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The Top 10 Best Ideas For Setting Goals By Hilton Johnson You cannot pick up a book or participate in a training program today without the author or instructor teaching the power of goal setting. Yet, most people today spend more time planning a two-week vacation than planning their lives by setting goals. It's been said that achieving goals is not a problem--it's SETTING goals that is the problem. People just don't do it. They leave their lives to chance...and usually end up broke by the time they reach retirement. I thought that since this is such an important ingredient for developing a successful network marketing business, this was a good time to share with you some of the greatest thoughts about goal setting that I've discovered over the years. So, here goes...The Top 10 Best Ideas For Setting Goals: 1. Make A List Of Your Values What's really important to you? Your family? Your religion? Your leisure time? Your hobbies? Decide on what your most important values in life are and then make sure that the goals you set are designed to include and enhance them. 2. Begin With The End In Mind Tom Watson, the founder of IBM, was once asked what he attributed the phenomenal success of IBM to and he said it was three things: The first thing was that he created a very clear image in his mind of what he wanted his company to look like when it was done. He then asked himself how would a company like that have to act on a day-to-day basis. And then in the very beginning of building his company, he began to act that way. 3. Project Yourself Into The Future The late, great Earl Nightingale created a whole new industry (self-improvement) after a 20-year study on what made people successful. The bottom-line result of his research was simply, "We Become What We Think About." Whatever thoughts dominate our minds most of the time are what we become. That's why goal setting is so critical in achieving success because it keeps us focused on what's really important to us. He then said that the easiest way to reach our goals is to pretend that we had ALREADY achieved our goals. That is, begin to walk, talk and act as though we are already experiencing the success we seek. Then, those things will come to us naturally through the power of the subconscious mind. 4. Write Down The 10 Things You Want This Year By making a list of the things that are important to you, you begin to create images in your mind. It's been said that your mind will actually create chaos, if necessary, to make images become a reality. Because of this, the list of ten things will probably result in you achieving at least eight of them within the year. 5. Create Your Storyboard Get a piece of poster board and attach it to a wall in your office or home where you will see it often. As you go through magazines, brochures, etc. and you see the pictures of the things you want, cut them out and glue them to your storyboard. In other words, make yourself a collage of the goals that excite you...knowing full well that as you look at them everyday, they will soon be yours. 6. The Three Most Important Things Decide on three things that you want to achieve before you die. Then work backwards listing three things you want in the next twenty years, ten years, five years, this year, this month, this week and finally, the three most important things you want to accomplish today. 7. Ask Yourself Good Questions As you think about your goals, instead of WISHING for them to come true, ask yourself HOW and WHAT CAN YOU DO to make them come true. The subconscious mind will respond to your questions far greater than just making statements or making wishes. 8. Focus On One Project At A Time One of the greatest mistakes people make in setting goals is trying to work on too many things at one time. There is tremendous power in giving laser beam focused attention to just one idea, one project or one objective at a time. 9. Write Out An "Ideal Scenario" Pretend that you are a newspaper reporter that has just finished an interview about the outstanding success that you've achieved and the article is now in the newspaper. How would it read? What would be the headline? Write the article yourself, projecting yourself into the future as though it had already happened. Describe the activities of your daily routine now that are very successful. Don't forget the headline. (Example: "Jane Doe Wins Top Network Marketing Award Of The Decade.") 10. Pray & Meditate As you get into bed each evening, think about your goal before you drop off to sleep. Get a very clear colorful image in your mind of seeing yourself doing the things you'll be doing after you've reached your major goal. (Remember to include your values.) And then begin to ask and demand for these things through meditation and prayer.
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More than once, I have been ready to do a rolled hem on my serger and then I couldn't find the book. It took me a while, and some time spent reading library books about sergers so I could better understand what's going on with that machine, but I figured out how to adjust from regular seams to the rolled hem settings. Here's a picture of my serger (a trusty Brother 1034D), ready to sew a pretty rolled hem:
And here are the steps, with handy explanations:
1. Remove the left needle. (I left the cone on but the needle is out, for now.)
2. Remove the stitch finger. On my machine there is a lever to press in order to remove the stitch finger.
3. Adjust the dials on the side for rolled hem stitch width (really narrow) and length (really short). The dials have "R" markings for the rolled hem setting.
4. Adjust your thread tensions. This is the thing that I had a big a ha moment about. The rolled hem is going to be rolled down to the underside of your fabric.
You want the upper looper thread to be looser, so it can be pulled down slightly to the underside of this hem stitch. Smaller numbers=looser tension (this one took a while to sink in for me). So if I'm normally on about a 6 for the upper looper tension, I change it to a 4 or 5.
Now you want your lower looper thread to be tighter, so it will pull the upper looper thread down to the underside of the hem stitch. Adjust the dial to a higher number. I adjusted it up to between 7 and 8 from the normal 6.
Finally, your right needle tension needs to be loosened. And I didn't change mine very much. The handbook says to put it at 4 but I've had success with it a bit tighter.
Now you can try this out on a swatch before you actually start on the garment you're hemming. If it doesn't look right, adjust one thread tension at a time and see if you can get it. Hope this helps!
Oh yeah--I also took a photo of the correct stitch finger storage position since I can't ever remember the way it goes in:
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Lesson Plans for Secondary School Educators
Unit One: Introducing Tolkien and His Worlds
"Rumpelstiltskin" (Brothers Grimm)
With the help of a strange little man, a young woman accomplishes the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, but she must promise to give him her firstborn child in return. This famous fairy tale features two eucatastrophes: the appearance of Rumpelstiltskin and the discovery of his secret name.
"The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs" (Brothers Grimm)
To prove himself worthy of the King's daughter, a young man must enter Hell and bring back three golden hairs plucked from the Devil's head. This tale contains several classic motifs, including the lucky child, the impossible task, the well-earned reward, and when the King seeks to circumvent a prophecy concerning his daughter’s future husband the attempt to elude fate.
"Orpheus and Eurydice" (Greek myth)
When Eurydice, wife of the great musician Orpheus, dies from a snakebite, her husband descends into the underworld and, through the beauty of his singing, persuades the rulers of Hades to release her. He is permitted to take Eurydice back with him on one condition: he must not turn around and look at her until they have reached the surface. Apart from the biblical narrative of Lot's wife, "Orpheus and Eurydice" is the most famous example of a story centered on the "forbidden action" motif.
"Creation of the World" (Norse myth)
In this excerpt from "Voluspo" ("The Sibyl's Vision"), a wise woman relates how Othin (Odin) and his fellow gods created the world from the body of the frost-giant Ymir. These cryptic verses, written down in Old Icelandic but originating in the ancient Teutonic oral tradition, begin a collection of poems called "The Elder Edda," a crucial document in northern myth and a fount of inspiration for Tolkien.
"Khodumodumo" (African folktale)
Hiding from a shapeless ogre who is devouring every creature in its path, a woman gives birth to a boy who immediately grows to adulthood, slays the beast, and cuts the people and animals free from its body. Many variations of the "swallowing monster" motif occur in African folklore. The idea of a live person being recovered from a vanquished beast is familiar to us from the story of Little Red Riding Hood. In the European tradition, Hercules and the Irish hero Cuchulain are other examples of the child who displays adult powers.
"The Charmed Ring" (Hindu folktale)
A merchant's son is thought a fool for spending his inheritance to save the lives of three animals. But these very creatures help him gain a magic ring and the hand of a beautiful princess. The idea of doing the right thing for its own sake characterizes a folktale type called "the grateful dead," in which a hero starting on a journey gives his last penny so an anonymous corpse can receive a decent burial. Soon the traveler is joined by a companion, sometimes in animal form, who helps him gain his desires and is eventually revealed to be the ghost of the buried stranger. This theme of unforeseen benefits accruing to unselfish actions appears in The Hobbit and is especially prominent in The Lord of the Rings.
"Thomas the Rhymer" (Scottish ballad)
Thomas goes willingly to Faerie when the Queen of Elfland entices him to spend seven years with her. During their marvelous journey, the lady shows him three roads: one to Heaven, one to Hell, and one to Elfland. He chooses the third path. Upon returning home, Thomas becomes a famous prophet, called "True" for the accuracy of his predictions. This ballad, like those about Robin Hood in England and John Henry in America, is supposedly based on actual events.
Unit One Content
Comments for Teachers
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Value Line is regarded as the best independent research available. More than just recommendations, Value Line provides the rationale behind its picks for greater understanding.
- Don D., California
Industry Analysis: Diversified Chemicals
The companies that make up the Chemical/Diversified group are largely intermediate producers of a broad array of chemicals and industrial gases. Their products are mostly used as raw materials by manufacturing industries. Major end markets served include automotive (plastics, paints), residential (carpets, fixtures, furniture) and commercial construction (glass, metals, wood), agriculture (fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides), commercial aerospace (carbon fiber composites), and general manufacturing customers. Chemical/Diversified stocks are more commonly characterized as growth-and-income holdings, and are generally suited to investors seeking broad exposure to the manufacturing sector of the economy.
The products made by these companies fall into three main categories. Basic Chemicals have commodity-like characteristics and are sold in large volumes. These include petrochemicals, such as polymers used to make plastics and other man-made fibers. The category also includes such derivatives as carbon black and synthetic rubbers. Specialty Chemicals are more performance critical, value-added products, usually made to customer specifications. These include industrial gases, coatings, and chemicals used in electronics manufacturing. Finally, the Life Sciences segment encompasses animal health, crop protection, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical-related products.
End markets supplied by this group typically face a wide range of economic prospects. Nonetheless, serving a variety of customers and geographic regions usually provides some downside protection in the form of diversified income streams. In general, though, basic chemicals have less pricing power during downturns, making specialty and life sciences products more stable in terms of profitability. Still, overall economic conditions play a large role. As such, the group's performance will largely mirror that of the broader manufacturing economy. In that regard, the Institute for Supply Management's Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) can be a useful guide. This index is designed to indicate whether the manufacturing sector as a whole is expanding (over 50) or contracting (below 50).
Input costs are also key. Indeed, companies in this group consume large amounts of natural gas and oil, which are mostly used as feedstock. Naturally, lower input costs translate into higher margins, and vice versa. However, it's the volatility in the pricing of these two commodities that warrants more careful attention from an investment prospective, as changes are quickly reflected on the bottom line. As a result, most of these companies employ some degree of hedging to smooth out rapid price moves. Oil and natural gas prices are less of an issue for those supplying industrial gases, where the primary concern relates to the utilization of production capacity.
Growth Via Globalization
The domestic market for chemicals is largely mature. Namely, the sizable automotive and housing sectors, through the economic cycle, post very modest average annual growth. The same is also true for the food industry (plastic bottles, agricultural products). By comparison, developing countries, most notably China and India, hold huge potential for rapid expansion in nearly all sectors.
The majority of the companies in this group have long been capitalizing on the opportunities presented by this trend, and have steadily diversified operations, building far flung production facilities. Whereas a couple of decades ago, overseas business accounted for a relatively small portion of sales, that figure has grown substantially, now accounting for 60% or more of total revenue.
In addition to the promise of high growth potential, building an international presence helps reduce exposure to economic downturns in any one region. Geographic diversification has also often resulted in a reduction of the overall corporate tax burden, because overseas jurisdictions usually have lower rates than those of the U.S. One of the potential drawbacks to this strategy, however, is increased currency risk. Reported overseas sales can boost results when the U.S. dollar weakens. But the opposite holds true if the dollar strengthens. Meanwhile, for many of these companies, international transportation costs are prohibitive (most notably for industrial gases), requiring them to make their products where they are to be sold. This also provides a natural hedge, in that production costs are priced in local currencies.
High Capital Requirements
Most of Chemical/Diversified companies are capital intensive, reflecting the large manufacturing facilities required to produce bulk quantities. Combined with the high technology requirements, this gives the industry a competitive advantage in terms of high barriers to entry.
Because the industry operates with such high fixed costs, modest changes in sales can lead to wide swings in net income. During periods of strong demand, these costs may be spread over a larger sales base. As such, it's important to keep an eye on capacity utilization rates. Often, during economic downturns, when capacity usage is low, pricing power becomes more limited and operating margins suffer.
Continuous capital investment is necessary to upgrade or replace existing facilities. Periods of stepped-up spending-to expand capacity or increase efficiency-often raise debt burdens and restrain free cash flow improvement. Investors should be aware of what, if any, major projects are in the offing.
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The trading system on the Oslo Stock Exchange was altered in 2002, making it both easier and cheaper for foreigners to trade on the Exchange. The foreigners promptly took advantage of the invitation, buying substantial shares in Norwegian listed companies.
In his doctoral project at BI Norwegian Business School, financial researcher Kjell Jørgensen has conducted three studies of the share market’s micro-structure.
In one of the studies he examined the role played by foreigners on the Oslo Stock Exchange and placed particular emphasis on the effects of changes in the trading system on the exchange.
During the period from 2002 to 2007, the percentage of shares in the Norwegian share market owned by foreigners grew from around 20 per cent to more than 40 per cent. The strong influx of foreigners has brought lasting higher prices for Norwegian shares.
For companies listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the increased foreign ownership has brought positive effects in the form of access to cheaper capital.
“The price increase on Norwegian shares is equivalent to a reduction of capital costs of more than 1 per cent per year in the period from 2002 to 2007,” says the BI researcher.
In addition, the increased foreign ownership by foreigners has resulted in better liquidity in the Norwegian share market – it has become easier to buy and sell shares. The effect of improved liquidity actually means that the estimate of 1 per cent lower capital costs is conservative.
According to Jørgensen, lower capital costs have considerable positive ripple effects on the Norwegian economy – increased investment, more robust real economic growth, more jobs and higher tax revenues.
The boost from foreign investors is mainly due to the fact that they are finding it profitable to use the Norwegian share market to spread risk, after it became cheaper and easier to trade shares on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
“For this, they are willing to pay a premium, i.e. higher price, which greatly benefits Norwegian listed companies,” says Jørgensen.
Rejects Robin Hood tax
According to Jørgensen, the study also illustrates what would happen if we were to introduce a tax on financial transactions, a so-called Robin Hood tax.
Jørgensen believes that such a tax would mean reduced liquidity and higher capital costs – the opposite effect of making it easier and cheaper to trade shares.
In today’s financial markets, where well more than half of the trades are algorithm-based and motivated by margins much lower than 0.1 per cent, such a tax would spell the end of most of this trading, according to the financial researcher.
“That would be unfortunate, as research shows that such short-term trading strategies contribute to less price fluctuation and more liquidity in the markets,” says Jørgensen.
His opinion is that a tax on financial transactions would entail a reduction in state income that is greater than the revenues such a tax would bring.
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Home Page Faithful to the Magisterium Ubi Petrus, Ibi Ecclesia Write to Marty Why Catholic? Because True.
Evangelizing Jews Catholics Protestants Atheists Freemasons Liberals Muslims New Age Jewish Antimissionaries Using Second Exodus to Evangelize Jews Why Catholics Evangelize Jews Proselytize vs Evangelize
Holy Mother Church does not have a formal program for evangelizing Jews. More than anything else, we evangelize Jews through the example of life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, § 578, declares. “Jesus, Israel’s Messiah and therefore the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, was to fulfill the Law by keeping it in its all-embracing detail – according to his own words, down to the least of these commandments. Mt 5:19 He is in fact the only one who could keep it perfectly.” The more Christlike we are, the more Jews will see through the Church’s Latin culture to her Jewish heart.
Jesus calls us to be fishers of men. Fishermen are patient. We invite the Holy Spirit to work in our Jewish friend’s heart and in our own. Sometimes a Jew will approach a Catholic with some questions about the Church. We provide what is asked of us, and ask whether he has any other questions or whether there is more we can do. If he shows further interest, we can invite him to visit our parish church. If he continues to show interest, we may invite him to attend our parish’s next RCIA class.
When answering objections to, or questions about, the Catholic faith, it may be helpful to learn more about similar issues that often arise in the Jewish-Catholic dialogue.
There are also some special issues when we evangelize Jews:
|Why Catholics Evangelize Jews||Some Jews Do Not Want to Hear It|
|Using Second Exodus to Evangelize an Inquiring Jew||The Second Coming|
|Antimissionaries||The “Separate Saving Covenant"|
Copyright © 1999-2010 Martin K Barrack. All rights reserved.
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For those constantly fretting about the inability of Muslims to integrate or assimilate into western culture, fret no more!
American Muslims finally have their own reality TV show – the Learning Channel's "All-American Muslim" – focusing on the lives of five American Muslim families in Dearborn, Michigan, who are predominantly Lebanese and Shiite. The show's premiere gave TLC huge ratings and made the show No 2 in its time period. Mainstream critics have embraced the show citing it as "intimate and informative" and a "deeply intriguing, uncharacteristically thoughtful reality series".
Reality TV is the current zeitgeist of popular culture. Unlike the euro, it is the predominant cultural currency, whose value is skyrocketing. America is on a first-name basis with their cultural ambassadors: Snookie, Kate Plus 8, Paris, Ozzie and Kim. Could Shadia, the show's tattooed, country music-loving Lebanese American Muslim, with an Irish Catholic boyfriend, belong in the pantheon?
"[All American Muslim] is just a natural fit for us …We're always all about telling compelling stories about real families," says TLC's Alan Orstein, VP of production and development. But some have already taken deep offense to this "reality" show, which claims to portray the "real" lives of Muslims.
Within days of the show's premiere, the fear-mongering Islamphobia network complained the show is actually propaganda that promotes a "submission to Islam through the hijab" and "tries to make a religion which believes in world domination and the inferiority of women, seem normal". The author of this article, posted on David Horowitz's inflammatory Front Page Magazine, also goes on to compare Muslims to Nazis: "Muslims are like us [Americans]; that's the problem. The Nazis were like us too. So were the Communists."
Apparently, TLC is a stealth-jihadist outfit with grand schemes to brainwash American women into burning their swimsuits and tank tops and replacing them with modest, traditional Islamic clothing as a gradual means towards converting them to Islam. I'll be waiting for their next reality TV show: "UV Radiation Fighters."
Pamela Geller, founder of the shrill Atlas Shrugs blog and co-founder with blogger Robert Spencer of Stop Islamization of America, is convinced the show "is an attempt to manipulate Americans into ignoring the threat of jihad". Who would have thought a reality TV show could have so much brainwashing potential? Instead of mounting violent campaigns, all our enemies needed to secure victory was to produce "The Real Housewives of al-Qaida."
If Geller, Spencer and Horowitz were producing their version of American Muslim reality, the episodes would focus on the families' radical stealth jihadist plots. Through eight episodes, they would attempt to turn McDonald's golden arches into minarets, transform California to Caliph-ornia, place a burqa over the Statute of Liberty, creep sharia into the Denny's breakfast menu, and spike the elementary school eggnog with sumac and lentils.
A "real Muslim" according to many is this anti-American, extremist, violent stereotype – an image often plastered over news headlines. This myth is unsurprising, perhaps, considering 60% of Americans say they don't know a Muslim. Furthermore, the No 1 source of information about Muslims for American is the media, and often, the images are negative. Yet, according to all the studies and evidence, the reality of American Muslims is that they are moderate, loyal to America, optimistic about America's future, in tune with American values, well-educated, and are the nation's most diverse religious community.
That being said, nearly half of American Muslims say they have faced discrimination. The FBI just announced anti-Muslim hate crimes have risen 50%. And a Republican presidential candidate with an alleged proclivity towards sexual harassment and unintentionally hilarious campaign videos has claimed a majority of Muslim Americans are extremists.
The portrayal of Muslims living their daily lives is not only a welcome relief from the usual tawdry caricatures of Muslims as terrorists, extremists and taxi cab drivers, but it also helps defuse the deep-seated fears and bias that unfairly lumps 1.5 billion members of a faith in with the perverse criminal actions of a few.
However, even American Muslims have voiced their criticisms with the show. The Twitterverse exploded (figuratively) with comments reflecting the diversity of the American Muslim opinions. Some said the show misleads with the title "All-American Muslim", since it solely focuses on one niche religious, ethnic community (Lebanese Shiite in Dearborn, Michigan) and leaves out the majority of American Muslim communities, such as African Americans, South Asians, Sunnis and those from the low-income middle class. Others, apparently, want their TV Muslims to be avatars of religious and moral perfection and complained about some of the characters' portrayal of Islam. (Shadia is a tattooed, partying rebel dating a white, Irish Catholic man who converts to Islam in order to marry her. Nina is a busty, dyed-blonde, opinionated business woman, with a penchant for tight dresses and ambitions to open her own club.)
Which only goes to show that representing Muslims and Islam in the mainstream is an utterly thankless job. The term "Muslim" is itself so politically and culturally loaded that it is impossible to escape controversy, no matter how trivial or manufactured. Since Muslims are a marginalised community with very few positive mainstream representations, audiences unfairly project onto these five families all their own insecurities, assumptions, fears, political ideologies, religious opinions, personal stories and other gratuitous baggage. So, if the characters do not 100% reflect the reality of certain audience members, then they cease to be authentic or valid.
The five families on "All-American Muslim" should not be asked to represent all Muslims, Arabs or Americans. Does Jersey Shore represent all Italians? If so, you can hear Frank Sinatra crooning in his grave. Similarly, Kim Kardashian does not represent all narcissistic, wannabe socialites with a fetish for athletes. (That may be an insult to fetishes.)
The best way to view "All-American Muslim" is simply a show about five families doing their best to be themselves. They're just people, who happen to identify as Muslim, Arab and American. Their story isn't the wild-eyed, paranoid fantasy that is colored by the hate-filled minds of the Islamophobia network. It isn't the terrorist stereotype familiar to most American audiences thanks to mainstream Hollywood depictions and sensationalised news headlines. And it won't be the story of this nation's 3-4 million American Muslims (population estimates vary from 1.3 to 7 million), who will hopefully find more avenues to tell their unique narratives through mainstream outlets.
In the meantime, we should exhale and simply let this reality TV show succeed or fail on the merits of its ability to entertain, instead of obsessing about how "realistic" its depiction of Islam and Muslims is. If the ratings decline, TLC can always create a new talent show featuring the cast members of "The Real Housewives" and "All-American Muslim", judged by Kim Kardashian and Ozzy Osbourne, whose winner gets an opportunity to join all the previous winners from "Dancing with the Stars" in a new "Survivor" series about who lives beyond the 15th minute of fame.
That's a reality show whose authenticity cannot be denied.
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Liberty is believed to be both an intrinsic good in the sense that it is a good because of its intimate relationship to what is widely accepted to be distinctive and valuable about human beings, but liberty is also instrumental good – good through its connection to human flourishing to the effective functioning of a market place of ideas, which again might be another description of science itself.
It is the fundamental duty of the state to secure the safety of people – but…in which direction lies the safety of people? Does it lie in the free publication of science or does it lie in various sorts of control measures.
……..some of these are clearly the protections of which Hobbes speaks, others are the set of liberties necessary to protect rights and promote human flourishing. It is the balance between these, it seems to me, which we are concerned.
The challenge is to take responsible risk, in pursuit of among other things, public safety.
There is simply no such thing as risk free approach to security. The precautionary principal is an illusion, because in order to implement it, we have to know in which direction precaution lies, that is just what we don’t know, because it is too complicated to work it out; in almost all cases precaution walks both sides of every street.
‘As we compare the current threat posed by bioterrorism, and our past experience with the threat of influenza, we would argue that the nature itself should be considered the prime bioterrorist.’
‘The whole practice of medicine might be described as the comprehensive attempt to frustrate the cause of nature………. and to prevent nature from killing people in its usual extravagant fashion. If we are to provide for the safety of people, we need a dual uses of solutions.
(John Harris, Merton College Oxford)
John Harris was one of the Founder Directors of the International Association of Bioethics and is a founder member of the Board of the journal Bioethics and is also the joint Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Medical Ethics.
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Spoilage is a simple touch game that is as infectious as the cutesy bacterium that earn the app its name. The first game app from IGG Software, Spoilage marks a departure from the company's more business savvy apps: iBank 3, a professional finance app, and iBiz 3, a program management app.
Spoilage is a battle royal over space on a slice of Swiss cheese. As purple bacteria you fight against the dreaded green bacteria for dominance, and in the end only one can rule the cheese.
To win the slice you must multiply by landing next to green bacterium and turning them purple, all the while trying to avoid being turned green. There are two moves in which you can use to gain ground as the valiant purple bacteria: you can replicate and you can jump. When you replicate you move only one space but keep the square you had previously occupied. When you jump you travel further but are forced to abandon the square you jumped from as fair game for your opponent.
Obstacles such as holes and oil spots are also thrown in the mix to keep things challenging. Depending on where you are on the board, these may limit your ability to replicate, forcing you to veer around them or jump over them. There are also three different levels of play from which to choose from: "Smelly," "Rancid," and "Rotten."
When interviewed about the game, James Gillespie remarked: "Ultimately I was trying to create something you could play if you only had a few minutes to kill, but that would still be challenging if you'd already played it a million times." Spoilage is just that, easy to pick up again and again but just as hard to put down every time.
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Are you God?
If faith is an expression, however simplified, of truth as it is, even though it is not understood, then it can work, like poetry, because the words and ideas are stronger than those using them know.
And then I return to this view of religion - that obviously in many ways, perhaps in all ways, it cannot be true but the structure of behaviour, of ideas, which religion offers us can be helpful, may be vital to our continued existence as conscious human beings.
And we use the terminology of old religion so far as it is valuable and demonstrates some imprecise insight into what has been happening and will happen.
Consciousness is a potentiality of matter
The non-existence of the soul, of the mind, as something separate, is the only guarantee of truth
Matter produces truth as inevitably as a stone falls to the ground
Decay of God. God! Strike me with lightning!
Man has never been the same since God died.
If there is a God, how would we know what difference it would make or ought to make?
If there is not a God, how would one know what difference it would make or ought to make?
Who else knows whether or not there is a God?
How did they come to know?
Why should we believe it?
How have we come to give importance to the question whether or not there is a God?
Why cannot we ask "is there a boojum"?
Are there more important or interesting questions to ask than whether or not there is a God?
To think that we could grasp the plan or system if 'God' had a plan or system is the delusion of primitive minds. We can plant seeds or grow crystals. 'God's' seed or crystal is unfathomable - if there is 'God'
'God' might set ticking the evolutionary universe, to allow this complex to work out its own direction, its own future - of which mankind would be one minute element, one possible line of development. We need not be constrained by the chances of any particular history or fable. We would come to recognise that this universe is a choice, a selection out of an infinite number of possibilities - the wonder is that it is this, and that we find ourselves a part of it, looking at it as best we can
What interest could God have in creating a human race? - or setting in train the process of evolution of life and beyond? How could God communicate his existence - except by remarkable coincidences, the facilitation of progress and discovery?
If there were 'God', 'God's' action would be subtle far beyond all our speculation. If 'God' for some purpose spoke to us, how could we recognise 'God's' voice? Like our own voice, like no voice, like not-voice?
We ascribe personhood, intelligence and goodness to 'God' to flatter ourselves, to make 'God' in what we believe to be our own likeness. But we do not understand even our own awareness, our own feeling of self, our own intelligence, our own aspiration to goodness and 'God' if there is 'God' would be so much more, so much beyond us. We could only say 'O altitudo'.
In addressing God we show that we think of God in some way as a person to whom words can be addressed. I can hardly say 'Oh, Universe - hear me!' though I can say 'O God, hear me!' But when we address people, we do so because we believe in their existence, in the existence of something that can be affected by our words. How can I pray, in the form of prayer which is like speaking to an individual? But I still feel the need for this kind of prayer - perhaps prayer rather than contemplation and meditation - prayer in a spirit recognising the mystery of all existence, of my existence, the mystery of our prayer.
Spare me, world, spare me, God - have mercy on me
In the meditation one cannot say, Oh God, Oh Universe, oh space and time, - but one can say - how mysterious it is, this God, this universe, this space and time - how mysterious that I could be a part of it, of them.
The self is a construct (of the internal) as God is a construct (of the external)
'God' as a concept of energetic significance, a concept physiologically (biochemically, muscularly) cancelling the concept of 'self' ?
So God - the one who is not us, not me, not the whole struggling humanity, is an essential idea to complete ourselves, to define ourselves. The suffering of others, of another, his death for us, is an expression of the linking of feeling which must unite humanity, will unite humanity at some time in the future.
I begin to see room for ( ! ) the possibility of God in the universe - but a future God or one without any of the trappings, the rubbish, the childishness, attached to the historical God. You see, I must be stern with God!
So that we realise that we are taking part in the coming to being of "God" in the universe This God being the expression of the direction in which the Universe is developing So that when God comes into being, the present, future and past of material existence will be united in a single timeless knowledge, looking out over all time and all space And by the coming to being of this God who will sweep up the past into the consciousness of God, the whole of existence becomes a timeless unity And each being will form part of this existence
Nor is this new perception a narrowly human feeling. All creatures, all organisms, have contributed, are contributing to the forward movement. History is continuous with pre-history and with post-history. We shall say:'God' has come into being.
Can there be religious love? This is said in the Western Christian tradition to take two forms: love thy neighbour and love God. Other religions have developed intense practices of the 'mystical' love of God, or of gods, though non-Christian religions place less or no emphasis on love of one's fellow-man as such. The love of God is a more difficult idea. If love is a transfer of the self-centre, the centre of gravity of oneself, with the incorporation of a model of the other along with or in the model of one's self, then how can a model of God be said to be incorporated in or introduced alongside the model of one's self? What can we know about God or how can we empathetically perceive God?
I am searching for a new form of prayer, prayer as an activity that takes me beyond myself. But all contemplation of the world, of life, of other people,of the totality of what is, can do this. All recognition of my own littleness, my own weakness, my own insignificance in the whole of things, can do this. All contemplation of my birth and very soon death, of the clouds over my head, and of the reality of love as a force binding together, bringing together all our knowledge of the Universe, and with it all our life and cultures.
As one who listens to another speaking from a high tower
The ever-present miracle of the universe and our own lives
The noble longing for the truth of the scientist is exactly the same as the longing of the spiritual man for God, for God is Truth
A lamp whose light is steady, for it burns in a shelter where no winds come
This calm steadiness of the senses is called Yoga
The path is narrow as the edge of a razor
Keep the mind pure, for what a man thinks that he becomes
Ser, nada mas. Y basta.
Man should not dispute or assert, but whisper results to his neighbour
Can we know what allows us to be conscious of our own consciousness?
It is not thought we should want to know: we should know the thinker
Darkness was hidden in darkness.
He only knows, or perhaps he knows not.
The spirit is not this, is not this, cannot be comprehended, cannot pass away, is beyond suffering and fear
Those who know him who is the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind and the life of life
He that does good becomes good
At the point of the heart a light shines
How can the knower be known?
Who sees all beings in his own self, and his own self in all beings, loses all fear
Who impels us to utter these words?
The word that all the Vedas glorify, that word is the highest end
Beyond the spirit in man is the spirit of the universe
The soul dwells within us, a flame the size of a thumb
As pure water raining on pure water becomes one and the same
Follow the spiritual path of the North
Beyond thought and invisible, beyond family and colour, neither eyes nor ears, neither hands nor feet, everlasting and omnipresent, infinite in the great and infinite in the small
Wandering in the paths of unwisdom
Those who in purity and faith live in the solitude of the forest, who have wisdom and peace and long not for earthly possessions
He who knows all and sees all
In the supreme golden chamber
Their passions have gone
As rivers flowing into the ocean find their final peace and their name and form disappear
In truth who knows god becomes god
The awakened life of supreme consciousness ... peace and love
The wandering swan of the soul The wandering swan everlasting
With whom shall we compare him whose glory is the whole universe
Who is the driver of the chariot?
In the consciousness of Brahman the universe is
He alone is awake in eternity.
God is sound and silence.
It is not mind we should want to know: we should know the thinker
Because Brahman is prayer
I have gone beyond the universe and the light of the sun is my light
In the inner world Brahman is consciousness; in the outer world all this universe is in truth Brahman.
The reality is clay
I am above and below. I am the whole universe
The word is behind all names
Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful
The sage does not hoard Having given all he has to others, he is richer still
To know yet to think one does not know is best
A journey of a thousand miles starts from beneath one's feet
The sage desires not to desire
Even if a man is not good why should he be abandoned?
The sage shines but does not dazzle
One who knows does not speak
The great way is easy but the people prefer by-paths
The way gives them life
Those who are not good I also treat as good
There is no crime greater than having too many desires
The great image has no shape
The highest renown is without renown
The way is for ever nameless
There is no glory in victory
The sage abandons no one
Born before heaven and earth Silent and void It stands alone and does not change I know not its name So I style it 'the way'
A gusty wind cannot last all morning
He does not boast and so endures
In every movement a man of great virtue Follows the way and the way only
As a thing the way is Shadowy, indistinct Yet within it is an image
Calm like the sea Like a high wind that never ceases
I do my utmost to attain emptiness I hold firmly to stillness
Can you polish your mysterious mirror?
Better to hold fast to the void
The way that can be named Is not the constant way
Zen, a comprehensive term for the experience of Reality
Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone altogether beyond
Show me your mind
Seeing into one's own nature
No thinking will achieve Zen
What can I do to be free? Who puts you under restraint?
Let the mind alight nowhere
Be serene in the oneness of things
The perfect way when freed from hate and love
Zen is the Universe itself
Those who know do not speak
Such a tide as, moving, seems to sleep
There is no other time than this instant
Man as a process rather than entity
Playing the stringless lute
One seeks and seeks, but cannot find. One then gives up, and the answer comes by itself.
What is the Tao? A cloud in the sky and water in the jug.
No one notices him because he does not notice himself
The fish swims in the water but is unmindful of the water
When it's time to get dressed, put on your clothes
To arrive at reality - at suchness
The ordinary mind is the Tao
No image sticks in the mirror
In walking, just walk
An eye that sees, but cannot see itself
I was the cosmos
Trees show the bodily form of the wind
Playing the lute under the moon
Riding an ox in search of the ox
The Tao like the empty sky
Not founded on words and letters Pointing directly to the human mind
Bring out your mind and I will pacify it!
All grasping is futile for there is nothing to be grasped
The mind simply perceives without words or concepts
Remove the hindrances to the clarity of awareness
Fire cannot burn itself
After experience had taught me that all the usual surroundings of social life are vain and futile I finally resolved to find whether, in fact, there might be anything of which the discovery and attainment would enable me to enjoy continuous, supreme, and unending happiness.
Love towards a thing eternal and infinite feeds the mind wholly with joy
Man conceives a human character much more stable than his own and sees that there is no reason why he should not himself acquire such a character. That character is the knowledge of the union existing between the mind and the whole of nature.
I wish to direct all sciences to one end and aim
The sum total of being
The eternal and infinite Being, which we call God or Nature
Virtue is nothing but action in accordance with the laws of one's own nature
Wherefore he strives to conceive things as they really are
It is impossible that man should not be a part of nature
The endeavour of the better part of ourselves is in harmony with the order of nature as a whole
Complete acquiescence is the result of the right way of life
As regards the human mind, I believe that it also is a part of nature; there exists in nature an infinite power of thinking, which in so far as it is infinite contains subjectively the whole of nature, and its thoughts proceed in the same manner as nature. I take the human mind to be identical with this said power; the human mind is part of an infinite understanding
God has no personal qualities since he is not a being independent of, or separate from, the universe. The proper attitude is the appreciation of the divine character of everything, through understanding the nature of reality. Through comprehending the structure of the universe, by means of grasping the vast scientific system that determines the various specific events of the cosmos, one is expressing the intellectual love of God, and recognising the pantheistic character of the world.
