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\|\|This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. \|\|This article may contain excessive, poor, or irrelevant examples. (October 2010) When discussing weapons in science fiction, a plasma weapon is a type of raygun that fires a stream, bolt(s), pulse or toroid of plasma (i.e. very hot, very energetic excited matter). The primary damage mechanism of these fictional weapons is usually thermal transfer; it typically causes serious burns, and often immediate death of living creatures, and melts or evaporates other materials. In certain fiction, plasma weapons may also have a significant kinetic energy component, that is to say the ionized material is projected with sufficient momentum to cause some secondary impact damage in addition to causing high thermal damage. In some fictions, like Star Wars, plasma is highly effective against mechanical targets such as droids. The ionized gas disrupts their systems. Plasma weapons are often, especially in video games, depicted as very powerful, but short-ranged and/or less energy-efficient than other weapon types. Fiction that includes plasma weaponry - 2300 AD Role-playing game by Game Designers' Workshop - Alien versus Predator, plasma caster weapon - Armored Core series - Artemis Fowl book series: Cannon-sized plasma weapons are featured, with Koboi Laboratory cannons set to kill, whereas those in Police Plaza are set to stun. To function, both need a reservoir of plasma, which reverts to an inert semi-liquid state when the guns are deactivated. - Babylon 5, specifically, PPG - BattleTech has recently introduced two BattleMech-scale plasma weapons, the Clan Plasma Cannon, which only bathes the target in flaming gases, thus causing no damage in favor of massive waste heat to BattleMechs, though heavy damage to vehicles and infantry, and the Inner Sphere Plasma Rifle, which causes sizeable amount of damage in exchange for reduced waste heat. Both use lasers and a plastic foam which becomes a plasma when lased. - Blake's 7: Terran Federation pursuit ships and planetary interceptors are commonly equipped with "plasma bolts", which can home in on (and strike) a target faster than light with accuracy and precision. They project enough force to destroy most unprotected space-based objects and craft in a single strike. Smaller Federation military vessels may be armed with up to four plasma bolt hardpoints. - In Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun and its expansion Firestorm the Brotherhood of Nod deployed an advanced aircraft known as the Banshee equipped with plasma cannons. Also Nod's Cyborg Commando was also equipped with a plasma gun. - In Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars and its Expansion Kane's Wrath the Scrin make extensive use of plasma weapons. - In Crusader: No Remorse and its sequel Crusader: No Regret such kind of weapons instantly disintegrate human targets. - In Crysis Warhead, the final mission features the "PAX Cannon" (Plasma Accumulator eXperimental Cannon), which is a devastatingly powerful hand-held rifle the player can then use to quickly destroy the attacking aliens. The power of the weapon rapidly drops with the distance the projectile travels, limiting it to short or medium range. It can destroy most vehicles with a single shot, and has unlimited ammo (presumably by using the atmosphere to generate plasma). - The Culture series by Iain M. Banks - Dead Space (video game) and its possible sequels - Descent and its sequels - Deus Ex: A projectile weapon which "superheats slugs of magnetically doped plastic and accelerates the resulting gas-liquid mix using an array of linear magnets." - Destroy All Humans! series (Called "Disintegrator Ray") - The Doom series features a rapid-fire plasma rifle, and the much more destructive BFG 9000. - The computer games Dune II, Dune 2000, and Emperor: Battle for Dune. The Harkonnen Devastator Tank is equipped with dual plasma cannons, which fire plasma "shots" over a short distances. They are powered by a nuclear reactor, which can be pushed into a meltdown under certain circumstances. - Earth 21X0 (Earth 2140, Earth 2150, Moon Project, Earth 2150: Lost Souls, Earth 2160) has plasma turrets for the UCS faction, stated by the manual to be reverse-engineered from a downed alien craft. Due to its high damage, high rate of fire and regenerating ammo, it is arguably one of the most powerful weapons. - Earthsiege 2 features a human-developed plasma cannon, whose blast can be powerful enough to destroy a fully shielded HERC with one shot though at the cost of leaving little salvageable material behind. - Eve Online MMORPG Large-scale plasma cannons and plasma railguns are the favored weapon of the Gallente Civilization. - The Fallout series features a wide range of handheld plasma weaponry, ranging from one-handed pistols powered by small energy cells, to more conventionally shaped rifles and heavy weapons dubbed "plasma casters", both powered by "microfusion cells". These weapons produce green bolts that damage an opponent severely, and tend to reduce enemies to semi-liquid on death - in Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas, this is puddle of green goo, but in Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 the character's clothing and body can clearly be seen disintegrating and sloughing off its skeleton, which collapses shortly after. Judging by the protracted groan produced by such victims of plasma fire, this process is extremely painful. An in-game explanation to the difference between the two generations' melting effects is thus: the plasma weapons in Fallout 1 & 2 are not strong enough to dissolve bones as well as organs and flesh. - F.E.A.R. series: The Type-7 Particle Weapon, a portable sniper weapon which fires a high velocity particle burst that vaporizes a human save for bone material. - Freelancer, among a number of other starfighter-mounted energy weapons, plasma weapons have short range and low muzzle velocity but high damage as a trade-off. Pistols and rifles are also seen wielded by the main characters in certain cutscenes. - Half-Life 2: While never explicitly described as a "plasma rifle", the Overwatch Standard-Issue Pulse Rifle functions much like the plasma rifles of most FPS games. The main difference is that Pulse Rifles function by using containers filled with dark energy, as clips which expel this material in controlled bursts. They also can fire a compressed orb of dark energy as a form of self-propelled projectile. Dark energy has heat and kinetic damage, and due to the nature of this sort of exotic matter, it causes normal matter to vaporize and cease to exist. Similar weapons are found mounted on the game's enemy warships and vehicles. - The Halo series: used by the Covenant: they use magnetic coils to form, generally, spheres of plasma. They employ plasma in anything from pistols to ship-to-ship combat. - The Hammer's Slammers series: Powerguns use precicely arranged copper atoms stored in a plastic matrix. The atoms are pulled down the mirror-smooth barrel of the weapon by electromagnets. The barrels are cooled by liquid nitrogen and air, as most use a rotary assembly. - Honor Harrington: more precisely, plasma carbines. - Homeworld includes many ships armed with plasma bomb launchers, notably the Attack Bomber and Assault Frigate. - The semi-canon Homeworld Cataclysm has the Taiidan attempting to increase the rate of fire for plasma bomb launchers. The result is the Energy Gun, an upgrade for mass drivers that fires a self-guided and thus highly accurate plasma bomb. This gives larger ship classes a fighting chance against fighters, yet fighter strafing runs also become more deadly against larger ship classes. The Kuun-Lan's siege cannon is an oversized weapon originally designed to crack the shielding of asteroid bases. It has a range of several kilometers and a massive blast radius. - Homeworld 2 features a few ships with plasma-based weaponry, Bombers and Progenitor Movers in a forward mount as well as Progenitor Dreadnaughts in a dual-barreled underside turret. The non-controllable Progenitor Drones are armed with a rapid-fire version. Many mods feature the heavy use of plasma-based weapons. - Iji has the Shocksplinter, Splintergun and Plasma Cannon - In Infantry Online, plasma rifle is a weapon that uses suit energy to fire. The shot can bounce off walls and do decent damage to enemy players. - In the Infinity tabletop wargame the Combined Army uses plasma rifles as weapons - Dan Simmons' Hyperion universe - Jet Force Gemini includes a weapon called a plasma rifle, which can be charged to release a more powerful blast. - In Lilo & Stitch , plasma weapons are seen throughout the film. - Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Lost Souls: various magickally generated plasma effects, most notably the Ringwielder sithalg rune's plasma dart spray attack - March Upcountry and its sequels present a plasma squad-support weapon which takes advantage of thermal blooming. - Master of Orion Often as a short range but powerful beam weapon. - Metroid Prime: The Plasma Beam was a short range heat-based weapon, capable of rapid fire. It can also set enemies on fire, when charged. The Plasma Beam is also present in a few other Metroid titles. - Metroid Prime Hunters features an extravagant weapon: The Judicator is said to be powered by cold-fusion synthesis and fires supercooled plasma, with temperatures close to absolute zero, and is capable of freezing the target at close ranges when used by Noxus. - Mega Man series: repliods (robots) use plasma weapons. - MissionForce:CyberStorm, a turn-based game based on EarthSiege Hercs (battle robots). Plasma guns with short range but high power. - OGame: The Plasma Turret, one of the most advanced defense structures in the game fires an powerful ray of heated plasma using a nuclear reactor for energy. The Bomber is a powerful ship that fires plasma bombs and is very useful against light defense structures. - Oni: the projectile inexplicably accelerates as it travels - Operation: First Strike (short story) - Out of This World (Sci-Fi E-book series) - Perfect Dark Zero - Phantasy Star Online: Has some guns with plasma rifle-like shots - Phosphor: Pulse Gun functions like a plasma rifle of most FPS games - In the Predator series, the Predators are armed with shoulder mounted plasma casters with distinctive triplicate laser sights. - PlanetSide: The Vanu Sovereignty empire employs plasma in all of their weapons. - Quake series - Rage's Incoming and Incoming Forces vehicle-based shooters, most notably used by the alien fighter craft. - Ratchet & Clank series - In the Robotech and Macross animated series, the Zentradi humanoid alien giants use plasma rifles. - "Serious Sam" FPS series. - Schlock Mercenary - Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri: a powerful late-game weapon - Star Fox - Starfist: The soldiers in this science fiction series wield weaponry similar to plasma weapons. - Stargate Atlantis - Stargate SG-1 - Star Trek (Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise) - Star Wars: some blaster variants fire plasma packets, though these are less popular than particle-beam-firing models. Lightsaber blades are made of pure plasma bound in a containment field. - Steel Reign - Supreme Commander: plasma weaponry is utilized by the UEF faction, usually very detrimental. - System Shock: plasma rifle which uses energy, while most other weapons use ammo - TAGAP: The Apocalyptic Game About Penguins. Also features a secondary fire mode which creates a small plasma shield. - Terminator series: - The Terminator: The T-800, while in a gun shop, asks the clerk for a phased plasma rifle "in the 40 watt range", in addition to all his other weaponry. - Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Both the Human Resistance and Terminators used plasma rifles in the introductory scene of the film. - T2 3-D: Battle Across Time: A T-800 endoskeleton Terminator is seen carrying one, with the protagonist Terminator commandeering it for the last third of the attraction. - Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: The T-X can reconfigure its right forearm into a plasma cannon. - The Timesplitters series has a wide arsenal of Plasma Weapons. - Total Annihilation, and its unofficial 3D open-source variant Spring, both include plasma cannon in the place of most tank, infantry, ship and artillery guns. - The Transformers: Several characters use plasma weapons, most notably Optimus Prime and his plasma rifle. - Tribes series - UFO Aftermath: Reticulans have plasma pistols as well as plasma rifles which actually operate like a grenade launcher. The reverse-engineered human version of the plasma pistol branches off into a proper plasma rifle and a short-range but very devastating plasma shotgun. - Unreal series: the pulse/link guns and several vehicle-mounted weapons are plasma weapons. Also, the ASMD Shock Rifle's secondary fire is said to be a ball of seeded plasma whose EM field contains anti-photons; shooting the field with the photon beam of the primary fire causes the photons of the beam and the anti-photons of the ball to mutually annihilate each other in a violent explosion. This maneuver is officially known as a "shock combo" and is the second most powerful attack in the series while on foot. - Warhammer 40,000, The Imperium of Man utilises plasma weapons in a great deal of different types, ranging from man-portable pistols and heavy rifles to huge Titan-mounted cannons, as do the forces of Chaos. While they are powerful weapons, the poorly understood technology of the gun occasionally suffers from severe overheating, which can often prove fatal to the wielder. Plasma rifles and cannons are also used by the Tau Empire and the Eldar, though their own technologies sacrifice a degree of firepower to avoid the overheating problem. - Wing Commander: a short-ranged but very damaging fighter weapon which uses extreme amounts of energy. - X-COM: nearly all alien weapons are plasma pistols/rifles/heavy plasmas. Alien craft use plasma weaponry as well. They work by superheating atmospheric gases in a small Elerium-powered reactor, thus creating plasma, then amplifying it with another Elerium crystal. After the projectile is ready, the gun fires it with an electromagnetic particle accelerator. This technology is reverse-engineered into the Gauss weapons in the Second Alien War because plasma weapons explode when fired underwater (not to mention that Elerium-115 becomes inert upon prolonged contact with seawater), hence why the aquatic aliens used sonic weaponry instead. - X series: Several plasma based weapons exist such as the High-Energy Plasma Thrower, Plasma Burst Generator and Terran exclusive Electro-Magnetic Plasma Cannon. Real-life devices Currently, there are several real tools that are somewhat related to fictional plasma weapons: See also	<urn:uuid:55a24c58-c519-43b3-9619-97191d5aa3e2>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_rifle	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.920452	3,204	3.0625	3
Australian Bureau of Statistics 3301.0 - Births, Australia, 2009 Quality Declaration Previous ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 03/11/2010 \|Page tools: Print Page Print All RSS Search this Product\| Fertility rates decline in 2009 After increasing in recent years, fertility rates in Australia declined slightly in 2009, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). In 2009, Australia's total fertility rate was 1.90 babies per woman, a small decrease from 1.96 babies per woman in 2008 and 1.92 babies per woman in 2007. Fertility rates for all states and territories decreased in 2009, except for Queensland. Tasmania had the highest fertility rate, with 2.18 babies per woman, while the Australian Capital Territory had the lowest at 1.74. Women in Tasmania were also having their children at younger ages than women in the rest of Australia; with fertility rates highest for women aged 25-29 years. For the rest of Australia, fertility rates were highest for women aged 30-34 years. The median age of all mothers for births registered in 2009 was 30.6 years, while the median age of fathers was 33.0 years, both slightly younger than in recent years. A total of 295,700 births were registered in Australia in 2009. Of these, 15,800 births were registered where at least one parent was an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian. More details are available in Births, Australia, 2009 (cat. no. 3301.0). State and Territory information is also available. Regional figures are scheduled for release on 9 December 2010. These documents will be presented in a new window. This page last updated 24 October 2011	<urn:uuid:cde0da44-333e-4889-9d20-dc86a3684a2a>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyCatalogue/47DE70DCA7E61E3ECA2579330016812E?OpenDocument	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00032-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.94937	365	2.484375	2
The Best Exercise For Your Heart Give Your Heart A Workout Unlock the lifesaving power of exercise with this three-pronged fitness breakthrough If you've found the exercise-an-hour-per-day ideal a little daunting (or downright undoable), scientists have some very good news: While any activity is good for your heart, new research shows that you can maximize its heart-attack-proofing benefits—and spend less time at the gym—by making three simple changes to your workout schedule. Here's how to get started. Your Weekly Sweat Schedule Day 1: Cardio intervals Day 2: Strength training, Stretching Day 3: Cardio intervals Day 4: Stretching Day 5: Strength training Day 6: Cardio intervals, Stretching Day 7: Rest 1. Recharge Your Cardio Recent studies have found that interval training (alternating between high-and moderate-intensity bursts of activity) can double and possibly even triple the heart-protecting benefits you'd get from moderate cardio sessions—even when you exercise for less time. "Short cardio bursts make your heart work harder and pump more blood with each beat, which strengthens your entire cardiovascular system," says David Swain, PhD, a professor of exercise science at Old Dominion University. High-intensity cardio also prompts your muscles to develop more mitochondria, tiny energy-making units within cells that use sugar and fat for fuel. The more mitochondria you have, the better your muscles become at utilizing carbohydrates, improving the body's insulin sensitivity. The result: Less sugar floats around in your blood, and this lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, a major precursor to heart disease. High-intensity exercise may also give you a greater reduction in blood pressure. When you pick up the pace, artery walls produce nitric oxide, which boosts their ability to dilate so blood flows more easily. Intimidated? Consider this: Norwegian researchers looked at two groups of patients who were suffering from chronic heart failure. Three times a week, one group walked at a moderate pace, while the other group did high-intensity bursts of walking. The interval-training group increased their VO2 max, a key indicator of cardiovascular function, by a whopping 46%—triple the increase seen in the slower walkers. The best part: "You gauge the intensity based on your own fitness level," says Sharonne N. Hayes, MD, a cardiologist and founder of the Women's Heart Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. That might be a brisk walk for you, while it could be a fast jog for someone else. Your Heart-Smart Rx: Cardio Do 25 to 30 minutes of interval training 3 times per week. Alternate between 1 to 2 minutes at 85% of your maximum heart rate and 2 to 3 minutes at 65% of MHR; work up to 30-to 60-second intervals at 95% of MHR. Find Your Best Beat Step 1. Find your maximum heart rate. First, multiply your age by 88%. Subtract that number from 206 to get your MHR. If you're 50, your MHR is 162 beats per minute (206 – 44 [88% of 50] = 162). Step 2. Multiply your MHR by 65% to get your moderate target heart rate and by 85% to get your high-intensity target heart rate. Step 3. A heart rate monitor can gauge your beats, but you can also use the "talk test": When working at high intensity, you won't be able to speak a full sentence without taking a deep breath. 2. Build Your Strength Women too often shy away from strength training—and they shouldn't. If you don't make an effort to maintain muscle mass, it decreases gradually with age—about 5% per decade after age 35—and stemming that loss is more vital to your ticker with each passing year. Why? "Muscle helps remove glucose and triglycerides from the bloodstream, which reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as hardening of the arteries," says Timothy Church, MD, PhD, a preventive medicine expert at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Skimping on strength training can also make it harder to stay at a healthy weight, and extra pounds put you at higher risk of heart disease. That's because adding muscle mass increases your metabolic rate (muscle burns more calories than fat), which may make it easier to keep weight off, says Malissa Wood, MD, co-director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center's Corrigan Women's Heart Health Program. Building lean muscle mass may also help lower your blood pressure. "Strength training lowers blood pressure for ten to twelve hours after each session, which gives your heart a break," says William Haskell, PhD, professor emeritus of medicine at Stanford University. "How strength training does this is not completely understood, but it probably has subtle effects on everything from hormones to nervous system regulation." Your Heart-Smart Rx: Strength Training Do at least 15 to 20 minutes of total-body strength training 2 or 3 times a week, suggests Conrad Earnest, PhD, director of exercise biology at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Here are 3 moves to get you started. Work up to 3 circuits with 1-minute rests in between. WORKS: Arms, chest, shoulders Get on all fours, hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart, legs bent about 45 degrees. Lower chest toward floor, stopping when elbows are at 90 degrees. Hold, then slowly return to start. Do 10 to 12 reps. (For more of a challenge, balance on toes instead of knees.) WORKS: Glutes, thighs, calves Step forward with right leg, bending at the knee. Drop left knee toward floor, keeping right knee behind toes. Hold, then slowly return to start. Do 10 to 12 reps on each side. WORKS: Glutes, thighs, calves Stand with feet hip-width apart, abs tight. Bend knees and slowly lower upper body as if sitting on a chair, keeping knees behind toes. Hold, then slowly return to start. Do 10 to 12 reps. 3. Stretch Yourself There's intriguing new evidence that stretching may be beneficial to the heart. Increasing the flexibility of muscles might help the arteries become more elastic as well, according to a recent study by researchers at the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Japan, who found that people over 40 who had the easiest time touching their toes also had the most flexible arteries. The more flexible arteries are, the easier blood flows through the body, which helps keep blood pressure at healthy levels. The theory: After you stretch your muscles, your arteries might relax and become more flexible, speculates Kenta Yamamoto, PhD, lead author of the study. Another reason stretching might help keep you off blood pressure medications: "Stretching reduces stress, and blood pressure goes down when you're relaxed," says Miriam Cortez-Cooper, PT, PhD, a professor in the department of physical therapy at Georgia Health Sciences University. She found that a stretching routine produced a 6-millimeter drop in systolic blood pressure in study participants. A 2010 study reported that experienced yogis in a stressful situation had far lower blood levels of two inflammatory substances than stressed people who were new to yoga. Why it matters: Chemicals released during the inflammatory process damage organs and the inside of the heart. "Inflammation is a major cause of heart disease, so reducing it can lower your risk," says study coauthor Ron Glaser, PhD, director of the Ohio State University's Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research. Your Heart-Smart Rx: Stretching Start with 15 minutes of full-body stretching, working up to 30 minutes, 3 times per week. Here are 3 moves to get you started. STRETCHES: Side of body, back, hamstrings, inner thighs Sit on floor with legs straight out to either side and right arm reaching toward ceiling. Exhale as you lean to the left, reaching right arm over head. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on opposite side. STRETCHES: Hips, chest, neck Lie on back with knees bent, feet hip-distance apart and flat on floor. Inhaling, press into feet, lifting hips toward ceiling. Bring arms underneath you, clasping hands together and rolling shoulder blades toward each other. Hold, working up to 1 minute. STRETCHES: Shoulders, back, hamstrings, calves Start on all fours with wrists 6 to 12 inches in front of shoulders. Separate knees so they're hip-width apart and curl toes under. Pushing evenly into palms, lift knees off floor. Lift tailbone toward ceiling and push top of thighs back so body looks like an inverted V. Slowly begin to straighten knees. Move chest toward thighs until ears are even with upper arms. Hold, working up to 1 minute. Published December 2011, Prevention \| Updated May 2013	<urn:uuid:d326334d-fa49-462d-92c5-85de64199d7c>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.prevention.com/print/29489	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00028-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.925455	1,870	2.078125	2
Zoo animals deserve to live free in the wild If it’s true, as Gerry Rising wrote in his Nature Watch column recently, that zoo employees “love” their animals, then I can’t help feeling sorry for them. Of course, their definition of “love” and mine could be very different. If they love the gorillas, I can’t imagine how they can stand to come to work every day and watch such intelligent creatures live in that artificial habitat, unable to feel greenery under their feet or rain on their faces. I wonder if they feel as sad as I do when they see a young gorilla staring from behind glass barriers at the lucky human children who are free to leave the confines of the zoo when bored. How can zoo employees tolerate watching the bears pace day after day in their barren, concrete prisons? I was saddened when I witnessed the giraffe gnawing on the partitions of its inadequate “home” and watched wolves constantly walking back and forth in their tiny cage. I can’t forget the alligator forced to endure a little watery hole surrounded by fake scenery painted on the walls of a small enclosure. Do the zookeepers ever consider that the big cats are mere shadows of their wild relatives? The cats sit there, hardly moving, or pace back and forth in their small habitats. I wonder if, like me, they ever regret that the tigers are deprived of roaming many miles during the night in search of prey, of hiding in vegetation or swimming like wild tigers do. Zoo employees get to leave and go to a home of their choice while the zoo animals are left behind, locked in their prison-like world.	<urn:uuid:60a11f7c-b2fb-4906-a09d-bbc73a45bcb9>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.buffalonews.com/20130208/Letter_Zoo_animals_deserve_to_live_free_in_the_wild.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.959159	352	2.109375	2
Growing Insecurity in Sri Lanka For a month now, incidents of extreme violence have been causing concerns about a resumption of conflict in Sri Lanka. The deterioration of security conditions in the east and north of the country is forcing populations to flee from violence. Day after day, and despite a reduction in humanitarian space, Action Against Hunger continues helping populations who are in need of support more than ever. Growing Fear of a Return to Civil War In eastern and northern parts of the country as well as in Colombo, the number of security incidents is constantly growing: the number of attacks, murders, violent demonstrations, violent strikes and bombings are becoming more and more frequent. In the last few days confrontations have concentrated on the peninsula of Jaffna, where many families have fled again, in some cases for the fourth or fifth time in their lives. The situation is extremely unstable and in the northern and eastern provinces incidents occur daily. In the regions of Muthur and Trincomalee, more than 20,000 people are already displaced following the recent events. In addition to its current programmes in the country, Action Against Hunger is supporting displaced people, distributing drinking water and jerry cans, and building latrines to provide adequate hygiene conditions. While the current problem is primarily a security issue, the humanitarian situation risks deteriorating if the displaced populations cannot return home. An Increasingly Difficult Humanitarian Intervention In view of the escalation of violence, access to the most vulnerable populations is becoming substantially more difficult. Movement is restricted and logistical problems are considerable. For example, it takes up to a month for getting a truck to the north of the country. Every day, the possibility of continuing to implement programmes depends on the level of insecurity. While populations require more assistance, Action Against Hunger teams situated in Trincomalee, Mutur, Kalmunaï, Batticaloa, Jaffna and Colombo are faced with increasing difficulties in working and ensuring the continuity of their programmes. Action Against Hunger highlights that the reduction in humanitarian space compromises access to people in some areas. Related Blog Posts We're a Top Nonprofit Action Against Hunger has been named one of the top nonprofits of 2012 by reviewers at Great Nonprofits! Join thousands of Action Against Hunger supporters and subscribe now to our monthly newsletter and alerts. Action Against Hunger is a top nonprofit as rated by BBB, Charity Navigator, and CharityWatch. Support our lifesaving work by making a monthly donation. Facts about Hunger 925 million people suffer from hunger and malnutrition around the world. Malnutrition affects 32.5% of children in developing countries. 1 out of every 6 infants are born with low birth weight due to undernutrition among pregnant women in developing countries. 1 out of every 3 people in developing countries are affected by vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Hunger is number one on the list of the world's top 10 health risks. It kills more people every year than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.	<urn:uuid:257fb92f-bde3-4831-acff-81e5b0a9fd5f>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/blog/growing-insecurity-sri-lanka	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.936158	610	2.109375	2
APWA Book Review The Facility Manager's Guide to Finance & Budgeting 256 pp * AMACON American Management Association * David Cotts and Ed Rondeau Leaky faucets and cracked pavement aren't the only demands on a facility manager's time and energy. These days, they also need topnotch financial skills—to sell their department to senior management, to win funds for crucial projects, to become fully integrated into the organization. With dramatically increased focus on security and cost containment, companies and government agencies are viewing facility management as much more than a support function—it's now a critical component of operational consistency and organizational strength. Facilities budgets now address a much more complex array of expenditures, from personnel to technology, capital improvements to staff training—all of which means one thing for facilities professionals: When it comes to money matters, you'd better know your stuff! Using sound principles, The Facility Manager's Guide to Finance & Budgeting gives you the financial skills you need to integrate your facility initiatives into your organization's objectives. The book explains how to: This book is organized by functional areas, but it shows you how to integrate your financial and business practices across disciplines, increasing productivity, maximizing staff resources, and saving money. Each chapter begins with several "pulse points," or practices that will improve your fiscal management skills and put you on equal footing with your counterparts in other business units. Valuable tools include sample strategic facility plans, annual work plans, annual reports to management, capital budget formats, project management reports, and many other helpful documents. Together with practical information and illuminating examples, The Facility Manager's Guide to Finance & Budgeting is a unique and crucial resource for facility managers in all organizations, both industry and government. Written by facility managers for facility managers, this book is a crucial asset in turning your facility initiatives into strategic business components that make your department stronger and more productive—and make your contribution more valuable—every day. To obtain your copy, please call the APWA Bookstore at (800) 848-APWA, ext. 5254. Or, for more information on purchasing this publication and other American Public Works Association books, please visit the APWA Bookstore online at www.apwa.net/bookstore.	<urn:uuid:73ea4a08-a041-4c80-9f3a-b1d67b208d2d>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://cthompson@apwa.net/Resources/Reporter/Articles/2007/4/APWA-Book-Review	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.933547	463	1.8125	2
Ensuring our children’s future requires that we be responsible, strategic stewards of our environment, our ecology, and our natural resources. Doing so will enrich the lives, and livelihoods, of all Americans. Contrary to the ideological rhetoric of the Tea Party Republicans, responsible stewardship of our resources will promote economic growth, create jobs, and preserve our global leadership in industries such as agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and transportation. As a Member of Congress, I will advance programs that preserve and protect America’s environmental legacy and take the lead in encouraging sustainable, eco-friendly, development. I will stand firm in the protection of our Great Lakes, work to broaden our mass transportation infrastructure, fight to expand our use of renewable sources of energy, and seek to develop long-term comprehensive solutions that fully incorporate environmental concerns. Through all that I do, I will be dedicated to providing the healthy, clean, and dynamic natural world that all Americans deserve – not just today, but for generations to come. Fighting Republican Attempts to Defund the EPA: Since Congressional Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in January, they have attempted to reduce and even eliminate federal funding for the EPA. During the budget debate in the spring, Congressional Republicans sought to entirely eliminate funding for the regulation of greenhouse gases that are linked to climate change. As a member of Congress I will fight to protect the EPA from Republican attacks.	<urn:uuid:d203765d-5ada-4638-93ca-63cea6073dea>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://schneiderforcongress.com/issues/environment/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.927795	286	1.6875	2
Washington, DC – A new Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute study shows that fewer than one-in-five healthcare providers meet Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) requirements. Those that meet PQRS thresholds now receive a .5 percent Medicare bonus payment. In 2015, bonuses will be replaced by penalties for providers who do not meet PQRS requirements. As it stands, more than 80 percent of providers nationwide would face these penalties. Researchers analyzed 2007-2010 PQRS program data and found that nearly 24 percent of eligible radiologists qualified for PQRS incentives in 2010 — compared to 16 percent for other providers. The Neiman Institute study is published online in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. "Near term improvements in documentation and reporting are necessary to avert widespread physician penalties. As it stands, in 2016, radiologists collectively may face penalties totaling more than $100 Million. Although not a specific part of this analysis, penalties for nonradiologists could total well over $1 Billion," said Richard Duszak, MD, chief executive officer and senior research fellow of the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute. "Compliance with PQRS requirements has improved each year but more physicians need to act now: their performance in 2013 will dictate penalties for 2015." The Neiman Institute conducts and supports research regarding medical imaging use, quality and safety metrics, and human resources as medicine moves toward non-traditional, value-based payment and delivery. The data gleaned from these efforts will serve as the basis for true, evidence-based medical imaging and health care policy. To read the study, visit: http://bit.ly/UmOQ3o For more information regarding the Neiman Health Policy Institute, visit neimanhpi.org. To arrange an interview with a spokesperson, contact Shawn Farley at 703-648-8936 or PR@acr.org. The Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute is one of the nation's leading medical imaging socioeconomic research organizations. The Neiman Institute studies the role and value of radiology and radiologists in evolving health care delivery and payment systems and the impact of medical imaging on the cost, quality, safety, and efficiency of health care. AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.	<urn:uuid:b68903c1-750f-4f93-9a01-361d894de61c>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/acor-mpd010313.php	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.929051	507	1.726563	2
by Christine Haran Everyone wants to have skin like a baby -- soft, clear, smooth and rosy. In reality, even infants can break out like teenagers. While the tiny blemishes and rashes can be upsetting to parents, they are usually harmless and require minimal treatment, if any. It's often worthwhile to talk to your pediatrician about a given skin condition, however, as they can offer prevention and treatment guidance. Below, Daniel Krowchuk, MD, a professor of pediatrics and dermatology at Wake Forest University Health Sciences in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, reviews conditions that commonly affect infants, from cradle cap to diaper rash. Are skin conditions common in newborns? Yes, these may be divided into two categories. There are skin conditions that represent normal variations, meaning that lots of babies get them and they are of no consequence in the long term and usually resolve on their own. Then there may be other skin conditions that will persist and require evaluation and treatment. What should routine skin care involve? Parents should be aware that there is no one and only one way of caring for your baby's skin. Many of the skin care recommendations rely on common-sense regimen. There is some science behind recommendations, and then there's a lot of personal preference. For example, a baby -- a newborn, in particular -- may not need a bath every day, and therefore it's not necessary to give one. Obviously you're cleansing the diaper area, which gets dirty on a regular basis. There may be times, for example, during the winter in colder climates, when a baby's skin becomes dry and a moisturizer might be useful. It may be applied after bathing and at other times during the day, if needed. Baby powders are often used, but they are not routinely needed. Some people apply them in areas where there's moisture, like in the diaper area or in the folds of the neck. The difficulty with powders is that they can be inhaled. Generally we recommend that parents stay away from them if they can. If you're going to use power, choose one that contains cornstarch rather than talcum power. Dispense a small amount on your hand, well away from the baby, and then just gently rub that on the area of skin you wish to treat. In general, it's wise to choose products that are designed for infants, which often do not contain alcohol or fragrances that may be irritating to the infant's skin. I think most parents are pretty savvy; most know to use products that are designed for infants. What is cradle cap? Cradle cap is a form of seborrheic dermatitis and most commonly appears in babies as a scaling on the scalp. It can be mild or it can be fairly widespread. Seborrheic dermatitis is a self-limited condition, so by the time a baby gets to be eight or nine months of age, typically, it's quieting down. If cradle cap is mild, a standard baby shampoo may be sufficient to help remove the scale. Some parents find that if they, when shampooing, use a soft brush designed for the scalps of babies, that will help lift off some of that scale. Some people prefer to apply a small amount of mineral oil to the scalp and then use the brush to loosen the scale. An antiseborrheic shampoo -- that's one of the dandruff shampoos -- could be used to help lift off the scale if other measures weren't effective. Generally, if you're at this point, it might be worth talking to your health care provider about selecting of one of these shampoos. Parents should use the shampoo on an as-needed basis. Once the scale is gone you can return to your infant's routine scalp care. Do parents need to treat the flaky skin some infants are born with? Flaking skin is a normal and temporary finding. No treatment is necessary. If the skin seems excessively dry or there's a little bit of cracking, which sometimes can happen in the skin folds -- for example, in the ankle -- then, a moisturizer may be helpful.	<urn:uuid:8e219b75-74a0-4ac0-a8cf-409c2f884f72>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.pregnancy.org/article/baby-blemishes	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.950216	856	2.59375	3
posted by leighshaw on 9 July 2010 Charcot Foot (Osteoarthropathy) The etiology of Charcot foot (see Figure 6) is multifactorial and based on neuropathy and metabolic processes.44 Neuropathic arthropathy may be defined as a relatively painless, progressive, and degenerative condition of single and multiple joints caused by underlying neurological deficits.45 Additional neurovascular theory postulates that increased peripheral blood flow due to autonomic neuropathy leads to a hyperemic bone resorption.46 Other predisposing factors may include renal transplantation, immunosuppressive therapy, impaired cartilage growth, and nonenzymatic glycosolation.45 Sadly, these deformities can result in major limb amputation.47 Eichenholtz48 described the stages of bone and joint destruction followed by fracture healing and remodeling. This temporal classification is based on the characteristic clinical and radiographic changes that occur with neuropathic joint destruction and fracture over time; progression occurs from the acute phase (dissolution) through the healing phase (coalescence) to the resolution phase. The resulting foot deformities cause difficulty with shoe fit and significantly increase the propensity toward ulceration in high-pressure areas.49 Almost all patients with these deformities will ultimately require specialized footwear with custom total-contact inserts or custom bracing. Surgery for these conditions is predicated on the goal that restoration of stability and alignment of the foot and ankle will make appropriate shoe wear and bracing possible.50 Foot ulcers in association with significant neuropathic deformity are usually treated with many modalities, ranging from total-contact casts, CROW boots, AFOs, PTB devices, and removable prefabricated walking braces to custom molded insoles, bracing, and shoes. The type of appliance used is predicated on the Eichenholtz stage of development. Stage I (Dissolution). Radiologically, regional bone demineralization with periarticular fragmentation and joint disarticulation is present. Clinically, acute inflammation, swelling, erythema, and heat are evident. This early stage is easily mistaken for infection or thrombophlebitis.51 Treatment is nonweight-bearing and usually consists of a total contact cast, BAFO, CROW boot, or a removable prefabricated walking brace. One study of 34 feet revealed that treatment averaged 8.4 months. However, follow-up could continue for 35 months or more.52 As treatment progresses, care must be taken to gradually wean the patient from nonweight-bearing to partial and then full weight-bearing along with the help of assistive devices; these include appropriate and professionally guided use of crutches, walkers, or canes.53 Stage II (Coalescence). Radiologically, absorption of bone debris in the soft tissues is evident, along with organization and early healing of fracture fragments and periosteal new bone formation. Clinically, a decrease in inflammation with less fluctuance can be noted as well as increased stability of fracture segments. A study of 43 feet in this classification30 revealed that immobilization lasted an average of 6.4 months in 34 of the feet and follow-up averaged 16.4 months. Stage III (Resolution). Radiologically, a smoothing of large bone fragment edges is present, along with sclerosis and bony/fibrous ankylosis. Clinically, permanent enlargement of the foot and ankle, fixed deformity, minimal swelling, and normalization of temperature are evident. A study of 60 feet in this category30 required follow-up for 22.1 months. Treatment consisted of custom-molded shoes and insoles unless ulceration dictated otherwise. No immobilization was required in this group because of the healed nature of the process. Anderson et al21 recommends an extra-depth shoe coupled with a cushioned insert attached to a double-upright calf-lacing brace with a fixed ankle joint and rigid rocker sole. The shoe may need a wide shank or a more rigid rocker if the midfoot or hindfoot areas are involved. The patient also should be fitted with knee-high compression hose. An AFO or CROW can be used as an alternative. Robert J. Snyder DPM, FACFAS, CWS, and is a faculty physician at the Wound Healing Center, University Hospital, Tamarac, FL, and a faculty physician and director of wound management education at the Wound Healing Center, Northwest Medical Center, Margate, FL. Karen K. Lanier, CPed, is CEO of Branier Orthopedic Custom Molded Shoes in Sebring FL.	<urn:uuid:a1ee4eeb-eb25-4a8b-ae34-0d74207182f6>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.hiirc.org.nz/page/18052/charcot-foot/?tag=podiatry&section=8959	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.917997	967	2.734375	3
