at the end of November:
"Only 13% of voters earlier this month agreed that income taxes should go up for everyone, according to exit polls. And only 33% agreed that taxes should be raised to help tackle the deficit.
"Now, it would be one thing if all these Americans against higher taxes also wanted to see spending cuts. But, of course, that is not the case."
He proposed that all the Bush tax cuts be allowed to lapse on Dec. 31. Then Congress could vote to extend them for other than the rich only long enough to get through the economic recovery.
If the Bush tax cuts had been allowed to expire for everyone, that would have raised federal revenue by $4 trillion over 10 years. The last federal budget was $3.7 trillion, with a deficit of $1.1 trillion. Letting the Bush tax cuts die would have helped fill the gap that's now being paid for with borrowed money.
What do you think? Should middle-class taxpayers share more of the tax burden -- now or in the future, once the economy is more robust? Why shouldn't they be asked to pay a little more? I'm reminded of a comment I once read about how paying taxes used to be considered a duty, a responsibility -- a privilege, in fact.
More on MSN Money:
Do any of these surveys take into consideration all of the hidden taxes that are paid by the middle class. I received an auto insurance bill today with a mandatory ten dollar surcharge from the state.
How much more does a person pay for cigarettes, gas, and other overly taxed items that weren't so heavily taxed twenty years ago. How about all of the added fees for licensing and permits that are passed along in higher retail costs. I can't even imagine how many taxes we pay and don't even realize we are paying them. Any one who believes we should give a little more to the government should take a look at the per diems and all the other perks they give themselves.
I own a business in the socialist state of New York and I am making less money. Am I supposed to feel sorry for the congress that just got a raise because they haven't had one since 2009.
Jackie Chan was right on the mark.
Why shouldn't we be asked to pay a litle more? Simple answer, the federal gov't isn't responsible witrh what we give them already why would they be with more money/ absolutely not! If congress wouldn't agree to funding wars and bailing out greedy bankers we wouldn't be in this mess. The gov't spending is the problem, let them pay more! This is BS, just a story to make us feel guilty so we'll agree to give you greedy s.o.b.s more money, shame on you!!
Our politicians never ever seem to get around to cutting the wasteful and unnecessary spending after taxes are increased. Its always been this way and will probably never change. Politicians, for the most part, are whores and liars. And, that's a compliment.
Tap the rich first, then, and only then, ask the rest of us to pay more taxes.
Everyone is paying more taxes; although we were assured that there would not be a tax increase on the middle class. Anyone who received a paycheck after the first of the year will notice a tax increase. I don’t know about everyone else but one hundred dollars a month is an increase to me, I feel for families who have children to feed. The unfortunate thing is the dishonesty of the president he has proven time after time that you cannot count on his word. When will the people in our government understand that honesty is the best policy? He will say whatever he is required to get what he wants, and has proven time and time again that he is dishonest and lack integrity.
Wouldn't be bad if thats the reason everybody is paying more taxes...
But thats NOT The Reason..
Taxes are going UP for Everybody, rich and poor...so oblamo can spend More money...
One of the things oblamo is good at..is SPENDING TAXPAYERS MONEY..
The guy hasn't passed a budget for the last 4 years..?
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In what ways might you consider yourself an American poet?
Being an American poet is, for me, an accident of history – something I really have no say in, like being a poet of Indian descent, or being a poet from an upper-middle class background, or being a balding poet, all of which, incidentally, and accidentally, I am. So being an American poet is, I feel, nothing to be proud of, and nothing to be ashamed of, either. It's simply a set of ground conditions in which I find myself working. And along with those ground conditions come all sorts of formal, generic, stylistic, and temperamental biases – but I think it's one's job to write against the grain of those conditions. So in a way, I think of myself as an American poet because – like so many other American poets – I'm trying to write my way out of being read as any sort of stereotypically 'American' poet.
Do you believe there is anything specifically American about American poetry past and present? Is there American poetry in the sense that there is said to be American painting or American film?
It's hard to put one's finger on any specific feature that one could say characterizes American poetry per se, especially when one thinks about the question historically. I suppose there's a kind of 'ambition' in American writers' claims for poetry, beginning of course with Whitman – but present, simultaneously, in Dickinson's examinations of sovereignty and eternity – and running through the magisterial projects of Pound and Stein and Olson and Merrill and Ashbery and all kinds of people in between. That's not to say that a writer like Paul Celan or any number of other poets from other countries aren't ambitious – rather, I think that a certain variety of 'ambition' is just the common element in which American poets inevitably must swim from beginning to end.
Can the same be said of American painting or film? I'm not sure. Certainly Italian film like that of Fellini or Picasso's paintings seem as ambitious as anything that's come out of America in those media. So maybe the sort of vague notion of ambition I'm talking about is a distinguishing feature of American poetics as opposed to the other arts in this country. But I wouldn't bet my life on it.
What role do historical and geographical factors play in American poetry and in your work specifically? What other aspects of your life (for instance: gender, sexual preference, class, ethnicity, religious beliefs) relate to your sense of being a poet in America?
For a while I tried to deny the influence of historical and geographical factors on my writing. I felt that it would be fatalistic to simply accept the role of being an "Indian-American" poet without giving my imagination free rein to assume all sorts of different identities in my poems. But I've come to feel that certain aspects of being of Indian descent and an American citizen may actually open up the possibility of trying out different identities in ways that wouldn't otherwise be available to me. The classic rhetorical formulation of American poetry, Whitman's "I am this, I am that," is a version of Krishna's theophanic revelation in the Bhagavad Gita, in which the divinity says to his disciple "I am this, I am that" in precisely the same fashion. So being an American poet, and being a poet of Indian heritage, doesn't necessarily shut down one's possibilities of being in the world. It may actually multiply those possibilities far beyond what one could have ever imagined in the absence of history and geography.
Is there something formally distinctive about American poetry?
No, I don't think there's anything formally distinctive about American poetry. In fact, if anything, the most distinctive feature of American poetry lies in its radical diversity. Traditional European forms like the sonnet, imported Asian forms like the haiku and the ghazal, experimental forms like projective writing or chance operations – the field of formal options available to an American poet writing today is truly vast to the point of bewilderment.
What significance does popular culture possess in your sense of American poetry?
I think popular culture has a pretty significant presence in a lot of American poetry, especially the poems written by younger writers. One reason for this is that popular culture might be the last lingua franca for readers of the art today. Certainly more readers will recognize a reference to The Sopranos than will register a citation of Spenser or somebody else who's been dead a long time. That's okay, I guess -- it's a new common fund of cultural reference and all that – but I do feel a fuddy-duddy sadness at the loss of older sorts of music from Chaucer and Shakespeare and Milton and whatnot. Still, popular culture does bring in new kinds of music, which is to the good of the art.
When you consider your own "tradition," do you think of American poets, non- American poets? Which historic poets do you consider most responsible for generating distinctly American poetics?
When I think of my own personal pantheon of writers, I do think of many American poets – Stevens, Eliot, Ashbery – but the funny thing is that each of these writers was deeply influenced by the poetry of a foreign culture. (In Eliot's case, the influence came from many foreign cultures). But I also think of poets from countries abroad, like Keats and Dante, and poems from other traditions, like The Mahabharata, which looms larger and larger in my mind these days. So I like to think of myself as a 'world poet,' ultimately – and I'd have to add that this isn't anything special about me, as it seems to me that the majority of poets working today are world writers in some sense, and that many writers from the past (like Eliot, for example) fall into this category as well.
What are your predictions for American poetry in the next century?
I'm no Nostradamus, but I'd imagine that American poetry will more and more become continuous with something like a "world poetry" in the next century. At least, I hope that's the case. The growing interest in translation in this country, and the increasing skepticism regarding nationalism, seem to me augurs of a sort of globalization in the field of poetry and poetics. Of course, there may occur some problems analogous with our current difficulties with economic globalization – the erasure of regional identities, etcetera – which we'll have to be aware of and sensitive towards. But on the whole I think this will be a good thing. The de-Americanization of American poetry!
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|TSGLI Loss Standards|
16. Coma from traumatic injury
A member will be considered eligible for a TSGLI benefit for coma if:
16. Traumatic Brain Injury resulting in inability to perform at least 2 Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
*The member is considered unable to perform an activity independently if he or she REQUIRES assistance to perform the activity.
REQUIRES assistance is defined as:
Without this physical, stand-by, or verbal assistance, the member would be incapable of performing the task.
Accommodating Equipment - If the patient is able to perform the activity by using accommodating equipment, such as a cane, walker, commode, etc.), the patient is considered able to independently perform the activity.
|Reviewed/Updated Date: September 6, 2012
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Shangri-la in the world really do?
Since the Tao Yuan-ming’s “Land of Peach Blossoms,” came after thousands of years, people have been looking for the poet paradise, even today in many places in order to develop tourism resources that attract tourists are scrambling to find the paradise described by Tao Yuan-ming, where exactly is the poet’s Shangri-la it? In fact, for us personally, this is not important, it is important that you feel a recognized Taoyuan on the line, I believe that everyone will have their own soul Xanadu.
I’m no exception, Castle Peak is my dream Taoyuan.
Not many people know where Aoyama, although the mountain have had thousands of brilliant, but in the end was hidden in the history of eolian dust in the unknown. In fact, Castle Peak is not far away, on the Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Lushan Dong Lu Bin, from the bustling city of Jiujiang city, but 20 kilometers from the sea traffic, it is very convenient, from the Yangtze River into the lake after a stone toad port terminals will be territory at Castle Peak. However, not many people know that the Castle Peak, Castle Peak town who knows even less, even if people do not know about the Castle Peak is also a lot of people.
At Castle Peak Pro is now a lake shore or streets deserted ruins, the history of Castle Peak is located in this town. Castle Peak Bay along the crescent-shaped, built the old pier site still had gathered in sailing, steady stream of customers has long been the scene of the disappearance of town with the Castle Peak away, in the old terminals while we still can see the Poyang Lake is always flooded in the past vessels, but no more ships will be moored there, then it is really lonely experience to Castle Peak, and has been forgotten. Even on Aoyama Street, Castle Peak Ken Zhichang residents were relocated to other neighborhoods to go, only 1 over 60-year-old waiting for this millennium Street site refused to leave, he is called the Castle Peak rocks of the elderly Song Jinshan, years have 65-year-old rocks the elderly is now the only permanent residents of Castle Peak Street, from an early age while growing up in the Poyang Lake, to fishing for a living, to collection stones to music, in the course of 60 years, experienced collection rocks a number of unknown dangerous and hard.
From the beginning I do not know which day, groups of visitors from near or afar to visit the rocks admiring the elderly, old trees set off the rocks, the visitors were elderly people who are all touched by the story, breathtaking collection of the elderly million species rocks moved the elderly live in undisturbed isolation away from the worldly life harder … …
Despite my childhood growing up in Castle Peak, but by that time of the Castle Peak is not very understanding, although there is a natural lake, Castle Peak, but when young people want to get out because of economic backwardness to the outside world living away from the Castle Peak. I’m no exception from Castle Peak come to Hainan has been for 16 years. 16 years changes in the speed of home beyond my imagination the apartment after another, between a small Western-style is the best example of becoming more beautiful, Castle Peak, Castle Peak tourist resort development has begun. However, the rocks are still elderly people live alone in the Poyang Lake Street site on the coast and live-free world non-confrontational Taoyuan like life, his mountains firewood, Shimoji vegetables, shaking the boat out of lake fishing, although some hard-living Taoyuan rather being like life, he Nadong cabin filled with all kinds of stone: Flame Stone, Star Stone, grapes, stone, etc., those from the Poyang Lake to accompany the stone through the rocks while the elderly are lonely also happy time. I do not know who first broke the old man’s quiet life, his life story collection rocks began to be to-human transmission, although no one knows which stones are worth money, but his story of his Nadong cabin is well known for, now almost Everyone call him old Castle Peak rocks, while the Song Jinshan’s name has gradually been forgotten. As a result, some people say that the shore of Poyang Lake, Castle Peak Is not Shangri-la, at least the elderly Xanadu rocks.
Still remember the summer of that year, from the distant island of Hainan to return home for the elderly, Castle Peak to visit the scene of rocks, old houses in the lake where I saw the childhood memory of middle-aged guy rocks for the elderly of today’s Song Jinshan, a Guangzhaobangzai body is still robust and affable good to talk about the elderly, and the elderly to talk of natural history is inseparable from the Castle Peak town, and his collection of stone …… since then returning each time to visit will be the elderly, the rocks for the elderly so into my heart, perhaps because he is on the Castle Peak Castle Peak accommodate a person pay more attention to, which is commonly known as homeland bar.
Old rocks greatest wish is that the site or streets in Castle Peak Castle Peak rocks to build a museum, collection of Poyang Lake to show the world that he rocks in his own houses on the door reads: Castle Peak Ha Wan Po Hu rocks. This is often said that stones Hall to Castle Peak, not knowing that he would be linked to the original desire, but the rocks of the elderly who come to visit more and more silent Aoyama ancient post road again sounded the footsteps of travelers … …
Xanadu is the dream of everyone yearning for the land, regardless of whether it really does exist in real life can not stop those looking for Shangri-la pace.
Aoyama is not a paradise, but it is my dream Aoyama Taoyuan, maybe one day I will return to his homeland of Poyang Lake and to build a house, back in accordance with mountains, facing the Po Hu season in … …
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Out of all the status-quo-sustaining fables we create out of military history, few are as enduring as Vietnam War myths. Desperate to cobble a pro-war cautionary tale out of a blood-soaked tragedy, we keep reimagining the loss in Southeast Asia not as a policy failure but as the product of an America that dishonored returning troops.
Incessantly echoed by Hollywood and Washington since the concurrent successes of the Rambo and Reagan franchises, this legend was the central theme of President Barack Obama's Memorial Day speech kicking off the government's commemoration of the Vietnam conflict.
"You were often blamed for a war you didn't start, when you should have been commended for serving your country with valor," he told veterans. "You came home and sometimes were denigrated, when you should have been celebrated. It was a national shame, a disgrace that should have never happened."
It's undeniable that chronic underfunding of the Veterans Administration unduly harmed Vietnam-era soldiers. However, that lamentable failure was not what Obama was referring to. As the president who escalated the Vietnam-esque war in Afghanistan, he was making a larger argument. Deliberately parroting Rambo's claim about "a quiet war against all the soldiers returning," he was asserting that America as a whole spat on soldiers when they came home -- even though there's no proof that this happened on any mass scale.
In his exhaustive book "The Spitting Image," Vietnam vet and College of the Holy Cross professor Jerry Lembcke documents veterans who claim they were spat on by antiwar protesters, but he found no physical evidence (photographs, news reports, etc.) that these transgressions actually occurred. His findings are supported by surveys of his fellow Vietnam veterans as they came home.
For instance, Lembcke notes that "a U.S. Senate study, based on data collected in August 1971 by Harris Associates, found that 75 percent of Vietnam-era veterans polled disagreed with the statement, 'Those people at home who opposed the Vietnam war often blame veterans for our involvement there'" while "94 percent said their reception by people their own age who had not served in the armed forces was friendly." Meanwhile, the Veterans' World Project at Southern Illinois University found that many Vietnam vets supported the antiwar protests, with researchers finding almost no veterans who "finish their service in Vietnam believing that what the United States has done there has served to forward our nation's purposes."
In the face of such data, why would the current president repeat the apocryphal myth about spat-on Vietnam veterans? Because -- never mind the facts -- it serves a purpose: to suppress protest and perpetuate the ideology of militarism.
This objective is achieved through the narrative's preposterous assumptions. Metaphorically, if not explicitly, the mythology equates antiwar activism with dishonoring the troops; implies that such protest is kryptonite to the Pentagon's Superman; and therefore insinuates that America loses wars not when policies are wrong, but when dissent is tolerated.
As political memes go, this 30-year Vietnam storyline has been wildly successful, helping presidents silence opposition to the Iraq War, the continued Afghanistan occupation, our expanding drone wars and, of course, our ever-increasing defense budgets.
Yet, as much as the propaganda is cast as a genuflection to veterans, it's anything but. For one thing, it ignores the fact that the many people enlist specifically to defend our freedoms -- among them the freedom to dissent. Additionally, in manufacturing falsehoods out of the painful Vietnam experience, it insults many Vietnam vets by writing their opposition to that war out of history. Unchecked, the mythology ultimately uses the revised history of yesteryear's soldiers to vaporize the very dissent that might prevent tomorrow's soldiers from facing another Vietnam-like quagmire.
That's not respectful or supportive of veterans; it's the opposite.
David Sirota columns are distributed by Creators Syndicate.
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This is a continuation of what I’ve been discussing in my previous post China and Tibet
The popular argument of being Chinese as being a multi ethnic identity that encompasses the 56 ethnic minorities of China is used by largely advocates of a “One China”. I agree with this use of this argument in the modern context where it is no different from the view of being American or Canadian. Therefore in this context the identity is one of a political nature where those who hold Chinese citizenship are therefore “Chinese”.
However the argument being used doesn’t only stop in the modern context, they argue that these various ethnic groups have always, or at least prior to the modern age, always been considered Chinese.
This is something I am not sold on.
Prior to modern times we didn’t have nationalism where people from whatever background are brought together under one national identity through the concept of a shared goal, struggle, or quality.
Therefore, prior to the modern age we don’t really see nationalism since the nationalist ideologies or sentiments are spread through modern inventions like mass media and modern communications. Instead, pre-modern people usually associated themselves under one title, group, or nation by means of a common language, ethnic identity, culture, or religion.
In China’s case the various ethnic groups never commonly shared any of these.
So if this argument of historical Chinese multi ethnic identity is true, then what was it about China that allowed it to be different in this aspect?
What was it that bound all these different ethnic groups together to view themselves as ‘Chinese’ or whatever other name they used to group themselves all together in?
I recognize that there could also be some political motivation behind the arguing of this view of China or being Chinese as encompassing those periphery peoples of China that many people don’t consider as “traditional China”. Then again, the same could be said about the opposite argument.
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U.S. Water News Online
TOPEKA, Kan. -- Colorado and Kansas officials say they are close to an agreement to replenish Arkansas River water lost to groundwater use in Colorado. Colorado has agreed to store replacement water in the John Martin Reservoir where it can be periodically released to Kansas.
As the result of a lawsuit won by Kansas against Colorado in the U.S. Supreme Court, users of high-capacity wells in the Arkansas Valley must buy water and send it downriver to Kansas to the groundwater used by their water wells. Kansas had argued in its lawsuit that the hundreds of wells drilled after the 1949 Arkansas River Compact take water that should flow to Kansas.
The breakthrough agreement was announced at a recent meeting of the Arkansas River Compact Administration.
While details remain to be worked out -- such as how much extra water Colorado will have to supply to make up for evaporation and seepage as the water travels to Kansas -- officials in both states seem to feel a formal agreement is in the making.
"There's a fair chance we'll be able to work something out," said Dave Robbins, one of the attorneys representing Colorado in the lawsuit.
Colorado officials say the proposed storage account at the John Martin Reservoir is needed by well users so they can store water when they get it. Kansas could release the water down the Arkansas River when needed.
Without the storage account, well users have to send water to Kansas whenever their water wells are taking water that should cross the state line into Kansas. Those amounts are hard to gauge and may result in Kansas getting water when it is not ready to use it, Colorado water officials have said.
Water officials from both states said they hope to reach a formal agreement sometime in February.
Return to the U.S. Water News Archives page
Return to the U.S. Water News Homepage
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The meanings of the two terms largely overlap. Frankly, when they are used together, I think it's pretty much a redundancy for emphasis. If you asked a salesman, "What are the most important features of your product?" versus "What are the most important features and characteristics of your product?", I would expect you would get the same answer either way.
