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Review posted March 9, 2011.
Balzer & Bray (HarperCollinsPublishers), 2010. 32 pages.
And I thought every possible twist on starting Kindergarten had been covered! How wrong I was!
Here's a delightful way for a kid-in-the-know to tell their Buffalo what's needed to get ready for Kindergarten.
There are some great lines:
Some people say kindergarten is no place for a buffalo.
How crazy is that?
Does your buffalo have a backpack?
Well, then. He's definitely ready for kindergarten.
But your buffalo may sometimes get frustrated.
Like when someone takes his building blocks.
Or calls him Fluppalo.
Another buffalo might be tempted to nudge those kids.
But not your buffalo!
He'll stop, take a deep breath,
and remember the Rules for Sharing and Caring.
That's why kindergarten's so great.
You learn to get along without using your horns.
Your buffalo is probably looking forward to sharing treats with a classmate. But he may be the only one who eats grass, then throws it up in his mouth and eats it again.
Remember: Everyone's special in his or her own way.
There you have it: A truly new perspective on getting ready for kindergarten and going over everything a kid (or a buffalo) will need to know. The pictures, of course, add to the fun. The buffalo is kind and lovable and looks perfect for hugging or cuddling up to during storytime.
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Macon leaders question Georgia sewer headed their wayWritten by Josh Mitchell
Macon County commissioners voiced concern this week over a proposed sewer treatment plant that would discharge into the Little Tennessee River just across the state line in Georgia.
The river, considered an environmental treasure and a future source of drinking water, flows north through Franklin and on to Lake Fontana
“As the county adjacent to and directly downstream from the proposed Rabun County facility we have significant concerns about the impact of this project on the water quality in the Little Tennessee watershed on both sides of the state border,” Macon wrote in a letter to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division states.
Rabun County, Ga., needs a discharge permit to convert the closed-down Fruit of the Loom plant into a sewer treatment plant. While a written public comment period was held on the permit, Macon commissioners called for a formal public hearing in their letter.
The letter also states that the river is listed as polluted in Georgia and North Carolina and potential further degradation must be approached carefully.
The town of Franklin also has plans in the works to use the river as an alternative source of drinking water, the letter states.
“There are many questions we would like the opportunity to discuss,” the letter states.
The application process for a permit provides holding a public hearing if there is sufficient public interest. Commissioner Bobby Kuppers, who brought the issue forward, said he believes there is enough public interest to warrant a public hearing.
The Little Tennessee Watershed Association has been leading a public campaign over the past month encouraging the public to send comments on the permit. The environmental group previously spoke at a commissioners meeting about the issue.
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BEIJING // China's belated recognition of Libya's new leaders and attempts by Chinese companies to sell weapons to Colonel Muammar Qaddafi's regime have left Beijing scrambling to protect its interests in the country.
It was announced late on Monday that China was officially recognising the National Transitional Council (NTC), more than three months after Beijing officials first met NTC representatives and over six weeks after some western governments transferred diplomatic ties.
The NTC has insisted it will honour contracts already signed with Chinese interests, which state media says involves as many as 50 major projects together worth US$18.8 billion (Dh69bn).
Libya has Africa's largest oil reserves and is set to hand out lucrative reconstruction projects as the country rebuilds after the conflict.
Jiang Yu, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, said the NTC has promised to "concretely abide by the existing bilateral treaties and agreements".
"We would like to promote the stable transition and continuous development of China-Libya relations," she added.
But analysts believe China may have made its position in Libya more difficult because it was slow to recognise the NTC. Also, as was revealed earlier this month, Chinese state-owned firms offered to sell arms worth $200 million to representatives of Col Qaddafi who visited Beijing in mid-July.
China also criticised the Nato military action against Col Qaddafi.
The arms supply meetings, which the Chinese foreign ministry insisted did not lead to any actual sales of equipment, took place despite an arms embargo on Libya being passed by the United Nations Security Council in February.
"We have made judgments based on the policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of Libya and the principle of respecting the Libyan people's choice," Ms Jiang said.
Behzad Shahandeh, a specialist on relations between the Middle East and East Asia at Seoul's Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said China "will learn a lesson from Libya".
"There will be a change in policy, not only in Libya, but all across Africa," he added. "If they are known as merchants, it will create trouble. They will tread carefully."
There may have been little Beijing could have done to have prevented the problems over attempted arms sales, with analysts pointing out the limits of civilian authority over military interests in China.
Ding Xueliang, a foreign affairs analyst at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said there have been many examples in the past 30 years in which the Chinese government "did not know clearly what is going on with the major arms sales companies in China".
"People like [the former Chinese leader] Deng Xiaoping had the authority to discipline the military companies," Mr Ding said. "After that, the civilian leaders from [Deng's successor] Jiang Zemin down have not obtained sufficient authority over the military system.
"The incident has made Beijing quite embarrassed. Perhaps the civilian leadership of China would call officials from the military and ask them to explain what's wrong.
"In one sense the foreign affairs ministry is a minor partner compared with the military in the Chinese state system."
China is now tasked with ensuring it is not cold-shouldered in terms of new oil and development contracts in a country where, along with Russia, it had been making economic inroads at the expense of the likes of Italy and France, which had longer-standing economic ties with Libya.
Last month, an official with Libya's Arabian Gulf Oil Company suggested preference would be given to interests from western nations that supported the military intervention that helped to topple Col Qaddafi.
Yet Steven Heydemann, senior vice president at the United States Institute of Peace, recently told The Diplomat, an online Asia-Pacific current affairs magazine, that "post-authoritarian governments tend to behave quite pragmatically when it comes to managing commercial and diplomatic relations with allies of the former regime".
He cited the example of Iraq, where a variety of countries secured oil contracts in the post-Saddam Hussein era, with the US not enjoying preferential treatment of the kind some expected.
It is a view echoed by Mr Shahandeh, who said China's late recognition of the NTC would probably only be "costly in the short term".
"In the medium to long term things will go back to normal," he added.
* With additional reporting by the Associated Press
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In case you missed it the first time around, the Santa Monica Museum of Art is restaging Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment, the controversial photography exhibition organized in 1988 (the year prior to the artist’s death) by Philadelphia’s Institute of Contemporary Art. Targeted by the religious right’s culture warriors, the show became the subject of an unprecedented congressional protest resulting in its cancellation at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. When it opened at Cincinatti’s Contemporary Arts Center in 1990, authorities shut it down and arrested CAC director Dennis Barrie on obscenity charges. The Perfect Moment became a First Amendment rallying point and central to two major movements in ’90s art — inspiring action and academic discourse on issues of racism and homophobia in the institutional art world and in government, and, more surprisingly, launching the whole “Beauty” bandwagon by inspiring Dave Hickey’s 1993 book The Invisible Dragon. Viewers untitillated by interracial gay sex or art history will find an exhibit of elegant, consummately crafted studio photographs well worth a second (or first) look. SMMoA, Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; (310) 586-6488. Through June 10.
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FRIDAY 10.30PM FROM 17 AUGUST
In a light-hearted but nevertheless educational look at the fashion and passion of 'growing your own', Charlie Dimmock takes an inspirational journey with two groups of allotment plot holders through their challenges and achievements during an English summer.
Each of Charlie's rising gardening co-presenters, Carina Birrell and Jonny Lee Kemp, champion one group of 'allotmenteers' and work with them to yield the best produce in totally contrasting conditions of landscape and soil, trying to win Charlie’s ‘Best Produce Awards’.
They also develop a strong rivalry as they overcome personal challenges set by Charlie and each other.
The series covers the period from May to October during which ground preparation, seed sowing, crop tending, the excitement of witnessing growth and the progress of the produce is recorded alongside the background of the human stories of the diverse range of allotment holders.
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Superior sings in the rooms of her ice-water mansion. She never gives up her dead.
[T]he four Gospels are wonderful lessons in the fact that God is not pedantic when it comes to telling the story; rather, God wants it told a little different to catch as many aspects as possible. As I like to say, when you have four portraits of somebody you love very much, you don’t make transparencies of them and then send the light through—that becomes blur, holy blur because it is the Gospels, but still blur. You look at one portrait at a time. And actually where they are different is usually where the artist has something important to say.
— Krister Stendahl, Why I Love the Bible, Harvard Divinity Bulletin Winter 2007 (Vol. 35, No. 1)
52 notes (via frauluther & godthings)
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Judith Thurman, in her article on the upcoming Schiaparelli and Prada exhibition, writes that “Prada joined the Communist Party, and—or but—according to different reports, she wore Saint Laurent to distribute leaflets” (A Critic at Large, March 26th). This implies a contradiction between wearing Yves Saint Laurent and sympathizing with leftist politics, when the opposite is true. Saint Laurent was only twenty-one when he became the head designer of Dior, in 1957, an extraordinary, and very public, responsibility. But as a young man who embraced bohemian Paris night life, he had one foot in the world of the youth culture that went on to challenge the establishment in the coming decade. On March 10, 1968, Saint Laurent was interviewed by Claude Berthod on the French television program “Dim Dam Dom.” His answers to the so-called Proust Questionnaire reveal Saint Laurent’s allegiance to the street over the salon: Who would you like to have been? A beatnik. What do you hate most of all? The snobbery of wealth.
New York City
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Greater Noida, Oct 26 : When everyone is in the fast lane, his may seem a low-key job, driving a car at a slow speed. Never mind the speed, he has a crucial role - to ensure nothing untoward happens on the track and beyond. He drives what is known in Formula One a safety car and his responsibility is to make sure everyone around the circuit is safe and secure.
A safety car is out on the track to limit the speed of the race cars on the track in case of a caution period (in heavy rain, accident or debris on the track).
At every Grand Prix, there is a silver-hued safety car which essentially sees to it the race is not disrupted because of a mishap on the track. When there is an accident or a breakdown, the safety car gets onto the track and the race cars make a formation behind it till all clearance is given to proceed.
The man behind the safety car wheel is unsung and for 13 years now Bernd Maylander is holding on to it with all the care in the world.
On television it might seem that the safety car is going at a snail's pace but the truth of the matter is the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, with an increase in power output to 435KW, is being driven on the limit.
"I am always prepared to go out to the track with the seat belt on. I have to be focused on my job. Everyone thinks that a safety car goes really slow because they compare it with an F1 car but I am constantly driving on the limit of the car," Maylander said, during an interaction with the media ahead of the Indian Grand Prix.
The 41-year-old German, a former racer, said he was thankful that nothing major has happened in his tenure as a safety car driver. He added he was not bothered by the fact that some people get bored during the safety car period.
"People complain that the race gets boring when a safety car comes out, I'm not bothered by such talk. It is not just a matter of the safety of the drivers but the spectators, marshals and everybody involved. Safety is paramount," he said.
He stressed on the communication between everybody during a race and how important it is.
"The car has two radio systems and two monitors to get a hang of things and communicate. Communication is the key here."
Talking about traffic and road safety on Delhi roads, Maylander said he was shocked and confused at how there wasn't an accident on every turn. He stressed the importance of safety and in his message to the Indian public saying: "Don't take too many risks, just drive safe. One needs to realise what can happen." (IANS)
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Held back in April in Denver, the inaugural 2012 International Symposia for Contemplative Studies, facilitated by the Dalai Lama's Mind & Life Institute, was a collaborative effort among Centers and Laboratories around the world to explore the correlates and consequences of contemplative practice. The Symposia brought together world-renowned researchers, scholars, teachers, and students in keynote addresses, concurrent master lectures, panels, workshops, and poster presentations.
Among the speakers were Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D. (Director of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds and Director of the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience and the W.M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin at Madison), John Dunne, Ph.D. (associate professor in the Department of Religion at Emory University, where he is Co-founder of the Emory Collaborative for Contemplative Studies), Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph.D. (Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, pioneer in end-of-life care, and Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya Institute and Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico), Carolyn Jacobs, Ph.D. (Dean and Elizabeth Marting Treuhaft Professor and Director of the Comtemplative Clinical Practice Advanced Certificate Program at Smith College School for Social Work; Chair, Board of Directors of The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society; member, Board of Trustees of Naropa University and Our Lady of the Elms College; member, Fetzer Institute Health Advisory Council), Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. (founder of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic, where mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) originated), and Brother David Steindl-Rast, O.S.B. (a monk of Mount Saviour Benedictine monastery in New York and one of the first Roman Catholics to participate in Buddhist-Christian dialogue), among many other well-known speakers (Marsha Linehan, Evan Thompson, Sharon Salzberg, and so on).
The Greater Good Science Center blog posted a brief summary of the event, focusing on three of the major insights presented at the conference. Here is that post by Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas.
Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas | May 15, 2012What I learned at the recent International Symposium for Contemplative Studies.
The recent International Symposium for Contemplative Studies (ISCS), held in Denver, opened with a guided meditation-turned-keynote address by mindfulness pioneer Jon Kabat-Zinn, sitting cross-legged on his Zafu cushion.
But as eminent and enlightened as Kabat-Zinn appeared on stage, his message was that the audience should not be intimidated by the Tibetan monastics, scientific icons, or other spiritually accomplished thinkers in the room. Instead, we were encouraged to embrace our common humanity—our shared aspiration to relieve suffering and cultivate happiness in life. “We are all contemplatives,” he reassured.
Dave Womack, Mind & Life Institute
That was arguably the main message of the three-day symposium as a whole. It was possibly the biggest and most far-ranging event organized to date by the Mind and Life Institute, which has been championing dialogue between Buddhist scholars and forward-thinking scientists for 20 years, and it offered a powerful reminder of how vast and mainstream contemplative science has gotten in that time.
The ISCS zeroed in on some of the most impressive scientific insights that have been made in recent years. While Buddhism claims that contemplative practices are key to happiness, modern Western thinking requires quantitative, scientific evidence to embrace and endorse that view. Over the three days of lectures, workshops, and poster sessions, this is where that evidence—along with some of the conceptual chasms that data has yet to resolve—could be found.
Here are three important insights that made an impression on me at the ISCS—areas where researchers are clearly making some ground-breaking findings.
1. We can train our brains to be more compassionate. Two pioneers in this field are Tania Singer, the director of the department of social neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany, and Richie Davidson, founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Both have been studying people with more than 10,000 hours of meditation practice under their belts, as well as inexperienced meditators, who they observe before and after meditation training.
Both Singer and Davidson delivered “Master Lectures,” and graduate students and post-docs from their labs spoke on various research panels. Taken together, their data reveals that meditation can change the brain in measurable ways—and in ways that seem linked to care and compassion for others.
For example, when meditation “experts” watched videos of other people suffering, functional magnetic resonance image (fMRI) scans of their brains showed heightened activity primarily in structures that are important to care, nurturance, and positive social affiliation—that is, brain regions that orient them toward the well-being of other people.
In non-meditators, the videos of suffering were more likely to engage brain structures that support unpleasant feelings, such as sadness, aversion, or pain—which, in turn, makes people distressed and want to remove themselves from the situation.
Yet when non-meditators receive training in contemplative practices—specifically those that center on compassion or the Buddhist notion of loving-kindness—Singer and Davidson have observed shifts in brain activity, with relatively less activation in neural structures that support unpleasant feelings and thinking about one’s own self. When these new meditators tried to extend compassion toward sufferers in the videos after as little as a week of training, the researchers saw changes in their brain response that suggest an intentional shift toward greater concern for the victim. With continued training, new meditators’ brains start to resemble the experts’: They more readily and robustly engage the care, nurturance, and social affiliation networks of the brain.
The upshot: Like muscles in the body, the brain is pliable. Singer and Davidson’s labs are uncovering evidence that if we train in a particular way of relating to other people, we may be able to shift our neural response in a direction that is healthier, less stressful, and more “pro-social,” meaning that it’s more strongly oriented to caring for the well-being of others.
2. Scientists are starting to measure consciousness—sort of. One of the biggest, timeless questions that has vexed scientists is whether it’s possible to measure consciousness, aka “the mind,” using neuroscience methods.
Buddhists, however, think of consciousness on very different terms: They see it as something that can’t necessarily be measured physically but that’s most accessible through well-honed introspection.
Dave Womack, Mind & Life Institute
Traditionally, contemplative experts have maintained that the best way to gain insight into the workings of ‘the mind’ is through diligent contemplative practice. But according to Wolf Singer, the director at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, “The brain’s intuitions about its own conditions don’t seem to be very realistic.” But is a more scientific approach to defining consciousness really feasible, or useful in the pursuit human happiness?
In his lecture, Singer presented a concise overview of what recent science has to say about the neural underpinnings of consciousness. In the studies he discussed, research subjects were shown a sequence of very brief images, only some of which they reported seeing consciously (others flew by too quickly to be detected by the conscious brain), while electrophysiological (EEG) data were collected from sensors attached to their scalps.
Results show conscious detection of the images was accompanied by a distinct response in the brain: Large swaths of neurons all around the surface of the brain fired simultaneously approximately 40 to 60 times per second just for a brief moment after the images were presented. When subjects reported not seeing the images, other areas of their brains still registered the images. In the difference between the two responses, suggests Singer, we can start to detect the neural outlines of consciousness.
Singer’s talk was followed by commentary from Matthieu Ricard, a cellular geneticist turned Buddhist monk who is sometimes dubbed “the happiest man in the world,” thanks to his participation in some seminal studies (led by Davidson) on the neuroscience of positive emotion. Ricard questioned the scientist’s attempt to break consciousness down into properties of matter organized in specific ways (e.g, neurons firing in the brain). According to the Buddhist analysis, consciousness is best thought of as a phenomenon that is “a different qualia” than the material world, independent of physical neuronal activity. Ricard maintained that consciousness is best understood through first person experience of “non-dual, luminous consciousness,” or “pure awareness” achieved through deep contemplative practice.
This rich and dynamic exchange revealed an area where substantial opportunities remain for cross-cultural dialogue and discovery.
3. Meditation can make you feel more connected to others. In a cheerful closing panel, Barbara Fredrickson, the director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory (a.k.a. PEP Lab) at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, discussed work highlighting the myriad benefits of positive emotion and authentic social connections—benefits potentially augmented by meditation.
She described her recent interest in three related phenomena: 1) the importance of “positivity resonance,” where we momentarily get on someone else’s wavelength, boosting our shared positive experience; 2) “biobehavioral synchrony,” where our bodily processes like heart rhythms and gestures begin to function in synchrony; and 3) mutual care between people. Fredrickson hypothesized that contemplative practices like meditation promote these kinds of experiences—and she has some evidence to back this up.
Dave Womack, Mind & Life Institute
Here’s how: When measuring people’s heart rate, she has looked at something called respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), which is a variation in heart rate affected by a cranial nerve called the Vagus nerve. In other research, GGSC Faculty Director Dacher Keltner has linked the Vagus nerve to the experience of compassion; sure enough, Fredrickson has found that people with higher RSA report more moments of close, warm, positive connection with other people—and the more they report these moments, the more their RSA increases throughout the day.
What’s more, her studies show that learning loving-kindness meditation leads to increased RSA, in conjunction with positive emotion and social connection. So it seems that meditation may encourage an upward spiral of positivity and compassionate connection to others.
Given these benefits, Fredrickson made the case for teaching meditation to kids. It seems tough to argue with her.
This is just a taste of the many provocative and inspiring presentations and workshops at the ICSC. In closing remarks, Richie Davidson pointed out the incredible pace of contemplative science, which has grown from a fringe field 20 years ago to a legitimate area of focus for researchers from top-tier universities nationwide. Davidson was followed by Congressman Tim Ryan, author of the movement-building new book A Mindful Nation, who implored folks in the room to stay the course, elect mindful officials, and get contemplative lobbyists to Washington, DC.
Ryan was barely in elementary school when Kabat-Zinn launched his pioneering work in this field more than 30 years ago. In the arc of the conference from Kabat-Zinn’s opening address to the congressman’s closing remarks, we can see the growth of the field over a generation. Though some open questions clearly remain to be addressed by the dialogue between Buddhist philosophy and Western science, the consensus seems to be rapidly growing that contemplative practice can measurably benefit the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and society at large.
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We are happy to share the news that our partner Skillveri Training Solutions has been awarded the third place in the national level of i3 – The India Innovation Initiative 2012. The annual event is conducted by the department of science and technology of the Government of India, together with CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) and Agilent Technologies.
The award winning product was Skillveri’s gamified welding training tool Aura, and it competed with more than 600 other products at various levels before going on to the finals. The final round held at New Delhi saw 42 entries selected from all regions of the country, and Skillveri bagged the third place for their innovative solution.
Evelyn Labs is proud of being associated with Skillveri and contributing our part in building an award winning product. This is what Skillveri’s CEO Sabarinath.C.Nair has to say about our work -
“Evelyn Labs brings a lot of game design expertise which is critical to making a game addictive. The best thing I like about working with Evelyn is that they understand the ‘big picture’ of the requirements. They bring together a rare combination of good graphical design skills and programming skills. The speed and promptness with which they delivered our requirements is very commendable. Their work has been instrumental in helping us win this award”
We wish Skillveri all the very best and hope they see many more milestones ahead.
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Only very few dare to leave the beaten track, and be innovators and pioneers.
Invention Labs is one of them, and Evelyn Labs is now teaming up with them to develop new educational tools.
They create products that are relevant in the Indian scenario, as well as provide their services to many companies worldwide.
Invention Labs has seen a wide spectrum of challenges, from building milk-packet vending machines to working with the Indian Space Research Organisation.
Their flagship product is ‘Avaz’ – India’s first assistive device for people with speech disabilities due to autism,cerebral palsy, hearing impairment and other reasons. It helps to give a voice to people whose only means of communication is non-verbal.
They’ve also developed the ‘Avaz’ app for iPad, specifically meant for children with autism.It is a form of ‘alternate communication’ and helps children with speech difficulties to express themselves. The device and the app are both designed to assist children with special needs communicate, express their thoughts and feelings, and enjoy a natural and normal childhood without being inhibited just because they are non-verbal.
We, at Evelyn Labs, are now very happy to be joining hands with Invention Labs. We will be providing our services to them in their next venture, building learning and educational tools. In working with invention labs, we are having the satisfaction of working on a product that is innovative, unique, child-friendly and makes learning fun.
It proves to be an extension of our belief that anything can be fun ! – and it makes us proud that our work is not just going to build products, but create solutions.
Why do people love weekends ?
Why do we groan on monday mornings ?
Whether its kids or adults, doesn’t everyone feel they need to break away from the same, monotonous tasks they do for the entire week ?
It is the emotional connect and fulfillment that makes ‘work’ into a ‘passion’. And it is with that understanding that we decided to make gaming our way of life at Evelyn Labs.
We believe that fun doesn’t have to stop with games.What if there could be fun in doing the regular, everyday tasks ? What if learning or studying could be more interesting ?
Evelyn Labs now expands its horizons, from being just game developers to bringing our expertise in games to other areas which could use creativity and unconventional thinking.
In this new phase of our journey, we are proud to partner with SkillVeri, whose aim is to use gaming as an educational tool. SkillVeri aims to provide training tools to address the growing gap between theoretical education and vocational skills. SkillVeri is currently offering solutions for the welding industry, and Evelyn Labs has joined hands with them to providing technical solutions for building their products, which include simulators for training in the welding industry.
The best products are those which enrich the human experience, and what could be better than providing solutions for better learning and better skills ? We are happy that we are building easier solutions for better tomorrows.
Have fun, and do what makes you happy. Have a nice weekend folks !
Its been over a month since the release of our second tower defense game for iOS, Battleground Defense 2 – The City. The game is available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, and we hope you enjoy the game and have fun playing it.
If you haven’t downloaded it yet, you can find the app store links and the major features of the game available here .
We are compiling below all the reviews we’ve received for the game so far.
It has been a big week here at the Battleground HQ ! Today we are all set to release our second game, “Battleground Defense 2 – The City” on the iTunes app store. The game will be up for download from 00.00 Hrs (local time) on 28th July, and is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
Battleground Defense 2 (or BGD2 as we like to call it !) brings tower defense gameplay and modern warfare into a new city based theme. Watch guns, cannons and missiles explode on your screens as you take down wave after wave of enemies ! And with a zoom option, you’ll be able to feel all the action up close, and brag your scores to your facebook friends and twitter followers with buttons from within the game !
Excited and all set to try the game ?
We have two versions, and here are the links for downloading the game :
You can also find a more detailed description, screenshots and videos for the game on our page for Battleground Defense 2
We are sure you’ll enjoy playing the game as much as we do ! Do try it out, have fun, and let us know what you think – we’d love to hear from you !
You can leave us a comment here on our blog or make a post on our forums here .
“… had a lot of fun playing Battleground Defense. Evelyn Software Labs did a great job in packaging this game… “
Battleground Defense was chosen as the first iPad game to be reviewed by TheSologamer.com !
The sologamer has given us a detailed review, with a 4 star overall rating and 4.5 star rating for fun !
There is a general introduction about the game, followed by a detailed review categorised into graphics, difficulty, fun and an overall summing up.
They also have a seperate section for strategy, which lists out many tips you might find helpful to play. Dont forget to check it out !
Click here to read the entire review !
Wait, there’s more ! – there are also two gameplay videos of Battleground Defense uploaded by the sologamer in their youtube channel - check out this and this, to catch a peek of the action !
be sure to check out the entire review, click here to read more !
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by Anton Shilov
07/22/2012 | 06:46 PM
While some of the manufacturers of solid-state drives advertize $0.65/per gigabyte price on the new SSDs, Toshiba Corp. believes that it will take time for solid-state storage to become a commodity. To summarize, SSDs are not going to get cheaper than they are today.
"The NAND memory community is continuing to develop new technology which will improve capacity and lower cost per GB in each lithography change. As we move to SSDs based upon 1x nm NAND, we will enable higher capacity and lower cost SSDs. However, there are significant costs required to increase NAND Fab capacity and technical challenges must be overcome to make lithography changes. Because of this, there will continue to be a significant difference between the cost per GB of SSDs and HDDs, said Joel Hagberg: Joel Hagberg, vice president of marketing at Toshiba America, in an interview with X-bit labs.
Although the average selling price of SSDs is impossible to tell, the ASP of hard drives is still much lower than the price of solid-state drives. Apparently, it is not going to get lower soon.
"Even though SSD prices will continue to drop over time, they will not approach the commodity storage range of hard disk drives for a very long time," added Mr. Hagberg.
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ARLINGTON, VaThe National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a division of the National Institutes of Health, has undertaken the task of making a science out of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
Our job is to take a movement and change it to a discipline, Stephen E. Straus, MD, director of NCCAM, said at the Comprehensive Cancer Care 2000 conference. Dr. Straus pointed to studies showing that 40% of all Americans and 80% of those diagnosed with cancer have an interest in CAM approaches.
Some of these practices are beneficial and some are not, he said. Some are safe and some may not be. The American people are tired of being without competent guidanceparticularly when faced with a challenging moment like a new diagnosis of cancer. That is the point at which you need competent information, and NIH is trying to provide it.
Dr. Straus, who has worked as a research internist and infectious disease immunologist at NIH, said that he brings to the office not a knowledge of the thousands of CAM approaches but an understanding of how to look at an emerging area in a cohesive, organized way to obtain rigorous data.
He noted that most CAM practices and their application to cancer are adjunctive to conventional care. Only a minority of CAM uses, he said, serve as an alternative to conventional care. For many patients, CAM provides hope for wellness and the relief of symptoms, he noted.
But Dr. Straus is concerned that, at present, CAM too often lacks the breadth and depth of the scientific underpinnings of conventional medicine. He cited the example of St. Johns wort (hypericum), a dietary supplement used as an antidepressant.
A study in the British Medical Journal showed that St. Johns wort had efficacy similar to imipramine(Drug information on imipramine) and was better than a placebo. However, another study released 3 months later in The Lancet showed that St. Johns wort also reduced the action of certain protease inhibitors, immunosuppressive drugs, and birth control pills.
If were going to take natural products seriously, we have to understand what else they do in a comprehensive way, Dr. Straus said. Any biologically active product affects the basic chemistry of the body and so may also have adverse effects that were previously unknown. People cant assume that just because something is natural that it must be safe and good for you, and that more is better.
Determining just which CAM options are good for you is the focus of NCCAMs research agenda, he said. Currently, his office is funding studies into the effects of magnetic fields on cancer cell growth and the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine on uterine fibroids and breast cancer, for example.
NCCAM has also provided $1.4 million for a 5-year clinical study by Nicholas Gonzalez, MD, using enzymes, dietary supplements, and coffee enemas to treat advanced pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Straus said that the same hierarchy of evidence that applies to conventional medical studies should be used in any CAM research. While anecdotal evidence or observational studies might suggest research directions, he said, large, randomized controlled trials ultimately must be performed to test efficacy.
NCCAMs research priorities are developed by looking first at the most credible preliminary data, then considering the opportunity to learn new science and the public health implications.
Simpler study designs that could be carried out at reasonable cost would also be considered favorably, he said.
NCCAM provides funding to 11 centers to evaluate CAM treatments for addictions, aging and womens health, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease and aging in the black population, chiropractic, craniofacial disorders, neurological disorders, pediatrics, as well as two botanical centers.
Why CAM Trials Are Difficult
A number of issues make studying CAM therapies more difficult than studying conventional therapies, Dr. Straus said. Many CAM treatments are individualized to each patient and involve a variety of substances, not just a single herb. Test materials in CAM may be highly variable in composition, and consistency among practitioners is often variable, too. Thus, treatment approaches considered for study must be ones that can be taught and used widely. Finally, controls are often difficult to arrange. How do you placebo massage? he asked.
Dr. Straus commented that people buy botanicals like they buy wine. If it has a fancy label and costs more, it must be good. But many products lack purity, stability, and bioavailability. They are not standardized or made with good manufacturing practices. We need investigative new drug exemptions from the FDA just to study them.
NCCAM is working with other NIH institutes and centers to fund studies of St. Johns wort for depression, gingko biloba for dementia, acupuncture for pain relief in osteoarthritis, glucosamine(Drug information on glucosamine)/chondroitin sulfate for osteoarthritis, and shark cartilage for lung cancer.
Dr. Straus noted that HMOs often provide CAM services because of payer demand or state mandates, not for good public policy reasons: Only 8% do so because they are persuaded that these methods are clinically effective.
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"pompeii - the pomp & glory of a lost city" Pompeii by papul
Pompeii Travel Guide: 980 reviews and 2,702 photos
and so i made it to pompeii. the last i had been intrigued about pompeii was when i was 10, and in a history lesson learnt about this magnificient city that was buried by vesuvius... and in 2004 i stepped into this city, and it was an overwhelming experience. history literally turns me on... every monument i visit or a historical fort that i visit, i keep imagining the emperors or the people of that era, and the fact that amazes me is that on the very spot that i stand, many years ago emperor shah jahan must have stood looking across the yamuna river, or in this case, the people of pompeii must have ran for their lives through these very same streets... it was a conducted tour organized by carrani tours that took me from roma to pompeii...
the town square from which you can see mt. vesuvius is awe-inspiring... i just kept thinking back to the time when the people of pompeii standing at this very spot would have seen the volcano erupt, and the lava flowing down towards them... i could almost hear the screams, the shouts, the chaos... now all replaced by the silence, and the occasional clicks and whirrs of cameras, and hushed guided tour operators speaking in multi-languages... one of the most surreal experience was standing in the house of pliny the elder (whose written account led to the discovery of the buried city)... here was this guy's house who had lived, eaten, in this house... now he is just a name in history... and i was standing in his house... i had the lonely planet with me...and so while i stood in his house, i read aloud his account of the day pompeii had gotten buried... the frescoes on the walls still survive...
the streets of pompeii had these strange stepping stones... they are the world's first zebra crossing!!! the gaps were there so that carriages could cross through... and apparently these stepping stones were the exact measurement with which the metre-gauge railways begun with - the width of the track... the bodies that were displayed - now frozen in time with volcanic ash had anguish and pain written in their expressions - i was told that most of the people who were trapped were either kids or were prisoners / slaves who were left chained by the law / owners who ran away in panic forgetting to unlock them...
- Pros:a historic city frozen in time - has to be seen to be believed
- Cons:if you like seeing things in detail than this city cant be covered in one day... as each house has a story - from the brothels to the bars, from the houses to the streets... so be ready for two trips... but its worth it
the baths at pompeii are very fascinating - most of the frescoes still survive... and the decorative taps and fountain... more travel advice
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- Faculty & Staff
Preaching in the Midst of Evil
This past weekend, we experienced yet another mass shooting of innocents. We saw the pictures on TV of the theater in Aurora, CO and were once again dismayed and bewildered by the horror we inflict upon each other in this world.
One man - a mentally ill person, a modern day terrorist, a bad man, or just a mixed up guy - used the guns he had acquired to rain terror on a group of innocents at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises. It was evil and violent. It was tragic and horrific.
So what happened on Sunday in worship services around the country?
Some preachers discussed the shooting only in their prayer time, some had a moment of silence for the families involved, some addressed it fully in their sermons, and some avoided it because they did not know how to address the evil from the pulpit.
The truth is - we as preachers of the Gospel - must address the evil around us. We must name the bad stuff and acknowledge that these acts are not God's will for our world. We have to be willing to speak the truth. We have to be willing to preach a Word of grace and love in the midst of violence.
We have to state clearly that God does not punish people with hurricanes and earthquakes. We have to be firm in our conviction that God does not want us to inflict harm on one another. We have to speak the truth that violence is not the way we are to live.
Sometimes there is serendipity in the chosen text for the day. Sometimes the text speaks a word we need to hear, as the lectionary did the week after September 11, 2001. Sometimes, though, the text for the day does not speak to the events happening around us. When this is the case, we need to consider changing the text of the day to find a word of grace more appropriate to the events and emotions to which we need to minister.
Speaking truth in these circumstances means acknowledging that God does not wish evil for us, but God is certainly present with us in the midst of evil - holding us, calling us, challenging us, and leading us out of the dark.
So let’s preach the Gospel of grace, love and hope to the people in our pews, folding chairs, park benches, couches, and everywhere else we encounter folks who need to hear the Word.
Preach it, people. Preach it.
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I hope to survive another Christmas without being confronted with questions about the existence of Santa Claus.
With nine grandchildren, I have lived in mortal fear that one of them would ask with wide-eyed innocence, "Grandpop, my friend told me there is no Santa Claus; is that true?”
The simple way around this is to vehemently deny the friend’s hard-hearted revelation, but I have made a promise: Never lie to my grandchildren.