Recycling grows up and pays off Karen Youso, Star Tribune You empty a plastic milk jug, your hand pausing over the garbage can. It's the moment of truth. Do you drop it in? Or do you take time to rinse it and place it in the recycling bin? If you recycle, you'll help save enough electricity to power 321,000 homes for a year. That's more households than Minneapolis and St. Paul combined. Not worth it? You'll also help keep the equivalent of 203,000 tons of coal from burning. That means fresher air and less toxic mercury in our lakes and streams. There's more. Start recycling and you will help to support jobs -- paying an average of $16 an hour -- for some 19,000 Minnesotans. And if nothing else grabs you, here's one final thought: Keep recyclable materials out of the landfill, and you'll be contributing to the state's tax revenue without paying a dime. The recycling industry adds $64 million to Minnesota state tax coffers every year. Minnesota curbside recycling is growing up. Gone is its infancy, 16 years ago, when newspapers piled up with no place to go, when plastic wasn't recycled, and when the only return on recycling was the good feeling of helping Mother Earth. Today, emerging businesses, often in small Minnesota towns, use recycled material to make their products: Old newspapers become egg cartons in Moorhead; plastic milk and laundry detergent jugs turn into building lumber in Worthington and Paynesville; old cardboard becomes new cardboard in Becker. Recycling, the robust teenager, now adds nearly $3 billion to the state's economy yearly. The material it produces has become a valuable commodity. "It's traded overnight as we sleep, worldwide, just like corn and soybeans, dollars and yen," said Paul Gardner, executive director of the Recycling Association of Minnesota. Tom Troskey, spokesman for Rock-Tenn, a recycling paper mill in St. Paul, notes that nearly one of every 4 tons of collected paper leaves the United States. About half of that goes to China, including tons of paper collected at curbs in St. Paul that ends up at Nine Dragons mills in China. "You can't go through any conversation about recycling without talking about China," Troskey said. Brokers for Chinese companies, as well as carpet mills in Georgia, are also looking for Minnesota's waste plastic. Meanwhile, Master Mark Plastics in Paynesville imports 30 million pounds of recycled plastic jugs annually from Greensboro, N.C. Not surprisingly, as demand rises, so do prices. "Right now, everyone is riding the wave [of higher prices]," said Mark Heieren, of Apple Valley, a broker of recyclable materials. That's good for recycling companies and the counties and cities that share their profits. "When I see a bale of aluminum cans, I say 'Ka-ching,'" Gardner said. "A bale of aluminum cans is worth about $1,200." Local governments often share in the profits. Minneapolis, for example, received $1.5 million from the sale of its recycling last year and is on track to reap even more this year. Manufacturers use the material to make new products. Sometimes it's the same item: a glass bottle becomes another glass bottle, the newspaper on your doorstep has been there before, as a newspaper. Other times, the recycled product takes a far different shape: the old phone book becomes a box for cake mix; the new deck is made from plastic jugs and sawdust. Envy of other states Recycling programs in Minnesota spring from a committee convened by former Gov. Rudy Perpich, whose recommendations became law in 1989. The law required recycling, but left it up to individual communities to decide how to do it. Perhaps the smartest part of the law was that it provided a funding source. Every year, a portion of the solid waste taxes collected, $12.5 million, is divvied up to support local recycling efforts. "That's the key to our success," said Mark Rust of the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (OEA). It's what helps put Minnesota consistently at or near the top in the amount of waste recycled every year. "Other states are jealous of what we have here," he said. "They wish they had that kind of system of funding and investment." Despite the obvious benefits, experts say that recycling in Minnesota faces significant challenges. In a budget-cutting move in 2002, there was a 10 percent permanent reduction in state support for recycling programs. That was followed by a one-year cut of 11.5 percent, when funds went unallotted. Officials say it's too early to tell what kind of impact these cuts will have. Meanwhile, the OEA reports that Minnesota's recycling rates have flattened recently. Meanwhile, some local programs have closed centers or stopped collecting glass or plastic. The task facing recyclers now is to get folks to do it more, Gardner said, especially when away from home. Schools, businesses and places where people congregate and travel often aren't set up to collect recycling, he said. That's a lot of valuable resources lost, according to the OEA. Every year, $85 million worth of recyclables are thrown away, and it's costing us $45 million to dispose of it. So, next time you ponder where to drop that aluminum can, glass bottle, plastic jug or newspaper, pitch it to recycling. It's the best way to keep Minnesota at the top of the heap. Karen Youso is at email@example.com.	<urn:uuid:d5b3cd6a-a061-4292-b322-652148170846>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://ww2.startribune.com/static/recycling/main.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.958894	1,195	2.09375	2
This short extract gives you a taste of the personal "Child's Horoscope" by Liz Greene. The small samples taken from various chapters convey an impression of the complete horoscope (18-25 pages) which can be ordered as an E-Horoscope or a bound book in the AstroShop.Most parents long to provide their children with the best they can offer on every level. But what is "the best"? The birth horoscope of a child is a map of patterns and potentials which exist in that child from the moment of birth. Encouragement of these potentials in childhood can help a child to develop greater confidence and hope for a future which is more authentically his or her own, so that greater happiness and fulfillment are possible later in life. II. Your Child's Psychological Type In this concise chapter Liz Greene describes the child's general temperament and his characteristic approach to life.The rich array of individual abilities and potentials portrayed in John's birth horoscope is set against the background of an inherent temperament bias which may be partly hereditary but is also the reflection of a mysterious essence which belongs to him alone. This mysterious "something" is already at work within John, helping him to develop his personality along the lines which are healthiest and most natural to him. [..] This is not because John is "difficult" it is because he must directly experience the physical facts of a situation and process this experience internally before finally accepting it. And around more emotive issues this will take time. His essentially pragmatic attitude [...] III. The Characters in the Story This is one of the most comprehensive chapters of the "Child's Horoscope". This short version touches only on a few of the central characters in your child's personality. The complete report provides a detailed description on 7-9 pages.The tension between the main characters in John's inner story is the source of energy which provides the impetus for growth, movement and the formation of a healthy individuality. [..] Most of all, John loves the feeling that he is needed, for then he feels real, involved and important. He may lack inner resilience as he gets older because he tends to identify with others at the expense of his own sense of identity. He is not very adept at protecting [...] [..] This chameleon-like quality is not a performance calculated to please, but reflects a subtle psychological merging with the personalities of others. He has no real sense of separateness from those he loves, and has no desire to experience such a state either because it [...] Hidden traits John is not, however, quite as he appears. He has much more resilience, toughness and self-centredness than he wishes or is able to show, and his secret need for autonomy is in direct contrast to his more overt dependency on others. This hidden side of his nature could [...] IV. Emotional Needs and Patterns in Relationships This chapter contains valuable information on the child's basic needs and the relationship with his parents. The complete horoscope covers this chapter on 5-6 pages.Every child has particular ways in which he or she experiences and seeks emotional contact with others, and this may not always accord with other, more dominant personality traits. [..] As well as being genuinely loving and giving, he also has an instinctive understanding of the great power self-sacrifice can wield over the hearts of others. He may sometimes be be quite clinging and hungry for constant demonstrations of affection, and may find it hard [...] [..] It is through the concerns of daily life meals, school routines, hobbies, talks about girls, sex and hygiene that John and his father can best establish the kind of bonding that is needed. Genuine emotional responsiveness rather than heroics or exaggerated authority [...] V. Fears and Insecurities Knowing about their child's fears can help parents to react with love and understanding in challenging situations. The child's main fears and insecurities are described on 2-3 pages in the full report.VI. Looking toward the future Many parents wonder about the future of their child. Every child has his own way to develop his potential. What this means for the individual child is described on 2-3 pages in chapter six of the complete Child's Horoscope. Please click here to read a complete sample horoscope.	<urn:uuid:b5d4b183-2487-4f60-bb46-f33dca793f30>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.astro.com/cgi/atxgen.cgi?btyp=xtkt&cid=cq0filesfNevT-u1353436437	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.96489	870	1.8125	2
More Corn Price Spikes Ahead New study shows rising ethanol demand and future climate change scenarios may cause even more volatility for corn prices. Published: Apr 24, 2012 Here's news the corn market likes to hear. A new study from Purdue and Stanford university researchers predicts that future climate scenarios may cause significantly greater volatility in corn prices. And the researchers say that could be compounded by the federal biofuels mandate. The findings were published this week in Nature Climate Change and show that severely hot conditions in corn-growing regions and extreme climate events that are expected to impact supply would cause swings in corn prices. They're predicting that volatility could increase by as much as 50% over the period from 2020 to 2040 compared to recent history. HOT QUESTION: Will warmer weather add up to more price volatility? A new study says 'yes.'In a press statement about the report, Thomas Hertel, Purdue distinguished professor of agricultural economics says: "There could be quite a substantial increase in yield volatility, and that's due to the increased frequency and intensity of high temperatures throughout the Corn Belt. Closer integration of the corn and energy markets through the ethanol industry could aid in buffering these shocks, but this would not occur in the presence of a mandate." The current Renewable Fuels Standard keeps ramping up ethanol need each year to be blended with gasoline. Currently 39% of the corn crop goes to ethanol, and about one third returns to the food system in the form of products fed to livestock. Using what they call a high-resolution climate model for the United States, which takes into account climate history to produce 25-kilometer "snapshots" of the Midwest under projected future climate scenarios, the researchers looked at five simulations from 1950 to 2040. These were combined to estimate future temperature extremes. That information was then paired with a model that uses temperature, precipitation and tech trends to predict corn yields. Even if temperatures stay within the internationally recognized climate change target - 3.6 degrees F above pre-industrial levels - climate change is enough to make damaging heat waves more common in the U.S. Corn Belt, researchers say. "Severe heat is a big hammer," notes Noah Diffenbaugh, assistant professor of earth sciences at Stanford, and study co-author. "We find that even one or two degrees of global warming is likely to increase heat waves enough to cause much higher frequency of low-yield years, leading to greater volatility in corn prices." Using Purdue's Global Trade Analysis Project model and ignoring potential adaptations, the researchers predicted U.S. corn price volatility over the 2020-2040 period as compared with the 1980-2000 period. This increase would be further exacerbated by biofuel mandates, which would result in a further 50 percent increase in price volatility, Hertel said. Under the projection, prices would rise in years when corn yields are hurt by extremely hot days. Hertel said that ethanol plants, forced to meet the federal mandate for biofuel production, would be forced to bid up corn prices in order to meet the blend requirement, thereby exacerbating the effect of the production shortfall on livestock producers and consumers. Hertel said the study holds all other factors constant. It's possible that plant breeding to raise the temperature threshold at which yield losses occur, increased stockholding activities by farmers and agribusinesses, shifting growing areas northward, or changes in federal regulations could moderate the projected increases in price volatility. Finally, the study assumes that the so-called "blend wall," which has played a key role in limiting increases in ethanol use in gasoline, would be relaxed as the automobile stock is modernized. Permalink: Click here Tagged: livestock, Corn Belt, biofuel, biofuels, livestock producers	<urn:uuid:0d30647a-dcca-497e-9df0-29f6a0869301>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://farmfutures.com/story-more-corn-price-spikes-ahead-0-59210	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00036-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.945942	769	2.859375	3
Category Archives: Kred I’ve blogged a bit about social media scoring and it’s importance to digital marketers on a personal level. There is no secret about how I feel about scoring of ones social media presence. Although the various platforms that rate a persons social media are entitled to do as they please in this space, I just can’t get too wrapped up into scores and allow those scores to reflect who I interact with and how much. I have quite a few years experience in the traditional marketing field, digital marketing AND a Masters Degree in Internet Marketing so I am very secure in my knowledge in this space. Experience and tangible results should trump a platforms algorithm based assessment especially when it comes to companies using these platforms to secure employees. An employer should simply Google their candidate, when looking for someone to handle their marketing strategy. If the potential candidate has a decent digital footprint it WILL be displayed for all to view in Google’s search results Scoring platforms may not be an accurate method of measuring a digital footprint because there are so many variables that could throw the score off. Suppose the person was working on a project that had them focus on a social media platform that is not in the scoring algorithm, suppose the person was working on a web project, suppose the person was creating a video? All of these variables would create an avenue in which the person or potential employee was not actively engaged in a social media platform, and this could be reflected in their social media score. This is just one of the reasons that social media scoring can be deceptive or tricky when utilized for hiring purposes. However take a look at the infographic below and see how social scoring may be used to determine WHO gets hired. Social Media as we know it is still in its infancy and has a lot more growth in the works. We are still learning and growing in the digital marketing space because the industry is still evolving. The scoring of social media creates an almost old school atmosphere due to its push to GRADE the quality of our engagement. There are a few different social media platforms that I am involved with that actively score content based on the companies preformatted algorithm. Klout, Empire Avenue and Kred all have some form of ranking, grading, or number placed upon YOUR social media activity. I am not saying that any of these algorithms are wrong in general but should we base OUR engagement and or activity on ranking higher with any of these platforms? Shouldn’t we instead focus upon providing content that is of interest to our friends and followers? Like I said, I am involved with these platforms but I do not base ANY of my online activity on increasing any of these scores, ANYMORE. It is very easy to allow your own competitive nature to dictate the types of content that you promote from your brand based on increasing your score. I have been down that road and it really is not a good path to be on. This is primarily because it diminishes the purpose of social media to a degree and cheapens the value of your content because the focus becomes about increasing your score instead of providing content of value. I’ve notice that due to a change in whatever algorithm Klout is using these days, people have begun to “game” the system with mass Facebook photo tagging. I’m not speaking of an occasional tag from a friend that you interact with on a regular basis, I am speaking of mass tagging, everyday from acquaintances whom you have little or no interaction with on a regular basis. I just had to block a person that tagged me on 6 photos all within 3 minutes and the kicker is that I very seldom had any interaction with this person. It was so bad that I couldn’t find my own content or content that was shared by legitimate engaging friends and followers. I am NOT speaking about friends or people that I engage with, I am talking about random acquaintances that tag you on multiple photos on a daily basis. I love getting tagged on genuine content that is of interest, that’s engaging or friends think that I would like. This post is not really about that, but more about the person that specifically tags with the purpose of a score boost. How does this kind of behavior increase your social media engagement, legitimately? The score gamers, post content and tag you on the content, so the person tagged either feels that they shouldn’t be rude by not responding or they automatically “answer when called” as we innately do. So does this increase your ability to produce engaging content that has the ability to speak to people, touch their heart or is though provoking? Umm NO! However they did increase their Klout score because they tagged the same 45 people that they tag every day and the people that were tagged responded, which creates dialog on the post. So, since there were a high percentage of people to comment to the post, they get a Klout score bump. Oh yay! This, to me displays that the person creating the tags do not have a firm grasp on what social media is about and the purpose of creating content. I will even venture to say that it is a n00b move for the so called social media gurus. As a Digital Marketer that is listed on Klout, Kred and a player of Empire Avenue I am aware of my scores on all platforms but I am not driven to perform any action to increase my numbers. It simply takes away from the genuine ability to engage and create content that I believe people are looking for when they follow me on my social media channels. Additionally, it takes away from the enjoyment of social media when it becomes a game to get the highest score at all costs. I am not a hater of any of these platforms because they do have value in the social media arena. However, I would like to see less gamed content with the exclusive goal of chasing a score and more genuine sharing of content that is of value to readers. The take away: Simply, provide great content and people will respond. What are your thoughts? Am I on point? Am I off base? Or Meh? I welcome thoughts, comments and questions, good, bad ugly or indifferent. - Businesses Should Mimic The Politicians With #SocialMedia with [Infographic] (anisesmithmarketing.com) - It’s NOT Complicated, It’s A Digital World, You Need A Digital Marketing Strategy: That Was Easy (anisesmithmarketing.com) - The Three T’s Of The New Workplace Organizational Structure: Technology, Teamwork and Time With [Infographic] (anisesmithmarketing.com) Everyone that knows me really REALLY knows that my attention span when listening to webinars, during meetings and attending class is negative 100, if not lower. I must really have a strong interest if I sign up and a stronger interest if I actually DO NOT multitask through the entire experience. So when I was asked to meet with Joshua at PeopleBrowsr for a demo of Kred, I was initially like WTH and why would I need a demo. Then I took a look at the platform, realized that there was way more to it than I originally thought and scheduled the demo. The first thing that I learned about Kred was that they are a part of PeopleBrowsr which is a very powerful Social Analytics Platform. I soon realized how much they rocked as the presentation went on. Another very important thing that I learned was that they are REALLY TRANSPARENT, not the blowing smoke up your ( cough cough) as some other platforms claim. Kred demonstrates your social influence and displays exactly how the scores were compiled, how the numbers were calculated and all in real time. Kred has areas of focus, Communities in which a person can have influence, this is based on Twitter profiles. This area of influence is NOT necessarily based on YOUR Twitter profile but the profile, and keywords of your followers profile. For instance one of my influence areas is Sailing ( everyone that knows me is laughing Def Comedy Jam hard now because I have an extreme water phobia ) but this category is NOT what my interests are but the interests of a LOT of the people that I am engaged with. So on a side money making note, this is HUGE for business because if there were companies interested in marketing to a Sailing demographic I would be the person that could be used to get to this audience. Kred Scores are based on an Influence Score and an Outreach Score and focused in different Communities or areas of influence as stated above. So as I describe above I have an area of influence in Sailing so I would have an Influence and Outreach Score for this category. The Influence Score: Kred Influence is the measure of what others do because of you. Influence increases when others take action because of your content. Your Influence score increases when someone retweets, @replies or follows you. The Outreach Score: Kred Outreach is the measure of your generosity. Outreach increases when you retweet, @reply, or follow a new person. As you accumulate Outreach Points, you move to a higher Outreach Level. Because Outreach Points are a reward for being active and benevolent, your Outreach Level never goes down. Outreach Points are earned anytime you do something generous for someone else. Outreach can never go down because we believe that the capacity for generosity is infinite. To read more about Influence and Outreach check out the rules The above is just a small portion of what PeopleBrowser and Kred has to offer. I suggest you try to get an invite to Kred because, THIS is HUGE for individuals and businesses. Most importantly this is why Kred is going to rock the world of Influence in regard to Social Media, Social Analytics and More. - Social Media And Time Management (anisesmithmarketing.com) - #SocialMedia Tools #Oprah Style Favorite Things: Prepare To Scream Like a Girl (anisesmithmarketing.com)	<urn:uuid:4d61c495-75b6-4d88-a333-a590408be73f>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://anisesmithmarketing.com/category/kred/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.960697	2,063	1.507813	2
Neem cake and solution can replace chemical pesticides due to their eco-friendly properties, writes Swathi.V In these days when the stress is growing foodgrains sans chemicals, one cannot but emphasise the importance of organic farming. And when it comes to organic cultivation, one cannot underestimate the invaluable contribution of Ajadirachta indica or the neem tree. Neem cake and solution are being widely used to replace chemical fertilizers, due to their eco-friendly properties. Neem products are especially favoured because they apply ‘discretion’ in their ‘execution’. While neem does not kill the pest , it plays a key role in altering the metabolic processes in the pest , thereby repelling it successfully. At the same time, it does not kill or drive away harmless insects such as bees and butterflies which help in pollination and reproduction. On the other hand, “chemical pesticides, when used over a period of time, make the pests immune to their impact, thereby causing largescale damage. It is not the case with neem products,” says M.Anantha Reddy, chairman of the Agri-Horticultural Society. Neem cake, a good source of nitrogen, doubles as fertilizer too. While containing the spread of termites, it also meets the nutritional requirements of the plant. Neem cake is obtained after extraction of oil from neem leaves and seeds. Neem solution should be sprayed to the underside of the leaves to curb insect infestation. Neem oil is widely available in the market in various concentrations. All we have to do is to follow the instructions on the product to make a solution. The usual dosage is five millilitres of oil per a litre of water. “Alternatively, one can make a home remedy of neem solution. A kilogram of neem cake soaked in five litres of water for a whole week will yield a good solution of foliage spray. It can also be pot-fed to the plant. The residue left after straining the solution can be mixed in the soil for nutrition,” says V.B.Joshi, also from the society. Alternately, neem pods crushed and soaked in water will also yield an equally effective solution. Neem solution mixed in chemical pesticide will help moderate the harmful effects of the latter.	<urn:uuid:3add93cb-04ca-4170-b006-770ae75fb929>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.thehindu.com/features/homes-and-gardens/prevent-pests-the-organic-way/article2437.ece	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.93137	484	2.796875	3
hey.. does anyone know if u get all the calories from fruits and veggies when u juice them? i juice a lot and would really love to know. i've been trying to find out on the internet but there doesn't seem to be a lot of info Hi Mrs. Daigle , What type of juicer do you use ? I have been into juicing for years , started with a crappy little Juiceman extractor , then got a JL power juicer , then moved up to a Champion , and now have an Omega Vert 330 hd , which I love , and I think does the best job as far as nutrition goes . So , as far as " all the calories " ...with juicing , you do get most of the calories , but very little of the fiber . Also , the high speed juicers can damage nutrients and enzymes that are in what you are juicing through heat and friction . What you are doing when juicing ,really , is seperating the juice from the pulp and fiber , which is a double edged sword . You get vitamins and minerals and antioxidants , sure , but also lots of sugars and carbs , that have been seperated from the fiber that slows down thier conversion to blood sugar , so you can really spike your insulin levels . The fiber slows that down . People are all about the GI , or glycemic index , but more people in the know now are looking at GL , or glycemic load , which factors in the fiber content of a food against it's carbs , to better predict how consuming the food will affect blood sugar levels . Anyway ...as always , whole foods are best . That is why I also have , and use daily , a Vitamix . With that , I get the whole food . I do juice , but not every day . Hope that helps , please feel free to ask any other questions you might have that you think I might be able to help you with . Be Well !	<urn:uuid:4353f8db-5c84-40bc-b553-716bd60d3ca4>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.vegweb.com/community/lean-mean-vegan-machine/juicing?qt-sign_in_sign_up_block=1	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00062-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.961957	400	1.546875	2
What many Syrians already knew has been made official. The country’s conflict has reached ‘unprecedented levels of horror’ according to UN peace envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, speaking hours after dozens of bodies were found by a river in the northern city of Aleppo. The 71 dead – many with hands bound and with gunshot wounds to the head – can be added to the more than 60,000 others estimated to have already lost their lives. And for those still living, this horror remains acute. Take Omar who was tortured for several days by Syrian government forces in a cell within Hama airport. Along with his brother, he was subject to an eclectic mix of cruelty, being repeatedly – and in no particular order – stripped, beaten, whipped, electrocuted, drugged and drowned. He was finally released after his family paid a large ransom. But the money came too late for his brother. ‘I had no political affiliation nor did my brother,’ he says. ‘I just want these people to go away and to be able to live in peace in my country. For my brother, it’s too late, may God look after him now.’ Faced with this daily dread, it’s no wonder people are looking to escape. As well as two million people being internally displaced in Syria, around 700,000 more have fled, mainly to Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. The stories of how and why people leave are as varied as they are disturbing. Khaled, 20, from Homs was on his way to university – the last thing he heard was a bang before bomb shrapnel flew into his brain. ‘I lost consciousness and I did not know until afterwards that a car had stopped to pick me up,’ he says. He was taken to a local hospital and later evacuated to Turkey. His brain is damaged and he has motor difficulties and trouble walking. There are charities working in the region helping people like Khaled but the UN and Syrian government have granted authorization to only a select few NGOs to work within Syria. Many others are denied access, and are forced to provide aid from bordering countries. For instance, in Jordan, Doctors of the World, operates from the town of Ramtha, in King Abdullah Park and in the Zaatari camp, which now houses more than 35,000 Syrian refugees. Although at times it feels like few are listening (UN envoy Mr Brahimi has said Syria is being ‘destroyed bit by bit’), Doctors of the World has condemned any violence against the population and has called on all parties involved in the conflict to respect the rules of international law in times of war, including respecting medical care providers and their ethical obligation to provide care. But most of all we wish for the people of Syria that this misery will end soon. Nick Harvey is a press officer at Doctors of The World.	<urn:uuid:db3267d5-727f-4ec4-9802-70ddff11f6d8>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://newint.org/blog/2013/02/01/syria-conflict-horror-violence/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.987577	594	2.09375	2
High blood pressure is called the silent killer because people who have it often do not feel sick. Now, doctors at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center are testing a new treatment that could revolutionize care. Like millions of Americans, Teresa Osborne of Springfield has high blood pressure. It runs in her family, and doctors have struggled to get her blood pressure under control. Her battle with blood pressure began with birth of her son 23 years ago. “Ever since then, it's been nothing but up and down, up and down, up and down,” she said. "Every time I went to the doctor, they would change my pills, try something different. And I've tried about everything that's on the market." Ernest Mazzaferri, an interventional cardiologist, said that it is critical to lower high blood pressure. "The long term effects of high blood pressure can be highly devastating. Risk of strike, congestive heart failure, kidney failure, and people don't know that it's happening to them, so it's really a terrible disease," he said. Mazzaferri is one of a group of doctors across the country trying a new technique. It is a clinical trial to see if surgery might help. Doctors insert a little tube into the arteries that go to the kidneys, then burn the nerves in the kidneys. The surgery is supposed to lower high blood pressure since kidneys play a role in regulating it. Some patients will get the burn, some won't, so researchers can determine if it works. Osborne said that she did not know which version of the treatment she received, but she said that she is ready for some relief. “If it works, it may give people an option who otherwise may not have had an option,” Mazzaferri said. The doctor said that it would be a year or two before the nationwide study is finished and researchers know if this might be a new way to treat uncontrolled high blood pressure. Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for more information.	<urn:uuid:ad1a524b-d090-426e-a776-f31da78d5ca6>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2012/08/22/columbus-ohio-state-studies-new-way-to-lower-high-blood-pressure.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.971994	432	2.46875	2
Canada Interactive Fund The Government of Canada is determined to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its programs and operations, while returning to fiscal balance to further support jobs and growth. As part of Budget 2012, the Canada Interactive Fund was eliminated. The program will wind down in 2012–2013. No new applications will be taken. The Canada Interactive Fund (CIF) aims to support the creation of digital and interactive Canadian cultural content, developed by official-language minority communities (OLMCs), Aboriginal and ethnocultural organizations, and other non-profit organizations. The CIF focuses on the creation of interactive products and applications to allow these organizations to use and fully benefit from emerging technologies.	<urn:uuid:0ce268b1-c8d6-4c46-80c7-e6d4bd5a8680>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1273769820147/1273769914568	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00043-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.928063	137	1.59375	2
Audit: Wisconsin prisoners, fugitives got food stampsHundreds of Wisconsin prisoners, fugitives and parole violators have been illegally collecting food stamp benefits, costing the state hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a state audit released Friday. By: Todd Richmond, Associated Press, Superior Telegram MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Hundreds of Wisconsin prisoners, fugitives and parole violators have been illegally collecting food stamp benefits, costing the state hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a state audit released Friday. The Legislative Audit Bureau ran the names, Social Security numbers and birthdates of the 831,414 people that received food stamps in January through the state Department of Corrections and Justice Department records as part of a broader examination of the state FoodShare program. Auditors found that 447 inmates and 1,192 people with an active felony warrant or who had committed a probation or parole violation have been accruing benefits in violation of federal law. Auditors said they couldn't determine how long the problem has been going on or exactly how much the recipients have collected. However, the bureau used statistical projections to estimate 293 prisoners received a total of $413,300 over a seven-month average and 847 fugitives received $1.4 million over an average of nine months. The report recommended the state Department of Health Services give caseworkers more training to identify inmate applications and establish a system for identifying fugitives. Legislative Audit Committee co-chairwoman Rep. Samantha Kerkman, R-Randall, requested the audit. She said in a statement Friday DHS needs to improve FoodShare oversight. "The findings are not surprising to me, because they confirm what I have been hearing from the citizens of my district about suspected abuse of FoodShare benefits," she said. DHS Secretary Dennis Smith said in a letter to State Auditor Joe Chrisman that the agency began a new fraud prevention program last year and has established an inspector general office to consolidate fraud prevention. "DHS is committed to providing correct benefits to recipients of all our programs," Smith wrote. The FoodShare program provides cash assistance to help the poor purchase food. Benefits are distributed monthly to recipient accounts, which can be accessed through DHS-issued debit cards. Participation in the program has spiked over the last few years as DHS loosened eligibility requirements and the economy stalled. The program handed out $1.1 billion in benefits in the year that ended June 30, up nearly 207 percent from $360.2 million in fiscal year 2006-07, according to the audit. Republicans have long maintained fraud in assistance programs like FoodShare is widespread. The audit doesn't draw any broad conclusions about FoodShare fraud trends, however.	<urn:uuid:236558a3-6c11-4561-a03e-531e00c225de>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.superiortelegram.com/event/article/id/65691/group/Community/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.958765	555	1.78125	2
Monday, February 09, 2009 Austin Briggs: "The discovery of self" Austin Briggs is up in the first ranks of the illustration army. He didn't arrive with any dazzling rain of fireworks; his technique is not spectacular; he has no particular tricks of display, but his fellow illustrators look at his pictures with great respect and predict a steady expansion of his abilities. And the reading public has a solid regard for his work, a regard that is not an overnight enthusiasm but one that has grown slowly but with certainty over a span of years. Behind the Briggs pictures are more than two decades of hard work and constant striving for improvement. They are the result of much patient building and some rebuilding. They sum up a long accumulation of experience, a gradual sharpening of technique and a dogged pursuit of self. Briggs spent a good many years looking for himself and, once the search was rewarded, he became the illustrator we know today. He was in the big magazines as far back as 1927, but he was not certain of his own viewpoint. He thought too little of his own personal approach and too much of other personalities in the field. The discovery of self took time, but the story of it carries a message to those who are embarked on the same search. Excerpted from the October 1950 issue of American Artist magazine, written by Henry C. Pitz * My Austin Briggs Flickr set.	<urn:uuid:09e328d4-4d22-461e-a1d4-024c923bd154>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://todaysinspiration.blogspot.com/2009/02/austin-briggs-discovery-of-self.html?showComment=1234210680000	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.98563	288	1.835938	2
Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Tony Tyler said today at the Greener Skies conference in Hong Kong that international aviation emissions must be addressed under a comprehensive global sectoral approach at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change summit to be held in Copenhagen in December. Stressing that aviation is serious about environmental issues and is keen to be included in the successor to the existing Kyoto climate agreement, Mr Tyler, who is also the current Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors, said there must be a "recognition that international aviation, as a global industry, is best tackled at a global level by a single global sectoral agreement, encompassing all air transport operators." Mr Tyler's remarks came in his keynote address this morning at Greener Skies, where key players from the regional and international aviation industry have gathered to demonstrate a collective commitment to the goal of a more sustainable future. Cathay Pacific is a sponsor of the conference as well as official airline. Mr Tyler said that within the aviation industry there is now a consensus around the need to tackle carbon emissions at a global level. Looking ahead to December, he said there were several key principles that need to be endorsed by those at the climate change summit, first and foremost being a need to see international aviation emissions addressed under a comprehensive global sectoral approach. "After all, how can the emissions from an international flight be assigned to one country for measurement, quota and reduction purposes? National or regional solutions are just not practical. They will only lead to a patchwork of conflicting and overlapping regulations, leading to competitive distortion between carriers and a significant administrative burden. And higher fares for our customers. "We would like an acknowledgement that our industry, through IATA, has committed to ambitious emissions reduction targets which should be enshrined in the Copenhagen outcome. In short, we are calling for aviation emissions to be included under a fair, pragmatic and environmentally effective global policy solution which is enforceable and easy to implement. The costs of implementation should be kept as low as possible. Targets should be fair, achievable and non-punitive. "Most important, we want to be part of a scheme that avoids competitive distortion and the notion of so-called ‘carbon leakage' where emissions in one part of the world are effectively transferred to another by the poor design of policy instruments. The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme is a good example of where businesses could set up operations outside of the EU to avoid paying for their emissions inside." But Mr Tyler recognized there were tough hurdles to be cleared if a global agreement is to be secured at Copenhagen, including the complex plethora of individual or state level approaches and a proliferation of national taxes which don't actually benefit the environment directly – "the UK's Air Passenger Duty [APD] being the worst offender here," he said. "We have determined, ideologically driven detractors in the environmental lobby who actively support aviation being subject to further charges, perhaps in the form of a global levy on air passengers. Frankly, such a levy would simply make us a sitting duck for governments looking to raise revenue. And show me a government that isn't. "What might start off as a six dollar levy, as has been suggested, could quickly go to 10, then to 12 or … think of a number. That is the nature of taxes. Look what's happened to the UK's APD – introduced in 1994 at 5 pounds a head for short haul, 10 for long haul. From next year it will be as high as 170 pounds for premium long-haul. Once a tax is in place it's so easy to increase it. We all know that. "Another way the proposed global levy resembles its UK APD cousin is that the money collected won't go towards reducing emissions, which surely has to be its only sensible objective. It's supposed to be targeted at adaptation measures. Call me a cynic, but I wonder how much of it will reach those targets. "No, we need a scheme that addresses the cause, not the symptoms. We need to be sure that money raised from our industry goes to CO2 reduction. We simply must capitalise on the opportunity that Copenhagen presents and fight tooth and nail to win this battle. It is a battle we can't afford to lose." More information on Cathay Pacific's environmental commitment and initiatives can be found in the airline's Corporate Responsibility Report, which can be downloaded from www.cathaypacific.com (About Us > Corporate Social Responsibility). \|< Prev\|\|Next >\|	<urn:uuid:59029ecc-79a5-4655-87a4-e8bc643b8189>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.3plnews.com/air-freight/cathay-pacific-ceo-tyler-calls-for-global-sectoral-approach-for-international-aviation-emissions-in-advance-of-copenhagen-summit.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.960547	916	1.65625	2
February 5, 2013 — The Arkansas House on Monday approved two bills restricting abortion coverage and banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, the AP/Miami Herald reports. Lawmakers voted 75-20 to approve a bill (HB 1037) that would ban abortion after 20 weeks based on the disputed theory that a fetus is capable of feeling pain at that stage. The measure does not include exceptions for rape or incest. In addition, the House approved a measure (HB 1100) that would prohibit insurers from offering abortion coverage in the state's health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148). The measure, passed on a 77-15 vote, includes exceptions for rape, incest or to save the woman's life. State Rep. Butch Wilkins (D), the bill's author, said the legislation would prevent public funds from being used to pay for abortions; however, opponents argued state and federal law already prohibit that. Bettina Brownstein, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, said her group is concerned by both measures, which she argues are "both unconstitutional" and "cruel to women and families." Bills Head to the Senate Both measures now head to the Senate, which last week approved a bill (SB 134) that would prohibit abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detectable. The measure would ban abortion as early as six weeks of pregnancy, making it the most stringent ban in the nation. State Sen. Jason Rapert (R), the bill's sponsor, intends to bring his proposal to the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee later this week. Abortion-rights supporters have pledged to sue if the state enacts the Senate's "heartbeat" measure, which violates the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that prohibits the banning of abortion prior to fetal viability. Opponents of the law also contend it is invasive because it requires the use of a vaginal ultrasound. Gov. Mike Beebe (D) said he is reviewing the bills the House approved on Monday. He noted that research by his office suggests that the Senate's "heartbeat" measure would not withstand a legal challenge. "Obviously, we don't want to pass unconstitutional laws and end up in court costing taxpayers tons of money," he said (DeMillo, AP/Miami Herald, 2/4). Debra Ness, publisher & president, National Partnership Andrea Friedman, associate editor & director of reproductive health programs, National Partnership Melissa Safford, associate editor & policy advocate for reproductive health, National Partnership Perry Sacks, assistant editor & health program associate, National Partnership Cindy Romero, assistant editor & communications assistant, National Partnership Justyn Ware, editor Amanda Wolfe, editor-in-chief Heather Drost, Hanna Jaquith, Marcelle Maginnis, Ashley Marchand and Michelle Stuckey, staff writers Tucker Ball, director of new media, National Partnership	<urn:uuid:7eb06572-4ec2-4dcd-b360-ace7e8a4a413>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.nationalpartnership.org/site/News2?abbr=daily2_&page=NewsArticle&id=37899&security=1201&news_iv_ctrl=-1	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.946384	606	1.640625	2
By MATT BRADLEY SABA'A AL THABIT, Egypt—Self-styled strongman Al Sayed al Essawy had an idea for lifting his country out of its post-revolution economic funk: Fight a lion. Which is why on Saturday Mr. Al Essawy stepped into a steel cage with a 660-pound lion here in the middle of a wheat field in this farming hamlet. He glared at the lion and bared his teeth. He carried a "shield" made out of an old satellite dish. Addressing the crowd of a few hundred Egyptians bused in for the spectacle, Mr. Al Essawy roared: "Who is the lion?" "You are the lion!" a couple dozen shouted back. The lion itself looked bored. One man in the crowd claimed it had just been fed a whole donkey and was therefore sleepy. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Mr. Al Essawy had wanted to fight the lion in the shadow of the Great Pyramids. His idea was to send a message to the world that "in Egypt you can see events that you can't see anywhere else." February's violent revolution here has taken a big bite out of tourism, which employs some 10% of all Egyptians. The fight drew condemnation from animal-rights activists and tourism officials. Egypt's tourism minister, Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, vowed this month to "personally" prevent the "barbaric" act from taking place by demanding that the ministry of interior intervene to stop the fight. For Mr. Al Essawy, the official reaction only reflects the government's unsophisticated sense of how to market itself. Mr. Al Essawy insisted that his intent was never to kill the lion, only to force it into "surrender." "There are three scenarios," said Mr. Al Essawy before the showdown. "Either the lion will surrender, withdraw or faint." Public criticism and lack of government support, he said, are the only reasons he didn't stage his cage match near the famous Giza pyramids, instead holding it in the secret location in a village wheat field. Egypt's tourism ministry "has problems," he said. "They are still not able to have a dialogue with the youth and their ideas." Other Egyptian tourism-boosting efforts may involve fewer lions, but feel no less odd. Shortly after former President Hosni Mubarak abdicated in February, one private group organized a march to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square. Message: Egypt is safe for tourists. It seemed lost on organizers that "marches" were the primary reason tourists left in the first place. But few events match the showmanship of Mr. Al Essawy. He cites American professional wrestling as inspiration, particularly the World Wrestling Entertainment character "The Undertaker." He brought to the lion fight a tough-guy pedigree. Mr. Al Essawy has pulled trucks attached to his back with hooks in his skin. He has hanged himself by the neck without dying. He has chewed glass. To pull off his latest feat, Mr. Al Essawy bought a 6-year-old lion for 25,000 Egyptian pounds, or about $4,250, five months ago from someone he declined to identify. He paid to build a 700-square-foot steel cage in the middle of a wheat field here, in the verdant Nile River Delta. He hired buses to transport hundreds of spectators from the city of Mansoura, about an hour away. On Saturday Mr. Al Essawy stepped into the cage, which was painted like an Egyptian flag, sporting a ponytail, a tank top scrawled with a pro-Palestinian slogan and the traditional Palestinian headdress, a kafiya, wrapped around his neck. Despite vows he would be unarmed, Mr. Al Essawy brought with him a double-pronged spear, the satellite-dish "shield' spiked with nails, a machete on his belt and a dagger strapped to his ankle. As Mr. Al Essawy strutted around the cage, spectators gasped. Cameras clicked furiously. The lion, which Mr. Al Essawy refused to give a name—he didn't want to "grow attached," he said—lazed in a prone position, gazing at the intruder even as Mr. Al Essawy thrust his spear toward its face. Mr. Al Essawy refused to attack first, he said, lest the Western press portray Islam as a violent religion. After 20 minutes of watching the swaggering and speech-making, the lion briefly roused itself for a short roar when Mr. Al Essawy thrust his spear a little too close. But when Mr. Al Essawy hardened his jaw and grinned aggressively, the lion sat down, apparently unmoved even when Mr. Al Essawy called it a coward. That was enough for Mr. Al Essawy to declare victory. He emerged from the cage, and friends and relatives lifted him onto their shoulders. The generally celebratory crowd harbored a few skeptics. A local man from a nearby village who said he was paid to help build the cage, Walid Al Bahair, alleged the lion's handlers had starved the beast for three days leading up to the fight, then treated it to the feast of entire donkey just hours before the fight. "They're trying to take advantage of us," he said. Mr. Al Essawy confirmed the lion had been starved for three days in advance of the fight, but denied feeding it beforehand. Others complained that the event amounted to defamation of the Egyptian public, who might now be seen as vain publicity-seekers or, worse, abusers of animal rights. "The Egyptian people are better than this," said Ibrahim Al Howeidi, 55, a local farmer. Discussing his stunt the next day, Mr. Al Essawy insisted he had cowed the lion into a sort of gentleman's victory—one that repudiated the criticism from Egypt's animal rights and tourist communities. Having survived, Mr. Al Essawy is preparing to up the ante. In one month's time, he plans to fight two lions at once. Or perhaps a gorilla, he said. Or maybe a shark.	<urn:uuid:aa32d2fb-9045-4d64-a166-1075613e1400>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304314404576409731637978572.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.973209	1,303	1.671875	2