Strictly speaking, God does not love or hate anyone
God is the indwelling and not the transient cause of all things
By God I mean a substance consisting in infinite attributes, of which each expression is eternal and infinite essentiality
The power whereby each particular thing and consequently man, preserves his being, is the power of God or Nature - the infinite power of Nature
The eternal and infinite being, which we call God or Nature, acts by the same necessity as that whereby it exists
I believe the human mind is a part of nature; there exists in nature an infinite power of thinking which, insofar as it is infinite, contains subjectively the whole of nature and its thoughts precisely in the same manner as nature. I take the human mind to be identical with this said power - insofar as it is finite and perceives only the human body; in this manner, I maintain, the human mind is a part of an infinite understanding [but perhaps this infinite understanding does not yet exist?]
If the universe is everywhere and in all its parts alive
The identity of God and the universal nature is conceived as a physical identity
Life to be lived in accordance with the whole nature of the universe, which is identical with God
By this kind of discussion, we begin to define God
An insight deeper than common into the nature and powers of the human mind and its union with the human body (Oldenburg to Spinoza)
Sources: various including Upanishads, Rig Veda, Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Christmas Humphreys, Juan Mascaro, Alan Watts, Spinoza, RMA, GMR
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Top 10 Most Bizarre Mythical Animal Combinations
We’e all familiar with mythological creatures such as the Sphinx, with the head of a man and the body of a lion. But what about the more obscure animal combinations, ones that truly looked like science experiments gone awry? Combos such as the following aren’t nearly as famous, probably because they’re more than a little bizarre and freaky. Which, to be honest, is also why they should be more famous.
Otherwise known as an ant-lion, this guy had a lion’s head on the body of an ant. It wanted to eat meat, but couldn’t, because the ant body could not digest it. Interestingly enough, the idea of these creatures probably originated because of a mistranslation. Apparently, the Hebrew word for lion can be easily misunderstood as a lion/ant combo. Someone copied it down as such, and this left people in later generations to explain what an “ant lion” was. The text of likely origin for this creature is thus found in the Bible at Job 4:11- “The lion perishes for lack of prey.” Later writers used this short-lived mythical creature as a metaphor for the inevitability of there being things beyond our control.
This was a whale with a neck like a snake, and a giant turtle shell on top of its back. Commonly known as a “snake whale,” this fantastic animal was said to be 50-100 feet in length, around the length of an average blue whale. Like real whales, they mainly fed on very small fish, snapping their long snake necks out to grab them, and then engulfing them like a whale. Although these monstrous creatures could have easily been portrayed as a menace to sailors, they instead were described as passive creatures, only attacking humans if provoked.
8. Bishop Fish
This creature had the lower body of a fish, and the upper body and clothes of a Catholic monk. These were somewhat like male mermaids except, instead of falling in love with people on land, they loved God. These sea people were first recorded in 1433. According to legend, one was found swimming in the Baltic Sea, and then was taken to the King of Poland. He wanted to keep it, but a group of Catholic land bishops freed it after it showed them the sign of the cross.
A Hippocampus had the head of a horse, and the body of a dolphin. So it was a literal sea-horse. It was featured in both Phoenician and Greek mythology. The poet Homer described Poseidon, the God of the seas, as having a chariot pulled by brazen hoofed horses over the surface of the water. These beasts spawned other stories about similar creatures, such as sea-goats. On modern flags and emblems, a real life sea-horse is referred to as a hippocami, a reference to these ancients.
Adlets were said to be werewolf-like creatures, that resulted as the son of a woman and a giant red dog. Yes, like Clifford. This huge “wolf-man” type creature originated in Inuit stories in Greenland and the Eastern coast of Canada. They were usually portrayed as being in conflict with men, most often with the men ending up victorious. They were also sometimes described as being cannibals. We aren’t sure if that means they ate men or dogs … or perhaps other adlets, which we assume they would have few opportunities to do.
This thing was said to have the head of a rooster, the wings of a dragon, and the tail of a snake, but with a deadly stinger on the end. It also has poisonous breath, and could kill with one look from its eye. Related to the Basilisk monster, it was born from a chicken’s egg laid from a serpent. Why a snake would lay a chicken’s egg is unclear. This legendary beast was first mentioned extensively in English tales in the 12th century. It was mentioned in some later translations of the Bible, in symbolic passages. Later editions most often changed the translation to viper.
This was a half-horse, half-rooster concoction, the oldest known representation of which dates back to the 9th century BC. It appeared on Athenian vase paintings and shields, most often with a rider included. This particular animal combination probably arose due to the dual symbolism of the horse and rooster. The horse represented a safe voyage to the afterlife, and the rooster represented the driving away of demons. The symbolism of the rooster arose because the rooster made its noise as the day began, and thus many saw this as the driving away of night, which represented demons and death.
This was a half-bull, half-serpent, that originated in ancient Greek mythology. It was first mentioned in Fasti, a Latin poem written by Ovid. In this work, the dead remains of the animal were said to grant the power to defeat the Gods if burned. That’s correct; the way to destroy the most powerful beings in the Universe, was to burn the guts of a half-cow, half-snake. According to legend, the original creature was killed during the war between the Titans and the Olympians, but the innards were retrieved by an eagle sent by Zeus. We aren’t sure why the father of the Gods would save a creature that could destroy them.
A Scylla had a body that consisted of twelve tentacle-like legs, a cat’s tail, and six dog-heads around her waist. Mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey, she was a monstrous sea goddess who haunted the rocks of certain narrow strait, opposite the whirlpool demon Kharybdis. Ships that sailed too close to her would have six of their crew gobbled up by her dog mouths. Late classical writers say that she was once a beautiful nymph, who was turned into a deadly creature by a witch, who was jealous of her love with the sea-God Glaukos.
These were four magical beings, who invented the art of metalworking. It was said that they designed Poseidon’s signature trident, as well as the sickle that Kronos used to castrate his father. They were described as having the heads of dogs, and fish-flippers for hands. We aren’t quite sure how one could learn how to perfect, much less invent, the art of metalworking without any fingers, but cleearly they knew something we did not.
They eventually angered the Gods (not a hard thing to do, apparently,) because they began to use magic for treacherous purposes. Specifically, they began to dabble in alchemy, mixing water from the river Styx and sulfur, producing a hybrid that killed plants and animals. Accounts vary on how the Gods dealt with them. Some stories said that Zeus’s thunderbolt, or Poseidon’s trident, killed them; others claim that he merely cast them down beneath the sea.
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For the second time in as many years, the People’s Republic of China has been hit by a devastating earthquake causing substantial loss of life and massive damage.
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck in the morning of Wednesday 14 April and so far more than 400 people are confirmed dead and 10,000 are known to be injured. The numbers of both dead and injured are expected to rise substantially.
The quake struck in the province of Qinghai, with the worst affected area being Yushu, a Tibetan autonomous prefecture. 93 percent of the local population are of Tibetan nationality.
Although this is a sparsely populated area, casualties will be high, due to the area’s remoteness, high altitude, low level of economic development, the fact that many local people are still living in poverty, a large number of aftershocks, bad weather conditions, and the logistical and infrastructural problems that all these factors create. Most of Yushu county is remote and inaccessible mountainous terrain, with an average altitude of 4,493 metres, which makes rescue work even more grueling due to the shortage of oxygen.
Many people are trapped in the rubble of homes and schools, most of which were made from wood and mud. The quake also toppled temples, petrol stations and electricity supply lines, triggered landslides, damaged roads, cut power supplies and disrupted telecommunications. A reservoir developed cracks which workers are trying to repair. Roads leading to the local airport have been damaged, hampering relief efforts, temperatures are below freezing, with snow, sleet and rain all forecast for the coming days. Currently all local electricity and gas supplies have been cut off.
In this bleak situation, the hope of the local Tibetan people, as with people of all nationalities across the vast land of China, rests as ever with the Communist Party, the People’s Government, the People’s Liberation Army and the working class.
President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao immediately ordered local authorities to spare no effort in search and rescue operations and in caring for the victims. Thousands of soldiers and rescue workers have been dispatched to the area. Vice Premier Hui Liangyu rushed to the quake-hit region to supervise rescue operations on behalf of the party and government.
Last night on CCTV9, China’s English-language TV station, a seismology expert, said that it is at times like this that the world must see the Chinese people at their best, sparing no effort and pulling together as one family. His words speak to the essence of socialism, which Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out long ago is the only thing that can save China. In its Thursday 15 April edition, the China Daily noted that the existence of an airport near the quake epicentre was of considerable help to relief efforts, adding that this demonstrated “the importance of building more small airports in remote regions of China, despite their limited economic potential.” The paper went on to quote a leading civil aviation official:
“Railway or road transport would be a slower way to move supplies and rescuers, and, once one point is blocked, the whole line becomes useless…
“Small airports may lose money in general, but their strategic importance cannot be gauged by money.” (Airport vital lifeline to relief effort)
At this moment, the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) shares the grief and anguish of our class sisters and brothers in China. We, too, believe that only socialism can save China and all humanity, and we extend our solidarity to the heroic People’s Liberation Army, the saviours of the masses of Tibetan people for more than half a century, and all the brave and selfless comrades participating in the relief effort. No hardship or challenge has ever daunted the great Chinese people and this present tragedy will be no exception.
There is one further point which we feel compelled to make. The majority of those killed and otherwise affected by this tragedy are of Tibetan nationality. And the quake-hit area lies within what the Dalai Lama refers to as “Greater Tibet”, as part of the attempts by this disgusting feudal relic to break up China at the behest of his imperialist masters. But whilst the people of all nationalities in China, led by the Communist Party and the People’s Government, once again rally to the rescue of their Tibetan compatriots, what will the Dalai Lama, his feudal coterie and his well-heeled followers in the West do to ease the people’s suffering? Will the naïve Hollywood liberals who seem to feel some mystic aura emanating from clerical robes donate even five minutes of their income to rebuilding homes and schools? Facts once again show who are the true friends of the Tibetan people. It is high time that people in the West realised the truth and rejected the deceitful propaganda of the Dalai Lama and his supporters.
The CPGB-ML, in sending condolences to the Chinese people, also takes this opportunity to reaffirm our unyielding support for their national integrity and socialist construction.
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Front Page Titles (by Subject) 2: Rational Action - Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis
The Online Library of Liberty
A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
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2: Rational Action - Ludwig von Mises, Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis
Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis, trans. J. Kahane, Foreword by F.A. Hayek (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1981).
About Liberty Fund:
Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.
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Action based on reason, action therefore which is only to be understood by reason, knows only one end, the greatest pleasure of the acting individual. The attainment of pleasure, the avoidance of pain—these are its intentions. By this, of course, we do not mean “pleasure” and “pain” in the sense in which these terms used to be used. In the terminology of the modern economist, pleasure is to be understood as embracing all those things which men hold to be desirable, all that they want and strive for. There can therefore be no longer any contrast between the “noble” ethics of duty and the vulgar hedonistic ethics. The modern concept of pleasure, happiness, utility, satisfaction and the like includes all human ends, regardless of whether the motives of action are moral or immoral, noble or ignoble, altruistic or egotistical.3
In general men act only because they are not completely satisfied. Were they always to enjoy complete happiness, they would be without will, without desire, without action. In the land of the lotus-eaters there is no action. Action arises only from need, from dissatisfaction. It is purposeful striving towards something. Its ultimate end is always to get rid of a condition which is conceived to be deficient—to fulfil a need, to achieve satisfaction, to increase happiness. If men had all the external resources of nature so abundantly at their disposal that they were able to obtain complete satisfaction by action, then they could use them heedlessly. They would only have to consider their own powers and the limited time at their disposal. For, compared with the sum of their needs, they would still have only a limited strength and a limited life-time available. They would still have to economize time and labour. But to economy of materials they would be indifferent. In fact, however, materials are also limited, so that they too have to be used in such a way that the most urgent needs are satisfied first, with the least possible expenditure of materials for each satisfaction.
The spheres of rational action and economic action are therefore co-incident. All rational action is economic. All economic activity is rational action. All rational action is in the first place individual action. Only the individual thinks. Only the individual reasons. Only the individual acts. How society arises from the action of individuals will be shown in a later part of our discussion.
[3. ]Mill, Das Nützlichkeitsprinzip. Trans. Wahrmund, Gesammelte Werke, German ed. Th. Gomperz (Leipzig, 1869), vol, 1, pp. 125-200. Publisher’s Note: This is a German translation of Utilitarianism.
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Now here's a curious headline:
OMNIOUS TRENDS UNDERCUT DIP IN CITY'S CRIME FIGURES
by Indira A. R. Lakshmanan (Boston Globe 8/15/94, front page)
Serious crime in Boston is at a 20-year low, but criminologists warn that the improved numbers released last week should not give all residents a greater sense of security.
An analysis of national and local crime statistics shows that juveniles are committing substantially more crimes and that murder by gunfire has soared. At the same time, fear of crime - which undermines the quality of life, the value of real estate, and a city's ability to attract business - is surging.
Gosh, this sounds awful! It's not until you get to paragraph five that you find that in Boston murder is down 4 percent for the first six months of '94 compared to the first six of '93, rape is down 10 percent, and aggravated assault is down 9 percent. Violent crime is down nation-wide, in fact.
I went to one of my favorite books, "The Statistical Abstract of the United States" (1992) to get a longer view. The rate of violent crime has been fairly steady over the last 15 years. The murder rate actually fell between 1980 and 1990, although aggravated assault has risen quite a bit, and rape rose a little. The rate of victimization (that is, the number of people who are victims of crimes as a fraction of the population), has been slowly but steadily declining.
Yet fear of crime seems to be going up steadily. Politically, it's led to bizarre policies such as mandatory sentencing and life sentences for the third felony (which has not been enacted yet, thank goodness). Could this fear be related to the odd attitude displayed in the above newspaper story?
How about this for a theory: crime news is a product. Like all manufacturers, the makers of crime news strive to constantly broaden their market. They try to diversify their product line, increase public awareness of its existence, raise its quality, and increase its quantity.
Crime news has always been around, of course, but so have toothbrushes. In the early days crime news was a local product, the stories of the neighborhood, and people made toothbrushes from local twigs too. As industrial techniques became widespread, there grew to be national and then world-wide manufacturers of both. People specialized in its manufacture, and spent their careers thinking of better ways to make it. Now there are styles of toothbrush for every dental preference, and there is crime news at every level from books on Wall Street scandals to the gleeful ghastliness in the Enquirer.
Now everybody's got a toothbrush, and everybody's aware of crime. The degree of awareness doesn't correlate with the amount of it; it's just a byproduct of manufacturing progress. With the next leap in media penetration about to happen with the info highway, I predict that there will be another leap in crime awareness. Not only will you be able to live in a virtual world, you won't want to venture outside it. It's just not safe out there.
(c) John Redford, Aug-94Back to JLR's home page
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Frequently Asked Questions - ITS Benefits Database
- What is an ITS Benefits Database entry?
- What are the sources for ITS Benefits Database entries?
- How is the ITS Benefits Database organized?
- How many entries does the ITS Benefits Database include?
- How often is the ITS Benefits Database updated?
- How can I find out if new ITS Benefits Database entries have been added to the Web site?
- How can I contribute evaluation findings to the ITS Benefits Database?
- Are all entries in the ITS Benefits Database positive?
- How can I learn more about using the ITS Benefits Database?
What is an ITS Benefits Database entry?
ITS Benefits Database entries are short summaries of ITS evaluations and their findings with regard to the effect of ITS on transportation operations. The database organizes these findings into six goals of ITS deployment identified by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT): safety, mobility, efficiency, productivity, energy and environmental impacts, and customer satisfaction.
A typical entry includes three elements:
- System Description
- Evaluation Techniques
Each entry begins with a brief description of the studied ITS application and other project context relevant to understanding the system's effect on transportation operations. The summaries then describe the evaluation methodology used in the study (e.g., survey strategies, data collection periods, and simulation techniques used). Finally, each entry recounts the findings of the evaluation (e.g., gallons of fuel saved, hours of delay eliminated).
What are the sources for ITS Benefits Database entries?
The benefits of ITS presented in this resource are drawn primarily from written sources such as ITS evaluation studies, research syntheses, journal articles and conference papers. The ITS Electronic Document Library (EDL), Transportation Research Board’s Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS), and conference proceedings are major sources for the documents reviewed for collection of benefits information. Correspondence with evaluators occasionally supplements information provided in these written documents. Each database entry provides links to relevant source documentation, when it is available online.
How is the ITS Benefits Database organized?
ITS benefits are presented in a number of classification schemes capturing various topics of interest of transportation professionals.
Each database entry is presented in the ITS application categories according to the type of ITS evaluated. This organization scheme will provide insight to the project managers, planners, and designers considering deployment of or responsible for a particular ITS application. This will allow, for example, a manager or planner seeking to improve transit system operations to search for example outcomes for the variety of ITS improvements intended to improve transit management (e.g., automatic vehicle location, transit signal priority, electronic fare payment).
Each benefit entry is also categorized by the ITS goal areas affected by the system. Browsing by goal area is helpful to executives, researchers, and planners, interested in learning more about successful approaches to maximizing benefits in key ITS goal areas ranging from safety to customer satisfaction. This categorization enables refined searching for experiences with ITS that, for example, improve safety through freeway management applications.
ITS Integration enables sharing of information among various systems as well as among agencies. Benefits presented in the integration links classifications show the impact that such sharing of information can have on transportation system performance.
Database entries are also organized by the location. Entries are categorized by the country or U.S. state where the subject ITS was deployed.
How many entries does the ITS Benefits Database include?
As of February 1, 2012 the database includes 671 entries drawn from 438 source documents.
How often is the ITS Benefits Database updated?
New entries are added continuously as new source documents are reviewed and summarized.
How can I find out if new ITS Benefits Database entries have been added to the Web site?
Users can sign up to receive notifications of new benefits database entries through the ITS Information Subscription Service, which provides updates for a wide variety of topic areas and is available in Really Simple Syndication (RSS) or email formats. From the ITS Benefits Database home page, click on one of the RSS or email subscription links at the bottom of the page. Also, our What's New page lists the 10 most recent additions to the database.
How can I contribute evaluation findings to the ITS Benefits Database?
Contributions are welcomed and can be made by clicking the "Contribute Data" link on the left menu.
Please upload documentation of ITS evaluations and findings, providing any additional insight in the space provided. All submissions are reviewed by an analyst, who may contact you with follow-up questions.
Are all entries in the ITS Benefits Database positive?
No. Experience shows that ITS deployments, in general, are overwhelmingly beneficial to transportation operations. While this database presents such benefits, it also documents adverse impacts of ITS, when experienced.
A handful of ITS Benefits Database entries discuss cases where ITS had a neutral or even negative effect on the transportation network. For example, one entry describes that safety risk for individual vehicles can increase when traveler information guidance directs them to alternate routes with higher crash rates (e.g. arterial routes to avoid congested freeways). In that example, network wide safety improved through overall reductions in traffic congestion and smoother traffic flow. Another entry documents an increase in toll plaza crashes due to driver confusion following the deployment of electronic toll collection, emphasizing the need for appropriate signage and guidance to drivers.
How can I learn more about the ITS Benefits Database?
Training sessions on how to use the ITS Benefits Database and the other ITS JPO-supported Knowledge Resources are presented throughout the year. An archived presentation of one training session from the T3 (Talking Technology and Transportation) series sponsored by the ITS Joint Program Office is available online.
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Camping with Children
Although camping is a rewarding activity for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages, camping with children can be magical. To wander through a solitary grove of quaking aspen or help youngsters catch their first fish will awaken your own senses to the incredible beauty that surrounds us. To hike through a field of breathtaking wildflowers or listen to the night sounds with a child will change your view of the outdoors as you help them discover the wonders of our natural world around us.
Some of my fondest memories growing up, are of camping excursions to Boulder Mountain with my family. It was there that I developed a love for the outdoors and learned to respect the power and beauty of Mother Nature. It was there that I first discovered stinging nettle, caught my first brook trout in the beaver ponds and savored the warmth of a campfire on a cold rain-soaked evening.
Many of the following tips are provided for families taking youngsters on their first time camping experience, although some tips are appropriate for family campers of all skill levels.Plan Together
To motivate and excite everyone, you will need to plan this excursion together. From pulling out the maps, guides, and brochures, to making campground reservations, determining activities, and checking gear. Part of the fun is simply deciding where to go and daydreaming about your next destination.
Allow them to participate at a level they can handle, giving them a sense of accomplishment and being part of the decision making group. Initially, it may not lessen your load, but as you educate them, eventually they will be able to take much of the preparation burden and provide them with additional self-respect. Let them help decide where to go, what to eat, and what to do when you arrive at camp. Allowing each member to contribute will help the family function better as a team.Prepare them before heading out
Backyard camping is a great way to teach them how to set up their own tents, use camp gear properly, and watch for sharp edges on camp equipment. Backyard camping can be a close to home adventure for the younger audience. Setting up base behind your house will allow them to become familiar with sleeping in a tent, while sparking an interest in the fun activities camping can offer. Bring plenty of snacks and games for the nighttime activities. Spend time as a family to give them an idea of what to expect for the real outing.Familiarize them with the Outdoors
Youth that have trouble with camping vacations are sometimes a little intimidated by the unfamiliar surroundings and are unprepared for the uniqueness of this experience. Try an after-work hike, a marshmallow roast, or evening fishing trip in day use areas of our nearby canyons. Short day excursions are also great no-commitment opportunities where they can learn about the dangers of fire, swift water, and steep-dropoffs. Teach them which plants to avoid, and what to do if they get lost. While enjoying the sunshine, mini adventures after work will develop a feeling for the outdoors and limit many fears youngsters have on their first camping adventure.Bring Extra Gear
Always remember that with children, clothing will get wet and dirty. Bring plenty of extra clothing to help individuals stay warm, dry, and comfortable. Once children become uncomfortable, everyone will know it. Don't forget warmer clothing to ward off the night chill and warm sleeping bags for comfortable rest.
Gear designed for children is also important to consider. Bring gear that specifically meets their needs, including time-released insect repellants. DEET, the most effective insect repellant available, can be a significant concern for parents of younger users. To address this concern, many manufacturers are now offering time-release products that minimize the overall exposure, yet provide an effective block to these pesky insects. Other natural formulations are available on the market, with varying degrees of effectiveness. Look for sunscreen with a high level of protection from the sun's harmful rays. Early protection is playing a significant role in later cancer prevention. Don't forget medicines in appropriate strengths, band-aids, hats, and additional protective clothing for inclement weather.
Allow younger children to bring a few select toys, teddy bears or games. Avoid the temptation to bring too many or you can guarantee that parts will be lost and clutter will be a problem. A small daypack for each child may be the answer for some families. A personal CD/Cassette player with headphones may ward off the "are we there yet?" questions to reasonable levels. Inside the pack, youngsters should include a personal stash of snacks, safety gear, and extra clothing.
The night can be frightening for some little ones, but when empowered with their own personal flashlight, they will have some control of the darkness that surrounds camp. Coleman has also recently released a remote controlled night light for late night "nature calls" and visiting critters.Bring Plenty of Snacks
Trail mix, jerky, apples, and cookies are certainly part of the experience for me. Children also enjoy these, so include plenty of healthy snacks and refreshments for the entire journey. A well-fed family army is a happy one.Bring a Camera
Collect the memories as you make them. Photograph their first fish, the family campsite, a water fight, or the day hike destination. They will savor these moments when they are grown. Bringing a camera will help keep the fondest memories fresh when it comes time to plan your next camping excursion.Keep First Trips Short
Keep your first camp-out short. It is always better to bring them home before they are ready to go, leaving them hungry for more. Spending too much time on a first trip may make them a little tired and cranky, leaving the vacation on a less than happy moment. By keeping trips short, it is easier to plan, keep everyone's energy up, and leave on a good note. In addition, less food and gear is required, reducing the possibility of leaving something home.Have Backup Plans
If fishing is slow and attention spans are short, have a backup plan to keep youth interested. Whether it be a short nature hike or a game of cards, stay a step ahead of your children and prevent boredom for younger family members. In addition, remind them of planned future activities, to build anticipation and excitement. Many youth are more than willing to help prepare upcoming campfire programs or marshmallow roasts, allow them to be part of the action.Teach them Respect
Respect of Mother Nature may help save kids' lives. Skills acquired in the outdoors will last a lifetime. These skills include what to do when you get lost, how to start a fire, catching and cleaning fish, and identifying wildlife. In addition, respect for the outdoors will help preserve the beauty that you enjoy for other generations to follow. When teaching youth about the outdoors, we also learn more about ourselves. Outdoor ethics is easy to teach when they are young, when they look to role models, like yourself, in this unknown beautiful world.
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|Home- - -History-- -Bibliography- -Pregnancy Timeline- --Prescription Drugs in Pregnancy- -- Pregnancy Calculator- --Female Reproductive System- News Alerts -Contact|
Click weeks 0 - 40 and follow fetal growth
Steroid Increases Life Expectancy for Preemies
A New Understanding of How Our Lungs Grow
Early Pregnancy Stress, Pre-Term Birth, Fewer Boys
Mother's Touch Protects Child Against Drug Cravings
Flu Vaccine Protects Pregnant Mom and New-Borns
Tadpoles Made to Grow Eyes on Back and Tail
Baby See, Baby Do?
Bitter Taste of Broccoli Not Just About Flavor
Game Players Advance Genetic Research
One Quarter of Families Begin Before 24 Years Old
Orphans Undergo Biological Change to Their Genome
Child Abuse Changes the Brain
Defect in Brain May Cause Autism-Like Syndrome
Flipping Off the Switch that Causes Aging
Mapping the Neurons Created in Youth
For the first time, scientists have altered natural bioelectrical communication among cells to directly specify the type of new organ to be created at a particular location within a vertebrate organism. Using genetic manipulation of membrane voltage in Xenopus (frog) embryos, biologists at Tufts University's School of Arts and Sciences were able to cause tadpoles to grow eyes outside of the head area.
The researchers achieved most surprising results when they manipulated membrane voltage of cells in the tadpole's back and tail, well outside of where the eyes could normally form. "The hypothesis is that for every structure in the body there is a specific membrane voltage range that drives organogenesis," said Pai. "These were cells in regions that were never thought to be able to form eyes. This suggests that cells from anywhere in the body can be driven to form an eye."
To do this, they changed the voltage gradient of cells in the tadpoles' back and tail to match that of normal eye cells. The eye-specific gradient drove the cells in the back and tailwhich would normally develop into other organsto develop into eyes.
These findings break new ground in the field of biomedicine because they identify an entirely new control mechanism that can be capitalized upon to induce the formation of complex organs for transplantation or regenerative medicine applications, according to Michael Levin, Ph.D., professor of biology and director of the Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology at Tufts University's School of Arts and Sciences. Levin is senior and corresponding author on the work published in the journal Development online December 7 2011, in advance of print.
"These results reveal a new regulator of eye formation during development, and suggest novel approaches for the detection and repair of birth defects affecting the visual system," he said. "Aside from the regenerative medicine applications of this new technique for eyes, this is a first step to cracking the bioelectric code."
Tufts post-doctoral fellow Vaibhav P. Pai Ph.D., is first author of the paper, entitled "Transmembrane Voltage Potential Controls Embryonic Eye Patterning in Xenopus laevis."
From the outset of their research, the Tufts' biologists wanted to understand how cells use natural electrical signals to communicate in their task of creating and placing body organs. In recent research, Tufts biologist Dany S. Adams showed that bioelectrical signals are necessary for normal face formation in the Xenopus (frog) embryos. In the current set of experiments, the Levin lab identified and marked hyperpolarized (more negatively charged) cell clusters located in the head region of the frog embryo.
They found that these cells expressed genes that are involved in building the eye called Eye Field Transcription Factors (EFTFs). Sectioning of the embryo through the developed eye and analyzing the eye regions under fluorescence microscopy showed that the hyperpolarized cells contributed to development of the lens and retina. The researchers hypothesized that these cells turned on genes that are necessary for building the eye.
Next, the researchers were able to show that changing the bioelectric code, or depolarizing these cells, affected normal eye formation. They injected the cells with mRNA encoding ion channels, which are a class of gating proteins embedded in the membranes of the cell. Like gates, each ion channel protein selectively allows a charged particle to pass in and out of the cell.
Using individual ion channels that allow, the researchers changed the membrane potential of these cells. This affected expression of EFTF genes, causing abnormalities to occur: Tadpoles from these experiments were normal except that they had deformed or no eyes at all.
Further, the Tufts biologists were also able to show that they could control the incidence of abnormal eyes by manipulating the voltage gradient in the embryo. Pai: "Abnormalities were proportional to the extent of disruptive depolarization. We developed techniques to raise or lower voltage potential to control gene expression."
The researchers achieved most surprising results when they manipulated membrane voltage of cells in the tadpole's back and tail, well outside of where the eyes could normally form.
"The hypothesis is that for every structure in the body there is a specific membrane voltage range that drives organogenesis," said Pai. "By using a specific membrane voltage, we were able to generate normal eyes in regions that were never thought to be able to form eyes. This suggests that cells from anywhere in the body can be driven to form an eye."
Levin and his colleagues are pursuing further research, additionally targeting the brain, spinal cord, and limbs. The findings, he said "will allow us to have much better control of tissue and organ pattern formation in general. We are developing new applications of molecular bioelectricity in limb regeneration, brain repair, and synthetic biology." Additional authors include post-doctoral fellow Sherry Aw, Tufts Postdoctoral Associate Tal Shomrat, and Research Associate Joan M. Lemire. Funding for this research came from the National Institutes of Health.
"Transmembrane voltage potential controls embryonic eye patterning in Xenopus laevis," Vaibhav P. Pai, Sherry Aw, Tal Shormat, Joan M. Lemire, Development, published online before print December 20, 2011,doi:10.1242/dev.073759
Tufts University, located on three Massachusetts campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville, and Grafton, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions. A growing number of innovative teaching and research initiatives span all Tufts campuses, and collaboration among the faculty and students in the undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs across the university's schools is widely encouraged.
Original article: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/tu-rdt120711.php
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Although it seems as if the whole world is being hammered by icy winds and brutal snowstorms, it is winter only in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s summer, and in South America, there is plenty of warm weather, sun, sandy beaches perfect for snorkeling, surfing and sunbathing and lush, green forests and mountains for hiking and camping.
In the mild summer weather of Patagonia in the southern part of the continent, you can zip-line through forest canopies or jet-ski across crystalline, azure lakes. In the tropical rainforests of Colombia and Venezuela, you can trek through steamy jungles to catch a glimpse of colorful birds and exotic animals. Most of South America lies in the Southern Hemisphere, but even in the Northern Hemisphere countries, the weather is generally much warmer at this time of year than in North America or Europe. Head south both to escape the cold and to have the adventure of a lifetime. Here are ten suggestions to get you started:
Los Roques Archipelago National Park, Venezuela
By far, the most pristine and lesser-known group of islands in the Caribbean, Los Roques (pronounced los RO-kays) is an atoll of 350 beach-fringed islands and cays lying 80 miles north of the coast of Venezuela. A 546-acre nature reserve was created in 1972 to protect an extensive ecosystem of islands, beaches, coral reefs, sea turtles, seabirds, marine life, mangroves and sea grass beds. The dazzlingly white sand beaches and shallow, turquoise warm waters are excellent for snorkeling, scuba diving, wind-sailing, kite-surfing, sport fishing and boating and the wide, shallow flats allow beach-goers to stroll into the ocean knee-deep far from the beach.
Most people travel to Los Roques in organized groups, specifically for fishing or diving trips, but it is possible to travel independently. Using a travel agency is advisable, given the currency-exchange, security and logistical challenges of traveling within Venezuela, but if you prefer to go it alone, flights leave daily from Caracas or Isla Margarita (Margarita Island) and hotels at various price levels are plentiful.
San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
The stunningly beautiful, forested lake district of Argentina known by locals as simply Bariloche, is famous for its crystal blue lakes and rivers dotted with green islands and its backdrop of emerald hills and the snow-capped Andes Mountains. In the Southern Hemisphere winter, it is a mecca for skiers and winter sport enthusiasts, but it is still lively during the summer months of December through April as a center for trekking, camping, forest canopy zip-lining, boating, Jet-skiing, rock-climbing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, paragliding, scuba diving, canoeing, horseback riding and 4×4 off-road excursions.
Located in the center of Patagonia, with a quaint Bavarian-themed town center famous for its chocolate and dulce de leche (caramel sauce), Bariloche is an excellent base for exploring nearby mountain trails and nature reserves such as Nahuel Huapi National Park, the oldest in Argentina. Bariloche has many direct flights from Buenos Aires, Argentina and Santiago de Chile and can also be reached easily from most towns and cities through the expansive and generally reliable long-distance bus networks of South America.
Read more by HS News Staff →
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IBM Sends Jeopardy Supercomputer to Medical School
- 6:30 AM
IBM’s Watson may have trounced former champion Ken Jennings in Jeopardy, but now it’s facing an even bigger challenge: proving that it can make money for its creators.
It’s well on the way. Last week, IBM said that it was working with Citi to “explore how the Watson technology could help improve and simplify the banking experience,” but for the past six months, Big Blue has also teamed up with health insurer WellPoint to turn Watson into a machine that can support the doctors of the world.
IBM isn’t saying too much about what Watson will be doing at Citi. The two companies plan to build “the first consumer banking applications” for the supercomputer. WellPoint is a bit more forthcoming. In December, the health insurer said that it was working with Cedars-Sinai Hospital’s Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute to help physicians treat cancer patients.
It turns out that training Watson to help doctors and financial services customers has a lot in common with cramming for Jeopardy. In both cases, the computer has to do two things that machines have traditionally flubbed. First off, there’s natural language processing. That means figuring out what the question actually is. Then there’s machine learning: understanding what facts are important for which question. In others words, you give Watson questions, it gives you answers.
“If we can parse the clue and understand what the question is asking about, and we can parse this text in our documents and understand what our text is talking about then we can try to match,” says David Gondek, a scientist with IBM who has worked on Watson for the past five years.
But there are differences too. When Watson helps out Cedars-Sinai doctors, it’s not engaging in a vicious death-match for Triva-God bragging rights. It’s a collaboration.
“It’s a very different situation. Because in Jeopardy we were kind of constrained in that you get a question, you get an answer, and that’s it,” says Gondek. “In the medical case, we think more about interacting with a medical professional…. that means that it’s not just a question and answer.”
The processing is different, too. The Jeopardy system was trained to answer quiz show questions, where the answers are pretty much black and white. Feed Watson a copy of the Bible, and it’s pretty much good to go on Bible trivia questions. In business and medicine, there are a lot of different sources, and some of them are considered more important than others.
So IBM is working with doctors to ensure that it has the right data sources and that the different sources it’s using — medical journals, papers and textbooks — are given each given the proper weight.
“We don’t want to come back with a single answer,” says Gondek. “We want to come back with a set of answers and our justification behind them.
“Watson will give you the confidence and say: ‘I”m 90 percent sure of this, or I’m only 10 percent sure of this.’ You can immediately see how that is useful in medicine or in finance. The other thing we can do is we can tell the user why is this answer here. What kinds of evidence do we use, what facts did we use, what were we sure about, and what were we not sure about? And were the documents we used from very reliable sources or from less-reliable sources.”
That kind of context is hard to get nowadays using internet sources. Last summer, when Gondek was exploring the idea of using Watson for medical diagnoses, he ran into a San Diego doctor at a health conference in California. “He said nowadays when he is dealing with patients, he spends the first 10 minutes talking to them about all the diagnoses they found by doing searches,” he says. “It’s just human nature. They will focus in on the most severe or life-threatening one. They will have a few mild systems and will decide that they have some horrible cancer. And so he has to talk them down.”
Gondek’s dream is that Watson could somehow help doctors and patients get a better context on their healthcare — and help financial service customers get the same kind of weighted context on their investments. “What if something like Watson could get you more involved with your health?”