"You’re not really lying,” says my wife, Marie, but I disagree. "But it’s a lie for a good cause,” she counters. Teaching a course in Communication Ethics, I am constantly prodding my students to think about lying as a form of unethical behavior. We have frequently discussed whether the so-called "little white lies” should be in a different category.
For example, do you tell your wife the truth – that the new dress she just bought makes her look dumpy - or do you avoid confrontation and, perhaps, the silent treatment that will likely follow, and lie?
If my eight-year-old granddaughter, Andrea, confronts me with the dreaded Santa Claus question, I probably will refer her to her parents. Let them be the bearers of bad news.
I admit to being ultra-sensitive because of the hare-brained, unthinking sin I committed when I was 10. I had stopped believing in Santa Claus a year earlier when I questioned the improbability that one man could visit every house in the world during one night’s hours of darkness – with flying reindeer no less.
When I approached my mother with my suspicions, she at first tried to lead me in a different direction. When it became apparent I was not going to drop the subject, she finally admitted that it was she and pop who provided the Christmas Day goodies.
Now armed with the truth, I was prepared to confront the believers with my newly acquired knowledge and debunk this whole Santa Claus scam. The first opportunity came when we were visiting my mother’s friend in Bethlehem. The friend’s seven-year-old granddaughter was there, too.
We were playing a game when the topic of Santa came up. She was going on about what she wanted Santa to bring her for Christmas. I told her straight out: "You’re a fool; there is no Santa Claus.”
I saw a look come over her face that was not unlike the terror one experiences when learning of the loss of a loved one or a pet. Seconds later, she screamed and began sobbing uncontrollably. Her mother and my mother ran to find out what had happened. She told them what I had said.
My mother flashed me a look which, translated, meant, "You’re in big trouble when we get home, mister.” My mother did punish me when we got home. I was thoroughly confused: I was being punished for telling the truth. Where’s the fairness? Didn’t mom always admonish me: Never lie?
My mother tried to explain that I had no business to be the one to break such crushing news to a seven-year-old believer. The girl’s mother reported several days later that her daughter had had recurring nightmares about my disclosure and she, too, was really angry about my insensitivity.
Chastened by this long-ago episode, I now want to make sure I don’t compound my error by mishandling a direct Santa question. All I want for Christmas is to be spared the question in the first place. That’s probably why when Andrea is around and the topic of Christmas and Santa come up, I will quickly excuse myself and leave the room.
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UD student recognized for cellular engineering research
10:22 a.m., Nov. 2, 2011--Carissa Young, a post-doctoral student in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Delaware, was honored for her work in cellular engineering at the 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) annual meeting in Minneapolis, Oct. 16-21.
Young, who is advised by Anne S. Robinson, professor of chemical engineering, focuses her research on evaluating cellular quality control mechanisms in a model organism by monitoring molecular interactions, protein trafficking, organelle dynamics and biogenesis.
Margaret Douglas Medal
These effects have profound implications in diverse scientific fields including cell physiology, disease pathology and heterologous protein expression.
“The primary goal of my research is to gain a mechanistic understanding of protein redistribution within the cell, specifically at the sub-organelle level,” Young explained. “This will help to elucidate specific quality control mechanisms in yeast, as well as determine specific protein trafficking effects and confirm their intracellular spatial localization.”
Young was awarded a Direct Travel Grant worth nearly $500 by the Company of Biologists’ Journal of Cell Science to give three lectures at this year’s AIChE conference. Her lectures included:
- “The Missing Links: Elucidating Mechanisms of Heterologous GPCR Expression and Trafficking in S. cerevisiae;”
- “The Exploitation of S. cerevisiae - Improved Understanding and Optimal Yields of Single-Chain Antibody Fragment (scFv) 4-4-20;” and
- “Single-Cell Analysis of Cellular Quality Control in S. cerevisiae: How ‘Low’ Can You Go?”
Young’s work is interdisciplinary and includes collaborations between UD and the University of California, Santa Barbara’s departments of Chemical Engineering and Computer Science, as well as with researchers at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI).
She works with Kirk Czymmek, associate professor of biological sciences; Jeff Caplan, associate director of bio-imaging; Deborah Powell, bio-imaging research associate; and Shannon Modla, research associate, of DBI’s Bio-Imaging Center, who assist with advanced microscopy techniques, as well as post-doctoral peers Zack Britton and Ron Maurer on heterologous protein expression and trafficking.
Young received her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with a marketing minor from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2002. Prior to joining UD in 2004, she worked for Johnson & Johnson as an engineer, and taught middle and high school students while also employed as an adjunct professor at Georgia Military College.
Article by Gabriella Chiera
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The mission of the Cline Library is to support the curricular, research,
and community service goals of Northern Arizona University and its constituents.
A central learning resource, the Library offers services, instruction, and
timely access to information resources and collections that
- prepare and develop students in our undergraduate, residential setting;
- meet the requirements of graduate programs that support the specialized
interests of Arizona and the Colorado Plateau;
- reflect an educational environment that is culturally and socially diverse
and global in perspective;
- support students and staff in thinking critically, acting cooperatively,
and expressing creativity;
- serve individuals outside the residential setting who are seeking educational
opportunities and enable distance learners to participate fully in the
- address the economic and social needs of the state through public service;
- encourage continuous library staff development in pursuit of a highly-trained
work force committed to the academic life of the University.
See also the library's strategic and operating plans for 2010-2011 (pdf).
Northern Arizona University's Cline Library is named in honor of Platt and Barbara Cline, distinguished alumni and benefactors of education, who were long-time residents of northern Arizona.
A Cline Library building addition and renovation were completed in 1991 and 1992. The two architectural firms involved in the design and construction were Architecture One and Sasaki Associates. Materials on the building's exterior are primarily brick and Coconino sandstone.
A Northern Arizona University centennial commemorative sculpture by Budapest artist Péter Párkányi Raab is on display at the main entrance. Párkányi Raab completed "1996: The Year of Science" during his appointment as an NAU visiting artist. The limestone and bronze sculpture was placed at the entrance in the fall of 1996.
The current facility is more than 200,000 square feet and includes a four hundred seat assembly hall. The Cline Library Assembly Hall offers a venue for large university and community events. Consult the Assembly Hall Calendar for public lectures, film showings, etc. Next to the Cline Library Assembly Hall you’ll find Scholars’ Corner, a small coffee shop offering Starbuck’s coffee, tea, soft drinks, snacks, and more.
The six stained glass windows installed in the east and west walls above the Jean Collins Reading Room were a gift to the library and the university from Jean Collins, Emeritus Dean and University Librarian, upon her retirement. Local artist Vickie Belman of Spiral Mountain Designs created the windows from a joint design with Dean Collins.
The Cline Library offers more than 1.4 million volumes in its collections, including books, periodicals, videos, sound recordings, government publications, and archival materials related to the Colorado Plateau and Northern Arizona University.Users can access hundreds of electronic resources and thousands of e-journals and books from the library Web site, library.nau.edu.
Students may use one of the more than 160 desktops throughout the library to access the Web as well as productivity software such as Microsoft Office. You’ll find wireless connectivity throughout the building. Community users have access to a limited number of these computers for up to 1 hour each day.
The library is building 28, on Knoles Drive on the Flagstaff campus. For more information, see our Location and Directions page. Call 928 523-2173 with general services and information questions. For research assistance call 928 523-6805. In addition, you can call toll-free at 1-800-247-3380 or drop us a line at
Cline Library, Northern Arizona University
PO Box 6022
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6022
Research Resources | Course Resources | Services
| About the Library
This page last modified April 15, 2013
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The performances of the North African national football sides in 2011 have reflected the political actions of the Arab Spring
The failure of Egypt, the champions of the past three tournaments, to qualify for the 2012 African Cup of Nations (ACN), alongside the absence of regional heavyweights Cameroon and Nigeria, has thrown the tournament wide open.
Egypt’s campaign in particular was a shambles, with defeats to Sierra Leone, Niger and South Africa in the final qualification stage. But 2011 has not been an ordinary year in North Africa. With Egypt’s revolution beginning on January 25 2011 and the Arab Spring in full flow, one could be forgiven for thinking the instability in the country could not have helped its football team, particularly given the continuing uncertainties moving into 2012.
However, the list of qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations has thrown up a number of surprise names, not least Libya and Sudan, as well as (less surprisingly) Tunisia and Morocco. While Tunisia were tournament winners in 2004 after beating Morocco in the final, Sudan have made little impression on the tournament since they won the competition in 1970. Libya has hardly ever registered in African football consciousness, a runners-up spot in 1982 notwithstanding. Alongside Algeria (who just missed out of qualification), all these nations have had significant upheavals and protests during the Arab Spring and in the case of Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, regime change.
The 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola, won by Egypt. Source: me_studio
It seems implausible that national footballers can remain unaffected by such political turmoil. With national football teams so often projected as a symbol of the nation; and aggressively so in the case of some North African states, could there be a link between the nature of political action and performances on the football field? Is there a case to make that powerful nations can be rocked by revolutions, but smaller and weaker nations can be emboldened and united by them?
So how have these six North African nations fared since the outbreak of their particular versions of the Arab Spring in the past year?
By collating the results from all matches (both competitive and friendly) since the beginning of the Arab Spring political action in each nation and comparing these results against performances from the previous 12 months (or at least eight games in the case of Morocco and Libya to ensure a fair sample size), it seems abundantly clear that almost all of the North African sides, with the dramatic exception of Egypt, have improved their results in terms of average points per match (see table below).
Apart from Egypt, 2011 has been a fantastic year for North African football
Taken as a whole, these six nations have competed in 53 matches since the start of the Arab Spring, gaining 87 points, with a 45% win ration and an average of 1.64 points per match.
In the 12 months prior to the Arab Spring (or at least eight matches stretching back into 2009 for Libya and Morocco), these same six nations contested 60 matches, but only won 79 points, with only a 33% win ratio and just 1.32 points per match.
Whilst a trend is clear, it is important to look at each country more specifically.
Egypt appears to be the exception to the rule. The country was arguably, up until 2011, the most successful team in African football during the past decade with an unprecedented three straight ACN crowns, boasting seven titles overall and have qualified for every tournament since 1982.
Although the Pharaohs had not begun their qualification campaign well, in the 12 months between their 2010 African Cup of Nations victory and the Egyptian revolution, they were boasting an average of 2 points per match including five straight wins in January 2011. This is even discounting their January 2010 ACN success, which featured 7 straight wins against high quality opposition, and would raise their points per match to a phenomenal 2.39. Their evident fall from grace has been staggering.
Since January 25 2011, Egypt have picked up one solitary win and one draw from five matches, with defeats to South Africa and Sierra Leone ensuring they finished bottom of their qualification group.
The Egyptian revolution was notable for the unity of the population in throwing off the power of President Mubarak. Indeed there was apparent cooperation in protest organisation between the fans of the rival Egyptian teams Al-Ahly and Zamalek, with the latter long regarded as a pro-government club during the Mubarak era. The only public backing to the regime came from a few club managers and Egypt’s national coach Hassan Shehata rather than fans or players.
While the other North African nations move towards new democratic regimes or have gained significant concessions from government as a result of their protests, the future for Egypt appears more convoluted and strained, demonstrated by recent protests against the interim military rulers. The ensuing instability of the post-Mubarak Egyptian nation has been echoed by poor performance on the football field.
This however, is not the general trend. Morocco, Algeria, Sudan and Tunisia have witnessed significant performance improvements since the Arab Spring, while Libya has maintained its strength overall, but has improved dramatically in competitive qualification matches.
“This is for all Libyans, for our revolution”.
So said 39-year old goalkeeper Samir Aboud upon Libya’s astonishing qualification for the 2012 African Cup of Nations, after a draw against Zambia put them though as a best runner-up.
Libyans turn out in droves to watch their side play Mozambique in September. Source: Magharebia
Despite a recent poor run of friendly results, the Libyans are unbeaten in competitive matches since the revolution against Col. Muammar Gaddafi, notching up two wins and two draws to round off a qualification campaign that saw them go unbeaten and concede only one goal.
For a team that was significantly affected by an ongoing civil war, it was an astonishing achievement. Playing on neutral territory with a new flag, strip and anthem, coach Marcos Paquetá summed the mood up by stating the team was now "not only playing for football success but for a new government and a new country”. Even more so when you consider Col Gaddafi's son, Saadi, ran the Libyan Football Federation and was once captain of the national team. The team had been a symbol of the regime.
It has certainly not been smooth sailing. Former star playmaker Tariq Ibrahim al-Tayib was notably absent from recent matches, following pro-Gaddafi outbursts including reference to dead rebels as dogs and rats. During the conflict there were reports of 17 figures from Libyan football, including four who claimed to be members of the national side, turning up in a rebel-held town and announcing themselves as opponents of the regime.
One of them, Adel bin Issa, the coach of Tripoli’s top club al-Ahly where Saadi Gaddafi used to play, announced he had come “to send a message that Libya should be unified and free”, and he hoped “to wake up one morning to find that Gaddafi is no longer there.”
The new Libyan side, made up from players from all parts of Libya, has the potential to become a powerful new unifying force post-revolution. Their performances thus far and qualification for the African Cup of Nations may represent a good focus for new beginnings as the new nation moves into 2012.
The statistics show that Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan and Algeria have all experienced far better results in 2011 since the beginning of their respective protests or in the case of Tunisia, regime change, as compared to the 12 months preceding the Arab Spring.
Algeria, where protests led to the lifting of a 19-year old state of emergency, had a forgettable 2010, losing 8 matches and achieving an average of 0.86 points per match. Yet in 2011 Algeria won three of five matches and ended qualification on a high, only losing out to Morocco.
Even Morocco, which experienced smaller protests but significant political concessions, saw their performances improve from 1.25 points per match in 2010 to 1.75 in 2011 and finish top of their qualification group.
Kenya v Sudan. Source: Advocacy Project
Sudan, in a year when the country has experienced protest, violence and division with the breakaway of South Sudan, also qualified as a best runner-up behind Ghana in their ACN qualification group. Having played a large number of matches this year, a win ratio of 53% and a points per match of 1.79 is a huge improvement on 2010’s 25% win ratio and 1.13 points per match.
Finally Tunisia, the standout model of the Arab transition to democracy, also saw an improvement in performance from 1.27 points per match in 2010 to 1.75 in 2011 and a comfortable qualification behind Botswana.
"The events at home really stimulated our team and we believe that the players felt greatly liberated after what happened," (Esperance coach Nabil Maaloul)
While the Tunisian national team were qualifying for international competition, leading Tunisian side Esperance were winning the African Champions League. Players were keen to invoke synergies between revolution and victory on the pitch, with defender Khalil Chammam stating: "One positive thing from the revolution was that, although we suffered a lot, those changes and the suffering made us stronger -mentally and physically."
As in Egypt and Libya, Tunisian football suffered direct interference politicians before the revolutions. It was no surprise that in all three cases; national leagues were shut down upon the breakout of protests against the regimes. The majority of Libya's squad was home-based, where league football was suspended in March, while six others play in neighbouring Tunisia, where the league has only recently resumed. It is impossible to separate the fate of national footballers from politics when the impact is so great.
The paths of the North African national sides have not been universally similar. Instead they have in fact tended to replicate the upheavals themselves. Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria have seen liberalising efforts or regime change. It could be argued a new sense of liberalisation and increased freedoms has been epitomised in the successes of these national teams. Certainly in the case of Libya and Tunisia it appears that the political changes have sparked a new found unity, inspiration and rallying call, factors that have seeped through to the national football sides.
Whilst the link may be casual and the statistics do not delve any deeper than top-line numbers, the North African national football teams seem to be reflecting the mood and progress of Arab Spring and their successes are symbolic of energised nations realising their potential. Only in Egypt has the national side not been a flag bearer for success. Rather than being freed from shackles, a powerful footballing nation appears to be more confused and unstable than it was prior to the revolution. In football as in politics, confusion can breed downfall.
Follow me @matthewlbarrett
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There is a form of tax which is often confused with the property tax. This is the special assessment tax. These are two distinct forms of taxation: one (ad valorem tax) relying upon the fair market value of the property being taxed for justification, and the other, (special assessment) relying upon a special enhancement called a "benefit" for its justification.
The property tax rate is often given as a percentage (amount of tax per hundred currency units of property value). It may also be expressed as a permille (amount of tax per thousand currency units of property value), which is also known as a millage rate or mill levy. (A mill is also one-thousandth of a dollar.) To calculate the property tax, the authority will multiply the assessed value of the property by the mill rate and then divide by 1,000. For example, a property with an assessed value of US$ 50,000 located in a municipality with a mill rate of 20 mills would have a property tax bill of US$ 1,000.00 per year.
In the United States, property tax on real estate is usually assessed by local government, at the municipal or county level. A very important benefit of a tax on property over a tax on income is that the revenue always equals the tax levy, unlike income or sales taxes, which can result in shortfalls producing deficits. The property tax always produces the required revenue for municipalities' tax levies. On the other hand property taxes can have a negative impact on individuals with fixed incomes such as the elderly and those who have lost their jobs. Gentrification in low income areas of a city can drive property taxes to the point where long time residents of an area are forced to leave.
The assessment is made up of two components -- the improvement or building value and the land or site value. In some states, personal property is also taxed. A tax assessor is a public official who determines the value of real property for the purpose of apportioning the tax levy. An appraiser may work for government or private industry and may determine the value of real property for any purpose.
Tax assessor offices maintain inventory information about improvements to real estate. They also create and maintain tax maps. This is accomplished with the help of surveyors. On tax maps, individual properties are shown and given unique parcel identifiers. The tax maps help to ensure that no properties are omitted from the tax rolls and that no properties are taxed more than once. Real property taxes are usually collected by an official other than the assessor. Duplicate examples of a proposed alternate to ad valorum assessments is provided at the following sites as sponsored by the Henry George Foundation. Maryland, King County, Washington, Indiana, New Jersey, New York. In fact many localities have gone "online".
The assessment of an individual piece of real estate may be according to one or more of the normally accepted methods of valuation (ie income approach, market value or replacement cost). Assessments may be given at 100 percent of value or at some lesser percentage. In most if not all assessment jurisdictions, the determination of value made by the assessor is subject to some sort of administrative or judicial review, if the appeal is instituted by the property owner.
Ad valorem (Latin for of value) property taxes are based on fair market property values of individual estates. A local tax assessor then applies an established assessment rate to the fair market value. By multiplying the tax rate x the assessed value of the property, a tax due is calculated. These taxes are collected by municipalities such as cities, counties, and districts in many locations in the United States. They fund municipal budgets for school systems, sewers, parks, libraries, fire stations, hospitals, etc.
After determining a budget at the municipal level, a legislative appropriation determines how the monies will be collected and distributed. After that, a tax authority levies the tax. An appeal is permitted. Equalization is then considered by a board of equalizers to assure fair treatment. Then a tax rate is determined by dividing the municipal budget by the assessment role of that municipality. Your tax rate x the assessed value of your property determines the tax you owe.
Some jurisdictions have both ad valorem and non-ad valorem property taxes, the latter representing a fixed charge (regardless of value) for items such as street lighting and storm sewer control.
In the US, another form of property tax is the personal property tax, which can target
- automobiles, boats, aircraft and other vehicles;
- other durable goods (though typically household goods and personal effects are exempt);
- intangible assets such as stocks and bonds.
In some states, it is permissible to separate the real estate tax, into two separate taxes -- one the land value and one on the building value.
Personal property taxes can be assessed at almost any level of government, though they are perhaps most commonly assessed by states.
In the absence of comprehensive urban planning policies, property tax on real estate changes the incentives for developing land, which in turn affects land use patterns. One of the main concerns is whether or not it encourages urban sprawl.
The market value of undeveloped real estate reflects a property's current use as well as its development potential. As a city expands, relatively cheap and undeveloped lands (such as farms, ranches, private conservation parks, etc.) increase in value as neighboring areas are developed into retail, industrial, or residential units. This raises the land value, which increases the property tax that must be paid on agricultural land, but does not increase the amount of revenue per land area available to the owner. This, along with a higher sale price, increases the incentive to rent or sell agricultural land to developers. On the other hand, a property owner who develops a parcel must thereafter pay a higher tax, based on the value of the improvements. This makes the development less attractive than it would otherwise be. Overall, these effects result in lower density development, which tends to increase sprawl.
Attempts to reduce the impact of property taxes on sprawl include:
- Land value taxation - This method separates the value of a given property into its actual components - land value and improvement value. A gradually lower and lower tax is levied on the improvement value and a higher tax is levied on the land value to insure revenue-neutrality. This method is also known as two-tiered or split-rate taxation.
- Most cities have a higher building tax than surrounding suburban and rural areas. By removing improvements as a factor in the property taxes, the penalty against construction and renovation in already urbanized areas is removed. Increasing the tax on land value discourages land speculation - which forces development further away from central cities - and encourages efficient land use.
- Current-use valuation - This method assesses the value of a given property based only upon its current use. Much like land value taxation, this reduces the effect of city encroachment.
- Conservation easements - The property owner adds a restriction to the property prohibiting future development. This effectively removes the development potential as a factor in the property taxes.
- Exemptions - Exempting favored classes of real estate (such as farms, ranches, cemeteries or private conservation parks) from the property tax altogether or assesing their value at a very minimal amount (for example, $1 per acre).
- Forcing higher density housing - In the Portland, Oregon area (for example), local municipalities are often forced to accept higher density housing with small lot sizes. This is governed by a multi-county development control board, in Portland's case Metro.
- Urban growth boundary or Green belt - Government declares some land undevelopable until a date in the future. This forces regional development back into the urban core, increasing density but also land and housing prices. It may also cause development to skip over the restricted-use zone, to occur in more distant areas, or to move to other cities.
Property tax has been thought to be regressive (that is, to fall disproportionately on those of lower income) when not correctly implemented because of its impact on particular low-income/high-asset groups such as pensioners and farmers in drought years. Because these persons have high-assets accumulated over time, they have a high property tax liability, although their realized income is low. Therefore, a larger proportion of their income goes to paying the tax. In areas with speculative land appreciation (such as California in the 1970s and 2000s), there may be little or no relationship between property taxes and a homeowner's ability to pay them short of selling the property. This issue was a common argument used by supporters of such measures as California Proposition 13 or Oregon Ballot Measure 5; some economists have even called for the abolition of property taxes altogether, to be replaced by income taxes, consumption taxes such as Europe's VAT, or a combination of both. Others, however, have argued that property taxes are broadly progressive, since people of higher incomes are disproportionately likely to own property. These two points of view are not incompatible - it is possible for a tax to be progressive in general but to be regressive in relation to minority groups. However, although not direct, and not likely one-to-one, property renters are subject to property taxes as well. The owner's cost of taxation is passed on to the renter (occupant).
As property increases in value the possibility exists that new buyers might pay taxes on outdated values thus placing an unfair burden on the rest of the property owners. To correct this imbalance municipalities periodically revalue property. Revaluation produces an up to date value to be used in determination of the tax rate necessary to produce the required tax levy.
A consequence of this is that existing owners are reassesed as well as new owners and thus are required to pay taxes on property the value of which is determined by market forces. In an effort to relieve the frequently large tax burdens on existing owners communities have introduced exemptions.
In some states, laws provide for exemptions (typically called homestead exemptions) and/or limits on the percentage increase in tax, which limit the yearly increase in property tax so that owner-occupants are not "taxed out of their homes." Generally, these exemptions and ceilings are available only to property owners who use their property as their principal residence. Homestead exemptions generally cannot be claimed on investment properties and second homes. When a homesteaded property changes ownership, the property tax often rises sharply and the property's sale price may become the basis for new exemptions and limits available to the new owner-occupant.
Homestead exemptions increase the complexity of property tax collection and sometimes provide an easy opportunity for people who own several properties to benefit from tax credits to which they are not entitled. Since there is no national database that links home ownership with Social Security numbers, landlords sometimes gain homestead tax credits by claiming multiple properties in different states, and even their own state, as their "principal residence", while only one property is truly their residence. In 2005, several US Senators and Congressmen were found to have erroneously claimed "second homes" in the greater Washington, D.C. area as their "principal residences", giving them property tax credits to which they were not entitled.
Undeserved homestead exemption credits became so ubiquitous in the state of Maryland that a law was passed in the 2007 legislative session to require validation of principal residence status through the use of a social security number matching system. The bill passed unanimously in the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate and was signed into law by the Governor of Maryland.
The fairness of property tax collection and distribution is a hotly-debated topic. Some people feel school systems would be more uniform if the taxes were collected and distributed at a state level, thereby equalising the funding of school districts. Others are reluctant to have a higher level of government determine the rates and allocations, preferring to leave the decisions to government levels "closer to the people."
In Rhode Island efforts are being made to modify revaluation practices to preserve the major benefit of property taxation, the reliability of tax revenue, while providing for what some view as a correction of the unfair distribution of tax burdens on existing owners of property.
The Supreme Court has held that Congress cannot directly tax land ownership, unless the tax is apportioned among the states based upon representation/population. In an apportioned land tax, each state would have its own rate of taxation sufficient to raise it pro-rata share of the total revenue to be financed by a land tax. Such an apportioned tax on land had been used on many occasions up through the Civil War.
Indirect taxes on the transfer of land are permitted without apportionment: in the past, this has taken the form of requiring revenue stamps to be affixed to deeds and mortgages, but these are no longer required by federal law. Under the Internal Revenue Code, the government realizes a substantial amount of revenue from income taxes on capital gains from the sale of land, and in estate taxes from the passage of property (including land) upon the death of its owner.
The Supreme Court has not directly ruled on the question of whether Congress may impose an unapportioned tax on the "privilege" of owning land with the "measure" of the tax being the value of the land.
Portions of this article were adapted from Wikipedia.
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A hard-won bank debt deal has been hailed by the Irish government as an historic step towards recovery, but from the unemployment-scourged ghost estates of the midlands, the feted rebound feels more like a mirage.
The long-awaited deal, struck with the European Central Bank last week following talks that had preoccupied the nation for nearly two years, sliced billions off Dublin's funding needs and saw its borrowing costs fall to pre-crisis lows.
But for Moyagh Brophy, the agreement allowing Ireland far longer to repay a costly bank rescue adds up to very little when she can only speak to her husband via Skype each night after he joined a growing line of emigrants.
"What difference does it make? People are emigrating and the rest of us struggle by. The country's a mess," Brophy said.
"It means nothing. It's mortgages that people like me care about. The banks need to be sorted out, they're responsible. People like me and my husband are paying for their mistakes."
The mother-of-two is part of a large cohort of Irish society left drowning in debt after buying family homes in the middle of the last decade, just before an enormous property bubble burst, bringing the now bailed-out economy crashing down with it.
Brophy, a native of Ashbourne, one of many Dublin satellite towns packed with modern housing estates where property values have more than halved since 2008, lost her job just before the birth of her first son five years ago.
Her husband, an engineer, lost his own job three years later before moving to London, part of a flow of over 7,000 people a month leaving to work abroad.
Finance minister Michael Noonan pledged that voters like the Brophys will benefit from less severe austerity budgets as a result of the deal that has won praise from investors, European leaders and ratings agencies.
It added to the significant momentum Ireland has built up thanks to a likely second consecutive year of economic growth - a rarity in the euro zone - model adherence to its bailout goals and a gradual but no less impressive return to bond markets.
However the disconnect between the international headlines and the reality is palpable and Noonan needs the economy to grow at greater speed to fulfil his promise. Even if it does, the impact will be minimal after five years of relentless austerity.
The Brophys' is the story of many young Irish families simply unfortunate to have bought a home at the wrong time, one in six of whom are unable to fully meet mortgage payments. Many were among the tens of thousands who marched in six cities on Saturday to protest against austerity.
"There is a huge, huge reality gap. The average household pocket will not be adversely or positively affected by this deal. I'd like to be wrong but I don't think I will be," said Stephen Kinsella, an economics lecturer University of Limerick.
"The debt deal is great but the two most important things for the average punter are excessive household indebtedness and unemployment, and the government's focus on this simply hasn't had the effect that it wants and that's a huge pity because the social cost and economic cost is very high."
"EVERYONE IS STRUGGLING"
Unemployment, stuck above 14 percent for almost 2-1/2 years, would stand at 20 percent had Ireland not become reacquainted with a long and painful history of emigration, the IMF, one of the country's bailout lenders, estimated last year.
Long term unemployment becomes a bigger issue as every month passes with almost 200,000 people, or nine percent of the labour force, out of work for more than a year. Some 20,000 of them have been without a job for over four years.
Included in that category are Rhoda Brogan, 38, and husband John, a 50-year-old lorry driver who lost his job five years ago. The pair live with six-year-old daughter, Saoirse, in one of Ireland's many "ghost estates," unfinished developments that act as a haunting legacy of the Celtic Tiger's property boom.
In the Brogan's estate in the one-road midlands town of Borris-in-Ossory, just six of the 26 houses are occupied. Those left vacant are missing windows, doors hang off hinges and loose wiring hangs from gutters and porches.
The two show houses, which tempted the couple to pay 215,000 euros (185,640 pounds)in 2008 for a home that is now worth just 60,000 euros, are mere shells after looters gutted them for radiators, carpets and any other fixtures of any significant value.
It is little surprise then that they too find little comfort in a bank debt deal that puts the country on course to emerge from the strictures of its 85-billion-euro bailout later this year but offers nothing tangible for those struggling the most.
"I don't know what difference the deal will make to the ordinary person. Everybody is struggling and everyone is counting every last penny. Even to keep the light on and the heating on is a struggle," Rhoda Brogan said.
"I really don't know what's going to happen because this can't continue. Something is going to break."
(Writing by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Peter Graff)
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Gardens & Conservatory
More Gardening Articles
Butterfly’s contributions extend beyond beauty
By Tom Brinda and Lynn Kirk, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Though the butterfly is fascinating and often breathtakingly beautiful, pollination may be its most valuable contribution to the ecosystem. The butterfly’s role in the pollination process is vital, for it enables flowering plants and trees to bear fruit, berries and vegetables. Approximately 80 percent of all flowering plants depend on insects for pollen transfer among blossoms, and only bees perform more pollination than butterflies and moths.
Pollination is the natural by-product of the butterfly’s manner of feeding. After the butterfly lands on a flower, it detects the blossom’s sweet nectar through taste sensors located on its feet. The insect then uncurls its proboscis, a long hollow tongue, and uses it like a straw to suck up the liquid nourishment. As the butterfly feeds, it inadvertently collects the flower’s tiny pollen grains on its legs, feet, mouthparts and wings. When it flies to other like flowers, the pollen can become dislodged and potentially launch reproduction.
“For this reason, insects - especially butterflies - are more essential to a healthy eco-system than human beings,” says “Butterfly Barbara” Wiederkehr, master gardener and Garden guide at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. “Humbling, but true.”
Recognized as a picky eater, the butterfly’s nectar preference is determined by several variables. Fragrance lures the butterfly – especially the sweet scents of lilac, lavender, alyssum, heliotrope and other highly fragrant plants. Brightly colored blossoms also draw the butterfly’s attention as specialized eyes extend its color vision into the range of ultraviolet light. Butterflies are known to have favorite colors, especially purples, whites and pinks. Other “nectar guides” that lead the insect to its favorite meals are flower patterns that point toward nectar-filled tubes and petals that serve as accessible landing and perching platforms.
Especially enticing is nectar produced by phlox, buddleia, milkweed, lantana and verbena, as well as other plants that similarly attract bees. A plant’s energy-rich nectar is composed of water, proteins, minerals, vitamins, lipids, antioxidants and up to 25 percent sugar. The amount and concentration of nectar varies with the climate, soil type and time of day, with native plants often performing better and producing more nectar. Optimal nectar output - and therefore maximum butterfly activity - occurs during the first half of the day when the weather is warm and sunny, making it also the best time for butterfly watching.
Other butterflies decline all forms of nectar, preferring rotting fruit, tree sap, carrion and dung as sources for their liquid nutrients and minerals.
The butterfly’s only interest in the rose and other nectar-less plants is shelter from weather and camouflage from predators.
Q. It’s a short-lived insect – sometimes having only a one-week lifespan – whose life is a series of physical transformations. It sees more colors than any other creature, including humans. It tastes with its feet, and its feeding habits are critical to the reproduction of flowers, fruits and vegetables. What is it?
A. The butterfly.
Giant owl (Caligo eurilochus) is a very large, slow flyer so it is an easy target for birds. Its markings resemble owl’s eyes to divert attacks from its predators, and it prefers flying at dusk when fewer birds present.
Blue morpho (Morpho peleides) enjoys an unsavory food source – juices from rotting fruits. Its lifecycle is extremely short, only 115 days from egg to adult, and it larvae are cannibals. It frightens predators by a rapid flashing of wings and group clustering in “mob” behavior. Its lovely azure coloring results from light diffraction off its wings’ millions of tiny scales.
Malachite (Siproeta stelenes) is also feeds on rotting fruit, dead animals and bat dung, as well as flower nectar. It is named for its bright green color, which is comparable to the hue found in the mineral malachite
Glasswing (Greta oto) feeds on the nectar of common flowers, such as lantana. It lays its eggs on toxic plants, and ingests alkaloids that make it distasteful to predators. The male converts those alkaloids into pheromones to attract females, and “leks” (Swedish word for “play”) in a competitive mating display.
Red cracker (Hamadryas amphinome), which feeds on rotting fruit, is named for the crackling noise its makes make during flight. The red cracker’s caterpillars live communally, while the adult butterfly perches on tree trunks with its head down and wings spread.
Grecian shoemaker (Catonephele) lives in wet forest habitats and eats rotting fruit and tree sap. The caterpillar’s hosts are woody plants with medicinal properties. This butterfly is a “sexually dimorphic,” meaning males and females look different.
Doris longwing (Heliconius doris) feeds on nectar from variety of plants and relies on pollen as a protein source. Since the Doris longwing lives a couple months or more, it is considered to have a long-lived lifespan.
Julia (Dryas Julia) Passion vine leaves are a favorite of the Julia caterpillar, while the nectar of lantana and shepherd’s needle attract the adult. The Julia is a fast flier that frequents clearings, paths and woodland margins. The male is easier to spot since it is brighter orange than female.
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A Time Line of Workplace Homicides
The tragic phenomenon of disgruntled workers turning violent is nothing new, whether it is the 20th-century post office shootings that put workplace violence on society’s radar or the more recent revenge killings of former bosses. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 564 work-related homicides occur in the United States annually.
