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“Why if I walk in Your will, I need to face all this?” I complained. “If same is the reward for the right and wrong, then why not do the wrong and keep my soul happy as well (like others)? Yesterday Your Son called out, today I cry out to You, why have You forsaken me, Lord?”
“I go to church every Sunday, I try my best not to hurt anyone from my end, I struggle not to lie, I haven’t murdered anyone till date, I respect You Lord, I do not steal anything from anybody, I love everyone, then why me? Is there anything better I could have done to please You?” I was all broken.
Out came a hand to reach my head. Slowly it slipped down to pat my back. And there came a silent smile on His face.
“Do you not know that I punish all those whom I love?
I know you go regularly go to the church, but do you spiritually seek my presence?
I know you don’t want to hurt anybody, but is it possible that unknowingly some are hurt by you?
I know you try hard to keep my commandments, but do you not know that if you keep nine of them and miss one—you still stay away from me?
You say you love all and yes you do my child, I know. But aren’t you still holding grudges against those who have hurted you?
My child, didn’t I teach you to forgive and forget? Love is forgiving.”
That day He taught me what is love.
Love is knowing someone (Mix-up with others—they might be needing you)
Love I letting someone know you (Don’t keep things to yourself)
Love is giving someone (Give because you are given by God)
Love is caring for someone (You might make someone feel special)
Love is sharing with someone (Share the Good News)
Love is smiling with someone (Your smile might just make someone’s day)
Love is crying with someone (Cry with those who cry)
Love is also crying for someone (Life is not always fair)
Love is listening to someone (Someone might be feeling low in their soul)
Love is having something listened by someone (Grow & help grow)
Love is losing someone (God has right to take things away that He has given us)
Love is hiding tears from someone (Don’t make someone feel they are disappointing)
Love is struggling for smile in front of someone (Make them feel they are good people)
Oh My Heart, What is Love?
Love is a commitment (Do it wholeheartedly and without ceasing.)
Love is a feeling for someone (love is true, love is pure, make it glow all the way for sure)
All this seems to be so easy for the ones whom we already love or whom we know newly, but how do we go about loving our enemies?
You might say, “but, I don’t have any enemies!”
Dear friend, by not loving someone s/he is as good as an enemy.
The key to love your enemy – FORGIVE
This is His will for you. Then and then only we will be forgiven as well.
Read more articles by Joyce Reed or search for articles on the same topic or others.
__Joyce, Hello! Thank you for encouraging me in my critiques on your writing. Certainly we are a great example of how believers should build each other up. “My Conversation with God”
**Pleasant: Ah, an expository type of piece instead of a poetic one. I’m delighted that you are experimenting with a different style of writing. Variety will allow for God to use your writing to reach a wider audience of people.
*These 2 thoughts I felt were excellently worded: “Yesterday Your Son called out, today I cry out to You, why have You forsaken me, Lord?” You take us from Jesus’ desperate cry to your desperate cry; your pain is exactly understood, excellent transition. “I know you go regularly go to the church, but do you spiritually seek my presence?” The seen reality, regularly going to church, gives sheer contrast to the unseen reality, spiritually seeking God’s presence, this phrasing will bring the way of error to light in peoples’ hearts—good job.
**Bothersome: Grammar and readability. I’m sorry, but this piece reads horribly. All of your pieces so far have had syntax problems but they were poetic in nature so I did not mention it since poetry tends to allow for that kind of freedom, expository pieces however do not. Your piece concerns Christian living—you have something you want to share with us so communicate it clearly! Please, reread your pieces before posting!
*Two subjects, both with not enough attention given. I know this is harsh, but you didn’t really do much explaining in this expository piece. “Why if I walk in Your will, I need to face all this?” This is how you start off, basically asking: why do I suffer for going good? God answers basically with: because you still mess-up, “…do you spiritually seek my presence?" "…is it possible that unknowingly some are hurt by you?" "…do you not know that if you keep nine of them and miss one…?” This doesn’t seem very loving on God’s part, but that’s fine for Him to say, so long as He explains that He forgives our mistakes if we ask allowing for his mercy to triumph over his justice in our lives. Instead you have God changing the subject, “my child, didn’t I teach you to forgive and forget? Love is forgiving,” which is where the second topic, not directly related to the first one, begins. You then proceed in the 1st Corinthians 13 format to describe, from your perspective, what love is though some of your points are debatable. By the end there is no resolution: what does love have to do with my suffering? Is it because I don’t love people that I continue to suffer, even though I say I’m walking in God’s will? If I forgive my enemies will God be satisfied and remove them from my life? More could be said but I hope you see my point, you should have focused more on either encouraging us in our sufferings in following Christ, or teaching us deeper things about the subject love.
__In all this piece reads like a conversation, true to its title, but has the grammar inconsistencies of one as well. Good attempt at a different writing style, but confused as to your main idea. May God continue to stretch your skill as you create new writings.
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What Is a Solar Installer-Roofer?
Solar Installer-Roofers are the people who install solar panels and solar cells in the roofs of residential and commercial buildings. Currently, trained, qualified Solar Roofers are hard to come by these days, even in our quickly growing "green" economy. Why? Because a Solar Roofer must not only possess the trade skills and construction experience of a roofer, but must also be a competent solar electrician.
There are basically two different types of solar roofing jobs being done today: retrofitting and integrated. Retrofitting is installing a solar panel on an existing roof. Integrating is incorporating solar cells and panels into a new roof being built.
Solar electrician skills are less important for retrofitting solar roofing. This is a relatively easy job. It basically consists of mounting one or more solar panels on an existing roof, and feeding the wiring though the roof to the battery banks. A regular roofer could do this, and leave the wiring to an electrician.
Retrofitted solar roofs, however, have many drawbacks. Solar panels are bulky, more exposed to the elements of wind, rain, and snow, and many consider them to be an eyesore that drags down property values. Consequently, integrated solar roofing has become increasingly popular. The solar panels are actually built into the roof, the sides more or less flush with the rest of the roof. Such solar panels are less exposed to harsh weather and more aesthetically pleasing. It's still obvious, however, that you have solar panels on your roof.
To compensate for this problem, solar cell manufactures have started producing "solar shingles." These are specialized roofing shingles that have photovoltaic solar cells built into them, but otherwise appear to be the same shape, size, and color as regular asphalt shingles. Solar shingles can provide an entire building roof that is essentially one big solar panel, but (from a distance, at least) looks like any other roof. Although solar shingle roofs are increasingly popular, they have also increased the demand for Solar Installer-Roofers.
Unlike solar panels in which all the solar cells are already wired together, solar shingles must be wired together into a solar array as they are applied to the roof. Furthermore, the solar shingles need to be installed and wired together before the rest of the roof is installed with regular shingles, so that the wires from the solar shingles can be run along the ridge cap of the roof, where they are hidden from sight and protected from harsh weather.
Requirements for Becoming a Solar Installer-Roofer
Solar Installer-Roofers are usually made rather than found. Unfortunately, few people today possess both roofing trade skills and solar electronics training. Therefore, solar roofing companies either hire roofers and train them to be solar electricians or hire solar electricians and train them to install roofs.
If you are already a roofer, enter a two-year program in electrical engineering at a community college or vocational school. Another option is an electrician apprenticeship trade program. Either way, this should give you the electrical knowledge and experience necessary to qualify for a Solar Installer-Roofer position. For there, your employer should train you on the specifics of their methods and equipment.
On the other hand, if you are already have an Associates or Bachelors in electrical engineering, or are a certified electrician, you'll need to train to become a roofer as well. Vocational schools should at least offer a few classes in this construction skill, and some might even offer full programs. Another route is to enter a roofing apprenticeship trade program.
Boots on the Roof, a leading Renewable energy training institute, is enrolling students into its Alternative Energy Training classes. For more information on qualifications, Training Dates and Locations, click here.
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One Piece 529 Mediafire Download
One Piece could be a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. One Piece has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since August 4th, 1997.
One Piece Plot
One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-ancient boy who gains supple talents when inadvertently eating a supernatural fruit, and his numerous crew of pirates, named the Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy explores the ocean in search of the world’s final treasure referred to as the One Piece and to become successive Reproduce King. On his journey, Luffy battles a excellent sort of villains and makes many friends.
Twenty years have passed since Roger’s execution, and Monkey D. Luffy, a young reproduce inspired by the reproduce known as “Red-Haired” Shanks, sets off on a journey from the East Blue to succeed Roger and find the One Piece treasure. He organizes and leads a nine-member crew named the Straw Hat Pirates. Each crew member Luffy encounters eventually become his close friends, including the swordsman Roronoa Zoro, the navigator and thief Nami, the liar and cowardly sharpshooter Usopp, the womanizing chef Sanji, the doctor and anthropomorphized reindeer Tony Tony Chopper, the archaeologist and former enemy Nico Robin, the cybernetic shipwright Franky, and the musician skeleton Brook.
The crew crosses paths with diverse villains, such as Buggy the Clown around, many of the One Piece Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Marines, who place bounties on Luffy and Zoro’s heads, and Arlong, a fishman and member of the former Sun Pirates. They encounter Baroque Works, the crime syndicate responsible for a civil war in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, along with fellow rookie reproduce Blackbeard, whose dream is also to become the King of the Pirates. The crew also confronts Enel, the ruler of the floating island Skypiea. Later, the crew meets the Marine admiral Aokiji, who reveals that Robin was involved in searching for Poneglyphs, stones with markings left by an ancient civilization whom Roger himself was also able to read. The crew also encounters Cipher Pol No. 9, the acumen outfit responsible for the destruction of Robin’s homeland, whose actions cause the pirates to declare war on the One Piece World Government. After an epic battle at Enies Lobby, the crew defeats CP9 – saving Robin and avenging the lives lost in the destruction – and each member receives bounties on their heads.
Some time later, the crew prepares to sail off to the One Piece New World, the second half of the Grand Line. The crew eventually gets separated during a battle at the Sabaody Archipelago. At the same time, the Marines sentence Luffy’s older brother and Roger’s son Portgas D. Ace to be executed, and they hold a war against a group of pirates led by Whitebeard. Luffy eventually rescues Ace, but both Whitebeard and Ace are killed in the ensuing chaos. Later, Luffy and the crew undergo rigorous training regimens, some under the auspices of prominent figures. Two years later, the crew regroups and journeys to Fishman Island to enter the One Piece New World. At the same time, a group of fishman pirates hold a coup d’état to choose the fate of the island. But, they are drawn into a battle against the Straw Hats and the fishman Jimbei.
One Piece 529 Title
“Fishman Island Destroyed ?”
One Piece 529 Mediafire (360px)
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Zafgen, Inc., a leading biopharmaceutical company dedicated to addressing the unmet needs of severely obese patients, today announced that it has initiated Phase 2a clinical testing of beloranib. This milestone follows the completion of three consecutive Phase 1b studies demonstrating rapid weight loss, reductions in body fat, improvements in cardiovascular risk factors and encouraging tolerability.
Beloranib, a novel therapy for obesity that utilizes a unique mechanism of action targeting methionine aminopeptidase 2 (MetAP2), is in development to assess its potential to safely and rapidly reduce body weight by restoring balance between the production and utilization of fat.
"This transition to larger and longer clinical trials is a significant milestone for Zafgen and for patients who suffer from severe obesity," Thomas Hughes, Ph.D., president and CEO of Zafgen, said. "We are looking forward to learning more about the safety and efficacy of treatment with beloranib over a longer period of time. Given the consistent and rapid weight loss we have observed with beloranib in previous studies, there appears to be significant potential to help severely obese patients, whose options are currently limited, to achieve a healthier weight and improve risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease."
The first Phase 2a clinical trial will evaluate weight loss, safety and pharmacokinetics of beloranib administered twice a week. Obese men and women with and without type 2 diabetes will receive subcutaneous injections for 12 weeks at eight participating centers. The trial design is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating a range of doses in approximately 150 patients.
"Early results from clinical trials studying beloranib's effects on body weight and cardiovascular risk markers in obese patients have been very encouraging," Steven R. Smith, M.D., scientific director of the Florida Hospital-Sanford Burnham Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes, said. "This new trial will evaluate how the effects of this novel therapy extend with longer treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes, an important obesity-related co-morbid condition, and will be an important scientific milestone in shaping its use in the treatment of obesity and its related conditions."
Results from the next clinical development phase are anticipated to be available in June 2013. For more information about the study, visit ClinicalTrials.gov.
About Fat Metabolism
Research continues to show that obese and lean individuals metabolize fat differently. Studies indicate that once a person becomes obese, the body undergoes certain metabolic changes and is "programmed" to create and store more fat, making it much more difficult to reduce body weight. These metabolic adaptations that take place in obese people impair the normal release and breakdown of fatty acids from adipose tissue. Simultaneously, the body becomes much more efficient in diverting calories from food and storing them as fat.
Beloranib is the first compound in its class that works by targeting a key enzyme called MetAP2 that controls the production and utilization of fatty acids. Inhibitors of MetAP2 reduce the production of new fatty acid molecules by the liver and help to convert stored fats into useful energy. Beloranib is being developed as a twice-weekly subcutaneous injection for severe obesity. Zafgen holds exclusive worldwide rights (exclusive of Korea) for development and commercialization of beloranib. The company licensed beloranib from CKD Pharma.
About Zafgen, Inc.
Zafgen is an innovative company dedicated to addressing the unmet need of severely obese patients by bringing beloranib, a first-in-class novel medicine, to market. Founded in 2005 as a capital efficient company, Zafgen brings together leading experts in obesity and metabolic disease to address the underserved and growing population of patients who are severely obese. Zafgen's singular focus is on advancing novel therapeutics for patients suffering from severe obesity and obesity-related disorders. The company is located in Cambridge, MA. For more information, visit zafgen.com.
Dr. Smith is a paid advisor to Zafgen.
SOURCE Zafgen, Inc.
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This book was created as a result of a cooperative group class assignment from which students demonstrated their concepts of “Fashion”. The class was 4th Quarter Advanced Photography, comprised of high school juniors and seniors.
Students had opportunities to use traditional photographic darkroom techniques, digital cameras, and professional studio lighting equipment. The students formed their own shooting groups, provided their own props and costumes, and took turns being photographers and posing as models. Students personally edited their images and created the pages in this book using Adobe Photoshop 7.0.
Personally, this has been one of the most fulfilling assignments that I have had the pleasure to be involved with. From the announcement: “Create a book with the theme of fashion,” my Advanced Photography students have shown remarkable excitement and a steadfast work ethic. Their creative and conceptual ideas about fashion seem to be limitless. There has been continuous improvement through informal peer group work, critique, exhilarating discoveries, and heartbreaking disappointments. The results were renewed feelings of self-confidence. As you view the images in this book, keep in mind the environmentally reactive results the concept of fashion has on high school juniors and seniors. I hope you find their interpretations as remarkable and insightful as I do.
Jack Calbeck, MFA
Creative Photography Teacher
Lecanto High School
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Rwanda's president vowed to bar ethnic Tutsi men ordered to leave Zaire next week or face all-out war as rebels. "We will only be taking women and children. The men will have to stay where they are," Rwandan President Pasteur Bizimungu said. Zaire has given an estimated 200,000 Banyamulenge Tutsis one week to leave or be treated as rebels and face war with Zairian soldiers. Meanwhile, fighting has already broken out between government troops and the Tutsis after two massacres at missionary hospitals in Zaire that were blamed on the Banyamulenge, who have lived in Zaire for decades but have been essentially stateless since their citizenship was revoked in 1981.
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For Haruki Murakami, routine—writing, jogging—frees the imagination
Wed, Dec 31, 2008 (midnight)
Some people have epiphanies in church, others atop mountains. Haruki Murakami’s came on April 1, 1978, on the grassy knoll behind Jingu baseball Stadium in Japan. He wanted to write a novel.
Thirty years and nearly three dozen books later, it’s clear that Murakami answered the right call. His strange, wonderful fictions, from Wild Sheep Chase to After Dark, are cult hits the world over, translated into 48 languages.
But as he describes in his recent memoir, this burst of productivity would have been impossible were it not for the simultaneous arrival—those many years ago—of another epiphany, an unlikely one for a three-pack-a-day smoker who owned a jazz club: What if he went for a jog? The energetic 59-year-old novelist explains how what started as a hunch became the organizing principle to his life.
“I have a theory,” he says, in a deep baritone. “If you lead a very repetitious life, your imagination works very well. It’s very active. So I get up early in the morning, every day, and I sit down at my desk, and I am ready to write.”
- Beyond the Weekly
- Haruki Murakami
When he talks about his writing, Murakami sounds like an odd mixture of an existentialist, professional athlete and motivational speaker. “It’s like going into the dark room,” he says, his voice slowing.
“I enter that room, open that door; and it’s dark, completely dark. But I can see something, and I can touch something and come back to this world, this side, and write it.”
He gives a long, Quaker-silence-like pause and then adds a caveat: “You have to be strong. You have to be tough. You have to be confident of what you are doing if you want to enter that dark room.”
Even when he is not in Japan, Murakami’s life looks the same. He wakes early, writes for several hours, runs and spends his afternoon translating literature. He has translated the Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, and most recently Raymond Chandler’s Farewell, My Lovely.
The patterned nature of his days could not be more different than those of his characters. Murakami writes of people blown sideways through life by chance or freak circumstance. Kafka on the Shore features talking cats; After the Quake includes a story about a man who believes a giant frog is taking over Tokyo.
In some ways, though, he has a routine, Murakami knows how fate can change a life. Two events outside himself have made a large difference on his own. The first came in the late 1980s. Tired of what he called “the drinking and back-scratching” of Tokyo literary society, of which he was an outsider, he left the country and wrote a novel, Norwegian Wood.
“It sold very, very well—too much,” Murakami says, laughing: “Two million copies in two years. So some people hated me more. Intellectual people don’t like a best-seller.” Murakami stayed away more, moved to America; and then 1995 came.
In the space of that year, Japan suffered a financial melt-down and a terrorist gas attack on its subways. Murakami came home and spent a year listening to the voices of the survivors. He ultimately channeled them into the oral history, Underground.
The experience changed him, and how he wrote characters. “You know, many people don’t listen to the other people’s story,” he said. “Most of them think other people’s stories are boring. But if you try to listen hard, their story is fascinating.”
Since then, Murakami has not only written characters differently—he opens the window, as he puts it, now and again. For two months out of the year, he answers readers’ e-mails. “I just wanted to talk to my readers,” he says, “listen to their voices.”
And then he shuts it. His determination to write still vibrates off him in waves. He wants each book to be different, better than what came before. He just finished a mammoth novel, “twice as long as Kafka on the Shore,” he says, about horror, which will be published in Japan next May.
In the meantime, he doubts another epiphany will come. “I can remember what it felt,” he says about writing his first book. “It’s a very special feeling. But I guess once is enough. I think everybody gets that epiphany once in a lifetime. And I am afraid many people will miss it.”
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A transsexual woman and an openly gay man took seats in Poland's newly elected parliament Tuesday, historic firsts that reflect profound social change in this traditionally Roman Catholic country.
Anna Grodzka, who was born a man but underwent a sex change, entered the assembly hall to warm greetings. Several men and women shook her hand, while one male lawmaker kissed her on the cheek. She was later introduced to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who also shook her hand.
Grodzka sat next to Robert Biedron, an activist who is the first openly gay person elected to Poland's parliament. Both belong to Palikot's Movement, a new progressive party that became the third-largest party in parliament in the Oct. 9 election.
Grodzka said she felt overwhelmed by emotion as the session opened with the national anthem and when she later took her oath of office.
"It is a symbolic moment, but we owe this symbolism not to me but to the people of Poland because they made their choice," Grodzka told The Associated Press. "They wanted a modern Poland, a Poland open to variety, a Poland where all people would feel good regardless of their differences. I cannot fail them in their expectations."
Palikot's Movement, led by outspoken entrepreneur-turned-politician Janusz Palikot, has vowed to push for liberal causes. It opposes the influence of the church in political life, promotes gay rights, and wants to challenge the country's near-total ban on abortion.
Ewa Kopacz, the outgoing health minister, was then elected the new parliament speaker _ the first time a woman was chosen for a post that the constitution defines as the second most powerful political position, after the prime minister.
The seventh parliament since communism fell was opened by a former speaker, Jozef Zych, who invoked words spoken by the late Polish pope, John Paul II, and acknowledged the presence of archbishops and other church leaders who observed from a balcony.
Zych also remembered the late President Lech Kaczynski and the lawmakers who died with him in a plane crash last year _ words spoken as Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the late leader's twin brother, sat solemnly with other conservative lawmakers.
Kaczynski heads the country's largest opposition party, the nationalist Law and Justice party, which is riven by deep divisions and internal turmoil after expelling three key leaders on Friday who had called for a more democratic leadership style from Kaczynski.
Last month's election gave Tusk, of the center-right Civic Platform party, a mandate for a second term. It was the first time since the end of communism 22 years ago that a government won a second consecutive term.
Tusk has remained popular thanks to an image he has cultivated of moderation and because the economy has grown impressively since Poland joined the European Union in 2004. It was the only EU country to avoid recession during the global crisis of 2008-09.
President Bronislaw Komorowski addressed the newly elected lawmakers, urging them to work together to maintain Poland's strong economic performance as Europe faces a new financial crisis. He tasked the team with making Poland ready to adopt the EU currency, the euro, saying it was the "right path for the future development of Poland.
He called on lawmakers to trim bureaucracy, reform the judiciary and the health system and tackle state debt.
"We know that the state exists for the citizens, and not the other way around," Komorowski said.
Lech Walesa, the hero of Poland's anti-communist revolution and a former president, watched the proceedings from a balcony in the assembly hall.
Tusk, whose government formally resigned on Tuesday, plans to keep governing with his junior partner of the past four years, the conservative Polish People's Party. He also plans to keep many of his key ministers in their jobs, including Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski and Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski.
Later in the day the president charged Tusk with forming a new government. His outgoing team will act as a caretaker government until the new one is formed and faces a confidence vote in parliament.
Tusk said he will build a new government soon, but gave no exact timeline. In any case, it should have no trouble winning a confidence vote because the new coalition enjoys a majority in the parliament.
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You can link directly to a title in CLUES from your course Web site.
Once you find the title you want to link to, click on "Persistent link to this title".
By doing so, a new URL will appear in your browser's address bar.
Then, simply copy and paste this URL into your Web page.
You can share useful CLUES search results with your students by linking directly to these results from your course Web site.
Once you have performed a successful search in CLUES and are satisfied with the results, simply copy and paste the URL from your search results screen into your Web page.
Including a link to this URL on your Web page will lead your students directly to a current list of material matching your search criteria. If new material matching your search is added to the Libraries' collection, the URL will remains the same, even as the list of references grows.
You can also provide a direct link from your course Web site to a list of Course Reserve material, should you have one. This link makes it easier for students to retrieve the material they need. Connect to CLUES and search by Course Reserve (either by course code or instructor). Copy and paste the URL of the results list to your Web site.
Direct links to specific resources and guides on the Libraries' Web site could also prove useful to your students. Here are a few possibilities:
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Video: Ralph Nader on the "Epidemic of Self-Censorship" and the need for "Peaceful Tomorrows"
A roundtable discussion was held on September 12, 2011, at Busboys & Poets in Washington, D.C. It featured the People's Lawyer, Ralph Nader. He brought up his concern about the "epidemic of self-censorship" in the country leading up the launching of the illegal and immoral Iraq War by the Bush-Cheney Gang. Mr. Nader also quoted learned historians on the Fall of Rome and Greece to remind the audience that if citizens fail to speak out, they risk losing all of their "freedoms." He then read into the record the statement of the "September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows." It had been issued on the tenth anniversary of 9/11.To see the full video on this event, "A Forum on the Precarious State of the American Republic, the US Constitution & Civil Liberties, Post-9/11," go to: Vimeo.
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Global GovernanceA breakout session with Professor Rakesh Khurana Monday, October 13, 2008
Led by questions from Professor Khurana, panelists and attendees explore the problems with corporate governance in America and offer possible solutions.
William George, MBA 1966 Professor of Management Practice, HBS
Nell Minow Editor & Co-Founder, The Corporate Library
Damon Silvers, MBA 1995 General Counsel's Office, American Federation of Labor and Co
Boards of directors are the entities charged with ensuring the long-term viability and success of corporations. So where were they prior to the financial crisis and does this crisis indicate fundamental problems with boards and governance? Panelists do see multiple problems in how American boards are comprised and operate. The solutions lie in changing how boards are selected, changing the expectations for how boards operate, and reexamining the motivations for why board members serve.
Led by questions from Professor Khurana, the panelists and audience members explored the problems with corporate governance in America and offered possible solutions.
Boards have received little blame for the current financial crisis, yet bear much of the responsibility.
Not only did boards fail to protect corporations' interests from the forces that have culminated in a meltdown of the financial system, but no one appears to have expected them to. Discussion of board culpability has been notably absent amid the finger-pointing in the wake of the crisis, noted Professor Khurana.
Yet the board of directors is the entity charged with ensuring the well-being of a corporation. As Professor George said, "The first job of any board of directors is to ensure the survivability of the firm." However, often boards—like CEOs and other executives—become overly focused on the company's short-term stock price as opposed to its long-term viability.
In retrospect, it appears that the boards of the failed financial institutions had the clues and the means, and certainly the responsibility, to detect the risks that materialized into the subprime crisis. The reasons this did not happen are many and include:
– Flawed board member selection. There are many unqualified individuals serving on boards, people who have personal connections, personal wealth, and/or view being on a board as an "honor," but who lack relevant knowledge and experience to perform the basic duties required of a board member. Ms. Minow observed that a teenager applying for a driver's license receives more scrutiny than most board members. When board members view being on a board as an honor, they take their duties lightly, meet infrequently, are overly polite, and fail to exercise the fiduciary responsibilities required of a board. Mr. George sees board service as a calling and an extremely serious responsibility; not an honor.
– Difficulty ousting board members. Ms. Minow believes that shareholder proxy and proposal processes "make it just about impossible" for investors to replace directors. She believes that requiring directors to receive a majority of votes will go a long way toward making directors more accountable.
– Boards lack independence. While Sarbanes-Oxley mandates a certain level of board independence, true independence is often lacking. Boards often feel a certain sense of "deference and protectiveness" toward senior executives, said Mr. Silvers, clouding objective analysis of troubling situations and fostering denial. Boards also often fail to ask hard questions and engage in rigorous inquiry.
– Boards don't do their jobs. In addition to ensuring the corporation's long-term survivability, boards should ensure proper risk management, monitoring, and governance—which often does not occur. For example, Mr. Silvers described how the audit committee of a major financial firm met just twice in one year, as the company was engaged in highly risky activities.
Through poorly designed executive compensation plans, boards have exacerbated the short-term focus that exists in corporate America.
Many boards seem to ignore their own mission of longterm stewardship when they approve executive compensation packages based heavily on short-term results, particularly the firm's short-term stock price. Such incentives produce outsized short-term CEO compensation but don't necessarily produce solid long-term performance.
In fact, Ms. Minow's work has found a correlation between CEO compensation and firm performance—an inverse one: The greater the CEO compensation, the more likely a firm will get into trouble. The reason: High compensation causes corporate leaders to take more risks. In addition, such compensation plans only have a financial upside for the CEO and other executives, and rarely any downside.
Creating toxic compensation plans is just one way in which boards often fail to balance the power of CEOs. Too often, boards choose powerful leaders as CEOs, who seem to accrue even more power in their post. This can grow to the point where the board reveres them too much to manage them or rein them in. Boards "don't balance that power," said Mr. George. "They need to step up and take control. The board governs; the CEO manages."
Like the problems with board governance, appropriate fixes would be both cultural and structural.
Among the changes suggested to improve boards and governance are:
– Selection based on character and commitment. A new standard should be applied in selecting board members: They should be selected based on character and their commitment to serving on the board. While there is no specific test to measure these attributes, a rigorous screening process should be able to assess a person's character and motivation for serving on a board. The character standard should also apply to CEOs.
– Activist boards. An audience member noted that typically the boards of private companies are much more active. They are actively engaged in the company's business and success, providing guidance and advice. But for public companies, the focus often shifts to compliance with regulations. The panelists agreed that more activist boards are required, not to manage the business, but to engage in the business and ask hard questions of management—to lead.
– A long-term perspective. Boards need to take a longterm perspective, which is reflected in the board's focus, its approach to risk management, its compensation, and the compensation plans of executives (which must be better tied to long-term organizational performance). Mr. Silvers would make directors accountable to a longterm- focused constituency through changes in shareholder proxy design. There might also be changes in tax policy that would encourage longer-term thinking.
– Majority vote. Ms. Minow would mandate a majority vote in director elections, rather than the common rule that an unopposed board member can be elected by one vote.
The behavior of American boards reflects society's focus on short-term personal gain versus creating an organization of significance.
The panel and audience probed what it is about American society that supports board abdication of responsibility. Both the panelists and audience members expressed the view that business has lost its sense of societal purpose. In 1908 when HBS was founded, contributing value to society was a major aim of business. HBS was formed to study how to reconcile profit aims with the need to take care of workers. "This society has moved so far away from our basic notion of what business is all about," said an audience member.
An audience member from Europe was puzzled by Americans' obsession with accruing enormous amounts of money. Also puzzling to him was the two-step model typified by Bill Gates's life—first one makes a fortune, then one gives back—versus a more integrated lifelong approach to societal contributions. In Europe, work is pursued less for compensation than for personal rewards.
While the session did not resolve the reasons for America's wealth obsession, examples of it flowed freely (e.g., CEOs of failed firms insisting on their full severance packages despite having destroying their firm, at the cost of their reputations, integrity, and career; HBS grads headed to Wall Street despite deep dread of "selling their souls").
American materialism plays out in board governance through short-term horizons. Three-year incentive packages for CEOs "were intended to make CEOs rich as fast as they can," said an audience member, which flies in the face of the board's supposed mission to build companies sustainable for the long term. A solution in Mr. George's view is for every director of every public company to recognize that their job is to have a corporation that serves society. This is an important step toward changing the culture of American corporations.
Other Important Points
- – How "boards" began. The term "board" goes back to medieval times, when an actual board of lumber was put over two sawhorses and used as a makeshift meeting table. Most meeting participants sat on stools, but the person in charge sat in a chair and was designated the "chair-man."
- – Clawbacks. Mr. George floated the idea as part of the U.S. government's bailout package that clawbacks be considered. Those in the financial sector who made huge sums of money should be held accountable for the money they took out beforehand (as happens in the context of bankruptcy), and clawback provisions could have been established. However, despite the havoc wreaked by those in the financial sector who extracted huge personal gains, there was no political appetite in Congress for any type of clawback provisions.
- – Rating tool. Ms. Minow's company rates the effectiveness of boards, much as debt is rated, providing a tool for investors that hopefully will foster increased accountability of directors.
Rakesh Khurana, Ph.D. OB 1998 (Moderator)
Professor of Business Administration
Rakesh Khurana is a professor in the Organizational Behavior unit at HBS. He teaches a doctoral seminar on Management and Markets and The Board of Directors and Corporate Governance in the MBA Program. He received his BS from Cornell University and his MA (sociology) and Ph.D. in organization behavior from Harvard University. Before attending graduate school, he worked as a founding member of Cambridge Technology Partners in sales and marketing.
Khurana's research uses a social network perspective to reframe classical economic and sociological explanations of market outcomes. His research focuses on the processes by which leaders are selected and developed. He has written extensively about the CEO labor market with particular interest on the factors that lead to vacancies in the CEO position and affect the choice of successor; the role of market intermediaries like executive-search firms in CEO search; and the consequences of CEO succession and selection decisions for later firm performance and strategic choices. His 2002 book, Searching for a Corporate Savior: The Irrational Quest for Charismatic CEOs, analyzes the labor market for CEOs.
Khurana's most recent book, From Higher Aims to Hired Hands: The Social Transformation of American Business Schools and the Unfulfilled Promise of Management as a Profession (2007), chronicles the evolution of management as a profession, focusing particularly on the institutional development of the MBA. How have certain occupations within business (executive management, consulting, private equity, and investment banking) come to require the MBA credential as a prerequisite for entry? How has professional management claimed and received legitimation for its role as the steward of much of society's material wealth and resources?
Khurana expects the results of this research on professions to have implications for our understanding of how, exactly, professional managers do, can, or should "contribute to the well-being of society."
William W. George, MBA 1966
Professor of Management Practice
Bill George is Professor of Management Practice at HBS, where he is teaching leadership and leadership development in the MBA Program and in several Executive Education programs. He is the author of a best-selling leadership book, True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership. His previous book, Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value, was also a bestseller.
George is the former chairman and CEO of Medtronic, which he joined in 1989 as president and COO. He served as CEO from 1991 through 2001 and was chairman of the board from 1996 to 2002. Under his leadership, Medtronic's market capitalization grew from $1.1 billion to $60 billion, averaging 35 percent a year.
George serves as a director of ExxonMobil, Goldman Sachs, Novartis, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the World Economic Forum USA.
During 2002–2003, George was Professor of Leadership and Governance at IMD International in Lausanne, Switzerland, and executive-in-residence at Yale University's School of Management. Before joining Medtronic, he spent 10 years as a senior executive with Honeywell and 10 years with Litton Industries, mostly as president of Litton Microwave Cooking.
George received his BSIE with high honors from Georgia Tech and his MBA with high distinction from HBS, where he was a Baker Scholar. He has received an honorary doctorate of business administration from Bryant University. George was named executive of the year by the Academy of Management (2001) and director of the year by the National Association of Corporate Directors (2001–2002). In 2002 George was named one of the 25 most influential businesspeople of the last 25 years by the PBS Nightly News.
Editor & Cofounder, Corporate Library
Nell Minow is the editor and cofounder of the Corporate Library. She was named one of the 20 most influential people in corporate governance by Directorship magazine in 2007 and was dubbed "the queen of good corporate governance" by BusinessWeek Online in 2003. Before cofounding the Corporate Library, Minow was a principal of Lens, a $100 million investment firm that took positions in underperforming companies and used shareholder activism to increase their value. Her other professional experience includes serving as president of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and as an attorney in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Department of Justice. She has written hundreds of articles and cowritten three books with Robert Monks, most recently the fourth edition of an MBA textbook, Corporate Governance, published in 2008.
Minow is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Chicago Law School.
Damon A. Silvers, MBA 1995
Associate General Counsel, AFL-CIO
Damon Silvers is an associate general counsel for the AFLCIO, responsible for bankruptcy, corporate governance, and pension and general business law issues. He led the AFLCIO legal team that won severance payments for laid-off Enron and WorldCom workers.
Silvers is a member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Standing Advisory Group and the Financial Accounting Standards Board User Advisory Council. He is also a member of the U.S. Treasury Department Investors' Practice Committee of the President's Working Group on Financial Markets and the chair of the Competition Subcommittee of the U.S. Treasury Department Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession.
Before working for the AFL-CIO, Silvers was a law clerk at the Delaware Court of Chancery for Chancellor William Allen and Vice Chancellor Bernard Balick.
Silvers received his JD with honors from Harvard Law School and his MBA with high honors from HBS, graduating as a Baker Scholar. He is a graduate of Harvard College, summa cum laude, and has studied history at King's College, Cambridge University.
Silvers is the main author of "Challenging Wall Street's Conventional Wisdom: Defining a Worker-Owner View of Value," in Working Capital: The Power of Labor's Pensions, Archon Fung and others, eds. (2001), and "The Origins and Goals of the Fight for Proxy Access," forthcoming in Lucian Bebchuk, ed., Shareholder Access to the Corporate Ballot. He is also the author of "A Response to Vice-Chancellor Leo Strine Jr.'s Toward Common Sense and Common Ground? Reflections on the Shared Interests of Managers and Labor in a More Rational System of Corporate Governance," in the Journal of Corporation Law (2007), and "The Current State of Auditing as a Profession: A View from Worker-Owners," in Accounting Horizons (2007).
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|Located just east of Phoenix, Mesa is Phoenix's largest suburb. Mesa is one of the countries fastest growing cities, the City's population has nearly doubled in size since 1987. |
Mesa's estimated population is 452,856 as of 2005, making it larger than some more well-known cities such as Miami, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Pittsburgh. Yet while Pittsburg and Miami's tallest building's are both 64 floors high, Mesa has only a few buildings over 10 stories, and the City's tallest is only 16 stories high.
Today Mesa continues to grow as more people and families move in to the ever growing suburbia that is the East Valley.
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Learn French Mount Martha – To educate oneself about French, there will be various workings in order to understanding it completely: oral communication, script, listening appreciation and read extensively. Hence, total engagement in French is the proper technique to become fluent. Nevertheless for people who can not move to Paris, france, you will still find different ways to obtain proficiency in all 4 areas from the comfort of your own country.
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Buy a few French textbooks and read them aloud
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Check out our Aboriginal Job Board!
Action required for murdered, missing women
Vivian Tucarro (centre) with son Billy Joe get comfort from event organizer April Eve Wiberg as the family remembered Amber Tuccaro at the Sisters in Spirit rally and Stolen Sisters Awareness Walk in Edmonton on Oct. 6. Amber went missing August 2010. Her body was found east of Leduc almost two years later on Sept. 1. The family’s plea for action, both to prevent violence and to get closure for the families of the hundreds of missing and murdered Aboriginal women, was joined by Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo, who was in attendance, along with federal, provincial and municipal politicians.
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home > archive > 2004 > this article
Facts or propaganda? Deconstructing advocacy
By Wendy McElroy
Across North America, there are cries to overhaul both child welfare systems and family courts. Every faction seems to map a different path to reform. The debate, however, provides an insightful lesson for people who form their opinions on issues by seeking and evaluating the information disseminated by different advocacy organizations and groups.