Emergency Medicine Resident Physician Iltifat Husain believes that Watson could never replace a doctor, but he says that it could be turned into a useful medical triage system, where patients tell Watson their symptoms and it figures out whether they need to come into the hospital for treatment.
There’s a lot that Watson isn’t going to be able to do, no matter how hard it crams, says Husain, who works at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He’s taking about the very human act of getting a read on a patient: How does their voice change when describing symptoms? How do they sit? What do their eyes say? “One of the first things I learned about medicine once I actually started practicing as a physician was medical texts only provide you with 50 percent of the education you need,” he says. “The rest you learn on the job.”
WellPoint says its medical learning application is still a year away. In the meantime, Gondek and the IBM researchers are putting Watson through its own machine learning bootcamp.
“It’s a little like sending Watson to medical school. We don’t just push a button and instantly Watson can offer medical advice,” Gondek says. “We need experts to show us what’s important in the domain. We need experts to come up with test scenarios that Watson can learn from.”
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My DD is refusing her milk.
Up until a week ago she was drinking approx 450ml of cows milk a day as well as cheese and yoghurt. The last week she has refused milk either from a bottle or from a cup.
How much milk should she be drinking a day?
Should I be cutting down on her yoghurt and cheese to encourage her to drink milk or can the cheese and yoghurt satisfy her dietary needs for dairy without milk???
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|The African American Family Album, by Dorthy and Thomas
A history of African Americans in the United States chronicles the experiences of many generations, from slavery, through eras of struggle, journeys from the Southern plantations to the West and industrial North, and contributions to American culture. The American Family Album series tells the often heroic stories of American immigrant groups, largely through their own words and pictures. Like any family album, the pages contain period photographs, memorabilia, selections from diaries, letters, memoirs, and newspapers. Each book is a pictorial and written record of the country left behind, the journey to America, and the group's contributions to the United States. 149 illustrations.
Back To Suggested Readings Page
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|Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma
Nov 10, 1998
What are examples how people exposed to ureaplasma or mycoplasma infection?
| Response from Mr. Sowadsky
Thank you for your question.
Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma are both bacterial infections. Certain types of Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma have been linked to Nonspecific Urethritis (NSU) and Non-Gonococcal Urethritis (NGU). However, not everyone who has these infections will have symptoms of NSU/NGU. Both of these are infections are treatable with antibiotics.
It has been well established that these infections can be transmitted through unprotected vaginal intercourse. It is much less clear whether these infections can be transmitted through oral sex or anal intercourse.
Studies have shown that condom use does reduce the incidence of these infections. So just like any other sexually transmitted disease, consistent and correct condom use will significantly reduce your risk for both of these infections, and will reduce your risks of having NSU/NGU.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to call the Centers for Disease Control at 1.800.232.4636 (Nationwide).
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Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.
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It's really happening. Integration is starting to take hold in every vertical market and business operation. It has been a long, tough road. In the early 1980s, when security really began to take off and become popular and more than just a fad, manufacturers made certain that their products were unique. In fact, many of the products couldn't “talk” to each other, so their role was limited. Some manufacturers went so far as to establish exclusive distribution networks or would only sell to authorized dealers.
That's changed. Now, the big deal is open protocol, standardized and multiple communication formats that can speak to each other-sometimes in different “languages” that need to be translated, of course. In addition, the infrastructure of the existing network in most corporations has turned out to be a good place for integration to happen, if planned properly, and that's just what manufacturers have been up to. For example, they've worked at bringing to market methods to deploy digital video surveillance and storage in tandem with existing networks and information technology so that these different disciplines can coexist without risk.
It's a new mindset. Manufacturers are partnering to play off each other's strengths, and that's a win-win situation for all. They're doing their part with easily adaptable products or those that can be upgraded to handle a variety of information transport system (VDV) functions, whether intrusion detection, closed-circuit television surveillance, access control, energy management or another piece of the puzzle in the building that requires command and control.
Integration makes sense for everyone, from the manufacturer, to the installer, to the end-user. An integrated world is one that works smarter, not harder. It also fosters scalability and the ability to extend product capabilities. A system may start small, but expand as needed. Access control is a perfect example. Even configured on the network, the number of doors can usually be expanded as entrance and egress requirements change.
The rewards of integration
Greater workplace efficiency and productivity is another integration benefit. More and more corporations are integrating wireless to their hardwired networks so employees can work smarter, according to Clain Anderson, director of Wireless and Security Solutions, IBM Personal Computing Division, Raleigh, N.C. With integrated systems, the workforce can have the tools needed to be more productive, such as wireless for laptop access to the network from almost anywhere around a facility or instant messaging, Anderson said.
In the educational and institutional markets, Indianapolis Public Schools is working to reduce costs and improve security by integrating new and existing technology as part of a multiyear district-wide project. Honeywell Building Solutions, Minneapolis, is integrating the district's current equipment with new systems using its Enterprise Buildings Integrator (EBI) platform.
Indianapolis has one of Indiana's largest school districts, and an overriding issue was the daily opening and closings of the school systems' 90 buildings, said Rick Joest, district technology foreman.
“When the building was opened, the custodian would call and send an alarm code when they entered. With 90 buildings opening up about the same time every morning, the school police were flooded with calls,” he said.
Another area of concern, Joest said, was protecting valuable computing and video equipment.
“It was no longer enough to just have motion detectors in the hallway,” he added.
As part of the $250 million capital improvement project, Honeywell will integrate the district's existing equipment with new systems using its EBI platform and install new access control, digital video monitoring and archiving, and an asset-tracking system. The EBI system will integrate all of the separate systems and enable staff to monitor and control security for all 90 buildings from a central location, Joest added.
Integration was at the forefront of the decision to launch Indianapolis-based Stanley Security Solutions in late 2003.
“Our goal was to implement and leverage a comprehensive, total service integration capability and to address the need for integration in the market,” according to Justin Boswell, president of Stanley Security Solutions.
“Today's security landscape is missing an essential service and solutions component that, in the fast-evolving market, needs to be included beyond simple, one-dimensional products,” he said. “There's heavy emphasis on not just a broad and diverse range of products, but also enhanced, integrated and customer-focused service,” commented Boswell at the launch.
Manufacturers across the board are bringing to market products that can be integrated or are universal enough to allow users the flexibility to find the best solution for their operations. Integration means greater efficiency, productivity and the ability to evolve with the changing face of business and its challenges. EC
O’MARA is the president of DLO Communications in Park Ridge, Ill., specializing in low-voltage. She can be reached at 847.384.1916 or email@example.com.
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http://www.ecmag.com/print/section/systems/integration-not-so-perfect-world?qt-issues_block=1
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Golfing is good for fitness. Consider these findings from a new report:
• Walking an 18-hole round of golf, carrying a bag or using a pull cart, is equivalent to about a five-mile walk.
• Walking 18 holes and carrying clubs burns about 2,000 calories. Riding in a cart reduces the game’s caloric expenditure to 1,300 calories.
• When walking 18 holes, blood glucose levels fall by up to 20 percent for young players, 10 percent for the middle-aged, and 30 percent for the elderly players.
• Older golfers tend to have better static and dynamic balance control and confidence than nongolfing older, healthy adults.
• Regardless of handicap, sex, or course played, golfers exceed 10,000 steps during a typical round of golf — which meets the guideline for exercise recommended by most medical and clinical physicians.
— Anne Aurand, The Bulletin
Source: The Health & Wellness Benefits of Golf report by Walker Research Group for GOLF 20/20 and World Golf Foundation.
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Back in 1997, Tiger Electronics, known primarily for Furbys and those cheesy electronic handhelds with painted-on LCDs, decided to attempt to expand its product line and release a true competitor to the Nintendo Game Boy, which reigned supreme in the handheld market at the time. That product was called the Game.com.
The Game.com shared many similarities to the Game Boy of its time, such as a low-contrast grayscale screen, games on cartridges, though unlike its competitor, featured two cartridge slots. However, the Game.com also offered an array of unique and rather interesting features which its competitor lacked: a touchscreen, PIM functions, built-in solitaire, and, perhaps most interestingly, Internet connectivity.
The touchscreen, for one, allowed for a variety of decidedly un-Game Boy-like games, such as Lights Out, a puzzle game, and Tiger Casino, a generic casino game. The touchscreen also added the ability to type on an on-screen keyboard, which featured prominently in the system’s built-in address book and calendar functions, and the Game.com Internet cartridge.
Internet connectivity on the Game.com came in the form of two cartridges (sold separately): Tiger Web Link, and Game.com Internet. The former, Tiger Web Link, served a single purpose: once inserted, the Game.com could be connected to the a Windows PC’s serial port, and high scores from select games would be uploaded to the Game.com website. (Something many Nintendo DS owners are familiar with today.) The latter, Game.com Internet, presented an even stranger user experience. The package came with both a cable that allowed the user to connect the Game.com system to a serial modem, and a cartridge featuring a terminal emulator. Provided that your dial-up provider gave you UNIX-like shell access (or you paid for their overpriced Internet service provider that did), could allow you to go on the Internet with Lynx, or even check your email with Pine!
Despite these features, the Game.com was a complete flop, only selling about 300,000 units (compared to, for example, the original Game Boy, which sold 118.7 million units during its lifetime). So, why did it fail?
While the Game.com did indeed come with an impressive array of features, many of them were implemented very poorly. For example, take the touch screen, which was extremely low resolution (12×10, as opposed to the screen’s 192×160 screen). Or take the sound system, which, while notable for its ability to play PCM sound effects, couldn’t play more than one simultaneous instrument for the system’s characteristically bad music. The Internet cartridge, too, featured a whole host of issues. First of all, to use it, it not only required a working knowledge of a UNIX shell, but also could not display more than half of the screen at a time. (The Game.com’s screen was only 40 characters wide at its smallest font, whereas a terminal normally uses 80). The system was also extremely unstable; crashes were extremely commonplace, not only during games, but also in the built-in software.
Despite all this, perhaps the most significant issue of all lay within the games themselves. Despite Tiger’s marketing claim that the system featured “More games that you people have brain cells!”, only about 20 games were ever released, many of which weren’t even very good. Oddly, Tiger refused to release its SDK during the lifetime of the system, choosing instead to develop all games in-house, an approach that, evidently, detracted both from the quality and quantity of the games.
When I asked from a Game.com in the months leading up to Christmas 1998, I thought it seemed much better than the Game Boy. (The Internet cartridge, in particular, piqued my interest.) However, as months went by without any new game releases, I began to lose hope. I still have my Game.com, along with half of all the games that ever came out for it, and perhaps, one day, I’ll play Monopoly on it once again.
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I subscribe to an e-service through which I get inspirational quotes everyday. This one, I thought, merited sharing:
"Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there." – Josh Billings
This made me think about dissertating. Over the last 3 years my dissertation has been My Main Job. I've oscillated between times when I do nothing else but my dissertation - much easier to accomplish when it's field research since that doesn't require extended periods of isolation. Alas, writing is another story. Not that I don't like being myself or that I'm one of the folks who constantly craves company. But yes, what I do find difficult is sitting down by myself for hours at a stretch to write. Some suggest working from a coffee shop but I metamorphose into Bitchenstein because people talking completely derails my train of thought. So I do have to hole myself up.
Where am I going with this? I'm unsure about where I could take the postage stamp analogy. Does "sticking to one thing" mean working pulling a DNBD (Doing Nothing But Dissertating) so that you hide out in the proverbial ABD cave for months on end and resurface for light only when you finish a chapter perhaps? Or could it mean working consistently so that your life is divided into different segments - work a little, sleep a little, play a little? My accounting teacher in grades 10-13 (O Levels and A Levels for those of you familiar with the British schooling system) always told us to divide our days up in 3 equal segments of 8 hours so that a third was devoted to sleep, another third to playing, and the last third to working. Let's call this the "3 X 8" model.
To me, the latter makes sense although there are times when I have to go into ABD cave mode. I think I generally oscillate between these two but I can't really stay in the cave for longer than 3 days at a stretch. On the other hand, the "segmented" model is one with which I also have a tough time - when I start playing the id inside me just doesn't want to stop at times and then things get thrown way out of whack. That also translates into "cave time" because I feel the need to make it up.
But what if I could stick to the "3 X 8" model? After all doesn't a postage stamp see the rest of the world even when it's affixed to the same envelope?
I'm going to give that shot starting tomorrow....of course some of the third devoted to work will have to be spent on teaching prep rather than dissertating. Yup both qualify as work but the former doesn't quite get me anywhere with The Main Job - at least not directly. Either way I'm going to make a concerted effort to stick with this for a week - I'd like to be able to do this because I generally haven't been able to find a rhythm that'll last a month (which is what I think I really need to feel like I've gotten somewhere)...maybe this a momentum I can sustain for a longer period of time. Check back with me in a week if you're interested in an update.
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http://genealogyspice.blogspot.com/2006/10/pondering-stickingness.html
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'Subconscious mode' could boost smartphone run times by over 50 percent
By Ben Coxworth
September 18, 2011
University of Michigan researchers have proposed a new power management system for smartphones that could dramatically improve battery life. Working with doctoral student Xinyu Zhang, computer science and engineering professor Kang Shin has created a proof-of-concept system known as E-MiLi, or Energy-Minimizing Idle Listening, that addresses the energy waste that occurs when "sleeping" phones are looking for incoming messages and clear communication channels. For users on the busiest networks, it could extend battery life by up to 54 percent.
E-MiLi slows down the clock of a phone's WiFi card by up to 1/16 its normal frequency in order to save power, but then kicks it back up to full speed when information is coming in. The phone uses the header of the incoming message to wake itself up from its "subconscious mode," so the clock is at full speed to receive the main message.
Not only would the system require processor-slowing software to be loaded onto smartphones receiving calls, but it would also require firmware to be installed on phones and other devices that would be sending them. This is because the header would need to be encoded in such a way that the receiving phone could detect it. Shin and Zhang have created such firmware, but WiFi chipset manufacturers would have to adopt it, and then smartphone manufacturers would in turn have to start using those chips. If that were to all come together, older phones without E-MiLi would reportedly still be able to receive calls made by newer phones running the firmware.
While 54 percent was the high mark, the U Michigan system was found to reduce energy consumption by approximately 44 percent in 92 percent of mobile devices when tested using real-world wireless networks.
Just enter your friends and your email address into the form below
For multiple addresses, separate each with a comma
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<urn:uuid:ee2f348b-a6c1-4d93-9338-d0d0ce65968d>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.gizmag.com/e-mili-subconscious-mode-for-smartphones/19860/
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...just another 'old' adage that keeps becoming more relative each day Obamacare's mandates become better known. What makes it all so much fun is when it is so ironic, as it begins to be implemented in the blue states.
For our POTUS members in Minnesoooota...get ready to grab your ankles.
Things aren’t going so hot. The State of Minnesota just announced that their exchange has already exceeded cost estimates by 35% before it’s even implemented, and the cost to taxpayers is expected to rise another 18% in the first year after implementation.
The exchanges have always been a bad deal for states. They are “are an accounting trick designed to make ObamaCare look like less of a strain on the federal budget, shuffling billions of dollars in costs off Washington’s books and into state capitals,” writes John Hayward in Human Events.
ST. PAUL, Minn.
— Minnesota’s state health insurance exchange will cost $54 million in 2015 to operate, according to the Gov. Mark Dayton administration.
The cost comes in at greater than earlier estimates of $30 to $40 million. The state would not have to find the money until 2015, when the state exchanges are required to be financially self-sustaining. But the cost rises to a projected $64 million in 2016. State officials are still weighing how the exchange will pay for itself. Options include user fees, a sin tax, and selling ads.
The exchange, a cornerstone of the federal health care overhaul, will create an insurance marketplace where consumers and small businesses can comparison shop for health insurance policies starting in October of next year. Coverage would take effect in 2014.
Let the federal government bear the cost of implementing this folly, not the states.
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums/showthread.php?91484-Try&goto=nextnewest
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And it comes not a moment too soon for those of us in Tennessee wondering what the 106h General Assembly has in store for us. Here are the pledges, starting at about the middle of the page.
Though falling shor of supporting full marriage equality, the agenda outlined by the transition team (if pursued!) will remove many obstacles to the security of GLBT families. Expanding hate crimes and employment protections are basic to protecting the lives and livelihoods of our community. There is also discussion of adoption, but it's not clear what an Obama administration would do since the matter has been largely a state concern. Repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act is called for along with affording same-sex couples in a civil union or domestic partnership all the federal rights that opposite-sex married couples have. There is also discussion of Don't Ask/Don't Tell and HIV/AIDS issues.
It could be a major sea change. No administration has ever embraced such a far-reaching equality agenda. We'll see if Congress goes for it after they take some action on the economy.
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<urn:uuid:5e7d736d-577a-433e-9c88-c3aef6cad420>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://grand-divisions.blogspot.com/2008/11/obamas-transition-team-details-8-point.html
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en
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|
a1 Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
This study explores the development of children's knowledge of linguistic and pragmatic aspects of singular and plural in Italian, for definite articles (Experiment 1) and verbs (Experiment 2). Participants aged three to adult were asked to pick objects from two dishes, each with a different number of items on them (one vs. two), following the morphological information. Results show that children understand that singular forms refer to ‘one’ at about age four, whereas they understand that plural forms refer to ‘more than one’ when they are older than six. Moreover, children use singular and plural knowledge in appropriate relation with the referential context only when they are about six.
(Received August 26 2010)
(Revised February 15 2011)
(Accepted June 03 2011)
(Online publication January 20 2012)
[*] Address for correspondence: Marco Dispaldro, Department of Development Psychology and Socialization, Università di Padova, Via Venezia, 8, Padua 35131, Italy. e-mail: email@example.com
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<urn:uuid:33dabed4-c37c-466a-8eab-45c0bfca7e4a>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8650384
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Women in Ancient Egypt
Historians and archaeologists believe that some women can be identified as having served as female Pharaoh, or ruler, of Egypt. Learn more about these women who likely ruled Egypt.
Hatshepsut, Pharaoh of Egypt
A comprehensive guide to the woman who ruled Egypt nearly 3500 years ago.
Egyptologists posited that royal lineage was matriarchal in ancient Egypt. Does this theory explain why Hatshepsut and other women sometimes ruled in Egypt?
The third ruler of the first Egyptian dynasty which united upper and lower Egypt is known only by name and a few objects -- but many scholars believe that this ruler was a woman. We don't know much about her life or her reign.
Warrior Queen Zenobia of Palmyra in Syria challenged Rome, though she was eventually defeated.
Egyptian Queens and Pharaohs
Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe takes up the question of whether a matriarchy existed in ancient Egypt.
Egyptian Women in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt
The author translates texts from Demotic to document the legal and economic status of women in several periods of ancient Egypt.
From Warrior Women to Female Pharaohs: Careers for Women
Dr. Joann Fletcher documents the choices available to women in ancient Egypt in work life, based on the Egyptian concept of full duality of male and female.
Matriliny in New Kingdom Egypt
Essay detailing historical incidences of matrilineal rule in Egypt, including Nefertiti and Ankhesenamon.
Menkaure and His Queen:
Part of a multi-page essay on a statue discovered in 1910, this part concentrates on evidence within the image on the status of the queen vs. the king.
Recommended Reading: Ancient Egypt
With current interest in Cleopatra, this reading list may help provide accurate historical context. Includes books for students. (Not focused on women's history.)
Web Resources for Young People and Teachers
Good index of web resources to put Cleopatra, ancient Egypt and related topics into historical perspective. Specific info on women hard to find here.
Women in Egypt: Bibliography
Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe's print bibliography, used in a university seminar on images of women in the ancient world. Includes image of Menkaure and his queen.
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<urn:uuid:fab9cc5b-b6b9-45fd-9b0b-3eb13e60a733>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://womenshistory.about.com/od/ancientegypt/Ancient_Egypt_Women_Pharaohs.htm
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|
Lots of Japanese houses are using old railway ties (makuragi) in landscaping and gardens. Mrs. Adjunct wanted to put some in the garden to build a small vegetable garden. But the English first sites that came up when doing some internet research were all about how dangerous the chemicals used to treat the wood are. The recommendation is don't use them. But when doing a search in Japanese the warnings were out there but harder to find.
I asked at the local hardware store and the ones they are selling are imported from Australia. What's going on, is the world selling Japan their old railway ties because they remain popular here but are hard to sell in Western countries?
Any one care to voice an opinion as to whether the European and American websites are overreacting or are the Japanese oblivious to the dangers?
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<urn:uuid:19a3c229-5762-4b3e-b1df-5e002bbbd99c>
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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http://forum.gaijinpot.com/showthread.php?85907-Using-rail-way-ties-in-the-garden
|
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The eagle often symbolizes strength, courage, farsightedness and immortality. It is considered[according to whom?] to be the king of the air and the messenger of the highest Gods. Mythologically, it has been connected by the Greeks with the God Zeus, by the Romans with Jupiter, by the Germanic tribes with Odin, by the Judeo-Christian scriptures with those who hope in God (Isa 40:31), and in Christian art with Saint John the Evangelist.
The eagle as a symbol has a history much longer than that of heraldry itself. In Ancient Egypt, the falcon was the symbol of Horus, and in Roman polytheism of Jupiter. An eagle appears on the battle standard of Cyrus the Great in Persia, around 540 BC. The eagle as a "heraldic animal" of the Roman Republic was introduced in 102 BC by consul Gaius Marius. According to Islamic tradition, the Black Standard of Muhammad was known as راية العُقاب rāyat al-`uqāb "banner of the eagle" (even though it did not depict an eagle and was solid black). In Christian symbolism the four living creatures of scripture (a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle) have traditionally been associated with the Four Evangelists. The eagle is the symbol of Saint John the Evangelist.
In medieval and modern heraldry eagles are often said to indicate that the armiger (person bearing the arms) was courageous, a man of action and judicious. Where an eagle's wings were spread ("displayed") it was said to indicate the bearer's role as a protector.
In the same way that a lion is considered the king of beasts, the eagle is regarded as the pre-eminent bird in heraldry. It has been more widely used and more highly regarded in Continental European heraldry than in English heraldry. For instance, in the roll of Henry III of England (reigned 1216–1272) there are only three eagles.
Media related to examples of heraldic eagles at Wikimedia Commons
The depiction of the heraldic eagle is subject to a great range of variation in style. The eagle was far more common in continental European—particularly German—than English heraldry, and it most frequently appears sable, often armed and langued gules, that is, black with red claws, beak and tongue. In its relatively few instances in Gallo-British heraldry, the outermost feathers are typically longer and point upward.
An eagle can appear either single- or double-headed. On at least one occasion a three-headed eagle is seen. Additionally, Reinmar von Zweter fashioned the wing bones of his eagle into a second and third head.
The informal term "spread eagle" is derived from a heraldic depiction of an eagle displayed (i.e. upright with both wings and both legs all outstretched). According to Hugh Clark, An Introduction to Heraldry, the term spread eagle refers to "an eagle with two heads, displayed," but this distinction has apparently been lost in modern usage. Most of the eagles used as emblems of various monarchs and states are displayed, including those on the coats of arms of Germany, Poland, and Romania and the United States.
The Aquila was the eagle standard of a Roman legion, carried by a special grade legionary known as an Aquilifer. One eagle standard was carried by each legion. Pliny the Elder (H.N. x.16) enumerates five animals displayed on Roman military ensigns: the eagle, the wolf, the minotaur, the horse, and the boar. In the second consulship of Gaius Marius (104 BC) the four quadrupeds were laid aside as standards, the eagle being alone retained. It was made of silver, or bronze, with outstretched wings, but was probably of a relatively small size, since a standard-bearer (signifer) under Julius Caesar is said in circumstances of danger to have wrenched the eagle from its staff and concealed it in the folds of his girdle. Under the later emperors the eagle was carried with the legion, a legion being on that account sometimes called aquila (Hirt. Bell. Hisp. 30). Each cohort had for its own ensign the serpent or dragon, which was woven on a square piece of cloth textilis anguis, elevated on a gilt staff, to which a cross-bar was adapted for the purpose, and carried by the draconarius.
Eastern imperial eagles
The double-headed eagle became the symbol of the Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos. Palaiologos recaptured Constantinople from the Crusaders in 1261 and adopted the double-headed eagle as his symbol of the dynasty's interests in both Asia and Europe. It represented looking towards the East (Asia Minor, traditional power center of the Byzantine-government in exile after the IVth Crusade) and the West (newly reconquered land in Europe) centered on Constantinople. The Byzantine double-headed eagle has been seen in late 13th century, certainly pre-dating the development of the same in western heraldry.
In Russia it was Ivan III of Russia who first assumed the two-headed eagle, when, in 1472, he married Sophia, daughter of Thomas Palæologus, and niece of Constantine XI, the last Emperor of Byzantium. The two heads symbolised the Eastern or Byzantine Empire and the Western or Roman Empire.
The Empire of Trebizond (1204–1461), one of the states created after the capture of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, used the emblem of the normal (single headed) eagle. The black eagle on yellow background is still used today in Greece by descendants of Pontian Greeks.
Holy Roman Empire
Charlemagne, a Frankish ruler and the first Holy Roman Emperor, died in 814, centuries before the introduction of heraldry. In later periods, a coat of arms attributed to Charlemagne shows half of the body of a single-head black eagle as the symbol of the German emperors next to a fleur-de-lis as the symbol of the kings of France on an impaled shield.
According to Carl-Alexander von Volborth the first instance of the use of an eagle as an heraldic charge is the Great Seal of the Margrave Leopold IV of Austria in 1136, which depicts him carrying a shield charged with an eagle. Also from about this time is a coin showing a single-headed eagle, minted in Maastricht (the Netherlands), dating from between 1172 and 1190 after contacts with the East via the Crusades. One Gilbert d'Aquila was granted Baronetcy of Pevensey by William after the Battle of Hastings. The family who held Pevensey castle and the newly formed Borough of Pevensey used the Eagle Symbol in the 11th Century.
From the reign of Frederick Barbarossa in 1155 the single-headed eagle became a symbol of the Holy Roman Empire. The eagle was clearly derived from the Roman eagle and continues to be important in the heraldry of those areas once within the Holy Roman Empire. Within Germany the placement of one's arms in front of an eagle was indicative of princely rank under the Holy Roman Empire. The first mention of a double-headed eagle in the West dates from 1250 in a roll of arms of Matthew Paris for Emperor Frederick II.
The French Imperial Eagle or Aigle de drapeau (lit. "flag eagle") was a figure of an eagle on a staff carried into battle as a standard by the Grande Armée of Napoleon I during the Napoleonic Wars. Although they were presented with Regimental Colours, the regiments of Napoleon I tended to carry at their head the Imperial Eagle. This was the bronze sculpture of an eagle weighing 1.85 kg, mounted on top of the blue regimental flagpole. They were made from six separately cast pieces and, when assembled, measured 310 mm in height and 255 mm in width. On the base would be the regiment's number or, in the case of the Guard, Garde Impériale. The Eagle bore the same significance to French Imperial regiments as the colours did to British regiments - to lose the Eagle would bring shame to the regiment, who had pledged to defend it to the death. Upon Napoleon's fall, the restored monarchy of Louis XVIII of France ordered all eagles to be destroyed and only a very small number escaped. When the former emperor returned to power in 1815 (known as the Hundred Days) he immediately had more eagles produced, although the quality did not match the originals. The workmanship was of a lesser quality and the main distinguishing changes had the new models with closed beaks and they were set in a more crouched posture.
Since 20 June 1782, the United States has used its national bird, the Bald Eagle, on its Great Seal; the choice was intended to at once recall the Roman Republic and be uniquely American (the Bald Eagle being indigenous to North America). The American Eagle has been a popular emblem throughout the life of the republic, with an eagle appearing in the flags and seals of the President, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Justice Department, Defense Department, Postal Service, and other organizations, on various coins (such as the quarter dollar), and in various American corporate logos past and present, such as those of Case and American Eagle Outfitters.
In Spain the eagle, though it was first used by the Catholic monarchs as a symbol of Saint John the Evangelist, came to be associated with the regime of Francisco Franco and since 1981 has been removed from official usage.
In Arab nationalism, the so-called "Eagle of Saladin" was used in the 1953 design for the coat of arms of Egypt following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and in those of successor states including the current Arab Republic of Egypt.
The eagle as a symbol of Saladin is disputed by archeologists. The symbol of an eagle was found on the west wall of the Cairo Citadel (constructed by Saladin), and so is assumed by many to be his personal symbol. There is, however, little proof to defend this. It was subsequently adopted as a symbol of Arab nationalism by Iraq and Palestine (and formerly by Libya and South Yemen).
A wide variety of political entities across the world use an eagle in their official emblems. The variation among them is instructive, in that it reflects connections among various heraldic traditions. The following is just a sampling of these.
- granted in 1957 to Waiblingen (kreis) The three heads symbolise the three former territories that were transformed into the district.
- Reinmar von Zweter's peculiar eagle is famously depicted in the Codex Manesse.
- Clark, Hugh (1892). An Introduction to Heraldry, 18th ed. (Revised by J. R. Planché). London: George Bell & Sons. First published 1775. ISBN 1-4325-3999-X
- See Festuson the Minotaur.
- Flor. iv.12
- Sidon. Apoll. Carm. v.409
- Themist. Orat. i. p1, xviii. p267, ed. Dindorf; Claudian, iv. Cons. Honor. 546; vi. Cons. Honor. 566
- Veget. de Re Mil. ii.13; compare Tac. Ann. i.18
- Eleni Kokkonis-Lambropoulos & Katerina Korres-Zografos (1997). Greek flags, arms and insignia (Ελληνικές Σημαίες, Σήματα-Εμβλήματα) (in greek). E. Kokkonis-G. Tsiveriotis. p. 52. ISBN 960-7795-01-6.
- Deutsche Wappen - GERMAN NATIONAL ARMS
- Act 33/1981, 5 October (BOE No 250, 19 October 1981). Coat of arms of Spain (Spanish).
- Fox-Davies, A.C.; A Complete Guide to Heraldry, Bloomsbury Books, London, 1985
- Puttock, Colonel A.G.; Heraldry in Australia, Child & Associated Publishing Pty. Ltd. Frenchs Forest, 1988
- Volborth, Carl-Alexander von; Heraldry, Customs, Rules and Styles, New Orchard Editions, Poole, 1981
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eagles in heraldry|
- The Arms of Byzantium
- Arthurian Heraldry
- Fleur-de-lis designs
- A Glossary of Terms used in Heraldry by James Parker
- The Heraldic Eagle: The Story Behind The Bird
- International Civic Heraldry
- Pimbley's Dictionary of Heraldry – E
- QM Web (Quartermaster Museum)
- Russian College of Heraldry
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In doing some research I am obviously not going to remember all my citations. This is an extremely bad thing since I cannot give credit where credit is due. However, most of the information that I have found seems to be similar and is readily available. So let's talk prevention.
One thing most experts are saying is to lose weight. About 10 pounds seems to be the starting place. Losing weight is easier said than done. The reason being is there are often many reason someone cannot lose weight. Refer to my weight lose article for further help in that area. That being said, weight lose is a result of to much stress. Stress can be either chemical, nutritional, or emotional. Stress has to be tuned down so the body can heal itself. So step one is to lose weight.
Step two would be to balance blood sugar levels. There is an interesting study done about stabilized rice bran and the effectiveness of lowering blood glucose levels.
Pro-Inflammatory Enzymes, Cyclooxygenase 1, Cyclooxygenase 2, and 5-Lipooxygenase, Inhibited by Stabilized Rice Bran Extracts - Journal of Medicinal Foods June 2009 12(3).
This is a very important study because it shows that blood sugars can be balanced and normalized using natural methods. I have seen this in my own practice. Another way to balance blood sugars is with enzyme therapy and chiropractic adjustments. Enzymes make sure the body is breaking down food properly eliminating the stress placed on the bowels. This avoids leaky gut syndrome which contributes to insulin insensitivity. Chiropractic adjustments can help because the nerves that go to the pancreas and the entire body come out of the spine. If the nerves are not working properly the organ that is innervated by that nerve cannot be working properly. This stress must be eliminated for health.
The last thing I am going to mention is diet and exercise. Diet and exercise are vitally linked to both of the above points because a poor diet and lack of exercise will allow both of the above to happen. A diet should contain a health amount (5-7 servings daily) of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies are easy for the body to break down and do not spike blood glucose levels. Exercise is important to pump the lymphatic system and clean the body of literal crap that is between the cells.
Here is a generally starting place. If there are any questions please leave feedback and I will address certain areas more specifically as need be!
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Nigeria’s state security service (SSS) has arrested more than 100 suspected members of radical Islamist sect Boko Haram and had foiled a spate of attempted bombings in the past month and a half. Guerrilla attacks on police stations and assassinations by gunmen on motorbikes have killed more than 150 people since the start of the year in the remote northeastern state of Borno. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for much of the violence.
Insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria has rapidly replaced militant attacks on oil infrastructure hundreds of kilometres away in the southern Niger Delta as the main security risk in Africa’s most populous nation in recent months.
“Successful security operations have led to the arrest of some identified key cell commanders and members of the dissident group in Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Yobe and Adamawa,” the SSS said in a statement on Monday, referring to six northern states.
The sect said it was behind a car bomb last month outside the national police headquarters in the capital Abuja and there are fears that it will increasingly trying to operate beyond its home region if not brought under control.
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There are lots of chocolate cake recipes in the world. But this one is funny: You don't use a mixing bowl. You don't need butter or eggs. You kind of play around with the ingredients. And when it bakes, it makes a cake that's yummy.
There are similar cakes online, but more than 50 years ago, when some people put together a 4-H cookbook called "ABC's of Food," they named it Funny Cake.
1. Everyone, wash your hands.
2. Find these ingredients and put on the kitchen table: Flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, baking soda, vegetable oil, white vinegar, vanilla.
3. Find this equipment and put on the kitchen table: 8-inch square baking pan, flour sifter, measuring cups, measuring spoons, soup spoon, dinner knife, mixing spoon.
4. Set sifter into the baking pan. Measure dry ingredients using a soup spoon for scooping and a knife to even off the top. Scoop flour into a 1 cup measuring cup. Put in sifter. Spoon more flour into a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Add to sifter. Scoop sugar into a 1 cup measuring cup. Add to sifter. Spoon cocoa into 1/4 cup measuring cup. Add to sifter. Measure 1 teaspoon baking soda. Add to sifter. Measure 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to sifter. Sift all together into baking pan.
5. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Use mixing spoon to make three holes in the flour mixture. Think craters on the moon.
7. Measure 1 teaspoon vanilla into one hole. Measure 1/3 cup vegetable oil into another hole. Measure 1 teaspoon vinegar into the last hole.
8. Measure 1 cup cold water. Pour carefully over ingredients in the pan. Mix gently with spoon until lumps are gone. Don't forget to mix in the corners.
9. Put cake in the hot oven. Set a timer for 35 minutes.
10. When the timer goes off the cake should be done; it will begin to pull away from the pan's edges. Put cake on a metal rack to cool. When cake is well cooled, dust with confectioners' sugar or frost with a favorite frosting; decorate if you like. Serve from pan.
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STAT 101(F,S) Elementary Statistics and Data Analysis (Q)
It is nearly impossible to live in the world today without being inundated with data. Even the most popular newspapers feature statistics to catch the eye of the passerby, and sports broadcasters overwhelm the listener with arcane statistics. How do we learn to recognize dishonest or even unintentionally distorted representations of quantitative information? How are we to reconcile two medical studies with seemingly contradictory conclusions? How many observations do we need in order to make a decision? It is the purpose of this course to develop an appreciation for and an understanding of the interpretation of data. We will become familiar with the standard tools of statistical inference including the t-test, the analysis of variance, and regression, as well as exploratory data techniques. Applications will come from the real world that we all live in. Format: lecture. Evaluation will be based primarily on performances on quizzes and exams. Prerequisites: Mathematics 100/101/102 (or demonstrated proficiency on a diagnostic test; see Mathematics 100). Students who have had calculus, and potential Mathematics majors should consider taking Statistics 201 instead. Enrollment limit: 50 (expected: 40). Not open for major credit to junior or senior Mathematics majors.