Some cite a lack of gun control while others blame stress and inadequate resources to help disgruntled or mentally ill employees. Whatever the case, the issue of workplace violence, and more so, workplace homicides, is a disturbing trend that needs a solution.
August 20, 1986
Patrick Henry Sherrill spent just 16 months as a postal worker in Edmond, Oklahoma. During that time, he was disciplined and suspended twice by his managers. It is believed that Sherrill, on the day of the shooting, felt he was facing a job termination and opened fire on his coworkers the morning of August 20, killing 14 and injuring 6. He then took his own life. His attack was the third worst single-gunman mass murder in U.S. history at the time and is credited with inspiring the phrase “going postal.”
October 10, 1991
As revenge for dismissal from his job as postal clerk in Ridgewood, New Jersey, 35-year-old Joseph Harris killed his former supervisor with a sword and shot her boyfriend dead. Harris then traveled to his former place of employment and gunned down two mail handlers. He left a note expressing his discontent with the Postal Service, referencing Patrick Henry Sherrill’s massacre at the Oklahoma post office five years earlier.
May 6, 1993
In a remarkably rare coincidence, two post office shootings took place on the same day. Lawrence Jasion killed one and wounded three at a post office in Dearborn, Michigan. A few hours later and thousands of miles away, in Dana Point, California, Mark Richard Hilbun killed two postal workers with a firearm. As a result, the United States Postal Service created the position of “Workplace Environment Analyst” to prevent violence in the workplace and dispatched the analysts to each of its 85 postal districts. As a result of downsizing, however, the positions were eliminated in 2009.
March 6, 1998
Not long after returning from a four-month, stress-related medical leave, Matthew Beck, a disgruntled 35-year-old Connecticut lottery accountant, went on a murderous rampage at the state’s lottery headquarters, killing four of his supervisors before taking his own life. Two years earlier, Beck was demoted from accountant to a job testing computer software and his pay was cut.
February 12, 2010
In March 2009, Amy Bishop, a biology professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, was denied tenure. Almost one year later, she carried a 9-millimeter handgun to campus and began shooting colleagues during a routine meeting attended by 12 individuals from the university’s biology department. Bishop killed three and injured three. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in September 2012.
August 24, 2012
Jeffrey Johnson, 58, was an employee of Hazan Imports for six years before being laid off due to downsizing. Facing eviction and other financial problems, Johnson, who blamed his troubles on the layoff, killed his former boss, Steve Ercolino, outside of the company’s Midtown headquarters. Police, trying to stop the shooter from injuring others, began firing on the crowded streets near the Empire State Building, wounding nine civilians and killing Johnson.
August 31, 2012
A former Marine opened fire inside the New Jersey supermarket where he was employed before the store opened its doors for the day, killing two employees and, later, himself. Terence Tyler had taken to Twitter in the months before the shooting to express his emotions with violence-filled messages about killing sprees and hate. Though his family acknowledged his troubles, they felt helpless and estranged from Tyler.
September 27, 2012
Immediately after being fired from his job at Accent Signage Systems in Minneapolis, Andrew Engeldinger shot and killed five people, including the company founder and two managers, and injured three others before fatally shooting himself. It was Minnesota’s deadliest workplace shooting. Engeldinger had a history of mental illness and two years earlier had completely cut off contact with his family.
September 28, 2012
To date, there have been more than 20 post office shootings in the United States and countless acts of workplace violence within the private sector. A report by the Merit Systems Protection Board noted that 13% of federal workers witness workplace violence. Though the figure highlights that the majority of workers are provided a safe environment by their employer, the report found that “survey results, when extrapolated to the federal workforce as a whole, mean that more than 240,000 federal employees observed an incident of workplace violence.”
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Bigger Health Impact?
Meeting rising public expectations of the R&D-based industry is vital to preserving that basic "license to operate," the absence
of which could break the entire cycle of medicines innovation. This suggests in turn that one of the unheralded merits of
the PDP model is its potential to address the very biggest challenges in health, strengthening the industry's association
with innovations that require no metrics—because they save lives. "The reputational impact when pharma engages in this space
far outweighs any costs," says former Merck CEO P. Roy Vagelos, who pioneered the basic concept of the disease-based partnership
back in the 1980s, with Merck's Mectizan program to eliminate the parasite that causes the debilitating condition known as
river blindness. "It's become an open-door asset for doing business globally. It is surprising that it has taken the industry
as long as it has to recognize that."
TB: If You Can Make it Here
A strong example—rich with promising precedents—is evident in the work of the PDPs now under way to address the lag in new
pharmaceutical and vaccine interventions to combat tuberculosis (TB). The script is very simple: the cupboard of new therapies
is bare despite a rising incidence of infection and resistance to the existing arsenal of multidrug therapies, which risks
leaving the public defenseless against a killer that can easily be transmitted through casual contacts.
In fact, when you examine the profile of TB, all the elements of a "grand challenge" for the innovative drug industry are
Unmet medical need.
TB is deadly and highly contagious, responsible for nearly 2 million deaths a year, second only to HIV, to which it also
contributes as a key factor in mortality. About one-third of all HIV+ patients also have TB. There are few boundaries against
infection and the incidence of TB is rising, with an estimated 9.4 million new cases reported in 2009. There is no doubt that
TB is a formidable threat to public health, due to its unique link to other chronic infectious diseases and its role in suppressing
the immune system. Even with the science and technological breakthroughs since the gene code was broken a decade ago, it is
astounding that today there are more active cases of TB than at any time in history.
Significant indirect economic costs.
TB scores among the highest in the global burden of disease, with an estimated cost of $12 billion annually, distributed among
all countries—rich and poor. Every year a TB victim goes undiagnosed, he or she will infect another 12 people. In the US,
hospitalization charges for a patient with multidrug resistant (MDR) TB can average around $600,000; in developing countries,
the cost to administer the standard DOTS drug package is often higher than the annual income of the recipient patient. Failure
to treat also carries a spinoff effect by accentuating the adverse public health impact from other communicable diseases that
are easier for TB patients to contract. This means there are also fewer resources to address the increasing toll from non-communicable
Medicines are the vital defense against TB.
While preventive public health measures, infrastructure improvements, and overall economic development are critical to eliminating
TB, planning for that is complex and long-term. Drugs provide the stopgap solution in regulating the disease and slowing the
pace of new infections, yet basic individual therapy guidelines—requiring four or more drugs administered rigorously to ensure
patient compliance over six to 30 months—have not changed. The last new drug for TB was introduced over 40 years ago. Yet
the sanitariums that once confined TB victims in a cocoon of protection—to benefit the healthy—have been closed. Can a larger
pandemic just be waiting to happen?
TB is a test case for new medical innovation.
A key barrier to controlling TB is simplifying the treatment regimen, by reducing the number of drugs taken through high-value
combination therapies; shortening the length of treatment; and better targeting of the bacillus to control resistance or latent
infection. In the latter case, there is an urgent need for drugs to fight MDR TB, which accounts for nearly 5 percent of new
cases and is now found in every region, including the US and Europe. At present, however, given the length of treatment, required
use of injectables for the first six months, and the cost and complexity of administration and monitoring, global scale-up
of MDR treatment is—from a practical point of view—not an option. Drugs that can be designed to combat co-infection with HIV
are needed. A new TB vaccine should also be part of the mix.
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TOKYO (AP) — The U.S. government has beefed up its investigation into Toyota's Corolla and Matrix vehicles because of a possible engine defect that might cause them to stall.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement that it was raising its preliminary evaluation to a more serious scrutiny called an engineering analysis to look into the problems that could cause the engine to stall, not start or to shift gear harshly.
The investigation into the 2005, 2006 and 2007 model year Corolla and Corolla Matrix cars in the U.S. began Aug. 18, NHTSA said.
Toyota spokeswoman Monika Saito in Tokyo confirmed the NHTSA investigation, and said Toyota was cooperating fully but declined to give more details.
Toyota is battling to patch up its reputation after recalling some 10 million vehicles around the world since October last year for a range of defects in floor mats, gas pedals and braking software.
A problem with the Corolla, one of Toyota's top-selling models, would be a further embarrassment for the world's top automaker, which long prided itself on impeccable quality controls.
Toyota is studying two possible causes for problems in the engine control units, both production defects, related to improper coating applied to circuit boards and a crack in the surface of a glass coating, according to NHTSA.
It is unclear whether a recall will be necessary.
Toyota plans to build the Corolla at its northeast Mississippi at Blue Springs beginning in the fall of 2011. Toyota has said the plant will have about 2,000 employees once it hits full operation in 2012.
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Side Stepping Alcohol Misuse is an innovative new project developed by the 12 Premiership clubs in partnership with Drinkaware. The project is aimed at young people aged 13-19 to help tackle issues surrounding alcohol misuse.
It's part of a large rugby-based programme that will be rolled out across local youth groups and youth centres delivering key messages on alcohol misuse. The messages include the effects of alcohol on the body, how to count units and the consequences of anti-social behavior as a result of drinking.
Resources will be produced with the input of Premiership players our club ambassador is George Crook, who will work with Premier Rugby and Drinkaware to endorse key messages.
The project will also hold local festivals where Drinkaware information will be distributed, and Round 10 of last season's Guinness Premiership was dedicated as a responsible drinking weekend for Drinkaware with various activities promoting responsible drinking happening at the six grounds. For some key facts about alcohol and drinking responsibly please visit: http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/
|Premiership Rugby Camps|
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A formative evaluation of a systemic infant mental health program designed to treat infants and their families through a rural community mental health center
Despite the intensified research efforts into the field of Infant Mental Health and Marriage and Family Therapy, a truly systemically designed program has not been developed. This formative evaluation study illuminates the design phase, its developmental process, and the professional staff member’s experience of this newly implemented “Options” program.
I focused specifically on Crawford County Community Mental Health Center’s innovative systemic approach to issues related to infant mental health. In this body of work, I describe the process of creating this innovative approach, identified how the program originators made decisions about their approach and how the approach is being operationalized on a daily basis by interviewing the clinicians, who are providing the services and the administrators who created and oversee the program.
I utilized a qualitative approach in the design, transcription categorization, and data analysis. This formative evaluation used the “flashback approach” to tell the story of the evaluation findings, this included an Executive Summary. This study’s exploration yielded a clearer understanding of the developmental process of the infant mental health program and its initial implementation.
The results of this evaluation revealed that there are a number of core program components (three levels of focus: child and family, program, and community and catchment area) that were organized and clearly disseminated throughout the staff. The interviews revealed that the program has encountered problematic issues including; policy and procedural agreements and mandates, staff turnover, program ownership and funding limitations. It grew increasingly clear that the value of the program’s positive
impact on families outweighed the perceived hassle of establishing and implementing the program.
This evaluation produced a number of program recommendations for program perpetuation and potential improvements. The program recommendations addressed the challenges facing the “Options Program” are explained. The future research implications of this formative evaluation are enumerated.
School:Kansas State University
School Location:USA - Kansas
Source Type:Master's Thesis
Keywords:infant mental health community center marriage and family therapy sciences 0347 public 0573 psychology developmental 0620
Date of Publication:01/01/2008
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By Arshad Mohammed -
WHEN Hillary Clinton made her first trip abroad as secretary of state, she said the United States could not let human rights disputes get in the way of working with China on global challenges.
Now that the blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng is under US protection in Beijing, according to a US-based rights group, the United States will find out if China has made the same calculation.
Chen’s escape after 19 months of house arrest and apparent request for US protection comes at a vexing time for both countries, with diplomats preparing for annual economic and security talks in Beijing this week, and with China’s Communist Party trying to contain a divisive political scandal involving a former senior official, Bo Xilai.
Assuming it has Chen, it is inconceivable that the United States would turn him over to the Chinese authorities against his wishes, said current and former US officials.
That leaves China with a choice — let the broader relationship suffer in a standoff with the United States, or seek a compromise, a scenario analyst, current and former officials saw as probable though by no means certain.
“I can’t imagine they will tank the relationship,” said a senior Obama administration official who spoke on condition that he not be identified.
In 2001, relations between Beijing and Washington suffered a plunge after a collision between a Chinese fighter jet and US surveillance plane.
As of yesterday, the United States has not publicly confirmed reports that Chen fled from house arrest in his village home in Shandong province into the US Embassy. China has also declined direct comment on the dissident’s reported escape from his carefully watched home.
But Texas-based ChinaAid said it “learned from a source close to the Chen Guangcheng situation that Chen is under US protection and high-level talks are currently under way between US and Chinese officials regarding Chen’s status.”
The incident will form an unwelcome backdrop for the visit of the US secretaries of state and treasury to Beijing for their Strategic and Economic Dialogue on Thursday and Friday.
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http://main.omanobserver.om/node/92984
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Last week, the chairman and CEO of cloud security firm Qualys pledged $500,000 of his own money to launch new non-profit called the Trustworthy Internet Movement. It's his attempt to make cloud computing off limits to cyber criminals.
We contacted Courtot and asked him why he's digging into his own pocket for this. Short answer ... he wants to stop the bad guys. Long answer:
"The very fact that we are not making much progress at making the Internet safe and trustworthy is underscored by the ever-increasing data breaches," he told Business Insider. "While the industry talks a lot about security and the cloud, it has ignored the fact that the Internet is one of the key enabling technologies where cyber criminals operate with almost total impunity."
That's an interesting -- and odd take -- from a guy running a security company.
Computer security is the catch-22 of enterprise computing. In 2011, enterprises spent an estimated $60 billion on software and services to protect themselves and their customers, according to PcW. This spend is expected to grow 10 percent annually -- despite the crummy economy. Even so, the Internet is still hardly a safe place. In 2011, there were scores of high-profile hack attacks.
But, that's more-or-less the way many computer security vendors want it. After all, without the hackers, no one would need their products.
So Courtot deserves a round of applause for wanting the security industry to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. He wants the TIM to finally tackle the stuff that's been plaguing Internet users forever, such as botnets, viruses and issues with security certificates used by browsers to validate websites (or in geek-speak SSL governance). He wants to come up with ways to bake protection into public and private clouds, too,
This isn't Courtot's first effort to stop the criminals. He's been volunteering with the Internet Society and he's invested in StopBadware, he told us.
Qualys, which Courtot is readying to take public, is a cloud service that helps enterprises test their networks for security holes and regulatory compliance.
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In the most common type of fibromyalgia, the causes are not known. Physical injuries, emotional trauma, or viral infections such as Epstein-Barr may trigger the disorder, but no one trigger has proven to be a cause of primary fibromyalgia.
Many experts believe that fibromyalgia is not a disease, but is rather a chronic pain condition brought on by several abnormal body responses to stress. Areas in the brain that are responsible for the sensation of pain react differently in fibromyalgia patients than the same areas in healthy people.
People with fibromyalgia have decreased activity in opioid receptors in parts of the brain that affect mood and the emotional aspect of pain. This reduced response might explain why fibromyalgia patients are likely to have depression, and are less responsive to opioid painkillers, researchers say.
Chronic Sleep Disturbance
Sleep disturbances are common in fibromyalgia. Patients with the condition have a higher-than-average rate of a sleep disorder called periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD). Patients with PLMD involuntarily contract their leg muscles every 20 - 40 seconds during sleep, which may occasionally wake them up.
It is not clear whether fibromyalgia leads to poor sleeping patterns, or the sleep disturbances come first. Researchers continue to investigate the link between fibromyalgia and sleep.
- Patients with fibromyalgia have increased rates of cyclic alternating sleep pattern (CAP), which may produce serious sleep problems and have been strongly linked to symptom severity. CAP may be related to PLMD.
- Sleep disorders that cause breathing problems are common in women with fibromyalgia.
- Other biological measures of troubled sleep, such as levels of the hormone melatonin (which helps regulate circadian rhythms and the sleep-wake cycle), appear to be normal in most people with fibromyalgia.
Review Date: 12/27/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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The count down for the year 2012′s departure has started and this made me reflect on the changes and lessons I’ve learned this past year and I thought I’d share my -err- wisdom with you:
- Back up! Back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, back up, BACK UP.
- Never regret something or someone if you had happy and laughter times with them. Be thankful.
- Don’t argue with stupid people. Its pointless and a complete waste of energy.
- Losing your phone means you’ll get to know who asks after you and who doesn’t care. That’s the silver lining.
- Be considerate. What you take as given for granted might not be what others are dealt in life. Not everyone has what you have.
- Don’t judge people with your own circumnstances. Put yourself in their shoes and then judge. Better yet, why judge people at all? Live and let live.
- There are no good people and bad people. There are people with different percentages of good and bad in them that differe according to their surroundings and situations.
- Never rely on anyone, never trust anyone, never tolerate anyone.
- The signs I’ve read and dismissed as a fabrication of my imagination all turned out to be true. Trust my interpretation of the signs, I may have a sixth sense afterall.
- If something I wanted didn’t happen and others were deemed better than me, I’d whine about it for five minutes, then put my head down and work harder. It means I’m still not good enough and must work harder. Whining won’t get me anywhere, hard work will.
- The Mayans were wrong, BIG TIME! Just because they were advanced once upon a time it doesn’t mean they are always right.
- Always remember, when one door closes another one opens at the exact same moment. Don’t waste your time lingering at the close door, make haste to the newly opened one.
O salamtkom. What about you? What are the lessons you’ve learned in 2012?
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Road to Revolution
Follow Richmond Virginia's road to the American Revolution with this tour of some of the most important places in Patrick Henry's life.
- Hanover Tavern - See what life on the road was like for George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Lord Cornwallis at this historic roadhouse, a stopover between Richmond and Washington, D.C. from 1791 until 1836. Allow 1 hour.
- Hanover Courthouse - Take a tour of the second oldest, continuously used courthouse in the United States, the site of Patrick Henry's successful argument of the 1763 Parson's Cause Case. Allow 1 hour.
- Scotchtown - See the home of Patrick Henry during his most active political years. Allow 1 hour.
View Road to Revolution - 1 in a larger map
- Virginia Capitol - Explore the second-oldest working capitol in the United States, as it was originally designed by Thomas Jefferson. The building and surrounding grounds feature statues of George Washington and other Revolutionary leaders. Allow 1 hour for tour; additional time for Capitol Square Grounds.
- St. John's Church - Tour the oldest church in Richmond, built in 1741 and the site of the Second Virginia Convention and Patrick Henry's famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. Relive this pivotal moment during a re-enactment of the convention each Sunday from Memorial Day-Labor Day. Allow 2 hours.
View Road to Revolution - 2 in a larger map
Walk in the footsteps of Patrick Henry, one of the key figures in the American Revolution and a legendary son of Richmond celebrated for his rousing "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. Start planning your trip now!
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http://www.visitrichmondva.com/plan-your-trip/itineraries/road-to-revolution/
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Speaker Series on Environmental Justice And Global Climate Change
Global climate change is already affecting vulnerable communities around the world; those most adversely affected have been, and will continue to be, disadvantaged communities with the least access to resources to either prevent or adapt to climate change. The Climate Change and Environmental Justice Student Group and the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan is planning a conference in March 2004 to bring together scientists, policy-makers, economists and activists from disadvantaged communities around the world to investigate how they are and will be affected by global climate change and what steps can be taken to meet their needs.
A speaker series spanning the year leading up to the conference will introduce the SNRE and UM community to various angles of the complex interaction between environmental justice and global climate change. The series will include three speakers addressing the issue from the science, policy, and community stakeholder perspectives. Each lecture will be followed by a discussion or workshop that involves students, faculty, staff, and community members in designing a vision for a just climate.
Mike MacCracken: November 13-14, 2003
Michael MacCracken was recently elected to a 4-year term as president of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS). IAMAS is one of seven international associations making up the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), which is an affiliation of over 50 nations involved in research about the Earth and planets. As president of IAMAS, Mike will also serve on the executive committee of IUGG and as IUGG liaison to the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR). In addition to these responsibilities, Mike is a member of the Assessment Integration Team (AIT) of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), and has been serving in various advisory roles regarding potential climate change impacts for the Department of Transportation, for Texas A&M’s Gulf Coast study, and for the Consortium for Atlantic Regional Assessment (CARA) on Global Climate Change based at Penn State University. He is also a part time employee of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
In 1990 he was chairman of a DOE Multi-laboratory Climate Change Committee that summarized findings on climate change issue in the book Energy and Climate Change, which was prepared in support of development of the National Energy Strategy. During the 1990s, he has been a co-author and contributor to chapters in the assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and coordinated the U. S. Government reviews in 1995. He then directed the U.S. National Assessment on climate change impacts.
Timmons Roberts: January 15-16, 2004
J. Timmons Roberts is Professor of Sociology and Director, Mellon Environmental Studies Program at William and Mary College. Previously he was Assistant Professor of Sociology and Latin American Studies at Tulane University. His teaching and research link social and environmental impacts of global economic restructuring.
J. Timmons Roberts received his B.A. in Biology from Kenyon College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. He has published over 22 articles in World Development, Social Problems, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Sociological Inquiry, Law and Policy, and several other journals. He has published three books, a reader From Modernization to Globalization: Perspectives on Social Change and Development, Blackwell Publishers, 2000 (with Amy Hite); Chronicles from the Environmental Justice Frontline, Cambridge University Press, 2001 (with Melissa Toffolon-Weiss) and Trouble in Paradise: Globalization and Environmental Crises in Latin America was released by Routledge Publishers in July, 2003 (with Nikki Thanos). His research and teaching interests include Environment, Development, Urban and Latin America. He teaches: Environmental Sociology, Research Design, Global Environmental Issues, and team-teaches Environmental Science and Policy II. He directs the college's undergraduate program in Environmental Science and Policy.
Publications of particular relevance to climate justice include:
Forthcoming. “Social Roots Of Global Environmental Change: A World Systems Analysis Of Carbon Dioxide Emissions.” J. Timmons Roberts, Peter E. Grimes, and Jodie Manale*. Journal of World-System Research. Forthcoming July, 2003.
2001 “Global Inequality and Climate Change.” Society and Natural Resources. Vol. 14, No. 6, p. 501-509.
1997 "Carbon Intensity and Economic Development 1962-1991: A Brief Exploration of the Environmental Kuznets Curve." J. Timmons Roberts and Peter E. Grimes. World Development Vol. 25, No. 2: 181-187.
Amit Srivastava, Corpwatch: March 4-5, 2004
Amit Srivastava has been involved in social movements for the last 15 years. Amit coordinated the Climate Justice Initiative and International Programs at CorpWatch from 1997-2002. Prior to CorpWatch, Amit worked as Community Organizer with the Asian Immigrant Women Advocates (AIWA) in California, working with low-income, Chinese immigrant women working in the garment industry. He has also served as the National Organizer and Training Director with the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC), the largest student environmental organization in the US at the time. His writing has appeared in The Toronto Star, The Montreal Gazette, and The San Francisco Chronicle and Amit has appeared on various radio and TV outlets, including CNN and BBC
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Elena Kagan - Willing Accomplice in the Siegelman Affair
Should Elena Kagan be approved as a justice to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States?
As it turns out there's a supremely simple method of testing her suitability. Once applied, citizens of any political persuasion will see that her nomination should be rejected outright.
As Solicitor General of the United States, Kagan argued against an appeal to the Supreme Court by former Alabama Governor, Don Siegelman in November, 2009. The Siegelman prosecution is viewed by many as one of the gravest injustices of the modern era, a purely political prosecution initiated by the Gonzales Justice Department.
Forty four former state attorneys general were so concerned that they issued a public petition on Siegelman's behalf in 2007. The petition to the United States House of Representatives urged prompt investigation of the many shady dealings in the Siegelman case, before, during and after his trial. They framed their petition in this simple sentence: "The U.S. justice system should be above reproach." It wasn't.
In 2009, ninety-one former state attorneys general filed a friend of the court brief supporting Siegelman's appeal to the Supreme Court. They argued, "clear legal standards are required to protect individuals from politically-motivated prosecutions based on conduct that is ingrained in our campaign finance system and has always been considered legal." That's a discrete way of saying Siegelman's prosecution and conviction was politically motivated.
Why are former Republican and Democratic attorneys general, top prosecutors, sending petitions of outrage about Siegelman's prosecutors? Has this ever happened before?
A review of the history and facts of the Siegelman case shows that through her support of the Siegelman prosecution, Elena Kagan is entirely unacceptable for any court concerned with the rule of law or the dispensation of justice.
The Siegelman Prosecution
Then Governor Don Siegelman sought his second term as Alabama's governor in 2002. He'd run a credible administration as Alabama's first Democratic governor in eight years. His opponent, Republican Bob Riley, represented the hopes of their party to restore dominance in Alabama. At the end of election night, Siegelman retained his office by just 3200 votes.
But local officials found a "computer glitch" that when corrected took 6300 votes away from Siegelman. The result was changed and Riley barely won the popular vote. The never demonstrated claim was that computerized memory devices used in optical scanner voting machines had malfunctioned.
When Siegelman demanded a recount of the optical scan forms used to generate the vote tally, the request was denied by then Republican Attorney General William Pryor. A recount would have been simple. Just tally the votes as marked on the optical scanner forms. But voting officials refused Siegelman's recount request, citing the state attorney general's advice that a recount would be illegal.
Bob Riley was installed as governor. Two years later, then Alabama Attorney General William Pryor received a recess appointment to the federal bench by George W. Bush.
Some time in 2001, Leura Canary, U.S. Attorney for Alabama's central district, began investigating Alabama politicians. Canary was (and remains) the wife of longtime Republican strategist Bill Canary, a close associate of Karl Rove, who helped build Rove's career.
Siegelman's Enduring Legal Nightmare had begun
In 2004, he was indicted in an Alabama federal court for bid rigging. One day into the trial, the prosecution dropped the case. It was dismissed "with prejudice," meaning that Siegelman could never be indicted again for the same charges. The presiding judge, U.W. Clemon, would later say that the prosecution was "the most unfounded criminal case over which I presided in my entire judicial career." Clemon also accused prosecutors of misconduct and urged an investigation.
Siegelman continued his quest for a second term hoping to win the Democratic primary for a rematch with Bob Riley. He'd obviously ignored the wishes of the other side to stay down. One of those on the other side was Bill Canary, the "king maker" of Alabama Republican politics.
In October 2005, as the Democratic primary was shaping up, Siegelman was again indicted, this time on multiple counts including racketeering and granting political favors in return for contributions.
The most prominent charge involved HealthSouth Chief Executive Officer, Richard Scrushy. The executive contributed $500,000 to a foundation that had promoted a state lottery to fund public education. Scrushy was later appointed to a nonpaying position on the state hospital board. Siegelman did not benefit personally nor did his campaign fund, which was separate from the foundation. Scrushy had been appointed to the same board previously by Republican governor to whom he'd contributed.
The charges came from the office of U.S. Attorney Leura Canary who said she'd recused her self due to conflict of interest early on in the investigation.
Evidence released in 2009 demonstrated that Canary had ongoing input to the Siegelman prosecution long after her formal withdrawal in 2002. This included emails on legal strategy. One recommendation was that prosecutors obtain a gag order to stop Siegelman from talking about the case in public.
The $260 Million Dollar Judge
At trial, a new actor emerged center stage, federal Judge Mark E. Fuller. Fuller owned the controlling interest of a private firm that received nearly $260 million in defense contracts from the Bush administration from 2002 through June 2007. In February 2006, two months before the trial began, presiding judge Fuller's company was awarded a $178 million multiyear defense contract. Despite the obvious conflict of interest, the judge denied any problem and presided over the trial, which began May 1, 2006.
The Siegelman trial lasted nearly two months. He was found not guilty on most charges but guilty for a "quid pro quo" in appointing CEO Scrushy to the hospital board. The U.S. Attorney prosecuting the case somehow missed this fact: "over 100 people who raised more than $100,000 for George W. Bush’s campaign ended up with government jobs."
The trial jury was deadlocked for a time but ultimately came in with a guilty verdict on seven of the thirty two charges. Rather than the 45-day grace period prior to prison offered to federal defendants, Siegelman was manacled in court and sent off to jail immediately after sentencing. Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods, a Republican, said he'd never seen a judge do that. But Siegelman was special. He was a real threat to the control of Alabama, an exclusive Republican fiefdom.
Elena Kagan, Willing Accomplice in the Siegelman Affair
Under pressure, the Obama Justice Department investigated the Siegelman case. Justice chose to let members of the prosecution team, political appointees form the previous administration, conduct the review. Those accused of perpetrating a massive injustice behaved predictably. They exonerated themselves.
Then, when Siegelman appealed his case to the Supreme Court in 2009, President Obama's Attorney General dispatched Solicitor General Elena Kagan to argue against the appeal in November.
Before accepting the case, Elena Kagan knew or should have known: that the U.S. Attorney who began the Siegelman investigation was closely tied to Karl Rove; that Siegelman never benefited personally from the contribution to an education funding initiative; that the case was so outrageous, forty-four attorneys general petitioned Congress; and, that the presiding judge in the case owned a major interest in a defense firm that received a $178 million federal contract between Siegelman's indictment and trial, a massive conflict of interest.
Most revealing, before her argument against the former governor's appeal, Kagan knew or should have known the following. After two charges had been dropped in a 2009 appeal, Justice Department attorneys recommended a twenty year sentence instead of the seven years already rendered. Fewer offenses for sentencing meant thirteen additional years by the strange logic of federal justice.
Kagan knew or should have known all this and more. That didn't stop her from arguing that Don Siegelman should be kept in jail.
Without any doubt, Kagan knew that her position as U.S. Solicitor General was voluntary; that she could simply refuse to argue for a further miscarriage of justice.
Kagan knew what she was doing when she argued against Don Siegelman's appeal. She did it of her own free will. Therefore, she deserves a judgment based on her actions.
That judgment is that Elena Kagan was a willing accomplice in one of the most outrageous political prosecutions of our time. Why should anyone ever trust her?
Her nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States should be rejected unanimously.
N.B. Leura Canary continues to serve as the U.S. Attorney, Middle District, Alabama.
Many thanks to Joan Brunwasser for her helpful comments.
This article may be reproduced in whole or part with attribution of authorship and a link to this web site.
- voting rights
- public elections
- election laws
- how our votes are or are not being counted
- the people running our elections
- how to run real elections
- how to overcome challenges in taking back our elections
- the federal government's role in our elections
- the people making the decisions affecting our elections
- citizen election watchdog groups
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Technology versus privacy
New York’s Court of Appeals drew a vital line in the sand between the ever-advancing ability of police to track a citizen’s every movement, and the right of citizens to not dwell constantly under the eye of the state.
The court concluded Tuesday that State Police had violated New York’s Constitution in failing to take the basic step of asking a judge for a search warrant before placing a global positioning system tracking device on Scott Weaver’s car.
Police maintained they didn’t need a warrant, because GPS tracking didn’t constitute a search. It was, they argued, no different from having police tail Mr. Weaver.
Wrong. Technology enabled police to effectively plug Mr. Weaver into a device, monitor him 24 hours a day for more than two months and download his life into a computer. The crime he was convicted of — burglary of the Latham K-Mart in 2005 — hadn’t even occurred when the GPS was planted. To this day, police have not offered a reason for tracking him.
This week’s decision threw out the GPS evidence and sent the case back for a new trial.
A 4-3 majority opinion written by Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said this technology does not merely enhance the human abilities police officers use to track a suspect. His analysis reads like a description of a police state:
“The potential for a similar capture of information or ’seeing’ by law enforcement would require, at a minimum, millions of additional police officers and cameras on every street lamp …That such a surrogate technological deployment is not … compatible with any reasonable notion of personal privacy or ordered liberty would appear to us obvious.”
A significant concern not reflected in the ruling is that such technology isn’t selective. It would indiscriminately record the movements of everyone using the car, not just the person of interest to police.
This decision does not prevent police from using the latest tools to catch criminals. It simply says that such a deep intrusion into a person’s life amounts to a search, and that police must first convince a judge that there’s a reason for it.
Our justice system is constantly trying to balance public safety and privacy. In 1928, in a case concerning phone tapping, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis wrote:
“The makers of our Constitution undertook to secure conditions favorable to the pursuit of happiness. They recognized the significance of man’s spiritual nature, of his feelings and of his intellect … They sought to protect Americans in their beliefs, their thoughts, their emotions and their sensations. They conferred, as against the Government, the right to be let alone — one of the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men.”
Some might say this case was about whether law enforcement can keep up with technology. It was about much more than that. It was about whether a free nation, and our personal liberty, can keep up with it, too. Narrowly, they did.
Source: Times Union
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DC warns of dangers on local roads
TWYNHOLM’S former F1 racing driver David Coulthard has backed a campaign urging local drivers to slow down on country roads.
With figures showing that 481 people lost their lives on rural roads in Scotland last year, and most of these men, Coulthard has put his weight behind the Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland (part of Transport Scotland) campaign and TV ads to point out that even racing drivers know to slow down on country roads.
Country roads account for around 70 percent of all road fatalities in Scotland and the biggest cause of accidents is driving too fast for the conditions.
Speaking about the campaign, Coulthard, who won 13 Grand Prix titles during his career, said: “I’m backing this year’s country roads campaign because I grew up in the South West of Scotland, and did most of my early driving around there, so I’m aware that countryside driving comes with its own unique set of challenges.
“Driving on country roads takes more than simply being aware of the basic Highway Code; increased concentration and greater care is needed to adapt to the muddy tracks and changeable conditions which make country roads particularly tricky.”
In the TV ad, Coulthard demonstrates to drivers, through a reconstruction, how even the best drivers in the world adjust their speed on country roads.
The campaign is being rolled out across TV, radio, online and cinema during March to make drivers aware that they don’t have to be going over the speed limit to be going too fast, they should constantly check their speed to adapt to the changing conditions on country roads and that even if people use a rural road regularly, the hazards can still be unpredictable. Driving even slightly too fast to read the road properly can turn avoidable accidents into serious and even fatal ones.
For more information log onto www.dontriskit.info or check out the Road Safety Scotland Facebook page.
