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|(19 Nov 2012)
The latest available data from the Justice Department show a continuing decline in the number of criminal prosecutions resulting from referrals made by agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
During the last 12 months there have been 81,496 such prosecutions filed, nearly 10 percent fewer than in August 2011 when the 12-month total had been 90,139.
Nearly all (over 98 percent) of CBP's enforcment activity originates within the five districts comprising the southwest border with Mexico. And while ICE's enforcement mandate covers the entire US, referrals from these border districts have increased to 52.3 percent of its total referrals, up from 41.4 percent when President Obama assumed office in January 2009. ICE referrals from districts along the northern border as well as interior districts have both declined during the same period.
For full details, go to:
In addition to reports on immigration trends, TRAC continues to offer free reports on program categories such as drugs, white collar crime, terrorism and weapons. TRAC's reports also monitor the enforcement activities of selected government agencies such as DHS, the FBI and the IRS. For the latest information on prosecutions and convictions through August 2012, go to:
Even more detailed criminal enforcement information for the period from FY 1986 through August 2012 is available to TRACFED subscribers via the Express and Going Deeper tools. Go to http://tracfed.syr.edu for more information. Customized reports for a specific agency, district, program, lead charge or judge are available via the TRAC Data Interpreter, either as part of a TRACFED subscription or on a per-report basis. Go to http://trac.syr.edu/interpreter to start.
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TRAC is self-supporting and depends on foundation grants, individual contributions and subscription fees for the funding needed to obtain, analyze and publish the data we collect on the activities of the US Federal government. To help support TRAC's ongoing efforts, go to: | <urn:uuid:9a239e2d-f2e5-47b2-a69c-8eb03e63c9a9> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://trac.syr.edu/whatsnew/email.121119.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279368.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00320-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932668 | 447 | 1.703125 | 2 |
American public education remains front and center, which is mostly good news. Let me start this "news summary" in Washington, DC, where President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are calling for fundamental changes in the law known as No Child Left Behind, the Bush Administration's version of Title One of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
No Child Left Behind
I doubt you could find more than a handful of educators who like NCLB these days, but whether anyone in the nation's capital will be able to agree on what a new version should call for is highly questionable.
To recap the law's flaws would take a long time; Learning Matters produced an award-winning series on it a few years ago, which you can see here. In my view, the best thing about NCLB was its insistence on 'disaggregating' data so that high scores from one group can no longer mask low performance by other groups. I also admire one phrase from the run-up to the law, "the soft bigotry of low expectations."
But the law's many loopholes allow and encourage districts, schools and individual teachers to cheat. It says that everyone has to be proficient by 2014 but lets states decide what constitutes proficiency. This is an invitation to deceive if ever there was one.
It produced what has famously been called "A Race to the Bottom," which is, of course, why the Obama Administration created its "Race to the Top." (For more about cheating, see this brilliant reporting by Greg Toppo and others, supported by the Hechinger Institute.)
So stay tuned for the debate, but given the intense partisanship in Washington, I would bet against anything passing soon. We may need some dramatic event -- such as some school districts simply refusing to subject their students to even more bubble tests.
The Value -- And Influence -- Of Teaching
"We need to make teaching a better job" -- that's one of the central points of my new book, The Influence of Teachers, and so you can imagine how pleased I am by the new report from Andreas Schleicher of OECD that argues that the United States must raise the status of teachers. That report comes on the occasion of a meeting in New York of education ministers and union leaders from 16 countries, and that two-day gathering will be followed by WNET's "Celebration of Teaching and Learning." An earlier report from OECD and PISA is here.
(Related: I hope to attend lots of sessions at WNET's "Celebration of Teaching and Learning" and will be blogging from there in the near future.)
While President Obama is urging greater respect for teachers, the attack on the profession grows more intense. Politicians in Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey and elsewhere regularly trash teachers, labeling them as greedy, overpaid and lazy. Fox News is, no surprise, filling its air with attacks. In response, Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show" has simply been brilliant, skewering the hypocrisy of Fox and the politicians.
Of course, this is not a laughing matter. Who can calculate the damage being done to an honorable profession? Who benefits from this trashing? How many prospective teachers are now deciding on different careers because of what they are reading and hearing every day?
If ever there were a time to speak up for teachers, it's now. As I argue in my book, the definition of "better job" is problematic, because of the power of unions and the stupidity of some school boards, but now's the time to get involved.
Let Kids Rule The School?
Earlier this week the New York Times carried a fascinating op-ed by Susan Engel about eight high school students, ages 15-17, in western Massachusetts who essentially took charge of their own education. "Let Kids Rule the School" is buzzing around the internet, but in case you missed it, find it here. Is this approach "scalable," to use the official jargon? I don't know, but it's a step in the right direction, away from the useless "regurgitation education" that I write about in The Influence of Teachers. Someone on Twitter called it "home schooling guided by teachers," but the essential point is that adults trusted kids to take their own education seriously -- and allowed and encouraged them to pursue their own interests.
Two Education Books Of Note
One corner of my desk is filling up with education books, and I doubt I will ever get to review even half of them. But two in particular have proved valuable to me in my reporting and my thinking. Neither David Kirp nor Ellen Galinsky needs my endorsement because both authors have large fan bases, and deservedly so, but I would like to call your attention to Kids First: Five Big Ideas for Transforming Children's Lives, which is David Kirp's new book, and Mind in the Making, Ellen Galinsky's valuable analysis of The Seven Essential Life Skills that Every Child Needs. (And we have used one of David's earlier books, The Sandbox Investment, in our research for an upcoming NewsHour piece about early education.)
I appreciate that some of you have posted reviews of The Influence of Teachers on its Amazon page. The book has been reviewed favorably in a number of places, as well as being the subject of a photo spread about a wonderful book party that took place last week in New York City. Lots of bold-face names attended, drawn no doubt by the bold face names who hosted the event: Joel Klein, Dick Beattie and Mary Lou and Joe Quinlan.
The Morning Email helps you start your workday with everything you need to know: breaking news, entertainment and a dash of fun. Learn more | <urn:uuid:df5cfb48-3db6-49e2-b00d-5fc63c182165> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-merrow/as-nclb-comes-under-consi_b_836621.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00420-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966428 | 1,160 | 2.34375 | 2 |
Harness the power of tourism
Once the first schools were up and running, Marten began to wonder how to generate a sustainable income for the charity and create quality jobs for the children that would come to graduate from the schools. Tourism is a fast growing industry in Guatemala and many other developing nations. The skills are easily transferable. How could we make sure the people who need it most, and who were hardly benefiting from tourism, would start to benefit from it?
A social business
The idea was to start a tourism business, that would create jobs as well as a structural income for the foundation. In order to be able to do that, two companies were created: the Good Hotel, which would operate the hotel; and Good Property, which would own the building and lease it to the hotel operator.
Marten set out to build the Good Hotel on the principles of "social business", as per Muhammad Yunus. Meaning it would become a company that would not pay any dividend to its shareholders.
The concept of the Good Hotel
Over the course of 2012 and 2013, the Good Hotel was conceptualized. The Good Hotel is both a brand and a hotel operator, and is owned by the Good Group.
After establishing the Good Hotel as a brand, and as a hotel operator, the next step was to create the Good Property partnership, effectively an endowment fund for Niños de Guatemala.
Over the years 2013 and 2014, Good Property raised funds to be able to buy a ruined mansion in Antigua. Then, in 2015 and 2016 it was converted it into a beautiful hotel. | <urn:uuid:a06b6259-7e25-4c19-bdde-fdca3b8885dc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://goodhotelantigua.com/social-business | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572021.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814083156-20220814113156-00078.warc.gz | en | 0.982202 | 328 | 2.3125 | 2 |
The Ultimate Beginners Guide To Miter Saws
Miter saws are a carpenter’s best friend – they make quick, accurate cuts and are perfect for home projects. But with so many different models and features available, choosing the right one can be tricky. Nothing to worry about, fellow carpenters!
In this blog post, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about miter saws, including the different types available and how to use them safely. So whether you’re just starting in carpentry or you’re looking to upgrade your current saw, read on for all the information you need.
A Must-Have Tool For Every Carpenter
If you’re beginning in the world of carpentry, you must know the many saws available. From table saw to chop saw, they all have their unique settings. So, what makes the miter saw so special among all the others?
- Accurate angles: The accuracy of the miter or angled cuts depends on how you set them. They will be exact and consistent for as many cuts as you like once you’ve established any sort of miter or angled cuts. Most saws have positive stops to ensure that 45-degree miter cuts are even better.
- Perfect square end cuts: When you make a perfect 90-degree cut in two directions with a miter saw and securely support your workpiece on both sides, you can be confident that the cut will be exact.
- Stays inside the line: It’s simple to cut precisely on the cutting line since you may crop thin slivers of material until you’re on it.
- Can deal with thick lumber: A miter saw can cut through a 4×4 post in one pass, which a 7-1/4″ circular saw (the most common size) isn’t capable of doing.
- Extremely versatile: A power miter saw can chop not only through wood but other materials such as aluminum shower door tracks, suspended ceiling gridwork, and other aluminum products with a carbide blade. Plumbing pipes made of plastic are also on the list.
Smart Tips For Miter Saw Shopping
So many choices seem to be “the one,” but how can you be 100% sure of this? Well, these are some features you should look out for while purchasing your new miter saw:
- The most pocket-friendly saw for your money is found in ten-inch models. They can cut 90-degree 4x4s as well as 45-degree 2x6s and 2x4s.
- Crown molding cuts that are difficult to make with a regular miter saw will be simple with a compound miter saw. The extra cost of a compound miter saw is 25 to 30% more than a basic miter saw.
- Make sure to lift the saw. You’ll be carrying it around to your shop or workplace, so make sure you can lift it without hurting yourself.
- Check for a dust bag included within its accessories to avoid getting damaged while you store it.
- When you’re cutting, check to see if the blade guard is easy to operate and not obstruct your view. Some guards are superior to others. If you don’t like how it functions, try another saw.
- Purchase a carbide blade. Most saws come with a steel blade suitable for cutting framing wood but not molding. A 50- to 80-tooth carbide blade will produce smooth trim cuts.
Easy To Use Right Out Of The Box!
Even with basic carpentry knowledge, the miter saw is so simple to use that you’d be able to use it on any of your projects.
Step 1- Set It Up
Install the miter saw in a space with plenty of room to pass an eight-foot longboard without knocking anything down. A few boards on sawhorses might be enough, or you may construct a bespoke miter saw station.
Make sure the miter saw is firmly affixed to the work surface using clamps or screws since the last thing you want is for it to shift while you’re cutting.
Step 2- Check It
Some miter saws aren’t perfect right out of the box. Rough handling or incorrect factory settings might cause the blade or fence to become misaligned.
Your circular saw’s blade should be parallel to the table to obtain the best cutting results. Unplug the saw and raise the blade guard while you’re looking at it. Lower the blade and set a square next to it. There shouldn’t be any light or space between the blade and the square.
Step 3: Cut, cut, cut!
With a tape measure, determine how long your project’s board will be. Using a pencil and a square, draw a line on the board where you want to cut.
With the fence against the back edge of the board, set it on the miter saw with the waste side touching the line. Lower the blade and carefully align it with the teeth to barely touch the waste side of the line.
Set your safety glasses and ear protection on. Before cutting, let the miter saw come up to maximum speed and then make the cut.
After you’ve cut through the material, hold the board in place, or clamp it down. The majority of miter saws come with a hold-down clamp that you can use. When the blade is spinning, keep your hands more than 6 inches away from it!
After cutting completely through the board, release the trigger and hold down the blade until it comes to a complete stop.
Find All You Need In Our Hardware Stores in Texas
Joining the world of carpentry is amusing, and an easier way of completing your carpentry projects flawlessly is with the Dewalt – Miter Saw/DWS715, which is available at all Fix & Feed stores in Texas.
Fix & Feed is a well-assorted hardware store perfect for carpentry lovers, regardless of their expertise. We enjoy seeing how your projects come to life using only our store’s best quality tools and materials. | <urn:uuid:c1049e9e-78cf-42eb-a941-8ae8cb5d9e13> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://fixandfeed.com/the-ultimate-beginners-guide-to-miter-saws/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571472.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811133823-20220811163823-00669.warc.gz | en | 0.923024 | 1,292 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Game of the Day: Sudoku
The Game of the Day yes, it's sudoku. So what? Sudoku is a simple, addictive game of logic that will leave you begging for mercy! Solve the mystery of the number grid with reasoning and patience (no math required). There is only one rule: Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains all digits 1-9 only once. Let the brain teasing begin!
Click --> Play Sudoku
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub. | <urn:uuid:d0d9aaac-3bee-446b-a2eb-d5dd2e0b5f57> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.aol.com/article/2011/05/13/game-of-the-day-sudoku/19940319/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284352.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00191-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.904719 | 172 | 1.585938 | 2 |
'His Majesty inspecting the shells at Holmes and Company Limited Munition Works, Hull', 1915
Stereoscopic photograph, World War One, Home Front (1914-1918), 1915.
W C Holmes and Co Ltd was one of several Hull factories modified for munitions production following Lloyd George's appointment as Minister of Munitions. The creation of this new post was a recognition that the whole economy would have to be geared for total war if the Allies were to prevail. Annual national shell production grew from 500,000 in 1914 to 76 million in 1917.
One of 100 stereoscopic photographs associated with World War One, Western Front (1914-1918).
NAM Accession Number
National Army Museum, Out of Copyright
National Army Museum, Study collection
Browse related themes | <urn:uuid:a7677b05-fad1-4df5-bf27-cd43e9a01611> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?q=searchType%3Dsimple%26resultsDisplay%3Dlist%26acc%3D2001-02-256&pos=8&total=33&page=1&acc=2001-02-256-37 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571745.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812170436-20220812200436-00476.warc.gz | en | 0.907626 | 205 | 2.109375 | 2 |
COVID‐19 in the Workplace: Return to Workplace Risk Assessment
Multiple Locations, Canada
Canadian Federal Government Departments responded to the COVID-19 world-wide-pandemic by having its employees work from home from mid-March 2020 to reduce the risk to its staff and to comply with emergency orders across the country.
Having weathered the initial response, a Canadian Federal Department was faced with the problem that given the criticality of many of its operations to several sectors of the Canadian economy, it needed to plan for the safe resumption of key activities carried out in the field and in its special purpose workplaces, offices and various other facilities.
SLR, familiar with the Department’s Hazard Prevention Program, was well positioned to respond when approached to complete a risk assessment to support the Department’s return to the workplace planning effort. SLR considered the problem, and rather than just listing common risks and mitigation measures for minimization of infectious disease transmission in the workplace, SLR sought an approach whereby risk factors common across all workplaces and specific to special purpose workplaces were identified, characterized and defined by semi-quantitative low-to-high-risk scales. In this way, the Department could employ its existing HPP risk assessment process to the evaluation of workplace risk associated with COVID-19.
SLR conducted a world-wide search for the latest COVID-19 epidemiology, risk and risk reduction practices that were included in the risk factors and applied to both common and special purpose Departmental workplaces. Simplified self-assessment forms were prepared for use by Departmental managers to aid in evaluating workplace risks consistently, and in identifying control measures targeted at the more significant risk factors such that overall return to work risk could be reduced allowing the Department’s employees to return to work safely.
Due to the rapidly changing knowledge base and the urgency of finding a solution, SLR completed the work within a two week timeframe, completing a second search of best practices immediately prior to submitting the framework report and facilitating communication of the results to its managers.
SLR scientists and engineers continue to keep abreast of COVID-19 scientific updates and studies across the world in order to continue to provide the best solutions to our clients. | <urn:uuid:561f496b-f7c1-467d-866c-af321b36e260> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.slrconsulting.com/en/case-studies/covid-19-workplace-return-workplace-risk-assessment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572021.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814083156-20220814113156-00077.warc.gz | en | 0.966631 | 459 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Girls Thrive Emotionally, Boys Falter After Move to Better Neighborhood
Complex Take-home Message for Public Housing Policy
• Science Update
Girls in public housing benefited emotionally from a move to a better neighborhood while boys fared worse than if they’d stayed in the poor neighborhood, a study partly funded by NIMH has found. Rates of depression and conduct disorder markedly increased in boys and decreased in girls. Boys also experienced significantly increased rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“Better understanding of interactions among individual, family, and neighborhood risk factors is needed to guide future public housing policy changes in light of these sex differences,” concluded the research team, which was headed by Ronald Kessler, Ph.D., of Harvard University, Jens Ludwig, Ph.D. , of the University of Chicago, and Jeffrey Kling, Ph.D. , of the National Bureau of Economic Research. Although not addressed by the study, they suggested that girls might have had better social skills to take advantage of opportunities offered by the better neighborhoods and presumably had different experiences there than boys.
The researchers reported their results March 4, 2014 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The findings are the latest to emerge from a public housing experiment in 5 major cities* during the mid-to-late 1990s, in which randomly selected families with young children were offered the opportunity to move out of impoverished neighborhoods. They were offered either restricted vouchers to move to lower poverty neighborhoods or unrestricted vouchers to move to any neighborhood of their choice. The primary goals were to increase educational achievement and economic self-sufficiency, but by far the most common reason for moving that families gave was to get away from gangs and drugs. After a year, families that accepted either type of vouchers were living in neighborhoods with poverty rates averaging 34 percent, compared to 50 percent for control group families.
Mental illness is more prevalent among youth in impoverished neighborhoods, suggesting that an upscale move might be beneficial. Among adult family members, health and well-being had improved when surveyed a decade later. Yet among their offspring, there were hints by middle childhood that girls were doing better and boys were doing worse psychologically. The researchers followed-up with a more formal evaluation of the children’s mental health in 2008-2010, when they were in their mid-to-late teens – 1407 boys and 1465 girls from 2134 families.
The one-year prevalence of depression was 7.1 percent among boys whose families had received the restricted vouchers and moved into low poverty neighborhoods, compared to 3.5 percent among boys in control group families who did not receive vouchers. Rates of conduct disorder among low poverty group boys were 6.4 percent, compared to 2.1 percent in the control group. Rates of PTSD were 6.2 percent in the low poverty group, compared to 3.5 percent among boys in the control group, and 4.9 percent in families with unrestricted vouchers. This effect of neighborhood is comparable to the impact of combat exposure on PTSD rates in the military, the researchers noted.
Girls showed a contrasting trend, with 6.5 percent in families receiving unrestricted vouchers developing depression, compared to 10.9 percent among control group families. Rates of conduct disorder among unrestricted voucher group girls were .3 percent, compared to 2.9 percent in control group families. The protective effect of neighborhood on depression in girls was comparable to the inverse effect of sexual assault on depression rates in young women, according to Kessler and colleagues.
Given the complexities posed by these results, the researchers suggest that a challenge for future research may be to “develop nuanced decision rules for matching public housing families with neighborhoods to maximize the health and well-being of all family members.”
Associations of housing mobility interventions for children in high-poverty neighborhoods with subsequent mental disorders during adolescence. Kessler RC, Duncan GJ, Gennetian LA, Katz LF, Kling JR, Sampson NA, Sanbonmatsu L, Zaslavsky AM, Ludwig J. JAMA. 2014 Mar 5;311(9):937-48. doi: 10.1001/jama.2014.607. PMID: 24595778
Neighborhood effects on the long-term well-being of low-income adults. Ludwig J, Duncan GJ, Gennetian LA, Katz LF, Kessler RC, Kling JR, Sanbonmatsu L. Science. 2012 Sep 21;337(6101):1505-10.
*The Moving to Opportunity experiment was conducted in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City, from 1994 to 1998. | <urn:uuid:19340b9f-a730-49cd-b5c9-1a65d0ef6673> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2014/girls-thrive-emotionally-boys-falter-after-move-to-better-neighborhood.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281450.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00174-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96805 | 949 | 2.546875 | 3 |
Author David Niose posts at HuffPo about the ascendent secular movement and illustrates his point with a short list of non believers of historic weight. The preamble is some sweet mind candy:
Though the secular movement is new, nonbelievers in America are certainly not. We are frequently told that America is a very religious country, but rarely are we reminded that a strong current of religious skepticism also flows through the nation’s history and culture. Atheists, agnostics, humanists, and nonbelievers of all stripes can be found prominently throughout the American narrative. Here is a list of nine important religious skeptics in American history. | <urn:uuid:e86d061b-aa58-40ad-99c9-978afb31be8a> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://freethoughtblogs.com/zingularity/2012/07/17/great-non-believers-in-history/?wpmp_switcher=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719453.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00231-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964759 | 131 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Swedish bosses ageing rapidly
TT/The Local · 21 Jun 2007, 17:19
Published: 21 Jun 2007 17:19 GMT+02:00
The study also found that more bosses than before under the age of 35 were of the view that they had less favourable working conditions then their older peers.
One if four young bosses felt that they lacked the authority and flexibility necessary to develop their business.
This dissatisfaction was most evident among young female bosses, with one in three believing that they were hampered by a lack of authority.
Ledarna has calculated that Sweden needs to recruit 250,000 new bosses over the next ten years in order to replace the current crop of leaders nearing retirement age. | <urn:uuid:6e308bb9-b1d6-4a78-853b-eb7f8e50dbb1> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://www.thelocal.se/20070621/7678 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721141.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00416-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981501 | 143 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Although Tropical Storm Noel won't make landfall over Florida, the storm will hit the southern part of the U.S. state with strong wind gusts, rain and rough seas on November 1, predicts AccuWeather.com.
As Noel travels between Cuba and the Bahamas today, experts say the storm will be able to gather strength –- just how much is up in the air. Noel continues to have the potential of becoming a full-blown hurricane.
Meteorologists expect that southwesterly winds will turn Tropical Storm Noel away from Florida. After blowing through the Bahamas, the storm is expected to come within 50-100 miles of Miami, but never make landfall.
By November 2, authorities predict the storm will be affected by a jet stream, which will move Noel over the Atlantic.
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Jobs that may interest you | <urn:uuid:e3f58d15-dde9-419a-a249-047348518121> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.rigzone.com/news/oil_gas/a/52265/UPDATE_Tropical_Storm_Noel_Nears_Florida | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719784.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00427-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940083 | 178 | 2.3125 | 2 |
The typical warblers are small insectivorous birds belonging to the genera Sylvia and Parisoma of the "Old World warbler" (more properly: sylviid warbler) family Sylviidae. There are about 20 species in the genus Sylvia, but their probable closest living relatives, Parisoma might actually belong herein too (Helbig 2001, Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006); the relationship to the African Hillbabbler (Pseudoalcippe abyssinica) and the White-browed Chinese Warbler (Rhopophilus pekinensis) are not entirely resolved but certainly more distant. Typical warblers occur in the temperate and subtropical regions of western Eurasia and adjacent Africa, centered around the Mediterranean.
Many of the Sylvia species show sexual dimorphism, with distinctive male and female plumages. A common feature is that males of some species have black on the heads, replaced by brown, gray or similar dusky colors in females. Species breeding in temperate regions are usually strongly migratory, although some are resident. These are active, constantly moving, warblers usually associated with fairly open woodland, hedges or shrubs.
The typical warblers are now known to form one major lineage in a clade containing also the parrotbills and some taxa formerly considered true Old World babblers (Cibois 2003, Alström et al. 2006). The other "Old World warblers" have been moved to their own families, entirely redelimiting the Sylviidae. Because of their distinctness, the Sylvia-Parisoma group might be considered a subfamily Sylviinae, but it must be noted that several "Old World warblers" are pending restudy with the new data in mind.
As denoted above, the genus Sylvia as presently defined is not monophyletic. The Sylvia-Parisoma group apparently contains one distinct major lineage and several superspecies.
Temperate Eurasian superspecies ("atricapilla-borin group")
- Blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla
- Garden Warbler, Sylvia borin
- Banded Warbler, Parisoma boehmi
- Layard's Warbler, Parisoma layardi
- Rufous-vented Warbler, Parisoma subcaeruleum
- Brown Warbler, Parisoma lugens
- Yemen Warbler, Sylvia buryi - sometimes placed in Parisoma
- Red Sea Warbler, Sylvia leucomelaena
- (Western) Orphean Warbler, Sylvia hortensis
- Eastern Orphean Warbler, Sylvia (hortensis) crassirostris
- Lesser Whitethroat, Sylvia curruca
- Hume's Whitethroat, Sylvia althaea
- Small Whitethroat, Sylvia minula
- Margelanic Whitethroat, Sylvia (minula) margelanica
- Barred Warbler, Sylvia nisoria - tentatively place here
- Asian Desert Warbler, Sylvia nana
- African Desert Warbler, Sylvia deserti
- Whitethroat, Sylvia communis
- Spectacled Warbler, Sylvia conspicillata
- Tristram's Warbler, Sylvia deserticola
- Dartford Warbler, Sylvia undata
- Marmora's Warbler, Sylvia sarda
- Balearic Warbler, Sylvia (sarda) balearica
- Rüppell's Warbler, Sylvia rueppelli
- Cyprus Warbler, Sylvia melanothorax
- (Western) Subalpine Warbler, Sylvia cantillans
- Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Sylvia (cantillans) albistriata
- Moltoni's Warbler, Sylvia (cantillans) moltonii
- Sardinian Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala
- Sylvia (melanocephala) momus
- Fayyum Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala/momus norissae - doubtfully distinct, extinct (c.1940)
- Menetries' Warbler, Sylvia mystacea
The relationships between the last group and the other species are not well resolved (Helbig 2001, Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006). | <urn:uuid:474819f5-fe8b-45c0-9ac0-7d7311d056b4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.kiwifoto.com/galleries/birds/layards_parisoma/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573399.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818185216-20220818215216-00078.warc.gz | en | 0.82577 | 942 | 3.890625 | 4 |
- Help young people learn to volunteer and give from an early age by providing and promoting meaningful service opportunities that accommodate a wide range of ages, abilities and interests.
- Generate valuable resources for schools and teachers in underserved communities, and engage youth and families in helping their broader community.
- Provide a continuum of youth-service projects, lesson plans, and curriculum that span the full breadth of development - from early childhood through high school.
- Reach kids, families, schools, educators and community youth organizations.
Use the yellow menu at the left to explore the programs that generationOn offers. | <urn:uuid:10de6841-6811-499d-813a-173e8df95eb7> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://generationon.org/orgs/programs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280835.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00048-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930005 | 121 | 2.390625 | 2 |
There’s a surprising amount of myths and misunderstandings surrounding hospice and palliative care. These misunderstandings will often delay families from enrolling in hospice or keep them from enrolling in hospice care altogether. A simple look at the facts will help those interested in hospice care understand the benefits of hospice and avoid these misunderstandings.
Here are some of the most common hospice misunderstandings and why they’re wrong.
Hospice is expensive
Quite the opposite actually. Medicare, Medicaid, and the majority of private health insurance companies all cover hospice care. This means patients and their families will rarely have to pay anything out of pocket for the care they receive while enrolled in hospice.
You can only have 6 months of hospice
This stems from the fact that patients must be certified as being terminally ill by a physician and have a prognosis of 6 months or less if the disease runs its normal course. This requirement does not mean patients can only receive a maximum of 6 months of care, because the physician’s prognosis may change over time. There is no limit to how much hospice care a patient can receive as long as they continue to get a 6 month prognosis from a doctor.
Hospice only happens in one place
While some patients may choose to receive hospice care by moving into a hospice facility owned and operated by the provider, hospice care can be administered in a wide variety of locations. A patient may receive care in their own home, a skilled nursing facility, a hospital, or almost any safe environment.
As you can see, the benefits are clear when hospice misunderstandings are corrected. If you or a loved one are in need of hospice care, call Cura-HPC for information about our hospice care services. | <urn:uuid:5f43bbbe-56eb-4b72-bf0c-6a4d6b1d71dc> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cura-hpc.com/blog/posts/view/129/common-hospice-misunderstandings | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572198.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815175725-20220815205725-00275.warc.gz | en | 0.961952 | 373 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Photos by Eric Stauffer, Dark Horse Art Works
WHO: Fifteen brave area students
WHAT: St. Baldrick’s Foundation annual fundraising event for children’s cancer research
WHERE: Marquette Catholic High School in Alton
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 30
WHY: Each year, students volunteer to have their heads shaved to help raise money for cancer research to help battle the disease in children. This year, 15 youngsters (including one girl) went under the clippers for a good cause. | <urn:uuid:c87edc84-028a-4700-bad9-17089bac8dbe> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://advantagenews.com/features/photo-feature%3A-st.-baldrick%E2%80%99s-bash/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280483.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00293-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913345 | 109 | 1.585938 | 2 |
No one can say for sure that the pale (green) horse in the news video from Cairo is the pale (green) horse of Revelation 6:8. However, the arguments against it so far are unconvincing, such as it being a reflection or an image. Those dots on the screen are not a valid argument. I can see no natural explanation.
An argument for it is that the horse is green, just like in Revelation 6:8. With all the colors on that video, or in the rainbow, why is this horse green? There is no other green in the video from which it could be a reflection. It is important to note that green is also the color of Islam
Another argument is the times in which we live, with the death cult Islam a growing global threat. The rider on that horse is named Death, and hades follows him. That is a good description of Islam.
The video is at http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=260049 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C20ZPjVty0&feature=related | <urn:uuid:da4116f0-4b84-47b2-9710-e35c37142020> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/feb2011/jim29-1.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280835.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00467-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.927075 | 243 | 1.609375 | 2 |
"I see an opening in the sky, and the Son of Man standing at God's right hand." —Acts 7:56
When a baby is born, he can be held, seen, heard, touched, and kissed. We celebrate a birth because after a baby is born we can enter into a new dimension of personal relationship with that baby. We likewise celebrate the birth of Jesus because His birth made it possible for Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, and us to become very close to Him.
Although we did not live at the time when we could see, touch, and hear Jesus physically, we can still be very close to Jesus. In fact, we can be closer than close to Jesus. By the power of the Spirit, we can be in Jesus and He in us (see Jn 17:23). We can even touch the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus in Holy Communion. We can receive Jesus and become one with Him (Jn 6:56). We can have a personal relationship with Jesus that is so deep that it will transform us and the whole world.
This relationship with Jesus is so powerful that those who live in His love are seen either as the best thing that has ever happened to the world or a threat to the culture of death (see 2 Cor 2:15-16). Thus, Christians are embraced as messengers of life, hope, and light, or they are attacked, persecuted, and sometimes killed (see Acts 7:57ff; Mt 10:17ff).
Love Jesus, the God-Man, and live the relationship that rocks the world.
Prayer: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (Acts 7:59).
Promise: "Whoever holds out till the end will escape." —Mt 10:22
Praise: "As Stephen was being stoned he could be heard praying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' He fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them.' And with that he died" (Acts 7:59-60).
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert J. Buschmiller, June 11, 1998
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 20, 1998 | <urn:uuid:4454bb06-b2e6-4cb3-b15d-f3afe5c8d3b5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.presentationministries.com/series/obob/obob-1998-12-26-en | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571909.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813051311-20220813081311-00276.warc.gz | en | 0.96099 | 498 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Family bonding time can easily be pushed aside by sports and other activities during the school year. So when you plan a break, it’s important that everyone looks forward to both the destination and itinerary.
Vacations should satisfy everyone in the family—even us picky teenagers. So give us the chance to have some input on where we’ll go and what we’ll do.
The Best Places to Go?
Disney World and its theme parks are always a safe bet, whether kids are 6 or 16. Also consider smaller venues such as Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, and closer to home, Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ, as they boast huge roller coasters for teens and smaller rides for younger siblings.
If your family members are baseball fans, try to drive or fly to watch spring training. My family went to Tampa to see the Yankees during their spring training at Steinbrenner Field. We saw the players up close and even got autographs from Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. That was exciting for all of us!
Or head to upstate New York to visit the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. With inductee plaques, Babe Ruth’s locker and uniform, World Series rings, and other baseball memorabilia, it’s a great way to commemorate the sport.
If you’re looking for someplace unusual that will grab everyone’s attention, instead of thinking outside the box, think under it. About an hour by car from Cooperstown is Howe Caverns. Take the tour, which goes 150 feet underground into the caves, an astounding area of formations carved over thousands of years by subterranean rivers.
Are We There Yet?
While you’re on the road to these destinations, there’s always the question of where to eat. A quick fast-food stop off the highway is appropriate on occasion, but there’s a limit. Teens know this food is unhealthful, and we won’t eat it every day.
Places like diners can be found anywhere, and they’re a crowd-pleaser with their large menus. Vacations can always be topped off by visiting nicer restaurants as well. Places that cook or grill in front of you are great for added entertainment.
Speaking of entertainment, what’s there to do on those long car rides? Never assume time will pass quickly; it usually doesn’t. Remind teens to take their cell phones, iPods, DVD players, books (paper or electronic), games, and some snacks along for the ride. Also, taking a pillow and blanket never hurts. That way, if your teen feels tired, bored, at odds with siblings, or carsick, there’s always the option to nap.
Nearly every teen wants to travel outside the borders of his own country. International travel provides a new feeling of freedom and maturity and allows you to see things in a new perspective. Last summer I went to the Netherlands to visit a family near Amsterdam. I got to experience a different culture, cuisine, and architecture, took a canal tour, and visited the Anne Frank House, a main tourist attraction there.
The only thing that’s worse than a forgettable vacation is a vacation that’s unforgettable for the wrong reasons. Attractions such as museums are often “don’ts,” unless it’s a museum with more than historic paintings. Teens view vacations as a break from school and learning, so if you drag us to a museum merely because you’re unsure of what else to do, don’t do it.
Plays are another thing that may not receive a warm reception. Unless your teen has expressed interest in seeing a certain play, chances are he may not be thrilled sitting through a three-hour performance.
Camping may also be a no-no; it depends on your teen. For me (and commonly with girls rather than boys), living in the wilderness with bugs, tents, no air conditioning, and no Internet access is torture. I wasn’t allowed to have my cell phone on our family camping trip, which I found frustrating because it left me completely disconnected from my friends and the outside world. So see how your teenager feels about camping before you pitch a tent. You may be able to find middle ground by going to a camping site where there are actual showers and bathrooms.
Family vacation “dos” may very well outnumber the “don’ts” because there are so many places to go and things to see—and everybody likes a change of scenery and the chance for an adventure. But I think I speak for most teens when I say: please involve us in the planning process. I think we’ll all have more fun.
Taylor Swaak is a high school student in New Jersey. | <urn:uuid:191c233d-6c5c-4774-867b-41d40306a476> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.njfamily.com/family-vacations-from-a-teens-perspective/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571909.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813051311-20220813081311-00267.warc.gz | en | 0.950303 | 1,017 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Excerpts from a lengthy article in Bloomberg, which every high school Latin teacher will, no doubt, be posting on their door/bulletin board within seconds of reading it:
When Lena Barsky picked up her first Latin text in 2004, she couldn’t have known that memorizing the phrase “canes sunt in via” (“the dogs are in the street”) would help her win a place at Brown University six years later.
The book featured a family and its dog in ancient Pompeii, and led Barsky to “The Aeneid,” the epic poem composed in Latin more than 2,000 years ago. Her “carpe diem” (“seize the day”) passion drove her to teach fourth and fifth graders at Latin summer camp. As Barsky, of Arlington, Virginia, began to explore colleges, the language gave her “occasio,” or opportunity, to contact faculty members.
Students throughout the U.S. are finding that excelling in high school Latin can propel them to the most-selective colleges, including Harvard University, whose undergraduate admission rate was 6.9 percent this year. Because so few students these days master Latin, it can help an applicant, said William Fitzsimmons, Harvard’s dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid.
“We certainly do take notice,” Fitzsimmons said by telephone from his office in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “It can end up tipping the student into the class.”
While half of public high school students a century ago took Latin, that portion fell to about 1 percent in 1974 and was even lower at last measure two years ago, according to records maintained by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, in Alexandria, Virginia.
A Latin scholar would have excited an admissions officer 38 years ago when Fitzsimmons began his career, and “such a student today would be even a greater rarity, standing out even more,” he said.
Harvard, whose motto is “Veritas,” Latin for “Truth,” received more than 30,000 applicants this year and took 2,110, Fitzsimmons said. Of 4,873 Harvard sophomores, juniors and seniors this past school year, less than 1 percent concentrated their course load in classics — a field comprising Latin and Greek language and literature, ancient history, archaeology and philosophy — said Jeff Neal, a spokesman for the Faculty of Arts & Sciences. That contrasted with the 14 percent who went for economics, the leading choice.