We do this a lot in English. Sometimes a single word just seems too abrupt. So instead of saying, "When the letter arrived, Sally was happy", we might say "When the letter arrived, Sally was happy and joyful." Instead of just saying, "Bob is irresponsible", we'll say, "Bob is lazy and irreponsible." Etc. Sometimes the extra words arguably do add some shade of meaning, but often people add extra words that mean pretty much the same thing just for emphasis: instead of saying "she was very very happy", it sounds more literate to say "she was happy and joyful".
You wouldn't normally talk about the "features and characteristics" of a person. This is a phrase used to describe inanimate objects, usually some machine or gadget. If you asked, "What are Mary's features and characteristics?" it would sound quite strange, like you were describing here as a product that you were going to sell.
When talking about a person, "features" means his physical appearance. If someone asked, "What did you notice about Charly's features?" they would expect an answer like, "He has brown hair and a scar on his left wrist." Similarly if you ask about the "features" of a place, like, "What are the features of the Toutle River Valley?", they would expect you to describe physical (geographic) features, like "There's a hill on the north end, a deep gorge running most of the length," etc. But if you talk about the "features" of a product, you normally mean details about how it functions. If someone asked, "What are the main features of your new Whizbang 300 cell phone?", they wouldn't expect you to answer, "It's black and sort of rectangular", but more like, "It has a built-in GPS and a function to mask out background sounds when you call your wife from the bar."
If you talked about the "characteristics" of a person, that could mean anything about him, from "He has blue eyes" to "He is an excellent basketball player." I suppose you wouldn't use "characteristics" to describe something very temporary, like "He is sitting at his desk"; it would normally be used only to describe a fairly long-term attribute.
(Whew, that answer was longer than I intended.)
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how particular. specific, clearly defined and intended, isolated. the halting of chance or choice, by the enactment of choice. to narrow down and make singular or to remove ambiguity… or is that possible?
By Nick URL on 03.02.2011
I specifically requested the specification which specified the specific gravity of the new liquid species. Spectacular!
By fats URL on 03.02.2011
You couldn’t really say that it was either one thing or another. It was sort of round/square/oblong. it was very hard to describe in any kind of way to be specific.
By Molly Golver URL on 03.02.2011
I like to be specific and share lots of detail in my writing. If I am not specific then my writing i can be drab and boring. Look carefully
By sandy on 03.02.2011
“Be specific for once in your life Rachel!” He yelled at her. “You can’t get out of this one. You have to pick. Are you in this relationship or not?”
Rachel sat on the edge of the tub crying, as her husband yelled at her from the bedroom. she didn’t want to lose him, but she had cheated on him. They had been married for 3 years, and she had thrown the relationship away for one night with an old friend. As she thought about everything, her husband walked into the bathroom and kneeled by her.
“Listen, Rach. I love you, and I’m willing to forgive you, but you have to promise me you’re in this for the long haul.” He said as he took her hand in his. With his other hand he wiped a tear from her cheek. She stared into his green eyes and said
By Vikki URL on 03.02.2011
Be specific. What is it that I am supposed to be writing about specifically. The bears from the honey pots dream or the monsters with whom I’ve grown to know well. Please be more specific.
By Curtis Andersen URL on 03.02.2011
“More specific, Mr Potter. What exact spell would you use to counter [insert spell here]?”
Harry blinked for a moment, unsure of what he should say. On the one hand, Moody was the best DADA professor they’d had since Lupin. On the other…he had no idea how to counter [spell] other than a general shield. Shields were shields. At least, that’s what the book said.
By Kolya URL on 03.02.2011
By Amy URL on 03.02.2011
this is a slightly odd word…it doesn’t seem to sound like the actual meaning of it which is to be very detailed about something…it seems more like a word related to some sort of water body.
By nano on 03.02.2011
She bows her head in prayer, with eyes closed and a pure heart. She wanted to put some people in her prayers, but she wasn’t very specific. After all, God knows, right? Or did He want her to confess the one she cared for the most?
By A Bananie URL on 03.02.2011
be specific when you talk man
i hate it when you talk about nonsensical things
why cant you just be specific
be real with me
and speak from the heart
there was never meaning in a meaningless conversation
By tim on 03.02.2011
“Be specific, damnit!” The warlock exclaimed, making Alec laugh out loud at his own antics.
“It’s somewhere, in a place, and I put it there at a time. I swear on my own life.” He replied, bursting into giggles again.
By A Kitten in the Stars URL on 03.02.2011
things that are specific exact correct detailed important i dont know what else to say really pressure omg okay so its specific it means thats what you want most people arent very specifc when they ask for something from me
By mel on 03.02.2011
To the point and precise. Not just any horse. A black Arabian. Not just any pickle. A crinkle cut dill. Not just any little sister. A perfect little angel of one. ^_^
By Leigha URL on 03.02.2011
it wasnt the usual thing it was what she wanted, the only thing she wanted and it wasn’t there. She looked and looked, turning over furniture and ripping up carpets, she needed it like it was blood, thickly and with desperation.
By Lolly on 03.02.2011
I never know the specifics of the crap that drama causes. I never know the specifics on if a boy likes me or not. Why does everything have to be specific? I can’t understand why life can’t just be simpler. If you like someone you tell them and if you don’t you tell them that too. We should stop focusing on the details and specifics and look at the bigger picture.
By Natalie T on 03.02.2011
Wow, specific is about as general a word as you can get. Specifics can be given about just about anything. There can be specific emotions or specifics that relate to math and science. Words like dirt are not specific, but if you say silicon that is a specific word. If you say that building is a block it’s not specific, but if you say it’s a cube, 15ft on each side then it’s specific.
By Casi URL on 03.02.2011
I think there a lot of subjects where it is very easy to talk about your “personal opinions” in broad language. To the casual listener it may seem as if you’re being personal, when really you hide your truth behind the hugeness of these large opinions, but when you force specificity, that’s often when you see people where they are, or hear well crafted lies.
By Rob URL on 03.02.2011
too much, who can be so specific? why not be broad and allow others to think creatively and speak creatively to one another? Why can’t we allow ourselves the freedom to think freely, and allow others to do the same? Things don’t need to be tied down, or set in one place. We should allow each other room for growth and discover the word as we please. There are no need for specifics, just go!
By Samantha URL on 03.02.2011
“Be specific!” she said. “I need more information than that!” She slammed her fists on the table and started to pace around the room. “If I want to solve this case I need more information!” I stood in astonishment by her sudden outburst.
By Madeline R on 03.02.2011
Knowing. Going into detail. you have to describe a word but in so much detail to the point where you go beyond the definition. you tell a story, but go into detail of that story. you see a word, but go into detail of the word. you keep goign until you realize that you have reached the end of your detail and you cannot go further.
By Ellie P on 03.02.2011
Wow, I have no idea what to write….specific, specific.
Don’t be vague, be specific.
It rhymes with Pacific, and prolific.
By AG Stewart URL on 03.02.2011
The instructions were clear and constricting. We had to use five pens for one essay in two hours. Now, that’s not so bad. There had to be 1205 words and a prime number of syllables.
By Andy King URL on 03.02.2011
something specific about your lips i am trying to sound poetic, it may or may not be working. where is suzie ritolo when you need her? where is the dylan like muse, waiting in the corners trying not to peep? where did the colors go that
By Anna on 03.02.2011
when you mean something exactly how it is, or one certin even with out any other information on the side. you want the main part of something. i guess.
By gray on 03.02.2011
specifically what exactly? specifically who should i trust and how shall i know?? specifially what is the problem and who caused it?? i can think of no specific time or place when things stopped making sense. but its also intriguingly difficult to place a time if they ever began to make such sense..
By Caitlin URL on 03.02.2011
Exactly one thing. To the point. Not rambling. Detailed. Absolute.
By Elizabeth on 03.02.2011
Every little thing in each place. Completely conformed to the standards she set for the object. I would spill my juice as a kid, she would explode.
She would scream for at least eleven minutes and tear at her hair a bit. She did not scare me though. I was glad, that I could appreciate books and pudding cups and sweaters scattered on a carpet floor. I didn’t sigh in frustration when abstract art wasn’t symmetrical.
I wasn’t like mom.
By Yaline on 03.02.2011
i have specific reasons to not want to write about anything. I can’t think because I have a brand new baby. I can’t write because I am a new house wife and have to keep the house clean before my boyfriend gets home from a twelve hour day. I can’t write because I have no idea what I want to write about anymore; i used to write all the time, i used to have ideas, now i am old and out of time.
By Jami on 03.02.2011
Specific is a very specific word, not to be punny or obnoxious. Well I guess that specific just means to be particular. Like I don’t want to talk to the whole group of boys sitting on that couch, I just want to talk to one specific one. It is a word that means one special thing, idea, person or place; not a whole group and not a couple or several, just one.
By Emery on 03.02.2011
Having trouble being specific on my stupid essay. Maybe it would help if I specifically made some food. Mac & cheese. MAC & CHEEEEEEESE!!! Om nom nom. Nope, still can’t write it. Oh well.
By Kitten on 03.02.2011
I felt the growl rumble in my throat as I thrust him against the wall. His brown eyes widened in fear, maybe because my dark eyes had turned ice blue… maybe because this is the first time I let him see my fangs. “So you want to get specific on what you want from me? Specific on what you were going to do to me?” I hissed as I tightened my grasp around his throat. He started to squirm, he didn’t like not being the one in control. I smiled, a dimple playing at my cheek.
By Cat URL on 03.02.2011
I cannot think of anything Specifically.
right now i cannot think of anything but the situation that i put myself in
why did i chose to do this.
since when have i been a person to need something.
since when have i wanted someting this badly apparently
By Facadeoftruth URL on 03.02.2011
College is the extremely “specific” study of one field. One could study several specific fields from art to science. This may cost a lot of money but in some circumstances government aid is given
By Michael on 03.02.2011
I specifically know everything in this world. From education to religion; people think I am a “know-it-all” I say I’m confident.
By Imajay URL on 03.02.2011
We could be like a couple in an indie film–I’ll wear the cute sundress with a pair of nuetral colored oxfords and you can wear a tweed jacket with dark skinny jeans and horn-rimmed glasses as we walk through a pretty park singing along to the Smiths . A little too specific, but that’s all I want.
By audrey URL on 03.02.2011
Specific is good. It pays attention to detail. Specific detail. Just don’t be too specific all the time.
By Owen URL on 03.02.2011
How can I specific? They never know the answer. They always look at me like they don’t care. I’m tired of this specific shit. I don’t care. Figure it out yourself. Specific my ass for all I fucking care. I don’t make enough money for specific.
By Andrew URL on 03.02.2011
i dont know what to write about that word so im just gonna type about how i dont know what to type (: haha see im typing and about the topic but im not actually typing about it cuz i dont know what it is or what to say about it
By jessica andrews URL on 03.02.2011
Specific. Exactly how I am, and exactly how I want it. Everything tidy; everything in order. But it’s not. I look around and I see it all falling apart. I see the things that used to be so perfect, so clear, losing their specificity. And I lose it.
By Maria on 03.02.2011
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Most Active Stories
Mon December 12, 2011
Unpaid Bills Land Some Debtors Behind Bars
Although debtors' prisons are illegal across the country, it's becoming increasingly common for people to serve jail time as a result of their debt.
Collection agencies are resorting to some unusually harsh tactics to force people to pay their unpaid debt, some of whom aren't aware that lawsuits have been filed against them by creditors.
Take, for example, what happened to Robin Sanders in Illinois.
She was driving home when an officer pulled her over for having a loud muffler. But instead of sending her off with a warning, the officer arrested Sanders and she was taken right to jail.
"That's when I found out [that] I had a warrant for failure to appear in Macoupin County. And I didn't know what it was about."
Sanders owed $730 on a medical bill.
She says she didn't even know a collection agency had filed a lawsuit against her.
"They say they send out these court notices, and nobody gets them," Sanders says.
She spent four days in jail waiting for her father to raise $500 for her bail.
That money was then turned over to the collection agency.
Sanders' story is an increasingly common one across the country. Similar stories have been reported in Indiana, Tennessee and Washington.
Here's how it happens: a company will often sell off its debt to a collection agency, generally called a creditor. That creditor files a lawsuit against the debtor requiring a court appearance. A notice to appear in court is supposed to be given to the debtor. If they fail to show up, a warrant is issued for their arrest.
Beverly Yang, a legal aid attorney with Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance, says most debtors don't know their rights.
In fact, she says, some judges don't even know the debtors' rights, which could result in the debtor being intimidated into a pay agreement.
"I've seen this even when I'm standing in the court room as the legal aid attorney," Yang says, "The judge will ask if they can pay, how about $150 a month. How about $75 a month? How come you can't even pay $50 a month? Did you apply for a job last week?"
The Federal Trade Commission received more than 140,000 complaints related to debt collection in 2010. That's nearly 25,000 more than the previous year.
Yang says some creditors are eager to use harsh tactics. "Whatever the creditors, or the creditors' attorneys can do to leverage some kind of payment, it will help their profits enormously because they have, literally, millions of these."
Kevin Kelly, president of the Illinois Creditors Bar Association, says members of his organization only issue warrants in extreme situations.
"There's an assumption in what you're saying that we'd rather throw them in jail than work with them," he says. "And I don't find that to be true at all."
Sometimes it's the debtor who's keeping information from the collectors, Kelly says. That prevents important documents from getting to the right place.
He says most collectors want to make reasonable arrangements, but it's difficult when the vast majority don't respond to the notices sent to them.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan thinks more can be done. It's illegal in Illinois for people to be sent to jail because they're in debt. But Madigan thinks some creditors are abusing the law.
"You wouldn't be in that predicament if you didn't have debt," Madigan says, "But for being in debt, you wouldn't be in prison. And that essentially equates to being thrown in jail, debtors prison."
She says courts need to be certain they have correct information to serve notices. Madigan also says judges need to be properly educated in these proceedings to prevent a debtor from needlessly going to jail.
The Illinois Attorney General also says the state is investigating agencies that it thinks are abusing the law.
As for Sanders, she has a remaining balance of about $160 on her medical bill. But at least she now knows she won't have to go to jail for it.
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October 16, 2012
SHELBY, N.C. (AP) -- Health officials say one child has died and 37 others have been sickened in an E. coli outbreak tied to a North Carolina county fair.
The state Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that 22 children and 16 adults who attended the Cleveland County Fair have gotten sick. Spokeswoman Julie Henry says officials haven't identified the specific source of the bacteria.
Officials say a North Carolina child died last week and seven people have needed hospital treatment. Gaston County Health Director Chris Dobbins says three people are on dialysis and four developed a type of kidney failure.
The nine-day fair ended Oct. 7. Health officials say symptoms of E. coli infection could come up to 10 days after exposure and can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Sen. Barack Obama — locked in a tight presidential race against Sen. John McCain, widely considered a war hero — said in an interview broadcast Sunday that he once considered joining the military himself.This sounds awfully like Hillary Clinton's lame claim she wanted to enlist in the Marines.
Speaking to ABC's "This Week," Obama said, "You know, I had to sign up for Selective Service when I graduated from high school. And I was growing up in Hawaii, and I have friends whose parents were in the military. There are a lot of Army, military bases there. And I actually always thought of the military as an enobling and, you know, honorable option.
"But keep in mind — I graduated in 1979. The Vietnam War had come to an end. We weren't engaged in an active military conflict at that point. And so, it's not an option that I ever decided to pursue."
Obama needs to get his dates straight. I imagine his memory will soon be jogged.
More at LGF.
Update: Obama indeed did register in 1980. Via Hot Air.
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Sunday, May 6, 2012
Michael Dun has has a website on which he accounts for the British, Canadian, and American PoW's of the War of 1812.
There are some 15,000+ names covered on this website.
For example, in the Canadian section, he takes the book by C.H.J.Snider, Under the Red Jack: privateers of the Maritime Provinces of Canada in the War of 1812, and he gives a brief history of the ship, and lots of names, so it is worth a read.
In the bibliography, beside listing books which may interest you, there is also the Niles Weekly Register from Baltimore which gives an account of the American side of the war, and the Lloyd’s List, which covers the British part of the war.
The site is located at http://www.1812privateers.org/index.html
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This tweet, and this short blog response, have got me thinking about Europe, and what we mean when we talk about Europe. For me, when you say the word, I instinctively think of the EU. Some people, not so much. But how you define Europe affects the way you think, and so I’m just going to float some ideas which hopefully will get you thinking.
Europe as a continent/geographical area
This one is on shaky ground from the start, as the Eurasian land mass doesn’t have a particularly neat line between Europe and Asia. To the south-east, does Europe ‘stop’ at the Bosphorus? Are Turkey and Cyprus part of Europe? Slightly further afield, how do you deal with Russia, which spans a huge swathe of territory. What about Armenia? Azerbaijan? Looking north-west, is Iceland really part of Europe? There are no clear cut answers here.
Europe as a political-economic entity
Here, the EU is part of the equation – Europe is basically a group of capitalist democracies of various persuasions, and that’s about it. But past that, any further clarification is problematic. Are the Eurozone countries ‘more’ European than those outside? What about Switzerland and Norway, who remain outside the EU despite fitting the general ‘conditions’ outlined above? Even between similar countries, political and economic differences can be vast (eg France and the UK; Italy and Spain). Is Russia a ‘true’ democracy? Can any democracy claim it is a ‘true’ incarnation of that ideal?
Europe as values
Perhaps Europe is defined by values – a kind of ‘compassionate capitalism’ (though that term makes my Marxist blood boil), less brash and confrontational than that seen across the Atlantic in the US. But once more, there are problems. Using this definition, why restrict ‘Europeanness’ to a geographic area? Plenty of South American countries fit the mould. Why not allow them EU membership? (And yes, I am aware certain non-EU countries have observer status in various areas)
Europe as no-man’s-land
Across history, Europe has been a battlefield, both literally and politically. Throughout the Cold War, Europe was a political battlefield between communism and capitalism, even if the armed struggles were generally conducted elsewhere on the globe, where life was cheaper and infrastructure less important. Europe, where cultures clash and mix, where geopolitical conflicts are decided. But this has faults, too. The Cold War was global, even if the decisive final stroke fell in Eastern Europe, and advances in technology and communication have made the world smaller, reducing Europe’s strategic importance.
What do you think? Do you think of Europe in any of the ways mentioned above? Is Europe impossible to define without clarifying the scope of the question? Do you think of Europe in a completely different sense?
At the end of all this, I’m certainly no closer to answering the question in the title. What the hell is Europe?
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STILL WAITING: Confidence in the economy is hard to quantify, say Exchange Bank executives, and any reinstatement of the Doyle Scholarship 'will certainly not be this year.'
Despite 10 quarters of profit, Exchange Bank still hasn't reinstated the Doyle Scholarship. What would Frank Doyle do?
By Jay Scherf
Meet Frank Doyle. Many Santa Rosans point to him as the city's best-remembered resident: the second president of Exchange Bank, the "Father of the Golden Gate Bridge" and the founder of Doyle Park. If Santa Rosa had had a best hair award, Doyle probably would have claimed that title as well, with his curling faux-hawk.
Doyle's life was a long list of civic achievements, crowned by the Santa Rosa Junior College scholarship he established in his will. Until its 2009 suspension, the Doyle Scholarship, funded by dividends from Exchange Bank, was the largest scholarship in the California Community College system by a wide margin. The SRJC recognized Doyle's contributions by naming its new library in his honor.