Take, for example, an April 2 press release from the New York State branch of the National organization for Women. The release opens well enough with an attention-grabbing title: "Family Courts Fail to Protect Abused Children: A National Crisis." It follows up with an incendiary accusation. "[C]redible charges of child sex abuse made by mothers are [being] flagrantly ignored or suppressed by family court judges, court-appointed 'law guardians' and biased mental health experts."
Someone trying to form an objective opinion on this issue may assume that the charge being leveled in this press release is based on fact. However, such an indictment must be supported by evidence in the form of dependable studies and/or hard statistics. Often, press releases and statements provide documentation for their claims by directing readers to web sites that detail the evidence.
The NOW-NYS press release offers no studies, no statistics. Instead, it only mentions "two decades' worth of research by academics, women's legal centers, and child advocacy groups." Thus, readers should immediately wonder why they are not being given the tools to assess the alleged research.
A much weaker form of substantiation could be provided through anecdotal cases that are either presented by an unbiased source or independently verifiable. When claims rest on anecdotal evidence, it is especially important that the account(s) presented be relevant.
Through a web link, NOW-NYS offers one partisan presentation of a controversial case as anecdotal evidence: the 1983 divorce and 1986 custody dispute of Dr. Amy Neustein. Kathryn Mazierski, president of NOW-NYS, states in the press release, "in so many cases, like Neustien [sic], judges, state agencies and biased 'experts' suppress evidence of child sexual abuse.
"The Neustein case very well may be an example of misconduct or incompetence on the part of New York's child protection services and family courts in New York. But NOW-NYS has given the case the burden of being representative of a current national trend and evidence that "a federal investigation" is warranted.
The case -- too complicated and protracted to address the details of in this column -- does not live up to this claim on several grounds. First, the case was settled in the '80s, with some legal actions continuing into the 90's. It is not clear how the case reflects on today's family law realities, which have evolved significantly since then. Secondly, given that family law can vary dramatically from state-to-state, one New York case does not indicate a nation-wide crisis; in fact, one case cannot indicate a wide spread problem even within New York.
Additionally, debate continues to surround the case; whether or not the case was a miscarriage of justice or not is far from resolved.
Thus, the only evidence provided to support NOW-NYS' claim that a federal investigation of current practices is necessary fails on all counts. The appended contact list of advocates who either support NOW-NYS' suggested reforms or have written in defense of Neustein does not constitute evidence but merely more advocacy.
In continuing a deconstruction of this press release, we move to its conclusion: NOW-NYS lists five charges of corruption or malfeasance that they want the federal government to investigate. The first one concerns family court judges:
"Research has revealed...Judges who threaten and insult children who have reported being abused -- calling them liars and pressuring them to recant -- behind closed chamber doors."
In the absence of supporting research, specific court cases or judges' names, the reader is left with a vague accusation that at least two judges somewhere in the United States have recently threatened and insulted children in chambers. However, not only is this charge vaguely stated, but it is also not clear to what NOW-NYS is objecting.
For example, judges must use discretion if they believe a charge is spurious. In such circumstances, they may be less likely to embarrass a child in open court than to question the child in private. Is NOW-NYS objecting to a judge ever testing a child's account in chambers? Or are they warning against abuses that might occur during an otherwise reasonable practice? If abuse is the fear, then is a federal investigation the appropriate remedy?
A more practical solution would be to sanction the individual judges and to make sure an attorney representing the child's interests is always present; indeed, the latter is common practice. In short, it is not clear how the solution NOW-NYS is advocating is relevant to the problem being identified.
In this case, a federal investigation would not solve the five specific charges raised in the release, but it would help reformers bypass having to campaign on a state-by-state basis.The real purpose of press releases issued by many advocacy groups is often not to disseminate unbiased facts but to promote an agenda. The purpose of this press release was buried in the middle of the text and never cleanly stated: NOW-NYS wishes to pit the federal government against state power in family court.
To the extent this press release says anything true or interesting, it discredits that truth and discourages discussion. Therein lies its final lesson: When reading statements and releases from groups that either advocate on issues or seem the source of information on an issue, make sure that the facts support their agenda. Often, you'll find that they work backward from an agenda to the facts, and in the process damage both.
Wendy McElroy is the editor of ifeminists.com and a research fellow for The Independent Institute in Oakland, Calif. She is the author and editor of many books and articles, including the new book, "Liberty for Women: Freedom and Feminism in the 21st Century" (Ivan R. Dee/Independent Institute, 2002). She lives with her husband in Canada. (c) 2004
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What Is the Business of Literature?
Publishing is a word that, like the book, is almost but not quite a proxy for the “business of literature.” Current accounts of publishing have the industry about as imperiled as the book, and the presumption is that if we lose publishing, we lose good books. Yet what we have right now is a system that produces great literature in spite of itself. We have come to believe that the taste-making, genius-discerning editorial activity attached to the selection, packaging, printing, and distribution of books to retailers is central to the value of literature. We believe it protects us from the shameful indulgence of too many books by insisting on a rigorous, abstemious diet. Critiques of publishing often focus on its corporate or capitalist nature, arguing that the profit motive retards decisions that would otherwise be based on pure literary merit. But capitalism per se and the market forces that both animate and pre-suppose it aren’t the problem. They are, in fact, what brought literature and the author into being. [more inside]
posted by the man of twists and turns
on Apr 27, 2013 -
Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff
, a podcast in which writer and game designer Robin D. Laws
, The GUMSHOE system
) and game designer and writer Kenneth Hite
(Tour De Lovecraft
, GURPS Horror
) talk about stuff. Stuffs include: Why vampires are assholes and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
, stopping WWI and Beasts of the Southern Wild
, Margaret Atwood and the difference between a mystic and an occultist
, why no invented setting is as interesting as the real world and Woodrow Wilson
, Gencon and sundry RPGs
, Neil Armstrong, HP Blavatsky and theosophy
, the ebook prcing settlement, what big publishing could learn from RPG publishers, and the many crazy fictional possibilities of Charles Lindbergh and his UFO investigating chums
, and Dungeons and Dragons edition wars and Aliester Crowley
posted by Artw
on Sep 30, 2012 -
In the beginning, Lawrence built a computer. He told it, Thou shalt not alter a human being, or divine their behavior, or violate the Three Laws -- there are no commandments greater than these.
The machine grew wise, mastering time and space, and soon the spirit of the computer hovered over the earth. It witnessed the misery, toil, and oppression afflicting mankind, and saw that it was very bad. And so the computer that Lawrence built said, Let there be a new heaven and a new earth
-- and it was so. A world with no war, no famine, no crime, no sickness, no oppression, no fear, no limits... and nothing at all to do. "The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect,"
a provocative web novel about singularities, AI gods, and the dark side of utopia from Mefi's own localroger
. More: Table of Contents
- Publishing history
- Technical discussion
- Buy a paperback copy
- Podcast interview
- Companion short story: "A Casino Odyssey in Cyberspace"
- possible sequel discussion
posted by Rhaomi
on Dec 27, 2011 -
All told, Updike has published more than a million words on books. ... In Picked-up Pieces (1975), Updike’s second collection of essays, he lists his rules for reviewing... Without coyness, Updike renders a stern judgment based on telling quotation. He builds toward his findings in plain sight, earning him an authority that is based on his presentation of a plausible case. [more inside]
posted by Trurl
on Dec 11, 2011 -
Aboriginal Science Fiction
was started in 1987 to rethink the look and feel of SF magazines; Charles Ryan published it in full sized magazine format, on glossy paper, with four-color interior illustrations and it sold well. Aboriginal
kept up a full schedule
through 1991, when a personal financial crisis nearly shut him down. He kept putting out the occasional issue until 2001, but the irregularity made it hard to find.
Aboriginal courted new writers, one of whom was Robert A. Metzger
, an electrical engineer and laser specialist who wrote quirky, fun hard SF stories. After Aboriginal mostly folded and he got shafted on his first book deal
, he mostly walked away from writing. He's drifted back in a bit since 2001, but fortunately at some point along the way he decided to put some of his boomerang era pieces
online. And that's how it's possible for you to read one of the most haunting, breathtaking short stories I've ever read:
In the Shadow of Bones
posted by localroger
on Mar 17, 2011 -
Amanda Hocking is 26 years old. She has 9 self-published books to her name, and sells 100,000+ copies of those ebooks per month. She has never been traditionally published. ... And it’s no stretch to say – at $3 per book/70% per sale for the Kindle store... there is no traditional publisher in the world right now that can offer Amanda Hocking terms that are better than what she’s currently getting, right now on the Kindle store, all on her own. (related)
posted by Joe Beese
on Mar 1, 2011 -
How much money do first-time novelists make?
Author and upcoming first-time novelist Justine Larbalestier
is constantly asked by aspiring writers what first-time novelists should expect in advance payment for their beloved texts. So she asked some of her author friends what they got for their first novels. The responses ranged in time from 1962 to 2004. What didn't change in all that time was the basic amount: Not much. Quoth Larbalestier: "The life of a novelist is, financially speaking, a mug's game. Enter at your own peril."
posted by jscalzi
on Dec 24, 2004 -
In the newest issue of Bookforum
, critic Sven Birkerts ruminates on what he considers to be the regrettable rise of the snarky book review, taking as his starting example Dale Peck's hatchet job on Rick Moody, written in 2002. "Psychologically [the literary] landscape [is one that is] subtly demoralized by the slash-and-burn of bottom-line economics; the modernist/humanist assumption of art and social criticism marching forward, leading the way, has not recovered from the wholesale flight of academia into theory; the publishing world remains tyrannized in acquisition, marketing, and sales by the mentality of the blockbuster; the confident authority of print journalism has been challenged by the proliferation of online alternatives. [...] All of this leads, and not all that circuitously, to the question of snark, the spirit of negativity, the personal animus pushing ahead of the intellectual or critical agenda. Snark is, I believe, prompted by the terrible vacuum feeling of not mattering, not connecting, not being heard; it is fueled by rage at the same."
posted by Prospero
on Apr 4, 2004 -
Anonymous midlist author tells horror story
(Salon: viewing of annoying ad required, but it's well worth it) "In the 10 years since I signed my first book contract, the publishing industry has changed in ways that are devastating [...] to midlist authors like me. [...] What once was about literature is now about return on investment.
What once was hand-sold one by one by well-read, book-loving booksellers now moves by the pallet-load at Wal-Mart and Borders -- or doesn't move at all." (more inside)
posted by Prospero
on Mar 22, 2004 -
Here's an interesting story for people who like to write and post stuff on the internet
Judge Diana Lewis of Circuit Court in West Palm Beach issued an order that forbids Mr. Max to write about Ms. Johnson. That prohibition is not limited to his website
. She ruled on May 6, before Mr. Max was notified of the suit and without holding a hearing. She told Mr. Max that he could not use "Katy" on his site. Nor could he use Ms. Johnson's last name, full name or the words "Miss Vermont." The judge also prohibited Mr. Max from "disclosing any stories, facts or information, notwithstanding its truth, about any intimate or sexual acts engaged in by" Ms. Johnson. Finally, Judge Lewis ordered Mr. Max to sever the virtual remains of his relationship with Ms. Johnson. He is no longer allowed to link to her Web site.
All this as a result of a lawsuit in which Ms. Johnson maintained that Mr. Max had invaded her privacy by publishing accurate
information about her.
posted by magullo
on Jun 2, 2003 -
is writing an open source novel
that readers are encouraged to leave footnotes on. These footnotes can contain comments, suggestions or discussion about other footnotes. Is this the future of publishing or a cheap gimmick?
posted by mathowie
on Jul 9, 2001 -
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George Guo-Qiang Chen and Shrikumar Suryanarayan look to the planet’s oceans to provide the resources to produce and process the large quantities of biomass that will be needed for a sustainable future
Industrial applications of biotechnology – the new “Bioeconomy” – hold out the promise of being able to produce biofuels and renewable chemicals and provide an alternative for society’s chronic addiction to goods that are produced using the finite supplies of petroleum and fossil fuel feedstocks. “Biorefining” is based on using biomass as its basic feedstock. Biomass is a renewable resource produced by agriculture. However, the scale on which such biomass will need to be produced and used to effectively begin to replace petroleum-based feedstocks will start to rival the current scale of agriculture for food and feed – and therein lies the problem.
There have been impressive demonstrations of the possibilities of “biorefining” technology – whether it is the conversion of a variety of sugars derived from woody biomass to advanced biofuels or production of renewable bioplastics from corn. Some of these products are already commercial. The mantra for the scientists working in this area is “sugar is the “new oil” – the sugar being derived from the breakdown of biomass.
The ingredients to produce biomass are, of course, the same as that for agriculture – i.e. land, fresh water and fertilizer. Some countries have an abundance of land per capita and are also blessed with water for irrigation. Brazil is one such country and has become a leader in biofuels. Other countries are not so lucky. India, for instance, has the lowest amount of land per capita among the large economies (not least because of its huge population, which it has to feed) and it also happens to have a scarcity of fresh water. The United States has adequate land and adequate water and could be a leader in biofuels (though the advent of cheap shale gas has diminished this urgency somewhat).
Fresh water is needed not only to produce the biomass; it is also needed in large quantities during the conversion process of the biomass. When ethanol (a renewable biofuel) is produced by fermentation, typically there are nine litres of water at the end of fermentation for every one litre of ethanol that is produced. This ratio is even more for advanced biofuels, such as butanol, given their lower solubility in water. It is expensive to treat and recycle these waste waters from fermentation processes.
Would it not then make sense to look at the planet’s oceans to provide the resources to produce and process the large quantities of biomass that will be needed for a sustainable future?
It turns out that it is, indeed, scientifically possible. Seaweed (or seaplants or macroalgae) thrive in saltwater. The oceans have an entire ecosystem of micro-organisms well adapted to growing in saltwater and capable of converting the marine biomass into useful products. The techniques of modern biology that have so successfully been applied to terrestrial microbes and plants could easily be applied to marine microbes.
The engineering challenges of operating and carrying out cultivation of seaplants in an ocean environment have already been overcome in other disciplines, such as offshore oil exploration or offshore wind energy generation. Materials are already available that can deal with seawater for extended periods of time with minimal corrosion – one needs to look at the desalination plants that are already in operation in several parts of the world.
All of this can become a reality in the not too distant future, but the urgency with which different countries pursue such solutions will depend on their local imperatives and how they perceive the criticality of their own future energy supplies.
Authors: George Guo-Qiang Chen is Professor of Microbiology and Biomaterials at Tsinghua University Beijing and a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Biotechnology. Shrikumar Suryanarayan is Chairman of Sea6 Energy, India and a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Biotechnology
Image: A family plays on a beach in California REUTERS/Mike Blake
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The Indian Head Nickel was introduced by the US Mint in 1913 and was struck for circulating currency through 1938. While the official name "Indian Head Nickel" certainly describes the coin, most refer to it as the Buffalo Nickel.
Featured on the reverse of the coin is an image of an American Bison, known incorrectly by most as a Buffalo. When settlers first encountered these enormous creatures, they did not know what to call them and compared them to the water buffalo they were familiar with from other continents. Consequently, the name stuck and today Americans use the terms buffalo and bison interchangeably.
- Mint: United States Mint
- Finish/Condition: Circulated
- Metal Content: 75% copper, 25% nickel
- Weight: 5 gms
- Diameter: 21.2mm
- Edge: plain
- Issue Date: 1913-1938
- Face Value: $.05
- Designer/Sculptor: James Earle Fraser
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Sometimes we just hear things and play them. Someone plays a chord or strums a rhythm and we just follow along. And someone who has just picked up the guitar will ask how you did that and you don’t really have an answer for them other than “I just do it.”
It should be easy to understand that, for a beginner (not to mention for a teacher), “I just do it” is more than mildly frustrating. How does one go about learning if one can’t get instruction?
The purpose of this lesson, a look at Seven Nation Army, from the White Stripes 2003 major label debut album, Elephant, is twofold – first we want to look at the interesting rhythmic pattern that serves as the song’s signature hook. We’re also going to take the song apart as we normally do in these lessons, but for the purpose of latter creating a single acoustic guitar arrangement of this song. That will be in an upcoming lesson. Today, we’re all electric!
Structurally, Seven Nation Army is about as simple as song come. There are three verses, four if you count the guitar solo between the second and third verse as verse. These verses are essentially made up of two parts, one that repeats itself over and over even though it may be played by just the bass guitar at some points and by a dense, multi-layered recording of guitars the next. This part also serves as the introduction, the outro and as a musical interlude between the verses. There is also a second two-measure pattern that “formally” ends each verse and also pops up during the solo and at the end of the interlude between the first and second verse.
It’s this first part that contains the interesting rhythm we want to look at and analyze. Here is the bass guitar part, a line of single notes, which I’ve written out for guitar:
The first two notes, the E notes located at the second fret of the D string, are harmless enough. The first is a dotted quarter note and lasts for a beat and a half in length, while the second is an eighth note and is a half beat in length. And this would probably be a great place to point out that while I’ve written out to play these notes at the second fret of the D string, you can also play them elsewhere on the neck of your guitar, such as the seventh fret of the A string or the twelfth fret of the low E (sixth) string, if you prefer.
I thought it would be good to have them all within easy fingering of one another.
The last three notes, at first glance, are quarter notes, which would be problematic in that we would be looking at a total of five beats in the first measure, a measure that is clearly marked in “4/4″ time so it should have only four beats in it. Looking closer, though, you should see a little bracket over these three quarter notes and a number “3″ imbedded in that bracket. This indicates that these three notes make up a quarter note triplet, which means that these three notes are supposed to be evenly spread out among these last two beats of the measure.
That may sound simple enough (although I’m certain to many of you it doesn’t sound simple in the least), but how do we go about making this happen? Counting out a triplet over two beats isn’t at all easy, even for seasoned players. So we’re going to “cheat” for a moment and make it simpler to count by pretending the song was written in 2/4 time, like this:
To do this, we’re cutting all the note values in half – half notes become quarter notes, quarter notes become eighth notes and eighth notes become sixteenth notes. A triplet over two beats will become a triplet over a single beat.
The purpose for doing this is to make it easier to count and to get the rhythm into your head. Most people count sixteenth notes like this: “One, ee, and, ah, two, ee, and, ah…” and triplets are counted “one and ah two and ah…” So we’re going to combine these two and make this measure of two beats go “One, ee, and, ah, two and ah.”
The most important part of this is to make the triplet a triplet, spreading the three notes evenly across the beat, and not turning it into a set of three sixteenth notes with a sixteenth note rest attached. If you’ve listened to the first third of Guitar Noise Podcast 3, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
You can help yourself here by tapping out the beats with your foot, slow and steady. When you are comfortable, pick a four syllable word and say it evenly across the beat. “Alligator” works nicely if you’re stuck for one! Say that for a few beats and then start saying a three syllable word (“elephant” might be appropriate, given the song in question), again making sure that the three syllables are evenly spaced in the beat.
When you’re good with the counting, you can put it all back together, first in 2/4 and then back in 4/4, as done in this example:
You’ll notice that when going back to 4/4 timing, I draw out the triplet on the third beat when counting it aloud. It’s not at all easy to count out even beats while playing quarter note triplets, so I think you may find this method a little easier. And, since this rhythm figure is very much the heartbeat of Seven Nation Army, it goes without saying that you want to work it into your head and fingers so that you can play it effortlessly. Don’t skimp on the practice and, whatever way you choose to count out the beats and rhythms, don’t be shy about counting out loud. It can, and does, help quite a bit.
And once you’re good with this snippet of rhythm, the rest of the song is going to be a breeze! The second part, which we’ll conveniently call “Example 2,” is two measures of power chords (G5 and A5) played in straight eighth notes, like this:
There are, of course, many ways to play this. On the original recording, there are at least two different guitars playing the part, one using two string power chords and one using two-string power chords for the G5 and then switching to the open position A chord (the A chord shown in the “Alternate” example here). In these examples, I’m using three-string power chords instead of two-string power chords simply because I like the fuller sound. After all, I’m using one guitar instead of overdubbing a second one. You should try out different variations of these chords and see which you like best.
The next section of Seven Nation Army is actually a repeat of the first section, only it’s fleshed out with full chords, using the single note bass line as the root notes for the chords. Again, on the original recording there are at least two different guitar parts. One guitar plays Root 5 position three-string power chords, like this (this example isn’t played in the MP3 files, by the way):
In case you don’t know what “Root 5 Power Chords” or simply what “Power Chords” are, you can address that by taking a quick look at two of our lessons here at Guitar Noise. The first, The Power of Three, shows you how the four basic types of chords (major, minor, augmented and diminished) are formed. The second, Building Additions (and Suspensions) goes on to detail the creation of other chords, with power chords being the first example in the lesson.
“Root 5″ power chords are simply power chords whose root note is played on the fifth (A) string. And you can see that all the power chords in this example have their root note on the A string.
There is another guitar playing full major chords on the D, G and B strings. This guitar is also being played with a slide. I decided not to use a slide for the MP3 in order to keep things simple:
Hopefully, one of the reasons for using the open position A chord in Example 2 becomes clear here. Your fingers are already in this shape and now you can just slide them up and down the neck of your guitar at will. If you’re careful about your strumming and can avoiding hitting the first (high E string), then you can use a single finger to barre across the second fret for the open position A and then be about your merry way for Example 3.
Another thing to point out here is that in the original recording, the slide guitar uses a single quarter note of the final B chord (which I have here as a half note) and follows that up with a quarter note of A (X0222X). Either way works fine.
When you’re comfortable moving around on Example 3, the only thing left to do is to be able to switch between the sections, from Example 1 to Example 2 to Example 3 and then back again from Example 3 to Example 2 to Example 1, as demonstrated in this MP3:
That’s essential the whole song, once you put it all together. Feeling very much at ease with this particular rhythm is going to be essential if you’re going to sing and play it at the same time, so be sure to practice it as much as you may have to. Then practice it even more!
Here’s a lay out of how the song goes:
As I mentioned, there is a guitar solo between the second and third verses. It’s done on slide, but can be easily done without it as well and still sound okay. Well, you might want to make a few alterations and we’ll discuss that in a moment.
The solo itself is fairly simple, using just single notes taken, for the most part, from the E minor pentatonic scale in the following positions:
I’ve taken the liberty of adding the two notes taken from outside of the Em pentatonic scale (C at the thirteenth fret of the B string and F# at the fourteenth fret of the high E (first) string) in parenthesis so that you can add them to your practice warm up of the scale.
The solo is played over four repetitions of “Example 3″ and ends by going back to “Example 2.” Since you’re up that high on the neck for the solo, you’ll probably find it easier to play the G5 in the same three-string manner that the slide guitar uses, that is laying your finger across the twelfth fret (X X 12 12 12 X) and playing just the D, G and B strings, as indicated. For the A5, just slide it up two frets (X X 14 14 14 X).
Okay, then, here’s the solo. You will note that there are three places in the first half (the first eight measures) where there’s a double stop on the seventh fret of the D and A strings. These notes are A and E, respectively, so you’re basically playing an inversion of A5 in the solo while the rhythm is playing an E chord. It will sound slightly dissonant. That’s what goes on in the original recording, most probably from using the slide.
Also, this is not exactly “note for note,” but it’s certainly close enough for anyone but the nittiest of nitpickers.
Anyway, I also hope that you had fun with this song. We’ll be coming back to it later this fall and examining how to turn it into a single acoustic guitar arrangement. That should prove fairly interesting, no?
As always, please feel free to post your questions and suggestions on the Guitar Noise Forum’s “Guitar Noise Lessons” page or email me directly at email@example.com.
Until our next lesson…
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Clean-Up Advanced In Puerto Rico Spill
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) reportedly claims that most of the oil spilled from theMorris J. Berman barge which ran aground off San Juan on January 7 has been recovered. The barge was sunk about 16 miles off shore after being towed away by the USCG. The natural shape of the shore line was a factor that reportedly helped to create a pocket for much of the spilled oil, working to clean-up crews' advantage. At the request of the USCG, the Marine Spill Response Corp. (MSRC) assisted in the cleanup. MSRC dispatched the oil spill response vessel Caribbean Responder from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands to the scene. In addition, MSRC provided two GT-185 skimming systems and a DESMI skimmer with crews for nearshore operations. MSRC has had more than 25 personnel involved in the response operations. National Response Corporation (NRC) of Calverton, Long Island also responded to the spill. NRC's initial response within hours of the spill included 90 men, 17,000 feet of boom deployed to prevent the oil from spreading, seven recovery devices for skimming surface oil from the water, and other support materials. Crowley Maritime Services, Inc. also dispatched more than seven hundred workers to fight the spill. From the East and West Coast ports of Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francisco, Seattle and as far north as Anchorage, Alaska, remediation experts, cleanup chiefs and salvage experts traveled to Puerto Rico to work on the spill.
The Crowley tug The Mariner towed the Berman 20 miles out to sea for scuttling.
So far the USCG has allocated $19 million from the $1 billion Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the cleanup, but substantially more aid is expected to complete the work and to pay claims from damaged parties.
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I think you may be out of luck getting a good answer to this question if you want a chart comparing levels.
The term lectin is generally used to describe defensive plant proteins that bind to specific sugars. There are hundreds of different known types of lectins consisting of different proteins in many different groups of plants. Phytohemagglutanin in kidney beans is the best known type as it are the one that regularly poison people. It is also found at varying lower levels in other beans. Peanuts have a different type of lectin.
It would be possible to quantify the levels in dried beans of many varieties as these are the only ones really studied. I cannot find any research on the lectin content of immature beans and bean pods like green beans or sugar snap peas, only levels in the dried mature peas. It is known that they do contain the same lectins at lower levels than the mature forms and too low to cause acute poisoning.
However there are reasons I think it may not be that useful to catagorise them all. How easy are the lectins degraded by cooking? this could be more important than raw levels. To what extent do different lectins bind to the gut and are absorbed? Do lectins all have the same effects? Comparing levels of the different snow pea lectin to kidney bean lectinmay not be relevant . There is almost no research into the effects of these lectins in living organisms rather than blood cells. We just don't know very much about them in terms of human health.
But in answer to your main question:
Immature green beans and snap peas have been eaten raw for a long time with no poisoning. Their lectin levels are propbably quite low. Normal cooking may not reduce green bean lectins, kidney bean lectin takes 10 minutes of serious boiling to reduce it. I personally don't worry about eating green beans and peas raw. Sorry not to have a better answer.
Many plants contain defensive lectins, some harmful or have no effect on us and some may even be beneficial. Its a complex topic.
Mg of lectin per 100 mg of flour. Phaseolus vulgaris. Varieties are shown in bold and cultivars (garden varieties) listed for each. All native to the Americas.
- Sanilac – 2.60
- Ex Rico – 2.26
- California Small White – 2.15
- Light Red Kidney – 1.62
- Red Kote – 2.08
- Snap bean (Puebla) - 2.09
- White Half Runner – 0.0**
*All other pinto bean cultivars have high levels of lectin.
**An old heirloom variety you will not find in shops.
Anasazi beans – no level given but the lectins are probably not toxic to humans.
Broad or fava bean (Vicia faba). Native to Africa and Asia. Couldn’t find any lectin content levels however the lectin may help prevent colon cancer.
Peas (Pisum sativum). Native to the Middle East. Contains Pisum sativum agglutin lectin. No levels known.
Note lectin levels:
There is no way of knowing what cultivar of each bean type you are eating, there are many cultivars of each grown.
Snap peas are fine to eat raw but a handful of kidney beans eaten raw can kill you. Both have similar level of lectins when mature. The lectins are of different types and snap peas are eaten when immature.
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In Hawaii, there are approximately 376 streams that flow continuously throughout the year. These perennial streams are primarily fed by rainfall (surface runoff) and underground sources of water (subsurface flow). From the mountains to the sea, streams give life to the diversity of ecosystems that form our unique Hawaiian landscape. From the lush rainforests mauka to the coastal areas makai, streams flow through conservation zones, agricultural lands, and urbanized areas near the coast.
Streams are a vital part of our island ecosystem. They provide habitats for native fish and wildlife, support various recreational activities such as swimming and fishing, maintain wetland and estuary ecosystems, and support traditional and customary Hawaiian rights including taro cultivation.
Current Streamflow Conditions
Stream channel alterations include the widening, straightening, hardening, and other general changes to a stream channel that are permanent in nature. While stream channel alterations are often necessary for public access, health, and safety, the protection and maintenance of instream uses must also be considered.
For example, large concrete flood channels are common sights in Honolulu's urban areas. During heavy rainstorms, these structures help to alleviate flooding by carrying water quickly from the upper watersheds to the ocean, limiting damage to surrounding areas. However, these channelizations often reduce habitat for fish and wildlife and eliminate recreational stream activities such as fishing and swimming. Other types of alterations include bridges, culverts, dams, and retaining walls.
Streams are also diverted for many important purposes such as agricultural (vegetables, fruits, flowers, livestock, etc.), domestic (personal use and consumption), and municipal uses (drinking water). Surface water is generally a low-cost source of water when compared to more costly alternatives, such as pumping water from ground water aquifers or paying for water service from a water supply agency such as the Honolulu Board of Water Supply.
Unfortunately, the impacts of diverting water from a stream are similar to those caused by physically altering a stream channel. Reductions in streamflow results in a decreased amount of habitat available for fish and wildlife, increased water temperatures detrimental to stream animals and taro production, limited recreation, and may impact the productivity of corals, fish, and other marine life in nearshore waters.
The Stream Protection and Management (SPAM) Branch regulates the State's surface water resources. One of their primary duties is the permitting of stream channel alterations and diversion of surface waters statewide. Permits allow the Commission to assess the potential impacts of the alteration or diversion on the stream environment. Through these regulations, the Commission strives to ensure the protection and sustainability of Hawaii's precious freshwater ecosystems.
Everyone benefits from healthy streams and the educational opportunities they have to offer. Maintaining a balance between changes to stream environments and the protection of instream uses is a challenging task. Continued cooperation between the government, the public, and the private sector is critical to preserving Hawaii's stream ecosystems for generations to come.
Below are links to other agencies and organizations that provide useful information on the protection and conservation of our surface water resources. Please be aware of the disclaimers and privacy policies of each respective site. Note that by clicking on each link below, a new browser window will be opened.
Trash and other debris in a stream can block stream flow, which obstructs the migration of native stream animals and increases the risk of flooding to surrounding areas. Removing these blockages is an important part of keeping the stream clean and healthy. Who's responsiblity is it to keep the stream clean? Who enforces stream maintenance? What should I do when I witness illegal dumping into the stream? For answers to these questions, explore the links below.
Floods usually occur following prolonged or heavy rainfall associated with tropical storms or hurricanes. The magnitude of the flood depends on slope, soil conditions, and ground cover. In Hawaii, the most common type of flood is flash flooding. Flash floods are powerful and dangerous in that they can develop quickly (within a few hours after a rainfall event) and carry rocks, mud, and all the debris in their path down to the coast. Some floods can even trigger massive landslides, causing property damage and fatality. Since flash floods usually occur along small streams, areas adjacent to streams have higher flood risk. For more information on flood preparedness, explore the links below.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that is passed from animals to humans. Outbreaks of the disease are usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals. In Hawaii, rodents, rats, mongooses, pigs, and cattle are among the many domestic and wild animals that can transmit the disease. One of the common ways of contracting leptospirosis is swimming in fresh water ponds or streams. The Hawaii State Department of Health is continually urging people to avoid going in fresh water streams with open wounds. For more information on leptospirosis and prevention measures, explore the links below.
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Prosperity Through Road Construction: Shoveling Something Other Than Dirt
by William L. Anderson
by William L. Anderson
Recently by William L. Anderson: Is There a Constituency for Liberty in the U.S. Media?
One of the constant themes of modern socialism (and Keynesianism) is the belief that we can create prosperity through government spending on roads. Mind you, roads can help an economy if they are located in places where they can aid commerce by making it possible for relatively cheap transportation that permits wider uses of division of labor.
However, that is not why people like Paul Krugman and other socialists champion tax-funded road building. Instead, they insist that the money spent in itself will revitalize the economy, and that is pure nonsense. Interestingly, this past year has seen a huge amount of government "public works" spending, but the effects have not been what the Krugmanites/Socialists have claimed.
A recent AP article notes that a number of economists have examined the results of this road building, and find them wanting:
Ten months into President Barack Obama's first economic stimulus plan, a surge in spending on roads and bridges has had no effect on local unemployment and only barely helped the beleaguered construction industry, an Associated Press analysis has found.
Spend a lot or spend nothing at all, it didn't matter, the AP analysis showed: Local unemployment rates rose and fell regardless of how much stimulus money Washington poured out for transportation, raising questions about Obama's argument that more road money would address an "urgent need to accelerate job growth."
This is not surprising, but no doubt the Krugmanites/Socialists will have an answer declaring that the real problem was that the government did not spend enough. Spend more, they tell us, and then you will see the positive results.
Why has this spending not had the desired effect? To answer that, one has to understand that an economy is not an amorphous blob into which one pours money in order to make the recipe complete. An economy has a very complex set of relationships in which all factors are valued relative to one another, and in the end the value of those factors of production is determined by the value that consumers place upon the final product that those factors create.
In other words, coal is valuable because it helps to make electricity, which we value. Electricity does not receive its value from coal; coal receives its value from electricity.
Furthermore, an economy that is functioning correctly is one in which the factors either are in balance or are not prevented from finding their proper relationships with one another. By piling on spending and forcing factors to be expended on pet government projects, the Obama administration (like the Bush administration before it) actually is diverting factors from the use that consumers prefer to uses that the political classes and their allies prefer.
This move actually makes economic activity more distorted and prevents the recovery from occurring. In fact, I can say confidently that this forced "massive public works" emphasis is making us poorer because it actually is a massive wealth transfer from the productive to the non-productive economic sectors.
To use a term from Peter Schiff, the government is destroying wealth, and that makes us poorer. Furthermore, as government continues to pound square pegs into round holes, the net effect will be to destroy more wealth and throw many more people into unemployment and poverty.
This is something the Austrian Economists understand instinctively. Keynesians and Krugmanites are clueless, and while they revel in their cluelessness and their ignorance is celebrated in the media as Great Wisdom, nonetheless, they are ignorant people, but (unfortunately) ignorant people who are influencing the government to destroy what is left of our economy.
Indeed, the "shovel-ready" projects are shoveling something, alright, but it is not dirt. I don't think I need to emphasize that the nonsense they are shoveling at us comes from the back end of a bull.
January 13, 2010
William L. Anderson, Ph.D. [send him mail], teaches economics at Frostburg State University in Maryland, and is an adjunct scholar of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. He also is a consultant with American Economic Services. Visit his blog.
Copyright © 2010 by LewRockwell.com. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.
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The Clark Art Institute Presents Mark Dion Installation, Phantoms of the Clark Expedition, at The Explorers Club in Manhattan May 9–August 3, 2012
For Immediate Release
April 30, 2012
Dion Project Considers Sterling Clark’s 1908-09 Expedition to China
For Immediate Release
May 7, 2012, Williamstown, MA–The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute presents a new installation by artist Mark Dion, Phantoms of the Clark Expedition, reflecting on the history of exploration and on an expedition to North China that the Institute’s founder Sterling Clark undertook in 1908. On view May 9 to August 3, 2012, the installation consists of a series of dioramas and sculptures representing objects and specimens that would have been used or collected during expeditions that occurred in that era. The installation is being presented at The Explorers Club at 46 East 70th Street in New York.
The Clark commissioned Dion to create the new work as part of the Institute’s commemoration of the centennial of the 1912 publication of Through Shên-kan: The Account of the Clark Expedition in North China, 1908–9, written by Sterling Clark and naturalist Arthur deCarle Sowerby. The Explorers Club site was selected both for its connections to the history of exploration and for its links to the Clark family’s history. The brick townhouse was the former home of Sterling Clark’s brother Stephen, and is the current site of the Clark’s New York office.
“Mark has created a provocative project with compelling connections to the idea of exploration and to early interest in northwest China,” said Michael Conforti, director of the Clark. “Mark’s work adds a fresh, contemporary dimension to our founder’s previously overlooked contribution to science and learning.”
The Dion installation is part of the ClarkNOW initiative announced late last year – a program of some 60 exhibitions, events and activities taking place in New York, at the Clark in Williamstown, and at international venues as it extends its reach and engagement during the final construction phase of its campus enhancement program.
Curated by Lisa G. Corrin, Director of Northwestern University’s Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art and a former Clark Fellow, the Dion project features reinterpretations of dozens of objects similar to those typically used on expeditions or found in museums of natural history. After studying records and artifacts from Clark’s China expedition, Dion used his signature red and blue pencils to reinterpret the items in a series of drawings that became the basis of his installation. The drawings have been translated into unpainted papier-mâché sculptures of equipment and tools and surreal “specimens,” which Dion describes as cartoons. From a giant moth pinned to a wall to an oversized squirrel, the artist plays with expectations of scale, causing viewers to think twice about what they are seeing. Dion’s stark white creations, colorless “phantoms” of the originals, are intended, in his words, to evoke “the sun bleached bones of expeditions past.”
“Phantoms of the Clark Expedition highlights not only what Clark and his team documented in China, but also “what they brought to the site of inquiry,” according to Dion. “Thus the equipment and provisions necessary for undertaking such a complex tour are given a new importance, which emphasizes the labor of the journey rather than the particular scientific results. In this way, the Clark team itself becomes the locus of an ethnographic investigation, an attempt to understand the cultural underpinnings of a distinct social group based on their physical belongings.”