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This term refers to changes of a sound waveform which occur in electroacoustic systems. Problems in an electroacoustical system which produce distortion are the following: the inability to maintain linearity, resulting in the addition of unwanted harmonics; the inability to pass the complete audio spectrum equally; the inability to handle transients; the inability to pass all signals in the same amount of time.
In electroacoustic music and some kinds of modern popular music, distortion is exploited for musical purposes. The composer may alter the waveform of the original sound by various modulation techniques. Rock groups often create distorted effects by means of feedback or by overloading the amplifiers and speakers. (reduced from Barry Truax - Handbook for Acoustic Ecology CD-ROM Edition. Cambridge Street Publishing, 1999 - CSR-CDR 9901)
See also:Creative Abuse
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Alpha & Omega Ministries Apologetics Blog
Mohamed Did Not Believe that the Old Testament was Corrupt - Part 2
04/11/2009 - Tur8infanMr. Bassam Zawadi has provided an answer (link to answer) to my recent article (link to article), which demonstrated that Mohamed did not know of the currently prevalent Muslim view that the Bible is corrupt. While I appreciate the answer, I must continue to respectfully disagree with Mr. Zawadi.
Zawadi's first point of contention is over why Muslims claim that the Bible is corrupt. I had asserted that it is because they are aware that the Bible conflicts with the Koran. Zawadi asserts that this is not true, but that instead it is because "all of our major sources of Islamic authority say so." There are two problems with Zawadi's claim. First, the Koran does not say so (and yet must be considered a major source of Islamic authority). Second, while other sources of Islamic authority do say so, our assertion as that these sources say so because it was discovered that the Bible does not agree with the Koran.
Zawadi's second point of contention is over Surah 62:5. After reviewing the argument presented, Zawadi responds, "However, this is not evidence that the Qur'an doesn't teach that the Torah has been textually corrupted. This would only prove that this verse in specific does not teach this." (emphasis is Zawadi's) With respect to the latter of the two assertions, I would agree that we must limit the force of the verse to the verse itself. In other words, something could be taught elsewhere that is different from (and perhaps even contradictory to) what is taught in this verse. With respect to the first of his two assertions, however, I must respectfully disagree.
Surah 62:5 uses the analogy of a donkey carrying huge books. In this simile, the donkey has the books, but doesn't understand them. The argument we hear from some Muslims today is that, in essence, we don't even have the books. Those are conflicting claims. For example, in another article, Zawadi himself states:
There seems to be a misconception amongst Christians. They think that Islam teaches that there once was an original Bible and then the Bible got corrupted. This is not what Islam teaches. We don't believe that there was an original book of Philippians or Corinthians, which then later on got corrupted. We don't even believe that these books are divine in the first place. What we believe is that parts of the original revelations sent down to Moses (Torah) and Jesus (Gospel) peace be upon them both still exist in the Bible today. We believe that people came and wrote things from their own and claimed that it was from God. They then went and mixed their own writings with the original revelations (Torah and Gospel) and removed and added to them.(paragraph breaks omitted)
In his present response, Zawadi goes on to explain that Islam today not only teaches textual corruption but also corruption via hermeneutic. We understand that this is the claim of Islam today, but our point is simply that it is not what Mohamed himself believed, based on the Koranic evidence.
Zawadi seems willing to admit that the portions of the Koran I had identified speak only to the corruption of interpretation (corruption via hermeneutic), for he writes: "What TurretinFan is doing is appealing to verses that only speak about the hermeneutical corruption and tries to give his readers the false impression that this is the only kind of corruption that the Qur'an alludes to." (emphases are Zawadi's)
It would be improper simply to highlight text speaking of one kind of change and ignore text speaking of the other kind of change. That, however, has not been done here. And there is a further problem for Zawadi.
Corruption via hermeneutic is corruption via misinterpretation. You cannot misinterpret a text that you don't have. Since I don't believe Mohamed was a prophet of God, I don't have a problem with the idea that Mohamed might have taught two contradictory things. Surely, however, Zawadi does not think that Mohamed contradicted himself. What Zawadi would seem to need to explain is this. How can Jews and Christians misinterpret books that don't exist?
Moving to the next section of response, Zawadi raises the idea that "Allah only misguides those who are worthy of being misguided." I think, however, he has misunderstood the thrust of my criticism. I am not questioning whether the verse portrays Allah as someone who does not always tell the truth (perhaps that is something for another debate, if Zawadi believes that Allah can lie). Instead, I am suggesting that verse not only explains that the extant books were misinterpreted, but also suggests why they were misinterpreted. They were misinterpreted because they were not guided by Allah, according to the most natural reading of the verse. In other words, the books exist, but (for whatever reason) Allah did not guide these people and consequently they did not understand the books that they had.
With respect to Surah 2:285, Zawadi challenged the idea that belief in the books that Allah gave is inconsistent with the position that such books no longer exist. Recall that the relevant portion of that verse is:
The Apostle believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one (of them) believeth in God, His angels, His books, and His apostles. "We make no distinction (they say) between one and another of His apostles."Zawadi essentially argues that since men can believe in an unseen God and in unseen angels, they can also believe in unseen books and unknown and unseen apostles. Zawadi's distinction here is a bit misleading. Allow me to explain:
1) By way of analogy, consider the idea that we believe that Jesus was crucified. We believe that this happened, though of course it is no longer happening today. We can believe that it happened, without seeing it happening. Likewise, we understand that someone could believe that Allah gave books, without seeing those books.
2) Likewise, by way of analogy, we believe that Jesus had brethren, without knowing all of their names. We don't have to know their names to believe that Jesus had brethren. Likewise, we understand that someone could believe that Allah gave books, without knowing what those books were.
3) But I think a reasonable person will agree that the verse in question is not merely stating that Mohamed ("the Apostle") believed that God, the angels, books, and apostles existed. Instead, it is saying that Mohamed believed what God, the angels, the books, and the apostles said.
4) If the content of the books is not only unknown but also unknowable (for example, if the text were hopelessly corrupted), to say that one believes the content of the books is quite strange, to say the least.
Zawadi attempts to explain his own beliefs this way:
Similarly, I believe in Allah's books by acknowledging and believing that there were indeed revelations sent to the Messengers in the past (Surah 2:136-137). I believe in Allah's books by believing that there was a true Gospel and true Torah sent to Prophets Jesus and Moses (peace be upon them both) respectively. It is not necessary for these two books to be in my presence in order for me to believe in them, any more than it is necessary for the previous apostles who have all died to be in my presence in order for me to believe in them.Zawadi's beliefs, however, are not what Surah 2:285 is talking about. Zawadi's belief is a belief in the existence of the prophets and books, but not belief in any particular content. Zawadi's belief then is not in "what has been revealed to him," but in what has not been revealed to him - a reversal of the verse.
Zawadi also provides an alternative response, in which there is some sort of preserved tablet containing the uncorrupted text. This is not a tablet that Zawadi has seen, and I suppose Zawadi is not even dogmatic about the idea that it exists. Regardless, the preserved tablet's content is not something that "has been revealed to him" but rather is something that has not been revealed to him. So, while he may (or may not) believe in its existence, he does not believe its content, for he does not even know its content.
In order for anyone to believe the books that Allah gave, one must know what they say. If someone claims to believe that Mohamed is a prophet, but imagines that Mohamed taught that men should eat pork as often as possible, we would all agree (I think) that the person does not believe what Mohamed taught or follow the teachings of Mohamed.
With respect to Surah 20:133, Zawadi argues that a mistake has been made based on reliance on English translations rather than the Arabic original. While I certainly agree that it is important to understand the original languages in order to minimize errors in understanding, Zawadi has not presented an explanation of how the original Arabic reading of the Surah leads one to a different understanding. As far as I know, the original Arabic is as follows:
Surah 20:133 وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا يَأْتِينَا بِـَٔايَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦٓ ۚ أَوَلَمْ تَأْتِهِم بَيِّنَةُ مَا فِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ
Zawadi states that, "The verse in Arabic does not say that the content of the previous books are clear signs. It is saying that there is a clear sign for Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) prophethood in the previous scriptures (i.e. namely its [prophesying] of him)."
I'm not quite sure that Zawadi understands the argument presented here. As I understand his argument, he views the verse as in essence saying, and here I paraphrase (without intending any disrespect and without intending this to substitute for a translation):
133 They ask, "Why doesn't he give us a sign from Allah (that he is a prophet)?" But hasn't there already been a clear sign (that Mohamed is a prophet of Allah) provided in(perhaps throughout?) the previous books? 134 And if they hadn't already been disciplined so greatly before this, they would have said, "Why didn't you send us a prophet, for then we would have followed your guidance without our present disgrace and shame."I can understand this proposed interpretation, but even this proposed interpretation is helpful to the point I was making.
How is it helpful to my point? Even if the point of the verse is to say that these people who are asking for a sign of Mohamed's prophethood already have the sign in the previous books, it demonstrates that they had those previous books that include the sign. The value of appealing to a supposed sign in the previous books is that those books are trustworthy. If the books were not trustworthy, what good is their testimony for Mohamed's prophethood?
Thus, even assuming that we should narrowly interpret 20:133 in light of 20:134 (which really seems not to be an issue of the Arabic language at all), Mohamed's argument based on clear evidence or clear signs in the previous books, requires that these critics have access to the books and have a reason to trust the content of the books.
In response to my question about whether the shift in Islam (from Mohamed's original position that the Bible was simply misunderstood by the Jews and Christians to the later (though still quite early) position of Islam that the Bible was both misunderstood and corrupted as to its content by Jews and Christians) bothered Muslims, as I think it should, Zawadi replied: "The only thing that concerns me is how you missionaries continue to grossly distort our scriptures. We kindly ask you to please stop and to start learning from the experts."
I'm quite happy to learn from the experts, and I appreciate the attempts of Zawadi (who apparently views himself as an expert) to explain what he thinks the Koran means. On the other hand, Mr. Zawadi has presented nothing to rebut the argument I presented, namely that the Koran supports my thesis that Mohamed did not believe that the Old Testament was corrupt.
Instead, Mr. Zawadi's comments, particularly with respect to what he viewed as the translation issues in 20:133-34, have only helped to confirm my original point that the assertion that the Old Testament was corrupt was a later development in Islam, not part of the Koran's original teachings, and is even at least apparently contradictory to what the Koran has to say.
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Living with Wildlife 101
Americans are fortunate to have an enormous diversity of wildlife sharing the land, water, and sky with us.
But as people have moved into undeveloped areas and climate change has caused wildlife habitat to shift, conflicts with wild animals have also increased, often resulting in the death of the animals. Many of these species play a critical role in creating healthier ecosystems that benefit us all, so finding effective solutions to prevent and respond to these conflicts is essential.
Hear from regional experts about the tools that Defenders is using to help people and wildlife coexist:
What Defenders Is Doing to Help People and Wildlife Coexist
For decades, Defenders of Wildlife has been a leader in working with lawmakers, conservation professionals, local communities, and private landowners to develop innovative and effective methods for minimizing these conflicts.
- We are a leader in helping ranchers implement proven, nonlethal solutions to prevent attacks on livestock, such as using range riders to patrol for wolves and electric fencing to keep grizzlies out of small pastures, chicken coops and beeyards.
- We also provide resources to communities to help minimize conflicts—for example, providing bear-resistant trash cans and educating people on how to deal with wildlife encounters.
- And we work very closely with federal and state legislators and agency officials to help shape laws, policies, and programs that affect wildlife, like the innovative wolf coexistence plan passed in Oregon in 2011, and research on calf predation by Florida panthers.
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their daring raid Monday, gragged the cache of stones and sped off into the darkness, said Anja Bijnens, spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor's office.
Police found a burnt-out vehicle close to the airport later Monday night and said they were still looking for clues.
The heist was estimated at some $50 million in diamonds, said Caroline De Wolf of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre.
"What we are talking about is obviously a gigantic sum," De Wolf told VRT network.
An airport spokesman said the robbers made a hole in the perimeter fence and drove up to the Swiss passenger plane, which was ready to leave. The robbers got out of the car, flashed their weapons and took the loot from the hold, said airport spokesman Jan Van Der Crujsse. Without firing a shot they drove off through the same hole in the fence, completing the spectacular theft within minutes, he said.
Van Der Crujsse could not explain how the area could be so vulnerable to theft. "We abide by the most stringent rules," he said.
The Swiss flight, bound for Zurich and operated by Helvetic Airways, was canceled. Swiss, an affiliate of Germany's Deutsche Lufthansa AG, declined to comment on the heist, citing the ongoing judicial investigation.
The insurance for air transport, handled sometimes by airlines themselves or external insurance companies, is usually relatively cheap because it's considered to be the safest way of transporting small high value items, logistics experts say.
Unlike a car or a truck, an airplane cannot be attacked by robbers once it's on its way, and it is considered to be very safe before the departure and after the plane's arrival because the aircraft is always within the confines of an airport, which are normally highly secured.
Philip Baum, an aviation security consultant in Britain, said the robbery was worrying, not because the fence was breached, but because the response did not appear to have been immediate. That, he said, raised questions as to whether alarms were ringing in the right places.
"It does seem very worrying that someone can actually have the time to drive two vehicles onto the airport, effect the robbery, and drive out without being intercepted," Baum said.
That amount of time would also allow someone to board the plane, he said.
A decade ago the Belgian city of Antwerp, the world capital of diamond-cutting, was the scene of what was probably one of the biggest diamond heists in history, when robbers took precious stones, jewels, gold and securities from the high-security vaults at Antwerp's Diamond Center, yielding loot that police in 2003 estimated to be worth about $100 million.
Antwerp's Diamond Center stands in the heart of the high-surveillance diamond district where police and dozens of cameras work around the clock, and security has been beefed up further since the spectacular 2003 robbery.
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David Barton, a self-styled Christian historian who claims to debunk left-wing myths about America, is sure of it: If you studied the Founding Fathers like he has, you would know that “as far as they were concerned, they had already had the entire debate on creationism and evolution.”
And the creationists, Barton says, won.
Just one little problem: Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of the Species, the founding text of the theory of evolution, wasn’t published until 1859. That’s, oh, about three-quarters of a century after the founders were active.
keyboard shortcuts: V vote up article J next comment K previous comment
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- 1. How are the Tuition Surcharges (Bus Adm. and Eng.) used?
- Students taking College of Business Administration and/or College of Engineering courses
will pay a per credit hour Tuition Surcharge (for those courses only). This revenue
will be used to try to retain current outstanding faculty or attract high quality
- 2. I am not a Business or Engineering major, why do I have to pay the Surcharge?
- All students who take courses in the College of Business Administration or the College
of Engineering must pay the per credit hour Tuition Surcharge, regardless of the student's
academic major. The surcharge will be used to try to keep valued faculty from accepting
competitive offers from other schools or the private sector.
- 3. What is the difference between the Engineering Tuition Surcharge and the Engineering
- The revenue from the Engineering Tuition Surcharge (a per credit hour for any College
of Engineering course) will be used to retain valued College of Engineering faculty
and attract high quality replacements. The revenue from the Engineering Equipment
Fee (a per credit hour for any College of Engineering course) will be used to buy
classroom equipment for the College of Engineering in order to benefit instruction
so that students can receive the quality of education that the workplace of today
and tomorrow demands. There is also an Equipment Fee (a per credit hour) charged for
those enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning and Design courses.
- 4. What is a Need Based Tuition Waiver?
- Need Based Tuition Waiver is financial aid. Approximately 22% of the anticipated revenue
generated from tuition increases is being earmarked for Need Based Tuition Waivers,
and the Office of Student Financial Assistance is responsible for awarding this based
on need identified from financial aid applications.
- 5. What are Campus Privilege Fees?
- Campus Privilege Fees provide students with services, activities and supplemental
educational opportunities tailored to fulfill their academic and personal goals. These
are required to be paid by all students and are assessed at a set rate for the first
credit hour and an additional amount for each additional credit hour. Examples of
campus organizations receiving funds: KSDB Radio, Student Publications, K-State Student
Union, Recreational Services, Athletic Department, Office of Student Activities and
Services (SGA) and Lafene Health Center.
- 6. Why does tuition continue to increase?
- State funding has not kept pace with university needs. President Schulz is committed
to make K-State nationally competitive in our ability to attract and retain the very
best professors and to give them the tools and technology to make the educational
experience of our students second to none. Even with these increases, K-State remains
one of the best educational values in the nation. We are among the least expensive
of all Big 12 universities in tuition and fee charges.
- 7. Why do the College of Engineering and the College of Architecture, Planning and
Design have a special equipment fee?
- An Equipment Fee was established to help assure a quality education for students by
using the revenue generated to purchase and maintain equipment for instructional and
research programs in the College of Engineering and the College of Architecture, Planning
- 8. Does the University accept credit cards as payment for tuition and fees?
- Budget pressures forced the University to look seriously at eliminating the acceptance
of credit cards as a payment for student accounts due to the high costs involved in
accepting credit cards. Since the University is interested in providing as many convenient
payment options as possible, Kansas State has contracted with Informed Decisions Corporation
to provide CASHNet SMARTPAY service for the acceptance of credit card via the web https://isis.k-state.edu for tuition and fees at Kansas State University. There is a service charge paid by
the student to Informed Decisions for making payments using the CASHNet SMARTPAY service.
- 9. Why doesn't the CASHNet SMARTPAY service allow us to pay by Visa?
- Currently Visa does not allow a business to charge a fee for processing credit cards.
Therefore, Informed Decisions Corporation is unable to provide Visa as a payment option.
- 10. Do I have to pay in full or can I make payments on my student account?
- Kansas State University does provide a Tuition Installment Payment Plan to allow students to make payments on current semester tuition at the beginning of
each term. There is an application that must be completed and a fee for utilizing
- 11. When are student accounts due?
- All payments must be made in full no later than 3:00 p.m. on the 15th of the month
following initial billing to avoid a 1.5% Default Charge. Holds will be placed on
all delinquent accounts, which will not allow a student to drop or add classes, receive
a transcript or diploma or enroll for additional courses
- 12. I made a payment online. When will my account balance reflect the payment?
- Typically this would be immediately, but due to system maintenance payments may not
be credited until the next business day.This is a very rare occurance.
- 13. Will my financial aid be applied towards all of the charges on my account?
- As a general rule, the Cashier's Office will only apply credit from financial aid
towards tuition, fees and housing charges. Once these charges have been credited,
the Cashier's Office will release any excess funds in the form of a refund check,
or thorough direct deposit. The student is then responsible for any miscellaneous
charges that appear on the University account.
- 14. What happens if I pay my bill late?
- Your statement of account will provide the total amount you owe. If the total amount
due is not paid by the due date, the account will be assessed a 1.5% late fee of the
total due per month.
- 15. Why do I have a hold on my account?
- A hold on a students account could be there for several reasons and many different
departments can put a hold on the account. When looking at the student account, the
information will show what the amount owed is from and the student can be told why
it is there. If the student has a hold, they will not be able to enroll for the next
semester until the hold is lifted either by paying the balance due or by having one
of the supervisors look at the account and talk to the student to temporarily remove
- 16. What are these DCE charges?
- DCE is the Division of Continuing Education. DCE works with the colleges to deliver
courses and programs to non-traditional students primarily through distance education,
Evening College, and Intersession. Some costs for these courses and programs are not
covered in the general university budget, so additional fees are assessed to help
meet those costs.
- 17. What are my options for paying my bill?
- You can pay on-line with a check or credit card through iSIS or ksu.edu/paynow . The credit cards accepted are VISA, Master Card, Discover, and American Express
and will be assessed a 2.9% fee.
- 18. What is a sponsored student?
- A student having their tuition paid for by military, another country, athletics, other
departments, employers, employee benefits, and school districts, etc.
- 19. I need a receipt for my tuition.
- A receipt can be typed for students needing this for proof of their insurance company,
employee reimbursement, scholarships, or if their country is paying their tuition.
- 20. Why won't you give me information regarding my childs account? I pay the bill!
- The Federal law called the Federal Educational Rights to Privacy ACT (FERPA) requires
that a student's financial records are private and confidential. The cashiers Office
is required to secure written authorization from the student prior to release of the
information contained in these records. We recommend you take advantage of the Designated
Access program which will allow students to setup access for parents and others view
financial information. Setting up Designated Access will also allow us to speak freely
with the Designee about the student account information. You can learn more about
Designated access at http://www.k-state.edu/onestop/designated-access. The student must set up the Designee before our we can release any information.
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The Internal Revenue Service's free tax-filing program, which has had its share of controversy, got some more Friday as auditors said much of the program's industry-supplied software couldn't handle simple returns.
"Taxpayers have every reason to question whether they'd be better off with a pencil and an abacus than using the current free-file program," said Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa). "That has to change."
The IRS has been offering free electronic filing for the last four years as part of a partnership with about 20 tax-software companies that agreed to provide free electronic filing for taxpayers with simple returns. In exchange, they enjoy a form of free advertising on the IRS website because it has links to the vendors' sites. About 95 million people, or 70% of taxpayers, qualify for the program based on income, but only about 3.9 million used it last filing season.
The program has been plagued with problems from the start. Some taxpayers said they were forced to pay for services that were supposed to be free. Others complained of incessant advertising for profit-generating services, such as refund anticipation loans and state tax return preparation. By and large, those problems have been fixed, according to the audit by a Treasury Department unit responsible for oversight of the IRS.
But the audit also found that there was no assurance of accuracy with the free-file software and that many of the programs simply couldn't handle basic tax situations.
* One-fourth of the free-file tax software programs would not allow taxpayers to take either the earned income tax credit or the child and dependent care credit without also claiming an exemption for a dependent, even though these credits don't always require that you claim a dependent.
* Almost half of the programs did not ask users for enough information to determine whether they were entitled to claim an exemption for a dependent.
* One program improperly allowed exemptions for dependents.
* Some software wouldn't allow taxpayers to claim more than four dependents.
The auditors also found that a section of the IRS website that promised to guide the user to an appropriate free-file vendor sometimes went astray, leading the taxpayer to a program that couldn't complete the return. For example, the IRS website recommended 16 vendors to people who were claiming casualty losses. But 11 of them didn't support the form needed to make such a claim.
Taxpayers who were sent to the wrong software program often didn't discover it until they were midway through the process, forcing them to start over with another free-file vendor or go elsewhere for their tax preparation -- and pay for it.
In a written response to the audit, the IRS agreed that it needed to work on its guide to vendors, but said it could not verify the accuracy of the vendors' software because the agency's contract with companies didn't give it the right to demand software corrections.
That response failed to satisfy Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.).
"When the IRS refers taxpayers to an online filing service, those taxpayers have a right to expect accurate tax preparation," Baucus said.
"If the IRS really doesn't have the authority to require its free-file partners to get the software right, then they've got a bad agreement."
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ANKARA, Turkey, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Turkey Friday began diverting civilian planes to avoid Syrian airspace, officials said.
Turkey decided to reroute planes because it considers Syrian airspace unsafe, CNN reported. Passengers traveling to Saudi Arabia will be most affected.
Planes, which used to fly to Jeddah over Aleppo and Hatay Kamisli, will use airspace belonging to Jordan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin canceled a trip to Turkey after Ankara forced down a passenger jet that originated in Moscow it alleged carried military equipment and ammunition destined for the embattled Syrian regime.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied the cancellation of a trip set for Sunday was related to Wednesday's grounding of a Syrian Air A-320 Airbus jetliner with 35 passengers en route to Damascus.
A Putin spokesman told the Interfax news agency the visit could be rescheduled for Dec. 3.
Erdogan visited Moscow in June to discuss the Syrian crisis.
Moscow expressed dismay at Turkey's actions, with the Foreign Ministry saying in a statement the landing -- forced by two Turkish F-16 warplanes because Turkish officials suspected the jet's cargo contained weapons and ammunition -- had "threatened the life and safety" of 17 Russian citizens aboard.
It said Moscow "continues to insist on an explanation of the reasons for these actions by the Turkish authorities."
Syria accused Turkish officials assaulting the crew. It also denied any illegal cargo was on board and demanded the return of whatever had been seized. Turkish officials said they might confiscate the material.
The official Syrian Arab News Agency quoted a Foreign Ministry statement as saying Turkish officials forced the plane to sit unattended on the tarmac at Esenboga International Airport in Ankara, the capital, for hours, leaving the occupants to wonder why they were there.
After passengers were escorted into a waiting lounge, "Turkish security authorities subjected the plane to search and assaulted the plane crew," the ministry said. The plane and passengers were allowed to leave early Thursday.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said it was "unacceptable" for Turkish airspace to be used for weapons transfers to the regime of President Bashar Assad, which Turkey fervently opposes.
"We are determined to control weapons transfers to a regime that carries out such brutal massacres against civilians," Davutoglu said in remarks shown live on Turkish television.
Erdogan said at a news conference the cargo included unspecified "munitions" from a Russian "institution equivalent to our Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corp.," referring to the state-run manufacturer that supplies Turkey's military.
The munitions included "military tools, equipment and ammunition to the Syrian Defense Ministry," he said.
An unidentified senior Russian official told Interfax, "No weapons, systems or other kinds of military equipment was on board the passenger aircraft, nor could there be."
He said Russia would never carry out military sales to Syria illegally, "especially with the use of civilians."
|Additional World News Stories|
BRIDGEWATER, Nova Scotia, May 23 (UPI) --The mother of a Canadian teenager who was chained up and raped last fall said Thursday she wanted the man who pleaded guilty to the crime to "suffer."
LONDON, May 23 (UPI) --U.S. rocker Jon Bon Jovi is advising 19-year-old pop star Justin Bieber to respect his fans if he wants to have a long and successful career.
HAIFA, Israel, May 23 (UPI) --The reported delivery of supersonic Russian anti-ship missiles to Syria heightened Israeli concerns about protecting its offshore gas fields.
LOS ANGELES, May 23 (UPI) --A Los Angeles teenager who created a popular online video asking supermodel Kate Upton to prom is getting a consolation date from another model, Nina Agdal.
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Anger over Indonesian pictures of cattle mistreatment
- From: AFP
- January 07, 2013
ANIMAL rights activists on Monday denounced "cruel" treatment of cattle in Indonesia after pictures emerged of cows on their way to market being lifted by a crane from ropes tied to their heads.
It is another blow to the country's reputation for dealing with livestock following international criticism in 2011 when Australian TV aired footage of Indonesian abattoir workers torturing cows shipped from Australia.
In the latest pictures, taken by an AFP photographer, a crane is shown transferring three bony cows from a boat in the eastern Javanese city of Surabaya using a loop of rope around their skulls.
Another photograph shows seven live cows being lifted in a similar fashion in one group, with their necks painfully outstretched.
The boat transporting the cattle had come from Sumbawa island, around 500 kilometres (300 miles) east of Surabaya, but it was not clear whether this was where the cattle had been reared.
The cattle were to be transported to the capital Jakarta, a worker in the operation who declined to give his name said. It was not known which company was transporting the cattle.
While a large number of cattle are transported around Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, it is not normal practice to lift animals up by their heads.
"It is crazy that cruel practices are still happening," Jakarta Animal Aid Network campaigner Benvika told AFP.
Indonesian Veterinary Association chairwoman Wiwiek Bagja said animal welfare laws in effect since 2009 did not work as they did not actually lay out what punishments people should face for animal cruelty.
"In short, Indonesia is very far from implementing and enforcing the law," Bagja said.
In the 2011 scandal, the video of cows dying slow and painful deaths, having their eyes gouged, tails broken and throats hacked, prompted the Australian government to suspend its exports to Indonesia for a month.
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"Response and Memory: The Art of Beverly Buchanan", a selection of bold, colorful, and expressive drawings and sculptures by this leading contemporary artist, opens to the public November 21, 2009, at the Morris Museum of Art
Organized by the Asheville Art Museum from the collections of Ann and Ted Oliver (with the assistance of the Morris Museum of Art), the exhibition remains on view at the Morris Museum through January 31, 2010.
Through her continued exploration of the vernacular architecture of the South, Beverly Buchanan has created richly expressive works of art that symbolize community and the energy and imagination that are required to sustain it. She is a great story teller, and, implicit in her work, lie the stories behind the rural sharecropper shacks she depicts . . ., said Kevin Grogan, Director of the Morris Museum of Art.
Beverly Buchanan, born in 1940 in Fuquay, North Carolina, was raised in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on the campus of South Carolina State College, where her father was dean of the School of Agriculture. Armed with degrees in medical technology, parasitology, and public health from Bennett College and Columbia University, she was a medical technologist for the Veterans Administration in the Bronx and then a health educator for the East Orange New York Health Department. (Although she was accepted to medical school, Buchanan decided not to go, choosing instead to dedicate more time to her art.) In 1971 she attended art classes at the Art Students League, where she studied with Norman Lewis, and, during the 1970s, Romare Bearden became a particularly important friend and mentor.
In 1977 Buchanan moved to Macon, Georgia, to devote her full time and attention to art. Buchanans early sculptures demonstrated an innate interest in the architecture of poverty. Made of cast concrete, clay, pigment, and other materials, these primeval, blocklike forms conveyed a sense of archaeological ruin and mystery.
Buchanans art gradually evolved from abstract, organic forms into the expressionistic, representational works she executes today. Her sculptures are based, in part, on the sharecropper shacks that can be found along the back roads of the rural South while traveling with her father. Buchanans sculpture and drawings challenge the icons of hopelessness; they are elegies that salute the integrity, resilience, and resolution of humankind.
My work is about, I think, responses. My response to what Im calling groundings, states Buchanan. A process of creating objects that relate to but are not reproductions of structures, houses mainly lived in now or abandoned that served as home or an emotional grounding. Whats important for me is the total look of the piece. Each section must relate to the whole structure. There are new groundings, but old ones help me ask questions and see possible stories as answers. Groundings are everywhere. Im trying to make houses and other objects that show what some of them might look like now and in the past.
In 1980, Buchanan was awarded fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; the Carnegie Museum of Art, PA; the Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia , SC ; the High Museum of Art, Atlanta , GA ; the Asheville Art Museum, NC; the Tubman African American Museum, Macon , GA ; and the Morris Museum of Art, Augusta , GA.
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Last Sunday I sat in the back room of Tea in Sahara with a group of largely African American people, sharing our feelings about the killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida a month ago. The community forum was hosted by the Africana Reading Collective - and lots of people turned out. It is something we needed to talk about . We needed to talk about the reality of racial profiling and the racism that is in evey fiber of our society; about being a Black parent of Black children, especially boys; about the experiences of people in the room; about the fact that had the kille
PrYSM skit on racial profiling at the RI State House
Saturday, April 14, 2012 - 5:30pm - 8:30pm
The killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida and the fact that his killer remains free one month later has focused attention on the reality of racial profiling. It is a legacy of the racism that is in the fibers of our culture. It has many faces, from crossing the street to avoid a bunch of teens to police stopping and frisking youth of color on a regular basis.
Join us for a walking meditation on peace in collaboration with the Peace Flag Project and Providence Water Fire. As part of the RI Month for Peace activities surrounding the 10th anniversary of September 11th and International Peace Day September 21st, the annual Buddhist walking meditation will take place this year as part of the Sept. 24th Water Fire. The walk will be led by local interfaith leaders.
Assemble at 6:30 pm at the Waterplace Park Basin. Walkers can purchase and carry Candle Luminaria as they walk slowly and in silence.
Many non-citizen youth (some, but not all, lack full legal documentation) believe in the dream that getting an education is their ticket to a secure future, yet find that dream blocked when they try to go to college. RI public colleges charge these students international student rates, even though they have grown up here and graduated from local high schools. This bill would allow them to attend college at in-state rates, just like their classmates. It costs the state nothing. It doesn't displace any students who are full citizens.
Support immigrant students who have graduated from a RI high school, been in the state for at least 3 years, who meet admission requirements who ask to go to state colleges at in-state tuition rates. If you are planning to join the lobby day, please contact Michelle DePlante, email@example.com or Marta Martinez at firstname.lastname@example.org
AFSC is a Quaker organization devoted to service, development, and peace programs throughout the world. Our work is based on the belief in the worth of every person, and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice. Learn more
Where we work
AFSC has office around the world. To see a complete list see the Where We Work page.
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Our proficiency in 3D modeling enables us to use all sorts of rapid prototyping technologies to deliver your desired level of accuracy from study models to consumer testing mock-ups to final prototypes - in either rigid or soft materials.
If you want to know more about the different rapid prototype processes please feel free to read through these short explanations:
CNC block models:
CNC Milling used for machining complex parts and shapes hard to machine with conventional machines. The cutter path is generated directly from the CAD model, which is transferred to machine controller in the form of numerical data. This data is used to move the machine table and tool to create the high precision jobs.
Use when mechanical properties can not be compromised with any additive RP process.
FDM, also known as Fused Deposition Modeling is layered manufacturing process. FDM offers functional prototypes with ABS, and other materials. A thin bead of molten plastic is extruded through the computer controlled nozzle, which is deposited on a layer-by-layer basis to construct a prototype directly from 3D CAD data. The technology is commonly applied to form, fit and function analysis and concept visualisation. In addition, FDM can be used for pattern generation and rapid manufacturing.
Good combination of strength and surface finish at affordable price and lead time.
SLA, also known as Stereolithography, provides the greatest accuracy with an excellent surface finish. Process works by curing liquid photopolymers when exposed to ultraviolet light. SLA is limited in its range of applicable materials but still widely used for conceptual designs, Product verification, Pattern making, Form/Fit analysis and light functional testing.
Excellent surface finish suitable for presentation, master models and light functional testing.
SLS also known as Selective Laser Sintering, primarily used to quickly produce three dimensional parts, layer by layer, from powdered materials. The CO2 Laser provides a concentrated heating which welds (sinters) the powder within a precisely controlled chamber. SLS has distinctive advantage of having wide variety of materials that can be suitable for functional analysis.
Range of materials available, soft like rubber to strong like metal. SLS Nylon suitable for snap and living hinge features
Objet's PolyJet technology works by jetting state of the art photopolymer materials in ultra-thin layers of 16 µm or 30 µm onto a build tray layer by layer until the part is complete.
The high resolution of the print head and the small layer thickness enable the creation of models that meet a wide range of form, fit, and function requirements utilizing a wide variety of both rigid and flexible materials.
3DP also known as 3D printing works on FDM principle as a layered manufacturing process. 3DP offers prototypes with thermoplastic Polyester material. A thin bead of molten plastic is extruded through the computer controlled nozzle, which is deposited on a layer-by-layer basis to construct a prototype directly from 3D CAD data. The technology is commonly applied to initial conceptual design. In addition, parts can be used for form fit and light testing purpose.
Suitable for general purpose parts for initial design stage with a quick delivery.
VC (Vacuum Casting) is widely used process in rapid prototyping industry, typically used for making 20 to 40 pieces of functional prototypes out of broad range of polyurethanes and other polymers available. The process starts with creation of an accurate and highly finished master model which can be created using various RP techniques e.g. SLA, FDM, SLS, CNC or existing part. This model is carefully placed in a mold box and liquid silicon rubber is poured over the master. After curing the silicon, mould is cut as per split line established and master model is removed, leaving an accurately formed cavities. Now these mould cavities are used to cast large variety of polyurethane or epoxy materials available. This allows fast production of high quality parts in a short lead time. A broad range of polyurethanes with various physical properties enable the production of prototypes to more closely mimic the functional properties of engineering thermoplastics.