It's natural that some retailers will feel threatened by the growing use of mobile in store, but the answer is to embrace this trend and use it to enhance the in-store experience. Retailers can do this by providing apps and mobile optimised sites, but also by offering wi-fi to customers. According to an On Device Research (ODR) survey of mobile users, 60% of respondents have used the mobile internet while in stores, while 78% would use free wi-fi in stores if offered it. The use of smartphones by consumers is growing, and many are now using them to compare prices, and search the web for product reviews. So how can retailers adapt and use this customer behaviour to their advantage? Mobile use in retail stores There are now plenty of surveys which show the growth of mobile usage in retail stores: - An iModerate survey found that more than half of smartphone owners are using the internet in stores, with price comparison, checking store locations, and hunting for discounts the most common reasons. - Our Mobile Planet data sees 24% of UK smartphone owners taking their phones shopping with them in order to compare prices and inform themselves about products. - A Toluna/Econsultancy survey from May last year found that 19% of 2,000 online respondents had used their mobiles to compare prices and look at product reviews while out shopping. Why do consumers use mobile in store? There are two main reasons: This is usually the main purpose of using mobile in stores, which makes perfect sense. The state of the economy means that customers are more price sensitive than ever, and mobile is the perfect tool for the job. What's more, there are often huge savings to be made. If I'm looking at a TV in an electrical retailer, it's quite possible I could save £100 by checking for the same product on Amazon. Looking for reviews This is another common reason to reach for the smartphone when in store, and this is a behaviour that high street retailers should encourage. Checking for a review of a product is a sure sign of purchase intent. It means they like the look of a product, and are perhaps just seeking some reassurance. The threat for retailers The problem for retailers is that, whatever the quality of service in store and the range of products on offer, shoppers always have the option of checking prices on their mobile phones and heading online, or to another high street retailer to make the purchase. This 'unbundling of the shopping experience', and the threat from online retailers is described in detail here by Ashley Friedlein. There are a number of mobile apps and websites that enable in store shoppers to check and compare product prices, but Amazon’s mobile products represent possibly the biggest single threat to offline retailers. Using the barcode scanner on the app, customers can easily check the products they are looking at in store on Amazon’s site. Since Amazon is often cheaper, with a variety of delivery options, this can pose a real threat. How can offline and multichannel retailers meet this challenge? Don't block internet access I've seen a few stories around, which are difficult to substantiate, about retailers attempting to put obstacles in the way of customers with smartphones. This could be counter-productive, and is certainly not the kind of tactic a forward-thinking retailer should be using. Offer reviews at the point of sale Retailers with reviews and ratings on their websites can easily bring this information into stores to help push products. If a digital camera is recommended for the casual photographer, and has an average review score of five stars from 35 reviews, why not use this information? I like the recommendations that can often be found in bookshops and wine merchants, which have been written by staff. They can help customers decide what to buy, and also have a personal touch that can appear more trustworthy. In the same vein, retailers could combine online opinions with staff recommendations and other third party reviews. Make sure you have a mobile site or app If customers are going to pick up their phones and look for reviews, persuade them to use your site for this. Promote it in store. If you can provide the reviews they need, then customers won't have to use competitors' sites where they might find a better deal. Better still, provide them with a link on the store shelf where they can find reviews, or maybe a QR code or barcode to scan and view further information. Comet provides a great example of this with its recent barcode scanning app. The purpose of the barcode scanner is not necessarily to allow price comparison while in competitors' stores, though I'm sure Comet won't mind if customers are doing this. Instead, the main purpose is to make it easier for customers to see enhanced information on products on the shopfloor. Comet promotes this in store, and the site and app have some very comprehensive product pages replete with reviews and expert buyer's guides, allowing customers to access this information when they need to see it. Better still, it means they don't have to visit Amazon to find out. It works too. Mobile now accounts for 10% of Comet's traffic, and the retailer enjoys an advantage in this area over multichannel rival Currys/PC World. For retailers that offer voucher codes online, allowing these codes to be redeemed in-store is one way to increase footfall, and maybe do some cross-selling when they arrive. In conjunction with wi-fi, retailers could even target customers when they are using their mobiles in store. NFC / mobile payments NFC technology is yet to capture the public imagination, but it does give consumers another payment option for those times when they suddenly realise they have forgotten to get cash out and they are already at the cash register with their shopping. Make sure they can access the information they need This is where wi-fi comes in. It's about making the mobile experience easier for customers. Instead of relying on variable 3G connections, providing internet access means they can browse reviews, scan QR codes, and use AR apps like Blippar to their heart's content. Let's say a customer wants to see a review. If their 3G signal is poor and they can't find what they want, will they still buy that camera? Providing wi-fi means that they can easily access the information, while it also allows them to download your own app. Wi-fi and efficient customer targeting Wi-fi in store also provides a way to capture customer details and target them with offers. In fact, customers would be willing to receive some offers in return for the convenience of decent wi-fi. Tesco recently introduced this in its larger stores. It does require a slightly clunky registration process which involves entering clubcard numbers, but the retailer is then armed with your purchase history. If Tesco can sweeten this process with a discount or two, it may well be worth the effort. According to the ODR survey embedded below, 74% of respondents would be happy for the retailer to send a text or email with promotions. They're in store, when better to sell them breakfast cereal or push a promotion? In an excellent guest post from last year, Dave Wieneke looked at how mobile can be used to enhance the in-store experience for consumers, as well as providing retailers with some precision tools to target the mobile customer. A blend of location and personalisation can make life easier for customers, while allowing retailers to target customers with relevant offers and recommendations. One great example of this came from the French Casino supermarket chain. Its iPhone app allows users to compile shopping lists before heading to the store, where they can use their mobile to scan and pay for items in store. This is useful for the customer, but also provides the retailer with a wealth of information of the customer's preferences and shopping habits. Combine this with technology like Tesco's in-store 'sat nav' app and you have the ability to target customers in real time, according to their location. Let's say the customer is entering the dairy aisle. They bought a particular brand of butter last week, and there's an offer on that this week. It's just five yards away. Customers already have the smartphone and tablet technology in their bags and pockets that makes this possible, it's just a question of adapting to this and making it easier by providing wi-fi. Mobile isn't going away, and the retailers that adapt to this trend quickly and use it to improve the customer experience will have a big advantage over their competitors.	<urn:uuid:6734a205-dc9e-437d-a995-7e3d569a36f7>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/8919-why-retailers-need-to-embrace-mobile-internet-in-stores	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.952411	1,789	1.984375	2
- Infowars - http://www.infowars.com - Maurice Strong Lauds Chinese Model At 2012 Earth Summit June 26, 2012 At a side-event to the recent Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Certified man-hater, prominent 20th century eugenicist and devoted collectivist Maurice Strong told an audience of environmentalists that China is the model-state for the rest of the world to emulate in regards to environmental matters. Besides Strong, the forum was attended by Mohan Monasinghe, former Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme and Secretary General at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. The moderator to this facade was Hans d’Orville, ex-Vice Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as well as Under Secretary of UNESCO. The meeting took place under the umbrella name “Importance of Informal Mechanism Beyond Rio—A Commitment From China’s Civil Society” and focused in on the importance of China in regards to the world’s future environmental governance. “What China does matters to the world”, Strong said, “and what China is doing is actually a tremendous source of encouragement.” No doubt Strong referred to China’s one child policy and the way it has reportedly contributed to the nation’s progress, despite the terrible sacrifices that have been- and are being- demanded of the Chinese people. Strong went on to say that “sustainable development” has become a “people’s movement guided by the people’s government.” Strong, himself a Chinese national, is a long-time advocate of the sort of draconian population policis that China has forced upon its people. As far back as the early 1970s, Strong hesitatingly admitted to the BBC that such a thing as a license to have a child is the kind of system he would see implemented globally: What is important to note, is Strong’s position that such a policy should not be the affair of nation-states- but rather a top-down global endeavor. In a 2009 interview, Strong talks about the Copenhagen conference. In the interview Strong stated- among other things- that “What is necessary is a global system of governance through which the nations of the world cooperate to address issues which none can deal with alone.” In a spectacular example of doublethink, Strong proves himself a master-conjurer: after stating that “Global government is neither necessary nor practical” he actually says: “(…) the role of global government would be to provide the framework of principles and contexts required to facilitate actions which can be best taken at the local, national or regional levels.” Here is the fragment in full: Fred Dubee & Marisha Wojciechowska-Shibuya: Can the international community and our governments really meet the challenge? Maurice Strong: The climate change and economic crisis require a degree of international cooperation that has only been achieved on a limited basis in wartime and never on the global scale. A little further on he says: Global government is neither necessary nor practical. And then: What is necessary is a global system of governance through which the nations of the world cooperate to address issues which none can deal with alone. Strong adds: Highest priority must be given to those issues which affect the security, sustainability and survival of all humanity. Concluding: This is certainly true of both climate change and the related needs for fundamental changes in our current economic system. I believe in the principle of subsidiary that all actions should be dealt with at the levels closest to the people concerned. On this basis, the role of global government would be to provide the framework of principles and context required to facilitate actions which can be best taken at the local, national or regional levels. Global government. First it’s “neither necessary nor practical”, and then it provides “the framework of principles and context”. Now it’s here, now it’s gone. Although Strong is apparently still hiding out in China, he is being interviewed regularly on matters of “global governance”. It seems his words are still being listened to by his former employer. During a preparatory meeting in Switzerland back in July of 2009, Strong also advocated “radical things” to be undertaken by all participating nations as a precondition to make Copenhagen a success for the global elite. “Copenhagen”, Strong said, “is very very important. I have to say that so far we have not seen real evidence that the governments are prepared to do radical things that they must to in Copenhagen. If we just patch up the existing system, it will not work. It will come back and bite us even more strongly.” What radical things must governments be prepared to do according to Maurice Strong? “The climate change issue and the economic issue come from the same roots. And that is the gross inequity and the inadequacy of our economic model. We now know that we have to change that model. We cannot do all of this in one stroke. But we have to design a process that would produce agreement at a much more radical level.” How convenient then, that the economic recession occurred not long before. A financial crisis coupled to a fabricated environmental one are key ingredients for the world government as envisioned by Strong and company. What’s absolutely key is the concept of incrementalism- a gradual process as opposed to a sudden one. “Hopefully”, Strong said, “Copenhagen will move us forward. I think it is too much to expect that the conference will produce the kind of agreements necessary. But the conference can produce some important agreements that it can provide the foundation for a continuing process.” Although many useful idiots that flew around the Rio 2012 summit like moths to a flame are calling for “Climate Action Now!”, the people inside understand that their desired global government is a step by step process, aiming to incrementally implement their age-old plan for world domination, China-style. Jurriaan Maessen’s post first appeared on his blog, Explosive Reports. Article printed from Infowars: http://www.infowars.com URL to article: http://www.infowars.com/maurice-strong-lauds-chinese-model-at-2012-earth-summit/ Copyright © 2013 Infowars. All rights reserved.	<urn:uuid:57bdddc8-0903-4dfc-a453-15e4fe064846>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.infowars.com/maurice-strong-lauds-chinese-model-at-2012-earth-summit/print/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.943984	1,364	1.53125	2
When a child has an asthma flare-up, the small airways in the lungs become irritated and swollen, making breathing difficult. Some asthma flare-ups are mild and others can be severe. It's very important to deal with any kind of asthma flare-up right away. Many kids have a special treatment plan for an asthma flare-up. If you know a child you're caring for has asthma, ask the parents if they have an asthma treatment plan (also called an "asthma action plan"). If they do, and the child has an asthma flare-up, follow the steps in the plan carefully. Possible signs of a mild asthma flare-up: - chest tightness Possible signs of a severe asthma flare-up: - trouble breathing even when sitting still - difficult speaking without pausing - feeling tired or drowsy - blueness around the lips - the areas below the child's ribs, between the ribs, and in the neck sink in with each breath If a child shows signs of a severe flare-up, call 911 immediately and then contact the child's parents. Help prevent asthma flare-ups by: - encouraging the child to avoid doing things that trigger flare-ups - keeping track of the child's asthma medicine schedule - keeping inhalers or other medicine where you can find them, just in case an attack happens Reviewed by: Kate M. Cronan, MD Date reviewed: April 2013	<urn:uuid:d80638a3-887c-4b6a-b90b-674dcf412880>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.childrenscolorado.org/wellness/info/teens/80628.aspx	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.935907	303	3	3
A sweeping new review of the medical research on zinc shows that sniffing, sneezing, coughing and stuffy-headed cold sufferers finally have a better option than just tissue and chicken soup. When taken within 24 hours of the first runny nose or sore throat, zinc lozenges, tablets or syrups can cut colds short by an average of a day or more and sharply reduce the severity of symptoms, according to the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, a respected medical clearinghouse. In some of the cited studies, the benefits of zinc were significant. A March 2008 report in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, for example, found that zinc lozenges cut the duration of colds to four days from seven days, and reduced coughing to two days from five. While the findings are certain to send droves of miserable cold sufferers to the drugstore in search of zinc treatments, the study authors offered no guidance on what type of zinc product to buy. The authors declined to make recommendations about the optimal dose, formulation or duration of zinc use, saying that more work was needed before they could make recommendations. “Over all, it appears that zinc does have an effect in controlling the common cold,” said Dr. Meenu Singh, the review’s lead author and a professor in the department of pediatrics at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India. “But there still needs to be consensus about the dose.” Zinc experts say that many over-the-counter zinc products may not be as effective as those studied by researchers because commercial lozenges and syrups often are made with different formulations of zinc and various flavors and binders that can alter the effectiveness of the treatment. “A lot of preparations have added so many things that they aren’t releasing zinc properly,” said Dr. Ananda Prasad, professor in the department of oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit and an early pioneer of research into zinc as an essential mineral. Two of Dr. Prasad’s studies were included in the Cochrane report. “The public is confused because people have used the wrong dose, they have used the wrong sort of zinc or they have not started the treatment within 24 hours of onset,” he said. Even so, the new report gives credence to the long-debated theory that zinc can be an effective treatment for colds. While it’s not certain how the mineral curbs colds, it appears to have antiviral properties that prevent the cold virus from replicating or attaching to nasal membranes. The first study to show that zinc might be a useful treatment for the common cold was published in 1984, but the research was criticized for its poor methods. Since that study, 18 more trials of zinc for colds have been conducted: 11 of them showed it to be a useful treatment, while seven of them showed no benefit, according to the review. Although a majority of trials have shown some benefit from zinc, many of them have been criticized for failing to “mask” the treatment, meaning the participants most likely knew they were using zinc, which may have skewed the results. At the same time, many of the trials that showed no benefit from zinc have been criticized for using formulations that may have contained ingredients that blunted the effectiveness of zinc. The Cochrane reviewers selected 15 studies that enrolled a combined 1,360 participants. The studies were all considered to have good methodological quality with a low risk of bias, but they were far from perfect. All the studies compared zinc use with a placebo, but in several studies the zinc users complained about the taste of lozenges, suggesting that some people may have known that they were using zinc rather than a placebo. Even so, when the data was pooled, the effect shown was strong. The review found that not only did zinc reduce the duration and severity of common cold symptoms, but regular zinc use also worked to prevent colds, leading to fewer school absences and less antibiotic use in children. People who used zinc were also far less likely to have a cold that lasted more than seven days. The studies used various forms and doses of zinc, including zinc gluconate or zinc acetate lozenges and zinc sulfate syrup, and the dose ranged from 30 to 160 milligrams a day. Several studies in the Cochrane review used zinc acetate lozenges from the Web site ColdCure.com, created by George Eby, the researcher who wrote the first zinc study in 1984. Dr. Prasad said his studies have used zinc acetate lozenges from ColdCure.com that contained about 13 milligrams of zinc. Study participants took a lozenge every three to four hours during the day for four consecutive days, resulting in a daily dose of 50 to 65 milligrams a day, he said. Some cold sufferers have been wary about using zinc since the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to stop using Zicam nasal sprays and swabs, which contain zinc, after numerous reports that some users lost their sense of smell after using the product. The Cochrane report did not review any studies of nasal zinc products.	<urn:uuid:0f365af0-a7d9-4c52-98d7-3de391bcd132>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/for-cold-virus-zinc-may-edge-out-even-chicken-soup/?ref=health	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.970176	1,092	2.6875	3
Damon Whitaker (right), a case manager, meets with a high school student Thursday. The Truancy Assessment and Resource Center consolidates truancy intervention resources into a one-stop location in San Francisco where students and their families can receive assistance from city agencies and departments, all working collaboratively. The program has led to lower rates of absenteeism, city and district officials reported Thursday. In the 2011-12 school year, 884 students were chronically absent, down from 1,340 the year before. "Success in school begins with being in school," Superintendent Richard Carranza said.	<urn:uuid:878cca2e-2fbe-4f2d-ae8c-26e30369902d>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Truancy-rate-drops-40-with-intervention-program-3829697.php	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.974978	119	1.929688	2
The Blue Hen Chicken has been the state bird of Delaware since 1939. This gorgeous chicken originally came from Kent County and was used in cockfights. It was during the Revolutionary War that soldiers from Kent County brought along chickens for amusement during their down time. The fierceness of the chickens became the namesake for the tough-fighting troops, and a symbol throughout Delaware. The Blue Hen Chicken isn't an actual breed. It's a random mutation that about half of baby chicks in that family have. This rooster is tall with black legs and big black tail. The chest is grey. The mantle is yellow changing to red at the top of the head, with a bright red comb. Note that cockfighting is now illegal in all of the US. This was a nasty sport where the birds would fight to the death, including adding metal claws to their feet. State Bird Listing	<urn:uuid:0c74eaa3-5269-44e6-8bc7-dd1efe54f86f>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.bellaonline.com/ArticlesP/art24222.asp	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.977151	182	3.21875	3
SOC 352M • Boundaries and Dilemmas--Honors-W 10:00 AM-11:00 AM This is a research and writing course designed to explore moral imperatives, violation of these imperatives, and perhaps most interestingly how we justify such violation. The standards are high. You will have to work hard and long. You will love it! We will find ourselves quickly enmeshed in how law and the legal system engage moral considerations. We will come face to face with religion's influence on law. Any discussion of law, morality and religion is incomplete without consideration of interest groups and attendant issues of equality. Interests and equality imply economic relations and power. Power implies coercion, control and conflict. These general topics will be anchored in an exploration of specific topics such as eugenics, abortion, capital punishment, doctor assisted suicide, and war. The first portion of the course will concentrate on quick overviews of specific questions. With these overviews in hand, you will be asked to break into three or four groups of five (plus or minus). Each group will choose a specific topic, such as physician assisted suicide, capital punishment, eugenics, or war. As a group you will be asked to develop a set of ideas consistent with the general framework developed in the early sessions of class. Individually, you will be asked to write a 16-20 page paper on the chosen topic. This paper will be handed in for initial grading and editorial comment. Your grade on the initial draft will constitute 40% of your final grade. The paper will be handed back to you for revision. You will be asked to hand in the revised version at the end of class. This final version of the paper will be graded and will also constitute 40% of your grade. The remaining 20% of your grade will come from class participation. In addition to in-class discussions and assignments, you will be asked to write amongst yourselves, via Discussion Board, about various assigned topics throughout the semester. Attendance is required. More than three unexcused absences will lower your grade one full point -- A to B, B to C etc. I know this is tough, but so am I.... Not to fear, I will make every effort to ensure classes are worth attending. Assigned readings and questions for written discussion, via Discussion Board, will be found on	<urn:uuid:e6c7d5c5-a3fe-4298-a563-53770a32bad8>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/sociology/courses/archive/27366	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.923533	486	1.882813	2
Benguet, the mother province of Baguio City serves at the gateway to North Luzon. It is landlocked by other provinces surrounding Cordillera mountains. Benguet is bestowed with rich natural resources and a temperate climate. Benguet is home to three major tribes, the Ibalois, the Kankana-eys and the Kalanguyas. Each tribe speak their own dialect but they share similar customs and traditions as Igorots. Today, a huge percentage of lowlanders also inhabit the province. Ilocano, English and Filipino languages are widely spoken for trade and commerce. Agriculture, mining and tourism are the major industries in Benguet. The temperate climate is suitable for certain crops, vegetables, and flowers making the province one of the major producers of vegetables, fruits and flowers in Luzon. Major produce include Baguio beans, chayote, broccoli, cabbage, potatoes, lettuce, carrots and strawberries. Other major industries include peanut brittle manufacturing, broom making and weaving. Strawberry Festival is a feast of strawberries held at the capital town La Trinidad every March. The festival features a parade participated by tribes from various provinces in the Cordillera region in their authentic native wear while they play unadulterated native music. The event also includes a trade fair in support of the One Town One Product program by the Department of Trade and Industry. Benguet currently holds the record for the Largest Strawberry Shortcake for the Guiness World Book of Records. The cake weighs 9.6 tons and feeds more or less 50,000 guests and residents. Adivay Festival is a celebration in June showcasing Benguet’s rich culture and resources. Adivay means “getting together to celebrate” in the local dialect. The event includes a grand parade of the beauty titlists in the province alongside the best products of each town in the province, a trade fair, and a celebration where cañao and native songs and dances are performed. Cañaois a ritual or offering practiced in Benguet. A cañao may be performed for healing with the use of water and prayers while a grand cañao is performed for entertainment, cultural shows, wedding ceremonies and festivities. For grand canao, pigs and other livestock are used as offerings and lavish food are prepared for guests. Places to Visit Bell Church is a Taoist temple run by monks and volunteer workers who adhere to the Tao principles. Located in La Trinidad, it is a great place to those wanting quiet introspection. People also come here to have their future and fortune read. BenCab Museum is located in Tuba, a 15-minute ride from Baguio City. It was founded by National Artist Ben Cabrera. The museum showcases Cabrera’s artworks and his collections of other artists’ masterpieces. Visitors may discover Cordillera’s past and tradition which were infused in the artworks. However, it’s not only the artworks that impresses but also the architecture of the edifice itself. There is a cafe right at the bottom floor of the museum. Strawberry Farm, also in La Trinidad is frequented by tourists being only 30 minutes away from Baguio. From November to May or when the fruits are in season, visitors can pick strawberries from the plantation and pay for it in lesser amount compared to its market price. Another attraction at La Trinidad is the Rose Garden and Cut Flowers where tourists can indulge in the scent and colours of variety of flowers. Benguet State University is the foremost university in the province. Tourists should not miss the Anthurium Garden, Orchidarium, Demonstration Farms and Food Processing Center where products made by the school staff and students are sold. Ambuklao Dam is located in Bokod. The water system itself offers a great view to passersby. Some travel tour organizers offer activities such as fishing and kayaking in the river. Kennon Road or Zigzag Road never fails to amuse tourists going to the highlands. The view of the long and intestine-like road can be enjoyed once in the higher parts of Kennon or Benguet. The Lion’s Head which is a famous landmark synonymous to Baguio City is located along Kennon Road. Halsema Highway may be considered one of the most dangerous highways in the world but it offers a scenic view of the mountains and vegetable terraces of Benguet when travelling to Bontoc or Sagada. The highest point on the Philippine Highway System is also found along the stretch. Mt. Pulag (or Mount Pulog) is the second highest mountain in the Philippines and Luzon’s highest peak at 2,922 meters above sea level. The climate at Mt. Pulag is temperate with rains predominating the whole year. Mt. Pulag is a home to various species of plants and a natural habitat to animals making it an ultimate destination not just to mountaineers and hikers but also to biologists. Other sites to visit: Benguet Provincial Museum, Opdas Burial Cave, Pedak Burial Cave, Palina and Naguey Rice Terraces, Tuba Hotspring, Tublay Hotspring, Bugias Hotspring, How to Get There Getting to Benguet is the same as getting to Baguio as Baguio-bound buses pass by a number of towns in Benguet. *Shorter version of the article published in the April – May 2012 Issue of Philippine Tourist Destinations	<urn:uuid:ed7aa605-406e-4907-89fe-61c1389f7f90>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.threesticksofwatusi.com/tag/la-trinidad/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.950389	1,152	2.5625	3
WWT Washington is springing into action this April, with fun and activities for all the family during Easter and beyond. Discover new life and nature blooming all around, including beautiful spring flowers, butterflies and amphibians, and baby chicks that have hatched from real-life Easter eggs at our specialist duckery. Take part in Easter craft activities in the Discovery Centre from 1-3pm every day during the school holidays – make a mini garden, colour a fan or design a coaster (small costs apply) – and join in the Easter Sunday rubber duck hunt around the grounds (Sunday 8 April, 11am-3pm, free with admission). Plus, bring your own hard-boiled egg to decorate and create a creature, with a prize for the craziest (every day, 1-3pm, £1), and go pond dipping in our NEW interactive Pondzone area (every day, 11am-noon and 1-2pm, free with admission). Seasonal wildlife highlights include the North’s largest nesting colony of grey herons, recently named one of the best in the UK by Countryfile magazine (http://www.countryfile.com/countryside/wildlife-watch-out-march). Spot them incubating and hatching eggs in the tree tops at Wader Lake and become a wildlife camera operator by zooming in on the action using the CCTV in Waterside Cafe! A record eight avocets are also on site, with two pairs nesting at the time of writing. Will they set another WWT Washington record by all successfully breeding and rearing chicks!? Get up close to all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures, with expert staff on hand to teach you more about them (no need to book, free with admission, visit http://www.wetheriggsanimalrescue.co.uk/ for details). Whatever the season, come rain or shine – WWT Washington is the perfect place to connect with nature. For more information, prices and opening times please visit www.wwt.org.uk/visit-us/washington, email firstname.lastname@example.org or call 0191 416 5454. Follow us on Twitter @WWTWashington and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wwtwashington.	<urn:uuid:609c0c94-3fdc-4176-8130-1a30786739b1>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.wwt.org.uk/news/all-news/2012/03/news/news-washington/easter-fun-and-animal-antics-this-april/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00075-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.907107	477	1.617188	2
To Fly. To Serve. To Do The Absolute Minimum "To Fly. To Serve." The ad I saw described the change this way: "It's not a slogan. It's a promise." Well… let's be fair. It's actually both. And what makes this such a very poor slogan is precisely the minimalism of its promise. I mean, what does an airline absolutely have to do to be an airline? It has to fly customers. That's really it. It has to fly. It has to serve. If it doesn't do those things, it's not an airline. So it's no coincidence that every single airline in the history of the world has, at a bare minimum, flown. And served. "So what?" you might ask. "It's true, isn't it? They fly and they serve. Just telling it like it is." Yes, it is true, and alongside something like Fox's "Fair and Balanced," truth is much to be admired. There's also something to be said for under-promising and over-delivering. But a slogan, ideally, should do at least two things: (1) promise something more than the minimum customers already assume; and (2) promise something that distinguishes you from your competitors. Being memorable is also nice, so let's make memorable a #3. Back in my Jersey days, I used to come across a radio news station called Ten-Ten WINS (1010 on the AM dial). Their slogan was, "You give us 22 minutes, we'll give you the world." That's a good slogan! Big promise, distinguishes you from the competition, and memorable. The British Airways equivalent would be, "Ten-Ten WINS… we tell you news." So I hope it's now clear that AT&T, for example, shouldn't use a slogan like, "We let you talk on the phone." McDonald's should steer clear of, "We serve people hamburgers." The New York Times would probably be ill-served by, "We print news" (actually, "All the news that's fit to print" is a nice slogan -- big promise, distinguishing, and memorable, too. Not terribly accurate, IMO, but accuracy is a lot to ask of a corporation, and anyway I expect the Times' management believes it's true). Now, none of this is terribly important, but the principles I discuss here are so fundamental and so obvious that sometimes I'm quietly in awe of not just at what these giant companies come up with, but also at the thought of what they must have invested in the exercise. How many employees and outside consultants, how many millions of dollars went into coming up with such a patently bad corporate slogan? I assume these companies understand how important branding is and how crucial a slogan can be to any branding effort. I assume that when they work to come up with a new corporate slogan, they bring their A game and their A dollars. And this is the best they can do? I'm not sure if this qualifies as good news for British Airways, but they're hardly alone. Delta once thought it would be useful to promise customers, "Delta gets you there." In fact, one handy way of knowing if a corporate slogan is terrible is to ask of it, "Is anything else even possible? Delta leaves you stranded on the tarmac? Delta goes down in the ocean? Delta doesn't get you there?" And look at MSNBC: "Lean Forward." Come on, what happens when you're leaning forward (or in any other direction)? Well, the first thing that happens is, you're not moving. You might even be in danger of falling, if you lean too far. So MSNBC paid millions of dollars to a bunch of branding consultants, who then came up with the equivalent of, "MSNBC. We're not going anywhere. And we might even fall down." I think even MSNBC knows how weak this is, because, like those restroom electric hand dryers that come with their own propaganda ("This slow and noisy hand dryer is saving lots of paper!"), MSNBC wants you to know that, "To Lean Forward is to think bigger, listen closer, fight smarter, and act faster. To celebrate the best ideas no matter where they come from. To dare to dream of a nation that's better tomorrow than it is today." Well, maybe that's what Lean Forward means to MSNBC, the executives of which have had lots of time and substantial motivation to convince themselves. But I think most people who come across the slogan will just imagine MSNBC leaning there, immobilized. And who even really cares in which direction you're leaning? I guess forward is minimally better than backward, because the latter is more tiring and more likely to make you lose your balance, but really, MSNBC… your identify, your value to your customers, it's all built on the fact that you lean? Hey British Airways and MSNBC, if you're reading this: I know my shit and I work cheap (that's a promise, and also a slogan). Call me. And if anyone has examples of other particularly good or particularly bad corporate slogans, I'd be curious. Post 'em here -- thanks. P.S. Forgot to mention earlier, for anyone interested in the question of why many authors fear a future Amazon publishing monopoly but are sanguine about the existing New York publishing monopoly, here's a guest post I did with novelist and blogger J.A. Konrath, The Bogeyman and The Axe Murderer.	<urn:uuid:54ee4253-8377-476f-8929-fad5f4882486>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://barryeisler.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.967286	1,147	1.78125	2
On, Monday, May 6th, during an interview on CNBC, Warren Buffett, the venerated Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and famous investor, called the fixed income or bond asset class a "…terrible investment right now". Obviously, it is important to listen closely to what Mr. Buffett has to say given his investment track record. However, it is also important to take several other factors into consideration as well, such as: 1.) Mr. Buffett is in a different financial position than probably 99% of us and, therefore, can afford to take a different amount of risk. This is also likely true for most of the people who earn a living by making financial predictions. 2.) As The Wall Street Journal wrote on Sunday, bond bears were making the same calls in the beginning of 2010, 2011, and 2012; those predictions led to lower yields (e.g., higher bond prices and thus higher bond returns) as the year went on. If the keep predicting this every year I guess eventually they will get it right. 3.) While bonds may be a "terrible investment right now,” according to Mr. Buffett, that shouldn't mean that if you currently own bonds you should get rid of them at this time because, when the stock market pulls back, and it will, you will be glad you owned bonds. 4.) A "terrible" market for bonds is much better than a "terrible" market for stocks. One of the worst bond markets occurred in 1994 when the Federal Reserve raised the funds rate from 3.00% in January 1994 to 6.00% in 1995 in quarter percentage rate increments and the bond "market" as measured by the Barclays Aggregate index lost 2.9% where the stock market, as measured by the S&P500, gained 1% in 1994 but lost 9% in 2000, 12% in 2001, 22% in 2002 and 37% in 2008 (Sources: http://www.bonddeskgroup.com/main/market-data/historical-returns/bond-vs-equity-returns , http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/04/is-it-1994-again/ ) 5.) All of Mr. Buffett's investments and predictions, as well as those of most financial market predictors, have not always been correct or made money. In 2009 his company lost 62% due to their investment portfolio (Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500395_162-4835570.html ) 6.) In our opinion instead of trying to guess what the financial markets are going to do, which we cannot control, it is more important to look at your investment portfolio with respect to your goals and the amount of risk you are willing to take and to not to have all your "eggs" in too few baskets. This is what we help our clients do. *Please note that it is not possible to invest directly into an index.	<urn:uuid:ac1849f6-e413-447a-b528-b033e7daaee7>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.annarborfinancialplanner.com/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.967091	619	1.90625	2
American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine Thursday, October 06, 2011 A study in the journal Sleep and Breathing found that the majority of surveyed anesthesiologists lacked knowledge of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Serious and life-threatening complications may occur in patients with OSA and unrecognized OSA during medical procedures. Anesthetists should be able to identify OSA patients and feel confident in their ability to deal with a difficult airway. The Obstructive Sleep Apnea Knowledge and Attitude Questionaire (OSAKA) was translated into Chinese and distributed to 321 anesthesiologists from Shandong Province. The questionnaire contained 18 knowledge items and five attitude items. The mean total knowledge score was 11, with the scores ranging from 2 to 17. The total correct score ratio was 62 percent. Knowledge level corresponded with the participants' job titles and attitude scores. Age, sex, education, and hospital level did not affect the scores. The survey found that when managing OSA patients, the positive attitude score was mostly below 50 percent. “Attitude” assessed the importance of the disease as a clinical disorder. It also evaluated the importance for anesthesiologists identifying OSA patients before anesthesia. Lastly, it examined the self-confidence of anesthesiologists in the management of OSA patients. With a score below 50 percent, their confidence could use a boost. The researchers suggested that it is necessary to develop OSA training programs on OSA for Chinese anesthesiologists. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) recommended the guidelines for difficult airway management 20 years ago, and they were revised in 2003. In addition, ASA published the guidelines for screening surgical patients with OSA preoperatively and managing OSA perioperatively in 2006.	<urn:uuid:4d322ad1-9168-4401-9e25-f6d6b1f6b8a5>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.aadsm.org/articles.aspx?id=2631	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.935168	372	2.828125	3
In the late 1850s and 1860s Studley Park in Kew was a popular picnic spot for the people of Melbourne and a site depicted by numerous artists. Studley Park at sunrise is one of Nicholas Chevalier’s few paintings from the early 1860s that depicts a local scene. Arriving in Australia at the end of 1854, the Russian-born artist had experience working in commercial lithography and spent his first six years in Australia as a cartoonist for the Melbourne Punch. From the early 1860s Chevalier travelled throughout south-east Australia and New Zealand in search of dramatic mountain ranges and seascapes for his subject matter. In Studley Park at sunriseChevalier shows the Yarra River flanked by tall trees and open bushland stretching through the composition. He was interested in conveying the awe-inspiring beauty of the landscape and the atmospheric effects of nature, such as the morning light and the glistening surface of the water. Choosing to paint the scene at sunrise gave Chevalier an opportunity to explore these artistic concerns and to depict the activity on the river.1 A group of children are shown gathered on the river bank; a young boy skimming rocks across the glassy water’s surface. Hodgson’s Punt is also depicted crossing the river. This punt connected the suburbs of Collingwood and Kew. John Hodgson was a Melbourne public servant whose 1860 house gave its name to Studley Park.2 1 The work has a ‘companion painting’ in The survey paddock at sunset 1861. This work is held in the National Collection. 2 Tim Bonyhady, Australian colonial paintings in the Australian National Gallery, Canberra: Australian National Gallery, 1986, p. 36.	<urn:uuid:341d7064-d34a-4a1d-a378-6546c65686b3>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.nga.gov.au/Exhibition/OceantoOutback/Detail.cfm?IRN=88185&BioArtistIRN=21318&MnuID=3	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00029-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.962938	361	2.921875	3