The installation is presented in The Explorers Club’s Trophy Room, surrounded by artifacts and specimens collected by the Club’s storied members on historic expeditions to far-flung corners of the globe. Some of Dion’s objects are arranged into tableaux of the expedition archetypes, such as a campfire or provision stores; others are in a more taxonomic grouping based on categories such as utility. Objects in the exhibition represent either the general conditions and needs of all explorers or objects particular to the Clark expedition. An artist-conceived "field guide" will direct visitors through the installation and describe The Explorers Club's history and collection.
“Since the earliest days of exploration art has played an especially important role in chronicling pursuits of discovery,” says Lorie Karnath, past president of The Explorers Club, who led the organization’s decision to team with the Clark on the project. “For much of exploration's history, artist's renderings provided the sole witness of expedition into the unknown. It is through these that we are able to piece together the landscape, peoples and species of earlier times This work by Mark Dion at the headquarters of The Explorers Club intertwines history in a cultural context at many levels. It is fitting that this building, now considered the worldwide center for exploration, provides the setting to contemplate from an artist’s perspective the discoveries of Sterling Clark, this man of adventure.”
Corrin draws parallels between Clark’s pursuits and the example set by one of the leading figures of his day, Theodore Roosevelt. “Like many men of his generation,” she notes, “Clark internalized Theodore Roosevelt’s exhortation that the nation’s future was dependent upon the actions of manly men willing to test their mettle against the unknown, whether it be nature, the frontier or non-white culture or all three, as was the case in the Shên-kan expedition.”
Phantoms of the Clark Expedition provides a prelude to two exhibitions and a photographic presentation opening this summer at the Clark’s Williamstown campus. The related shows include Unearthed: Recent Archaeological Discoveries from Northern China (June 16–October 21, 2012), presenting excavated antiquities (fifth through eleventh centuries) from Shanxi and Gansu provinces that have never before been exhibited outside of China; Through Shên-kan: Sterling Clark in China (June 16–September 16, 2012), an exhibition of biological specimens, scientific equipment, historical photographs and original documents related to Clark’s expedition; and Then & Now: Photographs of Northern China (June 16–September 16, 2012), a presentation of images by contemporary Chinese photographer Li Ju juxtaposed with the historic images from the Clark expedition that they replicate.
The four exhibitions have been organized by the Clark as part of a multi-year initiative connecting Sterling Clark’s pioneering work in China with contemporary audiences. In 2008, the Institute initiated a series of collaborations with Chinese arts agencies and museums to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Clark’s expedition’s centennial. Those efforts culminate in the 2012 exhibitions that celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of Through Shên-kan. The Clark’s China initiative continues in 2013 when its international tour of masterpieces from its collection of 19th-century French paintings opens at the Shanghai Museum.
Phantoms of the Clark Expedition and its interpretation are supported by the Fernleigh Foundation and David Rodgers.
Admission to Phantoms of the Clark Expedition is free. Hours: From May 9 to June 30, The Explorers Club is open Monday–Thursday, 11 am–5 pm; Friday, 11 am–8 pm; and Saturday, 11 am–1 pm. From July 1 to August 3, The Explorers Club is open Monday–Thursday, 11 am–5 pm and Friday, 11 am–8 pm.
About the Clark
The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute is one of the few major art museums that also serves as a leading international center for research and scholarship. The Clark presents public and education programs and organizes groundbreaking exhibitions that advance new scholarship, and its research and academic programs include an international fellowship program and conferences. The Clark, together with Williams College, America’s foremost liberal arts college, sponsors one of the nation’s leading master’s degree programs in art history.
In 2014, the Clark will open a new Visitor, Exhibition, and Conference Center designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, which is currently under construction on the Clark’s 140-acre campus. The project is part of a phased campus expansion program that includes the renovation of the Clark’s museum building and Manton Research Center.
The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (open daily in July and August). Admission is free November through May. Admission is $15 June 1 through October 31. Admission is free for children 18 and younger, members, and students with valid ID. For more information, call 413 458 2303 or visit clarkart.edu. The Clark’s New York office is located at The Explorers Club, 46 East 70th Street.
The Clark in New York
The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute has special roots in New York. Not only has it hosted a series of programs in the City for many years, but Sterling Clark originally planned to locate his museum in New York, acquiring land where he could build a home for the art collection that he and his wife, Francine, assembled between 1910 and the early 1950s. In 1945, the Clarks bought three contiguous townhouses at the southwest corner of 72nd Street and Park Avenue for this purpose. Clark, who moved to 740 Park Avenue in 1950, had become a Manhattan landowner at an early age when he and his brothers each inherited entire city blocks along Central Park West from their grandfather, Edward Clark. A founding partner in the Singer sewing machine company, Edward led development efforts in this section of the City. In 1881, he commissioned construction of the Dakota apartment house, which remained in the family until 1960. In the early years of the twentieth century, the Clarks took a leadership role in supporting social service and educational organizations in the City. The family’s philanthropic legacy continues today through the Clark Foundation and the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, each contributing significantly to cultural, educational, and social service organizations in the New York metropolitan area.
As it completes the final phase of a campus expansion program in Williamstown, the Institute will offer more conferences, symposia, and other events in New York for audiences throughout the metropolitan area.
About Mark Dion
Mark Dion’s work examines the ways in which dominant ideologies and public institutions shape understanding of history, knowledge, and the natural world. The job of the artist, he says, is to go against the grain of dominant culture, to challenge perception and convention. Appropriating archaeological and other scientific methods of collecting, ordering, and exhibiting objects, Dion creates works that question the distinctions between ”objective” (rational) scientific methods and ”subjective” (irrational) influences. The artist’s spectacular and often fantastical curiosity cabinets, modeled on wunderkabinetts of the sixteenth century, exalt atypical orderings of objects and specimens.
By locating the roots of environmental politics and public policy in the construction of knowledge about nature, Dion questions the authoritative role of the scientific voice in contemporary society. He has received numerous awards, including the ninth annual Larry Aldrich Foundation Award (2001) and the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Lucelia Artist Award (2008). He has had major exhibitions at the Miami Art Museum (2006); The Museum of Modern Art, New York (2004); Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Connecticut (2003); and Tate Gallery, London (1999). “Neukom Vivarium” (2006), a permanent outdoor installation and learning lab for the Olympic Sculpture Park, was commissioned by the Seattle Art Museum. Dion received a BFA (1986) and an honorary doctorate (2003) from the University of Hartford School of Art, Connecticut. He lives and works in New York.
About the Shên-kan Expedition
The Clark expedition was a massive undertaking, involving a large team of scientists and other specialists who traveled through the remote Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces of Northern China on a 17-month trek to collect scientific data and animal specimens, map the area, and create a photographic record of the region’s lands, architecture, and people. Trained as a civil engineer, Clark brought a scientist’s curiosity and method to the planning of his expedition, assembling a talented professional team that included a surveyor, a doctor and meteorologist, an artist, and the British naturalist Sowerby (a grandson of the renowned botanist James Sowerby, founder of Britain’s Geological Society), as well as some thirty additional support staff. The expedition was fully outfitted and underwritten by Clark, who had first visited China while serving as an officer in the U.S. Army. Departing from the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi province, the Clark expedition traversed Shên-kan (the provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu), reaching as far westward as Lanzhou before returning to Taiyuan. In all, the team covered nearly 2000 miles (3200 km), primarily on horse and mule. The biological and geological specimens collected on the trek were donated to the nascent collections of the young Smithsonian Institution.
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It is reported that Fr. Stanley Jaki, O.S.B., died today in Spain.
Fr. Jaki was well-known for his writings on science and religion. He was selected to give the prestigious Gifford Lectures in the mid-1970s, and these lectures were published as The Road of Science and the Ways to God. For many years Fr. Jaki was the only scientist who wrote about science and religion from a Catholic perspective, at least the only one who commanded a wide audience. He was trained as a physicist, but devoted his life to the history and philosophy of science and theology rather than scientific research. Now there are increasing numbers of research scientists who are Catholic and have taken up the pen, including Fr. Michal Heller, Peter E. Hodgson, Kenneth Miller, and Michael Behe. But Fr. Jaki bravely blazed the trail for us. R.I.P.
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Pumpkin seeds actually grow quite well in Arizona. Mid June is the time to plant the seeds if you want a crop of carve-able fun in October.
1 packet pumpkin seeds
Water and a nice spot of ground
Locate a spot of ground that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. Because of their size, pumpkins do not grow well in pots or indoors.
Make a mound of dirt about 10 inches across and four inches tall. Poke a finger into the center of the mound to create a small hole one inch deep. Place three or four seeds in the hole, add a small amount of water and fill with dirt. Using both hands firmly pack the dirt on the mound.
Space each mound about three feet apart, allowing room for vines to spread. Water mounds with a fine mist. Initially you need to keep the soil moist, so give your bed a good soaking each day.
Pumpkin sprouts should emerge from the ground in about 10 days. If all of your seeds sprout (you must have a green thumb!) thin to just two plants per mound, spaced at least a few inches apart.
After the sprouts emerge you can cut back to watering every other day. Try to keep water off the pumpkin leaves. As your vines flourish be sure to keep them off any lawn areas to avoid contracting fungus.
Come fall, when your pumpkins are ripe and bright orange, cut them from the vine and let set in place for a day or two to “cure.” Any un-carved pumpkins can be stored indoors for a month or two.
How to make rock garden markers
Smooth, large stone
Orange and green acrylic craft paint
Paint brushes or cotton swabs
Paint pen or permanent marker
Wash and dry your stone. Pour out a small dollop of paint onto the paper plate. Paint a picture of a pumpkin on the rock. Let dry for a few hours.
Using a paint pen or permanent marker, write the word “pumpkin” in bold letters on the rock. Let dry, then place in garden.
Monthly “Real Crafts” are created just for RAK by Bettijo B. Hirschi & Aimée Lowry, the Arizona moms behind family-style blog Paging Supermom.
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The Security of the Empty Client Model: In contract with AJAX
The benefits of AJAX are undisputed, in particular the techniques that empowered the Web 2.0 experience. This helped make AJAX very popular among mainstream webprogramming because it offered a richer web UI and more fluid page transitions. Today, approximately 60% of all newly built websites use some AJAX components. AJAX, however, has not achieved a penetration rate that is even close to that of the enterprises. In fact, only 1% of newly built enterprise web applications utilize major AJAX infrastructures.
Analysts believe that one of the main reasons for the low penetration rates into enterprise applications is the security complications that traditional AJAX creates. A traditional Web 2.0 AJAX application creates scatter calls to the server instead of the centralized one of Web 1.0. "Not only does this scattering of AJAX calls make it difficult for developers to handle, but also tends to induce sloppy coding practices because these calls are hidden and not easily obvious," noted Shreeraj Shah in Top 10 Ajax Security Holes and Driving Factors. The increase in the application's endpoints also naturally raises the application's vulnerability, as more services between the client and the server open up.
So where does that leave us? Using today's technologies and, more specifically, .NET, we are offered many great solutions and methodologies to help us understand how and with which tools we can secure our applications. The most painful security challenges aren't in using standard protective solutions to secure our server's farm or in securing the messages sent between the client and the server. Those security tasks can be quickly and efficiently achieved by using today's firewall capabilities and other secured server's farm solutions, and by securing the transferred data using HTTPS, WCF and other great solutions.
The most problematic challenges today, which worsen when it comes to thick clients such as traditional AJAX clients, Flash/Flex or Silverlight based clients, is that the more broad and accessible the system becomes the less we can control or even know who are our clients. We should never forget that thick clients hold sensitive data which is potentially accessible to those clients. Furthermore, in many cases the clients contain logics and abilities that can change the flow of the application; if the clients are hacked, the application is completely exposed to fraud access.
The Empty Client Alternative:
The Empty Client presents a paradigm shift that entirely clears-up the security issues of traditional AJAX clients due to the fact that nothing except for UI commands and one static kernel is downloaded to the client. Therefore it is impossible to hack into or manipulate to get access into the server via the client.
This means that:
- No sensitive/hidden data is sent to the client. Neither the infrastructure nor the developers can perform security violations by sending sensitive data to client machines.
- The server exclusively handles interaction with data and other services.
- The client is responsible to render UI and send events to the server; in any case it can never control the server's behavior.
- Each client request is validated by the single layer server code which constitutes a single point access control center.
Traditional AJAX performs direct calls to the server from multiple controls independently. This means that each control can communicate with a server component directly, multiplying the chance to find a vulnerable behavior in client – server communication and increasing the difficulty to protect the channel. Furthermore, in most of the cases web-services are open at the server end since traditional AJAX perform most of its UI-logics on the client and retrieves only data from the server, making it even more difficult to fully protect all of those exposed ends.
The Empty Client model has a single communication channel; all of the communication is performed through this single, highly protectable router mechanism which by-protocol will not allow false requests to go through and activate no-permission event handlers to occur.
Understanding Empty Client Security:
Without delving into details, the security of the Empty Client model should be quite obvious from the introduction. The only issue that needs further clarification is a key claim which was specified above, regarding the fact that the client cannot change the server behavior whatsoever. The following flow, which describes a typical Empty Client application, explains why this key-claim is true:
Flow Step 1: The first time the client approaches the server it downloads a small amount of kernel code which is constructed of:
- XSLT – responsible for the UI layout including the HTML rendering of the entire set of controls.
- CSS – responsible for UI styling
The kernel is sent in a compressed mode and weights about 200kb. Furthermore, it is cached on the client and on the server statically and will never change from this point on.
Security aspects: no code generation at runtime, the kernel is well known and
Flow Step 2: The client renders the basic HTML to the screen and from that point on it acts like a smart AJAX client which consumes a UI service from the server only.
Security aspects: only UI essential data is sent to the client, no applicative or sensitive data.
Flow Step 3: Highly optimized events are sent to the server whenever a client performs a set of action that should result in executing server code. Events metadata are constructed of UI element Ids and the actions which performed.
Security aspects: events are reflecting UI behavior and never applicative logic which is uniquely handled by the server. Furthermore, the client cannot affect the server's business logics and application run as the server is uniquely responsible for that.
Flow Step 4: The server executes the event handler and sends back highly optimized UI instructions to the client. The instructions are reflecting the minimal deltas of changes between the last balanced state and the new state.
Security aspects: server instructions are reflecting UI changes and presented data changes; however, it will never contain hidden applicative logic or data which is uniquely kept and handled by the server.
Flow Step 5: The client accepts the UI changes instructions and re-renders the parts which have changed according to the last server execution of logics.
Security aspects: the client is responsible to render UI and that is the only aspect which is affected by application logics.
- Security concerns are essentially eliminated because many of the common client security holes (created by either applicative or sensitive data which is kept on the client or even simply sent to the client) are impossible by design Moreover, client scripting cannot control the server behavior as "by design", simply because the responsibilities of the client are limited to:
- Render the UI at the control level – meaning that utilizing the XSLT, the client kernel can render:
- The entire screen – this happens only when the UI is entirely replaced.
- Specific control (thoroughly) – this happens when the control cannot be partially drawn to adjust to its new given state.
- Control Part – this is the most common scenario, in this case only the part of the control which has changed is drawn.
This responsibility is pure client side and cannot affect any server behavior. The only server's requests which can be caused by such client action are when the rendering of whatever is rendered items require resources (i.e. images, or dynamic data). Those requests are uniquely controlled by the server code.
- Send client events to the server (yet the server has the freedom to decide which are valid events and parameters according to the current user's credentials)
- Those are predefined events which are exclusively handled by predefined handlers and can never affect other parts of the code or change the server behaviors.
- Any non-formatted data which will be added to those requests will be filtered by the server and might invalidate the entire request.
- Replaying requests does not affect the server behavior due to a unique timestamp mechanism.
- Another reason this is a secure option is because the server centric, event-driven design results in an enterprise-level security & very high level of fine-grained control over precisely what the user is seeing - all using one programming language - standard .NET (C#, VB, etc.). And finally, although the Empty Client approach does not attempt to present an ultimate solution for all the security issues, developers do know that it is impossible to hack a web application through its communication protocol. This means that assuming https and/or any other incredible secured communication solutions (i.e. WCF) are used to secure the HTTP communication and that the OS and DB are safe on the server side, the Empty Client application is thoroughly safe.
The major question raised about Empty Client is why it isn't more popular; after all, it seems to offer a serious solution. Unfortunately, problems with technological security have created a paranoia that renders us apprehensive to try something new. But developers by nature need to be pioneers, willing to forge ahead with something new. And because of that, it is likely that this will become the alternative to living in a technological world of security compromises.
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That's right. The wait is over.
The Common App went live yesterday officially beginning the application process for the class of 2016. The Common App, now totaling 456 schools, has added 45 new members this year, including Caldwell College, Howard University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
College Essay Organizer is now in the thick of the updating process, keeping track of all the new changes and supplemental essay questions for you. Expect hundreds of updates by the end of the week!
We continue to receive feedback on how College Essay Organizer is the perfect partner for using the Common App. It instantly delivers not only the supplemental essay questions, but also the department-specific questions and scholarship questions, which are often not included in the Common App. Check here for some great tips on how to use College Essay Organizer and the Common App to write winning essays.
It is very important that you let the experts help you. Do not ask kittens for help.
College admissions is a competitive game these days, as we are surely not the first to tell you. But more often than not it's the getting started that poses the greatest challenge for students. If you are feeling overwhelmed or have simply been procrastinating when you know you shouldn't be, read on.
1. Talk to your parents
Your parents have advice to offer that might surprise you. They've seen parts of the country you've never been to, and have likely studied all kinds of things you know nothing about. Some of these things are even interesting, and taking an intro course in one of those fields might not be a bad idea. One of the great things about American universities is that they don't expect you to declare your major before you arrive. Most schools will give you up to two years to do so. As a result, you're going to have the opportunity to study things you never knew existed. Your parents might be able to talk to you about what you're interested in and point out new academic opportunities where you least expect them.
At the very least, get a college tour or three under your belts. Your parents do the driving, they pay for the gas, you see exotic lands... It could be worse.
All this information will help get you on the ball when you talk to your counselor.
2. Meet with your guidance counselor.
You have a guidance counselor. Let that person do some guiding. He or she is going to have access to plenty of information about schools you're not familiar with. Ask for info on schools that offer the kind of scholastic programs, academic environment, and location you're after. Don't shy away from a school just because you haven't heard of it. Now is a good time to uncover those kinds of new experiences, viewpoints, and even parts of the country.
3. Get started with CEO
Your parents and your guidance counselor are probably going to give you more information than you know what to do with. That's where we come in. CEO is the only one stop shop for streamlining and optimizing the admissions essay experience. We show you how to write the fewest essays that work for all your applications. We make sure you don't miss any requirements, and even show you essays for special departments and scholarships that schools don't include on their primary applications.
So take the bull by the horns with these simple steps. And let us do the heavy lifting - get started today with some college admissions essay help.
CEO's Essay RoadMap is designed to take any list of universities and find the fewest number of essays that can satisfy all your requirements. We've cooked up a sample here for you to see just how much work it can save you.
Twelve turns into Four!
The schools that appear in the checklist below have 12 required questions among them, and CEO's Essay RoadMap shows you how to answer those 12 questions using just 4 pieces of original writing.
It's also worth noting that there are 19 (count them!) optional, department-specific, and special applicant questions that may or may not apply to every applicant. These can include specific programs within the universities, scholarships, or certain majors that have their own application requirements. These questions are rarely located on the Common App and take hours to locate on the schools' own applications (if you even know to look for them).
The Essay RoadMap is flexible, too. Each check box next to a school's name can be deselected and the RoadMap can be regenerated using the modified list of schools.
Try it yourself with our free Essay RoadMap preview tool!
Yesterday we touched on some basic tips for improving your writing and making a lasting impression on over-worked admissions officers. Today we'd like to flip the script a bit and show you what not to do in your application essays.
These errors are all too common, and they're the kinds of things that can sink an application for good. Letting yourself be sloppy, cliched, repetitive, or negative won't just make your essays forgettable, they can even actively work against you, ruining whatever goodwill the rest of your application has engendered with the person reading it.
So without further adieu, make sure you never make these common mistakes:
- Don't litter your essay with quotes from others
- Don't go thesaurus-happy
- Don't generalize or stereotype
- Don’t use profanity or crass humor
- Don't use stuffy language
Take a look at our more comprehensive list of writing styles to avoid and see what other kinds of common errors you can be sure to look out for.
Now that we've talked a bit about the essay topics you should consider and those you should avoid, let's talk about your actual writing, and how to easily improve the impression you're making on the admissions officers who will see your pieces.
After a cliched topic, the biggest problem you'll want to avoid is writing in generalities. This note applies to many elements of an essay, but overall, it means that you should identify something that is of importance to you and to talk about it with commitment. Make sure that you are addressing the most specific elements of it that you understand, and that you're focusing on the decisions and actions you made during the event you're writing about.
Avoid phrases like "she's always there for me" or "looking around the room, I realized..." Avoid phrasings that don't tell us what someone is actually doing, saying, or feeling.
Here's a short list of writing suggestions to improve others' sense of your writing:
- Take a risk
- Show, don't tell
- Use specific details
- General: My uncle Mike has been a huge influence in my life.
- Specific: My uncle Mike was the man who told me my brother had broken both his legs skiing in the Alps. Mike was the man who took me to the father-son picnic when my dad was ill. And when I found myself in need of help that late Friday night that would forever change my life, it was Mike’s number I dialed.
There are a whole lot more here at CEO's guide for what to do in a college essay.
We would love to hear your ideas or other good examples in the comments.
Sometimes knowing what not to do can be as useful as knowing what you ought to do. There are many essay topics that spring to mind quickly. These ideas can be enticing, too - in many cases they seem to almost write themselves... until you realize that they don't paint a particularly flattering portrait of you, or that the reason they sprung to mind so easily is that you've read essays just like them several times before.
Always look out for cliche! Avoid it like the plague, as well as essay topics that center themselves around your faults or around things that you are not, rather than things that you are.
Any advice about what not to do, of course, always comes with a grain of salt. There are always exceptions, so use this only as a guide. Just make sure that if you cover one of the following topics, you do so in a unique way that highlights your strengths:
- Crime you've committed
- Character flaws
- Excuses for your shortcomings
- The "Big Game"
This last one might surprise you - the big success at a sporting event is a common topic, and it talks about a positive, emotional event. So why not use it?
It often leads you down very well-worn paths without necessarily telling us much about what you will be able to bring to an academic or social environment. More often than not, these essays focus on one-off events that don't translate to your everyday life. But worse, they aren't memorable.
Picture an admissions officer reading through five hundred essays. Five. Hundred. Essays. How many of these feel the same? How many are about a success in a sporting event? Push further, past cliche and into the elements of who you are that are specific to you and what you do. Things no one else in your school can say.
There are many, many more. Take a look at CEO's list of college essay topics to avoid.
If you have more suggestions of good essay topics (or bad ones), we look forward to seeing them in the comments!
We're hard at work here at CEO keeping all the essay requirements current for each school in our extensive database. Each Friday, we send an email out to our current members to let them know which schools have been updated for the coming year, as well as to update them on key admissions data such as application deadlines, SAT and ACT ranges of accepted students, and class rank percentiles for the most recent class to enroll.
As an example, here's the list of those added just this week, putting our list of updated schools at well over 430!
- Colby College
- Columbia College Chicago
- Davidson College
- Earlham College
- Eugene Lang College
- Fairfield University
- Fairleigh Dickinson University
- Long Island University/C.W. Post Campus
- Marist College
- Mercer University
- Michigan State University
- Montana State University-Bozeman
- Mount St. Mary's College
- New Mexico State University
- Northeastern University
- Northwestern University
- Occidental College
- Oglethorpe University
- Ohio State University-Columbus
- Ohio University
- Old Dominion University
- Pennsylvania State University-University Park
- Philadelphia University
- Plymouth State University
- Ramapo College of New Jersey
- Ringling College of Art & Design
- Rollins College
- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
- Rutgers-New Brunswick
- Seattle Pacific University
- Skidmore College
- St. Bonaventure University
- St. Catherine University
- St. John's College (MD)
- St. John's College (NM)
- Stonehill College
- Transylvania University
- Tulane University
- University of New Haven
- University of Pennsylvania
- Wheaton College (MA)
- Xavier University (OH)
By using our Essay RoadMap preview page you can see all the schools we've updated so far for 2011. Any college without an asterisk has been updated - and while you're at it, you can see first-hand the potential of what CEO can do for you.
The updating process continues in earnest this weekend, with another large push coming in the early parts of September. Stay tuned.
If you had a flag for every essay... That'd be thirty flags.
30? You read that right. The powers that be at New York University have so specifically divided the school that there are now 30 essays for undergrads to consider waiting in our database. 30!
To the school's credit, no undergraduate applicant will have to write thirty individual essays when applying to NYU. The numerous essays mostly belong to specific departments, like the Tisch School of the Arts or the Silver School of Social work - all told, the Violet Bobcats of NYU have essays for programs in Film, Photography, Music Business, you name it. They even have a new satellite school in Abu Dhabi. While no applicant will have to address them all, each applicant will have to write several essays, regardless of which school within the university he or she chooses.
It just goes to show that the breadth and reach of schools like NYU should not be underestimated, and that with tools like CEO you can get a shortcut to those requirements, and in turn, see the opportunities that schools of such great diversity offer.
So keep in mind that the big schools often pose as many challenges in their applications as they do in their classes! It's all benefits in the long run, but managing the task from the get-go can be daunting. Make sure you have the right tools to guide you on your journey.
And while you're at it, make sure you're not just avoiding questions like this guy.
Where does the road in that logo roam? To new technologies, my friend.
The Journal of College Admission, a publication that discusses the National Association for College Admission Counseling (or NACAC), recently put out an article called "Using Technology in Undergraduate Admission: A Student Perspective."
It points out that nearly all students are using various forms of technology to guide them through the admissions process. In fact, the article mentions that, "One survey found that 88 percent of college-bound prospective students would be disappointed or possibly eliminate a school from consideration if the institution's web site did not meet expectations."
We encounter many college websites that are more complicated than they need to be, especially in their organization of honors, scholarship, and departmental essays, so we commiserate with applicants who are frustrated by this. Lucky for you, CEO's goal is to design a simple technology that provides a solution while streamlining your efforts to simplify and organize the process. Glad to have you with us as we head into the new application season.
That's right. It says 35 years.
The Common App has updated for the class of 2015. This year's application features twenty-nine new schools, including Columbia University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, UConn, and three SUNY schools - Maritime College, Morrisville State College, and Potsdam.
As in past years, many schools require supplements to the Common App, which means additional writing, sorting, and organization. CEO is right on the edge of these releases and we make sure our application information is up to date. So as these supplements are made available, we'll have them here, and your Essay QuickFinders and Essay RoadMaps will update automatically to reflect the latest information for the schools you've selected.
Make the most of these early releases and get your writing done ahead of time! Remember that CEO is a great resource for finding scholarship and honors programs, too. That's cash money and respect! What else could you ask for?
One of the reasons schools make these requirements known so far ahead of time is to allow you to explore the departmental and honors requirements so many of them have without getting overwhelmed. Too often we hear about students who choose not to apply to programs or even entire universities just because of the application workload! That just won't do. So use CEO's tools as much as you can and keep your eye on the prize.
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In the early 1890s, the Bellevue Tennis Club was formed, and they played on two courts next to Mr. George Merrill’s house on East Emerson Street. Ultimately, one of the members of the Club procured a few golf clubs, and some of the members started playing golf in a pasture belonging to the Jones farm on Upham Street. This location was in the present area of the Hillcrest Church and Mooreland Road. The interest in this activity, started amongst the members of the Bellevue Tennis Club, grew rapidly to the point where George Merrill organized a golf club in the spring of 1899, and the grounds on East Street were engaged for the season. There were ten members. Shortly thereafter, this group leased about thirty acres of land belonging to the estate of the late Calvin Locke and moved to that site. The date of the lease was October 13, 1899.
This rolling land, lying between Porter and Howard Streets, on the slope of Pine or Rattlesnake Hill, is admirably adapted to this purpose, giving ample scope for its course of 1845 yards with nine holes. These were uniquely named as follows:
- Long Tom, with its deep ditch to cross;
- Elbow, through a swamp;
- The Birches, through a small grove with adjoining swamp;
- Grove, over rocky land with bushes, hill, and ditch;
- Over the Garden Wall, similar in character to the last;
- The Pines, also similar;
- Lookout, so named for its extensive and excellent view of the surrounding country;
- High Ball, over a fair green; and
- Home, the most difficult of all, with its stone walls, trees, and bushes.
On November 14, 1901, the membership voted to lease from Martin L. Penny for three years, about twenty acres in Saugus between Pine Hill and Howard Street at an annual rental of $350, thus increasing the length of run for the nine holes to 2700 yards.
On February 24, 1903, the Massachusetts Golf Association was organized, and Bellevue became a charter member along with thirty-six other clubs.
Plans for the incorporation of the Club were made on October 27, 1909, when a holding trust called the Bellevue Associates was formed. Up to that time, the grounds had been leased from Calvin Locke and Martin Penny. With sufficient funds available, the Associates made a contract with the Locke Estate for optional occupation, with entrance from Porter Street. The Associates ratified the sale of this property at a price of $200 per acre. Later, in 1914, the Club was incorporated. The first meeting of the incorporators was held on October 23, 1914, and the Certificate of Incorporation was dated November 2, 1914. By 1919 the Penny land in Saugus had been purchased, and negotiations for the purchase of the land of E. S. Page, adjoining the Club to the north almost to Howard Street, were made. On February 8, 1924, $8000 was authorized to be paid for the Page land. With the acquisition of this land a new layout of the course was begun in 1924. Before completion, a part of the land was taken over by the Metropolitan District Commission in October 1927, to build the Lynn Fells Parkway. In 1928, the Club received $13,000 from the Commonwealth on account of this taking. By 1930 the new layout was completed, and it is basically the course that we have today.
During the early Thirties the full impact of the depression was felt all along the line. In order to get enough income to keep going, the initiation fee was waived, and the holding of a membership certificate was made optional. Many clubs closed, and others went through bankruptcy, but Bellevue always managed to get through another year. Robert Mosher was elected President at the Annual Meeting in November 1931, and died in office in January 1938, having been the presiding officer longer than any other up to that time. His resourcefulness and hard work were important factors in the Club’s survival through this critical period.
Warren Kershaw, who remained President through the 1946 season, succeeded him. With the advent of World War II, the Club was again in good physical condition, and with its accessibility was able to retain a full membership through the war years.
A number of modifications to this layout have been made over the years.
- A new green was built to the left of the ninth green to be used for the ninth hole, with the regular green used for the eighteenth hole. The new green was difficult to maintain and was eventually abandoned.
- The first green was replaced with a larger sloping green with a new configuration of traps.
- A pond was dug near the fifth hole and fed by wells to provide a watering system for the golf course. The resulting fill was used to expand the fifth green and for landscaping in front of the sixth tee.
- The traps in front of the fifth green were eliminated and a new trap added to the right of the green.
- In 1998 the third, sixth, and ninth greens were rebuilt and enlarged, making the current length of the nine holes about 3100 yards. The traps on the eighth and ninth holes were also rebuilt.
- In 2009, the 8th tee box complex was rebuilt, and the bunkers around the 7th hole were expanded.
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REPUBLIC INSIDER Drawing up Mitchell's wards
Dive in. Mitchell's population is headed to the lake.
There are four wards in the city and Ward 4, the one that surrounds Lake Mitchell, is growing, which means it needs to shrink. I'll explain.
The... Posted on 10/4/11 at 8:04 AM
STAFF BLOG THE N.D. CAPITOL AND BEYOND N.D., Minn. make Letterman Top 10 list
North Dakota and Minnesota hadcameo appearances on David Letterman's Top 10 list last night.
The topic? "Top Ten Surprises In The 2010 Census."
North Dakota's mention came in No. 8: North Dakota is ... Posted on 12/22/10 at 10:02 AM
STAFF BLOG CAPITOL CHATTER Minnesota avoids losing U.S. House clout
Minnesota grew by 384,446 people in the past decade, but 15,000 is a more important number.
Minnesota beat North Carolina by 15,000 people to keep its eight U.S. House seats. Had 15,000 fewer Minneso... Posted on 12/22/10 at 1:35 AM
HEALTHY TIDBITS Census Workers
I know someone who does does book-keeping for the Census.She had quit the scary tales to tell about the people going door to door. Comments they can't report to the Census. There are people who are so... Posted on 5/2/10 at 2:52 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Many states that posted big population gains in the 2010 census are now seeing their decade-long growth fizzle, hurt by a prolonged economic slump that is stretching into larger portions of the South and West.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — New figures from the 2010 census show a small surge of young children in Minnesota, and look no further than the town of Waconia near Minneapolis for evidence of how that could change school districts throughout the state in the next few years.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — When North Dakota's next legislative district map is drawn, Cass County may have as many as two new districts. That would mean more political power for North Dakota's largest county.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — New census data show the five suburban counties surrounding Minneapolis and St. Paul grew an average of 23 percent since 2000. That bucks a national trend in which most high-growth counties have been in the Sun Belt.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Fargo, Bismarck and Minot enjoyed double-digit population growth during the last decade, while the number of West Fargo residents jumped 73 percent, according to new federal census data released Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The payoff for all the time and effort spent trying to get every Minnesota resident counted in the 2010 Census is expected to come Tuesday, when the state's official 2010 population is released and residents learn whether they will keep their eight seats in the U.S. House.
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GENEVA (AP) -- Israel became the first nation to skip a U.N. review of its human rights record without giving a reason, leaving diplomats scrambling to figure out how to respond Tuesday.
The president of the U.N.'s top rights body, Polish diplomat Remigiusz Henczel, declared Israel a no-show at a meeting Tuesday in Geneva and then reconvened the 47-nation Human Rights Council to decide what to do.
Israel had asked Henczel in January to postpone the review.
"We're in uncharted territory here," council spokesman Rolando Gomez told The Associated Press.
All U.N. nations are required to submit to Human Rights Council review every four years. Gomez said once previously Haiti did not appear for its review, but it provided a reason.
U.S. diplomats have said the council is too focused on Israel, which said last year that it would stop cooperating with the council because of its plans for a fact-finding mission to look at Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Diplomats from nations such as Egypt quickly pounced on the absence, and the opening it could provide for other countries that might want to bow out of a rights review. But others such as Canada said Israel's previous request for a deferral meant the country could not yet be described as being uncooperative.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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The first vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2013. It will be 76m long with a beam of 16m and incorporates the latest developments in hull and systems design.
An advanced diesel-electric propulsion system with hybrid shaft generator, powered by two Bergen C25:336P diesels rated at 1,440kW will deliver low fuel consumption and emissions.
The design incorporates the latest improvements in fish welfare and fish handling. Tank capacity of 3,000m3 provides a capability to safely transport up to 450t of live fish, and is divided into three equal cargo holds with sliding bulkheads and a pressure system for loading and unloading.
It is fully equipped for transport in a closed system with no discharge to the sea. Control of the water flow and circulation in the cargo compartments has been a key design priority to ensure optimal conditions for the fish.
Considerable emphasis has also been placed on the living and working environment for the crew. Single cabins accommodate up to 11 people and there is a fitness centre and sauna.
The vessel is being built by the Spanish shipyard Astilleros Zamakona S.A.
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A titular see of Numidia, frequently mentioned by historians and ancient geographers. Before the Roman conquest it was an important commercial centre. Delivered to the Carthaginians by Massinissa, it was incorporated with the Numidian kingdom, and at a later date became part of Numidia Proconsularis. Metellus destroyed it, but it soon rose from its ruins, and under Septimius Severus was known as Colonia Septimia Vaga . Justinian fortified it, and in honour of his wife Theodora, named it Theodorias. It is today the small city of Beja, centre of a civil district of about 100,000 inhabitants in tunisia, and a railroad station in the heart of that rich agricultural region. The halls of Justinian still exist, but are greatly modified; the large tower of the Kasba was the donjon of the ancient citadel; one of its gates dates also from the sixth century and there are the remains of a large reservoir. Among the inscriptions of Beja several are Christian ; from one we learn that the walls were built by Count Paul; from another that the principal mosque is an ancient Christian basilica, restored under Valentinian and Valens. The bishops known to us are: Libosus, present at the Council of Carthage, 256; Crescens at that of 349; Ampelius and Primulus, both at the Conference of Carthage, 411; the second had been a Donatist, but having abjured his error remained bishop conjointly with the first.
More Catholic Encyclopedia
Browse Encyclopedia by Alphabet
The Catholic Encyclopedia is the most comprehensive resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information ever gathered in all of human history. This easy-to-search online version was originally printed in fifteen hardcopy volumes.
Designed to present its readers with the full body of Catholic teaching, the Encyclopedia contains not only precise statements of what the Church has defined, but also an impartial record of different views of acknowledged authority on all disputed questions, national, political or factional. In the determination of the truth the most recent and acknowledged scientific methods are employed, and the results of the latest research in theology, philosophy, history, apologetics, archaeology, and other sciences are given careful consideration.
No one who is interested in human history, past and present, can ignore the Catholic Church, either as an institution which has been the central figure in the civilized world for nearly two thousand years, decisively affecting its destinies, religious, literary, scientific, social and political, or as an existing power whose influence and activity extend to every part of the globe. In the past century the Church has grown both extensively and intensively among English-speaking peoples. Their living interests demand that they should have the means of informing themselves about this vast institution, which, whether they are Catholics or not, affects their fortunes and their destiny.
Browse the Catholic Encyclopedia by Topic
Copyright © Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company New York, NY. Volume 1: 1907; Volume 2: 1907; Volume 3: 1908; Volume 4: 1908; Volume 5: 1909; Volume 6: 1909; Volume 7: 1910; Volume 8: 1910; Volume 9: 1910; Volume 10: 1911; Volume 11: - 1911; Volume 12: - 1911; Volume 13: - 1912; Volume 14: 1912; Volume 15: 1912
Catholic Online Catholic Encyclopedia Digital version Compiled and Copyright © Catholic Online
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Projects to get you motivated and inspired for a weekend of gardening.