Search for a job
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Weather for Newton Stewart
Thursday 20 June 2013
Temperature: 12 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
Temperature: 11 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South west
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November 8, 2005--A team at the German Federal Agency for Information Technology Security (BSI) recently announced the factorization of the 193-digit number
310 7418240490 0437213507 5003588856 7930037346 0228427275 4572016194 8823206440 5180815045 5634682967 1723286782 4379162728 3803341547 1073108501 9195485290 0733772482 2783525742 3864540146 9173660247 7652346609
known as RSA-640 (Franke 2005). The team responsible for this factorization is the same one that previously factored the 174-digit number known as RSA-576 (MathWorld headline news, December 5, 2003) and the 200-digit number known as RSA-200 (MathWorld headline news, May 10, 2005).
RSA numbers are composite numbers having exactly two prime factors (i.e., so-called semiprimes) that have been listed in the Factoring Challenge of RSA Security®.
While composite numbers are defined as numbers that can be written as a product of smaller numbers known as factors (for example, 6 = 2 x 3 is composite with factors 2 and 3), prime numbers have no such decomposition (for example, 7 does not have any factors other than 1 and itself). Prime factors therefore represent a fundamental (and unique) decomposition of a given positive integer. RSA numbers are special types of composite numbers particularly chosen to be difficult to factor, and they are identified by the number of digits they contain.
While RSA-640 is a much smaller number than the 7,816,230-digit monster Mersenne prime known as M42 (which is the largest prime number known), its factorization is significant because of the curious property that proving or disproving a number to be prime ("primality testing") seems to be much easier than actually identifying the factors of a number ("prime factorization"). Thus, while it is trivial to multiply two large numbers p and q together, it can be extremely difficult to determine the factors if only their product pq is given. With some ingenuity, this property can be used to create practical and efficient encryption systems for electronic data.
Gotta go update my "Unsolved Codes" webpage . . .
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Submitted by Lynn Saunders
Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a focus group gathered to review some websites created by the Center for Rural Studies. As a Federal Depository we are affiliated with the Center for Rural Studies as a State Data affiliate. The first site we reviewed was Vermont Indicators Online. This site is very user friendly and a great resource for Census information for Vermonters. The Center has compiled much used Census information in an easy to use format. You can check it out at http://maps.vcgi.org/indicators/.
Next we reviewed their Vermont Housing Data site. Here they have compiled state and federal housing statistics. You can even check out what you might be able to afford for a house. You can find this housing website at http://www.housingdata.org/.
Our final website review was the Vermont Planning Information Center. Again CSR (Center for Rural Studies) has compiled a great deal of information for local and state planners. There are manuals, guides and laws online. The site is user friendly and provides a comprehensive list of resources. This planning site can be found at: http://www.vpic.info/ .
The focus groups all agreed that the websites were user friendly, provided a great deal of information, and were very useful. The focus group was small but diverse.
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- Key Facts
- Board of Governors
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- Annual Meetings
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- Regional Cooperation and Integration
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- Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC)
- Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)
- Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT)
- South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC)
- European Representative Office
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Countries with Operations
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Impact Evaluation Study of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation in Punjab, Pakistan (Urdu Translation)
|Series:||Impact Evaluation Studies|
This impact evaluation, an Urdu translation of the English original, assesses the performance of (i) Punjab Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (Sector) Project, and (ii) Punjab Community Water Supply and Sanitation (Sector) Project and identifies lessons for maximizing the development effectiveness of rural water supply and sanitation (WSS) interventions by conducting a rigorous impact evaluation and sustainability analysis. The evaluation aimed to quantify the impact of WSS assistance on health, education, labor force participation including hours worked by applying quasi-experimental design. The sustainability analysis focused on two key aspects of the WSS interventions:
- technical and physical status of subprojects, and
- the capacity assessment of community-based organizations (CBOs) responsible for the operation and maintenance (O&M)of infrastructure.
The study employed a mixed method approach and the findings are based on data collected from household surveys; community survey; focus group discussions; key informant interviews; technical inspection and assessment of infrastructure and surrounding environment; and knowledge, attitude and practice surveys. Both sector projects have adopted a community-driven development approach and were funded by ADB.
Summary of findings
The study shows that the projects
- significantly improved households' access to water supply,
- reduced drudgery among the lowest socioeconomic group,
- improved high school attendance of the girls in middle socioeconomic group, and
- increased leisure time for female members of the households.
Overall, the project interventions had no significant impact on primary health such as the incidence and intensity of diarrhea; significant reduction in incidence was found in the middle socioeconomic group. Similarly, at the aggregate level, the projects had no impact on labor force participation and hours worked, although disaggregated analysis showed a significant but negative impact in the middle socioeconomic group. Thus, increase in high school attendance rates either came from the withdrawal of working children from the labor force, particularly in the middle socioeconomic group, or from the reduction of time spent in fetching water. The lack of impact on labor force participation and work hours indicates that the time saved from fetching water documented in the study had not been translated into more income generation, contrary to projects' expectation.
Limited project assistance for sanitation, facilitating access to credit and improving hygiene education also had no significant impact on households. Overall, 80% of the subprojects were functional and had no problem with presence of heavy metals, but majority of them had bacteriological contamination and sanitary hazard problems, both at the source and distribution points. Similarly, only 43% of the CBOs managing these subprojects were partly or fully functional and had low functional maturity and reflected weak capacity in managing WSS systems. Similarly, while several CBOs could meet O&M costs from user charges, majority of them lacked resources for capital replacement and routine maintenance work.
- Rural WSS projects significantly benefit female household members especially in reducing drudgery and increasing high school attendance.
- The current focus of WSS projects designs needs to extend beyond improving access to water supply, and include wastewater and solid waste management; increased role of nongovernment organizations, and private sector in supporting CBOs responsible for subprojects, improving water quality, and additional provisions for improving access to WSS for the poor and other disadvantaged groups who cannot afford piped water connection to their homesteads.
- To maximize benefits from WSS investment, ADB needs to collaborate with other development partners in the areas it does not have core strength.
- Valid baseline data based on relevant indicators with relevant counterfactuals (comparisons) are crucial for results monitoring and evaluation and, hence, efforts are required to collect such data prior to the commencement of the projects.
- It is important to safeguard and maximize project benefits by undertaking post-project monitoring and undertaking corrective measures on time. Such measures may include, but not limited to, assistance to bridge finance O&M in the initial years of operations even after project completion; strengthening the capacity of CBOs to address technical, managerial, and financial management issues; and strengthening linkages between CBOs and provincial, district, and local level agencies involved in WSS delivery and services.
Overall Assessment and Recommendations
Overall, ADB assistance to rural WSS projects has been rated successful, but at the low end of the scale. The following are recommended for future WSS operations:
- Provide prominence to gender benefits from rural WSS projects.
- Address wastewater and solid waste management concurrently with improving access to safe water in future project designs.
- Strengthen existing collaborations and partnerships and foster new ones in WSS with other development partners in developing member countries.
- Include baseline studies as a requirement in project designs and establish a user-friendly depository of all available baseline studies and associated databases for result monitoring, evaluation, and future project designs.
- Follow up with relevant agencies so that required actions are taken on time to ensure the sustainability of project benefits.
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A drink or two may help you to relax and socialise and it may even do you some good, but regularly overdoing it is associated with various health risks. Sensible drinking involves knowing what your limits are and being aware of how much you’re drinking and your pattern of alcohol use. It’s important to understand how to drink sensibly to enjoy alcohol in moderation as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Drinking within safe limits is unlikely to do you any harm and it’s even been suggested that for certain people, a small amount of alcohol – that is about one or two units of alcohol a day – may be good for your heart. But in truth, there are more effective ways to protect your heart, including eating a healthy balanced diet and taking regular exercise.
If you regularly drink too much alcohol, not only do you risk your health, but depending on how much and how often you drink, your work and relationships may also be affected.
To stay safe and healthy, it pays to know your limits and drink alcohol sensibly.
The Department of Health guidelines recommend not regularly drinking more than:
‘Regularly’ means every day or most days of the week. This does not mean you can save up all the ‘allowance’ for a weekend binge. A drinking binge is generally defined as drinking double the daily recommended units in one session. Binge drinking for men, therefore, is drinking more than eight units of alcohol – or about three pints of strong beer. For women, it’s drinking more than six units of alcohol – the equivalent of two large glasses of wine.
The recommended limits are lower for women than for men because women have different amounts of fat, muscle and water in their bodies than men. This affects the way women and men’s bodies cope with alcohol. As a result, women are more likely to develop health problems, such as liver disease, at lower levels of alcohol consumption than men.
The UK aims to state on the label of all alcohol drinks how much alcohol they contain. This is expressed as ‘percentage alcohol by volume’ (% ABV). The packaging should also give the number of units of alcohol the drink contains.
One unit is equal to 10ml by volume or 8g by weight, of pure alcohol – the amount of alcohol an average adult can process in one hour. The number of units of alcohol in different drinks varies, for example:
Be aware that alcoholic drinks vary in strength; for example, some wines and lagers contain more alcohol than others. What’s more, bars and restaurants offer a variety of measures, such as spirits in measurements of 25, 35 or 50ml, and wine glass measurements of 125, 175 or 250ml. So, for instance, if you drink three glasses of 250ml wine, you’re drinking a whole bottle of wine and three times the recommended amount. It can be easy to do without even realising it.
In fact, some research has shown that only one in eight adults keep track of their drinking and most people aren’t clear about the relationship between units, alcohol strengths and glass sizes. Another survey found that around three in 10 adults drink more than the recommended amount of alcohol on at least one day each week.
To accurately track how many units you are drinking, try our alcohol units calculator.There are also apps for your phone that can help you keep track.
Drinking sensibly doesn’t mean missing out on all the fun. The first steps are to understand how much and how often you’re drinking. Start by keeping a record of how much you drink over a week. You may find you’re drinking within your limits and don’t need to change your drinking habits. But if you’re exceeding your safe limits, think about when and where you’re drinking and how much. You may be having a glass of wine with most evening meals, a lunchtime drink once a week and a planned night out every Friday or Saturday. Remembering a few simple tips can help you drink sensibly.
It takes about one hour for your liver to break down one unit of alcohol. The more you drink, the longer it will take for the effects of alcohol to clear. There are times when not drinking alcohol at all is the safest choice. These include the following.
If you’re struggling to keep within your limits, don’t be afraid to talk to someone. Talking to a close friend, a support group or your GP can help you understand your drinking habits and find ways to cut down how much you drink.
Produced by Natalie Heaton, Bupa Health Information Team, December 2012.
For sources and links to further information, see Resources.
You can't put a value on your health. Bupa Health Assessments help you identify any current or potential health risks, meaning you can take action now. Compare our range of health assessments or call 0845 600 3458 quoting ref. HFS100.
Are you drinking too much? Find out if you're drinking sensibly so you can manage your risk with our Alcohol Unit Calculator.
This information was published by Bupa's Health Information Team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been reviewed by appropriate medical or clinical professionals. Photos are only for illustrative purposes and do not reflect every presentation of a condition. The content is intended only for general information and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional. For more details on how we produce our content and its sources, visit the About our Health Information page.
Publication date: November 2010
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© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All rights reserved worldwide.
In a recent study, the drug cabozantinib helped manage various advanced cancers, particularly prostate, ovarian, and liver cancers. The drug also helped shrink bone metastases (cancer that has spread to the bone). Cabozantinib is a type of targeted therapy, which means it targets the cancer's specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment that contributes to cancer growth and survival.
The patients who participated in this study had advanced cancers that were worsening, and some had cancer that had spread to the bone. After 12 weeks of treatment with cabozantinib, 9% of patients had the cancer shrink or stop growing. However, the drug was more effective for patients with liver cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer: 76% of patients with liver cancer, 71% with prostate cancer, and 58% with ovarian cancer had the cancer shrink or stop growing.
Researchers also found that bone metastases either partially or completely disappeared after treatment for 59 out of the 68 patients with bone metastases. Treatment with cabozantinib also greatly reduced bone pain for these patients.
What this means for patients
“Cabozantinib appears to have significant effects on several treatment-resistant tumors, as well as impressive effects on bone metastases. In addition, these effects are associated with rapid improvement in pain, a reduction in the need for strong pain medications, and improvement in anemia,” said lead author Michael S. Gordon, MD, a medical oncologist at Pinnacle Oncology Hematology in Scottsdale, AZ. Cabozantinib is still being studied and may only be available in clinical trials.
Questions to ask your doctor
- What type of cancer do I have? What is the stage?
- Has the cancer spread to my bones?
- What are my treatment options?
- What clinical trials are open to me?
- What treatment option do you recommend? Why?
For More Information
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<urn:uuid:2109b511-b285-48fe-bf46-1ca2af45f8a6>
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http://www.cancer.net/cancer-news-and-meetings/asco-annual-meetings/research-summaries/cabozantinib-helps-manage-several-advanced-cancers-and-shrink-bone-metastases
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WORLD POLITICS + UK + USA + WORLD DEMOCRATIC PARTY POLICIES AND PLANS
World politics * UK * USA * World Democratic Party Policies and Plans * asylum * benefits * climate change * economy * world politics * education * employment * family * foreign policy * health * immigration * pensioners * retirement * tax * world politics
Welcome to the official website of:
THE WORLD DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Looking at the bigger political picture
We were going to call ourselves "The Best Party you have ever been to Party" or "The not so politically correct Party" but thought we might attract the wrong type of voters and wouldn't have a large enough venue for our first Party Conference. Not that there is any such thing as a bad voter because when you have all the idiots on your side you know you are in the majority.
We were also concerned that Labour, Conservative and Libdem Members of Parliament, Senators and Congressmen from the Republican and Democratic Parties and Members of the European Parliament would come flocking to our call and start switching their allegiances; and as we are really after quality not quantity, that wouldn't do at all.
We are a new Political Party, with big ideas, unique policies (admittedly needing a bit more meat on the bone) but better than anything you will find in any other political manifesto, and huge ambitions.
Our hundred year plan is to unite the World under one
with a single currency, remove all frontiers, eradicate nationalism, overthrow all Despots and dictators and create a fair and level playing field for all countries on this planet to trade.
By achieving this, we would expect to stop all wars, famine, disease, poverty, need for asylum and significantly reduce the problem of
that is overburdening some countries. It will also make it easier to police crime, reduce drug trafficking and production, stop people trafficking and make this world a safer place to live.
We know this is not going to happen overnight nor in our lifetimes but we can lay the foundations now if we have the will to put the ball in motion.
We also know that we will have enormous opposition from just about every corner of the globe. Every nationalist, small minded bigot and racist that by luck and some small miracle just happened to be born in a country and believes they have borders to protect from foreigners is not going to like the idea of having one equitable government looking after and protecting the interests of everyone in the World.
This is not a one size fits all range of policies. We understand the need for discussion and debate and we don't expect anyone to agree with every principal and policy we put forward. We also understand that the people who are most likely to join us are going to be those with a higher intellect and greater vision than the average political animal and most politicians.
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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
In their corner, a crusader
Helping FASD sufferers is reason for law degree
OTTAWA — If you’re a teenager in Manitoba with FASD and you get in trouble with the law, there is one person you want in your corner.
Corey La Berge.
The 41-year-old lawyer has made it his life's work to get the system to understand traditional punishments and law and order policies are not built for kids whose brains do not work the way we expect them to.
"What do you call punishing someone for failing to meet impossible expectations?" La Berge says. "I call it abuse."
La Berge became drawn to working with people with FASD while completing his masters degree in social-cultural anthropology. His thesis dealt with adults with FASD.
"Once I became involved and I met people, met families, met individuals with FASD, I couldn't help but be drawn in," La Berge said.
So he went to law school and has spent the last 15 years immersed in the world of FASD.
He is now in the midst of a project with Legal Aid Manitoba trying to get the justice system in Manitoba, every time a client comes through the door, to think about whether that person might have FASD and then accommodate that disability at every step.
It might mean setting more realistic bail conditions, ensuring the child understands at every step what is going on in court and trying to put in place community programs, mental health treatment, education supports and a family living situation where the child can thrive.
Often kids get into trouble in the first place because we expect them to behave as if they don't have an alcohol-damaged brain.
They become entrenched in a vicious circle of bail hearings, breaching bail conditions, repeated offences and a life spent in and out of detention centres.
Most lawyers don't have training in FASD -- it is not, for example, included in the curriculum at the law school at the University of Manitoba, said La Berge.
A child with FASD, says La Berge, would simply not be capable of following a strict curfew as a bail condition. They most often don't have the same ability to understand time as someone without an alcohol-damaged brain.
Or they have associated mental health problems that compound their behaviour.
And the system shows them no compassion.
He gives, as a perfect example, the case of a 17-year-old girl with FASD and an IQ below 70. She had been sexually and physically abused most of her life. She was so suicidal her social worker ensured her foster placement was nowhere near a river so she couldn't try to jump off a bridge.
She used drugs and ended up getting arrested. Out on probation, she was told she couldn't take any drugs.
But she got a hold of a package of sleeping pills and took them all, trying to end her life.
Instead of admitting her to a psychiatric ward, the police took her to jail.
While at the Manitoba Youth Centre she ended up shackled to a bed because she was so mentally ill she began beating her head against a concrete wall.
When she was returned to court she sat listening as the judge, police, lawyers and others talked about her situation.
The judge determined her fate and asked if she had anything to say.
She looked at up him and shrugged.
"I don't know what's going on," she said.
And the cycle began again.
Q + A with Corey La Berge
On the biggest challenges of FASD. . .
A: The biggest challenge would be not recognizing the individual has a disability. That the individual may not be aware they have a disability. On top of that the people in their lives, their families, their friends, professionals working with them, are also not aware of the fact they have a disability and (are) sort of looking at their behaviours as flowing from other issues, whether it’s being difficult to work with, attitude, personality, as opposed to brain differences that are resulting in behavioural differences.
On the justice system accommodating people with FASD...
A: If you look at principles of sentencing you are supposed to let the punishment fit the crime. You want to look at the moral culpability of the accused. How morally responsible are they? Clearly if I do something, if I steal a candy bar from the store, I'm a 41-year- old lawyer. It's very different than my five-year-old stealing a chocolate bar from a store. Someone with brain differences, and a disability like this, their moral culpability is different than that of myself or my five-year-old.
We need to be aware of their capacity to behave in a particular environment. And how to respond to that.
If you're looking at wanting to deter a person from offending in the future, if you're wanting to look at imposing meaningful consequences, if you're wanting to rehabilitate that individual so they can be more successful in the community, you have to understand the disability behind their behaviour.
On stopping the crush of kids with FASD ending up in trouble with the law. . .
We're not going to stop the number of children who are coming into the system. The number of children being recognized as having FASD is not going down. These children are going to keep coming into the system. By punishing them, by coming down with a hammer heavy is not going to stop the kids who are 11 and 10 right now from coming into the system when they are 12 and 13.
Deterrence is not the best, it's not the most effective method of dealing with this population of young offenders.
We need to create environments where they can be successful, where they're not getting into trouble, rather than allowing them to flounder in an environment where we know they can't be successful and then punish them for that.
Unless we want to warehouse people and we don't care about costs to the community, costs to them, it just doesn't make any sense to lock them up and keep locking them up and ignore the reasons why they're getting into trouble in the first place.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 5, 2011 H5
Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.
Photo Store Gallery
Ads by Google
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Fiddlehead ferns are one of spring’s most elusive goodies. The are available for about three weeks in May (as in right this second), and are generally harvested in the northeastern United States. A fiddlehead is the tip of an unfurling Ostrich Fern frond, quickly snapped off with the flick of the wrist by professional foragers in the wild. If you see some growing in the woods near you, take care. There are many other ferns that resemble the Ostrich Fern, some of which are considered to be carcinogenic, like the Bracken Fern. Unless you have a guide with you, leave the collecting to the professionals and pick some up at Whole Foods. They cost $6 a pound in Boston.
Their flavor is mild, and perhaps most closely resembles asparagus, and asparagus is the best substitute for the ferns. Some also say they are similar to green beans and artichokes. They are pleasently crunchy with a nutty, slightly bitter bite, which is why you’ll see so many fiddlehead recipes calling for butter and salt. Treat the fiddleheads like asparagus tips and you can’t go wrong. If you really want a treat, serve them up with some morel mushrooms; their season coincides almost exactly with the ferns and they pair well.
There are a few things you need to know about preparing fiddleheads. Most importantly, eat them immeditely. Fiddleheads do not keep well, so you should try to use them the same day you buy them. You can keep them covered for a few days in the fridge, but their flavor diminishes quickly and they will spoil soon after that. Do yourself a favor and eat them as soon as possible.
To prep the fiddleheads, any leftover “silk” should be removed. The silk is a thin, brown, papery covering that resembles a peanut casing. Most of this is taken off before distributors put them up for sale, but there are always remnants that need to be removed. You can rub it off with your fingers; I prefer to do it in a bath of cold water. Rinse them in a bowl, gently agitating them with your fingers and pouring off the water until it is free of particles. Drain well and pat dry.
People argue about how you’re supposed to cook fiddleheads. Health officials recommend that you boil them for 15 minutes or steam for 10-12 before eating. Why? Because fiddleheads have been associated with certain unpleasant G.I. sicknesses. However, the same article references three sources that claim that Ostrich Fern fiddleheads are safe to eat in any state, raw or cooked.
Personally, I have always lightly cooked my fiddleheads and I have never had an issue. If I had to boil them for 15 minutes to eat them, I wouldn’t eat them at all! The delight of fiddleheads is their delicate taste and toothsome crunch – boiling them for that long would destroy all that I love about this tender green. You should do whatever makes you feel comfortable.
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GCSD Fire Tax
To the Editor:
In your article, “Fire tax bound for June ballot,” you focused on the obvious — GCSD is going to ask the pubic to pay more through a tax measure. Regrettably, what you didn't cover is one of the reasons why over half of Americans are fed up with politics — lies, deceptions and greed. Yes, the Board is leaving the tax matter up to the public. They have, however, failed to represent the public's need for transparency, truth and full disclosure.
When the fire chief deliberately understates what staff takes from the taxpayer’s wallet, and the board refuses to post for public review that information, the public loses trust in the whole governance process. Likewise, when the general manager states that the tax will be used exclusively for wages (and benefits not mentioned in the article), and not for “toys,” as if the other $800,000 received in property taxes doesn’t exist, the whole process leaves a foul taste. The GM previously stated that the tax is not perpetual. Another huge deception.
Doesn’t the public want to know that a fire captain receives $107,203 in total pay and perks not just the $59,725 in base wages as presented? How about a fire engineer’s actual compensation at $84,418 versus the $41,321 reported?
The public asked the fire department to tighten its belt. Instead, their response is to tack on another $240,000 in new taxes, extend the tax for another ten years, with automatic cost of living increases. Lies, deceptions, and greed.
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<urn:uuid:ef29a873-4c35-4745-a6fc-3dbe102e69e2>
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Knives and blades from manufacturers such as Stanley, Irwin, and Klein Tools give you the ability to slice through almost any material with ease. Whether you're working in the warehouse or out on a job site, having the right knives and blades can make a difference in your speed and efficiency. Stock up on different blades for different purposes so you're ready to handle any job.
Cut Through Anything Cut through linoleum flooring, layers of packing tape, fabric, carpet, or other materials quickly with the right knife. Choose a hook knife blade to prevent damage to things under the material you are cutting.
Always Ready With replacement blades designed to fit your knife, you'll always be ready with a fresh, sharp blade. Buy replacement blades singly or stock up with a pack of 100.
Safe Disposal Dispose of your knife blades with a blade disposal container that secures the items inside so that no one gets cut accidentally. For safety, use cut resistant gloves when cutting tough materials.
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Dante's extraordinarily rich visual imagination has inspired artists from manuscript illuminators in the Middle Ages to the present. This gallery is intended to introduce readers to some of the most famous illustrations of the poem.
Below click view for a particular artist's illustrations of the Comedy. Also listed below Dante Portraits and links to other artists.
Yates Thompson 36
View: The British Library's Yates Thompson 36 is one of the finest Italian illuminated manuscripts of the Comedy.
Sandro Botticelli (1444-45 – 1510)
View: Though Botticelli now enjoys a world-wide reputation as perhaps the most famous early Renaissance artist, his paintings were highly esteemed for only about a quarter century during his lifetime.
Alessandro Vellutello (b.1473, death date unknown)
View: Alessandro Vellutello was a Lucchese intellectual active in Venice from about 1515.
John Flaxman (1775 – 1826)
View: An English sculptor and illustrator, John Flaxman's interest in the arts began at an early age.
Gustave Doré's (1832 – 1883)
View: His illustrations and Dante's Divine Comedy have become so intimately connected that even today, nearly 150 years after their initial publication, the artist's rendering of the poet's text still determines our vision of the Commedia.
Links to other artists
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http://www.worldofdante.org/gallery_main.html
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Hackaday alum and Dangerous Prototypes founder [Ian Lesnet] is in Japan and he’s been spending a lot of time at Akihabara Electric Town. For those that don’t recognize the name, this is an electronic components extravaganza with buildings packed full of small shops each specializing in different merchandise. For instance, we love this picture of a shop that carries every kind of protoboard, breakout board, and copper clad sheet imaginable. The stall next door might have nothing but LEDs, or be full of cords for every purpose.
We’ve been following [Ian's] regular tweets about the trip. Luckily, he just posted a roundup of the Akihabara posts. Surprisingly, he restrained himself to purchasing just a few items. Part of this is a limit on the amount of stuff he can get back to the States with him. The other reason is that the prices are not necessarily less than you’d find in a catalog. He mentions that the nice thing is you can see the parts before buying them. This is useful for sizing knobs, transformers, cases, etc.
The most exciting thing in his bag is a half-dozen nixie-like VFD tubes for just $12. How much would you give to have this shopping attraction down the street from you?
If you’re interested in a video tour of Akihabara check out this one from the Tokyo Hackerspace.
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — State health officials are cautioning residents in north Florida to avoid the Withlacoochee and Suwannee rivers due to a possible wastewater contamination.
The Florida Department of Health today the advisory Saturday for residents in the counties surrounding the Withlacoochee and Suwannee rivers. Officials say the Withlacoochee Water Pollution Control Plant in Valdosta, Ga., has overflowed into the Withlacoochee River, which flows south, connecting with the Suwannee River.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is scheduled to collect water samples. Results from the tests will be available next week.
Until then, residents are urged to avoid contact with both rivers. This includes those individuals in Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, and Suwannee counties.
Health officials warn that water contaminated by wastewater overflow can lead to several health hazards in humans.
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Zevalin i kombination med högdos kemoterapi och autolog stamcellstransplantation (ASCT) gav höga överlevndas siffror och stor Progressionsfri överlevnda i patienter med återfall av Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma(Källa:PR-Newswire)
Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI) (Nasdaq and MTAX: CTIC) announced today that results of a phase II clinical study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology demonstrate that the addition of radioimmunotherapy (RIT) to high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) produced a high rate (70 percent) of progression-free survival at two years without a significant increase in the toxicity of the HDC regimen underscoring the potential role for RIT in ASCT. Total-body irradiation (TBI) has previously been shown to significantly increase progression-free survival when added to HDC followed by ASCT as compared to HDC alone. However, TBI has long term complications and not all patients are eligible to receive TBI as part of their preparative regimen. Radioimmunotherapy with Zevalin(R) (Ibritumomab Tiuxetan), approved for follicular, low grade NHL which relapsed following 1st line rituximab based therapy, allows high doses of lymphoma-targeted radiation with lower doses to normal tissues.
The study, conducted at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, used a single dose of Zevalin in patients undergoing ASCT following HDC with the BEAM regimen (carmustine, cytarabine, etoposide, and melphalan). Thirty-seven of the 41 patients had failed prior rituximab therapy. Seven of the ten patients transplanted in partial remission (70 percent) converted to complete remissions following the Zevalin-based regimen. The addition of Zevalin to the BEAM regimen did not appear to add to the toxicity of HDC; the day 100 mortality rate was zero (0) percent. Importantly the 2-year overall and progression-free survival estimates were approximately 89 percent and 70 percent, respectively.
"The promise of utilizing targeted radioimmunotherapy together with high-dose chemotherapy prior to autologous stem-cell transplant is an exciting new potential application of Zevalin. We expect to explore this as an additional registration direction for Zevalin," noted Jack W. Singer, M.D. Chief Medical Officer at CTI.
The study is reported in the current issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of combining a standard dose of ZEVALIN (14.8 MBq/kg [0.4mCi/kg]) followed by high-dose BEAM and ASCT in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who were considered ineligible for total-body irradiation because of older age or prior radiotherapy.
Primary endpoints of the study were overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
Secondary endpoints included safety and long-term complications. Sixty patients were enrolled with 41 patients receiving full protocol of imaging and therapy. Median age of the patients treated was 59.6 years (range 19.8 to 78.9 years). Lymphoma histologies included diffuse B cell (n=20), mantle cell (n=13), follicular (n=4) and transformed (n=4).
Median tumor bulk prior to treatment was 3.1cm; median number of prior therapies was 2 with range 1-6. Thirty-five of the 41 patients were alive at the time of analysis; 27 were in remission. With a median follow-up of 18.4 months (range 5.5 to 53.3 months), the Kaplan-Meier estimated 2-year OS and PFS were 88.9 percent and 69.8 percent, respectively. The primary toxicities observed included grade 3 or 4 mucositis in 21 patients, grade 3 hypoxia in eight patients, and grade 3 pneumonitis, which responded to corticosteroids, in 3 patients.
Transplantation-related mortality at 100 days was 0 percent. The authors concluded: "Combining 90Y ibritumomab tiuxetan with high dose BEAM before ASCT is feasible with no evidence of increase toxicity. The high rates of PFS, especially in patients with DBCL are also encouraging".
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http://www.onkologiisverige.se/main.asp?categoryID=655&PageType=200&areaID=1
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en
| 0.920462
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The high tight flag is a rare pattern. It's often associated with vibrant companies with new products that can change the world.
Stun gun company Taser International (TASR) formed the pattern in 2003. Tech innovator Qualcomm (QCOM) shaped the pattern in 1999. Birth-control pill maker Syntex did it in 1963. TV maker Zenith had the honors in 1958.
And Bethlehem Steel, now defunct, raised the flag in 1915.
What was new about steel?
The company's grey rolling mill was revolutionary. Henry Grey's invention was installed at the plant in 1907-08. The beams were lighter, stronger and more economical than conventional riveted beams.
The invention made skyscrapers possible.
The high tight flag looks something like a skyscraper.
The pattern forms when a stock surges 100% to 120% in four to eight weeks. The stock then corrects 10% to 25% in three to five weeks. The ideal buy point is the high of the flag plus 10 cents.
Naive investors scoff at the high tight flag. They can't believe a stock can be a buy after doubling in price. Yet, an opportunity it is.
"This is the strongest of patterns, but it's also very risky and difficult to interpret correctly. Many stocks can skyrocket 200% or more off this formation," IBD founder and Chairman William J. O'Neil writes in "How to Make Money in Stocks."
In the spring of 1915, Bethlehem Steel broke out of a flat base. (1) The stock more than doubled in five weeks. Then it corrected about 20% over four weeks. (2) The next breakout led to more than a 275% gain over 20 weeks.
Three additional notes on Bethlehem Steel' s chart:
First, notice how the big move came seven years after Bethlehem installed the new technology. True breakthroughs gain power and momentum over a long period. It's not like a fad that lasts a season or two.
Second, note how Bethlehem thrived despite the pro-regulatory, anti-business climate of President Woodrow Wilson. True change doesn't come from politicians. It comes from innovative businesses. So stay focused on stocks.
Third, when do you sell? Look for the usual sell signs, but don't ask people to feel sorry for you if you only make 200% rather than 250%. Few will feel your pain.
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Established in 1886, the Birmingham Public Library has grown from a small collection of books kept in a room no larger than a closet to the largest library system in Alabama, with holdings totaling almost one million books and more than 30 million archival documents.
Birmingham superintendent of education John Herbert Phillips established the city's first library in 1886, setting aside books for teachers and students to use in a room adjacent to his downtown office in the Wright Building on Third Avenue North. In 1891, this facility became a subscription library for the general public, charging library users two dollars per year. In 1904, the library was relocated to the recently completed Birmingham City Hall on Fourth Avenue North. Occupying two rooms on the fourth floor, the library sat directly above the city jail. During the next two decades the library outgrew this space and librarians complained that the rants of intoxicated inmates could be heard coming up through the floor. The Birmingham News reported that children reading in the juvenile department would sometimes throw down their books and run to the windows to watch police unload prisoners from paddy wagons or butchers slaughter chickens in the City Market below.
In 1907 a group of civic leaders, at the invitation of physician Thomas D. Parke, formed the Birmingham Public Library Association to establish a free public library. The association abolished user fees the next year and sold memberships to raise funds to "build and equip a library." In 1909 the library entered a partnership with the Birmingham Association for the Recreation and Aid of the Blind to collect and make available books in Braille. Comprising hundreds of titles, this was one of the first public library collections for the blind in the nation. Through a partnership with the Birmingham Medical Association the library housed a special collection containing thousands of medical texts.
The city of Birmingham absorbed several adjacent municipalities in 1910, and four public libraries in the newly annexed areas of Woodlawn, Ensley, West End, and Avondale became Birmingham's first branch libraries. The city created an independent library board in 1913. The original nine members, five men and four women, included Thomas Parke, business owner James W. Donnelly, and Grace Hankins, the wife of a local physician.
During the segregated Jim Crow era, Birmingham maintained separate libraries for blacks and whites. The Booker T. Washington branch library, the first public library for African Americans in Alabama, opened in 1918 in a small storefront in Birmingham's old black business district centered around Fourth Avenue North. John Herbert Phillips provided the original funding for the Washington Branch by saving money collected from entertainment events held at African American schools.
A fire in April 1925 destroyed the top floor of City Hall, and the central library was a near total loss. In response libraries from throughout the U.S. sent books to rebuild the collection. Local citizens raised funds to build Birmingham's first free-standing central library, which opened on April 11, 1927. Considered a model facility at the time, the four-story Beaux Arts structure cost $750,000 and was designed by Birmingham architects Miller, Martin & Lewis. In 1929, nationally known muralist Ezra Winter installed 16 murals depicting figures from world literature in the library's main reading room. A smaller mural in the children's room depicts characters from fairy tales.