The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts; the University of Chicago; and Brown in Providence, Rhode Island, all want Latin scholars in order to keep up enrollment in classics departments, admissions officials at the schools said in interviews.
Barsky’s journey was “ad augusta per angusta”– through narrow to lofty places — for the funnel to Brown is circumscribed.
Barsky, 18, said she wrote to Brown’s Joseph Pucci, who teaches classics and comparative literature, during her junior year and also met with him on campus. She exchanged e-mails with him for nine months before applying in November for early admission, she said. She was accepted, and plans to study classics and physics.
‘Expand My Thinking’
She didn’t set out to study Latin in middle school as a way to help open the door to a selective college, she said in an interview.
“I knew it would help me expand my thinking,” Barsky said. “At the time, it didn’t really occur to me that people didn’t take Latin.”
Since 1996, Pucci has been writing to applicants who tell the Brown admissions department that classics could be their major. He sent an e-mail last October to 300 students.
Pucci estimates he spends 160 hours per annum meeting with applicants, responding to e-mails, reading admission files and commenting on students who impress him. While Brown had more than 30,000 applicants this year and 9 percent won offers of admission, the odds were better for Latin scholars, according to the university.
A total of 222 applicants said classics was their probable course of study, and 26 percent won acceptance, said Panetha Ott, Brown’s associate director of admission, in an interview.
Farrell said he talks each year with 5 to 10 high school students who have taken Latin, and who find him through a Latin teacher or through his department’s website.
“They tend to get in,” Farrell said in an interview. “Many of the good New York prep schools are good hunting grounds for these kind of students.”
I have omitted a lot … this is definitely must-reading … | <urn:uuid:f5b8261e-eda5-4c2b-bdf9-9179c1820c81> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://rogueclassicism.com/2010/08/25/on-latin-and-getting-into-college/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988717783.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183837-00076-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97198 | 1,026 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Adolf Hitler and His Life
Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, the fourth child of Alois Schickelgruber and Klara Hitler in the Austrian town of Braunau. Two of his siblings died from diphtheria when they were children, and one died shortly after birth. Alois was a customs official, illegitimate by birth, who was described by his housemaid as a "very strict but comfortable" man. Young Adolf was showered with love and affection by his mother.
When Adolf was three years old, the family moved to Passau, along the Inn River on the German side of the border. A brother, Edmond, was born two years later. The family mo…
E-pasta adrese, uz kuru nosūtīt darba saiti:
Saite uz darbu: | <urn:uuid:79f17859-39d1-4d99-9884-9c1478136800> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.atlants.lv/eseja/adolf-hitler-and-his-life/517191/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280128.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00389-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985602 | 180 | 2.828125 | 3 |
Massive corporate greed is driving the destruction of rainforests.
Why are rainforests being destroyed? Massive corporate greed is driving the destruction of rainforests for cheap agricultural and forestry products like palm oil, soy, beef, pulp and paper, timber, and cocoa — to make the products that line our local store shelves and to line the pockets of Wall Street bankers.
Tropical rainforests teeming with life are burned, bulldozed, and cleared to make room for monoculture crops. The products that are made with these crops — products from brands we all recognize — have a short shelf life. But the damage to rainforests is long-lasting and far-reaching.
Rainforests provide the air we breathe, the water we drink, and they keep carbon out of the atmosphere. They’re home to half of the world’s biodiversity, found nowhere else on earth. They’re also home to Indigenous Peoples who have managed and protected these forests for thousands of years.
When corporations choose short-term profits over keeping forests standing, they’re stealing from us all, and they are literally making the world a more dangerous place. It’s not just endangered species who need the rainforests to survive: we all do.
You are the solution to Keep Forests Standing.
How can we stop deforestation? This is where you come in: by pressuring corporations to uphold Indigenous and human rights and to keep forests standing. Every massive brand and bank we move from policy to action influences the entire industry and sector, sending a positive ripple through every link along the supply chain. Our role is to bring an incredible amount of public pressure — people power — to bear on corporations to stop deforestation and end human rights abuses.
At the same time, we work to uplift and uphold the rights of the local and Indigenous communities who call these rainforests home. These Forest Defenders have proven to be the best, most-capable people for the job of keeping forests standing. The more we can support them, the more we support the rainforests they defend, and protect our climate and our future.
We must keep forests intact and standing. We must uphold the rights of frontline and Indigenous communities as they face the most immediate harm. We must draw a line in the sand: not another forest cleared, not another community’s lands stolen. | <urn:uuid:870b1405-9ca1-4333-8fa2-2b1472933d92> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ran.org/campaign/stop-deforestation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570879.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809003642-20220809033642-00677.warc.gz | en | 0.937594 | 489 | 2.65625 | 3 |
In the war on terrorism, does the United States Judiciary fulfill its critical function to guarantee compliance by the Executive with the political norms and ideals of human rights codified both in the United States Constitution and International Law? This study examines the means by which policies such as the Bush Administration applies in the war on terrorism can be achieved in the United States system of government. It focuses on the legal concepts affected by the Bush Administration's treatment of alleged enemy combatants after September 11, 2001 by analyzing three lawsuits filed with United States Courts. The three cases-Rumsfeld v. Padilla, Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, and Rasul v. Bush-so far have been the only cases reviewed by the highest court of the nation, the United States Supreme Court.
„Über diesen Titel“ kann sich auf eine andere Ausgabe dieses Titels beziehen. | <urn:uuid:4c3e2baa-186d-4a4e-938a-c0fb67156731> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.zvab.com/9783898214636/389821463X/plp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280791.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00362-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.871721 | 186 | 2 | 2 |
The Southern States Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published a weekly periodical, the Southern Star, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Volume 1 includes the years 1898-1899. The first several issues contain a history of the mission during the period that John Morgan served as mission president. Here is a portrait of John Morgan. If you search for his name, you can read various anecdotes and stories about him throughout the Southern Star.
Here is a paragraph from a conference address by Jonathan G. Kimball, one of the missionaries who worked with John Morgan. You would probably recognize him better by the name he went by later, J. Golden Kimball:
I desire to call your attention to an incident that occurred when I was laboring in the Southern states, in 1884. I went there in 1883. The year 1884 was a time of a sad experience in that mission. It was then that some of our Elders lost their lives by mob violence. It seemed we had but few friends. I was at the office in Chattanooga under Elder Roberts at the time. I picked up a Chattanooga Times one morning, and I was very much delighted to see in print these words, speaking of Elder John Morgan. It said: "To shake his hand was to be his friend." I have never forgotten it. When you shook John Morgan's hand and he looked into your face you always knew that you were his friend. | <urn:uuid:f9cb55c5-2e0a-44bc-84ef-00339ba8aef2> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://theancestorfiles.blogspot.com/2009/03/morgan-4-latter-day-saints-southern.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280364.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00026-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989881 | 292 | 2.203125 | 2 |
A biography that confirms both the best and the worst that fans have heard about the archetypal 1970s singer/songwriter.
Ribowsky (Dreams to Remember: Otis Redding, Stax Records, and the Transformation of Southern Soul, 2015, etc.) offers little new in this overwritten, underreported biography of James Taylor (b. 1948), which mainly draws from what others have written about him and from detailed analyses of his albums by the author. Assessing a mostly forgotten album from 35 years ago, the author writes, “while the album was easy listening comfort food, its creator was his usual mess,” an assessment that pretty much summarizes the biography’s perspective on his subject. Though Taylor remained addicted to heroin even through his troubled marriage to Carly Simon—“two broken people waiting for a merciful end” to their union—the addiction was less a disease than a symptom of a troubled soul. Privileged and self-centered, he sang of himself as a sensitive soul yet he treated women in particular as disposable, and it was not until his final marriage that he seemed committed to any sort of monogamy. The author depicts him as some sort of sex addict as well, with Oedipal undertones, in the sort of psychobiography that would benefit from the support of primary sources. Yet the firsthand interviewing seems minimal and inconsequential in a book that leans heavily on Rolling Stone interviews, previous books on Taylor, and Carly Simon’s recent autobiography. Ribowsky does a better job of putting Taylor’s achievements in the context of the soft-rock Los Angeles of the 1970s and recognizing their durability, though his claim that “Taylor is the nearest thing to rock royalty in America” is the kind of hyperbole one writes to justify a biography with little new in it.
Just another in the onslaught of rock bios and memoirs—a disappointing follow-up to the author’s excellent Dreams to Remember. | <urn:uuid:d2252e83-67d5-4b34-86f6-03fdae2d1039> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mark-ribowsky/sweet-dreams-and-flying-machines/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281069.89/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00269-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973937 | 405 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Ok not often used in the same thought but hey why not cook with blood? You like that big juicy steak, right – so take the next step. Here is our guide to Portugal’s top blood based dishes:
Start with some Morcela -
A sausage made with pig’s blood. The recipe will vary widely from region to region, sweet in the Azores, hearty in the North, but the main ingredients are blood, fat, pork and spices – its will grow on you!
Chouriço de sangue –
Simple, tasty pork chouriço sausage, with cubes of pork and fat, seasoned with blood.
Dig into Porto’s great arroz de sarrabulho. A thick stew of fresh pork, beef and or chicken cooked in blood and a lovely chocolate color. Rich, thick and memorable.
And for dessert?
Papas de moado from Montemor-o-Velho. Basically this is a pig’s blood muffin in a lovely brown hue – hey you gotta try it! | <urn:uuid:e388729d-ff2f-477a-8a62-efd5d8f44d85> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.azores-adventures.com/2016/10/cooking-with-blood-you-have-gotta-try-this.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572163.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815085006-20220815115006-00676.warc.gz | en | 0.887532 | 233 | 1.523438 | 2 |
The last two years have exacerbated the inequities communities of color and low-income communities face in our region and across the nation. Amid the pandemic and a national reckoning on ...Read More
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The Road Map Project’s 2019 Annual Results Report is now available. Please read it with the awareness that the report was written right before the outbreak of the COVID-19 global ...Read More
Our region is one of many around the country that has worked to reframe conversations about disconnection with the more strengths-based term “opportunity youth,” putting the onus on the systems ...Read More
Local high school students have spoken: 96 percent have affirmed the desire to pursue a postsecondary education. Despite this, we are not doing enough for our young people. Nearly 2,000 ...Read More
Eliminating structural barriers to educational attainment is a critical goal of the Road Map Project and its partners. As students and families well know, and as supported by education research, ...Read More
The Road Map Project 2017 Results Report on the state of education in South King County and South Seattle shows that now—more than ever—is the time to organize collectively across sectors and ...Read More | <urn:uuid:7bb26948-f343-47c3-b618-40acc3ce2b78> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://roadmapproject.org/resources/?topic=school-discipline | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00466.warc.gz | en | 0.944627 | 344 | 2.171875 | 2 |
On September 12, 2001, the New York Times printed a photograph that had been taken by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew the previous day; so did newspapers all over the country. It showed a man who, having jumped from one of the burning World Trade Center towers, was falling through the air to the pavement: an acrobatics of death. An estimated 7 percent of those who were murdered on 9/11 died by jumping; there is ample photographic documentation, taken by various witnesses from various angles, of this horrific phenomenon. But the Times never ran Drew’s photograph, or anything like it, ever again; neither did most other American papers. Indeed, photographs of the so-called jumpers have been rendered taboo, vilified as an insult to the dead and an unbearably brutal shock to the living (though they have been printed abroad, and can be found on the Internet). And journalists who have tried to identify the falling, dying man in Drew’s photograph have been met with angry rebuffs by those who might be his family, as Tom Junod documented in Esquire in 2009. One purported daughter told journalist Peter Cheney when confronted with Drew’s photograph: “That piece of shit is not my father.”
The jumper photographs make clear to us the utter vulnerability of the victims; they present us with terrorism as a human experience, not just a political crime. Those trapped in the Towers had only two choices—to jump to their deaths or to be incinerated—which is to say they had no choice at all. To moralize either “choice”—to despise one as cowardly and valorize the other as heroic—is to misunderstand both. What the 9/11 victims faced was the absence of options.
Susie Linfield, a journalism professor at NYU, is the author of The Cruel Radiance: Photography and Political Violence. | <urn:uuid:055f4ae6-22a4-4732-ab64-5232f8feb3c4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://nymag.com/news/9-11/10th-anniversary/jumpers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572286.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816090541-20220816120541-00269.warc.gz | en | 0.974885 | 384 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Patents bring prestige to a researcher’s laboratory and department, resulting in the formation of relationships that could bring in more research dollars. To that end, Baylor Research Institute’s patent liaison coordinates several processes and systems to ease some of the complexities and simplify the patenting process for the inventors. The patent liaison assists in the preparation and prosecution of patent applications by serving as a technical interface between the inventors and patent attorneys to ensure that intellectual property (IP) is timely and accurately filed. The office receives and manages invention disclosure forms and initiates IP review, market assessment and IP protection by working with inventors to identify potential IP.
It is very important that any new information, ideas, concepts, discoveries or devices be protected prior to sharing information about them outside Baylor in any way – be it via posters, presentations, publications, or discussion with collaborators or industry – when there isn’t a confidentiality agreement in place. If information is disclosed prior to protection, industry may not invest the needed resources to commercialize the invention.
To ask general questions about IP protection, or to submit information for review prior to public disclosure and/or to submit an invention disclosure form, e-mail INVENTIONS@BSWHealth.org. | <urn:uuid:d54d7c49-6697-4222-92fc-4049fd90771a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.baylorhealth.edu/Research/BSWRI/Dallas/ForResearchers/IntellectualPropertyProtectionOffice/Pages/default.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279169.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00210-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912254 | 252 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Plum sauce is one of several commonly used Chinese condiments. The sauce is both sweet and tangy, allowing the product to work well in a number of different applications.
The basic plum sauce is made using plums that have been allowed to ripen to the point where the flesh of the fruit is at its sweetest. As part of the preparation, the skin of the plum is usually removed by immersing the whole plums in hot water for a short period of time, allowing the skin to be peeled away from the fruit with relative ease.
Often you will find plum sauce made from other fruits, most commonly apricots. Or made from a combination of apricots & plums. It is also common to add other seasonings to plum sauce like garlic, star anise or Chinese 5-spice powder. The additional seasonings add different nuances to the flavor of the sauce and vary depending on the tastes of whoever is preparing it.
In this particular recipe, I’m using plum sauce as an ingredient in my sauce mixture rather than on its own. The combination creates a unique Asian flavor for the pork.
Asian Pork Chops
In a large skillet, brown chops in oil. Combine the plum sauce, orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, mustard, ginger & pepper; pour over chops.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
Remove pork chops to serving platter & drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with sliced green onions & sesame seeds. Serve with steamed rice.
Though called Chinese food in North America, ‘orange chicken’ is rarely found in Chinese restaurants in China. It seems its more an Americanized mutation of the sweet & sour dishes found in China.
Chef, Andy Kao is credited with inventing orange chicken in 1987. Inspired by flavors from the Hunan Province of China, he developed the dish while he was employed as Panda Express’ executive chef in Hawaii.
I, personally, have never enjoyed eating anything that is coated in a heavy batter. Tempura is different from other fried fare due to its distinctive batter. It uses no bread crumbs and less grease than other frying methods. The light batter is made of cold water (sometimes sparkling water is used to keep the batter light) and soft wheat flour. Eggs, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, oil and/or spices may also be added.
Tempura batter is traditionally mixed in small batches for only a few seconds. Leaving lumps in the mixture along with the cold batter temperature, result in a unique fluffy and crisp structure when cooked. Over mixing tempura batter will result in activation of the wheat gluten, which causes the flour mixture to become soft and dough-like when fried.
The orange chicken I’m making today uses a nice light tempura batter, is grilled instead of deep fried, then coated with a unique and quick orange sauce (from kraftcanada.com). Add some Jasmine rice and veggies — perfect!
Orange Tempura Chicken
Prepare vegetables & saute in 1/2 cup chicken broth ONLY until tender-crisp. Drain broth & reserve for sauce when vegtables are sauteed.
In a small saucepan, combine dry jelly powder & cornstarch. Add broth, dressing, garlic & gingerroot; stir until jelly powder is dissolved. Add reserved broth from vegetables & cook until sauce is thickened, stirring frequently.
Tempura Batter & Chicken
Slice chicken into strips. In a small bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda & salt. In another small bowl, whisk egg with veg oil, soy sauce & ice water. Add to dry mixture, mixing only for a few seconds. Batter should be somewhat 'lumpy'.
Heat oil on an electric griddle to a medium heat. Dip slices of chicken in tempura batter with a fork, draining off excess. Place on griddle & fry about 7 minutes or until cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
Prepare Jasmine rice & place on a serving platter. Top with sauteed vegetables & chicken. Ladle orange sauce over vegetables & chicken. If you prefer, serve rice, veg, chicken & sauce all separately so everyone can make up there own combination.
- We always like quite a bit of sauce but if you don't, just make half a recipe of the orange sauce. | <urn:uuid:04d3f2a6-bd43-4411-b3a9-11f4bebd3eb6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://goodfoodandtreasuredmemories.com/wp/ingredient/fresh-gingerroot-minced/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570651.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20220807150925-20220807180925-00471.warc.gz | en | 0.923833 | 949 | 2.234375 | 2 |
The fury of winter storms has been much in the news this month. In our last issue of Letter from Europe for 2013, we look at the impact of a hurricane on a woodland we know well. We have seen the plantation at Froeslev in Denmark at all seasons. It is an intensely beautiful spot. But this month, the storm came.
Dear fellow travellers
It is one of those wild sulphurous days, and the bare heath beats to the roar of the winds. The storm sweeps in from the west. The drenched heath lies low. And it survives the fierce onslaught. The forest at Froeslev is less fortunate.
French reparations after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71 gave a boost to silviculture in Jutland. The Prussians used the funds from France to create a dozen plantations on the sandy soils between the Baltic and the North Sea - most of them on territory that Prussia had seized from Denmark in 1864 (during the Second Schleswig War) and then ceded back to Denmark in the wake of the First World War. Froeslev was one of those plantations.
The storm knows no borders. It owes nothing to France or Prussia. It tears through Denmark. With howls and groans, Sitka spruce and Scots pine bend and tumble. Firs topple as the fearsome gale funnels through the heart of Froeslev. A stately birch crashes over the road, knocking over half a dozen conifers on the way. The glade where a few years ago we watched roe deer at dawn is a torn mass of uprooted and broken trees.
The fractured history of Jutland fades in the storm. The wind rages through a fenced compound in the middle of the forest. It was once a prisoner-of-war camp where German troops held members of the Danish resistance. The camp museum is closed at this time of year, but on bright summer days it is a place where visitors are numbed by the awful tumult of history.
Today's tumult brings its own reign of terror. The forest at Froeslev has stood for five generations or more. Where are the sylvan spirits that should be guarding this handsome woodland? Froeslev has been forsaken, abandoned to the elements.
Will the forest cattle come back next year? And what of the sparrows and song birds, the buzzards and ravens, for whom this woodland is home? What about the adders who on summer days lie by the heather on the warm sandy soils? What do they make of the hurricane that cuts through Froeslev?
Torn branches shriek as ancient trunks split and weep. The firs and spruces rock and rock until they crash to the earth in splintered agony. A vicious wall of violence pushes through the plantation, reshaping the map of this little fragment of Denmark. And in the village of Sofiedal to the west, the dim of a wild afternoon slips to dusk and evening. In neat farmhouses, candles are lit. Tea and cake are served.
"Yet another storm," the locals will remark. But for the plantation at Froeslev this hurricane was more than yet another storm. Some years fade quietly to nothingness and night. Those are the good years. This is not one of them.
Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries
(editors, hidden europe magazine) | <urn:uuid:ee9e58a5-fb2b-49f5-87d3-f78698de55fe> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.hiddeneurope.co.uk/the-storm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284411.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00456-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944554 | 707 | 2.734375 | 3 |
July 6, 2004 > De-Lovely
Rated PG-13 for sexual content
by Susana Nuñez
Based on the life and love of one of the world's greatest composers, "De-Lovely" vividly brings Cole Porter's story to life. In the film, Cole (Kevin Kline) is looking back on his life as if it was one of his spectacular stage shows, with the people and events in his life, actors and action onstage. This aesthetically appealing production portrays his lavish, free-spirited lifestyle and complex relationship with the love of his life, Linda Lee Porter (Ashley Judd).
Cole Porter was born on June 9, 1891 in Peru, Indiana and was named for his mother, Kate Cole, and his father, Sam Porter. While his father was a pharmacist, his mother was the daughter of one of the richest men in Indiana, James Omar Cole, known as J.O. Growing up, Cole became accustomed to living a lush lifestyle and his taste for finer things continued throughout his life.
At age six, Cole began piano lessons, leading him to compose his first song, "Song of the Birds," at age ten. Cole wrote the song for his mother Kate, a big supporter of his career from the beginning. While his work was being published, Cole attended high school at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts and graduated as Valedictorian. He went on to study at Yale University, where he used his talent to write six full-scale productions and over 300 songs for various fraternities and student organizations; many of his fight songs are still used by Yale today.
Cole first big hit was in 1928 with the song "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love" from the musical "Paris." This song, along with many other subsequent hits, is performed in the film. Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morisette, Elvis Costello, and Robbie Williams, are among the artists chosen to perform songs in the film. Filmmakers wanted to attract a broader audience since most young people have never heard of Cole Porter. Adapting to the time period was a challenge for the artists - more so for some. Elvis Costello, comments, "In doing my part, I think it's the first time I've ever worn a white jacket in my life, and I couldn't see a damn thing because I wore glasses that had period lenses in them. But it was like a dream to up there. It was a joy to do one of Porter's more unusual songs ['Let's Misbehave']."
Since the film spans four decades, the job of capturing the look of each fashion period was given to Oscar-winning costume designer Janty Yates. Yates teamed up with one of the most celebrated designers of all time, Giorgio Armani, to create signature period looks for Kline and Judd. "Armani was very excited about the project and very hands-on," says Kline, "He would rattle away in Italian and his team of top tailors and assistants were all taking copious notes. It was like seeing a great general leading an army - calm, assured, and absolutely in command."
The film's beauty and extravagance is a result of the effort put into it by the cast and crew, and one would never guess that the budget for the film was limited. "Porter represents the best of the Jazz age," says director Irwin Winkler. "He is one of the greatest songwriters of all time and is a titan of American music." A film of this delightful and endearing quality is rare, and simply cannot be missed. | <urn:uuid:b71cbffd-75e9-4247-97a2-32fdc159b000> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://tricityvoice.com/articledisplay.php?a=2698 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279933.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00123-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98907 | 743 | 1.875 | 2 |
As an international treaty, the Rome Statute binds the Contracting States only. The sovereign equality of States excludes any automatic effect of treaties on third States which remain for them res inter alios acta. According to the general rule of international law, codified in Article 34 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties,1 ‘a treaty does not create either obligations or rights for a third state without its consent.’ The general rule pacta tertiis nec nocent nec prosunt is supported, as the International Law Commission has observed, by ‘almost...
Users without a subscription are not able to see the full
to access all content. | <urn:uuid:4a83d5a6-cc87-4dd9-a765-88b4669f93da> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://opil.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law/9780198298625.001.0001/law-9780199258970-chapter-31?prd=OPIL | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571909.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813051311-20220813081311-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.891581 | 148 | 2.015625 | 2 |
New, hand held drill motor with attractive design and functional ergonomics. Soft rear section and a larger contact area mean that it sits better against your body. The machine is modular, and therefore easy to maintain and repair. The handle has an integrated water hose, which together with the electric cable run parallel conveniently from the machine. Functional ergonomics make the Husqvarna drill motors easy and convenient to operate. The DM 230 sits comfortable against your body due to the soft rear section and a larger contact area. An electronic current limiter for softer starts. Full speed is reached about two seconds after the switch is turned on. By pressing the SmartStart button speed is reduced by half, which facilitate to start drilling. If the motor runs at too high a load for a long period, it will start to pulsate. If the load is not reduced the motor will shut off, to prevent overheating. Elgard significantly increases the machine’s service life. When making a starter hole or cutting through reinforcement speed can be reduced by half using SmartStart. SoftStart electronic current limiter means full speed is reached about two seconds after start. Three-speed water-cooled gearbox for optimal drilling performance and longer service intervals. The plastic housing makes it more durable against drops and daily wear.
- Voltage: 230 / 110 V
- Amperage: 8 / 15 A
- Power: 1850 W
- Output RPM at full load: 500 / 1400 / 2900 rpm
- Speeds: 3
- Rated output, W: 1100/0 W
- Rated current, A: 8/15 A
- Spindle speed idle high speed: 900 / 2150 / 4500 rpm
- Max drill bit diameter, hand held: 3"
- Max drill bit diameter, stand: 6" | <urn:uuid:12edf885-7a65-42a3-8314-0b9edff81ef7> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.internationaltool.com/husqvarna-dm-230-3-speed-hand-held-core-drill-968411301 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280128.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00393-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908979 | 368 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Why has this unique type of fasting only become established in the past couple of years?It’s simple, the fat cats of our food industry establishment have billions riding on the outdated “3 square meals a day” lifestyle.And not only is this typical American lifestyle outdated, it’s downright dangerous!Inside you’ll discover:How to lose weight faster while intermittent fasting IBS pain? You can blame this common food 5 superfoods you can find at your local supermarketHow inflamed is your body right now? Exactly what to ask your doctor to find out the truth.How to increase autophagy without fasting for several days in a rowEat this “forgotten food” to reverse plaque build up in your arteriesHow to properly do a water fast without feeling weak or getting hungry.A handful of this food cuts risk of heart disease by 24 percent1 in 4 supplements failed quality tests at a leading independent lab. Discover which ones to throw outAnd much, much more..Plus countless other health secrets...Including this “miracle beverage” which researchers at the University of Minnesota found lowered diabetes risk by 33 percent...drinking this also boosts the effectiveness of your fast...plus one drink to avoid which sneakily breaks your fast.You’ll also discover:How to avoid starvation mode while fastingThe raw truth about extended water fastingIs too much autophagy bad? Get the answer from the world’s leading expert Why do dogs who eat 1 meal a day live 20 percent longer than dogs who eat 3 meals a day?This is not just a diet fad. This is a long-term game changer in the health and longevity space.
24symbols is a digital reading subscription service. In exchange for a small monthly fee you can download and enjoy reading from our complete catalogue of ebooks on any device (mobile, tablet, e-reader with web navigator or PC). Our catalogue includes more than 500,000 books in several languages. This subscription can be terminated at any time in the section "Subscription". | <urn:uuid:4f6ae5ba-b08a-4546-aa6f-fd8757db04c2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.24symbols.com/book/english/ronald-olympia/autophagy?id=4177305 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571987.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813202507-20220813232507-00270.warc.gz | en | 0.916719 | 424 | 1.5 | 2 |
The PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series S both use significantly more electricity than their predecessors when playing games designed for the new consoles, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental-advocacy group. However, the NRDC found that the new consoles draw less power than previous-generation systems when playing backward-compatible games, and while using streaming video apps.
The NRDC’s analysis — which it also performed in 2013 at the launch of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 — praises the low-power modes that both Sony and Microsoft’s new consoles offer. The energy-saving modes allow users to resume full operation within 10 to 15 seconds while drawing less than 1 watt of electricity on standby. However, the NRDC criticized Microsoft and Sony for choosing not to make that the default power setting — the same charge that the organization levied about the PS4 and Xbox One.
The new Xboxes’ “Instant-on” mode still draws 10 watts in standby, said the NRDC. The report extrapolated that extra usage through 2025, and calculated that it could total 4 billion extra kilowatt-hours of energy — the equivalent of a single large, coal-burning power plant’s annual electricity generation.
The NRDC’s analysis used a PlayStation 5 and an Xbox Series S, which has less processing power than an Xbox Series X, and also doesn’t have an optical disc drive. The group said it was unable to obtain a Series X for full testing, but expects that the beefier console would use more energy than a Series S. Microsoft has not provided official power consumption figures for either console; Sony’s listed hardware specifications say that the standard PS5 is rated at a power draw of 350 watts, while the PS5 Digital Edition is slightly lower at 340 watts.
Sony’s new console won plaudits from the NRDC for its standby mode, which consumed 1 watt or less and allowed for booting up within 10 to 15 seconds. It did draw “a few extra watts” of power during the first three hours of standby in order to charge devices with its USB ports. But the PS5’s rechargeable DualSense controller was an environmentally preferable choice for the NRDC over the new Xbox gamepad, which ships with disposable batteries. (A rechargeable power supply for the controller is sold separately.)
The PS5’s standard power settings have the console shut off after one hour of inactivity for gaming, and after four hours for streaming content (both settings may be changed by users). That means the PlayStation 5 continues to draw about 70 watts of power if a user leaves it on after, say, watching some Netflix.
Even so, power consumption while using streaming apps, for both the PS5 and Xbox Series S, is lower than that of their predecessors — although the NRDC said that dedicated streaming devices use even less power for the same task. The PS4, according to the NRDC’s 2013 analysis, used 90 watts while streaming Netflix to the Xbox One’s 74 watts. The Series S consumed 31 watts to stream Netflix (and, inexplicably, 41 watts for Amazon Video), while the PS5 drew 68-70 watts to stream from both services.
Overall, though, the expected draw of 160-200 watts to play PS5 titles, or games optimized for the Xbox Series X, is more power than a 60-inch television set consumes, the NRDC said.
In 2013, the NRDC warned that the PS4 and Xbox One could be responsible for as much as three times more energy consumption than the preceding PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. In 2015, the organization said the Xbox One could be responsible for up to $250 million in additional annual electricity costs for U.S. households. The NRDC’s newest analysis warns that Xbox Series S or Series X owners in the U.S. could pay as much as $500 million, combined, over the next five years, for the extra power those consoles use in their “Instant-on” mode versus the “Energy-saving” mode.
In 2015, after the NRDC sharply criticized the launch Xbox One’s power use, Microsoft added an energy-saving mode as an option when new Xbox One users first set up their consoles. At the time, Microsoft said the difference in power consumption between those two modes would save customers between $6 and $15 on their annual electricity bill. And the company released a software update in late November that reportedly reduced the power consumption of the Instant-on mode by as much as 61% for the Xbox Series X.
Polygon has reached out to representatives of Microsoft and Sony for additional comment.
Correction (Feb. 1, 2021): The Natural Resources Defense Council says there was a typographical error in its original story, which led to an inaccurate estimate of how much Xbox Series X and Series S owners in the U.S. could pay over the next five years, combined, in additional electricity costs. The correct figure is $500 million. This post has been corrected to reflect that. | <urn:uuid:ae856280-4ca7-4acb-b4c9-2e44cda81c3e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.polygon.com/2021/1/14/22230943/ps5-xbox-series-x-s-power-consumption-study-nrdc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570871.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808183040-20220808213040-00264.warc.gz | en | 0.949135 | 1,052 | 2.890625 | 3 |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Week after week, thieves break into corporate computer systems to steal customer lists, email addresses and credit card numbers. Large data breaches get overshadowed by even larger ones.
Yet people are turning over personal information to online retailers, social networks and other services in growing numbers. The point at which people lose trust in the websites they deal with appears further away than ever before, if it exists at all, as shopping, socializing and gaming online becomes deeply embedded in modern life.
People have come to accept that sharing information is the price of a meaningful, connected life online — even if they don't like it.
"We are clearly schizophrenic about this technology," said Jim Dempsey, an expert on Internet privacy at the Center for Democracy & Technology. "We love it, we use it, we expect it to work, and we've woven it into our daily lives, professionally, socially and personally. But we really don't trust it, and we do get upset when our data is lost or stolen."
Companies collecting the personal details have little incentive to offer the best privacy protections. So far, people haven't demanded that companies do better by walking away from their gadgets, online retailers or social networks.
"I know I take the risk," said Lance Locurto, 44. "It's more convenient."
The South Florida banker said he buys almost everything online, despite the fact that hackers got into both his iTunes and Amazon accounts in the past few months.
Jim Pachetti, 47, a laid-off carpenter looking at an iPhone at an Apple store outside Buffalo, N.Y., said he's resigned to the fact that breaches happen.
"I've accepted the fact that all my information is out there and someone has it, and that's just the way it is," he said.
James McCartney, an identity theft expert, said his smartphone has become an integral part of his life and business, despite the security concerns.
"The velocity of business precludes me from going without it," he said. "It's the rules of the game. It's not something I can change."
It may take government regulation to force companies to do better.
The Federal Trade Commission is urging Web browser makers to build "Do Not Track" tools to let consumers stop advertisers from studying their online activity in order to target pitches. The Commerce Department has called on Congress to adopt ground rules for companies that collect consumer data online for marketing. Several lawmakers have introduced privacy bills.
"For many companies, it's easier and cheaper to deal with the repercussions of a data breach that's already occurred, rather than taking steps to prevent it," said Ioana Rusu, regulatory counsel for Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports. "Companies need to be held accountable so they protect your data up front."
Information that distinguishes one faceless Internet surfer from another is so valuable that companies have been hurt when they limit what they collect.
Yahoo Inc., for example, will soon keep logs on people's searches for 18 months, the same amount of time as Google Inc. That's a reversal of its vow in late 2008 to strip out personally identifiable details after 90 days. In making an industry-leading privacy pledge, Yahoo said it became less competitive in offering personalized services enabled by long-term tracking.
Companies also face lawsuits and penalties by promising more than they can deliver. If companies are vague, their biggest risk is bad publicity when a hacking attack or a technical error exposes customers' information.
"The lack of meaningful liability for breaches reduces the incentive for making sure that they don't happen," said Susan Grant, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of America.
Businesses only have to be as good as their competitors. They know customers have nowhere else to go as long as everyone sets the bar low.
"Choice becomes meaningless in this context," said Ashkan Soltani, a security researcher.
The number of records exposed in data breaches is staggering — more than half a billion in the past six years, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
At the same time, people are sharing more online. More than half a billion people are on Facebook, and billions of people search Google and Yahoo each month and accept tracking data files known as cookies. The Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 61 percent of adult Internet users in the U.S. have used social networks, up from less than a third in 2008.
When they aren't sharing on social networks, they are leaving their marks with online gaming services, shopping sites and retail loyalty programs.
The dependence on technology explains why the reputations of technology companies are remarkably resilient, even after embarrassing breaches.
For example, hackers last year uncovered a security hole on AT&T Inc.'s website and exposed the email addresses of more than 100,000 iPad owners who had signed up for AT&T's wireless Internet service. At that point, Apple had sold more than 2 million iPads. Despite the breach, the company sold some 17 million more iPads since then.
Smartphones have added a new dimension to the debate about online privacy because they also record their owners' location.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs emerged Thursday from medical leave to try to quash a controversy over secret recordings of location information by iPhones. Apple denied directly tracking people, but said it is building a database of known Wi-Fi hot spots and cell towers to improve location-based services. Google Inc.'s Android phones do something similar.
To quiet privacy critics, Apple is changing the iPhone's software to keep data for a week instead of indefinitely. Google says its phones only store data for a short time.
Apple's disclosure came a day after Sony Corp. said a hacker may have stolen credit card numbers and other valuable information on the 77 million players using its PlayStation online gaming network. That would make it one of the biggest known credit card breaches.
A few weeks ago, a little-known company behind the email campaigns of Chase, Best Buy, Hilton, Walgreens and other big brands revealed that potentially millions of names and email addresses of consumers were stolen. Epsilon sends more than 40 billion emails a year on behalf of those brands for services such as customer loyalty programs.
Other big attacks included some 130 million card numbers stolen from payment processor Heartland Payment Systems in 2008 and as many as 100 million accounts lifted in a break-in at TJX Cos. in 2005 and 2006. Many smaller ones go unpublicized.
Consumers are at a disadvantage because companies often leave their privacy policies intentionally vague, yet lengthy with legalese.
In any case, few people bother to read them at all. Carnegie Mellon University researchers found it would take the average person 40 minutes per day to read through all the privacy policies that person encounters online.
"Sadly, the consumer can do absolutely nothing to protect themselves," said Bruce Schneier, a prominent security blogger and chief security technology officer at the British telecommunications operator BT. "When you give your data to someone else, you are forced to trust them."