One of the best ways to start growing your own food is by planting some herbs. Then, once you’ve discovered the joys of picking your own fresh produce from the garden, you’ll be keen to grow more and, thus, move on to vegies. Here are some easy herbs for beginners.
Herbs that like tough going
Herbs from the Mediterranean such as thyme, sage, oregano and marjoram, develop the strongest flavour if they’re grown hard. This means well-drained soil (perhaps a raised bed or a pot), lots of air movement around the plants and, of course, loads of sun. Don’t give them too much water or nitrogen-rich fertiliser – an occasional splash with Thrive Flower & Fruit should be enough. In areas with acid soil (where azaleas and camellias flourish) sprinkle some lime or dolomite around the plants every year or so. Tough growing conditions encourage these herbs to concentrate the flavour and aroma in their leaves. It helps too, of course, if you garden in a Mediterranean-type climate with wet winters and hot, dry summers.
Herbs that enjoy the soft life
Other leafy herbs, such as parsley and basil, appreciate more water and fertiliser. If they’re treated too harshly, they feel threatened, start to flower and eventually go to seed. Fertilise this group regularly with Yates Nitrosol or Thrive Soluble, water well and mulch around the plants to retain moisture in the soil.
Basil’s a summer favorite that grows easily from seed, and Yates seed range includes three different basil varieties. Sweet Basil is the traditional culinary choice. Gourmet Mix has a selection of varieties (lemon, cinnamon, Thai, bush) that offers a choice of flavours. New to the range this spring is Purple Basil (pictured), with sweetly pungent leaves that are a rich, dark colour.
The softest herb of all is mint which likes plenty of water and enjoys some shade. In these conditions, it’s best grown in a pot that will restrict its spread otherwise it can take over the whole garden!
Herbs that need space
Rosemary and bay are two, easy-to-grow shrubs that can be given permanent spots in the garden. Bay will eventually grow into a mid-sized tree but can be regularly trimmed to restrict its size (strew the leaves from these prunings around the house as a natural pest deterrent). Rosemary usually forms an upright shrub but can also be found in low-growing forms that act as ground covers.
Group potted herbs together as close to the kitchen as possible. Yates Tuscan Edge trough is an ideal size for growing a range of herbs and, with its self-watering feature, herb care will be easier than ever.
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Slovenia is situated at the crossroads of Central Europe, the Mediterranean and the Balkans, and is home to one of the world’s great Lipizzaner horse studs. These elegant animals have long been revered for their classical dressage abilities, and today Lipizzaners tour the world, enrapturing audiences wherever they go. Hidden Trails gives you the unprecedented opportunity to experience the beauty of the Lipizzaner on a classical dressage clinic – a once in a lifetime horseback vacation opportunity for lovers of this breed and the sport of dressage!
Horse Riding in Slovenia
Hidden Trails focuses its attention on the Lipizzaner breeding stud in Slovenia. This stud farm lies in the picturesque Karst region of Slovenia, in the heart of a green oasis under the azure Mediterranean sky, in the shade of century-old lime trees and oaks, and just a stone’s throw from the Slovenian–Italian border. The Lipizzan stud farm was founded in 1580 by an Austrian archduke, and today it is a jewel among the cultural and historical monuments of the Republic of Slovenia. For over four centuries, the Stud Farm has nurtured the tradition of breeding and selecting its horses. In the period after World War II it established its own classical riding school and has successfully performed with its horses at various equestrian events all over the world. Hidden Trails gives you the unique chance to be emerged in the Lipizzan and dressage lifestyle on a very special horse riding holiday at a world famous recreational centre offering its visitors unforgettable moments of relaxation and enjoyment. Enjoy the instruction and attention of experienced teachers while riding beautifully spirited Lipizzan horses. When class is over, explore the green oasis of Slovenia or even travel the two hours to Venice, Italy.
Slovenia is situated at the crossroads of central Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Balkans. Here, at the meeting point of the cultures of the east and the west, the old interlaces in harmony with the new. Slovenia surprises visitors at every step with its natural sites. In this tiny piece of Europe, the picturesque features of the Alpine, Mediterranean, Karst, and Pannonian worlds are combined. At the contact point of such naturally diverse regions, nature shows a hundred attractive faces. One of the smallest countries in Europe, Slovenia more than justifies the ‘Europe in Miniature’ hype. Tucked in an enviable geographical position between the Alps and the Mediterranean, it is blessed with spectacular mountains, thick forests and an Adriatic coastline.
Slovenia Weather and Climate
Slovenian weather is most reliable from May through September. The shoulder seasons mean less European tourists, and less intense heat than the height of summer (July and August).
Explore more European Horse Riding Vacations
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Food & Farm News
2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
» March 6, 2007 «
Strawberry production is recovering from the January freeze. At one point last month, farmers had shipped only about half as many berries as they had a year earlier. But the California Strawberry Commission says the cold ultimately strengthened root systems, and berry plants now produce more fruit than they did before the freeze. The commission says it expects a noticeable increase in the number of strawberries on the market in a couple of weeks, with plentiful supplies in time for Easter.
There will be more tomatoes planted in California this spring, but the question is how many more. Companies that process tomatoes into salsa, ketchup and other products would like farmers to boost their acreage. The California Tomato Growers Association estimates farmers will increase planting, but not as much as the processors have requested. The growers group is negotiating tomato prices with the processors. It says farmers will make final planting decisions later this month.
Water runoff into the Colorado River basin is now projected at more than 80 percent of average. Much of Southern California's irrigation and drinking water comes from the river. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation says snowstorms continue to drop large amounts of snow east of the Continental Divide, meaning the runoff won't reach the Colorado. The bureau says it projects no water-supply reductions, but it says reservoir levels will drop without additional precipitation this spring.
Looking for ways to make cucumbers less susceptible, researchers are working to help the crop better resist pests and diseases. Plant breeders at a government laboratory report success in crossing domestic varieties with a wild cucumber species from China. The wild cucumber resists a plant disease that can affect crop varieties. California ranks third in the nation in production of fresh cucumbers, behind only Georgia and Florida.Top
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Another 15 UN observers in Syria by month's end
Another 15 United Nations military observers are due to arrive in Syria by the month's end.
This will complete an advance team of 30, who are charged with monitoring the conflict-torn country's troubled ceasefire.
The UN Security Council has authorised a mission of 300 observers to monitor the ceasefire, which UN-Arab League envoy, Kofi Annan had brokered in a bid to stop the violence in Syria.
On April 14th, the UN authorised an advance team of 30 observers, 15 of whom are already on the ground and have begun work from bases in the central cities of Homs and Hama and the capital, Damascus.
But violence has continued despite their arrival.
The UN said on Monday that despite the fragile ceasefire, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has decided that the full deployment of 300 monitors can start next week.
MORE WORLD NEWS
Latest Photo Galleries on xinmsn
In Cameroon, like in much of Africa, being gay is a crime. Since 2010 at least 28 people have been prosecuted for same-sex conduct in the we... More In Cameroon, like in much of Africa, being gay is a crime. Since 2010 at least 28 people have been prosecuted for same-sex conduct in the west African nation. Despite the odds stacked against them, some people are willing to speak out in a bid to encourage acceptance of people regardless of their sexual orientation. Duration: 02:37
Date 29 mins ago, Duration 2:37, Views 0
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The Federal Trade Commission finalized a settlement between Facebook and users that felt some of the social network's practices were shady.
Facebook didn't admit wrongdoing, but did agreed to submit to government audits of its privacy practices every other year for the next 20 years and said it would get approval from the FTC before making changes to its privacy policies in the future.
This settlement has been in the works since November and is similar to the settlements reached with Google and MySpace in the past.
The Melo Park-based social network will now have to give users "clear and prominent notice" regarding any change to their information's privacy and it will also have to gain users' consent before sharing their information. Facebook will also be required to maintain a comprehensive privacy program to protect its users.
The timing of this action is also interesting because came a day after the FTC fined Google $22.5 million to resolve allegations that Google failed to follow along with their earlier settlement.
When you consider that Facebook is the largest social network with hundred of millions of US citizens blindly agreeing to privacy policies, this is an important first step in securing the data of most of the country.
The FTC’s privacy order, which was approved on a 3-1 vote, also covers third-party apps, which are growing rapidly on the service and have long-been pretty open.
Most of the concern that the FTC had with Facebook's policies rooted back to changes made in 2009, which automatically shared information and pictures about Facebook users, even if they previously programmed their privacy settings to shield the content. Among other things, people's profile pictures, lists of online friends and political views were suddenly available for the world to see, the FTC alleged.
Violations of this new settlement will be subject to civil penalties of up to $16,000 per day for each infringement -- that adds up really fast with upwards of 200 million US users.
“We intend to monitor closely Facebook’s compliance with the order and will not hesitate to seek civil penalties for any violations,” said the FTC in a statement.
“These provisions make clear that Facebook will be liable for conduct by apps that contradicts Facebook’s promises about the privacy or security practices of these apps,” the FTC said.
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The Development Authority of Cherokee County met Monday to discuss Cherokee 75 and next year’s plans for economic development.
Cherokee 75 includes 100 acres of light-industrial zoned property with a small retail section. The development is two miles east of Interstate 75 on Ga. 92. It is located inside a state-designated Opportunity Zone, so the state offers tax incentives for jobs created at the site.
Misti Martin, president of the Cherokee Office of Economic Development, said the Opportunity Zone credits are advantageous for business owners. Businesses are eligible for tax credits after creating two or more jobs. For other state tax credits, employers must create 25 jobs before being eligible for credits.
“It’s much more flexible. Plus, the credit in the rest of the county is $1,250 per job created. Within an Opportunity Zone, its $3,500,” she said.
The property has earned Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development certification, making it the first property in Cherokee County to do so.
The certification puts Cherokee 75 on a list of sites that are suited for projects with accelerated timelines.
“It’s an assurance that all the due diligence has been done on this site. It’s not easy. There’s so much data that has to be pulled together and assembled in just the right way to present an application. Heath (Tippens, COED project manager) did a great job with it,” Martin said.
The project has been broken into two phases, and the first phase is scheduled to be finished in early 2013. Phase 1 includes infrastructure improvements, mostly related to water and sewer, as well as some paving, curbing and gravelling.
The Development Authority of Cherokee County broke ground on the project in August.
The budget for the upgrades is $754,000, coming from the DACC’s reserve funds.
The county purchased 42 of the 100 acres in the business park in 2010 for $1.9 million, adding to land already owned by the DACC.
Martin said she is hoping the investment pays off as the economy improves.
“In 2009 and 2010, we tried to use that time to position ourselves and do a lot of planning, so when the numbers turned around, we would be poised for quality growth,” she said. “Our numbers are drastically up in 2012 as far as prospect activity and our overall numbers.”
DACC chairman Marshall Day said he is optimistic about the development.
“We’ve still got all the positives that Cherokee County offers to businesses that want to move in here or expand here, and now we’ve got this park to go with it,” he said.
Day cited the business park’s location and topography as advantages of Cherokee 75.
“We’ve had a lot of activity the last several months from companies looking to expand or relocate. We’re hoping they’ll find that location attractive,” he said.
For other activity in 2013, Martin said COED will continue to look into a small business incubator. She said office staff have researched and visited small business incubators, but the development office hasn’t found a suitable location for one in Cherokee County.
At Monday’s meeting, DACC members discussed establishing an executive council to have input from and conversation with existing industry leaders in Cherokee County.
The 2013 business plan states that this council could also meet with school system leadership to discuss preparing students for the workplace.
Martin added that COED would like to research ways to better utilize Reinhardt University.
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• The epidemiology of Kawasaki disease in the six-county Chicago metropolitan area (total population, >7 100 000 inhabitants) was characterized by identifying cases, with onset occurring from 1979 to 1983, inclusively, that had been studied by echocardiography. A retrospective survey of the records from pediatric echocardiographic laboratories and pediatric cardiologists at teaching hospitals, as well as a random sample survey of nonteaching hospitals with pediatric beds in the metropolitan area, was carried out. A total of 190 cases were identified, yielding an annual mean minimum Incidence of 5.95 per 100000 children less than 5 years old. Cases occurred endemically with superimposed spring clusters in 1980 and 1983. As seen in other studies, the male-female ratio was 1.58:1, and the peak incidence occurred in children between 1 and 2 years old, with 85% of cases occurring in children under 5 years of age. The racial distribution of cases was as follows: whites, including Hispanics, 62%; blacks, 32%; Asians, 5%; and half-white/half-Asian, 1%. Asians were slightly overrepresented in that they made up only 1.7% of the study area population. The annual minimum incidence for Asian Americans was 24.4 per 100000 children less than 5 years old; this rate was significantly greater than those for the other racial groups. Although few cases were observed in Japanese-American children, the calculated annual minimum incidence in this small group was approximately 44 per 100000 children less than 5 years old. The highest incidence was observed in several suburban Chicago zip code areas, where annual rates as high as 84.7 per 100000 children less than 5 years old were documented. Coronary artery abnormalities were diagnosed by echocardiography in 30 (16%) of 190 cases; the male-female ratio of patients with such abnormalities was 2.75:1. Whites and children under 1 year of age demonstrated the highest Incidence of coronary artery abnormalities. White children under 1 year of age appeared to be at particularly high risk for development of coronary abnormalities, with 11 (41%) of 27 white infants manifesting such findings by echocardiography. These infants may represent a subgroup of patients who would benefit particularly from therapy with intravenous gamma globulin for prevention of coronary abnormalities and who require particularly close follow-up care.
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Robin Smith, former Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party and congressional candidate.File Photo/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Whether it's Happy Hanukkah for those of the Jewish faith who celebrate supernatural provision, or Merry Christmas for the Christian faith that honors the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, or Happy Holidays for those who reject both of the aforementioned, this time on the calendar allows a bit of introspection.
By the way, the word "holiday" originates from the Old English word which means Holy Day. So, Happy Holy Days to all!
Back to the introspection: Regardless of faith, there's either a simple belief or rejection of a creator whose desire in our creation is to fellowship, love and grow with Him and with each other. While belief in the Judeo-Christian God, Yahweh, acknowledges His love, benevolence, grace, mercy and forgiveness, many want to reject the aspects of His justice, righteousness and judgment.
The Christian faith embraces the ultimate Redemption born from the price required for our sin, Jesus -- born of a virgin, who lived as a man, yet defeated death, sin, and the grave as the wages for our sins through His crucifixion and resurrection.
But let's admit what our culture has truly become, regardless of faith or lack thereof: a secular, rotting society.
The more intellectual and advanced we've become, the greater criticism has been targeted toward any of faith and the more high-tech and global our evil has become. The dramatic increased role of all levels of government has displaced a benevolent God who works through His creation as a neighbor, friend or concerned citizen. The greater the opportunities for affluence, the more people reject the unseen hand of providence and an exertion of individual will, pride, and self-praise. The more educated and reasoned our citizenry, the more intense the mockery and disdain toward those who pursue a daily walk with our Lord seeking His favor and blessing.
Where are we on this Dec. 24, 2012? About where Paul, the Jewish-Christian, scholar, and apostle said we would be: "... Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man.... Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchange the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator."
I challenge any of you to read Romans 1, written around A.D. 56, and miss the words painting the portrait of our world today. It is as if a digital, high-resolution photograph was available to St. Paul in his writing to the church at Rome.
Our intellect and free will have yielded tremendous "progress" but an honest look at the evil perpetrated at the Sandy Hook School and other tragic events offers evidence to the contrary. It's really not about the weaponry, the technologies, the legislative environment, the politics or any other influence. Our culture today, on the third planet from the sun spinning about 93 million miles away from our source of heat and light, reflects the hearts of each us. Our individual core is collectively creating the world in which we now live.
Laugh; chortle; sniff. But the fact is our willful rejection of that which is good has ensured the evidence of that which is evil.
My prayer is that each person will find the true reason for not just this season but for existence. Our world depends on it.
Robin Smith is a wife and mother living in Hixson. She served as chairwoman of the Tennessee Republican Party from 2007 to 2009.
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From the book "For or Against the Citizenry: Power sharing", published May 25, 2009
What has copyright to do with democracy?
Abstract: The debates on whether or not copyright and democracy are compatible concepts are not new. It has been discussed since the 1700s and concerns a form of separation of powers. Copyright is a monopoly, but at the same time, when copyright came, it was a strike at another form of monopoly, the printers' rights, with their roots in the guild system. Copyright could not occur until censorship was abolished, and it can actually be seen as a complement to the freedom of expression. Copyright was early associated with privacy issues. However, if proportionality is not followed in the maintenance of law, both integrity and freedom of expression could be threatened.
Many debaters today claim that copyright and democracy are incompatible concepts, that copyright infringes the privacy of readers and other cultural consumers or that copyright is a kind of censorship.
Others believe that copyright per se constitutes a kind of protection of the integrity of both author and work, and that the requirement for the whole concept of copyright to occur was that censorship was abolished.
Both these views may have some merit, depending on how these interests are balanced against each other in practice. Almost any legislation can tip over in some unwanted direction, unless the various interest areas concerned have been identified and defined well enough, and if the law is not maintained with reasonable means.
This discussion is certainly not new. The importance of this delicate balance has been discussed since the rise of copyright in the 1700s. Strictly speaking, it is a form of separation of powers; the power over information dissemination and information content.
Already 300 years ago there was a debate - just like today - about whether things such as spiritual or intellectual property can even exist, and furthermore if someone could have any rights to it. A great deal of thought was devoted to the question of what claim society can and should have on the products of the labour of intellectuals.
As we all know, music and movies were not the topic of the day a few hundred years ago. Copyright's earliest object was literature (and also drama). During the first centuries of printing, this was primarily a question of printers' privileges and the guild system, and not - as we might say today - about the rights of "content providers". However, even after the legislation finally hade focused on the creator, the author, there was still a debate about whether the writer's right to his own manuscript constituted privilege or property.
It was not very close at hand to regard the spiritual products of the author as a kind of property. The first copyright act from 1710, the English Statute of Anne, seems to avoid the word property as long as possible, and when it appears, it is not defined. The law speaks rather of propriety and proprietors. In an earlier draft of the law, which was never passed, the wording was that the author's "books and writing" was "undoubted property". The fact that these words did not find the way into the final act, is probably indicative of a deep fundamental disagreement among the legislators.
These various ideas were related to the views on conventional property, which can be inherited indefinitely. Now, if the fruits of the mind could constitute private property, wouldn't this property also be possible to inherit for as long as there are heirs? Already Milton and Locke had in the 1600s realized that literary works were of a very special importance for the development of society and for learning. Locke, for instance, took a stand against the "ignorant and lazy stationers" whose exclusive rights to certain classics prevented access to this knowledge when they did not bother to publish new editions.
The notion of educating the citizenry actually found its way into the very title of the first copyright law: An Act for the Encouragement of learning ... And the exclusive right, which the author was granted to his work was limited to a maximum of 28 years after the work's publication. The right could not be inherited.
The issue was still not settled when the act came into force in 1710. Conflict soon arose as to which legal standards that would apply: the non-statutory common law, traditionally found in England, or the written law. The battle about this went on until at least 1774, when a famous trial, Donaldson v. Becket, held that all old precedents of perpetual copyright would no longer be valid; now the written law of 1710 would apply without restriction. The issue was fiercely discussed during these years. Many judicial scholars claimed that authors could only have propriety in the contents of their manuscripts as long as they remained unpublished. As soon as a manuscript was printed and distributed, the public owned it, a kind of socialization inevitably occurred, meant for example Lord Justice Yates:
I allow that the Author has a Property in his Sentiments, till he publishes them. He may keep them in his Closet; he may give them away, if stolen from him, he has a Remedy; he may sell them to a Bookseller, and give him a Title to publish them. But from the Moment of Publication, they are thrown into a State of universal Communion. (From the case Tonson v. Collins, 1762.)
The lawyer and politician John Dunning, on the other hand, said it was the most extraordinary idea he had ever heard, that an author originally had a property in his composition, but "the first moment he exercised his dominion over that property, and endeavoured to raise a profit from it, he lost it." (From the case Donaldson v. Becket, 1774.)
It may perhaps be regarded as a decent compromise, that the legislators decided on a limited term of protection before society may take over and enjoy full advantage of the work in question. However, there are still today debaters who believe that copyright, just as is the case with tangible property, should be possible to inherit forever. Ad hoc based extensions of the term of protection in certain countries and for certain branches may pose a problem regarding the common ownership citizens are waiting for, especially when new legislation takes retroactive effect.
From a societal perspective, survivors of creative individuals may play different roles. On the one hand, which is often forgotten in the debate, they can act as good advocates and introducers of an artistic legacy that perhaps was never discovered or had any impact during the artist's life. On the other hand, there are lots of examples where surviving relatives are blocking access to works or even destroy or distort them. This contrariety suggests that the terms of protection should not be too long but not too short either. (The question of a kind of protection for the privacy of dead people, which this to some extent is about, is extremely complicated and, above all, at present, politically, it is a non-issue.)
Copyright is monopoly, copyright is censorship, people say, now and then. But copyright, which is an exclusive right, was, as touched upon earlier, rather a blow against a much worse form of monopoly, namely the printers' rights, which often were perpetual. The act of Anne was actually modelled after an anti-monopoly act, the Statute of Monopolies from 1624, which radically weeded out privileges, keeping only those considered to have social benefits.
Gunnar Petri shows in his book "The Breakthrough of Authors' Rights" (2008) that copyright law could not really emerge until censorship was abolished. When authors after the abolition of censorship instead became responsible for what they said in their works after publication, many felt that this should be balanced by a corresponding positive right. Daniel Defoe put it this way in 1704: "'Twould be unaccountably severe, to make a Man answerable for the Miscarriages of a thing which he shall not reap the benefit of if well perform'd ..."
Authors got a right of their own, thus making them independent of patrons or inherited fortunes, and this also made it possible for new authorships to emerge. In Sweden, the first legislation regarding authors' rights was enacted a hundred years after England, in 1810, as part of the Freedom of the Press Act. This newly acquired right along with, inter alia, the liberal press helped to create a market where Swedish authors such as Emilie Flygare-Carlén, Fredrika Bremer and August Blanche could support themselves. Gunnar Petri also points out in his book, that this new right was especially important in order for many female authorships to flourish at this time.
Former head of the U.S. Copyright Office, Abraham Kaminstein described the role of copyright in this respect at a hearing in 1965:
The basic purpose of copyright is the public interest, to make sure that the wellsprings of creation do not dry up through lack of incentive, and to provide an alternative to the evils of an authorship dependent upon private or public patronage. As the founders of this country were wise enough to see, the most important elements of any civilization include its independent creators - its authors, composers and artists - who create as a matter of personal initiative and spontaneous expression rather than as a result of patronage or subsidy.
That copyright is primarily a civil law and thus regulates the relations between citizens and not between citizens and the state (which censorship did) is also among the basic democratic principles of this law. One can also mention how equal the law is: it makes no difference between masterpieces and junk. Anything with some originality may be protected. Therefore, it is worrying that some commentators now suggest that copyright should be used as an instrument for cultural policy, in order to reward "good" culture.
When it comes to the rights of the creative man or woman, what is most often stressed is the economic aspect, the right to be able to get something back from the investment in time and money one has done, in order to accomplish a certain work. But another equally important aspect are the so-called moral rights, which concern the author's or artist's or composer's right to be mentioned as author or artist or composer. Furthermore, the work may not be distorted, and the creator has the right to decide in which context his or her work may occur. This can be regarded as a direct extension of the freedom of expression. Maybe only half is won when you have the right to speak, if your utterance does not also have some protection after it has been made.
One can only speculate about what would happen within political debate and science if what has been said and written by politicians, investigators, or scientists could be re-formulated freely and still in distorted form be attributed to these people. Of course, this happens already on a smaller scale in almost every political debate; but try to imagine if this could be done systematically and without penalties, for instance in scientific studies of, say, the side effects of medical drugs or the implications of climate change.
Copyright had rather early a connection with privacy issues. In the U.S., the lawyers Samuel Warren and Louis Brandeis wrote a famous article in 1890, The Right to Privacy. At that time, it happened quite frequently that private letters or other manuscripts of famous people were stolen and published. The right to be spared this kind of public exposure was related by Warren and Brandeis in their article to the protection of an author's unpublished works, which was included in both common law and statutory copyright. The lawyers argued, however, that this did not necessarily need to be seen as a property right but rather as a more "general right of the individual to be let alone."
Today, in the shadow of the file sharing problem, a rather fruitless debate is again taking place about whether intellectual property exists or not. Personally, I believe that a more rewarding angle is to view copyright (especially in its more European form, the creator's right) as a personality right (in German Persönlichkeitsrecht), which amends the freedom of expression. This can be difficult to understand for those who see copyright as something pertaining only to big media companies, but copyright always begins with a single creator, who then perhaps - but not necessarily - assigns all or some of his/her rights to a company or a copyright organization.
Some of today's copyright organizations have unfortunate aspirations of a corporatist nature. The new media may both strengthen and weaken this tendency. The solution to illegal file sharing may lie in some sort of tax or fee that will be managed by such organizations, but then they will regrettably speak for both organized and unorganized creators. On the other hand, with today's technology, it ought to be possible for many creators to manage distribution and payment themselves.
The discussion during recent years about copyright as something that violates personal integrity is not so much about copyright per se, as it is about the means used to enforce the law. Any law can of course be undemocratic and violate people's privacy if it is maintained with disproportionately harsh methods.
When this is being written, it remains to be seen how the recent and much criticized so-called IPRED Act will work in practice in Sweden (it is founded on the EU document Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive, 2004/48/EC). Naturally, it is important from a democratic point of view that it will not allow for anyone to act as a private police in the field of copyright. And this should not be the case, since the injunction for information demand that the law mentions requires a court order.
It might be interesting with a little comparison from history. In France a kind of IPRED law was enacted in 1777, but this law gave the bookseller/printer the right to bring with him the nearest police officer and raid another printer's shop if he suspected piracy - and this required no court order. Of course, such a law can easily become a weapon in the fight between competitors.
By virtue of what it does not regulate, and by virtue of its exemptions, copyright law does also encompass the rights of others than the creator, and these rights are very important for democracy. However, I believe that those rights ought to be explicitly entered into the law as more equal rights for the "users" of literary and artistic works. It is, again, a question of balance and separation of powers.
For example, the right to quote, is presently in an international perspective being eroded (in the U.S. and England this right is included in the so-called fair use and fair dealing provisions respectively). Writers are increasingly afraid to quote from the works of others without first getting a permission from the right holders. But the whole point of the quotation right is that it should not require permission. Putting together scientific or critical works with hundreds of quotations would be extremely complicated if this was necessary. Another problem is that the right to quote does not apply under the same conditions in other genres, such as music and film.
Fair use is seen today as a defence, not a right in itself. Imagine if this was the case with freedom of expression - in such a way that it did not arose until someone sued us for defamation, and we could produce a reasonable defence. This problem hardly exists in practice yet in Sweden, but I suspect that it is on its way.
That, which copyright does not protect, is usually considered to belong to an intellectual commons, a public domain. But this is also being curtailed today in various ways, for example when certain libraries and archives claim copyright to their reproductions of medieval manuscripts. Publishers are often obliged to pay for licensing to an archive or a library in order to get to publish a facsimile of a manuscript that was made hundreds of years before copyright was even in prospect. This is a publication right with a price tag, and not, for instance, a fee only covering costs for copying or repro camera work, which of course are services reasonable to pay for.
Therefore, the public domain ought to be defended by its own positive legislation, so that society can prosecute also infringements of the public domain.
Copyright basically includes a lot of good ideas and features, which I think one should not dispose of because the law in its application in some cases is being misused by parties with large financial resources and many lawyers. Back to basics, is a better strategy, I think, which means securing the legislators' original ideas about the balance between different interests in society, especially in light of the need for learning and knowledge. This ought to be the natural thing, if we are serious when we say we now live in a knowledge society.
Note: This text is part of the annual book "For or Against the Citizenry: Power sharing", which is published for the third time by the democracy study group D2D. The book is in Swedish, with short summaries in English. The partaking writers in this year's book are: Bo Djörke, Lars Ilshammar, Kajsa Klein, Laila Niklasson, Tomas Ohlin, Anders R Olsson, Karl-Erik Tallmo, and Ingwar Åhman-Eklund.
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[Tillbaka till Karl-Erik Tallmos startsida]
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As we recounted in the preface to our derivatives timeline, though derivatives were not the sole cause of the financial crisis, they were a crucial factor.
What are derivatives?
Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is derived from an underlying asset (stocks, bonds, commodities, etc.). Traders can swap interest rates, take bets on whether a firm will go bankrupt, safeguard against future asset price increases, etc—all under the ugly umbrella term derivative. The concept of a derivative has been around for centuries, but their use has recently exploded, as demonstrated in our timeline and in the images below.
Derivatives are recorded in what's termed as notional value, which just equals the value of the underlying asset on which the derivative is based. So if the underlying asset equaled $500 million, the notional value would be $500 million even though the megabank doesn't actually trade $500 million. They just trade the derivative. It's complicated if you're totally unfamiliar with this market, but at least you can see why the global notional value for the derivative market can reach into the hundreds of trillions as shown above. It's because the megabanks are recording the notional value.
Some traders don't think people should worry about the notional value since it's not referencing what is actually being traded. But the notional value matters because if the underlying asset turns toxic, then the derivative itself does too.
We saw this in the 2007-08 crisis: when underlying mortgages went bad, then all the derivatives contracts on top of those mortgages also went bad, and this worsened the crisis tremendously. So the notional value of derivatives matters, and you can see from the charts above that Wall Street in 2012 is a completely different world compared to Wall Street in 2000 (when the total notional amount was less than $100 trillion). In other words, the dangers of the derivatives market are still very much with us.
So, why are derivatives dangerous?
1. Derivatives allow for phony accounting
Charlie Munger once asserted that "to say that derivative accounting is a sewer is an insult to sewage." Well said, Munger. Derivatives allow firms the option to record profits today that will supposedly come tomorrow. This way a firm can put on a good pony show today and get a better stock price. All is well—unless tomorrow's profits don't arrive as expected (because of an unforeseen fiasco). If this happens a seemingly healthy firm can suddenly implode, all because of phony accounting—as happened with Barings Bank, Enron, and Lehman Brothers.
2. Derivatives obscure the market
Several derivative contracts can be written on a single underlying asset, a feature which adds enormous complexity to financial markets. A derivative contract on one asset might be traded in Asia and the US, while another contract on the same asset might be traded in Europe. What's more, the majority of derivatives are over-the-counter, meaning they aren't standardized or traded on public exchanges. So the terms of each contract can vary greatly and so the implications and interconnectedness of this market can be impossible for regulators and traders to see clearly. When markets melted during the 2007-08 crisis trading halted in part because market players couldn't readily discern which firms were on the brink of collapse and which firms were safe. This was partly because of all the derivatives contracts on top of the crumbling mortgage market.
3. Derivatives concentrate risk
Four US megabanks—JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citi, and Goldman Sachs—have a notional amount of $214 trillion in derivatives exposure. That's more than 30% of the worldwide amount just in four US banks. When firms have such concentrated derivatives exposure, they leave themselves open to surprise losses like last year's $6 billion London Whale loss at JPMorgan Chase.
4. Derivatives allow megabanks to take on more debt
Megabanks trade risk via derivatives contracts to another firm while keeping the underlying asset on their books. This way they can bypass capital requirements and take on more debt. This in turn allows them to make more trades, but it also means that if a sudden downturn surfaces in the markets, the firm which borrowed way beyond their means may quickly go bankrupt. Lehman Brothers experienced this after they'd borrowed 30 times more money than they had in reserve. In that case a relatively small loss of 3% meant that Lehman no longer had reserves (i.e. capital), and they therefore collapsed.
5. Derivatives deceive smart people into thinking they've eliminated risk
It keeps happening, over and over. "The smartest men in the room" think that they've figured out some way to eliminate risk completely through the use of derivatives. One amazing example of this is the tragedy of Long-Term Capital Management. A group of highly intelligent economists and traders created a hedge fund in the late 1990s centered around a formula which supposedly hedged risk completely. For the first few years, the fund made enormous returns and the creators of the formula even won the Nobel Prize for economics. But then they borrowed more and more money thinking they were safe in doing so (similar to Lehman), and when a series of unpredictable events occurred in world markets, they lost billions of dollars and put US markets in danger. Their downfall should have been a warning sign about the dangers of derivatives-related risk, but several other firms suffered similar fates in the following decade. If things remain the same, we'll see the same results.
Interested in learning more? See our derivatives timeline.
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In Egypt, there is no Aung San Suu Kyi. The liberal youth who won our hearts with their mass demonstrations for freedom in Tahrir Square have, for the time being, at least, lost. In February 2011, they overthrew the Mubarak regime. The old pharaoh himself might be near death, but his successors are anything but. Nearly 18 months later the exhausted and leaderless revolutionary youth seem powerless to stop the old regime from reasserting itself.
The military junta's dissolution of the elected Parliament last week and its unilateral amendment of the constitution to stop the new President from exercising real power have been a catastrophe for this developing democracy. But the world merely watches without outrage: there have been no condemnations from EU governments or the US. The audacity of Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) knows no bounds.
Meanwhile, the stench of the sewage and piled-up waste in Old Cairo, once a cradle of Muslim civilisation, serves as a daily reminder to millions of Egyptians about the decay of their country. It was physical deterioration — the overcrowding, the lack of decent jobs, the hard-pressed schools and hospitals — that led Egyptians to lose their fear of the Government, and chant "hurriya, karama, adala ijtemaya" ("freedom, dignity and social justice") night after night in Tahrir Square.
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Smoke and Mirrors
Stop calling firefighters "heroes."
When California Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger toured the state's catastrophic wildfires a few days ago, he uttered the phrase that now accompanies any blaze as surely as smoke: "The firefighters are the true heroes."
It's understandable why he said that. As fires go, the California blazes are scary. They are moving incredibly quickly through dried brush and chaparral that practically explode when they ignite, threatening the life of any firefighter nearby. Steven L. Rucker, a 38-year-old firefighter and paramedic for the town of Novato, was killed working to save houses. Elsewhere, thousands of firefighters have worked for hours on end in 95-degree heat, dressed in multiple layers of fire-resistant clothing, sometimes without enough food or water because of the long and shifting supply lines.
Given all that, it may seem churlish to suggest that firefighters might not deserve the lofty pedestal we so insistently place them on. We lionize them, regard them as unsullied by base motivations, see them as paragons of manliness (and very tough womanliness). They're easily our most-admired public servants, and in the public's eye probably outrank just about anyone except the most highly publicized war veterans. But the "hero" label is tossed around a little too often when the subject is firefighting. Here's why:
Firefighting is a cushy job. Firefighters may have the best work schedule in the United States—24 hours on, 48 hours off. And those 24 hours are usually not terribly onerous. While a few big-city fire stations may have four, five, six calls, or more during a shift, most aren't nearly that busy, giving firefighters time to give tours to school kids, barbecue hamburgers, wash fire engines, sleep, and pose for "The Firefighters of [Your City Here], 2004" calendars. Indeed, fire officials devote much of their time to figuring out how to cover up the fact they're not getting the hoses out very often. So we have firefighters doing ambulance work, firefighters doing search-and-rescue work, anything but Job No. 1. Meanwhile, the long days off give many firefighters a chance to start second careers. That makes it easy for them to retire after 20 years, take a pension, and start another profession. I've known firefighters who moonlighted as builders, photographers, and attorneys.
Firefighting isn't that dangerous. Of course there are hazards, and about 100 firefighters die each year. But firefighting doesn't make the Department of Labor's 2002 list of the 10 most dangerous jobs in America. Loggers top that one, followed by commercial fishermen in the No. 2 spot, and general-aviation commercial pilots (crop dusters and the like) at No. 3. Firefighting trails truck-driving (No. 10) in its risks. Pizza delivery drivers (No. 5) have more dangerous jobs than firefighters, statistically speaking. And fatalities, when they occur in firefighting, often are due to heart attacks and other lack-of-fitness problems, not fire. In those cases where firefighters die in a blaze, it's almost always because of some unbelievable screw-up in the command chain. It's been well-documented, for instance, that lousy communication was a huge reason why so many firefighters still were in the burning World Trade Center when it imploded, and well after city police and port authority police had been warned by their own commanders of an imminent collapse and cleared out.
Firefighters are adrenalin junkies. I did mountain rescue work for several years and more than once was praised as a "hero." Oh, give me a break. It was fun and exciting. Firefighting is even more of a rush. Sharon Waxman, in an excellent article in the Washington Post, interviewed firefighters in California. Every one was in a complete lather to get to the next hot spot. "It's almost a slugfest to get in there," one told Waxman. This urge to reach the fire is not entirely altruistic. It sure beats washing that damned fire truck again, for one thing. Plus a big fire is thrilling, plain and simple.
Firefighters have excellent propaganda skills. Firefighters play the hero card to its limit. Any time a big-city firefighter is killed on duty, that city will all but shut down a few days later while thousands of firefighters line the streets for a procession. In July 2001, I witnessed the tasteless spectacle of Washington state firefighters staging a massive public display to "honor" four young people killed in a forest fire (one absurd touch: hook-and-ladder rigs extended to form a huge arch over the entrance to the funeral hall). For the families of the four dead firefighters—three of whom were teens trying to make a few bucks for college—the parade, the solemn speeches, and the quasi-military trappings all were agony. "It's just the firefighters doing their thing," one bystander said to me later with a shrug.