By 1961 the Birmingham library system included four branch libraries for blacks: Slossfield, which opened in 1940; Smithfield, which replaced the Washington Branch in 1956; Southside, which opened in 1957; and Georgia Road in 1961. These library facilities for African Americans were never comparable to those provided whites, however, and the Central Library was a "whites-only" facility. In July 1962, Lola Hendricks, a young Birmingham civil rights activist, filed a lawsuit in federal court asking for the desegregation of Birmingham's libraries. This suit was combined with other suits demanding the desegregation of all public buildings in the city. In the spring of 1963, while civil rights demonstrations were held almost daily in Birmingham, students from historically black Miles College staged two sit-in demonstrations at the downtown library on April 9 and 10. Birmingham Mayor Art Hanes had pledged to desegregate the libraries only at gunpoint. But in response to the sit ins and the pending lawsuit, library director Fant Thornley asked the library system's board to desegregate the city's public library system, and the board did so at a specially called meeting on April 11.
A new central library building opened in 1984, and the old central library across the street was renovated by architects Kidd, Plosser, & Sprague and reopened in 1985 as the Linn-Henley Research Library for special collections. The facility, a rarity among public library systems, houses an extensive collection of published and primary material on local history, the history of the American South, and genealogy. The Tutwiler Collection of Southern History and Literature and the Southern History Department contain more than 100,000 volumes. The Government Documents Department collects local, state and national government publications and the Department of Archives and Manuscripts serves as the archives for the City of Birmingham as well as for numerous local organizations, businesses, and religious groups. Other special collections include the James Bowron Rare Book Collection and the internationally recognized Rucker Agee Map Collection.
From the 1960s to the present, the library system expanded in size and in the services offered. A books-by-mail program provides
books to elderly and disabled persons and a literacy center provides outreach to public schools and literacy programs for
adults. New or replacement branch libraries have been constructed throughout the city, and Birmingham's 19 branch libraries
serve as community, educational, and cultural centers for their neighborhoods. With as many as half a million visitors per
year, the downtown library is Birmingham's most visited cultural institution, surpassing all of the area's museums and historic
Brown, Virginia Pounds, and Mabel Thuston Turner. "The Birmingham Public Library: From Its Beginning Until 1927, Chapter I and II." Journal of the Birmingham Historical Society 5 (July 1978): 26-32.
———. "The Birmingham Public Library: From Its Beginning Until 1927, Chapter III and IV." Journal of the Birmingham Historical Society, 6 (January 1979): 24-30.
Chapman, Lila Mae, "The Birmingham Public Library." Alabama Historical Quarterly 1 (Winter 1930): 458-466.
Graham, Toby Patterson. A Right to Read: Segregation and Civil Rights in Alabama's Public Libraries, 1900-1965. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2002.
Stewart, George Ray. "The Special Collections of the Birmingham Public Library." M.A. thesis, Emory University, 1971.
Thompson, George Clinton. "Ezra Winter's Murals: Birmingham Public Library." Alabama Heritage 28 (Spring 1993): 26-36.
James L. Baggett
Birmingham Public Library Archives
Published December 11, 2007
Last updated May 12, 2011
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My son recently changed schools. He began on a week that was only 3 days and wasn’t even acedemic, which was good, so he’d have time to adjust to the people, new routine and new rules.
So he recently had a regular acedemic day and we got an email from his teacher. He’d experienced some anxiety and had needed to be redirected from doing a couple of minor things and so she was emailing me to tell me about it as well as ask for suggestions. She mentioned that he probably didn’t trust them yet but with time it would get better, she said, she told him he’d be fine, to relax about the classwork for now, to just listen along.
The only thing I first read and took in, were the behavior based issues. I looked right past the amazing things she said and how she wasn’t really telling on him to get him in trouble as much as she was reporting to inform me she had his back, her eye on him and of course to ask for suggestions to ease his anxiety.
Light bulb! I was stunned when I realized the real reason for the email. I’ve been so programmed over the last couple of years to hear/read reports of all the negative things about my son and very few positive reports. That’s not saying the positive reports weren’t there, it is however, supporting the fact that the negative over shadowed the positive in numbers but also in importance of the negative in the communications from the other school.
I realized I had let the old school’s way of communicating about my son train me to only read/hear the negative from others because that is largely what they shared.
Apprently he isn’t the only one who has to jump into a new atmopshere and do things differently. I thought his move to a new school was about only about him. It seems this was a good move for the entire family.
Thank you to Mabel’s Labels for their sponsorship this month! Be sure to connect with them…
Did you know that Mabel’s Labels can help you fundraise? Check it out here!
What are Preschool Shoe Labels? Help your toddlers learn left from right AND label their shoes with their names!
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Stephanie Small is founder of Three Sisters Nutrition, a phone-based practice helping women improve their relationship with food, and blogs for holistic weight loss site 9 Weight Loss.
These days it seems as though most women have some sort of problematic relationship with food and their bodies. They may avoid carbs, fat, or calories. Perhaps they’re in the gym three hours a day to burn off their breakfast, or they’re vomiting, or using appetite suppressants. Perhaps they look in the mirror and see a large, bloated stomach and monstrous thighs while in reality an average or even slim build is reflected.
Some restrictive behaviors can be normal for the health-conscious. But when does it cross the line? How do you know if your behaviors are cause for concern?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the American Psychiatric Association’s guidebook, describes eating disorders as “severe disturbances in eating behavior.” While anorexia nervosa is characterized as “a refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight,” the hallmarks of bulimia nervosa are “repeated episodes of binge eating followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or other medications; fasting; or excessive exercise.” The DSM-IV goes on to list many other features of each disorder, as they are not one-dimensional.
An “Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified” (EDNOS) is indicated when someone engages in a few, but not all, of these behaviors. For example, if your cousin eats very little, is afraid of gaining weight, and has irregular periods, yet remains within a normal weight range, she likely falls under this category. Similarly, your friend who binges without purging also may have EDNOS.
Interestingly, none of the above diagnoses address the quality of the food, but rather the behaviors around food. Orthorexia was coined in 1997 to indicate an “unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.” If an individual cares more about the virtue of what they are eating than the pleasure they derive from eating it, they may be orthorexic. If their diet isolates them socially, they may be orthorexic. This manner of eating has an obsessive-compulsive quality and anxiety results when the individual doesn’t eat the “right way.”
However, let’s place this in a cultural context by looking at the average American diet. If a health-conscious individual is living in a community riddled with fast-food chains, they may well look like the odd one out at social gatherings. They may not be super-excited about eating their steamed kale and pasture-raised chicken while everyone else is chowing on fried chicken and french fries, and their diet may isolate them from others. This is less likely to be orthorexia (although it still could be) and more likely to be a cultural mismatch.
Bottom line? It’s about your attitude to food. If, overall, you’re okay with your weight, your appearance and the choices you make about what you put in your mouth, you are probably doing fine. We all overeat here and there, or watch what we eat for a few days so we can fit into a dress. But if you find yourself consistently preoccupied with food and the way you look, it’s a good idea to consult a professional about your concerns.
Editor's Note: Natural Home does not recommend, approve or endorse the products/services offered by companies guest bloggers review online. You should use your own judgment and evaluate products and services carefully before deciding to purchase. The views expressed by guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of Natural Home
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|7/23/2001: Commission Asks Powell to Raise Religious-Freedom Issues on Asia Trip|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The U.S. Commission has written to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell asking him to "raise prominently the protection of religious freedom in China, Vietnam, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" during his upcoming trip to the region. The text of the letter follows:
July 17, 2001
Dear Secretary Powell:
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom urges you to raise prominently the protection of religious freedom in China, Vietnam, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea during your upcoming trip to the region later this month.
China. Systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom in China continue. The persecution is so broad and severe, and the numbers of victims so high, that China cries out for immediate and prominent attention. Leaders and members of unregistered Protestant and Roman Catholic churches have been arrested, Tibetan Buddhist monasteries closed and private religious practice monitored, and Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang have been executed on specious charges and without even a semblance of due process or fair trial. The government has intensified its campaign against the Falun Gong movement, and at least 150 followers have reportedly died in police custody, allegedly following torture. More than 1,000 religious buildings and sites in Wenzhou were confiscated or destroyed by Chinese officials in late 2000. The government continues to maintain tight control over the training and selection of clergy and leaders of the official Protestant and Catholic churches.
The Commission in its May 2001 annual report recommended that the U.S. government persistently urge, at the highest levels and at every opportunity, the Chinese government to take specific, measurable steps to protect religious freedom. The Commission asks that you stress the importance of such progress in your meetings with Chinese officials and ensure that religious freedom is prominent in President Bush's talks with Chinese officials at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in October.
Vietnam. Despite the increase in religious practice among the Vietnamese people in the last 10 years, the Vietnamese government continues its repressive policy toward all religions and their followers in Vietnam, including Hoa Hao Buddhists as well as Christians who are members of ethnic minorities, and appears to have increased its crackdown on prominent religious dissidents during the first half of 2001. Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly, a Roman Catholic priest who submitted written testimony to the Commission's February 2001 public hearing on Vietnam, and Venerable Thich Quang Do, the second-ranking leader of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), have recently been imprisoned or placed under house arrest. In February 2001, the Vietnamese government violently suppressed protests by thousands of ethnic minority Central Highlanders seeking the return of ancestral lands and the freedom to practice their religion. Although the Vietnamese government permitted Ambassador Peterson to visit the area this month, he reported significant obstruction from local officials in Gia Lai province during his visit. In April 2001, the Vietnamese government recognized the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (ECVN) in the south; however, this recognition apparently does not cover up to two-thirds of Vietnam's nearly 1 million Protestants who are ethnic minorities.
The Commission is also concerned about the inhumane treatment of the Patriarch of the UBCV, the Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, who is 83 years old and has remained under house arrest without charge in a remote village of Quang Ngai province since 1982. He is reportedly suffering from serious hypertension, kidney and stomach disorders, and the inability to walk without assistance. Nevertheless, the Vietnamese government has prevented him from traveling to Ho Chi Minh City for proper medical treatment.
The Commission draws your attention to its recommendation in its letter of March 29, 2001, that you raise religious freedom concerns in Vietnam, including the deteriorating treatment of prominent religious dissidents, during your meetings with Vietnamese officials at the ASEAN meetings in Hanoi.
North Korea. The Commission also understands that you will be meeting with Japanese and Korean officials in Tokyo and Seoul, respectively. Given the extreme deprivation of religious freedom in North Korea, the Commission has recommended that the U.S. government work with Japanese and South Korean officials - as a part of the trilateral policy coordination - to press upon North Korean officials the importance that the U.S. assigns to the protection of human rights, including religious freedom, and to the eradication of particularly severe violations thereof. The Commission urges you to raise this issue with your Japanese and South Korean counterparts during the upcoming trip.
Thank you for your consideration of the Commission's recommendations. We would be grateful if you would share with us the findings and achievements of your trip upon your return.
FOR THE COMMISSION
Michael K. Young
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Miranda was a seemingly uninteresting moon whose fascinating features were stumbled upon by accident. Voyager 2's orbit required it to fly close to Miranda. Surprisingly, the quick fly-by revealed that Miranda was more intriguing than we had ever suspected.
Miranda's appearance is what sets it apart from all other moons. Strange grooves, trenches, huge gashes, and other abnormal features litter Miranda's surface. Two huge oval-shaped features called coronae are also present. These coronae are about 300 km long and are surrounded by ridges, giving the appearance of a race track. It looks as if the planet has somehow been beaten up.
So how did Miranda acquire its strange appearance? One theory is that Miranda has been broken apart over and over again, and its pieces have reformed together each time, creating jagged seams and edges. Another possibility is that hot spots under the surface swelled up and burst through the surface, altering its appearance. The most dull, and also the most probable explanation is simply that layers of melted and refrozen ice have molded the shape of the surface into what we see today. Whatever did cause it, it made an interesting moon out of what would have been a very mundane one.
* Photo credit - JPL
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What is in this article?:
- A new farm bill can’t come quickly enough for Roger Johnson, National Farmers Union (NFU) president. “We want a bill – a five-year farm bill. We’re doing everything we can to make that happen. We see enormous problems with an extension (of the 2008 farm bill) of any duration.”
Hoping to push a new farm bill across the finish line during the lame duck session, on Nov. 29 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack hosted leaders of the House and Senate agriculture committees. While White House/Congress budget negotiations have predictably devolved into partisan sniping, participants at the Vilsack meeting expressed optimism that the new farm legislation can be quickly passed.
Among them was Oklahoma Rep. Frank Lucas, who was re-elected as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee a day earlier. "I am proud of the work the Committee has completed over the past two years,” said Lucas in a statement. “We have provided valuable oversight of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that our agricultural producers are not burdened with unreasonable and costly regulations.
"And, we advanced a strong, reform-minded, fiscally responsible farm bill that can save billions of dollars and provide certainty to our agricultural producers. This process is not complete though I am confident that it’s just a matter of time.”
The new farm bill can’t come quickly enough for Roger Johnson, National Farmers Union (NFU) president. “We want a bill – a five-year farm bill. We’re doing everything we can to make that happen. We see enormous problems with an extension (of the 2008 farm bill) of any duration.”
Johnson also explained NFU’s positions on the budget negotiations, taxes and the recent decision by the EPA to not waive the Renewable Fuels Standard. Among his comments:
On current farm bill negotiations and the chances of new legislation versus an extension of 2008 law…
“We’re strongly opposed to an extension for a bunch of reasons.
“We still think there’s a very credible chance we can get a five-year farm bill passed through the lame duck session. The biggest reason is a five-year bill will deliver some deficit reduction – somewhere between $23 billion and $35 billion. An extension would provide no deficit reduction unless they cut something out of what would be extended.
“An extension would also give nothing for disaster relief. I can’t imagine a circumstance where we’d get an extension with deficit reduction and a disaster title to help heal the livestock sector. I don’t think the dollars or the political will are there to do that.”
On the difficulties of passing an extension…
“Doing an extension is much more difficult (now) than with previous farm bills. Again, the (proposed bills) have deficit reduction. We’ve never seen that during my lifetime – they always added a bit more money rather than cut some out.
“Another reason an extension is difficult is all the innovations put in the 2008 farm bill pretty much expire. With an extension, they won’t get funding. That seems kind of backwards. You’d think the more recent additions would be more relevant to current needs rather than things put in place many decades ago.
“An extension would protect the old things but not the new. Specifically, there were 37 new programs authorized in the 2008 farm bill totaling about $10 billion that disappear – disaster programs, the Energy Title, a number of conservation programs and beginner farmer programs.
“Presumably what’s happening right now is that you’ve got leaders of the (Senate and House agriculture committees) talking about how they can ‘marry up’ the provisions (in the two farm bill versions). Then, they could present a unified proposal to those assembling the pieces of whatever the ‘fiscal cliff’ legislation will be. That’s the vehicle for passing a five-year farm bill. So, yes, we still think passage has a real chance.”
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I received today a link to a very interesting article which plays on the fears of the public, and which I am sure will result in tough new regulations to our industry. The article discusses how IOActive researcher Barnaby Jack reverse-engineered a ”pacemaker transmitter” (probably a programmer or a MICS module) to command ICDs within a 30
Today Boston Scientific reported its results for Q3 2012. For its AIMD divisions: Cardiac Rhythm Management sales dropped from $503M in Q3 of 2011 to $462M for this year (-8%), a 6% decrease on constant-currency basis. Neuromodulation sales grew by 5% from $84M to $88M.
Biotronik announced the European market release of BioMonitor®, an implantable cardiac device designed for the highly accurate and reliable monitoring and management of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) or unexplained syncope. According to Biotronik’s press release: “BioMonitor® is a subcutaneous implantable leadless cardiac monitor for the long-term continuous remote monitoring of patients with arrhythmias such as
St. Jude announced today its third quarter 2012 results. From the press release: “Total CRM sales, which include implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and pacemaker products, were $691 million for the third quarter of 2012, an 8 percent decrease compared with the third quarter of 2011. Total CRM sales for the third quarter decreased 4 percent
A collaboration of Tufts Univeristy, University of Illinois and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) resulted in the development of electronic devices that dissolve in water or biological fluids dissolves and break down in traces of silicon and magnesium. Because of the small amount, these components can be harmlessly assimilated by biosystems like the human body, potentially
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Parents are being urged to get their kids swimming after international research revealed more under 5s know how to play a computer game than swim.
The ASA, the English national governing body for all things swimming, is worried about the trend revealed in the AVG's Digital Diaries global research especially as it includes children from the UK.
The research asked mothers, all with children aged two to five years, to rank a list of computer and traditional life skills according to how early their children had mastered them.
It showed nearly six in ten children (58%) know how to play a computer game but only two in ten know how to swim (20%).
Jon Glenn, the ASA’s Head of Learn to Swim, said: “This new research is worrying because we urge parents to get their children in the water from six months old. Two to five years is the ideal age for children to learn to be confident and have fun in the pool.
“Drowning is also the third most common cause of accidental death for children in the UK and although most children learn to swim at primary school, this could be too late.
“I appreciate parents have lots of demands on their time but I’d urge them to put learning to swim, or just going to the pool to have fun, high on their priority list for their under fives. Swimming is also a lot healthier for their youngster than sitting in front of a computer.”
Contact the Aquatic Officer below for more information
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• Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections contribute considerably to morbidity and mortality among infants in the United States. In a preliminary study aimed at protecting fetuses from congenital disease we evaluated Towne 125—strain CMV vaccine in ten female pediatric nurses of childbearing age. The women were seen 2, 4, 8, 12, 26, 39, and 52 weeks after vaccination; specimens were obtained for routine laboratory testing, virus isolation, cell-mediated immunity testing, and serologic examination (complement fixation, anticomplement immunofluorescence [ACIF], and neutralization). Local but not systemic reactions were observed in all subjects. Serologic responses appeared at two to four weeks and peaked at four to eight weeks. Mean titers were highest in the ACIF test. A cell-mediated immune response, as assayed by lymphocyte proliferation, was observed in all women, and in most there was a biphasic pattern. Towne 125—strain CMV vaccine seems to be safe and immunogenic in women of childbearing age.
(Am J Dis Child 1982;136:294-296)
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The Cornhusker State’s agricultural land markets remain strong, with an overall increase of 25% in the last year.
Despite an extreme drought and indicators of weaker agricultural earnings on the horizon, Nebraska's agricultural land markets remain strong, with an overall increase of 25% in the last year, according to preliminary findings from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Following the advances of 22 and 32% in the previous two years, the 2013 all-land value of $3,040 per acre is more than double the value in early 2010.
"Few would disagree that this period has clearly been a land boom," said UNL agricultural economist Bruce Johnson, who leads the annual Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Developments survey.
Survey reporters across the state reported percentage gains for all the farmland classes for the period from Feb. 1, 2012 to Feb. 1, 2013, but "the variation across the classes as well as across sub-state regions was extreme," Johnson said.
Drought conditions in 2012 lifted market demand for irrigated cropland, Johnson said, as irrigated land classes had the largest percentage value gains across the state.
"Income flows from irrigated land have been phenomenal in recent years, and 2012 was no exception," he said. "The combination of favorable irrigated yields while widespread drought was seen across the nation's Corn Belt fueled high crop commodity prices."
In the southern parts of Nebraska (Southwest, South, and Southeast districts) the percentage value advances for irrigated land were particularly strong over the past year.
For dryland cropland values, the percentage increases over the past year varied greatly across the state. In the Northwest and North districts, the value gains were below 10%, while reported values were more than 30% higher in the South and Southeast districts. The land class, dryland cropland with irrigation potential, shows considerable variation as well. The presence of water moratoriums across much of the state precludes irrigation development even if groundwater sources exist.
Despite the heavy toll of drought that cut forage capacity as much as 50% or more during the 2012 grazing season, grazing land value values still rose, Johnson said.
"Forage shortfalls for cattlemen may have actually caused a more spirited bidding for additional land just to maintain their cow herd numbers," he added. "Unfortunately, even if the drought ends quickly, it may be several years before grazing capacity may be able to return to pre-drought levels."
Survey reporters "frequently commented that current land prices being paid seem over-optimistic," Johnson said. "In turn, when asked what they expected land value movements to be for the remainder of 2013 as well as out three to five years, the vast majority saw a market which had topped out with little if any upward movement in the near future.
"In fact, a sizable number of reporters thought values could weaken somewhat in the next few years," he added.
Survey reporters also indicated that 2013 cash rental rates for cropland were up from 2012 levels. Preliminary estimates for dryland cropland cash rents in eastern Nebraska averaged about 8% above a year ago, while rates in the rest of the state rose 5% or less. The increase was much below the annual rises of the past few years, reflecting the seriousness of soil moisture deficits going into the 2013 crop year.
Across the state, center pivot irrigated cropland cash rental rates for 2013 were reportedly 13 to 15% above a year earlier. Reported rates for the high-third quality center pivot cropland were over $400 per acre across the eastern third of the state. The value of water in rain-deficit periods, particularly with the efficiency of the center pivot technology, is clearly being reflected in these rates.
Pasture land rates on a per-acre basis moved upward for 2013 in most regions of the state. Last year's forage production shortfalls with depleted carry-over stocks into this year have sharpened the market for pasture, even though the potential grazing output will very likely be below normal for the year. On a cow-calf pair per month basis, the rates were up from a year earlier in all regions with most districts showing gains in the 3 to 6% range.
Comparing the recent percentage gains in value of agricultural land classes with the associated lower percentage gains in cash rental rates indicate a continuing pattern of lower rent-to-value ratios associated with all farmland classes, Johnson said.
"At some point, the implied economic returns to land as a percent of value can fall to a point where market participants say 'enough' and no longer bid values higher," he said. "Here in Nebraska, we well may be quickly approaching that point."
The findings in this report are preliminary. A final report will be released this summer.
More information, including tables showing details of average land values for all classes of land, is at www.agecon.unl.edu.
For More Information
Read more AgWeb land news.
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Fishing tips and tutorials, this video will focus on how to pitch a spinning tackle.
Tags:bass fishing,catch more bass how to catch bass,exbassguide,Fishing Tips,fishing tutorials,how to fish pitch a spinning rod,pitch a rod,spinning rod
Grab video code:
Okay let us get into a little bit on how to pitch spinning tackle. I am using a plastic worm and 14 pound tess-fire-line. This is one of my jig flipping pitching rods and the technique is I want to have the lower about as long as the reel, give or take and then I want to hold the line in my hand. I am going to drop the rod. It's going to have the lower swing forward. As it's swinging forward, I am going to flick the rod which is going to load it and which is going to cast it. So it's going to look like that.
That went about 30 feet. Very easy to pitch without a lot of force. Here it is again. And I control the lure in the air with the friction of my hand. I raise the rod tip, increase friction on the guides to pull it up off the water a little bit, if it's going too low of a trajectory. And so you can control the bait in the air. You can pull back to the side. You can slow it down. You can let it go to get it further and then stop it at the very end. There is a lot of adjustments you can do when it is in the air.
I want you to see the technique and practice it. So you start it about like that and flick. And I can get it quite away so it's very accurate, very soft landing. Here is one more technique I'd like you to see. This is a harder longer distance pitch, where you swing it out. You go past on the side end and then fling it. I almost got caught in here, not that close. So you get a lot of distance. With distance comes less accuracy and more splash potential. You want to stick to 30-45 foot, range because that is the most controlled soft entry, easier to hit a target and you are going to do real good doing that.
Give that a try and perfect it and you'll catch a lot of fish. There is also pitch-skipping. I'll show you that, and that is vertical, so it is very accurate and it's --and you keep it lower, you keep the rod pretty close to level. One more time, like that. You want to let it run, you don't want to control the line. You want to let it run underneath that dock, underneath that bush as far as you can. So that's how you do it. Give it a practice. Let me know what do you think and see you on the lake sometime.
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- Main News
Starships, warp speed, transporters, phasers. Think “Star Trek” technology is only the stuff of fiction? Think again.
By By Frank Simons
Dr. Peter Jansen, a PhD graduate of the Cognitive Science Laboratory at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has developed a scientific measurement device based on the tricorders used by Captain Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy and other space adventurers on the classic TV series that has spawned numerous spin-offs in more than 45 years.
“Star Trek inspired me to be a scientist” said Jansen, who has been formally working on his tricorder prototypes since 2007, but toying with the idea of making a functioning device since he was “a kid in high school.”
The 29-year-old Jansen’s school days spanned the late 1990s when “Star Trek: Voyager” was on the air. It featured his favorite tricorder, a model with screens on top and bottom.
The first tricorder appeared on the original show’s initial episode in 1966, when Capt. Kirk swaggered toward audiences with his phaser weapon holstered to his side but a tricorder in his hand. The hand-held devices for data sensing, analysis and recording, have been a part of “Star Trek” ever since.
But if Jansen, a self-confessed “addicted maker” of things, is successful at developing, testing and bringing his instrument into the public, the tricorder may not be just the stuff of “Star Trek” prop rooms. It may be used for real.
Jansen said his tricorder can take atmospheric measurements, or ambient temperature, pressure or humidity. It can take electromagnetic measurements to test magnetic fields, and it can make spatial measurements of distance, location, or motion.
Fascinating, as Spock might say.
Jansen thinks of his tricorder as a “general tool” — a kind of “Swiss Army Knife” — with practical uses in building inspection, for instance, where it might help taking temperature and humidity readings or be a distance sensor to measure rooms.
It resembles the device carried by countless “Away Team” members in “Star Trek – The Next Generation” – his favorite of the “Star Trek” shows, he notes.
NO SCIENCE FICTION
No independent group has yet verified his claims for the device which, he said, is one reason for placing his designs on a public website as an “open source” that technology makers can utilize to test and tinker.
Jansen has posted schematics and designs of his first and second prototypes, the Mark 1 and Mark 2, for anyone to see and build. Jansen expects to have his latest version, the Mark 4, produced for “about $200.”
“Everything you need to build one is on line” at www.tricorderproject.org, said Jansen. He hopes others will follow his lead.
While it may sound like the stuff of science fiction, Jansen isn’t the only one to take notice of just how useful a real functioning tricorder would be – especially as a medical tool.
Telecommunications giant Qualcomm Inc this year launched the “Tricorder X-Prize Contest” with the slogan “Healthcare in the palm of your hand.” Qualcomm hopes to motivate developers with a $10 million prize to make medical tricorders a reality.
Wanda Moebus of the Advanced Medical Technology Association, who is not affiliated with Jansen or Qualcomm, told Reuters the X-Prize “is really cool,” but cautioned that making a real medical tricorder device “would have to be measured on its safety and effect, like all other medical technologies.”
Jansen said he has been approached by “a couple of teams” about the X Prize, but added that his prototypes are more for science research than medical tools.
Besides, he said he already is on to his next frontier, making a sort of “replicator,” another “Star Trek” device that will create 3D objects and foods that are dimensional copies of real items.
Jansen’s “replicator” is a 3D printer, which in itself is not really new, but the scientist thinks about it in terms reminiscent of “Star Trek’s” famous prologue. It’s “like nothing we’ve ever seen before,” Jansen said.
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Discovery Core II Options for Winter 2013
Addresses an important social issue through an interdisciplinary perspective, continues to build creative and critical skills, and focuses on the relationship between the individual and society.
PLAY: ANTHROPOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
We play as much as we work, but rarely do we think about play. Why do we play? How do we play? What are the meanings we attach to play, and how does play fit with the rest of what we do as humans? In this class we will explore the question of play. Starting with an investigation of the relation between play and work (and what this reveals about the mind), this class will look at play in a variety of forms: from joking , games, comedy, children's play, horseplay, fantasy, and on through organized sports, play is an everyday activity inseparable from what it is to be human.
DISCOVERY CORE II: ANIMAL BEING
This course will explore the question of where to locate the line between the human animal and non-human animal species. How intelligent are animals? How is their consciousness different from our own? Western scientific and philosophic traditions have defined "animal" to emphasize the differences between "higher" human and "lower" non-human species. Recent empirical research in animal behavior and paleontology, however, consistently challenges the assumption of a stark divide between humans and non-human animals. We’ll learn about what scientists refer to as “theory of mind”; consider indigenous and traditional peoples' views of animals; investigate how artists and poets depict animals; explore current evolutionary theory and recent research in animal tool and language use; love and affection, and human-animal co-evolution and ESP. The class will also feature at least one visit by an 8-year-old Australian Cattle Dog named Lily. Classes will be built around daily discussions and activities both inside and outside the classroom, experiential learning, and a variety of writing assignments leading to the final term paper. Readings and other texts will range from poetry to scientific journal articles, paintings, and documentary films. The class will feature at least one visit by a clever and well-socialized 11-year-old Australian Cattle Dog named Lily.
HURRICANE KATRINA: MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVE ON A NATURAL DISASTER
August of 2005 will long be remembered for the largest natural disaster in the nation’s history, Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans and numerous other areas of the Deep South continue to attempt recovery from this tragic storm. But how will the aftermath of this event be remembered? Was it a national failure by an ill-equipped emergency system? Was it a demonstration of institutional oppression in action? What about the clean up process? Who was contracted by the federal government and who performed the dangerous and dirty labor of rebuilding? What areas were cleaned up and what areas left in a state of complete destruction? How has the demographic of the Deep South been changed forever by this event? This course will examine the complex systemic failures and institutional oppressions revealed by this national disaster. Through an examination of multiple perspectives on the event students will gain a greater understanding of the multilayered crisis, conflict and the tensions brought to national attention by this tragedy.
REEL RESEARCH: SCREENWRITING & SCHOLARSHIP
Being a good researcher and writer is an integral part of being an effective filmmaker, media critic, and/or scholar. In this course we will focus on strengthening our research and writing skills in a variety of ways using the cinema as our focus. We will be expressing our knowledge through written essays and screenplays. Ultimately, we will tie scriptwriting and scholarship together by incorporating aspects of Classic Hollywood Narrative Structure into more traditional scholarly essays. This class is open to all levels of cineastes: from casual movie goers to serious cinephiles.
COMPARATIVE WORLD RELIGIONS
This course serves as a comprehensive introduction to the world's most popular religions. Here we will study the basic tenets of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Taoism and Confucianism. We will also discuss new developments in religion through movements such as Wicca, Santeria and other New Age religions. Our focus in studying religions in a comparative aspect will be to study the historical, social, cultural and political circumstances that led to the rise of each religion and understand their interaction with existing spiritual practices at that time. We will attempt to outline the basics of each religion, its spiritual practices, its relationship with divinity, rituals and beliefs and values that form the basis of each faith. While this course serves as a broad survey of each religion, we will also focus on understanding religion as a concept from a non-dominant, non-Western perspective. We will use illustrations from diverse faith-practices in the world to discover how, for example, Christianity functions as a minority religion in India or Egypt; or how the history of migration has endowed Judaism with certain religious practices. Our aim, in this course is to understand not only the basics of each religion we study but also how they interact and influence each other. The course will incorporate an important research element through ethnographic discovery of various religions, which will allow students to engage in site-visits, interviews, surveys etc. to understand religions unfamiliar to them. Most importantly the aim of this course is to trace the values of each religion that affect our daily lives. Through such a process we seek to understand how religion continues to influence the mundane aspects of culture, politics, spirituality and human values.
10879 H 5 TTh 845-1045 UW1 010 AMBIKAR,RUCHA P
Addresses an important social issue through an interdisciplinary perspective; builds creative and critical skills of writing, analysis, and quantitative reasoning; and explores, through scientific methods, one aspect of the natural world.
This course will include a general overview of the greenhouse effect, carbon footprinting, sustainability, and the debate about anthropogenic climate change. We will cover scientific facts about global warming and the methods used to arrive at those conclusions. We will also touch on the climate policy challenges we face in an increasingly modernizing world.
WATER IN THE WEST
This course explores both the physical and social dimensions of the Earth’s water resources, with a focus on the role of water in the development and growth of the western United States. Ensuring safe and sustainable water resources requires not only a firm understanding of the physical-chemical characteristics of water, but also of its social and economic importance. This interdisciplinary course will look at water and the many places it touches our lives, including the unique properties and importance of water for human life and ecosystem function and the ways we use, abuse, revere, ignore and fight over water in human societies. The class will cover the intersections among our scientific understanding of water, our technological developments in controlling water, and our cultural attitudes and subsequent behavior toward this elemental resource. We will focus on case studies of a variety of environmental and human health problems resulting from human impacts on water resources, including power generation on the Columbia River and sewage disposal in Lake Washington, and contextualize them both in terms of their physical, chemical, and biological underpinnings and in terms of the societal needs and pressures that arise from the use of these water resources. Additional topics include floods, droughts, domestic water supply, dams and dam removal, habitat degradation, and climate change. Field studies of local streams and lakes will be used to introduce hydrological field methods and to illustrate fundamental principles and phenomena.
CHEMISTRY AND CARS
The course title is "Chemistry and Cars". We will cover practical chemistry related to cars- metallurgy and plastics, combustion, exhaust and pollution, fluids, friction, batteries, and more. In addition, we will discuss larger issues related to chemistry and transportation such as waste, recycling, mining and production, and social impacts of our car-centered society.
The course relies heavily on applications of chemistry, critical thinking, analysis, and evaluation of information and data. We will focus on academic research and research writing. This includes source topic selection, source evaluation and selection, and organization. We will cover this explicitly and you will practice it by writing a research paper and scientific paper based on experimental work.
There will be a significant reading and writing component to the class. You will also create, interpret, and apply numerical reasoning in the form of tables and graphs. Mathematics will be limited to basic calculations (averages and basic mathematics).
ENGINEERING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Engineering is the art and science of making useful things. More than that, it is turning ideas into reality, solving problems, making the best of the resources at one's disposal, and using human ingenuity to ease suffering and further well-being. Above all, it is a way of thinking, a frame of mind rooted in curiosity about how things work. This class introduces students to the practice of engineering, to what it's like to be and think like an engineer. It is geared for students who are considering a major in engineering, and who wish to learn more about it before making a commitment. Also welcome are students interested in exploring science and mathematics from the engineering perspective, and those wishing to engage the challenge of harnessing the work of the engineer to build socially just, democratic, and sustainable communities. These themes will be addressed through readings and problem-solving activities that introduce the mathematical tools and scientific concepts common to all engineering disciplines, develop ethical perspectives, and foster sensitivity to the environment and human needs in engineering design and deployment of new technologies.
Examines an important social issue such as ecology, art, political change, the power of media, educational reform, or the role of science in contemporary culture through interdisciplinary investigation and the lens of the visual, literary, and performing arts.