However, Doyle's most famous gift is not operating smoothly in 2011. Though Exchange Bank has posted its 10th consecutive quarter of profit and is on pace to make $12 million in net profit this year, the bank's dividends, the sole source of funding for the scholarship, remain suspended indefinitely without clear conditions for reinstatement. In the meantime, the Doyle Trust Fund trustees have received sizable compensation, and according to some, may have breached their fiduciary duties; and the SRJC and SRJC Foundation play a passive and uninformed role, despite representing the beneficiaries of a multimillion-dollar fund.
Frank Doyle created the Doyle Trust Fund in his will, giving the fund 50.39 percent of the bank's stock and the task of distributing dividends to the SRJC for scholarships. Though the prevailing community view sees the Doyle Scholarship as a benevolent gift from Exchange Bank, Bruce DeCrona, the bank's chief operating officer, writes in an email interview that the Doyle Trust Fund is "a separate legal entity" from Exchange Bank. Javier Rivera, a student adviser in the scholarship department at SRJC, confirms that the Doyle Scholarship is a gift to the community from Doyle, not a gift from Exchange Bank.
Questions of entitlement arise as the bank enters its third year of dividend suspension. When the housing bubble burst in 2008, Exchange Bank suffered huge losses, mostly as a "result of a risky bet on builders in the Sacramento region," according to a 2008 front-page Press Democrat article. The losses sent Exchange Bank's stock plummeting. From 2007 to 2009, the Doyle Trust Fund watched its net assets drop from $114 million to $33 million; they've grown relatively little since then. In 2008, the bank put dividend payments, the sole source of funding for the scholarship, into indefinite suspension.
Exchange Bank uses three criteria to determine dividend reinstatement: a return to profitability; reduction of nonperforming assets to $30 million; and confidence in the local economy. According to DeCrona, the bank's nonperforming assets stand at $52 million.
The confidence criterion, though, is "hard to quantify" and "nebulous," says DeCrona, and as such, leaves dividend reinstatement subject to the directors' discretion. DeCrona cites high local unemployment, struggling local businesses and the possibility of a double-dip recession to indicate the bank is not yet confident, and says that dividend reinstatement "will certainly not be this year."
In the meantime, SRJC waits submissively.
"We don't question anything. We don't know anything about what's going on," says Rivera in the SRJC scholarship department.
Indeed, at SRJC, Doyle information is scarce. Doug Roberts, vice president of business services, referred this reporter to the scholarship department for Doyle data. Rivera subsequently referred me to Kris Shear, director of student financial services. Shear then referred me back to Roberts. Neither Shear nor Rivera knew whether or not a trust attorney represents the SRJC. The Bohemian reported in 2009 that this lack of legal representation is "unusual" for a fund of such magnitude.
"I have no idea," Shear says. Shear has "never thought about" the SRJC's representation in the trust fund, or if the fund is at all accountable to the SRJC.
"No idea," Rivera says. To Rivera, it seems like the beneficiaries of the fund should have "more of a say in what's going on."
In a follow-up interview, Roberts confirmed that the SRJC remains unrepresented by any trust attorneys. "We have really nothing to do with the trust, except thanking them," Roberts says.
While the college is relegated to soliciting donations from local businesses for the Bridging the Doyle scholarship—a fraction of the original Doyle—the trustees of the Doyle Trust Fund have fared better. In 2007, the three trustees received $87,500 each for their reported 12 hours of weekly work, according to the Doyle Trust Fund's tax report.
Bill Reinking, chief executive officer of Exchange Bank and a Doyle Trustee as of April 2010, writes in an email interview that trustee duties include meeting a minimum of once per month to monitor the bank's direction and staying current on charitable trust legislation. Doyle's will also allows trustees to appoint themselves to Exchange Bank's board of directors to "ensure a conservative management of affairs" of the bank. In addition to Reinking, the current trustees include Jim Ryan and Dan Benedetti.
In 2009, the latest year for which the nonprofit Guidestar posts the Doyle Trust Fund's tax information, trustee compensation and legal fees alone amounted to $487,649. There were no dividends to distribute to the SRJC that year, yet each trustee still received $45,000 from Exchange Bank for sitting on the bank's board of directors.
Neither Shear, Rivera nor Roberts were aware of the trustees' compensation rates.
In comparison, the Trust Fund's total contributions to the SRJC Foundation the year prior were $1.6 million, and the scholarship amount varied between $1,000 and $1,800 per student each year. The entire Bridging the Doyle scholarship—which Exchange Bank and the Doyle Trust take no part in organizing—has averaged just under $200,000 per year in the last three years, and it's quickly shrinking.
The terms of Doyle's trust mandate that the Doyle Trust Fund hold only Exchange Bank stock; without the bank's dividends, though, the Doyle Trust Fund is left without income. Investment portfolios with only one stock are "high-risk," says Clark Matthiessen, a financial adviser at Redwood Credit Union. Matthiessen compares single-stock portfolios to putting all of one's eggs in one basket; diversifying an investment portfolio leads to a "smoother ride" and a "more positive investment experience," he says.
Doyle was not necessarily against temporary suspensions of the scholarship—dividends were suspended during the Great Depression for nearly 10 years. However, diversifying the Doyle Trust Fund is more complicated. Doyle's will prohibits the Doyle Trust Fund from selling its stock, which is a controlling interest in Exchange Bank. This was Doyle's way of assuring that the bank would not be sold.
In a 2009 Bohemian article, trust attorney Kim Marois reiterated that Doyle's will forbids the sale of Exchange Bank stock, and therefore diversification. In an interview for this article, local trust attorney Charles Stark agreed. On a side note, Marois received $156,207 from the Doyle Trust Fund for legal services the year of her interview, and Stark is an acquaintance of Reinking and attends Exchange Bank social functions.
In contacting legal counsel distant from Exchange Bank, however, the conversation changes.
"What you are describing can well be considered a breach of fiduciary duty," writes Philadelphia estate attorney Dimitry Alexander Kaplun, in an email interview. Because the trustees sitting on the bank's board of directors may have failed to "ensure a conservative management of affairs" of Exchange Bank (as mandated by Doyle's will), and their failure contributed to the drop of the Trust Fund's assets, the affected beneficiaries "may seek a breach claim," Kaplun says.
As for the terms forbidding diversification, Kaplun says that "such relaxation of clauses is fairly common in charitable trusts" because acceptable administration practices change over time.
The Uniform Prudent Investor Act is an appropriate example. Enacted in the California Probate Code in 1995, it states that "a trustee shall invest and manage trust assets as a prudent investor would" and "the trustee has a duty to diversify the investments of the trust." Though the UPIA allows the creator of the trust flexibility, the state of California didn't adopt its guidelines until nearly 50 years after Doyle's death.
Santa Cruz attorney Tim Morgan confirms that the condition of the Doyle Trust Fund may merit amending the trust document.
Because "the underlying asset has radically lost value," Morgan "could see a court striking that restriction [against diversification] out of concern for the beneficiaries, who are now being harmed by that restriction," he writes in an email interview.
Regardless, Exchange Bank's lack of confidence in the local economy will prevent the Doyle from returning anytime soon if it continues to operate under its current provisions. With every class of SRJC students who transfer or finish certificate programs, the name Doyle fades to letters on a placard, and administrators continue to think wishfully that the scholarship will return the next semester.
The question remains: Why hasn't the community reacted to the stagnant status of the Doyle Scholarship?
"Because Frank Doyle's not here," Rivera says. "He'd be taking care of this in a different manner."
Note: This article has been corrected to reflect proper criteria Exchange Bank uses to determine reinstatement of dividends.
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What is an immigrant visa?
Author: Maria Aguila, Law Office of Maria Aguila, PL
An immigrant visa is a document issued by a US consular officer abroad that allows a non-US citizen to travel to the US and apply for admission as a legal permanent resident (LPR). An individual may become a legal permanent resident usually through a family member, employer, special immigration category, or diversity visa program.
In most cases, an employer sends an application to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for the foreign national employee to become an LPR and obtain a green card. Once an individual is admitted as an LPR, he or she generally has the right to live and work permanently in the US.
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Among the ways in which freedom is being chipped away in Europe, one of the less obvious is the legislation of memory. More and more countries have laws saying you must remember and describe this or that historical event in a certain way, sometimes on pain of criminal prosecution if you give the wrong answer. What the wrong answer is depends on where you are. In Switzerland, you get prosecuted for saying that the terrible thing that happened to the Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman empire was not a genocide. In Turkey, you get prosecuted for saying it was. What is state-ordained truth in the Alps is state-ordained falsehood in Anatolia.People who indulge in this kind of high-minded overreach by criminalizing particular memories, policies, and thoughts they consider beyond the pale seem to have forgotten the lessons of Stalinism, Maoism, and religious wars of all ages. (I don't mean to let off the Nazis, who criminalized irredeemable status offenses—being Jewish, Gypsy, Slav, homosexual, genetically disabled, etc.—for which there was no possibility of reeducation, only eventual extermination.)
This week a group of historians and writers, of whom I am one, has pushed back against this dangerous nonsense. In what is being called the "Appel de Blois", published in Le Monde last weekend, we maintain that in a free country "it is not the business of any political authority to define historical truth and to restrict the liberty of the historian by penal sanctions". And we argue against the accumulation of so-called "memory laws". First signatories include historians such as Eric Hobsbawm, Jacques Le Goff and Heinrich August Winkler. It's no accident that this appeal originated in France, which has the most intense and tortuous recent experience with memory laws and prosecutions. It began uncontroversially in 1990, when denial of the Nazi Holocaust of the European Jews, along with other crimes against humanity defined by the 1945 Nuremberg tribunal, was made punishable by law in France - as it is in several other European countries. In 1995, the historian Bernard Lewis was convicted by a French court for arguing that, on the available evidence, what happened to the Armenians might not correctly be described as genocide according to the definition in international law.
19 October 2008
TGA on Criminalizing Memory
In last Thursday's Guardian, Timothy Garton warns, "The freedom of historical debate is under attack by the memory police: Well-intentioned laws that prescribe how we remember terrible events are foolish, unworkable and counter-productive":
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October 21, 2009
Patty Wagstaff is a acrobatic air show performer and was the first woman to win the title of US National Aerobatic Champion. For the past eight years, she has helped train pilots in the Kenya Wildlife Service. Wagstaff joins CNN correspondent Miles O’Brien, who documented her in Africa, tonight for a lecture at the Air and Space Museum. Wagstaff talked to us about flying, the dangers of wildlife flying and how she feels about being in the museum.
How did you get started flying?
Well, my dad was a pilot, so I grew up around aviation. He flew for Japan Airlines. My mom would take me to the airport when I was really little, and I would watch him take off. I’ve been around it my whole life. I always loved airplanes. It was neat because my mom encouraged me to love airplanes. I remember her taking me out to the San Francisco International airport when the first jets took off. They must have been 707s. She had me watch them. I didn’t learn to fly until I moved to Alaska. I was in my late 20s. It had always been my dream to learn. I took lessons, and I just kept going.
You’re primarily an acrobatic pilot, what was the first trick you learned?
I think the first thing we did was a loop and then a roll. Most people learn loops, rolls and spins as the basics.
How do you do those moves?
A loop is a vertical circle. So, you pull the airplane up and you go straight up and then over the top and then make a big circle in the sky. A roll is where you roll the airplane, but it’s on a horizontal plane. You do a little 360, but it’s horizontal. The plane goes over on its back, so you’re inverted, and then it comes back around. They aren’t hard to learn, but they’re hard to do really well.
How did you get involved with the Kenya Wildlife Services?
I was invited to come over and participate in the training program that a man named Dr. Bill Clark had started. It was really his idea. The accident rate was very high at the time, and so they really needed a way to cut back on the accidents. His feeling was that if the pilots learned precision in their flying that their accident rate would drop. And it has. We’ve been doing this since 2001 and just having recurrency training for the pilots has made a big difference.
What exactly is recurrency training?
Recurrency training is just ongoing training. You always need to get training for it. It’s easy to develop bad habits and it’s easy to get sloppy in your flying when you don’t have somebody looking over your shoulder. Even the best pilots, or the most experienced pilots, still get training once in a while. Airline pilots have check flights every six months to keep them in top shape.
What makes the flying that they do in Kenya so difficult?
It’s one of those types of flying that is higher risk by nature. They’re flying alone most of the time in wilderness areas. They don’t have anybody looking over their shoulder, so they really have to maintain that kind of precision on their own. The conditions are rough. There are things that are there that we don’t have here. Things like elephants on the runway, zebras on the runway. Animals run out when you’re not expecting them, things like that. There are more hazards in that wilderness type flying than there are in just going from A to B. Just about everything you can throw at a pilot gets thrown at them. They’re dealing with some pretty high-risk situations.
One of your planes is on display at the Air and Space Museum. How does that feel?
It’s amazing to me. I’ll never really process it I think. Actually it’s pretty cool. The plane just came out of the Pioneers [of Flight] gallery, and it’s hanging in the hallway. I went and saw it last week when I was in town. It’s hanging upside-down. It looks like it’s flying. It’s a really great spot.
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THE FETID PIT HISTORY AND AREA MAP
The Fetid Pit is a great air shaft leading from the weather deck of the Apollyon, deep into the vessel's holds. Air shafts are common on the upper decks, but only a few great shafts reach as deep as the Pit. Philosophers and architectural augers suspect that the Fetid Pit is in fact one of only eight such deep shafts, arranged in pairs along the entire length of the worldship. Indeed the Pit is over three hundred feet across and thousands of feet deep, running at least to Deck 14, a region known to be flooded before halting at what is presumed to be a a sealed hatch. The Pit makes a poor access shaft to the upper reaches of the ship, as for the first several hundred feet it is frequently blocked by gigantic ventilation blades that slowly rotate turning what little light reaches right hundred feet into the shaft gray and dappled. Additionally the upper shaft is known to be home to colonies of giant predatory pigeons, Merrow Men, wind elementals, automatons and at least one outsider noble and its entourage.
The entrance closest to civilized holdings is located on Deck 8, starboard of the Promenade. the pit forms a natural defensive point, and Sterntown has managed to take advantage of the air the flows from above while heavily fortifying the Port side rim of the Fetid Pit with a series of Steward manned towers, bunkers and blockhouses. The pit did not always represent a bulwark against encroaching darkness. One hundred years ago there were agricultural stations, using the light and damp of the Pit to producing abundant food mushrooms and even some fruits and vegetables, where mirror apparatus could focus enough light to make such luxuries grow. In the centuries before that the long stair supposedly winding down the side of the pit was a busy trade route between Sterntown (then a sleepy farming and fishing community) and the Black Gangs fabled factory city. The entire walls of the pit were once fecund with food plants and terraced into a vertical parkland, with caravans of traders winding up and down the stairs. Some remnants of these days undoubtedly remain, fragments of lost plenty amidst the festering slime and corroded that fall away towards the murky depth of the vessel. Now and for most of living memory the fetid Pit has been a dump, a place to pitch the useless waste, and most vile trash of Sterntown so that it drops soundlessly from memory. The Vory are said to use it to dispose of bodies, and the Stewards rumored to exile those they cannot kill but wish to torment into the Pit, or worse keep them trapped in cages dangling over its vastness, prey to the swarms of insects and predatory fungus that thrive in the Pit's wet environment.
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Obama’s victory gives NGLTF conference air of elation, but other losses bring in an undertone of gloom
DENVER — There’s a party mood at the nation’s largest gathering of gay activists after the inauguration of President Barack Obama. But amid the cheers is plenty of talk about what went wrong last year when anti-gay ballot measures passed, and concern that the economy has overshadowed gay-rights questions.
Some 2,000 members of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force erupted in whoops and applause whenever the president was mentioned, with the group’s head quipping that the name "Obama" will make an easy applause line before gay crowds for months to come.
But conference members also hunkered down to talk about their failures last year: Four anti-gay ballot measures that passed even as the nation voted for what organizers call the most gay-friendly president in history.
"We know that our moment has arrived," proclaimed the task force’s president, Rea Carey.
But Carey said the top priorities of gay activists — passage of a federal nondiscrimination employment law for sexual identity and repeal of the military’s "Don’t ask, don’t tell" policy among others — will have to wait until Obama and ruling Democrats deal with an economy in shambles.
"We’re not worried we’ll be left behind by the economy. Because we’re affected by this, too," Carey said.
If the group struck an optimistic tone about prospects in Washington, though, there was hand-wringing about setbacks at the state level. In California, voters overturned a state Supreme Court ruling allowing gay marriage. Arkansas, Arizona and Florida also adopted measures banning either gay marriage or gay adoption.
Conference attendees hashed out a long list of mistakes they made last fall: Not picking the right television ads in California. Relying too heavily on pollsters in Florida. Disagreement over whether campaign tactics were "too gay" in Arkansas.
In all states, activists conceded they weren’t sure how to fight religious arguments made by their opponents.
"Marriage is a hard issue. It’s not an academic question for most people, especially when they’re standing at the ballot box," said Barbara McCullough-Jones, executive director of Equality Arizona.
McCullough-Jones led an unsuccessful effort last year to defeat a same-sex marriage ban in Arizona. McCullough-Jones called the campaign "kind of a butt-kick."
The head of Florida Equality agreed that gay activists have a tough task combating emotional appeals from gay-rights opponents. Nadine Smith said academic arguments, such as appeals not to mess with the state constitution, fail against scary images of gay stereotypes.
"We connect with people in the head, and then they punch them in the solar plexus emotionally," Smith said.
The glum undertone carried through much of the conference. One session featured a psychologist from the University of Colorado talking about how to recover from political gay-bashing during divisive ballot debates.
Carey tried to rally the activists, telling them marriage equality is inevitable, though it’ll take work. She urged activists not to give up fighting, or turn against each other. She particularly called for an end to gay complaints in California that black voters were to blame for the proposition’s approval.
"The blaming of African-American voters was wrong, despicable and inexcusable," said Carey, who called on gay activists to "confront our own racism."
Activists at the conference seemed upbeat about their prospects, despite the losses in four states. They talked about the rising number of openly gay elected officials
"It’s a balance of defeat and optimism," said Rickke Mananzala, head of FIERCE, a New York-based activist group.
On the Net: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, www.thetaskforce.org
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DeVoto Wrote Better Than He Drank
In his Spirits column ["Stirrings of a Better Martini," Food, Feb. 4], Jason Wilson was dismissive of critic and historian Bernard DeVoto's opinions on dry martinis and other libations, and he concluded: "Well, at least no one reads him anymore."
A week ago, I pulled from my bookshelf a somewhat decayed copy of DeVoto's "The Year of Decision: 1846," first published in 1942. I have been enjoying it immensely. DeVoto wrote of that eventful year in which the "manifest destiny" of the United States to become an ocean-to-ocean continental power began to be realized. He wove his history in a novelistic style around the lives of the persons prominently (and not so prominently) involved in the events of that era. The huge cast of actors and commentators includes President James Polk, Joseph Smith, Winfield Scott, Francis Parkman, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, mountain man Jim Clyman and simple emigrants, many of whom died on that arduous trek to California or Oregon.
His style was witty, sardonic and engaging. I note that DeVoto subsequently won a Pulitzer Prize for his 1947 volume, "Across the Wide Missouri." His judgments on martinis may have been flawed, but if "no one reads him anymore," they have missed some fine writing.
FRANCIS G. HAAS
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[Reproduced from Google Mobile Blog]
Increasingly, people are using mobile phones to access information — from email to web browsing to editing documents. Part of getting work done on the go is being able to easily access, edit and share content, which is why we’re happy to announce the new Google Docs app for Android.
With this new app it’s easy to filter and search for your content across any Google account, then jump straight into editing docs using the online mobile editors. The app also allows you to easily share items with contacts on your phone, right from within the app.
The Docs app also allows you to upload content from your phone and open documents directly from Gmail. You can also add a widget to your home screen for easy access to three core tasks: jumping to your starred documents, taking a photo to upload, or creating a new document with one tap.