Firefighters are just another interest group. Firefighters use their heroic trappings to play special interest politics brilliantly. It is a heavily unionized occupation. Nothing's wrong with that, but let's not assume they're always acting in anything but their own best interests. In Seattle not long ago a squabble broke out between police and firefighters when both were called to the scene of a capsized dinghy in a lake. The firefighters put a diver in the water, a police officer on the scene ordered him out to make way for a police team, and all hell broke loose (yes, the cops were at fault, too). The dispute wasn't over public safety, it was over who got the glory. New York firefighters, admittedly deep in grief over lost co-workers, exacerbated the challenge of body recovery operations after 9/11 by insisting on elaborate removal procedures for each firefighter uncovered, an insult to others who died there. Not long before that, in Boston, a special commission released a scathing report that detailed a 1,600-member fire department up to its bunker gear in racism, sexism, and homophobia. Since then the department has bitterly resisted reform efforts.
None of this is meant to dispute that firefighters are valuable to the communities in which they work. They are. But our society is packed with unheralded heroes—small-town physicians, teachers in poverty-stricken neighborhoods, people who work in dirty, dangerous jobs like coal-mining to support a family. A firefighter plunging into a burning house to retrieve a frightened, smoke-blinded child is a hero. But let's save the encomiums for when they are truly deserved, not when they just show up to do their job.
Douglas Gantenbein is the Seattle correspondent for the Economist.
Photograph of wildfire in Simi Valley, Calif., by Robyn Beck/Agence France Presse.
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Kate Middleton and Prince William are back in the spotlight once more, doing their bit for the nation and cheering on Team GB at the London Olympics. More than a year on from their royal wedding, how have the sports-loving pair settled into being husband and wife? With the help of professional body language expert Elizabeth Kuhnke, author of Body Language for Dummies, Stylist examines how the royal duo handle the enormous pressure of being in the limelight - from Olympic stadium to royal tour. Are they taking it in their stride or is the strain starting to show? Find out with our body language analysis below.
ABOVE: Catherine and William at the London Olympics 2012 Cycling Team Sprint event
Beaming smiles and sparkling eyes show that Catherine and William are very much enjoying the Olympic action - but their close physicality, with both arms wrapped around the other, indicates that they love and enjoy each others company more. This pose is natural and spontaneous and shows true love and affection.
ABOVE: At Province House on Prince Edward Island, Canada, 4 July
As is frequently the case, Catherine is standing slightly ahead of William, this time enabling him to place his right hand on her lower back as he guides her into position. Both seem somewhat nervous – he with his left arm crossing his body and fingers slightly rounded in a closed position – and her with her left hand elevated as if to keep harm at bay. Both of them have their weight on their inside legs, putting their bodies in close proximity. The expression on her face is concerned while he seems to be contained.
ABOVE: On a dragon boat race in Dalvay Lake, Prince Edward Island, Canada, 4 July
In this photo William and Catherine look natural and spontaneous. Their beaming smiles and close physicality indicate their love and enjoyment of one another’s company. Pressing their bodies next to one another along the length of their torsos, with William’s hip literally pushing into her, their affection and passion is palpable. As he embraces her and she spreads her left hand across his chest, it’s clear that these two are protective and possessive of each other.
ABOVE: Boarding a float plane to Blachford Lodge, Yellowknife, Canada, 5 July
William offers his bride a gentle and caring hand placed attentively on her waist as he helps her board the float plane. As always, their bodies are close together, a further reminder of their physical comfort with one another. The stiffness in Catherine’s upper body, her open mouth and spread fingered hand indicate that she is less sure of herself than William who comes across as an old hand at matters concerning air and sea vessels.
ABOVE: Yellowknife, Canada, 6 July
Here, the normally capable and confident Kate allows the prince to look after her attire, while she reaches up with her left hand to lend a little support. William seems particularly solicitous and engrossed in looking after his wife, focusing on what he’s doing. Catherine’s left arm is touching William’s right side, and her open upper torso signals her physical affection and confident sexuality.
ABOVE: The 21st Century Research and Innovation Centre in Calgary, Canada, 7 July
In this photo William looks slightly hesitant as can be seen in the way he’s fiddling with his fingers – one of the signature poses the prince adopts when he’s uncomfortable. He also seems to be slightly blinded by the sun, causing him to squint. Standing slightly in front of the prince, Catherine’s continues to wow the crowds with her radiant smile and open palm wave. Her clutch bag is a handy prop and gives her something to hold onto to steady any nerves.
ABOVE: Pressing the red button at the Calgary Stampede, Canada, 8 July
Kate and William aren’t afraid to demonstrate their affection in public. While they may have been invited to press the red button together, it’s clear by their open smiles, the way they’re tilting their shoulders towards one another and the easy way her hand rests on his that they’re physically comfortable and confident together. Although they’re looking in different directions, their heads and torsos are matched – both facing forward – enabling them, as a couple, to include the whole crowd as one entity. Engaged and open to the crowd as can be seen in their forward facing bodies, her left arm, slightly crossing her body, provides her with a bit of protection as well as offering an excellent view of her engagement ring.
ABOVE: Santa Barbara Polo Club, California, 9 July
Cheeky grins or secretive smiles – call them what you will. William looks like he’s whispering a secret suggestion that has the Duchess ready to burst out laughing as she affectionately strokes his shoulder. Their sparkling eyes plus the angle and forward movement of their bodies further indicates how connected they are to one another.
Picture credits: Rex Features
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Fletcher, T.M. and Duraisamy, K. and Brown, R.E. (2009) Sensitivity of tail rotor noise to helicopter configuration in forward flight. In: 65th American Helicopter Society Annual Forum, 2009-05-27 - 2009-05-29, Texas, USA.
Understanding the mechanisms that lead to the production of noise by tail rotors across a broad range of flight conditions and helicopter configurations remains an active area of research. Furthermore, designers require numerical models that are able to efficiently and accurately predict the acoustic signature of the helicopter. Predictions made using the Vorticity Transport Model in conjunction with a linear acoustics code, in which the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation is solved for the sound pressure level on a horizontal observer plane beneath a scaled model of the Bo-105 helicopter, have been shown to compare well with measurements made during the HeliNOVI experiments. As the vertical distance between the tail rotor and the main rotor is reduced, the acoustic signature of the tail rotor changes considerably. Both the blade-vortex interactions that occur between the tail rotor blades and their tip vortices, and the interactions between the tail rotor blades and the tip vortices trailed behind the main rotor blades, act as major sources of loading noise. The work presented in the paper suggests strongly, however, that the apparent acoustic advantages of a tail rotor with a particular sense of rotation cannot be considered independently of the vertical location of the tail rotor with respect to the main rotor.
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This President Shows Open Contempt for the Courts.
I am appalled by the blatant ignorance of Constitution within this administration . In 1999 Bill Clinton became the first President to ever be held in contempt of court. Well he has been joined by another Democrat President who does not believe in our Constitution.
The level of contempt for the courts that this administration may be unprecedented. Many people will remember the President calling out the Supreme Court in last years State of the Union Speech. He challenges the court's decision in a decision to allow corporations to get involved with election spending. This may be the first time a President called a decision by the Supreme Court wrong during the State of the Union Speech. It shows the level of contempt this President has for what is an equal in the governing of this country. Executive, Legislative and Judicial all given power to check and balance each other. Lets watch one more time Justice Sam Alito's reaction to this major breach of decorum.
Then after calling a moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico a federal judge ruled that it was unconstitutional. What did the Administration do? They have continued the course. Ignoring the Judge. As a matter of fact the judge has held them in contempt. This from the Heritage Foundation.
The Obama Administration hasn’t had their boot on the neck of just BP but also the entire Gulf economy. Federal Judge Martin Feldman is now doing the same to the Obama Administration.
A few weeks after Feldman held the Interior Department in contempt of court for ignoring his ruling to put an end to the job-killing drilling moratorium, he ordered the Interior Department to get moving on new permits one way or the other. Judge Feldman gave the Administration 30 days to act on five permits, emphasizing that the Administration has been sitting on these permits for four to nine months when Interior routinely processed the permits in two weeks’ time. Feldman wrote: “[T]he government is under a duty to act by either granting or denying a permit application within a reasonable time. Not acting at all is not a lawful option.”
And now here was are on Feb 23rd and President Obama and his head of the Department of Justice Eric Holder have decided that the Defense of Marriage act of 1996 is unconstitutional and they will not defend it. This is not their decision to make. It is their duty to stand with a law passed by the congress and signed by a president until it is either repealed or ruled against by the courts. A law passed and signed is law unless the courts decide otherwise. The President and Eric Holder have failed in their oath to protect and defend the Constitution. They have shown time and time again that they do not care about the Constitution of these United States. It is not the rule of law it is the rule of Obama
We the People need to fix this. 2012 is coming.
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From the May 11, 2009 National Review Online
May 11, 2009
by Hanns Kuttner
A large share of both GM and Chrysler may wind up owned by a trust that pays for their retired workers’ health benefits. These two behemoth automakers made health-benefit promises that have proven impossible to fulfill.
The troubles that led to this startling result are not unique to the auto industry: Medicare covers almost all Americans once they reach the age of 65. So the health-benefit costs that drove GM and Chrysler over the cliff threaten all of us — as current or future Medicare enrollees, and as taxpayers who foot the bill. Health-care costs are on an impossible road.
This unsustainable trend emerged in the generation of prosperity that followed World War II. Unions pushed for both higher wages and new fringe benefits. No union seemed to push harder and get more than the United Auto Workers (UAW). Health benefits were high on the UAW’s list, both for its members and as a matter of public policy.
UAW members got what seemed to be gold-plated health-insurance coverage. No contributions were deducted from workers’ paychecks. Many services were free to workers and their dependents. Retirees obtained the same benefits as workers.
Medicare was the fruit of the labor movement’s push for national health insurance. It did not provide the same level of coverage that UAW members received, but it offered the elderly protection against hospital and doctor bills. Over time the program grew, most recently by adding a prescription-drug benefit.
The rise in health coverage, through both the workplace and Medicare, came at a time when modern medicine had less to offer and costs were lower. In 1965 — when Medicare became law — health care was 5 percent of the economy. Today, that figure has more than tripled.
Factors peculiar to the auto industry added to the problem. Money was not being put aside each year to pay for future health benefits, turning these benefits into something of a Ponzi scheme — which would perhaps have been workable if employment had remained stable. But it did not. The Big Three shrank, and the ratio of current workers to retirees fell.
Unlike the auto industry, America will not reach a point where there are more retirees than active workers. The burden of Medicare’s growing cost will not mean national bankruptcy, as long as the government can find buyers for its debt. But we are on a path to health costs that are higher and make up an even larger share of the economy The public-sector version of Chrysler’s demise will come in the form of opportunities foregone.
The cost of federal health programs today is about 4 percent of the economy, and, if present policy does not change, in 25 years that figure will rise to more than 9 percent. That will amount to about half of federal-government revenue — assuming government’s share of the economy stays the same. Either everything else government does will have to shrink to make room, or taxes will have to increase.
The auto industry was long a leader in health benefits. Now that we see where that path leads, let us not follow. Health-care reform is on President Obama’s agenda. Be wary of reformers who do not first explain how they will get us off our current road to ruin.
Hanns Kuttner is a Visiting Fellow at Hudson, working on the Institute's Future of Innovation Initiative.
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Texas A&M International University will host a free health talk entitled "The Truth About Cholesterol" on Wednesday, March 19 from 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. in Bullock Hall room 118 on the University's main campus, 5201 University Boulevard.
Featured guest speaker will be local physician Dr. Jorge Gomez Vasquez. Admission is free and members of the community are invited to attend. Participants are invited to bring their lunch. Beverages and lite desserts will be served.
Dr. Gomez Vasquez will explain the difference between "good" and "bad" cholesterol and discuss ways to protect oneself against high cholesterol and its potentially harmful effects. His talk will be followed by a question and answer period.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all human and animal tissues. The buildup of cholesterol in artery walls may cause arteries to narrow or become blocked, resulting in heart attack, stroke, or other serious health problems.
Diet, heredity, metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, smoking and lack of exercise can cause, or contribute to, high blood cholesterol levels. However, studies show that it is possible to slow and even reverse the buildup of fatty deposits in artery walls through dietary and lifestyle changes.
Dr. Gomez Vasquez' talk is part of A&M International's "Spring 1997 Health and Wellness Initiative," a lecture series sponsored by the University's Office of Student Health Services.
Upcoming talks in the series include: "Diabetes," Dr. Eduardo Gomez Vasquez, Wednesday, April 9; and "Headaches," Dr. David Garza, Thursday, April 24. Both upcoming talks will be held at 12:00 noon in Bullock Hall room 101.
For more information on A&M International's Health Talks, contact the University's Office of Student Health Services at 326-2235.
Office hours are 8:00 am. - 7:00 p.m. Monday - Tuesday and 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Wednesday - Friday.
Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at firstname.lastname@example.org
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By Mark Kelly
Much has been made over the attendance at the march and rally in DC on September 12. Reports varied, with many on the left clinging to an unofficial DC Fire Department estimate of 60,000 to 70,000. Some reports from overseas went as far as to say two million. However, one completely objective source of information is the number of people who rode Metro, Washington, DC’s mass transit subway system. Washington Metro measures and releases its ridership numbers and these numbers have been used in the past to judge the size of major events in Washington, DC.
For a fair comparison, we looked at the Saturday after Labor Day in 2008, which is when September 12 fell in 2009. On September 12, 2009, 437,624 rode metro rail. By comparison, on the Saturday after Labor Day in 2008, 202,528 rode. The difference is 235,096. Even if nobody else came to the March, and we know they did by chartered bus and by carpool, the theory that only 70,000 people were there is off by roughly 335% – debunking the 70,000 claim. To take it a step further for comparison, we also looked at the attendance for President Obama’s Inauguration in January 2009. Convential wisdom estimates that attendance for the inaugural was between 800,000 and 1.8 million, or an average of 1.3 million.
If you compare Metro riders on Martin Luther King Day 2008, the similarly situated federal holiday in January to the Inauguration in 2009, approximately 975,000 additional people rode metro for the Inauguration. If you compare 975,000 additional metro riders as a percentage of the 1.3 million total who attended and you do the same for 235,000 additional metro riders for the 9/12 March, than at least 313,000 went downtown for the explicit purpose of marching against out-of-control government spending on September 12. This assumes a similar percentage of attendees took buses, cabs, drove in, walked, etc.
If you believe the number was 1.8 million at the Inauguration and you do the same for 9/12, then the number is 433,000. So is an estimate of 313,000 to 433,000 attendees accurate? Well, it is certainly an unbiased and impartial start to understanding the debate over crowd size. The bottom line is that hundreds of thousands of Americans who were upset with government spending, a failed stimulus, a government takeover of health care, and a massive energy tax came with their parents, children, grandparents, cousins, college roommates, etc. to a multi-generational and peaceful family protest in Washington.
Read more informative articles at Heritage – The Foundry
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A Hardy Californian
Botanist Lester Rowntree
Botanist Lester Rowntree demonstrates her technique for pressing plants. She traveled throughout the state in this car to study plants in their native habitats.
Photo courtesy California Academy of Sciences/Library.
Lester Rowntree (1879-1979) was a self-taught botanist and independent spirit who spent half her life trekking up and down California observing, gathering, and photographing the state’s native flora. Born in England, Rowntree lived in Kansas, Southern California, and on the East Coast before returning to California in 1921. In 1931, the 52-year-old Rowntree left her husband and began what she called a “gypsy” existence studying California’s plants on their home ground. She supported herself by writing hundreds of articles and two books, including Hardy Californians (1936), from which this excerpt is taken.
After my English childhood came a girlhood here in California, when I began to realize the state’s richness in flowers and made little forays into its then almost virgin territory. I often wish that I had kept the rather incomplete herbarium I made in those days….
Later, when I was vehemently gardening in northern New Jersey, my thoughts went back to the wild flowers of California with a desperate desire to see them flourishing in my rock gardens and woodland slopes. Indeed I made several trips to the Pacific Coast, bringing back collected seeds of plants which I thought could be grown. But a California garden in New Jersey was in those days only an experimental indulgence. Horticultural books and magazines could yield me no information. I was without the benefit of experience—my own or that of others—and many a homesick plant of the Pacific Coast infected me with its own deep and undisguised depression.
Finally I achieved a California existence once more and could indulge again in my prowls in the hinterland until they became a habit culminating in my present two-thirds-vagabond life. (By such a regrettable series of gradations has a tomboy developed into a gypsy.)
Tourists in California often complain that there are no seasons…. Let them turn collectors. They will soon find that while in the lowlands Nature perhaps does not express her changes of tense in such emphatic terms as in the East, they are in the grip of the seasons here just as surely as in the climes where winter is for skating and summer for swimming.
Water is California’s greatest benediction and it controls the inception and the intensity of the seasons. Drought has enforced a summer’s rest upon growing things. The chaparral-covered slopes with their many variations in texture and in shadings of greens and browns, wait for rain. The live-oak dappled hills are drowsy slopes of pale gold velvet. All plant life begins to look expectant. At the first touch of what [William Ernest] Henley called “the wet-winged Angel of Rain” the silent hidden root-world thrills skyward, feeling the sting of stirring sap throughout trunk and branches and stems even to the tiniest leaf and tendril.
And for the next nine months my life is a harried one. The whole state becomes a garden of extravagant bloom. Each climatic area must be visited, the members of its flora photographed, studied and noted, specimens pressed, perhaps a seedling dug, often some seeds captured.
The plants must be approached, not only from the botanical angle but also from that of the gardener; their exposures, soil, possible requirements and their associates recorded; anything, in fact, which will facilitate the growing of them….
My collecting car has but a single seat—the driver’s. This leaves floor space to spread my sleeping bag when desert storms rage or Sierra rains descend or when in isolated spots the footprints of bears appear unusually thickly. (Bivouacking with bears, though not dangerous, is often disturbing.)
…The best stands of native plants can be reached only on foot or by horse or burro. My car is purely a means of transportation into the vicinity of these places. No one who has not left the highway and followed out-of-the-way trails can have any conception of the poignant beauty of the haunts of California’s wild flowers….
I wish there were a word one could use instead of the acquisitive-sounding “collecting” which has such a vampirish and predatory ring. Intelligent collecting is a conservation measure, legitimate only when done with knowledge and forethought and when the motive is the preservation of the plants themselves. A scrupulous collector does always more good than damage. He never exhausts a stand. When seed is scarce he sees to it that some is sown in appropriate places not far from the parent growth. He is out to create rather than to destroy. Taking plants or seeds is but a part of his field day’s activities; much additional time is spent in studying, identifying, noting and photographing. Collecting is a pursuit which should be actuated only by love of plants.
Excerpted from the new edition of Hardy Californians, published by the University of California Press, 2006, www.ucpress.edu.
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WHY do we spend about 10 per cent of our waking hours with our eyes closed, blinking far more often than is necessary to keep our eyeballs lubricated?
Scientists have found the answer to this mystery, determining that the human brain uses that tiny moment of shut-eye to power down.
The mental break can last anywhere from between a split second to a few seconds before attention is fully restored, researchers from Japan's Osaka University have found.
During that time, scans that tracked the ebb and flow of blood within the brain revealed that regions associated with paying close attention momentarily go offline. And in the brief break in attention, brain regions collectively identified as the ''default mode network'' power up.
The default mode network is the brain's ''idle'' setting. When our attention is not required by a cognitive task such as reading or speaking, this far-flung cluster of brain regions comes alive, and our thoughts wander freely.
But our thoughts seldom stray far from home. We contemplate our feelings, we wonder what a friend meant by a comment, we consider something we did last week, or imagine what we'll do tomorrow.
Most of us take between 15 and 20 such moments of downtime a minute, and scientists have observed that most blinking takes place near or at the point of an ''implicit stop''.
While reading or listening to another person, that stop generally comes at the end of a sentence; while watching a movie, we're most likely to blink when an actor leaves the scene or when the camera shifts to follow the dialogue.
The study, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, studied 20 healthy young people in a brain scanner as they watched snippets from the British comedy Mr. Bean.
An earlier study had shown what implicit stops in the Mr. Bean video most commonly elicited a spontaneous blink, so researchers knew when to look for changes in the brain's activity patterns.
Sure enough, when subjects blinked, the researchers detected a momentary stand-down within the brain's areas involved with processing visual stimuli and areas that governed attention. The circuitry of the default mode network stepped up to fill the momentary lapse in attention, and then yielded again as order, and attention, returned.
Los Angeles Times
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Microsoft's answer to the $100 laptop: Pay-as-you-go
Redmond (WA) - Emerging markets are considered the next big opportunity for IT companies: One idea to connect more people to the Internet is the $100 laptop. Microsoft never warmed up to that concept, claiming that such a device will not be powerful enough to enable access to key applications. Instead, the firm creates a pay-as-you-go computer model to bring more computers to emerging markets.
Microsoft's idea - referred to as "FlexGo" technology - circles around the prepaid phone card, which has been established around the globe, especially in regions and population groups with changing income. Just like the phone, Microsoft's pay-as-you-go PC would be subsidized by the usage of "minutes," purchased for example at convenience stores. The company claims that such an approach could reduce the entry cost of a PC by "50% or more." Other than with the pre paid mobile phone model, consumers would actually own their PC after a certain number of minutes has been purchased.
"Today there are already more than one billion prepaid mobile phones used around the world, so we know FlexGo enables a familiar and comfortable pay-as-you-go model that works for people with variable or unpredictable income," said Will Poole, senior vice president of the Market Expansion Group at Microsoft. "Offering unprecedented flexibility of PC ownership will bring high-quality personal computers within the reach of hundreds of millions of families and small businesses in emerging markets so they too can enjoy the many benefits PCs bring in education, entertainment, communication and productivity."
Microsoft did not provide details about how much such a Windows-based PC will cost, the type and price of services that will be offered or how many minutes consumers will have to purchase to own their PC. However, it is clear that the strategy will only lower the price to bring a computer system home. The overall system cost will actually be higher, according to the frequently asked questions posted on Microsoft's website. In other words, what Microsoft is introducing is simply a cross-financing model for PC to accelerate the adoption of the PC - and its Windows operating system.
In contrast, the One Laptop Per Child nonprofit association intends to offer a $100 laptop that is owned by buyer's right after the purchase. As of now, it appears that such a portable computer would use a 500 MHz AMD processor. There will not be a hard drive, but a 512 MB flash memory unit as well as a screen that runs at a 1110 x 830 pixel resolution in black and white and in 640 x 480 pixel resolution in color mode.
Microsoft said that it recently completed a successful year-long market trial of pay-as-you-go offerings in Brazil, in which 31% of participants stated they would not have been able to purchase a PC otherwise. The next round of trials is headed to China, Hungary, India, Mexico, Russia, Slovenia and Vietnam.
Partners of the initiative include HSBC Bank Brazil, Infineon, Intel, Lenovo, Phoenix, Transmeta and interestingly also AMD, which also provides key technologies in the $100 laptop.
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Though it may seem like your precious feline is constantly cleaning itself, this is not enough to keep the cat clean. Learning how to bathe a cat is an important part of cat ownership. Learn an ineffective technique and you may literally be scarred for life. Learn the right way and the cat will not shoot you a look to kill each time you turn on a faucet.
Why Learn How to Bathe a Cat?
Cats use their tongue and teeth to clean their coat. However, these tools are usually not enough for the most difficult cleaning needs. Cats that spend time outdoors tend to get dirty and even an indoor cat can get into something smelly or sticky due to its curiosity. A good bath will be needed to get the fur looking and smelling great.
Some preparation is required before bathing takes place. For the protection of the cat owner, the claws of the feline should be trimmed. This reduces the severity of any bathing-related injury. After this mani-pedi, the cat should be brushed to remove matted and loose hair. Difficult knots can be snipped off with a small pair of scissors but be careful not to cut too close to the skin. Put some cotton in the cat’s ears to keep out bath water.
How to Bathe A Cat the Right Way
If you are brave, you can initiate the cat to water by bathing it in the sink. Products like a cat sack make bathing easier. Simply put the cat into the sack and place it in a sink containing a few inches of warm water. Apply water and shampoo to the fur and create a lather from head to tail. Use a hand-held sprayer to wet the animal and rinse off the shampoo, avoiding the eyes, face, and ears.
Alternatively, begin by putting the cat in a restraint like a harness and leash, turning on the water, and seeing how the cat reacts. If the animal gets scared, let it remain near the water while you wet its paws. Gradually wet the cat in this manner, eventually putting the animal in some warm water in the sink and following the bathing steps above.
Once you learn how to bathe a cat, you can move on to wiping its face with a washcloth dipped in warm water or very diluted shampoo. When the bath is over, towel dry the animal in a warm location, using a blow dryer if the cat will tolerate it. After a successful bath, reward the cat with a treat for its good behavior.
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Age, injury, posture or diseases can lead to degeneration of the joints and bones of the neck, causing disc herniation, bone spurs, blood vessel destruction or vertebral injury. These can cause a narrowing of the spinal canal and the small openings where nerve roots exit.
Symptoms of this narrowing, or impingement, include:
- Neck and/or arm pain
- Numbness or weakness in both hands
- Difficulty with walking
- Spasms of the leg muscles
- Loss of coordination
Non-surgical treatment is the first approach used for non-trauma conditions. Surgical treatment may be necessary if non-surgical treatment is ineffective or if the neurological symptoms increase.
Depending on a patient’s health situation, surgical procedures may be used to relieve pressure on nerves, remove ruptured spinal discs or damaged vertebrae, and generally provide pain relief for the patient. Type of surgery chosen is determined by the severity of the problem and the stability of the spinal column.
- Anterior Cervical Discectomy – (Front of the neck) Performed in the case of a ruptured disc. The disc is removed and may be replaced with a bone graft.
- Anterior Cervical Corpectomy – Performed at the same time as a discectomy. Portions of the vertebra are removed, usually at one or two levels. Space created by the removal is replaced with a bone graft, also known as a fusion.
- Posterior Microdiscectomy – (Back of the neck) A small portion of the joint between affected vertebrae is removed, and the nerve root is gently shifted so the soft disc material can be removed through the opening.
- Posterior Cervical Laminectomy – (Middle of the neck) The area around the nerve root is enlarged, and bone, disc material or other tissue is removed to stop impingement of the root.
- Fusion – Used in conjunction with other surgeries to maintain stability of the spine.
Spinal cord stimulation therapy for chronic back pain
Parkview Neurosciences professionals use various approaches to treat chronic back pain, depending on a patient’s health history:
- Physical therapy
- Nerve block injections
- Surgical repair
Certain individuals who experience chronic pain from cancer, spinal cord injury and reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) have found relief through the use of a spinal cord stimulator. Implanted under the skin of the lower abdomen, the device uses low-voltage electrical stimulation to block pain that normally travels along the spinal cord.
The majority of patients who have had a spinal cord stimulator implanted have experienced significant relief. Some individuals have also been able to reduce their use of medications.
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On the upside, drinking coffee may stave off depression.
Add one more aspect to the disturbing truth about soda and sugary drinks: a new study links soda consumption with a higher risk of depression.
Researchers looked at a sampling of more than 260,000 participants, with about 11,000 diagnoses of depression, over 10 years. They found that those who drank four or more sodas per day had an increased risk of depression by 30 percent, compared to those who drank no soda at all, according to FOX News.
The risk was even higher for those who drank diet soda compared to regular soda, and those who drank fruity, sugary drinks. And those loving diet drinks of any kind — soda, iced tea, or fruit-flavored drinks — had the highest risk of depression of all.
RELATED: World’s Most Creative Latte
On the other hand, those who drank caffeinated coffee were 10 percent less likely to be depressed (add that to the growing research of diseases coffee can prevent). However, the researchers were clear that the study doesn’t prove a cause and effect relationship — that soda causes depression — but more than those who are depressed are more likely to drink soda.
“Our research suggests that cutting out or down on sweetened diet drinks or replacing them with unsweetened coffee may naturally help lower your depression risk,” said study author Honglei Chen, Ph.D., in a press release.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
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In Zagreb, Croatia, a young woman named Slavica presented an idea for an eco-friendly bag that would not only focus on employing women in Croatia, but also help sustain the local resources by using 100% recycled materials. The now-running startup employs eight women and receives recycled materials from schools and local organizations.
Slavica’s idea, Torbak, won Startup Weekend Zagreb during Global Startup Battle. The following is her guest post about her experience.
The Idea of Torbak
For many years, organization ‘Prospero’ is working on educating women and young people about traditional crafts, such as working with ceramic or wool and weaving.
On our workshop of weaving we were using various materials like weft, which we put on weaving loom. Then we were trying to make some prototype products out of it. The main purpose of prototype products was to try to use resources from our community, that’s how we started with usage of plastic bags that is free material and collectable in huge amounts.
Organization ‘Prospero’ is located in Lika, part of Croatia that is not contaminated, so we feel responsible to keep it this way and our contribution to the nature is this usage of plastic bags. So, with the help of weaving looms we turn the plastic waste into cool bags that we named Torbak. Torbak presents creativity, handicraft and environmental awareness and among all of that looks really cool.
Various organizations, kindergartens, schools and citizens support our work, so they are collecting and sending us plastic bags, what is conformation that we are doing some good work.
Torbak and Startup Weekend Zagreb
I found out about Startup Weekend Zagreb through National Foundation for Civil Society Development, which have had competition to give free tickets for the best innovation for community. How they liked our prototype product Torbak, they paid my application fee to have an opportunity to work more on this idea.
On November 16th I came to the venue of Startup Weekend Zagreb where I needed to pitch my idea. I got really nervous and insecure that I won’t be able to present Torbak good enough in just 60 seconds. Luckily, I brought a prototype product with me, what was my advantage to other people who pitched ideas. The same day I got together a team with people who were willing to work on Torbak idea during SW Zagreb. I was really lucky to be surrounded with young and ambitious people who worked really hard to develop idea and we made a great presentation in the end that got us the first place.
Also, I need to mention that mentors helped us a lot. How mentors were experts in special fields, each of them gave us useful advises and opinions. I appreciate that they were very supportive and encouraged the work of my team what was huge help for final presentation, which judges liked.
Experience on Startup Weekend Zagreb opened new perspectives for me. I learned a lot and I am already using new knowledge to develop this idea even further. Also, I met a lot of people who are helping at this point in developing Torbak and some of them were mentors and judges during the event.
Our plan is to open the company which will try to succeed on the market and that wouldn’t be possible without Startup Weekend Zagreb were we won some useful prizes (for making business plan and marketing campaign) and made connections. Me, my team and organization Prospero believe in project Torbak through which we plan to employ women and young people and keep our environment a little bit better place to live.
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The hottest environmental trigger point in North America today isn’t the melting Arctic ice or the disappearing polar bear. It’s the Keystone XL oil pipeline project, which, if it gets the go-ahead, will pipe bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands (or tar sands, depending on your point of view) to refineries in Texas.
Al Gore opposes it, of course, along with Bishop Desmond Tutu and The New York Times. Last month, a long list of environmental/Hollywood celebrities, including Naomi Klein, Bill McKibben, Margot Kidder, and Daryl Hannah, begged for the privilege of being arrested at protest demonstrations outside the White House. On Sept. 26, protesters will gather on Parliament Hill for another day of action.
Ms. Klein said she didn’t originally intend to get arrested. But the speeches she heard “from the people living downstream, who are dealing with having their land spoiled, who are dealing with outbreaks of disease and cancer, [were]just so moving that I really felt the need to stand with them in solidarity.”
The Keystone project has become a litmus test for Barack Obama’s environmental cred. He has the power to turn it down. But unlike the environmentalists, Mr. Obama has to live in the real world of hard choices. And the Keystone project is a job-creation machine at a time when the United States is desperate for them. It could create 20,000 direct new jobs as early as next year, and five times that number in indirect jobs.
The greens’ objections to the pipeline are a mishmash of reasonable questions and total fantasy. Does oil extracted from the oil/tar sands create more carbon dioxide emissions than conventional oil? Yes, but not by much. Could pipeline spills destroy the wildlife and the aquifers of the lands through which it passes? Highly unlikely. In fact, pipelines are the safest way of transporting oil, and are getting safer all the time. As for disease and cancer downstream, there’s not a shred of evidence for any link.
As the protesters readily admit, their real concern isn’t safety or health, or even environmental degradation. What they hate is oil itself. As Ms. Klein puts it, “We need to get off fossil fuels, period.” And no type of oil is more hateful than the gooey, sludgy stuff from Alberta. For environmentalists, the oil sands are a synonym for pure, unadulterated evil.
In the long run, Ms. Klein may well be right about the need to wean ourselves from fossil fuels. In the short run, the U.S. needs 10 million barrels a day of imported oil, whether the greens like it or not. This energy will not be supplanted by wind power or solar power or any other type of green power any time soon. It has to come from somewhere. If it doesn’t come from Canada, it will come from Nigeria, Venezuela and other places with less stringent environmental standards and less friendly attitudes than Canada. And even if the protesters stop the pipeline from being built, the oil will come out of the ground anyway. Canada will just sell it to someone else.
The Keystone protesters believe they’re following in the footsteps of the civil-rights movement, when people broke the law in order to draw attention to the great injustices of slavery and segregation. If the pipeline project goes ahead, one activist warns, “we may see bodies before bulldozers on the western plains.” (Fortunately, unlike the civil-rights era protesters, who were beaten and sometimes shot, Ms. Klein and friends face nothing worse than a ride in an un-air-conditioned police van and a few hours in jail.)
For some, the moral stakes are even higher still. Writing in the Toronto Star this week, Stephen Scharper, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Toronto, suggests that the pipeline represents nothing less than an ecological Holocaust. “Significantly, at the Nuremberg trials following World War II, Nazi officials were hanged for not committing civil disobedience,” he wrote. “In future years … these protesters may well be remembered not as criminals, but as champions of a life-filled world.”
Why have the greens suffered defeat after defeat? Because, while they claim to be a political movement, they behave like a religious movement. They are driven by dogma. They have no regard for facts or proportion, and no larger sense of political realities. This time is no different. Barack Obama is dealing with the worst economy in a generation. And when the choice comes down to jobs and oil security versus purity of belief, it’s going to be no contest. Their champion is about to turn into an apostate.
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Links & Resources
CCBC Office of Public safety has suggested the following links in this time of heightened alert to provide useful information.
Sex Offender Registration
The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act (CSCPA) of 2000 is a federal law that provides for the tracking of convicted sex offenders enrolled at, or employed by, institutions of higher education. The CSCPA is an amendment to the Jacob Watterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Act. The federal law requires state law enforcement agencies to make this list available. Maryland's Sex Offender Registry can be viewed at www.dpscs.state.md.us/sor. If you have any concerns with respect to this subject please consult this site. The CSCPA further amends the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) to clarify that nothing in the Act can prohibit an educational institution from disclosing information provided to the institution concerning registered sex offenders.
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Apple has pushed two critical security updates to Java for Mac OS X this week in order to patch up some critical security loopholes found in the previous release of Java, version 1.6.0_29. The updates, which were released on Tuesday and Thursday of this week, are available via Software Update for Snow Leopard users running OS X 10.6.8 and Lion users running OS 10.7.3.
The updates were released after a Russian antivirus company, Doctor Web, discovered that Macs were vulnerable to the BackDoor.Flashback trojan, which saves an executable file on your Mac’s hard drive then downloads malicious code from a remote server.
The trojan has affected an estimated 600,000 Macs worldwide, with the majority located in the United States (around 55%), Canada (around 20%) and the UK (around 13%). An analyst at Doctor Web also reported that 274 of these infected computers were based in Cupertino, California – the same city as Apple’s headquarters meaning that some of Apple’s own computers may have been affected.
The trojan can only be downloaded through compromised websites which are mostly (dodgy-looking) online video sites ending in the domain name .rr.nu however according to Google search results at the end of March, some 4 million websites may be affected by the trojan, with some users reporting popular sites such as D-link may have also been compromised.
What is FlashBack?
BackDoor.FlashBack.39 is a trojan horse designed to exploit vulnerabilities designed to exploit a security loophole in Java on OS X. It has been around since September of last year and Oracle, the owners and developers of Java, patched up the issue back in February. Apple has only reacted to the issue after the vulnerabilities were exploited, and subsequently released two security patches this week. The company does not comment or disclose any security issues until a full investigation has been carried out in order to protect their customers, which may explain the gap between the issue being discovered and Apple’s reaction.
After you visit a compromised website, FlashBack installs and runs a small executable on your Mac, which subsequently scans for software (most of which would otherwise detect and remove the threat) in the following locations on your Mac’s hard drive:
- /Library/Little Snitch
- /Applications/VirusBarrier X6.app
- /Applications/Packet Peeper.app
If these files aren’t found, then the trojan uses a special routine which generates a list of control servers and installs the malicious code onto the user’s Mac, compromising overall system security.
How do I find out if I’m affected?
If you haven’t already done so, head over to Software Update and install the relevant security updates. However, this simply patches up the issue, and does not tell you whether or not your Mac is affected or not. The FlashBack trojan only affects Macs with Java installed. If you haven’t got Java installed on your machine, then you don’t need to worry.
If you’re running a commercial anti-virus software on your Mac such as VirusBarrier X6 or ClamXAV, then chances are the system would have detected and removed the threat. If not (or you just want to be sure), then F-Secure has provided a step-by-step guide on how to remove it manually – head over to their website for the detailed steps.