PARTICIPATORY MEDIA CULTURE
This course explores digital participatory media (Web 2.0) as socioeconomic and cultural phenomena that are being shaped by (mostly young) people and subcultures. Case studies of social media convergences in diverse cultural communities such as YouTube, Facebook, videogames, and Arab revolutionaries will be researched and critiqued. Students will learn to collaboratively and individually analyze, discuss, critique, and write about new interactive media forms, networks, and systems, and gain an understanding of the potential future trajectories of the expanding media environment.
PERFORMANCE : FROM SPOKEN WORD TO PERFORMANCE ART
n this class we will be exploring different types of performance as it relates to the development and presentation of research. Through readings, experiential activities, guest workshops, screenings and off-campus outings we will learn about different modes of contemporary performance ranging from spoken word, performance art, modern dance, and community-based performance. We will then use these modes as forms of investigation and research in the creation of original performance material to be shared with the class. Students will be expected to work collaboratively and independently in exploring these diverse modes of performance as well as reflect on their learning and personal exploration. Additionally, students will be expected to see at least one performance outside of class over the quarter to be mutually determined by professor and student.
FICTION ON PAGE AND SCREEN
Science Fiction (SF) has long served as a medium for imagining alternative worlds that invite us to think critically about our own, real world, and how we come to “know” it. This course will proceed along two parallel tracks. Firstly, students will get to know the SF genre directly by reading and viewing, in pairs, both printed SF texts and the films based upon them. Secondly, interspersed alongside those texts, we will read popular and scholarly writing about the distinctive characteristics of SF (as opposed to other kinds of literature) and how it works both as cultural critique, and as a “thought experiment” for how we produce knowledge. Taken as a whole, the course invites students to explore the relationship between this popular cultural form, which is mainly consumed as entertainment, and the philosophical and political issues that it engages with. The course will be organized around side-by-side pairings of printed texts with their film adaptations, in order to spark discussion about how the different forms of representation affect the reader/viewer’s experience of the material. Possible text-film pairings include Frankenstein (including scenes from both the 1931 and 1994 film versions); A Scanner Darkly; and V for Vendetta (here, the print text is a graphic novel), though others may end up on the syllabus instead. Critical texts will engage ongoing debates about the SF genre, film studies, and the tension between popular vs. academic SF studies.
CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND ITS INFLUENCE
This course examines photography as a contemporary art form and its influences from other mediums. Students will develop technical photographic skills, learn about contemporary photographers, and research influences from art history, and build a photographic portfolio.
This course reintroduces you to the UWB student support services and the library, ensures your continued work on your e-portfolios, and includes a small undergraduate-level research element. It uses “Asian Cinema” as a concrete object of study in order to direct you towards achieving the above goals. The course focuses on Asian cinema from an interdisciplinary perspective and exposes you to a variety of emerging dynamic films being made in this vast geographical region of the world. You will study the cinemas of Central Asia, Hong Kong, China, Korea, South Asia, Japan, Southeast Asia, Asian Australia, as well as the Middle East. You will look at the various forms and genres of this cinema ranging from fantasy fiction, horror, comedy, drama, political, and anime. And finally you will use your knowledge of film language and theory to critically analyze films.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT : JUSTICE IN LITERATURE, RELIGION, AND PHILOSOPHY
Entitled Crime & Punishment: Justice in Literature, Religion, and Philosophy, the 117E section of DCII guides students in examining the problems of justice and moral dilemmas across a wide historical range from ancient times to the present. How do we define justice, and from whose point of view? How does it relate to ideas of crime and punishment? To respond to these questions, we are going to broadly survey various texts and several rival theories of justice.
In Unit 1, we are going to draw a dynamic connection between the legal and moral dimensions of justice, in different cultural traditions. Themes include Ideas of Law and Moral Edicts; Mercy & Punishment; Forgiveness and Reflection. Readings include selections from The Bible and Plato's The Republic.
Unit 2 is on Moral Reasoning and Theories of Justice. The central guide is Michael J. Sandel’s book, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?
Unit 3 is on Consequences and Complexities with an emphasis on the importance of imaginative literature and imaginative empathy. Two plays are juxtaposed for critical examination: Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Additional readings include selected poems from some prominent poets.
While going outbound to identify sources of injustice out there in the world, this course also steers students’ critical attention to the role of imaginative empathy and inward self-critique, a fundamental feature that distinguishes this class. What is especially revealing is the transformative nature of seeking justice as exemplified in the two plays.
MUSIC IN EVERYDAY LIFE
Music in Everyday life (Winter 2013): Scholars of music tend to focus on one of two broad areas: either close readings of musical works or studies of the cultures from which these works emerged. Both approaches “center” the musical object and relegate personal encounters with that work to the periphery. Few scholars have studied the ways in which communities and individuals use music in their daily lives. Through readings from the scholarly literature, discussion, and self reflection, this class will attempt to shed light on how music structures our lives and influences our behavior. Simultaneously, we will consider how our daily lives shape our understanding of music. We will consider topics such as workout music, elevator music and Muzak, music in retail establishments, iPod culture, ringtones, and general music listening habits. A semester-long journal project will provide students with an opportunity to study their own individual listening habits.
MUSIC AND PHILOSOPHY
In this class, we will get better at thinking about, talking about, writing about, and playing music. We will take some time to focus on some particularly philosophical issues connected to music, including: What IS music? What is the connection between music and emotion? What is the value of music? We will primarily learn by doing. We will learn how to be more sophisticated and articulate in our thinking and writing about music by doing a lot of writing about it, mostly in the form of music reviews. We will learn how to play music and make philosophy by creating them as we go. One needn’t have any particular musical or philosophical talent, just the willingness to give music, thinking, and writing a try.
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The woods and the yards are filled with blooming dogwood trees in the springtime. This pretty dogwood tree is growing in Pipersville, Pennsylvania, USA. ☺
The four petals of the dogwood flower, having a rusty notch at the tip of each, are said to represent the cross of Jesus. The center of the bloom has the look of the crown of thorns. Many believe that the wood of this tree was used to make His cross. There is a poem about this below in the description.
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, Canon Zoom Lens EF-S 18-55mm, F/14.0, 1/400 sec, ISO 400.
(569 views on Jan. 23, 2012)
Dogwood… is the cover image for a CALENDAR called For Every Month ~ a Flower (click to view)
Pretty flowers decorate every month of this calendar. As you turn the pages throughout the year, there is always new beauty to brighten your day and maybe even lift your mood. ♥☺
Featured in COUNTRY GARDENS! on July 5, 2009
Featured in The World As We See It on Mar. 31, 2010
In Jesus’ time, the dogwood grew
To a stately size and a lovely hue.
‘Twas strong and firm, its branches interwoven,
For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.
Seeing the distress at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
“Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so.
Slender and twisted, it shall be
With blossoms like the cross for all to see.
As blood stains the petals marked in brown
The blossom’s center wears a thorny crown.
All who see it will remember Me
Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.
Cherished and protected, this tree shall be
A reminder to all of my agony."
~ Author Unknown ~
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Back-to-School Special - 1955
by Todd James Pierce
Now, I'm not sure schools have these newspaper readers any more. But when I was a kid (back in the 1970s), I remember them clearly. I'm pretty sure this "Picture Reader" was given out for the kindergarten and first-grade set--hence, the lack of words. But it's interesting to see how the park marketed itself during the first two months of its existence. By this point, the Disneyland economics team had a fairly good idea that customers at the park were roughly 75% adults and 25% children--though kids were seen as the way to lure adults into the park.
The cover photo here shows that "Ann is in Disneyland." And yes, Ann does in fact appear to be in Disneyland--albeit while the park is closed--but she's the only one of these kids inside the park. The kids in the stagecoach (1954, I'm guessing) are actually over at the studio in Burbank. Notice the louvered shades of the Animation Building in the background. And the two kids on the train (July 11, 1955) are out in the maintenance area behind Tomorrowland. Their trip to the park is part of a pre-opening photo-shoot. These two tots will end up on the mules, the Jungle River, and the streetcar--but aside from that they will have a great opportunity to see some buildings being painted, cement being poured, and the ABC technical crew placing their cameras on top of buildings so as to best capture the opening day ceremonies.
But still, this reader takes me back to an era when kids simply couldn't click through the Internet to see photos of Disneyland. They had to wait for pictures to arrive on TV, or at the movies, or in the Weekly Picture Reader that was distributed to hundreds of schools--at least in California.
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is always looking for talented writers. Think you have what it takes? Drop us an email at salarytalk [at] salary.com. Read more...
There is no right or wrong way to write a resume. But competition for jobs is fierce right now. You need to develop a resume that sets you apart from the masses. It can’t be a passive piece of paper. It must be a passionate representation of who you are and why you are the best person for the job.
In today’s competitive job market, it’s important that you help employers see the benefits of hiring you over someone else. Organizations need to know that you will help them attain their corporate objectives. Your resume is the first step in expressing that message to them. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.
Select the Type of Resume that Works for You
There are three types of resumes: chronological, functional and combination. The chronological resume lists job and education history in a reverse chronological order. The functional resume concentrates on skills and abilities. In this approach, names of employers, dates and education history details are omitted and the information is not presented chronologically.
Most employers prefer chronological resumes because the format makes it much easier to see the applicant’s career progression. The majority of the advice included here relates most closely with the chronological format. While a functional resume may work better for someone who is changing fields and wants to use a more skills-oriented format, it may be better to try a combination resume instead. This style combines the primary elements of the chronological and functional resume formats by presenting relevant skills and abilities but doing so in chronological order.
Select a design and format that allows you to highlight the most important information about your work experience, skills and education that directly relates to the job you are applying for. Keep the layout clean and easy to read to help pull the reader in. Simple, clean ivory or white 81/2 x 11 paper with a professional, clean looking font is the best approach. Stick to using one font and use bold and italics if necessary.
Resumes should begin with your name, address, e-mail and phone number(s). Make it easy for a potential employer to contact you. Avoid including personal Information such as age, height, weight, and marital status. It is unnecessary and out of place in a professional resume.
If possible, keep your resume to one page, - two pages at the most. A well summarized representation of your work history, experience and education is far more impactful than a long, rambling clearing house of every job you’ve ever had.
Grammar and Punctuation
We may be stating the obvious, but your resume must be free of spelling mistakes and include correct grammar and punctuation. Any mistake of this kind calls into question your accuracy and attention to detail and can dash your chances of getting an interview. Be on the safe side and have two or three people proofread your resume before you send it along to any potential employer.
Assuming you have an attractive, clean looking resume, the objective becomes your next opportunity to grab an employer’s attention. A well worded objective should never be more than two sentences. Avoid generic, broad objectives that will make an employer move quickly to the next applicant. Instead, read the job advertisement closely in order to determine what the employer is really looking for and customize the objective for each individual organization.
You should place the experience section of your resume after the objective section. List your employers, job location, employment dates, job titles, and descriptions of your tasks, accomplishments and skills. Employers want to know what you did and how closely that experience matches their needs. Things to consider when summarizing your relevant experience:
Education statements should include dates of attendance, majors, minors and degrees. List your most recent or impressive educational achievement first. You should also list additional coursework if it is related to position in question. Try to list unique talents or specialized skills in hot demand in your field of interest in this section as well.
Be sure to include relevant awards or special recognition if you have received any. These are "eye catchers" that will keep the reader interested. Remember, you want to include items that set you apart from the crowd and designations of this sort indicate accomplishment, skill and leadership potential. This can be included along with the education statement or as a stand alone section of your resume.
How Far back should you go?
Generally, it is reasonable to go back 10 – 15 years in your work history. If you have a longer work history than that, you can divide your work history into two sections, "recent" and "relevant", or include a separate paragraph that summarizes all relevant prior experience.
Addressing gaps in your work history
Rather than leaving a gap, it is best to indicate what you were doing; whether you were a full-time parent, on maternity leave, traveling, studying, or volunteering. If you are currently in a gap period, you may want to consider fitting in some volunteer work along with the job search which is an excellent element to include in your resume. You are likely to catch the eye of a potential employer if you can show you have participated in some type of volunteer work even on a very limited basis.
Do Your Research
As always, you need to do some research before you take a stab at updating your resume. There is no need to attempt this important endeavor in a vacuum. Search the internet for examples and try different formats or "looks" to see how they accommodate the information you wish to include. If you are at a complete loss, consider going to a reputable resume preparation service. If it helps your resume get noticed, it is worth the extra expenditure.
The internet is an important tool in assisting individuals in their job search. It is always a good idea to have printed copies of your resume on hand, but it is increasingly important to have an "electronic resume" updated and at you fingertips. This allows you to forward your resume for networking and job application purposes quickly and easily. You can also load your electronic resume onto job search databases and social networking sites that will give your resume increased visibility and exposure.
The first level of pre-screening of resumes via the internet is done on a keyword basis. You will increase the chances of your resume being searched and reviewed by potential employers if you incorporate key words and phrases that describe core skills required for the type of job you are looking for. Also, be sure to keep your resume updated and consistent across all of the sites you decide to use.
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Message to Democrats: Don't Worry, Be Happy!
There are good reasons to be hopeful after the midterm elections. Just look at what happened in 1994.
The headlines tell us of big Republican gains in these midterm elections, including the retaking of control of the U.S. House of Representatives. They also point to a number of victories for candidates from the far-right Tea Party movement. True enough. And this is news.
But I am not depressed or alarmed by these election returns. Indeed, this will no doubt surprise many people: I believe Obama is on track for re-election in 2012 and that the Democrats can see in last night's results the path to success two years from now.
The result of this election is an endorsement neither of a right-wing agenda nor of Republican ideology. Consistent with long historical precedent, it is centrally a referendum on economic performance. As has long been the case, the party in power loses and loses big when an economic downturn has been long and deep. And this economic downturn has been that and more. Exit polls show clearly that for two-thirds of voters, the economy was the dominant consideration in how they voted.
For Democrats, this election is worse than the 1994 midterm with regard to losses in the House; Obama's losses are worse than Bill Clinton's. Obama, however, has presided over a far deeper recession. At the time of the 1994 midterm elections, the national unemployment rate was around 6 percent. Today unemployment is closer to 10 percent, indicative of much more widespread economic uncertainty and hardship. And this is almost certainly the principal reason that Obama's midterm setback in the House involves nine more seats than Clinton lost.
There is almost no difference between Obama's current approval rating and that endured by Clinton in 1994, with both at roughly 45 percent approval. The bigger difference between now and then -- between Obama's standing and that of Clinton -- is that 40 percent of voters thought the country was headed in "the right direction" under Clinton in 1994, but only 32 percent said so going into this year's elections, according to an October CBS News Poll.
The difference here is the state of economy. To wit, this election is not a repudiation of a liberal agenda run amok or of an Obama administration out of touch with the American people. It is a loud declaration of deep disappointment with the weak and uneven pace of the economic recovery after a catastrophic economic downturn.
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Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, and Pre-Veterinary Programs
Due to most professional schools now requiring four years of pre-professional work, the University strongly recommends that a student contemplating the study of medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine choose a major and work toward a baccalaureate degree.
A student may do major work in any department of the University as long as the student completes the basic science courses required by all of the professional schools: a year of biology or zoology, a year of organic chemistry and a year of physics. Most students interested in this program, however, pursue a Bachelor of Science degree by majoring in either biology or chemistry.
Because professional schools vary somewhat in admissions requirements, a student should become acquainted with the specific requirements of the school of his/her choice and must complete any special courses required in addition to the basic admission requirements. Students will work with their advisor for the Pre-Professional department to work toward meeting any specific requirments for their higher education.
Prior to making application to any medical school, a student is required to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). This test should be taken during the student’s junior year. Information about the MCAT is available through the American Association of Medical Colleges website at www.aamc.org.
Most dental schools require that students take the Dental Admissions Test (DAT). Information about the DAT is available through the American Dental Association website at www.ada.org.
Applicants to schools of Veterinary medicine should check each individual institution’s admissions requirements to determine which exam is required (VCAT, MCAT or GRE).
The pre-medical and pre-dental programs are under the direction of a Faculty Pre-Health Professions Committee, composed of one faculty member each from biology, chemistry, and physics. The committee makes recommendations for admission to dental and medical schools. Any student interested in a heath professions career should register with the Faculty Pre-Health Professions Committee sometime within the first semester of his or her freshman year. Students deciding on such careers after their freshman year should register with the committee as soon as possible.
Physical Therapy is a fast-growing and competitive field that requires a solid foundation in biological, chemical, physical and social sciences. Waynesburg University provides all of that and more.
The Pre-Physical Therapy Program at Waynesburg University is designed to serve the pre-professional needs of students planning to specialize in physical therapy. It is also excellent preparation for graduate study. The University’s strength as a liberal arts institution, combined with 200 hours of practical experience through internships in a variety of clinical settings, will help you prepare thoroughly for a career in physical therapy. The curriculum includes lecture and laboratory courses in evaluation and rehabilitation.
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How are websites ranked by popularity?
Alexa ranks sites based on tracking information of users of its Alexa Toolbar for Internet Explorer and Firefox and from their extension for Chrome. Hence the page is only ranked between users who have these sidebars installed and may be biased if specific audience is reluctant to do this (Windows Defender has classified the sidebar as malware while it assigns it to Trojans). Also, the rank is based on three month data and takes a long time to reflect changes in content that may happen after the domain has been sold. Finally, low ranks cannot be accurate not just because of the lack of data but also because of statistic laws related to the long tail distribution.
There is some controversy over how representative Alexa's user base is of typical Internet behavior, especially for less trafficked sites. In 2007 Michael Arrington provided a few examples of relative Alexa ranking known to contradict data from comScore, including ranking YouTube ahead of Google.
On April 16, 2008, many users reported dramatic shifts in their Alexa rankings. Alexa confirmed this later in the day with an announcement that they had released the new Alexa ranking system, claiming that they now take into account more data sources "beyond Alexa Toolbar users".
How can I get a higher ranking?
Web traffic can be increased by placement of a site in search engines and purchase of advertising, including bulk e-mail, pop-up ads, and in-page advertisements. Web traffic can also be increased by purchasing non-internet based advertising.
If a web page is not listed in the first pages of any search, the odds of someone finding it diminishes greatly (especially if there is other competition on the first page). Very few people go past the first page, and the percentage that go to subsequent pages is substantially lower. Consequently, getting proper placement on search engines is as important as the web site itself.
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Congress is set to take up a bill that aims to prevent commercials from being significantly louder than the programs they’re embedded in.
Yesterday, the House Communications, Technology and the Internet Subcommittee passed the bill on for consideration by the Commerce Committee, which must also approve the bill before it can be considered by the full House.
According to the official description of the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act (HR 6209), the bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to prescribe a regulation prohibiting advertisements accompanying video programming from:
- Being excessively noisy or strident
- Having modulation levels substantially higher than the accompanying program
- Having an average maximum loudness substantially higher than that of the accompanying program
The American Cable Association commended several House lawmakers for agreeing to work with small cable operators that have expressed concerns about legislation that would order the FCC to regulate the loudness of TV commercials.
Meanwhile, the ATSC is working on developing a set of recommended practices that broadcasters could employ to mitigate excessive commercial loudness.
ATSC President Mark Richer said: “We've been working for over two years to help broadcasters, cable operators and others come up with a uniform strategy so we can minimize the subjective perception of the volume changing during commercials. Our experts have developed what we call a recommended practice, which provides guidance to broadcasters and others on how to use our standard in a way that will minimize the 'audio loudness differential,' let's call it, that is bothersome to many people. It's a little more complicated than you would think, and getting everybody to agree on how to do it was not easy.” Richer was quoted by the DailyFinance.
The technological solution might require the purchase of additional equipment, which might place a financial burden on the smallest of cable operators, so the House sub-committee is prepared to consider an exemption for smaller providers.
"ACA is pleased that some House members recognize that many small cable operators have no control over the loudness of commercials contained in local TV shows or national cable networks," ACA President and CEO Matthew Polka said. "ACA is hopeful that Congress will consider an exemption for small cable companies that do not insert their own ads and will give small operators that perform ad insertions a reasonable amount of time to come into compliance."
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Seven Points is located in Texas.
Seven Points, Texas has a population of
Seven Points is
family-centric than the surrounding county with
20.57% of the households
containing married families with children.
The county average for households married with children is 24.49%.
The median household income in Seven Points, Texas is
The median household income for the surrounding county is $41,686
compared to the national median of $50,935.
The median age of people living in Seven Points is
Seven Points Environment
The average high temperature in July is 96
degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 34.1 degrees.
The average rainfall is approximately 35.4 inches
per year, with 1.3 inches of snow per year.
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- Nick Mead |
- June 8, 2011
Although there are several options out there, you don't need to buy scanning software to scan on a Mac. Popular packages such as VueScan leave a watermark unless you purchase the full version but OS X comes with a free tool called Image Capture which is perfect for basic scanning.
Just search in Spotlight for Image Capture and the main interface will open. If you've got a scanner attached, it will automatically detect it:
You're then ready to configure your scan.
Image Capture gives you two options - Flatbed (when you place the document face down on the scanner surface) or Feeder (when you feed a document into the scanner). It also presents you with a series of other options such as whether to scan in color or black and white, the resolution, where to save the file and which format you want to save it in:
Once you've customized it as you want, just hit Scan:
When the initial impression is revealed, use the selection tool to more accurately identify the part of the page you want to scan or the boundaries of the page if you want the entire thing. Scan again and you're done!
You'll find scans named by a generic "Scan" file name in the folder you chose as your target destination.
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With growing awareness about organic beauty products, people are more conscious about the ingredients that they apply on the skin. People are well aware of the fact that for flawless and healthy skin, one has to apply organic and natural ingredients. One such natural ingredient that is very popular is jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is extracted from the seeds of the jojoba plant which is woody shrub that grows in South West of United States. The jojoba plant is about 5-6 feet tall with wiry stems and waxy oval shaped small leaves. The fruit of the jojoba plant contains a small brown colored oval seed. The jojoba oil is extracted from this seed and then refined and distilled. Technically, jojoba oil is composed of wax esters whose composition is very similar to human sebum. After refining, jojoba oil is colorless and odorless which makes it ideal for adding it to various beauty formulations. There are many jojoba oil benefits for skin and we are going to discuss them in detail.
Benefits of Jojoba Oil for Skin
Due to the similarity in molecular structure of jojoba oil with skin’s sebum, jojoba oil gets easily absorbed in the skin. Therefore organic jojoba oil is a constituent in many skin creams and body lotion. Given below are some jojoba oil benefits for skin.
Jojoba Oil for Combating Dryness
Jojoba oil has hydrating and moisturizing properties which helps to keep skin moisturized. If you suffer from dry and flaky skin, then jojoba oil will help you to smoothen your complexion and get rid of excessive dryness. It is easily absorbed by the skin and makes it soft and supple. For people with sensitive skin, jojoba oil is quite safe to use, as it restores the skins natural oil balance without clogging pores.
Jojoba Oil for Anti Aging
If you look at the list of some good anti aging creams and serums, you will see that jojoba extract is one of the ingredients listed in it. Jojoba oil is excellent for reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Its unique structure makes it easy to get absorbed by the skin’s surface where it provides deep moisturization. Regular use of jojoba oil on skin can result in the reduction of crow’s feet, fine laugh lines and wrinkles. One of the major region for aging of the skin is the loss of hydration in the skin. Jojoba oil helps to keep the skin hydrated, thereby smoothing wrinkles and plumping fine lines.
Jojoba Oil for Skin Problems
People with sensitive skin who suffer from skin problems like rosacea, eczema, acne scars and psoriasis can find relief by applying organic jojoba oil. Since it has anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties, it is ideal to use for such skin problems. Even people with oily skin can use jojoba oil since it is non comedogenic and so does not block the pores of the skin.
How to Use Jojoba Oil
Now that you know the benefits of jojoba oil for skin, you must be wondering how to use it. The best way to use jojoba oil is to purchase a vial of organic jojoba oil and mix a few drops of it with your regular moisturizer. You can also mix jojoba oil with body lotion and apply it on your skin for moisturizing it. Jojoba oil can also be used as a makeup remover in place of regular makeup removers. Small amounts of this oil can be applied on lips to keep it soft and supple. You can also add a few drops of jojoba oil to massage oil for body massages.
The jojoba oil benefits for skin are many. You can use jojoba oil for regular moisturization, or as an anti-aging product. Using a natural ingredient like jojoba oil will help to keep your skin smooth, soft and blemish free. Source
Filed Under: Beauty Tips
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Concise tips for writers.
A writer should always love writing. That love will help to keep a writer motivated when they seem to be hitting a brick wall – both in terms of success and creativity.
1. Write about what you know. The internet makes it easy to research many things, but having basic knowledge in place saves time and will help the flow of your writing.
2. Choose as many subjects and genres as you can. This will help to keep your writing fresh, and improve your scope as a writer.
3. Be careful where you submit your work, especially on the net. Don’t give your rights away easily. Certainly don’t give your best work away for a pittance.
4. Identify what you are best at, and concentrate on that most of all.
5. Try and write every day. Practice will improve your writing skills. Try and identify and improve weak areas of your writing, whether its grammar, punctuation, etc.
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Education Policy Breakfast 2013
The NYU Steinhardt Education Policy Breakfast Series brings together policy leaders, legislators, business people, heads of corporations, foundations and advocacy organizations, university faculty, and school superintendents. For more than a decade, our goal has been to illuminate contemporary educational issues and foster discussion among the many constituencies concerned with education at both the local and national levels.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Kimmel Center for University Life, 10th Floor
60 Washington Square South
Common Core Standards
Part III: Desired Outcomes and Potential Consequences
This year, our theme for discussion will be the new Common Core Standards. Over the course of three sessions, we plan to examine the Common Core Standards and issues regarding their implementation, challenges that may arise in assessing achievement, and the potential outcomes of the standards -- both intended and otherwise. Questions we will consider include: What are the common core standards, and how were they developed? What will be the impact on teacher education in New York City and beyond? Are there any issues or special populations that have not been considered? We anticipate an informed, spirited discussion involving policymakers, education leaders, and researchers about this very timely issue.
The third and final installment in this year's series will explore the impact of the Common Core standards, from the outcomes desired by policymakers to possible unintended consequences for students, teachers, and schools. To do so, we will be joined by a distinguished panel featuring a policy maker, a researcher, and a practitioner. Seating is limited.
Guest speakers are:
- James Cibulka, President, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
- Ramon Gonzalez, Principal, MS 223 The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology
- Okhee Lee, Professor of Childhood Education, NYU Steinhardt
- Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers
- Joseph McDonald, Professor of English Education, NYU Steinhardt
Since the beginning of his presidency, Cibulka has focused on making accreditation a lever for change and reform in educator preparation to better meet urgent national P-12 needs. Under his leadership, the accreditation process focuses on moving educator preparation to excellence through continuous improvement and research-based transformation.
Cibulka has a long and distinguished record in higher education. Prior to his appointment as president of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), he served as dean of the College of Education at the University of Kentucky from 2002 to 2008, where he also held academic appointments in two departments. While in Kentucky, Cibulka was appointed by the governor to the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, and he served as chair of that body.
Cibulka started his career as an administrator for the Chicago Board of Education and as a teacher and administrator in the Model City Community Schools Program in Duluth, Minn. His first university appointment was at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he served for 23 years, establishing the Department of Community Education and directing the PhD program in urban education. Cibulka also served as the associate dean, chair, and professor at the University of Maryland’s College of Education.
Cibulka is the author of numerous books and scores of articles on education policy, administration, and community development. From 1992 to 1995, he also served as editor of the Educational Administration Quarterly. In 2006 he received the Stephen K. Bailey Award by the Politics of Education Association for “shaping the intellectual and research agendas of the field.”
Cibulka earned a BA from Harvard College, graduating magna cum laude, and a PhD from the University of Chicago.
Ramon Gonzalez has been a life long educator. He started teaching in 1995. He taught technology, English, and mathematics to 6th and 7th graders. The Merrow Report, a nationally syndicated show on education, spent the entire year documenting Ramon and his 6th grade class at IS 44. The recordings evolved into a three part series called "Growing up in the City", a program about race, education and identity in New York City. It continues to air on PBS 15 years later! Ramon has also written about adolescent issues and urban gangs. He contributed a chapter called "Welcome Home Boyz: Building Communities through Cultural Capital" in a book titled Adolescent Gangs: Old Issues, New Approaches edited by Curtis Branch, a professor at Columbia University in 1999. Ramon found through his research that some of the major issues that deeply influenced young people to join gangs were their need for a familial structure, lack of a clear vision of their future, and few models of success. These findings would serve as the basis for his school which was founded in 2003.
Ramon Gonzalez is the founding principal of MS 223-The Laboratory School of Finance and Technology, a middle school in the South Bronx in 2003. Ramon started his school in one of the most dangerous middle schools in NYC at the time. Less than 10% of his students were at grade level in reading and mathematics when the school was created. Six years later, 65% of his students are on grade level in English and 85% in math. Ramon's community activism has deeply influenced his school. Students take courses in financial literacy and participate in a school-wide economy where they can earn, save, and spend "school bucks". He was named a 2007-2008 Cahn Fellow for Distinguished Principals at Teachers College/Columbia University. His school received the 2010 Intel School of Distinction Award in Mathematics. He currently serves as a mentor for emerging principals in the Advanced Leader Principal ALPAP and Summer Principals Academy program at TC. He holds a BA from Cornell University, MS from City College, MA from Teachers College and is expecting to receive his doctorate from TC in May 2013.
Okhee Lee’s research areas include science education, language and culture, and teacher education. Her current research involves the scale-up of a teacher professional development intervention to promote science learning and language development of English language learners. She is a 2009 Fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and received the Distinguished Career Award from the AERA Scholars of Color in Education in 2003. She was awarded a 1993-95 National Academy of Education Spencer Post-doctoral Fellowship. She has directed research and teacher enhancement projects funded by the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, Spencer Foundation, and other sources. She received her doctorate from Michigan State University in 1989 and taught in the School of Education at the University of Miami prior to coming to Steinhardt.
Joe McDonald is Professor of Teaching and Learning at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, where he coordinates secondary program areas in the Department of Teaching and Learning, and teaches in the English Education program area. He is the author or co-author of nine books about teaching and school reform – including Going Online with Protocols: New Tools for Teaching and Learning (Teachers College Press, 2012), Going to Scale with New School Designs: Reinventing High School (Teachers College Press, 2009), and The Power of Protocols (Teachers College Press, 2003, 2007, 2013). His forthcoming book, Cities and their Schools (University of Chicago Press, under contract), is based on research funded by the Annenberg and Spencer Foundations on the last 15 years of school reform in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and the Bay Area.
McDonald was the founder of NYU’s school partnership project which involves close relationships with 22 schools in the Lower East Side, East Harlem, and the South Bronx. He co-leads the NYU EXCEL Academy, which teaches philosophy and writing to aspiring college students from the South Bronx; and he is Director of the Metro Learning Communities Project at NYU's Metropolitan Center for Urban Education.
McDonald was for many years a high school English teacher as well as a high school principal. He has been co-editor of the Series on School Reform at Teachers College Press since 1994.
McDonald holds a Doctorate in Education and Master of Arts in Teaching English degree from Harvard University, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Scranton. Before coming to NYU, he taught at Brown University where he led the teacher education program in English and served as the first Director of Research at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, as well as Senior Researcher for the Coalition of Essential Schools. McDonald has been at NYU/Steinhardt since 1998, and has served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and also as Associate Dean for Community and Global Initiatives.
Randi Weingarten is president of the 1.5 million-member American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, which represents teachers; paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; higher education faculty and staff; nurses and other healthcare professionals; local, state and federal employees; and early childhood educators. She was elected in July 2008, following 11 years of service as an AFT vice president.
In the months immediately following her election, Weingarten launched major efforts to place education reform and innovation high on the nation's agenda. In September 2008, Weingarten led the development of the AFT Innovation Fund, a groundbreaking initiative to support sustainable, innovative and collaborative reform projects developed by members and their local unions to strengthen our public schools.
Weingarten served for 12 years as president of the United Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 2, representing approximately 200,000 nonsupervisory educators in the New York City public school system, as well as home child care providers and other workers in health, law and education.
For 10 years, Weingarten chaired New York City's Municipal Labor Committee, an umbrella organization for the city's 100-plus public sector unions, including those representing higher education and other public service employees. As chair of the MLC, she coordinated labor negotiations and bargaining for benefits on behalf of the MLC unions' 365,000 members.
From 1986 to 1998, Weingarten served as counsel to UFT president Sandra Feldman, taking a lead role in contract negotiations and enforcement, and in lawsuits in which the union fought for adequate school funding and building conditions. A teacher of history at Clara Barton High School in Brooklyn's Crown Heights from 1991 to 1997, Weingarten helped her students win several state and national awards debating constitutional issues.
Elected as the local union's assistant secretary in 1995 and as treasurer two years later, she became UFT president after Feldman became president of the AFT. Weingarten was elected to her first full term as UFT president in 1998 and was re-elected three times.
Weingarten is known as a reform-minded leader who has demonstrated her commitment to improving schools, hospitals and public institutions for children, families and their communities. She has fought to make sure teachers and school support personnel are treated with respect and dignity, have a voice in the education of their students, and are given the support and resources they need to succeed in the classroom.
With her leadership as AFT president, the union has pursued an agenda that reforms education by holding everyone accountable, revamping how teachers are evaluated, and ensuring that children have access to broad and deep curriculum as well as wraparound services. The AFT agenda fights against fingerpointing and calls for a continued investment in education. It also highlights the work that teachers, nurses and public employees do every day to make a difference in the lives of others.
Weingarten holds degrees from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and the Cardozo School of Law. She worked as a lawyer for the Wall Street firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan from 1983 to 1986. She is an active member of the Democratic National Committee and numerous professional, civic and philanthropic organizations. Born in 1957 and raised in Rockland County, N.Y., Weingarten now resides on Long Island and in Washington, D.C.
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KOI OR CARP TATTOOS
Koi or carp is a form of beautiful ornamental fish kept for decorative purposes in outdoor ponds, water gardens or fountains. It can be found in colors that include white, black, yellow, red, gold, deep orange, blue, cream etc. The history of koi goes back to china, about 2000 years ago. These stories were later absorbed into the Japanese culture.
The word koi comes from Japanese which simply means ‘carp’. It is more specifically called nishikigoi in Japan which means ‘brocaded carp’. In Japanese, koi is a homophone for another word that means love or affection. So, the beautiful fish koi are therefore symbols of love and friendship in Japan.