Lihat Kenyataan Akhbar > Kenyataan Akhbar Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia \|Tajuk\|\|In reference to the proposed 1Care for 1Malaysia\| KETUA PENGARAH KESIHATAN MALAYSIA In reference to the proposed 1Care for 1Malaysia The Ministry of Health (MOH) understands that it must endeavour to continually improve its services to the Rakyat, as Malaysia moves towards the status of a developed nation. Malaysian health scenario is faced with many challenges in recent years. The increase in the proportion of the elderly, the number of people suffering from diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and other chronic diseases, rising healthcare cost and rising public expectation on health services have added more stress to our healthcare system. In an effort to develop a better health delivery system for Malaysia, we have over the last few years studied various healthcare models from different countries and consulted with various local and international experts on the way forward. We need to relook at improving the current delivery model in order to better serve all Malaysians. Thus the idea for the proposed 1Care for 1Malaysia was born with the vision to give all Malaysians comprehensive health coverage, as well as high quality care. Simply put, what we desires the following for Malaysians: 1. That everyone, regardless of poor or rich, will not only have better access but will have more choice for high quality healthcare. It will give the public a choice between going to a public or private clinic and hospital. 2. Malaysians will be able to choose their own family doctor and will be able to change if need be. The chosen family doctor will know the patient and family’s personally, understanding their medical problems and helping advise them on how to stay as healthy as possible. So even if one is not ill, the family doctor that has been selected by them, will still monitor and advise them and provide the appropriate timely screening to detect any potential health problems early. 3. There is no need to worry about payment at the point of receiving treatment or services that one is entitled to as the cost of healthcare will be paid by a central government agency that pools contribution from the government, employer, employee and those self-employed. 4. The government will continue to contribute towards the health care cost for the poor 5. As such, in the proposed 1Care model, one is assured not to fall into sudden poverty as a result of paying for healthcare services. With the above backdrop in mind, the MOH has subsequently drafted a concept paper and formed 11 key technical groups and committees to come up with suggestions on how it can make the proposed 1Care more relevant to Malaysian context. MOH is also conducting several research studies to gather further information needed to support the work on the proposal. Currently the MOH is still at a drafting stage on the design of the blueprint for 1Care and foresees that this may take some time before it can even be able to proceed to the next stage of implement plan. During the planning and discussion stage of the proposed 1Care, it is still incumbent upon the MOH to continue to provide better healthcare to the people in its public facilities. As such, the MOH has embarked on incremental transformation of our public health services, especially in improving access to health services. These include areas such as: decreasing waiting time at our health facilities; extending the service hours of our clinics; home delivery of medication to patients with chronic illnesses; decongesting our hospitals through creation of setellite clinics and low risk centres and others. Another area that the MOH has also focused on is the issue of how any transformation or reform model can be sustainable from a financial perspective. The reality in today’s environment is that healthcare costs will continue to spiral upwards. As such, the MOH is taking pro-active steps to ensure that the nation and its citizens are taken care of without being unduly burdened by rising costs. Thus, discussions and consultations on the types of financial arrangement and implications to the government, taxpayer and individuals are taking place to propose an acceptable healthcare financing model. Thus any assumptions or conjecture on the mode of financial impact for the individual tax payer is very premature at this stage, as discussions are being held at the moment to ensure that a positive and workable model will not burden government, the tax payer and individuals. The MOH is also aware that observations and assumptions have already been made by various groups and individuals regarding the proposed 1Care Concept. The MOH is hopeful that these groups and individuals will continue to engage with the MOH through face-to-face briefings to seek better understanding and clarification of the proposed concept. DATO’ SRI DR. HASAN BIN ABDUL RAHMAN KETUA PENGARAH KESIHATAN MALAYSIA Date: 3 February 2012	<urn:uuid:e335ed87-347a-45fd-b3a4-cb06e4c8bdb6>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.moh.gov.my/press_releases/262	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.956147	1,019	1.664063	2
You are hereHome > January 3 – A report released today spotlights a common practice where corporations that commit wrongdoing and agree to financial settlements with the federal government, go on to claim such settlement payments as tax-deductible business expenses. The new study, released by the Colorado Public Interest Research Group (CoPIRG), follows a record year of corporate settlements, while many more settlements relating to banking, environmental, and consumer safety issues are expected. “When corporations treat the financial payments they must make as a result of their wrongdoing as ordinary costs of doing business, they force taxpayers to pick up the tab,” said Lisa Ritland, CoPIRG Field Director. “While debate rages over how to address our deficit, we can ill-afford to subsidize the misdeeds of corporations like BP and UBS.” The study, entitled, “Subsidizing Bad Behavior: How Corporate Settlements for Harming the Public Become Lucrative Tax Write Offs, with Recommendations for Reform,” shows that federal law is supposed to forbid corporations from deducting the cost of fines and penalties, including when corporations agree to pay these punitive measures as part of a negotiated settlement. However, unless explicitly told otherwise, corporate wrongdoers utilize ambiguities in the tax law to avoid paying a significant portion of such payments. For instance, the $1.5 billion settlement that UBS agreed to last month could burden taxpayers with up to $245 million in tax subsidies. “That’s quite a hidden bank fee,” Ritland added. The report offers several recommendations for the federal government in order to better protect taxpayers from having to pay for portions of corporate settlements. CoPIRG suggests that: - Agencies should be instructed to publicize the expected after-tax amounts of settlements, which would more accurately report the net penalty that will be paid by the corporation. This is a matter of truth in advertising. - The President should instruct federal regulatory bodies to assume full responsibility for determining the extent to which settlement payments are punitive and therefore nondeductible. - When companies treat public harm as an acceptable business risk, agencies should forbid tax deductibility of settlement payments. - Following the recommendations of the past three administrations, Congress should prohibit the tax deduction of punitive settlement payments to private parties. “The tax treatment of settlements has a very real impact on peoples’ lives. Every dollar that doesn’t get paid to the Treasury means another dollar in debt, cutbacks, or higher taxes that the rest of us must bear,” said Ritland. # # # CoPIRG, Colorado Public Interest Research Group, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public interest advocacy organization. Tools & Resources The CUT Loopholes Act would put an end to the price and profit shifting that allows publicly traded companies to engage in pervasive tax avoidance. Join our network and stay up to date on our campaigns, get important consumer updates and take action on critical issues. Your donation supports CoPIRG's work to stand up for consumers on the issues that matter, especially when powerful interests are blocking progress.	<urn:uuid:010379c2-41f5-4861-a35b-a4d9a9404159>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.copirg.org/news/cop/report-exposes-how-taxpayers-bear-cost-corporate-settlements	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00071-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.949701	656	1.796875	2
Allowing Them to Break Laws In the editorial “No Discriminatory Driver’s Licenses” (March 1), you stated that you disagreed with the plan to issue special driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. Webster’s dictionary definition of illegal is “prohibited by law; one who enters the country illegally.” I am not taking up for these people, but when some people make and sell illegal alcohol or illegal drugs and are caught doing so, they will be arrested, charged, tried in court and punished for doing something illegal, which is prohibited by law. My question is for anyone who can give me an answer. Why can people enter this country illegally, work and earn income using false identification that is prohibited by our laws, and when they are caught they still remain in this country? They even go so far as to go to Raleigh to protest in front of TV cameras admitting that they are here illegally, demanding that our laws be changed to allow them to remain in this state instead of being deported. Why are they not being arrested and deported for entering this country illegally instead of allowing them to remain here, receiving certain privileges such as driver’s licenses? The people who are being discriminated against are those who are legally in this country, who do something illegal and are punished for it, while we allow illegal immigrants to break our laws and remain in this country. More like this story	<urn:uuid:fc69efbe-5972-4387-9fec-329237373d49>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.thepilot.com/news/2013/mar/15/allowing-them-break-laws/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00069-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.968896	297	2	2
The Japan tsunami inevitably raises profound questions about God and evil. But in this discussion, it is important to realize every worldview, not just Christianity, must explain evil. Christians are often on the defense with regards to this objection, yet the tables can be turned on the atheist, with his naturalistic worldview in tow. Given naturalism, what is evil and how does the atheist make sense of it? Famous British philosopher and atheist Bertrand Russell once commented, "No one can believe in a good God if they've sat at the bedside of a dying child." Now, I agree that sitting at the bedside of a dying child is a heart-wrenching situation not to be treated simplistically or in a cavalier manner. Providing pat answers and quoting Romans 8:28 over and over will not suffice. But what of Russell's response? What can the atheist say to the dying child? Or to the Japanese parents whose child disappeared in the flood waters? - "In the grand scheme of the universe your suffering is utterly meaningless--life and all that comes with it has no transcendent meaning or value." - "Your suffering is completely pointless since there is no purpose to any of this anyway." - "Fortunately, you will soon die and return to dust." - "Take heart, you will soon pop out of existence forever and your suffering will be over." - "Stuff like tsunamis just happen." Or let's try the actual words of Russell: - "Brief and powerless is Man's life; on him and all his race the slow, sure dooms falls pitiless and dark." - "Blind to good and evil...omnipotent matter rolls on its relentless way." - "...no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave..." - "...all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system..." - "Man's achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins..." Hmmm...not too comforting in the face of real tragedy & sorrow. Not only does atheism lack the intellectual resources to account for evil, it also lacks the emotional/psychological resources to bring hope and redemption to a world corrupted by both moral and natural evil. Russell's own words certainly clarify the absurdity of life without God. Make no mistake, the problem of evil is not just a problem for Christianity--it is a problem for all worldviews because evil is fundamental to our human experience. If any worldview is to be considered plausible it must provide us with the intellectual and existential resources to deal with this issue.	<urn:uuid:f740df96-c645-4fa3-a122-76bdb6802ae8>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://str.typepad.com/weblog/2011/03/the-problem-of-evil-is-everyones-problem.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.919879	566	1.734375	2
New Zealand was once a country abundant with rare and often unique wildlife including kiwis, keas, kakapo and Hector’s dolphins. Its rich forests and remote land protected by the Southern Ocean enabled the animals to live an undisturbed life free from the threat of mammalian predators. But a thousand years ago their lives were turned upside down. Since humans have inhabited New Zealand they’ve gradually destroyed the animals’ habitats and introduced predators: stoats, ferrets, rats, cats, possums and dogs. Today many of the country’s iconic creatures are critically endangered and are totally reliant on the help of humans to haul them back from them brink of extinction. NZ: Sanctuary Keepers travels through the beautiful countryside of New Zealand to find the amazing people who are dedicating their lives to protecting the wildlife and are desperately trying to increase population numbers. The compelling journey begins in the middle of the South Island, on a high country sheep station situated among the Southern Alps near Arthur’s Pass. Here we meet the ecologist and farmer, Dr Gerry McSweeney who created quite a stir among locals when he fenced half of his farm off to provide a safe haven for native plants and the mountain-dwelling kea. The kea is the only parrot to live above the snowline and in recent tests earned itself the title of the world’s cleverest animal. Hunting and farming which causes diminishing native plants have meant Kea numbers have plummeted over the last 100 years, so Gerry’s sanctuary is enabling the plants to rejuvenate and provide a home for the parrots to breed and live their lives in safety. Next stop is the Urewera National Park in the North Island. The park was once a paradise of native bush which teemed with New Zealand’s iconic bird, the kiwi. In 1995, when its numbers had plummeted to an alarming level, scientist Dr John McLennon established the predator control programme, aimed at wiping out stoats from the Park to give Kiwis a better chance of survival. Seven years on, there are many more kiwis in the area and John believes this increase is largely due to an electrically-charged fenced area that enables kiwi chicks to reach adulthood free from the dangers of their public enemy number one: stoats. However, it’s predicted that kiwis will eventually become extinct outside these sanctuaries. From the depths of the forests to the depths of the Pacific Ocean, we then head back to the South Island to Banks Peninsula. This area is home to the world’s rarest and smallest species of dolphin: Hector’s dolphin. These miniature dolphins face increasing risk of being caught in fishing nets and there are now only 200 of the creatures in this sanctuary. Their playful and friendly nature attracts plenty of attention from tourists passing through the town of Akaroa. While tourists immerse themselves into the harbour waters to frolic with the animals, Sam Du Fresne carries out observational research to track the dolphins’ movements and look for signs of stress. Sam’s programme was established in 1988 and aims to help humans and Hector’s dolphins live alongside each other and ensure the thriving tourist industry poses no harm or stress to the creatures. Travelling further down the coast, we meet Oamaru’s yellow-eyed penguins and their dedicated followers, Jim Caldwell who has monitored the birds every day for 22 years and Janice Jones who runs a penguin sanctuary to nurse sick or injured birds. These penguins face extreme danger from ferrets and local dogs, especially when they remain on land to moult each year. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Janice, this is one of the most successful breeding colonies in the country. The final destination for the journey is Codfish Island, a small island off the south coast of the South Island. Here we follow the work of scientist Jo Joyce who dedicates her time to monitoring and protecting the critically endangered, nocturnal, flightless parrot, the kakapo. Jo and her committed team of volunteers spend their nights in the forest with the kakapo during breeding season to monitor their movements and protect the nests when the adult birds go off to feed. The team’s dedication has meant there were a record 23 chicks born last season and this number is set to rise in the future. NZ Sanctuary Keepers is a fascinating story that not only explores the challenges facing the country’s precious wildlife, it also looks at the hard, hard work of a group of people helping to prolong the future of these animals. Although the activities of humans have led the wildlife into this dire situation, the paradox is that the animals are now solely reliant on our help to prevent them from being totally wiped out.	<urn:uuid:1d004102-8984-44f9-8f48-81395553e31a>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.offthefence.com/detail/nz-sanctuary-keepers/1093398/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.944543	999	2.6875	3
Boori Monty Pryor and Jan Ormerod Boori Monty Pryor was born in North Queensland. His father is from the Birrigubba of the Bowen region and his mother from Yarrabah (near Cairns), a descendant of the Kungganji and Kukuimudji. Boori has worked in film, television, modelling, sport, music and theatre-in-education. He has written several award-winning books with Meme McDonald including Maybe Tomorrow, My Girragundji, The Binna Binna Man and Njunjul the Sun. His stories are about finding strength within to deal with the challenges without, and his skill is to create positive visions of the future for both Indigenous and white people. Jan Ormerod grew up in Western Australia, and as a child she was constantly drawing. After becoming a mother, Jan turned to children's book illustration. Her first book, Sunshine, won awards around the world. She has since had over 50 books published, including Moonlight, Lizzie Nonsense and Water Witcher. Published: October 2010 A unique picture book collaboration about having fun, sharing culture and the power of story and dance. A picture book to get the whole town dancing.	<urn:uuid:e51849fd-e9b2-45a1-9fbf-a0fe2ca231b6>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=312&author=903	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.979748	256	1.640625	2
Michael Cerveris, Christopher Shinn, Elisabeth Vincentelli Hedda Gabler was first published in 1890 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and since then has become a mainstay of Broadway, with a long list of accomplished actors taking turns playing the iconic role of Hedda, including, but not limited to, Eleanora Duse, Eva Le Gallienne, Anne Meacham, Ingrid Bergman, Jill Bennett, Janet Suzman, Kate Burton, Kate Mulgrew, Annette Bening, Judy Davis, Cate Blanchett, and now Mary Louise Parker in playwright Christopher Shinn’s latest adaption on Broadway. The role of Hedda Gabler, ”often regarded as the female Hamlet” has been widely described as a difficult role to play, and has been interpreted in multitude of ways, with Hedda alternately being portrayed as a villain, a heroine, a feminist, or a victim. New York magazine provocatively headlined a recent article on Shinn’s production, “The Curse of Hedda Gabler: Mary-Louise Parker is the latest to tackle the iconic role. Has she, finally, gotten it right?” They continued: “They all want to play Hedda, the female stars of stage and screen unjustly deprived of characters in the canon with real stature—despite the fact that she is a borderline psycho who resists our sympathy, and that Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler is an obstacle course over a minefield: creaky, exposition-laden, rife with the potential for unintentional laughs, bound by conventions of drawing-room realism.” BroadwayWorld.com concluded, “It is a masterful performance in every way and is met point-for-point by Ms. Parker. When these two actors [Ms. Parker and Michael Cerveris] are together on stage, the electricity is almost palpable.” Critics and reviewers of Shinn’s Hedda have been wringing their hands and twisting their words in an attempt to offer some sort of edible guidance for their readers who are expecting such. Doing you one better, on March 2, 92YTribeca will host Tony-Award-winning actor Michael Cerveris, who plays Jorgen Tesman, the husband of Hedda, Obie-Award-winning playwright Christopher Shinn and the New York Post’s new chief theater critic, Elisabeth Vincentelli, to discuss the latest adaption of this play, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the production and creative process involved.	<urn:uuid:17d84dae-c03c-4997-9d8c-9302cdf30042>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://blog.92y.org/index.php/weblog/2360	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.93728	558	1.507813	2
A teenager purportedly working with the hacker group Anonymous said in an online statement that he took the site down because the Northside school district "is stripping away the privacy of students in your school." The teen, who identified himself in an email as being 16 years old, said he hacked into the website Saturday, and it was not working Sunday. District spokesman Pascual Gonzalez said he has not yet been able to confirm that it was hacked. Starting this fall, all students at John Jay High School and Anson Jones Middle School are required to carry identification cards embedded with a microchip. They are tracked by the dozens of electronic readers installed in the schools' ceiling panels. Northside has been testing a "radio frequency identification" tracking system for the two schools to increase attendance in order to secure more state funding, officials have said. The program, which kicked off at the beginning of this school year, eventually could be used at all of Northside's 112 campuses, officials have said. The district is the fourth largest in Texas with more than 97,000 students. The hacked website isn't the first controversy over the program. One John Jay student refused to wear the device, citing religious reasons, and then Anonymous is a collection of Internet enthusiasts, pranksters and activists whose targets have included financial institutions such as Visa and MasterCard, the Church of Scientology and law enforcement agencies.	<urn:uuid:d6f50cad-5790-4d7d-9353-2134b3481038>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/education/ci_22063988/schools-tracking-devices-cause-controversy	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00038-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.974666	281	1.632813	2
Be a leader Orison Swett Marden once said, “Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them.” This quote means that in life there are people who go out and “do” and others that wait for something special to happen. People who wait for something to happen are usually lazy and do not get anywhere, but those special people who go out and take initiative are the ones who become successful and make use of their life. These words show me that if I avoid following my friends guidance and just go out be my own leader I could possibly be successful in life. High School has been pretty short and I believe I have been wasting my time and resources but I did make a few accomplishments. I have not fulfilled all of my expectations but I am getting closer and closer to them. A success I had is I got into sophomore year without having any freshmen classes, but what I am not satisfied with is the way I have been wasting my time in school when I should take it more seriously. School has been bad for me because of my grades. For spring cleaning I would like to mentally restart my high school career and get on track. I would also love to stop slacking off and begin to put full effort into everything I do and accomplish in life. My life and my goals are similar to Orison Swett Marden’s famous quote. Right now I am like the weak man who waits for an opportunity to become great but I hope to reach my goal and become the strong man in life who goes out into the world and create his own opportunities to become successful.	<urn:uuid:c8d41526-756c-4b56-a710-c4e09f66c3ff>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://youthvoices.net/discussion/be-leader	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00065-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.982273	345	2.046875	2
Pediatricians across North Jersey are trying to create "medical homes" with longer hours and better doctor access. As part of that concept, Chestnut Ridge also has emergency sick visits on Sundays, as well as a doctor-staffed 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. call-in hour before the office opens for visits at 8:30. There are various ways to better serve patients. Valley Pediatrics offers walk-in sick visits from 8 to 9 a.m. at its Ho-Ho-Kus location. Milestones Pediatrics in Franklin Lakes is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, instead of the typical noon closing at many other practices. It all creates a continuity of care that should equate to a higher quality of care. "Their records are here, so their medical history is here," says Baker, who grew up in Saddle River and is usually the late-night doctor at Riverside. "They are seeing a doctor they know, and they don't have to wait in an emergency room." Allergies aren't missed, viruses aren't caught, children aren't forced to sit uncomfortably for hours and endure the often traumatic scenes in an emergency room. Nobody should expect every area pediatrician to start staying up 'til midnight and working holidays, but parents are likely to start seeing more options and better access. "Pediatricians talk about this a lot at AAP chapter meetings and national meetings," says Basco. "At the same time, they may not do it until there are incentives that make it at least budget-neutral. … If you're in a highly competitive market, like New Jersey, you might do it … because the practice across town is doing it."	<urn:uuid:4f7e4df8-2c54-44a0-a766-ff66913bd6bf>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.northjersey.com/news/179054501_Pediatricians_across_North_Jersey_are_trying_to_create__medical_homes__with_longer_hours_and_better_doctor_access_.html?c=y&page=2	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.973408	356	1.625	2
Eager for a debate they believe will highlight rising gas prices on President Obama’s watch, Senate Republicans on Monday gave the green light to debating Democrats’ plan to end tax subsidies for oil and gas companies. The move was unexpected. Democrats thought the GOP would block the measure outright — and Republicans said they can still do that later. But for now, they said the chance to talk about gas prices was too good. “Frankly, I can’t think of a better way to illustrate how completely out of touch they are on this issue,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republicans’ floor leader. It’s the first major debate on oil this year, and it comes as prices consumers are paying at the pump have leapt in recent weeks, with the national average price rising 23 cents in the past month, according to GasBuddy.com. Democrats, who control the Senate, want to eliminate the average $2.4 billion a year in tax benefits that will be paid to the top oil companies for the next decade. “As we all pay more at the pump, Big Oil rakes in more money,” said Sen. Robert Menendez, New Jersey Democrat and sponsor of the legislation. Monday’s 92-4 vote was only to begin consideration of the bill. Republicans said they still have time to defeat it later in the process. And of the four opposing votes, three were Democrats — signaling at least some opposition within their party’s own ranks to trying to strip the tax benefits from oil companies. Across the Capitol, meanwhile, Republicans who control the House were struggling to find the same kind of unanimity as they try to head off the impending halt of all federally sponsored highway building, which is looming at the end of this week. House Republicans are trying to pass a 90-day stopgap extension of road-building authority, but Democrats balked, saying the chamber should instead pass a bipartisan Senate version of the bill that gives the program two full years’ authority and siphons money from the treasury to keep up with construction plans. The GOP had scheduled a vote on its short-term bill for Monday night but pulled it from the schedule after Democrats made clear they wouldn’t go along. “We are in the midst of bipartisan conversations about a short-term extension of the highway bill,” said Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Speaker John A. Boehner. “To facilitate those conversations, the House vote on an extension will occur later this week rather than tonight.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said last week he was “not inclined” to accept a short-term bill. But on Monday he said he would be open to that as long as Republicans agreed to a path to consider the Senate’s bill in the near future. “The American people will know who to blame if chaos in the House Republican caucus costs us almost 3 million jobs,” he said. He and his fellow Democrats also said they’ll push for votes on two small business tax-cut provisions Mr. Obama called for in his budget.View Entire Story © Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission. Stephen Dinan can be reached at email@example.com. Sean Lengell covers Congress and national politics and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. By Jay Sekulow The left's outrage over the IRS turns to a plea to 'move on' Independent voices from the TWT Communities This column will cover anything that has anything remotely to do with the game of baseball, from the game itself to mid-summer trades to offseason moves. The cold hard truth about politics in America today and the state of this once great nation. Uncensored exploration of issues concerning current events, civil liberties, American political advocacy, and the political and social issues facing military veterans. A mother of three and a passionate conservative, Shirley Husar changes the game. World's Ugliest Dog Contest Spelling Bee finale Marines train Afghan soldiers Rolling Thunder 2013 Benghazi: The anatomy of a scandal	<urn:uuid:67318028-6205-4686-b2aa-07f41d2040ed>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/mar/26/senate-gop-sets-stage-for-energy-debate/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.954876	879	1.523438	2
Oklahoma is sometimes called the Sooner State. The Sooners are the people who cheated and crossed the starting line for the Land Rush of 1889 before the cannon was fired. The Boomers were the people who followed the rules. All are 89'ers. "Ask FunTrivia" is for entertainment purposes only, and answers offered are unverified and unchecked by FunTrivia. We cannot guarantee the accuracy or veracity of ANY statement posted. Feel free to post an updated if you feel that an answer is inadequate or incorrect. Please thoroughly research items where accuracy is important to you using multiple reliable sources. By accessing our website, you agree to be bound by our terms of service.	<urn:uuid:20b593a2-cb4a-451e-8183-445114e32649>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question15199.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.959469	144	1.828125	2
The bachelor of medicine, the bachelor of surgery, member of Royal board of doctors of the general practice, member of Royal board of psychiatrists, London Campaign for struggle against depression recommends to doctors of the general practice holistic the approach to treatment of this disease: the benevolent relation to the patient in a combination to various variants of psychotherapy, both orthodox, and additional. The special attention at a prescription of medicines should be turned on alarm, mood change, phobic and panic symptoms. It is useful to remind signs of depression (tab. 1). Their knowledge helps to diagnose, define gravity of depression and to estimate risk of a suicide. As to medicinal therapy diagnosing of the deployed episode of depression means, that 70-80 % of such patients with success will receive medical treatment modern antidepressants, rather safe even at an overdosage. The most widespread antidepressants. They share on four basic groups: tricyclic the antidepressants new tricyclic and related antidepressants; selective antidepressants and monoaminoxidase inhibitors (OIMAO), including new reversible inhibitors of a monoaminoxidase (OIMAO). Table 1. Diagnostic criteria of affective disorders - Five of reducible below conditions Should take place at least - Depressive mood within more than two weeks - Loss of interest to any activity - Bad appetite or weight loss - The Sleeplessness or the hypersomnia - Psychomotor excitation or inhibition - Loss of sexual inclination - Weariness or energy loss - The Lowered ability to concentration - Constantly coming back thoughts on death/suicide, desire to die or suicidal attempt This year to the list from 31 most widespread antidepressants has increased two new groups. Both of them belong to new, selective type, but influence various receptors – actually the group of selective antidepressants is sectioned into four subgroups. The term “selective” is key in understanding of this new group of antidepressants. They possess very high affinity or to noradrenaline (NA), or to serotonin (S) synaptic to receptors and very low – to other receptors, such as acetylcholine, influence on which causes most often observable by-effects in the patients accepting tricyclic antidepressants. At described below depressive disorders following groups of antidepressants are applied. Serotonin antidepressants are prescribed as additional agents at disturbing conditions and obsessional compulsive disorders, as a serotonin – the transmitter immediately bound to alarm and repeating behaviour, for example notions of compulsion. Noradrenalinum – the transmitter which is responsible for motivation. Are especially effective On-energizers at depressions where a leading symptom is retardation of motivation and, as consequence, behaviour. Inhibitors MAO and IOMAO can be very effective in the absence of effect from other antidepressants. OIMAO diet keepings do not demand, but interaction with sympathomimetics remains. The list of indications includes phobias (in particular social), a hypochondria and somatic implications. New in a prescription of antidepressants. In 1997 has appeared five important innovations in the medical approach to treatment by antidepressants. First, it is proved, that the effect from the prescribed dose of an antidepressant develops not at once – at least within eight weeks. Practically it means, that the doctor can wait long time before to change a dose or antidepressant type. Secondly, there are bases to believe, that for treatment of the majority sick of depression enough an initial dose of selective inhibitors of return capture of a serotonin (SIRCS). However in some cases for SIRCS early generations of an initial dose can be insufficiently and it it is necessary to enlarge (tab. 2 ). Table 2. A standard dose of antidepressants of type SIRCS at initial therapy of depression Antidepressant the Dose (mg/day) of %* the Dose (mg/day) of % * Fluvoksamin 50/31,70 100/48,74 Sertraline 50/49,30 100/44,95 * % from an prescribed dose for each antidepressant Thirdly, today it is considered to be, that the the patient is more senior, the the large concentration of an antidepressant is reached at it in blood, therefore to older persons smaller doses of preparations are required. Fourthly, though doctors are assured that at the newest antidepressants is less than the by-effects, many patients refuse to accept them. The analysis has shown, that 30 % of patients have stopped to accept tricyclic antidepressants whereas SIRCS accept 27 %. The quantity of refusals of preparations only because of by-effects has made 20 % for трициклических antidepressants and 15 % for SIRCS. Some of early antidepressants, namely tricyclic antidepressants of the second generation, possess the same efficiency and safety, as well as selective antidepressants, and smaller anticholinergic by-effects in comparison with earlier antidepressants. Fifthly, today by-effects of the selective antidepressants influencing on serotonin receptors are summarised. The Serotoninergichesky syndrome is caused by direct influence on not protected постсинаптические serotonin brain and intestine receptors. By-effects include a nausea, a sleeplessness, nervousness and excitation, extrapyramidal disorders, headaches and sex dysfunction. The Serotoninergichesky syndrome is similar to the well-known anticholinergic syndrome developing when taking TCAs. Suicidal risk. On the recommendation of the Committee on struggle against depression of patients it is necessary to ask on suicidal ideas/thoughts/intentions/impulses/plans in the benevolent and sparing form, it facilitates mutual understanding. Practically it means, that the doctor should achieve first of all a trust establishment between it and the patient – too early intervention leads to refusal of the patient to communicate with the doctor while the timely conversation helps to achieve from the patient of frankness. Campaign for a safe prescription of medicines at suicidal risk has been begun by the London unit of the poisonings which last research is dated 1995. According to data of this research, in 1995 approximately 300 persons were lost from antidepressants, basically at the expense of cardiotoxic effects of amitriptyline and dothiepin . Ineffective treatment. Check up once again the diagnosis and be convinced, that the patient accepts the ordered medicines in the necessary doses. In our practice cases of the latent reception of alcohol are very prevalent. Check up, whether the patient any stresses worries now and whether there are no they in the anamnesis. It can appear, that deterioration is caused by an exacerbation of posttraumatic stress. At the disposal of the doctor there are various information booklets, audio-and videorecordings with which it can supply the patient. Consultation can help with finding-out or the problem decision. The certain help is rendered sometimes cognitive therapy though its role still definitively is not found out, – it especially approaches in cases of chronic and moderately serious depressions. Table 3. The facts which are useful for knowing - During campaign for struggle against depression criteria of diagnostics and principles of treatment of depression for doctors of the general practice have been defined - This widespread disease – one of each three adults worries a depression episode at least time throughout a life; it every sixth of again taped patients in the general practice suffers in general for adults prevalence of depression makes 5 %, being enlarged to 15 % among mothers within first eight months giving birth - Though depression is considered disease of people of middle age, it is extended in all age groups – teenage, among youth and old men, thus its implications in these groups can be atypical - At research of the patients, suffering fixing serious diseases, such as seizure, to illness of cardiovascular system and a pseudorheumatism, it is proved, that among them widespread associated depression - Such co-presence depressions meets at 15-60 % of patients. This condition accompanies many psychiatric illnesses, especially schizophrenia, alcoholic and narcotic dependence, enlarging level of suicides in this group of patients It is necessary to pay attention to a sleeplessness, alarm, a panic, phobias, psychotic disorders, each of which can dominate in an illness picture as independent disease. Additional appointment of sedative therapy as selective antidepressants do not possess collateral sedative action can be necessary. So, in the treatment beginning soporific or a day relaxant, for example tioridazin or diazepam can be necessary. Relaxation therapy, additional methods of treatment also have salutary influence. The group of patients difficultly giving in to treatment is made by patients with somatic disorders. As a rule, they with mistrust concern the diagnosis, badly give in on arrangements to accept medicines, and having agreed, find out a hypersensibility to by-effects. In this group it is possible to prescribe the low doses of preparations which even are considered subtherapeutic with success. The more term of the depression proceeding prior to the beginning of treatment, the more time is required on its treatment. Direction in Association of mental health or to the psychiatrist of the secondary help for consultation and the therapeutic help. If suicide possibility is not excluded, longer consultations, helping to take out despair and suicidal hopelessness are necessary. Recently the organizer of psychotherapeutic courses for doctors of the general practice in this occasion has noticed: “If it is possible to let to the person know, that we care of it, hopelessness there and then leaves and recovery process” begins. One of researches has shown, that early the begun adequate therapy by antidepressants allows to lower essentially number of secondary directions to the expert, necessity of hospitalisation and frequency of cases of a suicide. Steady depression. Sometimes there is a necessity for an additional prescription of medicines, augmentation of a dose of an accepted antidepressant or its replacement. To an antidepressant it is possible to add lithium. Safety of this agent is checked up in practice, but patients are necessary for informing on its nature and action mechanisms. Lithium should be prescribed unitary to night. In order to avoid possible differences in bioavailability it is necessary to prescribe only qualitative preparations. Before treatment necessarily carry out research iron-binding abilities of blood, define function of kidneys and a thyroid gland. Within the first month of treatment define concentration of a preparation in bloods and electrolytic balance each 7-14 days, then monthly, time in three months and, at last, time in half a year. It is better, if lithium level is rather low, about 0,4 mmol/l (in comparison with 0,8 mmol/l). Duration of treatment makes eight weeks. Duration of treatment. Depression is a relapsing disease, and the main prognostic factor of relapse is last episode of depression. It is possible to be guided with success following data: at a unique episode of depression the probability of relapse makes 50 %, at the second – 70 %, and at the third – 90 %. After a unique episode it is possible to prevent relapse development, but there is no common opinion how longly it is necessary to give antidepressants. Some doctors stand up for carrying out of three – four – six-or even nine-monthly courses of therapy. The world organisation of public health services recommends to prescribe an antidepressant in a full dose to two, three or four months, and then some more months the patient accepts half of dose of a preparation. This approach demands additional studying and observation. To patients at whom the alarm is observed, obsessional and phobic implications, it is necessary to accept longly antidepressants though in the general practice frequently happens difficultly to persuade patients even to begin their reception. There is an impression, that in process of improvement of a condition the patient becomes more sensitive to by-effects. In practice it makes sense to define, it is necessary to prescribe an antidepressant to what time, being guided by on depression at the moment of the treatment how many was serious. I always warn patients about possibility of relapse and I advise to them to renew reception of antidepressants as soon as it becomes worse, – even before they can get to me on reception. As a rule, the more relapses at the patient in the anamnesis, longer the necessary course of treatment. Patients of advanced age are more subject to the serious lingering depressions, lasting by years. In this group the appreciable share of the morses bound to depression is observed, therefore at such patients often it is necessary to spend long courses of treatment by antidepressants. In the same way it is necessary to treat any patient with fixing serious returnable depression, irrespective of age. Reaction of cancellation of an antidepressant differs from relapse of depressive disorder. It can develop at application of any antidepressant, but only after the lapse of 6-8 weeks of therapy, that, probably, specifies in involving of adaptive processes CNS .	<urn:uuid:3998844f-0df0-4831-81ea-a7116b14a928>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://healthblogforallnew.wordpress.com/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.921013	2,700	2.390625	2
Kneeling Female Figure Attributing a specific piece of ritual African art to a particular artist is seldom possible, in part because the artists often perpetuated the myth that the objects were not the work of human beings, and also because the original collectors of these pieces rarely inquired about the artists' names. This piece, however, has been attributed to Areogun of Osi, one of the most prominent Yoruba artists of the twentieth century. His distinctive style is identifiable in the figure's elaborate openwork headdress, proportionally large ears, and curved breasts. Kneeling female figures, often nude, are common in Yoruba religious art. In this pose, the figure represents a supplicant before the orisha, or deity, on whose altar it is placed. The image beautifies the altar and thereby honors orisha. - Culture: Yoruba - Artist: Areogun of Osi, ca. 1880-1954 - Medium: Wood - Place Made: Osi-Ilorin, Ekiti Region, Nigeria - Dates: late 19th or early 20th century - Dimensions: 8 1/2 x 2 x 2 1/2 in. (21.6 x 5.1 x 6.4 cm) (show scale) - Collections:Arts of Africa - Museum Location: This item is not on view - Accession Number: 1992.70 - Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Gerofsky in honor of Ruth Lippman - Rights Statement: Creative Commons-BY - Caption: Yoruba. Kneeling Female Figure, late 19th or early 20th century. Wood, 8 1/2 x 2 x 2 1/2 in. (21.6 x 5.1 x 6.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Gerofsky in honor of Ruth Lippman, 1992.70. Creative Commons-BY - Catalogue Description: Kneeling female figure on small rectangular base. Figure wears prominent neck collar, series of bracelets covering forearms, earrings, and double strand of beads around waist. Elaborate oval coiffure with raised saggittal ridge. Exaggerated delineation of facial features--especially large "C" shaped ears. Series of three incised vertical scarification marks on each cheek. Breasts extend forward and curve outward, form echoed on smaller scale by raised naval. Hands and feet square in shape. Polished surface. Color: brown. CONDITION: Good. - Record Completeness: Best (87%)	<urn:uuid:49850220-c50a-42e3-9c71-f7f37d541b6a>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/4940/Kneeling_Female_Figure/image/9889/community/posse/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.909106	536	2.765625	3