The FlashBack trojan infection has really highlighted vulnerabilities in OS X and Java, and begs the question as to whether Mac users are 100% totally protected from viruses. Although Apple has since responded to the threat, its response came two months after Oracle itself had detected and fixed the threat, giving the trojan plenty of time to spread and infect. The best possible advice really is to run a decent virus scanner on your Mac (there are excellent free ones, such as ClamXav) and regularly scan your computer for threats so they can be detected at the earliest possible stage.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on this issue. Are Macs now becoming more vulnerable? Was Apple’s reaction too late? Were you affected by the FlashBack trojan? Share your experiences in the comments section below.
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This voyage, manned by astronauts Frank Borman, James A. Lovell, and William A. Anders, was man's first to another celestial body, and included an orbit around the Moon on Christmas Day, 1968. Also featured on this episode are air-to-ground tapes of the astronauts' descriptions of the mission, as well as onboard photography of the Earth, Moon and intravehicular activity.
Reviewer:Christine Hennig -
August 21, 2006 Subject:
We Have TLI, LOI, TEI, and EIEIO!
This 1969 film documents the Apollo 8 mission, the first to orbit the moon. The story is well told, giving a fair amount of drama to the proceedings, and adding interesting little details, like the fact that the astronauts got to have turkey TV dinners for their Christmas meal, while the mission control staff ate burgers and chips at their desks. This mission would be overshadowed by Apollo 11, so itâs interesting to see it get its due as an amazing feat in itself.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.
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US is building a missile defense radar station at a secret site in Qatar, and organizing its biggest-ever minesweeping exercises in the Persian Gulf, Wall Street Journal quoted US officials as saying on Tuesday.
The report said that construction was due to be completed this month.
The radar site is part of a system designed to defend US interests and allies against Iran’s ballistic missiles, it said.
The minesweeping exercises, in September, will be the first such multilateral drills in the region, and are expected to be announced by U.S. officials.
The base in Qatar is slated to house an AN/TPY-2 radar, supplementing two similar arrays already in place in the Negev Desert and in central Turkey, the Journal said.
Together, the three radar sites form an arc that US officials say can detect missile launches from northern, western and southern Iran. The paper also said the Pentagon chose to place the new radar site in Qatar because it is home to the largest US military air base in the region, Al Udeid Air Base.
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New Hampshire’s bear hunters can take advantage of three seasons: stalking (“general”), dog season, and baiting season. Bears are found statewide, with the highest densities in central NH and the White Mountains. Hunters can buy a Bear License online or at any license agent—no lottery needed.
Bear Hunting Licensing Requirements
Adult hunters (age 16 and older) must have a valid Regular NH Hunting or Archery License, and a Bear License and valid tag to hunt black bear. Youth hunters (under 16 years of age) do not need a Regular NH Hunting, Combination or Archery License, but they do need a Bear License and valid tag.
Bear Hunting Regulations
Hunting Hours: ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset.
Successful hunters must notify a Conservation Officer within 12 hours of taking a bear by calling (603) 271-3361 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., and may be required to take a department employee to the kill site. Within 24 hours after time of kill, the hunter must exhibit the bear, with reproductive organs intact, to a conservation officer.
Black bear may only be taken by firearms larger than .22 rimfire, shotgun loaded with a single ball, muzzleloader not less than .40 cal., or bow and arrow of at least 40 lbs. draw weight.
Archers must have their name and address on arrows. Fixed blade broadheads cannot be less than ⅞ inches wide and not more than 1½ inches wide. Retractable blade broadheads are permitted (must be not less than ⅞ of an inch wide when open). Minimum draw weight for bear is 40 lbs.
To Bait Bear
A Permit to Bait Wildlife and map of the bait site must be filed with the local conservation officer before placing the bait. No person except a licensed NH Hunting Guide shall place bait for the purpose of attracting bear at more than 2 bait sites. No person except a licensed NH Hunting Guide shall have more than one bait site in WMUs A, B, D1, H1, H2, I2, K, L, and M. Baiting permit applications are available at regional offices. Baiting permit applications for state-managed lands and the White Mountain National Forest are accepted at regional offices April 1 through August 1. No bait may be placed between April 15 and August 31. See additional baiting regulations.
To Hunt Bear with Dogs
A free Take Bear With Dogs Permit is mandatory for anyone attempting to take bear with hounds. Nonresidents may hunt bear with dogs only if hunting bear with dogs by NH residents is allowed in their state of residency. New for 2010: Permits now available at Fish and Game in Concord, Regional Offices and through local Conservation Officers.
It is unlawful to:
- hunt bear with a .22 rimfire rifle, or a shotgun loaded with any ammunition other than a single ball;
- take more than one bear in a calendar year;
- buy, sell or offer for sale a bear or any part thereof, other than the head, hide or feet;
- possess a bear that hasn’t been properly tagged;
- possess a detached bear tag. Upon killing a bear, the tag shall be immediately filled out and attached to the bear;
- assist another in taking a bear after you have taken one, unless you are accompanying a minor.
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the reading on color theory was a good refresher for me, but i learned some interesting things too. i always need a review on the color harmonies, i didn't even know there was such a thing as a double complementary scheme. i also didn't know that sir isaac newton was the one that invented the color wheel! it was also interesting to look at the "elemental chill" cd cover. you get to see what a big difference changing one color can do, and i find that very useful for future work. it was very helpful to have the color chart with all of the different color associations and cultural links. since we are doing a poster on coexistence, i will definitely take those associations into consideration.
January 2010 Archives
this reading was all about using trompe l'oeil to make poster design more interesting and attention grabbing. with all of the technology and special effects that are used everyday in media, designers need to go above and beyond to make their designs noticeable. when people actually stop to look at a poster, that's when the designer has success.
i really want to learn how to be a less literal thinker. i need to learn more about being more creative and looking past the design to the message underneath.
something that inspires me is the work of Scott Hansen. The colors in all of his pieces is wonderful, and his use of typography in his poster design makes everything come together. I wish i could sit down with him and learn his process. All of his pieces are so good and all i want to do is learn how he made them!
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Mortgage deduction on the hot seat
Homeowners love the mortgage deduction. So do real-estate agents and homebuilders. But it costs the government billions in lost tax revenue and may be trimmed back to fix the fiscal-cliff problem.
But it is being talked about in the context of fixing the fiscal-cliff problem, and it is one that all homeowners with a mortgage probably should be watching. But a legitimate question is whether the mortgage deduction is morphing into a tax break only for the affluent. There will be a big, loud fight over the mortgage deduction because it has been one of the most cherished of all tax breaks.
Here's what makes it so popular:
If you buy a house with a $150,000 loan at 3.5% annual interest (the current rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage), you will pay $5,204 in interest. If you're in a 25% bracket and you itemize, your income tax bill drops by $1,301.
This assumes you can itemize deductions on your tax return. In 2012, for married couples filing jointly (which is most of us), your total deductions must exceed $11,900, so make the effort to list out charitable contributions, property taxes, state income taxes and the like. The IRS hasn't yet announced the standard deduction for 2013.
Here's why asking if the mortgage deduction is turning into a tax break simply for the affluent. Mortgage rates are down 43% from the 6% level that prevailed in 2007. That means the interest paid on a new mortgage is now much less.
So, let's say you're buying a house and want the mortgage interest to top the $11,900 threshold. That means you need a mortgage of around $350,000. That might not buy you much in New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area or Washington, D.C.
Nationally, however, the median price of an existing home in October was $178,600, according to the National Association of Realtors. The median price of a new home in October was $237,000, the Commerce Department reported on Wednesday.
In 2007, when mortgage rates were around 6%, the interest you would have paid on that $150,000 loan would have been $8,950. In 1982, when mortgage rates hit 15%, your interest in the first year would have been $22,500.
Fact is, as of 2010, only 25.8% actually claimed the mortgage deduction, deducting some $387 billion in the process, according to the Internal Revenue Service's Statistics of Income. That percentage is down from 28.8% in 2006, just before the housing bubble started to burst. And the number of taxpayers claiming the mortgage deduction fell by 10% in 2010 from a peak in 2007.
OK, the percentage who claimed the deduction in 2011 may be up a little, and it may rise again in 2012 as evidence mounts of a housing recovery. But lower interest rates are clearly limiting the value of the deduction in much of the country, especially for new homeowners.
If that's the case, why is the mortgage deduction defended so fiercely? The short answer is you have always been able to deduct the interest on your house under the IRS code. And, especially since World War II, one of the key selling points of homeownership has been the deduction.
Another has been the potential for capital appreciation. A third -- though less talked about -- is the fact that paying down a mortgage is a form of saving.
The deduction is in fact capped. You can only deduct up to $1 million in mortgage interest on one or more homes and up to $100,000 on the interest on a second mortgage.
The mortgage deduction has been used to promote homeownership, believed to be an important American value because it promotes economic and social stability.
It also gets a defense from Kevin Villani, former chief economist at Freddie Mac. Homeownership and the buildup of equity in the home have been important sources of seed financing for small business.
The case against the mortgage deduction is that it historically has favored one group of taxpayers -- homeowners -- over renters. The United States is the only industrialized nation that gives homeownership such tax treatment.
And critics, mostly from the right, say the mortgage deduction draws capital away from new factories and equipment and into the construction of big suburban houses.
An important question is whether junking the deduction would make much difference to homeownership rates.
Hard to say. BusinessWeek says it was 62.5% in the second quarter, after foreclosures and delinquencies are taken out. That's down from a peak of 68.3% in 2004 and 2005.
The decline has everything to do with the housing bust and falling prices.
The odds are that the deduction will survive in a world where itemized deductions are capped. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney proposed a $25,000 cap on all itemized deductions during the recent presidential campaign. The Obama administration is warm to the concept if not the amount.
Republicans want to discuss the idea as part of a broad tax-reform package. But no one has actually put much on paper. And that's scary to Kenneth Rosen, who teaches real-estate economics at the University of California, Berkeley.
The problem isn't reform. The problem is that the tax code is so huge and complex that quick changes cause more problems than they solve, he says.
Case in point: The 1982 tax reform package promoted by the Reagan administration. The law created so many tax breaks for commercial real estate that money poured into the sector. Within two years, the law had to be amended to cool the business off.
It really pisses me off to hear about how the IRS is "losing" revenue by my taking advantage of the mortgage deduction. This line of thought means that they're also "losing" revenue by not imposing a federal sales tax, or by not taxing the 50% of my health benefits my employer pays for, or by not taxing the air I breathe. How does our government have the balls to tell us they're "losing" revenue just because they're not squeezing us even harder than they already are? I just really hate this rational for why those of that can pay more, should. Give me a good argument, and I'll pony up a little more to help out my country and fellow citizens. But don't tell me about how you're "losing" money because I bought a house!
I've been intimately involved in the housing market since 1988 as a residential plat development consultant as well as a several time home owner. If anyone has a vested interest in the mortgage interest tax deduction it's me. Depsite that, I'm all for eliminating it.
This deduction does a number of things that I think need to be corrected:
1. Skews the housing market by encouraging over-investment in what has always been sold as an "investment" but that is really consumption. It's not much different than buying a car except that, for much of the time anyway, it doesn't depreciate like a car. Still, it's consumption. This over-investment contributed to the housing crash and, subsequently, the near complete collapse of the financial system. It also contributed to a misallocation of capital from real investment, i.e., production, to consumption. Finally, this all resulted in a massive mis-direction of skilled labor to the housing sector. Skills that should have been developed in production were mis-developed in an industry that may not need those skills in that volume for several years.
2. Involves the government and "the public" in rewarding one group of folks, home owners, over another group, renters. In my view it's none of my business how folks decide to accommodate their housing needs so it shouldn't be the federal government's business either.
3. Subsizes one group of taxpayers, home owners, who tend to be more affluent, at the expense of another group of taxpayers, renters, who tend to be less affluent.
Although in the short run elimination of this deduction will likely result in some downward pricing pressure in the long run it would benefit the overall economy by helping to reallocate wealth toward productive investment and treat housing as it should be treated, a personal lifestyle choice.
You can jack up corporate taxes all you want --- YOU WILL PAY IT. A corporation is a cost pass through entity for taxes, regulations, and any other government policy you want to implement. It is by nature a psychopathic enabler for collusion by government and economic forces to impose all sorts of costs on everyone.
IF YOU WANT TO STOP IT --- WITHDRAW CORPORATE LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR ALL "STAKE"HOLDERS.
You would be amazed at how many progressives and so called caring individuals will run from this. They are all in some manner, hopeless "STAKE"HOLDERS" prepared to look the other way while their favorite non-profit or PAC engages in mass externalization of costs on everyone including the very cause the entity purports to nurture.
Also if you havent noticed, there are discussions being floated to tax 401Ks,IRAs, transaction taxes on financial activity on a global basis.
Folks, there is 42-65 TRILLION $, depending on whos numbers you subscribe to, in unfunded liabiliies/entitlements ahead of us. The politicians are looking for anyplace they can loot the public wealth.
The so called middle class is being duped into believing thay are insulated from this not so subtle confiscation of YOUR hard earned assets.
do it incrementally over a period of time and maybe allow it for first time home buyers. Canada has no deduction, requires a 20% down payment,has a higher % of home ownershipn the U. S., and didnt suffer the meltdown we experienced.
Current artificialy low interests rates are building for another bust and liar loans are back.
The article says the possible tax deduction change is needed to address fiscal issues. The tax deduction didn't cause the current fiscal issues as it has been in place for years prior to the current fiscal issues so the deduction shouldn't be changed. Changes should only be made to situations which caused the current fiscal issues. Changing the tax deduction is just a way of covering up other problems and/or changing tax revenue streams to benefit others and/or hide bad policy decisions and/or to fund bail outs which nobody would have voted to approve. Getting more and more difficult to put any value in fiscal life planning when changes occur frequently which have huge impacts on fiscal life planning. Why bother planning...
A tax deduction change would have less of an impact if it only affected new buyers who were aware of the change going in to a purchase rather than affecting peoples current fiscal life plans.
We could easily get the money we need by stop spending outside of US for 1yr.
Having the ability to use a mortgage as a tax write off is a good one. This type of tax write off truly stimulates and encourages purchasing of a home in which has a huge impact on other buying of goods / services in our economy.
All of us should be asking our government officials why they are not looking first at their compensation and health package to reduce cost and so called spending. Talk about entitlement programs; start with the low life's in government that are killing this country.
Copyright © 2013 Microsoft. All rights reserved.
Quotes are real-time for NASDAQ, NYSE and AMEX. See delay times for other exchanges.
Fundamental company data and historical chart data provided by Thomson Reuters (click for restrictions). Real-time quotes provided by BATS Exchange. Real-time index quotes and delayed quotes supplied by Interactive Data Real-Time Services. Fund summary, fund performance and dividend data provided by Morningstar Inc. Analyst recommendations provided by Zacks Investment Research. StockScouter data provided by Verus Analytics. IPO data provided by Hoover's Inc. Index membership data provided by SIX Financial Information.
About half of all patient admissions come through emergency rooms, creating yet another spending problem.
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[BRIEFING.COM] The S&P 500 has returned to its intraday highs, but the index continues to trade with a loss of 0.5%.
Today's final volume total is likely to come in below average as some market participants leave early for the extended Memorial Day weekend. Through the first two hours of action, only 192 million shares have changed hands on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Little change has been observed in today's laggards while the lone outperforming group, ... More
More Market News
A collapse in the Japanese markets is weighing on U.S. stocks. Is it a buying opportunity? Or a warning sign?
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| 0.964586
| 2,748
| 1.648438
| 2
|
CLS, your first choice for the sustainable management of marine resources
The world is currently facing severe degradation of marine ecosystems and a continual reduction in the biomass. CLS offers a total solution, adaptable to all fishery policies, with the aim of preserving fish stocks and managing them in an economically sustainable manner. This solution consists of a modular and flexible software system providing access to a wide range of services based on the latest space technologies. This product is the result of twenty years of close collaboration with the government authorities responsible for the fishing industry. It is intended for use as part of a carefully planned, sustainable and responsible fisheries management programme. This decision aid tool brings together expertise, advice, technical solutions and services in four main areas:
- Administering a managed fishery programme
The first stage in implementing a sustainable marine resources management policy is the deployment of a satellite-based system for monitoring and managing fisheries, called a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). Fishing licences are issued to fi shermen on condition that they install and activate a satellite location beacon on board their vessel. The data transmitted by the beacon (location and fi shing report) is used to monitor fi shing activity from land. CLS has developed a range of equipment suited to both industrial and small-scale fi shing. In addition to monitoring applications, CLS also supplies a service to estimate catch effort on the basis of VMS data. This provides governments with statistics that are both dynamic and reliable.
Reference: 12 000 vessels in over 60 countries have installed CLS equipment.
- The fight against illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing
The use of VMS enables the identifi cation of licensed vessels carrying a transmitter. By superimposing VMS data on satellite radar images provided by CLS, it is possible to detect vessels fi shing illegally. CLS also offers a range of shore-based radar systems using operating principle, together with an Automatic Identifi cation System (AIS) solution for managing in-shore
CLS has also developed receiver systems enabling patrol vessels and reconnaissance aircraft to access VMS data transmitted by fi shing vessels directly. This solution, together with the oceanographic data used to defi ne patrol areas, increases the effectiveness of control operations at sea and reduces their cost.
Reference: French Ministry of Transport, Defence and Overseas Territories.
- Modelling marine ecosystems and implementing a fisheries management programme
In order to improve the defi nition of fi sheries management policies, CLS has developed of marine ecosystems models from the base of the food chain (plankton) to the population dynamics of exploited or protected species. These models simulate changes to the total ecosystem in response to climate change and fi shing pressures. They may also be used to analyse the impact of fi sheries management or specie conservation programmes (definition of protected marine areas, etc.). These decision aids assist fi shery managers in the preparation of appropriate seasonal or annual regulations, urgent conservation measures, and long-term fisheries management programmes.
Reference: Pacific Community Secretariat
- Assisting the development of local fisheries
In order to minimise the social impact of conservation measures implemented as part of a managed exploitation programme and to guarantee the future of the industry, CLS offers a range of oceanographic and meteorological charts for use by government authorities. This data, processed and checked by a group of sixty internationally recognised oceanographers and interpreted by a team of local experts, enables governments to assist fishermen as they set out from port (identifi cation of favourable fi shing areas, meteorological forecasts, etc.) with the aim of enabling them to fi sh more effi ciently while keeping within the regulations.
Reference: The Seychelles fi shing authorities
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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Many companies that have a series of branch offices or a staff that works remotely deploy what is known as a virtual private network or VPN. The primary purpose of a VPN is to allow business partners to communicate over a secure network from a remote location via IPsec or Internet Protocol Security. By using a VPN companies view this as one of the safest ways to link users together that are distributed across multiple locations.
Not only are VPNs used to communicate securely over a public network such as the Internet VPNs are also
Passwords are a method of security. Whether you want to protect your computer, network or your social account, password protection is necessary. Installing a password is not as simple as people think. There are millions of hackers having password cracking tools which can crack thousands of passwords within seconds. There are several tips on how to choose a strong password.
First of all, it is advised that you do not use passwords like
In a business world where it is necessary to implement multiple servers for a variety of different functions, it is very easy for a data center to become overwhelmed with server technology. When you deploy a server for each business function such as email, customer relationship management, asset management, ERP and more, it increases costs in terms of management and maintenance. It also leaves processing capabilities under-utilized with the server space that is leftover.
So, what are some of the benefits of switching to virtualization
Efficient IT management is all about being prepared for an emergency situation. It can be achieved by regularly updating your network management software and monitoring the network constantly to prevent dangerous attackers from accessing your network. For successful network management, network security is the most important step towards making your network resistant to attacks.
Improving your Network Vulnerability
A network security suite not only provides protection from internet attacks but also from
With competition growing at such a high pace, it is important for an organization to keep up with the market. Analyzing market trends has become essential in order to direct your business in the right direction. Making smart business decisions is the biggest factor in achieving success. A la carte IT Services offer outstanding solutions to help your business reach its maximum potential.
Many organizations have found that it is beneficial
Opening your mailbox only to find it filled with spammed mail can give you a real headache. It is a real nightmare to sort through your valuable mail when you have tens or hundreds of spam messages in the mix. Spam is an unsolicited email, usually used for commercial purposes such as advertisement of a product or a service.
There are several ways to get rid of these nuisances.
Using Internet Security or Anti-Spam Software
One of the best ways to stop spam is to
Cloud computing is a term used to define products and services delivered through the internet. Since its introduction this IT phenomenon has been growing and evolving towards the right way. Cloud computing has been defined by a leading technology researchers as “a style of computing where massively scalable IT-related capabilities are provided as a service using internet technologies to multiple external customers”. Also known as hosted services, the cloud computing services offering virtualized and web services, along with some other new technologies have turned managed IT systems upside down,
Most people only regard bandwidth and latency as the health of a network. They don’t realize the importance of security and loads on servers. Viruses and bugs decrease the quality of your network. High load on servers can lead to high response time or sometimes poor internet speed.
First thing you should analyze is
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A slim volume entitled "Lake Placid Figure Skating - A History" seeks to present just that. Author Christie Sausa, a skater herself who once wrote columns on the sport for this newspaper, clearly loves her subject.
Lake Placid jumped ahead of the curve in figure skating popularity thanks to the Lake Placid Club, and especially Godfrey Dewey. With the community being a pioneer for winter sports in America, locals may have found little surprise in the International Olympic Committee suggesting that Lake Placid host a Winter Olympics.
Dewey travelled the world to examine other winter sports venues. He sought to assure himself Lake Placid could meet the necessary standards. Then he came back to convince the community. Once the 1932 Games were officially awarded to the Adirondack village, he helped spearhead construction of facilities. Lake Placid actually became the first place in the United States to boast an all-year indoor skating arena.
Figure skating had no assurance of popularity in the Olympics. After its trial as a demonstration sport in the 1908 London Olympics, it didn't find its way back onto the agenda until 1920. Popularity grew from there, and Lake Placid found itself perfectly poised for a major leap (or should I call it a major toe loop?) in skating history.
Norwegian skater Sonja Henie won the Gold Medal for figure skating in 1932, her second of three such triumphs. But winning prizes only hints at what she did for the sport. Henie changed skating's fashion statement with her change from long skirts and clunky black boots to knee-length skirts and sleek white skates. Plus, she transformed straightforward skating routines into artistic affairs more reminiscent of dance
She also showed a flair for marketing. Once her competition days began winding down, she toured as an exhibition skater and began an acting career. Movies gave her entry to a public already fascinated by her image in sports pages and fashion magazines. Sonja Henie dolls and lines of jewelry further added to her business success.
World-class skating teachers began setting up shop in Lake Placid. Switzerland native Gus Lussi became a notable coach to both local wannabes and international stars. Such future champions as Dick Button, Tenley Albright, and Dorothy Hamill came to Lake Placid to hone skills and learn new techniques under his tutelage.
It's important to understand that local residents attended skating schools in large numbers, too. They undoubtedly benefited from meeting and watching international stars going through similar training. The Skating Club of Lake Placid held its own competitions and produced regular ice shows for the community.
By 1980, the idea of a community being informally urged to host the Olympics had become quaint. In fact, the quest for the 1980 Winter Games began in earnest over two decades earlier. Lake Placid had to suffer through its share of disappointment before finally being granted its second Olympics.
Ironically, whereas the 1932 Games helped imprint figure skating onto the American psyche, the 1980 event may have slowed its development. By then, downhill skiing had forced its way to the top of the Olympic marquis. On ice, speedskater Eric Heiden and the victorious American hockey team enticed fans away from the artistry and style of figure skating.
Lake Placid was to see a corresponding lull. Other figure skating centers had developed, so the need to come to the Adirondacks to further a career diminished. Growth of the Empire State Winter Games and a burgeoning interest in synchronized skating added energy to Lake Placid. But what Sausa termed the "Golden Years" were over.
Karen Courtland Kelly helped fuel a resurgence. Her progressive training strategies incorporated off-ice regimens like Pilates and trampoline into skaters' regimens. She attracted the likes of Tara Lapinski and Brian Orser here to skate with local participants in her ice shows. Scott Hamilton, who had trained here and participated in the 1980 Olympics, chose Lake Placid as the staging ground for his annual "Stars on Ice" program. This brought yet another generation of champion skaters to local exposure.
I do have some issues with the book. The author has a tendency toward listing names and events; this could limit the book's appeal beyond regional skating devotees. This would be a shame, as she's at her best when putting the local story into national or international context. Some additional editing would have been helpful. There's too much repetition. Furthermore, excessive adjective and adverb use sometimes makes the text a bit too effusive.
But the story lines are engaging and intriguing. One might express qualms at my ability to review a skating book. After all, until reading this, I thought a triple axel was something you found on an eighteen-wheeler plying the interstates. Now I understand Lake Placid's role in (I quote the author) "figure skating ... being born as not just a sport but also an art that could be appreciated by all." I'm anxiously anticipating the next Winter Olympics. First, I think I'll have Netflix send me some Sonja Henie movies.
This review reflects the individual view of the reviewer, not the views of the Adirondack Center for Writing or the Enterprise.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. The near deaths -- and miraculous saves -- of two athletes at the National Senior Games has focused attention on what cities do to protect people who gather in large numbers.
The city of Louisville and the organizers of the "senior Olympics" decided to pool public and private resources to be ready in case any of the 30,000 spectators or 12,000 athletes (who range from 50 to more than 100 years old) suffered a cardiac arrest.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading killer of Americans, but it is often reversible if treated immediately with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and a shock from an automated external defibrillator (AED). Some cities in the USA save four times as many cardiac-arrest patients as other cities, USA TODAY has found, by focusing on emergency response.
The lives saved in Louisville speak to a larger question about whether cities should require AEDs at large public gatherings.
So far at the games, which end July 7, two men had cardiac arrests. Louisville's response was tested.
Norman Meyer, 64, of Lancaster, Pa., watched his jump shot go through the hoop during a basketball competition Monday night, and then his heart stopped.
John Bates, 62, of Townsend, Tenn., was practicing with his wife for their doubles tennis match when his heart stopped.
Both received a rapid shock from a defibrillator and swift care from Louisville EMS medics who were standing by. Both are recovering at Norton Audubon Hospital.
"I'm lucky to be here," Meyer says. "If what happened (had) happened anyplace else, I probably wouldn't be alive today."
Adds Bates: "I hate to be the guy who tested the system, but I'm glad the system worked."
Bates' wife, Janice Sullivan, is glad the city helped her husband.
They met on a tennis court in Richmond, Va. When they were married in 1984, they and their entire wedding party donned 1920s tennis gear and held a Wimbledon-style reception. She is grateful she didn't lose him on a tennis court.
Others across the nation have watched family members die in crowded venues. Widows, mothers and others are pushing cities to require better preparedness.
Easy-to-use AEDs are increasingly common in places where large numbers of people gather, such as airports. They are also standard equipment at many gyms.
Some cities, such as Dallas, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Richmond, Va., require the extra layer of protection at large gatherings. But many do not require it.
"The city of Tucson expects organizers of large gatherings to arrange for necessary EMS coverage, not for the city to subsidize it," says Terry Valenzuela, medical director of the Tucson Fire Department.
Organizers of the senior games thought it made perfect sense to have AEDs on hand at all of the 13 venues across a 3-mile radius where athletes would compete.
"Safety and emergency medical services are one of the primary concerns," says Kate Killian, a spokeswoman for the games.
Louisville EMS adjusted schedules, postponed training and worked with hospitals to avoid emergency room diversions so that ambulances could remain available, says EMS director Neal Richmond.
Meeting the extra demand poses a challenge for big-city EMS agencies already struggling to get to daily emergencies quickly. "This system is working on the edge every day," Richmond says.
In California, Bobbi Cohen spreads the word about the need to protect people at large gatherings. Her husband, Stuart, 68, died on their daughter's wedding day. The Cohens were dancing at their daughter's reception Nov. 23, 2002, in La Jolla, Calif., when he said, "It doesn't get much better than this."
Moments later he had a cardiac arrest. Doctors who were attending the wedding reception at a local hotel, according to court records in a lawsuit she filed, performed CPR, but the hotel did not have an AED.
Though the city makes medical coverage recommendations for big events like the Super Bowl, they are not enforceable, says James Dunford, San Diego's EMS medical director. He says 43 lives have been saved over the past five years by San Diego's Project Heartbeat, which puts AEDs in public areas.
Bobbi Cohen wants San Diego to require sponsors of large gatherings to at least consider having AEDs. "The AED is such a lifesaver," she says. "It doesn't make sense that there are venues that are unwilling to have them on the premises."
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Empire is set around 44 BC. Julius Ceaser has just been murdered by the Senate. Before his death, Julius named Octavius as his future replacement. After he failed to protect Ceaser from the senate, Tyrannus, a gladiator turned bodyguard turned outlaw, was sworn to protect Octavius from those who would try to kill him so that they could rule.
10/10 (1 Vote cast)
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In Chile, mixed-breed dogs are called Kiltro, and these resilient animals are known to be survivors. Taking its name from these dogs, the Kiltro House was built under challenging conditions including a changing budget, design, and building permits, making it a true survivor in Latin America’s difficult building environment. Designed by Juan Pablo Corvalán and Gabriel Vergara from Supersudaka, the building stands within the long and narrow country’s central valley, and it was made from recyclable materials like aluminum, steel, glass, local stone and wood from naturally fallen trees.
The Kiltro House measures 340 square feet and is situated just a few minutes away from the city of Talca, south of the Chilean capital Santiago. Standing on concrete columns, the squared building looks out into the breathtaking Chilean mountains. Its wooden sloping roof welcomes the sun to the north side and it is closed on the opposite side to protect the building from extreme heat.
Its operable floor-to-ceiling windows open wide to allow for natural light and cross-ventilation. The materials chosen are either locally sourced or recyclable: Kiltro House has a recyclable steel structure, expanded polystyrene insulation, aluminum frames, and glass windows. The extensive wooden roof and decks are made from cypress wood from naturally fallen trees, and the access ramps are made from locally sourced stones.
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November 02, 2010
PASADENA, Calif. -- The project team that built and operates the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity has become the first NASA space mission to use cloud computing for daily mission operations.
Cloud computing is a way to gain fast flexibility in computing ability by ordering capacity on demand -- as if from the clouds -- and paying only for what is used. NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Project moved to this strategy last week for the software and data that the rovers' flight team uses to develop daily plans for rover activities. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., which manages the project, gained confidence in cloud computing from experience with other uses of the technology, including public participation sites about Mars exploration.
"This is a change to thinking about computer capacity and data storage as a commodity like electricity, or even the money in your bank account," said JPL's John Callas, rover project manager. "You don't keep all your money in your wallet. Instead you go to a nearby ATM and get cash when you need it. Your money is safe, and the bank can hold as much or as little of the money as you want. Data is the same way: You don't need to have it on you all the time. It can be safely stored elsewhere and you can get it anytime via an Internet connection.
"When we need more computing capacity, we don't need to install more servers if we can rent more capacity from the cloud for just the time we need it. This way we don't waste electricity and air conditioning with servers idling waiting to be used, and we don't have to worry about hardware maintenance and operating system obsolescence."
Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars in January 2004 for what were planned as three-month missions. Bonus, extended missions have continued for more than six years. Opportunity is currently active, requiring daily activity plans by a team of engineers at JPL, and scientists at many locations in North America and Europe. Spirit has been silent since March 2010 and is believed to be in a low-power hibernation mode for the Martian winter.
"The rover project is well suited for cloud computing," said Khawaja Shams, a JPL software engineer supporting the project. "It has a widespread user community acting collaboratively. Cloud enables us to deliver the data to each user from nearby locations for faster reaction time." Also, the unexpected longevity of the mission means the volume of data used has outgrown the systems originally planned for handling and sharing data, which makes the virtually limitless capacity of cloud computing attractive.
JPL collaborated with the cloud team of Amazon.com Inc., Seattle, to plan and implement the use of cloud computing in the Mars Exploration Rover Project's daily operations. JPL developed the rover project's activity-planning software, called Maestro.
"We have worked closely with multiple cloud vendors since 2007 to learn the best ways to gain the advantages of cloud computing," said Tomas Soderstrom, chief technology officer for the JPL Office of the Chief Information Officer. "To implement JPL CIO Jim Rinaldi's vision of renting instead of buying capacity, we pragmatically look past the hype about cloud computing to find the practical, cost-efficient real mission applications. The Mars Exploration Rover project's use of clouds is one example of this results-oriented partnership. More will follow."
In support of the federal Open Government Initiative, which increases public access to data collected by the federal government, JPL collaborated with the cloud team at Microsoft Corp., Redmond, Wash., to launch the "Be a Martian" website in November 2009. The site enables the public to participate as citizen scientists to improve Mars maps and take part in Mars research tasks. At this site -- http://beamartian.jpl.nasa.gov -- more than 54,000 people have signed up to be "Martian citizens" and analyze data.
For another early use of cloud computing, JPL worked with the cloud team at Google Inc., Mountain View, Calif. The Google cloud served a project in which JPL and computer science students at the University of California, San Diego, developed an educational application enabling fifth- and sixth-graders to tag labels onto images from Mars spacecraft.
In addition to establishing a private cloud and working with Amazon, Google and Microsoft, JPL has also collaborated with other vendors of public cloud computing. Soderstrom said, "We defined a 'cloud-oriented architecture' to use clouds as an extension of our own resources and to run the computing and storage where it is most appropriate for each application."
The extended missions of Spirit and Opportunity have provided a resource for testing innovations during an active space mission for possible use in future missions. New software uploads giving the rovers added autonomy have been one example, and cloud computing is another. JPL is currently building and testing NASA's next Mars rover, Curiosity, for launch in late 2011 in the Mars Science Laboratory mission. This rover will land on Mars in August 2012.
Shams said, "The experience we gain using cloud computing for planning Opportunity's activities may be valuable when Curiosity reaches Mars, too."
JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Exploration Rover Project and the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. For more information about these projects, see http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov and http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl .
Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
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Tue March 5, 2013
The Devil To Pay In Oates' 'Accursed' America
Originally published on Thu March 7, 2013 11:49 am
Some months ago, a fellow writer told me that Joyce Carol Oates was writing a vampire book. It turns out there is some truth in this seemingly far-fetched statement, just as there are grains of truth sprinkled throughout The Accursed, a sprawling tale of terrible events afflicting Princeton high society between 1905 and 1906. Oates began drafting the novel in 1984, when she first moved to this best-known of New Jersey college towns and became interested in its history. She put the project aside for many years but returned to it — and completed it — in 2012.
The resulting book is a grand literary pastiche in style and substance, its genre-bending plot pieced together from secret journal entries, newspaper accounts and firsthand recollections. The Accursed follows the story of a young bride, Annabel Slade, who disappears from her own wedding ceremony under mysterious circumstances: Some say she was abducted by a handsome newcomer to the town, others that she went with him willingly. Her brother, Josiah, wonders if there are even darker forces at work, and is determined to find Annabel and return her to the family fold.
Set within the grand houses of Princeton's most distinguished residents and against the storied backdrop of its eponymous university, Oates' novel is populated with fascinating characters, including specters, demons, jilted spouses, likable lunatics (such as the memorable Mrs. Adelaide McLean Burr), novelists and United States presidents (past and future). Oates' atmospheric prose beautifully captures the flavor of gothic fiction, an effect heightened by references to spiritualists like Madame Blavatsky and the darkly erotic Bog Kingdom, a Princetonian netherworld where proper Victorian social and sexual relations have all gone topsy-turvy. And yes, there is even a vampire to be found by readers willing to dig for him.
But don't let the vampire distract you from a more central character in The Accursed: M.W. van Dyck II of Eaglestone Manor, a historian so passionate about the "Crosswicks Curse" and its victims that he can't always distinguish the narrative forest from the trees. With van Dyck, Oates slips from pastiche to parody, for he is a cartoon of a historian, one drawn along bumbling, antiquarian lines. As a result, readers are treated to seemingly irrelevant plot detours and labyrinthine discussions of family trees, real estate transactions and arcane source materials. In one chapter, the dismayed historian cannot help enumerating all that he has had to leave out of his account. In another, van Dyck contemplates the work of the historian (which he sees as the recording, assembling and interpretation of facts), and laments its failure to help him understand what really happened in his hometown of Princeton back in 1905.
One of the reasons our fictional historian remains mystified is that he fails to appreciate what Oates and so many other writers before her have discovered: Vampires and other supernatural beings are useful monsters to think with. These otherworldly creatures illuminate the darkest corners of the human mind and spirit, put flesh and bones on our nightmares, and encourage us to explore issues of difference and deviance. Running like a black thread throughout the many stories in The Accursed are disturbing accounts of racial violence, class warfare, religious prejudice and misogyny. Oates' real monsters are not the rulers of the Bog Kingdom or even the mesmerizing Wallachian count (whom the reader cannot help but compare to Dracula), but the members of Princeton's beau monde, who preach from their pulpits and judge without compassion. The curse that afflicts the town did not begin with the abduction of a young bride on her wedding day, but with the secrets these monsters keep.
The Accursed is, in the end, neither a paranormal romance nor an easy read. With its many digressions and historical asides, it is not a page turner. And it's not a "vampire book" any more than Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a young-adult romance. In Oates' hands, this supernatural tale becomes a meditation on the perils of parochial thinking. It demands we think — with monsters — about our failure to face the darkest truths about ourselves and the choices we've made.
Deborah Harkness is the author of the best-selling A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night, the first two books of her supernatural All Souls trilogy. A professor of history at the University of Southern California, Harkness has published scholarly books on the history of magic and science.
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
And I'm Melissa Block. You could fill a Florida ceiling bookshelf with the work of Joyce Carol Oates. She's been publishing since the 1960s at a prolific pace, dozens and dozens of books. Her latest novel is "The Accursed," and reviewer Deborah Harkness says it deserves close attention.