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I recently conducted a fascinating exercise. I looked at the stories and records of leaders who have failed. While there is some subjectivity to the definition of failure, I think most would agree with my choices. There seems to be near unanimity that the leaders I researched did not fare well in their roles.
Some of my choices were historical figures for whom much has been written. Others were virtual unknowns in the annals of leadership history. Little, if nothing, has been written on them. But I have followed their lives, and they fall into the same patterns of the more publicized leadership failures. Others who know these lesser-known persons agree with my assessment without exception.
What then are the common characteristics of leaders who fail? I have no expectation that my list is exhaustive, but it was amazing to me to see some of these traits repeated several times. To read more, click here.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Seven Reasons Leaders Fail
Posted by Robin G. Jordan at 9:25 AM
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In The Proletariat\'s Paradise
Romuald Lipinski is a survivor of the USSR, originally deported from Poland in the summer of 1941. He recalls an episode in Russia brought on by a quest for potatoes. A portion of his memoirs can be found here.
Strange, justice was, in the Soviet Russia. Soon after our deportation from Poland to Barnaul, Altajski Krai, we ran out of our food supplies brought from Poland. It was necessary to look for something to eat. Our major source of nourishment became the River Ob, which had plenty of fish. We had fish three times a day. Soon, it became necessary to find something else. A man cannot live by fish alone. Somebody told us that in one kolhoz (collective farm) there was a potato field, and that the potatoes were already dug out with many likely left on the ground. The field was not guarded, so there was an opportunity to go there and dig out some of potatoes. This was very exciting as our situation was near desperate. We were glad to have a chance to get some potatoes.
Early in the morning, a group of youngsters from our Vostochnyj Posielok (Eastern Settlement) set out for the kolhoz where the potato field was located. The weather was good, and we were in a good mood. Expecting to bring some food back to the table, we proceeded happily to our destination. We had some shovels and sacks for the potatoes with us. It was about a journey of about 10 kilometers, and we arrived to the field in about three hours. We quickly found that, indeed, there were many left in the ground after a tractor had gone through the field. We worked for about two hours digging potatoes and had our sacks half-filled, when someone yelled, “Watch out! They are coming!” I raised my eyes and noticed four or five horsemen galloping in our direction. I knew what was going to happen.
In Soviet Russia, although they claimed that land belongs to people, it was not so. The land belonged to the government. Not only the land, but people as well. One does not exist as an individual. The Revolution in 1917 abolished the class system based on hereditary aristocracy. But it introduced another aristocracy that was based on allegiance to the Party. Privileges were allocated according to the position and hierarchy occupied in the Party. Party men had special stores where they could buy everything they needed, that were closed to ordinary people. They had cars, and if they were high enough in the hierarchy, they had chauffeurs to drive them around. They were allowed in special apartments and so many other privileges that an ordinary “muzik” (Russian farmer) could not even dream about. Just to be allowed to live in a large town, especially Moscow or Leningrad, one had to have permission that was very difficult to get. People arranged their lives, their marriages, and so on, according to the privileges they could get. For example, if somebody had a permit to live in Moscow or had a nice apartment allocated to him, he was an attractive marriage partner.
So, by invading the potato field we committed an inpardonable sin - we were steeling public property. Never mind that these potatoes would have rotted in the ground. Never mind that we were hungry. Although the Party proclaimed that the land belonged to the people, this was government property and nobody could touch it. For an infraction like that, people went to court and were condemned for many years in the Gulag.
There was not a moment to lose. I grabbed my sack and hid myself with two or three boys behind bushes that were nearby. Helplessly we watched our friends being mercilessly whipped with long whips. We could see blood flowing from the face of a girl not more than 15 years old as she tried cover her face. The others were similarly whipped. Fortunately they did not arrest anybody. They yelled that they should rot in a concentration camp, but after a while they went away.
When we saw that they had gone, we came from our hiding place and helped our friends to their feet. There was not much that we could do. We shared our potatoes that we were able to hide and started on our way home. Needless to say that on the trip back home our mood was subdued. But we were glad that this incident ended up the way it did. It could have been much worse.
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> Have you looked at Java since 1.0? The nio package > provides access to using native select() or poll() > implementations on socket and file streams.
Hey, lookie there! I googled for this a couple months ago and found nothing (except a few people saying it couldn't be done). Must have been using crappy search criteria.
> But, that is more of that confusing syntax stuff that > doesn't provide the user with any good sub-conscience > glue. Making users type obj1.equals( obj2 ) is not a bad > thing either...
I wouldn't call the "address of" operator confusing, but it's all a matter of opinion.
> Would be > interesting to see how that would be implemented without > == being assigned to a member method to begin with.
The compiler writers have managed to do it with implicitly defined operator= and copy constructors. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to apply similar member traversal logic to equality comparisons, but aparently some one did. Perhaps the answer lies in the ARM.
Well, shame on me for not knowing my tools. I obviously don't know either language well enough to effectively argue the finer points of either one in a public forum.
But I do know that you use the right tool for the right job. Sometimes the right tool is C++ (like it or not), and articles like this make better programmers out of all of us.
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A number of people, including Ilargi and Stoneleigh at _The Automatic Earth_ have long pointed out that the interventions that the government has made in the housing market hasn’t served the people. They observe, for example, that by propping up house prices artificially they’ve benefitted more affluent, generally older homeowners, at the expense of younger, poorer people, renters and those who would like to get into the housing market but can’t afford its (still) inflated prices. The problem with this, besides the generational and class screwage is that these strategies don’t serve even homeowners in the longer run.
Now we see another example of the ways in which interventions in the housing market aren’t helping, courtesy of one of my favorite Science blogs colleagues, Mike the Mad Biologist:
My guiding political principle is “people have to like this crap.” That is, if a policy makes peoples’ lives worse, then it’s a shitty policy*. More about that in a bit.
Last week, a bunch of bloggers went to visit the Treasury Department, and one of the topics for discussion was the Home Affordable Modification Program (‘HAMP’). HAMP has been accused of doing little to help people from avoiding foreclosure, and, instead, has only prolonged their attempt to meet a (doomed to fail) series of payments (this is derisively called “extend and pretend”). In other words, these homeowners would have saved money if they had only entered foreclosure earlier, and avoided HAMP (as Atrios put it, “Hi, we’re from the federal government and we’re here to fuck you over”).
You want to read the whole thing, just another layer of proof that most of what is being done to “fix” the economy is actually being done to “fix” the game so that the remaining affluent folks profit.
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Everyone expected changes to Georgia's media environment following the Georgian Dream coalition's election victory on October 1. But few expected them to come so quickly.
It's still days before the new parliament convenes for the first time to confirm Georgian Dream leader Bidzina Ivanishvili as prime minister and to endorse his cabinet, but already the landscape is shifting dramatically.
On October 16, Imedi-TV, one of Georgia's most popular television channels, broadcast a cryptic announcement saying that ownership of the holding had been "transferred" to the family of late businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili, the station's founder. For the last three years, Imedi has been run by Giorgi Arveladze, a longtime ally of President Mikheil Saakashvili.
The day before, journalists at the Russian-language PIK channel aired a news broadcast without sound to protest their inability to get information about the station's finances and future.
The tremors in the Georgian television market are indicative of how closely the country's media environment is connected to its politics. The lack of a truly independent press since the country's 2003 Rose Revolution has been one of the key disappointments of Saakashvili's rule.
A report this year by the U.S.-based NGO Human Rights Watch notes that national television is dominated by state-owned or pro-government broadcasters, that independent journalists have been subject to "politically motivated" prosecutions for their coverage of antigovernment protests, and that the Finance Ministry has launched audits of independent media outlets that seemed to be targeted for their political coverage.
The U.S. NGO Freedom House wrote in 2011 that state television "is perceived as politicized and partisan" in support of Saakashvili.
Imedi In The Spotlight
Imedi's tumultuous history is indicative of the politicized media environment.
Patarkatsishvili founded Imedi in 2003 as an independent television station, but over the years its editorial line became increasingly antigovernment. It played a key role in promoting opposition protests in downtown Tbilisi in November 2007 that were violently dispersed by police. After the demonstrations, Imedi was raided by riot police and taken off the air for months.
Imedi-TV's studios were left in a shambles after a police raid in November 2007.
Patarkatsishvili unsuccessfully ran against Saakashvili in the January 2008 presidential election and died in the United Kingdom of apparent heart failure a month later. After his death, the ownership of Imedi came into dispute, but control of the station fell to Saakashvili ally Arveladze.
Giorgi Targamadze, a politician and former Imedi journalist who was on the air when the authorities raided the station in November 2007, sees justice in the October 16 announcement.
"It took quite a long time for the truth to gain the upper hand, but the story has ended logically, appropriately, as it should have ended," Targamadze says.
"Badri Patarkatsishvili founded Imedi TV, and it was thanks to him that the company functioned for several years. And I don't think anyone ever doubted that this television company belonged to Patarkatsishvili's family. In other words, justice has been restored."
Rustavi-2, Mze To Follow?
Georgia's other main independent broadcaster, Rustavi-2, could follow a similar path.
After Georgian Dream's election victory, businessman Kibar Khalvashi -- whose sister won a parliament seat as a Georgian Dream member -- announced that he would file a legal action to regain control of the station.
Khalvashi, who now lives in Germany, alleges that he was forced to sell the property and flee the country. Since 2006, the station has been controlled by business interests close to Saakashvili.
Rustavi-2 also owns the smaller station Mze, which was launched in 2003 by businessman Vano Chkhartishvili. Chkhartishvili announced this week that he would also file a legal challenge to regain control of Mze. Although the station has been apolitical since 2006, Chkhartishvili says he would like to restore it to its previous stature.
Similar situations could be played out in the coming months regarding the ownership of many regional Georgian television stations. Many former owners allege the stations were illegally taken over by Georgian Public Broadcasting during Saakashvili's time in power.
Does PIK Have A Future?
Meanwhile, the Russian-language PIK television's silent protest on October 15 was intended to draw attention to the fact that Georgian Public Broadcasting, which funds PIK and arranges for its distribution, had pulled the channel from its satellite. In addition, journalists say their September salaries were delayed, although the arrears have apparently been paid.
"We are asking these questions: why, without explaining the reasons, has PIK disappeared from the satellite? And why are their no guarantees that we will receive our salaries next month?" PIK news director Yekaterina Kotrikadze explained to RFE/RL's Echo of the Caucasus.
"No one can legally tear up our contracts, considering that all PIK employees are meeting their obligations and they were not warned that the station would be closed. And finally, we simply do not understand why the channel might be closed down -- there is no reason for it."
PIK, which was launched in January 2011, was intended to counter pro-Moscow reporting about Georgia. It broadcasts throughout the Caucasus and the European part of Russia. However, it has been widely criticized -- including by Ivanishvili -- for its blanket anti-Russian views and for its uncritical support of Saakashvili.
PIK senior editor Nicholas Clayton acknowledged in his blog that "we likely could have done a better job in respecting the line between the Georgian government and the ruling party -- a line the government itself regularly blurred."
Independent media analyst Zviad Koridze says there is no need for Georgian taxpayers to support a channel with PIK's mission. "This channel is purely propagandistic -- created to propagandize Georgian policies in Russia and to show how strong and good we are," he says.
"Such television should not exist on state money. Public money shouldn't be used for such projects, which are obvious losers politically and as businesses and as media."
Koridze notes that Georgian Public Broadcasting as a whole is notoriously opaque in terms of its management and its finances. He sees the new attitude toward PIK as just the first step in a general reexamination of the holding, which also controls Georgia's First Channel and Second Channel.
[Disclosure: RFE/RL's Echo of the Caucasus broadcast its weekly "Free Talk" program on PIK until January 2012, and former RFE/RL Georgian Service Director Robert Parsons was the station's first director.]
RFE/RL's Echo of the Caucasus correspondent Temuri Kiguradze contributed to this report
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Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word
Are you sure we're going in the right direction?
The wind has changed direction.
The River Leadon flows in a southerly direction.
The birds scattered in all directions.
We drove off in the direction of the mountains.
I'd give you a lift, but I'm going in the opposite direction.
Michelle's always getting lost because of her terrible sense of direction.
He was determined to change the direction of the business.
He was looking for a complete change of direction.
Many Labour supporters are unhappy with the direction the party has taken.
This is the British English definition of direction. View American English definition of direction.
a part of an atom that moves around the nucleus (=centre) and has a negative electrical charge
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|Shortly after the September 1863 Confederate victory at Chickamauga, Confederate Major
General James Longstreet moved from Chattanooga toward Knoxville with orders to capture or
drive the Federals under Major General Ambrose E. Burnside out of East Tennessee.
Longstreet's cavalry under Major General Joseph Wheeler was ordered to push through Blount
County to claim the heights on the Holston (now Tennessee) River opposite Knoxville.
For several weeks prior to Longstreet's advance in November of 1863, Blount County played host to Union cavalry under the command of Brigadier General William P. Sanders. Sanders' assignment was to guard the Little Tennessee River fords against roving bands of Confederate cavalry and to notify the Federal authorities of any Confederate advance through Blount County. Blount County Unionists and Home Guards served as guides and scouts for the Federal cavalry, collecting information and reporting on Confederate activity in the area.
While Blount County was primarily Unionist in sentiment, Confederate sympathizers were still in evidence. On November 12, Sanders reported to Gen. Burnside, in Knoxville, that a small party of Confederates had attacked his pickets at Maryville. The Rebels had escaped detection because they were led by a "doctor from Maryville" who brought them in by the Chilhowee Mountains and, after the Confederates stole a few horses, led them out by way of Montvale Springs.
Loyal Blount County citizens continued to report Confederate crossings at Motley's and Niles' Fords, but upon reconnaissance, Federal cavalry usually failed to find anything but a few Confederate deserters. Sanders also reported from Maryville that there were "a terrible number of roads leading to this place" (present day maps prove this point) -- presumably complicating security. These constant reports of elusive Confederates and fear of rising water in Little River at his back caused Sanders to move his main camp and wagon train north of Maryville and Little River. The new camp was near the community of Rockford, a few miles closer to Knoxville. Sanders left only one brigade at Maryville . This timely move saved the better part of Sanders' cavalry, for on the dark, rainy morning of November 14, a Rebel whirlwind in the form of Wheeler's Cavalry blew through the camp of the Eleventh Kentucky Cavalry at Maryville.
Wheeler's orders were to attack the detachment stationed at Maryville and force his way through to Knoxville. The capture of the heights opposite Knoxville would enable the Confederates to bombard the Federal works and city, forcing the Federals to evacuate. The Confederate surprise was complete as Wheeler's Cavalry dashed into the Federal camp, scattering the Kentuckians in all directions. A number of the fleeing Federals were wounded in the confusion and eventually 151 of the Kentucky cavalrymen were rounded up.
In Sanders' camp at Rockford, the roar of firearms alerted the Federals to the presence of the enemy. Sanders had received reports from scouts and civilians warning of a buildup along the Little Tennessee River, but reports gave no indication that Sanders' 1,500 men were facing "Fightin' Joe" Wheeler and 4,000 hard-riding Confederate cavalrymen. The unwitting troops sprang to their saddles without their breakfast and, in a matter of moments, the First Kentucky and Forty-Fifth Ohio were galloping to the rescue of their comrades. The Federal troopers were so anxious to reach the field that they neglected to put out a skirmish line. Wheeler's men, expecting an attack, were prepared for the onslaught and the charging Federals found themselves fired upon from the front and both flanks. The fire was too withering to endure. The Federals retreated across Little River and rallied on the north bank, awaiting Wheeler's charge. Wheeler, however, was unaware of the size of Sanders' force and failed to follow up on his success.
During the night the Federals retreated toward Knoxville. The Confederate crossing of Little River next morning was unopposed, but was not completed until almost noon due to the poor condition of the ford. Once across, Wheeler's men found their advance constantly checked as they were forced to skirmish with the out-manned, but stubborn, Federal cavalry. Three miles from Little River the Confederates found their next obstacle -- the bridge over Stock Creek. Or what was left of it. The bridge over Stock Creek, perched on the Blount-Knox County line, was partially destroyed and the Creek itself was too deep for horses to ford. The reinforced Federal cavalry had taken "a strong and elevated" position overlooking the ford and were prepared to make hot work of the Confederates' entrance into Knox County. Wheeler dismounted about half his force and crossed the creek under cover of fire from his artillery. His advance uphill across open fields was hotly contested by both rifle and cannon fire from the Federals, but Wheeler successfully pushed back the Federal left wing, forcing them to retreat.
After repairing the bridge, Wheeler crossed over his entire force and engaged Sanders' troops in a rolling battle up to the heights above Knoxville. Having forced the back door, Wheeler was in for a disappointment. Instead of finding lightly defended hills, he discovered impossibly steep slopes on 300-foot ridges, defended by infantry and artillery as well as cavalry. (These heights would later be crowned by the fortifications of Forts Higley, Dickerson, and Stanley.) Wheeler exchanged fire with the Yankee batteries, but the formidable heights and their defense force convinced him that his task was impossible. The back door had slammed in his face.
Convinced that storming the heights would be too costly in time and manpower, Wheeler and his cavalry retreated back through Blount County, crossed the Holston , and rejoined Longstreet on his advance to Knoxville. Wheeler's defeat at Knoxville's back door was even more important than it would appear, for it was during Wheeler's absence that Longstreet lost the opportunity to bag Burnside and the major portion of his army at Campbell's Station, 16 miles south of Knoxville. In the absence of cavalry, the Confederates reached the vital road junction just 20 minutes after the Federal army which had blocked the road, thus insuring that Burnside's army would reach the comparative safety of the defenses of Knoxville.
The dogged determination shown by the outnumbered Federal cavalry in Blount County foreshadowed the determination of the Federal troops defending Knoxville in the next few weeks. The outnumbered Federals stubbornly endured the siege of Knoxville and its culmination at the Battle of Fort Sanders. The approach of 25,000 reinforcements under General William T. Sherman a few days later concluded all hopes of Confederate reoccupation of Knoxville. The front door was also closed.
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Obamacare is now definitively the “law of the land”. While this may not surprise those on the left, I suspect that even they were surprised by the Court’s reasoning.
Step 1 of the Court’s analysis was to determine if the case could even be heard as a result of the provisions of the Anti-Injunction Act. That law prohibits any challenge to a tax until that tax has to be paid. The Court found, at page 21,
The Affordable Care Act does not require that the penalty for failing to comply with the individual mandate be treated as a tax for purposes of the Anti-Injunction Act. The Anti-Injunction Act therefore does not apply to this suit, and we may proceed to the merits.
Thus, because the penalty isn’t called a tax, the action can proceed.
The next piece of the analysis was to determine whether the individual mandate could be justified under either the “necessary and proper clause” of the Constitution, or Congress’s power to regulate interstate commerce.
As to the argument that the mandate regulates interstate commerce, here is what we learn, at page 26,
The individual mandate, however, does not regulate existing commercial activity. It instead compels individuals to become active in commerce by purchasing a product, on the ground that their failure to do so affects interstate commerce. Construing the Commerce Clause to permit Congress to regulate individuals precisely because they are doing nothing would open a new and potentially vast domain to congressional authority.
And, at page 33,
The individual mandate forces individuals into commerce precisely because they elected to refrain from commercial activity. Such a law cannot be sustained under a clause authorizing Congress to “regulate Commerce”.
And further, at page 36,
Even if the individual mandate is “necessary” to the Act’s insurance reforms, such an expansion of federal power is not a “proper” means for making those reforms effective.
But, the analysis did not stop there. The Court then analyzed whether the individual mandate could be permitted under Congress’s power to tax.
The Court found (at page 43) that because the failure to purchase approved insurance is not unlawful, the “penalty” for failure to so purchase was really not a penalty after all, but, was instead a tax. And, because it is a tax, Congress had the power to impose the individual mandate under Congress’s taxing power.
I add, parenthetically, given this interpretation, there is little that Congress couldn’t compel you to do, by simply imposing a tax (called, of course, a penalty) on you if you don’t.
The Court did, however, strike down a provision of the law that allowed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to withhold all Medicaid funding from any state that refused to expand their Medicaid roles in compliance with the Act, calling said provision “coercive”.
So now, states are faced with a choice…greatly expand the money they spend on Medicaid, or simply allow their citizens to pay federal taxes to greatly expand the amount of money other states spend on Medicaid.
My head hurts.
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Car Safety And Pregnancy
Car Safety And Pregnancy
Stephanie Tombrello (Child Passenger Safety Educator & Executive Director, SafetyBeltSafe USA) gives expert video advice on: What's the proper way to wear a car safety belt if I'm pregnant?; Can air bags injure me during a car accident if I'm pregnant?; Where should I sit in a vehicle if I'm a pregnant passenger? and more...
Can air bags injure me during a car accident if I'm pregnant?
In a car crash, the air bag is meant to diffuse some of the forces that would go on to your body, so it's a good thing. We're not worried about air bags and pregnant women. However, anyone who is too close to the air bag compartment prior to the car crash runs the risk of some kind of potential injury. You want to sit at least 10 inches back from your air bag compartment.
How are air bags designed to protect me in a car collision?
The way air bags are designed is for adults is with the shoulder-lap belt holding the person in place and then the air bag coming to spread forces to the person's head, chest, and so forth. This is as well as keeping the air bag and the passenger somewhat apart until the air bag is fully deployed, and some of the ride-down has occurred from the belt system. So, although air bag systems now have sensors to sense whether there's somebody who is 'too light' (in other words, a child is in that position, so the air bag is turned off automatically) we still don't want to see children rear-facing in front of a passenger air bag unless it is directly switched off. Part of the reason it's really good to have the sensors for passenger air bags is there are many occasions in which no one is sitting in the front seat, and there's no reason to have that passenger air bag deploy for your groceries, or your woman's purse, or a set of books that might be sitting there.
Where should I sit in a vehicle if I'm a pregnant passenger?
The back seat is always the better seat in a car if you're a pregnant passenger. You want to sit where you have a shoulder-lap belt. Ideally, if your car has a shoulder-lap belt in the center of the rear seat, that's the best place for you to sit when pregnant.
What do I do after a collision if I'm pregnant?
After any collision, we feel that pregnant women should seek some medical attention and probably 24-hour fetal monitoring because it's difficult to know whether there's been an abruption of the placenta after a crash. Therefore as a pregnant woman, after a collision you want to be monitored so steps can be taken to help you and the fetus if there is a problem.
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Healthy Kids Recipes To Delight
Healthy Kids Recipes
OH MY ASIAN PATTY!
OH MY ASIAN PATTY!
Hey Moms, running out of delicious and healthy recipes? You may stop worrying now because I have good recipes to share with you.
These recipes will surely give you full meal for either lunch or dinner with your loved ones. I will make sure your kids will ask for more while dad will be so much in-love with you and the meal you just prepared for them.
I assure you this will be very easy to prepare and cook in less than an hour. Why buy food from fast food chains when you can actually prepare a good and healthy meal for your own family that will show your extreme love for them?
Moms, take advantage of the fa-meal-y time when it is within your hand. Your kids and husband will surely love what you've prepared than the meals just bought from fast food chain. Let me bring you to Asia with these scrumptious dishes!
MILK FISH PATTY
For Patty, mix well spring onions and Asian celery with the shredded milk fish. Add seasoning, calamansi juice and salt, mix evenly to fish mixture and add the flour. Once done, get a small amount of mixture, press in your palm making it like a burger patty. Deep/roll formed milk fish mixture to Japanese crumbs, enough to cover whole patty. Deep fry the patty. Once patty turned to golden brown, take it and damp with paper towel to drain excess oil. Fish Patty is perfect with sweet- spicy vinegar sauce.
For Sauce, mix sugar, cayenne pepper and fish paste (if desired) in vinegar. Beat well and serve with the milk fish patty.
YOUNG CHOW RICE WORLD...Young Chow Fried Rice is famous in Asia, a special cuisine most especially in Chinese Restaurants. I call this recipe Young Chow Rice World since I incorporate here different style of making the Young Chow Rice in Asia. I also made some twist on the recipe to make it more mouth-watering for Americans.
Sauté garlic and onion in low heat and once caramelized, toss the green peas, carrots and corn. Once veggies are tender, mix the shrimps, spam, and bacon. Once shrimp turned red, pour the rice and toss very well. Pour beaten eggs to the rice and toss until the eggs blend well. Season the young chow rice and serve hot with Milk Fish Patty and vinegar!
Healthy Kids Recipes—For Healthy Kids!
Family Fun Cartoons
Moms, work at Home
Spend more time with your family doing just what you love to do!
Funny cartoons are a great way to laugh and bring more happiness into your life. Laughter is contagious and so is clean humor found at Family Fun Cartoons.
Enjoy This Site?
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They never do!
Try as I might, I can't stretch them out to the desired length – even if I make things up.
The first is about tapioca, which is made by boiling the roots of the cassava plant, once thought to be poisonous. The starch from the roots is skimmed off and dropped on hot plates, which makes the tiny white pellets. And, thus, a pudding is born!
It supposedly was discovered by an explorer who was lost in a South American jungle, where he ate what he thought was poisonous – a soup made from cassava roots.
He was starving and decided he would die suddenly on a full stomach rather than starve to death, so he ate the strange concoction.
Not only did he survive, but he proved that cassava roots were not poisonous – and he gave the world tapioca!
The second one is about the Keeley Cure which treated "thousands of men and women" addicted to "alcohol, opium and tobacco using" in their healing institutes across the country. Sioux Falls had one about a hundred years ago.
They hadn't thought of an addiction to gambling then, or they would have added that, too. The closest institute to Las Vegas was Carson City, NV. They also had cures for rheumatism, neurasthenia and other nervous afflictions.
I didn't know what to do with that one either!
The third snippet I saved was an article about those silly pet owners who used a taxidermist to provide the funeral rites for their dead animals. They had them stuffed, that's what they did!
That way they'd have their beloved pet forever!
The fourth item I thought I could do something with was about marshmallows. A couple thousand years ago, ancient Egyptians made them out of sap of the mallow plant, which grew in swampy areas, so it became a marshmallow. It has changed a lot since then, becoming a glob of sugary sweetness which makes tasty s'mores when combined with Hershey's chocolate and a graham cracker.
Of course, you toast them over a charcoal fire, which makes a gooey mess enjoyed by everyone not counting calories.
I now know from a clipping I kept that clothing was made from asbestos by some of the ancient Greeks. They threw their togas into a fire to burn the dirt out of them because even in those days asbestos didn't burn.
I can't make a column out of that either!
This is the season for New Year's resolutions and way-out predictions. But none of the current prognosticators can come up with one to top The Literary Digest – which said, in 1889: "The 'horseless carriage' is a luxury for the wealthy. It will never come into as common use as the bicycle."
I saved that one, too!
© 2008 Robert F. Karolevitz
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KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghanistan's constitutional convention came off the rails Thursday, as panicked officials adjourned the gathering in the face of a boycott by opponents of President Hamid Karzai.
The delay was the most severe setback yet to this war-ravaged nation's attempt to put its vision of a secure future on paper, and raises real concern that the historic gathering will end in failure.
Critics blamed the government for its insistence on a strong presidency, and its unwillingness to hear minority demands on such emotive issues as language rights. Others point to the machinations of warlords and faction leaders seeking a new niche if Karzai wins the powers he is seeking.
"There are several fundamentalists at work here," Mirwais Yasini, the loya jirga's deputy chairman, told The Associated Press. "The jihadi groups all want a share of the power."
The 502 delegates have spent nearly three weeks wrangling over a draft constitution presented by Karzai's U.S.-backed government back in November.
Frustrated by the lack of agreement, council chairman Sibghatullah Mujaddedi called a vote early Thursday on the first of a slew of disputed amendments.
More than half of the delegates cast ballots on issues including how far to liberalize the economy and how many parliament seats to reserve for women and members of the country's impoverished, nomadic Kuchi tribe.
But some 200 members, mostly from the Tajik and Uzbek dominated north of the country, stayed in their seats and refused to leave the huge tent where the gathering is taking place for lunch in a surprisingly resolute rebellion.
Even Abdul Rashid Dostum, an Uzbek warlord, and Karim Khalili, a Karzai deputy and ethnic Hazara faction leader, were shouted down when they appealed to the delegates to take part.
Mahsa Toyie, a Tajik delegate from the western city of Herat, accused Karzai's government of trying to push through a charter that ignores the claims of small minorities.
Needs wide-ranging support
"This constitution is not for one tribe, it is for the whole country," she said.
On the surface, the council is badly scarred by a dangerous ethnic rift.
Karzai appears to have rallied a clear majority behind his core demand for a presidential system that he says would provide strong leadership for a country racked by internal conflict.
But his support comes mainly from his Pashtun kinsmen, alarming smaller groups from the north that helped the United States oust the mainly Pashtun Taliban two years ago.
The president says a simple majority is all that is needed to pass the constitution, but most observers recognize that a constitution that doesn't win wide-ranging support will hamstring the country as it seeks to put two decades of devastating conflict behind it.
Delegates say they cannot return to their villages without evidence that democracy will mean equal rights.
Some Pashtuns have stoked the acrimony, rejecting such aspirations out of hand.
But observers suggest that the rebellion is also being fueled and exploited by influential religious conservatives to pursue their own agendas.
A key article in the draft has already been amended to state that no future legislation can run counter to the "provisions" of Islam -- seen by some as code for Islamic Shariah law.
Mujaddedi, a Karzai loyalist, on Thursday denounced as a "dirty person" the author of a petition suggesting the Islamic tag should disappear from the country's official name.
And demands for a constitutional court and a slew of vice-presidents to represent minorities have been consistently loud.
Rabbani has even suggested the system sought by Karzai could eventually lead to dictatorship and spark a new round of conflict.
"They want some kind of platform and voice that in their minds gives them a great deal of power," one Western diplomat said Thursday on condition of anonymity, acknowledging that the pressure is growing for a compromise.
"The longer this goes on the harder it gets to solve."
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Chemists create artificial cell membrane
January 26, 2012
Chemists have taken an important step in making artificial life forms from scratch, creating self-assembling cell membranes, the structural envelopes that contain and support the reactions required for life and make a living organism from non-living molecules.
Although Dr. Craig Venter recently announced the creation of the “first synthetic living cell,” only its genome was artificial. The rest was a hijacked bacterial cell. Fully artificial life will require the union of both an information-carrying genome and a three-dimensional structure to house it.
Molecules that make up cell membranes have heads that mix easily with water and tails that repel it. In water, they form a double layer with heads out and tails in, a barrier that sequesters the contents of the cell. The chemists created similar molecules with a novel reaction that joins two chains of lipids. Nature uses complex enzymes that are themselves embedded in membranes to accomplish this, making it hard to understand how the very first membranes came to be.
“In our system, we use a sort of primitive catalyst, a very simple metal ion,” said Neal Devaraj, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of California, San Diego. “The reaction itself is completely artificial. There’s no biological equivalent of this chemical reaction. This is how you could have a de novo formation of membranes.”
They created the synthetic membranes from a watery emulsion of an oil and a detergent. Alone it’s stable. Add copper ions and sturdy vesicles and tubules begin to bud off the oil droplets. After 24 hours, the oil droplets are gone, “consumed” by the self-assembling membranes.
The real value of this discovery might reside in its simplicity. From commercially available precursors, the scientists needed just one preparatory step to create each starting lipid chain. “It’s trivial and can be done in a day,” said Devaraj. “New people who join the lab can make membranes from day one.”
By assembling an essential component of earthly life with no biological precursors, they hope to illuminate life’s origins.
Ref.: Itay Budin and Neal K. Devaraj, Membrane Assembly Driven by a Biomimetic Coupling Reaction, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2012; [DOI: 10.1021/ja2076873]
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Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 6:34 pm (Updated: February 8, 10:49 pm)
The pledge that students are most likely familiar with is the one that involves crossing a hand over the heart in front of the American flag, but educators have been concerning themselves with an entirely different sort of pledge since Friday.
A pledge to improve the college and career readiness of public school students has been sent to all Kentucky districts by the commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education. Elizabethtown Independent Schools and Hardin County Schools districts likely will bring the pledge to their school boards to approve this month or next.
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Chinese New Year marks the start of the lunar year, based on a calendar that follows the cycles of the moon.
This year, the lunar calendar starts on February 10, which is the beginning of the Year of the Snake.
Dong Yilin, a traditional fortune teller from Beijing, believes 2013 will be neither lucky nor bad.
"2013 is the Year of the Snake. For people who were born under this Chinese zodiac sign we cannot predict a very auspicious year or a year of bad fortune," he said.
"This sign is perceived as a bit negative.
"Perhaps because snakes like to be in the water or in the mud, people normally do not view it as a very auspicious sign. Another reason is that it has poison and can harm people."
Some people opt to postpone their weddings, and put off having children and other big decisions to avoid them falling in the Year of the Snake.
It is not all doom and gloom, however, Dong believes the financial markets will start to improve in 2013.
"I terms of finances and stocks – this year will be more bullish than 2012. Globally, for the whole world, 2013 will be a better year financially."
A week of celebrations will take place across Asia to mark the start of the new lunar year.
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When you do a search on the Internet, you get all kinds of results. Some of the sites may be official sites, recognized reference sites, full-text documents, etc. Others may be personal pages, commercials, silly sites, or even hoaxes. You need to be able to evaluate the information you get from the Internet.
Remember : Anyone can publish a website on the Internet
and there really isn't anyone to monitor that information being published
it is accurate or even true. So how do you evaluate a website?
Check the Source
What is the domain name? The ending of the domain name is a clue to what kind of site it is:
.com for business and commercial
.edu for educational websites for colleges or universities (www.harvard.edu)
.gov for governmental websites (www.nasa.gov)
.mil for U.S. military websites (www.navy.mil)
.net for network access provider websites (www.netscape.net)
.org for non-profit organizational websites (www.nassaulibrary.org)
In general, you can generally rely on websites with
.edu, .gov, or .mil extensions. Websites with .net, .org and .com extensions
may not be as reliable and need further evaluation.
The author's name and credentials should be clearly stated on the website. Are the credentials relevant to the information provided on the website? Or is the website someone's personal page? Or is the website really a commercial to sell something?
For example, http://www.lordoftherings.net/
is the official website for the movie, "The Lord of the Rings" created
by New Line Cinema. So, you can probably rely on the information provided
at this site regarding the movie production, actors, etc. On the other
links to a website created by a fan of "The Lord of the Rings." The information
may be accurate, but you can't be sure. Then there is http://www.lordoftherings-toys.com/.
This is the website for a company that sells Lord of the Rings collectibles.
Depending on your interest, you may select one website versus another.
If the website was published a while ago and is no longer current, factual or statistical information on the website may be inaccurate or misleading.
When was the page updated last? Look at the homepage of the website to see when the site was last updated.
Check individual pages to see if they have been updated at different times.
For example, Valley Stream Memorial Junior High
School has a web page at http://home.pb.net/~vsmem/.
Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated since 1998. So it's not very useful
to someone interested in the school today. In Spring 2002, Valley
Stream Central High School District launched a new website at http://www.vschsd.org,
but the old web page for Memorial is still on the Internet to mislead unsuspecting
For example, the Librarians' Index to the Internet (http://www.lii.org/) indicates:
Copyright © 2001-2002, Librarians'
Index to the Internet, lii.org. All rights reserved.
Maintained on the Berkeley Digital Library SunSITE
Funded by the Library of California through the Library of California Board.
Additional grant funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
through the Library Services and Technology Act administered by the California State Librarian.
The website publishing information indicates that
this is probably an authoritative site.
Don't accept everything that you read just because you find it on the Internet. Some websites are deliberate frauds and hoaxes. An example of a website that is a hoax is the "Mankato, Minnesota Home Page" (http://lme.mankato.msus.edu/mankato/mankato.html). Without reading the Disclaimer at the very bottom of the home page, the unsuspecting Internet surfer might not realize that this home page is a fake.