If you say no, he said, "that'll mean living in a cave in the woods."
Associated Press Writers Kelli Kennedy in Plantation, Fla., Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, N.Y., and Sarah Brumfield in Baltimore, AP Personal Finance Writer Dave Carpenter in Chicago and AP Technology Writer Joelle Tessler in Washington contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:779dc434-554b-4a0e-a015-4e51642b7fd7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.manufacturing.net/industry40/news/13236305/compromised-security-doesnt-deter-consumers-from-sharing-info | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572089.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814234405-20220815024405-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.959034 | 1,519 | 2.21875 | 2 |
Prior to the Education Act of 1870, education in rural areas was a very hit and miss affair, and school records, particularly in the case of Oxhill, are almost non-existent. Local report (unverified) says that the house now known as Croftdown and situated immediately opposite to the Church was once a school, and the architectural appearance would seem to lend credence to this. Kelly's Directory for 1850 lists William
Groves as school master, and again unverified local report says that he lived in this particular house, so it would seem to be not unreasonable to accept local report in this instance.
Another belief, firmly held to locally, is that the house now known as Payn's House was also a school, and one of the outbuildings of this house has been known to its various owners through several decades as “the schoolroom”. One of the Shirley family, Selina, who became Lady Huntingdon, was a great pioneer in the field of education, and is believed to have had an interest in a small school at Oxhill where her family had held land for many centuries. Diligent search has revealed no detailed information on this matter, merely a passing mention. The Lady herself never resided here, but spent the larger part of her life at Bath. However, in view of her family connections with the parish, it is not unreasonable to assume that she took a charitable interest in a school here, and that it was probably at Payn's House.
(Note- As a result of viewing this site a descendant of a pupil who is known to have spent some time at school in Oxhill has recently been in touch with the Village Historian providing details of a letter sent to Richard Edmunds at Oxhill. He was sent to the school with his elder brother Frederick in 1833.
The Board School in Oxhill (now the Village Hall) was opened in January, 1876, and cost £375 to build. The first Board was comprised of five well-to-do farmers and landowners, a Clerk to the Board, and the Rector who held this seat by reason of his office. There were thirty-three pupils from this small parish, but by the end of the year, the number had increased to seventy-six. The school log books are at present at the County Record Office, and give an interesting picture of Victorian and Edwardian school life so far removed from our present day standards.
One of our first teachers was a Mary Jane Clifford who had been educated at Cheltenham Ladies College. Reading between the lines, Mary Jane did not appear to be too happy. She writes that the children were dull and backward, but at that time she herself must have been very young. The children too had a very hard life, often having insufficient to eat, living in extremely overcrowded conditions, and very probably having to do an hour or two crow-scaring in the frosty dawn before coming to school on a sparse breakfast of bread and tea kettle broth.
She writes of children staying away from school to see the hounds meet, and the fact that on several occasions she was forced to visit the parents and remonstrate. She also had to send children home for coming to school “uncleanly” dressed. She faithfully records punishments for swearing, for telling an untruth, and for obstinacy.
There are reports of floods in the village which prevented children attending school, and on several occasions the schoolroom floor was several inches deep in water, necessitating temporary closure of the school. At least twice a week, Mary Jane gave the children lessons in morals. Honesty, truthfulness and obedience figure largely in these, and especially obedience to those in authority over them.
The School Inspector was a frequent and rather to be feared visitor. The children learned special songs for his visits, to which he would dutifully sit and listen, with how much pleasure is not recorded. The songs included "Home Sweet Home", "The Ploughboy", "The Farmyard", "Lightly Row", "The Father's Return", and similar ballads of the time. By the end of the year, the log books record that the Inspector was gratified by the good progress made.
The Rector at this time was the Rev. V. H. Macy, and he and his wife were frequent visitors to the school. He put the children through their catechism, and she inspected the girls' sewing. They also took along with them any visitors who happened to be staying with them at the time, which conjures up a mental picture of gracious ladies elegantly inspecting hemstitched handkerchiefs, and patting small aproned girls on the head.
Four of the older girls were appointed as Monitors at the rate of 1/- per week, to take it in turns to help out with the younger ones. This would seem to have been very necessary indeed if one school mistress had to cope with seventy-six children of varying ages all at once.
The log books continue until just after the war when the school was permanently closed. The school in the next village of Tysoe has been enlarged, and children from several surrounding parishes are now transported there by the school bus. The Education Committee made over the school by a Deed of Trust for use as a Village Hall. | <urn:uuid:9c20377f-c888-4586-b88c-d19f1f2deb3b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://oxhillcommunity.co.uk/Contents/ContentItems/4whnf56cqfejpw77d8qccyqpmt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571745.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812170436-20220812200436-00465.warc.gz | en | 0.991709 | 1,091 | 2.265625 | 2 |
Professional Reference articles are designed for health professionals to use. They are written by UK doctors and based on research evidence, UK and European Guidelines. You may find the HIV and AIDS article more useful, or one of our other health articles.
Treatment of almost all medical conditions has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. NICE has issued rapid update guidelines in relation to many of these. This guidance is changing frequently. Please visit https://www.nice.org.uk/covid-19 to see if there is temporary guidance issued by NICE in relation to the management of this condition, which may vary from the information given below.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has brought about a global epidemic of massive proportions. HIV is a retrovirus and also the term often applied to the infection before the deterioration of the immune system to produce a full-blown picture of AIDS.
It has become a massive problem and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2012:
- An estimated 33.4 million people are living with HIV worldwide. 2008 figures were 33.4 million.
- There were 2.3 million newly infected people in 2008. 2008 figures were 2.7 million.
- 1.6 million people died of AIDS in 2012. 2008 figures were 2.0 million.
Poor record keeping and returns from some countries make these figures unreliable.
In Africa antiretroviral treatment coverage has increased significantly. This has partly been due to the Treatment 2015 initiative which aims to ensure that the world reaches its 2015 HIV treatment target of 15 million. In sub-Saharan Africa:
- In 2008, 2,120,000 people were receiving treatment - 30% of the total number needing it. In 2012, this figure had risen to 7.6 million. Because the WHO expanded its criteria for people who would benefit from antiretroviral therapy, this still only equates to 25% of the population who needs it.
- The percentage of pregnant women receiving antiretrovirals for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV increased from 45% in 2008 to 65% in 2012. Due to the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMCT) initiative, some countries have reported even higher percentages.
- Only 45% of people aged 15-49 living with HIV know their HIV status.
- As of 2011, over 15 million children had lost one or both parents due to AIDS.
Notable progress has been made to the extent that it could be said that the end of the AIDS epidemic is in sight. In many parts of Africa the prevalence appears to be getting stable. This means that the number of people dying from the disease is roughly equal to the number of new cases. However, whilst new HIV infections have dropped by 38% globally since 2001, 2.1 million people were newly infected in 2013. There are also 22 million people who are not accessing life-saving treatment. Access to AIDS services are still patchy due to such issues as geography, gender and socio-economic factors.
According to a report from Public Health England (PHE), there were an estimated 100,000 adults aged 15-59 living with HIV in the UK in 2012, 22% of whom were unaware of their infection. The number of deaths among HIV-infected people has continued to decline since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy and a total of 490 people infected with HIV were reported to have died in 2012. There were 6,360 new diagnoses in 2012 in the UK. New diagnoses in men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to rise. This reflects both an ongoing high level of transmission and an increase in the number of men coming forward for testing.
PHE receives information on HIV infections from several sources. The major sources of information are reports from clinicians and laboratories of newly diagnosed infections, an annual survey of all patients seen for HIV-related treatment or care and a family of unlinked anonymous surveys which tests blood samples taken for other investigations, after they have been irreversibly unlinked from any patient identifiers. All reporting methods are confidential and avoid the use of names.
AIDS is currently defined as an illness characterised by the development of one or more AIDS-indicating conditions. It is diagnosed in people infected with HIV when they develop certain opportunistic infections or malignancies for the first time. The following list relates to diagnosis in adults. Congenital HIV and Childhood AIDS has its own separate article.
|AIDS-defining conditions in adults|
|Candidiasis of bronchi, trachea or lungs.||Lymphoma, Burkitt's (or equivalent term).|
|Candidiasis, oesophageal.||Lymphoma, immunoblastic (or equivalent term).|
|Cervical carcinoma, invasive.||Lymphoma, primary, of brain.|
|Coccidioidomycosis, disseminated or extrapulmonary.||Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) or M. kansasii, disseminated or extrapulmonary.|
|Cryptococcosis, extrapulmonary.||Mycobacterium tuberculosis, any site (pulmonary or extrapulmonary).|
|Cryptosporidiosis, chronic intestinal (>1 month's duration).||Mycobacterium, other species or unidentified species, disseminated or extrapulmonary.|
|Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease (other than liver, spleen or nodes).||Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia.|
|CMV retinitis (with loss of vision).||Pneumonia, recurrent.|
|Encephalopathy, HIV-related.||Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.|
|Herpes simplex: chronic ulcer(s) (>1 month's duration); or bronchitis, pneumonitis or oesophagitis.||Salmonella septicaemia, recurrent.|
|Histoplasmosis, disseminated or extrapulmonary.||Toxoplasmosis of brain.|
|Isosporiasis, chronic intestinal (>1 month's duration).||Wasting syndrome due to HIV.|
When HIV infection is diagnosed in a routine test, as for blood donation, in pregnancy, or after counselling a person with a lifestyle that puts him or her at risk, there is not usually full AIDS but just infection with HIV. When the disease is suspected, HIV counselling must precede testing. There is a characteristic presentation of the infection that is described in the separate article Primary HIV Infection. Once the diagnosis is made, the separate article Managing HIV-positive Individuals in Primary Care becomes relevant. The separate article HIV and Skin Disorders outlines the many dermatological manifestations of the disease.
Modes of transmission
Awareness of modes of transmission is very important, as the key to tackling this disease lies less in treating it than in preventing its spread. The relative importance of the various means of transmission varies considerably from country to country and even within countries. The following is derived from UK sources.
Sex between men
51% of infections in the UK in 2012 occurred through sex between men and this group remains at greatest risk.There has been no evidence in recent years of a decline in the numbers of new infections in this group and over 3,250 new diagnoses of HIV occurred in 2012.
Despite generally high levels of awareness of the risks for HIV acquisition, in 2012 an estimated 34% of adults were diagnosed with a CD4 cell count ≤200 per mm3 within three months of diagnosis. The percentage diagnosed with CD4 cell counts ≤350 per mm3 (the threshold at which treatment should be considered according to 2008 British HIV Association guidelines) was 34%.
Estimation of current incidence of HIV is difficult. A back-calculation analysis (a statistical method using incubation period to project future distribution of infection) suggests there has been little change in HIV incidence in MSM over recent years. If there has been a decrease in transmissibility associated with antiretroviral treatment in those diagnosed it may have been offset by an increase in risky behaviours. In 2012, there were 2,300-2,500 new infections annually and 7,200 MSM undiagnosed.London has been the main focus of the HIV epidemic in the UK. Of those MSM receiving HIV care in 2012, 50% lived in London.
This must be a great disappointment to those who have worked hard to educate this group.
Sex between men and women
The number of new cases of AIDS acquired from heterosexual intercourse used to be greater than from men who have sex with men, but this situation was reversed in 2011. Approximately half (52%, 1,560/2,990 in 2011) of all infections among heterosexuals were probably acquired in the UK and this proportion has increased over recent years. The figure in 2002 was 27%.
Black Africans have traditionally been over-represented in this category. However, recent research suggests that up to a fifth of HIV infections among black African men initially classified as 'heterosexual exposure' in the UK are likely to have been acquired as a result of sex with other men.
With the numbers of those who acquired their infections heterosexually there has been an decrease in the number of women diagnosed. The male:female ratio for all new infections diagnosed in 2008 was about 1.6:1 whereas in 2012 it was 2.6:1.
In 2012, 65% of men and 57% of women with heterosexually acquired infection are being diagnosed late with a CD4 count of less than 350 cells/mm3.
In 2012, 29% of MSM newly diagnosed with HIV had a co-existent acute STI (chlamydia, gonorrhoea and/or syphilis), compared to 11% of heterosexual men and 9% of women.
Injecting drug users
The total number of cases of HIV in the UK includes 120 cases from injecting drug use (IDU). IDU has played a smaller part in the HIV epidemic in the UK than it has in many other European countries and the numbers of new diagnoses have been around 100 for the last few years. In 2013, the prevalence in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in recent initiates to injectable drugs was 1.0%. This was similar to previous years, suggesting that this source of infection remained at relatively low levels.
Heterosexual transmission to women from male injectable drug users is at a very low level. Prevalence in the male cohort who acquired infection from shared injection equipment was 0.8% in 2011.
Behavioural changes among injectors and the prompt introduction of harm reduction measures such as needle exchange programmes from the mid-1980s probably prevented many other urban areas in the UK from experiencing the localised epidemics on the scale seen in Scotland. In the UK, sharing rates remain higher than in the mid-1990s with almost one in three injectors in the Unlinked Anonymous survey of injecting drug users reporting direct sharing of needles and syringes in the previous four weeks. The continuing transmission of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in those aged under 25 shows the potential for further HIV spread among injecting drug users.
Antenatal testing and the availability of drugs to reduce mother-to-child transmission has resulted in a mother-to-child transmission rate of just 1%. In 2011, the number of infections resulting from mother-to-child transmission was 95. Increasing numbers of HIV-positive women are becoming pregnant and choosing not to have terminations. It is thought this is due to the increasing availability of drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
Blood products and blood transfusion
Production of the clotting factor concentrates, mainly to treat patients with haemophilia A and haemophilia B (Christmas disease), involves the pooling of very many donations and a single donation could contaminate a batch of concentrate used to treat many patients. There have been no recorded transmissions of HIV by this route in the UK since the introduction of heat inactivation of concentrates and donor screening in 1985.
Around 1,350 people in the UK have been infected through treatment with blood factor concentrates and all but 13 are male. Two thirds have died, 31% of them without AIDS having been reported. People with haemophilia may die from liver disease and haemorrhage before the development of an AIDS-defining condition. Since 1985, all blood donations have been screened for HIV antibody. There have been only two proven incidents of antibody-negative blood infectious for HIV being accepted for transfusion in the UK since then (the donor being in the 'window period' when blood is infectious because of recent HIV infection but too early for antibodies to be reliably detected by the screening antibody test). Most diagnoses from blood transfusions come from areas of the world where screening is unreliable and inconsistent. The last infection acquired from such a source was reported in 2002.
In the UK in 2012, 15 donors tested positive for HIV infection at screening. This represented 0.6 detected infections per 100,000 donations. These were mainly in men who probably acquired the infection via heterosexual transmission.
Investigations for HIV are described in the separate article Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Further investigations for AIDS-defining conditions may be indicated. Media interventions can improve the uptake of testing but this might not be sustained.
The basis of management is described in the separate article Human Immunideficiency Virus (HIV). There may be defining conditions such as Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia that will need treatment. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has improved the prognosis enormously in terms of duration of survival but premature death is to be expected.
Treatments with HAART have shown considerable progress since the first antiretroviral was approved for use by the FDA in 1987. Impressive improvements in life expectancy and quality of life have ensued. There are, however, still many problems. Although HAART is able to suppress the viral load in the plasma, it fails to eradicate it,and once HAART is initiated, treatment needs to be continued for life. The side-effects of long-term HAART include lipodystrophy, lactic acidosis, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidaemia.
The number of new infections worldwide continues to rise, particularly in women, and effective drug treatments have not yet reached the vast majority of infected individuals in resource-limited countries.In addition, patients require high adherence to the therapy to achieve viral suppression and prevent the development of a drug-resistant virus. Modern regimes are less onerous than older ones. They are simpler and involve fewer tablets, whereas it used to be necessary to take 16 to 20 tablets a day.
Some people will wish to use herbal remedies and a Cochrane review was able to find a small number of trials, some of which seemed to have adequate methodology.There was no significant clinical benefit and objective criteria such as CD4 count were unaffected. Since the review there have been a few studies in the literature suggesting some benefit from herbal remedies but larger trials are needed.[15, 16]
There may be some value in providing prophylactic treatment. A Cochrane review found some benefit in treating latent tuberculosis.Another review found only one trial that examined the benefit of prophylactic co-trimoxazole in children. It was from Zambia and the result was positive.Prophylactic co-trimoxazole was subsequently endorsed as official WHO policy for exposed infants. However, this guidance has been the subject of controversy and its benefits have been questioned by several subsequent trials.The value of prophylaxis against oropharyngeal candidiasis is uncertain, especially in children. There may be some benefit but at a risk of resistance developing and for poorer countries the cheaper options should be examined.
Impact of acquired immune deficiency syndrome in Africa
The impact of AIDS in southern Africa has been devastating. Some communities have been very hard hit with many deaths and economic hardship related to loss of the workforce of young adults. However, significant progress has been made in the last decade. South Africa has the largest antiviral roll-out programme in the world. Campaigns to reduce homophobia are encouraging MSM to declare their sexuality and come forward for testing and treatment. Innovative work with sex workers and injectable drug users, antiretroviral treatment of children, condom distribution programmes and mother-to-child transmission prevention services are all beginning to bear fruit. Life expectancy has increased by five years since the height of the epidemic.With a prevalence of 17.9% and a population of 6.1 million, South Africa has the largest HIV epidemic of any country. In neighbouring countries in southern Africa, the prevalance ranges from 10-15%.
The eradication of AIDS is based on prevention rather than cure: this means education and action. Education promotes the use of barrier contraception and advises against risk-taking behaviour - eg, multiple sexual partners or IDU. However, education can be problematic when a respected body like the Roman Catholic Church appears to dispute the risks. The Church considers that condoms are a sin against nature and that AIDS prevention would be better focused on reducing illicit sex and promoting monogamy. However, there has for some time been a move within the church to differentiate between the use of condoms for contraception and their use for AIDS prevention. There are signs that Pope Francis may introduce a less inflexible approach and is at the time of publication planning a Synod to consider this and other controversial issues.
The use of mother-to-child transmission prevention strategies is another important strand of AIDS prevention programmes. In South Africa, for example, expansion of the strategy has resulted in the mother-to-child transmission rate falling to 3.5%.
Further reading and references
Fact sheet; UNAIDS, 2012
HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa; AVERT, 2014
The Gap Report; UNAIDS, 2014
HIV in the United Kingdom: 2013 Report; Public Health England
HIV and AIDS in the UK; AVERT, 2014
Aidsmap; NAM, 2014.
HIV diagnoses; National AIDS Trust (NAT), 2014
Infection reports, Volume 8 Number 26; Public Health England, July 2014
HIV and Injecting Drug Use; National Aids Trust (NAT), 2013
Vidanapathirana J, Abramson MJ, Forbes A, et al; Mass media interventions for promoting HIV testing. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Jul 20
Este JA, Cihlar T; Current status and challenges of antiretroviral research and therapy. Antiviral Res. 2010 Jan85(1):25-33. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2009.10.007. Epub 2009 Dec 16.
Liu JP, Manheimer E, Yang M; Herbal medicines for treating HIV infection and AIDS. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Jul 20
Zhao HL, Sun CZ, Jiang WP, et al; Eight-year survival of AIDS patients treated with Chinese herbal medicine. Am J Chin Med. 201442(2):261-74. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X14500177.
Liu J; The use of herbal medicines in early drug development for the treatment of HIV infections and AIDS. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2007 Sep16(9):1355-64.
Akolo C, Adetifa I, Shepperd S, et al; Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection in HIV infected persons. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jan 20(1):CD000171.
Grimwade K, Swingler GH; Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis for opportunistic infections in children with HIV infection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Jan 25
Dow A, Kayira D, Hudgens M, et al; Effects of cotrimoxazole prophylactic treatment on adverse health outcomes among HIV-exposed, uninfected infants. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2012 Aug31(8):842-7. doi: 10.1097/INF.0b013e31825c124a.
Pienaar E, Young T, Holmes H; Interventions for the prevention and management of oropharyngeal candidiasis associated with HIV infection in adults and children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006 Jul 19
HIV & AIDS in South Africa; AVERT, 2012
Pope Francis Signals Eased Moral Strictures; Consortium News, 2014 | <urn:uuid:c123e5ac-96e3-44f5-a23e-92b467b213b4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://patient.info/doctor/acquired-immune-deficiency-syndrome-aids | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573163.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818033705-20220818063705-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.945937 | 4,384 | 3.21875 | 3 |
We all have dreams, right? Growing up we want to be our favourite superhero or basketballer. Some of us want to travel the world, but us…well it’s safe to say we’ve found the dream life. It comes in the form of a 42 year old man from New Jersey.
What makes this guy so special? Well, for 37 years, this guy (or superhero) has ate pizza every single day!
Take a moment to let that sink in. EVERYDAY!
We’ve done some maths – that’s 13,505 times pizza has been the choice for 42 year old Mike Roman.
Where did this amazing habit begin?
Roman said the eating habit began in his early years, when he was just 4 years old.
In an interview, Roman mentions that he just simply didn’t like any other foods growing up. In fact, he claims he ate pizza for BOTH lunch and dinner for a whopping 30 years. This means, our math earlier is way off! Roman has ate much more!
Now, however, he’s tamed down his love for pizza. He has switched up his lunch variations and just eats the one pizza meal a day, for dinner.
Seems like he’s really toned it down, huh?
Is it healthy?
Well, of course we believe pizza to be the healthiest meal out there! But, let’s add some science. Recently, The Washington Post, named pizza as technically more vegetable than anything else. This is due to the tomato base being just as nutritious as a cup of vegetables.
With this being said, it seems like Roman’s lifelong meal plan isn’t as bad as many would think.
So, what pizza does he like?
This will probably come as a surprise to you. A man who eats pizza everyday for 37 years, you’d think he would have some crazy topping preferences, right?
Well, sadly that’s wrong.
Roman sees himself as a purist, sticking with nothing but cheese on top of his pizza. No mushroom, no pepperoni, just simply cheese and tomato based.
You’d be forgiven to think Roman would get sick of eating pizza everyday, but nope.
“Every day I’m just as fascinated as the day before.
Roman, who is an elementary school teacher, said he has lived in the same town, listened to the same music, watched the same movies and TV, and eaten the same food his whole life because he likes routine.
He actually doesn’t even consider it weird, either.
And to be quite frank, Mr. Mike Roman, neither do we sir, neither do we. | <urn:uuid:5d3d7664-eebd-4810-8300-8befcc92c9a7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.reliablecounter.com/blog/man-eats-pizza-everyday-for-37-years/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00666.warc.gz | en | 0.978168 | 572 | 1.65625 | 2 |
January 25th, 2011
Mythbusting: Why Firefox 4 won’t score 100 on Acid3
…and why that’s a good thing
Update, September 16, 2011: The Acid3 test has been updated to drop the tests that weren't relevant to modern browsers and standards, so any version of Firefox going back to — and including — Firefox 4 will show as scoring 100. Thanks to the authors for updating the test. Original article follows.
Acid3 was a test written by Ian Hickson in 2008 that tests a limited selection of web browser features, and assigns a score from 0 to 100, depending on which features are supported.
Every once in a while — especially around the time of an upcoming new release — people argue that Firefox isn’t standards compliant, since it doesn’t score 100 on this test, but has been scoring 97 for quite a while, and will probably never implement what’s required to reach a score of 100.
Here’s why, explained by Mozilla engineer Boris Zbarsky, from a comment on Slashdot, and reposted with permission — emphasis added by me:
Those remaining 3 points are SVG Fonts.
Opera and Webkit implemented (very brokenly, in at least Opera’s case) a small subset of SVG 1.1 Fonts; basically just enough to pass Acid3.
We don’t particularly want to do that small subset in Gecko, since it gives no benefits to authors or users over the existing downloadable font support (beyond the brownie points on Acid3).
On the other hand, support for the full specification in a UA that also supports HTML is… very difficult. SVG fonts are just not designed with integration with HTML in mind. Once you put an
<iframe>in a glyph, all sorts of issues arise — both in terms of the spec being under-defined and in terms of the behavior being very difficult to implement, no matter what the spec said.
At this point, the SVG working group has decided that SVG Fonts will no longer be a core part of SVG but will be a separate specification, and that it might need some serious work if anyone is ever to implement it in full.
Related, Robert O’Callahan has a post on why not implementing features is hard, and why it’s sometimes even important. In other words, the WOFF font standard is more appropriate, works in more browsers, and is a better way to handle custom font support in browsers. Implementing just enough of the standard to pass a test is disingenuous, and has nothing to do with standards compliance. Acid3 was useful at the time to give the general public a way to see where some of the browsers were falling down expressed as a simple numerical rating — but nearly three years later, with all the major browsers supporting these features, it’s not really relevant anymore.
The next time someone posts a comment about how Firefox still doesn’t score 100 on Acid3, please link them to this article. I wrote this post since there isn’t a highly ranked piece on this if you search for “Firefox Acid3,” and there should be. Hopefully my site’s search engine ranking can be useful for something. | <urn:uuid:43c9fbf2-b0b7-4724-be37-d581b25e127e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://limi.net/articles/firefox-acid3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00244-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940154 | 680 | 1.742188 | 2 |
I'm now tryin to graph Mandelbrot Set. For those who may not know what this is, it is a fractal defined by a quite simple recursion. Mandelbrot Set is a set of complex numbers (i.e., of the form a+bi, i=sqrt(-1)) represented in a complex plane, obeying the following "law":
A complex number c belongs to the Mandelbrot Set if the recursion
(Please, interpret _ as subscript. Or visit wikipedia, that would be easier though xD )
does Not tend to reach infinity, or by other words, remains bounded.
Then, just plot the real and imaginary parts of c, and there you have it!
I've checked an older thread from 2009 about mandelbrot, but i didnt get clarified.
I have made my own Mandelbrot plotting program, but i think it runs a bit slowly. Ive seen that this website holds a Mandelbrot program, but the description says it takes a lot of time to finish.
It would be of great help if you took a look at my code and pointed some optimization solutions:
Some concepts: cardioid is the bulb at the right, the largest one; the period-2 bulb (or 2nd bulb, as ill call it) is the 2nd largest and it is at the left of the cardioid. The most part of these sectors can be represented by the equations of the cardioid and the circle. For more info, visit wikipedia, the place from where i got all this stuff and equations.
In fact, Mandelbrot Set requires an infinite number of iterations to be fully correct, but we need to make it quick. So, as you can observe in a scaled Mandelbrot plot, the plotted zone is limited to a circle of center (0,0) and radius 2. Meaning, we can use a condition like that to define "infinity", formally called "escape condition". That's because if you ever get a point in the recursive operation outside this circle, you know the next point will begin to "escape" from (0,0), thus tending to infinity. Our escape condition will be 2<abs(Z, with 2 being the limit for the distance between (0,0) and Z, and abs(Z calculating that distance.
// X - x-coordinate of the center of the screen // Y - y-coordinate of the center of the screen // Z - Zoom as a temporary variable. When finished with putting the graph screen in order, it'll be used as z in the recursion // M - No. of interations to verify the recursion // N - Used as a natural number, going from 1 to M in order to stop the recursion when N=M // B - Temporary, just to put the graph screen in order // C - The complex number to be tested // R - The real part of C // I - The imaginary part of C. (Not to be confused with i=sqrt(-1 Input X Input Y Input Z Input M 3/(2Z->B X-B->Xmin X+B->Xmax 1/Z->B Y-B->Ymin Y+B->Ymax // This stuff is just to put the graph screen in order, according to the inputs For(R,Xmin,Xmax,(delta)X For(I,Ymin,Ymax,(delta)Y Pt-Change(R,I // to keep a track of the point being checked (R-1/4)^2+I^2 I^2>4Ans(Ans+(R-1/4 // to check if it belongs to the cardioid. Wikipedia If Ans Goto 0 // if it does, jump the Repeat loop (R+1)^2+I^2<1/16 // to check if it belongs to the 2nd bulb. Wikipedia If Ans Goto 0 // if it does, jump the Repeat loop Delvar ZDelvar N R+Ii->C // our complex number to be tested Repeat N=M or Ans // checks for our "infinity" N+1->N Z^2+C->Z 2<abs(Z // escape condition. If true, will return 1 to the current Repeat loop, and also return 1 to the next Repeat loop End If Ans Pt-Change(R,I // the point being currently checked was turned on. If it doesnt belong to madelbrot set, it turns off again. Meaning, if it belongs, it wont turn off Lbl 0 End End
For convenience reasons, i advide inputing X=-1/2, Y=0, Z=1 and M=20. This way, you'll be able to graph the entire fractal and visualize it easily.
It would be really helpful if you could help me making it faster, as ive checked on its speed and it took 28min (!) to finish. | <urn:uuid:3e7bc4cb-cf5e-4464-b1e0-827f614c175c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://tibasicdev.wikidot.com/forum/t-1586173/optimizing-mandelbrot-set-program | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00376-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.899679 | 1,044 | 2.46875 | 2 |
Could you live without your browser bookmarks, desktop background and personal computer settings? Probably not.
That's why user profile management is so important in a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment. For users to embrace VDI, administrators need to ensure that their profiles are properly delivered and backed up.
Desktop virtualization complicates user profile management, because virtual desktops are often built from a single golden image that's not customized for each user. Admins have to put policies in place to configure user profiles, determine when they will be updated and ensure that they can be recovered if lost or damaged.
These frequently asked questions about profiles will help you understand best practices for user profile management in your VDI environment.
How do user profiles work with VDI?
User profiles include information such as desktop display preferences and the user's application settings. In a VDI environment, admins can allow for some personalization of user profiles while still delivering virtual desktops from a master image. Vendors offer tools that can accomplish this customization, and VDI admins can even maintain control over the settings and user profile configuration.
Does my environment need unique user profiles?
If you are deploying virtual desktops to users who all perform the same tasks and don't require personalization, then you can simply use mandatory profiles. Providing identical profiles to all users keeps things consistent and is easier for IT to manage, because profile changes are deleted at logoff. Otherwise, you can implement unique user profiles and maintain those using Windows Roaming Profiles or other user profile management tools.
What do I need to do with user profiles before virtualizing?
More on user profile management
How user environment virtualization replaces profile management
Improvements to VMware user profile management
Creating and copying Windows user profiles
When you deploy VDI, it's a good idea to make sure Windows user profiles aren't stored directly on local devices. That way, they're not lost when users access virtual desktops. You can configure user profiles to be stored on a network share through Active Directory. One thing to keep in mind about roaming profiles, however, is that Windows does not allow you to open profiles until they are completely loaded from the server. Fortunately, folder redirection can help reduce the time it takes for users to access their profiles.
How do I back up user profiles?
If you're going through the trouble of personalizing user profiles, then you need a way to back them up. Windows Roaming Profiles stores user data on a file share, so, if your file server is backed up, you're all set. Make sure users do a clean logoff of their desktop (not just powering off the thin client) so the profile share stays up to date. If you store profile uniqueness on a database, back up that database and its server. You might considering investing in file-system-based backup so you can restore individual files or folders, rather than all profiles on the database.
Should I ever delete user profiles?
Some organizations may need their users to have their own profiles but want them to be deleted after logoff. You can accomplish this by deploying nonpersistent virtual desktops in VDI software, such as VMware View or Citrix XenDesktop. Or, use Active Directory mandatory profiles and set them to re-download on login. Another option is to use Microsoft's User Profile Deletion Utility to delete user profiles.
What tools are available for user profile management?
Aside from Active Directory and roaming profiles, there are some handy lesser-known user profile management tools out there. Some of them are even free. AppSense and RES Software offer more complex options, while DelProf2 and RegShot utilities provide profile registry management and migration capabilities.
Dig Deeper on Virtual desktop management
Alyssa Wood asks:
How do you manage user profiles in your VDI environment?
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Allow me a litle FNY esoterica. (You can argue the whole website is esoterica but I would disagree with you). Over the past few years, the NYC Department of Transportation and the FDNY have been removing fire call boxes (or decommissioning them) in an era of mobile wireless call devices. There has also been a misguided, in my opinion, move toward eliminating the large, orange fire alarm indicator lights (presently oblong-shaped, they used to be globe-shaped) in favor of the “top hat” small indicator lamps mounted right on the lamppost luminaire. This makes them nearly impossible to make out at night, since the bright sodium light nearly drowns out the small red light in the top hat.
There have been a variety of ways to mount the fire alarm indicator lamps. In the castiron lampposts era, the indicator lamp was always attached to the shaft via a special, stylized mast (shown above right). When the legions of cast and wrought iron posts, be they bishop crooks, Corvingtons, Twins etc. had thousands of copies made and installed on NYC streets beginning on the 1980s, these shafts were not reproduced, and the same curved pipes that are used on octagonal posts (see below) were used instead, as on this post at Broadway and 37th Street in Astoria, Queens (left).
The above sampling is the one and only fire alarm mast thathas been newly produced, for a restored Type 6BC Bishop Crook on Warren Street downtown.
You can barely make it out, but in this picture of Shore Front Parkway and Beach 108th Street on the Rockaway Peninsula, which was lit with a flock of twin Woody lampposts, the first woody has a cast iron fire alarm mast attached to it. The Woodys had no specific fire alarm mast of their own and when they were used on city streets, the then Department of Traffic had to improvise, and so the cast iron ones were pressed into service. If anyone has a better closeup of this, pass it along! Rockaway Memories
When octagonal posts were introduced in the 1950s, they originally were fitted with Westinghouse AK-10 “cuplights” and often, the fire alarm light was simply mounted on top of the streetlamp luminaire, leading to the two lamps appearing to be a dumbbell. This was later modified to placing the fire alarm light at the top of the shaft. This worked well until the “cobra-neck” masts were introduced in the early 1960s, at which time the fire alarm light was plaed on the curved mast seen above.
These two posts “break the rules” with an apex-mounted alarm light on a cobra-neck post, and a curved mast mounted on a straight-mast post.
This now-ancient Donald Deskey campaigner at 6th Avenue and 72nd Street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn bears the original oblong fire alarm lamps they were fitted with when first installed in NYC streets between 1958-1964. This particular sample has been battered and weathered over the years and is held in position by tape.
Later Deskey posts were issued their own separate fire alarm light design. Unfortunately these were no better fitting then the last, and many would up also being held in place by tape. | <urn:uuid:077473af-6bf5-4880-9e4c-eec7418cc68e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://forgotten-ny.com/2011/03/breaking-the-rules-odd-placements-of-fire-alarm-indicators/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280929.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00429-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978923 | 697 | 1.757813 | 2 |
|Title:||Dual-Credit Courses and the Road to College: Experimental Evidence from Tennessee|
|Principal Investigator:||Dynarski, Susan||Awardee:||University of Michigan|
|Program:||Evaluation of State and Local Education Programs and Policies [Program Details]|
|Award Period:||4 years (7/01/2014-6/30/2019)||Award Amount:||$2,075,729|
Co-Principal Investigators: Steven Hemelt (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and Nathaniel Schwartz (Tennessee Department of Education)
Purpose: Curricular alignment between high school and college may better prepare students by exposing them to the expectations, skills, and knowledge necessary to succeed in college. Dual-credit courses are courses taken in high school that can provide college credit. These courses are designed to more closely align high school and college curricula by providing college-level instruction within the familiar context of high school. This project will evaluate the impact of Tennessee’s dual credit course for Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry on students’ high school and college outcomes.
Project Activities: Researchers will evaluate a dual credit Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry course at 103 high schools that were randomly assigned to providing either the dual credit course or their own historically-offered such course. Researchers will compare students at the treatment and control schools in 11th or 12th grade in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years who are eligible to take the course on both high school and postsecondary outcomes.
Products: The products of this project will be evidence of the efficacy of a dual credit Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry course. The evidence will be directly provided to the Tennessee Department of Education through the participation of department personnel on the project. The project will prepare briefs to provide early findings on which students are enrolling and early impacts. A conference will be held in the fifth year to present final results and bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in dual-credit initiatives. Researchers will present results to the research community through presentations and peer-reviewed publications.
Setting: This project will take place in Tennessee (TN) high schools.
Sample: Tennessee’s Department of Education solicited the state’s 318 high schools commitment to a study of a dual credit college-level algebra course. 103 schools volunteered to take part and had the requisite baseline data. The schools were block randomized within their geographic region (east, west, and central) and fifty-three were assigned to the treatment group and fifty to the control group.