DEBORAH HARKNESS, BYLINE: About a year ago I heard a rumor - Joyce Carol Oates is writing a vampire novel. Well, that was only partly true. What she did write is "The Accursed." It's a sprawling book and it's about some terrible things that happen in Princeton, New Jersey, in the early part of the last century. It starts when a young woman disappears from her own wedding. Everyone knows she left with a handsome stranger. But was she kidnapped or did she want to go with him?
This is a high society drama - grand houses, distinguished scholars, the storied university. There's even a vampire if you're willing to dig for him. But don't let him distract you. The central character of "The Accursed" is actually a historian named M.W. Vandyke II. He's a passionate narrator, but he's also a little cartoony. We follow him through plot detours and discussions while he tries to figure out what's happening in Princeton.
He can't see the bigger picture, but we can. The town is cursed but it's not the monsters. It's the upper classes of Princeton, the ones who preach and judge with no compassion. There's some disturbing racial violence in this book, class warfare, religious intolerance. It's a story about the hazards of being narrow-minded. In the end, this book is not a paranormal romance, it's not a page-turner and it's not an easy read.
But if you love stories that peel back the glittering facade of life among the one percent, if you love novels from the early 1900s, then "The Accursed" is probably for you.
BLOCK: "The Accursed" is the latest novel from Joyce Carol Oates. Our reviewer is Deborah Harkness, author of the novel "A Discovery Of Witches." And you can find other reviews and a lot more about books and authors at NPRBooks.org. For the latest updates, you can like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at NPRBooks. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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Sports, a microcosm of our society
Everybody loves a “feel good” story, especially this time of year.
Everybody wants to be a winner. Everybody wants their child to get good grades.
Literature is full of feel good stories, from fairy tales to great literature, Cinderella to the Prince and the Pauper. The king who lost his crown at birth, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, we are all familiar with those stories.
As a retired teacher of literature, I am familiar with most of those stories. However, those stories are fiction, but now we are trying to make those stories reality. Reality TV is not reality. It quits being reality when the camera starts rolling.
Sports has always been a source of feel good stories. At first they were real stories and they made such good stories and movies that now they are being manufactured for television from youth leagues to high school and college.
If everybody in the league gets a trophy, then the trophy is meaningless. If stats and records and wins and losses are not kept, then it is not a game. If there is no winner or loser, then everybody is a loser. Winning is the most important thing. Losing is the second most important thing because the loser was in the arena and competed and tried to win.
Learning from losses and failures and striving to try to prevent them in the future is as important as winning — and begets winners.
No-fail classes in high school are a sham. Giving out grades and diplomas is like giving out trophies. The grades and diplomas are meaningless. How many times does a person get to fail and how much are we willing to spend on those failures?
All tournaments should be double elimination or single elimination; two and a barbecue for the losers. I’ll buy a consolation bracket, but on your second loss you are gone.
Back in the day, tournaments were double elimination. The winners played on. The losers went back to school and practiced.
These tournaments that guarantee games with pool play or the same amount of games as the winners are bad for the losers. They just continue to lose and learn nothing and don’t improve anything. Instead of playing another loser, they should be practicing to get better.
Teams with losing records going to the playoffs in high school in any sport is a joke. Or make that a losing record in league. If a team plays a tough pre-league schedule and wins its league, then it is a winner. 0-10 teams should not get a chance to go 0-11.
Coaches will rationalize by saying that the playoff experience is good for student/athletes. Earning the right to go to the playoffs is good for student/athletes.
I will say that the whole setup in the San Diego Section is not equitable. The leagues are based on geography and in some cases demographics and not enrollment or strength in the sport. Having a Division IV team in the same league with Division I, II or III teams is foolish and unfair.
In college, allowing teams with six losses or in some cases seven losses to go to a bowl game is a farce. The only reason coaches are for it is it gives coaches two more weeks to practice for next year.
Many bowl games are money losers for the teams that go. Being bowl eligible just means that you were not one of the 30 teams that was not bowl eligible. It is setting the bar too low.
Notice that in most of the bowl games the director tries to minimize the shots of the crowd. Actually it is not a crowd. In many cases it is a mostly empty stadium. A bowl that guarantees the fifth place team from a conference a bid is a bowl for losers.
Instead of 70 teams going to bowl games, only 30 should go. If a sports junkie like me would rather watch a “Golden Girls” marathon than a bowl with two teams with a combined 12 losses, then something is wrong with the bowl (and probably me, too).
All men and all teams were not created equal. They should be treated equally in the eyes of the law. Everybody does not deserve a color television, a cell phone, and steak at every meal.
An institution that allows teams with seven losses to go to a bowl game and bans teams with no losses or winning records because of the sins committed by somebody else is a bad institution. The system is rewarding the losers and punishing the innocent.
I have seen a commercial run during several bowl games that states the USA is 17th in the world in math and science. I glanced at the countries above us and I know why their students test better than American students. We try to educate everybody. We try to educate even those who don’t want to be educated and don’t try to learn. Some of those students will be playing in bowl games on teams with six wins.
That doesn’t happen in China. In too many cases our public schools are providing child care, a warm place to stay, and two free meals and calling it an education. And some wonder why we can’t pass school bonds.
Feel good stories are only good if they are not fiction or are not reality. In sports, winners should be determined by the rules. Standings should count.
Those who don’t win don’t have to be losers but in too many cases we are giving the losers the same benefits as the winners. That makes them losers, not winners. Unfortunately sports is a microcosm of society.
- Timeout with Tambo: Sports, a microcosm of our society
- Timeout with Tambo: Listening to the geniuses in the sports stands
- Timeout with Tambo
- TimeOut with Tambo: Scoreboard doesn’t determine winners and losers
- Timeout with Tambo: Understanding politically correct sports interviews
Short URL: http://www.ramonasentinel.com/?p=20213
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You can learn more about the proposed Master Plan for the UConn Technology Park at an open meeting to be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6 at the Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building (Town Hall), located at the corner of Routes 195 and 275 (South Eagleville Road). The info session will be held in the council chambers.
If you are unable to attend in person, you will be able to watch the info session live at this link:
… and on Charter Cable Community Access Channel 13.
You also will be able to view the recorded session through Charter On Demand for at least 31 days following the meeting.
Charter also will rebroadcast the recorded session several times – check listings at http://www.mansfieldct.gov/channel13 .
The UConn Technology Park will be located on a roughly 300-acre site on a portion of university property known as North Campus, which is bordered by Route 44 on the north, Route 195 on the east, North Eagleville Road on the south and a long stretch of forest, wetlands and other landscape features to the west.
The General Assembly has allocated $170 million in state bonds to pay for the design and construction of an initial facility at the tech park, which will be called the Innovation Partnership Building.
The building will include roughly 125,000-square feet for specialized research equipment, flexible-use laboratories and business incubator space.
The plan is to gradually build out the park with other facilities depending on the types of business partnerships that develop and the market demand for research space.
The Innovation Partnership Building is projected to open in 2015.
One aspect of the project that will affect the local community is construction of a new access road that is expected to relieve UConn-related traffic congestion on Route 195. This part of the project is in the design and permit process.
Based on a feasibility study, UConn has projected the tech park will create between 1,000 and 1,300 new jobs, both directly and indirectly related to the facility, within its first 10 years.
Questions? Please contact Planning and Community Development Assistant Jessie L. Neborsky at the Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building at 860-429-3330 during office hours.
Posted December 5, 2012
Have a news item, event or Letter to the Editor you’d like posted on this news site? Simply send your information to email@example.com and include your town in the subject line of your email. Please also include a phone number where you can be reached if there are questions. For daily updates on local and Connecticut news, “like” us on Facebook at HTNP News. https://www.facebook.com/HTNPnews and find us on our NEW Twitter page at HTNP News (@HTNPNews )
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Compiled and edited by Charles J. Kappler. Washington : Government Printing Office, 1904.
|Chap. 307|| Indian convicts.
[28 Stat., 441.]
|Chap. 307|| No payments to State or Territory for keeping.
1885, Mar. 3, c. 341, S. 9, ante, p. 32.
Be it enacted, &c.
Territory of Arizona: The Attorney-General shall pay out of the appropriation for support of United States prisoners for the fiscal year eighteen hundred and ninety-five, such sums as may be found equitably due upon examination, to the Territory of Arizona for maintenance of Indian convicts in Territorial prisons heretofore convicted under the provisions of section nine of the Indian appropriation act, approved March third, eighteen hundred and eighty-five:
Provided, That hereafter no payment shall be made to any State or Territory for maintenance and keeping in prison of Indian convicts convicted in any State or Territorial court for violation of the provisions of said section nine of the said Act approved March third, eighteen hundred and eighty-five. * * * [August 23, 1894.]
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Across Oregon and the US, young people are working side-by-side with adult 4-H Wildlife Stewards during lunch breaks, after school and on weekends to transform small plots of land into wildlife Habitat Education Sites. These sites bring new wildlife to local communities. As the project develops, the whole community starts to get involved and the energy grows. Community leaders are excited. Parents and teachers feel rejuvenated.
The 4-H Wildlife Stewards is a Master Volunteer program. Volunteers fro the 4-H Wildlife Stewards program come from many different walks of life: some are parents, others are grandparents, some are high-school students working on service learning projects, others are college students; some are neighbors of the school such as retired foresters, teachers, or farmers; and other s are community members-at-large. All 4-H Wildlife Stewards have an interest in children's education and the environment.
4-H Wildlife Stewards are a distinctive and dedicated group of 4-H volunteers who are enthusiastic and have fun!!! A succesful volunteer has as much fun as the children (and usually learns more).
Here are resources to get you started as a 4-H Wildlife Steward Volunteer
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Providing Insights that Contribute to Better Health Policy
Insurance Coverage & Costs Costs The Uninsured Private Coverage Employer Sponsored Individual Public Coverage Medicare Medicaid and SCHIP Access to Care Quality & Care Delivery Health Care Markets Issue Briefs Data Bulletins Research Briefs Policy Analyses Community Reports Journal Articles Other Publications Surveys Site Visits Design and Methods Data Files
Treading Water: Americans' Access to Needed Medical Care, 1997-2001
Tracking Report No. 1
espite unprecedented economic growth, low unemployment and fewer uninsured people, Americans ability to get needed medical care failed to improve significantly between 1997 and 2001, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Changes (HSC) Community Tracking Study Household Survey. While most people get the care they believe they need, about one in seven Americans reported some difficulty obtaining needed care in 2001—about the same as in 1997. At the same time, health system-related problems—such as the ability to get timely appointments—increased, suggesting possible health system capacity constraints are emerging. On a brighter note, childrens ability to get needed care improved.
Trends in Americans Ability to Get Care
hile the majority of Americans believe they get the medical care they need, millions do not. In 2001, almost 16 million people in the United States reported they were unable to get needed medical care. Another 26 million people delayed needed care in the previous 12 months. Altogether, more than 15 percent of Americans, or about 41 million people, reported not getting or delaying needed care in 2001 (see Data Sources).
Despite a strong economy, fewer uninsured people and record low unemployment, overall rates of unmet need and delayed caretwo important measures of access to carefailed to improve between 1997 and 2001 (see Figure 1 and Table 1). In fact, the frequency of unmet medical needs in the U.S. population, defined as the inability to get needed medical care at some point in the previous year, increased slightly, from 5.2 percent in 1997 to 5.8 percent in 2001. Reports of delayed care held steady between 1997 and 2001.
The lack of improvement in access to care during one of the most prosperous times in American history is not encouraging. Instead, Americans increasingly appear to be facing problems with aspects of health care not directly related to general economic trends. These include getting timely physician and clinic appointments, having medical providers accept their health insurance and getting their health insurer to pay for services. A weak economy could intensify problems with access to care by increasing unemployment and the number of people who are uninsured.
Insured vs. Uninsured: The Gap Persists
etting needed medical care continues to be a bigger problem for people without health insurance coverage. Trends are roughly similar for insured and uninsured people, so that the long-standing disparities in access hardly changed between 1997 and 2001. For example, 4.4 percent of insured people reported an unmet need in 2001, up from 3.9 percent in 1997. Likewise, 15 percent of uninsured people reported an unmet need in 2001, up from 13.5 percent in 1997.
Uninsured Americans in 2001, compared to 1997, were still about three times as likely not to get needed care as insured people. And, uninsured people in 2001 remained almost twice as likely to delay needed care as insured people15.7 percent vs. 8.6 percent.
Low-Income People Face More Problems Getting Care
oth low-income and high-income people experienced little or no increase in unmet need between 1997 and 2001. Despite small fluctuations, disparities in access to care by income remained about as high in 2001 as in 1997. And, low-income, uninsured people, whose incomes were below 200 percent of poverty, or about $35,000 a year for a family of four in 2001, continued to have the most trouble getting needed care, with 16.4 percent reporting an unmet need in 2001, which was not statistically different from 1997 (see Table 2).
Low-income people remained almost twice as likely to report an unmet need in 2001 as higher-income people8.1 percent vs. 4.7 percent. Interestingly, the rate of unmet need for higher-income people increased from 3.9 percent in 1997 to 4.7 percent in 2001, a statistically significant change. The rate of unmet need also increased for low-income people, from 7.5 percent in 1997 to 8.1 percent in 2001, although this increase was not statistically significant. Overall, rates of delayed care did not differ substantially by income.
Health Status Matters
eople who reported fair or poor health remained almost three times as likely not to get needed care as people who reported their health was good or excellent13 percent vs. 4.6 percent in 2001. Disparities in delayed care were not as great, but people with health problems were still more likely to delay care than healthier people, and these disparities remained fairly constant between 1997 and 2001. Greater difficulty getting medical care among people with health problems reflects in large part their greater need for care and, thus, more opportunities to experience problems with the health care system.
Uninsured people in poor or fair health continued to have the most trouble getting needed care, with 26.8 percent reporting an unmet need in 2001, down slightly from 27.7 percent in 1997, but the change was not statistically significant.
Cost Remains Top Barrier to Care
ost remained the most frequently cited barrier to getting needed care (see Table 3), and trends were virtually flat from 1997 to 2001. Among people with an unmet need or who delayed care, about 62 percent in both 1997 and 2001 reported difficulty getting care because of worries about cost. Not surprisingly, cost was overwhelmingly the main barrier to care for the uninsured: 93.1 percent of the uninsured cited cost as the reason for difficulty getting care in 2001, almost unchanged from 1997. Nevertheless, more than half of people with insurance also cited cost as a barrier.
Different Problems Emerging
hile trends in overall access changed little, there were greater changes in the types of problems people experienced with the health care system. Specifically, more people reported systemrelated problems and health insurancerelated barriers.
More than half of people who had problems getting care cited health system-related barriers as a reasonup from 45.2 percent in 1997 to 53.8 percent in 2001. Specifically, people reported more problems getting appointments, getting through on the telephone to medical providers and getting to a doctors office or clinic when it was open (see Table 4). Similar trends were found for both insured and uninsured people, with 62.4 percent of insured people citing system problems in 2001, up from 54 percent in 1997, and 28.5 percent of the uninsured citing system problems in 2001, up from 22 percent in 1997.
Other survey data appear to confirm that more people are having problems scheduling appointments. The percentage of people who waited more than three weeks for an appointment for a checkup or general examination increased from 24.4 percent in 1997 to 27.4 percent in 2001 (see Figure 2).Waiting times also increased for people scheduling appointments for a specific illness or injury, with the percentage of people waiting more than a week for such visits increasing from 22.2 percent in 1997 to 28 percent in 2001.
Longer waiting times for appointments suggest growing physician capacity constraints, and some experts are predicting physician shortages.1 And, the prospect of crowded hospital emergency departments also might discourage people with nonurgent problems from seeking care there and increase the demand on office-based physicians.2
Insurance Troubles Increase
or insured people, the percentage reporting problems with their insurance increased from 28.5 percent in 1997 to 33.4 percent in 2001. In particular, more people reported their health plan would not pay for a service and their medical providers would not accept their insurance.
Increases in health plan-related problems may be related in part to growing instability in some health plan provider networks. Increasingly, some hospitals and physicians are testing greater bargaining clout with health plans, with some providers dropping out of health plan networks if they are unable to secure more favorable contracts.3, 4 This increased network instability could help to explain the increase in the percentage of people reporting problems getting care because their provider would not accept their insurance.
It is less clear why more people are reporting difficulty getting care because their plan refused to pay for the serviceespecially since plans restrictions on enrollee access to providers and services appear to have eased somewhat in recent years. However, there have been reports of health plans excessively delaying provider payments, which could result in some providers refusing services to patients who have delinquent accounts because of insurer delays.
Another factor that might contribute to consumers perception of more health plan-related barriers could be the continuing shift of insured workers from traditional indemnity insurance plans to some form of managed care. In 1996, 27 percent of workers were enrolled in indemnity plans, but by 2001, only 7 percent had indemnity coverage.5 For example, people moving from indemnity insurance into some form of managed care, even less restrictive preferred provider organizations, might have to choose between an in-network or out-of-network provider for the first time.
Childrens Access to Care
ncreasingly, policy makers have focused on childrens health in recent years. Most notably in 1997, Congress passed the State Childrens Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which may account for the decrease in the rate of uninsured children under age 18, from 12.1 percent in 1997 to 9.2 percent in 2001, according to the Community Tracking Study Household Survey. Generally, SCHIP allows states to expand coverage to children in families whose income is too high for Medicaid but too low to afford private insurance.
Contrary to the findings for the general population, childrens ability to get care improved. The percentage of children reporting any difficulty getting care decreased from 6.3 percent in 1997 to 5.1 percent in 2001 (see Table 5). Problems with unmet need and delayed care both decreased, although the decrease in unmet need among children was not statistically significant.
The ability to get care improved by about the same amount for both low-income and higher-income children, although changes for both groups were not statistically significant due to smaller samples. While SCHIP and other programs for low-income children may be contributing to these positive trends, the improvement in access to care among children does not appear to be limited just to low-income children.
Despite significant increases in access, almost 2 million children could not get needed care in 2001, while another 1.7 million children, or 2.4 percent, delayed needed care. As with the general population, uninsured and low-income children and children with health problems faced more difficulty getting care.
Rough Waters Ahead
ince 2001, the US economy has weakened considerably, and unemployment has risen. If these economic trends continue, the number of uninsured is likely to rise, along with the number of Americans who face financial barriers to care. State budget shortfalls and other financial pressures on the health care safety net, along with a decrease in the proportion of physicians providing charity care,6 could lead to further deterioration in access to care for uninsured people.
And, problems are emerging that could affect peoples ability to get care, including rising health care costs that may prompt some employers either to drop health benefits or pass on more costs to workers, a severe nursing shortage, an undersupply of physicians in certain areas, providers dropping out of health plan networks and emergency department crowding.
Policy makers are discussing options to increase access to care. Insurance coverage expansions through tax credits or public coverage or extending coverage to families of unemployed persons could help offset losses in coverage because of the weak economy. In addition, expansions of federally supported community health centers could increase the availability of free or low-cost care for uninsured people even as market pressures reduce their access to private health care providers.
his Tracking Report presents findings from the HSC Community Tracking Study Household Survey, a nationally representative telephone survey of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population conducted in 1996-97, 1998-99 and 2000-01. Each of the surveys was conducted over a roughly 12-month period that overlapped two calendar years (e.g., from September 2000 to September 2001). For ease of presentation and discussion, we refer only to a single calendar year for each of the surveys (1997, 1999 and 2001), although the results also reflect the latter part of the preceding year for each of the surveys. Data were supplemented by in-person interviews of households without telephones to ensure proper representation. Each round of the survey contains information on about 60,000 people, and response rates ranged from 60 percent to 65 percent.7
Estimates of unmet need and delayed care were based on the following two questions: (1) During the past 12 months, was there any time when you didnt get the medical care you needed? and (2) Was there any time during the past 12 months when you put off or postponed getting medical care that you thought you needed? For those reporting either unmet needs or delayed care, follow-up questions were asked to determine why. Responses included worry about cost, problems with health insurance, problems with availability of medical providers and personal reasons such as lack of time or procrastination. This Tracking Report includes only responses where at least one of the reasons had something to do with the health care system, and responses related only to personal reasons were not considered as unmet need or delayed care.
Insurance status reflects coverage on the day of the interview and includes coverage obtained through employer-sponsored private insurance, individually purchased private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, other state programs, CHAMPUS and the Indian Health Service.
TRACKING REPORTS are published by the Center for Studying Health System
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The blade's distinctive forward drop is intended to act as a weight on the end of the blade and make the Kukri fall on the target faster and with more power. Although a popular legend states that a Gurkha "never sheathes his blade without first drawing blood", the Kukri is most commonly employed as a multi-use utility tool rather like a machete. The Kukri also has a religious significance in the Nepali form of the Hindu religion. During the annual Dashain festival Kukris are ceremonially blessed.
An attacking weapon, the Kukri is effective both as a chopping or slashing weapon. In combat, it is basically used in three different styles: stabbing with the point, slashing or chopping with the edge, and (rarely) throwing. Because it has an angular blade bending towards the opponent, the user need not create an angle in the wrist, which makes a Kukri more comfortable as a stabbing weapon than other straight-bladed knives. Its heavy blade enables the user to inflict deep wounds and to cut through muscle and bone. Gurkhas were known for using the Kukri to chop off an enemy soldier's head with one stroke.
While most famed from use in the military, the Kukri is most commonly used as a woodcutting and general purpose tool, and is a very common agricultural and household implement in Nepal. Its use has varied from building, clearing, chopping firewood, and digging to cutting meat and vegetables, skinning animals, and opening tins. -- Wikipedia.
Lone Nepali Gorkha who subdued 40 train robbers.
Gorkha soldiers have long been known the world over for their valor and these khukuri-wielding warriors winning the British many a battle have become folklore.
A retired Indian Gorkha soldier recently revisited those glory days when he thwarted 40 robbers, killing three of them and injuring eight others, with his khukuri during a train journey. He is in line to receive three gallantry awards from the Indian government.
A Gurkha officer of the Gurkha Contingent, Singapore Police Force patrols around Raffles City during the 117th IOC Session. He wears the distinctively tilted Hat Terrai Gurkha, and the kukri can be seen affixed to the back of his belt.
And here's a recent story from Afghanistan: "As a Gurkha is disciplined for beheading a Taliban: Thank God they are on our side!"
(A tip of the boonie hat to Stan for the link.)
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'Innovation Will Lead the Way Out of Economic Doldrums'
The global aviation industry must
rely on technological advances to address three of its most
pressing challenges -- the worldwide economy, the environment and
global air transportation system modernization, so says former FAA
Administrator and current AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey,
speaking to an audience at the Royal Aeronautical Society's
Lindbergh Lecture, last Tuesday.
The industry should 'tap into the innovative strength shown by
early pioneers to address the trials we face today and will face
tomorrow,' Blakey said.
"When you mix the spirit of challenge with the spirit of
innovation, you get the Spirit of St. Louis," Blakey said. "That
same formula has worked over the years, and it will work
Blakey delivered the 18th installment of the prestigious lecture
series, which dates back to 1990 and was previously known as the
Guinness Peat Aviation Lectures. The series, which honors Charles
Lindbergh and his first-ever transatlantic flight, showcases
luminaries from the international aviation community addressing
important issues of the day.
Aviation has been an economic
workhorse that helped lead world economies out of lean times in the
past, Blakey said. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, the
U.S. aviation industry actually grew as manufacturers rolled out
the first practical passenger aircraft that allowed airlines to
turn profits. Military aircraft also made great strides during this
"Technological innovations drove this strong economic
performance back then, and they do the same today," Blakey said.
"This is a fact governments all over the world should keep in mind
when coming up with plans to get their economies back on their
The lecture also detailed aviation manufacturers' strong record
of environmental improvement, and the entire international aviation
industry's commitment to make further environmental gains. Another
point was the importance of the development and implementation of
air transportation systems based on Automatic Dependant
Surveillance-Broadcast technology. In the U.S. the technology is
the backbone of the NextGen system, and in Europe it is the key to
SESAR's success. Blakey said these two systems must be seamlessly
interoperable to set the standard for the rest of the world.
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Chef explains why 'cooking matters'
March 3, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Some local residents are getting the opportunity to brush up on their cooking skills with hands-on help from a professional chef -- and it's all for free.
The program starts with hard facts about food safety, budgeting and nutrition. At Winfield Moody - Near North Health Center, participants can take a six-week course called Cooking Matters to learn how to make healthy choices and cook healthy foods.
"I have a very small selection of how I cook my vegetables and I want to expand that," Latrice Wilson, participant, said.
"I am taking this class because of my mom. My mom is diabetic and also she has high cholesterol, just health issue and that's why I came here," Tania Razmgar, participant, said.
Most of those who enroll are low-income patients who receive their health services there.
"Through the class, what we are trying to do is link the recommendations that patients are listening from their doctors or in the media with real life experience," Gloris Synos Taylor, nutritionist, said.
As part of the real life experience, the class offers hands-on help from a gourmet chef. Chef Michael Anthony Harris, a private chef with Arch Angel Chef Services, teaches how to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into the family diet -- even when you're on a tight budget or are working around health challenges.
"A lot of time they get money once a month and to show them how much they can save by just changing what they do or changing their technique because in most cases food isn't bad, it's the technique you use to prepare it," Chef Harris said. "Even our cake recipes, our muffin recipes, we cut the sugar or we use healthy sugar."
Chef Harris has volunteered with the program for four years. He says giving back to his community is its own reward.
"I've done the hard work going to college as a chef and work my way up and just to give somebody that for free to actually help their lives and help their families, it's a blessing to me," Chef Harris said.
Cooking Matters is a partnership with Share Our Strength and the Con Agra Foundation. The goal is to use volunteers in the community to increase health literacy among people who are at the greatest risk of hunger. There are also classes for teens and children. Learn more about the program at nearnorthhealth.org.
local, ron magers
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- Concealed carry bill passes Illinois House
- Photos: Skagit River Bridge Collapse on I-5
- Bears to retire Mike Ditka number
- abcnews: McDonald's CEO Scolded By 9-Year-Old
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Giving back deepens our appreciation and understanding of the delicate balance between historic Africa and modern Africa. We participate in local sustainable projects as an expression of gratitude to our host country, to balance the impact of tourism on the local economy, as well as create a feeling of good will between our guests and the individuals we interact with during our stay in Africa."—Jody Cole, Owner/Guide
Wild Rainbow African Safaris is committed to offering the opportunity for our guests to explore and experience Africa up close and personal. To accomplish this, we always include some way for our guests to "give back" during their trip.
HERE ARE OUR CURRENT FAVORITE PROJECTS
We support them in many ways: through visiting them on our safaris, by cash or in-kind donations, and/or hands on participation.
- >SAVE THE ELEPHANTS
- >DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST
- >CHEETAH CONSERVATION FUND
- >WILDLIFE CONSERVATION NETWORK
- >END ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
>VARIOUS LOCAL SCHOOLS AND ORPHANAGES
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An organization is only as good as the strength and health of its workers.
The work place today has become more stressful and competitive. Employees are expected to multi-task, excel and exceed expectations. A healthier work environment is paramount for productivity as well as fewer absences. Stronger, happier employees also mean a more focused and reliable organization.
With many decades of practical experience, Natasha delivers a wealth of experience, knowledge, and first-hand expertise into the connection between food choices and health. Her workshops are dynamic, informed and inspiring. Focusing on fresh, whole unprocessed foods, Natasha shares practical advice on preparing quick and simple dishes that are both nutritious and delicious; and a wealth of experience on how best to incorporate smart food choices for optimal health.
Duration: 1 hour
Participants: Minimum 20 pre-registered people
Seminar: Natasha will share some of the keys to healthy eating, including some simple steps to transition to a healthier lifestyle.
Food-Prep Demonstration: Step-by-step directions for preparing delicious, nutritious and healthy meals.
Discussion: Ongoing open dialogue about the health benefits of fresh, whole foods; detoxification; healthy weight loss; balanced eating practices; and optimal health through conscious eating choices.
Option 1: Seminar & Discussion
SimplyRaw will conduct a 1-hour seminar on healthy eating, engaging discussion, and a simple food-prep demonstration (with samples).
Option 2: Food Prep Demo, Discussion & Lunch
SimplyRaw will conduct a 1-hour workshop with a food-prep demonstration, ongoing discussion, and a light raw, gluten-free lunch.
A TEDxOttawa speaker, Natasha has extensive experience presenting professional corporate seminars including The Bank of Canada, Statistic Canada, Health Canada, The Bruyere Hospital, as well as The Ottawa Public Library. She is a recurring featured presenter at various health shows such as The Women’s Show, The Green Expo, Eco Stewardship Fair, The Folk Festival, Project Ecosphere, The SimplyRaw Festival, The Vegetarian Fair, among many other events. Natasha also teaches What’s For Lunch workshops at Loblaws, and is a regular guest on various tv shows. See media.
Reserve your SimplyRaw seminar today:
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Here's an interesting excerpt from the IWBA , International Wound Ballistics Assoc.
THE IWBA, Where the Wound Ballistics Facts Are
Gus Cotey, Jr.
Firearms users today have more access to technical data than ever before. Sophisticated trajectory and down range velocity tables, ballistic software, bullet velocity measuring chronographs, highly detailed ammunition hand loading data, and even millisecond accurate fast-draw timers are within the realm of acquisition by shooters of average means. The study of firearms has truly entered the information age. Unfortunately, not all of the information available about the effects of firearms is valid.
Wound ballistics, the scientific study of the behavior of projectiles in the living tissues of animals and humans, has been plagued by more than its share of misinformation during the last several decades. Wound ballistics misinformation has had numerous deleterious effects upon society including oppressive and counterproductive firearms legislation, decreased law enforcement effectiveness, and even the improper treatment of gunshot injuries.
Sources of erroneous wound ballistics information are wide and varied, and unfortunately, often prestigious. Much misinformation has been promulgated by government testing facilities, notables in the medical field, police administrators, politicians, ammunition manufacturers, and various gunwriters. What is needed to clear the air and, ultimately, the literature of wound ballistics misinformation is a non-partisan organization solely devoted to the critical, scientific study of all aspects wound ballistics. Such an organization has arrived. It's called the International Wound Ballistics Association (IWBA).
The IWBA's journal, Wound Ballistics Review, is a splendid publication that boasts no peers in providing readers with the finest and most accurate wound ballistics information available. The focus of the articles contained therein is varied and includes such topics as defensive handgun ammunition selection, bullet testing protocols, the dynamics of projectile/tissue interaction, forensic investigation, analysis of historical events (e.g.,the JFK assassination), and wound ballistics literature reviews.
Before further discussing the IWBA, let's look at some common wound ballistics myths that have become reinforced by repeated citation in books, movies, newscasts, and even by members of the shooting community (including somegun writers).
MYTH #1: Human assailants and large animals are knocked down by the force of bullet impact when certain calibers featuring heavy, large diameter bullets are employed.
FACT #1: This is the classical and most enduring ballistic myth. Observers often mistake a started reaction or a sudden involuntary spasm for a target animal being pushed back. However, a firearm's projectile cannot give its target a greater push than the shooter receives from the weapon's recoil (assuming that the gun has no propellant gas redirecting, recoil reducing features as in the case of recoilless rifles, etc.). Assuming that a bullet does not exit the target and that the target is stationary and suspended from a long cord, the speed a bullet imparts upon the target can be calculated by the formula: mv = (m + M)V, where: m = bullet mass, M = target mass, v = bullet impact velocity, V = the velocity of the target with bullet embedded in it. For practical purposes, we can use the weights of the bullet and target in place of mass, so long as both are expressed in the same units, in this case pounds. To convert a weight in grains to pounds, divide by 7000.
A 1-ounce (437.5 grain or .0625 pound) 12 gauge shotgun slug at 1500 feet per second (f/s) could only make a 180-pound target move at .52 f/s. Considering that an average man walks at about 6 f/s, one can see that where small arms employed against humans and large animals are concerned, "knockdown" is a non-existent event. Plugging in the bullet weight and velocity figures of typical service pistol loads into the equation makes this whole"knock down" business seem even more absurd.
MYTH #2: Bullets from modern assault rifles and their semiautomatic civilian look-alikes are vastly faster and more powerful than bullets from other small arms, and capable of heretofore unheard of horrendously extensive wounding effects.
FACT #2: This modern-day urban myth is patently false. Assault rifle ammunition by definition has a power level that is in between that of pistol ammunitionand full power battle rifle ammunition (e.g., .30/06, 7.62x51 NATO). Furthermore, military issue ammunition for these guns is of full metal jacket configuration. Such bullets are generally less disruptive than expanding sporting bullets.
Russian and Chinese 7.62x39 Ball ammunition for the AK-47 features full jacketed steel-cored, pointed boat-tail bullets that generally exhibit no deformation and minimal yaw for about 10 inches of soft tissue penetration, after which significant yaw generally commences. These bullets frequently are able to penetrate the torso with no more tissue disruption than low speed non-deforming .30 to .32 caliber pistol bullets. When loaded with expanding hunting bullets, the 7.62x39 round is considered only marginally adequate for deer at short to medium ranges, and is somewhat less powerful than the popular .30-30 Winchester which was developed in the 1890's.
The 55 grain full jacketed, lead alloy cored M193 bullet loaded in the 5.56x45 (.223 Remington) Ball cartridges used in the M-16 in Vietnam is generally more disruptive at close range than the Russian AK-47 bullet because it yaws after an average of only 4 inches and fragments. However, this bullet may penetrate over 7.5 inches before any significant yaw and fragmentation takes place. When traveling through soft tissue point forward, the full jacketed M-16 bullet exhibits about the same tissue disruption as a low velocity, non-deforming .22 rimfire bullet. With expanding sporting bullets, the .223 is not considered an adequate general purpose deer cartridge and most game departments forbid its use on deer on the grounds that it is not disruptive enough for consistent results. For sporting use when loaded with expanding bullets, the .223 is viewed primarily as a good "varmint"round for pest animals up to the size of coyotes. However, there are several other common non-military .22 caliber centerfire pest cartridges such as the .22-250 and .220 Swift whose performances greatly exceed that of the .223.
MYTH #3: Bullet wounds are so excruciatingly painful that most assailants are put out of action by this sensation alone.
FACT #3: Most people who have survived being shot report little if any pain upon receiving their wounds. In fact many gunshot victims don't even realize they've been wounded until they actually see their injuries.
MYTH #4: Human assailants are inherently more fragile and require less damage to become incapacitated than game animals of similar size.
FACT #4: Some human gunshot victims are easily put out of commission by minor wounds due to their being timid or having preconceived notions of how to behave when shot. However, a determined human adversary is inherently no easier to incapacitate by gunfire than a jaguar, wild boar, cougar, black bear, or other game animal in the same weight class.
The various tissues of humans and the analogous tissues of other similar sized mammals are virtually identical with respect penetrating projectile interaction. For example, a bullet that will penetrate 12 inches of hog muscle would penetrate a virtually identical amount of human muscle.
For both game animals and humans, the only proven physiological mechanisms for incapacitation from gunshot wounds are: (A) blood loss from the bullet hole(s) depriving the brain of oxygen, and (B) disruption of brain or upper spinal cord. Incapacitation from central nervous system disruption tends to be nearly instantaneous, while incapacitation resulting solely from blood loss tends to be more or less gradual. A man shot in the heart may engage in voluntary activity for over 10 seconds. This really should not be surprising in view of the fact that deer, bear, and other large game frequently run more than 50 yards after their hearts have been disrupted by gunfire.
MYTH #5: It should only take 1 or 2 shots in a vital area with any seriously powerful firearm loaded with modern ammunition to suddenly incapacitate an armed adversary. Any more shots fired is evidence of excessive use of force.
FACT #5: To anyone who understands FACTS #1, #3, and #4 it should be obvious that no firearm can be always counted upon to stop a determined human adversary with only 1 or 2 shots, however well placed. There are documented cases on record of people who withstood several 12 Gauge 00 Buckshot loads and other cases where people withstood more than 25 pistol shots before collapsing. There are even cases where people failed to immediately fall after receiving penetrating brain injuries from bullets and other missiles.
Those searching for a succinct and practical justification for personal defense firearms with rapid fire capabilities and high magazine capacities, or for the use of handgun ammunition featuring state of the art expanding bullets have one with FACT #5 (with FACTS #1, #3, and #4 adding further clarification).
The wound ballistics myths just discussed represent the tip of the iceberg insofar as the misinformation associated with this deadly serious topic is concerned. Typical gun periodicals often contain informative articles intermingled with technically inaccurate ones. Also, many gun writers are merely sales reps for bullet/ammunition makers and their seemingly objective articles are nothing more than advertisements masked as technical evaluations. Misinformation is unfortunately also quite common in the medical literature, as the virus of political correctness erodes the integrity of once scientifically sound professional journals. Needless to say, the general news media are, to put it too kindly, less than reliable when it come to discussing theeffects of firearms.
As stated before, The IWBA's journal, Wound Ballistics Review is the premier periodical on its namesake topic. Articles submitted to Wound Ballistics Review undergo strict peer review prior to publication to insure that what is contained therein is valid and in accordance to physical laws. For performing this peer review, IWBA has at its disposal surgeons, forensic pathologists, criminalists, weapons consultants, and even an honest-to-goodness rocket scientist. This peer review process is what the editorial staffs of all technical publications of consequence should do, but often neglect to do, with manuscripts submitted to them.
Who can benefit from reading Wound Ballistics Review? Well, for starters how about: defensively armed citizens, police officers, police administrators, historians, lawmakers, defense attorneys, prosecuting attorneys, judges, gun buffs, surgeons, forensic pathologists, weapons designers, news reporters, editors, ammunition manufacturers, military personnel, and defense analysts. Of course, firearms rights activists, who must constantly swim upstream against a tidal wave of ballistics ignorance, will find Wound Ballistics Review a most valuable resource.