What do Bonobos Sound Like? Bonobos are the most vocal of the great apes, using their voices extensively to express themselves and to communicate with others. Bonobo voices tend to be relatively high-pitched and melodic, in contrast to the lower and more guttural “pant hoots” of chimpanzees. There is not just one signature bonobo sound; they have a variety of different vocalizations for different situations. Listen to these examples of typical bonobo calls: - High hoot - The high hoot or “waah” is a very common call used for both short- and long-distance communication. It can be used to communicate between feeding parties, to call bonobos that have been separated, or to signal that they have found something good to eat. - Food calls - There are around five different types of food calls that bonobos combine into long sequences, expressing their satisfaction about what they are eating. These food calls often attract other bonobos to join them at the food patch. The more they like the food, the higher-pitched their squeals of delight become, as if to say, “mmm, this tastes good!” - Travel calls - Bonobos make these characteristic little peeps while traveling. Groups of bonobos separate into smaller parties during the day to forage for food. These calls help keep the party together, and ensure that no one gets lost or left behind. Bonobos sometimes walk bipedally (on two legs), like humans do. - Alarm and alert - Watch out! Bonobos make these alarm calls when they are frightened by potentially dangerous events. A loud noise, such as a tree falling in the forest, or a scary animal, like a snake, can trigger an alarm call. Bonobos may also make these calls when observing or participating in a fight. - Threat barks and anger calls - During little disputes, sometimes the aggressor or an onlooker will make these shrill barks to signal discontent. Bonobos may also make these noises if they feel another bonobo is too close or is doing something to bother them. - Conflict screams - These are the screams of bonobos after a fight. There are different screams based on the severity of the conflict. There are also tantrum screams, given by young individuals. Bonobos tend to be rather sensitive, so they sometimes react loudly to relatively minor situations. - Male contest hoots - Males use this vocalization to demonstrate their force and to show off to other individuals. While using this call, it is common for a male to drag a branch or shake a tree to make himself seem impressive. - Just like humans, bonobos laugh when they are enjoying themselves. They laugh when they play, and they also laugh when they are tickled! Recordings and descriptions provided by Zanna Clay, PhD	<urn:uuid:3299d12b-81ab-4c09-ba2c-3211b593bed3>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.bonobo.org/bonobos/what-do-bonobos-sound-like/?utm_source=Bonobo+News+-+Feb+2013&utm_campaign=Bonobo+News+Feb+2013&utm_medium=email	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00030-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.952314	594	3.46875	3
The court has spoken of nothing lately but the arrival of a new aristocrat in the area. No one is quite sure where Lord Raide di Tamarle from; his accent is clearly foreign, but unplaceable. He has excellent manners for such a young man, and his biting wit has made him sought after amongst the social elite. However, not everyone is pleased with the coming of Lord Raide. Count Kelyin Yasalantes has been doing all in his not inconsiderable power to discredit the young lord and turn favor against him in the court. If asked why, he says he doesn’t trust the mysterious foreigner. 1. Lord Raide is a visiting dignitary from a kingdom trying to open up diplomatic relations. Unfortunately, he’s something of a ladies’ man, and Countess Yasalantes is very beautiful. She’s also annoyed by the fact her husband doesn’t pay much attention to her. The count has suspicions about the affair, but can’t prove it, hence his hostility. 2. Lord Raide is a professional guest, relying on his wit and charm to open doors for him. He has no money of his own, and makes his living off of bored aristocrats looking for something new at their parties. He said some very insulting things about the Count at one such party, and being an arrogant man, the Count will not tolerate it. 3. Lord Raide is an unclaimed son of the aging king, exiled years ago. He’s returned hoping to claim his title of a prince of the realm, and his place amongst the heirs to the throne. One such possible heir is Count Yasalantes, who married a distant cousin of the king’s. And he knows very well who Raide is. Tales of Adventure are brief adventure plots or story elements, presented in a few paragraphs. What separates a Tale of Adventure from other plots is that it gives three different directions for the adventure to play out. They may be minor twists in how the original situation is presented, or they may turn the whole scenario upside down.	<urn:uuid:68589f47-dfac-4d15-a894-4941b47e9ba4>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://strolen.com/viewing/The_Young_Lord_from_Far_Away	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.978967	438	1.90625	2
Natural Resources Institute The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) is a unique institute within the University designed to serve as a neutral forum for debate of critical, and controversial, natural resources issues. The University of the Pacific has taken a leadership role in acting as an honest broker by providing a forum for full and open discourse on critical natural resource issues in California. The Natural Resources Institute was created to foster and support this role, and to allow the many resources of Pacific to be available to this discourse. Over the last several years, this process has been labeled the “Pacific Process” and has resulted in legislation that supports resolution of key natural resource issues. There is an acute need to continue this role of the Natural Resources Institute in the immediate future, as well as to develop and enhance additional roles and activities of the Natural Resources Institute. The NRI was first established in July 2003 when several large water contractors and state and federal agencies met and held negotiations response to discussions held in Napa. Reaction from key lawmakers and members of the public who were not involved in the “Napa Agreement” resulted in the start of the Pacific Process to broaden and make more public the discourse on the management of the State’s natural resources associated with operation of the State and federal water projects in the Delta. Meetings were held on the Pacific campus over the course of a year. The outcome of these meetings was drafting of language that was incorporated into federal legislation (HR 2828, Water Supply, Reliability and Environmental Improvement Act) reauthorizing California Bay-Delta Program, also known as CALFED. CALFED is the state-federal-stakeholder process created to manage California’s water systems and associated natural resources. HR 2828 was signed into law in October of 2004.Main Institute Objectives: - To provide a forum for full and open public discourse engaging key stakeholders involved in critical natural resource issues in California. - To develop policy analysis models and methodologies and consensus building approaches. - To conduct studies and research related to major natural and water resource issues facing California. - To foster education and knowledge dissemination activities.	<urn:uuid:7bf6e1f8-a2ff-49b2-8ba1-ffa506919060>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.pacific.edu/Academics/Schools-and-Colleges/School-of-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/Research/Centers-and-Institutes/Natural-Resources-Institute.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.961318	446	2.5	2
For years with the knowledge, and some suspect the consent, of the Egyptian government, human trafficking has been going on in the north-eastern part of the Sinai with Bedouins from the Rashaida tribe holding human refugees hostage, demanding unbelievable sums of money for their release. The hostages, mainly from Eritrea but also from Ethiopia and Sudan, are often kidnapped in South Sinai after fleeing their violent countries; some kidnapped even from the UNHCR refugee camps in the region, then transported to the Sinai where they are held in underground locations or buildings housing up to 100 people. They are subjected to unspeakable torture as the kidnappers try to press ransom money from the hostages’ relatives. For this purpose the kidnappers hand cell phones to the hostages and force them to call their relatives at home or overseas, begging for enormous sums of money that can reach $50,000 per person. (Daily news Egypt)	<urn:uuid:16aeb7be-0d79-440a-83ef-5f1ad6f65b76>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.scoop.it/t/egypte-actualites/p/3998538592/human-trafficking-in-the-sinai?tag=Assad	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.967868	185	2.1875	2
When you look into what is meditation, mindfulness and being in the present moment, you can’t avoid bumping in Eckhart Tolle and his range of books about the subject. He is the ultimate ‘hero’ of championing the power of now. It made a real impact on me and my perception of the world, when I read his book ‘The power of Now’ and embraced his idea that there only is the now. The past is gone; doesn’t really exist. The future is an anticipation, a fantasy and doesn’t really exist. The only reality is the now, the present moment. Quote: “Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be” When I started to look at my existence from the now, it helped me to put events in perspective. I remember visiting my very ill sister abroad. On the way to the airport I felt dreadful. She was so ill, I thought I would never see her again and I was almost planning her funeral. Then in the plane I did some of the meditation practices that are part of The power of now, and immediately became calm. I was sitting, breathing, embracing the moment. My worries and sadness were not there. I realised there and then, that they were an anticipation, not a reality. By the way, my sister recovered very well…….. The practice of general meditation makes it possible for us to be in the moment. Want to know more? Click here to read another blog about the subject. Write a comment, call me 07967 717 131, or email firstname.lastname@example.org.	<urn:uuid:bea4ae12-d2bf-4cfb-ba7b-416e1aabc9da>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://stressfreecoaching.co.uk/eckhart-tolles-new-earth-and-power-of-now-about-mindfulness/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00021-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.983584	356	1.726563	2
Library Board Fundamentals Depending on the ordinance or contract under which the library is established, the library board may have sole responsibility for the following tasks or share these responsibilities with a city council or county board. In New Mexico, the library board is usually advisory with the city or county reserving final authority for the budget, the personnel, and policymaking. A governing library board (sometimes called Trustees) may receive local, county, state, federal, and other funds and be accountable for their expenditure on library services. The governing board hires and evaluates the library director and ensures that appropriate materials, equipment, furniture and supplies are in the library. Both governing and advisory boards monitor library services and plan for the future information needs of the community. Board members also actively represent the library in the community and bring the concerns of the community back to the full board to be addressed. Table of Contents - Library Board Make-up - Library Board Member Participation - Library Board Ethics - Bylaws for Library Boards - Library Board Meetings - Working with Friends Groups - Orientation for New Board Members - Library Board Essentials and Additional Resources Note: Except where otherwise indicated, all the handouts in the following pages are in Microsoft Word.	<urn:uuid:014c2a79-5e8b-4067-a79d-974870a3bef5>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.nmstatelibrary.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=417	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.933102	256	2.65625	3
Solise has a very cool concept under it’s belt. I had no idea this was even possible– sunscreen within body was and hand wash! Instead of putting on the daily sunscreen, it is automatically put on your skin by washing! The concept of Solise was born out of Dale Lillard’s desire to protect his four children from the harmful effects of the Arizona sun. He was frustrated by the limited sunscreen products available and dreaded the daily struggle to apply sunscreen to his children. Dale searched drugstore shelves and magazine advertisements hoping to find a product that would make this daily chore more pleasant. He thought that if he could somehow combine his children’s daily bath with the application of sunscreen, life around his house might just get a while lot easier. In pursuit of his novel idea, Dale spoke to chemists, body-product formulators, chemical engineers and scientists who study soaps and cleansing. They all assured him that his concept was not possible. Dale refused to give up. Together with his oldest son, Tres, Dale began researching and testing sunscreen-body wash combinations, hoping to create a workable product. Their inspiration Thomas Edison’s famous quote: “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” But it was not until they asked their neighbor, Michael Doyle, an engineer and inventor with decades of experience, to apply his genius to Dale’s concept that a solution was found. Michael developed a multi-phase emulsion system that finally allowed the natural ingredients in Solise to combine brilliantly and effectively with those that provide UVA and UVB sun protection. Solise was born. I was given the Solise Body Wash and Sunscreen In One to try out and use. I have to say– we haven’t been getting a lot of sun lately here in Southern California, but at least I knew I was protected even on the overcast days! The Body Wash has a very light soapy scent that I liked- even the kids didn’t mind it. The directions say: Use in the shower or bath, apply generously and evenly over the entire body including face and neck, lather and rinse– then towel dry as usual. Pretty simple! There was no battles with the white stuff getting into the kids eyes, no mess actually. It was easy! No the sunscreen of SPF 15 WILL NOT protect you at the beach on a long hot summer day, but yes it will protect you on those errand days out and about. - Cleanses and protects your skin with a unique patent-pending formula containing SPF 15 sunscreen. - Daily UVA/UVB protection. - Feels and works like a premium body wash. - Skin Cancer Foundation recommended. Dermatologist tested. - Non-Comedogenic, does not clog pores. - Formulated with natural emollients and skin conditioners to leave your skin soft and hydrated. - Paraben Free. - Not tested on animals and contains no animal by-products. How Solise Works A unique emulsion-based technology allows Solise to bind sunscreen to your skin’s natural oils while a mild cleansing system washes away dirt and impurities. Natural emollients and skin conditioners leave your skin soft and hydrated without any greasy residue, unlike traditional sunscreens! 13 Reasons to Use Solise Daily 1. Getting Clean. 2. SPF 15 on Everywhere, Everyday: Solise gets you ready for the sun, period. 3. The great feeling of freshly scented moisturized skin. 4. Solise eliminates worries about small but serious sun exposure. In spite of dermatologist’s advice, who puts sunscreen on every day of the year? 5. 90% of all skin cancers occur the most exposed areas – faces, hands, ears, and arms. Solise washes over ALL of these parts and covers them daily with SPF 15. (1) 6. Solise is a great body wash at a great price. 7. Regular use of sunscreen in children can lower their risk of skin cancer by more than 75%. Why not protect kids before they go to school or off to play? (2) 8. Avoid the unpleasantness of sand and clothing sticking to protected skin. Solise leaves no greasy residue, just soft, clean, protected skin. 9. Most clothing only has a SPF of 5-9, so add an extra layer of protection under your clothes. With Solise, if you’ve washed it, you’ve protected it. (3) 10. Up to 80% of the ultraviolet sun rays that burn get through fog and clouds, so be safe knowing you washed with Solise and SPF is ALREADY ON! (5) 11. Skin cancer is mostly preventable and Solise is the easiest ways to get daily protection from UV rays – simple and smart. 12. 90% of visible signs of aging are caused by sun exposure. Use Solise daily and slow that process. (4) 13. Solise protects your hands, one of the most exposed areas of your body, with an invisible SPF 15 “glove” that is comfortable and smart to wear! The Solise Body Wash sells for $13.99. Not much higher than your grocery store sunscreen! Giveaway- One lucky Mama Must Have It reader will win a bottle of Solise Hand Wash with Sunscreen! Visit the Solise website and tell me one fact about sunscreen or cancer you learned! (you must be a Mama Must Have It friend through Google Friend Connect) - Like Mama Must Have It on Facebook (5 extra entries– it’s a new account– so make sure to like it!) - Tell all your friends on Facebook about this great giveaway! Leave a message here telling me you have! (1 extra entry) - Follow Mama Must Have It and Solise on twitter and tweet the following message and then comment below with the link to your tweet (1 additional entry per day) #Win @Solise2010 Body Wash with Sunscreen! RT @mamamusthave http://mamamusthaveit.com/2010/10/26/solise-review-and-giveaway/ #sun #health #family - Blog about this giveaway! Place a link back to this post and leave the url of your blog post here! (5 extra entries) - Enter any other Mama Must Have It Giveaway! 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(CNN) -- Amanda Burger and Amanda Prentice live more than 700 miles apart. They have never met, but they share something even more unusual than a first name. Burger, 33, went to the hospital in September 2010 when she felt stomach cramps so painful that she could barely walk. Prentice, 34, had a seizure in April of this year, so her husband took her to the emergency room. Each woman went home with a healthy newborn daughter. Before going into labor, neither woman had any idea she was pregnant. Wait, how could a woman not know she's pregnant? There's a lot of fascination surrounding these sorts of mysterious pregnancies, so much so that there's a show on TLC called "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" that showcases real-life situations in which mothers give birth to surprise babies. Burger and Prentice have not been on the show, but their surprise deliveries made local news in their respective communities. The phenomenon is indeed rare and hard to study scientifically. Some experienced obstetrician-gynecologists have never seen it happen; others have seen only a handful. One Serbian study estimates that one out of every 7,225 pregnancies is unknown to the mother until the moment of delivery. It's more likely among people who are very overweight to begin with, and teenagers in denial about being pregnant, said Dr. Patricia Devine, director of labor and delivery at Columbia University Medical Center's department of obstetrics and gynecology. "This is an extreme situation, and a very rare situation, because it is pretty hard to miss all of the signs of pregnancy," Devine said. Personally, she has seen it happen about five times since 1994. "Sometimes you doubt that they were completely unaware. Other times, it's completely plausible." Pregnancy may unknowingly happen in women who are particularly ignorant about the signs and symptoms, Devine said. These include a missed period, breast tenderness, bloating, weight gain, constipation and nausea. Obesity can affect a woman's menstrual cycle, which is why missing a period wouldn't send off warning signs. The added weight might not be a tip-off either. If the placenta is on the front part of the uterus, people don't feel a baby's movement that much, said Dr. Kathleen Brennan, health science assistant clinical professor at UCLA Health System. A woman who doesn't realize she's pregnant would think it's gas. And sometimes mothers aren't emotionally or mentally fit to have a child. There are also people who don't want to be pregnant and unconsciously deny a pregnancy, said Dr. Sabrina Sukhan, lead physician of laborist practice at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. Some women in their 40s who already have families aren't psychologically prepared to have an additional child. It's not that they are lying about not being pregnant; they genuinely aren't aware of it. Of course, some teenagers might deliberately conceal pregnancies from their parents until the last possible moment. In eight years, Sukhan has only had one patient who unexpectedly gave birth: a woman who happened to be an emergency medical technician. She didn't particularly look pregnant, and was neither ignorant nor a teenager. "She was in such utter shock," Sukhan remembered. "She kept saying, 'I can't believe I didn't know. I didn't have a crib ready.'" The bottom line is that you'd need to have a "perfect storm" of factors in order to carry a baby to the point of labor without realizing it, Sukhan said. Apparently, a storm came for two women named Amanda. Burger, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, was already a mother of an 11-year-old son when, unbeknownst to her, she became pregnant. She and her husband weren't using birth control and she had the attitude that "if it happened, it happened." But she had no indication that pregnancy had happened except for a generally "weird" feeling that prompted her to take pregnancy tests over the course of several months. All three came up negative, perhaps they were outdated or Burger had drunk too much water beforehand. She had no nausea, slept on her stomach and never felt the baby kicking. As for her menstrual cycle, Burger said she still experienced bleeding every month (experts say bleeding on a period-like schedule is highly unusual in pregnancy). While women who are pregnant don't have their periods exactly, it is possible to have bleeding related to hormonal changes of pregnancy, said Sukhan, who did not treat Burger. Burger only gained about 15 to 20 pounds during the pregnancy. She's 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds when she gave birth. "I'd go to the pool in a bikini," she said. She was 36 weeks pregnant when she woke up around 4 a.m. one morning with severe cramping. She could barely walk. She and her husband went to the hospital, where medical staff prepared to give her a CT scan of her appendix. As part of standard procedure, they first tested to see if she was pregnant. Since that particular hospital doesn't do births, a different hospital sent staff to her to deliver the baby. "They had to break my water and then she pretty much just fell out," Burger said. Her daughter McKinlee was born September 22, 2010, sharing the same birthday as Burger's uncle and grandfather McKinley, for whom the baby was named. And her son started calling his friends' parents to tell them the news. "He was calling everyone and telling them 'My mom's having a baby!'" she said. "And they're like 'No, quit playing jokes!'" Before this spring, Prentice and her husband had no children, and had been trying to have a baby for four years, without success. She had always had irregular periods and thought she wasn't getting one because of stress. Her mother passed away in August of 2011, and she helped her father take care of paperwork. The weight she gained, about 10 pounds, she attributed to drinking too much soda. She got sick once, but thought it was because of the barbecue she ate. As for the baby moving inside her, she probably thought it was gas. One morning in April her husband came back from hunting to find Prentice in bed, unable to answer questions. There was blood on the floor from where she had bit her tongue during a seizure. Her husband took her to a hospital in their hometown of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Doctors determined that Prentice appeared to be seven or eight months pregnant, and decided to send her to the larger medical center at Vanderbilt in Nashville. A helicopter took Prentice there. She doesn't remember any of this. The staff at Vanderbilt performed a Caesarean section on the still-unconscious woman. She didn't wake up until two days later. That's when her husband told her their daughter had been born. "It made me so happy, but I was scared too, because I didn't know how far along I was, I didn't know if she was ok," Prentice said. Prentice spent five days in the intensive care unit, while her daughter, Aleanna Makenleigh Rose, spent five days in the neonatal intensive care unit. Before this, she was skeptical of women who aren't aware of their pregnancies; now, she watches "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" with a new perspective. "I was one of these that was saying 'They've gotta know; they've gotta know.' Now: 'No, you don't have to know,' Prentice said. "If the good Lord wants it there, then he's going to put it there." Risks of not knowing There are several risks involved in having a baby if the mother didn't know she was pregnant for so many months. The baby hasn't been monitored properly, so doctors don't know which type of delivery would be safest; a large baby might be better served by a Caesarean section. Doctors also wouldn't know about any abnormalities and complications associated with the fetus or the mother. The mom may need to take antibiotics for a bacterial infection, for example. A mother who doesn't know she's expecting likely hasn't been monitored for hypertension, which was especially relevant for Prentice. On the day she went into labor she had eclampsia, seizures that may result as a complication of pregnancy; high blood pressure is a risk factor. The Amandas say they would have done things differently if they had known they were pregnant. Burger wouldn't have drunk alcohol or smoked and would have taken prenatal pills and seen a doctor. Prentice doesn't smoke or drink, but she would have watched her blood pressure more. Burger noted that her first pregnancy was also somewhat abnormal. She was 19 years old and didn't experience any symptoms then, either. She found out she was pregnant when she was five-and-a-half months along. Her son Benjamin was born at 32 weeks. "I've never really had a 'real' pregnancy," she said. "I have two kids and no real pregnancy."	<urn:uuid:da728058-d379-4f9d-87b6-97425fc40cb4>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://us.cnn.com/2012/07/05/health/living-well/pregnant-no-symptoms/index.html?hpt=hp_bn12	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00074-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.990022	1,894	2.125	2
In his most recent justification of his Pentagon stewardship, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reached back to the 1930s, comparing the Bush administration's critics to those who, like US Ambassador to Britain Joseph P. Kennedy, favored appeasing Adolf Hitler. Rumsfeld avoided a more recent comparison: the appeasement of Saddam Hussein by the Reagan and first Bush administrations. The reasons for selectivity are obvious, since so many of Hussein's appeasers in the 1980s were principals in the 2003 Iraq war, including Rumsfeld. In 1983, President Reagan initiated a strategic opening to Iraq, then in the third year of a war of attrition with neighboring Iran. Although Iraq had started the war with a blitzkrieg attack in 1980, the tide had turned by 1982 in favor of much larger Iran, and the Reagan administration was afraid Iraq might actually lose. Reagan chose Rumsfeld as his emissary to Hussein, whom he visited in December 1983 and March 1984. Inconveniently, Iraq had begun to use chemical weapons against Iran in November 1983, the first sustained use of poison gas since a 1925 treaty banning that. Rumsfeld never mentioned this blatant violation of international law to Hussein, instead focusing on shared hostility toward Iran and an oil pipeline through Jordan. Rumsfeld apparently did mention it to Tariq Aziz, Iraq's foreign minister, but by not raising the issue with the paramount leader he signaled that good relations were more important to the United States than the use of poison gas. This message was reinforced by US conduct after the Rumsfeld missions. The Reagan administration offered Hussein financial credits that eventually made Iraq the third-largest recipient of US assistance. It normalized diplomatic relations and, most significantly, began providing Iraq with battlefield intelligence. Iraq used this information to target Iranian troops with chemical weapons. And when Iraq turned its chemical weapons on the Kurds in 1988, killing 5,000 in the town of Halabja, the Reagan administration sought to obscure responsibility by falsely suggesting Iran was also responsible. On Aug. 25, 1988 -- five days after the Iran-Iraq War ended -- Iraq attacked 48 Kurdish villages more than 100 miles from Iran. Within days, the US Senate passed legislation, sponsored by Claiborne Pell, Democrat of Rhode Island, to end US financial support for Hussein and to impose trade sanctions. To enhance the prospects that Reagan would sign his legislation, Pell sent me to Eastern Turkey to interview Kurdish survivors who had fled across the border. As it turned out, the Reagan administration agreed that Iraq had gassed the Kurds, but strongly opposed sanctions, or even cutting off financial assistance. Colin Powell, then the national security adviser, coordinated the Reagan administration's opposition. The Pell bill died at the end of the congressional session in 1988, in spite of heroic efforts by Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts to force it through by holding up a raft of administration nominations. The next year, President George H.W. Bush's administration actually doubled US financial credits for Iraq. A week before Hussein invaded Kuwait, the administration vociferously opposed legislation that would have conditioned US assistance to Iraq on a commitment not to use chemical weapons and to stop the genocide against the Kurds. At the time, Dick Cheney, now vice president, was secretary of defense and a statutory member of the National Security Council that reviewed Iraq policy. By all accounts, he supported the administration's appeasement policy. In 2003, Cheney, Powell, and Rumsfeld all cited Hussein's use of chemical weapons 15 years before as a rationale for war. But at the time Hussein was actually doing the gassing -- including of his own people -- they considered his use of chemical weapons a second-tier issue. The Reagan and first Bush administrations believed that Hussein could be a strategic partner to the United States, a counterweight to Iran, a force for moderation in the region, and possibly help in the Arab-Israel peace process. That was, of course, an illusion. A ruthless dictator who launched an attack on his neighbor, Iran, who used chemical weapons, and who committed genocide against his own Kurds was never likely to be a reliable American ally. Hussein, having watched the United States gloss over his crimes in the Iran war and at home, concluded he could get away with invading Kuwait. It was a costly error for him, for his country, and eventually for the United States, which now has the largest part of its military bogged down in the Iraqi quagmire. Meanwhile the architects of the earlier appeasement policy now maintain the illusion that they have a path to victory, if only their critics would shut up. Peter W. Galbraith, a former US ambassador to Croatia, is author of ``The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War Without End." Copyright 2006 Boston Globe	<urn:uuid:43c6e347-c540-4e6b-ac57-c708db9eb2a1>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0831-23.htm	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.968266	978	2.40625	2
In most people drink tea in the morning has become a ritual. In addition to sweet tea, black tea is also a lot of people to accompany popular at breakfast.In some people, drinking tea does not taste good if the color is not dark. It turned out that this habit if done too often can cause constipation. Teas have some side effects and interfere with nutrients and drug action if consumed in large or excessive quantities. Tea may interfere with the absorption of iron from food. Tea may also interfere with certain labs tests, thallium tests, uric acid tests, and vanillylmandelic acid concentrations. Tea may also worsen glaucoma due to increase eye pressure. Excessive amounts may cause insomnia, anxiety and restlessness, and increased bleeding if used with blood thinners. Again, excessive and continuous drinking of tea may have these effects, but the intake of a few cups of tea or glasses of iced tea a day are innocuous. Important Don’ts On Drinking Tea: 1. Do not drink tea on an empty stomach. This rule derived from an old Chinese proverb, saying that it is not too good drinking tea on an open heart. Drinking tea, especially very hot or cold tea, on an empty stomach can cause sudden change of temperature in your stomach and spleen, and cause some unwanted side effects. 2. Do not drink tea right before your meal time. Drinking tea right before having meals usually leads to dilution of saliva, loss of appetite and problems with meal digestion. It is recommended not to drink tea 30 minutes before the mealtime. 3. Avoid drinking tea laced with sugar because it causes the substances they contain to be reduced. 4. Do not drink tea all night because it had a lot of substances are oxidized and stale so the impact is not good for the body. 5. Avoid drinking tea during pregnancy and lactation.Because caffeine and stimulant substances in tea can stimulate uterine contractions.In addition to nursing mothers would disrupt production of milk-producing glands, or milk.	<urn:uuid:97237334-9a7d-44dd-b9c7-fee98d5a24ef>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.beautythroughstrength.com/side-effects-of-drinking-too-much-tea.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00064-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.947767	421	2.3125	2
Theme song - "Red, Red Wine", by UB40 An hour north of San Francisco is California's wine country. From the neighbouring towns of Napa and Sonoma, two parallel valleys stretch away to the north. The Napa valley is now synonymous with wine and the valley is jammed packed with vineyards and wineries. Napa itself if a small city with a pleasant and well restored core of 1890s buildings. We stayed only long enough to visit the tourist office, pick up a map and get some recommendations. As we didn't arrive in Napa until mid afternoon we decided to head to the top end of the valley to visit The Castle. Dario Sattuti's grandfather migrated from Italy in 1885 and was one of the pioneers of the Californian wine industry. Dario established his own vineyard in Calistoga, at the northern end of the Napa valley, and topped it off with a faithful replica of a Tuscan castle. We took the two hour castle tour and wine tasting. Wine tasting in the US is very different to wine tasting in Australia (and elsewhere). It's almost done on a one to one basis, with the host taking you through each of the wines personally. Great for personal service but it can make for a long wait to get a taste in. We drove back down the valley towards Napa, checking out the scenery. We struggled to find any budget accommodation (surprise!) so turned north again and drove back to Calistoga. Calistoga is the site of a natural hot spring and was originally a Wappo Indian settlement. The discovery of silver in the nearby hills led to the Indians being driven off. When the silver ran out, the mining town of Silverado was dismantled and re-erected in Calistoga, which became a railway hub and spa town. Calistoga still trades on its hotsprings; there are dozens of spa hotels and just a little out of town is Old Faithful Geyser. It does sound a bit lame but we did go and see it. It's one of those touristy things you've just gotta do. So we joined the crowd sitting around this little pond and waited, and waited, and made jokes about watching kettles boil and then WHOOF - up it went. And it certainly does put out a bit of water - probably some 30 feet into the air for maybe 10 minutes. Apparently it blows about 40 minutes or so, but recently it's been blowing every 15-20 minutes. I don't know what that means. This is a very volatile region. That night we had an excellent Italian meal at a fancy bar. The next day we drove back down the Napa Valley, stopping at Beringer Estate (beautiful mansion), Peju Winery (lovely wine) and the Old Bale Mill, which we stumbled on by accident. The mill was built in the 1840s when California was still part of Mexico. The mill was officially closed but as they were grinding corn for a local grower they invited us in for a personal tour. It was really interesting to see how effective mid 18th century automation was. We drove on to the Sonoma Valley and stopped for lunch at Domaine Carneros. This French style chateau didn't have a restaurant per-se but did tasting plates matched to their wines. They had a different approach to tasting than other wineries. You bought a trio of tasting glasses - champagnes, reds and whites. Shelly had the champagne taster; I had the red, and we bought a cheese plate to share. The wine was excellent and the cheese plate was no measly serving either. Sated and relaxed we drove on to Sonoma Town. Sonoma is an old frontier town founded in 1823. In 1836 a group of American settlers, who had been flooding in from the north, raised the flag of revolt and imprisoned the governor. The Bear Flag Revolt led to the declaration of independence of the Republic of California, with Sonoma its capital. A few days later however the US invaded California and absorbed it into the Union. We wandered around the pleasant old town. In the central square a jazz festival was setting up. We had a couple of drinks on the lawn, a pulled pork roll and a corn dog (strange!). We decided not to stay the night in Sonoma but to get a little bit closer to San Francisco. We eventually arrived at the city of San Rafael, north of San Francisco bay, although we didn't know it at the time. We struggled to find any accommodation and for a time it looked as though we'd have to drive north to find something, but then we stumbled upon a long term hotel attached to a hospital. Although it was expensive we took it and crashed out. Tomorrow we'd be in San Francisco!	<urn:uuid:af2a0e13-2284-49b9-b739-c7e4139926f7>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://paulymx6.travellerspoint.com/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00055-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.980219	994	1.601563	2
WASHINGTON — First came the bombs. Then the food packets. The third wave of airdrops over Afghanistan will be words. As it has in most other conflicts in recent years, the U.S. military is preparing to drop leaflets and transmit radio broadcasts into Afghanistan as part of a broader psychological war designed to demoralize enemy troops, counter anti-American slogans and muster support among the people. "It's not propaganda," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Monday on Fox News. "It's the truth. The truth is that the United States and the dozens and dozens of countries across the globe that are participating in one way or another with this effort are anxious to stop terrorism." Defense officials said Monday that leaflet drops--part of the military's psychological operations, or psyops--are expected to begin shortly. They would not comment on the specific text or messages of the campaign. Experts predict the U.S. will strive to convince Afghans that the war is not aimed at them or the Islamic faith. Rather, it will contrast Osama bin Laden's violent acts with the peaceful teachings of the Koran. Seeking to undermine the loyalty of Taliban troops will be another key goal. "A lot of these leaflets get wadded up and used for toilet paper, but over time it's very helpful in convincing people that what you're saying is right," said William Nash, a retired Army general who now works at the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations. Because many Afghan citizens are unable to read, the leaflets will use symbols and pictures to help deliver their message, Rumsfeld said. Potential images include photos of innocent bombing victims, maps directing refugees to protective camps and pictures of U.S.-supplied wheat arriving in Afghanistan, experts said. Radio airwaves also probably will play a role. During the Persian Gulf War and conflicts in Panama and Bosnia, the Air National Guard deployed its EC-130E "Commando Solo" aircraft, which serve as flying radio stations, to block enemy signals and transmit U.S.-supported broadcasts. Wind-up portable radios also may be smuggled into the region to increase the potential audience. In Congress, lawmakers last week introduced a bill to set aside $14 million to create a Radio Free Afghanistan to broadcast in the same way that Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty challenged the Communist monopoly on information in Eastern Europe. Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), one of the bill's chief sponsors, said that Radio Free Afghanistan urgently was needed to inform Afghans what the ruling Taliban government was doing and what was going on in the world, including the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. "Horrible things are being said right now that are not being countered," Royce said. "There is a lot of anti-Semitic, anti-American, anti-Western hate radio being broadcast by the Taliban and Osama bin Laden's organization. Radio Free Afghanistan is needed to broadcast the American ideals of democracy, liberty and freedom to listeners in the region." In the Gulf War, such broadcasts and other tactics led to widespread defections of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's troops, experts say. "It was very effective at demoralizing the enemy, wearing them down and making sure they didn't get a wink of sleep," said Rear Adm. (Ret.) Stephen H. Baker, a senior fellow at the Center for Defense Information. In Iraq, U.S. psyops forces used bullhorns and leaflets to pressure beleaguered Iraqi soldiers into surrendering or retreating. U.S. Special Operations teams smuggled printing presses into Kuwait to publish anti-Iraq pamphlets. One successful tactic involved dropping leaflets warning Iraqi soldiers that certain areas would be bombed in 24 hours. After making good on the threat several times, U.S. forces found that Iraqi soldiers had been conditioned to flee areas as soon as the leaflets were released. The humanitarian food drops are another way to reinforce the message of the U.S. campaign, experts say. The packages include a picture of the American flag and a message that the packets were sent by the American people.	<urn:uuid:183e22ac-dab3-4f55-9c67-b491f789ecc1>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://articles.latimes.com/2001/oct/09/news/mn-54989	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.960417	840	1.539063	2
Hello Forum I was asked to Give non-trivial examples of functions that are and are not polynomials. I said the following : What I find to be helpful when making this distinction is to remember, A polynomial function(fx) is a function in the form a^x + b^x-1+c^x-2+... where x is any integer. In a case where you have just a^x and x=0(hope you know 0 is an integer) you get a^0=1 which is a constant. So any other criteria that does not satisfy this conditions is not a polynomial function. Can anyone help me explain this better I am having trouble explaining myself clearly here thanks..	<urn:uuid:9bf4629f-8de0-4cbd-8068-aee81d5c03d6>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://mathhelpforum.com/algebra/70894-help-needed-polynomials.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.932813	154	2.234375	2
Sat December 22, 2012 The 'Bitter' Tale Of The Budweiser Family Originally published on Mon December 24, 2012 8:05 am For nearly 150 years the world-renowned beer manufacturer Anheuser-Busch was a family company. It was passed from father to son for five generations. A couple drops of Budweiser were put onto the tongue of each first-born son before he even tasted his mother's milk. That trademark brew, Budweiser, is known to the world as the "King of Beers," and the Busch family wasn't too far from American royalty. William Knoedelseder, the author of Bitter Brew: The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America's King of Beer, spoke with NPR's Guy Raz about the family and their company. The story begins in 1857 when a young man, Adolphus Busch, came to St. Louis from Germany. With his meager inheritance — he was one of 22 children — he bought a brewery supply company. Making beer was something that he knew how to do, and could do well. Ebert Anheuser, on the other hand, couldn't. He was one of Busch's buyers and was a wealthy soap manufacturer who'd come into owning a failing brewery. The Bavarian Brewing Co. produced such horribly tasting beer that "people would spit it back across the bar at bartenders," Knoedelseder says. Eventually Busch took over the company, changed the recipe, changed the name, and Anheuser-Busch was born. Busch took that failure of a local brewery and turned it into a national brand of beer. "He was vertically integrated before there was a name for it," Knoedelseder says. Busch was the first person to pasteurize beer so that it would stay fresh on cross-country trips. He also owned the company that built the railroad cars that transported his beer. He owned the company that made his bottles. He even owned a coal mine that fired his plant. The brand took off. Beer became the national drink, and Anheuser-Busch was reeling in the profits, "They were selling a million barrels a year, which was just unthinkable back then," says Knoedelseder. Soon, though, prohibition, not alcohol, was on the lips of Americans. Busch launched pre-prohibition ad campaigns to try to curb the movement. Taglines read, "Budweiser Spells Temperance." He claimed the beer was a "light, happy" beverage. When meeting the president at a political function, Busch launched into a 30-minute lecture about the dangers of the impending prohibition. He would stop at nothing, but his worst nightmare was upon him. His only product was now illegal to sell in the United States. His son, August Anheuser-Busch, or August A., floated the company through prohibition by selling the raw ingredients instead of the full product. "It wasn't illegal to sell the ingredients, it was illegal to assemble them," Knoedelseder explains. "Their yeast profits saved the company. That was the cash engine that was able to keep the company open." Prohibition wiped out most of Anhesuser-Busch's competition, but as Knoedelseder points out, August A. was able to keep 2,000 people working and they were poised to forge ahead as the leading American manufacturer of beer — now legal! For two more generations, ambitious Busch sons pushed the company to international beer power, but it wasn't without trial. The next 75 years were mired in family struggles for power, unexpected deaths, drug addiction, alcoholism and more. In 2008 Anheuser-Busch was a $19-billion-a-year Fortune 500 company and still operating as a family business. August IV, the great-great-grandson of Aldolphus, and then-CEO, showed up to speak at a beer industry convention but he couldn't seem to get a word out. "He's stoned, he's loaded, he cannot deliver the speech," Knoedelser says. Just a few weeks later, it all came crashing down. InBev, a company that had not existed four years before, moved in for a hostile takeover, and with that, the reign of the Busch family was over. GUY RAZ, HOST: It's WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Guy Raz. The Busch family of St. Louis is about as close to royalty as it gets in that city. For nearly 150 years, the beer they produce, Budweiser, was known as the king of beers. But the story of the Busch family reads almost like a Shakespearean drama full of intrigue, betrayal and eventually collapse. Bill Knoedelseder tells that story in his new book about the family. It's called "Bitter Brew." And in it, he traces the origins of Anheuser-Busch back to the middle of the 19th century and its founder, a young German émigré named Adolphus Busch. BILL KNOEDELSEDER: He was an 18-year-old German immigrant from a large family in Germany - one of 22 children. He arrived in St. Louis in 1857. He stepped off a steamboat and took the first steps toward building what would be the world's largest brewery. At the time, there were 40 breweries in St. Louis. RAZ: Forty in St. Louis. KNOEDELSEDER: Forty in St. Louis. That's kind of how it was. RAZ: And St. Louis was a particularly German city. KNOEDELSEDER: And they did what they knew how to do. They built breweries. At the time, America was a whiskey drinking country, and they built breweries to satisfy the thirst of those people. RAZ: So here you have this young man - he's in St. Louis - he knows how to brew beer. He's got a little bit of money, and, as you write, he buys a brewery supply business first. KNOEDELSEDER: Right. And he supplies one very bad brewery called Bavarian Brewery, which was owned by Anheuser - who was a soap manufacturer - who had acquired it, the brewery, in a defaulted debt. And he was not a brewer. And he had this brewery there that made terrible-tasting beer. And, you know, the people would spit it back across the bar, you know, at the bartenders. And he married Anheuser's daughter, and Anheuser sort of brought him in. He had - Anheuser had built up a debt to him, so he, in exchange for Busch forgiving the debt that he owed - for supplies and stuff like that - he cut him in with shares. Adolphus proved to be a very smart salesman, a very good salesman, and he sort of took over the running of the brewery and the rest is history. RAZ: I mean, that became Anheuser-Busch. KNOEDELSEDER: That became Anheuser-Busch. One of the first things he did was get a good recipe for beer, which he acquired through a friend from some monks that made this particular beer in Bohemia in this region called Budweis, and he then proceeded to outthink everybody else. At the time, you brewed beer, it was all consumed locally. I mean, the brewing, it was almost hyperlocal. It was by neighborhood because you couldn't store beer very long. And he read about the pasteurization of wine and thought, hmm, I bet you could do that with beer. And he was the first person to pasteurize beer so that he could store it longer, he could put it on railroad cars. He thereby built the first national brand of beer. He figured out that, well, you know, I should own the company that builds the railroad cars. I should own the company that makes the bottles that we're putting it in. He bought a couple of coal mines on the other side of the river from St. Louis that would fire his plant, and he was vertically integrated before there was a name for it. RAZ: This company was run by five generations of Busches, starting with Adolphus. And as anyone who reads your book will discover, it reads like a Shakespearean tale, a pretty unbelievably scandalous story throughout this book. KNOEDELSEDER: Right. Exactly. RAZ: But I want to start by asking about his son August Anheuser. He was the guy who kind of really made this company explode. KNOEDELSEDER: He saved the company - he kept the company afloat during, you know, Prohibition, World War I and the Depression, which is just astonishing that you could do that. Very few others lasted, and their yeast profits saved the company. That was the cash engine that kept the company open during the Depression. He was able to keep 2,000 people working at a time when the breweries in St. Louis was wiped out. So when Prohibition ended then, they still had some money. They were in a good position, and all the competition was gone. RAZ: His son, one of his sons, known as Gussy, he sort of pushed his older brother aside to take over the company. He became the sort of legendary, dominating figure for the next, what, half-century. KNOEDELSEDER: Oh, yeah. He was the - he is the beer baron, and he was also a really larger-than-life character - outspoken, crude, coarse, colorful, funny, outrageous, and I think probably the best beer salesman who ever lived. And he basically came out of World War II determined that he was going to put them back on top and they were going to be the number one beer company in the world, and he did that. RAZ: Gussy's son, August III, I guess it's sort of an understatement to say, clashed with his father to the point where he basically stages a coup to oust his father and take over the company. What happens? KNOEDELSEDER: Well, what happened was is that he wanted to modernize the company. And his father, who was getting old, was fighting against it. And he was an authoritarian, old school guy, and he didn't believe in corporate planning or computers and all that. He was always, you know, you react fast to things and you get it done, and he went by the seat of his pants. So August III, as he rose up in the ranks, a very bright guy, was at loggerheads with his father all the time. The Third, as he was referred to - August III - staged a coup where he convinced the board to vote against his father. RAZ: The final, sort of, chapter to the Busch family and the beer empire is with August Busch IV. He is the son of The Third. The opening scene in your book actually takes place at the end of that timeline. And he - August Busch IV is late to a meeting. He's supposed to address several hundred Anheuser-Busch distributors. He's late. Eventually, he shows up, and what happens? KNOEDELSEDER: It's the middle of the afternoon, and he finally shows up after keeping people waiting for half an hour or so, and he's stoned. He's loaded. He cannot deliver the speech. And he had to be led off the stage. And they gave some sort of story that he was taking some sort of, you know, cold medication or something like that, you know, which nobody believed. And it was like three, four weeks later that the hostile bid for takeover of Anheuser-Busch began. RAZ: This is by InBev. KNOEDELSEDER: By InBev, the - a company that had not existed four years before. RAZ: That's an incredible story. William Knoedelseder's new book is called "Bitter Brew." It's about the history of Anheuser-Busch and the Busch family. Bill, thank you so much. KNOEDELSEDER: Thank you very much. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.	<urn:uuid:ca88b1e4-e161-4cd3-b1f6-2ec8b074bdc3>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://kwgs.org/post/bitter-tale-budweiser-family	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.988601	2,618	2.296875	2