Check for bias and objectivity on the website. Is the website created someone who has something to gain or sell? Usually websites published by government or non-profit agencies tend to be more objective than those sponsored by special interest groups or commercial organizations.
For example, if you were looking for information
on an automobile, the information you find on the auto manufacturer's website
will be very complimentary about the automobile. You would probably find
nice color photographs of the car, with positive comments from dealers
or customers, etc. However, if you went to a consumer website and searched
for information about the same automobile, you might find information about
consumer complaints, recalls, safety reports, etc. So you must be prepared
to consider the author of the website when you evaluate the information
Does the information you find on the website seem accurate? There are fifty states in the United States, so if a website says there are fifty-one, try another website!!!
Does it match information you have found in other
sources? After searching several websites on a topic, you will probably
find that there is a lot of repetition of information. If five websites
indicate that Joe Torre is the manager of New York Yankees, but a sixth
website indicates he is the manager of the New York Mets, I would avoid
using any information from that website.
A website might indicate the last date it was updated, but you really don't know what was updated. So you may need to evaluate the content of the website to determine its currency.
For example, many websites have needed to be updated
due to the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11. So if you are
looking at a website of businesses in NYC and companies that were in the
WTC are still listed, the website is not up-to-date.
Many websites are professionally designed with sound, animation, etc. Unfortunately, all the glitz on some websites may slow down the speed in which you can use the website, so you might want to use another website which is easier and faster, but not as pretty. In some cases, you need to download additional programs to get the plug-ins to work, and this can be nuisance.
Some websites that are sponsored by companies have advertisements throughout the website. Animated banners run across the top ; pop-up windows appear whenever you roll your mouse over an image. All this can be distracting and interfere with your searching of the website.
Check the links on the website. If there are too
many broken links, the website may not be up-to-date or just a waste of
For further information on evaluating websites,
check out "Evaluating
Web Resources" (http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webevaluation/webeval.htm)
from the Wolfgram Memorial Library or "Evaluating
Internet Resources" (http://library.albany.edu/internet/evaluate.html)
prepared by the University of Albany Libraries. The University of California
at Berkeley Library offers a good tutorial on evaluating web pages, "Evaluating
Web Pages: Questions to Ask & Strategies for Getting the Answers"
© Henry Waldinger Memorial Library,
2002 - Updated : July 27, 2002.
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Tue October 23, 2012
African Americans More Likely to Identify as LGBT than White Americans
The largest-ever demographic study of America’s LGBT population was released last week, and the data revealed that African Americans and other ethnic minorities are more likely to identify as LGBT than white Americans. Kaila Story and Jaison Gardner, co-hosts of WFPL's weekly podcast Strange Fruit, spoke with one of the study's co-authors, Gary Gates. Here's an excerpt of that conversation; to hear the whole thing, download the latest edition of Strange Fruit from WFPL.org this Saturday morning.
|
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As children you were encouraged to play sports and games. You were taught to compete. Unless your profession is something as rare as professional sports, as you grow older you learn that results are almost always easier to obtain through cooperation. You learn that life is not a zero sum game. You learn that you can create win-win outcomes. Competitiveness is seen as a negative characteristic, a negative attribute.
But competitiveness is not a negative attribute. Its a powerfully positive attribute that all successful people share. Especially because sales is a zero sum game.
Sales Is A Zero Sum Game
As a salesperson, you must be competitive because sales is a zero sum game. If you are competing for your dream client’s business, either you will win the business or your competitor will win the business. One of you will win, the other will surely lose. To win, you have to be competitive. You have to love a good fight. You have to want to win over your rivals.
Competitiveness manifests itself in your beliefs and behaviors. It shows up as your belief that you can win a deal. It shows up as your drive to engage in the competition for opportunities, and as the strong drive to take action. It shows up in your desire to study and understand your competitor’s weaknesses and then to exploit those weaknesses.
It shows up as a your conviction and your passion to succeed. It shows up in the actions that you take to create more value than anybody else would dream of. It’s heart. It’s spirit.
Your dream clients see your competitiveness, your conviction, and your passion as your strong desire to obtain their business. They recognize that the person that competes aggressively is worth having on their team, because they too are engaged in a zero sum game. They want someone that will help them produce results and help them compete and win in their space.
Most importantly, your competitiveness manifests itself as a strong desire to win. Your natural desire to win drives you to take action, to continue to fight.
Wanting to Win Is Not Enough
Competitiveness is not simply wanting to win. Everybody wants to win. Wanting to win is a lot like hoping to win. It isn’t action-oriented. It doesn’t mean that you’ll move Heaven and Earth to win the deal. Competitiveness borders on “having to win.” Even the most competitive salesperson won’t win every deal. But they will try like Hell. And they will keep trying.
NOTE: Competitiveness is not aggressive behavior towards other human beings. It contains an element of sportsmanship and fair play. It doesn’t mean that we are not obligated to create win-win agreements with our prospects and clients . . . it means we compete for the right to create those win-win agreements.
Are you too comfortable losing deals?
Are you competitive enough? Do you love a god fight?
Do you believe you can win and act in accordance with those beliefs? Am you taking action?
Do your customers and prospects know that you will bring your competitive passion to ensuring they get the outcomes I promise?
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Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), Montego Bay, has received a 40-foot container of medical supplies courtesy of the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ).
The container, which arrived on the island Sunday, July 29, contains, among other things, an ultrasound machine, vital sign monitors, suction machines, pulse oximeter, defibrillators and nebulisers. Also included are electric beds, cribs, infant diapers, gurneys, and wheelchairs. The medical supplies are valued at some $9 million Jamaican dollars.
The medical supplies and equipment will be presented to the Paediatric Ward at the CRH. Ambassador Sue Cobb, president of the AFJ says, "We are thrilled to work in partnership with CRH to ensure that essential health services are meeting the needs of communities in western Jamaica".
More than one million people rely on the hospital for medical care. The paediatric ward admits approximately 2,000 children - from newborns to 12-year-olds - annually. The largest number of admissions of the paediatric ward is due to respiratory illnesses and infectious diseases. Premature babies comprise the majority of respiratory cases. The paediatric ward therefore needs equipment, such as vital signs machines, oxygen saturation machines, and nebulisers; supplies that are essential to provide medical attention to Jamaican children.
The AFJ was introduced to the hospital by the group "We Care for Cornwall Regional", and subsequently they assessed the needs and challenges at the hospital and took active steps to help improve the conditions there. Improving the health care of Jamaican people, and bridging the gap that exists in the system has always been at the root of the organisation's efforts.
"The AFJ seeks to ensure that the assistance we provide is evidence-based and that our efforts are spent maximising impact and improving people's lives," says Mark M Jones, AFJ treasurer and vice-president. In this regard, the AFJ says the paediatric ward at Cornwall Regional is vital to western Jamaica communities and thus much deserving of this contribution.
Founded in 1982, the AFJ is a charitable organisation built on the principles of service and philanthropy. It was established to provide assistance in the areas of education, health care, and economic development. The AFJ works with a broad coalition of Jamaican organisations and stakeholders to bring about change in the lives of Jamaicans in need.
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Towards Alternative Cities, the Green-Friendly Way
BANGKOK - Alarmed by the pace at which consumer-driven lifestyles are destroying the planet's resources, a leading environmental body has set its sights on creating a green-friendly haven replete with houses, restaurants, shops and hotels.
Portugal will serve as the launching pad for these planned ''eco-cities,'' said officials from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as they revealed the blueprint for the 'One Planet Living' initiative here Wednesday, at a major conservation conference.
The 4,340 hectares of land south of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, identified for this first phase in an ambitious global drive towards alternative living, will have by its completion 6,000 houses, apartments, shops and hotels. The estimated cost, according to the WWF, will be over one billion euros (1.3 billion U.S. dollars).
''We aim to build a series of flagship communities for people to live sustainably, and which are affordable and comfortable,'' Eduardo Goncalves, coordinator of the 'One Planet Living' initiative, said during a meeting at the 3rd World Conservation Congress, in the Thai capital, organized by the World Conservation Union or IUCN.
''The quality of modern life will not be sacrificed in these communities,'' added Claude Martin, director general of WWF. ''They will be family friendly.''
The global congress has brought together 81 states, 114 government agencies, 800 plus non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries. It has been billed as the one of biggest environmental meetings in history.
While the push for such green-friendly living has given rise to new models of architecture over the past two decades, what sets this new initiative apart from its predecessors is the scale at which the planned communities will embrace environmental values.
''The purpose is to integrate many different aspects of life into a housing concept, including the use of building material, energy, food, transport,'' Martin told IPS. ''It will be more holistic than the energy houses that had solar panels in the 1980s.''
That is reflected in the picture painted by Pelicano S.A, a Portuguese property developer that is a key partner in this WWF program. It covers the commitment to use sustainable materials, reduce carbon and waste output, promote renewable energy and, among others, to turn to local resources for food.
With regard to the use of sustainable materials, the pioneer project in Portugal aims to use more than 50 percent of it, such as cement, to construct the buildings in addition to eliminating more than 90 percent of toxic materials for the planned structures.
To cut down on carbon emissions, the property developer pledges to ensure that 25 percent of the waste is recycled. And to ensure energy efficiency, the future community will move away from fossil fuels to having ''photovoltaics in its architectural design, including solar thermals, small-scale biomass heating and water ponds for a space cooled system.''
A British environmental group BioRegional is being credited for laying the foundations for this novel way of living. It pioneered the ''BedZed'' community in south London, where houses, for instance, were built to meet new environment-friendly standards, including the complete use of renewable energy for power and heating.
In addition to Portugal, other areas in Europe, Australia, Britain, the United States and South Africa have been identified to create these communities as part of the pioneering effort.
''Even the authorities in China are interested in building a 'One Planet Living' community,'' Goncalves told IPS. ''The details are to be decided but we are talking of a city in effect.''
Once the first phase is achieved, WWF will launch the broader and more global second phase by 2007, SAID Goncalves. ''In phase two, we hope to get countries in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America interested.''
Such communities will be pivotal to ''undo the damage we have done to the planet,'' he added. ''We need to find solutions to avoid the crisis emerging from the current unsustainable lifestyles.''
The revolution in living that the WWF hopes to unleash through this plan stems from the disturbing reports it has compiled of the earth's resources being destroyed by the modern style of life.
In its 'Living Planet Report 2004,' released weeks ahead of the Bangkok conference, WWF revealed that humanity's demand on the resources had exceeded the earth's supply capacity since the mid-1980s, with North America and Europe leading the assault on the planet's limited resources.
The average U.S. citizen requires 10 hectares of the planet to support his or her lifestyle, while the average European requires over five hectares, the report noted. By contrast, the average citizen in Africa draws on about one hectare of the earth's resources to live.
The differences in these ecological footprints - which are caused by high consumption patterns in the developed world - are starker when seen in another light. According to the report, the average footprint of a person today is nearly 2.2 hectares, which is in excess of the 1.8 hectares of land for natural resources available for each resident of the planet.
At this rate, ''we need 1.2 planets to sustain our collective lifestyles,'' said Marten. ''Sustainable housing is one response to it, but you cannot have one blueprint for the whole world. We must work with local communities, local architects.''
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The optimism in the early part of the year that the US economy was rebounding has now faded, according to QNB Group analysis, due to a series of disappointing economic indicators. However, the picture does not currently seem to be gloomy enough to motivate further stimulus as evident in the latest decisions by the US Federal Reserve (the Fed).
On June 20th, the Fed revised down its forecast for real GDP growth in 2012 by half a percentage point to within a range of 1.9%-2.4%. This came after growth slowed to 1.9%, on an annualised basis, in the first quarter the year. Although this rate of growth is still healthy compared to Europe, which is undergoing recession, the US economy is not expected be able to create sufficient jobs to substantially improve the situation in the labour market. The Fed simultaneously revised up its year-end unemployment forecast to 8.1%, close to the current level of 8.2%, recorded at the end of May.
The US economic outlook varies across different elements of the economy. The government is reducing its spending, as it seeks to narrow its budget deficit, which reached 8.7% of GDP in 2011. In the process it is reducing the public sector payroll. Meanwhile, the corporate sector is growing and creating jobs, although not at quite the rate economists had hoped.
Job creation has slowed in recent months. Only 69,000 net non-farm jobs were created in May, the fourth month in which job creation has declined, compared to a recent peak of 275,000 in January. Within this figure, the private sector created 82,000 jobs but the public sector shed 13,000.
Over eight million net jobs were shed in 2008-10 but, since employment started to recover in October 2010, only about three million have been created to replace them. This is why the unemployment rate is still very high by historical standards.
A key measure of corporate activity, the purchasing managers’ index (PMI), came in at 53.5 in May. This was slightly down on April, but still above the 50-point mark, which is seen as the dividing line between expansion and contraction.
The benchmark consumer confidence index was also a little off its recent peak, at 64.9 in May, but this is still strong in comparison to recent years. A different consumer confidence survey, produced by the University of Michigan, had given a stronger reading, putting confidence at a 5-year high in May, but its June reading saw a sharp decline down to a six-month low, more in line with other consumer measures.
Consumer confidence however is not yet translating into improved retail sales, which were down by 0.2% year-on-year in May. Falling petrol prices, which brought annual inflation in May down to a 16-month low of 1.7%, should now boost consumers’ disposable incomes which might lead to improved retail sales.
There is, however, a moderate ongoing recovery in the housing market, as attractive prices and low interest rates encourage home buyers. The number of housing starts peaked in April, at a level that if maintained for a year would be equivalent to 744,000 new houses, the highest level since October 2008, though still well below the average of nearly 2m in 2005-06. Despite this moderate recovery, an overhang of foreclosed properties continues to drag on the housing market.
Overall, the US economy is neither vibrant enough to address unemployment nor weak enough to necessitate immediate government action. This is why the Fed look a moderate approach at its June 20th Meeting. It reaffirmed that it would keep its benchmark interest rates near zero until 2015 and extended an existing program termed “Operation Twist”. This entails swapping short-term bonds for long-term ones, bringing down long-term interest rates and thereby encouraging borrowing and investment.
The central government’s room for manoeuvre to borrow to boost the economy is limited, because it is nearing its permitted debt ceiling, requiring congressional approval for it to be raised. Furthermore, in 2013 a series of tax rises and spending cuts that were agreed in previous debt ceiling negotiations kick in, which will be negative for GDP.
Despite these issues the US economy, it continues to look somewhat robust in comparison to many other developed countries, according to QNB Group. This is reflected in stockmarket results. Despite recent falls, US markets remain in positive territory for the year, compared to losses in European markets. In addition, the US dollar has remained strong against other currencies, and continues to be seen as a safe haven, given ongoing events in the Eurozone.
If the situation in Europe or emerging markets were to deteriorate further and cause US growth to trend significantly below the Fed’s forecast range, then QNB Group expects that it would take further decisive action to support the economy. This would probably entail a new round of quantitative easing in which it pumps extra money into the economy by buying additional bonds, instead of merely extending the maturity of its existing portfolio.
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The Weather Channel Position Statement
on Global Warming
The scientific issue of global warming can be broken down into three main questions: Is global warming a reality? Are human activities causing it? What are the prospects for the future?
Warming: Fact or Fiction?
The climate of the earth is indeed warming, with an increase of approximately 1 - 1 1/2 degrees Fahrenheit in the past century, more than half of that occurring in the past three decades. The warming has taken place as averaged globally and annually; significant regional and seasonal variations exist
Impacts can already be seen, especially in the Arctic, with melting glaciers, thawing permafrost, and rapid retreat and thinning of sea ice, all of which are affecting human populations as well as animals and vegetation. There and elsewhere, rising sea level is increasing coastal vulnerability.
Odds are now leaning toward increased frequency and intensity of heat waves in the warm season and warm spells in the cold season in parts of the world, as well as reduced frequency of low temperature extremes. There is evidence in recent years of a direct linkage between the larger-scale warming and short-term weather events such as heat waves.
In some regions there has been a tendency for an increase in precipitation extremes, both wet (including floods) and dry (droughts). These observations over the past several decades are consistent with what theory and global climate models would suggest.
The jury is out on exactly what effect(s) global warming is having or will have in the future upon tropical cyclones.
To what extent the current warming is due to human activity is complicated because large and sometimes sudden climate changes have occurred throughout our planet's history -- most of them before humans could possibly have been a factor. Furthermore, the sun/atmosphere/land/ocean "climate system" is extraordinarily complex, and natural variability on time scales from seconds to decades and beyond is always occurring.
However, it is known that burning of fossil fuels injects additional carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This in turn increases the naturally occurring "greenhouse effect," a process in which our atmosphere keeps the earth's surface much warmer than it would otherwise be.
More than a century's worth of detailed climate observations shows a sharp increase in both carbon dioxide and temperature. These observations, together with computer model simulations and historical climate reconstructions from ice cores, ocean sediments and tree rings all provide strong evidence that the majority of the warming over the past century is a result of human activities. This is also the conclusion drawn, nearly unanimously, by climate scientists.
Humans are also changing the climate on a more localized level. The replacement of vegetation by buildings and roads is causing temperature increases through what's known as the urban heat island effect. In addition, land use changes are affecting impacts from weather phenomena. For example, urbanization and deforestation can cause an increased tendency for flash floods and mudslides from heavy rain. Deforestation also produces a climate change "feedback" by depleting a source which absorbs carbon dioxide.
The bottom line is that with the rate of greenhouse gas emissions increasing, a significant warming trend is expected to also continue. This warming will manifest itself in a variety of ways, and shifts in climate could occur quickly, so while society needs to continue to wrestle with the difficult issues involved with mitigation of the causes of global warming, an increased focus should be placed on adaptation to the effects of global warming given the sensitivity of civilizations and ecosystems to rapid climate change.
Potential outcomes range from moderate and manageable to extreme and catastrophic, depending on a number of factors including location and type of effect, and amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Not every location and its inhabitants will be affected equally, but the more the planet warms, the fewer "winners" and the more "losers" there will be as a result of the changes in climate. The potential exists for the climate to reach a "tipping point," if it hasn't already done so, beyond which radical and irreversible changes occur.
Copyright The Weather Channel, 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Storm Encyclopedia Index
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His most famous and once only seen force ability is force lightning seen in the last episode Return of the Jedi which is forked to spread the damage even further and is blueish purple. He is played by Ian McDiarmid. He is seen in Episode V for the first time. Palpatine is believed to be the true villain of the Star Wars films because he was the one who caused Anakin Skywalker to join the Dark Side of the Force.
In Episode I The Phantom Menace, he is a Senator from the planet of Naboo. He is also secretly a Sith Lord, Darth Sidious. Sidious pulls the strings behind the scenes to cause unrest and dispute in the corrupt Galactic Senate, hence the films's title. His apprentice during this time is Darth Maul, who is slain in battle by Obi-Wan Kenobi. At the end of Episode I, he has risen to the office of Supreme Chancellor and begins his rise to power.
In Episode II Attack of the Clones, Palpatine secretly continues to bring the galaxy to civil war. He has a new apprentice, Count Dooku, who leads the Separtist Droid Army and goes by the name Darth Tyrannus. Dooku is slain by Anakin Skywalker on a rescue mission to free the Chancellor in Episode III Revenge of the Sith.
Palpatine rose to complete power in Episode III, when he sent Anakin to the Jedi Temple and ordered the Clone Troopers to execute Order 66. Palpatine battled Yoda in a duel which would decide the fate of the Galaxy. He narrowly defeated Yoda, and was able to form a new order upon the fallen Republic; he created the first Galactic Empire. In the time frame from his creation of the Empire and his death, Palpatine was a cold, merciless ruler. He ruled through fear. His evil was staggering as he dominated the Galaxy with his ruthless enforcer, Darth Vader.
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I understand you can say either
I'm president of the United States.
I'm the president of the United States.
I also know of a rule that you may omit "the" in front of a title, position, etc.
Since the omission does not seem to depend on the style of the text, I'd like to know what is the reasoning behind such a usage and rule.
Is it because you tend to consider a title something like a proper noun?
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CompTIA Network+ Certification Training Madison
CompTIA Network+ certification training at New Horizons Madison can provide you the skills necessary to become Network+ certified and ready for an entry-level networking career in the IT industry.
CompTIA Network+ certification is a vendor-neutral certification considered by many employers as a prerequisite for entry-level IT employment in the area of IT networks. Network+ certification signifies that the individual is capable of performing tasks such as installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of common networking systems.
CompTIA Network+ certification serves as a solid foundation for other networking and IT certification programs offered by vendors such as Microsoft and Cisco.
You may also be interested in
Before pursuing your Network+ training and certification, it is highly recommended to achieve A+ Certification
Who's It For?
Network+ Certification training is considered a solid foundational certification for anyone interested in an IT career or to prove existing knowledge in basic IT networking and network support. With Network+ certification training at New Horizons, the student will learn:
- Basics of networking theory, concepts and networking methods
- Basics of networking data delivery
- Networking media, cabling and hardware
- Networking protocols and the OSI model
- Networking Operating Systems
- TCP/IP fundamentals
- Basics of PC and networking security
Certification and Exams
Network+ certification candidate must pass a single exam. Although not required, it is strongly advised to have your A+ Certification
prior to taking the Network+ exam.
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Will Coca-Cola's obesity ad work?
With the spotlight on soda's impact on American obesity, the company will air ads defending its record.
With soda makers under fire for contributing to America's obesity epidemic, Coca-Cola (KO) plans to fight back with a two-minute commercial defending its track record.
The commercial, which is four times as long as a standard 30-second TV spot, notes that Coke offers low-calorie versions of its drinks -- and stresses that people are getting fat from not only sodas.
"If you eat and drink more calories than you burn off, you'll gain weight," the ad's narrator says.
But it's questionable whether Coke's advertisement will make much of a dent in the debate. The spot will air on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, which draw far fewer viewers than the top broadcast networks. (To see the ad, click here.)
For instance, Fox News drew an average of 1.5 million prime-time viewers at the start of January, compared with 8.3 million viewers for CBS at the same time, according to Nielsen. CNN and MSNBC generally draw fewer viewers than Fox News.
An even bigger issue may be whether Coke's message is persuasive. After all, Coke is the world's biggest beverage company and has a vested interest in keeping consumers buying its sodas, whether they're sugar-filled or sugar-free.
Soda makers have come under fire from the likes of New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who last year pushed a ban of sugary drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces. The move was meant to fight obesity and help New Yorkers live healthier lifestyles.
Coke's obesity ad "looks like a page out of damage control 101," the Center for Science in the Public Interest's executive director, Mike Jacobson, told the Associated Press. "They're trying to disarm the public."
The Center for Science in the Public Interest said in a statement that the campaign is an effort to avoid "sensible" changes, such as a soda tax. Coke defended its commercials, noting that it wanted to be part of the conversation about obesity, according to the AP.
Coke will be going for bigger audiences later this week, when it airs a shorter, catchier commercial that provides a montage of activities -- such as dancing or walking a dog -- that burn off the calories in a Coke can. The shorter ad will run during "American Idol" and before the Super Bowl, the AP notes.
More on Money Now
What a financial claw. The example of restricting the size of beverages containing sugar gives rise to massive, and unnecessary, price increases for what are already exhuberantly-priced drinks. Yep, save us from ourselves.
It's getting creepy that there are people out there who think that they lack the intelligence to learn, and teach their kids, responsible behavior, and would rather dumb themselves down and hand the reins over to people who are strangers and give them control over a growing number of aspects of their lives.
Copyright © 2013 Microsoft. All rights reserved.
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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.
Tired of constantly dying batteries, she came up with a device that could revolutionize energy storage -- and won $50,000 from Intel.
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[BRIEFING.COM] Stocks entered the weekend on a mixed note as the S&P 500 shed 0.1% while the Dow ended with a gain of 0.1%.
The major averages began the day on a lower note as nine of ten sectors saw losses of more than 0.5%.
The consumer staples sector was the lone exception as the group spent the entire day in positive territory thanks to the relative strength of Dow component Procter & Gamble (PG 81.89, +3.19). The second-largest staple stock advanced ... More
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Try as the bears might, they couldn't break U.S. stocks. But investors still face frothy prices and considerable headwinds.
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From the Richmond Whig, 11/18/1862, p. 1, c. 6
PRISONERS OF WAR – The Central train last evening brought
down 110 Abolition prisoners, who were captured in a skirmish on Sunday week, at
Snicker’s Gap, by a portion of Stuart’s cavalry, under Captain Wright. The only
commissioned officer among them was paroled at Staunton. There are a number of
sutlers in the party.
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Some designers consider the ceiling a 'fifth wall.' Painting… (Content That Works )
Interior designer Sharon McCormick has seen clients agonize over scores of paint chips, trying to find a bold or unusual color for the walls. Peacock's Plume, Atomic Tangerine or Iguana Green might be in the running, yet when it's time to paint the ceiling – often called the forgotten fifth wall – these same fearless souls will opt for plain, old white. With her portfolio and powers of persuasion, McCormick is winning over converts who think a room is unfinished unless the ceiling has character or at least a hint of color.
Conventional wisdom has it that white paint gives the illusion of a higher ceiling and makes a room brighter by reflecting light. In fact, "There are very few occasions when a white ceiling would do anything for a room, so I hardly ever use them," says McCormick, of Sharon McCormick Design, Durham, Conn.
A tough sell
Going bold on the ceiling is unusual. In one of her rooms, McCormick painted the ceiling metallic gold and accented it with cove lighting. Around the chandelier, she formed an ellipse with dramatic wallpaper trimmed with molding. The client had urged her to do something spectacular, but first he had to build up trust: "In the first room I did, I had trouble talking him into even a pale yellow," McCormick recalls.
Out West, in Scotts Valley, Calif., homeowner Donna Maurillo needs no persuading. "I've always hated white ceilings, unless they're part of an overall color plan. They're so predictable, and they look like nobody put thought into them," she says.
For a unified look, Maurillo painted her ceilings the same color as the walls.
"I use semi-gloss or pearl because I like the way the light reflects on it," Maurillo says. "It also seems to brighten smaller spaces like hallways, which can be too dark."
"Next on my to-do list is adding ceiling medallions in wood or metal," she says. "They're ideal around light fixtures, and I think they add a touch of elegance while making the ceiling look finished."
Fifth wall as anchor
Although some of McCormick's designs are meant to draw the eye upward in appreciation and perhaps even awe, a nonwhite ceiling can serve to anchor attention to the room itself. A ceiling that's a shade or two lighter than the walls "prevents your eyes from being drawn up to a bright white ceiling and instead casts your attention back down into the room and its decor," says Misty Walker, color manager, Olympic Paints and Stains.
It also enhances the impact of crown molding, particularly if it's white, by providing some color contrast, she adds.
Painting a cathedral ceiling a shade darker than the walls "lowers" it for a cozy feeling. Use a warm color, such as Olympic's Glazed Pears, for the most intimate effect, Walker recommends.
A cool color creates the illusion of a tall, airy room.
Metallic ceilings work with a room's lighting to create a soft glow, but applying metallic paint "is typically not DIY," McCormick warns: "The paint is difficult to work with. You have to spray it, not roll it. It's hard to get a nice finish."
More-involved ceiling treatments include gold leafing, tin ceiling squares, stencils, trays, beams, molding and coffers.
"I've been in one home where they used molding on the ceiling. It was fastened about a foot away from the walls and it followed the shape of the room," Maurillo says. "The ceiling was pale blue and the molding was glossy white. The whole effect was rather like an upper-class Federalist or European home."
With stencils, "You can create something throughout the entire ceiling, around a light fixture or along the ceiling's edge," says New York-based designer Dawn Falcone.
If you must stick with white, consider adding texture. Traditionally used on walls, wainscoting can be applied to the ceiling, as well, says Falcone: "Keep them whitewashed or use a high-gloss white to reflect light, and you're instantly adding a cozy beach-cottage feel to your space.
© CTW Features
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Author and Page information
This print version has been auto-generated from http://www.globalissues.org/issue/102/international-criminal-court
Following World War II, a war crimes tribunal was held in Tokyo to try Japanese political and military leaders. There is no doubt that the defendants were responsible for appalling atrocities, but, as the Indian judge on the tribunal wrote in his dissenting opinion, the victorious allies had themselves committed grave crimes, and the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the most horrific war crimes of the Pacific War. But only the atrocities committed by the Japanese were punished. In short, the war crimes trial represented “victors” justice.
— Stephen R. Shalom, The Milosevic Indictment1, ZNet, September 20, 2001
Last updated Saturday, June 26, 2004.
There has been considerable (and a mostly successful) effort to set up an International Criminal Court (ICC). The purpose is to have a body that can prosecute serious crimes against humanity no matter who committed them and to try people for gross violations of human rights, such as those committed during military conflicts. Why have some nations, such as the United States, feared a loss of sovereignty even when that would not happen, and thus sought to undermine the ICC?
Read “International Criminal Court: Introduction” to learn more.
Last updated Sunday, September 25, 2005.
The U.S. opposed the ICC from the beginning, surprising and disappointing many people. Human rights organizations and social justice groups around the world, and from within the US, were very critical of the U.S. stance given its dominance in world affairs.
The U.S. did eventually signed up to the ICC just before the December 2000 deadline to ensure that it would be a State Party that could participate in decision-making about how the Court works. However,
- By May 2002, the Bush Administration
unsignedthe Rome Statute.
- The U.S. threatened to use military force if U.S. nationals were held at the Hague
- The U.S. continues to pressure many countries to sign agreements not to surrender U.S. citizens to the ICC.
But why would a country, often vocal in the area of human rights, and often amongst the first to promote human rights as a global issue in the past refuse to sign up to an international law and institution designed to protect human rights?
Read “United States and the International Criminal Court” to learn more.
Last updated Wednesday, April 17, 2002.
Signing up by December 2002 to the ICC was important for countries if they wanted a say in future discussions of the ICC. After that time, they could ratify the ICC Rome Statute but not have a say. Some countries that initially opposed the ICC, such as the U.S., did however, sign up at the last minute to retain influence some.
Read “Signing Up to the International Criminal Court by December 2002” to learn more.
Last updated Friday, June 15, 2001.
60 ratifications were needed to get the ICC off the ground, achieved by April 11, 2002. From July 1, 2002 onwards, any acts of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity committed after this date can be tried by the Court.
While only the beginning, the road to the 60 ratifications (now around 90) has been full of controversy. In Rome, July 1998, the ICC was given the go-ahead with a vote of 120 to 7. The seven who voted against were USA, China, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Qatar and Yemen. Yet it was the actions of the U.S. that surprised most people.
Read “Establishing the International Criminal Court in 1998” to learn more.
Last updated Tuesday, September 18, 2001.
The case against Augusto Pinochet, a dictator in Chile for 17 years, would be one example (amongst many others that will be added here over time), where the ICC could have been useful to bring a brutal dictator to justice. In the late 1990s, there were various attempts by European countries to bring him to justice, though nothing eventually happened. However, it gained some mainstream media attention. Also highlighted was how Pinochet was accused of ordering killings, abductions and torture of over 1000 Chileans and others during his 17 years of rule.
Read “International Criminal Court: The Pinochet Case” to learn more.
Last updated Saturday, June 26, 2004.
Read “International Criminal Court Links” to learn more.
(Note that listed here are only those hyperlinks to other articles from other web sites or elsewhere on this web site. Other sources such as journal, books and magazines, are mentioned above in the original text. Please also note that links to external sites are beyond my control. They might become unavailable temporarily or permanently since you read this, depending on the policies of those sites, which I cannot unfortunately do anything about.)
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Are you in a marriage in which either you or your spouse drinks too much alcohol? Have you questioned whether you could be considered an alcoholic? If so, it’s time to take action not only for the person’s physical health but also for the health of your marriage. An upcoming May 2013 issue of the Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research journal concludes that the risk of divorce is especially high in couples where one partner drinks frequently. In fact, according to one study researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health “the risk of divorce is estimated to be tripled when the husband’s level of drinking is low and the wife’s drinking is heavy, compared with couples where both drink lightly”. The bottom line is that the more people drink, the higher the chances for divorce.
Couples who intend to marry should be cognizant of how much the other partner drinks. According to this study, if your spouse drinks heavily, you should encourage them to cut back or abstain if the goal is a lasting and strong marriage. Unfortunately, this topic can often be difficult to approach because the heavy drinker is in denial about his/her drinking habits. A high quality tool to use in this situation is an online alcohol awareness class.
Online classes are an educational approach to adjusting a person’s behavior. They are highly beneficial for busy couples because they can be taken from any Internet based computer in the privacy of your own home. This alleviates any worry of “airing your dirty laundry” by being seen in a public classroom setting. It also takes away the argument that there’s no time to attend a course. Once you register for an online alcohol awareness course, it is immediately available to you on your computer screen. There is nothing to print out or download; it’s simply like reading through a non-fiction chapter book. The client scrolls through the information which is divided by topics and concludes with a final exam.
High quality online alcohol awareness classes are an interesting and informative way to learn about alcohol use, abuse and alcoholism. The program covers such main subjects as:
1) Risk factors for alcohol abuse
2) The affects of alcohol dependency on the others in the family
3) Short and long-term health risks
4) Skills and assistance to support overcoming alcohol problems
Spouses can sit together to learn and discuss the information and can take the course at their own pace. This gives the opportunity to talk about what the problems are, what is triggering them (stress, anxiety, anger?) and ways to resolve the issues to make the marriage a happier one. There is no pre-determined timeline. Clients can login and out of the class as often as they would like and the computer holds the last spot. It’s also possible to go back and review material until the class is officially completed.
Don’t let alcoholism contribute to the destruction of your marriage. Take an online alcohol awareness class to help learn the skills to get your relationship back on track.
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Today, Wednesday 14 February 2007, London City Airport launched the 2007 Young Aviation Designers’ Competition. The competition was launched in partnership with St. John’s Community Centre in North Woolwich as part of their schools half term entertainment programme. The winners of the first ‘London City Airport Young Aviation Designs’ Competition’ were Ileri Oyefesobi aged 7 from Slivertown, Sofia Iqbal aged 10 from Beckton, Oyinlola Adesida aged 6 from Barking and Eni Ayodele also aged 6 and from Barking.
The competition proved very popular with over 20 children who were competing in the competition. The children were presented with an aerodynamic design brief, which outlined the fundamental design of aeroplanes and how they work. The brief concluded challenging the children to design either an aircraft suitable for operating into London City Airport, or the interior of an aircraft, focussing on how to improve the comfort and experience of flying.
Elizabeth Hegarty, Community Relations Manager for London City Airport, was encouraged by the childrens positive response and their interpretation of the design brief: “The results of the competition were very impressive. The creativity and complexity of the children’s designs demonstrated that we were working with designers and engineers of the future.
“The structure of the day was based around play; we know that children don’t need an excuse to play, they play because it’s fun. Whilst having fun the children were very open to learning, especially about a new subject that was exciting and allowed them to use their imagination.”
Elahe Panahi, St. Johns Community Centre Manager was delighted by the commitment of the children: “London City Airport is a long term supporter of St. Johns. It’s days like today which make a difference. The London City Airport Young Aviation Designs’ Competition is something very different to what we normally plan, it certainly created a lot of interest from the children. I would like to take this opportunity to thank London City Airport and the staff for their time and ongoing dedication to the centre.
One of the winners of the Aviation Designers’ Competition, Sofia Iqbal, aged 10 said: “Today was really fun. My design for a new plane cares about the environment, which is very important. My plane is a bright colour so other pilots can see it easily.”
For images to accompany this News Release visit www.londoncityairport.com/lcygallery
For enquiries regarding specific flights, routes or aircraft please contact the airline directly.