And my favorite feature: Using the app and your phone’s camera, you can turn photos with text into editable Google documents with the power of optical character recognition (OCR). Just create a new ‘Document from Photo' or select the camera icon from the widget, and your converted document will appear in your documents list shortly after you snap the picture. You can also convert photos already stored on your phone by sharing them with the Google Docs app. OCR does a pretty good job capturing unformatted text in English but won't recognize handwriting or some fonts – stay tuned, it will get better over time!
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Category Archives: Cultural, gender, racial, religious and ethnic barriers
Keon L. Gilbert, DrPH, MA, MPA, is an assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral Science & Health Education at St. Louis University's College for Public Health and Social Justice. As a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Connections grantee, his research focuses on the social and economic conditions structuring disparities in the health of African American males. His work seeks to identify sources of individual, cultural, and organizational social capital to promote health behaviors, and health care access and utilization, to advance and improve the health and well-being of African American males. This is part of a series of posts looking at diversity in the health care workforce.
I became a public health professional because I recognized a need to find opportunities and strategies to prevent the chronic diseases I saw silently killing African Americans in the community where I grew up. I vividly recall as a child the whispers surrounding the deaths of community members about cancer, diabetes (or sugar-diabetes, as it is commonly referred to in many communities still today), heart attacks, and strokes. I knew there was stigma and fear, but never heard of programs, interventions, or opportunities to stop these trends.
My interest in addressing these problems led me to pursue summer programs and internships during high school that allowed me to witness amputations of uncontrolled diabetic patients who had a range of clinical and social co-morbid conditions. Many of these amputees were living in poverty, they had Medicare or Medicaid, and the majority happened to be African American. This experience raised the question about prevention: How could I prevent African American men and women from having amputations? I never heard this conversation around prevention in my community. Many people seemed to accept the reality of developing these chronic conditions as a fate that could not be controlled.
I knew there had to be another way.
Male Entry into a Discipline Not Designed to Accommodate Gender: Making Space for Diversity in Nursing
Michael R. Bleich, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Maxine Clark and Bob Fox dean and professor at the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College in St. Louis, Mo. He is an alumnus of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Executive Nurse Fellows program (2000-2002).
With help from co-authors Brent MacWilliams, PhD, ANP, and Bonnie Schmidt, PhD(c), RN, in our recent American Journal of Nursing article summarizing research on men in nursing—and further inspired by a manuscript by Dena Hassouneh, PhD, ANP, entitled Anti-Racist Pedagogy: Challenges Faced by Faculty of Color in Predominantly White Schools of Nursing in the July 2006 issue of the Journal of Nursing Education—I am in a reflective place. After a nearly 40-year journey as a male in nursing, I now realize the discipline was never designed for me.
"Why did the faculty not do more to buffer me from faculty who were overtly gender-disparaging? Why were the gloves in procedural kits always sized for smaller hands?"
That is not to say that I have not had a fabulous career, worked with the finest colleagues one could imagine, or had opportunities that provided continuous challenge and opportunity. But as a discipline, nursing has had its broad shifts. Florence Nightingale was a master of evidence-based practice and spent a lifetime elevating nursing to a discipline in a world that was political, gender-biased against women, scientifically evolving, caste-oriented, and more. The gift of structure, process, and outcomes she gave nursing are irreplaceable.
Human Capital News Roundup: Testing for genetic conditions, discussing spirituality with patients, using emergency rooms, and more.
Around the country, print, broadcast and online media outlets are covering the groundbreaking work of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) leaders, scholars, fellows and grantees. Some recent examples:
Patient-centered end-of-life care leads to happier patients who are in less pain and whose care costs less, RWJF/U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Clinical Scholar Jonathan Bergman, MD, and his colleagues write in the journal JAMA Surgery. Such care is already provided, the Los Angeles Times reports, at the UCLA Health System, where urology residents are receiving education about end-of-life care, and at the West L.A. Veterans Affairs Medical Center where researchers are integrating palliative care into cancer treatment.
The current system used to evaluate the appropriateness of emergency department visits—and sometimes to deny payment—is flawed, according to a study co-authored by RWJF Physician Faculty Scholars alumna Renee Hsia, MD, MSc, because it only takes into account a patient’s discharge diagnosis (for example, acid reflux), which is often not the reason they originally presented at the ER (chest pain). The researchers warn this could have serious implications, including dissuading patients from using the ER even when their symptoms indicate that they should, United Press International reports.
Susan Wolf, JD, recipient of an RWJF Investigator Award in Health Policy Research, spoke to the Boston Globe about new recommendations from a national organization of genetics specialists that “urge doctors who sequence a patient’s full set of genes for any medical reason to also look for two dozen unrelated genetic conditions, and to tell the individual if they find any of those conditions lurking in the DNA.” All of the genetic mutations on the list are rare, but some indicate an increased risk of cancer or heart disease. In some cases, the genetic results could also indicate that the patients' blood relatives have increased risk, as well.
Though it remains a predominantly female profession, a new study from the U.S. Census Bureau finds that the percentage of nurses who are male more than tripled from 1970 to 2011, from 2.7 percent to 9.6 percent.
The Census Bureau’s Men in Nursing Occupations also finds the proportion of male licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses increased, from 3.9 percent to 8.1 percent. Men's representation was highest among nurse anesthetists (41%).
“The aging of our population has fueled an increasing demand for long-term care and end-of-life services," said the report's author, Liana Christin Landivar, a sociologist in the Census Bureau's Industry and Occupation Statistics Branch, said in a news release about the study. “A predicted shortage has led to recruiting and retraining efforts to increase the pool of nurses. These efforts have included recruiting men into nursing.”
The study also found that men typically earn more in nursing fields than women, but not by as much as they do across all occupations. Male nurses earned an average of $60,700 in 2011—16 percent more than the average earnings for female nurses, which was $51,100. The difference in earnings is due partly to the concentration of men in higher-paid nursing occupations, like nurse anesthetics. “Men have typically enjoyed higher wages and faster promotions in female-dominated occupations,” the study says, a phenomenon known as the “glass escalator” effect.
The American Indian Physicians and Association of American Medical Colleges will host a Cross Cultural Medicine Workshop, March 1-3 in Washington, D.C. The workshop is designed to provide physicians, faculty, medical students, health care professionals, and others with a greater understanding of Western and Traditional Medicine in order to enhance their cultural competence.
Participants will learn to identify strategies to improve cultural competency and communication between American Indian/Alaska Native patients and health care professionals, and learn about the role of traditional healers and the American Indian/Alaska Native approaches to healing and health.
The Association of American Medical Colleges provides technical assistance to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Summer Medical and Dental Education Program.
Learn more and register here.
The New York Academy of Medicine is the National Program Office for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars program, which works to reduce population health disparities and improve the health of all Americans. The New York Academy recently conducted a survey of 17 thought leaders in primary care and population health. In the second of five blog posts, we share a synthesis of what those leaders had to say. All quotes are printed with permission.
Challenges in the Urban Context: Discussants converged upon care fragmentation and community diversity as the most difficult challenges associated with working in urban settings. There may be enormous heterogeneity within populations in urban areas with respect to racial, ethnic, and sociodemographic characteristics. Subgroups may vary with regard to exposures, behaviors, and values. The sense of community that can be essential to leveraging social groups may not necessarily be present or uniform throughout a geographic area, necessitating multiple tailored communication strategies. Even between cities, there is significant heterogeneity, such that non-clinical interventions may be less transferable than, say, a chronic disease model.
Communities that do exist may not necessarily conform to geographic boundaries, and the geopolitical boundaries and layers of jurisdiction in place may mean little to those communities. This changes how confident clinical systems can be for outreach and aspects of care that might reach beyond the office, and in general it can be particularly challenging to know what services are being provided for a patient, where, and by whom. This accountability problem makes it easier for high-risk patients to fall through the cracks.
-- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in a speech to the Medical Committee for Human Rights, 1966
Nalo Hamilton, PhD, RN, WHNP/ANP-BC, is an assistant professor of nursing at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing; and Cheryl Woods Giscombé, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Both are Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars.
The New Year has begun and for some 2013 marks a time of celebration and progress, while for others it is a time of uncertainty and despair. As we pause to remember the rich contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we should also reflect on how his legacy can be used to eliminate the health care disparities that so disturbingly affect the underserved and underrepresented in our nation today.
The World Health Organization has determined that geographic locale, ethnicity, education, environmental stress, and access to a health care system are social determinants of health and health inequities. These factors are influenced by the disparate distribution of resources, wealth, and power.
In the United States:
- African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans have rates of diabetes that far exceed those in non-Hispanic whites.
- African American women are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer compared to white women and have the highest rate of mortality.
- Native Americans report more alcohol consumption and binge drinking than other racial/ethnic groups.
- Hispanic males age 20 or younger have the highest prevalence of obesity compared to non-Hispanic whites and African Americans.
- African American men and women are more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than non-Hispanic whites.
- Infant mortality occurs in African Americans 1.5 to 3 times more than in other races or ethnicities.
By Elizabeth A. Kostas-Polston, PhD, ARNP, WHNP-BC, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Nurse Faculty Scholar and assistant professor, University of South Florida; and Versie Johnson-Mallard, PhD, MSMS, ARNP, WHNP-BC, RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholar alumna and assistant professor, University of South Florida.
On November 14, 2012, we met a princess. No, we were not at Disneyworld or Disneyland. The princess was beautiful, talented and focused on making a difference in her country for girls and women. The princess’s name is Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, her Royal Highness of Thailand. We met her when we were invited to Thailand to present at the International Council on Women’s Health Issues (ICOWHI) 19th International Congress on Women’s Health 2012: Partnering for a Brighter Global Future.
During the conference we unveiled our national/international initiative, The Blue Bra Campaign: Leading Global Change in Women’s Health. The Blue Bra Campaign is housed at the University of South Florida College of Nursing, under our leadership. The name for the campaign was inspired from an international event that occurred in 2011, when a young Egyptian woman was beaten, stomped on and nearly stripped while participating in a political demonstration. Aside from the sheer brutality inflicted upon her by Egyptian police, what stood out to millions viewing the nightmare as it unfolded on international television was the young woman’s abaya falling open to reveal a lacey, bright-blue bra. That moment was so unexpected, so shocking—so transforming! The young woman, covered from head to toe in traditional dress, refused to remain invisible demonstrating her femininity through her choice of undergarment—a blue bra!
Time to Understand and Eliminate the Destructive Racial Disparities that Plague Our Health Care System
Gaurdia Elane Banister, RN, PhD, is executive director of the Institute for Patient Care at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and an alumna of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Executive Nurse Fellows program. This post is part of the "Health Care in 2013" series.
Historically, it seems that we are a country that takes a step forward only to take two steps back. Consider that May will mark 59 years since our schools were desegregated, yet it required the efforts of the National Guard to allow the “Little Rock Nine” entry into Central High School three years after this declaration. In July we will mark 49 years since President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, one-month after which the bodies of three civil rights workers were found in shallow grave. And, of course, the 20th of this month will mark four years since we inaugurated our first African-American President of the United States, though our health care system is still woefully deficient in providing care to minority groups.
The Affordable Care Act, in many ways, addresses the grave disparities that exist in health care due to race and ethnicity. Extending coverage to the nearly 46 million uninsured Americans—more than half of whom are minorities—will address a serious need, but this act alone will not begin to resolve the larger issue at hand.
Gabriel Rincon, DDS, is the founding executive director of Mixteca Organization, Inc., in Brooklyn, N.Y., which provides a broad scope of health and education programs, including literacy and computer classes, English-language courses, and afterschool programs, to thousands of Hispanic New Yorkers each year. He is also a 2011 recipient of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Community Health Leader Award. The Human Capital Blog asked Rincon to reflect on his experience as an RWJF Community Health Leader.
Human Capital Blog: How did you come to found the Mixteca Organization?
Gabriel Rincon: In the 1990s distribution of information about AIDS was on the rise in developed nations such as the United States, but in immigrant communities—particularly Hispanic ones—levels of HIV/AIDS infection and general ignorance of the disease was still high. The City of New York was one of the locations with the highest number of Hispanics infected with HIV/AIDS. In 1991, I witnessed the lack of information available in Spanish. I decided in 1992 to take action by designing a slide presentation and organizing talks about HIV/AIDS, signs and symptoms its risks, forms of prevention, and treatments. With the use of a portable projector and informational pamphlets, I made presentations in factories, churches, houses and community centers, and on radio and TV. In 2000, together with other community members, my work was formalized; Mixteca Organization, Inc., obtained its official status as a non-governmental, non-profit community based organization.
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Lighting is one of the first building systems many facility managers look at when striving to save energy consumption and costs. For most projects, the savings can begin from the time the new lighting system is in place. This across the board approach to improving efficiency works well for many facilities, and it appears lighting will continue to be a go-to item for facility managers looking for sustainable strategies.
Most facility managers have heard of LEDs (light emitting diodes), but much of the information available indicates this lighting technology has a way to go before being suitable for widespread use throughout a building. Relatively high costs and some operational issues are current challenges, but opportunities to reduce energy usage for specialized areas in and around buildings with LED lighting systems do exist for a variety of applications.
“Today, smaller space illumination is more feasible for LED lighting rather than complete overhead lighting,” says Brian Terao, senior product marketing manager, LED Products at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors in San Jose, CA. “Wall washing, small recessed down lights, cove lighting, MR type fixtures, and task lighting are where we currently see LED applications.”
Some hotels are using LEDs in bedside and bathroom lighting to reduce energy wasted when guests leave lights on when not in their rooms or as a night light. In a pilot project designed to track energy savings, The Sacramento Doubletree Hotel in California installed one-watt LED nightlights outfitted with occupancy sensors in its 400 guestrooms. Data loggers were used to track the lights’ energy consumption over a two-month period. The combination of occupancy sensor and LED technologies resulted in a 50% energy savings compared to the previous fixtures. The project was a partnership of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the California Energy Commission, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and WattStopper, Inc.
Exit signs are an area where LED technology has been embraced in many types of facilities. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports that LED exit signs with the Energy Star label consume 44kHw of energy annually with a service life of at least 10 years.
On the other side of the coin, facility managers tasked with lighting areas that require large swaths of light are also increasingly employing the technology. Architectural lighting, signage, and grounds illumination are rapidly becoming home to LED applications. The concentrated illumination, energy efficiency, and long life of LEDs make the lighting source a practical choice for these areas.
A primary advantage cited for LEDs is their higher lumens per watt emitted, compared to incandescent and fluorescent lighting. Lumens per watt is the measure of the light output (lumens) produced per unit of input electrical power (watts). While statistics vary (there are currently no industry standards), researchers at the DOE have improved the efficacy of white LEDs to approximately 50 lumens per watt.
This is compared to a fluorescent lamp, which emits about 85 lumens per watt and incandescents, which emit about 15 lumens per watt. LED proponents point out that while fluorescent lamps have a higher lumens per watt output than today’s LEDs, some of these lumens are lost in the fixture or luminaire in which it is housed. Also, LEDs are directional, which results in more of the lumens visible to the eye.
Long life expectancy is another sustainable aspect of LEDs. Some smaller units are cited as having 100,000 hours of life. DOE research has found the white LEDs suitable for larger scale applications have a useful life of around 35,000 hours; other figures are as high as 50,000 hours. (The average life of a fluorescent lamp is between 9,000 and 20,000 hours.) The “useful life” is defined by many manufacturers as the point at which light output reaches 70% of its initial output. LEDs do not burn out; they get dimmer.
Long life also reduces maintenance demands for these lighting systems, which has made LEDs an increasingly popular choice for building exteriors and other places that can be a challenge to access. Durability is also a factor here; since an LED is a solid-state device, it is quite resistant to vibrations.
An operational challenge is thermal management—conducting the heat generated away from the LED. Heat is not radiated as in conventional lighting technology but is retained in the LED package. Controlling this heat is key to successful LED luminaire design and involves a systemwide harmony of components. Therefore, projects that are wholesale replacement of the lighting system are most promising at present.
“A challenge is retrofit versus new fixtures,” says Terao. “To take the most advantage of the benefits LEDs can offer, new fixtures are a good start. While the ability to retrofit existing fixtures will enable more rapid adoption of LEDs, a direct fixture replacement of an LED for a bulb may not be optimal.”
The lack of industry standards is also an obstacle to widespread adoption of LED lighting. Until there is a common set of characteristics across the board, it is not surprising that facility managers will be hesitant to enter this realm of lighting for their buildings. As part of its R&D program, the DOE is working with Energy Star to create LED guidelines for consumers.
So when will LEDs be ready to fulfill the needs of all those lighting applications in between? That is difficult to say. But as research continues and breakthroughs surface, facility managers can be ready for the next step in the development of this technology.
Information for this article was provided through an interview with Terao and from the DOE and the California Energy Commission. For more on the DOE research program, visit www.netl.doe.gov/ssl/. To read more about the Sacramento Doubletree Hotel project, visit www.archenergy.com/lrp/advlight_luminaires/project_4_1_reports.htm; the project number is CEC-500-2005-141-A10.
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Companies need vision and vitality for constant growth and prosperity, according to T. Hanuman Chowdary, former IT advisor to the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Delivering a talk on ‘Why Big Corporations Fail?', organised by the Department of Business Administration of P.B. Siddhartha College of Arts and Science on Tuesday, Dr. Chowdary said of the several factors that determine the rise or fall of a company, the primary ones include hubris born out of success, an undisciplined pursuit of ‘more', continuous denial of risk and peril and what he called ‘gasping for salvation'.
Listing a number of companies that were reduced to history, he said Arbuthnot and Co. – Tulip Bubble, AT&T, Siemens, RCA, Zenith, Hindustan Teleprinters, Hindustan Cables, Hindustan Antibiotics, General Motors—Pan Am Airways, Enron Fannies Nay, Bank of America, and closer home and the very recent Satyam, had demonstrated how even giant companies could become a thing of the past.
Touching upon the causes that foment rapid down-size of the companies, he said success entitlement arrogance; neglect of a primary fly-wheel, replacement of ‘what' with ‘why' and a steady decline in learning orientation was bound to spell doom for any big or small organisation.
Dr. Chowdary said unsustainable quest for growth often leads to confusing ‘big' with ‘great'.
Undisciplined discontinuous leaps, declining proportion of right people in key posts, erosion of cost discipline due to easy cash, bureaucracy subverting discipline, problematic succession of power and placing of personal interest above the organisation's were a sure-fire path to destruction.
The Director of the Centre for Telecom Management and Studies and the former Chairman and Managing Director of Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited also dealt at length on the issue of why turmoil seizes a company.
Explaining how certain prominent companies across the globe that had their place under the sun once came down crumbling and slipped into oblivion and how some other struck it really big, thanks to their thoughtfulness and vision, he cited cases of global giants like Ames & Wall Mart, Motorola, Rubber Maid, Merc, Hewlett Packard, IBM and Nordstrom's Rebound.
Convener of the Siddhartha Academy C. Dutt, director of PG centre K. Krishna Murthy, head of the MBA programme Rajesh C. Jampala and others were present.
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An Alert to the Intellectual Property Bar: The Hague Judgments Convention
Rochelle Cooper Dreyfuss | 2001 U. Ill. L. Rev. 421
As communication technology increases at an ever-faster pace, multinational civil litigation becomes increasingly complex, especially in the intellectual property fields. Professor Rochelle Dreyfuss suggests that the current international standards for intellectual property protection in the Berne Convention, the Paris Convention, and the TRIPS Agreement are not able to tackle the problems presented. Because these agreements do not establish a uniform law, they do not prevent conflicting outcomes when litigants bring suits in multiple fora. These agreements leave unanswered questions of claim and issue preclusion as well as choice of law rules; and they do not provide for the consolidation of multiple claims.