Politics should not obstruct protections for women While the American public debates gun laws, the violent gang rape of a young Indian woman, who later died, has catalyzed conversation about sexual violence around the world. In the United States and around the world, women are campaigning, marching and working to diminish sexual assault, domestic violence and other crimes that disproportionately affect women. Women are victims of sexual violence at a rate more than four times as high as that for men. In recent years, four of every five victims of domestic partner violence was female. The statistics go on and on. Occasionally someone points out that men, too, are victims of such violence, a fact both true and unfortunate, but no one, really, can deny that women are at significantly greater risk. This week, a bipartisan majority in U.S. Senate approved the renewal of the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a law first passed in 1994. That's heartening, although cynics might note that eight Senate Republicans have switched their votes since last year's failed renewal attempt - and also since they received a strong message from voters in response to cringe-worthy statements by GOP politicians during the 2012 election cycle. To be fair, some of the objections to last year's proposal have been ironed out. For example, a provision to expand immigration visas for victims of violent crime, derided as an "amnesty" plan, is gone. Federal funding has been proposed to address the backlog in untested rape kits. One major dispute remains, though, and it's one that affects Southwest Colorado: a provision that would allow American Indian victims to bring charges against their attackers, including non-Indians, in tribal courts. Three in five Indian women will be victims of abuse in their lifetimes, and VAWA advocates say that such abuse often goes unpunished because of the disconnect between tribal and state laws and courts. Opponents say that tribal-court trials would deprive non-Indians of their constitutional right to a trial by a jury of their peers, a complex problem when the defendant and alleged victim are members of markedly different communities. The jurisdiction issue needs to be straightened out in a way that protects the rights of both, and that acknowledges the justifiable belief that different standards of justice hold sway on different sides of the reservation boundary. The basic issue, though, is this: Native American women, like all people, need and deserve protection from violence. Although both houses of Congress passed bills reauthorizing VAWA, House Republicans cited procedural problems and did not move the measure toward a conference committee to iron out differences between the two versions. So VAWA, which expired in 2011, went unrenewed in 2012. Now it's before the House once again, and this time legislators should pass it quickly and decisively, reconcile it and send it to the president for his signature. VAWA has produced demonstrable results: Both intimate-partner violence and rape have been reduced by statistically significant amounts. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, attempted rapes have dropped to a third of 1990 levels. That's progress that cannot be opposed by any reasonable American. While Congress dithers, locals can demonstrate that they can disapprove of crimes of violence, and they can work on the problems involved in gender-specific attacks: attitudes toward women and sex, substance abuse issues, and the treatment of victims as victims and not as instigators. And, we can demand that our legislators transcend both gender politics and partisan divisions to accomplish the straightforward task of reauthorizing VAWA.	<urn:uuid:01a6f860-8470-4997-99ad-82cf21ee8796>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/20130215/OPINION01/130219867/0/20111101/VAWA	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.968255	728	2.40625	2
Ein Hod holds fond memories for me, for it is where I found peace, surprisingly in the shape of pottery lessons. The monotonous whine of the wheel as it circled, splattering clay everywhere, and the childish act of digging my fingers into the clay, and later seeing my face and clothing smeared with the gooey stuff, was almost magical. I looked forward to the lessons, not just because of the joy of creating pottery, but also because of the village's serenity. Curiosity made me want to know more about this place that had entered my heart so deeply, always calling me back. However, a quick search on the Internet proved that this was not always the quiet, peaceful place that I thought it was. Ein Hod is an artists' village at the foot of the Carmel Mountains, a few kilometers south of Haifa. With the mountains towering behind it and the sea below, it is a picturesque, quaint village, perfect for artists who want to throw themselves into their work without distraction. A walk around the village takes one down narrow lanes lined with bright pink and purple bougainvillea, which seems to hug the old stone houses. Many of the houses, although renovated, bear the telltale signs of Arab homes; however, the nameplates in front of them confirm that they are the homes of Jewish artists. Don't let the names confuse you, but Ein Hod (spring of glory) was once an Arab village called Ein Hawd (spring of the trough). Its history can be traced back to the time of Saladin and the Crusaders. Emir Hussam al-Din was an Iraqi commander of the Kurdish forces that took part in the sultan's conquest of the Crusader kingdom from 1187 to 1193. Known for his bravery, he was given the nickname Abu al-Haija (the daring). He returned to Iraq, but at the orders of the sultan, some of Abu al-Haija's family members stayed behind and were given land grants. They settled in the Carmel region, in Lower, Eastern and Western Galilee and in the Hebron Hills on the land that was then called Palestine. Ein Hawd was one of their villages. Over the years, the village increased in size, and by 1948 between 700 and 900 Arabs resided there. In 1931 there were 81 homes, and by 1948 that number had risen to 133. The mosque (now a restaurant/bar modeled after CafÃ© Voltaire in Switzerland), close to the entrance of the village, proved this was home to a Muslim community. However, life for the inhabitants of Ein Hawd changed dramatically during the War of Independence. According to Shuli Yarkony, a specialist on the Carmel area and Ein Hod resident, "Arab Ein Hawd was occupied in the summer of 1948, and the refugees who were still in the country were not allowed to return for political reasons. The policy of the government was not to settle people in the Arab villages but instead on the agricultural lands." So in July 1949, the moshav movement settled immigrants from Tunisia and Algeria in the village. Hopes that it would serve as an agricultural community were short-lived, and the village remained deserted for a year and a half. However although attempts to build a settlement in the Arab village failed between 1949 and 1953, Kibbutz Nir Etzion, a stone's throw from Ein Hod, was created on the agricultural lands of the old Arab village in 1949. The story of the village continues with Romanian Jewish painter and architect Marcel Janco, one of the founders of the Dada Movement, which according to Wikipedia is an international cultural movement that began in Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich during World War I, and "concentrated its anti-war politic through a rejection of the prevailing standards in art through anti-art cultural works." Janco recognized the charm of the village, and persuaded the government not to demolish it, but instead to allow him to establish an artists colony on the site. So, in 1953, Ein Hawd became Ein Hod. At that time, many of the houses that were standing were in various stages of collapse. They were rebuilt or destroyed, and the village was repopulated with a few dozen artists. In the 1970s it expanded its land to the east, and its population has now reached approximately 150 artists and their families. Ein Hod is designated exclusively for artists. Because of this, potential residents must be approved by a committee which judges the quality of the artists' work. In addition, personality tests must be taken. Those born into the village must stand before a committee and are not guaranteed residence. The village has also become a tourist attraction. Creativity seems to ooze from every corner, and one can walk along the narrow streets and stumble upon unique pieces of art in unexpected places. Visitors can view Janco's art and learn about the history of Dadaism in the Janco Dada Museum, established before his death at 89 in 1984. Music lovers may be interested in the Nisco Museum of Mechanical Music. It contains a collection of various instruments, and is the first museum in the country dedicated to antique mechanical instruments. The village houses an art gallery where artists can exhibit their work. Many of the artists welcome guests into their studios to view their work or to take lessons. The village also has various art events, holiday celebrations and music festivals which display the variety of talent in the community. According to Margol Guttman, director of the Ein Hod Web site and international contacts, the future seems to be in the hands of the many different artists residing there. "Even though much has changed everywhere, naturally influencing the atmosphere here too, it seems that most would like to keep this spirit, and the way things are right now, it looks like we shall manage," she says. The artists live for their art and make a living from it, and, she explains, "with the ups and downs, Ein Hod manages to keep the spirit of its founders even today." The story, however, can not possibly be complete without relating what happened to the original inhabitants of Ein Hod. My search for answers led me a few kilometers up the mountain road, past Ein Hod and Nir Etzion, to what is now a very small village called Ein Hawd al-Jadida (New Ein Hawd). I held my breath both in fear and in awe of the beauty before me as the narrow, roughly paved road dangerously twisted and turned up the mountain. Through the greenery of the dense Carmel Forest, I saw houses and a minaret in the distance. An arrow on a yellow sign at a deep dip in the road pointed in the direction of the village. After the car very slowly climbed a steep hill (making me wonder how the residents manage during the winter rains), with a sigh of relief I entered the village. My visit to Ein Hawd al-Jadida began at el-Bayt restaurant where I and, by coincidence, a group of American tourists were treated to a film entitled Not on the Map. It describes the plight of more than 100 unrecognized Arab villages and their approximately 250,000 internally displaced residents (exact numbers are not known). The end of the film portrayed the sheer joy of people who had just received something so basic - water - in their village. Sounds of laughter coming from the film deeply contrasted with the viewers' complete silence following the emotional ending. Muhammad Abu al-Haija, owner of the restaurant and councilman for Ein Hawd al-Jadida, invited me to a delicious meal of lentil soup and several salads. With a view of Ein Hod in the distance, he traveled back in time, explaining his ancestors' history. Whether the residents were expelled from or abandoned the village that had been their home for 700 years depends on whom one asks. But the fact remains that the original residents of what is now Ein Hod became refugees in July 1948. Most of them settled in Jenin, Jordan and Lebanon. Abu al-Haija's grandfather, Abu Hilmi, owned farmland and an orchard outside the village, and took approximately 35 members of his family to live in a barn until they could return home. Little did he know that due to the 1950 Law of Absentee Property, which denied Arabs the right to return to their homes if they had been away from them for a certain period of time, they would be considered "present absentees" and would lose the right to return. The government had already possessed their land, and they became refugees in their own country, he explained. How could he know then that the makeshift home on his farmland would be the beginning of a new village for his descendants? In spite of the fact that for most of its existence Ein Hawd al-Jadida was not legally recognized, what was once a piece of land with one barn has now become a village with 50 houses and 250 residents. But life has not been easy for them. According to Abu al-Haija, because of their status as an unrecognized village, past years had been filled with uncertainty. The government tried to impose law after law on them in an attempt to remove them from their land, he says. Despite the 1959 confiscation of 83 dunams, and governmental claims that they illegally reside on Carmel Park land, or on an archeological site or agricultural land, they refused to be dislodged. Other measures were taken by imposition of laws banning black goats and other livestock (Black Goat Law, 1970), and reforestation with cypress trees, therefore killing the olive and fruit trees and destroying their livelihood. As a result, many were forced to work in Ein Hod as handymen, gardeners or builders, he says. In 1988, Abu al-Haija founded an organization called the Association of Forty. It strives for equality for Arabs, and recognition of their unrecognized villages. After years of pressuring the government, the village finally received official recognition in 1994, he explained. But this has not been the end of its worries. Although Ein Hawd al-Jadida is a legally recognized village, municipal services are still practically nonexistent, says al-Haija. It is just recently that the school (which goes up to sixth grade), and two of the 50 houses have been hooked up to the electric grid, he says, though others dispute this claim. There is no infrastructure - no sewers, no water - and the roads are in poor condition. Residents are not granted building permits, therefore the houses that do exist may be demolished anytime, according to al-Haija. One solution to the problem is the el-Bayt restaurant. Open only three and a half years, it is the first business in the village, and employs members of the family. Faded photographs of three generations hang on the wall of the restaurant - one of Abu Hilmi, and underneath it a picture of Muhammad Abu al-Haija as a child with his father. The pictures do not face Ein Hod. Abu Hilmi told the young Muhammad to never go to Ein Hod. He broke that promise and went one time. He doesn't like to share his personal feelings about the situation, preferring to devote his energy to attaining a better life for his fellow residents, dealing with what he called "the new reality" - the problem of the basic rights of the inhabitants of Ein Hawd al-Jadida. "When you struggle all your life for your rights, another five years is not such a long time," he says. "It is better to be quiet with the struggle, not to give up."	<urn:uuid:f7e04ac1-ae8d-4cae-bb82-e22242640d10>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=114026	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.980679	2,428	2.0625	2
\|Visual notes taken by Annalena from MakerBot's presentation at Republica. http://annalenas.posterous.com/\| Open communities business models. Chapter 1: Open Hardware Published on 03/15/2011 - Goteo Contributors: Massimo Menichinelli 3. there is already a thriving community and business ecosystem where to find resources; 4. it is a mature and simple enough project. The designs for the Arduino board are released under the Creative Commons license Attribution-Share Alike: you can produce copies of the board, redesign it, or even sell boards that copy the design without paying a license fee or even ask permission (you just have to credit the original Arduino group and use the same CC license). The only piece of intellectual property the team reserved was the name Arduino, which is trademarked: if you want to sell boards using that name, you have to pay a small fee to Arduino (this is set in order to make sure the Arduino brand name isn't hurt by low-quality copies). Clive Thompson on Wired reported two different business models for Arduino (and other Open Hardware projects): 1. sharing open hardware to sell expertise, knowledge and custom services and projects around it; 2. selling the hardware but trying to keep ahead of competition with better products (users will buy your products because are better than the copies, but the copies will help your products become more famous). Clive Thompson (Wired) concluded that Open Hardware is a sign that hardware is becoming a commodity and that it still has not clear business models: it's possible that open source hardware will not compete with the for-profit world but will instead fill niches otherwise ignored. The Market for Open Hardware In May 2010 Philip Torrone and Limor Fried collected 13 examples of companies that are selling open source hardware: according to them, these companies, generate a turnover of about $ 50 million and there are currently about 200 open source hardware projects of this kind. They project the open source hardware community to reach $ 1 billion by 2015. Adafruit, Arduino, Chumby and Liquidware have each one $ 1 million in revenue, and Torrone and Fried estimated them to reach a $ 5 million revenue soon (while many other companies will reach a $ 1 million revenue). Sparkfun alone has even a $ 10 million revenue. In January 2010, Joseph Flaherty calculated that the MMakerbot (an open hardware 3D printer produced by a 3-person firm) has a revenue of $ 1,350,000-1,710,000 (1,800 * $ 750-950). The industry leader Stratasys (which uses a FDM technology similar to MakerBot) had a total revenue of $ 124,500,000 in 2008, but with a considerably bigger firm and more R&D investments. And MarkeBot has just opened a retail store in New York called the Botcave. Business Models for Open Hardware Khatib proposed four business models for Open Hardware companies; later Edy Ferreira y Stoyan Tanev further expanded these to seven business models. According to Edy Ferreira and Stoyan Tanev, there is little research on the types of business models specifically related to Open Hardware, just like there is no consensus on the definition of Open Hardware itself as well. The open asset is different from the ultimate market offer, the manufactured hardware device itself, and hence the problems with the adoption of existing Open Source business models. Ferrera and Tanev examined 4 companies, 88 market offers and 93 Open Hardware projects, and then identified seven business models for Open Hardware:	<urn:uuid:a818a22e-859a-49de-aeb3-8618588d327e>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.youcoop.org/en/goteo/cat/9/p/7/open-communities-business-models-chapter-1-open-hardware/?pag=1	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.930644	752	2.359375	2
1952. France. Jacques Becker. 96 min. Wednesday, February 6, 2013, 1:30 p.m. Theater 3 (The Celeste Bartos Theater), mezzanine, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building 1952. France. Directed by Jacques Becker. With Simone Signoret, Serge Reggiani, Claude Dauphin, Gaston Modot. Becker (1906–1960) was an assistant, and a kind of surrogate son, to Jean Renoir. This film represents the seamier black-and-white underbelly of fin-de-siècle Paris (the splendor of which Renoir would portray in such vibrant colors a few years later in French Cancan). Signoret was just coming off her cameo in Max Ophuls’s great La Ronde (as was Reggiani), and was about to embark on her marriage to Yves Montand and an international career of over 30 years as one of the cinema’s brightest stars. In French; English subtitles. 96 min.	<urn:uuid:343eb33b-0031-4158-a1e7-81f8aaf2bc69>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/17448	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00045-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.912553	226	1.523438	2
John Walker Lindh, infamously serving a 20-year prison sentence for aiding the Taliban, is now seeking new ways to insult the United States, including insulting the many liberty-minded Muslims who value our nation’s freedoms. The prison where Lindh is held has had a generous policy for its many Muslim prisoners. Until they were disciplined for not responding to a fire alarm, the prisoners were permitted to gather in congregation for three of the five daily prayers. Now, the prisoners are only permitted to gather for the Friday afternoon “jummah” prayer. Lindh is not satisfied with this accommodation of his religious beliefs and practices. He has asserted that the prison’s restriction on gathering for prayer is an infringement on his religious rights, and that he must gather with other Muslims for the daily prayers. He has even brought his case to court, suing the Federal Bureau of Prisons for the right to pray in congregation more than once per week. Islam does not require Muslims to perform their daily prayers in congregation, and allows for Muslims to miss the Friday prayers if circumstances make attending them impossible. Imam Ammar Amonette of Richmond, Virginia has commented on Lindh’s case, affirming this widely-known Islamic guideline. Despite this, Lindh continues to insist that he receive special treatment. This kind of arrogance is no surprise coming from a notorious terrorist convicted of numerous crimes against the United States and innocent people everywhere. It is also a hallmark of the Islamist mindset, which seeks to use the freedom and reason of the West in its quest to defeat it. Islamists relish the opportunity to demand even accommodations well outside of mainstream Islamic practice: niqabs (face-veils) in the courtroom, extra congregational prayers for terrorists. Islamists make these absurd demands with full knowledge that they act against both non-Muslims and the majority of Muslims worldwide. They view their mission as a holy war, in which they seek to defeat all people who believe in freedom and the preservation of human rights. To them, no sacrifice is too great – and those Muslims who won’t fight alongside them are primary targets. This is not the first time Islamists in the prison system have petitioned for special privileges: in 2009, Randall T. Moyer (a former spokesman for the Muslim American Society, or MAS and member of the “Virginia Jihad Network”) was housed in the same prison as John Walker Lindh, and also sued the Federal Bureau of Prisons for additional congregational prayer rights. Louay Safi, former director of leadership development for the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), backed Moyer’s request, saying that Moyer’s demands followed the “prophetic tradition,” and that Muhammad promised greater rewards to those who pray in congregation. (Read more about Safi and his career in ISNA’s leadership here and here.) The ACLU is defending Lindh, and they may be well-intentioned in doing so. We certainly support protecting civil rights for all Americans. By choosing to support Lindh, however, the ACLU seems to be trying to support an identity group – Muslims – but are instead supporting Lindh’s Islamist interpretation of Islam, which actually subjugates individual Muslims and restricts their rights. Islamism doesn’t value individual liberty, freedom of expression, or civil rights. As liberty-minded Muslims, we are intensely grateful for the freedoms granted we enjoy in the United States, where we are freer to practice our faith than we would be anywhere else in the world. We believe that John Walker Lindh’s demands for greater privileges are not just unreasonable, but also dangerous. He, like other Islamists, seeks to define Islam as a faith utterly incompatible with modernity, freedom, and human rights. We urge those who may be swayed by Lindh’s argument to recognize that they may be setting a dangerous precedent by helping to advance a jihadist’s interpretation of Islam, which seeks to strip us of the very liberties that make us who we are. Disturbing: a jihadi song in in honor of John Walker Lindh, aka Mujahid Sulayman al-Faris.	<urn:uuid:1e187960-0fd1-4992-85c5-c608b0eb9879>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://aifdemocracy.org/john-walker-lindh-a-terrorist-manipulating-islam-aided-by-western-islamists-and-their-sympathizers/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00040-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.959396	861	1.585938	2
YAML’s security risks are in no way limited to Rails or Ruby. YAML documents should be treated as executable code and firewalled accordingly. Deserializing arbitrary types is user-controlled, arbitrary code execution. It’s Not Just Ruby A few weeks ago, I had a need to parse Jasmine’s jasmine.yml in some C# code. I spent some time looking at existing YAML parsers for .NET and ended up deciding that spending a couple of hours writing a lightweight, purpose-specific parser for jasmine.yml made more sense for my use case than including an off-the-shelf YAML parser which invariably turned out to be quite a heavyweight project. Having made this choice, I then spent a little bit of time reading the YAML specification. So when, a week or so later, the first of what would become a series of malicious-YAML-based attacks on Rails began to hit the news, I started paying attention. A couple weeks after that, yet another YAML-based security flaw was corrected in Rails, and then rubygems.org was compromised in still another malicious YAML attack separate from the Rails bugs. This one had the risk of compromising any machine which runs gem install on a regular basis, although it doesn’t seem like that actually happened at this point. Because all of these attacks landed within the Ruby community, observers have occasionally characterized this as a crisis for Rails or Ruby. I think that’s (at least a little) misguided. The real focus of our attention should be YAML. Update: Aaron Patterson, one of the maintainers of Ruby’s Psych parser, has an excellent discussion of the Ruby-specific aspects of this issue. It is very easy to demonstrate that the same vulnerabilities exist in other platforms. Here’s a two-line "attack" on Clojure’s YAML parser from Justin Leitgeb. I have to use the term "attack" here loosely, because all he is doing is deserializing an arbitrary class, which the YAML spec allows. But, in most environments, deserializing an arbitrary class is tantamount to code execution. The PyYAML library for Python has nearly the same vulnerability (though there is a workaround for it). I think that YAML-based attacks have tended to target Ruby projects simply because use of YAML is quite a bit more common amongst Rubyists, and certain prominent Ruby libraries in an internal way — users of these libraries may have no idea that the JSON input they supply, e.g., might be vulnerable to an internal YAML parser. User-Controlled, Arbitrary Object Instantiation is Remote Code Execution The introduction to the YAML spec states, YAML leverages these primitives, and adds a simple typing system and aliasing mechanism to form a complete language for serializing any native data structure. That is, in practice, remote code execution. If an external actor, such as the author of a YAML document, can cause your application to instantiate an arbitrary type, then they can probably execute code on your server. This is easier in some environments than others. If you happen to be running within a framework where one of the indispensable types calls eval on a property assignment, then it is very, very easy indeed. On the other hand, even in environments which make a very careful distinction between data type construction and code execution, one can imagine vulnerable code. Consider the following Haskell data type: type LaunchCodes = (Int, Int) …and some code, elsewhere in the application: do case input of LaunchCodes (targetId, presidentialPassword) -> launchMissiles( --… Contrived, sure. But you may have more innocuously-named types which you don’t plan for random users to spin up. Haskell, indeed, makes such attacks harder, but it’s not a free pass. It’s difficult to overstate the danger of remote code authentication. If someone can execute code on your server, they can probably own your data center. The YAML spec is largely mute on the issue of security. The word "security" does not appear in the document at all, and malicious user input isn’t discussed, as far as I can see. Types in the YAML Spec The encoding of arbitrary types is discussed in the last section of the YAML spec, "Recommended Schemas." It specifies "tag resolution," which is, in practice, the mapping of YAML content to instantiated types during deserialization. This section defines four schemas which a compliant parser should understand. The first three, "Failsafe," "JSON," and "Core," define , define tag resolutions for common types like strings, numbers, lists, maps, etc., but don’t appear dangerous to me. However, the last section of "Recommended Schemas" is a catchall called "Other Schemas." It notes, None of the above recommended schemas preclude the use of arbitrary explicit tags. Hence YAML processors for a particular programming language typically provide some form of local tags that map directly to the language’s native data structures (e.g., While such local tags are useful for ad-hoc applications, they do not suffice for stable, interoperable cross-application or cross-platform data exchange. In practice, most YAML deserialization code will, by default, attempt to instantiate any type specified in the YAML file. Some YAML parsers have a "safe" mode where they will only deserialize types specified in the tag resolution. For example, PyYAML has safe_load. Its documentation notes, Warning: It is not safe to call yaml.load with any data received from an untrusted source! yaml.load is as powerful as pickle.load and so may call any Python function. Check the yaml.safe_load function though. (emphasis in original) Notably, however, Ruby’s Psych parser has no such method at this time. So Should We All Dump YAML? Some Rubyists have questioned why YAML is so pervasive in the Ruby community when other formats, like JSON or Ruby itself (à la Rake), are perfectly usable in most cases. It’s a good question to ask, especially in cases where YAML parsing has not been explicitly requested. On the other hand, it’s not hard to imagine cases where allowing arbitrary object instantiation makes sense, such as in an application configuration file. An example in the .NET space would be XAML files. If you are defining a form or a workflow, then you want to be able to allow the instantiation of custom controls. There is no standard way to do this with, say, JSON files, so using a format like YAML makes sense here. (So does using a non-domain-specific language like Ruby, but that presumes that Ruby is available and might not be suitable for cross-language work.) For the most part, you never want to accept YAML from the outside world. The risks are too high, and the benefits of the YAML format are largely not relevant here. Note, for example, that while gem files include manifests in YAML format, the jQuery plugin repository does essentially the same thing with JSON documents. Why Don’t YAML Parsers with a "Safe" Mode Use It By Default?	<urn:uuid:fa6e1026-5cc2-4ea1-befa-46a1b73ae95f>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://blogs.teamb.com/craigstuntz/2013/02/04/38738	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.914181	1,604	1.742188	2
Peace Action plans Bloomfield luncheon On Saturday, Nov. 10, Jonathan Granoff, renowned author and speaker on nuclear disarmament will be the featured speaker at New Jersey Peace Action's 55th Annual Soup Luncheon at Bloomfield High School from 11:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Soup Luncheon takes place shortly after the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis (Oct. 14 to 28, 1962) and just a few days after the elections of November 6th, both of which will inform Jonathan Granoff's presentation "At This Critical Moment: What Next for International Security?" In his Sept. 30, Huffington Post article "Ronald Reagan, Republicans and Nuclear Weapons," Jonathan Granoff writes "Listening to today's candidates - at any level-one would not know that, historically, Republicans have been instrumental in advancing arms control, nonproliferation, and nuclear disarmament. That is, until the recent Bush administration. In fact, active Republican leadership was essential in obtaining the Biological Weapons Convention, the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Strategy Arms Reduction Treaty, and the Chemical Weapons Convention, to name but a few. However, the current Republicans running for offices, both high and low, have forgotten this legacy of success in making America and the world safer based on the U.S. value of the rule of law." After a recent Presidential debate where both President Obama and Gov. Romney agreed on almost every foreign policy issue, NJPA is even more convinced that all diplomatic avenues must be explored to prevent the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons and move instead toward their total abolition. And nowhere is that position more critical than in addressing international concerns about Iran. In their foreign policy debate on Oct. 22, both Obama and Romney stated that a nuclear capable Iran is problematic. However, neither candidate spoke about stepping up negotiations and diplomacy. Instead they tried to outdo each other in their support for "crippling sanctions," sanctions that indiscriminately punish Iranian people for alleged missteps of their government. Neither candidate ruled out military intervention. Have our leaders learned nothing from the Cuban Missile Crisis about preventing nuclear war? Fifty years ago, the whole world was on edge. One wrong word or action from a party to the conflict might have unleashed the terrible destructive power of nuclear weapons. The Russians ultimately backed off, not because of the threat of more forceful action, but because through negotiations and diplomacy, a compromise was reached. The United States declared never to invade Cuba in exchange for the Soviets' dismantling of their offensive weapons in Cuba, returning them to the Soviet Union, subject to United Nations verification. Then Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, spoke eloquently of how the crisis was averted in Errol Morris's 2003 documentary, "The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara." The lesson here: Know your enemy and empathize with them. "We must try to put ourselves inside their skin and look at us through their eyes," he said. The goal then becomes crafting a resolution to the conflict that allows all parties to "save face" so when crisis is averted, each party can face their own people without recrimination. Such negotiations require listening and compromise - we give away something meaningful to get something meaningful in return, a lesson the U.S. appears to have forgotten in dealing with Iran.	<urn:uuid:9d768451-c113-4cb4-898f-8dd864f2db2b>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.northjersey.com/news/state/military_news/176822081_Peace_Action_plans_Bloomfield_luncheon.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.952113	695	1.742188	2
FAT File System The file allocation table (FAT) file system makes it possible for an operating system to track the location and sequence of each piece of a file. Today, the FAT file system has become the ubiquitous format that is used for the interchange of media between computers. Since the advent of inexpensive, removable flash memory, the FAT file system has also become the format that is used between digital devices. The FAT file system provides a way to time stamp when a file is created or changed and provides a way to identify the size of the file. This system provides a mechanism to store other attributes of a file, such as whether a file is read-only, whether the file should be hidden in a directory display, or whether a file should be archived during the next disk backup. The FAT file system is ideal for removable flash media used in consumer electronic devices, such as digital cameras, media players, and flash drives. The FAT file system can be helpful in the following scenarios: Because of the backward compatibility of the FAT file system, users can employ memory stick media or floppy disks to transfer files between a consumer electronics device and a computer that is running an outdated operating system. The FAT file system lets users quickly remove files from electronics devices, as in professional broadcast media. The file system versions FAT16 or FAT32 may be suitable for a hard disk drive volume (for example, when the operating system, such as Windows 98, does not provide support for NTFS). These versions would also be useful to a user who wants to boot a computer by using a floppy disk to access data (typically, system recovery tools) on a hard disk drive volume. The FAT file system licensing program includes rights with regard to implementation of the Microsoft FAT file system specification under a number of U.S. patents that include the following: U.S. Patent #5,579,517 U.S. Patent #5,758,352 U.S. Patent #6,286,013 Additionally, the FAT file system licensing package includes rights to FAT file system innovations for which Microsoft has filed a claim for a patent that the U.S. Patent Office has not yet granted. This licensing program also provides licensees with rights to the Microsoft FAT file system issued and pending patents outside the United States and to the Microsoft FAT file system specification and certain test specifications.	<urn:uuid:778bbb0d-5c84-438b-9cf2-edd2d0877afb>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/IntellectualProperty/IPLicensing/Programs/FATFileSystem.aspx?mstLocPickShow=True&navV3Index=4	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00024-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.927941	485	3.390625	3
\|Presenting in Tunisia on Cinema Journalism picture by Trella.org\| Italian Neorealism is a classic example and perhaps one of the most enduring that used the post war period to create a style of film which used the streets as its studios and non-actors and plots to capture moments of moral issues. Enduring too because it was one of the few film styles that provided an intelligent popularised alternative to America's hegemony on film making. Neorealism laid the ground work for Noir and films such as Double Indemnity (1944) - one of my favourites. In Neorealism, the closing scene to Umberto D (1952) by Vittorio De Sica features the desperate lead character feeling so suicidal from a spate of bad fortune, that he figures once he finds his dog a home, he will end his life. He very nearly does with his dog who later shuns him, before a touching reconcilation. It's a simple story but deeply allegorical and there are many others. More recently from Egypt, their crowd sourcing film making 18 Days in Egypt provided one of the most notable schemas to film crowd sourcing and has made its producers house hold names on the innovative doc circuit. My own feature Tahrir Square illustrated how graffiti and fine painters, as well as theatre actors, poets and singer songwriters were inspired to be expressive. As an academic, as well as film maker/ videojournalist the opportunity to visit Tunisia to gain an insight into the creative fraternity, which is by no means not a homogeneous mass, was something that intrigued me. A couple of weeks earlier at a closed meeting held under the Chatham House Rule at Chatham House which is the UK's leading think tank, I asked a question of a high powered delegation talking about regeneration in the region. They'd not mentioned media, I said, but would they agree that film makers etc have a huge role. The delegation agreed, but the problem they said was invariably a newer media or even film makers become so determined to show their credentials, they end up practising a kind of 'gotcha journalism' against the old order. I understood the subtlety of the answer. At today's cinema journalism event three of the country's media outlets interviewed me about cinema journalism. Cinema journalism can be explained ontologically in its metaphysical way; and epistemologically, as a way of creating and understanding its knowledge. The reason why I posit these two ways of looking at cinema journalism is I talk about it being about richer story forms, marching beyond classic documentary mode and news in terms of impartiality and finding plot and visual grammar to create meaning. Yet ontologically just because it eschews impartiality or looks to be expressive doesn't mean its practitioners are rabid propagandists or can't be honest. As one of the founding fathers of cinema verite, Robert Drew told me it's a very difficult art to master because it calls into question your own ideology and what you stand for. Transparency thus in cinema journalism is crucial, because at the point you overtly direct the viewer's attention, you nakedly unlike news' fig-leaf disguise are making a statement about you. That's why its metaphysical. Tomorrow, the IWPR the principle broker and other stakeholders will be meeting some of the creatives from contacts that came to the cinema journalism event.	<urn:uuid:f1cab3f9-f754-47fd-88c0-3fb917e9381f>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.viewmag.blogspot.com/2012_07_01_archive.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00037-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.969984	696	1.515625	2
THE picture window of the Rosens' living room commands a sweeping view of Long Island Sound. To one side is open water, to the other, the wooded peninsula of Premium Point in Larchmont and its million-dollar homes. In 1950, Phil Rosen, a builder, and his wife, Rita, bought almost an acre of waterfront property for $7,500. They built a four-bedroom contemporary with open spaces and large windows that make it seem more a beach house than a primary residence. The property is said to be worth about $900,000. "Over the years we thought about moving someplace else and we looked at different waterfront properties," Mrs. Rosen said, "but we could never find a view this magnificent." This neighborhood is not usually the first thing to come to mind when people think of New Rochelle, whose reputation as an urban area with all the attendant problems often belies the fact that it is also a shore town with nine miles of waterfront and well-tended neighborhoods of comfortable houses. The area's original inhabitants were the Siwanoy Indians of the Algonquin tribe. A section of the city is called Wykagyl, a shortening of the name for the Indians who lived just west of the city. In the late 1600's a group of French Huguenots settled there, naming the town after the French port of La Rochelle. One of the oldest houses in the city once belonged to Thomas Paine, the Revolutionary War pamphleteer. It is now a museum in a two-acre park owned by the Huguenot and Historical Association. In the early 1800's, New Rochelle became a popular resort for people fleeing New York City's sweltering summers. By 1849, when the New York and New Haven Railroad opened a station there, its transformation to suburbia had begun. Today it has many faces, from affluent waterfront enclaves to tree-lined streets of more moderately priced colonials, Tudors and ranches to co-op apartment buildings near the downtown. It is still possible to buy a house there for under $200,000. Betsy Sutton, an agent with Anthony F. Sutton Realty, recently sold a five-bedroom stucco colonial with two baths for $175,000. "Houses are very rare in that price range, but they are out there," she said. More typical, though, is the experience of Kelly and Eugene Young. When they started looking for a house, they didn't think of New Rochelle. "We had looked at 120 houses in places like Chappaqua and Larchmont before we saw an ad for this house," said Mr. Young, a television producer for ABC news. The Youngs wanted an older home with more than two bathrooms, Mr. Young said, and "the moment my wife saw this house, she said, 'This is it.' " The house, a 1931 Norman Tudor with a backyard that abuts a nature preserve, was listed at $365,000, but since it needed work they got it last February for $277,000. The neighborhood, Mrs. Young said, has "a real mix of people, which is the kind of environment we want for our child," a year-old daughter. Real estate agents say the city is less homogeneous than most Westchester municipalites. According to the 1990 census, the population is 76 percent white and 18 percent black (out of both percentages, 11 percent list themselves as Hispanic). There is also a sprinkling of Asians and other nationalities.+ "I had one family move from a million-dollar house in Larchmont because they wanted a more diverse population," said Patricia Lampl, a sales associate with Wykagyl/Rittenberg Realty. "So we sold them a million-dollar house here." Brokers say the best buys in town now are co-ops and condominiums. Most co-ops range from $55,000 for a small one-bedroom to $140,000 for a two-bedroom with parking and a pool; condominiums typically cost from $70,000 for a one-bedroom to $160,000 for a two-bedroom.	<urn:uuid:f6a83299-91bf-4617-b2c6-31e5df38b317>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/17/realestate/if-you-re-thinking-of-living-in-new-rochelle.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.973198	872	2.203125	2