Koi fish or carp is a form of Japanese tattooing. They have been popular images throughout the Japanese tattoo design and that style is now very prevalent in western tattoo culture too. Koi as a tattoo represents wisdom, knowledge, loyalty, longevity etc. A koi’s longevity symbolizes perseverance and its beauty in form and movement had inspired various artists. It has delighted many by changing the way it swims in response to music’s. In tattoo imagery of koi’s, especially in combination with flowing water, it symbolizes courage, achievement and overcoming life’s obstacles.
A koi tattoo represents different things depending on its color, number and direction which it’s swimming in the stream. For example; a tattoo of five golden koi represents eternal wealth and well being. Each color represents a specific meaning. Some people believe that the color of the koi tattoo that you have should be in harmony with your body and surroundings.
It’s no wonder that koi tattoos are popular were masculinity is valued. In Japan, usually the koi tattoos are found on a young man’s fore-arm or leg. As he continued his life’s journey he would eventually earn a dragon, as in the legend, the fish turned into dragon from the dragon gate. Coloring, scaling, whiskers and special marks represent a range of qualities a young man might wish for in his life. A white koi with a single red spot on the head will be the chosen design to represent personal greatness and national pride.
However, the koi is more than just a gorgeous collectible fish. It is one of the most popular and beautiful Japanese tattoo symbols with a great inner meaning. Although carp is Chinese in origin, it’s widely celebrated in Japan for its numerous manly qualities. It said to have the ability to climb waterfalls. If caught, the koi is said to await the cutting knife without the quiver, not unlike a samurai warrior facing a sword. According to an ancient Chinese legend, if a koi succeeded in climbing the falls at a point called dragon gate on the yellow river, it would be transformed into a dragon, proof of its successful struggle against the long obstacles. Based on that legend, koi became a symbol of worldly aspiration and advancements.
In Buddhism, koi represents courage and fearless nature. The fish swimming through the ocean is compared to the human life. The fearless and courageous journey of the fish through the ocean is a reminder of human suffering through our own life’s journey.
The beauty and charm of this fish has made it a popular symbol for the families, especially in Japan. In Japan, tubular flags designed as koi are raised on children’s day. Koi came to be associated with so many masculine and positive qualities that it was appropriated for the annual boy’s day festival in Japan. In this festival, each son of the family is honored by a koi flag as an inspiration to the young that they might grow strong and courageous like this extraordinary fish.
The Japanese associated this fish with perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose. Because of its strength and determination to overcome the obstacles, koi symbolizes for courage and the ability to attain higher goals. Another fact of this fish had contributed to these interpretations and associations. It is that this fish can live a very long life under the correct circumstances.
In general, we can say that koi tattoos are symbols of courage, love, affection, strength and perseverance.
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Sun Safety in Northeastern PennsylvaniaAbout Skin Cancer:
- It is the most common of all cancers.
- More than one million new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States.
- By the age of 18, most people have received 50%-80% of their lifetime skin exposure.
- Most skin cancers are either basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma, depending on the type of skin cells involved.
- Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer, and can be life threatening.
- Skin cancer is almost always curable when detected and treated early.
- The sun is the cause of at least 90% of all skin cancer.
- Skin cancer is preventable.
A Guide to Sensible Sun Protection:
- Keep infants out of the sun for the first 6 months of life, and minimize exposure during the rest of their childhood.
- Watch the time. The sun’s rays are most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Cover up your child with a long sleeved shirt and long pants. Choose tightly woven fabrics.
- A broad-brimmed hat is best, and sunglasses should be worn. Use a sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or greater. The sunscreen should be water-resistant or waterproof. Re-apply frequently. Don’t forget to apply on cloudy or hazy days.
- Avoid artificial tanning sources, including tanning salons, booths, beds and sunlamps. Radiation from these light sources can be dangerous, and the claim that they are “safer than the sun” is false.
- Check your medicines. Certain prescription and over-the-counter medications can induce photosensitivity, an extreme reaction to sunlight, which is characterized by rash, redness, and/or swelling.
- Examine your child’s skin regularly, as well as your own. Watch for any new raised growths, itchy patches, non-healing sores, or changes in moles.
Set an example for your child. Use these simple measures to protect your own skin, and it is more likely that your child will also adopt sensible sun-care habits.
Sun Safety Quiz
Measure Your Sun Awareness
Take the Sun Safety quiz
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(1898 - 1985)
There really was a Chef Boyardee, and believe it or not he was a pretty good chef. Hector Boyardi (originally Boiardi) was born in Italy in 1898, and began working in kitchens at 11 years of age. By the age of 17 he was well known for his culinary talents, and in 1915 he moved to New York to join his brother, who was a waiter at the Plaza Hotel.
Hector joined the kitchen staff of the Plaza, and after working in various hotel kitchen in New York (including the Ritz-Carlton), the Greenbriar in West Virginia (where he catered President Woodrow Wilson's wedding), and finally in Cleveland at the new Hotel Winton.
Three years later he opened his own restaurant, Il Giardino d'Italia, where his spaghetti sauce was so popular, he was soon selling it in milk bottles for his customers to take home. He was soon producing the sauce in an adjacent building, expanded to include dry pasta and packets of cheese to go with the sauce. As the sauce business expanded, he Americanized his name to Chef Boyardee, and moved production to Pennsylvania, where the company later merged with American Home Products (now International Home Foods). He worked with the company until his death in 1985. ConAgra now owns the company.
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On November 21, 2006, 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston of Atlanta suddenly found herself the victim of a home invasion. When several armed men burst into her home with no warning, she did the only sensible thing: She pulled a gun on them.
Three states have recorded a surge in the number of illegal alien drivers, The Associated Press reports. The reasons are that other states are cracking down on illegals, driving them to places where it is easy to get a drivers license.
The family and girlfriend of Omar Thornton, the black man who murdered eight at a beer distributorship in Hartford, Conn., before killing himself, rushed to the media after the mass murder to accuse the company of racism. That racism, they allege, led Thornton to snap, and the media ran with story as if to say the employees of the company deserved what they got.
The Associated Press noted in an exclusive report on August 6 that the CIA secretly moved four suspected high-level terrorist prisoners to the Guant�namo Bay Detention Camp on September 24, 2003, and then on March 27, 2004 — in anticipation of a Supreme Court ruling giving the detainees access to U.S. courts — moved the prisoners out of U.S. jurisdiction to the CIA’s "black sites," a name given to the spy agency’s secret overseas detention facilities.
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no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
A research initiative at Mayo will help doctors prescribe more effective chemotherapy for breast cancer patients based on their individual genomes and the genomes of their tumors.
"What is so exciting about this study is that it has the potential to really bring individualized medicine to our patients," said Matthew P. Goetz, M.D., Mayo Clinic Cancer Center oncologist and study co-leader. "It will transform how we conduct breast cancer research and how drug therapies are delivered to women with breast cancer."
The Breast Cancer Genome Guided Therapy Study (BEAUTY Project) looks at three whole-genome sequences: one from a patient's healthy cells before treatment and two tumor genomes — one before chemotherapy and one after.
Goetz was the the recipient of The Breast Cancer Site 2008 Research Scholar Award. GreaterGood.org donations to Mayo are made possible by contributions from The Breast Cancer Site's Gifts That Give More [tm] program.
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Key Words: Japan;U.S.;China;Diaoyu Island;Asia-Pacific;rebalancing;
>> Hegemony of Japan-U.S. alliance
>> Obama takes oath, calls for unity, engagement
>> US' dangerous stance
>> Obama could build a legacy by boosting trust with China
The direction of China-U.S. relations is determined by both countries. The United States should fully understand this Chinese aphorism – "It is impolite not to make a return for what one receives."
Truth will come to light sooner or later.
Unsurprisingly, the United States has taken another wrong step in the Diaoyu Islands dispute. After the dispute escalated due to Japan's repeated risky provocations, China has been warning the United States to be cautious with its words and actions and value the peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Facing the tense situation on the Diaoyu Islands, the United States has reiterated over the past few months that it does not take a position on the ultimate sovereignty of the islands, and acknowledges the islands are under Japan's administration. However, it recently added that it opposed any unilateral actions that would seek to undermine Japanese administration.
What made the United States change its position? What does it mean by unilateral actions? What will it do to oppose the so-called unilateral actions? Does it have the courage to answer the above questions clearly apart from groundlessly blaming China for heightened tensions over the Diaoyu Islands? Its self-conflicting position has muddied the water, and is of no help to solve the dispute.
The United States should be aware that China does not like trouble, but is not afraid of it. After all, U.S. has dealt with China for a long time.
China-U.S. relationship is the most important and most complex bilateral relationship in the world, which has been recognized by both countries. Given the great importance and complexity of the relations, the United States should act and speak prudently. Rash and short-sighted moves do not match its status as a superpower, and may damage its strategic interests as well as the stability of Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world as well.
Under the new situation, China and the United States must have the courage to face reality, accumulate positive energy, strive to build a cooperative relation with mutual respect and mutual benefits, and open a new prospect for the construction of relations between the two big powers. This is the principled position of China in handing issues of China-US relations. However, it is impossible to clap with one hand. And, as an old Chinese saying goes, "It is impolite not to reciprocate." The United States should have a fully understand of the rich connotation of this Chinese epigram.
There is a bottom line for everything. In the matter of territorial sovereignty, whoever interferes, China will not concede and allow no room for maneuver. The United States should and have to be very clear about the meaning of the Diaoyu Islands issue to China. The United States was saddled with the burden of "secret dealings" relating to this issue before, and we advise that it should not be saddled with a new burden, and not to be kidnapped by Japan and disrupt the overall situation of China-US relations on an impulse.
Read the Chinese version: 美国不要再背新包袱, source: People's Daily, author: Zhong Sheng
The world needs common development of China, India
More than "putting out the fire" in Africa
Encircling China just Japan's wishful thinking
Philippines moves in wrong direction
Unleash 'China energy' in global governance
Former Japanese PM apologizes for wartime crimes
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Arts Martha's Vineyard provides a progress report
File photo by Susan Safford
Arts Martha's Vineyard, a group formed to support and promote Island art and culture, met last week and presented the results of a report on fostering arts and culture published in January. The message is that culture is an important part of the Island economy.
On February 23, Arts Martha's Vineyard held a public reception at the Martha's Vineyard Hebrew Center to present their work to date, introduce the group's new steering committee, answer questions, and discuss plans for the coming year. Don McKillop, co-owner of the Dragonfly Fine Arts Gallery in Oak Bluffs and a member of the steering committee, provided an overview of the work the group has done so far.
The work includes an inventory of cultural assets that lists galleries, theaters, performance venues, artists, artisans, photographers, film groups, festivals, libraries, writers, publishers, museums, performers, musicians, and institutions dedicated to learning and history.
Mr. McKillop encouraged all artists to check the list, and said that it's a work in progress. "If you're not there, please do let us know by email," he said. "Make sure that your organization and any artists that you know are there." He said one of the group's goals is to create a website that will serve as a portal for all the arts and culture events on the Island, to facilitate communication and help increase awareness of what is already here.
Nancy Gardella, executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, spoke about the dollars the arts bring to the Island. "I was delighted to learn what an enormous economic engine the arts are," she said. "Arts and culture is supporting every other business on Martha's Vineyard."
She said visitors who come for an event will stay in hotels and B&Bs, go out to eat, and spend money in local stores, as well as attend the event.
Arts Martha's Vineyard's mission is to support and promote arts and culture on Martha's Vineyard. The group formed in October 2010, brought together by the Martha's Vineyard Donor's Collaborative to pursue one of the strategies outlined in the Island Plan, a regional planning document the Martha's Vineyard Commission adopted in December 2009, following a four-year process.
The direct economic impact of arts and culture is estimated to be 4.2 percent of the Vineyard's overall economy, according to the report.
Christine Flynn, Economic Development Planner at the Martha's Vineyard Commission, spoke in more detail Thursday about the economic impact of the arts, and the Island Plan, which stressed ways to sustain the tourist economy without sacrificing quality of life. She said that hospitality (restaurants and accommodations), construction, retail, and real estate together make up over half of the Island's economy, but emerging industries (defined as those which contribute over 2 percent to the economy) diversify the economy. Arts and Culture is one of these emerging industries, and can bolster the Island's existing vacation-based economy, while promoting greater diversity in the off season.
According to the report, "In 2008, the Vineyard's overall economy totaled $513,168,575 with 4,440 business establishments (including 3,278 non-employers), and 7,814 employees. The direct economic impacts of Arts and Culture is estimated at $21,640,909 or 4.2 percent of the Vineyard's overall economy while the Creative Economy made up 10.2 percent ($52,452,719)." The Creative Economy also includes publishing, architecture, engineering, interior design, landscape design, and related industries.
Ms. Flynn said that arts and culture's 4.2-percent share of the Vineyard's economy is greater than in other parts of Massachusetts.
The economic impact was measured using data from academic, state, and federal sources that included the Mass. Department of Labor and Workforce Development and U.S. Census Bureau's non-employer statistics for 2008, Ms. Flynn said.
David Nathans, executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Museum and a member of the steering committee, described the organization's structure and encouraged those who attended the meeting to become involved. "We need additional help, additional people, and additional ideas. The number of ideas are limited by the number of people," he said. "We need more people to take an organizational role and a leadership role."
Patrick Phillips, publisher of Martha's Vineyard Arts and Ideas, outlined several future events that include a business roundtable on March 21 at the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown.
Ann Smith, of Featherstone Center for the Arts, spoke about collaborating with the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod, sponsor of "Fall for the Arts," a festival showcasing local arts and culture in October.
Arts Martha's Vineyard leaders said they are applying for grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and others to implement some of the plans laid out in the past year. These include developing and maintaining a website, using social media, creating business partnerships, and further development of events and festivals.
For more information, including a copy of the Planning Report go to www.artsmarthasvineyard.org/.
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What It Means: The word "Biscotti" comes from bis and cotti, the Italian terms for twice-cooked or twice-baked. Biscotti is also the generic term for cookie in Italian.
How They Are Made: The dough is rolled into logs and baked once. They are then sliced diagonally by hand and baked a second time to make them firm and crunchy.
What They Are Made With: From the traditional anise/almond Biscotti to decadent new varieties like chocolate cioccolata and cherry vanilla, Biscotti are made with the finest and freshest ingredients. And, although butter, sugar, eggs, almonds and flour are the base, Biscotti are gaining popularity for being a light, satisfying and relatively low in fat and calorie snack.
Its Orgin: Traditionally an Italian classic, Biscotti have been baked for centuries. It was the perfect food for sailors who were at sea for months at a time. The biscuits were thoroughly baked to draw out moisture, becoming a cracker-like food that was resistant to mold. Biscotti were a favorite of Christopher Columbus who relied on them on his long sea voyage.
How They Are Eaten: Biscotti are eaten and enjoyed in many ways! Italians favor them as "dipping cookies" either in a delicious cup of coffee or cappuccino, or in a special Italian wine known as Vin Santo. They are enjoyed as a breakfast biscuit, dunked in coffee, along side a dish of Gelato or Spumoni, and of course, Biscotti are savored as a subtly sweet crispy snack all by themselves!
Where They Are Found: Practically everywhere! Since they are the official and original "dunking cookie," Biscotti have found a perfect niche in the growing number of coffee houses and espresso carts sprouting up across the country. But more and more, Biscotti are turning up in elegant restaurants alongside a steaming cup of cappuccino, in gourmet marketplaes, on supermarket shelves, in deli's, ice cream parlors and even upscale beauty salons which offer the true "pamper you" service.
Shelf Life: Amazing but true, the shelf life of Biscotti are three to four months without preservatives or additives.
Why the Rage?: Biscotti are now being called " The Cookie of the 90s" quickly surpassing America's beloved chocolate chip cookie in popularity. Why? The coffee house and cappuccino cart explosion certainly helped introduce the Biscotti to gourmet coffee drinkers, and somehow, the rest of the country caught on. Today, Americans everywhere are embracing this hot new gourmet treat with a soaring passion, happily dipping and dunking their way through the day, delighting in a "new trend" that's centuries old!
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CC-MAIN-2013-20
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Reaching a hard-to-reach population such as asylum seekers and resettled refugees in Canada
Ellen O Wahoush a
a. Offord Centre for Child Studies and School of Nursing, McMaster University, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Correspondence to Ellen O Wahoush (e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org).
Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2009;87:568-568. doi: 10.2471/BLT.08.061085
Global migration of people, whether voluntary or forced, means health-care professionals and staff need to communicate effectively as they care for progressively more diverse communities, often with specific needs, varied language abilities and literacy. Refugees and asylum seekers are forced migrants. They may have health needs related to their refugee status and may not have the language abilities or skills common among other types of migrants.1 Although the proportion of refugees who resettle in developed nations under the United Nations convention is relatively small, most become citizens in their host country.2 The challenge for health professionals in resettlement communities is how to reach these newcomers, in particular refugees and asylum seekers who may be isolated by language or lack of knowledge about the local health-care system.
An important way to influence the health of populations is through building relationships; for this, effective communication is essential. Clear communication enables trust and mutual understanding about expectations regarding health behaviour, needs and services.3
Communication in health care is important for three reasons: (i) exchanging important information about health; (ii) promoting ongoing care to restore health after treatment for illness; and (iii) relationship building for ongoing health maintenance. Effective communication approaches for providing public health information are particularly important for “hard-to-reach” populations such as forced migrants as their usual sources of information and family support are often fractured.4
In many resettlement countries, an industry in cultural competency/sensitivity training has evolved, in part to improve the way health workers meet the needs of their increasingly diverse populations.5,6 These initiatives aim to reduce health disparities related to race and ethnicity. Communication skills (both verbal and non-verbal) are at the centre of cultural competency training, which is now part of many medical and nursing education curricula. In addition, standards or guidelines for practice have been introduced by many professional associations since the mid-1990s. The importance of these skills must not be underestimated. Health professionals educated before these changes may be inadequately prepared to work with diverse populations.
Newcomers who are unfamiliar with the health-care system may interpret relatively innocent events as evidence of discrimination or racism if they are not clearly explained by health providers. For example, waiting in an emergency department to be seen by a relatively junior physician may be interpreted negatively as discrimination (EO Wahoush, unpublished data, 2009). Negative experiences may result in subsequent avoidance of seeking health care. On the other hand, if verbal communication is difficult because of language barriers, patients can interpret non-verbal cues and so understand the intent of the health-care professional.
New approaches are needed for public health communication to reach newcomers and other hard-to-reach populations. In Canada, the ethnic media is underused as a vehicle for health information even though this media is a direct link into potentially isolated newcomer communities. In addition, health information and advice systems such as Telehealth Ontario are not well known among newcomers in general although this free telephone service provides advice from a health professional in more than 100 languages. New targeted marketing approaches using different communication vehicles may improve reach into newcomer communities as preferences for specific types of communication media differ among cultural groups and migration status.7
Cultural competency or sensitivity training may be helpful as long as stereotypes are not promoted and participants develop knowledge of the potential range of values and beliefs that influence diet, perceptions of illness, recognition of need for care and preference for type of health worker. The challenge remains how to help health professionals to be open to the differing views and expectations about health among their diverse clientele while avoiding stereotypes which may blind them to the individuality of their patients and communities. A renewed focus on communication skills and approaches for health-care professionals and public health information might provide better outcomes than cultural competency training alone. ■
- Global refugee trends: overview of refugee populations, new arrivals, durable solutions, asylum seekers, stateless and other persons of concern to UNHCR. Geneva: United Nations High Commission for Refugees;2005.
- Facts and figures 2007: Immigration overview permanent and temporary residents. Ottawa: Citizenship and Immigration Canada; 2008.
- Murphy ST, Censullo M, Cameron DD, Baigis JA. Improving cross-cultural communication in health professions education. J Nurs Educ 2007; 46: 367-72 pmid: 17727000.
- Ward C. Migrant mothers and the role of social support when child rearing. Contemp Nurse 2003; 16: 74-82 pmid: 14994898.
- Sirio CA. Educating medical students for cultural competence: What do we know? CME Report 2006; 11: 246-61.
- Bryant R. Regulation, roles and competency development. Geneva: International Council of Nurses; 2005.
- Viswanath K, Bond K. Social determinants and nutrition: reflections on the role of communication. J Nutr Educ Behav 2007; 39: S20-4 doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2006.07.008 pmid: 17336801.
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Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV)
A standardised approach to harmonising the delivery of broadcast and broadband TV services
HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV) is an open, pan-European standard that harmonises the delivery of TV services to set-top boxes and connected TVs over both broadcast and broadband.
Based on Web technologies and existing broadcasting standards from DVB, HbbTV defines a platform for enhanced and interactive TV services that makes those services available on receivers from a wide range of manufacturers; providing economies of scale for service and content providers, device manufacturers, and end users alike. By re-using existing technologies from the Web and broadcast worlds, HbbTV makes it easy for service developers and device manufacturers to build HbbTV-compatible products, applications and services.
Launched in September 2009, HbbTV was developed by industry leaders from across Europe, with version 1.1.1 of the specification published by ETSI as TS 102 796 in July 2010 and version 1.5 published by HbbTV in April 2012. ANT is a founding member of the HbbTV consortium and is a member of the HbbTV Steering Group.
Today, all of the major German broadcasters deliver HbbTV services. In France the government regulatory body for TV (CSA) has selected HbbTV for digital terrestrial TV services, with major French broadcasters now rolling out HbbTV services. In Spain, HbbTV services are now in regular operation following a recommendation by The Association of Interactive Television (AEDETI). The HbbTV standard has also received support from a number of other organisations worldwide, including:
Czech public broadcaster Ceska Televize (CT)
The Finnish HD Forum
Polish public broadcaster TVP
Private and public broadcasters in The Netherlands (SBS & NPO),
The Swiss public broadcast association SRG SSR
Austrias public broadcaster ORF
Nordig, the common standardization regime for Scandinavia which represents Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Ireland.
ATSC, who are considering alignment with HbbTV as part of the ATSC 2.0 specification
ANT is at the forefront of the HbbTV standard, offering a turnkey solution for both versions 1.1 and 1.5 of the HbbTV specification for all TV devices. The ANT Galio HbbTV Platform has been deployed in high volumes with a range of device manufacturers, including the first shipping HbbTV receivers with Humax in December 2009. Providing a robust, flexible and proven platform, the ANT Galio HbbTV Platform enables both service providers and device manufacturers to develop and deploy HbbTV related applications for hybrid broadcast TV services.
Full details of ANT Galio HbbTV Platform can be found here.
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The Chaneysville Incident by David Bradley
From the Publisher
The legends say something happened in Chaneysville. The Chaneysville Incident is the powerful story of one man's obsession with discovering what that something was—a quest that takes the brilliant and bitter young black historian John Washington back through the secrets and buried evil of his heritage. Returning home to care for and then bury his father's closest friend and his own guardian, Old Jack Crawley, he comes upon the scant records of his family's proud and tragic history, which he drives himself to reconstruct and accept. This is the story of John's relationship with his family, the town, and the woman he loves; and also between the past and the present, between oppression and guilt, hate and violence, love and acceptance.
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Eighteen Treatises from the Mishna, by D. A. Sola and M. J. Raphall, , at sacred-texts.com
§ 1. When one person says to another, "Receive this Get for my wife," or, "Bring this Get to my wife," he may, if he likes, take it back again; 1 but when the wife said [to the messenger], "Receive for me my Get," the husband cannot resume it. Therefore, should a husband say to the messenger, "I do not wish that you should receive it for her [as her messenger], but go and give it her [as my messenger]," he may, if he likes, resume it again. Rabbon Simeon ben Gamaliel saith, "Also, when the wife said, 'Fetch me my Get,' the husband cannot take it back."
§ 2. A wife who had said, "Receive for me my Get," must produce two [sets or] pairs of witnesses; two must testify [and say], "She uttered this [order] in our presence," and two more to say, "The messenger received the Get, and tore it up 2 in our presence;" the same witnesses may however testify to the truth of both assertions, or one of the first and one of the second pair of witnesses may conjoin with them a third person to bear testimony. A betrothed girl may either receive her Get herself, or her father may receive it for her. R. Jehudah saith, "That right cannot be possessed at the same time by both parties; but her father only has a right to receive her Get." Any female who is too young to take proper care of her Get, cannot be divorced at all.
§ 3. When a female minor said, "Receive my Get for me," the Get is ineffective until it has reached her hands. Therefore, should the husband wish to revoke the Get, he is at liberty to do so, because a minor has not the power of appointing a messenger [or deputy]; but if her father said [to the messenger], "Go and receive my daughter's Get," the husband cannot revoke it. When a husband says,
[paragraph continues] "Give this Get to my wife in the place N. N." and the messenger gave it her elsewhere, the Get is void. [But if the husband had only said] "My wife is in the place N. N." and the messenger gave it her in another place, it is valid. When a woman says, "Receive for me my Get in such a place," and the messenger received it for her in another place, it is void; but R. Eleazar declares it valid. If she said, "Bring me my Get from such a place," and he fetched it from elsewhere, it is valid.
§ 4. When a wife says, "Bring me my Get," she may [if married to a priest] continue to eat heave till the Get has been delivered into her hands. When she said to a messenger, "Receive my Get for me," she may not, from that instant, eat any longer of the heave. If she said, "Receive my Get for me, and bring it to the place N. N." she is permitted to eat heave till the time the Get can have reached that place; but R. Eleazar prohibits it immediately. 3
§ 5. When a husband says, "Write a Get, and give it to my wife," or, "Divorce her," or, "Write a letter [אגרת] and give it her," they are to write the Get, and give it her. If he said, "Release her," or, "Provide her her maintenance," or, "Do with her as is customary," or, "Do with her as is proper," what he has said amounts to nothing. Formerly, it was held that when a criminal was led out with an iron collar [to the place of execution], and he said, "Write a Get for my wife," they should write it, and deliver it to her. It was afterwards decided, also those that are about going to sea, or to travel with a caravan [in the desert]. R. Simeon Sazuree saith, "Also those who are dangerously ill."
§ 6. If a person who was cast into a pit, called out from thence, that whoever should hear his voice should write a Get to his wife, they shall write it and deliver it to her. When a person in health says, "Write a Get for my wife," he must be considered as if joking with her. It once happened that a person in health said, "Write a Get for my wife," and then went on his roof, from whence he fell and died; Rabbon Simeon ben Gamaliel saith, "The sages decided upon that occasion, that if he fell down with premeditation [on his part] the Get is valid, but not if the wind blew him down." 4
§ 7. If a husband says to two [men], "Give a Get to my wife," 5 or to three, "Write a Get, and give it to my wife," they shall write,
and deliver it to her. 6 If he said to three, "Give a Get to my wife," the latter can depute others to write it, because he constituted them a tribunal. Such is the dictum of R. Meir, and this doctrine R. Hanina of Ono 7 brought with him from prison; 8 [he said] "I have received a tradition, that when the husband said to three men, 'Give my wife a Get,' that they may depute others to write it, because the constituted them a tribunal." R. José saith, "We tell this emissary, 9 We [also] have a tradition, that when a husband had said even to the Great Tribunal in Jerusalem, 'Give my wife a Get,' the latter are bound to study [the laws of Get], 10 write a Get, and deliver it to the wife." When a husband says to ten [men], "Write ye and deliver a Get to my wife," one of that number shall write, and two others sign it, but if he said, "Write it all of ye," then one shall write, and all must sign it. Therefore, if one of them should die, 11 the Get becomes void.
293:1 That is, he may revoke the commission he gave. Note that in this as in the following sections, this revocation is admissible only before the Get was delivered to the wife.
293:2 This relates to a time of persecution, when the Get was torn up as soon as a divorce had taken place.
294:3 That is, immediately the messenger left her to proceed on his mission.
294:4 Or that he fell owing to any other accidental circumstance.
294:5 Without adding that they were to write it.
295:6 And require no other writer or witnesses.
295:7 The name of a place.
295:8 Where R. Akivah was incarcerated, and from whom he learned the above narration.
295:9 Viz. R. Hanina of Ono, who was deputed to communicate this doctrine to the sages.
295:10 If necessary, or if they had no practice in the writing of a Get. [See Maimonides’ Commentary, ad literam.]
295:11 Before the delivery of the Get.
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|The Voyageur in the Illinois Country: The Fur Trade's Professional Boatman in Mid America
Read more >
Jean-Baptiste Cardinal and the Affair of Gratiot's Boat: An Incident in the American Revolution
|Louis Lorimier in the American Revolution, 1777-1782: A Mémoire by an Ohio Indian Trader and British Partisan
Read more >
Code Noir: The Colonial Slave Laws in French Mid-America
|French Colonial Studies:
Le Pays des Illinois. Selections From Le Journal, 1983-2005
Read more >
|Plumbing the Depths of the Upper Mississippi Valley. Julien Dubuque, Native Americans, and Lead Mining
Read more >
|Standing Up For Indians. Baptism Registers as an Untapped Source for Multicultural Relations in St. Louis, 1766-1821.
Read more >
The French voyageur cuts a dashing figure in our imaginations, so much so we often overlook the reality of his profession: it was a job. The author looks at the business end of being a waterman in the remote French settlements of the Illinois Country in the mid 18th century; she presents her picture of the voyageurs' world from the perspective offered by the contracts, debts, and inventories they left behind.
This story of the Illinois Country voyageur is gleaned largely from an assemblage of some 7000 unsorted and mostly unpublished French documents and records known collectively as the Kaskaskia Manuscripts. Few people are as familiar with this collection as Dr. Brown, who has worked with this and other caches of French Illinois records for years.
The Voyageur in the Illinois Country expands our knowledge of other aspects of life in the French Midwest beyond the fur trade: inventories of household goods, watercraft in use locally (not the romantic birch bark canoe, incidentally). We also learn that French/Indian relations were not always as cordial as popular history often paints them to have been. (38 pages, maps, illustrations.)
About the author:
Dr. Margaret Kimball Brown is well known for her work in historic and prehistoric archeology. She retired as director of the famous Cahokia Mounds State Park archeological site and museum a few years ago. French Colonial Illinois has always been of particular interest to her, and that is reflected in some of the titles she has published: The Village of Chartres In Colonial Illinois, 1720 1765 (co-author Lawrie Dean); The French Colony in the Mid Mississippi Valley, and the pending Kaskaskia Manuscripts 1714 1816. Dr. Brown is the founder and first president of the Center for French Colonial Studies.
CFCS Members : $7.00, Non-Members: $9.00
72 pages, 2 maps
The Revolutionary War in the Old Northwest was more than the exploits of Col. George Rogers Clark and Lt. Governor Henry Harrison and Buyer Hamilton. This was a vast expanse where Indian alliances, bold strokes and intrigues won and lost vast domains of primeval forest.
While there were British forts here, the population of Europeans descent was overwhelmingly the sons of the Ancien Regime: Canadian Frenchmen. These were people of the fur trade. If they spoke a second language it was more likely an Indian tongue than English. They knew the Native people here; they knew the terrain.
During the war, neither the British nor the Americans were ever certain of the loyalties of the French in the Old Northwest. Being confidants of the Indians and expert guides, large numbers of these Frenchmen did play pivotal roles in the war here in spite of this. Not knowing the language of the principal combatants and even illiterate in their own mother tongue, they were not well represented in the documentary record, though.
The incident of Jean-Baptiste Cardinal and Gratiot's boat is a noteworthy exception. Here is a story where there is a wealth of documentation, much of which was unpublished until now.
Indeed the strength of Wiederaender's work is that he has assembled, presented, translated,and interpreted such a large number of diverse sources regarding one Canadien's role in a chapter of Midwestern Revolutionary War history. This work proves that patient, persistent, and exhaustive sleuthing can reconstruct some of the elusive stories of the French participationin the war.
Beyond the importance as a model for research, this work deserves attention simply because it is an intriguing story. Wiederaenders has sorted out the fiction that accumulated over two centuries. He has also added new and thought provoking interpretations on this incident on the upper Mississippi and on the British and Indian assault on St. Louis. (Dennis Au, past president of the Center for French Colonial Studies).
CFCS Members: $8.00, Non- Members: $10.00
Louis Lorimier in the American Revolution, 1777-1782:
By Paul L. Stevens, PhD
A Mémoire by an Ohio Indian Trader and British Partisan
61 pages, 2 maps
[One French-Canadian's role in the Revolutionary War]
Much has been written about how the American Midwest's French inhabitants helped Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark to overthrow British rule on the frontier. But little has been told of the other French of mid-America--the ones who actively supported Britain's cause in opposition to Clark. Paul L. Stevens does much to fill that historical void with this 61 page paper dealing with the frontier service of one such man--Louis Lorimier.
French-Canadian Pierre-Louis de Lorimier was a wilderness entrepreneur operating a trading post in Ohio on the strategic Auglaize-Miami portage, the main military route between British Detroit and the Ohio valley. Lorimier not only helped facilitate overland transit of British/Indian strike forces and provided supplies, but also willingly joined their expeditions against the Kentucky settlements and the Ohio frontier. The ultimate results of Lorimier's pro-British activities were the destruction of his post at the hands of George Rogers Clark's vengeful forces--and his own financial ruin. Lorimier's mémoire--a six page recap of his wartime activities--was apparently written from amongst the smoldering wreckage of his destroyed business and was intended to remind British authorities of his service in hopes of winning some sort of compensation for his staggering losses. It appears Lorimier was unsuccessful; his debts forced him to abandon Ohio and eventually reestablish himself in Spanish Missouri after the war.
Dr. Stevens provides us with an English translation of Lorimier's unique document (perhaps the only existing period account by a French participant of British raids on the Ohio and Kentucky frontiers). A detailed introduction presents the reader with an interesting background to Lorimier and to the shadowy world of warfare in the western wilderness, and extensive textual annotations provide a wealth of ancillary information relating to the events and personages of the Revolution in the West. William Potter (past president of CFCS).
CFCS Members: $7.00, Non-Members: $9.00
French and English texts
(67 pages, illustrations.)
Code Noir: The Colonial Slave Laws of French Mid-America, the new CFCS extended publication has just been published. Edited by William Potter, it features an introductory article by Carl Ekberg, the complete French text of the Code Noir de la Louisiane of 1724 and an English translation on opposite pages as well as facsimiles of a number of related documents from the Kaskaskia Manuscript collection with English translation. (67 pages, illustrations.)