The proposed Hague Conference on Private International Law Convention on Jurisdiction and the Recognition of Foreign Judgments represents the international litigation community's recent efforts to develop means of streamlining multinational civil litigation and to solve some of the aforementioned problems. Although the Convention is geared toward general civil litigation, and negotiations have apparently stalled, Professor Dreyfuss suggests that it offers a significant hope for the future of multinational intellectual property litigation. Professor Dreyfuss uses the facts from the recent case of Twentieth Century Fox v. iCraveTV, to engage the reader in a hypothetical application of the Hague Convention, exposing the virtues and inadequacies of the proposed Convention as applied to an intellectual property case.
Professor Dreyfuss briefly considers the larger question of whether one nation should be able to adjudicate intellectual property rights of another jurisdiction and decides that the demands of modern technology and law sometimes outweigh the strict territoriality approach that has heretofore governed. Then, drawing from the iCraveTV exercise, Professor Dreyfuss argues that the drafters of the Hague Convention could better address a number of issues important to intellectual property actions. Specifically, she looks at the scope of the Convention as it pertains to registered rights claims, questions regarding nonmonetary relief, and the need for the Convention to more explicitly deal with consolidating multistate litigation. Finally, Professor Dreyfuss suggests that the current draft of the Hague Convention does not sufficiently address the special jurisdictional problems that arise in connection with intangible property rights.
*Professor of Law, New York University, School of Law; and Director, Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy
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Of all the major alternative rock bands of the early '90s, Smashing Pumpkins were the group least influenced by traditional underground rock. Lead guitarist/songwriter Billy Corgan fashioned an amalgam of progressive rock, heavy metal, goth rock, psychedelia, and dream pop, creating a layered, powerful sound driven by swirling, distorted guitars. Corgan was wise enough to exploit his angst-ridden lyrics, yet he never shied away from rock star posturing, even if he did cloak it in allegedly ironic gestures. In fact, Smashing Pumpkins became the model for alternative rock success. Pearl Jam shunned it and Nirvana was too destructive. The Pumpkins, on the other hand, knew how to play the game, signing to a major-subsidized indie for underground credibility and moving to the major in time to make the group a multi-platinum act. And when the Pumpkins did achieve mass success with 1993's Siamese Dream, they went a long way to legitimize heavy metal and orchestrated prog rock, helping move alternative rock even closer to '70s AOR, especially in the eyes of radio programmers and mainstream audiences. Unlike many of their contemporaries, they were able to withstand many internal problems and keep selling records, emerging as the longest-lasting and most successful alternative band of the early '90s.
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Welcome to WIC
Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a special supplemental nutrition program which provides services to pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children up to their 5th birthday based on nutritional risk and income eligibility. The primary services provided are health screening, risk assessment, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding promotion and referrals to health care. Supplemental food is provided at no cost to participants.
Past experience shows that pregnant women who participate in the WIC Program have fewer low birth weight babies, experience fewer infant deaths, see the doctor earlier in pregnancy and eat healthier.
The goal of the WIC program is to improve the health and nutrition of eligible women, infants and children. Find information here on How to Apply for WIC and basic information for participants and the public.
LOCAL WIC PROVIDERS
Local WIC Providers are the contact point for receiving WIC services. This section is devoted to providing updates for those who provide clinic services for participants.
WIC Approved Food Lists, Updates on WIC Approved Foods, and Information about WIC Food Applications.
The WIC program provides nutritious food to eligible participants through local WIC approved stores. Applications, trainings, and other informational updates for WIC stores are part of this section.
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
The WIC program provides information for health care providers.
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WRITING ON THE WORKSHEET
As we have mentioned before, we place the cursor over the cell we want to work with in the worksheet. We can either use the mouse or the cursor keys on the keyboard to do this.
For example, if we want to write in cell C4, we place the cursor over it and we write: Employee name.
In cell D4, we write Department,
As you can see, "Employee name" doesn't appear completely because the column size isn't enough to fit all the words.
However, we can change the size of the column. To do this, we place the cursor on the border of columns C and D.
It will show a small cross with which you can increase (or decrease) the size of a column (in this case, C).
When this small cross appears, click and keep the left button on your mouse pressed and start moving your mouse to the right until you reach the desired width of the column. As you widen the column, you will see a small box will pop out showing the width of the column.
When you reach the desired width of the column, release the left button of your mouse and stop moving it to the right. Now, the column will have enough space to fit all the information.
The word "Department" is also wider than the column. We repeat the same procedure to widen it; place the cursor on the border between columns D and E, click on the left button on your mouse, and keeping it pressed, move your mouse to the right until you reach the desired width.
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A visit to the hot and dry habitat of the Komodo dragon is not complete without finishing it with a revitalizing dip into the cool Cunca Wulang Waterfalls.
Located at the foothills of Mount Mbeliling some 30 km, or about one hour’s drive from the town of Labuan Bajo in western Flores, the romantic Cunca Wulang waterfalls offer a refreshing environment of clear pools and rivers, hemmed in by walls of stone formations and thick forests, inviting each and everyone to splash into its cool waters. In the local language “Cunca” means “waterfall” and “wulang” means “the moon”.
Many can, indeed, not resist the temptation to immediately splash down into the cold blue water from the height of 5 meters cliffs, coming up to the surface feeling completely refreshed.
Mt. Mbeliling stands 1,239 meters above sea level, and with 26,000 hectares of forests covering its slopes, it is the largest forested area in Flores. Its refreshing rivers feed the plantations and villages, making the district of Manggarai the most fertile on Flores. Here are three refresihing waterfalls, they are the Cunca Wulang, Cunca Rami and Cunca Lolos.
Cunca Wulang is reached through an asphalted but winding road to the village of Wersawe, passing local plantations of candlenut (kemiri) trees, vanilla, coffee, cocoa and ricefields, fed by rainfall. From Wersawe village it is a downward trek to the river valley through thick forests. Once by the river, the powerful rush of the waterfall can be clearly heard, while on the way there one has to step from one stone to the other along the river course.
Cunca Wulang has already become a favorite destination with tourists from far away Europe, who come to enjoy this cool, pristine, almost untouched corner of tropical nature.
The return journey is an uphill trek through the forests, which are habitat of the rare scrubfowl (burung gosong). These birds are renowned for their lifelong faithfulness to their one and only partner. They lay their eggs in the sand, so that the eggs are hatched through the heat of the sand rather than by the warmth of the mother hen. These scrubfowls are also found on Rinca island, living in perfect harmony with the komodo dragons, where female dragons are known to use the birdsnests to lay their eggs.
A short distance by car from Wersawe village lies the path to the top of Mt Mbeliling. The trek up leads through forests, which are habitat of some of Flores endemic birds such as the Flores Kehicap, Flores parakeets (serindit), Flores ravens (gagak) and Flores owls (celepuk). These forests are ideal for bird watching.
From the top of the Mt. Mbeliling one has a wonderful wide-angle vista on the Sano Nggoang crater lake, the deepest and largest caldera on Flores, and in the distance the grand view on the Komodo National Park.
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The Benefits of Using Permeable or Pervious Pavers
PERMEABLE PAVERS AND THEIR BENEFITS
About Permeable Pavers
What are Permeable Pavers? Well what they do is they provide a solid ground surface, strong enough to take heavy loads, like large vehicles, while at the same time they allow water to filter through the surface and reach the underlying soils. In other words a Permeable Paver system is a self-draining system. The voids in the surface of the paving allow water to drain through and into the soil beneath.
|In areas that are developed and have incurred a lot of paving over of the natural grounds, such as roads, pavements, streets and parking lots, what happens is that this encourages the transportation of increased storm water runoff and pollutants into our natural waterways. So, Permeable Pavers are a great solution to this ever-present environmental issue, for they allow the rainwater to soak back into the soils, rather than becoming runoff! This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the many benefits of Permeable Paving systems.|
THE BENEFITS OF PERMEABLE PAVERS
Permeable Pavers can help preserve our environment and the most precious resource of all, water. We can’t live without water, and what permeable pavers do is help protect the quality of our water supplies. They reduce the amount of storm water runoff entering our natural waterways and carrying with it contaminants and pollutants. So, the water is allowed to naturally drain into the surface through the voids in the permeable pavers. This promotes the infiltration of rainwater and also helps to recharge the groundwater.
Another environmental benefit is that applying Permeable Pavers means less storm water runoff, which means that our streams and riverbeds are less likely to flood as often. This also means that there will be a reduction in the rate of the erosion of riverbanks and streambeds.
|There is a lot of money saved when using Permeable Pavers, particularly in the installation and construction phases. Contractors and builders will save money on drainage systems and retention systems. Installing permeable pavers means that you are installing a self-drainage system at the same time. You can also save on expensive compliance regulations. Not only will the contractors and builders save but also their customers.|
There is money saved on actual parts and systems, plus there is also money saved on time taken to complete installation.
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On a guided tour through Yad Vashem.
JERUSALEM — Love it or hate it, Israel is unique. A young nation created amidst conflict and sustained under siege, it retains an ethic forged in the famed “exodus” from Europe after World War II. While Israel exhibits a superficial commonality with Europe — Tel Aviv has the relaxed feel of other Mediterranean cities — there remains a hard inner core. One might question the wisdom of particular Israeli policies, but no one should doubt the Jewish people’s willingness to do whatever is necessary not to repeat the past.
The best way to understand that commitment is to visit Yad Vashem. Established in 1953 as the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, Yad Vashem (the name comes from Isaiah 56:5) is a 45-acre complex on Har Hazikaron, or the Mount of Remembrance, overlooking Jerusalem. The site commemorates the Holocaust, or Shoah (meaning totally unimaginable catastrophe). To visit the history museum is to journey back into a human nightmare highlighting the utter depravity of mankind.
When the horror did end, Israel was one of the unintended results. The museum lives up to its goal of serving “as a bridge between the world that was destroyed and the life that resumed.”
A new complex opened five years ago. The museum is built into the mountain using a unique triangular design, with numerous side exhibition halls.
Shortly after entering the hall carpeting gives way to simple concrete: a rough road is about to begin. The first exhibit illustrates Jewish life before the Holocaust. Jews typically constituted less than one percent of the populations of Western Europe and were largely assimilated. In Eastern Europe the Jewish share of the population rose, hitting 10.3 percent in Poland. At 3.3 million, Poland’s Jewish population was Europe’s largest and largely unassimilated. The Soviet Union followed with three million, but that constituted only 1.8 percent of the total population.
Included are some amazing film footage and photographs. One sees a lost world that was vibrant and diverse. Although anti-Semitism existed in West, the most vicious antagonism was further east. Industrialized and sophisticated Germany was one of the last societies in which one would have expected Nazism to take hold.
Next comes an exhibit of Nazi Germany at peace, when anti-Semitism was turned into official law and practice. It is a familiar story in some ways, but the museum turns abstract history into brutal reality. There is anti-Semitic literature, including the infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Beer drinkers could use an anti-Semitic beer stein decorated with detailed reliefs. There even is an anti-Semitic board game for children, with the objective of capturing the Jewish figures: never lose an opportunity to teach children to hate.
Through photos, posters, relics, and text, the story of the Nuremberg Laws, Kristallnacht, and much more is told. Nazi policies came as a shock to German Jews who, the museum explains, “considered themselves loyal patriots, linked to the German way of life by language and culture.” But nothing would protect them from the Nazis’ warped ideology.
Controls over the economic, professional, and cultural life of Jews were steadily expanded. Photos of the period remind us how Adolf Hitler built support, imprisoned opponents, and persecuted Jews. “The Fateful Year,” according to German documents, was 1938. An anti-Jewish campaign began which, according to the museum, “included the demolition of synagogues, mass arrests, destruction and looting of shops, and registration of Jewish property for expropriation purposes.” Deportations of Jews with Polish citizenship also started.
Moreover, the bloodless conquests of Austria and Czechoslovakia placed more unfortunate Jews under Hitler’s control. Still, Western nations were loath to offer sanctuary; the exhibit covers the tragic voyage of the St. Louis, turned back to Europe where many of its Jewish passengers ended up perishing. Jews had no sanctuary. Observed Chaim Weizman, President of the World Zionist Organization, in 1939: “the world is divided into places where they cannot live and places were they cannot enter.”
Still, despite all this, no one could imagine mass murder. The onset of the war on September 1, 1939, again expanded, dramatically, the number of Jews under German control, and made possible — indeed, necessary, in the warped Nazi mind — the physical elimination of the Jews. The broad war story is standard for any World War II buff. But the museum emphasizes how the conflict impacted Jews, who faced expropriation of their property, arrest, and abuse. The abundant photos have lost none of their power over the years. No practice was too degrading or humiliating not to use on hapless Jews. Even the common troops joined in, usually with no prodding from above.
At this point the hallway steadily narrows to illustrate the diminishing options for Europe’s Jews. Germany had to come up with a policy towards the millions of Jews now under its rule. In Western Europe, home of kindred racial peoples in Hitler’s view, “the Nazis did not ghettoize the Jews but enforced racial legislation and introduced Aryanization and discrimination,” explains the museum. In the east the policy was far harsher: Jews were forced into ghettos, isolating them from employment, culture, and the rest of the world.
The next side gallery — they are growing in size even as the hallway shrinks — tells the horrifying story of the ghettos in Kovno, Lodz, Theresienstadt, and Warsaw. Included are a bench, cobble stones, and even section of train tracks from the Warsaw ghetto. Again, photos and art show us a life that is unimaginable, filled with forced labor, starvation, and disease. Nevertheless, residents fought to preserve a community and cultural life, especially for children. Tragically, Jews so effectively imprisoned “were doomed to humiliation, poverty, decline, and death.”
The death of millions was made inevitable by the German invasion of the Soviet Union, covered in the next gallery. Millions more Jews fell into Nazi hands. In January 1942 at the Wannsee Conference — the villa where the meeting was held is a museum in Potsdam, Germany — the decision was made for the “final solution.” At first the killings were slow and inefficient: the four Einsatzgruppen could only shoot so many people.
Yet the photos of these operations are among the most striking in the entire museum. We see those about to be murdered and those who have been murdered. We also have a few horrifying images of the moment of death, of German personnel shooting, smoke escaping from their guns, and the victims’ bodies poised at the top of a ditch, about to topple onto the corpses below. This was murder at the retail level, up close and personal. How can someone willingly commit such a crime? It is a question that carries forward through the ages.
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
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From the Google News Archive newspaper page, you can search for results exclusively from our scanned archives. You can also search Google News Archives from the Google News homepage, by using Advanced News Search.
To increase the accuracy and effectiveness of your searches on News Archive, you can search by adding operators that fine-tune your search terms. Here are the most common News archive search operators:
Date restrict is an effective way to look for information related to a specific event. If you roughly know when the event took place, you can specify a time period using Advanced News Search. Using the drop down menu under "Date added to Google News," you can either search by a range of dates, or search for articles published within the last hour, day, week, month or year.
If you would like to restrict search to all articles before a given date, you can do so by leaving the "from" date blank. If you would like to restrict to after a given date, you can do so by leaving the "to" date blank.
If you'd like to look for information from a particular publication (like the Time Magazine) or information provider (like Highbeam), you can either use the [source: "name of source"] operator in the normal search box or you can use the source field on the Advanced News Search page
News archive search supports many of the same operators that you can use in advanced searches on Google Web Search.
- the "site" operator finds results from a specific site, as in [site:nytimes.com jfk];
- the "+" operator makes sure your results include common words, letters or numbers that Google's search technology generally ignores, as in [charles +de gaulle];
- the "-" operator excludes all results that include this search term, as in [roosevelt -theodore];
- phrase search only returns results that include this exact phrase, as in ["mutiny on the bounty"];
- the "OR" operator returns results that include either of your search terms, as in [nixon OR watergate]
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Corruption in the health care system: the circumstantial evidence
Joseph Ibrahim and Jennifer Majoor
Australian Health Review
25(2) 20 - 26
Health care systems are under intense scrutiny, and there is an increasing emphasis on patient safety and quality of care in general. Evidence continues to emerge demonstrating that health systems are performing at sub-optimal levels. The evidence includes the under-use, over-use and mis-use of health care services; new standards asking for respect, dignity,honesty and transparency; the corporatisation of health; and the existing inequalities in power and health outcomes.Recommendations for improving health care often refer to increasing the level of collaboration and consultation. These strategies are unlikely to remedy the root causes of our ailing health systems if we accept the circumstantial evidence that suggests the system is rotten.
Full text doi:10.1071/AH020020
© AHHA 2002
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Eastern Coachwhip, Coachwhip, Racer
Scientific name: Masticophis flagellum flagellum SHAW 1802
* Currently accepted name
* scientific names used through time
- Coluber flagellum – SHAW 1802
- Psammophis flavigularis – HALLOWELL 1852
- Herpetodryas flagelliformis – DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854
- Bascanium flagelliforme – COPE 1888
- Zamenis flagelliformis – BOULENGER 1893
- Coluber flagellum flagellum – ALLEN 1932
- Masticophis flagellum flagellum – CONANT & COLLINS 1991
Description: The Eastern Coachwhip is one of the largest native snakes in North America. Average adult size is 50-72 inches (127-182.8 cm), record is 102 inches (259 cm). Adults are long and slender, and typically have a black head and neck, which gradually fades to tan posteriorly. The belly color matches that of the back. Some individuals may be uniformly tan or cream colored, lacking the dark pigmentation on the head. The head is large and angular, with large eyes shielded by projecting supraocular scales. The scales are smooth, and there are 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The pupil is round. Juveniles are brown or tan with indistinct dark dorsal crossbands.
A. Top view of the head
B. Underside of the head (chin and throat)
C. Front (face) view of head
D. Side view of head
E. Smooth scales
Range: The Eastern Coachwhip is found throughout Florida, excluding the Florida Keys. Outside of Florida, it is found from Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, east to North Carolina. However, it is absent from most of the Mississippi River delta.
Habitat: It is locally abundant, and occurs primarily in pine and palmetto flatwoods, longleaf pine-turkey oak sandhills, scrub, and along beaches interspersed with sand dunes, sea oats, and grape vines.
Comments: HARMLESS (Non-Venomous). The Eastern Coachwhip is active during the day, extremely fast on the ground, and an excellent climber. Its diet consists of lizards, snakes (including its own kind), small mammals, and birds and thier eggs.
Breeding takes place in the spring, and a clutch of 12-16 eggs is laid in late spring and early summer. Little is know about longevity in the wild, but captive Eastern Coachwhips have lived longer than 16 years.
Florida crackers (native Floridians) believe that the Eastern Coachwhip will attack and beat humans with its whip–like tail. This belief has no basis. Violently lashing its body around like a whip would immediately break the snake's back and spinal cord – thus lashing its body like a whip would be committing suicide. It is called a "Coachwhip" because the large scales on its long, slowly tapering tail, give it the appearance of a braided bullwhip.
The Eastern Coachwhip appears to be high-strung, in part because at times when first encountered, it nervously vibrates the tail and strikes in an attempt to scare off the threat. However, most of the time it will flee very quickly. One of the most remarkable traits of this species is the speed with which it moves, racing away on the ground or through vegetation. It can escape in the blink of an eye.
Comparison with other species: The Eastern Racers (Coluber constrictor) have solid black or bluish–black backs and 15 dorsal scale rows at midbody.
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Following introductory remarks by Foundation board president John Krueger, citing the library trustees, Friends of the Library, and the Foundation board, and a wonderful dinner, library director Claudine Perrault thanked the Foundation and Friends for all the support they provide to the library, and thus the community. Perrault observed, "The library succeeds because of the work of people who want to make a difference. So while it is true that libraries serve communities, it is also true that it takes a community to create a great library." Then it was my turn.