The following opinion pieces were published ahead of a high-level U.N. panel meeting taking place in London this week, where global leaders and policymakers will gather to discuss a post-2015 development agenda to address global poverty. Justin Byworth, Huffington Post U.K.'s "Politics" blog: "As [U.K. Prime Minister] David Cameron welcomes global leaders and policy experts from around the world to London this week (31 Oct-2 Nov) to help shape what comes after the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it is a good time to take stock of what has been achieved so far ... and what has not," Byworth, who has worked with World Vision for more than 20 years, writes. "The MDGs have seen progress for many living in poverty around the world, which should be celebrated, but it is the most vulnerable and most poor -- often in fragile and weak states -- who leaders gathered in London next week need to keep at front and center of their discussions," he continues (10/30). Claire Melamed, Guardian's "Poverty Matters" blog: "Some impressive progress has been made" toward the MDGs, "[s]o there is a lot of enthusiasm for agreeing a new plan on poverty, to take over where the MDGs leave off in 2015," Melamed, head of growth and equity program at the Overseas Development Institute, writes. The process is U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron's "chance to put Conservative thinking on development," but, "as the PM may find to his cost, agreeing a new set of numbers is a bit more difficult now than it was in 2000," she continues, adding, "A good agreement on a post-2015 development agenda will be simple (not too many issues), specific (some numbers), and symmetrical (with obligations and commitments for all countries)" (10/31). Matthew Frost, Huffington Post U.K.'s "Politics" blog: "The sooner we stop abdicating responsibility and expecting 'someone' to sort it all out, the better, ... [b]ecause there is no 'they' in the fight against poverty," Frost, chief executive of Tearfund, writes. "If the debate about tackling poverty were to move away from 'them' and 'us' and more intelligently reflect the scale of the challenges [U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] together face, we'd be much better able to have a sensible conversation about the future of development," he adds (10/31).	<urn:uuid:6d5c67ef-26ba-405f-beea-57c4cf722340>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://medilinkz.org/africa/global/37816-opinion-pieces-published-ahead-of-high-level-meeting-on-post-2015-development-agenda.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00049-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.963758	539	2.046875	2
A recent Wall Street Journal blog post, “The Problem with Drug Provenance,” broached an interesting debate on whether the origin of ingredients in a drug should be listed as part of the drug’s product information. The public and industry discourse on monitoring the safety of pharmaceutical ingredients is high following the case of contaminated heparin from China (see ePT story, “FDA Clarifies its Role in Heparin Investigation”). The heparin incident was the latest in a series of developments in which the US Food and Drug Administration’s ability and resources to effectively enforce good manufacturing practices from foreign drug-manufacturing facilities has been put into question. Industry groups such as the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association and the European Fine Chemicals Group, which represent batch, custom, and fine chemical manufacturers, have been vocal critics over what they say is uneven and infrequent inspections by US and European regulatory authorities of foreign producers of pharmaceutical ingredients (see ePT story, “EFCG and SOCMA Urge More Inspections of Foreign API Makers”). More funding to increase the number and frequency of foreign inspections is an obvious solution, but a difficult one given continual budgetary limitations of FDA and European national regulatory agencies. Instead, would greater transparency in the pharmaceutical supply chain be the answer? As with any consumer product, the country of origin in which the product is manufactured is identified. Should the same practice be followed with active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)? More than 80% of the APIs that go into drugs come from abroad, and India and China account for almost half of those imports, according to testimony from Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, who spoke on the issue last November. He said that India’s pharmaceutical imports into the US increased 2400% from 1996 to 2006, making it the fastest-growing drug importer, and China has doubled its pharmaceutical exports to the US over the last five years (see ePT story, “Congress Focuses on FDA Inspections of Foreign Drug Facilities”). There is no substitute for inspecting drug-manufacturing facilities, but until regulatory practices can be aligned with manufacturing activity, let consumers decide if the origin of APIs affects their purchasing decisions. Public disclosure may be the greatest equalizer in this debate and obligate pharmaceutical companies to reevaluate their supply chain.	<urn:uuid:5f873af8-6517-499a-9574-02a13f29620e>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://blog.pharmtech.com/2008/04/11/is-origin-information-for-apis-good-for-the-pharmaceutical-industry/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00068-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.936334	496	2.140625	2
Guest Blogger: 7 Ways to Shade Your Outdoor Living Space Guest Blogger #613, Entry #1453, August 9, 2012 You won’t spend much time enjoying the fresh air in the heat of summer if your outdoor living area is missing one vital component: shade! Here are 7 ways to shield your patio or deck from those scorching UV rays. #1 Build to Block Building an awning over your outdoor living space is the most permanent solution to your shade deficit. A roof extension supported by brick columns that match your home’s façade would look fantastic. A corrugated aluminum awning supported by wooden or metal posts will do if your budget is tight. Avoid plastic awnings that will fade and crack. #2 Roll with It A retractable awning provides flexibility and adds a touch of whimsy to your home’s exterior with bold, striped prints. High quality outdoor fabrics are resistant to wind, rain, and UV. Still, you should retract the awning when it’s not in use to extend its lifespan. Since both hand cranked and motorized awnings have moving parts, consider having yours professionally installed and serviced. #3 GIY (Grow It Yourself) A tree with spreading limbs and thick foliage delivers sun blocking service the way Nature intended. Plant a fast growing cultivar such as the Freeman maple and wait for it to grow. Or, simply build your deck or patio under an existing tree. Avoid species that drop fruit and debris. A Sissoo tree (Indian Rosewood) is an example of a species that offers maximum shade with minimum mess. #4 Hardscape Your Habitat A pergola is a classic hardscape shade structure that consists of four wooden columns topped with some form of latticework. If the open spaces let in too much sun, plant a fast-growing vine to fill in the gaps. Honeysuckle is a favorite with luscious green leaves and fragrant, nectar filled blossoms. If you’re allergic to bees, choose a less tempting vine like ivy instead. #5 Fabricated Shade A canopy or sun sail adds both tropical color and temperate shade to your outdoor living space. These textile shades are lightweight and simple enough for a DIY install. Since they are generally very inexpensive, you might invest in several. Put one over your porch and a second one over your child’s pool or sandbox. #6 Parasol Paradise Portability is the watchword of the sun umbrella. Don’t limit yourself to an umbrella that’s anchored in a patio table. Pick one with a sturdy, freestanding base. That way, you can move it around to block the sun’s rays based on the time of day…or the time of year. #7 Gadget Hideaways It’s not just people that need sun protection. If you have outdoor electronics such as a flat screen TV, this type of item could use some extra UV shielding as well. You can instantly shade your television by lowering it inside a cabinet, island, or outdoor kitchen countertop. Simply install it on an automated TV lift and watch it drop into cool darkness at the push of a button. For more outdoor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.	<urn:uuid:f06fb916-e7ba-4322-bcbe-72aac27cad8c>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://stagetecture.com/2012/08/guest-blogger-7-ways-to-shade-your-outdoor-living-space/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.908344	695	1.570313	2
The Carnal Christian “For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?” (1 Cor. 3:3b).- 1 Corinthians 3:1–4 As we continue our discussion of topics related to perseverance, we come to a discussion about the “carnal” Christian. Proponents of carnal Christianity assert that it is possible to trust in Christ as Savior without necessarily confessing Christ as Lord. According to advocates of this position, a person is saved if they confess Christ, even if they never live, or even care about, a life of obedience to Him as Lord. This position marks a significant innovation in the history of Christian theology. Even those of us who deny the meritorious nature of good works, affirm their necessity in the Christian life. Advocates of carnal Christianity charge that if we affirm that good works are necessary in the life of the believer, they assert that we necessarily deny that justification is by faith alone. This claim only reveals that the proponents of carnal Christianity misunderstand the biblical position on faith alone. The Bible is crystal clear that we are justified not by works, but by faith alone (Gal. 2:16). But the Bible is equally clear that the faith that justifies us is never alone. True faith is demonstrated through the presence of good works and obedience to Christ in the life of the believer (James 2:17–18). If we never see good works in another person, we must doubt whether they are really a Christian. Loving Christ means that we obey Him (John 14:15). Our obedience will not be perfect in this lifetime. The presence of sin guarantees that. Nevertheless, true faith will result in obedience, however imperfect it may be. Many claim to be Christians but do not possess true faith (Matt. 7:21). Proponents of carnal Christianity give some people false assurance of salvation when they claim it is possible to trust in Jesus as Savior but not as Lord. True Christians live a life characterized by a war between the Holy Spirit and the flesh (our old sin nature) (Rom. 7:13–20; Gal. 5:16–24). According to 1 Corinthians 3:1–4, sometimes the flesh seems to be winning more battles than the Spirit, especially when we are spiritual infants. This does not mean we are not saved; the presence of a desire for obedience and some good works prove otherwise. It does mean that as we grow into maturity, the victory over sin that Christ has won for us will be increasingly manifest in our lives through more and more victories of the Spirit over our flesh. Being conformed to the image of Christ does not happen quickly. There is no secret formula for victory over the flesh or a second blessing that creates instant maturity. One of the most important means for growing to maturity is the diligent study of Scripture. We should make it our aim to spend consistent and quality time studying God’s Word. Passages for Further Study 2 Chron. 30:6–8 Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way, you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, and you do not make more than 500 physical copies. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred (where applicable). If no such link exists, simply link to www.ligonier.org. Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: From Ligonier Ministries, the teaching fellowship of R.C. Sproul. All rights reserved. Website: www.ligonier.org \| Phone: 1-800-435-4343	<urn:uuid:1cd8e1cc-5fc5-4590-865d-0e88d7deac35>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/carnal-christian/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00058-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.914455	773	1.515625	2
Opening up the IMF country club The International Monetary Fund has been the comeback kid of the financial crisis. Since the meltdown, it has been lavished with favors, including a trebling of its lending capacity and many new responsibilities. The weekend’s G20 meeting set the seal on a Lazarus-like revival. By agreeing to a bold shift of voting power to dynamic emerging markets, the G20 offered the IMF its best guarantee of continued influence and power. This is good news for the global economy. The decay of the IMF before the financial crisis was in no one’s best interests. The fund had two big problems. First, the IMF’s war chest had shrunk sharply relative to global capital flows. This meant that a large emerging nation could no longer rely on the IMF to bail it out in an emergency. Back in 1990 the stock of global cross-border portfolio investment was just $171 billion while the IMF had the capacity to lend $36 billion. By 2008 cross-border portfolios had ballooned to $3 trillion but the fund’s coffers had expanded to just over $200 billion. In other words, the volume of hot money had expanded some 18 times and the IMF capacity to offset it had increased just six-fold. This lack of IMF muscle was concealed by the buoyant world economy between 2002 and 2007. Indeed, demand for the IMF’s crisis loans plunged to its lowest level in decades. With interest revenues slumping, the IMF forecast a loss of $400 million a year by 2010 and announced the largest layoffs in its 65-year history. The financial meltdown has proven the need for a strong global lender. Global leaders have been right to increase the resources at the fund’s disposal — currently around $750 billion. This increase alone may in itself have helped calm financial conditions in many emerging markets. Ideally IMF resources should be increased further to around $1 trillion. The second problem was one of legitimacy, and it was this issue that the G20 sought to tackle head on at Pittsburgh. The IMF had a well-deserved reputation as a country club. For example, Belgium and the Netherlands together have a much larger voting share than China — despite the fact its GDP is almost three times the size of the two European nations’ combined. During the Asian financial crisis, the IMF appeared to confirm fears that it was dominated by a coterie of wealthy nations. Governments asking for help were subjected to humiliating conditions. The loathing of the fund added to the incentive for developing countries to accumulate foreign exchange reserves — a form of “self-insurance” against financial crisis. This was costly for them, and added to global imbalances by keeping the dollar artificially high. The 5 percent shift promised by the G20 toward fast-growing emerging economies is a big step in the right direction. Once completed, developing nations would command close to 50 percent of the voting power. With a greater say, emerging nations will be less fearful that they will be forced to get down on bended knee if they need IMF help. Lenders seldom inspire great affection. Even so, it is important to ensure the IMF is less reviled by so many of its members. Mistrust of the IMF was not the only reason for reserve accumulation, or even its main one. Most reserve accumulation was part of an effort by developing countries to keep their currencies competitive and so promote exports. But shaping a more representative IMF is an important step toward a more balanced global economy.	<urn:uuid:219cf884-0718-4b10-a74d-16a68c674bdc>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2009/09/28/opening-up-the-imf-country-club/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00023-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.969303	722	1.96875	2
In one of the most spectacular and public resignations in corporate America, former Goldman Sachs employee Greg Smith quit the firm after twelve years in a scathing op-ed published in the New York Times. Smith has expanded his resignation letter into a new book, "Why I Left Goldman Sachs," set to hit stores today. Smith's motivation for writing the book has been questioned by members of the Wall Street community, including William Cohan, former investment banker and author of "Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World." Cohan sits down with Soledad O'Brien and Christine Romans on Starting Point today to explain why he recently referred to Smith as a "con man." "This was a guy who was very happy to take Goldman Sach's money year after year and then he gets promoted and he wants a million dollars and when he doesn't get it he's mad," Cohan says. "Wall Street does have a very big problem. There are cultural problems on Wall Street. Part of the cultural problems on Wall Street are people like Greg Smith who are not happy with making $500,000 a year who are 33 and single."	<urn:uuid:a3cd0dc0-11da-4322-ad7f-b8e139bc7be7>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://startingpoint.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/22/goldman-sachs-employee-who-quit-via-op-ed-faces-criticism/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00042-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.978505	235	1.5625	2
Vice President Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal yesterday said the government is preparing a national strategy of distributing mosquito nets in schools to make the use of bed nets sustainable. Dr Bilal revealed this in Dar es Salaam during celebrations to mark the World Malaria Day which was held at national level in Dar es Salaam. He said in ensuring that the use of bed nets were sustainable and attain 80 percent target, various strategies were underway including distributing the nets to pregnant mothers, children under one year. Apart from using mosquito nets the public was reminded to fight the malaria-spreading mosquitoes by destroying their breeding areas such as stagnant water ponds and overgrown grass around houses. He said indoor residual spraying was going on in the Lake Zone where by 94 percent of the targeted households have been reached. Dr Bilal said other interventions taken by the government as the mosquito killing project being implemented in Dar es Salaam by the governments of Tanzania and Cuba. He said the government in collaboration with LABIOFAM Company from Cuba was constructing a factory at Kibaha for manufacturing pesticides for killing mosquito larvicides. He said malaria can be eliminated, calling on people to visit the health facilities once they suspect that they have malaria, so that they can get treatment. The Vice President also launched a report on the strategies of fighting malaria in the Mainland in the last ten years. The report shows how the resources which were directed in the war against malaria were spent, while the compiled statistics show that malaria cases have dropped. The Minister for Health and Social Welfare Dr Hadji Mponda, said that the ministry’s statistics show that malaria was the leading cause of deaths compared to other diseases. He said the ministry had a five-year plan (2008-2013) explaining various strategies to fight malaria in the country. On Monday an international lobby –“United Against Malaria” unveiled door to door campaigns to educate the public, specifically in rural areas on the symptoms and proper treatment of the killer disease. John Hopkins University’s Director of Projects Waziri Nyoni, revealed the plans in Dar es Salaam during the Private Sector Partnership Malaria Workshop as part of the activities ahead of World Malaria Day. He said the campaigns had already kicked off countrywide specifically in rural areas in a move geared to reduce the number of malaria deaths by advocating and providing education to the people on symptoms and proper treatment. Nyoni pointed out that the campaigns have started generating positive impacts as most of people in remote areas were currently getting malaria treatment at the right time compared to previous years where some people died of malaria due delay in getting treatment. United Against Malaria’s Coordinator Michael Ngatunga said in line with World Malaria Day theme: “Sustain Gains, Save Lives : Invest in Malaria” malaria can be prevented and treated through simple tools like mosquito nets, effective medicine and safe in door residual spraying. Ngatunga said Tanzania has made a great strides in malaria control where by in October last year it completed universal coverage campaign that set out to cover every sleeping space with a long lasting insecticide treated net and investment in malaria control have created unprecedented momentum and yielded remarkable returns in the past few years.	<urn:uuid:9a99487a-1f33-48cd-aeec-c898ce682b75>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php/im=54iki/UCLA_Bruhn/d/ibjects/35-PS54iki/UCLA_Bruhn/?l=40908	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.966312	669	2.234375	2
Sunday, February 05, 2012 Google Maps of the Week This week's most popular map on Google Maps Mania by a country mile was the Skyrim Map. This map of the popular role-playing game was viewed by at least five times more people than any other map I posted about this week. The Skyrim Map uses custom map tiles with the Google Maps API to provide an interactive map of the Elder Scrolls game-world of Tamriel. The map includes the option to view markers showing the locations of holds and primary locations in the game. Personally my favourite map of the last week was Ejecuciones en Chile entre septiembre y diciembre de 1973. This map is a powerful and poignant animated map visualisation of people executed by the Chilean military dictatorship between September 11 and December 31, 1973. The map animates through a time-line of the executions geo-locating those murdered by place of death or where the body was discovered. As well as providing an animated time-line of the executions the map can be browsed by location, date of death, cause of death and by the name of individual victims of the 1970's Chilean dictatorship. Finally, this week I was alos impressed with Deutsche Telekom's Worldwide Operations Map. The map itself is a simple store-locator that shows the scope of Deutsche Telekom's worldwide operations and lists the names of its companies operating in various countries around the world. The map uses the Google Maps API Styled Maps feature to create a map that complements the colors of the company's corporate style and website design. There is nothing amazingly innovative about the map but it does it's job with little fuss and yet has a striking design.	<urn:uuid:758d62b1-95db-4cff-bb04-6fc0daf154e8>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.mapsmaniac.com/2012/02/google-maps-of-week.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00046-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.937748	353	1.609375	2
Ghost of a Flea by Kris Lawson There's a painting hanging in the Tate Gallery in London: "Ghost of a Flea" by William Blake (1757-1827). It's dark and frightening, one of Blake's visions. Blake believed that fleas are inhabited by the souls of bloodthirsty men, and here he depicts one such spirit: a muscular figure stares avidly into an empty cup, its tongue flickering greedily, its eyes bulging. For Blake, a spirit this thirsty for blood had to be confined to a flea's size and limits-if it were within a man, for example, that man would be driven to consume the world. Blake's painting conveys this horrid sense of energy; the figure with its arms and legs poised for action, looks ready to rip out of its crackled paint skin in search of more blood. Lew Griffin is searching for that thirsty ghost, among others. In Ghost of a Flea, Griffin becomes involved with a series of mysteries, the primary one being the search for a stalker who sends elliptically threatening letters signed William Blake. Griffin, a private detective, is also a writer who hasn't written in years, a teacher who doesn't teach, and a book reviewer who never finishes reading his assigned books. For Griffin, the thirst within, the ghost of a flea, represents the urge to create, to make something that lasts, to want life. And somehow, he's lost it. Days of the week and hours of the day seem to mean little to Griffin, for whom a typical day might include sitting for 12 hours in a bar drinking coffee, then falling asleep on a bench in the front hallway of his house-or meeting a sweaty, shouting man in an alley who delivers imaginary babies from invisible mothers. After a few pages it becomes clear that Griffin's elusive style is his art form: combining observation with investigation, Griffin drifts through this grim world, trusting to his instincts for guidance. As an African-American in New Orleans who has seen the sour side of human nature, he isn't surprised when he sees more and worse evil-saddened, yes, but not shocked. He dulls his own pain with books and alcohol, quoting others to distance himself. Musing about Whitman and drinking, Griffin says that: ...things, objects are a coherent world to themselves, the "dumb, beautiful ministers of reality." Certainly they become that when you're drunk. You watch for hours as shadows from a palm or banana tree toss heads, sway and sweep wings across the wall beside your bed, doing all the creative things you should be doing. Towels tossed on the floor by the tub suddenly seem to harbor both great beauty and codes never before suspected, kennings just beyond reach, the towels' folds and convolutions catching up, as a phonograph record does sound, those of your own mind. James Sallis has written five other Lew Griffin novels, as well as criticism, biography, and collections of poetry. Sallis's prose reflects his character's thoughts: skimming the surface of a bright day, skipping from one face to another, an old, sad memory overtaking his narrator's mind. Griffin, in fact, moves through New Orleans like a poet (which he is, in addition to his other occupations): every sight, sound and action has a meaning and emotion attached to it, seemingly unrelated things are part of a bigger pattern. Sallis wisely doesn't spend a lot of time dwelling on hardboiled tropes. As an African-American, a southerner, and a detective with an unhappy childhood and a lost love, Lew Griffin has seen it all so many times that the drinking and the investigations are simply parts of his life. He couldn't function without them. For Lew, the imperative mystery becomes, what happened to his life? At the beginning of the book, he is in a room with a body, and he's looking out the window, thinking about the path that led him and the body to that room. Everything outside that window seems like it's in a dream. Griffin's search for the stalker, and for his missing son David, lead him to old friends, ghosts of ex-lovers, and enemies. No matter which way he turns, he still encounters himself. "World-weary" is generally used to imply a cynical, hardened character; Lew is simply weary of his world. Everything else-his lover leaving, an old friend getting shot-fades in comparison to the detective's true search-a search for himself at the bottom of all these memories and unfinished books, quotations and large chunks of missing time. He sometimes wonders if he should be searching at all: When I was a kid, parents would tell us not to cross our eyes because they'd get stuck and we'd never be able to uncross them, we'd have to walk around like that the rest of our lives. That's what introspection can come down to. You keep on with it, sinking through level after level, after a while you can't get back to the top. You just go on pounding out the same thoughts on the stone over and over, fitting your feet into old footprints. Private detectives like Lew Griffin are often called hardboiled for a reason-nothing gets into their shells until they're destroyed. Hardboiled detectives muse on the scenes around them but leave them behind by the next chapter, moving on in obdurate existentialism. For them, there are no loose ends, because they solve every mystery ruthlessly. Ghost of a Flea is more of an eloquent meditation than a mystery-and the meditation is on regret, death, loss, and the ultimately unsolvable mystery.	<urn:uuid:6b9918a0-56d9-4b0d-964e-db19f19335c6>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://raintaxi.com/online/2002summer/sallis.shtml	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00041-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.974982	1,179	1.90625	2
You are here From W. Ford Doolittle (2000) "Uprooting the tree of life." Scientific American, 282(2):90-5. Note that distances are not necessarily to scale in this image. This image reflects a view held by some practicing scientists (including Dr. Doolittle, the author of the original article) that there was a period in life's early history when genes swapped so frequently that it is impossible to treat those earlier lineages as truly distinct, nor to trace those lineages back cleanly to a single ancestor. They do not dispute that life has some common ancestor, but they do seek to clarify how we talk about that ancestor.	<urn:uuid:44f52721-39d5-4bb3-8599-b9d86311140d>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://ncse.com/image/uprootedtreeoflife	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.955791	138	2.609375	3
Published on December 5, 2012 by Carol Compiler: P.G. Downes native art, native american jewelry, native american rings, turquoise crafts, student loans, debt financing, native american astrology, native horoscopes, student debt, Indian Genealogy Records, family tree, native heritage, native jobs, native study, native students, native american university, grant, native ancestry, dna test Editor: Annie Downes Catterson Illustrator: Annie Downes Catterson A TRADITIONAL WOODLAND CREE INDIAN LEGEND, The Story of Chakapas is an excellent example of the Cree belief in animism; it concerns the heroic efforts of the Least Mouse in releasing the Moon from an unhappy snare. This story comes from an unpublished collection entitled Kyass: The Stories of Long Ago, that P.G. Downes made in 1949. These tales were originally recorded as notes in his journals from his summer travels to the North, starting in 1936. Adam Ballantyne—the old Cree medicine man, who once heard the story from his grandfather and told it to Downes—is the narrator. “This story is about the days before the white man came among us. It is of long ago.” P.G. Downes first paid tribute to the stories of the Woodland Cree in 1943 with the publication of Sleeping Island. Annie Downes Catterson has drawn upon her father’s unpublished collections of Cree lore and mythology, fashioning otherworldly illustrations to accompany what is now a Penumbra Press trilogy of books for the child and dreamer in everyone. The Story of Chakapas, is the first, followed by Wisakyjak and the New World and The Legend of the Mimigwesseos.	<urn:uuid:37d814f1-44ed-43dd-9ae1-67a487116860>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://nativeamericanencyclopedia.com/the-story-chakapas-cree-indian-legend/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00073-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.925705	374	2.296875	2
Safety is always the first priority of any person. In hiring employees you need to do a background check if the applicant is in good record. Nowadays criminals are all over our places. You do not know whom to trust anymore. Checking the background of a person before getting him/her to work is necessary to ensure our safety. There are agencies and sites in the internet that you can do a criminal background check. Criminal background check is a comprehensive criminal checking that reveals felony, misdemeanor, sex offender, inmate, probation and other state and country criminal offense records. This is ideal for employment and tenant screening. It is easy to do background checking, internet is just one click away for online background check. If you compare the world today and before, it is more easier now to do background checking due to fast rising technology but it is also sad to think that criminals today are also good in new technologies. They can hack the systems of some companies to clear their names. All you need to do is log in to internet sites where you can find what you want to know. You can have free background check online. Require an applicant to present a certificate of good and conduct to evaluate if that applicant is worth to have the position. It is easy for them to have certificate of good conduct if they are really good persons. Just simply go to the nearest local police station where you reside and ask for it. The police station will provide you this certificate indicating that you don’t have any history of criminal acts. Authenticate this document following the guidance on authentication or legalization of documents if you wish to use it for employment abroad. That is the essence of background checks.	<urn:uuid:1021a8dc-2ea1-4c07-afb9-2369a081022a>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.background-check.us.com/criminal-background-check/essence-of-background-checks.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.939113	337	1.539063	2
- AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act - Breed Specific Homeowner's Insurance - Companion Animal Trusts - Crate Training - Breed Specific Legislation - Defining “Dog-Friendly” - Dominance and Dog Training - Fireworks and Other Loud-Noise- Producing Events - Law Enforcement Use of Lethal Force against Dogs - Limit Laws - Model Dog Law - Surgical Debarking Model Dog Law Association of Pet Dog Trainers The Association of Pet Dog Trainers recognizes the need to protect the public from dangerous dogs. We also recognize that the need for public safety should also respect the rights of dog owners. The determination of whether or not a dog is dangerous needs to be based on the behavior that the individual dog exhibits. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers has recognized the need for a model dangerous dog law that addresses the concerns of public safety and also respects the rights of dog owners. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers believes that the actual behavior of an individual dog should be the sole determination of its potential danger. We have included behavior rankings to better help determine if an individual dog should be considered potentially dangerous and/or vicious. Our organization’s primary purpose is education. This is an area in which we feel particularly qualified to educate, given our members’ unique skills and qualifications in the area of assessing and understanding canine behaviors and their impact on a community and its citizens. This is why we are offering this proposal for a dangerous dog law that effectively protects both the public and the rights of dog owners. This legislative proposal includes clauses of existing laws that we have found to be fair and effective and our inclusion of the above mentioned behavior rankings that further define the types of canine behavior that indicate the differences between a less dangerous and a more dangerous dog. These rankings will aid in the decisions that lead to the determination of an individual dog as not dangerous or potentially dangerous and/or vicious. ASSOCIATION of PET DOG TRAINERS PROPOSED DANGEROUS DOG ACT CHAPTER 1. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND VICIOUS DOGS Article 1. Findings, Definitions, and General Provisions 101. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Potentially dangerous and vicious dogs have become a serious and widespread threat to the safety and welfare of citizens of this state. In recent years, they have assaulted without provocation and seriously injured numerous individuals, particularly children, and have killed numerous dogs. Many of these attacks have occurred in public places. (b) The number and severity of these attacks are attributable to the failure of owners to register, confine, train, and properly control vicious and potentially dangerous dogs. (c) The necessity for the regulation and control of vicious and potentially dangerous dogs is a statewide problem, requiring statewide regulation, and existing laws are inadequate to deal with the threat to public health and safety posed by vicious and potentially dangerous dogs. 102. ‘Potentially dangerous dog’ means any of the following: (a) Any dog which, when unprovoked, on two separate occasions within the prior 36-month period, engages in any behavior that requires a defensive action by any person to prevent bodily injury when the person and the dog are off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog. (b) Any dog which, when unprovoked, bites a person causing a less severe injury than as defined in Section 104. (c) Any dog which, when unprovoked, on two separate occasions within the prior 36-month period, has killed, seriously bitten, inflicted injury, or otherwise caused injury attacking a domestic animal off the property of the owner or keeper of the dog. 103. ‘Vicious dog’ means any of the following: (a) Any dog which, when unprovoked, in an aggressive manner, inflicts severe injury on or kills a human being. (b) Any dog previously determined to be and currently listed as a potentially dangerous dog which, after its owner or keeper has been notified of this determination, continues the behavior described in Section 102 or is maintained in violation of Section 141, 142, or 143. 104. ‘Severe injury’ means any physical injury to a human being that results in muscle tears or disfiguring lacerations or requires multiple sutures or corrective or cosmetic surgery. 105. ‘Enclosure’ means a fence or structure suitable to prevent the entry of young children, and which is suitable to confine a vicious dog in conjunction with other measures which may be taken by the owner or keeper of the dog. The enclosure shall be designed in order to prevent the animal from escaping. 106. ‘Animal control department’ means the county or city animal control department. If the city or county does not have an animal control department, it means whatever entity performs animal control functions. 107. ‘Impounded’ means taken into the custody of the public pound or animal control department or provider of animal control services to the city or county where the potentially dangerous or vicious dog is found. 108. ‘County’ includes any city and county. (a) This chapter does not apply to licensed kennels, humane society shelters, animal control facilities, dog trainers, or veterinarians. (b) This chapter does not apply to dogs while utilized by any police department or any law enforcement officer in the performance of police work. Article 2. Judicial Process 121. If an animal control officer or a law enforcement officer has investigated and determined that there exists probable cause to believe that a dog is potentially dangerous or vicious, the chief officer of the public pound or animal control department or his or her immediate supervisor or the head of the local law enforcement agency, or his or her designee, shall petition the municipal court within the judicial district wherein the dog is owned or kept, for a hearing for the purpose of determining whether or not the dog in question should be declared potentially dangerous or vicious. A city or county may establish an administrative hearing procedure to hear and dispose of petitions filed pursuant to this chapter. Whenever possible, any complaint received from a member of the public which serves as the evidentiary basis for the animal control officer or law enforcement officer to find probable cause shall be sworn to and verified by the complainant and shall be attached to the petition. The chief officer of the public pound or animal control department or head of the local law enforcement agency shall notify the owner or keeper of the dog that a hearing will be held by the municipal court or the hearing entity, as the case may be, at which time he or she may present evidence as to why the dog should not be declared potentially dangerous or vicious. The owner or keeper of the dog shall be served with notice of the hearing and a copy of the petition, either personally or by first-class mail with return receipt requested. The hearing shall be held promptly - within no less than five working days nor more than 10 working days after service of notice upon the owner or keeper of the dog. The hearing shall be open to the public. The court may admit into evidence all relevant evidence, including incident reports and the affidavits of witnesses, limit the scope of discovery, and may shorten the time to produce records or witnesses. A jury shall not be available. The court may find, upon a preponderance of the evidence, that the dog is potentially dangerous or vicious and make other orders authorized by this chapter. 122. (a) After the hearing conducted pursuant to Section 121, the owner or keeper of the dog shall be notified in writing of the determination and orders issued, either personally or by first-class mail postage prepaid by the court or hearing entity. If a determination is made that the dog is potentially dangerous or vicious, the owner or keeper shall comply with Article 3 (commencing with Section 141) in accordance with a time schedule established by the chief officer of the public pound or animal control department or the head of the local law enforcement agency, but in no case more than 30 days after the date of the determination or 35 days if notice of the determination is mailed to the owner or keeper of the dog. If the petitioner or the owner or keeper of the dog contests the determination, he or she may, within five days of the receipt of the notice of determination, appeal the decision of the court or hearing entity of original jurisdiction to a court authorized to hear the appeal. The fee for filing an appeal shall be X dollars ($XX.XX), payable to the county clerk. If the original hearing held pursuant to Section 121 was before a hearing entity other than the municipal court of the jurisdiction, appeal shall be to the municipal court. If the original hearing was held in the municipal court, appeal shall be to the superior court within the judicial district wherein the dog is owned or kept. The petitioner or the owner or keeper of the dog shall serve personally or by first-class mail, postage prepaid, notice of the appeal upon the other party. (b) The court hearing the appeal shall conduct a hearing de novo, without a jury, and make its own determination as to potential danger and viciousness and make other orders authorized by this chapter, based upon the evidence presented. The hearing shall be conducted in the same manner and within the time periods set forth in Section 121 and subdivision (a). The court may admit all relevant evidence, including incident reports and the affidavits of witnesses, limit the scope of discovery, and may shorten the time to produce records or witnesses. The issue shall be decided upon the preponderance of the evidence. If the court rules the dog to be potentially dangerous or vicious, the court may establish a time schedule to ensure compliance with this chapter, but in no case more than 30 days subsequent to the date of the court’s determination or 35 days if the service of the judgment is by first-class mail. 123. The court or hearing entity of original jurisdiction or the court hearing the appeal may decide all issues for or against the owner or keeper of the dog even if the owner or keeper fails to appear at the hearing. 124. The determination of the court hearing the appeal shall be final and conclusive upon all parties. 125. (a) If upon investigation it is determined by the animal control officer or law enforcement officer that probable cause exists to believe the dog in question poses an immediate threat to public safety, then the animal control officer or law enforcement officer may seize and impound the dog pending the hearings to be held pursuant to this article. The owner or keeper of the dog shall be liable to the city or county where the dog is impounded for the costs and expenses of keeping the dog, if the dog is later adjudicated potentially dangerous or vicious. (b) When a dog has been impounded pursuant to subdivision (a) and it is not contrary to public safety, the chief animal control officer shall permit the animal to be confined at the owner’s expense in a department approved kennel or veterinary facility. 126. (a) No dog may be declared potentially dangerous or vicious if any injury or damage is sustained by a person who, at the time the injury or damage was sustained, was committing a willful trespass or other tort upon premises occupied by the owner or keeper of the dog, or was teasing, tormenting, abusing, or assaulting the dog or has, in the past, has been observed or reported to have tormented, abused or assaulted the dog, or was committing or attempting to commit a crime. No dog may be declared potentially dangerous or vicious if the dog was protecting or defending a person within the immediate vicinity of the dog from an unjustified attack or assault. No dog may be declared potentially dangerous or vicious if an injury or damage was sustained by a domestic animal which at the time the injury or damage was sustained was teasing, tormenting, abusing, or assaulting the dog. (b) No dog may be declared potentially dangerous or vicious if the injury or damage to a domestic animal was sustained while the dog was working as a hunting dog, herding dog, or predator control dog on the property of, or under the control of, its owner or keeper, and the damage or injury was to a species or type of domestic animal appropriate to the work of the dog. Article 3. Severity determination 131. A determination shall be made as to the location relevance, the situation relevance/severity, and the aggression severity/danger of the case in question as it applies to public safety before determination of dangerousness/viciousness. - Location relevance shall be ranked as follows from low (1) to high (5) (1) Uninvited on property (2) Invited on property (3) Off property, on leash (4) Off property, off leash – Owner present (5) Off property, off leash – Owner absent - Situation relevance/severity shall be ranked as follows from low (1) to high (7) (1) Chasing, harassing or worrying waterfowl/small animals (2) Chasing, harassing or worrying livestock (3) Attacking waterfowl/small animals (4) Attacking livestock (5) Attacking dogs/cats (6) Threatening human adults (7) Threatening human children (8) Attacking human adults (7) Attacking human children - Aggression severity/danger shall be ranked as follows from low (1) to high (12) (3) Snap/lunge - no contact (4) Bite and release leaving no marks (5) Bite and release leaving marks with no broken skin (6) Bite and release leaving a scratch (7) Bite and release leaving 1-4 punctures (8) Bite and release leaving 1-4 punctures plus lacerations (9) Multiple bite attack (10) Bite without releasing with punctures / lacerations (11) Severe mauling 132. The determination of a dog’s potential dangerousness shall be based on the location, situation relevance, and aggression severity ranking in section 131. Dogs shall be determined less dangerous as the evidence indicates lower numbers in the rankings. Dogs shall be determined to be more dangerous as the evidence indicates higher numbers in the rankings. Article 4. Disposition of Potentially Dangerous or Vicious Dogs 141. All potentially dangerous dogs shall be properly licensed, vaccinated and permanently identified. The licensing authority shall include the potentially dangerous designation in the registration records of the dog, either after the owner or keeper of the dog has agreed to the designation or the court or hearing entity has determined the designation applies to the dog. The city or county may charge a potentially dangerous dog fee in addition to the regular licensing fee to provide for the increased costs of maintaining the records of the dog. 142. A potentially dangerous dog, while on the owner’s property, shall at all times be kept indoors, or in a securely fenced yard from which the dog cannot escape, and into which children cannot trespass. A potentially dangerous animal may be off the owner’s premises only if it is restrained by a substantial leash of appropriate length, and if it is under the control of a responsible adult. 143. If the dog in question dies, or is sold, transferred, or permanently removed from the city or county where the owner or keeper resides, the owner of a potentially dangerous dog shall notify the animal control department of the changed condition and new location of the dog in writing within two working days. 144. If there are no additional instances of the behavior described in Section 102 within a 36-month period from the date of designation as a potentially dangerous dog, the dog shall be removed from the list of potentially dangerous dogs. The dog may, but is not required to be, removed from the list of potentially dangerous dogs prior to the expiration of the 36-month period if the owner or keeper of the dog demonstrates to the animal control department that changes in circumstances or measures taken by the owner or keeper, such as training of the dog, have mitigated the risk to the public safety. 145. (a) A dog determined to be a vicious dog may be destroyed by the animal control department when it is found, after proceedings conducted under Article 2 (commencing with Section 121), that the release of the dog would create a significant threat to the public health, safety, and welfare. (b) If it is determined that a dog found to be vicious shall not be destroyed, the judicial authority shall impose conditions upon the ownership of the dog that protect the public health, safety, and welfare including, but not limited to, training of the dog, confinement and muzzling. (c) Any enclosure that is required pursuant to subdivision (b) shall meet the requirements of Section 105. 146. Restriction of Ownership – The owner of a dog determined to be a vicious dog may be prohibited by the city or county from owning, possessing, controlling, or having custody of any dog for a period of up to three years when it is found, after proceedings conducted under Article 2 (commencing with Section 121), that ownership or possession of a dog by that person would create a significant threat to the public health, safety, and welfare. Article 5. Penalties 151. Any violation of this chapter involving a potentially dangerous dog shall be punished by a fine not to exceed X dollars ($X.XX). Any violation of this chapter involving a vicious dog shall be punished by a fine not to exceed X dollars ($X.XX). 152. All fines paid pursuant to this article shall be paid to the city or county in which the violation occurred for the purpose of defraying the cost of the implementation of this chapter. Article 6. Miscellaneous 161. If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are severable. 162. The Judicial Council shall prepare all forms necessary to give effect to this chapter, including a summons or citation to be used by law enforcement agencies in the enforcement of this chapter. This chapter does not affect or change the existing civil liability or criminal laws regarding dogs. 163. Local Ordinances – Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent a city or county from adopting or enforcing its own program for the control of potentially dangerous or vicious dogs that may incorporate all, part, or none of this chapter, or that may punish a violation of this chapter as a misdemeanor or may impose a more restrictive program to control potentially dangerous or vicious dogs, provided that no program shall regulate these dogs in a manner that is specific as to breed. 164. Insurance Coverage Discrimination – No liability policy or surety bond issued pursuant to this act or any other act may prohibit coverage from any specific breed of dog.	<urn:uuid:0a3adae0-a856-4b92-8a87-f0d19a1ac348>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.apdt.com/about/ps/model_dog_law.aspx	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00052-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.929988	3,910	2.40625	2