Intervention: Tennessee’s Office of Postsecondary Coordination and Alignment (within the TN Department of Education) assembled committees of high school and college instructors to draft standards that would align high-school courses with college expectations. One of these committees developed the college-algebra standards and standardized test that will be used in the dual credit Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry course to be offered in the treatment schools. Teachers at treatment schools will be trained on these standards and assisted in aligning their courses with them. Students in the 11th and 12th grades with the required prerequisites can take the new dual-credit course in their high school for free. Enrolled students will take a centrally graded, standardized, computer-based, end-of-course exam for free. A passing score will count for course credit at any public college in Tennessee.
Research Design and Methods: A randomized experiment is used based on the random assignment of 103 schools to the treatment condition, under which the dual credit Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry course will be offered, or the control condition, under which the school’s traditional Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry course will be offered. Researchers will compare students eligible to take the treatment or control courses while in 11th or 12th grade in school years 2013-14 and 2014-15 on their high school and postsecondary outcomes.
Control Condition: The control group includes approximately 50 schools that will continue to offer their regular Advanced Algebra/Trigonometry course. The course content and assessments will not be standardized and their teachers will not be trained in the standardized content. The students in the control schools will not be allowed to take the centrally administered, end-of-course exam or receive college credit for the course.
Key Measures: High school outcomes include high school graduation, standardized test scores, and subsequent course-taking (the latter two only for students who take the course before their last year of high school). Postsecondary outcomes include college enrollment, type of college (2-year vs. 4-year, public vs. private), semesters enrolled (persistence), hours of remedial coursework, choice of major, credits, and GPA. All these outcomes will be obtained for students attending public postsecondary institutions in TN while only the first three outcomes will be gathered for students attending private institutions in TN or out-of-state institutions. Implementation measures will be drawn from (1) a survey of treatment teachers in the second cohort regarding their summer training, (2) a survey of treatment and control teachers regarding course content (textbook and chapter use) and student prerequisites and (3) collection of additional classroom artifacts (e.g., midterm exams).
Data Analytic Strategy: Multivariate regression will be used for intent to treat analysis, treatment on the treated analysis, and analyses on the heterogeneity of impacts among different subgroups (e.g., school region and urbanicity; student baseline achievement, race/ethnicity, free and reduced-price lunch status). Researchers will also analyze implementation measures to check for standardization of treatment, comparison of the intervention in treatment and control schools, and mediator analyses regarding differential content and differential classroom composition. | <urn:uuid:afae9edc-4d8c-46e1-a04d-aa2ff23ccf0e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ies.ed.gov/funding/grantsearch/details.asp?ID=1473 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572021.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814083156-20220814113156-00078.warc.gz | en | 0.927129 | 1,237 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The bike has perhaps come for repair at a Muslim mechanic's shop. [Or the tyre is punctured]. Just behind him, the arrow [it tells time of Zohar--afternoon namaz] shows that there is a mosque nearby.
What is interesting is that the bike has 'Hindu' written on it prominently. Though in the decade of 80s, it was quite common for people to write 'Garv Se Kaho Ham Hindu Hain' and the Muslims getting 'Fakhr Se Kaho Ham Musalman Hain', on their business establishments. But here the bike has nothing else written on it. I don't remember seeing just 'Hindu' or 'Muslim' written on vehicles.
On the mobikes of Bajrang Dal and VHP activists, one often finds 'Jai Bhawani' , 'Om' or 'Jai Shri Ram'. But the unique identification of the bike, which declares 'I am a Hindu or a Hindu rides this bike' is amusing and at one level innocent as well. On bikes of Muslims, it is rare to find any symbol. Yes, some times one may find, 'Ya Ali'.
Also note, that the mechanic in photo also fits in the image of the Muslim, 'skullcap on head', slight beard and taviz [amulet]. Another reason I posted the photograph is that I was not in a mood to write some serious stuff. So I got the photo and decided to post it instead.
The moral! Is there any moral. Isn't it too childish to celebrate secularim or harmony on seeing a Hindu and Muslim together. Perhpas, the moral is that, one may identify himself as anything--a liberal or a staunch follower of his religion, but we can't do without each other. Or may be you can come out with your own and share it with me.
[Harmony exists all around us but is often ignored. Instead, stories of hate, discord and communalism get spread easily.
There are a million examples in our daily lives across India but they don't get promoted, hence, news of hate and discord gets heard more. Let's change it, now. This is a small attempt to change it through Communal Harmony Project]
For reading similar reports on this blog, Click the link HERE and also find out more about Communal Harmony Project
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In the beginning of February 2012, Stelian Fuia, the President of the Committee for Agriculture in the Chamber of Deputies, was appointed as Agriculture Minister.
THIS REPORT CONTAINS ASSESSMENTS OF COMMODITY AND TRADE ISSUES MADE BY
USDA STAFF AND NOT NECESSARILY STATEMENTS OF OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT
GAIN Report Number: RO1204
New Minister of Agriculture appointed in Romania
In the beginning of February 2012, Stelian Fuia, the President of the Committee for Agriculture in the Chamber of
Deputies, was appointed as Agriculture Minister. Increasing the EU funds absorption rate, maintaining the financial support
for livestock and crop producers and timely disbursement of direct payments to farmers are among the priorities of the newly
The resignation of the Romanian Prime Minister on February 6, 2012 led to a Government reshuffle. Stelian Fuia, President
of Committee on Agriculture in Chamber of Deputies, was appointed as Minister of Agriculture. Valeriu Tabara, the former
Agricultural Minister, held this position for 15 months.
Agriculture Minister’s Biography
Born in 1968, Stelian Fuia graduated as agronomist in 1993 from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary
Medicine in Bucharest and six years later he was awarded the PhD in Agronomy. Stelian Fuia attended short-term courses on
strategic management and negotiation strategies in several Universities in the United States.
Stelian Fuia’s political activity began in 2004 as Vice President of the county branch of Democratic Party and three years
later, he was elected as the First-Vice President of the same organization in Calarasi county. In 2007, Stelian Fuia became
member of the Romanian Parliament and three years later he was elected as president of the Committee for Agriculture,
Chamber of Deputies.
Prior to joining the Romanian Parliament, Stelian Fuia worked for agri-business companies producing seeds and pesticides.
Much of his professional experience (1995-2002) was within Monsanto company, occupying different management positions
in Romania and abroad. In 2007, as a manager of a biofuel company, Stelian Fuia participated in the United States the
Cochran Program administered by USDA, focused on Biofuels production.
Stelian Fuia has a great wealth of experience in agriculture field and has a deep understanding of the issues facing
agricultural companies. Farmers expect from the new Minister a good management, consistency in the requirements for EU
funding accession, and openness for dialog with farmers associations.
Having worked for Monsanto company in the past, Stelian Fuia is perceived as an agricultural biotechnology supporter. His
appointment attracted critics from the biotech opponents who asked the Prime Minister to revoke this nomination
“considering his long career within Monsanto company”. The appointment of the former AgMinister, Valeriu Tabara,
generated the same reaction in the fall of 2010.
Priorities for agriculture and rural development portfolio
Accelerating the absorption of EU funds remains the top priority. The National Plan for Rural Development has an overall
budget of 10 billion euro, of which 8 billion is funded by the European Union through the European Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development, the balance being covered from the national budget. The total payments made so far reached 3.4 billion
Euro, meaning a rate of absorption of 33% during the 2007-2013 period. A target of 43 percent has been set to be reached
before October 2012.
Continuing the support for livestock and crop producers and timely disbursement of direct payments to farmers remain
among the priorities of the newly appointed minister. Romania has a deficit in terms of irrigation, thus revamping the
irrigation systems is on the agenda as well. He also promises an intense participation in the CAP reform debate.
The new Minister is planning to work for reducing the fiscal evasion in agriculture, expanding the cultivated land as well as
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Summer in Australia is hot. Bloody hot, even.
Each year the temperature seems to hit a new record and many suffer in the sweltering heat. As we head into the hottest part of the season take a minute to read these tips on surviving the next few months.
If you're planning on hitting the beach this summer, take a look at this handy guide before you dive into the water so you know how to escape a deadly rip current. It might just save your life.Read more
Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate.
Water is extremely important in the heat. It is vital to keep yourself hydrated as the heat skyrockets. A lack of water can leave you fatigued and can even cause you to pass out. Many elderly people struggle with this during the hottest days and often require help and assistance.
Keep filled water bottles in the fridge for easy access and try to keep one next to you throughout the day.
It may seem silly to ‘Slip! Slop! Slap!’ every time you leave the house, but with such harsh rays bearing down from the sun, even a short trip in direct sunlight can cause damage.
We recently wrote about why skincare is important, and what you need in a basic routine. Our sources stressed that everyone, even men, should use sunscreen daily, and usually moisturizer, too. But one commenter piped up to ask: uh, what if I have a beard?Read more
Skin cancer is still the leading cancer in Australia due to our time in the sun. Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they are 70. Melanomas (the most dangerous form of skin cancer) is the third most common cancer in Australians.
In 2015, 2162 people died from skin cancer in Australia. In order to avoid skin cell damage slop on some SPF30+ sunscreen. Make sure to apply 20 minutes before you go outside and then reapply every two hours while in the sun.
Mosquitoes are one of the worst parts of summer by a mile. The sound of their buzzing whizzing past your head in the night, knowing that tomorrow you will wake up to some fresh bites is torture. In order to stay sane and get some sleep you’ll need to be proactive against the little blood suckers.
Using a fan on high at night can help to deter the mozzies from landing on you due to the wind pushing them around. Switching off the lights before opening windows at night can also help to prevent them from even finding their way into your home.
If you find yourself outside in the late afternoon or night apply as much bug repellent as you can stand. Personally I swear by Aerogard to keep the bugs at bay and even have to use it sometimes before bed to get some sleep.
Keeping your pets cool and healthy during the heat is very important. Animals don’t regulate their temperature like we do, they can’t sweat to keep themselves cool – they have to pant to expel heat.
If you pet is a long haired or fluffy coat, consider getting them a summer haircut from a dog groomer. I get my fluffy Labrador a trim every summer to help keep her cool. Breeds made for cooler climates will need to be groomed more, as their heavy coats are not made for these extreme temperatures.
Keep a source of cool water near them at all times. Pets need their water to stay hydrated just as we do, but more importantly the water needs to be cool/cold as it directly affects their body temperature. A cool drink helps to cool them down immensely.
Don’t force them outside. If your inside with the air conditioner running then bring in your pets, they will enjoy it just as much as you. If you are going to leave for the day, consider leaving you pet inside with the aircon going on hot days.
It should go without saying, but just in case; DO NOT LEAVE PETS IN HOT CARS.
They say only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun, but even mad (or sad, or glad) dogs should probably stay inside when the temperature climbs too high. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can wreak utter havoc on your canine friend, but there are a few things you can do to keep your dog cool and safe this summer.Read more
Bush fires are rampart during Australian summers, so being cautious is key to staying ahead of a disaster. Making a bush fire plan together as a family or household is crucial. Discuss what plan of action you will all take during a bush fire and delegate jobs – for example who will be in charge of gathering and getting the pets out of the house and into the car for evacuation.
Stay informed of the situation and keep an eye on your state’s Rural Fire Service site for possible fires near you.
Keeping Cool Without AC
Air conditioning can be expensive and also some of us aren’t as lucky to have an AC in the house. So instead to keep the house cool, here are some quick tips:
- Keep the blinds closed – block out the sun from reaching the rooms
- Close doors to rooms you aren’t using
- Use a fan to blow the air around
- Stay damp and naked to keep the body temperature down
- Take cold baths or showers | <urn:uuid:ef94d16d-39a5-44a1-9fd7-e2a0646695a1> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/12/how-to-survive-an-australian-summer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571758.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812200804-20220812230804-00678.warc.gz | en | 0.961112 | 1,123 | 2.4375 | 2 |
I. The Christian Worldview.
II. Living the Christian Worldview in the Family Life.
Do we have a narrow view of the Christian faith? Many see it as simply a personal relationship with God, a commitment to Sunday services, Wednesday evening Bible study, and a little witnessing. Those are all good activitiesas far as they go. But Christians need to realize that every decision they make reflects their core values. So choices about voting, budgeting, marriage, movies, and heroes are all philosophical issues. Christians who don't have a distinctively Christian philosophya view of the world informed by biblical truthwill easily be suckered into living by the world's philosophies. This is why church pews may be full on Sundays, but secular values dominate our culture. " It is time for Christians to put away childish thinking and boldly confront the world with the message of Christ."
I. The Christian Worldview.
Each of us lives in a physical, economic, and social environment largely not of our making. Even so, we form part of our environment, and in visible and important ways we are formed by it. Furthermore, beyond our immediate surroundings lie urban, national, continental, and international cultures that also shape us. We can no more avoid participating in our surrounding cultures than we can avoid life itself. It is neither practical nor Christian to attempt to escape the major social structures in which human life occurs. God created the world; He is not its enemy. Christians believe God also ordained the primary orders of life, including family, government, community, human productivity, gainful employment, and commercial exchange. All of us come to know ourselves as participants in such structures even though they differ in particulars from one culture to another. If the creation is good, as the Bible declares, then so are the primary social structures that help make human life possible. A worldview is simply the lens through which we see and assess the whole of human culture and our place in it. It is one of the major devices by which we navigate life. Culture means the complex network of institutions, values, habits, tools, arts, and livelihoods that we create in community and that in turn shape us. Cultures are noticeably affected by their places in history and by their physical, spatial, technological, intellectual, and religious locations. Our worldview is strongly influenced by our place in a particular culture. "Everyone has a world view. It is not only a human prerogative, but a human necessity. " Usually we aren't even conscious of our worldview(s). Like corrective lenses, they are transparent unless called to our attention or until we venture into a culture marked by another worldview. Even then, the "strangeness" of the other worldview likely will impress us most. Developing a Christian worldview means coming to see the whole world through the eyes of the resurrected Lord, who has judged the powers of darkness and who is even now making all things new. Seeing this world as the scene of a new creation, Paul said, is possible only after one has experienced the new creation in one's self (2 Corinthians 5:14-21) . Only after the gospel's complete degree has seized us, only after we understand that in Christ the Name of God is being declared in all the earth, can we understand and develop a Christian worldview. A Christian worldview leads to a new way of seeing and doing and it derives from a new way of being. Developing a Christian worldview requires that we submit all of life's dimensions-individual and group, natural and technological, secular and sacred-to examination and reformation by the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20-28) . Anyone not committed to comprehensive transformation should pay another visit to the meaning of discipleship. The Christian worldview is the truth from Christ's point of view, informed by His... | <urn:uuid:28a151c9-224c-4c86-9ace-994309ce6ef5> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Impact-Of-a-Christian-Worldview-54115.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279933.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00119-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948889 | 773 | 2.40625 | 2 |
St. Paul, MN—(October 25, 2017) — Hybrid additive manufacturing machines combine some degree of layer-by-layer building using an additive process with conventional subtractive machining. For example, the idea behind the Matsuura LUMEX Avance-25, which offers laser metal sintering via a Yb fiber laser and high-speed milling, is to speed the production of primarily mold and die components.
Laser sintering adds layers of material, and the machine’s milling spindle subsequently machines the material to ensure a quality surface finish. Producing mold cores and cavities in this way leverages additive’s capabilities to produce molds with conformal cooling channels, and to make sintering density changes in molding applications that require placement of porous structures to facilitate gas venting. In addition, laser sintering enables deep features to be produced by building them one layer at a time, eliminating the need to burn them via EDM.
Matsuura has since introduced a larger model, the Matsuura LUMEX Avance-60, which opens this technology to bigger applications in new industries, such as aerospace and automotive. This model accommodates a maximum XYZ workpiece size of 600 × 600 × 500 mm (compared to 260 × 260 × 100 mm for the Matsuura Lumex Avance-25 model) and maximum weight of 1,300 kg. It also has a 1-kW Yb fiber laser source compared to 400 W for the Matsuura LUMEX Avance-25 model, increasing sintering speed. Its milling spindle ranges to 45,000 rpm and automatic toolchanger carousel has the capacity to hold 20 tools (maximum tool diameter is 10 mm).
The eight-cylinder engine block on display at the Japan International Machine Tool Fair (JIMTOF) shows one possible application of this technology, although it was just a partial build, in part, to show areas where the additive process was able to reduce weight. An entire 9.6-kg version of this engine block produced from AlSi10Mg material (including supports) was completed in 95 hours (90 hours for sintering and 5 hours for milling). Total production time, including support design, programming, fixture design/manufacturing, setup, and so on was 15 days. Although this might sound like a long time, company tests on a five-axis machining center showed it would take approximately 22 days to machine the engine block from a solid blank, including time for fixture design/manufacturing, programming, machine setup and so on.
The Matsuura LUMEX Avance-60 at the show also included the company’s automatic powder recovery (APR) system that filters unused powder via a sieve and collects it in a tank. That powder is automatically delivered back to the machine for reuse. A range of powder materials are available from the company, including maraging steel, TI6A4V titanium, 630 and 316L stainless steels, cobalt chrome superalloy, nickel 718 and AlSi10Mg. (Reprint from Modern Machine Shop-Case Study Post: 3/21/2011)
Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc., located in St. Paul, MN is the U.S. subsidiary of Matsuura Machinery Corporation in Japan. Since 1935, Matsuura has delivered unmatched excellence in high speed and high precision CNC machine tools. From full 5-axis, vertical, horizontal, linear motor or multi-tasking CNC machine tools, Matsuura has been the forerunner in designing innovative technology and manufacturing solutions to a variety of industries around the globe. Matsuura Machinery USA, Inc. provides the service, applications, and technical field support that have always been the Matsuura standard for business.
For more information on Matsuura products, contact: [email protected] or www.matsuurausa.com. | <urn:uuid:2ffd91a6-9606-4e44-8839-cab2f33ae5ab> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.matsuurausa.com/hybrid-additive-manufacturing-machine-steps-size-derek-korn-executive-editor-modern-machine-shop/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571719.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812140019-20220812170019-00264.warc.gz | en | 0.907134 | 820 | 2.046875 | 2 |
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REFERENCE LINKING PLATFORM OF KOREA S&T JOURNALS
> Journal Vol & Issue
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
Journal Basic Information
Journal DOI :
The Acoustical Society of Korea
Editor in Chief :
Volume & Issues
Volume 15, Issue 6 - Dec 1996
Volume 15, Issue 5 - Oct 1996
Volume 15, Issue 4 - Aug 1996
Volume 15, Issue 2 - Apr 1996
Volume 15, Issue 1 - Feb 1996
Volume 15, Issue 4E - 00 1996
Volume 15, Issue 3E - 00 1996
Volume 15, Issue 2E - 00 1996
Volume 15, Issue 1E - 00 1996
Selecting the target year
A Study on the Speaker Adaptation of a Continuous Speech Recognition using HMM
Kim, Sang-Bum ; Lee, Young-Jae ; Koh, Si-Young ; Hur, Kang-In ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 5~11
In this study, the method of speaker adaptation for uttered sentence using syllable unit hmm is proposed. Segmentation of syllable unit for sentence is performed automatically by concatenation of syllable unit hmm and viterbi segmentation. Speaker adaptation is performed using MAPE(Maximum A Posteriori Probabillity Estimation) which can adapt any small amount of adaptation speech data and add one sequentially. For newspaper editorial continuous speech, the recognition rates of adaptation of HMM was 71.8% which is approximately 37% improvement over that of unadapted HMM
Physical Characteristics of Noise of the High-Speed Train and the Evaluation of the Exterior Noise around Stations
Lee, Sang-Woo ; Goo, Jae-Oh ; Han, Chan-Hoon ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 12~17
With the increase in discomfort of living by serious traffic noise pollution, the desire of relieving from discomfort is boosted up more than ever. For this reason, the researches on environmental impact assessmient and noise pollution control are highly required. This research was aimed to analyze the physical characteristics of noise caused by high-speed train in foreign countries by literature survey and field data. And with the attained results, the exterior noise level around Chon-An station, the first station planned for the high-speed train in this country, was estimated. The results of this study might be used as a tool for predicting the unavoidable noise, lessening the noise impact caused by the high-speed train, and preparing the noise prevention measures for the interior space and the exterior around stations.
Statistical Characteristics of Bottom Backscattering by a Moving Source at a Shallow Water Site
Park, J.S. ; Jurng, M.S. ; Chang, D.H. ; Choi, J.Y. ; Shim, Tae-Bo ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 18~23
Fluctuation statistics of scattering strength are not only important because they impact the performance of active sonar systems, but also because they may provide insight into the major scattering process. In this article, analysis of the statistical characteristics of bottom backscattering, measured in shallow water, are presented. The slowly moving experimental sonar was operated at 30kHz to gather data over the bottom. Spatial and temporal correlation functions of the signal amplitudes were measured. The distribution function and probability of false alarm function of the detected envelope of widebeam and narrowbeam signals were measured. An attempt was made to compare the results with existing theoretical models. The result suggests that the statistical characteristics of bottom backscattering fluctuation of moving source is differ from that of fixed source.
A Speech Translation System for Hotel Reservation
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 24~31
In this paper, we present a speech translation system for hotel reservation, KT_STS(Korea Telecom Speech Translation System). KT-STS is a speech-to-speech translation system which translates a spoken utterance in Korean into one in Japanese. The system has been designed around the task of hotel reservation(dialogues between a Korean customer and a hotel reservation de나 in Japan). It consists of a Korean speech recognition system, a Korean-to-Japanese machine translation system and a korean speech synthesis system. The Korean speech recognition system is an HMM(Hidden Markov model)-based speaker-independent, continuous speech recognizer which can recognize about 300 word vocabularies. Bigram language model is used as a forward language model and dependency grammar is used for a backward language model. For machine translation, we use dependency grammar and direct transfer method. And Korean speech synthesizer uses the demiphones as a synthesis unit and the method of periodic waveform analysis and reallocation. KT-STS runs in nearly real time on the SPARC20 workstation with one TMS320C30 DSP board. We have achieved the word recognition rate of 94. 68% and the sentence recognition rate of 82.42% after the speech recognition tests. On Korean-to-Japanese translation tests, we achieved translation success rate of 100%. We had an international joint experiment in which our system was connected with another system developed by KDD in Japan using the leased line.
Electric Spark System as Underwater Acoustic Source - I. Pressure pulses from low electric energy -
Kim, Sung-Boo ; Kim, Sang-Han ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 32~35
The pressure pulses generated from the underwater electric spark system ranged from 0.4 to 1.6kJ are measured with the variation of source depth and range. The characteristics of pressure pulses obtained through this experiment continue to show the same electric energy and depth dependence previously reported, but two particular phenomena are observed. First, it is observed that the peak pressure of the 1st bubble pulse induced from implosion is higher than that of the initial shock wave, which is particularily apparent to high electric energy more than 10kJ previous studies. Second, it has been reported that the energy ratio (potential energy of bubble/intrinsic energy of source) has some tendency to "droop" on the low electric energy as 0.02 for 5kJ and 0.01 for 1kJ but the results of the present experiment show that it continues to have the ratio of 0.01 near 1kJ again.
Estimation of HMM parameters Using a Codeword Dependent Distance Normalization and a Distance Based codeword Weighting by Fuzzy Contribution
Choi, Hwan-Jin ; Oh, Yung-Hwan ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 36~42
In this paper, we have proposed the robust estimation of HMM parameters which is based on CDDN(codeword dependent distance normalization)and codeword weighting by distance. The proposed method has used a distance normalization based on the characteristics of a codeword dependent distribution and have computed fuzzy contributions of codeword to a input vector with a fuzzy objective function. From experimental results, we have shown the effectiveness of the proposed method in that the correction rate of the proposed method is improved 4.5% over the conventional FVQ based method. Especially, the application of distance weighting to smoothing of output probability is improved the performance of 2.5% compared to distance based codeword weighting.
A study on the Method of the Keyword Spotting Recognition in the Continuous speech using Neural Network
Yang, Jin-Woo ; Kim, Soon-Hyob ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 43~49
This research proposes a system for speaker independent Korean continuous speech recognition with 247 DDD area names using keyword spotting technique. The applied recognition algorithm is the Dynamic Programming Neural Network(DPNN) based on the integration of DP and multi-layer perceptron as model that solves time axis distortion and spectral pattern variation in the speech. To improve performance, we classify word model into keyword model and non-keyword model. We make an experiment on postprocessing procedure for the evaluation of system performance. Experiment results are as follows. The recognition rate of the isolated word is 93.45% in speaker dependent case. The recognition rate of the isolated word is 84.05% in speaker independent case. The recognition rate of simple dialogic sentence in keyword spotting experiment is 77.34% as speaker dependent, and 70.63% as speaker independent.
Optimal Wavelet Selection for AR Model Parameter Identification of Nonstationary Time-Varying Signal
Shin, D.H. ; Kim, S.H. ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 50~57
In this paper, we proposed the method of optimal wavelet selection and wavelet expansion of AR(autoregressive) parameters by selected wavelet using F-test. A cost function is introduced as a wavelet selection method. Using this cost function, wavelets (D4 to D20) are tested to the synthesized signal. With this selected wavelet, we get the wavelet coefficients of AR parameters to both synthesized signal and real speech signal. To evaluate the proposed method, this wavelet based algorithm is compared with the Kalman filering algorithm. As a results, the proposed method shows a better performance by about 5-10dB than the Kalman filter.
A Numerical Speech Recognition by Parameters Estimated from the Data on the Estimated Plane and a Neural Network
Choi, Il-Hong ; Jang, Seung-Kwan ; Cha, Tae-Hoo ; Choi, Ung-Se ; Kim, Chang-Seok ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 58~64
This paper was proposed the recognition method by using parameters which was estimated from the data on the estimated plane and a neural network. After the LPC estimated in each frame algorithm was mapped to the estimated plane by the optimum feature mapping function, we estimated the C-LPC and the maximum and minimum value and 3 divided power from the mapping data on the estimated plane. As a result of the experiment of the speech recognition that those parameters were applied to the input of a neural network, it was found that those parameters estimated from the estimated plane have the features of the original speech for a change in the time scale and that the recongnition rate by the proposed methods was 96.3 percent.
Target State Analysis Based on a Single Ping in Active Sonar
Kim, Jea-Soo ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 65~69
In this paper, the techniques for target state analysis based on a single ping in the ocean environment are proposed and discussed. The first method utilizes the relationship between range and bearing in order to determine the aspect angle of target. The second method uses the Range-Doppler Map. The former method requires the multi-channel data, while the latter uses single channel data. It is concluded, from the simulation, that the target state analysis is quite possible and the techniques mentioned should be used simultaneously to get the improved results.
A Study on the Modified Adaptive MMSE Filtering for Mixed-Noise Elimination in Image Signals
Lee, Je-Il ; Kim, Sung-Hwan ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 70~76
In the case of an image corrupted with mixed noise, conventional MMSE filter can not remove such a mixed noise properly, because the impulse moise cause a certain bias of the minimum mean-square error estimate at regions close to outliers. In this paper, we proposed the new method or removal of mixed noise by combining MMSE filtering structure with local multi-windowing method according to directions and with ranked-order method. As a result, the improvement of the image quality with the proposed was obtained between about 9.7 and 35.2 times in the sense of NMSE(normalized mean square errors) evaluation than that of MMSE filter. Also, we could obtain the enhanced image in the mixed noisy image from visual and quantitative aspect.
Equivalent Circuit Modeling of Underwater Acoustic Piezoelectric Transducer
Joh, Chee-Young ; Seo, Hee-Seon ; Lee, Jung-Min ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 77~82
In this paper an identification method is presented to obtain the equivalent electric model of a sandwitch type piezoelectric transducer. Unknown parameters related to the equivalent circuit are identified by solving a nonlinear optimization problem which can minimize an error between the experimental and analytical admittances in air. The proposed method is applied to an example transducer. The validity of equivalent circuit model is demonstrated by the comparison between the experimental measurements and analytical calculations of transmitting voltage response(TVR) and receiving voltage response(RVS).
Normalization of Spectral Magnitude and Cepstral Transformation for Compensation of Lombard Effect
Chi, Sang-Mun ; Oh, Yung-Hwan ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 83~92
This paper describes Lombard effect compensation and noise suppression so as to reduce speech recognition error in noisy environments. Lombard effect is represented by the variation of spectral envelope of energy normalized word and the variation of overall vocal intensity. The variation of spectral envelope can be compensated by linear transformation in cepstral domain. The variation of vocal intensity is canceled by spectral magnitude normalization. Spectral subtraction is use to suppress noise contamination, and band-pass filtering is used to emphasize dynamic features. To understand Lombard effect and verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, speech data are collected in simulated noisy environments. Recognition experiments were conducted with contamination by noise from automobile cabins, an exhibition hall, telephone booths in down town, crowded streets, and computer rooms. From the experiments, the effectiveness of the proposed method has been confirmed.
Robust Total Least Squares Method and its Applications to System Identifications
Kim, Jin-Young ; Choi, Seung-Ho ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 93~97
The Total Least Squares(TLS) method is an unbiased estimator for solving overdetermined sets of linear equations Ax
b when errors occur in all data. However, as well as Least Squares(LS) method it doesn't show robustness while the errors have a heavy tailed probability density function. In this paper we proposed a robust method of TLS (Robust TLS, ROTLS) based on the characteristics of TLS solution. And the ROTLS is verified by applying it to system identification problems.
An Alteration Rule of Formant Transition for Improvement of Korean Demisyllable Based Synthesis by Rule
Lee, Ki-Young ; Choi, Chang-Seok ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 98~104
This paper propose the alteraton rule to compensate a formant trasition of several connected vowels for improving an unnatural synthesized continuous speech which is concatenated by each demisyllable without coarticulated formant transition for use in dmisyllable based synthesis by rule. To fullfill each formant transition part, the database of 42 stationary vowels which are segmented from the stable part of each vowels is appended to the one of Korean demisyllables, and the resonance circuit used in formant synthesis is employed to change the formant frequency of speech signals. To evaluate the synthesied speech by this rule, we carried out the alteration rule for connected vowels of the synthesized speech based on demisyllable, and compare spectrogram and MOS tested scores with the original and the demisyllable based synthesized speech without this rule. The result shows that this proposed rule can synthesize the more natural speech.
Linear Acoustic Waves in Baffled Rocket Combustion Chambers
Yoon, Myong-Won ;
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea, volume 15, issue 4, 1996, Pages 105~112
A linear acoustic analysis for baffled rocket combustion chambers has been developed. This study provides the comprehensive theoretical background for the baffle as one of the stabilizing devices in a liquid rocket propulsion system. Several specific effects of baffles are presented as mechanisms by which baffles eliminate instability. Included are longitudinalization of transverse waves inside baffle compartments, severe restriction of velocity fluctuations near the injector face, and decreased normal mode frequency of the chamber. | <urn:uuid:b5ca92d5-95ee-4ac9-bff8-d26223a5d7e3> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.koreascience.or.kr/journal/JournalIssueList.jsp?kojic=GOHHBH&volno=15&issno=4&cnov_no=&year_GB=1996 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00376-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901347 | 3,589 | 1.84375 | 2 |
A bad credit profile is the only thing that can stop you from obtaining a student loan. This because even if you eventually get it, you will find yourself in deep waters when it is time to repay that loan. What's more, if you find yourself lucky to get a job you will discover you're paying through the nose, while trying to keep up with everyday life.
We have lots of reasons to be happy for the availability of college loans. Without college loans, most students will find themselves out of school. With the help of various lending institutions, loans from government and private agencies, funds are more accessible so that parents and their children alike can take loans to finance their education whenever they wish.
If you have lots of loans, it's easy these days with loan consolidation. When your loans are consolidated it helps to compress the interest rates and can help in reducing the amount you will pay out on a monthly basis.
If you are interested in applying for government assistance, you will need to begin by downloading the application form from the government's official website. The form is called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. When your form is processed, before long you will be smiling to the bank. But ensure you take a lot of care and time to put in the necessary information required and do all you can to legitimately improve your chances, before applying.
Do you know that if you want to secure some loans, that there are some factors like the rates of the loan and the fees of the loans. These are what you should watch out for not just brazing up yourself to think of how you hope to make the payments. This is very important because if you secure an affordable rate then you can make repayments without hassles.
Do you know that federal student loans are so cheap and affordable that you can use them to offset almost every of your needs as far as going to college is concerned? You should choose a federal student loan for the fact that it has the lowest interest rates for student like you.
It is possible that you don't know the various kinds of private loans that exist. Private lenders have in their own initiatives, designed various private loans packages for any individual who might have need for any. These packages are in various categories that are particularly targeted at students who are graduates, undergraduates, medical and law students and many others. Take your time to find that which is best for you and go ahead to apply , but be sure you understand what you are getting into first.
Have you ever heard of Federal Parent Loan for undergraduate student loans? This is a kind of federal financial aid program that enables the family of an undergraduate to take up loans so as to facilitate the education of their child. This program is very beneficial and has helped lots of students through college.
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This author writes about revealing information about Bad Credit Student College Loans , or Student Loans For Jacksonville College Jacksonville Texas on the website --> collegeloan.internet-peso.com
Please Rate this Article
Not yet Rated | <urn:uuid:f1f1eef3-ef08-45a0-8de5-aea97e3cf5d2> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.articletrunk.com/Article/They-Might-Not-Have-Lied-To-You-About-College-Student-Loans/127773 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280791.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00357-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971669 | 621 | 2.078125 | 2 |
The Afghan Hound, also referred to as a Tazi or Baluchi Hound, is an exotic dog breed from Afghanistan. It is known for its regal appearance and long silky coat. The males of this breed can grow to 27 inches tall and weigh up to about 60 pounds. Female Afghan Hounds are slight smaller with a maximum height of about 25 inches and a maximum weight of 50 pounds. Their coats are smooth and long and they come in a variety of beautiful colors.
The Afghan was used as a sight hound used to hunt large game including deer and even leopards. An ancient breed, the Afghan is seen in cave paintings and on papyrus.
While the Afghan Hound has a look that suggests a life of leisure, they are a fairly active breed that enjoy running, racing and getting into mischief. If you have other pets and you are considering adding an Afghan Hound to your family then you will want to either get a puppy that can be raised with the other animals, or find an older dog that has been well socialized. Afghan Hounds make great family pets, however, because they have the nature to chase small animals, they are better suited for families with older children.
Afghan Hounds are a high maintenance breed. They will require extensive grooming every day in order to keep their coats and skin healthy. They will also require a bath every other week. When grooming your Afghan Hound you will want to pay extra attention to their ears as they have a tendency to get dirty and infected. In addition to proper grooming you will also need to make sure that you provide your Afghan with enough exercise. They should be walked at least twice a day, and given the opportunity to run and play in a fenced in area as much as possible. This dog is not known for its obedience so you will need to make sure that its play areas are securely fenced or you will need to keep it on a leash.
The Afghan Hound is a somewhat independent breed and prone to being submissive. Have a gentle hand while training and use lots of motivation while obedience training.
Afghan Hounds are athletic dogs and sometimes display a snobby attitude. They are considered to be the least intelligent working dog. It may be that they are too smart to listen to just anyone. They are not your ordinary “Fetch, Sit, Stay” kind of dog. They think on their own freewill.
Origins of the Afghan Hound
Afghan Hound is a very ancient breed of dog. It is a categorized a sight hound and they have very distinctive features and are easily recognizable in appearance. Afghan Hounds acquired their unique features in the cold mountains of Afghanistan.
They were once used to hunt hares and gazelles. They were even known to hunt leopards. They were heavily favored by royalty in the Afghan area and the ancient people held them in high esteem.
Appearance and Abilities
Afghan Hounds are very tall dogs, about 24 to 29 inches tall. They have long and strong necks. They have distinctive long, rich and silky coats. Even their large feet are covered with long hair. The front legs are strong and straight and their tails that curls at the tip.
With the thick hair, they may appear sluggish at first glance but the Afghan Hounds’ speed, agility, and endurance is legendary. They are fierce hunters with strong jaws and they have relentless attitudes in hunting. As sight hounds, they are alert and always ready to act.
Their hunting roots grant them the ability to run swiftly and gracefully. They are very athletic dogs and can even jump great heights. They were preferred participants for lure coursing events because of their inherent attributes.