As the library's volunteer coordinator, it was my pleasure, and honor, to introduce Mac Smith as Volunteer of the Year. Mac and his trusty sidekick, Frank Thompson, a previous Volunteer of the Year himself, are the library's handymen. Mac and Frank have built countertops, installed cabinets, fixed broken chairs and put up shelving.
After some appreciative -and humorous - remarks by Mac, it was time for featured speaker, author Nancy Atherton. Atherton is the best-selling author of the Aunt Dimity series of "cozy" mysteries, a latter day recreation of nineteenth century mystery novels, featuring Lori Shepherd, solver of mysteries, assisted by her deceased "aunt" Dimity.
Let me tell you, with Nancy Atherton, what you see is what you get. Her enthusiasm about writing -and life in general - comes across quite delightfully in her speaking -as does her love and appreciation of libraries. She said of librarians, "Without you the world would go dark."
Atherton said she never dreamed of being a writer. She came from a literary, story-telling family, so story-telling was quite natural for her. Besides, as a child, while already writing stories, she didn't think of herself as an author because she thought that all authors were dead. ("Louisa May Alcott was dead; Charles Dickens was dead....") Then, in her mid-thirties, in the middle of the night she sat up with the first line of what became her first book, "Aunt Dimity's Death," running through her head. From there she became obsessed with writing. It took getting her first three books published before she could get her obsession with writing under control. But she loves to write. Getting published is secondary. The public's craving of the Aunt Dimity novels shows that her publisher, Penguin, understands her talent, and her salability. Atherton says she loves working with her editor and her agent. Revising her writing is all part of the joy of writing.
And it was a joy hearing her speak with such enthusiasm of her writing -and of libraries. Thank you Library Foundation, for treating us to such an entertaining speaker. And thank you to our other local partner Macdonald Bookshop, for bringing copies of the Aunt Dimity series to the dinner for library (and literature) lovers to enjoy.
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What's in a name
YOUTH from Old English, meaning: The condition of being young. The appearance of freshness, vigor, spirit, of one who is young. The time of being youngearly life. Young persons collectively. At youth yoga dharma, our intention is to focus on the development of young people. We wish to offer them resources for their own personal growth and maturation. We believe that the skills of meditation and yoga will support young people to grow into self-reflective, caring, conscious, and wise individuals. Through the practices of yoga and meditation young people learn to nurture and care for themselves internally. We believe the planet and the communities which occupy this planet can benefit from such nurturance.
YOGA from Sanskrit, meaning, union, also, “to yoke” or harness. Yoga is the union of the smaller and the greater sense of self, or who we believe ourselves to be, and who we wish to become. The skills yoga offers us include learning to know ourselves better and learning to harness our life energies. Through yoga we can learn to focus the mind and refine the body so that we can be happier, healthier individuals. As we grow calmer and clearer within ourselves, we learn to be more present in our lives. As we heal our own hearts, we naturally want to share this joy with others.
DHARMA from Sanskrit, (or Dhamma in pali), meaning, “that which supports or upholds.” Translated as: truth, action, service. One time, near the end of his life, Gandhi was asked what his message was. His reply? “How I live my life, that is my teaching.” The dharma is the underlying truth of our lives. The truth of our lives is present in our every action. At youth yoga dharma, offering the skills of meditation and yoga to youth is our dharma, our personal action in the world, our form of service. In offering these skills, we hope to allow youth to come closer to finding their own personal dharma, or sense of truth within themselves. In turn, their dharma will take form through their actions in their worldsat home, at school, in their communities, and throughout the course of their lives.
Back to top
(650) 992-9642 • Youth Yoga Dharma, PO BOX 3452, Daly City, CA 94015
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ARARAT - East Grampians Health Service and Ararat North Primary School are working on a pilot dental program for the school this year.
To get children prepared and involved they were invited to enter some pictures into a drawing contest.
Everyone who participated was awarded with a certificate of appreciation, while 13 winners were selected to make up a calendar which will be displayed in locations across Ararat this year.
The 13 winners of the competition were presented with $15 vouchers from Toyland Ararat which were donated by the Ararat Lions Club.
Project manager at East Grampians Health Service Dr Wacim Gami said it is important to have the children engaged.
"The idea behind the drawing contest was to really get the children involved and thinking about their dental health," he said.
"As we introduce the program this year, students will first be assessed on the dental treatment they may need, then after six months have a check-up."
Mr Gami said the project isn't just about treatment but raising awareness through preventative measures as well.
"We will have our dentist going to the school to remind children about their dental health," he said.
"Some of the activities they will be involved in include demonstrations on the effects certain drinks and food have on the health of teeth.
"It is important just to have someone around to remind them of the basics as well, like brushing your teeth twice a day."
In the long term Mr Gami hopes to achieve the funding that would allow for East Grampians Health Service to expand the program to every school in Ararat.
"We want to be able to work with other schools and various groups in the community to model it to a position where it can be a really good dental health program," he said.
This adds to a growing list of initiatives involving Ararat North Primary School which already has a big focus on healthy eating and healthy living with garden and cooking programs for students.
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Did you know? 74% of respondents feel that original content and media are most effective for generating marketing ROI.
A good search campaign not only gets your products/services in front of your customers, but it also delivers exactly the right information to them at exactly the right time. Econsultancy suggests that over 70% of B2B buyers use a search engine at the start of their buying process and 75% of B2B prospects click on organic results. This means that there are huge opportunities for businesses that can take advantage of search. When developing a search campaign, considering your unique sales process and the content that you already have is paramount in achieving SEO success.
When considering your sales process, strive to identify search terms that change depending on where a user may be in the buying process. For example, a search for “industrial chemical manufacturers” indicates that the person who is performing the search is at the first step in the sales process, looking for possible vendors. However, when the sale evolves, they may begin to search differently. Searches further along the sales process may include things like “ABC Chemical Company reviews”, “ABC Chemical vs. XYZ Chemical”, “ABC Chemical Product Reliability” or “ABC Chemical Sustainability”. These are queries that indicate someone is interested in a particular supplier and is starting to narrow down their list of options. Finally, searches like “Where to buy ABC Chemical products” or “How to order ABC Chemical products” show that someone is actually ready to make a purchase.
While it’s important to consider all these types of searches when putting together a keyword list, it’s equally important to be sure that you have the right content to help people find what they’re looking for at each of these stages. Ideally, your content will help a potential customer answer their questions as they move closer to a purchase and knock down any barriers that may prevent them from moving forward. So when someone searches for “ABC Chemical Sustainability”, it’s not only important that your website appears near the top, but that the content on your website addresses their questions about sustainability. Otherwise, they could give up without answering the question or worse, find that information elsewhere on another website.
Regular analysis of user searches can also be a great way to stay informed about trends in what information people are looking for, which can help you decide what new content to create. For example, if you notice people are beginning to search for, “Chemical Companies with the best environmental track record” it could be an indication that an increasing number of people think that environmental track record is important for chemical companies. In that instance, perhaps it would be worth adding a page or two about environment to the website and maybe even develop a PDF brochure and a video to help drive the point home.
Ultimately, just because your website is ranking at the top of the search engine results pages doesn’t necessarily mean you’re taking full advantage of the opportunity that is in front of you. It’s extremely important that your page delivers the information that people are seeking to be sure you don’t lose them in the digital sales funnel.
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AERA has submitted comments to the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) on a proposal to review and revise the background questions on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP). The proposal appeared in an NAGB report issued in February.
“A Report to the National Assessment Governing Board by the Expert Panel on Strengthening the NAEP Background Questions” provided recommendations in four key areas: asking important questions, improving the accuracy of measures, strengthening sampling efficiency, and reinstituting meaningful analysis and reporting. The report also advanced recommendations for implementation, such as issuing special reports based on the background data and improving the usability of the NAEP Data Explorer.
In its comments, AERA supported several of NAGB’s recommendations, including appointing a NAGB committee responsible for overseeing background questions, developing questions that are drawn from research, and continuing efforts to institute a more accurate measure of socioeconomic status (SES). AERA urges caution against using the NAEP background questions as a tool to gauge the impact of various policy initiatives and against eliminating questions on race and ethnicity under the assumption that this information can be collected from student records. AERA encourages collaboration going forward with the National Center for Education Statistics.
American Educational Research Association
1430 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
PH: (202) 238-3200
FAX: (202) 238-3250
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Energy Policy and Australia / New Zealand
But now the renewable energy chickens are coming back home, roosting in their nests and fouling them at the same time. Those in the electricity supply industry who can read the wind realise that their management of the industry will come under close scrutiny as new governments come to office and respond to the political forces that helped to get them there.
This powerful piece written by Maurice Newman, former chairman of Deutsche Bank, the Australian Securities Exchange and, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is a must read by anyone involved in the wind energy debate.
The idea of clean green wind power sounds good in theory, but the problem is that wind is intermittent. When it doesn't blow there is no electricity ...The cost of building and running the turbines just doesn't stack up.
But, of course, when you artificially skew the market with mandatory renewable energy targets and billions of taxpayer dollars in subsidies, you get a wind boom.
Queensland families and retirees are worried about the rising costs created by a carbon tax, saying they 'cannot be taxed any further'.
The wind industry is still trying to analyse the implication of some of the recommendations - such as state governments consider their own setback rules, or low-frequency noise be included in planning decisions. But possibly the most valuable part of this process has been the realisation from the wind industry that it needs a little less hubris and a lot more consultation as it seeks to build projects.
Also filed under [
The mindless green dream of producing serious base load power from whimsical breezes and intermittent sunbeams has caused a halt to new low-cost coal power, a boom in expensive gas power, a national debate about nuclear power and no effect at all on global climate.
Two important questions are yet to be answered, however. What is the carbon price that will encourage a widespread shift to technologies which will actually reduce emissions? And what will those technologies be?
To find answers, we conducted a meta-review of 25 authoritative peer-reviewed studies of electricity generating technologies, which was published in the international peer-reviewed scientific journal Energy.
Deep divisions have arisen across Victoria, with neighbour pitted against neighbour, as some land owners erect wind turbines on their properties - often 60m tall with 30m blades. It's pretty good money, sometimes $10,000 a turbine a year. In the midst of a drought, that can feed a family and send kids to school.
But what of the neighbours?
Seething anger over wind farms will not end under Victoria's current planning guidelines, says Paul Sellars.
Your electricity bills are going to at least double in the next 10 years and relentlessly rising power prices could easily triple them. ..."the price rises would be driven "largely by the current policy environment, large amounts of renewables being forced into the system, uncosted charges for those renewables given current policy settings, and substantial increases in transmission and distribution costs".
The $400 million Musselroe wind farm would be built under a Hodgman Liberal government - as long as Kevin Rudd comes to the party. The project has been in doubt due to a significant drop in the price of Renewable Energy Certificates, which the business case relied on.
Kevin Rudd is damned and damned utterly by his own Intergenerational Report. It loudly proclaims we have a prime minister who hasn't got a clue.
Of course it does so completely unknowingly and self-evidently unintentionally. Most deliciously, in so capturing the report's comprehensive inanity, with the illustration chosen for the cover.
Stripped of the political grandstanding, Australia's Renewable Energy Target would fail any reasonable cost-benefit test. However much internal warmth the thought of more windmills and solar panels might generate, the cold hard truth is that renewable energy targets have serious economic implications that warrant close scrutiny. Unfortunately, in handing alternative energy companies a subsidised monopoly to supply 20 per cent of our electricity, the RET scheme is unlikely to reduce emissions cost effectively, if at all.
As the Senate debates carbon policy this week, we have more proposals on the table than anyone knows what to do with and a growing number of questions about their impact on one of the most important facets of modern Australian life: secure, cost-effective power supply.
The Rudd Government's 'green power' strategy has been utterly shredded by detailed analysis which shows the total uselessness of the one form of power on which it is almost entirely based - wind. ...When the wind don't blow, the power don't flow. Even more devastatingly, as this analysis shows, the wind not only don't blow an awful lot of the time. It tends to not blow 'everywhere' at the same time.
Environmentalists who oppose everything except renewable energy are condemning billions to poverty. ...Such opposition demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of where our electricity comes from, how much it costs, who pays for it and what the future global energy landscape looks like.
In New Zealand we are told that windpower is economic compared to alternatives, that the unpredictable short term fluctuations can easily be covered by our "abundant hydropower" and it helps conserve hydropower storage. ...The truth is, as I will show, that windpower is expensive compared to alternatives, hydropower schemes have no spare capacity to back up windpower in a critical dry year and wind power output is lowest in the late summer and autumn when we need it most.
There is no doubt that wind farms are in vogue around the world as governments prioritise renewable energy projects in order to comply with the demands of the Kyoto Protocol. Such "green" energy projects have been promoted by environmentalists as the best way to not only save the planet from global warming, but to create thousands of green jobs in the process. On further investigation however, these claims are found to be spurious. Global temperatures are now cooling not warming, and for each green job created, 2.2 other jobs in other parts of the economy are destroyed.
Governments are fond of setting specific targets by specific time frames to be seen to be doing something without properly considering the technical feasibility. Geothermal isn't ready for 2020. Hydro and biomass growth is limited by available resources. Solar, tidal and wave power are considered too expensive today and probably still will be in 2020.
Which leaves us with wind and that will probably not deliver as much greenhouse gas reduction as we might have expected unless we are prepared to sacrifice network reliability.
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What is one of the best strategies for increasing funding for schools, libraries, police departments, community health clinics and neighborhood parks? Prevent redevelopment agencies from annually seizing $5 billion in property taxes for what are too often vast bureaucracies and ill-conceived projects. Fortunately, Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed 2011-12 budget found $2.7 billion in savings from disbanding redevelopment agencies and ending enterprise zones. AFCSME, which represents thousands of state workers, applauded Brown’s proposal
to “eliminate the ineffective enterprise zone program and to end redevelopment subsidies statewide.” But Brown’s plan has already been described by Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa
as a “non-starter,” and the California Redevelopment Association is threatening to sue to stop the cuts. As Redevelopment Agencies statewide mobilize to protect their money – ignoring the drastic school cuts required if their financial empires are saved – the public should support Brown’s courageous plan.
The nightmare of California’s proposed 2011-12 budget had one silver lining: it forced Governor Brown to examine the sacred cows of the state budget. This led him to conclude that eliminating redevelopment agencies (hereafter, “the RDA”) would alone inject $3 billion a year into “schools, libraries, law enforcement and other ‘core functions.’”
But the ink on Brown’s budget had barely dried before the vast Redevelopment empire struck back. This empire is the California equivalent of the national military industrial complex, as its funding crosses the state to reach the pockets of high-powered law firms, local mayors, city councils, County Boards of Supervisors, big developers, chain retail outlets, real estate speculators and, most importantly for public relations purposes, affordable housing groups, as state law requires that RDA’s spend 20% of their funds on affordable housing.
In practice, this 20% rule is widely ignored. In fact, RDA’s lobbied mightily in Sacramento to prevent sanctions from being imposed if counties failed to meet this affordable housing minimum. So while San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and other pro-housing cities follow the law, it appears from their aggressive statewide lobbying that most RDA’s do not.
So when you hear San Francisco RDA folks talk about how much it spends on affordable housing, realize that at least 80% of the money spent statewide goes for other purposes (such as creating, and then renting, commercial space to Starbucks, Panda Express, Subway and other RDA-favored chains).
The RDA Media War
The day Brown’s budget proposal was released, the RDA began its media campaign against the cuts. The San Francisco Chronicle
obliged with a one-sided, pro-RDA story
that quoted several Bay Area officials attacking the cut but did not name a single person favoring Brown’s plan.
Most egregiously, the Chronicle
reporters never asked these RDA defenders what health, human service, and educational programs should be cut to make up for the $2.7 billion savings from redevelopment’s demise.
Isn’t this really the entire issue?
California’s budget crisis has forced Brown to propose a budget that cuts payments to the disabled, devastates home health care, batters our already damaged state college and university system, and makes many other cuts that tear deep holes in our social safety net. If RDA defenders seek immunity from these cuts, they need to announce where to find the $2.7 billion they want restored – otherwise, as Brown has repeatedly stated, they are not serious about a budget solution.
By cutting the RDA, Brown prevented any cuts to the K-12 school system. And I believe most Californians favor funding schools over subsidizing redevelopment agencies.
Putting aside questions of RDA’s cost effectiveness (and Brown’s budget plan found they are not), our state’s legislators must decide whether they should be allowed to continue to divert billions in taxpayer dollars away from schools, police, parks, and community health care at a time when these core services are at the breaking point.
Framed in this manner – which you are unlikely to see in the pro-RDA corporate media –
Brown’s budget plan is a no-brainer. Every dollar the RDA protects from Brown’s budget proposal comes from somewhere, and most likely it will come from California’s kids.
Explained honestly, that’s a trade few Californians would knowingly make.
Randy Shaw is Editor of Beyond Chron.
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''Oberon'' is a train wreck of an opera, but it bears a valuable cargo -- spilled out on the tracks, perhaps, but the pieces largely retrievable. How are we to take seriously a stage work that sends us flying from elf kingdoms to the court of Charlemagne to Baghdad to storm-tossed islands to pirate ships to Tunis and finally back to Charlemagne? And how is any company, armed even with sophisticated quick-change stage machinery, to put it convincingly onstage?
The answer to Question 1: Listen to the music. To Question 2: Don't stage it at all. The Collegiate Chorale is suited to this kind of salvage operation. At Carnegie Hall on Tuesday night, it offered an enormous but reasonably agile chorus, the excellent Orchestra of St. Luke's and singers ranging from serviceable to effective. Robert Bass conducted.
''Oberon'' was born in confusion. In 1826, Weber found himself in a strange country and dying from tuberculosis. Covent Garden in London had offered him the commission and with it a confused libretto in a language he barely knew. Wonderful music is poured into an operatic mess. Historians use Weber's operas as a convenient hinge between Gluck and Mozart to the complete Germanness of Wagner. But he was more. The second-tier fame is undeserved.
Indeed, to no other musician could the term Romantic be so precisely applied. Beyond the imagination and inventiveness is something genuine: a pure heart devoid of neurosis or guile that reaches directly to its subject matter. History and the opera music keep Weber before the public, but his love affair with the clarinet and his wonderful piano music have been forgotten by many.
The Collegiate Chorale streamlines ''Oberon'' by linking the musical numbers through narration: written (I am told) by Joseph Smith and delivered by the actor Roger Rees. Beforehand, one cringed at the prospect of camp and ridicule. In fact, a lovely compromise mixing healthy amusement and genuine affection was struck. The narration worked well in situations where it usually does not.
Deborah Voigt was to have been the evening's Rezia but called in sick and gave way to Lauren Flanigan. It is a juicy part, and Ms. Flanigan picks it up like a club and simply batters us into submission. After a while, the hurtling enthusiasm is hard to resist. If different components of her voice can be at odds one with the other, and if she drifts fairly frequently out of tune, there is always that big bearlike personality to inspire forgiveness.
Stuart Neill was Huon, perhaps the first working model of the Wagnerian Heldentenor role. It is punishing work: high- and low-flying, demanding manly outbursts at one moment and graceful ornament the next. Mr. Neill has the workings of a major voice, and given its current stage of development, it did as well as could be expected. The transitional middle range still gives him trouble. The intricacies can blur. Characterization took second place to the vocal obstacles at hand. But if the attempt was a little overambitious, this was not the kind of exposure an emerging tenor tends to turn down.