“Vernon V. Palmer, an authority on legal history, has recently opined that the Black Code ‘was one of the most important codes in the history of French codes.’ Given French preoccupation with codifying laws—under the monarchy, the empire, and the various republics—this is a very large statement. Credit must be given to the Center for French Colonial Studies for sponsoring the publication of this welcome new translation of the Code.”( From the Introduction by Carl Ekberg.)
CFCS Members: $9.00, Non-Members: $11.00
(17 articles, 132 pages) 2006
The seventeen articles, selected from more than twenty years of publication, are organized in thematic sections: the French Experience, Sources of Information, the French Language and Culture, the People, the French Heritage and Culture. They reflect the interests of the variety of persons who have participated in the annual conferences of the Center, or whose work has been published in Le Journal. Each thematic section is summarized briefly and a short résumé of the author precedes each article.
CFCS Members: $12.00, Non-Members: $15.00
JULIEN DUBUQUE, NATIVE AMERICANS, AND LEAD MINING
By B. Pierre Lebeau, Lucy Eldersveld Murphy, Robert C. Wiederaenders
Maps, Illustrations, 104 pages. ISBN: 978-1-4243-2155-1
Julien Dubuque born in Quebec, received a grant in 1788 from the Mesquakie in northeastern Iowa that allowed him to operate for twenty-two years a rich vein of lead at the Peosta mine, later known as the Mines of Spain, located at the site of today’s city of Dubuque.
The book presents a biography of Julien Dubuque by Robert Charles Wiederaenders. The section by Lucy Eldersveld Murphy brings out a usually unknown aspect of gender roles in the Mesquakie tribes involved in the exploitation of lead and describes the mining techniques used by the Native Americans and the increasing economic importance that lead mining assumed in the trade relations between Natives and Europeans. The documents in the appendix edited and translated by B. Pierre Lebeau, include the estate inventory, bills of sale, letters, etc. and offer details regarding Dubuque’s business activities and his relationships with other traders.
Robert Charles Wiederaenders, a retired church archivist, received a graduate degree from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago after graduate studies in history. He is a long time member of the Center for French Colonial Studies and a member of the board of the Dubuque Historical Society.
Lucy Eldersveld Murphy is Associate Professor of History at Ohio State University. The University of Nebraska Press published her major work, A Gathering of Rivers: Indians, Metis, and Mining in the Western Great Lakes, 1737–1832 in 2000. She edited with Rebecca Kugel, Native Women’s History in Eastern North America Before 1900: A Guide to Research and Writing (Nebraska, 2007).
B. Pierre Lebeau, Professor Emeritus of History at North Central College, Naperville, Illinois, is past president of the Center and a member of the Editorial Advisory Boards for the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society and the Journal of Illinois History.
CFCS Members: $10.00 Non-Members: $13.00
Standing Up For Indians. Baptism Registers as an Untapped Source for Multicultural Relations in St. Louis, 1766-1821.
By Sharon Person.
145 pages. Illustrations, appendices, bibliography.
The work of Sharon Person is crucial for a more nuanced understanding of the métissage of the Saint Louis area in the last half of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. She provides insight on a theme until recently too often ignored by scholars of the Mississippi Valley. General histories of Missouri and Saint Louis mention Indian slavery but do not treat the subject in depth. The specialized literature stretches back thirty-five years, but only recently have scholars begun to integrate the story of Indian slavery into the larger historical narrative. The author forces us to reconsider the existence and role of Indian slaves in a society in which French and Americans intermix more and more. The baptism records analyzed by Sharon Person document the indisputable existence and persistence of Indian Slavery in early Saint Louis.
CFCS Members: $15.00. Non-Members: $18.00
Prepaid orders only
Shipping and handling:
1 book, $5US;
2 - 3 books, $5US for first book + $1US per additional book;
4 + books, $5US for first book + $.75US per additional book.
Send orders to the address below:
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Book: Blame meat for heat
‘Diet for a Hot Planet’ gives tips for a climate-friendly diet
Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It
(By Anna Lappé. Bloomsbury USA; 313 pgs., $24.)
I’m still learning how to eat.
Now, if you’ve seen me, you know I’m not wasting away. I’ve managed to figure out how to bend my elbow with fork in hand repeatedly. It’s just that my consciousness has been raised over the course of a lifetime. I’ve escaped from an early love of fried bologna.
I was a vegetarian for a time when I was younger. It’s an easy fit for me — I naturally gravitate toward fruit, cheese and salads. But I soon realized the devil was calling, luring me back to the dark side with General Tso’s chicken and Reuben sandwiches. The key, it seems, is to eat all things in moderation.
Louisville’s abundance of farmers markets is my latest obsession. Buying produce in season is a thrill, because I know that as I taste that last juicy bite of peach, I will wait with anticipation for summer to come around again.
Plus, farmers markets are good for the planet — you know, that carbon footprint thing. Anna Lappé’s new book, “Diet for a Hot Planet,” drives home the point that what we choose to eat affects global warming. If we’re serious about the climate crisis, says Lappé, we have to talk about food.
Eric Schlosser, author of “Fast Food Nation,” says, “As Anna Lappé reveals in this important book, we must be conscious of what we eat — not only for our own health, but for the health of the planet. When it comes to climate change, junk food may prove even more destructive than SUVs.”
She knows about what she speaks. Lappé has co-authored two other food books, is included in Time magazine’s “Who’s Who,” is a founder of the Small Planet Institute, and is host of MSN’s “The Practical Guide to Healthier Living.”
There are some startling facts in this book. At least 31 percent of the human-caused global-warming effect comes from the system that produces and distributes food (“from seed to plate to landfill”). And 18 percent of that comes from the livestock sector, with 13 percent from the global transportation system.
Lappé suggests changing the world with our forks. Her book includes seven principles for a climate-friendly diet:
• Eat real food, not processed food. “Strawberries freshly picked = real. Strawberry-flavored Pop Tarts = not so real.”
• Eat more plants. If you have to have meat and dairy, look for grass-fed.
• Choose organic.
• Buy local food and support local farmers. “When the term ‘locavore’ became a New Oxford American Dictionary word of the year in 2007, it was a sure sign that the eat-food-close-to-home movement had taken off.”
• Cut down on food waste; if possible, compost.
• Reduce packaging. Her reminder to bring our own reusable bags to the market is her easiest suggestion.
• Do-it-yourself food. Learn to cook and grow you own food.
Lappé will be in town as the keynote speaker for “A Climate for Change” at the 11th annual Healthy Foods, Local Farms Conference on Sept. 24-25 at Spalding University. The convention will feature farmers, authors and educators discussing the relationship between food and the environment.
It starts Friday with a “Harvest Party,” featuring food tastings from local chefs and farmers. The main event is on Saturday. In addition to Lappé, other scheduled food enthusiasts include The Rethinkers, a group of New Orleans middle school students who have researched school food, and a screening of the documentary “Lunch Line,” followed by a panel discussion with the film’s co-directors, Michael Graziano and Ernie Park.
For more information on the conference and instructions on how to register, visit www.healthyfoodslocalfarmsconference.org.
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A Sad and Grizzly End
Often likened to Dr. Dolittle, Treadwell filmed the bears, slept among them, sang to them, took notes on them and gave them names like Booble, Squiggle and Mr. Chocolate. Yes, grizzlies weigh half a ton or more and can decapitate a human with a flick of the paw. But to Treadwell we were the dangerous ones: It was his mission to protect the bears from hunting, poaching and loss of habitat. "I will not rest until the last grizzly bear is free from the harm of man," he vowed. And as he told NBC's Dateline, "I would never, ever kill a bear in defense of my own life."
He was as good as his word. Sometime late on Oct. 5, a male grizzly killed Treadwell, 46, and his girlfriend Amie Huguenard, 37, a physician's assistant, at their campsite. The next day a pilot who had come to pick the couple up spied what appeared to be a bear hovering over a body. When three Park rangers arrived at the foggy, rain-soaked scene, the estimated 1,000-lb. bear charged them. Firing 19 shotgun and pistol rounds, they killed the animal—an elderly 28-year-old male that was later found to have human remains in its gut. As Alaskan state troopers landed their plane, they heard the shots and at the campsite discovered body parts identified as Treadwell's and Huguenard's and, in Treadwell's video camera, a chilling six-minute clip—audio only—capturing the attack.
"You can hear him screaming," state trooper Chris Hill says. "She's screaming, 'Is the bear still there? Play dead.' He tells her to hit the bear with a pan or can. He said something to the effect that he was dying or he was being killed. We really didn't hear the bear at all."
While many admired Treadwell's devotion, many others believed he pushed the safety envelope beyond its limits. "The truth of it is, he broke Park Service rules—no one is to approach a single bear closer than 50 yards," says Tom Smith, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Though fond of Treadwell, he believes he was an irritant to the bears as much as a friend. "Video after video, he's doing not much less than harassing wildlife."
Smith, who has chronicled 100 years of bear attacks in Alaska, says that contrary to popular belief, they are uncommon and in only 1 percent do the bears eat their human prey. "It was just a bad coincidence," says Barrie Gilbert, a retired biologist and grizzly researcher at the University of Utah, who survived a 1977 mauling in Yellowstone National Park. Still, he harbors no enmity. "These are very tolerant animals," Gilbert says. "If you give them half a chance they're going to meet their life's needs without messing with you. I don't think people should do what he did. Let's not try to form some pseudorelationship. Let bears be bears."
Treadwell's ardent embrace of bear society was a direct result of his struggles among his own species; he often said the bears saved his life as it spun into a haze of substance abuse. The third of five children, he was born in New York to Val and Carol Dexter. (He later changed his surname.) At 19, Treadwell moved to California. He indulged liberally in drugs and alcohol and nearly died after overdosing on a speedball. His one natural high had always been animals and the outdoors. In the late 1980s, Treadwell rode his motorbike up to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska and had an epiphany: "This big beautiful grizzly bear bounded out. It was like being with an alien. Something godlike. That one bear, that one sighting, I was lit."
He sobered up and spent the rest of his life commuting to Alaska, supporting himself in Malibu as a waiter and bartender. In 1995 Treadwell and Jewel Palovak started Grizzly People, an advocacy group. He lectured more than 10,000 schoolchildren a year and cowrote (with Palovak) a 1997 book on his experiences, Among Grizzlies. He met the 5-ft.-tall Huguenard—who weighed less than 100 lbs.—during a grizzly presentation in Boulder, Colo. A graduate of the University of Alabama School of Medicine, she planned to move in with Treadwell this fall and take a physician's assistant post at L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. "They were bonded together on a totally unique level," says her sister Kathleen Huguenard Stowell, an art teacher. "Amie and Timothy were doing what their hearts said to do. There couldn't be any other way for them."
It's clear they were not a pair of bear-hugging naïfs—each accepted the peculiar risks of their relationship. "If people try to copy what I do, I would say that they will in fact probably die," Treadwell once said. "You can't rush it. It takes a lot of time. You've got to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice."
Lyndon Stambler in Los Angeles
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How well do you know your Catholic social teaching documents?
Challenge yourself with this activity, which can be completed
either individually or in small groups. During the activity, you will
increase your familiarity with the major social teaching documents and
explore the development of the Church’s social teaching since 1891.
How to implement this activity with a group:
- Provide background information.
An encyclical is a letter from the Holy Father that
is a “teaching document.” Its audience is every Catholic and all people
of good will. A “social encyclical” applies the consistent,
traditional moral teachings of the Church to the social and economic
challenges of the current day. For example, the most recent social
encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, was written to address the
current economic crisis and other issues facing the world today, and
deals with moral aspects of economic life, poverty and development,
human rights and duties, environmental responsibility, and other moral
and economic issues.
- Break into small groups of 2-3 persons each.
Provide each group with a copy of the timeline of events
(you may want to provide tape to adhere the pages of the timeline
together horizontally) and batches of the cut-out rectangles with the Catholic social teaching documents descriptions.
Explain that we are going to see how, over the past 120 years, these
documents have helped guide Catholics’ perspectives on issues and
problems facing our human family.
- Small group activity.
Ask each group to read the events on the timelines and to try to match
the cut-out rectangles describing the documents with the events
timeline. If participants need help, tell them to pay attention to:
- Events mentioned in the timeline that are also mentioned in the social documents descriptions.
- The names of the popes, since documents by the same popes will follow one another.
- References to anniversaries, since some documents were written to celebrate the anniversary of a previous document.
- Checking answers.
When all the groups are finished, go through each of the years on
the timeline one-by-one, mentioning some of the events that happened
that year. For each year, ask participants to call out the correct
social teaching document. The group leader can check answers using the answer key.
When the correct document is named, ask the person who got it correct
to explain how the document was responding to those issues facing the
- Discussion. Discuss following questions:
- What social teaching document did you find most interesting? Why?
- Name an example of how a social teaching document responded to
issues facing the human family at a particular time? How did that
document help Catholics see issues facing the world in the light of
- Which document(s) might you be most interested in reading in
full? Be sure to mention that students can find links to the text of
all the documents at www.usccb.org/campus!
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New term, new project. First Lady Michelle Obama has quietly dropped her "Let's Move" campaign, the healthy eating push she took on for schools all over the country during her husband's first term.
First Lady Michelle Obama appears to have abandoned, at least for now, her oft-criticized “Let’s Move” initiative to promote exercise and healthy eating among the nation’s youth, halting public appearances and statements related to the program.
Mrs. Obama does not appear to have done anything much to personally publicize the initiative in more than four months – since she released a video in early September welcoming children back to school and telling them about the “healthy, delicious new choices” on school lunch menus. In August she had a “Kids’ State Dinner” at the White House to showcase healthy eating.
Townhall columnist Kyle Olson reported in September on growing complaints kids were going hungry as a result of Michelle Obama's lunch overhaul.
In Wisconsin, high school athletes are complaining about not getting enough to eat each day, due to the skimpy new school lunch menu mandated by the United States Department of Agriculture and First Lady Michelle Obama.
The story we published earlier this week on that subject is unfortunately not unique. Students across the country are complaining about the new school lunch regulations.
Perhaps the real motive is to starve students into slimming down. Just ask students in Pierre, South Dakota who, too, are in an all-out revolt.
"I know a lot of my friends who are just drinking a jug of milk for their lunch. And they are not getting a proper meal," middle school student Samantha Gortmaker told Keloland.com.
Despite the fact that the new regulations have increased the cost of a lunch 20 to 25 cents per plate, it’s not pleasing students.
Some are throwing away their vegetables while others are adapting to the rules by becoming industrious. In New Bedford, Massachusetts, students have created a black market - for chocolate syrup. The kiddie capitalists are smuggling in bottles of it and selling it by the squeeze, according to SouthCoastToday.com.
Nancy Carvalho, director of food services for New Bedford Public Schools, was quoted as saying that hummus and black bean salads have been tough sells in elementary cafeterias. That means even smaller children are going through the day fighting hunger pains, which can never be considered a good thing.
If Michelle Obama isn't moving this term, what is she doing? So far she's been helping her husband launch a new massive community organizing project known as "Organizing for Action" to promote progressive policy ideas.
|Katie Pavlich is the News Editor at Townhall.com. Follow her on Twitter @katiepavlich. She is also the author of Fast and Furious: Barack Obama's Bloodiest Scandal and the Shameless Cover-Up.
“ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING! Intrepid investigative journalist Katie Pavlich rips the lid off Team Obama’s murderous corruption and anti-Second Amendment zealotry" says Michelle Malkin.
"Katie Pavlich draws back the curtain on a radical administration that put Mexican and American lives at risk for no discernible reason other than to advance an ideological agenda." - David Limbaugh
Buy Katie's book today and help us keep the pressure on Obama and his attorney general Eric Holder and expose the cover-up.
Great Moments in Human Rights: Mandated “Emotional Support” Animals in College Dorms | Daniel J. Mitchell
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1 in 7 New Marriages Are Now Interracial—But Biases Still Linger
According to a new study by the Pew Research Center, almost 15 percent of all new American marriages in 2008 were between people of two different races. There are now 4.8 million interracial marriages in the United States—about 1 in 12 marriages. That number has doubled in the past 30 years, and has risen especially sharply among black populations. Our acceptance threshold is rising too—about 83 percent of Americans say it is "all right for blacks and whites to date each other," compared with 48 percent in 1987. And 63 percent of those surveyed say it "would be fine" if a family member were to get hitched to someone of a different race. Young people actively approve of the trend; almost two-thirds of of Millennials said mixed-race families were "good for society."
But that doesn't mean that all races—or genders—are intermarrying at the same rate. Twenty-two percent of all black male newlyweds in 2008 married outside their race, compared with just nine percent of black females. Meanwhile, a full 40 percent of Asian female newlyweds married a person of another race in 2008, compared with just 20 percent of Asian males. (The gender differences were negligible with white and Hispanics.)
So, yes, we've come a long way from Loving v. Virginia, but that doesn't mean racial stereotypes and biases have ceased to exist, even among those who choose to marry outside their race. There are still well-documented prejudices about the oft-fetishized docility of Asian women, the marriageability (or lack thereof) of black women, and the virility (or lack thereof) of both black and Asian men. No matter how much we tout the melting pot concept, our "personal preferences" are often tinged with ingrained stereotypes. And social pressures still do affect interracial marriages; the study found they were more likely to end in divorce. Intermarriage may no longer be illegal or even taboo, but it's still wrapped up in our deeply rooted cultural biases.
|
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|Think about Loose Coupling|
BioLion's scratchpadby BioLion (Curate)
|on Jun 16, 2009 at 18:01 UTC||Need Help??|
Audience: Perl Monks and Everyone with an interest.
Introduction & Justification: Perl has come to cover many areas of IT and has been dubbed the 'glue' for that matter. Perl has also contributed to Biology, big time, it saved the human genome project and not only that, it has continued to be the mainstay of much bioinformatics munging and analysis, playing no small part in the burgeoning ‘*omics’ sciences.
The increasing number of bioinformatics related Perl problems that seem to be coming up in the Monastery, and the confusing and disparate resources available on the internet contribute a great deal to making BioPerl fearful or at least "perl-plexing"…
PerlMonks plays a great role in the evolution of Perl, it has encouraged many to join up the community and exchange knowledge in a place of utmost cohesion between its members and thus BioPerl coders can be equally encouraged to participate and share their knowledge and code.
Description - what this is and isn't:
So, while this isn't intended to do the job of the extensive BioPerl docs, or many reference points out there, it will hopefully be a starting platform for those looking to delve deeper into using Perl in bioinformatics related tasks and also assisting Monks in becoming more accessible to BioPerl questions: Facilitating the back and forth that makes Perl and the Monastery so special.
It is also to highlight the interesting problems that bioinformaticians have to deal with - not all are BioPerl related(!) and can often involve huge, diverse datasets. And we hope that these sorts of challenges will tempt a few talented programmers to get involved.
Tips on posting bioinformatics type questions in the Monastery:
Please go through the following whenever you notice that your question or parts thereof don't look like how you expected after you have hit the "preview" button and remember; a well formulated question will garner better and quicker response.
How do I post a question effectively? is particularly relevant for specialist, such as bioinformatics, questions. Here we try to highlight the importance of well formulated questions:Not all monks are familiar with biology terms and not all monks are into bioinformatics, so as much as possible, use clear language that describes what your problem is and use biology terms only when relevant, better still, post the part of your Perl code that describes the problem or demonstrate the problem in Perl.
"I have a DNA sequence that I want to BLAST and I tried Bio::Tools::Run::StandAloneBlast but it did not work how can I do that? "
These sorts of questions invite down-voting and confuse monks and their response would be either trying to extract words from you to get you to explain it better, make wild guesses that would confuse you the more or ignore your question rather than BLASTing on you. Better to think about what you are trying to actually do and think about how this is a Perl problem.
This leads to an important point - often overlooked - of providing test data (just enough - 3 cases of input, not the whole file, and if it is in a particular format - say which or provide an example of its layout !), and if you are really stuck, what output you want. This greatly helps people grasp what you are doing and also test any code they produce.
I am trying to convert a string (a DNA sequence) into a series of three-letter sub-strings– to do that I have written the following code but I failed to make the substrings overlap by moving one letter at a time from the original sequence in the forward direction.
Now that seemed like an ideal question, clear wordings, examples of input and desired output and the code involved if any so that testing the respondents code on the provided data is made possible.
Good coding practice:
Many bioinformaticians are new to coding and can be guilty of certain malpractices, so your code should be readable, self-descriptive and properly indented and commented. Good coding practices are critical point checks, they can alert you to avoid potential errors, dangerous coding behavior and enable you reduce debugging time and increase code efficiency and re-usability. And as always, use warnings and strict, check for errors etc… because you never know what this code could be used for! Maybe some IO error means that a potential cancer biomarker is missed (extreme example, but point remains!).
Also - remember that posted nodes can be edited at a later point to encompass suggestions, changes to code, what course was finally decided etc... Remember that it is considered good form to mark any changes with ‘Update:’.
Tips on Answering BioPerl Questions:
Typical problems and solutions:
A frequent problem is the installation of BioPerl, this in itself is not difficult if certain caveats are attended to, if you are familiar with Installing Modules then you are good to go. Note that there is some difference between the BioPerl Installation Requirements on Linux and BioPerl Installation Requirements on Windows and that not all of BioPerl is available on Windows hence you need to add the following repositories to the ActiveState PPM manager.
If anyone can contribute tips for other methods (e.g. Strawberry Perl and cpan?), it would be much appreciated!
The BioPerl suite of modules revolves around sequence acquisition, parsing and retrieval from public databases and automating various tasks related to studying these sequences BioPerl HOWTOs. Think this is simple? Think again - CODE.GOOGLE.COM tells us there are 3,666,478 lines of code to get your head round!
A sequence is just a text string in a certain format (this format is described in the beginning of the text file containing that sequence) that represents either a gene or a protein, the alphabet of the sequence with regard to genes is but a combination of four letters (ACGT) and sometimes U (replaces T) and N (for aNything). A gene represents a sequence too, so doesn't negate the fact that it still has the aforementioned alphabet. ('GATTACA' is a sci-fi movie name that has these four letters). The Protein alphabet, on the other hand, comprise 20 letters.
Often IO problems start with the sequence having non-canonical letters, punctuation, or whitespace left in from reading in the sequence, so perlretut and perlop for help on regexes, and substitutions (s///) which are one way of checking for / replacing naughty characters.
Working with either type of sequences (DNA or protein) can involve:
Modules of Interest: (Module Reviews Needed)
There are also a host of extremely useful modules for general data handling.
Further Insight:If you intend to develop libraries in BioPerl, a grip on Object Oriented Programming is mandatory.
So now you have a good start on the Perl side, but want some data to play with? Much of bioinformatics revolves around the integration of large datasets in an attempt to draw out relationships, ultimately giving biological meaning to observed phenomena.
Fortunately, biology naturally lends itself to informatics, with known hierarchies and interrelations mirroring OO structuring, and the sheer abundance of data makes the challenge interesting. Here are a few possible sources of publicly available data:
Currently available resources:
For both biologist and programmers, here are a few resources for those of you who want to read more.
Any other recommendations are welcome!
Nodes of interest
Many great discussions have taken place in the monastery and this is just to highlight a few of the lessons learned there. Super Search will hopefully lead you to more specific answers too!
Lastly, if you are really interested, there are several good forums / sites that advertise jobs within bioinformatics and related science. Personally, I have found job-hunting to be no easy task, so here is a few of the better things I have stumbled upon:
Further Insight: If you can suggest ideas, invite/offer Modules review or share code addressing a certain aspect of BioPerl feel free to come forward with it.
Mediation / Tutorial i am thinking about RFCing:
Sharing variables and filehandles between processes
Perl cloud computing... (something for the future!)
End of meditation...
Very confusing mudules:
I find for most situations, rolling your own is the best approach:
Some of my favourites
One of the nicer explanations out there : Re: Extend a module
Apart from being node 19000, i just think this is cool : Re: Perl Spots
Others that I will look at again:
Uncategorised as yet:
Re: recursive algorithm for nested data structures
Re: Real Life Perl Exercises
Re: how much memory each Perl variable uses
Re: Dealing with errors in subroutines
extract phrases of n-words length
creating and printing a sliding window
Searching in binary files
Why is this code so much slower than the same algorithm in C?
Balancing Logging and Code Readability
boolean calculation with very large data
Prevent direct acces to object's attributes
Use strict warnings and diagnostics or die
How can I visualize my complex data structure?
module for cluster analysis
Net::Amazon::EC2 loses pound-shebang when base64'd
Graph Algorithm Package
[threads] Sharing object through threads
Managing a graph with large number of nodes
Shared Memory using IPC::Shareable - Can't use an undefined value as an ARRAY reference
forking with Storable and IPC::ShareLite
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I've been seeing more and more articles addressing depression in infants and children. You can find a couple of these on TheAttachedFamily.com. You can find these articles in the scrolling AP News Desk section in the top righthand corner of the site.
"Research Shows How PPD Affects Attachment" describes the effect on infants when they interact with their mothers who are afflicted by postpartum depression. The infants themselves appear depressed in cognitive and behavior development. The article goes on to describe how negative parenting behaviors like yelling and hitting are more likely with parents who are suffering from depression.
Another article, "UAE Childhood Depression on the Rise," discusses the increasing rate of childhood depression in the UAE. One reason for this is that more children of expats are being cared for by someone other than their parents. This compounds the rise of other significant factors such as higher divorce rates, a worrisome economic atmosphere, and more stressful lives in general. An author warns that parents need to encourage an open, sharing environment for their children so they feel safe in airing their feelings. Definitely an AP thing to do.
What are your thoughts on the seeming rise in childhood depression? Is there really a rise, or just a push in awareness? And what power to AP parents have in protecting their children from depression?
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A giant light bulb, a plastic skip and a plastic gas tank, all with Japanese writing on them.
The Molokai Dispatch has this story about residents finding barnacle-encrusted tsunami debris washing up on the beaches in Kaunakakai:
Kaunakakai resident Dane Christopher and his dogs Pua, Chance and Tonka were going on their daily walk on the beach along Kaunakakai pier last week when they found something unusual: a giant, barnacle-crusted light bulb. The end of the fully-intact bulb was marked “500 W.” The rest of the markings were in Japanese.
While finding objects from Japan on Hawaii’s shores is nothing new, Hawaii residents have been reporting an influx of debris that officials believe to be from the tsunami in Japan in March 2011.
… Christopher is one of several Molokai residents who have recently found debris marked with Japanese characters.
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Great Decisions Discussions start on January 16
Tyler, Tx — The 2013 Great Decisions Discussions will begin on Jan. 16 and continue each Wednesday at noon, through March 6, at the Tyler Public Library. These discussions, led by experts on the topics, will take you beyond the headlines by providing an in-depth look at eight of the most significant and far-reaching challenges facing the world today.
A project of the National Foreign Policy Association (FPA), Great Decisions was launched in 1954 to broaden understanding of, and participation in, global affairs. It is widely considered to be one of the longest-running and largest non-partisan grassroots education programs on foreign policy in the United States. In Tyler, Great Decisions is sponsored by AAUW, the League of Women Voters of Tyler/Smith County and the Tyler Public Library.
The public is invited to join these discussions. Participants do not have to be knowledgeable about foreign policy to enjoy the dialogues. Everyone who wants to learn more and discuss issues with their peers is invited to attend without charge.
• January 16 - NATO - Dr. Madeleine Ross, Tyler Junior College - How has NATO’s agenda evolved since its inception during the cold war? With its military commitment in Afghanistan winding down and a recent successful campaign in Libya, what are the Alliance’s present-day security challenges?
• January 23 - Intervention - Dr. Stephen Stine, Tyler Junior College - The “responsibility to protect” doctrine has become central to modern humanitarian intervention. When should the international community intervene? Why did the West rush to intervene in Libya but not Syria?
• January 30 - Iran - Jamal Moharer - Suspicion and a troubled history have blighted U.S.-Iranian relations for three decades. How can the United States and Iran move forward? Is the existence of Iran’s nuclear program an insurmountable obstacle?
• February 6 - Egypt - Mohammad Elibiary - The popular revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 ushered in the promise of radical change. Two years later, what is the state of Egyptian democracy? How will the military and the civilian government balance power?
• February 13 - Threat Assessment - General Furlow - U.S. Army - How can the United States address the challenges of a weak economy, homegrown terrorism and nuclear proliferation? What threats and opportunities are presented by the ascendancy of China and by regime change in the Middle East?
• February 20 - Myanmar and Southeast Asia - Dr. Robert Sterken – University of Texas at Tyler -
The West has welcomed unprecedented democratic reforms made by Myanmar’s government. What challenges must Myanmar overcome before it can fully join the international community? What role can it play in Southeast Asia?
• February 27 - Future of the Euro - Dr. Marcus Stadelmann, UT Tyler - How did the 2008 global recession contribute to the development of the euro crisis? The health of the euro affects and is affected by the state of the global economy. How can European Union leaders prevent the collapse of the common currency?
• March 6 - China in Africa - Dr. Amentahru Wahlrab, UT Tyler, Professor of Political Science, UT Tyler - China in Africa - What interests govern China’s engagement in Africa? Should China’s growing emphasis on political ties and natural resource extraction inform U.S. relations with African nations?
The Great Decisions Briefing Books will be on sale in the Tyler Public Library in early January 2013 for $20.00. Books will also be available for check-out and for in-Library use at the Reference desk in the Library.
For more information about Great Decisions in Tyler, contact the Tyler Public Library at (903) 593-7323 or email email@example.com.
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Italian Summer Language Program
Unique Features of the Program
What makes the Italian SLI a unique learning experience? The Italian Summer Language Institute offers an intensive near-immersion program in which students complete beginning and intermediate levels of Italian instruction in eight weeks - two years of coursework (ITAL 1016, 1026, 2016, and 2026) in one summer! This fast-paced program is unique in that all students sign a pledge to speak Italian only throughout the entire program. As a result, participants leave the program with a high level of fluency and competency in the language. Our program structure emphasizes development of linguistic knowledge, the four skills, with a focus on cultural knowledge and cultural competency. Our faculty are trained in second language pedagogy and hold years of teaching experience at the college level. Class time is devoted to the development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, conversation practice and interactive activities, and work in the Language Lab and computer classrooms using internet resources, videos, and other technologies. The intensive student-centered approach to learning Italian makes the Summer Language Institute different from most summer language programs. SLI participants find the experience rewarding.
SLI classes meet from Monday through Friday for seven and a half hours a day with three different Italian instructors. Students meet from 9:00-12:00 in the morning for grammar and vocabulary instruction and practice; the afternoon class meets from 1:00-4:00 and focuses on in-depth communicative practice of the material learned during the morning class and includes work in an instructional technology classroom; and in the evening class from 6:00-7:30, students learn about Italian culture and participate in cultural activities such as cooking meals together, watching films, creating short films or other presentations, guest lectures, and other hands-on cultural learning experiences. Each Friday, students and teachers meet together for a communal lunch in an informal atmosphere to practice their conversation skills in Italian.
Attendance in all three classes (morning, afternoon, and evening) is required of all students, regardless of whether they are enrolled for credit or non-credit. Furthermore, every student, regardless of type of enrollment, must earn a passing grade in each class of the first half of the SLI in order to continue on in the second half of the program.
|
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Every day is our Super Bowl SundayPublished 12:22am Sunday, February 5, 2012
Today one single thing will be on the minds of millions of Americans — the big game.
Super Bowl XLVI (46) will kick off this evening, and will almost certainly see three types of viewers — Giants fans, Patriots fans and advertising fans.
Super Bowl ads have become nearly as popular as the game itself, maybe more popular.
This year’s Super Bowl viewership is projected to be approximately 117 million viewers. That’s a bunch of folks watching, but it may surprise you that isn’t all that special, proportionally anyway. That number is approximately half of the number of adults in the U.S., according to the Census.
So on the biggest day of the year, the biggest TV audience can muster approximately half of the country’s attention.
Did you know this newspaper reaches more than 80 percent of the local population — in print and online each week?
Proportionally, that means it’s Super Bowl Sunday for our advertisers every week.
Nationally, in 2011, approximately 69 percent of U.S. adults reported reading a newspaper in print or online each week. You’re probably tempted to say I’ve lost my mind or I’m simply trying to make myself feel better.
Newspapers are all dying, right? That may be the perception some people have — and large city newspapers have suffered greatly — but the reality is that despite reduced numbers of print readers over the last several decades, many newspapers —including ours — reach more folks than ever.
Today, it just reaches them in different ways. Two decades ago, we only had a printed product. We still have the printed product, but we also have the dominant news website in the region, too.
Last month, more than two million pages were viewed on natchezdemocrat.com. That’s pretty staggering when you think about it.
But did you know we also printed 4.1 million pages in the print edition?
Those numbers show newspapers are still depended upon each day, despite the rise of social media, text messages and dozens of other technological wonders that allow people to pass information to one another.
We pass information, too, but we do much more as well.
We create journalism. The difference is simple.
Information is that the city is going to have a meeting on Thursday.
Journalism tells you the meeting is about proposed changes to a casino development plan, provides you with the context of what’s going on and even lets you read the documents yourself if you’d like. Newspapers also provide residents with a way to speak out on such issues, too. That’s critically important.
Information is communicating that Adams County leaders said they would reduce the county’s cell phone bill.
Journalism is digging through a year of bills and showing public abuses of those taxpayer-provided phones.
Facebook and Twitter might make us feel good or even keep people from being bored, but journalism keeps our community informed, educated and aware.
Even other local media agrees. Last July, during a local radio station’s interview with a political candidate, the interviewer referenced an article we’d published and sort of caught herself bragging on us.
“We all get The Natchez Democrat, most of us, let’s say most of us get The Natchez Democrat.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
All the Super Bowl ad hype will end in a day or two and when it does, we’ll keep providing journalism for our community.
Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Posts tagged answer
Imagine how frustrating life would be if no one answered your questions:
Which way is the train station? A train station is a building where trains depart from.
How much is this coat? A coat is something that you wear to keep you warm and dry.
However, every year a surprising number of students fail to answer the questions set in exams. One of the key features of a good essay is a clear and consistent focus on the question. A good essay doesn’t just describe a topic, it answers the question.
An easy way to ensure that you are focused on the question is to use the words from it. That is one of the reasons that teachers are always reminding students to highlight or underline the key words in exam questions. www.wordle.net is a free online tool that can help you to reflect on the answers that you write. It takes all the words from your answer and puts them into a ‘word cloud’: the more you have used a word the bigger it appears.
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