Unfortunately, course game hunting is not as popular today. Afghan Hounds are now the darling of conformation shows. Their flowing silky locks and dignified stance are well suited for exhibitions.
Afghan Hound Temperament and Tendencies
Afghan Hounds are very aloof dogs. They have dignified bearings and independent-minded. They are not easily trained because they are free thinkers and they do what they want to do.
Even though they do not respond well to obedience and tricks training, they are very smart dogs. Their problem solving skills are instinctively remarkable. It is only due to their independent nature that makes them very difficult to train.
When comfortable and trusting with the people around, Afghan hounds are funny and clown like. They have silly temperaments.
Afghan Hound Training and Care
In general, Afghan Hounds are very difficult to house train But with patience and consistency they will eventually learn. The Afghan puppies have very poor bladder control. You have to wait about six months for them to be completely clean in their deeds.
Grooming the Afghan Hounds is one of the main responsibilities of the owners. They require brushing and bathing regularly, at least weekly. It is obvious that their coats need that much maintenance. Neglected Afghan Hounds are prone to parasites, abscesses and skin diseases.
Since they have a strong tendency to be shy, they need extensive socialization so they can be more of their clown selves when with other people. They are incredibly fun when they are comfortable.
A great thing about them is that they always know what they want to do. If they get tired with all the fuss, they will just find a quite place to retire themselves. Most of the time, they do not ask for approval to do the things they want to. | <urn:uuid:a13d5b3d-6440-4cc5-b8f3-8f6a24c87188> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://tythedogguy.com/how-to-train-your-dog/afghan-hound/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572089.53/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814234405-20220815024405-00065.warc.gz | en | 0.980933 | 1,118 | 2.046875 | 2 |
As is appropriate for this autumn season, a lot of the collections added to Digital Commonwealth in the past month have been harvested (pun, obviously, very much intended). Don’t miss out on exploring all of the wonderful new items added to the site!
This post was written by Mary Bell, Adult Services Librarian at Wilbraham Public Library.
Maybe it’s because I’m interested in family history and genealogy, but my favorite photographs in Wilbraham Library’s local history collection are of people. Knowing about people, seeing their faces and learning their stories, can make history’s potentially dry dates and facts come alive.
Take, for instance, this photograph of James Addison and Hannah (Butler) Bennett. The Bennett family was one of the earliest families in the Town of Wilbraham, moving in sometime before 1790 when their son Ralph was born here in town. As a side note, I have many photographs relating to this branch of the family that would be a treasure trove for any genealogist. But this particular picture of James Bennett and Hannah Butler is full of character. There’s the old-fashioned stove, a “Riverside Park” sign and this older couple staring stoically at the photographer. Riverside was the name of the amusement park in Agawam, Massachusetts before Six Flags purchased it, and would have been operative at the time of this photograph. I have to wonder if this couple or their children were the enthusiasts. James died in 1919, and the calendar on the wall is dated December 1916, so I know the date it was taken within a few years as well.
One of my other favorites is this photograph simply labeled “Mrs. DeWitt Mowry.” With a little help from the person who donated the photographic collection and some research on Ancestry Library Edition, I was able to identify the woman – whom I affectionately think of as the knitting lady – as Sarah Emiline “Emma” Collins. She was born in Wilbraham in 1856, married DeWitt Mowry, and had three children. Her son Harold died of typhoid in 1906 at the age of 19, and her daughters grew up and stayed close by after they married. By 1912, Emma was a widow. She was a contemporary of the Bennetts, and a photo of the family tombstone in the local cemetery indicates she died in 1922, so this photograph was most likely taken around the same time as that of James and Hannah. But her whole countenance could not be more different, smiling when many people were straight-faced for cameras and just exuding joy. Don’t you want to sit down with her and have a cup of tea and a conversation?
History fascinates me: not the bare bones facts, but the people who lived it. Here are three individuals who lived and died in Wilbraham, raising a family, and living through the first World War. Seeing their faces and getting a taste for their personalities bring that history to life. These are some of the people who lived in my hometown 100 years ago. What else – who else – might you discover in our history collection? I can’t wait to find out!
This post was written by Patricia Feeley, BPL Collaborative Services Librarian.
When the Grove Hall Branch of the Boston Public Library began planning the Grove Hall Memory Project, it was their intention to make it available in a digital format. Katrina Morse, now the Parker Hill Branch librarian and the driving force behind the Memory Project, wanted “anyone…anywhere in the world” to be able to access the materials.
The Memory Project’s goal was to provide audio/visual “snapshots” of the neighborhood through the years as reported by the people who lived there. The collection includes letters, photographs, newspaper clippings and oral-history interviews with full transcriptions. For Katrina, the interviews are the most interesting and valuable part of the collection. You can listen to and/or read the transcripts of these interviews on Digital Commonwealth.
After the Memory Project collection was added to the Digital Commonwealth, Katrina reports that another branch librarian approached her about doing a similar project for her branch. While Katrina says the project was incredibly time-consuming, she thinks it was worthwhile and is very pleased that Digital Commonwealth offers the collection a platform making it accessible to Grove Hall residents, former residents, and anyone interested in the history of a vital, ever-changing Boston neighborhood “anywhere in the world.”
This post was written by Patricia Feeley, BPL Collaborative Services Librarian.
Stephen T. Moskey spoke about his new book, Larz and Isabel Anderson: Wealth and Celebrity in the Gilded Age, at the Boston Public Library recently. He could not say enough nice things about how helpful Digital Commonwealth was to his research on this historic couple and their Brookline and Boston homes. He cited the Leslie Jones collection for interior photos of the Anderson home, Weld House, that allowed him to get a feel for how Larz and Isabel lived.
In addition to the Jones Collection, images belonging to the Public Library of Brookline show the Weld House
grounds and photos from the Abdalian Collection show some of the family’s autos (and drivers). Moskey voiced his appreciation for the preservation of these historical windows into the life and character of his subjects.
So taken was Moskey with Digital Commonwealth, he even recommended that readers keep Digital Commonwealth open while reading his book to enhance their own appreciation and enjoyment of the Andersons’ life!
This September, Digital Commonwealth added many new collections that you can now search for on the website! These collections consist of many type of materials including photographs, personal paper, maps, and even a scrapbook! Make sure you check them out!
This post was written by Susan Aprill, Archivist at Kingston Public Library
One of the challenges and delights of describing Kingston’s historic photographs for the Digital Commonwealth lies in identifying places, figuring out what they are and what they’ve been called, then when I’m lucky, uncovering and disambiguating the hidden corners of the past. The Kingston Public Library’s Local History Room holds thousands of photographic images: prints of all sorts, lantern slides, glass and plastic negatives, tiny tintypes; you name it and I’d bet we’ve got one. Almost 13,000 are itemized in a Filemaker database that provides not only descriptive information about content and format, but also location, provenance, scan file management, use statistics and more. Staff and volunteers have been building this database (and its precursor spreadsheets) since 1998. Translating this gloriously rich and messy metadata into the strict form required by Digital Commonwealth has been a lesson in itself, but one of my favorite parts of the work is in the details: creating definitive subject headings for hyper-local subjects, and using them to identify otherwise under-documented photographs.
As an example of disambiguation, there’s a pond in Kingston, just west of the geographical center of town, which has had many names. Some are variations on a theme, others seem unrelated. On various maps dating from 1810 to 1903, it’s called Cosmo’s or Crosman’s; a 1795 map has something that definitely starts with C but is otherwise illegible. Manuscript and published sources give similar variations – Crosmus, Causton, Causaton’s or Crossman’s – as well as Carding Mill Pond, after a small woolen processing shop there in the early 19th century, and Fountain Head Pond, for the springs just to the west that fed the Kingston Aqueduct Company’s pipes around the same time. There’s no dispute that it’s all the same pond, but what exactly should it be called?
So, a little research project was in order. The Library of Congress subject headings and the Getty TGN are not (yet!) this granular. Scouring the database for transcriptions of annotated photos and poring through manuscript collections for place names, I compiled a list of possibilities. Turning then to search online, I found a Wikipedia entry, a 1920 state report on alewife fisheries, and a note in an 1841 genealogy that around 1730, James Tompson drowned in Kingston in Crossman’s Pond. In the end, I opted for simplicity by omitting the apostrophe, and created an entry to geonames.org for “Crossmans Pond” with all of the variations included. Finally, I added the geonames code to my local subject headings database – linked to the images database and to other collections – which also lists the known variations. Now the pond name has been fixed for use as a local authority, pinned to a map (virtually at least), and made ready for searching.
As I work through the photograph collections, item by item and heading by heading, I’m not only describing what the photos capture, but creating and enhancing a tool that makes everything in the Local History Room more searchable, findable, accessible. A second example of this kind of investigation produced a less tangible result, but much more satisfaction, because it exposed a connection not previously documented.
Some background: to create Digital Commonwealth-ready metadata, my process is to choose a set of scanned images to work on, then step through a series of layouts in the image database, each of which focuses on distilling a particular facet of the metadata: title, date, format, creator, subjects and notes. Each layout shows the image, and the process is iterative, so as I work through a given selection, I see each photograph several times. I look hard for clues that add to the typically scant captions. Do clothes or cars or advertising signs suggest a possible date? Have I seen that face or hat or hairdo or beard before? The photographs provoke as many questions as answers, and I always see things I think I’ve seen before. It’s like playing a complex variation on the card game Concentration.
In this case, I was working with about 140 photographs of people from the Emily Fuller Drew Collection (partially online at the Digital Commonwealth). Within this selection, there are series of related photos: specific events, scenes or groups of people in various combinations and poses. One set captured an outdoor meal, described minimally as “Drew family” and “clambake.”
It looks delightful, a shared meal outside on a long late summer afternoon, but unfortunately there’s no location given, and the views of the surrounding houses are partial and vague. The feast can only be placed in some anonymous backyard, probably in Kingston, but there’s no way to know for sure.
After working through the entire selection of a couple of times, something in the background of this photo caught my eye.
There’s a woodpile and rail fence that I knew I’d seen before, so I combed through the images again, until I found it.
The same woodpile and rails are in the background of this photo, one of a series that Emily Drew took of her father Charles Drew. After “retiring,” he harvested cedar in the Blackwater Swamp and took it by boat and homemade railway to the yard of his house on Summer Street.
Other records show exactly where Charles Drew lived, and just like that, the Drew family clambake landed squarely in his backyard. It’s a just speck of data, to be sure, but this small victory of connecting items in a collection and fixing something depicted in a century-old photograph in the exact right place is one of the greatest satisfactions of this kind of work.
This post was written by Patricia Feeley, BPL Collaborative Services Librarian from an interview she conducted with Louise Sandberg of the Lawrence Public Library.
Louise Sandberg of the Lawrence Public Library began working with archival materials the “minute I was hired,” so she recognized a great opportunity to expand the reach of her collection after attending a Digital Commonwealth presentation in Wakefield. The library currently has 17 collections uploaded to the Digital Commonwealth website.
Among them, the Lawrence Public Library Collection includes over 700 photographs that were used as part of a Northeast Massachusetts Regional Library System digitization project. The photos range from historical street scenes to Spanish-American War soldiers to parades honoring God and country, Independence Day and the National Recovery Administration! In retrospect, Louise recommends breaking down collections of this size and diversity into smaller collections.
Most delightful of all the collections is the National Child Welfare Association Fairy Tale Pictures posters from the Home and School Series. These wonderful watercolors were created by illustrator Elizabeth Tyler, who was born in Newton, Massachusetts. The Lawrence Public Library has 11 of the 12 originally issued in the 1920’s. Only Chicken Little is missing and, with Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Jack of beanstalk fame present, you don’t really miss her.
Louise Sandberg reports that she loves the final result: the images are sharp and the website presentation attractive. She has 30 collections she’s hoping to add, including 19th century images of a cyclone that blew through Lawrence. Scanning, she notes, allows the eye to see more, picking up on objects that fade into the background at first glance on the original. And when the Digital Services team is ready, she has some large-scale, hand-drawn street plans and maps that she is eager to see online. The process of putting collections on Digital Commonwealth has also made Louise think about what she can do and what she should do with the time she has.
Best of all, Louise is so pleased with the Digital Commonwealth; she has recommended us to other community organizations. As she says, uploading collections, “only helps all of us” by making our materials available and accessible to a much wider audience than we can ever serve in person.
As the school year starts up again, now is a great time to dive into Digital Commonwealth’s wonderful historical collections! Check out the latest collection that have been added from some of our truly amazing members! | <urn:uuid:5a334e94-1f8f-472b-bf1b-1edd24e435a6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://blog.digitalcommonwealth.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280718.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00400-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959384 | 2,963 | 1.914063 | 2 |
Wondering what will be offered next semester? Looking for a CRN for registration? Need to know which books you need for a class? Check out our online course schedule.
Course numbers and descriptions are currently being finalized and will be added soon. Check back for more information.
An introduction to the preparation and use of financial accounting information. Course includes preparation and analysis of financial statements and related disclosures.
An introduction to the internal use of accounting information to plan, control and evaluate the activities of business organizations. Course emphasizes problem solving and decision making for manufacturing and service enterprises.
Focuses on how economists explain the behavior of individuals, how markets direct activities and the policy implications that flow from economic analysis. Emphasis is less on the development of theories and more on the application of theories. Course examines how developments in other fields, most notably evolutionary psychology, have affected microeconomics. Prerequisite: MTH at 1000 level or permission of instructor.
Examines the concepts and tools that are needed by managers when making financial decisions. Students are required to analyze a financial statement, assess risk, calculate the cost of capital for capital budgeting, and describe the methods for valuing securities such as stocks and bonds for an organization. Approach to the course content is from a manager's perspective on how to make value-creating decisions for an organization's stakeholders. Prerequisite: ACC 2210.
In this course, you will learn the roles played by financial markets and institutions in the efficient allocation of funds from lenders to borrowers. Student will develop critical thinking skills as applied to financial markets and institutions. Topics include the determination of asset prices; the risk and term structure of interest rates; risk management and financial derivatives; financial market, structure, innovation, and regulation; and financial crises.
The objective of this course is to learn how to make sound investing decisions. Students study the different types of investments available, the markets they are traded in and the sources of information that are available to investors. We then examine the relationship between risk and return, techniques for valuing securities and the construction and management of portfolios.
The course explores advanced finance concepts including corporate decision making involving the issuance of debt and equity securities, dividend and stock policies, evaluation of a corporation's governance and ownership structures and analysis of mergers and acquisitions. Students will be required to complete a financial analysis term project of a publicly traded corporation. Prerequisite: FIN 3420.
Introduction to the process of management. Course includes the history of management theory with emphasis on forces of change that have resulted in a changing view of the business world for managers. Principle management functions covered are planning, organizing, leading and the process of control as an information feedback function for increasing productivity. Emphasis is on the integration of all management functions into one effort for visionary, effective and efficient operations.
Nature and functions of law with emphasis on applications in economics, marketing and management. Course includes contracts and business entities and the regulation of business under federal and state administrative agencies. | <urn:uuid:1289af0e-00a9-4e8f-87d3-a2146f7594ed> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.css.edu/academics/school-of-business-and-technology/undergraduate-areas-of-study/finance/current-students.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280825.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00207-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928685 | 606 | 2.125 | 2 |
Here’s to the man who ushered in America’s Age of Irony... the television star who pioneered a new style of conceptual comedy.
David Letterman is 61 years old today.
I found a neat video artifact in the archive of the Museum of Broadcast Communications. It’s a 26-minute slice of Tom Snyder’s old late-night talk show, “Tomorrow.” Letterman, Billy Crystal and Merrill Markoe were Snyder’s guests on this 1978 telecast.
At that point, Letterman was about to be a cast member on Mary Tyler Moore’s variety show. His greatness was ahead of him. But, as you can see below, Letterman’s astringent sense of humor was in full effect at the age of 31.
(Interesting side point: Around 18 minutes into this clip, you’ll notice that Merrill Markoe is censored when she says the word “orgasm.” Keep in mind that Snyder’s show aired at 1 a.m. in the morning. My, how standards have changed in 30 years.) | <urn:uuid:e7ad4bf3-9b08-4262-90c8-9b20547be954> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://undercoverblackman.blogspot.com/2008/04/happy-birthday-david-letterman.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282926.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00396-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956011 | 234 | 1.570313 | 2 |
According to Finnish Meteorological Institute statistics, the average amount of precipitation of all of Finland in February was the second highest since measurements began in 1961. A February with even more precipitation was experienced in 1990.
Precipitation levels in February are on average about 30 mm, but the levels recorded in February just gone were twice the usual, in some areas even three times the usual. Precipitation levels of as high as 131.6 mm, which is the new record for February in Finland, were recorded in Kouvola Anjala. Very high levels of precipitation in large areas were previously experienced in February for example in 1995, 1998 and 2002. | <urn:uuid:8cacb28c-3e26-4e85-8e96-55d65681e45e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news-from-members/february-and-whole-winter-were-mild-and-marked-high-precipitation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285001.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00303-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992622 | 132 | 2.703125 | 3 |
برآورد کیفیت لینک قابل اطمینان در شبکه های بی سیم کم قدرت و تاثیر آن بر درخت مسیریابی
|کد مقاله||سال انتشار||مقاله انگلیسی||ترجمه فارسی||تعداد کلمات|
|70366||2015||25 صفحه PDF||سفارش دهید||محاسبه نشده|
Publisher : Elsevier - Science Direct (الزویر - ساینس دایرکت)
Journal : Ad Hoc Networks, Volume 27, April 2015, Pages 1–25
Radio link quality estimation is essential for protocols and mechanisms such as routing, mobility management and localization, particularly for low-power wireless networks such as wireless sensor networks. Commodity Link Quality Estimators (LQEs), e.g. PRR, RNP, ETX, four-bit and RSSI, can only provide a partial characterization of links as they ignore several link properties such as channel quality and stability. In this paper, we propose F-LQE (Fuzzy Link Quality Estimator, a holistic metric that estimates link quality on the basis of four link quality properties—packet delivery, asymmetry, stability, and channel quality—that are expressed and combined using Fuzzy Logic. We demonstrate through an extensive experimental analysis that F-LQE is more reliable than existing estimators (e.g., PRR, WMEWMA, ETX, RNP, and four-bit) as it provides a finer grain link classification. It is also more stable as it has lower coefficient of variation of link estimates. Importantly, we evaluate the impact of F-LQE on the performance of tree routing, specifically the CTP (Collection Tree Protocol). For this purpose, we adapted F-LQE to build a new routing metric for CTP, which we dubbed as F-LQE/RM. Extensive experimental results obtained with state-of-the-art widely used test-beds show that F-LQE/RM improves significantly CTP routing performance over four-bit (the default LQE of CTP) and ETX (another popular LQE). F-LQE/RM improves the end-to-end packet delivery by up to 16%, reduces the number of packet retransmissions by up to 32%, reduces the Hop count by up to 4%, and improves the topology stability by up to 47%. | <urn:uuid:46e799d3-1aa6-4e75-b588-88356d1e5132> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://isiarticles.com/article/70366 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284411.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00454-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.804933 | 654 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Fayetteville VA Hospital Fights Increasing Cost
Posted October 18, 1998
FAYETTEVILLE — Thousands of people are treated at the veterans Hospital in Fayetteville every year, and the number of patients is increasing. However, the growing patient load has not been accompanied by an increase in funding.
Fayetteville's Director of Veterans Affairs is still waiting on the final numbers for the next budget, but he is anticipating that it will be the same as the last couple of years - about $50 million. Preparations are already in place to absorb the increasing costs of treating more patients.
Richard Baltz says he is cutting back wherever it is possible without jeopardizing patient care, everything from getting tough on long-distance calls to not filling some staffing positions.
"We are trying to become a leaner organization with more efficiencies so that we are able to meet this demand on a straight-line budget," Baltz said.
And just like in the private sector, the Fayetteville VA is encouraging more veterans to take advantage of outpatient services. Twenty thousand more chose that option last year.
As a result, two in-patient wards were consolidated, and the resources were transferred to outpatient services.
"That cuts down tremendously on staffing, staffing for beds to watch people overnight," said head nurse Betty Johnson.
Preventive care is another way the VA is looking to save money down the road.
"We are trying to utilize the best practices out there while maintaining quality care," Baltz said. "That's the bottom line. If we can keep patients healthier through primary care, they will require less costly hospitalizations."
Due to the new Veterans Health Care reform Act, the Fayetteville VA could see up to 3,000 more veterans this year. | <urn:uuid:0bba2f34-8aa7-4202-b4b1-1caa5fce5697> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/129579/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281353.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00070-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955728 | 363 | 1.601563 | 2 |
ERIC Number: ED129353
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1976-Oct
Reference Count: 0
No- or Low-Tuition: A Lost Cause. Topical Paper No. 58.
Almost from the beginning of the junior college movement, its educational leaders emphasized the desirability of maintaining a no-tuition policy in order to extend free public education through the first two years of college. However, at no time in the 75 year history of public two-year colleges has there been widespread acceptance of the no- or low-tuition policy. Periodically, state laws have prohibited tuition but all of them have been amended or circumvented, allowing colleges to impose fees. Today, no state prohibits the charging of tuition and/or fees. Tuition/fees in two-year colleges average from 50% to 60% of those charged in four-year colleges. Average tuition and fees in 1974-75 have been variously estimated at $263 to $337. For the majority of students nationally they range from $0-$99 (low) to $100-$299 (moderate), but for the majority of colleges they are moderate to high ($300-$499). Tuition rises annually at a rate of 15% or more and by 1980 will average $400. What effect tuition will have on the ideal of the "open door" depends on the amount of state and federal grants to institutions with limited incomes. It seems reasonable to expect that as tuition rises to the $400-$800 range, a large number of students from low income families will be unable to attend the two-year college. (Author/JDS)
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Sponsor: National Inst. of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: ERIC Clearinghouse for Junior Colleges, Los Angeles, CA. | <urn:uuid:6518900f-11ec-4b8f-811d-382d516119c6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED129353 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280835.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00472-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937365 | 388 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Remembering the significant 1972 Canadian hockey victory
By Brandon Yip, Senior Columnist
When famed hockey broadcaster, Foster Hewitt, uttered those famous words, “Henderson has scored for Canada!” it brought together an entire country. Hewitt’s words are still resonating with Canadian hockey fans almost five decades later.
The Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union was a hockey series for the ages. The NHL’s best players from Canada were matched against the best players from the Soviet Union. It was a battle for hockey supremacy that combined politics during the era of the Cold War—capitalism versus communism. Eight games would be played, with the first four played in Canada. The remaining games would be played in the Soviet Union.
It was a battle for hockey supremacy that combined politics during the era of the Cold War—capitalism versus communism.
At the start of the series, Canada appeared overconfident and had taken the Soviets lightly. The Soviets shocked the Canadians winning the opening game 7-3 at the Forum in Montreal. The Canadians then rebounded and won game two by a score of 4-1 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Two nights later in Winnipeg, game three ended in a 4-4 tie.
Notably, in game four, Canada was embarrassed 5-3 by the Soviets at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. The game was also memorable for Phil Esposito’s famous rant after the game, as he responded to the fans booing the Canadian team throughout. “To the people across Canada, we tried,” Esposito said. “We gave it our best. To the people who booed us, geez, all of us guys are really disheartened. We’re disillusioned and disappointed. We cannot believe the bad press we’ve got, the booing we’ve got in our own building.”
Team Canada had to regroup as they flew to the Soviet Union for the remaining four games. They were now in enemy territory. Game five went go to the Soviets, who won by a score of 5-4. Canada won game six by a score of 3-2. In game seven, it was another close game as Canada won by a score of 4-3. That set the stage for game eight, which was played on September 28, 1972.
In the final game, the Soviets built a 5-3 lead going into the third period. Canada scored twice to tie the game at 5. With the score still tied late in the third period, Canada had possession in the Soviet zone. Paul Henderson put the puck towards the goal line but the Soviet goaltender, Vladislav Tretiak, made the save. Fortunately, Tretiak left a rebound and Henderson got another chance—this time flipping the puck over the fallen goalie. The goal sealed a 6-5 victory for Canada at 19:26 of the third period—with Canada winning the Summit Series. A very tired Esposito received a well-earned assist on the winning goal.
There were other memorable moments during the series. During the final four games in Russia, the intensity and nastiness increased. There were scrums, fights, and some very dirty stick work. Infamously, in game six, Canadian forward Bobby Clarke broke the ankle of Russian star forward Valeri Kharlamov with a vicious slash. Kharlamov missed the next game; he returned in game eight but was ineffective. Clarke, in the 2012 documentary, Cold War on Ice: Summit Series ’72, admitted breaking Kharlamov’s ankle was dirty: “As I’ve often said, it was an awful thing to do. But it sure felt good.”
Significantly, the victory by Canada over the Soviets united the entire country. Canada reigned supreme as the top hockey nation. Although, Canada was victorious over the Soviets, the 1972 Summit Series revealed that the Soviet Union and other nations were also getting better at hockey—proving they could also compete and win at the highest level. Since 1972, Canada’s victory over the Soviets has been celebrated and praised by many journalists and media outlets. In 2000, the Canadian Press voted Henderson’s series-winning goal as the “sports moment of the century.”
Henderson, scorer of arguably the most famous goal in Canadian hockey history, reflected on his big moment when he spoke to the media in September 2012—the 40th anniversary of that historic victory: “I think that one of the reasons we did win is we never gave up hope […] And [Anatoly] Tarasov [Russian hockey coach] said, ‘We can compete with the Canadians in terms of skill and speed and strength. But we can’t match their heart.’ I think that’s what won it for us, [our heart]. I really do.” | <urn:uuid:0e072b6e-1fb1-4a54-a37e-23a4e5b52912> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://theotherpress.ca/henderson-scores-for-canada/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573667.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819100644-20220819130644-00067.warc.gz | en | 0.980696 | 1,020 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Bronze Quail Koro (Incense burner)
Meiji Period, c.1820
W:12cm x H:9cm x L:24cm
A bronze koro (incense burner) and cover, in the form of three detachable quail standing on a tied bunch of millet stalks, their heads turned in different directions, the perforated plumage of one removable for the incense. Signed in a rectangular reserve Kamejo; with wood storage box. | <urn:uuid:45adedd5-6e21-44e0-95d5-03c115d32da8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://jan-fineart-london.com/product/bronze-quail-koro-incense-burner/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573193.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818094131-20220818124131-00473.warc.gz | en | 0.882452 | 114 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Seattle outranks New York with the number of construction cranes
Amongst the construction boom in New York, with developments such as the Hudson Yards and the One Vanderbilt skyscraper, Seattle has surprisingly come out on top this summer according to a recent report, with the highest number of construction cranes currently in use. In 2016 alone, the city has had over 50 construction cranes in operation in the completion of high rise and mixed use builds, double that of densely populated cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, who are undertaking projects such as the Salesforce Tower development and Oceanwide Plaza.
The report by Rider Levett Bucknall reflects Seattle’s growing popularity and appeal, but has increased the waiting time for the vital equipment, driving up costs. This increase from 2015 will impact the affordability of homes within the region and create competition for local businesses and will dominate the skyline, but will also boost tourism and employment within the area, with the construction of new hotels, offices and residential homes.
Tim O’Neill, a Project Executive for Skanska informed the Seattle Times that developers need to plan for advance to reduce delays in construction, as the waiting time for a crane within the city is currently double the traditional expected time, “If you don’t plan ahead, you’re not going to end up with a crane”
“That will cost everybody a whole bunch of money.”
With the time for a crane to be on site, which can be up to 18 months, delays are further increased through conditional and safety checks by the supplier, who are permitted to see the vital equipment returned to undertake this necessary work, before the cranes are redistributed around the country for various construction projects to developers that need them. The construction boom has even created a large waiting list for developers, where services are taking down reservations for mid-2017.
Falling behind Seattle are Phoenix, Boston and Portland within the US with 20 cranes or under, utilised this year, but Dubai and Australia are still leading the way in the development of high rise buildings, becoming the forefront of the skyscraper boom.
Read the November 2016 issue of Construction Global magazine | <urn:uuid:fd59c56d-3545-4ef1-a14f-6ed18017c4f7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://constructiondigital.com/construction-projects/seattle-outranks-new-york-with-the-number-of-construction-cranes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570921.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809094531-20220809124531-00273.warc.gz | en | 0.947364 | 451 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Ranchers in South Dakota are asking state legislators to approve a bill that, if passed, would allow residents to chase down coyotes using snowmobiles—an exceedingly cruel practice.
Coyotes are loyal, sensitive wild animals, and, to them, the noise of marauding snowmobiles is unimaginable. They are then chased to the point of exhaustion and shot. Many wind up being run over by the vehicles and are badly injured. Killing them can also backfire. Surviving pack members will breed in order to replace lost family members, and more animals will move in from outlying areas to use available resources.
Sadly, after hearing from supporters of the bill, the South Dakota Senate actually passed it. Now the bill is headed to the House of Representatives. Please e-mail the South Dakota House of Representatives and urge it to oppose cruel coyote killings by voting "No" on SB 55.
Written by Michelle Sherrow | <urn:uuid:34f9449e-0a68-4de6-bfe7-7c9d77e9c28d> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.opposingviews.com/i/tell-south-dakota-not-to-run-down-coyotes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718309.70/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00404-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943237 | 191 | 1.625 | 2 |
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has set aside a total of US$83 million for the delimitation of constituencies ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.
ZEC spokesperson Jasper Mangwana on Friday told reporters that the funds will be used for the voters’ roll inspection and the delimitation exercise. Said Mangwana:
The budget that has been set aside for the delimitation is a total of US$83 million, US$45 million being for voter inspection and US$38 million for the delimitation exercise.
The budget will cater for the printing of the voters’ rolls, vehicle hire, stakeholder engagement, material acquisition, voter education and publicity and personnel welfare.
We want to appreciate and thank the treasury for its support and commitment to the electoral processes in this country.
Delimitation is the act of dividing the country into constituencies and wards for the purposes of elections.
It involves coming up with a minimum threshold of registered voters for each of the country’s 210 national assembly constituencies. | <urn:uuid:58062236-4fde-4a66-8637-8c03730096fa> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://zero.pindula.co.zw/treasury-grants-zec-us83-million-for-delimitation-voters-roll-inspection/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.905176 | 208 | 1.796875 | 2 |
It doesn’t seem at all surprising to me that God might well give us revelation concerning protology — you know what protology would be, the beginnings of things — it doesn’t seem at all surprising to me that God might well give us revelation concerning protology in a figurative rather than a literal account, considering how far beyond our experience the subject matter is. Just as we find his revelation concerning eschatology given in apocalyptic form often. And so we know by now that biblical prophecy is not simply history written beforehand. So many evangelical fundamentalists over the years have said, “Well prophecy is just history written ahead of time.” No, not quite. I mean it’s not written the way most history books read about an event — there’s the highly figurative and sometimes apocalyptic. Nor would I say, by the same token, is protology simply history written after the fact.
What are we dealing with in Genesis 1 after all? The creation of the entire universe! Somehow it doesn’t strike me as surprising that God might have some difficulty revealing that to little old me in just a straightforward, prosaic account. It doesn’t seem at all surprising (to use Calvin’s word about accommodation) that God would accommodate his revelation to his people and to their limits of understanding and to the message he wants to bring them — just as we find in the area of eschatology.
…The OPC has always in its history tolerated differences of interpretation in the area of eschatology. That was one of the two key reasons why the Bible Presbyterian Church came into being in 1937 — you know from the study of Presbyterian history, one year after the founding of the OPC, because the BP people wanted the church to be Premillenialist, and the OPC was tolerant of different interpretations in eschatology. And also the OPC throughout its history has been tolerant with regard to the proper interpretation of Genesis 1. I hope that situation will not change.
But now — again I’m no prophet; if anybody had told me when I was at Westminster Seminary in the late 50’s that in the year 2000 this would be the big issue (certainly in the state of California, in the two OPC presbyteries in our state)I would tell them that they certainly weren’t prophets, because that is ridiculous — but that’s where we are, and we’re now faced with an issue that could tear the OPC apart. Certainly raising big problems in this state. And likewise with regard to the United Reformed Churches.
…To take the position that only the one understanding of Genesis 1 is permissible would certainly be a new position in the OPC, was not the position of Old Princeton, you know, and it’s not the position of Old Westminster, we can now say. If you’re interested in Machen’s [position], you all know how to find what he says on it, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Machen’s book The Christian View of Man, start reading on page 130, it’s about 3 pages, it’s an amazing section. Machen makes statements there that would make — Machen was Old Princeton, and they were open to some possibilities that I myself wouldn’t be open to, but the idea that Machen would favor what’s now being promoted in the OPC of course, that’s impossible. Probably not most, probably all of my presbytery recognize that they would have to vote to not ordain Machen in our Presbytery. But their position is that the OPC has sinned in this regard long enough and it’s time to repent and do the right thing.
This point occurred to me a few years ago, about how the literal vs. poetic view of Gen 1-2 is a false dichotomy; it makes more sense to consider Genesis in the genre of prophecy (which God’s people have a history of misunderstanding, even when the fulfillment becomes visible). As I noted at the time, it is surely not possible that the idea was original to me, and now I know Strimple thought it first. And that’s OK. | <urn:uuid:27416d69-c1fc-4cc2-9b18-130a4c0e5449> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://confessionalouthouse.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/protology-and-eschatology/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573029.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817153027-20220817183027-00265.warc.gz | en | 0.965993 | 889 | 1.648438 | 2 |
David Akers (1975/88): The 1850-O is a rare date in all grades but it is not quite as rare as the 1848-O or 1849-O. It is comparable in overall rarity to the 1845-O and 1846-O and is more rare than the 1842-O, 1843-O or 1844-O. Most known specimens grade VF or EF and AU examples are very rare. Strictly uncirculated examples are extremely rare and I have not personally seen one.Doug Winter: The 1850-O eagle is not as scarce as the 1848-O or 1849-O, but it is very rare in higher grades and unique in Uncirculated.
The 1850-O eagle is relatively common in VF and EF grades. It is very scarce in properly graded AU50 to AU53 and very rare in AU55 to AU58. I am aware of only one Uncirculated piece and it is a Gem.
STRIKE: The 1850-O eagle is a poorly struck issue that has a fuzzy appearance as seen on the 1849-O. Most are flat at the central obverse with softness on the curls around the face of Liberty as well as on the top of the hair and the bun. The stars are often very flat at the centers with no radial line definition. Unlike the 1849-O which is always seen with a weak obverse, there are a few 1850-O eagles that are better struck than usual with partial definition on the stars. The reverse is always sharper than the obverse with sharp feathers seen on the wings and neck of the eagle. The right leg is often weak.
SURFACES: Virtually every known example is heavily abraded in the fields and a number have deep, detracting marks in highly visible focal points such as the cheek of Liberty.
LUSTER: The luster is frosty with a slightly reflective finish. A few are seen with semi-prooflike fields. This is a hard issue to find with good luster.
COLORATION: The natural coloration on 1850-O eagles is a light to medium green-gold. Some have orange-gold color. There are not many left with original coloration, especially in higher grades. Almost every example I have seen graded AU50 or better...has a slightly “washed out” appearance from having been cleaned at one time.
EYE APPEAL: The 1850-O eagle has below average eye appeal. Most are not well struck and they are heavily abraded. This is compounded by the fact that many pieces have been cleaned and have a processed appearance.
DIE CHARACTERISTICS: There is a small die scratch through star five. Die rust surrounds the portrait on the obverse but may not be visible on lower grade pieces. A group of die lines runs from the denticles over the E in STATES to the top of that letter. On some coins, the mintmark is lightly impressed and may not be easy to see without magnification.
MAJOR VARIETIES: There is just one die variety known:
Variety One: The date is large in size with the 5 closed. The mintmark is tall and thin and placed at a medium height in the field. It is centered above the space between the E and the N in TEN. There is no punchmark on the shield. Breen-6893.
George H. Earle Collection - Henry Chapman, 6/1912 - John H. Clapp Collection, 1942 - Bowers & Ruddy 10/1982:686, $37,400 - Superior 5/1999:3666, $100,625 | <urn:uuid:d2b2d1e7-089f-402e-ba4c-9adc7ade48ed> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/CoinFacts.aspx?i=50923 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280310.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00189-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96067 | 764 | 2.359375 | 2 |
Ladders are a versatile and invaluable piece of workplace equipment, but, like all other forms of access equipment, there are some common sense rules for using them safely, and it’s all about sensible and proportionate management of the risks, which HSE’s new guidance spells out.