Story submitted by Millennium Relief and Development Services/Partner Aid International When Ikhlas was a young girl in El Fasher, North Darfur, her life took a tragic turn when she contracted polio. The disease has been nearly eradicated worldwide following the advent of safe and effective childhood vaccinations, but in a few pockets of the world, poor access to health care means that children become disabled or die from preventable causes. Throughout her life, Ikhlas has battled others’ misguided perceptions that because she is disabled, she is unable to hold a normal job or do anything of value. Although she was an active member of the Darfur Disability Society, people only focused on her handicap when she interviewed for jobs. In 2010, Ikhlas interviewed with USAID partner Millennium Relief and Development Services/Partner Aid International (MRDS/PAI) in North Darfur to become the supervisor of rural clinics. Many MRDS/PAI staff were concerned that she would not be able to travel to villages or would be a burden to others during field trips, but some saw in Ikhlas a spark with great potential. Ikhlas’ first assignment was to help start a new clinic in Grawid Besham, a village with no health care services within 20 kilometers. Ikhlas organized a village health committee to oversee the work of the clinic, involving all relevant government organizations. Ikhlas spent several months traveling to rugged rural areas, working with the community to remodel the clinic and to build residential facilities for medical, monitoring, and support staff. After months of hard work mobilizing the community and government agencies into action, the clinic opened in 2010 and the community celebrated the arrival of health care services to the village. With USAID support, the clinic in Grawid Besham is providing health care for up to 8,000 rural Darfuris. Ikhlas is now helping to prevent other children from contracting a disease that has created so many challenges in her own life. Grawid Besham is the first of four clinics that Ikhlas has helped USAID and its partners open in the area. “I am really fortunate to show that I am able to work in spite of my disability,” Ikhlas said. “The stigma is still very high in people thinking disabled people can’t do anything. So I thank God, my family—for giving me permission to work outside of town—and I thank my employers for not seeing only the outside and my inability but encouraging me to show my abilities. To me, this is real partnership and it has changed my life and I hope the lives of many others not only in health care but also in their attitude towards other people living with disabilities.”	<urn:uuid:24db2ecb-019b-4cfe-a200-424f81d23a04>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://blog.usaid.gov/2011/10/darfuri-woman-working-for-usaid-inspires-community/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00031-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.969644	564	2.296875	2
The continuing need to increase titers while decreasing capacity, combined with the resurgence in vaccines and the introduction of gene and cell therapies, mean that efficiency and productivity are the key elements in upstream biopharmaceutical manufacture. As these increased titers move downstream, the increased processing flexibility and reduction in the number of purifications steps afforded by single-use technology, can often be utilized to optimize manufacturing operations. Here are steps to increase productivity as well as efficiency upstream and downstream. 1. Seek to decrease downstream bottlenecks by increasing upstream productivity. Remain focused on process intensification, optimization, and expansion. 2. Upstream process intensification can be achieved with higher titers in smaller bioreactor volumes. 3. Upstream process optimization can be achieved with higher titers by optimizing gas sparging, low shear mixing, and higher cell viability and density. 4. Upstream process expansion can be achieved by replicating, at a larger scale, exact microenvironment conditions and consolidating multiple manual steps in an automated bioreactor with larger surface. 5. Seek to increase downstream efficiency through the use of best in class single-use technology. 6. Maximize vessel integrity through use of fully assembled bags and manifolds that are 100% integrity tested by pressure decay methods after assembly and before irradiation. 7. Maximize vessel integrity by use of fully assembled bags and manifolds through Helium Integrity Testing (HIT) for pinholes as small as 10 microns after assembly and before irradiation. 8. Use mixers that do not shed particles or grind contents. Jeffery Lee Craig is global director of business development and marketing at ATMI LifeSciences.	<urn:uuid:c2fcbdfd-1335-4b03-817c-a72bcc6b725b>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.genengnews.com/blog-biotech/8-tips-for-increasing-upstream-and-downstream-productivity-and-efficiency/696/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.916808	346	2.25	2
In conjunction with Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, Adventure to Fitness has announced the launch of their new website, which they say will make their program even more accessible for the 45,000-plus network of teachers already using the program, plus reveal some never-before-seen-features. The new site is part of the company's ongoing initiative to reach more kids in more schools, and to develop an at-home fitness program that will complement the in-school components. Adventure to Fitness is a children's entertainment company that streams free 30-minute interactive educational fitness videos into classrooms nationwide, and provides free games for kids, plus recipes and blog articles for parents. In each episode children go on an adventure to an exotic global destination that is designed to integrate physical activity with both health-education and general academia. Since 2010, the program has ballooned to include schools in all 50 states, reaching more than 3.5 million kids during any given week. That success, plus an overwhelming demand from parents and teachers, has motivated the company to expand its role in the fight against obesity and become a full-service health brand for kids. "We see Childhood Obesity Month as the ideal moment to raise awareness about the important health challenges facing today's youth. We want to get people excited about jumping on-board with our program and the many ways we offer children to take on those challenges. Our new website is the central hub of our motivational resources and educational fitness tools. The adoption of these resources and tools continues to grow at staggering rates," stated Michael Rhattigan, CEO of Adventure to Fitness. The company plans to drive a message of wellness and inspiration into homes that has thrived in school. Education is no longer just for the classroom; they say they will make fun, educational fitness and personal growth a 360-degree, comprehensive experience for America's students that gets them on track to form healthy habits. The company reports that many families have already signed up for the exercise program prior to launch as "VIPs": Very Important Parents. The site includes games and activities that reinforce the in-school adventures, plus healthy, kid-friendly recipe pages. It also delivers content intended to inspire families to live and play together – like a section called "Kidspiration," which features wellness-related art and writing from kids who use the program. And in the very near future Adventure to Fitness will give parents access to its library of episodes – previously only available in schools – for their own use at home. About Adventure to Fitness: Known as America's #1 Healthy Network, Adventure to Fitness is an entertainment brand focused on getting and keeping kids fit. The program not only addresses health and fitness, but also promotes cognitive development, both in school and at home. While teachers nationwide are streaming Adventure to Fitness interactive episodes in their classrooms to engage in exercise while reaching math, science, social studies and language arts objectives, so too are parents teaming up with their kids to become Fit Families. As a leader of the Ed-Tech revolution, Adventure to Fitness is trail blazing a path to childhood fitness and education that kids around the world are following. Even with a teacher network of over 45,000 and an audience of over 3.5 million children, the Adventure to Fitness craze is just beginning.	<urn:uuid:5b904e2b-afc3-460e-ab74-7af4adef2313>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://districtadministration.com/news/adventure-fitness-launches-new-entertainment-site-battle-childhood-obesity	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00054-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.964839	662	1.734375	2
Arthur Bliss - Piano Concerto; PianoSonata; Concerto for 2 pianos and Orchestra [Lloyd-Jones] Classical \| EAC: FLAC+Cue+Log \| 1 Cd, Cover+Booklet \| 301 Mb Label: Naxos - Date: 2004 Although outspoken in his support of the post-World War I Parisian avant-garde during his youth, English composer Arthur Bliss ended his long career as a dedicated proponent of a more conservative, neo-Romantic musical aesthetic. Educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge and at the Royal College of Music (where he found his studies with Charles Stanford too stifling), Bliss' earliest music (all later withdrawn and subsequently destroyed by the composer) shows a strong knowledge of and interest in the music of Edward Elgar. After service with the Royal Fusiliers (and later the Grenadier Guards) during the War, however, Bliss' musical aesthetic changed dramatically, and he quickly became known as a thoroughly "modern" composer, owing more allegiance to the exciting happenings on the continent than to the musical life of his own country. His music from the 1920s (such as the Rhapsody for two voices and chamber ensemble) is characterized by unusual vocal techniques, jazz influence, and striking harmonic procedures (not to mention occasionally exotic ensembles (e.g., the incidental music to The Tempest, 1921, scored for two male voices, trumpet, trombone, piano, gong, and five percussionists!). Bliss' notable career as a conductor began in 1921 with his appointment as conductor of the Portsmouth Philharmonic Society. Invited to compose a work for the Three Choirs Festival in 1922, Bliss created one of his best-known works, the Colour Symphony; this adventuresome work had the unwelcome side effect of causing a strain in the relationship between Bliss and Elgar, a dedicated conservative through whom the actual commission for the work had come. After two years in California with his brother and father (1923-1925) (during which time Bliss lived in semi-retirement from the musical world and married Trudy Hoffmann), the composer returned to Great Britain and resumed his active composing career with the Introduction and Allegro of 1926 (commissioned and premiered by Leopold Stokowski). Over the course of the 1920s Bliss began to re-evaluate his heritage as a composer and found him veering away from the "modernist" tendencies of the post-War years in favor of a richer melodic approach in which sound musical rhetoric and construction occasionally suffer in favor of expression and clarity of dramatic purpose. The five-movement Morning Heroes, a choral symphony dedicated to the victims of World War I and premiered in 1930, is a fine example of Bliss' new outlook. The first years of World War II were spent in the United States teaching at Berkeley, but Bliss returned to England to take over as director of music at the BBC from 1942 to 1944. Knighted for services to British music in 1950, Bliss served as Master of the Queen's Music from 1953 to until his death in 1975 at the age of 83. 01. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in B flat major I. Allegro con brio [0:16:47.21] 02. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in B flat major II. Adagietto [0:10:39.60] 03. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra: Andante maestoso III. Molto vivo [0:11:26.11] 04. Sonata for Piano I. Moderato marcato [0:07:59.05] 05. Sonata for Piano II. Adagio sereno [0:07:56.70] 06. Sonata for Piano II. Allegro [0:05:58.45] 07. Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra [0:12:10.02] Edited by malizeleni, 08 March 2013 - 17:59.	<urn:uuid:13d6309e-fbab-4230-9fbf-ae8f29d79470>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.balkandownload.org/topic/27451-arthur-bliss-piano-concerto-pianosonata-concerto-for-2-pianos-and-orchestra-2004/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00060-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.956608	840	1.84375	2
The British Pathe media company was founded in the 1890s. During the next 80 years, it produced more 3,500 hours of filmed history for the Pathe Gazette, the Pathetone Weekly, the Pathe Pictorial, and Eve’s Film Review. This commercial site presents all of this video footage as well as a number of still photographs, including newsreel clips, photos from the entertainment industry, comedy short films, and much more. The site is most useful as a window into a century of British culture, but it also contains footage from around the world. All footage and stills are searchable by keyword, time period, and format (black-and-white or color, with or without audio.) Although the site is designed to help users purchase its resources, preview versions of all items, marked with the Pathe logo, are available for no charge. To download videos, users must complete a simple registration form and have a working email address.	<urn:uuid:9165188b-7822-40bb-a100-4d84d6dafca9>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/w/216.html	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.95533	197	1.851563	2
Explorer Mike Fay took an 1,800-mile hike through the redwood forest, seeking its salvation. Read the magazine cover story. Redwoods reign only along the Pacific coast, from southern Oregon to Big Sur. See Micheal Nichols' photos of the last of the giants. An interactive time line traces history on the rings of one redwood from California, and a map tracks Mike Fay's transect. Watch as Michael Nichols and his team make a photograph that had never before been attempted.	<urn:uuid:2160e7ca-83e5-4f72-97b6-fd29b1f797a0>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/redwoods/redwoods	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00035-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.94743	104	1.632813	2
22nd May, 2012 - Posted by Alex Cole-Weiss - 2 Comments When Lata Kachhawan first went to visit the communities in rural Rajasthan over twenty years ago, she had to walk or go by camel. There were no roads, no electricity, just miles of sand dunes to walk over. And when she finally got to the village, the few women she saw walking to the well ran away from her, scared about what an outsider might be doing there. Today, the organization SURE (Society to Uplift Rural Economy) works with over 600 villages in rural Rajasthan in the far northeastern region of India at the border with Pakistan. There are roads, buses, water catchment tanks, and some solar lanterns–not every village has electricity yet–and there are women who are not afraid to talk to newcomers. As Lata ji shared with us last Tuesday night at the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store in San Francisco, SURE has worked incredibly hard over the last two decades to support long-term sustainable development in Rajasthan, of which Fair Trade has played an important part. SURE first started working with women refugees from Pakistan who fled to Rajasthan to escape the violence and persecution of the Indo-Pak war of 1971 . The area where SURE works is very arid and drought-prone, with scarce local water resources. Historically marked by a lack of communication and transportation infrastructure, making a living in rural Rajasthan is difficult to say the least. But when SURE decided to work with local villages to address poverty there, they knew there already existed an incredible wealth amidst the people–their deep knowledge of handmade textiles and applique work. The challenge was to take what was traditionally done for the family–for decoration, gifts, and especially for daughters’ dowries–and transform that skill into an income-generating business. So SURE began its livelihood program, designed to help artisans (mostly women) learn how to improve the quality of their work, negotiate better prices for products, plan out their work schedule, and through a micro-finance program, manage profits, losses, and savings. SURE also brought artisans together with designers to learn how to make new products for the international market; as Lata ji explained, “Before, they didn’t know bedsheets, or pillow covers, none of that.” SURE also has worked to teach artisans how to simplify their traditionally intricate designs so that they are able to use their labor time more effectively. The Austin-based Fair Trade company Handmade Expressions was started by an immigrant from Rajasthan himself, and works closely with SURE artisans to produce designs customers will like. And as a Fair Trade business with a vision to change the world, Handmade Expressions wants to pay more for high quality products which support rural livelihoods. They have even helped provide villages with solar lanterns, making it easier for artisans to have more flexible work schedules, as well as give their children the ability to study in the evenings. Alison Hanson, the Production Coordinator and Sustainability Advisor from Handmade Expressions traveling with Lata ji, told us that part of the current challenge for small Fair Trade businesses like Handmade Expressions is that larger non-Fair Trade companies often come into villages, copy their company’s designs, and place huge orders at a lower overall cost, undercutting Fair Trade prices. Lata ji explained that the role of SURE, beyond capacity building and skills training, is to be a facilitator, connecting artisans to Fair Trade businesses like Handmade Expressions and other organizations who see the value of the handmade production and want to support it at a fair price. One of the long-standing challenges for artisan producers in the region has been exactly that. The applique work done for wall hangings, pillow covers, and other textiles can take from 3 days to a whole week to finish; without the support of the Fair Trade market and the business and confidence training provided by SURE, women were making 3 to 5 rupees per piece–about 5 cents. Today, the price is over ten times as much or higher, and families can earn a much better living. Still, the 2000 to 2500 rupees a month artisans are making now remains right under $2 a day. Nevertheless, the self-sustaining livelihood program has meant more than increased income and solar lanterns. It has meant increased democratic participation at a local level. As the women artisans have learned to value their skills and their voices, they have begun to speak up and speak out. The small artisan groups present in local villages, about 15-20 women, have evolve into “pressure groups” for improved local governance. Lata ji shared with us that when the women have shown up to local government meetings to advocate for rights and services, the officials ask them, “Why are you here? This is not your SURE meeting.” But the women know better than to get discouraged–they know the government should work for them so they stay and, Lata ji told us with a sly smile, “they argue.” The holistic approach to sustainable economic and social development is not an easy one, and definitely not about quick fixes. This is true of both the Fair Trade movement in general as well as within the scope of SURE’s work. Just as Lata ji emphasized at her talk yesterday, learning takes time and change is a slow process–the key is to sustain. Visit the Global Exchange Fair Trade Stores to check out a variety of the beautiful applique wall hangings and purses handmade by the artisans of SURE. The meet and greet with Lata ji was part of a 10 day artisan tour sponsored by Handmade Expressions and Fair Trade Towns USA. Lata ji’s visit to Global Exchange was just one stop during her trip on the way to the Fair Trade Federation Conference in Seattle, WA on May 22, 2012. Posted on: May 22, 2012	<urn:uuid:c9490123-4b92-4a26-b8bf-abb03705c00a>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.globalexchange.org/blogs/fairtrade/2012/05/22/fair-trade-artisan-organizer-visits-san-francisco-store/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00027-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.968829	1,255	2.328125	2
KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama apologized to Afghan President Hamid Karzai Thursday for the accidental burning of Korans by NATO troops that has led to violent protests. Violent anti-American protests have erupted across Afghanistan since the U.S. military Tuesday apologized for what it said was the accidental "improper disposal" at Bagram Air Base of religious materials, including copies of the Muslim holy book. The United States is working with the Afghan government to investigate the incident. "We will take the appropriate steps to avoid any recurrence, including holding accountable those responsible," Obama said in the letter delivered by U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker, Karzai's office said. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the letter to Karzai was a follow-up to a telephone conversation between the two leaders. "I think that the message that we're trying to convey here is that this was inadvertent. We take it very seriously," Carney told reporters aboard Air Force One Thursday. Carney said NATO Commander Gen. John Allen, "is taking steps to ensure that this kind of thing can't happen again by instituting training on the handling of religious materials." An Afghan soldier, apparently angry over the burning of Korans, fatally shot two U.S. troops and wounded four others, Afghan officials said. Carney told reporters the expression of regret by Obama was part of a letter to Karzai "on a number of topics, including the Afghan-led reconciliation process and our bilateral relationship with Afghanistan, in which he included an expression of his regret and apologies for the inappropriate and inadvertent mishandling of religious materials." Carney noted that Dana Perino, when she was press secretary for former President George W. Bush, "expressed apologies on behalf of the president" after a 2008 incident in which a U.S. serviceman "apparently shot or did damage to a Koran." "And that's appropriate for the same reason, because our concern -- this president's concern, as was surely the case with President Bush, is the safety and security of our men and women in uniform, as well as our civilians in Afghanistan," Carney said. "And one of the reasons that it's appropriate to express our sincere apologies for this incident is that the kind of reaction that it can cause risks putting our men and women in harm's way, or in further risk than they already are," he said. "So I think that precedent is a useful one to look at." It remained unclear how many Korans were involved, a military official told CNN Thursday. The official said American troops at the base would have been unable to read the texts, which could have contributed to the error. Another military official said earlier the materials had been removed from a detainee center's library because they carried "extremist inscriptions" on them and there was "an appearance that these documents were being used to facilitate extremist communications." Violent protests took place Thursday at U.S. and NATO military facilities across Afghanistan, including one demonstration in which police apparently shot and killed two protesters. The Taliban in Afghanistan called on Muslims to attack NATO facilities and convoys and kill military personnel, CNN reported. In an e-mail message, the Taliban accused "the invading infidel authorities" of trying to calm the situation with two "so-called shows of apology, but in reality they let their inhuman soldiers insult our holy book." The e-mail urged Afghans to seek revenge "until the doers of such inhumane actions are prosecuted and punished." "We should attack their military bases, their military convoys, we should kill their soldiers, arrest their invading soldiers, beat them up and give a kind of lesson to them that they never dare to insult the holy Koran," the message said. The International Security Assistance Force said in a statement two military personnel were killed in eastern Afghanistan Thursday by "an individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform" but didn't identify the troops' nationality. CBS News said an Afghan official said the dead and wounded in the attack in the eastern province of Ningarhar were American. The official said the shooting seemed to be motivated by the burning of Korans at the Bagram Air Base north of Kabul, but did not elaborate. \|Additional World News Stories\| HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., May 19 (UPI) --A Hempstead, N.Y., police officer shot and killed a 21-year-old Hofstra University student while aiming for the man holding her hostage, officials said. MALMO, Sweden, May 19 (UPI) --Denmark's Emmelie De Forest won the Eurovision Song Contest with her song "Only Teardrops" in Malmo, Sweden.	<urn:uuid:c89f6b48-72a1-4b4f-8d8b-1af786fa6c22>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/02/23/Afghan-soldier-kills-2-US-soldiers/UPI-66781330001572/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00070-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.972807	985	1.5	2
Titanium Mining in Binh Thuan From Resort Capital to Mining Capital The Future of Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan & Ba Ria-Vung Tau 10.07.11 On 22 June this year, the Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam announced it was seeking government approval for a 100-square-kilometer complex to tap titanium ore in Binh Thuan Province. Tran Van Mien, head of the department's Geology Office, told the Saigon Times that the ministry had identified a titanium mine with estimated reserves of 540 million tonnes, encompassing the provinces of Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan and Ba Ria-Vung Tau (these provinces include the tourism destinations of Vung Tau, Ho Tram, Binh Chau, La Gi, Khe Ga, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne, Ca Na and Phan Rang). "The department has suggested building the complex to extract and process up to 150 million tonnes of titanium ore," said Mien. "The remaining 300 million tonnes should be kept as a national reserve resource for coming generations." "If government approval is forthcoming, this will become the largest titanium complex in the country," he said. Indeed, this won't just be the largest titanium mining complex in Vietnam—it will be one of the largest titanium mining operations in the world. It appears the Department of Geology and Minerals will get their wish. Vietnam's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) announced this past Thursday that the Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai had just approved their plan in principal. Titanium Mining's Toll on Tourism All of this may come as a shock, given the very negative reacting to titanium mining in Vietnam's government-run news media over the past few years. In August 2010, Vietnam Business News reported that More than 410 tourism projects in Binh Thuan Province had been seriously affected (in a bad way) by titanium mining. Resorts complained about pollution from the mining. They asserted that mining companies use seawater to filter the titanium from sand and in the process, left waste products on the shoreline. Many tourism investors have withdrawn their projects due to mining complaints, even though they have received licenses. Nguyen Hong Son, deputy head of the Binh Thuan Tourism Association and owner of Doi Su Resort, said the association had often urged the province not to authorize mineral exploitation near tourism areas, but to no avail. For areas rich with titanium, the province will not allow investment or long-term construction in tourism projects. "Binh Thuan sees tourism as the key economic sector. So we are trying to reconcile the benefits received by both the tourism and mineral industries," said Nguyen Van Thu, deputy head of Binh Thuan Province People's Committee. Life Resorts Management Company was caught in one of the most publicized conflicts of tourism development and mining. In 2008, Chris Duffy, General Director of Life Resorts Management Company said, "A tourism resort and a mining project cannot go together so the foreign investors in the joint venture will abort the resort project." Earlier, Life Resorts had contracted with Vietnam's Blue Ocean Co. Ltd. to build a resort named Life Wellness, which was pitched as a five-star 100+ room resort on nearly 5 hectares south of Phan Thiet City. The problem was that a huge mining project was also granted a license, right next door. Nguyen Thanh Bich, CEO of Blue Ocean Co. Ltd. Also said that the neighboring titanium mine would likely cause noise, dust and polluted water that would be harmful to the environment of the resort. Titanium Mining's Toll on Industry Tourism projects aren't the only thing that titanium mining has stalled. In December 2009 the Binh Thuan government suspended licensing of the burgeoning new wind power industry because the projects all overlapped land which had high potential for mining. Binh Thuan, like many Vietnam provinces, has a manic problem of power-outages, yet has the highest potential for wind energy of any province. Unfortunately however, the sustainable benefits of wind energy are not as profitable as titanium mining in the short-term. Last month Vietnam's MONRE admitted that titanium mining is now 'a hindrance to economic development in Binh Thuan Province' yet has inexplicably blocked the development of 7 out of 8 newly licensed industrial parks until future mining on the land can be completed. The ministry admitted blocking the creation of 'tens of thousands' of new jobs for the province. Titanium Mining's Toll on the Environment Recently Vietnam's MONRE delivered a scathing report of Binh Thuan's Mining Industry, saying that it was "destroying the local environment, water supply and agricultural crops" and that the local groundwater supply was "heavily tainted by the salinity that comes from the mining operations." Some residents near the White Sand Dunes claim that their land is now uninhabitable. An official from MONRE said that fines administered by the government did not deter these companies from continuing their violations. At present, there are five titanium mining firms operating just north of Mui Ne, all of which were able to obtain and renew their mining licenses even after receiving fines by the provincial Department of Resources and Environment for serious violations of administrative and environmental regulations. In La Gi, south of Phan Thiet, MONRE said the Hai Tinh International Mineral Corporation was 'creating an environmental nightmare for the local people.' Titanium mining also raises another pollution concern-namely radiation. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, high levels of radiation from titanium mining wastes can be up to 450 times more radioactive than "normal" soil samples. In late 2010, the Binh Thuan People's Committee fined four mining firms nearly US$15,000 for improprieties, and among other things, failing to monitor radiation levels. Mining Trumps All In 2008, Nguyen Van Thu, Vice Chairman of the province, said that he had received complaints from a number of resort investors situated near titanium projects south of Phan Thiet City. "Honestly, the provincial government feels very awkward in solving the problem now," Thu said. According to Thu, although the tourism industry contributed 40% to the province's gross domestic product, the province could not refuse the big titanium projects licensed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Thu explained that under the Minerals Laws, when any new titanium mine is uncovered, all the ore at the mine must be tapped before other projects can be developed on the same site, except those mines earmarked as reserves for the future. 'We confirm tourism as the key industry of the province, so we will try to find solutions to harmonize the development of titanium and resort projects,' says vice chairman Thu. Mr. Thu, in all due respect, it looks like you've just been overruled. 01.01.11 Binh Thuan provincial People's Committee has sanctioned four "black sand" mining companies for violations of environmental regulations, in the total amount of VND300 million (roughly US$15,000). Four companies, including Sao Mai, Anh Duong Joint Stock Company, Corporation Street Lin and Hung Thinh Phat Mineral Corporation were fined for improper performance, inadequately reporting environmental impact assessment, and failing to monitor radiation levels in the project area (titanium mining often releases radiation from uranium and other radioactive materials into the environment). Additionally, JSC own Minh Ha Bentonite Company was fined for failing to register waste and emissions sources. Titanium mining in Binh Thuan has been a serious issue threatening the province's tourism development, with almost as many licenses given out for mining as for resorts. Mining operations have derailed several major resort developments and local residents have complained about pollution and noise. Likewise, mining companies have not restored dunes back to their original state after completion. Instead vast areas of dunes have been stripped of vegetation, causing expansion of dunes and desertification in many coastal areas. Accusations have also been leveled that the province is underselling titanium resources for quick profit at the expense of future generations. Read more about Binh Thuan's Environmental News. 06.02.08 After a series of new titanium mining ventures have been announced in Binh Thuan Province, the news agency VietNamNet Bridge has launched a harsh criticism of local residents and officials for mismanaging and overexploiting valuable resources. VietnamNet accuses locals of selling--even smuggling the limited resource for foreign buyers, far below market value--all to make a fast profit. Binh Thuan Province is thought to contain 4% of the world's reserves of titanium. Read the complete article here.	<urn:uuid:27f6dc4d-ee13-4759-9a2a-8fbb8767ad27>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.muinebeach.net/binh_thuan_titanium_black_sand.htm	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00067-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.952897	1,800	1.90625	2
We have many opportunities for visitors to interact with our animals during Aquarium visits and as part of school and family programs. During a Visit Make sure to visit our hands-on areas for kids, like the Edge of the Sea touch tank. You also don't want to miss our live animal presentations and seal trainings. See our daily schedule to make your plans. For an additional cost, you can also add activities like a seal interaction, a behind-the-scenes tour or a whale watch to your visit. Family Programs and Programs for Children Volunteering and Internships For teenagers and adults, volunteering can be a great way to be involved with our animals and learn more about their care. For those interested in careers in the marine sciences, internships can give you great work experience. School and Community Programs Every year, the Aquarium provides thousands of kids from schools and community groups hands-on access to Aquarium animals. Community outreach programs with live animals include our popular traveling tidepool exhibit. Live animal programs are available as classroom programs as well.	<urn:uuid:9cbab701-ee54-465c-858a-862e01481fe6>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.neaq.org/education_and_activities/programs_and_classes/live_animal_programs/index.php	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00076-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.950277	218	1.96875	2
Training and Aesthetic Concerns Large farms and ranches are advised to develop personnel training programs for proper instruction of humane euthanasia techniques. As indicated in the previous discussion, the skill and experience of personnel are of paramount importance when gunshot or penetrating captive bolt/exsanguination or pithing and/or the injection of KCl are used for euthanasia of sick and debilitated animals. Experience has shown that many people (even those experienced in handling livestock) are not aware of the anatomical landmarks for proper execution of these techniques. Furthermore, persons should be aware that there is significant danger for the operator (or for bystanders with gunshot) whenever these methods of euthanasia are used. On large farms or ranches, most, if not all, persons should be familiar with these procedures and several should be specifically trained to perform this task. However, only those who can demonstrate a working knowledge and proficiency with the techniques should be permitted to perform euthanasia procedures. When these methods are not properly performed, animals may become injured, have varying degrees of consciousness, and experience needless pain and distress. Experienced persons should assist in the training of inexperienced persons and utilize carcasses to demonstrate anatomical landmarks and application of the various techniques. Carcasses should be used for practice by trainees until they become competent with the euthanasia devices and procedures. People must also be aware of how to confirm death. Both gunshot and penetrating captive bolt are aesthetically displeasing procedures. Euthanasia by either technique results in involuntary movements that may be inaccurately interpreted as painful to an inexperienced person. Therefore, when and where possible, it is recommended that such procedures be performed in areas out of the public view.	<urn:uuid:a1672f48-aeba-4a15-b488-ef6a3df2547c>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://vetmed.iastate.edu/humaneeuthanasia/en/aesthetic-concerns	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.93791	340	2.8125	3
College Sat Exam When is guessing a good idea on the SAT Test? The SAT is a very tiring and lengthy exam. At times, when you take the SAT exam you will be unsure which answer choice to select or how to even approach a problem.. These are critical moments in your test taking and it integral to your success on the SAT test that you have a clear guessing strategy. On the SAT exam you are awarded one point for each correct answer, deducted a quarter of a point for each incorrect answer, and neither awarded nor deducted points for leaving a question blank. So, basically, it really matters when you choose to answer questions on the SAT and how you come to that decisions. If you make wild guesses on questions on the SAT when you have no idea of the answer you seriously jeopardize your score. How do I choose the right test center to take the SAT? When taking the SAT, it doesn’t matter which test center you choose, since you’ll either know the material or you won’t, right? Well, not quite. While it’s true that you’re not going to magically remember what a function is the minute you set foot on a well-run testing site, a poorly run site can really shake you up. This aspect of taking the SAT is often under appreciated, and you should take it seriously. At certain public school testing sites in Manhattan, for instance, you’ll have to walk through a metal detector and you may need to wait in the gym for as long as an hour before the test begins. These aren’t the kinds of distractions you want to have on the day you finally take the SAT. If possible, take the SAT at your own school. You know how to get there, and you’ll be familiar with your surroundings. The SAT is just like football: it’s always best to have the home-field advantage. You’re likely to be calmer and more confident than you would at another site. If it’s not an option to take the test at your own school, however, don’t worry. Look for a nearby private school site, since these testing sites tend to be quieter and better run than public school sites. There are also a handful public school testing sites that are run well. (For instance, Eleanor Roosevelt High School, in Yorkville, NY, is a great place to take the test.) CATES tutors and administrators have years of experience with guiding students to different sites, and we can help you find the site that’s best for you. Of course, if you’re going to an unfamiliar school to take the test, make sure to take the time in the weeks leading up to the SAT to make sure you know exactly how to get there. The last thing you want is to get lost on your way to the testing site. The best testing sites are quiet, organized and without distractions. That’s the environment you want to find. Which standardized test is more difficult? Is the ACT test a better test for me than the SAT test? While the SAT exam is still the standardized test of choice for many juniors and seniors, the ACT exam is becoming increasingly popular, and more and more colleges and universities are accepting it. Unlike the SAT test, for which you’ll have to master tricky testtaking techniques, the ACT test is more straightforward. You’ll encounter fewer curveballs when taking the ACT, which is essentially a test of how much you know. If you’re a good student, and you’ve performed well in fairly difficult classes, you may want to take the ACT instead of the SAT, especially if you don’t think of yourself as a particularly savvy testtaker. You’ll also be happy to know that the ACT, unlike the SAT, doesn’t count off for incorrect answers. There’s no penalty for guessing on the ACT exam. It’s tough to say which of the two exams covers more difficult material. The ACT Math section, which includes some trigonometry problems, does cover more ground than the SAT Math section does. On the other hand, the easiest ACT Math problems are simpler than anything you’ll find on an SAT test. The SAT does specifically test advanced vocabulary, which you won’t need to know for the ACT. With the exception of vocabulary, however, understanding how the SAT exam is written is just as vital as knowing what is covered on the test. If you’re a math whiz, or a very experienced reader, this may work to your advantage, if you take the ACT. The ACT exam’s straightforward format makes it a good match for test-takers who are very strong in one particular subject. Because the ACT exam, unlike the SAT, averages the scores of each section to give you your composite score, a killer performance on just one ACT section can seriously increase your composite. Don’t be too quick to discount taking the SAT, however. For one thing, the ACT board is notoriously stingy about giving students extra time, and you’re much more likely to get extra time on the SAT. Also, if you’re able to master just a few key testtaking techniques, you can substantially improve your SAT score, while working to raise your score on the ACT exam tends to take a little longer. If you’re still not sure which standardized exam is right for you, you may want to try them both out, and see how you do. CATES offers free ACT and SAT practice tests, which you can sign up for right here on our website.	<urn:uuid:548a2ae4-5f26-419d-817b-3933c70f90c7>	CC-MAIN-2013-20	http://www.catestutoring.com/blog/tag/sat-test/	s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz	en	0.954648	1,179	2.03125	2