Corporate Communications Director
Tel: +44 (0)20 7646 0132
External Communications Manager
Tel: +44 (0)20 7646 0132
Out of hours urgent media enquiries only: 07747 103 884 / 07798 708 163
Please note - the press office does not deal with marketing, advertising or sponsorship. Please contact the switchboard on 0207 646 0000/88 and ask for the relevant department.
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Company: Tata Motors Limited, Mumbai, India
Company Description: Tata Motors Ltd is a multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India. Part of the Tata Group, it was formerly known as TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company).
Nomination Category: Company/Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Company of the Year - Automotive & Transport Equipment
Nomination Title: Tata Motors
Tell the story about what this nominated organization achieved (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
Tata Motors Limited is India’s largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues of Rs.1,23,133 crores (USD 27 billion) in 2010-11. The Company is the world's fourth largest truck manufacturer, and the world's third largest bus manufacturer. The Company's over 25,000 employees are guided by the vision to be "best in the manner in which we operate, best in the products we deliver, and best in our value system and ethics."
Established in 1945, Tata Motors' presence can be seen across the length and breadth of India. Over 5.9 million Tata vehicles have plied India's roads since the first vehicle rolled out in 1954. The Company's manufacturing base in India is spread across Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Pune (Maharashtra), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Pantnagar (Uttarakhand), Sanand (Gujarat) and Dharwad (Karnataka).
Following a strategic alliance with Fiat in 2005, it has set up an industrial joint venture with Fiat Group Automobiles at Ranjangaon (Maharashtra) to produce both Fiat and Tata cars and Fiat powertrains. Tata Motors's dealership, sales, services and spare parts network comprises over 3500 touch points; the company also distributes and markets Fiat branded cars in India.
Tata Motors, the first Company from India's engineering sector to be listed in the New York Stock Exchange (September 2004), has also emerged as an international automobile company. Through subsidiaries and associate companies, Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand and Spain. Among them is Jaguar Land Rover, a business comprising the two iconic British brands, that was acquired in 2008. In 2004, Tata Motors also acquired the Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company, South Korea's second largest truck maker. The rechristened Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company has launched several new products in the Korean market, while also exporting these products to several international markets. Today two-thirds of heavy commercial vehicle exports out of South Korea are from Tata Daewoo.
Tata Motors is also expanding its international footprint through exports. The Company's commercial and passenger vehicles are already being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia, South Asia and South America. It has franchisee/joint venture assembly operations in Kenya, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Russia, Senegal and South Africa. The foundation of the Company's growth over the last 50 years is a deep understanding of economic stimuli and customer needs, and the ability to translate them into customer-desired offerings through cutting-edge R&D. With over 4,500 engineers and scientists, the Company's Engineering Research Centre, established in 1966, has enabled pioneering technologies and products.
The Tata Nano was launched in India in March 2009. In a development that signifies a first for the global automobile industry, the Nano brings the comfort and safety of a car within the reach of thousands of families. The standard version has been priced at Rs.100,000 (approx US$2,250) excluding VAT and transportation cost. Designed with a family in mind, it has a roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head room. It can comfortably seat four persons. It has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today. The lean design strategy has helped minimize weight, which helps maximise performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel efficiency. This ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an affordable transportation solution with a low carbon footprint.
Tata Motors is equally focused on environment-friendly technologies in emissions and alternative fuels. It has developed electric and hybrid vehicles both for personal and public transportation. It has also been implementing several environment-friendly technologies in manufacturing processes, significantly enhancing resource conservation.
Tata Motors is committed to improving the quality of life of communities by working on four thrust areas – employability, education, health and environment. These activities touch the lives of more than a million citizens. The Company's support of education and employability focuses on youth and women. This support ranges from schools to technical education institutes to the actual facilitation of income generation. In health, Tata Motors’ intervention is in both preventive and curative healthcare. The goal of environment protection is achieved through planting trees, conserving water and creating new water bodies, and introducing appropriate technologies in its vehicles and operations for constantly enhancing environment care. With the foundation of its rich heritage, Tata Motors today is etching a refulgent future.
•TATA Motors Ltd has been selected as the winner of ‘Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Social Responsibility’ for the year 2011
•Customer Support CVBU has been conferred with the 'Golden Peacock National Training
•Tata Nano wins the Best Car Advertisement of the Year at Bloomberg UTV Awards
•Tata Nano's design receives world's oldest and coveted international award
•Lucknow Plant wins Rajiv Gandhi National Award for 2009
•Mr. Ravi Kant receives the Golden Peacock Corporate Award for Business Leadership
•CNBC TV18 'Best CFO' Award for Mr. C. Ramakrishnan
•CVBU Pune receives Excellent Energy Efficient Unit award
•CVBU Lucknow bags Excellent Energy Efficient Unit-Award for the second time
•CVBU Pune declared winner of the MPCB Vasundhara Awards 2010
•Car Plant Pune won three awards at the 25th Annual Chapter Convention of Quality
•Tata Motors IT team bagged an award in IT Services Management category
•Tata Motors, CVBU was awarded the coveted Golden Peacock Award
•Land Rover double header at the Auto Express 2010 new car awards
•TDCV CEO, Dr. Kim Jong-Shik, honoured
•Golden Peacock Award for Occupational Health & Safety for the year 2010
•CVBU Lucknow bags 11 National Suggestion Summit awards
List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, video clips, work samples, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
Tata Manza associates with Wayne Brady http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=691
Tata Motors June sales at 66,358 nos. http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=690
Jaguar Land Rover opens new dealership in Kolkata, West Bengal, India http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=688
Tata Nano launched in Nepal http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=686
Tata Motors Full Throttle team returns victorious from Dakshin Dare 2011 Rally http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=685
Tata Motors Group global wholesales at 88,251 vehicles in May http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=684
Tata Motors receives largest order ever of M&HCV trucks from a single fleet owner http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=681
Tata Motors & Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development
Organization develop an environment-friendly dual-fuel based power generation facility http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=680
Tata Motors May sales at 62,296 nos. http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=677
Tata Nano begins international journey with Sri Lanka, as Tata Motors celebrates 50th year of its International Business http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=676
Jaguar Land Rover inaugurates new vehicle assembly plant in Pune India http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=678
Tata Motors Group - Global sales grow 24.2% and crosses the 1 million mark in FY 10-11 http://www.tatamotors.com/media/press-releases.php?id=670
Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated organization:
Carl-Peter Forster, CEO of Tata Motors, has twenty-four years of international experience in the automobile industry. Most recently he was the head of General Motors, Europe, where he looked after Opel / Vauxhall, Saab and the European activities of Chevrolet. Before joining General Motors in 2001, Mr. Forster had 13 years of experience in BMW where he held various positions including that of managing director of BMW South Africa and was also on the managing board of BMW responsible for manufacturing.
Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons and Tata Motors, said, “Tata Motors expects that Mr. Forster’s induction will greatly facilitate its ambition towards being a truly international company.”
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Closer to God
It almost makes too much sense that some of the most awe-inspiring architecture around the world today just so happens to be religious spaces. Whether that means a church, a synagogue or meditation center, the structures in Gestalten’s latest release, Closer to God, are anything but traditional. Gone are the high, vaulted ceilings and ornately embellished altars and alcoves that staunch Roman Catholics hold so dear. These spaces are clean and modern, with hardly a stained-glass window in sight.
Aside from covering almost 100 different sacred spaces across the globe, Closer to God also profiles a few churches that have been completely repurposed, like the Ilhara Public Library in Portugal or the Selexyz Dominicanen Bookstore (above) in the Netherlands. The Saint-Paul Saint-Louis Church in Paris even participated in the city’s 2007 Nuit Blanche, hosting a light installation before the altar. Most of these spaces reside outside the US, though a few home-town heroes made the book, like Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Downtown LA and the Holy Rosary Complex in Louisiana. The range of styles is as diverse as the world’s various religious practices, from the quaint Church in Tarnov, Poland to the glowing rectangular White Temple in Kyoto, to the stunning, stark, desert oasis that is the Chapel of Retiro in Chile.
The Holy Rosary Church Complex in Louisiana
The Church in Tarnov, Poland
The White Temple in Kyoto
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WE ARE A FAMILY
We are a family we call “Ebenezer” —
Stone of Help....
A unique family, unlike any other;
a representative family, of every hue and culture
But one body, loving, caring and committed to one another
to be His body,
Because we are of another blood - His blood
Which makes us one.
Our family has an open door, and open hearts
For those who come, and become
One with us.
We laugh, we cry
We do life
Our times together, though infrequent in a busy world,
are times of celebration,
Celebrating the God who made possible
the joining of hearts and lives across all that divides
people from each other.
We are one blood, all made from one man, Adam
but remade from one Man, the second Adam
to be the body of Jesus, our Head
He once said
That he had no place to lay His head
He has us...
Outside our doors are many orphaned people,
No Father to sustain them,
No family to care
Alone...in a world full of people,
Alone in their fear and guilt and shame.
We have a message that will free them
from their cruel taskmaster,
The accusing voice that torments.
We are a family
And we have a place in our hearts for them too..
Read more articles by Luella Campbell or search for articles on the same topic or others.
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We have had an influx of southern Pine Beetles here in Florida lately. This story appeared in the news last night. I copied this from WESH Channel 2's site this morning.
Thursday May 24 07:22 AM EDT
Beetle-Infested Trees To Be Removed
State environmental officials will cut down pine trees infested with southern pine beetles starting Thursday, in an area north of Orlando to prevent spread of the destructive bugs.
Trees in Wekiwa Springs State Park, Rock Springs Run State Reserve and Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park near Apopka will be cut. Southern pine beetles have infested the area recently, and some other parts of Florida and the South.
The pests have destroyed about half the pines in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina and have also infested pine stands in Alabama. In Florida, officials in Alachua County declared a state of emergency last month, saying nearly 100 areas were infested with the beetles.
The insects are found in neighborhoods with large numbers of loblolly pines. They chew into the trees to lay their eggs. As those eggs hatch, the larvae chew their way along in the trunk, killing the tree.
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By Karen Davis
The President and the House of Representatives have advanced starkly different paths for the nation with recent proposals to address the federal budget deficit. The President characterizes his plan as a balanced approach with tax increases for higher-income families, as well as savings in defense and domestic spending and provisions to control health care costs and improve efficiency in Medicare and Medicaid. Together, these changes would reduce the federal budget deficit by $1.35 trillion over 12 years relative to current law.1
The budget resolution passed by the House of Representatives is based on a House Budget Committee proposal that would cut the top rate on taxes for individuals and corporations, exempt military spending from cuts, and make deeper cuts in domestic spending. It would also repeal the health insurance expansion provisions of health reform and cap federal budget outlays for Medicare and Medicaid. The plan is estimated to reduce federal spending by $5.8 trillion over 10 years, $4.2 trillion of which would be used to finance tax cuts, leaving $1.65 trillion for deficit reduction.
With these proposals, the nation is beginning a serious debate on addressing the imbalance in projected federal budget revenues and expenditures. Health care is at the heart of this debate. The analysis that follows shows that while both approaches constrain federal spending under Medicare and Medicaid, they differ sharply in how steep cuts would be, how they would be achieved, and what effect they would have.
Contrasting Health Care Budget Proposals
The President's and House of Representatives' proposals have fundamentally different strategies for health insurance coverage for elderly and disabled Medicare beneficiaries, low-income families, and middle-class working families without employer health insurance. The President’s proposal would preserve Medicare and Medicaid benefits, along with the expansions contained in the health reform legislation to cover more low-income individuals under Medicaid, subsidize health insurance premiums for working families, and fill in the current coverage gap (or “doughnut hole”) in Medicare prescription drug coverage. A summary of the President's Health Budget Framework is included in Table 1.
The House proposal would repeal the health reform provisions expanding Medicaid and providing new premium assistance for middle-income working families, restore the doughnut hole in Medicare prescription drug coverage, convert Medicare to a voucher for private health insurance when those now under age 55 qualify for Medicare, replace Medicaid with a block grant to states, and sharply restrict the growth in the federal budgetary commitment to Medicare and Medicaid over time. A summary of the health provisions in the House Budget Resolution is available in Table 2.
While both budget proposals achieve comparable levels of deficit reduction, the President's framework raises taxes on high-income individuals, while the House of Representatives budget resolution cuts taxes. As a result, much of the Medicare and Medicaid savings in the House budget resolution would go to finance tax cuts.
The House resolution also misses the opportunity to use the federal government's leverage as a major purchaser of health care to lower the rising health care costs that are at the center of our budget deficit problem. Rather than addressing the underlying drivers of U.S. health care costs, the House resolution relies on market forces to lower costs. But as discussed in an August 2010 blog post, the health care market is not like the market for other goods and services. Without effective measures to control these costs, such as incentives to reduce hospitalizations, the cuts in Medicare and Medicaid will translate into considerably higher costs for vulnerable low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals as well as working families.
Some specific consequences of the House budget resolution include:
Tight limits on growth in federal budget outlays for Medicare and Medicaid
The House resolution would index the Medicare voucher and Medicaid per capita outlays with the Consumer Price Index, which is projected to grow at 2.5 percent annually. Health spending per capita, by contrast, is projected by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to grow 3 percentage points faster—5.4 percent annually—over the coming decade. As a result, Medicare and Medicaid would cover a lower portion of health care spending over time under the House resolution. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), federal spending on Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and subsidies for health insurance premiums would be reduced by 63 to 66 percent in 2050 relative to current baseline projections. By contrast, the President's budget framework would charge the Independent Payment Advisory Board with developing recommendations for holding Medicare spending per capita to the rate of growth of GDP per capita plus 0.5 percent, or approximately 4.6 percent annually.
Higher cost of private coverage for Medicare beneficiaries
The CBO estimates that privatizing Medicare would cost, rather than save, money. Initially, private coverage for similar benefits as currently covered by Medicare would be 12 percent more expensive than Medicare because of higher administrative costs and higher provider payment rates. Thus initial vouchers would need to be higher than average Medicare spending per person—if the goal at the outset were to maintain benefits. By 2030, private coverage would be about 40 percent more expensive than Medicare for the same benefits.2 Simply put, at the outset federal costs could go up and less federal dollars would go to providing benefits and more would go to insurance profits and higher payments to providers.
Higher costs for Medicare beneficiaries
Since the federal government would tie future vouchers to the Consumer Price Index rather than the rising costs of health insurance or medical care, the federal government would spend less over time as beneficiaries spend more. By replacing Medicare with a voucher or defined contribution for private insurance that buys less for the premium dollar, the value of the voucher would erode over time, resulting in higher premiums for beneficiaries and/or reductions in benefits. CBO estimates that by 2022, new enrollees would have to pay at least $6,400 more out of pocket to buy coverage comparable to traditional Medicare. By 2030, out-of-pocket costs would triple, and the portion of a typical 65-year-old's health care expenses paid for by the beneficiary would increase from 30 percent to 68 percent under the House of Representatives budget resolution. High-income beneficiaries would pay nearly all of their own health care costs. By contrast, the President's budget framework would have Medicare use its leverage to buy coverage at lower cost and share in financing a defined set of benefits for all beneficiaries.
50 million more uninsured
By repealing the health insurance expansion provisions in the Affordable Care Act, the House budget resolution would eliminate coverage for an estimated 33 million people by 2019. Cutting federal Medicaid spending by one-third by the end of the decade would potentially leave an additional 15 million people without coverage, including seniors in nursing homes, people with disabilities, children, and pregnant women. Replacing Medicare with a voucher with a limited dollar value would make private insurance premiums unaffordable for some elderly and disabled people. CBO notes that unspecified numbers of Medicare beneficiaries would become uninsured. Eliminating the subsidies for small business and the repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board and its powers to control health care costs would likely raise health insurance premiums for middle class and small businesses, further eroding health insurance coverage. The White House estimates that, in all, more than 50 million people would become uninsured.
Putting the U.S. on the Path to a High Performance Health System
The budget proposals offered by the President and House present the nation with divergent paths for lowering health care costs and reducing the federal budget deficit as the post–World War II generation reaches retirement. In short, the large reductions in federal health expenditures in the House budget resolution would shift costs onto consumers and other payers, forcing future Medicare beneficiaries to pay more of their own expenses directly out of pocket, requiring states to absorb rising Medicaid costs, and leading to dramatic increases in the number of uninsured. By contrast, the President’s proposal would maintain a federal commitment to affordable coverage for all and attempt to keep spending increases reasonable by creating incentives for physicians and hospitals to be accountable for both patient outcomes and the use of health care resources.
The challenge for all leaders—in government, health care, and the private sector—is to move beyond shifting responsibility for unaffordable care toward developing effective strategies for putting the U.S. on the path to a high-performance health system that yields real value for the monies invested.
The U.S. has the resources and innovative spirit to cope with the challenges ahead, as it has in the past. The health care experiences of other countries and high-performing areas within the U.S. should be carefully examined to identify policies and practices that hold the promise of achieving the triple aims of better health, better patient care experiences, and lower costs.
1 The President's proposal is estimated to reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over 12 years relative to the Office of Management and Budget's adjusted baseline, which is higher than current law baseline due to certain assumptions about future federal outlays and receipts. Estimated deficit reduction is reported here relative to current law baseline to facilitate comparison with the House budget plan.
2 Commonwealth Fund calculation based on Figure 1, Page 22 in CBO letter to the Honorable Paul Ryan, April 5, 2011, available at http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/121xx/doc12128/04-05-Ryan_Letter.pdf.
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Investigation and Control of an Outbreak of Imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Infection in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 06/22/2012
Hong KB et al. – This study identifies the environmental source of an IRAB outbreak in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and describes successful control of the outbreak with a multicomponent intervention program.Methods
- With the recognition of 3 clustered cases with IRAB bacteremia at the PICU of Seoul National University Children’s Hospital, Korea, from August to September 2010, the following outbreak control strategies were implemented: reinforcement of hand hygiene and contact precautions, investigation of environmental contamination, disinfection of the contaminated environment and medical equipment, active surveillance culture upon PICU admission and isolation of IRAB-positive patients.
- The clinical and microbiological data were reviewed for A. baumannii positive cases in the PICU from April 2001 to June 2011. Multilocus sequence typing was also performed.
- Twenty IRAB-positive cases (bacteremia in 10, pneumonia in 3 and colonizers in 7) were detected from January 2010 to February 2011.
- Thirteen IRAB-infected patients were all placed on a mechanical ventilator, had central venous catheters, received broad-spectrum antimicrobial treatment and had underlying diseases.
- Eleven (85%) IRAB-infected patients died probably due to IRAB infection. IRAB grew in 4 samples obtained from sinks and water taps from 38 environmental samples.
- Multilocus sequence typing analysis revealed 2 sequence types: ST138 (n = 16) and its single-locus variant ST92 (n = 4).
- Eleven weeks after the initiation of active surveillance, no further IRAB isolates were identified.
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Gay teen suicide has become a bit of a buzz word these days. I've been moved by videos popping up on Facebook and Twitter by celebs- gay and straight- reaching out to LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bi, trans, questioning) youth with the message "It will get better, I promise." It's an attempt at a ray of light, even a pinpoint of light, to youth who might be in a very dark place as they struggle with feelings, bullying, acceptance from others and even acceptance of themselves.
One group, The Trevor Project, is a resource for LGBTQ youth to reach out to if they are in a situation where they feel there is no way out. I spent a good amount of time on that website, reading about the project and the film that inspired it. The Trevor Project also encourages people who aren't L or G or B or T or Q- but who are allies- to be involved and supportive.
I support The Trevor Project. I'm an ally.
Months ago, Cyndi Lauper launched the Give A Damn Campaign. To "Give A Damn" means to be a straight person who supports equality for the LGBTQ community. It's a campaign to bridge the gap between straight and gay - an alliance, a co-existence, a statement of being on the same side.
I give a damn.
Yesterday, I saw a few other groups and events pop up on Facebook that appeared to be supporting these ideas. Offering hope and also an opportunity to stand up together. But one thing kept stinging me. I would visit a group page on Facebook or read a blog or read a Tweet that was a good and positive attempt at reaching out to the at risk community. And I was all for it. But then... there would be some sort of line like "we know you can't reach out to the grown ups around you or the Christians around you."
I understand the sentiment. Too many LGBTQ youth have turned to a trusted adult to come out or express concerns and been strongly rejected and bashed. Kids being kicked out of their homes, being told they will go to hell, being disowned. I get it. I've had gay friends be very deeply hurt by the church where they thought they were loved. I've had gay friends get bashed with Christianity as the driving force behind the hatred. I was raised being taught that homosexuality was a sin, it was wrong, it was disgusting. That never made sense to me when I stopped and started to really think about God. I believe in a loving God. I believe that God has a plan for each of us. I believe that God created each of us in love. I believe that God doesn't make mistakes. I believe that God is the only judge. I believe that God's purpose for my life is to focus on love. I believe that God loves all people- no matter who they are, what they've done, what they look like or what they believe. I believe that God is bigger and mightier than anything I can comprehend and that I don't need to have all the answers but that the few answers I have are enough.
The answer that I have... is love. All encompassing, available to everyone love. The kind of love that isn't dangerously close to hate, the kind of love that doesn't result in jumping to anger, the kind of love that isn't available to only a certain definition or population. I do not believe in "love the sinner, hate the sin." I believe we are all sinners so let's just love everyone and leave the sin determining to God. I believe that applying that statement to homosexuality is wrong because I do not believe homosexuality is a sin. Period. God loves gay people. God created gay people. God doesn't make mistakes. Being gay isn't some great temptation of the devil. Being gay is BEING. It's creation, not choice.
My passion for equality and fairness isn't just about laws and civil justice. My passion is based in my faith. My beliefs are founded in my Christianity. I have a friend- who is gay and came out as an adult and had a bad experience with his church when he came out- who has given me one of the best compliments of my life. He's told me that he wishes every gay youth could have me as a mom or have me as someone in their lives that they could turn to for love and acceptance.
But if the message being sent by these spin off efforts is to not trust Christians or adults... those of us who are Christian and adult and totally accepting and supporting of the LGBTQ community aren't being given the chance to reach out and support and love. I know that there are a lot of Christian communities where it would absolutely not be safe to turn and open up. I know there are a lot of people who say they love God who would not be a resource that would be supportive and loving. I also know that I am deeply troubled to think that a teen in my church might think they can't come to me because the online presence is telling them they can't turn to adults and Christians.
So here's what I think... let's stick with a more positive approach and message. If you are a teen or adult and you are facing some questions that scare you or trouble you about your sexuality- take the risk and talk to someone that you know loves you. If you are thinking about hurting yourself or feel like you simply don't want to exist anymore, reach out to someone. If you stop and think for a moment, I hope that there is someone within your circle that you have heard say things that indicate that they are open-minded and all-loving. If there isn't, turn to resources like The Trevor Project.
And if you are one of those Christian adults who believes that God loves everyone and that being gay isn't a sin and that want to have people know they can turn to you with what they feel is a deep, dark secret- be open and loud about. Shine your Christian light to show that you are different. Don't try and stop yourself from saying something positive about gay people. Don't be afraid to stop people when they use hateful terms in regards to gay people. Stand up for God's children and let your voice be one that reaches through that darkness to someone who needs that pinpoint of light.
You might just save a life.
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Making Strides in Alabama this weekend
Oct 27, 2011
The American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is moving to Mobile, Alabama this upcoming weekend to close out National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the news channel WKRG-TV reports. The 5-mile walk will have members for the community donating their time to raise money for a cure.
"I am thrilled that the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk is taking place right here in my community. It has been a blast getting involved and raising money and awareness," Jacque Mayhall, a participant and survivor, told the news source. "I hope that this event will help to ensure that others will not have to go through the battle that I have been through. I hope it will bring us one step closer to a cure."
According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, it is recommended that once a woman turns 40 she schedules annual mammograms to ensure that if she does develop the disease, that it is caught during its earlier stages. Family history is known for being a risk factor, so those who have many family members who have suffered from the disease may want to start making these appointments earlier as a precaution.
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Lewis Grassic Gibbon
1901 - 1935
Lewis Grassic Gibbon was born James Leslie Mitchell at the dawn of the twentieth century in 1901 in Aberdeenshire. Spending most of his childhood in Arbuthnott, a farming community in the Mearns, his family and community's tie to the land was to create a love-hate relationship between this area and the writer which lasted until his early death in 1935.
Mitchell left school early after arguments with the school authorities in Mackie Academy, Stonehaven. As a journalist in Aberdeen and briefly in Glasgow, he became increasingly involved in left-wing politics and helped to form the Aberdeen Soviet. His short experience of Glasgow, its slums, and its Red Clydeside movement led him to later criticise the Scottish Renaissance movement for not dealing with urban issues and the horrific slums of Glasgow.
Having been sacked from the 'Scottish Farmer' paper for fraudulent expense claims, Mitchell later joined the army more for the food and shelter it offered than for any patriotic reason. Although Mitchell hated life in the army, it did allow him to travel, in particular to the Middle East and Egypt, which fuelled his interest in ancient civilisations and the theory of diffusionism. His military experiences in the Middle East inspired his first short stories and much of his fiction and non-fiction.
From 1930 to 1934, eleven novels, two books of short stories, three anthropological books and an 'Intelligent Man's Guide to Albyn' with Hugh MacDiarmid entitled Scottish Scene, were published under the names Mitchell and Gibbon. On his death in 1935, outlines of many other books, from novels to an autobiography were left.
The most important of this author’s vast output in such a small amount of time is the trilogy of novels, A Scots Quair published under the name Lewis Grassic Gibbon (taken from the author's mother's maiden name). The Quair, and in particular Sunset Song, has outlived much of his other work to become a Scottish classic.
Lewis Grassic Gibbon is the more distinctly Scottish alter-ego of James Leslie Mitchell, and although there are many interesting books written under the Mitchell name, the writer’s best and most enduring works were published under the name Gibbon. Mitchell’s Stained Radiance and The Thirteenth Disciple help to give us a glimpse of the life of the writer and Spartacus is an inspiring novel which gives insight into Mitchell’s political and religious thoughts, yet the Scottish books show more clearly his talents as a writer and thinker.
Lewis Grassic Gibbon's most famous work and indeed his greatest achievement is A Scots Quair. The Quair (meaning book), is a trilogy which was published over three years as Sunset Song (1932), Cloud Howe (1933), and Grey Granite (1934). Following the life of its heroine Chris Guthrie, the three novels take the reader from the Great War to the growing communism of the 1920s and are innovative in their style, language and thought.
Sunset Song is Gibbon's most loved work and, out of the three Quair novels, the most satisfying to read as a single book. The Prelude to the novel can be off-putting to the reader at first because of its rollercoaster ride through the history of the village of Kinraddie in a language which takes a while to get used to. The language and style of the novel are groundbreaking in that they create a version of Scots which is universal in its nature and which draws the reader in by using an inclusive 'you' voice which unites the heroine's voice with the 'speak of the Mearns' and indeed the voice of the reader. At first however, the Prelude can appear difficult and this is why Gibbon himself suggested that the reader could skip it at first and return to it later. The title of the Prelude, 'The Unfurrowed Field', and its introduction to all the villagers of Kinraddie, helps to emphasise the cyclical nature of the novel which follows the stages of Chris Guthrie's life through comparisons with the stages of the farming year.
The young Chris must choose between life on the land, her Scottish identity, and the English part of her which draws her away from home towards books and education. Yet even once she has made her decision, the way of life of her community is altered forever by the Great War. Every aspect of Chris and Kinraddie's life is affected, from the destruction of the land by the cutting down of trees, to the destruction of her home life in the change which war brings to her husband, to the loss of the old songs of the place which are replaced by the blues from America. However, it is important that while Sunset Song mourns the loss of a past age, it is not hopeless. The images of light and the morning star in the closing pages of the novel anticipate the rest of the trilogy, emphasizing Gibbon's desire to construct a future rather than simply mourn the loss of a Golden Age. Rev Robert Colquohoun's speech at the end of Sunset Song, importantly situated at the standing stones which are Chris's connection to the past throughout the novel, gives the events of the novel a place in a line of history which looks back as well as looking forward.
Sunset Song is a rounded novel in itself, featuring festive and comic episodes within a grand tragic trajectory, but when seen as part of the Quair as a whole, it sets a problem which the other two books attempt to answer. Often seen as Sunset Song's poorer companions, Cloud Howe and Grey Granite evaluate Robert Colquohoun's (Chris's second husband) and Ewan's (Chris's son) solutions for the future of Scotland. Robert's Christian socialism and Ewan's communism both seek to raise Scotland from the ashes of war but are seen by Chris to be 'pillars of cloud', followed by men who seek solutions which cannot endure. Running through the Quair is the concept that only the ever-changing land can endure, and only Chris, who is simultaneously connected to the land and distanced from it, can fully realise this.
Moving from village, to town, to city A Scots Quair is packed with lively and comical characters and situations which make it an entertaining read. However it is also an exploration of the mythical and symbolic (particularly in the idea of Chris as a symbol of Scotland) as well as an exploration of religious and political movements. It is perhaps best captured by Kurt Wittig when he describes the three levels on which the Quair works: 'the personal, the social, and the mythical'.
Gibbon's other most enjoyable work is probably his short story 'Smeddum' which describes the life of the lively Meg and the conflict with her children, and his essay on 'The Land' which helps to describe his love-hate relationship with the land. This essay gives a helpful background to Sunset Song and illustrates Gibbon's frustration at the necessary connection between the land and those who work on it. The darker aspects of this connection are again explored in his short stories 'Greenden' and 'Clay', the latter story again raising a dilemma between the land and university while emphasising the importance of women's experience in the early twentieth century.
Works published under the name of James Leslie Mitchell
Hanno, or The Future of Exploration (1928)
Stained Radiance: A Fictionist's Prelude (1930)
The Thirteenth Disciple (1931)
The Calends of Cairo (1931)
Three Go Back (1932)
Persian Dawns, Egyptian Nights (1932)
The Lost Trumpet (1932)
Image and Superscription (1933)
Gay Hunter (1934)
The Conquest of the Maya (1934)
Under the name of Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Sunset Song (1932)
Cloud Howe (1933)
Grey Granite (1934)
A Scots Quair (1946)
Scottish Scene: or, The Intelligent Man's Guide to Albyn (1934)
Niger: The Life of Mungo Park (1934)
A Scots Hairst: Essays and Short Stories ed. by Ian S Munro (1967)
Smeddum: Short Stories and Essays ed. by D M Budge (1980)
The Speak of the Mearns ed. by Ian Campbell (1982)
Under the name of JLM and LGG combined
Nine Against The Unknown: A Record of Geographical Exploration (1934)
Campbell, Ian, Lewis Grassic Gibbon (1985)
Ehland, Christoph, Picaresque Perspectives - Exiled Identities: A Structural and Methodological Analysis of the Picaresque as a Literary Archetype in the Works of James Leslie Mitchell (2003)
Geddes, Clarke, Nemesis in the Mearns (1996) (fictionalisation)
Gifford, Douglas, Neil M Gunn and Lewis Grassic Gibbon (1983)
McCulloch, Margery Palmer, and Dunnigan, Sarah M, editors, A Flame in the Mearns Lewis Grassic Gibbon: A Centenary Celebration, Association for Scottish Literary Studies Occasional Papers: Number 13 (2003)
Munro, Ian S, Leslie Mitchell: Lewis Grassic Gibbon (1966)
Whitfield, Peter, Grassic Gibbon and his World (1994)
Young, Douglas F, Beyond the Sunset: A Study of James Leslie Mitchell (Lewis Grassic Gibbon) (1973)
- AL Kennedy 1965 -
- Alasdair Gray 1934 -
- Alexander Trocchi 1925 - 1984
- Allan Ramsay 1686 - 1758
- Catherine Carswell 1879 - 1946
- Douglas Dunn 1942 -
- Edwin Morgan 1920 - 2010
- Edwin Muir 1887 - 1959
- George Douglas Brown 1869 - 1902
- George MacDonald 1824 - 1905
- George MacKay Brown 1921 - 1996
- Hamish Henderson 1919 - 2002
- Hugh MacDiarmid 1892 - 1978
- Iain Crichton Smith 1928 - 1998
- Iain M Banks 1954 -
- Ian Rankin 1960 -
- Irvine Welsh 1961 -
- J M Barrie 1860 - 1937
- Jackie Kay 1961 -
- James Hogg 1770 - 1835
- James Kelman 1946 -
- James Thomson 1834 - 1882
- John Buchan 1875 - 1940
- John Galt 1779 - 1839
- John Robin Jenkins 1912 - 2005
- Lewis Grassic Gibbon 1901 - 1935
- Liz Lochhead 1947 -
- Margaret Oliphant 1828 - 1897
- Muriel Spark 1918 - 2006
- Neil M Gunn 1891 - 1973
- Neil Munro 1863 - 1930
- Norman MacCaig 1910 - 1996
- Robert Burns 1759 - 1796
- Robert Fergusson 1750 - 1774
- Robert Garioch 1909 - 1981
- Robert Henryson 1450 - 1505
- Robert Louis Stevenson 1850 - 1894
- Sorley MacLean 1911 - 1996
- Tom Leonard 1944 -
- Walter Scott 1771 - 1832
- Willa Muir 1890 - 1970
- William Dunbar 1460 - 1513
- William McIlvanney 1936 -
- William Soutar 1898 - 1943
Writing Scotland themes
by Carl MacDougall
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What Are the Fittest and Fattest States in the US?
All that fresh mountain air must be a very good thing, because according to a new report from the CDC, Colorado has once again ranked as the thinnest state in the nation.
Colorado was once the only state in the US with an obesity rate lower than 20 percent, and while it can no longer claim that, it still has the lowest obesity rate in the nation at 20.7 percent.
Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, the District of Columbia and California also scored well, with obesity rates of between 21.8 and 23.8 percent.
Southern and Midwestern states didn’t fare nearly as well, with 26 of the 30 states with the highest obesity rates falling into those two regions alone. Mississippi’s famous fried foods did it no favors — more than a third of its residents are obese, giving the Magnolia State the dubious honor of being the fattest in the nation.
The most obese states:
3. West Virginia
8. (tie) Indiana and South Carolina
10. Kentucky and Texas
The thinnest states:
4. (tie) New Jersey and the District of Columbia
8. (tie) New York, Connecticut and Nevada
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We design Windows operating systems to perform well out of the box. However, many factors affect actual performance: firmware design, applications that load at system startup, memory and I/O components, and the built-in capabilities of system components such as graphics, storage, and networking devices.
To help system designers and manufacturers, we provide tools and information for the design and tuning of systems for best performance.
The Windows ADK is a collection of tools that you can use to assess the performance of systems you build, including and deploy Windows® operating systems to new computers. The Windows ADK is new for Windows 8. Tools that were previously available in the Windows OEM Preinstallation Kit and Windows Automated Installation Kit are now available in the Windows ADK.
Included in the Windows ADK, assessments are a new set of tools that measure the quality of a computer, including overall performance, energy efficiency, and battery consumption. The results of these assessments are used to diagnose potential problems, ensuring that the hardware, application software, and drivers that you develop are responsive and have a minimal impact to battery life, startup performance, and shutdown time.
Included in the Windows ADK, WPT makes performance issues easy to diagnose. The toolkit includes: Windows Performance Recorder captures detailed system and application behavior and resource usage either from the command line or a new graphical user interface. Windows Performance Analyzer is a powerful tool used to review aspects of performance on Windows. WPA opens event trace log files and displays performance data in graphs and tables so that you can easily see where to investigate potential issues.
The Microsoft Server Performance Advisor (SPA) for Windows, version 3.0, provides IT administrators the right set of performance data to identify, compare, and diagnose potential server performance problems and bottlenecks. Microsoft SPA 3.0 is an update to the original SPA and can help you diagnose the root causes of performance problems in a Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, or newer deployment.