Earlier this year, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) launched two new pieces of guidance. Alongside its new brief guide to general work at height (INDG401) is INDG455: Safe use of ladders and stepladders – a brief guide. The new seven page document is devoted to summarising the simple, sensible precautions that ladder users and their employers need to know about.
The new guidance was published following a rigorous review in consultation with the Ladder Association, the Access Industry Forum, the British Retail Consortium and the Small Business Trade Association Forum. The review concluded the Working at Height Regulations were fit for purpose and where problems existed, they arose from the misinterpretation of the law rather than from the regulations themselves.
The need for new guidance
It is not hard to find examples of misinterpretation arising from the regulations. Over the last two years HSE’s Myth Busters Challenge Panel has taken on over 260 cases of overzealous decisions made in the name of health and safety and a number of these are related to work at height. Even simple issues like footing ladders have confused health and safety consultants, with one case showing a consultant saying work could not be carried out without someone footing the ladder – something the HSE called “a last resort” and “over the top”.
The Ladder Association welcomes the HSE’s move to simplify and clarify its guidance while leaving the regulations themselves unchanged.
Ladders are a versatile and invaluable piece of workplace equipment but, like all other forms of access equipment, there are some common sense rules for using them safely. It’s all about sensible and proportionate management of the risks.
Fortunately, we now have some straightforward, easy-to-understand guidance from HSE that confirms and reinforces this message and, at the same time, provides advice on the often simple, but sensible precautions that those using ladders and step ladders should take to keep safe and avoid falls from height.
More often than not, these falls are caused by inappropriate or incorrect use. The Ladder Association manages and delivers a national training scheme for users, supervisors and managers wanting to equip themselves with the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to use ladders safely and productively. Encouragingly, delegate numbers are now at an all-time high.
What the guidance says
At seven pages, the new HSE guidance is thorough in explaining the critical issues that employers and ladder users need to know, but it also keeps to its aim of being ‘simple’. The key message is placed in a box at the top of the document, saying in two short sentences that “ladders and stepladders are not banned” and can in fact be “a sensible and practical option for low-risk short-duration tasks”.
The main deciding factor is risk and short duration. The short duration guideline typically means that ladders can be a good choice if no one is expected to be on them for over half an hour at a time.
Next, the guidance explains when ladders should be inspected. It focuses on pre-use checks, which should be carried out by the user at the start of the working day, or after a change like the ladder being dropped or moved from a dirty area to a clean one.
These inspections involve checking the stiles, feet, rungs, locking mechanisms and steps; while for stepladders the platform and treads also have to be checked.
The guidance then goes on in bullet-point form to list a range of simple precautions for both ladders and stepladders that minimise the risk of falling. These include avoiding overreaching or overloading with equipment or materials, using the one-in-four rule so a leaning ladder is one unit out for every four up, and maintaining three points of contact when climbing and whenever possible while working.
After these tips, the next issue singled out in the guidance is securing leaning ladders. Various options are given – if possible, the ladder should be tied with both stiles to a suitable point, but if this is not practical it can be secured with an effective stability device. If this is not possible either, it should be securely wedged against something, for example a wall. If none of these options are practical, the ladder should be footed by another worker, although this is a last resort measure.
Finally, a section on ladders used for access explains that they should be tied, and that stepladders not specially designed for the purpose should not be used. The final section reiterates the need to check the ladder’s condition, going into more detail on what to look for.
The role of training
Early in the document, one vital issue is mentioned under the heading “Who can use a ladder at work?” This explains how the law requires that to use a ladder you need to be “competent”. This is defined as having had instruction and understanding how to use the equipment safely.
The guidance notes that “appropriate training can help”. Competence comes in three parts – having sufficient skills, knowledge, and experience – and as training ensures that at the very least the trained person has the required skills and knowledge, it is often looked for to help prove this competence in the workplace.
The Ladder Association has long advocated the need for professional ladder training for users, supervisors and managers wanting to equip themselves with the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to use ladders safely and productively. Its message is clear: “If it’s right to use a ladder, use the right ladder and get trained to use it safely.”
Cameron Clow is the chairman of the Ladder Association.
By Clive Betts MP on 08 August 2022
Government plans to fix the building safety crisis leave leaseholders and social housing providers on the hook for significant costs, writes Clive Betts, the MP and Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee.
By Mike Robinson FCA, British Safety Council on 08 August 2022
So, how was the recent heatwave for you? That is not a flippant question. I ask it in the knowledge that, almost without exception, every person in the UK and a lot in Europe, will have experienced it in one way or another this summer.
By Layla Moran MP on 29 July 2022
When I wrote for this publication last July, the number of people living with Long Covid had reached one million, a grim milestone. | <urn:uuid:2086ea5a-9a34-4d54-88c7-f2c93606f916> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://britsafe.org/publications/safety-management-magazine/safety-management-magazine/2014/gauging-the-new-ladder-guidance-a-step-in-the-right-direction/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571502.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811194507-20220811224507-00065.warc.gz | en | 0.939764 | 1,409 | 2.359375 | 2 |
For though, seduced and led astray,
Thoust travell’d far and wander’d long,
Thy God hath seen thee all the way,
And all the turns that led thee wrong
The Hall of Justice.
After the space of about three-quarters of an hour, which the uncertainty and danger of their situation made seem almost thrice as long, the voice of young Hazlewood was heard without. ‘Here I am,’ he cried, ‘with a sufficient party.’
‘Come in then,’ answered Bertram, not a little pleased to find his guard relieved. Hazlewood then entered, followed by two or three countrymen, one of whom acted as a peace-officer. They lifted Hatteraick up and carried him in their arms as far as the entrance of the vault was high enough to permit them; then laid him on his back and dragged him along as well as they could, for no persuasion would induce him to assist the transportation by any exertion of his own. He lay as silent and inactive in their hands as a dead corpse, incapable of opposing, but in no way aiding, their operations. When he was dragged into daylight and placed erect upon his feet among three or four assistants who had remained without the cave, he seemed stupefied and dazzled by the sudden change from the darkness of his cavern. While others were superintending the removal of Meg Merrilies, those who remained with Hatteraick attempted to make him sit down upon a fragment of rock which lay close upon the high-water mark. A strong shuddering convulsed his iron frame for an instant as he resisted their purpose. ‘Not there! Hagel! you would not make me sit there?’
These were the only words he spoke; but their import, and the deep tone of horror in which they were uttered, served to show what was passing in his mind.
When Meg Merrilies had also been removed from the cavern, with all the care for her safety that circumstances admitted, they consulted where she should be carried. Hazlewood had sent for a surgeon, and proposed that she should be lifted in the meantime to the nearest cottage. But the patient exclaimed with great earnestness, ‘Na, na, na! to the Kaim o’ Derncleugh — the Kaim o’ Derncleugh; the spirit will not free itself o’ the flesh but there.’
‘You must indulge her, I believe,’ said Bertram; ‘her troubled imagination will otherwise aggravate the fever of the wound.’
They bore her accordingly to the vault. On the way her mind seemed to run more upon the scene which had just passed than on her own approaching death. ‘There were three of them set upon him: I brought the twasome, but wha was the third? It would be himsell, returned to work his ain vengeance!’
It was evident that the unexpected appearance of Hazlewood, whose person the outrage of Hatteraick left her no time to recognise, had produced a strong effect on her imagination. She often recurred to it. Hazlewood accounted for his unexpected arrival to Bertram by saying that he had kept them in view for some time by the direction of Mannering; that, observing them disappear into the cave, he had crept after them, meaning to announce himself and his errand, when his hand in the darkness encountering the leg of Dinmont had nearly produced a catastrophe, which, indeed, nothing but the presence of mind and fortitude of the bold yeoman could have averted.
When the gipsy arrived at the hut she produced the key; and when they entered, and were about to deposit her upon the bed, she said, in an anxious tone, ‘Na, na! not that way — the feet to the east’; and appeared gratified when they reversed her posture accordingly, and placed her in that appropriate to a dead body.
‘Is there no clergyman near,’ said Bertram, ‘to assist this unhappy woman’s devotions?’
A gentleman, the minister of the parish, who had been Charles Hazlewood’s tutor, had, with many others, caught the alarm that the murderer of Kennedy was taken on the spot where the deed had been done so many years before, and that a woman was mortally wounded. From curiosity, or rather from the feeling that his duty called him to scenes of distress, this gentleman had come to the Kaim of Derncleugh, and now presented himself. The surgeon arrived at the same time, and was about to probe the wound; but Meg resisted the assistance of either. ‘It’s no what man can do that will heal my body or save my spirit. Let me speak what I have to say, and then ye may work your will; I’se be nae hindrance. But where’s Henry Bertram?’ The assistants, to whom this name had been long a stranger, gazed upon each other. ‘Yes!’ she said, in a stronger and harsher tone, ‘I said Henry Bertram of Ellangowan. Stand from the light and let me see him.’
All eyes were turned towards Bertram, who approached the wretched couch. The wounded woman took hold of his hand. ‘Look at him,’ she said, ‘all that ever saw his father or his grandfather, and bear witness if he is not their living image?’ A murmur went through the crowd; the resemblance was too striking to be denied. ‘And now hear me; and let that man,’ pointing to Hatteraick, who was seated with his keepers on a sea-chest at some distance — ‘let him deny what I say if he can. That is Henry Bertram, son to Godfrey Bertram, umquhile of Ellangowan; that young man is the very lad — bairn that Dirk Hatteraick carried off from Warroch wood the day that he murdered the gauger. I was there like a wandering spirit, for I longed to see that wood or we left the country. I saved the bairn’s life, and sair, sair I prigged and prayed they would leave him wi’ me. But they bore him away, and he’s been lang ower the sea, and now he’s come for his ain, and what should withstand him? I swore to keep the secret till he was ane-an’-twenty; I kenn’d he behoved to dree his weird till that day cam. I keepit that oath which I took to them; but I made another vow to mysell, that if I lived to see the day of his return I would set him in his father’s seat, if every step was on a dead man. I have keepit that oath too. I will be ae step mysell, he (pointing to Hatteraick) will soon be another, and there will be ane mair yet.’
The clergyman, now interposing, remarked it was a pity this deposition was not regularly taken and written down, and the surgeon urged the necessity of examining the wound, previously to exhausting her by questions. When she saw them removing Hatteraick, in order to clear the room and leave the surgeon to his operations, she called out aloud, raising herself at the same time upon the couch, ‘Dirk Hatteraick, you and I will never meet again until we are before the judgment-seat; will ye own to what I have said, or will you dare deny it?’ He turned his hardened brow upon her, with a look of dumb and inflexible defiance. ‘Dirk Hatteraick, dare ye deny, with my blood upon your hands, one word of what my dying breath is uttering?’ He looked at her with the same expression of hardihood and dogged stubbornness, and moved his lips, but uttered no sound. ‘Then fareweel!’ she said, ‘and God forgive you! your hand has sealed my evidence. When I was in life I was the mad randy gipsy, that had been scourged and banished and branded; that had begged from door to door, and been hounded like a stray tyke from parish to parish; wha would hae minded her tale? But now I am a dying woman, and my words will not fall to the ground, any more than the earth will cover my blood!’
She here paused, and all left the hut except the surgeon and two or three women. After a very short examination he shook his head and resigned his post by the dying woman’s side to the clergyman.
A chaise returning empty to Kippletringan had been stopped on the highroad by a constable, who foresaw it would be necessary to convey Hatteraick to jail. The driver, understanding what was going on at Derncleugh, left his horses to the care of a blackguard boy, confiding, it is to be supposed, rather in the years and discretion of the cattle than in those of their keeper, and set off full speed to see, as he expressed himself, ‘whaten a sort o’ fun was gaun on.’ He arrived just as the group of tenants and peasants, whose numbers increased every moment, satiated with gazing upon the rugged features of Hatteraick, had turned their attention towards Bertram. Almost all of them, especially the aged men who had seen Ellangowan in his better days, felt and acknowledged the justice of Meg Merrilies’s appeal. But the Scotch are a cautious people: they remembered there was another in possession of the estate, and they as yet only expressed their feelings in low whispers to each other. Our friend Jock Jabos, the postilion, forced his way into the middle of the circle; but no sooner cast his eyes upon Bertram than he started back in amazement, with a solemn exclamation, ‘As sure as there’s breath in man, it’s auld Ellangowan arisen from the dead!’
This public declaration of an unprejudiced witness was just the spark wanted to give fire to the popular feeling, which burst forth in three distinct shouts: ‘Bertram for ever!’ ‘Long life to the heir of Ellangowan!’ ‘God send him his ain, and to live among us as his forebears did of yore!’
‘I hae been seventy years on the land,’ said one person.
‘I and mine hae been seventy and seventy to that,’ said another; ‘I have a right to ken the glance of a Bertram.’
‘I and mine hae been three hundred years here,’ said another old man, ‘and I sail sell my last cow, but I’ll see the young Laird placed in his right.’
The women, ever delighted with the marvellous, and not less so when a handsome young man is the subject of the tale, added their shrill acclamations to the general all-hail. ‘Blessings on him; he’s the very picture o’ his father! The Bertrams were aye the wale o’ the country side!’
‘Eh! that his puir mother, that died in grief and in doubt about him, had but lived to see this day!’ exclaimed some female voices.
‘But we’ll help him to his ain, kimmers,’ cried others; ‘and before Glossin sail keep the Place of Ellangowan we’ll howk him out o’t wi’ our nails!’
Others crowded around Dinmont, who was nothing both to tell what he knew of his friend, and to boast the honour which he had in contributing to the discovery. As he was known to several of the principal farmers present, his testimony afforded an additional motive to the general enthusiasm. In short, it was one of those moments of intense feeling when the frost of the Scottish people melts like a snow-wreath, and the dissolving torrent carries dam and dyke before it.
The sudden shouts interrupted the devotions of the clergyman; and Meg, who was in one of those dozing fits of stupefaction that precede the close of existence, suddenly started — ‘Dinna ye hear? dinna ye hear? He’s owned! he’s owned! I lived but for this. I am a sinfu’ woman; but if my curse brought it down, my blessing has taen it off! And now I wad hae liked to hae said mair. But it canna be. Stay’ — she continued, stretching her head towards the gleam of light that shot through the narrow slit which served for a window — ‘is he not there? Stand out o’ the light, and let me look upon him ance mair. But the darkness is in my ain een,’ she said, sinking back, after an earnest gaze upon vacuity; ‘it’s a’ ended now,
And, sinking back upon her couch of straw, she expired without a groan. The clergyman and the surgeon carefully noted down all that she had said, now deeply regretting they had not examined her more minutely, but both remaining morally convinced of the truth of her disclosure.
Hazlewood was the first to compliment Bertram upon the near prospect of his being restored to his name and rank in society. The people around, who now learned from Jabos that Bertram was the person who had wounded him, were struck with his generosity, and added his name to Bertram’s in their exulting acclamations.
Some, however, demanded of the postilion how he had not recognised Bertram when he saw him some time before at Kippletringan. To which he gave the very natural answer — ‘Hout, what was I thinking about Ellangowan then? It was the cry that was rising e’en now that the young Laird was found, that put me on finding out the likeness. There was nae missing it ance ane was set to look for’t.’
The obduracy of Hatteraick during the latter part of this scene was in some slight degree shaken. He was observed to twinkle with his eyelids; to attempt to raise his bound hands for the purpose of pulling his hat over his brow; to look angrily and impatiently to the road, as if anxious for the vehicle which was to remove him from the spot. At length Mr. Hazlewood, apprehensive that the popular ferment might take a direction towards the prisoner, directed he should be taken to the post-chaise, and so removed to the town of Kippletringan, to be at Mr. Mac-Morlan’s disposal; at the same time he sent an express to warn that gentleman of what had happened. ‘And now,’ he said to Bertram, ‘I should be happy if you would accompany me to Hazlewood House; but as that might not be so agreeable just now as I trust it will be in a day or two, you must allow me to return with you to Woodbourne. But you are on foot.’ — ‘O, if the young Laird would take my horse!’ — ‘Or mine’ — ‘Or mine,’ said half-a-dozen voices. — ‘Or mine; he can trot ten mile an hour without whip or spur, and he’s the young Laird’s frae this moment, if he likes to take him for a herezeld,31 as they ca’d it lang syne.’ Bertram readily accepted the horse as a loan, and poured forth his thanks to the assembled crowd for their good wishes, which they repaid with shouts and vows of attachment.
While the happy owner was directing one lad to ‘gae doun for the new saddle’; another,’ just to rin the beast ower wi’ a dry wisp o’ strae’; a third, ‘to hie doun and borrow Dan Dunkieson’s plated stirrups,’ and expressing his regret ‘that there was nae time to gie the nag a feed, that the young Laird might ken his mettle,’ Bertram, taking the clergyman by the arm, walked into the vault and shut the door immediately after them. He gazed in silence for some minutes upon the body of Meg Merrilies, as it lay before him, with the features sharpened by death, yet still retaining the stern and energetic character which had maintained in life her superiority as the wild chieftainess of the lawless people amongst whom she was born. The young soldier dried the tears which involuntarily rose on viewing this wreck of one who might be said to have died a victim to her fidelity to his person and family. He then took the clergyman’s hand and asked solemnly if she appeared able to give that attention to his devotions which befitted a departing person.
‘My dear sir,’ said the good minister, ‘I trust this poor woman had remaining sense to feel and join in the import of my prayers. But let us humbly hope we are judged of by our opportunities of religious and moral instruction. In some degree she might be considered as an uninstructed heathen, even in the bosom of a Christian country; and let us remember that the errors and vices of an ignorant life were balanced by instances of disinterested attachment, amounting almost to heroism. To Him who can alone weigh our crimes and errors against our efforts towards virtue we consign her with awe, but not without hope.’
‘May I request,’ said Bertram, ‘that you will see every decent solemnity attended to in behalf of this poor woman? I have some property belonging to her in my hands; at all events I will be answerable for the expense. You will hear of me at Woodbourne.’
Dinmont, who had been furnished with a horse by one of his acquaintance, now loudly called out that all was ready for their return; and Bertram and Hazlewood, after a strict exhortation to the crowd, which was now increased to several hundreds, to preserve good order in their rejoicing, as the least ungoverned zeal might be turned to the disadvantage of the young Laird, as they termed him, took their leave amid the shouts of the multitude.
As they rode past the ruined cottages at Derncleugh, Dinmont said, ‘I’m sure when ye come to your ain, Captain, ye’ll no forget to bigg a bit cot-house there? Deil be in me but I wad do’t mysell, an it werena in better hands. I wadna like to live in’t, though, after what she said. Od, I wad put in auld Elspeth, the bedral’s widow; the like o’ them’s used wi’ graves and ghaists and thae things.’
A short but brisk ride brought them to Woodbourne. The news of their exploit had already flown far and wide, and the whole inhabitants of the vicinity met them on the lawn with shouts of congratulation. ‘That you have seen me alive,’ said Bertram to Lucy, who first ran up to him, though Julia’s eyes even anticipated hers, ‘you must thank these kind friends.’
With a blush expressing at once pleasure, gratitude, and bashfulness, Lucy curtsied to Hazlewood, but to Dinmont she frankly extended her hand. The honest farmer, in the extravagance of his joy, carried his freedom farther than the hint warranted, for he imprinted his thanks on the lady’s lips, and was instantly shocked at the rudeness of his own conduct. ‘Lord sake, madam, I ask your pardon,’ he said. ‘I forgot but ye had been a bairn o’my ain; the Captain’s sae namely, he gars ane forget himsell.’
Old Pleydell now advanced. ‘Nay, if fees like these are going,’ he said —
‘Stop, stop, Mr. Pleydell,’ said Julia, ‘you had your fees beforehand; remember last night.’
‘Why, I do confess a retainer,’ said the Barrister; ‘but if I don’t deserve double fees from both Miss Bertram and you when I conclude my examination of Dirk Hatteraick to-morrow — Gad, I will so supple him! You shall see, Colonel; and you, my saucy misses, though you may not see, shall hear.’
‘Ay, that’s if we choose to listen, Counsellor,’ replied Julia.
‘And you think,’ said Pleydell, ‘it’s two to one you won’t choose that? But you have curiosity that teaches you the use of your ears now and then.’
‘I declare, Counsellor,’ answered the lively damsel, ‘that such saucy bachelors as you would teach us the use of our fingers now and then.’
‘Reserve them for the harpsichord, my love,’ said the Counsellor. ‘Better for all parties.’
While this idle chat ran on, Colonel Mannering introduced to Bertram a plain good-looking man, in a grey coat and waistcoat, buckskin breeches, and boots. ‘This, my dear sir, is Mr. Mac — Morlan.’
‘To whom,’ said Bertram, embracing him cordially, ‘my sister was indebted for a home, when deserted by all her natural friends and relations.’
The Dominie then pressed forward, grinned, chuckled, made a diabolical sound in attempting to whistle, and finally, unable to stifle his emotions, ran away to empty the feelings of his heart at his eyes.
We shall not attempt to describe the expansion of heart and glee of this happy evening.
31 This hard word is placed in the mouth of one of the aged tenants. In the old feudal tenures the herezeld constituted the best horse or other animal on the vassals’ lands, become the right of the superior. The only remnant of this custom is what is called the sasine, or a fee of certain estimated value, paid to the sheriff of the county, who gives possession to the vassals of the crown.
Last updated Sunday, March 27, 2016 at 12:00 | <urn:uuid:cf1bc942-71bb-4bb8-862c-04bd4748a0c7> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/s/scott/walter/guy/chapter55.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719041.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00169-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982127 | 4,947 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Call your Representatives in Washington today and ask them to vote against any plan that would cancel the mortgage interest deduction
(PRWEB) December 06, 2012
The Fiscal Cliff is a collection of laws that expire or take effect on January 1, 2013. The combination of the laws going into effect will cause significant tax increases across all income brackets and make huge cuts in spending. Instead of tax increases, many are calling for the elimination of tax deductions to increase revenue to the Federal Government. The largest of these deductions is the Mortgage Interest Deduction; therefore, it is first on list.
The housing market was responsible for driving us out of six of the last eight recessions. It is difficult to imagine a continued economic recovery with the elimination of this deduction. This deduction is essential to a stable real estate market and a return to a healthy economy.
The Center for American Progress released a tax reform plan on December 4, 2012. Among other tax increases, this report calls for the gradual elimination of the mortgage interest deduction. This is significant as the policies supported by this think tank run parallel with the policies of the current administration.
The elimination of the mortgage interest deduction would have a sharp impact on home prices at a time when they are just beginning to recover. Estimates range from three to fifteen percent drop in prices if the deduction was eliminated.
An immediate elimination of the deduction is politically impossible. However, even a gradual phase out would have significant economic and psychological effects on the economy.
“Call your Representatives in Washington today and ask them to vote against any plan that would cancel the mortgage interest deduction,” Jolly requested.
Interested individuals can learn more about the Fiscal Cliff, the Mortgage Interest Deduction and Real Estate by going to NashvilleRealEstateNow.com. | <urn:uuid:de49c086-3646-4574-add6-76a3c5522d09> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/12/prweb10210033.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283689.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00346-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965421 | 358 | 1.984375 | 2 |
Varicella zoster virus(VZV): Virus classification:
Group: Group I (dsDNA)
Species: Human herpes virus 3 (HHV-3)
The Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is one of the eight herpes viruses
known to affect humans (and other vertebrates).
Primary VZV infection results in chickenpox (Varicella), which may
rarely result in complications including VZV encephalitis or
Even when clinical symptoms of varicella have resolved, VZV remains
dormant in the nervous system of the host in the trigeminal and dorsal
In about 10-20% of cases, VZV reactivates later in life to produce
herpes zoster (shingles) and its associated sequalae including:
post-herpetic neuralgia, zoster multiplex, myelitis, herpes
ophthalmicus, or zoster sine herpete.
Primary infection (airborne) due to herpes varicella-zoster usually
affects preschool children, causing chickenpox, with rare complications
usually affecting the immunocompromised host. Secondary infection
usually afflicts the elderly when latent viral reactivation occurs,
presumably due to an immune imbalance in the host, and involves the
spread of virus along the skin in the anatomic distribution of nerve
(this disorder is known as shingles).
The virus properties: ► VZV is closely related to the herpes
simplex viruses (HSV), sharing much genome homology. The known envelope
glycoprotein (gB, gC, gE, gH, gI, gK, gL) correspond with those in HSV,
however there is not equivalent of HSV gD. ► VZV virions are spherical and 150-200 nm
in diameter. ► Its lipid envelope encloses the
nucleo-capsid of 162 capsomeres arranged in a hexagonal form. ► Its DNA is a single linear, double strand
molecule, 125,000 nanometers long.
Treatment: ► The virus is very susceptible to
disinfectants, notably sodium hypochlorite.
Within the body it can be treated by a number of drugs and therapeutic
agents including: ► Acyclovir (Cycloviral) ► Zoster immunoglobulin (ZIG) ► Vidarabine ►Vaccination:
A live attenuated VZV Oka/Merck strain vaccine is available and is
marketed under the trade name Varivax. It was developed by Merck, Sharp
& Dohme in the 1980s from the Oka strain virus isolated and attenuated
by Michiaki Takahashi and colleagues in the 1970s. It was submitted to
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval in 1990 and was
approved in 1995. Since then, it has been added to the recommended
vaccination schedules for children in Australia, the United States, and
many other countries, causing controversy because it is only expected to
be effective for about twenty years, leaving adults vulnerable to the
most dangerous forms of infection by this virus, whereas getting normal
chickenpox as a child typically leaves them immune for life.
Anti-Viral chemotherapy Antiviral Agents:
Antiviral drugs are available to treat only a few viral
diseases. The reason for this is the fact that viral replication is so
intimately associated with the host cell that any drug that interferes
significantly with viral replication, is likely to be toxic to the host.
Two useful antiviral are: ► The nucleoside analogues ► The interferon
but there are other targets in the different stages of intracellular
viral growth which show potential for antiviral chemotherapy.
Stages in virus replication which are possible targets for
►Attachment to host cell ►Uncoating ................................................. (Amantadine) ►Synthesis of viral mRNA ............................. (Interferon) ►Translation of mRNA.................................. (Interferon) ►Replication of viral RNA or DNA ..................(Nucleoside analogues) ►Maturation of new virus proteins .................. (Protease inhibitors) ►Budding, release
These are synthetic compounds which resemble nucleosides, but have
an incomplete or abnormal deoxy-ribose /or ribose group.
These compounds are phosphorylated to the tri-phosphate form within the
infected cell. In this form, the drug competes with normal nucleotides
for incorporation into viral DNA or RNA. Incorporation into the growing
nucleic acid chain results in irreversible association with the viral
polymerase and chain termination.
Diseases for which effective therapy is available:
Herpes Simplex virus ................. Acyclovir (Cycloviral)
Varicella-Zoster virus ............... Acyclovir (Cycloviral)
Cytomegalovirus ................... Gancyclovir, Foscarnet
AIDS .................................. Zidovudine,
Lamivudine[3TC], Protease inhibitors; incombination
Respiratory Syncitial virus ........ Ribavirin
Influenza ................................... Amantadine
Antiviral agents on which much interest is focused are
the interferon. Interferon are cytokines or lymphokines that regulate
cellular genes concerned with cell division and the functioning of the
immune system. Their formation is strongly induced by virus infection;
they provide the first line of defense against viral infections until
antibodies begin to form. Interferon interfere with the multiplication
of viruses by preventing the translation of early viral messenger RNAs.
As a result, viral capsid proteins cannot be formed and no viral progeny
By far the most effective means of preventing viral diseases is by means
of vaccines. There are two types of antiviral vaccines, inactivated
virus vaccines and attenuated active virus vaccines. Most of the
antiviral vaccines currently in use are of the latter kind. The
principle of antiviral vaccines is that inactivated virulent or active
attenuated virus particles cause the formation of antibodies that
neutralize a virulent virus when it invades the body.
There are three classes: alpha- beta- and gamma
The alpha and beta Interferon: ► They are cytokines which are secreted by virus infected cells. ► They bind to specific receptors on adjacent cells and protect them from
infection by viruses. ► They form part of the immediate protective host response to invasion by
viruses. ► In addition to these direct antiviral effects, alpha and beta
interferon also enhance the expression of class I and class II MHC
molecules on the surface of infected cells, in this way, enhancing the
presentation of viral antigens to specific immune cells. Their presence
can be demonstrated in body fluids during the acute phase of virus
Recombinant alpha and beta interferon are now available and have been
used for the treatment of Chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections.
Side effects such as fever, malaise and weight loss have limited the
Gamma Interferon (immune interferon): ► Is a cytokine secreted by TH1 CD4 cells.
Its function is to enhance specific T cell mediated immune responses.
Mechanism of action of the interferon: 1- Enhancement of the specific immune response:
By increasing the expression of MHC class I molecules on the surface of
The interferon increase the opportunity for specific cytotoxic T cells
to recognize and kill infected cells.
2- Direct antiviral effect:
a) degradation of viral mRNA.
b) inhibition of protein synthesis. | <urn:uuid:675d56f6-673d-4bd2-b0f6-056c5f157e76> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.sedico.net/english/SedicoInformationCenter/Physicians/Cycloviral/Virology3_e.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719843.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00293-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.854641 | 1,653 | 3.59375 | 4 |
News & Articles
Technology / Products
The crypto industry has been growing exponentially over the past years which has aroused the curiosity of several companies on how it could be applied in different sectors and especially the solar one.
Microgrid developers often lament the lack of standardization in the development process. Now a California non-profit says it has found a model for moving solar microgrids forward based on some successful projects including a microgrid project for the Santa Barbara schools.
The smell of meat on the grill, stares from curious onlookers and persuasive sales pitches rented the air as we strolled through Burma Market in the heart of Nairobi, Kenya.
Agrivoltaics is the use of solar panels in agriculture to produce both food and electricity. Many experts believe agrivoltaics can minimize barriers to food security and the transition to clean energy. While the practice is still in its infancy, it is expected to grow as solar continues to boom throughout the next few decades.
Agrivoltaic farming increases land-use efficiency, as it lets solar farms and agriculture share ground, rather than making them compete against one another.
Sesame Solar is selling highly portable solar-powered units for things like mobile communications and command centers, medical units, kitchens and temporary housing. The systems use solar panels or clean hydrogen and can be ready for use within 15 minutes. It already has over 50 sales of nanogrids.
The product was made by Engie Energy and PreMal companies and aims at combating the spread of malaria – a major killer disease in Africa, especially in rural areas.
After years of developing energy projects, and dealing with the frustrations of interconnecting to the grid, Ben Parvey said enough is enough. It’s time to help people get off the grid.
The VeraSol team is constantly striving to make its services more efficient and accessible to stakeholders in the off-grid solar sector. To support this, they are seeking feedback to understand how organisations and businesses currently use VeraSol and what they can do to improve their service delivery.
If donors and development finance institutions (DFIs) continue to pour billions into traditional utilities without mechanisms to ensure improved service, while under-funding minigrids, the grid will remain unstable and minigrid power will be more expensive.
Find more than 2,000 documents
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Pollution Emergency Alerting System (PEAS) Information
To report Environmental Emergencies involving:
Air ~ Land ~ Water ~ Groundwater ~ Wetlands ~ Dams ~ Landfills ~ Hazardous or Radioactive Materials ~ Mines ~ Public Drinking Water ~ Oil and Gas Wells ~ Nuclear Power Plants ...
Call the Pollution Emergency Alert System (PEAS) at:
The PEAS hotline is staffed to take emergency calls 24/7.
If your matter is not an emergency but you just have a question about MDEQ programs, regulations, etc. please call our Environmental Assistance Center at 800-662-9278.
The Pollution Emergency Alerting System (PEAS) serves to receive information about environmental incidents into the DEQ, via the hotline number above, and through other channels. PEAS then distributes that information to appropriate staff internally, as well as to contacts in partner agencies, such as Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Michigan State Police (MSP), Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), etc.
PEAS has been in operation since 1975. The PEAS hotline should be used to report environmental pollution emergencies such as tanker accidents, pipeline breaks, and other releases of hazardous materials to land, water, or air. Some other types of environmental emergencies for which the DEQ also has jurisdiction and appreciates notifications about via PEAS, include: wetland filling or dredging, incidents involving compromised integrity of dams, and incidents involving public drinking water supplies, nuclear power plants, mines and oil & gas wells.
The nature of subsequent DEQ district staff response is generally to provide technical advice to first responders and responsible parties on actions they can take to minimize environmental damage.
Callers to PEAS will receive a PEAS incident report number which can be used for future reference and follow up through the respective district office: District Office Map and Contact Information
Below is the template of information comprising a typical PEAS report:
For questions or comments on the workings of the system itself, including any problems with the phone connections, database, customer service, etc., please contact the PEAS Administrator, Bruce VanOtteren, at 517-284-6232. | <urn:uuid:140ba2b0-28c9-4dbc-8707-cc8707d27300> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3306_3329_3344-8796--,00.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280065.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00547-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.901655 | 469 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Canadians need to evaluate what they’re holding in their tax-free savings accounts to see if they are getting the benefit of the TFSA, say financial planning experts.
New numbers from the Bank of Montreal show nearly half of Canadians had a TFSA last year, but 43 per cent of them used it as an emergency fund.
- Everything you need to know for tax season is in our special report
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you need to pay down debt, says Jason Heath, financial planner at Objective Financial Partners.
In this interview with CBC’s The Lang & O’Leary Exchange, he explains how to use TFSAs at different stages of life.
There are six different kinds of investments that can now be placed in TFSAs, including bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and stocks.
But most Canadians have GICs or high interest savings accounts, a reflection of how new the TFSA is as a savings vehicle.
Mike Henry, ScotiaBank’s senior vice president and head of retail payments, deposits, and lending, says a TFSA has to be worked into an overall financial plan to get the most out of it. | <urn:uuid:a55b2444-cae0-428e-ab15-9cb7b5a7ceb2> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/getting-the-most-out-of-a-tfsa-1.2551364 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281162.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00530-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948839 | 252 | 1.828125 | 2 |
For those who go and open your TV, each information channel talks in regards to the “financial meltdown” that’s taking place around the globe. The main purpose for this is that the money was invested in the stock market and when the economic system obtained into turbulent waters, the stock markets went down and so did their money. The inventory or trading image is an abbreviation traders and buyers use to identify a company.
The true-time Financial Calendar covers monetary occasions and indicators from all around the world. The Chicago Board of Commerce (CBOT), established in 1848, is the world’s oldest futures and options trade. An excellent day for the market couldn’t save these shares from massive losses.
Many brokerage houses at present have full fledged devoted research divisions concentrating on the various financial sectors equivalent to energy, banking, financial providers, power, actual property and so on. Detailed analysis reports revealed by these firms are a very good supply of knowledge for retail as well as institutional traders for making funding choices.
These symbols had been originally used on the ticker tape when shares have been traded on paper. Check out the highest 6 largest stock exchanges by market capitalization …Read more | <urn:uuid:3acc5a41-4675-4def-8e48-02804d50d7bd> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.tenutemazza.com/2022/07 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571472.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811133823-20220811163823-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.954365 | 248 | 1.898438 | 2 |
How did you get to school?
Walk? Ride a school bus or many a city bus? Ride with a friend? Let's talk about
under driving ages, like elementary school....
Let's see....I had to walk through the snow for 5 miles, up hill...both ways! OK, that story's been used way too much...lol But in elementary school we did have to walk. We were part of a larger district but at that time there we no buses for our school. We were about
the farthest out at just over 1 mile and it was only up hill on the way TO school. Home was a breeze although we were never allowed to ride bikes. Not sure why but that was mom and dad's rule. We walked from the time we were in kindergarten until we transferred to the main school in our district in 5th grade. Then we rode the bug yellow school bus. It was very rural at the time because 3-4 communities all were in the same district. Now they are all split up and only use a common high school. I did love riding the bus because the driver was a family friend plus it stopped right outside the door to the house since we lived on a corner. I always sat up front so I could visit with the driver and because I didn't care for the activities going on in the back seat. I would have rather rat someone out than to get into a fight. Was way more fun to let a principle go after them than me...lol
How did YOU get to school when you were young?