Anthony Dean Griffey, another tenor, was the steady Oberon. Jane Bunnell (Fatima), Earle Petriarco (Sherasmin) and Marietta Simpson (Puck) all sang well. Anita Johnson in her brief songful moment as the Mermaid charmed us all. Weber wrote beautiful parts for the horn, the clarinet and the cello, and St. Luke's has the players to do them well. Mr. Bass held it all together.
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Love & Marr. in Middle Ages (IHHIST-199)
Love and Marriage in the Middle Ages This class defines and examines the institutions of marriage and family (including the monastic familia) in medieval Europe. By studying the development of the family, including institutions like monasteries that replaced familial ties based in kinship, this course aims to offer an examination of the roles of both men and women in the development of the medieval European culture and civilization without forcing the study of either gender into paradigms that are unnatural to particular historical periods.
Faculty: Susan W Wade
Start/End Date: Jan. 22, 2013 - May 10, 2013
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While he apologized for the secrecy surrounding his relocation, he did not provide details about how -- or when -- he arrived in Guatemala.
Guatemala's foreign minister said Wednesday that officials there did not know how McAfee came into the country.
There is no registry of McAfee entering legally at any official border crossing, Foreign Minister Harold Caballeros told reporters. He declined to comment on whether his country would offer McAfee asylum.
Belize won't seek his extradition, Martinez said.
McAfee founded his namesake computer security software in 1987, initially running it out of his home in California. He sold his stake in the company in 1994 and moved to Belize in 2008.
A 2009 story in the New York Times indicated that his fortune had plunged to $4 million from its $100 million peak, largely because of the real estate and stock market crashes that hit his investments.
In February 2010, he started QuorumEx, which is trying to "reinvent the way modern medicine combats and disarms pathogenic bacteria," according to its website.
McAfee will hold a news conference Thursday, according to his blog. He is expected to reveal the next move in the international mystery.
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Friends, Aztecs, country-men lend me your ears. I come in defense of the most endangered species: the liberal arts major.
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when the liberal arts were considered the pinnacle of education. Now, there are two academic paths competing for domi- nance in campuses across the nation. On one side are the practical or career-minded majors—think business administration and accounting; on the other side are science, technology, engineering and math, the so-called STEM majors.
Supporters of practical majors clamor that theirs are the only degrees guaranteeing a life of wealth and comfort. They lure students with tales of post-graduation employment and well-balanced 401(k)s. Meanwhile, politicians and multinational conglomerates fret that we aren’t producing nearly enough engineers and scientists to supply the workforce of the future.
Sure, all those things are important. NASA can’t land a nuclear-powered unmanned science lab roughly the size of a minivan on Mars without a lot of mind-blowingly bright STEM graduates. We also need bankers and accountants to keep the whole global financial system from crumbling around us and sending us back to bartering for Twinkies.
What liberal art gradu- ates bring to the table is an almost intangible understanding of people and the human condition—hence the term “the humanities.” Their education instills in them creativity, idealism and critical thinking—skills sorely lacking in other majors. Without what we now call the liberal arts, human civilization would not have gotten much further than stone tools and medium-rare mammoth steak. Art, social science and literature provided the impetus for all great leaps forward in human history. They also provided a context in which to analyze and interpret these same lessons of history.
Career-minded majors often mock the impracticality of liberal arts. After all, when is the last time you heard of a philosophy major becoming the next Bill Gates? But the world would be a much better place if those practical bankers then the often perfectly legal greed that brought the global economy to its knees wouldn’t be so prevalent and corruptive.
If you don’t think the ideas of liberal arts thinkers can change the world, consider Karl Marx. This philosopher and historian permanently altered the face of global politics with only pen and paper as his tools. And Ayn Rand, philosopher, play-wright and history graduate, has become the darling of the conservative movement in America and presumptive vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan’s personal idol. Her ideas, expressed primarily through novels and plays, have already begun shaping the future of the nation.
Ideas matter, and no educational path is more adept at producing the thinkers, writers and artists whose ideas will shape the future than liberal arts. Before you turn away from the theater or music degree you want for one of the more “practical” majors, consider this: Businessmen and scientists might keep the world running, but it is a world shaped by the liberal arts graduates.
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Does the telecommunications industry have a place in the green economy? It does if we make one.
It’s supposed to be our nation’s saving grace – the silver lining beneath this economic thundercloud is the opportunity to reinvent industry. Call it a reset, a restructuring, a renewal. What we’re talking about is really a revolution, and its color is green.
And all the talk about the green revolution suggests that if you’re not a part of it, you ought to be lest you miss this economic ship. So, find a way to get on the boat, and fast.
The green revolution is a large, unwieldy concept, and one that can be difficult to get our heads around – particularly if you’re in a kind of business that really doesn’t have too much of a carbon footprint in the first place. For example, my company, Teo, develops telephone and network communications systems. We’ve made many improvements to reduce the impact of building our hardware. We also developed a unified communications system that can help businesses and organizations reduce their travel and work more efficiently. But still, in the back of our minds was that nagging feeling that we could do more. And, so, we’ve been peering into the window to this bright new future to search for more.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration studied trends over the last century and estimated that the domestic demand for electricity would increase at least 20 percent by 2030. Many in the private sector believe this is a conservative estimate. The Western Governors’ Association, representing 19 states and a couple of U.S. territories in the Pacific, are leading the charge toward more progressive energy policies that it believes will not just reduce the United States’ carbon footprint, but will be the catalyst to rebuilding the economy based on clean, cheaper renewables.
So, what does any of this have to do with telephones?
Out on the windy steps of eastern Washington state’s Columbia River Gorge, we see how the new green economy is taking shape. Not only are there more tall white electricity-producing turbines spotting the barren landscape, these projects also attract new supporting business. The Gorge Technology Alliance was recently created for just that purpose. Collectively, hydroelectric dams, wind farms, gas-recovery plants and other renewable energy projects are the major attraction for companies needing that electricity – companies in the high-tech sector, such as Google’s (News - Alert) server farm at The Dalles, Oregon.
It’s an inspiring call to action and a motivator to imagine getting in on the ground floor of this potentially lucrative economic revolution. There are a lot of possibilities for telecommunications, and we in this sector have a lot to gain. Taking a page from the Obama playbook, we have proactively sought out new problems to solve – and we found one. Recently, Teo teamed up with another West Coast firm, Bergelectric Corp., one of the largest electrical contractors in the country, to engineer a vital communications structure for wind farms.
Communications has been challenging for this new industry in terms of both operational and safety concerns. Not only are most wind turbines located in remote, fiberless outposts, they are also tall and noisy. Technicians climb up and down the 80-meter structures all day, and it’s critical for them to be in touch with other technicians and operators. Wireless communications don’t easily penetrate the steel towers, and the process of communicating has most often involves the use of special, high-powered radios with messages being passed through a middleman with a walkie-talkie.
That’s a problem begging to be solved. And so, Teo and Berglectric began outfitting a couple of wind farms in Klickitat County on the Columbia River Gorge with Internet access, VoIP-based telephones and enhanced 911 technology based on Teo’s unified communications system.
“By equipping the top of each turbine with an E911-enabled phone and IP connection points for various devices, such as computers, cameras and sensors, we’re not only increasing safety for maintenance personnel, we’re also enabling them to become more efficient,” says Jason Hayes, of Los Angeles-based Bergelectric. “They can now access electronic work instructions, contact technical support, access manuals and diagrams and operate SCADA from the top of the turbine.”
Of course, with a communications solution engineered and ready to deploy, we hope that more wind farm projects are encouraged and developed with these safety features. And as new turbines go up, we’ll hopefully see that business rise, as well. Regardless of this particular project, however lucrative its potential, my point is this: With every progressive change to solve an old problem, generally a new problem is created. Human history advances by technology continually solving problems created by technology itself.
One of America’s newest and most inspiring economic initiatives has been the encouragement of the new green energy economy. During his campaign and since the election, President Obama has reiterated a commitment to invest in renewable energy and environmentally sustainable businesses and technologies, such as solar power, wind power and next-generation biofuels. He’s talked about all American companies, no matter what their product or service lines, getting into the game and once again leading the rest of the world into a new era.
So, take a closer look at this green revolution. Opportunities can present themselves in unexpected places, but they are presenting themselves now. Any business can take advantage of getting in on the ground floor.
Thomas Beck is business strategy executive with Teo (www.teotech.com).
TMCnet publishes expert commentary on various telecommunications, IT, call center, CRM and other technology-related topics. Are you an expert in one of these fields, and interested in having your perspective published on a site that gets several million unique visitors each month? Get in touch.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi
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These days, everything from new shampoo to energy exploration depends on supercomputers. But, as he writes in “Crisis in Computing,” U.S. supercomputing resources are in surprisingly short supply, with most research supercomputers 2x oversubscribed. Without a concerted investment around a national high performance computing (HPC) infrastructure, we’ll lose ground to other nations – with resulting losses in business growth, job creation and competitiveness.
Ironically, it’s the U.S. history of leadership in supercomputing that has put us in this vulnerable spot. Our traditional CPU-based technology infrastructure is no longer able to meet our computational needs in a way that’s cost or power efficient. Meanwhile, other nations are free to leapfrog past legacy systems and go directly to HPC architectures using both GPUs and CPUs for increased efficiency and performance at lower prices.
Computational demand may increase 1000x in the next 10 years. Will we maintain our stature in HPC or watch our advantages slip away to other players? Check out Andy’s article and let us know what you think.
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I have never seen former New Bedford Mayor John Bullard look so downcast as he did last Thursday at the special meeting of the New England Fisheries Management council in Wakefield.
Bullard, who now heads NOAA fisheries in the Northeast, was trying to break the news gently that what the council is about to do with quota allocations wasn't going to be easy.
Someone in the room full of 150 people, mostly fishermen and their families, had asked him to "do the right thing" when it comes to issuing allocations.
"Doing the right thing is going to be very, very hard," Bullard said repeatedly speaking slowly in a low voice. He didn't get specific, but everyone in the room knew what he meant: This wasn't going to be pretty.
Peter Shelley, senior attorney for the Conservation Law Foundation, made it clear what he and other environmentalist groups were expecting from the council: "You all swore an oath to uphold the Magnuson-Stevens Act," he reminded them darkly before sitting back down to a chorus of boos and hisses.
Shelley apparently didn't have it in him to acknowledge what the fishermen were telling the council: After following the council's draconian rules for years in order to rebuild the fishery, they were being repaid by being forced out of business.
Year after year, fishermen are asked to follow rules that boggle the mind and empty the treasury. Any reporter covering fisheries management will tell you it is one of the most impenetrable briar patches of science, politics and bureaucracy that can be imagined.
Heading to the meeting Thursday in a van along with a half-dozen fishermen, the conversation made it plain that simply obeying the rules about catch limits and days at sea and all the rest requires extraordinary effort on the part of a fisherman. I understood about half of it.
And for all of that, once they are done paying for the marine disesel fuel, the food, the insurance, the mortgage on the boat, the sector management and the quota allocation that was bought from someone else just to be able to fish, all too often crews are arriving back in port with nothing to show for it. They catch fish, all right. But after expenses there's not a nickel to put a fish on a plate at home.
Over and again fishermen from up and down the Northeast coast told the council the same story: Cut us any more, and we're not leaving the dock next year. Why would we? We're borrowing money now just to keep working.
And yet the allocations for next year are out, and they cut some groundfish species by as much as 75 percent. The prediction, unchallenged by anybody, was that almost all of the smaller boats, those less than 50 feet, will be put out of business next year, which starts May 1.
Boats less than 50 feet will not be able to cover their expenses, which will affect mostly ports other than New Bedford.
But New Bedford fishermen, too, are asking how they are expected to keep going out to sea, risking their lives, when they could be safe at home collecting unemployment insurance.
Richie Canastra, who owns the seafood display auction, told the council, "No one here is making any money. This is their last hurrah."
Yet despite the disaster declaration made in September in the Northeast fishery, these fishermen are expected to bear the brunt of sharp cutbacks all by themselves.
Unlike farmers in the Midwest, there are not enough of them to compel Congress to pay them annual stipends not to fish. There are no crop subsidies on the ocean. Disaster declarations are apparently meaningless.
And through it all, NOAA is basing its decisions on the scientific work of the research vessel Bigelow, without the input, assistance or coordination with fishermen. The Bigelow misses a lot, and even NOAA admits that the trawl gear is sometimes all wrong for the species being regulated, mainly yellowtail flounder.
And it's that science that drives NOAA's decisions. There's talk of new surveys, but that's not going to happen until late next year, if we can believe the council's scientists. They're going to wait for a fishing science convention in Boston next summer to maybe give them a clue.
Meanwhile, fishing families are awaiting a council decision about what to do next. The council, duly threatened with a lawsuit by Shelley, punted the issue until the end of January, giving them time to consult with the NOAA mother ship on their legal options.
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(Photo: Reuters/Mike Cassese)
Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen, who shot to fame in 2012 with her hit single "Call Me Maybe," has cancelled her planned performance at the 2013 National Scouting Jamboree in West Virginia in July over the Boy Scout's ban on gay members.
"As an artist who believes in equality for all people, I will not be participating in the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree this summer," Jepsen declared on Twitter.
"I always have and will continue to support the LGBT community on a global level, and stay informed on the ever changing landscape in the ongoing battle for gay rights in this country and across the globe," the 27-year-old singer from British Columbia continued.
The Boy Scouts of America are currently reviewing their century-old policy on not allowing gay members, and will announce their decision on whether to uphold or drop the ban in May. Many religious bodies have publicly called on the Boy Scouts to continue its membership policy, or change it at the risk of losing members.
"Every American who believes in freedom of thought and religious liberty should be alarmed by the attacks upon the Boy Scouts, whose oath includes that members should be 'morally straight,'" the Family Research Council and 41 other allied organizations said in an advertisement.
"To compromise moral principles under political and financial pressure would teach the boys cowardice, not courage."
While Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and executive editor of The Christian Post, argues, "Why would you put adult leaders and mentors in places of authority and leadership of a boys' organization when they have defined themselves as 'homosexual,' meaning they are sexual attracted to males? It would be the equivalent of allowing heterosexual men to be scout masters for Girl Scout troops. As one wise youth minister once observed, 'Sexual attraction happens.'"
"If you put men in mentoring positions of trust and authority in camp-out situations with young teens to whom they are sexually attracted, either heterosexually or homosexually, human tragedies will follow. To deny the reality of human nature is to embrace a political correctness that defies common sense."
Jepsen's decision to withdraw from the planned concert may have been influenced by a number of online petitions that called on her to "do the right thing," and show her support for gay rights. A Change.org petitions started by gay Eagle Scout Derek Nance urging her to protest the concert was signed by over 60,000 people.
The other headlining group at the Jamboree, Grammy Award-winning band Train, said that they would wait until the Scout's decision in May to decide whether to drop out or not. "When we booked this show for the Boy Scouts of America we were not aware of any policy barring openly gay people from participation within the organization," Train said in a statement.
Jepsen placed third in the Canadian Idol 2007 competition, but gained global fame last year with her "Call Me Maybe" song, with which she topped several charts and won many awards. The video for the song included a humorous gay twist at the end.
"When we shot the 'Call Me Maybe' video, we weren't even thinking the ending was not normal. I have so many gay friends that I love," Jepsen previously said about the video. "It's a regular thing. And if my video is encouraging that mind frame with other children and other people – well, it's about time, I guess!"
The Canadian singer has not made her religious views known, though she has been performing with fellow Canadian star Justin Bieber in his "Believe" tour, who has spoken out about his Christian faitha number of times in the past.
"I'm a Christian, I believe in God, I believe that Jesus died on a cross for my sins. I believe that I have a relationship and I'm able to talk to him and really, he's the reason I'm here," Bieber has said.
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Open Source Congress
The Open Source Congress is the DIY forum that arises annually during the Congress for the New Urbanism. You can use the time and space to talk about new ideas, find help on a thorny problem, or work on a CNU initiative.
The Open Source Congress will begin immediately after the Thursday Morning Plenary, "Looking Forward: New Urbanism and the New World," and run throughout the Congress. Check the Breakout Sessions schedule listings for more.
After the Congress
This year, the Open Source notes and follow-up will truly be do-it-yourself. Open Source Hosts will be given a sign-in sheet to keep for participants’ contact information. A Posterous site has been set up for posting session notes, and anyone with the site email address can post their notes simply by emailing them to the address. If participants want to move Initiative items forward, they should contact CNU staff after the Congress.
To post, send email to firstname.lastname@example.org
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How Phytolife may benefit you? Build better immune system Better digestion Healthy bowel function Increased fat metabolism Reduced cravings for unhealthy foods Better able to cope with stress Overall feeling …
How Mistify may benefit you? Boost the Immune System Provides Antioxidant Protection which rids the body of harmful toxins and waste Provides Anti-inflammatory Relief from inflammation and sorness in aching …
An introduction to ProArgi-9 ProArgi-9 Plus is Synergy’s top selling product and the cornerstone of any nutritional regimen. One serving contains 5,000 mg (5 grams) of elemental pharmaceutical grade l-arginine. …
We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong.. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries,today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact.
I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled “opinion makers.” Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.
The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.
It Is Not Working!
These recommendations are no longer scientifically or morally defensible. The discovery a few years ago that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease is slowly leading to a paradigm shift in how heart disease and other chronic ailments will be treated.
The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences.
Despite the fact that 25% of the population takes expensive statin medications and despite the fact we have reduced the fat content of our diets, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before.
Statistics from the American Heart Association show that 75 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease, 20 million have diabetes and 57 million have pre-diabetes. These disorders are affecting younger and younger people in greater numbers every year.
Simply stated, without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes. Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.
Inflammation is not complicated — it is quite simply your body’s natural defence to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus. The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from these bacterial and viral invaders. However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process,a condition occurs called chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is just as harmful as acute inflammation is beneficial.
What thoughtful person would willfully expose himself repeatedly to foods or other substances that are known to cause injury to the body? Well,smokers perhaps, but at least they made that choice willfully.
The rest of us have simply followed the recommended mainstream dietthat is low in fat and high in polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates, not knowing we were causing repeated injury to our blood vessels. This repeated injury creates chronic inflammation leading to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity.
Let me repeat that: The injury and inflammation in our blood vessels is caused by the low fat diet recommended for years by mainstream medicine.
Dr. Dwight Lundell is the past Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery at Banner Heart Hospital , Mesa , AZ. His private practice, Cardiac Care Center was in Mesa, AZ. Recently Dr. Lundell left surgery to focus on the nutritional treatment of heart disease. He is the founder of Healthy Humans Foundation that promotes human health with a focus on helping large corporations promote wellness. He is also the author of The Cure for Heart Disease and The Great Cholesterol Lie.
Posted by kencowley on February 16, 2012 at 10:38 am
A recent article published in the scientific journal PloS One says that eating curry twice a week can help prevent dementia. Great news for us curry lovers! However, the science behind the claim is based on solid research which shows that curcumin (which is in tumeric – a staple ingredient of curry) helps deal with plaque that builds up on the brain.
As we know Pro-Argi 9 also works on clearing out plaque in the body, yet another reason to take our ground-breaking nitric-oxide creating supplement, so the news is all good in this week’s article!
Other foods which it is claimed can help prevent Alzeimers include oily fish, nuts, olive oil, a wide variet of fruit & veg plus small quantities of tea, coffee, dark chocolate & red wine.
Finally, here are some lifestyle suggestions from the HDM team which we believe can contribute to a healthy future for you and your brain;
- Daily exercise
- Mental stimulation, for example card games or bridge
- Active social life & hobbies
- Try your best to reduce stress and get at least 7 hours of good quality sleep every night
Now, go out tonight and treat yourself to that curry!
The nitric oxide derived from arginine is directly or indirectly implicated in practically every cellular response and health condition imaginable.