This developer center contains detailed information about performance tuning of applications and computer systems. Resources available on this developer center include news, links to community forums, and getting started information.
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Thus all the work that Shlomo did for the house of the LORD was finished. Shlomo brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of God.
Then Shlomo assembled the Zakenim of Yisra'el, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers' [houses] of the children of Yisra'el, to Yerushalayim, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Tziyon.
nd all the men of Yisra'el assembled themselves to the king at the feast, which was [in] the seventh month.
All the Zakenim of Yisra'el came: and the Levites took up the ark;
and they brought up the ark, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these did the Kohanim the Levites bring up.
King Shlomo and all the congregation of Yisra'el, that were assembled to him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude.
The Kohanim brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the Keruvim.
For the Keruvim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the Keruvim covered the ark and the poles of it above.
The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen outside: and there it is to this day.
There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moshe put [there] at Horev, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Yisra'el, when they came out of Mitzrayim.
It happened, when the Kohanim were come out of the holy place, (for all the Kohanim who were present had sanctified themselves, and did not keep their courses;
also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaf, Heman, Yedutun, and their sons and their brothers, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred twenty Kohanim sounding with trumpets;)
it happened, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, [saying], For he is good; for his lovingkindness endures forever; that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD,
so that the Kohanim could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.
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(Let's start by assuming that you are using the common flamenco approach of starting the cycle of 12 beats on "12". This is highly confusing to most trained musicians, but it makes sense if you think of beginning the count on a clock face, which of course starts at the top, on 12).
Keep in mind that there are number of distinct regional styles of Soleares, the Grandmother of the Palos, and I'm just an infant wandering in the great cathedral of flamenco, so I won't try and explain those differences...
But a simple place to start is just to listen - here is Juan Habichuela (accompanying the incredible 20-year old Estrella Morente!) - he is famous in particular for his solid and responsive accompaniment of cante. His introduction is a small masterpiece of clarity, atmosphere and imagination:
While he will lead to a strong 3 with the classic three chord flamenco cadence ("1-2-3" -> G-F-Emaj), He will almost always drop a golpe on 6 and 12, helping the singer keep track of the compas, even when they are singing freely over the cycle of beats. Another "flag" he frequently sends up for the singer is the characteristic Soleares arpeggiation pattern on 10-11-12 that pushes to a strong 12 accent (with golpe).
You teacher is right about 6/8/10 as well - the accents on 6, 8 and 10 serve to divide up the second half of twelve beats into groups of two, a very characteristic flamenco shift in accents. So you could think of the twelve beats as "two-groups-of-three, followed by three-groups-of-two" - (>> > >) (>> > >) (>> >) (>> >) (>> >) - speed that up and you'll start to hear the rhythm of "I Want To Live In America" from "West Side Story"!
But just listening to this roomful of master musicians is an education in itself - Ole!
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Wi-Fi Alliance says that today there are over 1 million Wi-Fi hotspots in the world. I'm assuming that is just the public ones, if we include all of us with a home router (which I'm pretty sure includes everyone reading this blog and probably pretty much everyone you know) then the number has to be much larger. After all, there are predicted to be over 1 million LTE base stations going in over the next few years (many of them with Tensilica inside them).
Tensilica already have some customers using their dataplane processor units (DPUs) for some of the older Wi-Fi standards (with comparatively low data rates).
Tensilica plans to integrate Wi-Fi with its multi-standard radio capabilities. Several of Tensilica's processors are ideal for Wi-Fi including ConnX D2 and the BBE DSP product families. As always, Tensilica are focused on delivering high performance at low power, in this case providing power-efficient programmable solutions for the next-generation Wi-Fi standards. The recently-announced ConnX BBE32 UE DSP has been specifically optimized for 3G and LTE uplink/downlink and should be ideal for the more demanding Wi-Fi standards. 802.11n, for example, has a data rate of up to 450 Mbps and future standards will be even higher bandwidth.
So Tensilica announced today that they have joined the Wi-Fi Alliance. This will allow their designs to be Wi-Fi Certified which shows not just that they work but, perhaps more importantly, that they do not disrupt other Wi-Fi devices using the same frequency bands (Wi-Fi does not put signals into separate time and frequency bands like 2G wireless technologies other than CDMA did).
Although not directly related to the Tensilica announcement, the Wi-Fi Alliance is also working on a standard called Passpoint to make it easier to roam around different Wi-Fi hot spots without requiring to log in with different credentials each time you are somewhere new. To me, the most annoying of these are the free access points that still require you to go to a splash screen merely to tick a box agreeing to some conditions that you haven't even read. At least if you are logging into someone that requires you to pay there isn't much of a way around entering your credit card data. You can expect to see a gradual blurring of Wi-Fi hotspots with Pico-basestations so that networks can offload as much data as they can off the increasingly congested backhaul.
But I love my new iPad 3 (sorry, "the new iPad") which has LTE access and I can turn into a hot spot so when I stay in hotels in the US I never pay outrageoous $15/day internet access any more. If only they would fix international data roaming. My Verizon iPad account gives me 3 gigabytes of data per month for $20 (or something like that). When I'm out of the country, AT&T sends me a text message telling me that data rates are $20/megabyte. That's 3,000 times more expensive. If I have a good LTE connection maybe I can download at as much as 2.5 megabytes per second. That's $50/second. Even if I don't want to download a movie, the rates are expensive enough to make things we take for granted, like Google maps or email too expensive to use except in a Wi-Fi hotspot. So thank goodness for the Wi-Fi Alliance and all the companies that have made Wi-Fi what it is today.
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ou know the routine: you drag your weary body from bed, turn on the computer, and spend eight hours writing a chapter in the next great American novel or research material for a Pulitzer-winning, non-fiction piece. Perhaps you spend eight hours at a full-time job, rush home, and squeeze in precious writing minutes wherever possible.
Stuffed into these long hours, you also must find time to complete household chores, raise the kids, cook for the family, fold laundry, carpool to soccer and music lessons, purchase groceries, maintain the lawn...
The one item missing from this crammed schedule is the single element of the writing life that many of us overlook: making a commitment to exercise. Too often, writers worry about exercising their mental prowess, fretting over word choice, character development, and setting. Instead, writers, especially those who perch in front of the computer screen for extended periods of time, could improve focus by getting out of the comfy office chair, working out, and maintaining a healthy diet.
As trainer and life coach on The Biggest Loser and Losing It with Jillian, health and wellness expert Jillian Michaels understands the importance of exercise for those immersed in the writing life.
“I LOVE to write,” says Michaels. She often sets Sunday aside to work exclusively on her current writing projects.
“When I am working on a book, I do it in long sessions. It takes me a bit to jump back into something and warm up, so thirty-minute sessions here and there aren’t productive for me.”
Michaels is a New York Times best-selling author of three books: The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook, Master Your Metabolism, and Making the Cut. She also penned Winning by Losing, The Master Your Metabolism Calorie Counter, and Optimiza tu Metabolismo, the Spanish-translated version of Master Your Metabolism.
“Exercise releases certain chemicals in the brain that fight depression, improve mood, and increase our attention span.”
Define the Connection
Being productive grows from understanding the mind-body connection.
Making sense of getting the idea onto paper becomes an intricate part of managing an exercise and nutrition plan. The physical link between brain and brawn joins neurons and skeletal muscles at a site known as a neuromuscular junction.
“Exercise releases certain chemicals in the brain that fight depression, improve mood, and increase our attention span,” adds Michaels. The exercise guru pinpoints studies involving school children and PE classes, as an example. “The kids who got PE had better focus and attention span than the kids who didn’t.”
The same principle can be applied to writers who don’t break away from the screen. Until movement occurs, the writing process may become sluggish: ideas jumble into a mishmash of incoherent characters or focus diverts to a new tangent. You gravitate from the office chair, mindlessly walking to the kitchen to grab a beverage and snack. Before you know it, you’re bottom line is bigger than a double-page spread.
What’s a writer to do?
“Variety is always best to keep the body from plateau.”
Call it the composition conundrum. Full-time writers depend on extended writing time to earn a living; but at some point in the day, exercise needs to become a priority, too.
Michaels suggests the ideal amount of exercise is sixty minutes, five days a week. But she’s also realistic about the time factor. “Your most realistic bet is to do thirty minutes, five times a week.”
Michaels says when exercising for shorter periods of time, a high intensity workout lets you burn as many calories as you can while making the most of exercise time. “Try high intensity interval training and circuit training all at roughly 85 percent of your metabolic heart rate (MHR).”
Switching up an exercise routine forces the body to adapt to new stimulus. Michaels suggests building a repertoire of exercise routines, including circuit training, interval training, cardio, power walking, and yoga. “Variety is always best to keep the body from plateau,” offers Michaels.
“...a trainer provides accountability, personal connection, and direct feedback on form and performance.”
Pump It Up
A writer doesn’t need a home gym filled with the latest and greatest piece of exercise equipment; however, Michaels asserts a treadmill or incline trainer that functions as a treadmill may be a writer’s best choice. Nearly any muscle can be worked using body weight training, and no equipment is necessary. But cardio becomes difficult for a variety of reasons, including weather conditions and home or family obligations. “A solid quality piece of cardio equipment can be a godsend.”
With the increase of work-from-home writers, gym membership may not be an option. Do exercise DVDs provide a challenge, or should a writer get to the nearest gym?
Michaels couldn’t offer any negatives about choosing between a gym and DVD workout. With a DVD, a trainer tells you what to do, so you get results. But she quickly points out the difference between sweating to the oldies to rip your hip-hop abs versus working out with a trainer. “A DVD is much cheaper, but a trainer provides accountability, personal connection, and direct feedback on form and performance.”
“I do a tremendous amount of writing, and there is no way I could focus and also try to do something like isometric breathing to work my abs. Even if I could, the calorie burn would be so minimal it would be nearly irrelevant.”
Break Up = Adds Up
Taking a break from writing for even a few minutes can help you feel better and increase energy. Simply stand whenever possible. This opens the hips and aids with energy flow. Take the stairs, if possible. March in place to increase circulation. All three options add a small dose of cardio to an otherwise sedentary day.
Joints ache? Muscles sluggish? Try a few strengthening exercises. Chairlifts build up arms and shoulders. Knee lifts focus on leg strength. Stretching the back and shoulder area by pressing shoulder blades together reinforces back muscles. Flexibility can be increased by trying a variety of moves. Seated side bends, body twists, or wrist and arm circles boost flexibility.
Michaels cautions about counting on these types of exercise as a weight maintenance measure. “I do a tremendous amount of writing, and there is no way I could focus and also try to do something like isometric breathing to work my abs. Even if I could, the calorie burn would be so minimal it would be nearly irrelevant.”
The trainer does stress proper posture during chair time. Sit up tall, keep your head directly over your spine, and engage the core. You’ll be surprised at how sitting up straight increases energy!
Writers afflicted with neck strain need to activate the muscles in the back of the neck while stretching the muscles in the front.
Michaels offers both an exercise and a stretch to alleviate the pain.
- Exercise: Try pulling your chin back towards the base of your skull as though you’re trying to give yourself a double chin. Hold this position for twenty seconds and then release. Repeat three times. This will help pull your head back over your spine.
- Stretch: Take your right hand and grab the left side of your head. Gently pull your right ear towards your right shoulder and hold for twenty seconds. Repeat on the other side. Do this for three reps on each side.
“Twinkies and Cheetos are perfect examples of what not to eat. Ever.”
What happens if you simply can’t find the time to exercise? Michaels believes if you are unable to complete the thirty-minute/five-per-week routine, the best bet is to focus on diet—using a clean, whole, balanced approach. In The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook, Michaels explains how metabolism is about biochemistry and how food choices affect a person’s biochemistry. For instance, an individual plagued with a thyroid issue needs to understand that those issues are created by xeno estrogens in foods and the plastics they’re stored in.
“Remove those foods and restore with foods that boost thyroid function, and your body will function optimally.”
Being mindful of caloric intake is just the beginning to establishing a sensible food plan. Michaels encourages people to search online for “metabolic rate calculator” and enter age, height, and weight information for their AMR (Active Metabolic Rate).
The calculator lists the number of calories a person should consume each day based on activity level. Avoid eating extra calories, unless it’s a special occasion, and then only in moderation.
Michaels also emphasizes food quality when building a meal plan. Go organic whenever possible. Eat real food. “If it doesn’t have a mother or come from the ground, avoid it. Twinkies and Cheetos are perfect examples of what not to eat. Ever.”
Healthy snack options don’t need to be limited to sliced veggies or fresh fruit. Michaels recommends Pop Chips, a one hundred-calorie option that have no dangerous or toxic ingredients, or So Delicious coconut ice cream bars, which have less than two hundred calories. Michaels reports it’s a satisfying treat for a sweet tooth.
Many writers grab a soda or cup of java to perk them up, especially early morning or mid-afternoon when the drowsies settle in. Avoiding soda and processed fruit juices remains an important rule for writers to follow. Water, organic coffee—in moderation—and tea are fine.
While some experts tout the eight-glasses-of-water-a-day mantra, Michaels says there isn’t a clear-cut rule for hydration. Instead, she recommends drinking enough water until urine resembles the color of lemonade. “If it looks like apple juice, you’re dehydrated and need more water. Gross answer, I know, but it’s the truth.”
“The only difference between the ones who make their dreams a reality and the ones who don’t is that the people who do know this fact have the skills to achieve their goals.”
While a writer assembles an exercise and diet plan that works best for her situation, Michaels reminds that control is an important element for success. “On The Biggest Loser, I’m not really teaching people to lose weight. I can do that in one sentence: ‘Eat less, move more.’”
In her new book, Unlimited: How to Build An Exceptional Life (due out April 2011), she discusses the “how” of self-help—especially how to break free of baggage to create and claim the life we deserve in all areas, including health, love, happiness, and financial stability.
Michaels says everyone has unlimited potential. “The only difference between the ones who make their dreams a reality and the ones who don’t is that the people who do know this fact have the skills to achieve their goals.”
Taking control by setting up an exercise routine within the parameters of a writing schedule or taking that first step toward maintaining a healthy lifestyle will build a sense of confidence. And that self-assurance will spill over into writing projects.
Michaels agrees. “When we feel strong physically, we feel strong in every facet of our lives. Your health is the platform that your whole life is built on; and when that is solid, all other areas of your life will flourish.”
LuAnn Schindler is a full-time freelance journalist living on the eastern slope of the Nebraska Sandhills on a dairy farm with 200+ Holsteins. She currently blogs for The Muffin, the WOW! Women On Writing daily blog, and is a columnist for Premium-Green. Her work has appeared in the Pregnancy, 2: The Couples Magazine, Denver Post, Rural Electric Nebraskan, Absolute Write, in addition to other publications. LuAnn is a member of the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association. She won a 2010 Nebraska Press Award for feature writing.
Enjoyed this article? Check out these related articles on WOW!:
Just Chillin' with Kate Hanley, author of The Anywhere, Anytime Chill Guide: 77 Simple Strategies for Serenity
Interview with Jennette Fulda, Author of Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir
Interview with Kris Carr, Author of Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips
Interview with Gretchen Rubin, Author of The Happiness Project
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Levina and Vaid Guest Post On The Recent HRW Torture In Afghanistan Report: What Does It Mean For The ICC?
[Polina Levina is a masters in international law candidate at the School of Oriental and African Studies and Kaveri Vaid is an Institute for International Law and Justice Scholar at New York University School of Law.]
Recently, Human Rights Watch released a report detailing systematic practices of capture, torture, and rendition of members of the Libyan opposition by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. At least five of the alleged victims were tortured by the CIA in “black sites” in Afghanistan in or after 2003.
Torture is clearly prohibited by the Rome Statute, both as a war crime and as a crime against humanity. The entire situation in Afghanistan during the time period addressed by the report has been under preliminary examination by the International Criminal Court (ICC) since 2007. In a report on this preliminary examination, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) cited the lack of concrete and particularized evidence, including about potential victims and witnesses, as a significant reason why the preliminary examination could not move forward.
It might seem at first blush that the HRW report would provide the critical evidence of crimes within the court’s jurisdiction. But this assumption assumes the existence of a critical prerequisite – there must be a nexus between the alleged acts of torture committed by the CIA and the armed conflict in Afghanistan for those acts to qualify as war crimes under article 8(2)(c)(i)-4 (or, as cruel treatment under article 8(2)(c)(i)-3) of the Rome Statute. The nexus requirement is a jurisdictional requirement – the ICC and other international tribunals only have jurisdiction to prosecute acts as war crimes when committed in connection with an armed conflict.
The HRW report undoubtedly alleges acts of torture that occurred during the non-international armed conflict in Afghanistan. However, the ICC has emphasized that this fact alone does not establish a legal nexus between the alleged acts and the armed conflict in The Prosecutor v. Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, thus setting an outer boundary for the nexus requirement. Instead, the Court requires a more substantial connection between the alleged acts and the armed conflict.
While the issue is complex, we argue that the acts qualify as war crimes based on the Court’s current jurisprudence. We will first delineate the Court’s test for a nexus—that the armed conflict must be a substantial factor in the commission of the alleged crimes. We will then demonstrate that the acts alleged in the HRW report are more than merely coincidentally related to the armed conflict in Afghanistan; the conflict was a substantial factor in the commission of the alleged crimes. As such, the allegations detailed in the HRW report are relevant to the OTP’s preliminary examination into the situation in Afghanistan.
How the ICC Defines a Nexus to Armed Conflict
In its decision on the confirmation of charges in the Katanga Case [para. 380], Pre-Trial Chamber I defined crimes having the requisite nexus to armed conflict as those crimes occurring “in the context of and associated with an armed conflict,” where “the armed conflict…play[s] a substantial role in the perpetrator’s decision, in his ability to commit the crime, or in the manner in which the conduct was ultimately committed.” In its decision refusing to confirm the charges in the Prosecutor v. Bahar Idriss Abu Garda, [para. 90], Pre-Trial Chamber I held that “it is not necessary for the conflict to have been regarded as the ultimate reason for the criminal conduct, nor must the conduct have taken place in the midst of battle.”
To be clear, the Court still maintains the nexus requirement, stating in its decision regarding the case against Abu Garda [para. 92] that crimes must be “related to [the armed conflict], because criminal acts or offences unrelated to the armed conflict are not considered to be war crimes.” At the same time, the Court clearly rejects any requirement of “but-for” causation, holding instead that “it is not necessary…for the armed conflict to have been regarded as the ultimate reason for the criminal conduct.”
In the Katanga Case, [para. 382] the Court identified certain factors as particularly relevant to the inquiry regarding nexus: whether the perpetrator was a combatant in the armed conflict; whether the victim was not a combatant; whether the victim was a member of an opposing party in the conflict; whether the acts in question may “serve the ultimate goal of a military campaign;” and whether the alleged crime was committed “as part of or in the context of the perpetrator’s official duties.” However, the Court did not specify all or any of these factors as being dispositive of a nexus.
Both in citing the above factors and in adopting the more general “substantial role” test to find a nexus between particular crimes and an armed conflict, the Court thus adopted much of the prior relevant jurisprudence from the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia. Indeed, the Court affirms this adoption explicitly in its decision in Katanga, [paras. 382], “endors[ing] the ICTY finding [in Tadic and Kunarac] that the Trial Chamber may take into account, inter alia, [factors indicating whether a nexus exists].”
Analyzing the HRW Report’s Allegations Against the Nexus Requirement
The Prosecutor v. Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui [para. 380] found that a nexus is established when “the armed conflict…play[s] a substantial role in the perpetrator’s decision” to commit the crime. It thus becomes necessary to assess both the perpetrator’s decision and the purpose for which the crime was committed.
It is undoubtedly difficult if not impossible to ascertain the specific purpose or decision process that motivated the CIA to engage in the alleged conduct. However, looking at the alleged acts in the broader context in which they occurred—specifically, the development and deployment of so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques” for use against members of the Taliban or Al Qaeda—indicates at least plausible motivations.
The so-called “torture memos” and related investigative reports repeatedly justified the specific “enhanced interrogation techniques” allegedly inflicted upon these detainees by the United States as vital to the successful prosecution of multiple components of the so-called “War on Terror,” including, at the time, the armed conflict in Afghanistan. These techniques were justified specifically by their purported ability to obtain greater amounts of more useful information from alleged terrorists in the interrogation context. The “torture memos” were withdrawn as a matter of US policy in 2003. As government approval or toleration of an act is only required for war crimes committed by civilians, the fact that the alleged acts violate current US law does not defeat the nexus between these acts and the conflict in Afghanistan as it existed in the relevant time period.
The acts alleged by HRW occurred in the context of interrogations, rather than as punishment. This suggests that the intent was to obtain information that would be necessary or advantageous to the United States. The HRW report further describes how the alleged torture of one of the detainees began with an interrogator saying, “‘We want to hear about your last plan to strike America,” further indicating at least a likely motive for the alleged acts.
The HRW report alleges that all acts of torture in Afghanistan occurred either at Bagram Air Force base or at CIA black sites. The armed conflict in Afghanistan, and specifically the United States’ presence as an initial party to that conflict and then as a continuing force operating at the request of the Afghan government, enabled these sites to be created and placed under United States control. For instance, until 10 September 2012 the US was occupying Bagram under a bilateral agreement with Afghanistan that allows the US and coalition forces “exclusive, peaceable, undisturbed and uninterrupted possession” of Bagram for military purposes.
These facts suggest that the existence of the armed conflict in Afghanistan played a “substantial role” in the CIA’s ability to use sites within Afghanistan to commit the alleged crimes. Certainly, had the CIA not had this access to Afghanistan, it may well have engaged in the alleged acts elsewhere. However, this counterfactual does not negate the fact that the armed conflict gave the United States access to the sites actually used. Under the standard adopted by the Court, this relation is sufficient.
Regarding the manner in which the alleged acts of torture were committed, the HRW report specifically alleges the use of waterboarding, stress positions, cramped confinement, and other so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques.” As the report alleges, these techniques were inflicted upon detainees in United States custody, and deployed specifically in the context of interrogations occurring over significant periods of time. For example, two of the Libyan detainees (Shoroeiya and Sharif) were
“chained to walls naked—sometimes while diapered—in pitch black, windowless cells, for weeks or months at a time; being restrained in painful stress positions for long periods of time, being forced into cramped spaces; being beaten and slammed into walls; being kept inside for nearly five months without the ability to bathe; being denied food; being denied sleep by continuous, deafeningly loud Western music; and being subjected to different forms of water torture including, in Shoroeiya’s case, waterboarding.”
The specific treatment of the five Libyans is strikingly consistent with the alleged torture and cruel treatment of certain “high value detainees” held by the United States in Afghanistan, as documented by the ICRC in 2007. Both these techniques and their specific deployment in the context of interrogation were specifically cited in memos between the Office of Legal Counsel, the Department of Defense, and the Central Intelligence Agency in the years immediately preceding the alleged crimes. For instance, a memo known as “Bybee II” that remains confidential, advised the CIA on specific interrogation methods it could use against al Qaeda. This memo specified techniques including “(3) walling, (4) facial slap (insult slap), (5) cramped confinement, (6) wall standing, (7) stress positions, (8) sleep deprivation…and (10) the waterboard.” These techniques were also alleged to have been inflicted upon other high-value (non-Libyan) detainees in United States custody in Afghanistan (for example, as detailed in the ICRC Report on the Treatment of Fourteen “High Value Detainees” in CIA Custody).
Certainly, the United States may have approved the same techniques for use against those persons deemed responsible for the 9/11 attacks even absent the armed conflict in Afghanistan. Indeed, certain “high-value detainees” for whom these techniques were specifically intended were not even captured in the context of the conflict in Afghanistan, such as Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. We thus do not argue that these crimes would not have been committed in this particular manner but for the armed conflict in Afghanistan – or even that the war was the ultimate cause of these particular crimes.
However, the Court does not require such but-for causation to establish a nexus between the manner in which these alleged crimes were committed and the armed conflict. Rather, the armed conflict only must play a substantial role in the way these particular acts were committed.
Other Factors Identified as Relevant
In addition to the above criterion, the Court has identified additional factors as relevant to (but not determinative of) the finding of a nexus.
Victims as members of an opposing party
Whether or not the alleged victims were actually members of a party opposing the United States in the armed conflict in Afghanistan, both the information contained in the report and contemporaneous statements and efforts by the United States government (most specifically the communications surrounding the so-called “torture memos”) argue that the United States saw them as such.
Perhaps the most compelling argument against finding a nexus lies in the characterization of the alleged victims as Libyan rebels or members of the Libyan opposition. This characterization certainly seems to be undisputed. As Libyan rebels, the connection between the alleged victims and the armed conflict in Afghanistan could be called into question, as the alleged victims were not specifically identified as combatants in the conflict in Afghanistan.
However, the fact that the alleged victims were members of a Libyan opposition group does not itself defeat the nexus. First, as we argue above, the existence of the armed conflict was closely and substantially related to the ability of the CIA to engage in the alleged acts. If the United States were not engaged in armed conflict in Afghanistan, the CIA would almost certainly lack the authorization and likely the ability to detain and interrogate people on Afghan soil. Second, simply because the alleged victims were indeed part of Libyan opposition groups does not preclude them from also having a connection to the armed conflict in Afghanistan.
The so-called “torture memos” only authorized the use of the particular techniques allegedly inflicted upon the detainees against members of Al Qaeda or the Taliban. These techniques were definitively not approved for broad use against all terrorists (including members of Libyan opposition groups). Subsequently released investigative reports, including one from the CIA Inspector General, do not dispute this limit. Thus, the fact that the alleged victims were also members of a Libyan opposition group does not preclude the possibility that the United States saw them as affiliated with either the Taliban or Al Qaeda. Taking the United States government at its word, the interrogations of the alleged victims named in the HRW report would have to have been related to that conflict by the United States for the CIA to be able to deploy such techniques against them.
Acts as serving the ultimate goal of a military campaign
Whether the alleged acts may “serve the ultimate goal of a military campaign” is largely contingent on an assessment of facts and assumptions by the actors at the time. At this point, we do not know either what the particular interrogations were motivated by, or whether information drawn from them was subsequently used in the armed conflict in Afghanistan. Absent more information about particular contextual facts, it thus remains ambiguous whether the alleged acts were undertaken, as the Kunarac Case at the ICTY, referenced in Katanga, put it, “in furtherance of or under the guise of the armed conflict.” [para. 58]
Operation Enduring Freedom, which began in Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks, was a mission to kill and capture “high value” al Qaeda and Taliban members and destroy the safe havens from which al Qaeda planned and directed the 9/11 attacks. The interrogation techniques were approved in the context of an armed conflict with Afghanistan, which the United States government saw as (at least initially) the main front of the so-called “War on Terror.” For instance, the 1 August 2002 “Bybee Memo” legally sanctions “enhanced interrogation techniques” “in the context of interrogations outside the United States,” specifically in “the circumstances of the current war against al Qaeda and its allies.” Thus, the legal sanction of these “enhanced interrogation techniques” was directly and expressly tied to their intended use in the context of the conflict with the Taliban and Al Qaeda—a conflict that was, grounded in the armed conflict in Afghanistan at the time the memos were approved. A 9 January 2002 memo for William Haynes from John Yoo addresses the treatment of individuals detained “during the conflict in Afghanistan,” observing that “it appears… that the Taliban militia may have been so intertwined with al Qaeda as to be functionally indistinguishable from it.” As these memos demonstrate, the United States approved the particular techniques specifically for use in the armed conflict against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Alleged crime committed as part of or in the context of the perpetrator’s official duties
Finally, as the “torture memos” and associated investigative reports make clear, the alleged acts were officially sanctioned and integrated into the CIA’s interrogation mandate for “high-value detainees” in the “War on Terror.” Following this approval, these “enhanced interrogation techniques” were integrated into the interrogation portfolio of the CIA. The alleged acts, explicitly approved by the Office of Legal Counsel, were thus within the realm of the alleged perpetrator’s official duties.
The crimes alleged in the HRW report present a new context within which to analyze the nexus requirement, requiring both elucidation of the Court’s existing standard and application of that standard to this set of facts. Based on the above analysis, we find that the alleged crimes described by the HRW report appear to satisfy the nexus requirement of article 8(2)(c)(i) of the Rome Statute, and that they could thus be considered as war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Certainly, this information is preliminary and does not presently satisfy the rigorous evidentiary standards imposed by the Court. The OTP would thus have to undertake greater assessment before taking further steps regarding its preliminary examination into the situation in Afghanistan. Still, the facts alleged by the HRW report, when examined in light of related contextual and background information, argue in favor of finding a nexus between the specific crimes alleged and the armed conflict enabling their perpetration.
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Can't believe how well Reiki music works...the HS kids even ask for it and the class is SO Quiet!!! This along with explaining the left brain right brain thing...it's like magic. Am thinking of doing a workshop on this. Now, sometimes my classes are so quiet, I have to put on music just so my shuffling and consults with students is not a distraction.
These are Art1 mostly ninth grade classes...once they get in that right brain mode they are like in a trance! Also realized that if anyone is drawing or doodling while I'm talking, they are not processing my words!
Can't believe this works!
From: houstonia nerd [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.org]
Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 9:24 PM
To: ArtsEdNet Talk
Subject: Re: Music in the Artroom
Eric Jensen has talked about this. He says if you want to slow a class down, play music that is slower than your heartrate, and if they're a lethargic group, speed them up with music that's faster than their heartbeat.
I know we have discussed this thread over and over through the years but I
need to know if anyone has heard of any actual research on this. I am
working on my master's and am taking a class titled, "Educational Research
Literature and Techniques. We have to conduct an action research project,
my title is, "Which music, if any, soothes my savage beasts?" I will need
to support other research to refer to in my research.
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What happens when a straight boy finds out his straight mom isn’t.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer.
Adolescence is hard. First, your face erupts like Mt. Aetna, making it impossible to be suave and James Bondish. Your hormones start acting like the Incredible Hulk, and for a reason you can’t comprehend, being near somebody who used to have cooties becomes as important as breathing. Your voice changes, your body morphs, your brain mushes, and getting to First Base will never have the same meaning again.
Author Troy Johnson had a typical adolescence, with one big difference. In the new book Family Outing (Arcade Publishing), he explains how one word changed everything. Troy Johnson had a relatively normal childhood. When he was three, his parents divorced. Later, Johnson’s mother moved with her children to San Diego so she could attend college. Johnson remembers playing with his friends, riding bikes, fighting with his sister in brutal sibling rivalry, and loving his mother fiercely . . . a normal childhood.
Normal, that is, until the day his mother’s friend, a woman he calls Tattle Dyke, outed his mother. Johnson was 10 years old. Johnson says that kids are vulnerable and need what he calls the “adequately neutered caretaker” image. They don’t want to think of their parents Doing It. Upon hearing the word “sexual” in the same sentence as “mother,” the way he looked at his Mom changed. While he always kind of knew what went on behind closed doors, there was suddenly no mistaking it: she Did It, and she Did It with women.
Shaken, but pretending otherwise, Johnson told almost no one. He kept his mother’s gayness to himself and he became angry at her. He lashed out, becoming destructive. He made fun of effeminate boys and used the word “fag” around his mom. He noticed that nobody came to her defense. He barely noticed that his teenage attitude was hurting her. It wasn’t until he was in college that he realized how much anger he held and what it did to his mother and to himself. And he knew he had to fix it.
I really enjoyed this book, mostly because it’s written from the unique viewpoint of someone who’s brave enough to say what’s on his mind. It doesn’t hurt that it’s bawdy, brash, and laugh-out-loud funny. Author Troy Johnson says in his foreword, “Listening to politicians and religious leaders pontificating on the issue [of gay marriage and child-rearing] prompted me to tell my story—the story of a kid who lived it.” He’s unapologetic about his bluntness, saying his book needed to “be honest.” Since this is a no-holds-barred memoir about growing up, being a pain-in-the-tush and being loved anyhow, I don’t think that’s a worry. His honesty will resonate with anyone who was once an adolescent, embarrassed by his or her parents, gay or straight. And that alone makes Family Outing a book to stay in with.
Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was three years old, and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.
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This article deals with the great variety of Supreme Courts in the world today and presents some selected courts. Supreme Courts are found in most countries both as only apex courts or in a courts� system where also supreme administrative courts or constitutional courts are found. The starting point is the variation of supreme justice in the Nordic countries where one apex court is the system of Denmark and Norway whereas administrative courts are found in Sweden and Finland. Constitutional courts stem from the European tradition and are most abundant in Europe and in countries with a civil law system but especially in Africa they are also found in common law countries. Mexico is mentioned as a specific example of a Supreme Court that has taken upon itself to be a main player in the endeavor to communicate the law to a general audience. The article is a presentation with samples of what is going to be a project on comparative supreme justice in which the position of supreme courts in the various states, the recruitment scheme and competence of the courts and other such factors will be analyzed on a global basis.
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Watch out, guys
- New law says managers can be personally liable... Barquer, Phillip A. // Orange County Business Journal;3/10/97, Vol. 20 Issue 10, pA-8
Focuses on efforts to stop harassment and discrimination in the workplace in California, highlighting a law which states that individual supervisors may be held personally liable in sexual harassment cases. Reference to a supervisor's liability court case; How the outcome of the case has...
- Ms. communication. Gutfeld, Greg // Men's Health (10544836);May96, Vol. 11 Issue 4, p73
Focuses on how to deal with women co-workers in the work environment. Considerations in making fun in front of women co-workers; Mastering simple talk that appeals to women; Being aware of roughhousing; Importance of eye contact in women. INSETS: Directions? We don't need no stinking...
- Penalty standards for sexual harassment offences in unionized workplaces. Taylor, K. Wayne // Relations Industrielles / Industrial Relations;Spring98, Vol. 53 Issue 2, p326
Focuses the types of penalty standards in use in workplaces in Canada over the period 1985-1995, to examine the issue of the type of penalties which should be assigned to sexual harassers in unionized workplaces. Standard penalty for sexual harassment involving touching; Conditions which...
- The men's room. // Glamour;Sep94, Vol. 92 Issue 9, p186
Focuses on the use of a facility called the Men's Room as male workers' refuge from female officemates. Topics discussed by men in the Men's Room; Tone of men's conversations; Men's behavior toward female coworkers; Definition of office decorum.
- Sexism: What's the word? // Sell!ng;Sep99, p7
Asserts that sexism is a reality in business and in workplaces. What constitutes sexist behavior; Characteristic of sexist behavior; How to handle sexism with customers and people at work.
- Employer beware of sexual harassment. Gill, Brian // American Printer;Oct98, Vol. 222 Issue 1, p166
Discusses how to handle sexual harassment cases in the workplace. Landmark Supreme Court decision forcing companies to reevaluate their policies and procedures; Sexual misconduct by supervisors; Need for company to develop a training program for employees and supervisors. INSET: Sample...
- Judge Won't Dismiss Discrimination Suit Brought Against CIA. Cort, Joan // Advocate;5/15/84, Issue 394, p9
Reports that a Los Angeles, California-based federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit against the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), filed by a electronics engineer whose security clearance at his own workplace was revoked because of his being a gay. Claim of CIA against the court;...
- Business Success Moves Women Beyond Stereotypes. // Business Journal (Central New York);05/04/2001, Vol. 15 Issue 18, p22
Editorial. Focuses on the success of women in business in New York. Effect on the women's roles; Changes in the definition of being a businesswoman; Movement into leadership in business.
- OPTIMAL TRAINING FOR OPPOSITE-SEX MANAGERS. Berryman-Fink, Cynthia; Fink, Charles B. // Training & Development Journal;Feb85, Vol. 39 Issue 2, p26
Examines the steps needed for progressive organizations to provide their male and female managers with equal opportunities. Conducting needs assessment; Formulating objectives; Conducting training; Evaluation.
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