Play fair. Don't hit people. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
(\o/)Co-Moderator Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Forums | <urn:uuid:dec9ad40-1316-4ee8-99db-381bb3c4144a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=16&m=1567646 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00373-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990578 | 350 | 1.601563 | 2 |
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Robert Louis Stevenson was passionate man A passionate man that loved to reminisce about his country His fervor for his homeland was lifelong and resulted in several works of fiction connected with the area from the early story The Pentland Rising to the mature Weir of Hermiston Perhaps his most notable book though is Edinburgh Picturesque Notes In compiling this work he writes with a most warm and loving even romantic vein toward his love Edinburgh Stevensons Edinburgh is set in late Victorian Scotland where his many anecdotes and connotations are laidened with a nationalistic air that exudes from his work at almost every page Despite the appearance of the cover page of the text Edinburgh is not a tale about medieval castles brave knights and rich conquests but in fact its not a story at all Its a most picturesque recounting of days gone by and days to come in the both twisted and virtuous land of Edinburgh Even though Edinburgh was not intended to be read by the every day American or European rather almost exclusively purposed for the people of Edinburgh themselves The notes of Edinburgh is something that people around the world can use to understand why Americans act and do the things they do Stevensons musings of Edinburgh show how truly in love he was with the country and the people that live within her borders Stevenson wrote that The character of a place is often most perfectly expressed in its associations What do Americans and those of other nations associate with the United States of America Is the United States affiliated with people perceived as fat and lazy repressing the poor while flexing its military muscle in the face of those who stand in its way Maybe it is perceived as a loving neighbor taking in the needy and giving generously to the poor Perhaps at first the two do not seem the same but
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Mad as Hell: The Crisis of the 1970s and the Rise of the Populist Right
by Dominic Sandbrook
Knopf, $35; 529 pp.
The 1970s are perhaps the most Rodney Dangerfield of recent decades. Many who lived through them hardly remember a thing; others don't want to.
British historian-journalist Dominic Sandbrook takes on the '70s — from the 1973-4 Arab oil embargo-gas crisis that sparked mad-as-hell Americans to troubles both economic (unemployment, stagflation) and racial (busing, poverty), plus Americans' pervasive, serious fear of crime.
Gas lines led to gas riots in the Northeast in 1979 — over "almost $1 a gallon" gas.
Sandbrook cites "the notion of the virtuous citizen locked in battle against big government, big business and a decadent elite" as his compelling '70s theme. And enemies were everywhere for the rising right wing: "pointy-headed intellectuals," pro-busing judges, doctors at or suspected to be at abortion clinics. Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter both rode some of these emotions to the presidency.
The book begins with Sandbrook's poignant relating of the disgraced Richard Nixon's final speech to his White House staff. It is touching and classless, typical Nixon, typical of the '70s.
Mad as Hell is densely written, heavy on stats, polls, facts. It compares to a James Michener opus of the time. Too often, though, locutions like "one in ten Americans" or "32 percent of Georgians" are used. There's an excess of newsmagazine style.
But Sandbrook gets it right in several biographical sketches (including Jerry Falwell and anti-busing Boston housewife Louise Day Hicks) and in the lengthy, exciting chapter on the back-and-forth of the 1976 Ford-Carter race. A personal note to younger progressives who witnessed the grand optimism of President Obama's early time in office: Jimmy Carter inspired a similar high in early '77.
An observer looking back at the unnerving '70s can swing further to the then-hopeful '60s. The populist left as well as the right grew during the '70s. Environmental issues (pre- and post-Three Mile Island), marijuana law reform and anti-corporatism were current. Or is an outdoor market vendor friend correct? He said, during the '70s, that there was nothing to the '70s. About the only tradable collectibles from the time are some fat Elvis dolls. —Dennis Shea
Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. | <urn:uuid:e0e9107c-1ac9-4274-acc1-76716151b796> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/mad-as-hell-the-crisis-of-the-1970s-and-the-rise-of-the-populist-right/Content?oid=2147217 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721558.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00046-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946411 | 550 | 2.03125 | 2 |
A teacher in Ohio is suing her former school district, alleging discrimination: She says she was forced to teach younger kids despite her fear of them.
Maria Waltherr-Willard, 61, who worked for Mariemont City Schools for 35 years, was reassigned from a high school to a junior high in Cincinnati, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Her lawsuit claims the district discriminated against her based on age and her "pedophobia," which can mean an extreme fear or anxiety around young children, the Enquirer said. The suit was filed in June 2012.
When Waltherr-Willard was transferred to a junior high school, she reportedly asked if there would be a high school position for her the following year. The school district claimed there were no open positions at the high school for her, according to Fox19.com in Cincinnati. She eventually retired in March 2011.
The lawsuit calims that the French and Spanish teacher had been diagnosed with specific phobia and general anxiety disorder, Fox19.com reported.
Experts told the Enquirer that extreme anxiety or irrational fear around children is a rare but recognized anxiety disorder.
"Like any phobia, it’s a situation in which one responds with overwhelming fear and anxiety to the stimulus," Dr. Caleb Adler, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati, told NBC News.
Childhood trauma and bullying incidents could be the cause of phobias like this, Adler said.
A spokesperson for Mariemont City Schools declined to comment Tuesday because of the litigation, but referred NBC News to the district's legal representation. Attorney R. Gary Winters said the district believes there is no merit in Waltherr-Willard's claims.
"Ms. Waltherr-Willard was a tenured teacher who could have continued to work as long as she wished, but retired," Winters said.
An attorney for Waltherr-Willard did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
The Enquirer reported that a federal judge last week dismissed three of the six claims in her lawsuit gave the district's attorneys more time to respond to the others. | <urn:uuid:76875c0f-50b4-401b-8844-24e7413bcf11> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://usnews.newsvine.com/_news/2013/01/15/16527748-teacher-who-claims-phobia-of-young-kids-sues-school-district?lite | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282202.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00548-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978051 | 445 | 1.78125 | 2 |
This book is born of a visit to an exhibition. We saw Philippe Parreno's Hypothesis at the Pirelli HangarBicocca of Milan in December 2015. A complex, anthological ‘choreography’ including many works and collaborations by the artist, Hypothesis is a deeply cinematic work. The term cinematic, albeit frequently used, requires qualification. While recognizing that it is resistant to definition, Maeve Connolly has explored a range of ways in which it has been used by critics to discuss art that has to do with the activities, materialities, and processes of filmmaking, while being ‘located outside or beyond cinema’. In line with this definition, although including a number of films and videos, the cinematicity of Parreno's Hypothesis exists outside and beyond them (and even above them, given that much in his exhibition happens at hangar-ceiling height). But what is significant about our experience of Parreno's exhibition, and generated the reflection at the root of this volume, is that Hypothesis struck us as a cinematic artwork that is theoretical. That is, a work that is not only associated with, and draws on, the cinema as imagery, medium, and cultural referent, but one that functions as a theory of it. The whole set up, indeed, powerfully spoke to us not only through, but also of the cinema – seen as a specific, historicized experience, as a constructed space, a set of cultural meanings, and an apparatus. Ideas of film technology, projection, reproduction, spectatorship, narrativity, temporality, historicity, and myth all came to us as if in waves while we explored the vast expanse of the gallery, formerly an industrial hangar. Concrete objects of the cinema (spotlights, marquees, sets, rails, screens, projectors) as well as immaterial ones (the play of light and shadows, the identifications, the mythology) were at the basis of this effect, while not exhausting it.
It is of course possible to identify the cinema as an inspiration behind discrete works in Hypothesis. The rather overpowering installation Danny the Street (2006–2015), for instance, is composed of nineteen differently shaped and sized marquees – sculptures in Plexiglas and lightbulbs which, positioned at different heights, form an imaginary, almost sentient avenue under which the visitor walks | <urn:uuid:5a1a4fa5-baaa-4fc7-94db-075ea59a4e91> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://core-cms.prod.aop.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Jill%20Murphy&eventCode=SE-AU | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570913.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809064307-20220809094307-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.96786 | 491 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Childcare providers unable to meet Government’s pledge outlined in Queen’s Speech without adequate support and funding.
The results of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years sector-wide survey: Building Blocks: a report on the state of the childcare and early years sector (summary version) published this month reveals that the childcare sector is at tipping point. You can view the extended version here.
The survey reveals that:
- Almost seventy per cent of childcare providers say they have no plans to grow their businesses in the next year.
- Over a quarter of providers are less confident in the future of their business than they were 12 months ago.
- A fifth of home-based providers are uncertain as to whether they will still be working in childcare in 12 months time.
These findings suggest there is a major threat to the sector being able to deliver against the Government’s ambitious programme to increase access to and uptake of early education, and to double the number of free childcare hours to 30 hours per week as set out in the Queen’s Speech.
The survey, which was conducted by PACEY in February this year, was completed by 2,442 childcare professionals (childminders, nannies, nursery workers and managers) across all nine regions of England. It provides a detailed picture of the state of the childcare sector at the start of the new Government’s first term. Responses were also received from 180 parents.
The survey reveals a childcare workforce at tipping point - highly motivated by the work they do, keen to develop their professional skills, and highly respected and relied upon by parents, but on the verge of making decisions about whether their businesses are viable for the future.
Liz Bayram, Chief Executive of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years, said:
“These findings should provide serious cause for concern for the Government. Now that a commitment has been made to extend the number of free early education places, the challenge remains how to ensure the childcare sector is supported to deliver these places at the level of high quality that children deserve.
"PACEY wants to see the Government implement a workforce strategy that supports childcare professionals to improve their skills throughout their career, so they are encouraged, rewarded and in turn motivated to remain in their chosen profession.
"Childcare professionals have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to rise to new challenges and our survey finds them keen to learn and grow professionally, but discouraged to do so by the removal of support for training and by ever-rising costs. The cost of a Level 3 childcare course, for example, has increased exponentially in the last three years, from £250 in 2012 to £1,900 currently.
"Our survey clearly demonstrates that investment in skills development pays – it reveals a direct link between CPD and business confidence. Commitment to a workforce development programme would help grow a confident and motivated workforce able to deliver the Government’s ambitious targets to increase access to high quality childcare.
"We also call on the Government to urgently review the free entitlement funding formula so that childcare workers receive an appropriate level of funding for the early education they provide.
"Unless the investment is there to provide childcarers with the professional development they need to incentivise them through their careers, and the funding for the huge increase in free childcare places the government is offering, then we risk stagnation across the sector and a significant shortfall in affordable childcare places across the country.” | <urn:uuid:e18f0aec-970f-4052-94b1-ec168a368281> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.pacey.org.uk/news-and-views/news/archive/2015-news/june-2015/england-s-childcare-sector-at-tipping-point/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573540.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819005802-20220819035802-00475.warc.gz | en | 0.963413 | 703 | 1.515625 | 2 |
For a successful tourism industry, a safe image of the destination is essential. The last thing a tourist will want to be worried about is the safety of their stay while on holiday. Towards this end, the key players involved have to keep their acts together. The owners, the workers as well as the government has to project this image of a clean, happy, inviting and ultimately safe destination for the guests to feel welcome at our resorts.
However recent developments in the country and the continuing attention seeking behaviour of top government officials seems to be doing more harm to our delicate tourism industry than any good. To name just one name, our ambassador at UK Dr. Farahnaz Faisal is reported to have been story-telling to prominent media outlets mostly about little known topics in the Maldives; female genital mutilation, religious extremism, supposed religious scholars exhorting folks to shun vaccination etc. To the average local Ahmed or Mohamed (the equivalent expression for average Joe..?) in Maldives, these are frankly NEWS to them. Its very unlikely the average Ahmed or Mohamed would have heard of these themes either in the media or through word of mouth. The reason is simple! These themes are very unfamiliar and hardly common practice in the country. There are no known scholars or mullahs (or whatever) who exhorted people to avoid vaccination in Maldives. Female Genital Mutilation which has been popularized and sensationalized by media is another red-herring which is totally out of place in Maldives. Most Maldivians would have heard about this practice in media as happening in some parts of Africa akin to killing albinos for supposedly traditional medicinal purposes. There are no known cases of female genital mutilation in the country and no known designs to introduce such practices to the country by any groups or ideology.
This is not to say Maldives is a trouble free country. No country is devoid of problems and problems like everything else has causes and remedies. The most popularized religious problem that happened recently in Maldives is the Himandhoo issue which was caused by the then government’s strong-man tactics rather than Al Gaidha setting up shop in the country. The issue was caused by the government sending military forces to close an unauthorized mosque constructed by the islanders for successive three years in the holy month of Ramazan. The issue could have been easily resolved had the government sent a team of religious men to talk to the people involved and engage them in dialogue. The islanders issue with the mosque was that the mosque was allegedly constructed on top of a cemetery which is forbidden in Islam. The government’s stand at the time was that the government’s position is immovable and has to be respected regardless of the circumstances.
Coming back to the issue and to set the record straight, the most prominent issue that’s currently facing Maldives has nothing to do with religious intolerance or female genital mutilation. The most pressing security problem facing the country is gang warfare and drug abuse which is sweeping through the country and is showing little sign of abating. However in the latest stats presentation offered by the security forces on the independence day, the percentage of ‘reported crime’ rate was said to have fallen 43% which is a definite improvement if all other factors were constant.
The most pressing economic problem is unemployment which to a large extent was an artificial situation created by an unimaginative education system. In a nutshell, a whole generation of youngsters grew up in conformity to 3 streams of subjects (Arts, Commerce and Science) and much too little in the way of vocational education. The non-too-distant ‘maha-singa’ (funny when names are invented) on educational policy was a good start on identifying these problems and the coming years will hopefully see changes to educational system where these issues could be addressed.
The most pressing health problem that is facing the country is lack of facilities and standards. The problem has already been a challenge with the geography of the country whereby small distant islands are further more isolated by lack of a reliable public transportation system. Seeing at a distance, the top positions of the health ministry and the members of lower the rank in the industry seems to be engaged in a proper warfare throughout the industry on a wide range of issues. The outcomes are mixed with more improvements in facilities and infrastructure promised in the near future (as is always the case).
The most pressing social problem that’s facing the country could be the lack of facilities for island communities to get together and do anything ‘social’ to while away the time and participate in social projects. Apart from the Eid festivals the average island’s social calendar is uneventful throughout the year and has been so for ages. With the anti-social behaviour and anti social elements on the increase, this maybe the opportune time to consider such an initiative.
There are indeed many more pressing problems facing the country in many walks of life, but from the perspective of tourism industry nothing can be more damaging than our own political elite spewing out unsubstantiated negative information on the country coveting media attention and personal publicity. | <urn:uuid:1e4fae75-3745-44f0-b0a2-3db877f80df4> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://maldivesresortworkers.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719453.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00231-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971683 | 1,043 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Deciding where to nest is very important to the Nigriceps
ant, because it has a
relationship with the swollen thorn accacia bush. It was first thought
that the ant had a
relationship with the Swollen Thorn Acacia (Acacia drepanolo-bium),
where both species benefit. However, recently this ant-plant relationship
has been considered to be more
. This tree has huge bulbous swellings at the base of the thorns.
Swollen Thorn Acacia
The ants remove the soft pitch inside the bulbous
swellings and this prepares a dry, cool home. The ants prune the tree
so that other enemy ant colonies cannot get to the tree. This pruning
also provides the ants with food. When the branches are cut back, a
sugary substance is secreted and the ants use this as food. The stinging
ants protect the tree by swarming out of the nest to attack enemy intruders.
Even though the ants try to protect their residence, the tree cannot bear
fruit and often has a difficult time propagating. The pruning prevents
buds from flowering, which leads many to believe the relationship is more
parasitic than mutualistic. The tree is harmed, while the Nigriceps
The Nigriceps ant is the
weakest and least warlike among war ants in this particular ecosystem.
Their survivability is based upon the swollen thorn acacia. The African
environment is too wet or too dry at times for the ants to nest in the ground,
so they have to customize a home within this tree.
is fierce and they must struggle to keep away enemy intruders. Their
social colony system is amazingly organized and efficient. Like other
insects, the Nigriceps ant has evolved to survive in its environment and adapt
to its surroundings.
By Bethany Broadwell
McGrawHill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology.
Vol. I. McGrawHill, Inc., NY. pp. 725-726.
Preston-Mafham, Ken and Rod. The Natural
World of Bugs and Insects. PRC Publishing Ltd., London.
Traves, Bridget. The Gale Encyclopedia of Science.
Vol. I. International Thomson Co., NY. pp.
April 15, 2004 | <urn:uuid:eace205f-8bcc-4f8e-9e74-0d918a2e1309> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://projects.ncsu.edu/cals/course/ent525/close/bethany.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988717954.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183837-00508-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893364 | 488 | 3.46875 | 3 |
FOUND: Brain's Long-Term Memory 'Switch'
BERLIN: Scientists have identified calcium in the cell nucleus to be a cellular "switch" responsible for the formation of long-term memory.
Neurobiologists at Heidelberg University in Germany used the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model to investigate how the brain learns.
The team led by Professor Dr Christoph Schuster and Professor Dr Hilmar Bading wanted to know which signals in the brain were responsible for building long-term memory and for forming the special proteins involved.
The team from the Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN) measured nuclear calcium levels with a fluorescent protein in the association and learning centres of the insect's brain to investigate any changes that might occur during the learning process.
Their work on the fruit fly revealed brief surges in calcium levels in the cell nuclei of certain neurons during learning. It was this calcium signal that researchers identified as the trigger of a genetic programme that controls the production of "memory proteins." If this nuclear calcium switch is blocked, the flies are unable to form long-term memory.
Schuster explained that insects and mammals separated evolutionary paths approximately 600 million years ago. In spite of this sizable gap, certain vitally important processes such as memory formation use similar cellular mechanisms in humans, mice and flies, as the researchers' experiments were able to prove.
"These commonalities indicate that the formation of long-term memory is an ancient phenomenon already present in the shared ancestors of insects and vertebrates. Both species probably use similar cellular mechanisms for forming long-term memory, including the nuclear calcium switch," Schuster said.
The researchers assume that similar switches based on nuclear calcium signals may have applications in other areas - presumably whenever organisms need to adapt to new conditions over the long term.
"Pain memory, for example, or certain protective and survival functions of neurons use this nuclear calcium switch, too," said Bading. "This cellular switch may no longer work as well in the elderly, which Bading believes may explain the decline in memory typically observed in old age.
"Thus, the discoveries by the Heidelberg neurobiologists open up new perspectives for the treatment of age- and illness-related changes in brain functions," Bading said.
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BMW N53B30 Engine
|Also called||BMW N53|
|Cylinder block alloy||Aluminium-magnesium|
4 valves per cylinder
|Piston stroke, mm (inch)||88 (3.46)|
|Cylinder bore, mm (inch)||85 (3.35)|
|Displacement||2996 cc (182.8 cu in)|
|Power output||150 kW (204 HP) at 6,100 rpm
160 kW (218 HP) at 6,100 rpm
190 kW (258 HP) at 6,600 rpm
200 kW (272 HP) at 6,700 rpm
|Torque output||270 Nm (200 lb·ft) at 1,500-4,250 rpm
270 Nm (200 lb·ft) at 2,400-4,200 rpm
310 Nm (230 lb·ft) at 1,600-4,250 rpm
320 Nm (240 lb·ft) at 2,750-3,000 rpm
|HP per liter||68.1
|Weight, kg (lbs)||~115 (254)|
|Fuel consumption, L/100 km (mpg)
|for E90 330i
|Oil consumption , L/1000 km
(qt. per miles)
|up to 1.0
(1 qt. per 750 miles)
|Recommended engine oil||5W-30
|Engine oil capacity, L (qt.)||6.5 (6.9)|
|Oil change interval, km (miles)||7,000-10,000
|Normal engine operating temperature, °C (F)||~95 (203)|
|Engine lifespan, km (miles)
-No life span loss
|The engine is installed in||BMW 325i E90
BMW 330i E90
BMW 525i E60
BMW 530i E60
BMW 523i F10
BMW 528i F10
BMW 530i F10
BMW 630i E63
This 3-liter engine represents N53 series which also includes N53B25. This motor was firstly introduced in 2007 and replaced 3-liter N52B30 engine. New unit has turned out to be modified version of N52 with improved cylinder block head equipped by direct injection. At the same time engineers excluded Valvetronic system which caused a lot of questions. Previous engine control unit was replaced by Siemens MSD81.
N53B30 engine was used in BMW 23i, 25i and 30i models according to their modification.
The epoch of inline 6-cylinder naturally aspirated BMW engines was over in 2013. N53B30 was replaced by straight 6-cylinder turbocharged N55B30 engine.
Base versions of N53B30 were also replaced by 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged N20B20 motors.
BMW N53B30 engine modifications and differences
1. N53B30-U0 (2007 – 2011) engine has the following specs: Power – 218 HP at 6,100 rpm, 270 Nm of torque at 2,400-4,200 rpm. It was used for BMW models with 25i index. Power was reduced using ECU and new intake manifold.
2. N53B30 (2010 – 2013) is a new version with the following specs: Power – 204 HP at 6,700 rpm, 270 Nm of torque at 1,500-4,250 rpm. It was used for BMW F10 523i models.
3. N53B30-O0 (2007 – 2013) is a base version with: Power – 272 HP at 6 700 rpm, 320 Nm of torque at 2 750-3 000 rpm. It was used for BMW models with 30i index.
4. N53B30 (2010 – 2009) is a version of engine designed for BMW F10 528i. The specs are as follows: Power – 258 HP at 6,100 rpm, 310 Nm of torque at 1,600-4,250 rpm.
BMW N53B30 engine problems and drawbacks
N53B30 engine has the same problems as in younger version of 2.5-liter N53B25 motor. HERE you can learn detail information about all common problems.
N53B30 Chiptuning. Intake manifold
If you are looking for maximum power in this series, you will certainly benefit from N53B30 upgrade. You only need to buy BMW Performance intake manifold for your engine of 218 HP. At the same time you need to install performance exhaust system in order to obtain up to 290 HP which is not so bad.
It is less profitable to upgrade 272 HP modifications. At the same time you will hardly feel improvement in form of extra 10-20 HP. If you are still aimed on upgrading, you need to install performance exhaust system as well as tune ECU. You will certainly enjoy an unforgettable sound of your engine. | <urn:uuid:3ca82e8a-62f6-4770-88f5-995b86220817> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://mywikimotors.com/n53b30/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573163.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818033705-20220818063705-00075.warc.gz | en | 0.880859 | 1,276 | 1.664063 | 2 |
There are 4 types of housing: premium (elite), business, comfort and economy. However, the framework between them is blurred. Future buyers of real estate in Spain sometimes doubt that they are offered – a very expensive business class house or a cheap luxury villa? In the booklet, almost every real estate agency can find the loud phrase “luxury real estate”. But sometimes realtors only play on the desire of buyers to get into the world of luxury and big money. What are the signs of “elite”? Gilded plumbing? Ivory columns? Own spa? We’ve formulated several signs of premium objects.
- First-class location. Firstly, the beach and/or town centre should be within walking distance. Secondly, luxury homes are never located near a road or a known highway so that residents do not have to deal with noise and dust. However, such a large road should be no further than 3 streets.
- Perfect infrastructure development. Parking, grocery and industrial shops, entertainment, spas, fitness centers, kindergartens and clubs are all within walking distance.
- Respectable neighbors. If you come to your villa and see the shabby and cheap cars of your neighbors, then your house can hardly be classified as a luxury, even if the conditions in it are simply royal. Your neighbors should also be elite, head to toe. It’s better if it’s famous artists, politicians, businessmen.
- A well-appointed courtyard. Another sign of not just an expensive but also an elite house is the good decoration of the courtyard. Own gardens, fountains and pergolas will be a huge plus.
- Modern security system. Security guards guard the elite home, during working hours are not engaged in solving puzzles and puzzles, and monitor the video surveillance and access control system. And that’s why the owners of such an object are in complete safety.
- Huge living space, high ceilings, large windows. Even if you buy a premium studio apartment, it should have a large, or better – just a huge area and ceilings of at least 3 meters.
- Modern house project. In an elite house everything is made for the comfort of its inhabitants. No hints of “avos” are allowed. The facade of such a house is either a restored historical or contemporary architectural project by the author.
- Ecological and energy-saving wall material. The best materials for walls are brick and stone. Aerated concrete, foam concrete, protherm are inferior to them to a great extent. And of course, elite palaces, unlike baths or hunting lodges, are never made of wooden blockhouse.
- Fully equipped kitchen. Even if the inhabitants of luxury homes rarely appear in the kitchen, preferring to eat in restaurants, this room should be equipped with 200%: a huge selection of dishes and cutlery, a fridge for wine, the most modern kitchen equipment.
- Cinema, games room, own gym or recording studio. If we are talking about an elite villa, there should be at least one such “bonus”. Which one depends on what the owners are passionate about.
If you want to do the equipment of your house and its construction on your own, it makes sense to buy land in mallorca first. On the purchased land you can build a house and make it exactly as you want it to be. On the other hand, there are a lot of great properties in Spain that you might be interested in. So it all depends on your personal preferences and goals. Although it’s worth understanding that building luxury homes is a long and expensive process in which you will need to involve specialists in any case. | <urn:uuid:41fdd921-e924-4a61-9482-7d8ca9f64866> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ios-ingress.com/ten-signs-of-luxury-housing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571147.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810040253-20220810070253-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.952769 | 767 | 1.65625 | 2 |
BUS332 Decicion Analysis and Capital Budgeting
Showing course contents for the educational year 2015 - 2016 .
Course responsible: Karl Jens Fredrik Bengtsson
Teachers: Carl Brønn
ECTS credits: 10
Faculty: School of Economics and Business
Teaching language: NO
Teaching exam periods:
Course frequency: Yearly
First time: Study year 2015-2016
Master in Business Administration
From certainty to uncertainty, Risk measures, Sensitivity analysis, Scenario analysis, Expected utility, Structuring of decisions, Decision trees, Decision criteria, Value of information, Subjective probabilities, Stochastic dynamic programming (focus on applications within the course), Multi-attribute decision making, Dominance, Portfolio perspective, CAPM, State preference model, Risk adjustment inside and outside the market, Relevant risk, Use of market information, Option aspects of real investments, Capital rationing, Implications of capital structure, Investment behavior in case of financial distress.
The course deals with decision analysis and real investement in companies and under uncertainty. The course will have a predominance of theory and the main part of the course deals with understanding and using different approaches to analyse and model decisions under uncertainty. This also includes calulating present values of projects with real options. This will at a later stage be used in decision making. A number of stylized problems and models with a simple structure, but still with important general results, are used.
After the course the student will be able to:
- make decisions and investment decisions where uncertainty is thoroughly evaluated, quantified and analyzed.
- use different approaches to evaluate uncertainty at project and portfolio level
- link project evaluation to capital market models (capital asset pricing model CAPM and state preference model SPM)
- decide which analysis level that is the most appropriate with respect to relevant risk and target group
- model and analyze investments when there are possibilities to adapt decisions as more information becomes available (using stochastic dynamic programming)
- identify, model, analyze and, to some extent, determine the value of real options
- analyze investment choices when capital is limited using linear programming
- discuss and explain how capital structure can affect investement decision and result in conflict between share holder and creditors
Lessons and exercises
Selected articles and selected parts of books
BUS210 Managerial Accounting ad Budgeting, BUS220- Finance and Investment, BUS230-Operation research
Term paper with submission in four parts
Final written exam, counts 100%
Reduction of credits:
BUS331 5 stp
Type of course:
50 lectures and presentations
Allowed examination aids: No calculator, no other aids
Examination details: One written exam: A - E / Ikke bestått | <urn:uuid:08baf55e-74e1-444e-9347-3d9de2d1aace> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nmbu.no/course/BUS332?studieaar=2015 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572581.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816211628-20220817001628-00075.warc.gz | en | 0.842185 | 658 | 2.046875 | 2 |
Our recent webinar, titled 'Digitizing curriculum management with CourseLoop – UCLA's journey', explored how universities can transition from homegrown processes to modern-day systems.
Using UCLA as a case study, Claire McCluskey, UCLA, and Brian Clark, CourseLoop, deep-dive into how SaaS products – like the CourseLoop Platform – can enable institutions to better manage their complex curriculum and catalog publishing.
Missed the webinar or would like to re-watch? You can request access to the recording below.
If you would like to explore how CourseLoop can help you, contact us at email@example.com.
Meet our speakers
Deputy Registrar & Director of Curriculum & Scheduling, UCLA
Editor, University Business and Overseas Education Technology
- Integration with other technologies is the greatest curriculum management challenge – 29% of webinar attendees ranked this as their top obstacle to overcome.
- Webinar attendees also raised curriculum management administration as a key challenge (23%). Generally speaking, this includes the administration or management of approvals (workflows) and the overall governance process.
- 23% of webinar attendees noted that data capture and management was also a key challenge and 40% said that it is one of their highest priorities for improvement.
- Institutions need academic buy-in when it comes to implementing new curriculum management systems, but it can be challenging. That's why CourseLoop works closely with academics to understand their pain-points and develop features to help solve them. We also ensure to engage our partner's academic staff as early in the implementation project as possible to keep them informed and engaged throughout the journey. | <urn:uuid:cf2d111c-7ab5-4c75-8ce0-6c875c8f1bad> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://info.courseloop.com/ucla-digitising-curriculum-management-webinar-website | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573760.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819191655-20220819221655-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.949577 | 360 | 1.664063 | 2 |
(The following is an editorial by Walter Pierce, editor of The Independent in Lafayette, and reprinted here with his permission.)
Science once again goes on trial tomorrow in Baton Rouge when the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education votes on whether to approve proposed biology textbooks for public high schools.
The books — mainstream, peer-reviewed, up-to-date and from major publishers — are under fire by the religious right because they don’t cover intelligent design, a pseudo-scientific version of creationism whose adherents argue that because organisms are so complex, there must have been a supernatural entity that created them, or at least set in motion their evolution.
This fight is important to Joe Neigel, a biology professor at UL whom I interviewed for this week’s cover story. Neigel’s interest is partly academic, but it’s also professional: If we allow standard biology education in high schools to be sullied by this wackadoo pseudo-science called intelligent design, we create college freshmen who don’t understand how completely, utterly, thoroughly and rigorously the theory of evolution has been studied, tested and verified in the century and a half since Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was published.
In mainstream biology circles evolution is impregnable, unassailable.
But to creationists it is a threat, and they employ many tactics in assailing it, including attacking Darwin’s original theory while ignoring the decades of research and findings that have not only verified it but added to it.
Because the federal courts have repeatedly thwarted them, creationists created intelligent design as their Trojan Horse.
“A lot of these ID people attack Darwin as if we’re all still reading Darwin, as if that’s our source material. But the truth is, Darwin was wrong about a lot of things; he wasn’t aware of a lot of things,” Neigel told me last week when I was researching the story. “The science of genetics and molecular biology has both validated evolution as a unifying principle in biology, but it also shows us that evolution pretty much has to happen.”
Except in Louisiana when it comes to intellectual matters.
A small consolation for our sorry-ass discomfort with science can be found in Kentucky, where Gov. Steve Beshear last week announced that a group planning a $150 million theme park called Ark Encounter can apply for and will likely receive more than $35 million in state tax incentives. The centerpiece of the for-profit attraction will be a life-sized replica of Noah’s Arc complete with dinosaurs. (Now that creationists can no longer deny the existence of dinosaurs — the fossil record is just too extensive and detailed — they’ve taken to insisting that T-Rex must have coexisted with humans, since the world and everything in it was created over the course of six days about 6,000 years ago.)
Kentucky is also home to the Creation Museum, another Flintstones attraction that draws thousands annually.
In Louisiana’s fight between reason and superstition, Gov. Bobby Jindal has shown himself to be a coward of the first order. He has an undergraduate degree in biology from Brown University, where intelligent design and creationism get absolutely no quarter, yet he eagerly signed the Louisiana Science Education Act — a back door for getting intelligent design into the biology curriculum under the guise of “academic freedom” — and has expressed public support for ID being taught alongside evolution.
Jindal is brilliant and cynical.
I don’t doubt Jindal believes intelligent design is little more than creationism festooned with the trappings of science. I suspect he scoffs at ID and those who peddle it when he’s not in earshot of reporters or cameras. But he’s playing to the base, as they say — to the many thousands of Louisiana residents who believe the earth is about 6,000 years old and/or believe the science of evolution is somehow elitist, liberal.
Many Christians accept Darwinian theory as a compelling explanation for human origin, and the Vatican has even declared that faith and evolution are not mutually exclusive.
Those who attack the science of evolution don’t seem to have much faith in their faith.
“I don’t want any facts or theories or explanations to be withheld from [students] because of political correctness,” Jindal told the news program Face the Nation in 2008 after signing the Science Education Act.
Standing up for evolution isn’t political correctness. It’s just correct. | <urn:uuid:03f0aee8-4280-4ec7-add3-b7477bdc2747> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2010/12/08/unintelligible-designs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280221.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00237-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948218 | 948 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Team: The Maersk Blues
Category: 1. Alternate Mode of Transport.
We have all seen trains, bikes, cars, boats and planes! What mode of transport haven't we seen? Does it use cosmic power? Does it relocate you along radio waves? Show us your idea for a mode of transport. It must include a minifig but the build can be set in any time period.
Hello! My name is Bleau Maersk, and I will be showing you something very special today: The Photo Atomic Proton Ungulatory Accelerator Nitrogen Enveloper Wave Graph Ultrasonic Inertia Nuclear Energy Aeromodule, or PAPUA NEW GUINEA for short (although most of us at the lab just call it the PNG). What does it do exactly? Example:
Most of you have observed that if a point, X distance away from the center of a circle A, is stationary, it looks just like a point should. But if the circle is spinning, the point appears to become a circle with radius X and center A. Until recently, people believed that this effect was merely an optical illusion, but in fact, this was an infinitely complex law of physics at work. This law, dubbed "Franko's Law", is represented by the equation x+2=4. Anyway, the PNG is comprised of two parts, the transmitter node and the receiver node. Basically, the transmitter node transmits (hence the name) ultra-complex forces between it and the receiver node, causing the receiver node to be present on all points of the given circle at the same time, while still being one entity.
By this point, you're probably wondering what the practical applications of the PNG are, especially since you taxpayers contributed most of the 16-trillion dollars it took to build this baby. *cough* So...
Suppose in a military campaign, a valuable asset needs to be protected, but there simply aren't enough soldiers to efficiently defend it. Just call in the PNG (the PNG is equipped with rockets), park it next to the asset, and strap the receiver node (tightly) to a soldier's back. Once the transmitter node is initiated, the soldier suddenly becomes present on all points of the given circle (he is free to move forward or back. In doing so, the radius of the circle increases or decreases).
Alright, that about wraps it up. Oh wait, photos you say?
Working shock absorbers.
Yes, that lights up via a light brick.
Lucky Hank has kindly agreed to wear the receiver node for us.
Warning - The PNG may cause severe cases of dizziness.
Do you understand any of that, or were you just blowing smoke? It must have been fun to figure out how to build so many complicated-looking devices - yet they all seem to make sense....sort of. Anyway, I'm rounding up to a 5 here, since I liked it so much. I think. ;) | <urn:uuid:c359963b-9925-4478-94b8-a97a7b9fd7bf> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.moc-pages.com/moc.php/356235 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279915.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00284-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952916 | 613 | 2.640625 | 3 |
Monday, November 30, 2009
Family as Cure to Corruption in High Places
By John Taylor; 2009 Nov 30, Qawl 09, 166 BE
The most frequently raised objection to world government is that it would be in danger of becoming tyrannical or corrupt. For centuries opponents of world federation have successfully argued that the higher we go in human governance the more prone it is to over-centralization, and the harder corruption and tyranny would be to remove. Undeniably, this is a frightening prospect. If the members of a world government were as corruptible as national governments already are, we would have no escape or appeal to a higher authority. Under a planetary tyranny there would be nowhere to go into exile but into space, and in space nobody can hear you scream.