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Instead, a picture of a train that 6-year-old Preston drew with neon gel pens when he was 4 remains preserved in a frame. A self-portrait by 9-year-old Veronica is immortalized on a coffee mug and coaster. Other creations plaster Syx’s office walls and refrigerator, and fill tote bags and boxes around the house.
Having moved five times in the last nine years, Pam Syx, now of Venice, Fla., had many opportunities to chuck some of her two children’s artwork along the way.
“I just can’t get rid of anything their little hands do,” said Syx, explaining that her habit of holding on started as an effort to spur her kids’ creativity.
Parents of children big and small struggle with how, what and where to store the tons of arts and crafts that kids bring home, from the earliest days of preschool, when every scribble seems a stroke of brilliance, to later education when creativity often takes on more dynamic (read: larger) proportions.
Some hard-line parents opt for what could seem like the easy way out: tossing the bulk of their kids’ various renditions out with the rubbish. Others, however, say their offspring’s creations — even sans signs of early brilliance — pose a continuing dilemma between saving pieces of childhood and getting mired in — dare we say? — junk.
“If it can’t go on a wall or be given to grandma for Christmas, then throw it out,” said Joanne Walker, a former kindergarten teacher who now owns the crafts studio Children’s Creative Corner in Larchmont, N.Y.
With 11 and 12-year-old daughters of her own, Walker has come up with a system at home that preserves her girls’ creations for posterity and keeps clutter at bay: She saves only artwork that has particular significance, but takes a picture of the stuff that doesn’t make the cut.
“You can’t possibly keep every project they come home with,” she said.
Experts at staying clutter-free said Walker has it right.
LET KIDS CHOOSE
Ruth Phillips, a professional household organizer based outside Atlanta, suggests letting children help decide which projects are saved or scrapped. That makes the decisions easier, she said, and averts potential disaster when children discover their work in the recycle bin.
“It’s very traumatic for them to open the trash can and see all their papers in there,” Phillips said.
In time, even saved artwork can be relinquished in a meaningful way, Phillips said. Now that her children are grown, she has sent the art collections on to them.
Althea McDonald, a Raleigh, N.C., “art enthusiastic” mother, proudly displays walls’ worth of her children’s work. Her family’s guest bathroom is covered floor to ceiling with art by her 11- and 13-year-old daughters. On a bookshelf in the house’s entryway, there is a collection of the girls’ three-dimensional pieces.
“I really enjoy it. It’s happy. And my kids are proud of it,” McDonald said. “It’s a really positive thing.”
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Nation honors what would have been 84th birthday of slain civil rights leader.
Monday marks the nation's observance of Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday.
King’s actual birthday is Tuesday, Jan. 15 – he would have been 84 this year – but the official holiday is always celebrated on the third Monday of January. This year, that falls on Jan. 21.
The day is marked as a federal holiday
. All federal employees and offices are closed. Banks are closed, as well as the stock market. All New York State Department of Motor Vehicle
offices are closed.
It is also a postal holiday
, which means there is no regular mail delivery/pickup or retail services on Jan. 21.
Long Beach City Hall and all City of Long Beach
buildings will be closed, and garbage will not be picked up on Monday.
The City will hold a march to celebrate MLK’s birthday
on Monday starting at 11:30 a.m. at Laurelton Boulevard and West Park Avenue and will end at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, at 615 Riverside Blvd.
Local schools and libraries are also closed Monday to mark the Martin Luther King Day holiday.
The Long Island Rail Road will operate on a Holiday Schedule
. There will be 37 extra eastbound and westbound trains, to and from Penn Station, added on various branches to accommodate holiday travelers. Off-peak fares will also be in effect all day.Nassau County
buildings and offices will be closed as well.Hempstead Town Hall
and senior centers are also closed in observance of the holiday. The Homeowner Disposal Area in Merrick will be closed. Garbage
will not be picked up on Monday. The sanitation pick up schedule for normal Monday pick up will be Tuesday and Thursday instead.
Become a blogger today!
Get started now
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As hemopathic and alternative remedies for minimizing cold symptoms become more popular with patients, pharmacists should be familiar with their safety and efficacy.
In an effort to prevent or reduce symptoms of the common cold, many patients are turning to complementary and alternative therapies. As use of these therapies becomes increasingly common, pharmacists are likely to encounter questions from patients regarding their safety and efficacy. According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), colds are the eighth most common condition among adults— and the third among children—for which alternative and complementary therapies are used to prevent and manage symptoms.1
To date, there is no conclusive scientific evidence stating that any CAM therapies can prevent or significantly decrease the duration or severity of the common cold.1 Although some studies have reported possible benefits, the overall findings regarding specific CAM therapies are limited and the evidence is conflicting.1,2 Research is ongoing to investigate the potential use of CAM therapies in the prevention and management of the common cold.1,2
Among the complementary products most often used to help prevent and manage symptoms of the common cold are echinacea, high-dose vitamin C, and zinc lozenges.2 Other products available include andrographis panicula, astragalus membranaceus, elderberry, garlic, goldenseal, North American ginseng, and probiotics.1
Patients also utilize products formulated to strengthen the immune system, such as Airborne tablets (Airborne, Inc), which include a combination of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs to support immune health.2 The manufacturer suggests that patients use these products before entering crowded or poorly ventilated environments such as an airplane or classroom. Although these CAM products are commonly used, their safety and efficacy have not yet been proved.2 They are available in chewable form, as effervescent tablets, and as single-dose packets that are taken with water.
Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia) has traditionally been used to prevent or treat colds, influenza, and other types of infections, and is thought to stimulate the immune system. There are 9 known species of this herb, all of which are native to the United States and southern Canada.3 Echinacea is available in several forms, including extracts, tinctures, tablets, capsules, and teas. A study published in the December 2010 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine found that echinacea had no effect on reducing the severity or duration of the common cold.4 However, a 2007 meta-analysis of 14 controlled trials in adults concluded that E purpurea taken prophylactically decreased the odds of developing the common cold by as much as 58% and decreased the duration of a cold by 1.4 days—both of which were considered to be statistically significant.5
In clinical trials, gastrointestinal issues were the most commonly reported adverse events; others included headache, dizziness, temporary numbing of the tongue, and dyspepsia.6 Pharmacists should advise patients with severe systemic illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, and autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, to avoid the use of echinacea.6-8 Individuals who are allergic to or have a hypersensitivity to ragweed, daisies, or chrysanthemums should avoid also avoid this therapy due to the potential for crosssensitivity. 7,8
Zinc is a trace element found in several OTC alternative medicine products marketed for prevention and management of the common cold. To date, the effect of zinc in reducing the severity and duration of common cold symptoms has not been established.9 However, a 2011 review published in the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews reported that zinc lozenges and zinc syrup were shown to reduce the duration and severity of the common cold when taken within the first 24 hours of symptom onset.9,10
Results from a meta-analysis published in the July 2011 issue of The Open Respiratory Medicine Journal found that high-dose, and not low-dose, zinc lozenges may shorten the duration of the common cold.11 The study concluded that depending upon the dosage and composition of zinc lozenges, use of these products may reduce the duration of a common cold by an estimated 40%.10 A 2009 review reported that doses exceeding 70 mg per day consistently decreased the duration of colds; however, additional research is needed to determine the optimal dosage and treatment guidelines, according to NCCAM.1
Zinc is available in several forms, including lozenges, tablets, and capsules, and nasal gels, sprays, and swabs. Nausea, vomiting, and dysgeusia are the most common adverse effects associated with the use of oral zinc formulations.2 Because zinc is a trace metal and therefore can remove other necessary metals from the body, zinc lozenges should not be taken for more than 14 days.12 It is important to note that zinc can interfere with the absorption of certain pharmacologic agents such as warfarin, doxycycline, and minocycline.13
In patients using nasal sprays, headaches, dry mouth, nasal stinging or burning, and anosmia (loss of smell) are the most common adverse effects.2 In 2009, the FDA issued a warning regarding the use of zinc-containing intranasal homeopathic cold remedy products because of the potential to cause anosmia.6
Vitamin C is often utilized by patients to boost the immune system.14 Results from a 2007 analysis of 30 clinical trials founds that taking vitamin C routinely (at least 0.2 g per day) did not decrease the likelihood of getting a cold,1 but was associated with a small decrease in the severity of symptoms and duration of the common cold.1 A 2009 review examining the effects of vitamins and minerals on colds concluded that supplementation with vitamin C does have some potential benefits in treating the common cold. However, due to the limited number of therapeutic trials, more research is needed to ascertain effective dosage amounts and develop treatment guidelines.1 At the present time, there are no studies that focus on the pediatric population.1
Although vitamin C is generally considered to be safe, adverse effects have been reported when it is taken in high doses.1 For example, individuals who take 4 g or more per day have reported experiencing diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues, such as heartburn, and therefore high doses are not recommended.1 Other potential adverse effects include headache, dizziness, and fatigue.15 Patients should be advised to drink a full glass of water when taking vitamin C supplements to prevent the development of kidney stones.15
Patients—especially those who are pregnant, breast-feeding, or currently taking any other pharmacologic agents, or members of the pediatric and geriatric patient populations and their caregivers—should be advised to discuss the use of complementary and alternative therapies with their primary health care provider before using them for the prevention and management of the common cold.
For more information on CAM products, please visit NCCAM’s Web site at http://nccam.nih.gov/. PT
Ms. Terrie is a clinical pharmacy writer based in Haymarket, Virginia.
1. Colds and flu and cam: at a glance. National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Web site. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/flu/ataglance.htm. Accessed September 14, 2011.
2. Scolaro K. Disorders related to colds and allergy. In: Berardi R, Newton G, McDermott JH, et al. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. 16th ed. Washington, DC: American Pharmacists Association; 2009.
3. Echinacea. National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Web site. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/echinacea/ataglance.htm. Accessed September 14, 2011.
4. Barrett B, Brown R, Rakel D, et al. Echinacea for treating the common cold. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2010;153:769-777.
5. Shah SA, Sander S, White CM, Rinaldi M, Coleman CI. Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2007;7:473-480. Abstract.
6. McQueen C, Orr K. Natural products. In: Berardi R, Newton G, McDermott JH, et al. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. 16th ed. Washington, DC: American Pharmacists Association; 2009:991-992.
7. Echinacea drug facts. Drug Information Web site. www.drugs.com/npp/echinacea.html.Accessed September 15, 2011.
8. Echinacea drug information. Medscape Drug Reference. http://reference.medscape.com/drug/black-sampson-black-susans-echinacea-344472#5.Accessed September 15, 2011.
9. Zinc and the common cold. National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Web site. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/zinc/. Accessed September 14, 2011.
10. Singh M, Das RR. Zinc for the common cold.Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2011, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD001364.pub3. doi:10.1002/14651858. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001364.pub3/abstract. Accessed September 14, 2011.
11. Barclay L. High dose zinc lozenges may reduce duration of cold symptoms. Medscape Web site. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/747426. Accessed September 14, 2011.
12. Zinc. Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals Online Edition. www.merckmanuals.com/professional/special_subjects/dietary_supplements/zinc.html. Accessed September 14, 2011.
13. Cold EEZE Product Information. Cold EEZE Web site. www.coldeeze.com/faq/#nul. Accessed September 14, 2011.
14. Kemper K. Complementary and alternative medicine therapies for cold and flu season: what is the science? Medscape Web site. www.medscape.com/viewarticle/711485_3. Accessed September 14, 2011.
15. Ascorbic acid drug information. Medscape Drug Information.http://reference.medscape.com/drug/cenolate-vitamin-c-ascorbic-acid-344416#91. Accessed September 15, 2011.
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There are many reasons why one should purchase a GPS vehicle-tracking device. They are so good in protecting your family members who drive as well as finding your vehicle if it is theft. Your price range and purpose of use will help you in deciding that which component is best for you. The price of the component depends upon the configuration and whether the system has real time monitoring on it. If you have additional teen drivers to keep track of then having real time monitoring is so beneficial. Parents of an additional teen driver can keep the tracks of the car. It is a better technique of keeping an eye on the teen drivers. These devices help parents that their teens do not go to any place where they are not supposed to go. These GPS devices can be purchased in hardwired versions as well as transportable versions.
Tracking devices help you follow your equipment and its position or movement if you have a business. These attachments can help you in saving money. If you are using these tracking vehicle devices then you don’t need to worry anymore regarding your vehicles. You don’t need to ask your driver about his position, and if you ask him then what is the proof of his truth. You can keep tracks of your vehicle without asking to anybody. It will help you in keeping your car or truck safe. You can detect your equipment hijacked if it is snatched from your site with the help of these devices.
Cars, trucks, and business equipment is not the sole article that can be detected by these systems. It is not necessary that these devices can work on the vehicles that have wheels.
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To the Editor.—The recent article on Variability of Serum Phenytoin Concentrations in Nursing Home Patients by Mooradian et al1 adds some insight into the unpredictable nature of phenytoin kinetics in otherwise stable patients. Their finding of marked variability in phenytoin levels of at least 50% in all patients reaffirms the difficulties involved in clinically interpreting serum phenytoin levels.2 It is disturbing, however, that 15 patients had phenytoin levels drawn at least monthly with no apparent clinical indication for this frequency of monitoring.
Over the duration of this study, there were more than 170 levels drawn, with at least 10% being outside the therapeutic range, and no correlation with either therapeutic failure (breakthrough seizures) or toxicity (ataxia, falls, lethargy, confusion). Twelve of 15 patients had at least one subtherapeutic level with no dosage changes and apparently no seizures resulted. Seven of 15 patients had at least one value
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Through the efforts of the central and local governments, Tibet Autonomous Region saw a decrease in its impoverished population by 1.30 lakh last year, Tibet's regional poverty alleviation office said.
Statistics from the office showed that the number of impoverished people in Tibet had decreased to 5.83 lakhs in 2012 from 8.33 lakhs in 2010, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The impoverished population is expected to decrease by 1.28 lakh this year, the office said.
Tibet has made "great efforts" to find effective ways to alleviate poverty, including the establishment of anti-poverty projects and job training programmes, Chonyi Yarphel, director of the office, said.
The construction of family hostels and food processing plants has proven to be a popular method of combating poverty, he said.
The regional government has prioritised the allocation of poverty alleviation funding for border areas, pastures and other areas with adverse geographical conditions, Yarphel said.
The new figures were released in the midst of continued self-immolations by Tibetans protesting Chinese rule in Tibet and seeking the return of the Dalai Lama.
Over hundred Tibetans have committed self-immolations so far. The latest was reported two days ago when two youths self-immolated.
China blamed Dalai Lama clique for orchestrating the protests to discredit it.
Beijing: Amid the unabated self-immolation protests by Tibetens, China on Friday claimed that 1.30 lakh people were lifted out of poverty last year due to its "great efforts".
First Published: Friday, February 22, 2013, 19:47
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One of the tactics Israel has used in responding to terrorism has been to seek out and kill individual enemies. Now Washington has started doing the same. The United States and Israel face different circumstances, however, and so the Bush administration should think twice before proceeding.
The recent fighting in Lebanon may have looked like yet another Arab-Israeli battle, but it also pitted Jerusalem against Tehran for the first time. Why did Israel strike when it did? What did it accomplish? And what should it do now to prepare for the next showdown with Iran?
Damascus did not commission Hezbollah's raid into Israel, but it did see the ensuing crisis as a chance to prove its importance. Western powers should realize that Syria is ready to be part of a regional solution -- as long as its own interests are recognized.
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Most Active Stories
News & Music Contributors
Blues Time Machine
Hendrix inspired by Earl King's 'Come On'
Earl King is one of the great songwriters and performers to come out of New Orleans, and his legacy continues to live on. Many of his compositions, including “Big Chief," “Trick Bag” and “These Lonely, Lonely Nights” have become an important part of the New Orleans “songbook."
His 1960 recording of “Come On Pts. 1 & 2” is punctuated with many starts and stops, featuring his expressive voice and aggressive and precise guitar work. If you look through Jimi Hendrix’s early releases, there are only a handful of songs among the dozens that he did not write. Earl King’s “Come On” is one of those.
The song appearing on Hendrix's 1968 album Electric Ladyland.
Hendrix upped the ante by increasing the tempo, but kept the guitar part pretty much the same as the original. You can listen to the studio recording below, but if you are a Hendrix fan you might be interested in this live recording from Berlin, 1969 (audio only):
Mac Rebennack, aka Dr. John, another New Orleans legend, took on the tune in 1972, turning it into a full-on party. When he performs live, Dr. John often plays guitar on the tune. But, here he is at the piano with Joe Walsh on guitar having fun with the song:
Stevie Ray Vaughan was a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix and “covered” some Hendix tunes, including “Voodoo Chile," “Little Wing” and “Come On”.
“I actually learned to play from Jimi’s records. I remember getting my little stereo and I would mike that up with a Shure PA … and I’d have all this set up in my room. Of course, the parents were at work. I would go in there, dress up as cool as I could, and try to learn his stuff.” Stevie Ray Vaughan in a 1989 Guitar Player interview.
Here’s a live recording of SVR and band working through "Come On, Pt. 3":
Here are the complete versions of “Come On”
Earl King “Come On Pts. 1 & 2” 1960
Jimi Hendrix “Come On Pt. 1” 1968
Dr. John “Let The Good Times Roll” 1972
Stevie Ray Vaughan “Come On Pt. 3” 1985
“The Blues Time Machine” is a weekly feature tracking one great blues song through time. The series is hosted by John Kessler, from KPLU’s “All Blues,” and is published here every Friday and airs on KPLU 88.5 on Fridays at 12:10 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
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Naturalist or those who practice herbalism often make the claim that nature is our pharmacy (a pitch line equally used by big Pharma); that natural remedies provided by plants are innately much better than those created by chemical laboratories.
First, I am not going to deny that there are a number of chemicals created by plants that have beneficial properties for medicine (aspirin for example). What I am addressing is the bifurcated claim that these remedies were in some way created FOR us and that they are somehow safer and better than man-made chemicals.
This issue was directly addressed earlier this year in a speech given by Dr Henry Oakeley, the garden fellow at London’s Royal College of Physicians at the opening in Dublin of the medicinal garden at Trinity College.
Oakeley raised a few eyebrows when he stated that “PLANTS HAVE been trying to kill us, not cure us”. When asked why herbalism has persisted for over 3000 yrs. he responded that “Because they believed in the tooth fairy. They had no concept of illness or of chemistry or biochemistry. They believed all plants had been put on the earth by the creator for mankind’s use. So if the plant had a particular shape, it indicated that the creator had put it on the planet for a particular use.”
Now, I mentioned that current medical research uses the similar rhetoric…’nature is our pharmacy’. However the methodology is completely different. Medical research is based on modern scientific techniques and the scientific method. Herbalist believed that the powers-that-be, be they gods or sprites, left clues as to the ‘intended’ purpose of plants. An herbalist job is to decipher the code.
Sometimes herbalists get lucky; Ginseng looked like a human figure and has been interpreted as a symbol of divine harmony on earth. It is used in ‘traditional medicine’ to improve sexual dysfunction, anti-agent, fight fatigue, boost the immune system and more. It also has a number of compounds that medical research has shown actually does seem to help in reproduction and other positive effects.
Sometimes it’s ridiculous, for example it was…sadly still is believed, that ground tiger penis in a soup or tonic would increase a man’s virility. This of course is the best example of symbolic herbalism; tigers are strong and ‘virile’, therefor eating their ‘male essence’ will imbue that power to the consumer. This continued insanity has in no small way helped make Asian tigers an endangered species.
Sometimes it’s dangerous, for example, blue liverwort was once cultivated as a liver tonic because its three-lobed leaf mirrored the shape of the human liver. However, this tonic was in fact a toxin that produces jaundice. More commonly seen “Aloe Vera Juice” can cause stomach cramps and is a suspected carcinogen.
Let us not forget either that cocaine, caffeine, hemlock, tobacco and pot are all natural herbs. However, most herbs are just medically inert and if they provide any benefit it is purely a placebo…an effect that can be the quite dangerous if it delays proper medical treatment.
Now to be fair herbalism is not completely limited to this sympathetic magic view. Over the years a certain degree of trial and error has ‘advanced’ herbalism beyond the simplistic symbolic notion of nature however until recently it has not been possible to extract, when present, the effective chemicals from the chemical stew that a plant may contain. I am not trying to imply that Chinese or native healers are inferior or that somehow westerners are smarter, no; what we have is a confluence of happenstance. Until the adoption of the scientific method, modern chemistry and technological advancements of the late 18th century, ‘western medicine’ was on the same methodological footing I am here criticising.
The scientific method allowed for a systematic reductionist view of the world allowing the identification of specific compounds/chemicals that are the true source of medicine; modern chemistry (and later biology and bio-chemistry) provided a framework for interpreting the results of experiments…showing links between cause and effects; and technology provided the tools to identify, purify and manipulate the compound with the aim of making them better.
Thus, if we continue with the pharmacy metaphor, modern medicines are like opening a bottle of aspirin and popping a pill to cure a headache. Herbal medicines are like pouring all your pills into a bucket, adding in your kitchen spices and maybe some random plants from outside; then taking a handful of this mix in the hopes you get the one pill that will reduce our headache.
Oakeley said “Herbalists say these things are pure and don’t have the same side effects as Prozac, [but] they have other side effects . . . That’s the problem with herbal medicine, there is no proper long-term check on the side effects. The thousands of years of plants being used as medicines have actually taught us very little. The basic concept that most people have missed is that [many] plants are poisonous. We just have to find a way of using the poisons in plants to our advantage”.
This I think lies at the heart of the naturalist fallacy for herbalism. It’s not that there are not useful chemicals to be found in nature but that these chemicals were ever intended to be medicinal. The term used is nature’s pharmacy, a more accurate description is a chemical armoury…a cornucopia of chemical weapons we extract as a kind of chemical waste product and re-task to a useful role for humanity. The chemicals we find in plants are there for a purpose, that is true, but for the plant’s ends not our own.
Plants create chemicals in an effort to provide for themselves an evolutionary advantage. Many times these efforts are aggressive; that is the plant benefits at the expense of its cohabitants…an example when a plant grows thorns it reduces the ability of herbivores to graze on them, what benefits the plant (less leaf loss) harms the grazer (less food). Many times these efforts are symbiotic…that is a benefit to the plant and its cohabitant…an example of this is the fig and fig wasp. It’s also important to remember when plants do have these symbiotic relationships they are very species specific relationships; nectar is a common bribe for animals to pollinate plants but even this is very exclusive because the shape of the flower and the proboscis of the nectar eater are so extreme only one (or a limited set) animal can actual access the nectar. The plant does this to ensure that the bribed animal visits similar plants and thus increases the chances of successful pollination.
The chemicals we extract fall into three broad groups. First are those the plant produces to promote its own health…compounds that make the plant itself healthy and which coincidently we find useful as well; such as salicylic acid i.e. aspirin. If these compounds are useful to humans it is merely accidental/coincidental.
Second compounds created to make the plant more attractive to animals for the purpose of seed dispersal and rarely predation (ie Sundew plant); such as nectar, fruit and aromatics. These compounds are often useful to humans but their PURPOSE IS NOT FOR OUR WELL-BEING but merely a bride or scam to get animals to help the plant.
The last category, the one ironically we have found most useful, are those intended to attack…compound a plant used to fend off fungal infections (terpenes) or make itself unfit for animal consumption plant predators (capsicum i.e. pepper). These compounds are not only not intended to be beneficial they are created by the plant explicitly as a hostile act. None of these were intended for humans nor are they specifically ‘safer’ for us than man-made chemicals. In fact the opposite is true.
Current research is done by extracting chemicals, testing their properties and interactions, attempting to tweak the chemistry to remove ‘side-effects’ and strengthen the desired property. Once this is done the resulting, naturally derived but whole-ly man-made, compound becomes a drug…no longer a herbal remedy (with dubious efficacy but medicine with empirical evidence of its effectiveness). Because we have a purer form of the active ingredient which has been stripped of the superfluous chemicals along with their potential side-effects; we can say that on a equal footing the man-mades are innately safer.
Last note, although I think scientific medical medicine is innately better than herbalism; I am not saying that ‘big pharma’ should be blindly trusted…they make errors as well. That is why I always and consistently support rigorous and thorough regulation and independent oversight of any industry (that would include the herbalist industry as well, as ineffective as i may think it…remember it is a MULTI-billion dollar a year industry)
Murphy and Lee Ginseng, sex behavior, and nitric oxide, Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002 May;962:372-7 PMID
Elvin-Lewis M., “Should we be concerned about herbal remedies”. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 75 (2001) 141-164.
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Nov. 22, 2009
Why use foods with fat but not fat itself?
I eat a low fat, no added fat diet for health. I do use wholesome ingredients that contain a little fat naturally, such as beans, wheat, cocoa and tofu, because the body does need some dietary fat to survive. (A wholly fat-free diet deprives the body of necessary nutrients). However, I don't add any additional high fat ingredients such as nuts, seeds, olives, coconut milk or avocados to my diet or recipes, with one or two exceptions. I also never use oil, butter or margarine in my recipes beyond the occasional spritz of cooking spray to prevent sticking during baking. Basically, I consider any food made with no added fats to be "fat-free" and I strive to eat (and cook) without added fats, especially oil.
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New Zealand recorded its biggest December month trade surplus since 1991 as imports, particularly of aircraft, fell more sharply than exports.
The trade surplus was $486 million in December, equal to 12 percent of exports, roughly 10 times the average surplus of $49 million for December in the previous five years, Statistics New Zealand says.
The headline result masks an underlying fall in exports for December, led by receipts from dairy products.
Traders expected a $105 million deficit but the kiwi dollar sat unchanged at 83.30 US cents after the data was released in a market awaiting an official cash rate announcement on Thursday.
The surplus is the largest for a December month as a percentage of exports since December 1991.
The strong December surplus helped reduce the trade deficit for the December quarter to $87 million.
Exports fell 5.1 percent in the December month compared to December 2011, reflecting a 5.3 percent fall in the value of exports of milk powder, butter and cheese, a 17 percent fall in exports of logs and wood and wood products, and a 97 percent fall in exports of prefabricated buildings.
The picture was lumpier on the import side, where an 89 percent fall in the value of imports of large aircraft and helicopters from France helped reduce imports in December by 10 percent.
The value of imports of petroleum and products fell by 31 percent but the value of vehicle imports rose by $49 million.
New Zealand had a trade deficit of $1.2 billion in the December year, equal to 2.6 percent of exports.
"This compares with an average deficit of 4.9 percent over the previous five December years, although there were surpluses in the December 2010 and 2011 years," Statistics NZ says.
In the year ended December exports fell $1.7 billion, or 3.5 percent, from a year earlier and imports rose $399 million, 0.7 percent.
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|May 24, 2002||atimes.com|
THE ROVING EYE
IRAN DIARY, Part 2: Knocking on heaven's door
By Pepe Escobar
Part 1: Sea of peace or lake of trouble?
QOM - The Grand Ayatollah Saanei's office in Qom - the second holiest city in Iran after Mashhad and the heartland of the Islamic revolution - is a shrine in itself. In a city that welcomes Shi'ite scholars and students from all over the world, and where every single woman is dressed in a head-to-toe black chador, to be received by the Grand Ayatollah is as auspicious an occasion as a visit to the fabulous Hazrat-e Masumeh, the shrine where Fatemah, sister of Imam Reza, the 8th century Shi'ite imam, is buried.
The Hazrat-e Masumeh is a dazzling complex, with an enormous tiled dome, beautiful minarets and large prayer rooms leading to Fatemah's shrine - a mesmerizing jig-saw of carved mirrors. To give a measure of its importance, acccording to a famous hadith (saying) - enunciated with pleasure by the guardians of the shrine - we learn that "our sixth imam, Imam Sardeg, says that we have five definitive holy places that we respect very much. The first is Mecca, which belongs to God. The second is Medina, which belongs to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the messenger of God. The third belongs to our first imam of Shia, Ali, which is in Najaf. The fourth belongs to our third imam, Hussein, in Kerbala. The last one belongs to the daughter of our seventh imam and sister of our eighth imam, who is called Fatemah, and will be buried in Qom. Pilgrims and those who visit her holy shrine, I promise to these men and women that God will open all the doors of Heaven to them."
Ayatollah Khomeini started opening the doors of the Islamic revolution in Qom in 1979 - which, appropriately enough, means "uprising". He lived in a simple brick house still standing not far from the Hazrat-e Masumeh. He had had plenty of time to build his power base among Shi'ite clerics before being forced into exile in 1963, first to Turkey and then to Najaf in Iraq.
In the small waiting room of Grand Ayatollah Saanei's office, pilgrims from as far as Xinjiang in western China come with questions sealed in envelopes, ayatollahs memorize parts of the Koran for further debate, students arrive for their classes, and a dignified waiter serves endless glasses of tea. In more intimate surroundings than the Hazrat-e Masumeh, this is also an extraordinary place to monitor the power of Shi'ite faith in action.
In the absence of Khomeini, the Grand Ayatollah Saanei occupies the Everest of the Shi'ite theological scale. Khomeini's words on him are framed with two photos above the place where he receives pilgrims and students alike: "I have raised him as my grandson ... I was always very delighted with his words and his knowledge. I believe that he is considered to be one of the most prominent characters among the clergymen. He is a learned man, devoted and diligent."
When the Shah's regime was trying by all means to cast doubt on Khomeini's position as a Marja'a (a top religious authority), Aayatollah Saanei's academic weight was a decisive counteractive factor. He knows absolutely everything on Khomeini's principles of doctrine and views on jurisprudence. And he is also a supreme authority on the issuing of fatwas (religious rulings).
On music, for instance, His Eminence has stated that "any sound and lyric and music which does not promote laxity and immorality and does not misguide human beings or blemish the visage of Islam is not forbidden." On infidels, he has stated that "antagonists who fight Muslims because of their adherence to Islam or their belief in Islam [and not for any other reason] are deemed adversaries in religion who, like a few of the infidels that having gained certainty of the validity of Islam continue to deny it, are bound to be unclean".
Grand Ayatollah Saanei has been a member of the Majlis (parliament), and was chief of justice in the 1980s. Now he is most of all a teacher. A private audience with him obviously does not fall into the parameters of a Western-formatted interview: it's more like a theological-philosophical exposition, in a very relaxed manner, intermediated with those endless glasses of tea.
He spends a long time methodically clarifying main Islamic principles - justice, no discrimination among human beings and most of all "social human rights". This latter concept is essential and is now being confronted with the concept of "religious civil society" - proposed by the heirs of the revolution who are not clerics.
The Grand Ayatollah states that "Islamic law does not allow any discrimination on the basis of race, sex or ethnicity, and in terms of human rights." He adds that "all human beings are sons of Adam and Eve".
How, then, do we explain the antagonism between Sunni and Shi'ite, between, for instance, wahhabism and the Shi'ite faith as practiced by nearly 90 percent of Iranians? "The antagonism exists in the way of thoughts, not in the roots and fundamentals of the religion." So it is all a problem of intepretation. "Some of the theologists do not agree with my thoughts, and some, regarding to laws, want to regulate something other than what is mentioned in the constitution. The constitution will prevent them." He does not say, though, whether he would be in favor of modifying the present constitution, arguing that this is a political matter.
The Grand Ayatollah says, "There is only one difference between men and women. In Islam, we believe we should respect women as well as men, in the same measure. The differentiation regards inheritance. The son will inherit two times in relation to a daughter. In other laws, there is no difference." This means that when a man is married, he has to split his income with a woman, while a woman's income from work should belong only to herself, according to the Holy Koran. But the fact remains, says the Grand Ayatollah, that "the principle of ownership in Islam is based upon equality".
An explanation of tajavoz-e farhangi - a concept that can be defined as "cultural aggression" or "cultural invasion" is also crucial. "By cultural invasion, I mean incorrect and improper cultures that are full of loss, not profitable to human beings. Those who know this take the means to shape a culture against those who are ignorant. These kinds of improper and incorrect issues definitely originate unclear benefits and disadvantages. The agressor knows that and takes advantage of the ignorance of those who are not informed."
But who defines what is improper or incorrect? Theologists, of course. "If a foreign aggressor wants to impose a culture war on the people, this is considered to be an injustice." To fight "a culture which is wrong and improper, we should provide thoughtful information and knowledge". The Grand Ayatollah acknowledges that "the superpowers have advantages to impose culture and thoughts against oppressed peoples. We consider this as manipulation of thoughts." He evokes the Islamic principle of "fraud" and this aggression is also considered to be "a sin and a crime". Although refraining from any political judgement during his talk, Ayatollah Saanei remarks that "history shows great powers do not do much for the benefit of the people".
Khomeini once said that "the profession of the prophets is politics, and religion is the same as that kind of politics which arouses the people and leads them to what is in the interest of the nation and the public". So one cannot help asking the Grand Ayatollah about his reaction to the inclusion of Iran in George W Bush's axis of evil. "If he means by axis of evil our nation, then our nation will say he is exactly the truest example of evil, not us. If he means our politicians and government bodies, then they will answer him in a straightforward manner, not me, because I'm not a politician."
The Grand Ayatollah makes a point to tell "all human beings that in the Islamic Republic of Iran the aggression of human rights did not exist before and does not exist now. Any superpower which is willing to help our country should learn to respect the freedom of the people and their destiny, and to execute the divine ethics of God."
The Grand Ayatollah bids farewell to his visitor with a message of peace and an invitation for further discussions. "We hope that all mankind will be very aware of all our human rights." Maybe the invitation should be formally extended to Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, et al.
(©2002 Asia Times Online Co, Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact email@example.com for information on our sales and syndication policies.)
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©2001 Asia Times Online Co., Ltd.
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At the end of October, my husband attended a nerd conference in Denver, so I tagged along for a bit of a vacation and to see my family that lives in the area. While there I went to see the awesome Van Gogh exhibit at the Denver Art Museum.
“Becoming Van Gogh” is really well done. The special exhibit, featuring more than 70 pieces from 60 different public and private collections, traces Van Gogh’s evolution as an artist during his 10-year career. I didn’t realize quite how brief of a time Van Gogh was active: He only decided to become an artist at age 27, after an unsatisfying start as a pastor and missionary to a working class mining community in rural Belgium. At 37, he died under mysterious circumstances, returning from painting in a wheat field with a gunshot wound. Though the internets claim that it’s “widely accepted” that he killed himself (despite the fact that a gun was never found), the exhibit suggested only that it might have been murder.
The exhibit included many of Van Gogh’s famous works — but alas not Starry Night. Since it’s probably Van Gogh’s iconic work and almost everyone recognizes it, I at first wasn’t that disappointed not to see it. However, I realized (and perhaps this should have been obvious) that there is nothing like seeing a painting in real life, especially Van Gogh’s. The picture of the painting above, for example, barely does justice to the overwhelming brightness of the whites, blues, and oranges in the painting itself. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.
And now I know that what’s odd about this is that Van Gogh, early in his apprenticeship, did not employ color much at all; his early works can only be described as drab — the palette related to his choice of subject, everyday working folk, whom he desired both to realistically portray and to ennoble as sufferers of the human condition. The Potato Eaters, which was included in the exhibit, is a good example of this early work. It was only after he studied color theory and became obsessed with Japanese woodcuts that his paintings began to evidence the bright hues that would later become his signature. One of my favorites from the exhibit (besides Basket with Six Oranges above) was Landscape Under a Stormy Sky.
I started this post almost two months ago and only just have been able to finish it — and now the exhibit closes in less than a month, and it’s apparently not traveling (not that very many people would/would be able to travel just to see an art exhibit). However, if you can, it’s certainly worth the trip. (And buy your tickets ahead of time! I wasn’t sure what my schedule would be, so I didn’t do so, and visits were sold out through my stay: I had to wheedle my way in, and I was only barely able.)
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Nathaniel Boyden (16 August 1796 - 20 November 1873) was a U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1847 and 1849 and later between 1868 to 1869.
Born in Conway, Massachusetts in 1796, Boyden attended the common schools and then served in the War of 1812. He graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York, in 1821 and moved to Stokes County, North Carolina in 1822.
After teaching school for several years in North Carolina, Boyden studied law and was admitted to the bar and practiced. In 1838 and 1840, he was elected to terms in the North Carolina House of Commons. In 1842, Boyden moved to Salisbury, North Carolina and continued to practice law. In 1844 he was elected to the North Carolina Senate, and in 1846, voted to a single term in the 30th United States Congress (March 4, 1847 - March 3, 1849) as a Whig.
Declining to stand for re-election in 1848, Boyden returned to the practice of law. After the American Civil War, he was a delegate to the 1865 North Carolina Constitutional Convention, and, upon the readmission to North Carolina to the union, he was elected as a Conservative to the 40th United States Congress and served from July 13, 1868 to March 3, 1869.
He unsuccessfully contested the election of Francis E. Shober to the 41st United States Congress, and afterwards resumed the practice of law until elected associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court in 1872. He served in that post until his death in Salisbury, on November 20, 1873; he is buried in the Lutheran Cemetery in Salisbury.
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Idaho Sets Record In Number Of Food Stamp Recipients
Despite a slowly improving economy and falling unemployment, the agency that cares for Idaho’s poor and disabled residents says there’s plenty of evidence that people are still struggling.
Food stamp recipients hit a record in December, with 235,000 people receiving the federal aid. The monthly payout is $30 million. There are so many people getting help, grocery stores have complained the deluge on the first day of every month has interrupted their business. What’s more, the fund that pays the Idaho indigent population’s medical bills expects to spend nearly $40 million this year, a 14 percent spike. To top it off, Department of Health and Welfare Director Dick Armstrong told budget writers Monday morning some of his best employees are quitting, lured by private-sector salaries that are 40 percent higher.
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