From the cardiovascular system to the immune system, and hormone function to nerve function. Although an exhaustive list of possible applications for the amino acid is not included, the following are the primary scientifically backed reasons that anyone – even healthy people – should consider adding the arginine to their health and wellness regimen.
1. It is one thousand times more powerful than any naturally occurring antioxidant in the body. Arginine’s antioxidant properties support various body system and may protect against heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes, as well as slowing premature aging.
2. It offers wide-ranging cardiovascular support, including controlling blood pressure and plaque formation. Nitric oxide keeps arteries relaxed and pliable for normal blood pressure, preventing hypertension and angina.
3. It enhances memory, particularly long-term memory, and may help to reverse the effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
4. It boosts human growth hormone (HGH) production, which has anti-aging properties.
5. It enhances communication of messenger cells between nerves and the brain.
6. It may help improve immune function and fight bacterial infections.
7. It may help in the treatment and prevention of diabetes since many disease complications, including poor circulation and blindness, are vascular in nature. Arginine is also found to regulate insulin secretion in the pancreas.
8. It may inhibit the division and proliferation of cancer cells.
9. It helps with cholesterol control by lowering serum and LDL cholesterol levels.
10. It enhances male sexual performance by treating vascular erectile dysfunction (ED).
11. It anticoagulant abilities reduce clotting to lower heart attack and stroke risk.
12. It reduces pregnancy-related hypertension, a risk factor for both the expecting mother and the unborn child.
13. It is useful in the treatment of asthma by opening pulmonary pathways for easier breathing and the treatment of lung disorders.
14. It relaxes hypertonic sphincter muscles, preventing and healing hemorrhoids.
15. It boosts lean muscle mass and preserves bone density by encouraging HGH production, which also leads to a reduction in fatty tissue. Because af these properties, it may be useful in weight management and strength training.
16. It can help offset cardiovascular and lung damage caused by tobacco use, since nitric oxide levels in smokers are less than half of those found in non-smokers.
17. It helps to accelerate wound healing and postsurgery recovery. Research has shown it is useful in treating burn wounds and stimulates wound healing in the elderly.
18. It may be useful in enhancing athletic performance due to its ability to boost exercise tolerance, its beneficial effect on the lungs, and its effect on HGH levels. Which helps with building lean muscle tissue.
19. It may be used to improve the function of the prostate.
20. It may prevent and possible reverse the effects of osteoporosis by positively affecting bone mass.
21. It has been used in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and to reduce the occurrence of ulcers – especially stress- related – without affecting gastric acid production.
22. It may improve renal function and slow the progression of renal disease and age-related chronic renal failure. Arginine`s protective effect on the kidneys may also benefit those with diabetes.
ProArgi-9 Plus is a revolutionary product with far-reaching health benefits and powerful support ProArgi-9 Plus is Synergy’s top selling product and the cornerstone of any nutritional regimen. One serving contains 5,000 mg (5 grams) of elemental pharmaceutical grade l-arginine. Often referred to as the “miracle molecule,” l-arginine has potent health-enhancing properties.
I took the 90 day challenge to reduce my blood pressure.
Before taking ProArgi-9 Plus my blood pressure averaged 170 over 110 mm Hg.
Ken Cowley in Action
My name is Ken Cowley and I have a family history of High Blood Pressure. Before taking ProArgi-9 Plus it averaged 170 over 110 mm Hg. I tried all types of medicines and natural treatments to bring it under control. Nothing worked. After 9 months of ProArgi-9 Plus my blood pressure now averages 138 / 87 mm Hg!
A Life Changing Reduction!
I’m on a mission to help others make a positive change in their blood pressure and health. Maybe your story is similar to mine.
In my early 20s my blood pressure started to climb and I was put on medication and told would probably be on it for the rest of my life. I realized there was a possibility that I would utimately be vulnerable to some type of heart disease. I became proactive with my health by eating right and exercising. Unfortunately, these positive lifestyle habits didn’t keep me from my hypertension remaining high.
I did a Google search of “Natural Blood Pressure Cure”. I came across ProArgi-9 Plus.
So, on in to my 30s and my blood pressure was only managed by the drugs. Now I believe in natural healing wherever possible. I also believe in researching my own problem to completely understand what is going on in my body. I tried every type of natural cure, from devices to supplements, to no benefit. I continued the medical route which only maintained my position and with unwanted side effects. In March of 2010 I did a Google search of “Natural Blood Pressure Cure”. I came across ProArgi-9 Plus. I decided I had nothing to lose since ProArgi-9 Plus comes with a 90 day money back guarantee.
After 2 weeks on ProArgi-9 Plus, I was convinced. Although my blood pressure did not come down immediately, my overall feeling of well being and energy amazed me. I have now been on ProArgi-9 Plus for 9 months. As I shared at the beginning, my blood pressure has come way down. ProArgi-9 Plus achieved for me what thousands of dollars in medicine and natural cures could not. I feel like I’m in my 20′s again, and I will be 40 in June.
Dr. Prendergast, the product formulator is a doctor who has truly committed his life to helping people get well and stay well. Take the 90 day test drive like I did. If you don’t feel as strongly as I do about this amazing product, then send the empty containers back for a full refund. You won’t be sorry!
085 712 9060
Let’s talk if you want to take the “High” out of High Blood Pressure!
The information contained in this blog is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam. The information contain in this blogging website has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.
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Here's one with a great name. It's the Pride XL Mobility Chair. I read the description and learn that when you press a button on the chair, instead of having to get up, the chair lifts you up. And yet they call it the Pride Mobility Chair. I think one of the first things about being a proud person is that you can stand up on your own. I'm not talking about someone in a wheelchair or someone who was in an accident. I'm talking about when you really don't have a reason for not being able to stand up yourself. They should call it the Embarrassment Mobility Chair. Or the You've Hit Rock Bottom Mobility Chair. Or even the You Should Be Ashamed Mobility Chair.
Next up is something you've probably seen in commercials. And to me, this is so horrible and wrong ...it's the Living XL Wearable Sleeves Blanket. Now, how many times have you covered yourself in a blanket, and then thought, I can't get up! I can't maneuver; if only I had sleeves! It's only a matter of time until you see someone wearing this thing at the grocery store to keep warm while perusing the frozen foods aisle.
My God, they've got toilets! All right, here's one: a toilet seat that's called the Big John toilet seat. And if you think I'm making this up, I'm not -- 1,200-pound capacity. Can a 1,200-pound person get up and go to the bathroom, let alone sit down and read? Twelve hundred pounds?! Who's taking a s**t in that house? It's described as "durable and convenient." I understand the need for durability on this one, but what makes it more convenient than other toilet seats? Oh, right, it must be for the four-hundred-pound man with the four-hundred-pound girlfriend who wants to sit on his lap as he goes number two—or in this case, number five. The 1,200-pound capacity toilet really takes the worry out of going to the john. Once you get there, there's no panicking questions like, "Can it hold me?" Oh yes, it can. It most certainly can.
And here's another bottomed-out contraption, the "Pistol-Grip, No-Bend Toenail Clippers." Not being able to reach your toes because of the size of your belly -- I'm sorry, but that's a low point. Maybe it's not the low point. You could be wearing a blanket and clipping your toenails while taking a dump on the Big John. It's a low point just the same.
But here's the moment that might be the real bottom for me: I turn the page and look at the model who's displaying the Cabin Comfort Inflatable -- and who do you think he looks like? That's right, he looks like me. When you're going through a fat catalog and making fun of it, and you get to the last page and the model is your twin, that's your low point.
It was embarrassing enough just being sent a copy in the mail, but the fact that I look like a model in Living XL renders me speechless. I just don't know what to say. He looks just like me! Wow. I've always wanted to look like a model, but not one from the Living XL catalog. So this is my bottom. Done! I'm not messing around anymore. I'm like the Captain in WALL-E. If not now, then when? You will see a weight-loss festival like you've never imagined.
As I get started on this big bowl of adventure, I wonder why I'm doing it. I guess I look at this book as my impetus. My motivating factor. If writing this book doesn't make me lose weight and/or go green, what will?
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When visionary engineer J.C.R Licklider published Man-Computer Symbiosis in 1960 — a paper outlining how man’s intellectual productivity can, and should be significantly increased when partnered with a computer — the creative problems of contemporary artists were perhaps furthest from his mind. But during the 1960s, a digital fever struck the art world. Large numbers of enthused European and North American artists, curators, and theorists focussed their attention on the creative potential of computing. Software, systems, and concepts were tried and tested, and a decade’s worth of activity culminated in two landmark exhibitions: Jasia Reichardt’s Cybernetic Serendipity at London’s ICA and Jack Burnham's Software: Information Technology at New York’s Jewish Museum.
Two artists with retrospectives currently showing in the UK caught that initial wave of innovation: German born and New York-based Manfred Mohr, and British born, and still UK-based Ernest Edmonds.
Originally a painter with Constructivist sympathies, Edmonds turned to computer-aided algorithmic painting in 1968. Light Logic, his career-long retrospective at Site Gallery Sheffield, UK, combined early ‘70s works and original punch cards with a new motion sensitive installation and later video pieces. Edmonds’ essential project is an investigation into the variant formal possibilities of a two-dimensional square. In each work the internal bounds of that shape are divided into sectors made visible by the distribution of colour, or the placement of a line. This is a process facilitated by programs designed to filter through combinatorial permutations, defined by Edmonds, until a suitable variation is found and then rendered by hand. A collection of numbered ink drawings from 1974 and 1975 capture the result of this procedure in the exhibition’s only monochrome (black and white) works.
Shaping Forms, Ernest Edmonds, 2007
The late ‘80s saw Edmonds move from canvas and paper to video ...
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Alfred, Lord Tennyson was an English poet writing during the Victorian period (i.e., during the reign of Queen Victoria, or 1837-1901). Tennyson was one of the most popular poets of his period and was named poet laureate in 1850, after the death of William Wordsworth. He was also given a title and a position in the nobility because of his awesomeness as a poet – "Lord" isn't his middle name; it's his aristocratic title. When he was born, he was plain old Alfred Tennyson. Tennyson deserves props for being a poet – and an incredibly popular one – during a time when the novel was the genre of choice for most people. We often call the Victorian period the "golden age of the novel," and yet here's Tennyson, producing some of the most beautiful poetry ever written in English.
So what made Tennyson so popular? Well, he wrote about a lot of things that are common to everyone: love, loss, grief, and death. You know that old saying, "It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all"? It's not really an "old saying," it's a line from one of Tennyson's most famous poems, In Memoriam. Many of his poems seemed to resonate with readers – people found what he said to seem so universal that lines like this one got taken out of context and repeated until they started to sound cliché.
Tennyson was also interested in some of the major questions of the day – new scientific ideas were being discussed, including Darwin's new-fangled theory of evolution (Darwin's Origin of Species was published in 1859). Tennyson's interest in science, history, mythology, and social progress – all important topics of debate in Victorian England – is often apparent in his poetry. In other words, there's something in it for everyone, from Queen Victoria herself to the scullery maids who worked in the palace kitchens to us modern readers.
"Break, Break, Break" is a short, sad, lyric poem in which the speaker mourns the loss of a friend or lover, and imagines that everyone has someone to love but him. Sad, right? Well, Tennyson really did lose a friend, and a lot of his sad poetry is about coming to terms with his grief.
Tennyson's best friend from college, Arthur Henry Hallam, died suddenly of a brain hemorrhage while traveling in Vienna in September of 1833. Hallam was engaged to be married to Tennyson's sister, so the whole family felt the loss. Tennyson took years to get over it, composing what some people consider is greatest work, In Memoriam A.H.H., in memory of his friend (the initials A.H.H. obviously stand for Hallam's name). In Memoriam was published in 1850, but Tennyson had been working on it for seventeen years – ever since Hallam died. "Break, Break, Break" was published in 1842, but was written in 1834, only a short time after Hallam's death. Even though Tennyson doesn't come out and say it, it seems like a pretty safe bet that the "vanish'd hand" that the speaker is mourning is Hallam's.
After Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, died, she was inconsolable. She famously said, "Next to the Bible, In Memoriam [by Tennyson] is my comfort." She kept Tennyson's poetry on her bedside table for years to comfort herself in her grief over her husband's death.
Everyone has lost someone. Even if you're lucky enough never to have had someone close to you die, you've at least lost someone from moving away or from a breakup. Are you still shaking your head? Well, not to be Debbie Downers, but chances are good that you probably will, someday. One of the reasons that Tennyson was so popular at the time, and the reason he's still so popular now, is because his descriptions of grief are so vivid and so universal. We read about his intense grief, and think, "wow, we're not alone."
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The slick has forced the shutdown of the gulf's rich fishing grounds and could also spread to the busy shipping lanes at the mouth of the Mississippi River, tying up the cargo vessels that move millions of tons of fruit, rubber, grain, steel and other commodities and raw materials in and out of the nation's interior.
Though a total shutdown of the shipping lanes is unlikely, there could be long delays if vessels are forced to wait to have their oil-coated hulls power-washed to avoid contaminating the Mississippi.
Some cargo ships might choose to unload somewhere else in the U.S. That could drive up costs.
"Let's say it gets real bad. It gets blocked off and they don't let anything in. They lose time, and they are very concerned about that," said river pilot Michael Lorino. "It's going to be very costly if they have to unload that cargo in another port and ship it back here because it was destined for here."
When a tanker and a tugboat collided near New Orleans two years ago, oil cascaded down the river and some 200 ships stacked up, unable to move for several days while the Coast Guard had the vessels scrubbed. Millions of dollars were lost.
Several river boat pilots said the edge of the oil slick Monday was 15 to 20 miles off the Southwest Pass, where ships headed to New Orleans enter the Mississippi. The latest satellite image of the slick, taken Sunday night, indicates that it has shrunk since last week, but that only means some of the oil has gone underwater.
The new image found oil covering about 2,000 square miles, rather than the roughly 3,400 square miles observed last Thursday, said Hans Graber of the University of Miami.
The new image also shows that sizable patches have broken away and are moving to the north and east, Graber said.
Crews have been struggling to stop the more than 200,000 gallons a day spewing from the sea after an offshore drilling platform blew up and sank last month in a disaster that killed 11 workers. The accident is the worst U.S. oil spill since the tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska, leaking nearly 11 million gallons of crude.
Chemical dispersants seemed to be helping to keep oil from floating to the surface, but crews haven't been able to activate a shutout valve underwater. And it could take another week before a 98-ton concrete-and-metal box is placed over one of the leaks to capture the oil.
More ominously, it could take three months to drill sideways into the well and plug it with mud and concrete.
BP said Monday it would compensate people for "legitimate and objectively verifiable" claims from the explosion and spill, but President Barack Obama and others pressed the company to explain exactly what that means.
By all accounts, the disaster is certain to cost BP billions. But analysts said the company could handle it; BP is the world's third-largest oil company and made more than $6 billion in the first three months of this year. The oil spill has drained $32 billion from BP's stock market value.
In the Chandeleur Sound on Monday, about 40 miles northeast of Venice, La., thick, heavy oil formed long clumps that looked like raw sewage. Dying jellyfish could be seen in the water. A dolphin surfaced nearby but did not appear to be in distress.
The news was better from Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle, where the sheen isn't expected to touch beaches before Thursday. Wind and sea currents have helped to keep the oil away from points farther west, said Coast Guard Capt. Steve Poulin.
Poulin used a map that projected what people can expect to see when the oil begins to hit. The outermost layer will include sticky tar balls that can adhere to bird feathers and accumulate in grasses and marshes. The next layer will have bigger pancakes of emulsified oil.
The Port of New Orleans handled 73 millions tons of cargo in 2008, including coffee from South America and steel from Japan, Russia, Brazil and Mexico. More than 245,000 tons of coffee came through the port in 2008, second only to the New York-New Jersey port. And last year, it imported nearly 260,000 tons of rubber from such countries as Indonesia and Malaysia, making it nation's No. 1 gateway for natural rubber.
While a port shutdown would be devastating to the Gulf Coast region, many economists believe the overall damage to the $14.6 trillion U.S. economy could be small.
Cargo can be rerouted to other ports, and the income would be shifted but not lost. Even the lost income from tourism and fishing could be offset by more spending on cleanup.
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I have a pattern that does not say how much yarn you need. Is there some way to figure out how much you need? I am so new I cannot tell by just looking at it. It is a simple apron top knit in cotton for a toddler in about 2T - 3T.
Worsted weight yarn on 8's will give you a gauge of about 4 st per inch, so for a vest, according to the chart I have, you'd need about 300 yards. I imagine an apron top could be about half that. Personally, I'd get about 200 to be safe, since the gauge is a guestimate.
"Trust the pattern!"
Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a banana.
Hop aboard while we follow the cloud-covered van of knitting harmony, man!! Woooo!! --Hedgehog
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Around the world, healing and prevention are needed.
Breathing for health
Life is but a series of breaths. Breath is life. We can live a long time without food, a couple of days without drinking, but life without breath is measured in minutes. Something so essential deserves our attention. Breath is the most important of all the bodily functions.
I recommend taking a few minutes each day to practice breathing deeply. You’ll find a breathing exercise at the end of this page to help you learn to breathe more deeply throughout the day.
Deep breathing and the lymph system
Deep breathing is important because it makes your lymphatic system work better. What is the lymph system? Some people think of it as the bodys sewage system. Every cell in your body is surrounded by lymph.
The bodys cells depend on the lymphatic system as the only way to drain off the large toxic materials and excess fluid, which restrict the amount of oxygen that the cells are able to absorb. The fluid passes through the lymph nodes, where dead cells and all other poisons except blood proteins are destroyed and neutralized. How important is the lymphatic system? If it were totally shut down for 24 hours, you would die as the result of trapped blood proteins and excess fluid around the cells. In addition to deep breathing, rebounding on a mini-trampoline is another great way to stimulate your lymph system.
Did you know that the lymphatic system is twice the size of our other circulatory system? It's true. Twice as much lymph as blood is present in our bodies, and we have twice as many lymph vessels as blood vessels. One of the keys to health is to keep your lymphatic system open and flowing freely.
As most readers probably know, most of the body is made up of water. Part of the water resides in the bloodstream, but far more is in the lymphatic system. Our cells are located in a sea of lymph, a pale fluid.
Like the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system is made up of channels, valves and filters, or nodes. Unlike the cardiovascular system, however, the lymphatic system lacks any central "heart-like" organ to pump lymph throughout the lymph vessels. Instead, the lymphatic system depends on muscular movement, simple gravity and BREATHING to move lymph fluid throughout the body.
When the lymphatic system is flowing freely everything is well. When the lymphatic system backs up, however, there’s trouble. The consequences can be serious, even life-threatening. Not only are the repair, building and waste disposal systems affected by a disruption, the body’s defenses against foreign substances are also impaired. In addition to filtering out toxic materials, the lymph nodes also produce substances which fight off invading bacteria and viruses and destroy abnormal cells which developed within the body, such as cancer cells. In addition to being part of the body’s plumbing and repair system, the lymphatic system is an essential part of our immune system.
The lymphatic system is as essential to bodily function as the bloodstream it complements. "To keep it clear, you need to increase its drainage capacity or reduce its intake of toxins. I suggest doing both - through diet, stress reduction, exercise and deep breathing.
Pranamaya: A simple breathing exercise you can use in your daily routine
Are you willing to invest just 5 minutes a day in a breathing exercise which will produce immediate and significant benefits? The ayurvedic breathing technique known as "Pranayama" is a tremendously beneficial practice for your health and it's free. Ayurveda and Transcendental Meditation have helped me make marked improvements in not only my health and behavior but all aspects of my life. I highly recommend you look into it .
The neti pot is another practice which may help you improve your breathing for better health.
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