Some advocates of a democratic world government, such as Jim Stark in "Rescue Plan for Planet Earth, suggest a drastic cure to skulduggery by world leaders. Stark proposes that every politician in a democratically elected world government should be subjected to video surveillance twenty-four hours a day. Everywhere they go, from the bathroom to the bedroom, should be recorded and fed live onto an open Internet broadcast channel. That way, anybody in the world who chooses to do so could look in on what they are up to right now, or see a summary of everything they did or said during the past twenty-four hours. Stark argues that since security cameras are already recording our every move in public places, why make an exception for all-too-corruptible politicians?
Although Stark paints this as a justified protective measure that eliminates all privacy of elected leaders for the greater good, it is useful to recall that such removal of privacy was originally conceived as a punishment for criminals. Jeremy Bentham, in an age before surveillance videos, proposed that all criminals be caged in glass boxes in public places so that their every move would similarly be subject to constant observation.
That is not to say that I would rule out round-the-clock surveillance of leaders completely. However, it should be a last resort taken only if corruption proves to be a persistent, intractable problem, and all other countermeasures have failed.
The reasons for avoiding a culture of surveillance are compelling. For one thing, the greater part of the role of any leader is to be an example and an educator. In order for government to function smoothly, there needs to be a sacred, unspoken bond of trust between the public and the public servant. Any measure against corruption that degrades this bond is liable to spread more corruption and distrust than it eliminates.
This is so not only for world leaders but all leaders, including those on the local and familial level. They must see themselves as teachers of all humankind. And, as any tutor will tell you, in order to teach efficiently one must on the one hand build a close bond of respect and trust, but on the other hand avoid too much intimacy. Either extreme degrades the learning process by allowing students to influence teachers or to see them too closely and critically.
I have no doubt that John Amos Comenius, who was a professional educator, would weigh in against such paranoid counter-measures. He would have pointed out that for one thing corruption is not just an individual condition, it is systemic and institutional. If families are weak, institutions on every other level are undermined too. Comenius's comprehensive reform program starts with well-ordered households that in turn would raise the bar for their members.
"Finally all will be well in city, state and kingdom if all is well at home and individual families are as well-ordered as I recommended ... Since this depends on the wise self-control of individual people, all magistrates will be vigilant to see that individuals promote the safety and peace of the state by leading pious, righteous, and sober lives." (Panorthosia, Ch. 24, para 1, p. 111)
The job of legislators and judges, then, is to support the family. A strong, loving household is in the best position to keep its members in line. The goal of the legal system is to raise the standard of virtue at home, and this in turn will improve the quality of leaders that emerge from it. A security camera invites outside scrutiny, but it also loosens a leader's hold on the loyalty and sincerity of the family that got him or her there in the first place. This tie is sacred, because the family remains long after all memory of any posting or office a leader attains to has faded. Indeed it is the permanent quality of the family that makes it a far more effective check on the morals of leaders than any number of security cameras.
We are used to hiring individuals for job postings today. Worse, once they are hired we expect workers to sacrifice family time for career. That is why I think that in future the reverse will be the case. Instead of just individuals, entire households will be hired as working units for most jobs, especially leadership posts. The family business is already common in agriculture and shopkeeping, but it needs to be extended to politics, since being hired as an institution would make it even more in the interest of every family member to expunge the slightest hint of corruption before it can defeat all their aspirations to honour and prosperity.
In a Cosmopolitan order not only the judiciary but the entire resources of the community, including physical infrastructure, would be devoted to the support of individuals, entrepreneurs and families. Most importantly, science and education would be devoted completely to advising and informing families as institutions. Comenius wrote:
"Nevertheless great magnates (who have many heavy responsibilities) are allowed to have assistants who co-operate with them in drawing up their policies and putting them into action, as a safeguard against error and its ill-effects, just as our mind, which rules its own body like a queen, is provided with a guard of senses, such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch." (Panorthosia, Ch. 24, p. 110)
If our leaders were embedded in family units that, like Comenius's "great magnate," are supported by wise advisers, they would be all but immune to corruption. Family and household leadership would constitute a far more dependable "safeguard against error" than any number of twenty-four-hour-a-day surveillance cameras could ever provide.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Comenius and Fungible Religion, I
By John Taylor; 2009 Nov 26, Qawl 05, 166 BE
Last time we touched upon John Amos Comenius's contribution to the principle that religion has the specific purpose of promoting love and unity. Today I want to talk about the direct implication of this principle: a sacred duty to hold spiritual beliefs and religious organizations accountable. For as soon as we acknowledge that religion has a clear goal we must see that it is possible to fall short of that object. If this happens, it is a truly religious act to hold it to account, to question it closely and to treat it as replaceable. In a church in New York, Abdu'l-Baha succinctly laid out the Baha'i principle,
"Religion must be conducive to love and unity among mankind; for if it be the cause of enmity and strife, the absence of religion is preferable. ... the religion of God is intended to be the cause of advancement and solidarity and not of enmity and dissolution. If it becomes the cause of hatred and strife, its absence is preferable. Its purpose is unity, and its foundations are one." (Promulgation, 177)
This principle of holding religion to account, of course, does not come out of a vacuum. It has deep roots in scripture. The Qur'an, for example, asks, "Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, `We believe', and that they will not be tested?" (29:2, Yusuf Ali) Today, many Muslims are turning down the path of interfaith collaboration (cf. http://www.acommonword.com/) prompted by cues in their own Qur'an encouraging unity with other Abrahamic faiths based on a "common word" among them.
"Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to a common word between us and you: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him)." (Aal 'Imran 3:64)
Comenius would have agreed that the solution lies in emphasizing commonalities, which he calls the "solid features of faith," rather than getting lost in niggling, external variance, as has always been the case among religious leaders. We should expect only "religion in religion," rather than idly making it into a substitute science or a quasi-political cause,
"But as for the underlying firmly-rooted disagreements, they will indeed be largely removed, provided that we allow their removal and do not bar all the roads to agreement by maintaining an attitude of prejudice. Later I shall refer to some of the questions which have arisen among Christians to show how easily disagreement on those subjects can be removed if we would all bring our minds to disregard the details of the questions and deal solidly with the solid features of faith, or to reject any fragmentation of Truths and grasp the truth of everything as a whole, or to avoid verbal ambiguity and the quibbling which it causes, and look at things themselves; but especially, if we abandon our concern for our stomachs, our kitchens, or our pride and seek nothing but religion in religion, which means Christ and Heaven." (Panorthosia II, Ch. 8, para 35, p. 123-124)
Comenius offers several Biblical justifications for holding both individuals and faith groups accountable to the high ideals they derive from their relationship to God. For example, Matthew 7:19 says, "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." Jesus told his followers to judge those with religious claims "by their fruits ye shall know them." He even went so far as to forbid anyone who is not reconciled with those with whom they have been in conflict to even enter the temple to pray.
It is fair to say that the entire message of Comenius to believers in Panorthosia is that they must concentrate on reconciliation. Unless they do, we do not have a hope of reforming society in a complete and satisfactory way. While science and politics may be concerned with the correct technical way to reform our world, religion's main concern must be with reconciliation and education. Churches are schools, "and should be conducted on school lines," and this requires that believers enter them as students ("be ye as little children," Christ put it) purified of their multifarious opinions and preconceptions. Comenius points to this question from the New Testament:
"How is it, then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying." (I Corinthians 14:26, cited in Panorthosia, Ch. 23, para 21, pp. 73)
Essentially, religious conviction becomes toxic and fundamentalism raises its ugly head only if we ourselves are not moderate. Extremism occurs when our education falls short of being well-rounded. Without a universal perspective our moral center inevitably shifts towards one of the three main faculties, body, mind or spirit. A wise person does not favor only one of these, nor does she separate or draw artificial distinctions among them. Rather a healthy lifestyle attempts to benefit all three at once.
Similarly (and this is a further implication of this principle), leaders of faith, science and politics must not continue with their prideful contempt for one another, rather they must learn to work together in a single movement to reform all of humanity.
"It has been customary in the past to convene ecumenical councils where bishops from all the Christian countries assembled to consult about the business of the whole church. But we shall have a truly economic council only if we assemble enlightened men from all over the habitable world, philosophers, churchmen, and politicians of outstanding eminence in wisdom, piety, and prudence pledged to introduce plans at long last full enough to secure, establish, and increase the safety of all mankind." (Panorthosia, Ch. 25, para 1, p. 128)
As Plato pointed out in the Republic, such a universal reconciliation is only likely to happen when the individual is well enough educated to balance physical, mental and spiritual progress in their daily lifestyle. Only then can the best of us, our leaders, reflect that balance when they form a more ideal government. Comenius's contribution, I think, is that he adds a further provision. All three will reach their potential if and only if they work together.
"In other words, through the same full light of God, philosophers will be seekers after all things; politicians will be controllers of all human activity; theologians will be pilots unto heaven of everything on earth.
"Consequently philosophers will be torch-bearers ensuring that men everywhere live in the light; politicians will be guardians to see that in all their activities men live in peace; and theologians will be stewards to see that men in every walk of life always work for God and enjoy Him forever.
"To put it briefly, our philosophy, our politics, and our religion, being universal and wholly enlightened, will seek to make men wholly real instead of lurking in the shadows of ignorance, wholly human instead of savage, and wholly God-fearing instead of blasphemous, and if we establish them correctly, then with God's help they will be successful."
(Panorthosia II, Ch. 10, para 52, p. 173)
As long as they recognize their boundaries each of the three can specialize at what they do best, acting as pilots, guardians and servants to the general good. Today we know enough about the brain to compare their interaction to the neurons and glial cells in the brain, which can specialize in ways that are complex but discernible.
In order to be worthy of taking such a prominent role in society, religious leaders must therefore, in accordance with the principle of accountable religion, learn to work together in a harmonious way. Comenius tried to do this with his fellow Christians in the following passage. I cannot help but wonder if there would have been a holocaust or if the Middle East would today be so volatile if this passage had been read as often as the antisemitic screeds of another Christian reformer, Martin Luther. I have added subtitles to clarify the group that Comenius is asking Christians to reconcile with.
Let me further explain why there should be no exercise of hatred on religious grounds, however widely we may differ at the moment.
Unity Among Christians and Harmony with Muslims
Firstly we should have no hatred towards Christians, because they are servants of Christ, or at least profess to be so. We should not adopt a hostile attitude towards Mohammedans, because they acknowledge our Christ as a great prophet, and do not allow any blasphemy towards him.
Harmony With Jews
We ought to tolerate the Jews, firstly because they are our librarians, as our fathers of old used to call them, and they are most faithful in holding the word of the Prophets in trust for us.
And God's purpose in preserving them is that they keep the treasure of the word of God faithfully with a view to the full conversion of the Gentiles and the Jews themselves, when there shall be fuller light, and no further excuse will remain for doubting that these things were sent by God, when all prophecies shall be fulfilled: Revelation X, 7, XI, 15.
Secondly, we should be tolerant towards the Jews because theirs is 'the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises, and of them as concerning the flesh Christ came' (Romans IX, 4, 5); and we have only been taken up into salvation through their unbelief which befell them in times past (Romans XI, 11); and thirdly, because of the hope of conversion for which they are saved (Isaiah LXV, 9, Romans XI, 23-5). Therefore let us fulfil the will of God, so that on seeing a Jew we may say, as if we were beholding a cluster of grapes not yet beginning to ripen, 'Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it' (Isaiah LXV, 8).
Harmony with the Non-religious, "Secular Humanists"
Lastly, we should be tolerant towards all Gentiles, because they are blind, and deserve compassion rather than hatred. As Christ said of the Samaritans and Paul of the Athenians, that they worshipped an unknown God," the same may be said of all the nations of the earth, that they worship the unknown. (cf. 'the unknown God' in Acts 17:23) But as Christ, and Paul after him, showed tolerance towards the weak until he brought them to righteousness, we should do likewise, until God takes pity on them and the time comes when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in (Romans XI, 25).
(Comenius, Panorthosia II, Ch. 8, para 26, pp. 119-120)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Agenda - Broadcast - Religions: Old, New, Borrowed and Blue | David Hlynsky
The Agenda - Broadcast - Religions: Old, New, Borrowed and Blue | David Hlynsky
Controversial academic and author, Camille Paglia, author of Sexual Personae, was part of the ROM's Director's Signature Series, entitled The Three New Commandments, coinciding with the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. Paglia describes herself as an "atheist who defends religion", explaining that an understanding of world religions and their symbols and motifs is essential to fully understanding human civilization and our place in the universe.
A Traveler's Report
By John Taylor; 2009 Nov 24, Qawl 03, 166 BE
Sir Thomas More in Utopia told of a traveler just returned from a visit to a far off land where things were as they could and should be. Here is a traveler's narrative told by a neighbor only a few blocks away from a development built and run under the tutelage of the newly formed Comenian world government.
Son: I am glad to be home. I cannot remember when I saw so many relatives all together in this room. The walls are bursting. Did you all come out just for me?
Cousin: Let us just say we are curious. Tell us about everything you just saw.
Son: Well I still think you must be up to something. Usually I cannot get a word in edgewise. Now whenever I shut up you can hear a pin drop.
Aunt: Never you mind about that. Just tell your story.
Son: Okay. In case there is anybody here who does not know what I have been up to lately, I was asked by the Chronicle to spent a couple of months in the global village. If they like my report they said they might hire me to write a regular column about the place. It is just a few blocks down the road but I feel like I just got back from the moon.
Mother: I often do my shopping there. I prefer their small shops to the strip malls around here though I must say they force you to work. First you have to park the van before you go in. You end up doing a lot more walking than I am used to.
Brother: Is it true you have to become a world citizen before you can live there?
Son: Not entirely. You can technically come in as what they call a national but, as with everything there, they definitely make it worth your while to start taking the exams. Doing so is not only in your interest but in that of everybody around you. So there is a lot of peer pressure.
Father: You mean you have to study to become a world citizen? I thought I was one already.
Son: This is an entirely different system. It is a lot more complex than anything we have here. There are hundreds of new laws, rules and regulations you have to be aware of. But strange to say, when you leave, our way of doing things seem not simple but oddly barbaric.
Sister: Is it true what they say, that everything is owned collectively, like in a commune?
Son: Not entirely. They told me that the large items you see on the street, the buildings, streets and avenues, are mostly owned publicly. But the closer you get to a home or business, the more likely it is that the larger items are owned by a local group and maintained cooperatively. You often hear them repeat the codicil from Kant's sketch of a permanent peace: "The law of world citizenship shall be limited to conditions of universal hospitality." They say that this means that no matter who you are and where you go, there will always be somebody there to welcome you. But this places heavy reciprocal obligations on you as a guest. If you take advantage of your hosts, the welcome mat gets narrower, as they put it.
Mother: I think we are interrupting him far too much. Let the boy tell the story from the start.
Son: Thanks, Mom. I will do so.
Monday, November 23, 2009
By John Taylor; 2009 Nov 23, Qawl 02, 166 BE
It is impossible to underestimate the momentousness of the idea of world government. Its formation would mark the first truly universal institution, the consummation of history in every sense, philosophically, religiously and politically. World government has been put off for centuries largely because leaders of science, faith and politics have been unwilling to come together and agree upon what is most important for human survival. Yet every headline urges us on to this one conclusion: until we take this giant step, every measure will remain an inadequate half-measure.
In his writing, John Amos Comenius demonstrated that world peace and human oneness are the ultimate goal of the Abrahamic Religions, and that every educator has a duty to prepare students to implement the goal of seeing to it that science, religion and politics are harmonized, for the good of all. Until we do this, no progress will be possible. He wrote,
"Any reforms in philosophy, religion and politics must fall short of perfection, unless they bring peace and lasting happiness to the minds, consciences and societies of mankind." (Comenius, Panorthosia, Ch. 1, para 4, pp. 48-49)
In his latter works, Immanuel Kant showed that he had arrived at the same conclusion, though his methods differed slightly. He stood on scientific and philosophical grounds, but he agreed that all of nature urges the human race to one inescapable conclusion.
"Although this government at present exists only as a rough outline, nevertheless in all the members there is rising a feeling which each has for the preservation of the whole. This gives hope finally that after many reformative revolutions, a universal cosmopolitan condition, which Nature has as her ultimate purpose, will come into being as the womb wherein all the original capacities of the human race can develop." (Cosmopolitan History, Eighth Thesis, in Immanuel Kant, Philosophical Writings, Ernst Behler, Ed., Continuum, New York, 1986, p. 260)
This series of essays is my attempt to imagine what will come out of the "womb" of the "cosmopolitan condition."
First of all, I think it is reasonable to expect an unprecedented up-swell of innovation, not only in gadgets and consumer goods as we are used to presently, but in infrastructure itself. The establishment of a world standard building code alone would eliminate the inefficiency and pollution that are destroying our chances of survival. It would assure that food is grown locally and energy comes from nearby, renewable sources, such as wind, sun and geothermal. If this is done all at once it would not be difficult to eliminate all the harm that our present, primitive infrastructure is doing, not only to the environment but to the cohesiveness of our social lives.
I have discussed at length many expected features of the infrastructure of the cosmopolitan order: escutcheons, dashboards, war and peace rooms, terra currencies and hillside architecture. These do not come about piecemeal; they are all implemented at once, in a single stroke. This means that there would no longer be any need to worry about universals. Invariables and basic standards are already built into the larger structures of the neighbourhood. Instead, each household compound and personal space accommodates local expression, whatever most fosters individual and familial growth.
The most crucial aspect of this infrastructure, I believe, is what I have been calling "consultative architecture." This comprehensive construction system I call "consultative" because decisions as to who lives and works where are determined not by government, architects or other central planners but by the current occupants. These meet regularly and decide what their world will look like in specially designed "war and peace rooms" located at the center of each household and neighbourhood.
Like all political systems, the bare nucleus of consultative architecture is, by definition, the individual. Unlike other arrangements, though, this is the case in consultative architecture both literally and physically. Each resident has a right, from cradle to grave, to a small private space. Along with the right there is also an obligation to use and maintain it well. This home base we call the Room of One's Own, or ROO.
The ROO is a standard enclosure the size of a standard air freight shipping container. Just as matter has atoms, and organisms have cells, so the cosmopolitan condition entails the ROO. As we have recently discussed, the organization of the ROO is the foundation of personal existence and the prime concern of a consulting practitioner known as a dialectician.
Most often, a ROO module splits into three parts, a recreational center, a professional cubicle and a bedroom. The bedroom is moved to the sleeping section of a larger living compound within a household. The recreational space organizes one's avocations and hobbies, and is placed in the most convenient location for recreational activity, often in a household's business, garage or atelier. The professional workstation normally is located at one's principle place of employment.
Next time, following the precedent of Sir Thomas More, we will imagine what a traveler just returned from a visit to such a housing development might report.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Comenius and the Principle: "Religion is a Cause of Love"
By John Taylor; 2009 Nov 18, Qudrat 15, 166 BE
This essay series attempts to cover the salient contributions of John Amos Comenius's Panorthosia to our understanding of the subject matter of all the Baha'i principles. In recent weeks we broached the religious principles with a discussion of how to eliminate fundamentalism and other forms of religious prejudice. Today we look at the positive phrasing of the same principle, which has two aspects. The first Abdu'l-Baha called "religion is a cause of love" (RCL), and the second is "Religion is a Remedy." Although we treat them in isolation here, these are really only phases of the same process. RCL establishes the purpose of religion and the second, religion is a remedy, considers the practical implications of this purpose, that is, a heavy responsibility of faith groups to render themselves accountable to their own ideals.
Nietzsche was no admirer of religion but nonetheless he recognized a spiritual truth when he said that "To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity." When we get wrapped up in our own thoughts we tend to become "wise over trivialities" and become distracted from our purpose in life. Comenius wrote in the 9th chapter of Panorthosia,
"As Seneca aptly remarked that `the disease of the Greeks was to be wise over trivialities,' the Philosophy to which I am referring is like the wisdom of the Greeks, and is therefore trivial and mainly frivolous, not even touching upon the most essential needs of man, but occupying his mind with irrelevancies and constantly diverting him from his most important goal, i.e., God and Heaven. (Comenius, Panorthosia II, 148)
Although this sort of stupidity can be as common in religion as in any other field of endeavor, it is fair to say that it is more inexcusable here, since religion is all about our ultimate purpose in life. If we cannot get eternal aims right, it is unlikely that we will ever do so in more immediate, short-term issues.
In this series we have discussed at length a series of proposals that Comenius made to eliminate this sort of stupidity once and for all. Throughout Panorthosia he suggests that we distill purposes and place them front and center. Once we have a summary of the central goals that is acceptable to each level of society, it becomes a highly valuable reminder. For example, in the tenth chapter of Panorthosia he writes,
"This would therefore eradicate the curse of sectional differences now and forever. Let us adopt as our common motto the idea expressed by our Common Master (Matthew V, 45) GOD AND THE SUN ARE THE SAME FOR ALL." (Comenius, Panorthosia II, 157)
This motto can aid in-groups and out-groups, members and outsiders alike in recalling that the ultimate purpose of God is universal. "God and the sun are the same for all" implies that although we may say "my God" alone or in a faith group, we have an obligation to treat God as for all and above all, as an end in Himself, in a public forum. The sun does not shine only for some, it shines on all equally. This spiritual principle Baha'is call the Oneness of God, and as Comenius says, it dampens the spirit of factionalism or "sectional differences."
Once "God and the sun are the same for all" is understood by all sides, the word "God" will no longer be banished from public fora, as it is today -- in spite of the fact that well over 90 percent of the human race profess some kind of belief in God. The word "God" will be a useful distillation of all our ultimate purposes in life.
This motto, though, is only the first of many brief mottoes or bywords that Comenius suggests be proclaimed everywhere, at every level of society, following the guidance of the proverb: "Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares." (Prov 1:20, WEB) For example, in the twenty third chapter of Panorthosia, on the reform of churches, he offers this slogan, from the words of Genesis 23:17,
"This is Bethel, the house of God and the Gate of Heaven." (Panorthosia, p. 85-101)
I do not know whether this motto is universal enough to be applicable to faith groups outside Judaism and Christianity. If not, some other motto could easily be chosen from scripture. The law of compassion and the Golden Rule spring to mind, since they are featured in some form in every religious scripture and tradition. Karen Armstrong has had some success lately in persuading various Abrahamic faith groups to accept a declaration based upon the law of compassion. This is a baby-step toward what Comenius proposed, 330 years later.
Of course we cannot ignore the heart and soul of religion, the purpose of God for the individual. The twentieth chapter of Panorthosia deals with personal reform. Here Comenius puts forward the following seven word declaration: "Here is a splendid image of God." This he clearly intends for everybody, not just his fellow Christians or any other sub-set of believers.
"Therefore no matter who you are, you must reform yourself according to God's good pleasure and with His help, so that angels and pious men are able, as it were, to read on your forehead the inscription: `HERE IS A SPLENDID IMAGE OF GOD.' (Panorthosia, Ch. 20, para 24, p. 28)
The motto refers of course to what God said of Adam just after creating him in the garden of Eden, that he was created in the image of God. Our purpose in life is to realize this Adamic spiritual heritage and destiny by remaking the self into a divine image. To be an image of God, he clarifies, means a maintaining a holy attitude in everyday matters, not only in isolated moments of sublimity.
"But inasmuch as you are the image of God, you must wholly transform yourself for the purpose of representing the very likeness of God in the actions of your daily life. This means that you should be holy, even as our God is holy," (Leviticus 24:2) and merciful and generous, and kind yet just to all men without respect of persons, (Romans 2:11) and so on, as true religion teaches you." (Panorthosia, Ch. 20, para 15, p. 25)
I imagine this declaration "Here is a splendid image of God" inscribed on a personal escutcheon, perhaps surrounding a mirror, so that in moments of retrospection one can decide how splendidly one has reflected the divine image of late.
Monday, November 16, 2009
By John Taylor; 2009 Nov 16, Qudrat 13, 166 BE
Hillside construction projects are communally owned cooperatives that apply mixed-use zoning and standard, high-density design. The layout of hillside housing projects allows residents to live close to their place of work, while being ready at any time to travel and fit their modular living unit into another hillside housing project anywhere else on earth. Each neighbourhood has a variety of shops, workshops and other institutions and facilities close to residences. This minimizes the need for mechanized transit in daily commutes and improves health by forcing residents to walk and bicycle for errands and recreation.
As we have seen, the heart of hillside housing is the Room of One's Own (ROO), a mobile, modular living unit that can be fitted into any hillside dwelling slot anywhere on earth. If a citizen attains to wealth, his or her "black box" unit may fit into a standard slot that is required to be built into each mansion. If poverty is his or her lot, the ROO may be a stand-alone unit, like a trailer in what we now call a mobile home park. In any case, there is no homelessness. The shell of each living module is mass manufactured according to environmentally friendly "open standard" rules. The ROO remains with each person through all stages of life and is adapted and redesigned as needs change.
The ROO living module is the size of a standard shipping container. It includes a bedroom, reception area and bathroom, but has no kitchen (food preparation and serving is offloaded to the household, a compound of several living units). It also has a small study, which is mostly standard to the dweller's trade or profession. Additionally, it has a small space for a hobby or avocation. The ROO module can be split into three parts, a bedroom, a hobby space and an office. As needed, these can be detached and combined again later on. The bedroom unit may be placed in any of a variety of households or apartments in the neighbourhood, as plans, needs and tastes require. The ROO office or workshop is devoted to one's vocation and is usually but not always moved into one's place of employment. The avocation section is placed in a garage, studio or workshop in or near one's household or neighbourhood.
A ROO's additions and options are decided upon by the resident in consultation with a profession called the dialectician. Its design and placement is taken extremely seriously in this UCS society. It is the central concern of an entire profession, the dialectician. Just as a library is run by librarians, the ROO's of a neighbourhood are overseen by dialecticians. As Plato envisaged, the science of dialectics (learning peripatetically through regular, informal conversations) is the highest kind of knowledge. Learning how to apply cosmopolitan dialectics is an essential element of every world citizen's education.
Everyone will feel comfortable working out their own search for truth with one or more dialecticians. The profession is technically the applied or clinical branch of philosophy. The minimum entry qualification of a local dialectician is a degree in philosophy. The goal of the profession is to avoid today's interventions by the "nanny state", which are clumsy, intrusive, arbitrary, patronizing, or, especially in the case of insurance companies, self-serving.
Like most neighbourhood professions, dialecticians may be public officials, free agents or private consultants and entrepreneurs, but their remuneration is always geared to capitation. That is, income and other rewards increase as the ROO's in the entire region or neighbourhood under their purview improve, as compared with similar communities elsewhere.
Many dialectician's interventions are subtle or even automatic. For example, if it is observed that a resident is gaining weight, the bedroom may automatically move to a higher location so that he or she will work off the extra pounds by walking further and climbing more stairs. Or, if a person expresses boredom, his or her bedroom unit may be moved to a busier household, the hobby unit may be moved or re-designed, or the study module or career dashboard may be tweaked.
Other interventions by dialecticians are more direct, but they are rarely arbitrary or confrontational. This is because the responsibility of ROO dialectics is, on the local level, nobody's exclusive, permanent domain. The workload is shared among several types of personal advisors with a variety of professional backgrounds. As an individual's needs, status and circumstances change, the job may shift around among several friends, confidants and advisors. This will seem more natural than we imagine today, since residents will have been in intimate contact with dialecticians since early childhood.
The most extreme intervention by dialecticians occurs when a resident is convicted of a crime. Criminal acts are born of hatred, and hate can only be eliminated by behaviour untainted by hatred. This principle was identified by Machiavelli, who wrote that, "...no prince is ever benefited by making himself hated." (Discourses, Book III, Chapter XIX) There are therefore no prisons in a UCS. These institutions only institutionalize hatred and the loss of freedom. They are known to increase recidivism by reinforcing the criminal identity, and train criminals in the techniques of criminality. Worse, the sadistic, animalistic conditions of prison life corrupt not only guards and prisoners but society in general. Nor are there criminal records, which stigmatize offenders and reduce the chances of rehabilitation.
Instead, a large part of a violent or serious offender's punishment is for his or her freedom and privilege levels to bottom out, in other words, to revert to the minority of a child. In that case only are the rulings of a dialectician obligatory, arbitrary and unmitigated. The job of the dialectician then is to show the offender the way back to full autonomy again. We will discuss these sanctions in more detail in the coming section of People Without Borders on protection.
Suffice to say here that there are three types of dialectic philosopher, each a specialist in the three basic phases of Comenian governance, education (science), faith (wisdom) and politics (peace). Each is concerned mostly with one of the three possible kinds of relationships, relations with oneself (knowledge and science), relations with God (faith and wisdom) and relationships with others (peace and politics). A person who offends others (nobody is labelled a criminal, since labels become self-fulfilling prophesies) would have a philosopher of peace on their case until their escutcheon -- the record of a person's lifetime achievement -- beautifies and balances out again.
I have mentioned how the dialectician would intervene in a negative occasion. Most of the work that dialecticians do, however, is positive, aiding residents of the ROO in maintaining an "initiative credit rating," in planning and in maintaining a moral center. This activity we will broach next time.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Dawn of the Optimates
How Do We Get From Here to There?
At dinner, a friend and reader of this blog lately asked how I expect to get from where we are in the world now to this UCS and Comenian world government that I am always talking about. Here is how I see it, barring unexpected circumstances. I expect that science will be proven right. Climate pressure will get worse and the seas will rise. After a few decades, or sooner, local, regional and global conflicts will break out as nations and peoples become increasingly desperate.
This is just what Gwyn Dyer describes in his book Climate Wars (I have not read it but I did audit a rather frightening radio documentary predicting in coming decades political tensions, wars, environmental collapse, mass famines and political anarchy.) If I agreed with what Dyer assumes, that the only way people can think and solve their problems is through relations between nation states, I would not be bothering to write this book, whose title will be "People Without Borders."
Instead, I think we can change course. We can escape this bind if we cast off our mental shackles. We are perfectly capable of thinking of our world as a unity, unbounded by prejudice and nationalism, and acting for the benefit of all human beings. The intellectual groundwork has already been laid by John Amos Comenius. I am convinced that his Panorthosia is the most important book to come out in my generation (after a three hundred year diversion, it was finally translated into English and published in its entirety in the mid-1990's). Although it is some ways a difficult book, it details exactly how to escape our otherwise inevitable slide into anarchy, famine and collapse.
So, how do we get there? We read Panorthosia, then act upon it. We form a three pronged democratic government on all levels, starting with the family and neighborhood, going right on up to the continental and inter-continental levels. This will reform from the ground up the three pillars of order in the world: science, religion and politics. It will swing power away from the present axis of nations and large corporations toward continental, world and local organization.
The first part of Section One of People Without Borders describes how this must start with the peoples of the world. There must radical improvements to democracy as we know it. This in turn will reorient the media, transport and architecture and, most importantly, introduce a new way of life for the world citizen. This lifestyle will not come about on its own; it is the fruit of a plan set up at the same time as the local, neighborhood, continental and world governments form. The second part of People Without Borders describes elements of this plan. Here are a couple of its most important goals.
Goal One: Every child learns a trade or profession, with full work qualification by the next generation. The trades and professions then reform democracy, introducing into it a stronger element of meritocracy. Introduce a fund to assure that every person, working or not, receives a standard liveable income.
Goal Two: Make the human ecological footprint non-destructive. Invent a new high-density housing project that is combined with rapid underground transport and run on renewable energy sources. Run this housing, power and energy strip in a world encircling line uniting each continent with every other. Use this experience to devise a building code for a consultative, dynamically shifting architecture that places agriculture at the heart of residency.
Once these megaprojects are underway, lay down similar autonomous living projects across desert regions. This will green an area as large as South America. This is the most promising colonization prospect since the discovery of the Americas -- Richard St. Barbe Baker estimated in the 1960's that with a massive effort at planting trees the Sahara alone could sustain four billion people. This population shift would allow us to depopulate ecologically sensitive regions and allow them to return to nature. It would also provide excellent housing and opportunity for the billion souls now languishing in slums, without any infrastructure at all.
Section Two of People Without Borders looks at the theoretical groundings of the four essential organizational services of world citizenship: freedom, wealth, merit and security. We have completed the first two and are entering into the third, merit. Merit is the concern of meritocracy, what used to be called aristocracy, the rule of the best.
Hereditary aristocrats had already reached such a stage of outrageous corruption that the Greek word "aristocrat" was a pejorative when Comenius suggested the Latin form of "the best" as an alternative way of referring to those who earn power and influence through merit: "optimates." I would call an optimate any scientist, spiritual leader or educator who promotes goal number one mentioned above: universal trades and professions. This section covers the goals and plans that optimates might want to undertake once everyone has a trade and a standard living.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Post Scriptum to "The Moral Leap Towards the First Universal Republic"
By John Taylor; 2009 Nov 13, Qudrat 10, 166 BE
I am avoiding mention of the Baha'i Faith directly in this book, but just after posting today's essay, I found Jack Bush's blog devoted to what happened today in Baha'i history (http://jacklbushjr.blogspot.com/2009/11/november-13th-in-bahai-history.html). I was delighted to find out that the Master talked on this very subject of today's essay on the need for religion in republics.
"One reason that people despair of the world of religion is this very matter of superstitions and imitations practiced by religious leaders. When intelligent and learned people see these imitations and customs as being contrary to reason and knowledge they forsake the divine religion and are not aware that these are idle fancies of the leaders and have nothing to do with divine principles. The foundations of divine religion do not negate sound reason and true science. The principles of divine religion do not contradict knowledge and insight, except for some principles and minutiae of the law which were given according to the exigencies of the time and age. Of course, the second or social laws suited to the Mosaic dispensation and useful for the Jewish people at that time are now purposeless and ineffective and seem futile, but they were pertinent and useful at the time." (Mahmud's Diary, entry for 13 November, 2009)
The Moral Leap Towards the First Universal Republic
By John Taylor; 2009 Nov 13, Qudrat 10, 166 BE
Why is a republican government better than any other? First, let us define what "republican" means. Basic civics holds that there are three simple forms of government, rule by one, rule by a few, and rule by many; these are termed monarchy, aristocracy and democracy. Each has its own advantages but also glaring drawbacks. Republicanism ideally is a happy mix of all three that maximizes their advantages and minimizes their disadvantages.
Unfortunately, modern nationalist governments, although they aspire to republicanism, are inclined to mix the three in a rigid, legalistic manner, and corruption has an undue influence. I call the result predatory democracy, or "gun-to-my-head democracy," where the people sell the right to pull the trigger of the gun they hold to their own head. Procrustean strictures set parties into permanent competition with one another. Constitutional barriers variously called checks and balances or separation of powers prevent these elements from harmonizing. Niccolo Machiavelli, in contrast, saw the elements of a republic setting each other off in a more natural way.
"In fact, when there is combined under the same constitution a prince, a nobility, and the power of the people, then these three powers will watch and keep each other reciprocally in check." (Machiavelli, Discourses, Book I, Chapter II)
Although Machiavelli is best known for his sinister work on Realpolitik, "The Prince," his greatest contribution to political science was his "Discourses," an apologia for republican governance. Here he makes his real sympathies clear, "...the governments of the people are better than those of princes." (Discourses, Chapter LVIII)
He accepted that a prince (meaning rule held in the hands of an individual) rules more ruthlessly and, if he knows his job, more efficiently than any other form of government. But only for a while. The prince builds a delicate house of cards that can stand temporarily. However, freedom is only assured if both leaders and followers free themselves from crisis and corruption.
In the long run the only time a "he" or a "she" is better than a "they" is when civic virtue has disappeared, crime is rampant and the land is teetering on the brink of anarchy. When times are out of joint a tyrant can be a step to betterment, but only if his rule leads to a general betterment of morals. If they do not improve, he has only himself to blame.
"Let not princes complain of the faults committed by the people subjected to their authority, for they result entirely from their own negligence or bad example." (Discourses, Book III, Chapter XXIX)
If the virtue of both leaders and the people somehow improve, they will be able to work together in a harmonious balance. They will then merit republican rule. And it is only under a republic that the people, the rule of many, can show their superior brilliance over rule by one or rule by a few.
"...if we compare the faults of a people with those of princes, as well as their respective good qualities, we shall find the people vastly superior in all that is good and glorious." (Machiavelli, Discourses, Chapter LVIII)
This marks a crucial transition point. We need virtue in order to pass from lesser, corrupt rule by one or by a few, or from unbalanced, imperfect republics to a truly harmonious republic where every part functions organically. But the only tried and true way to make millions of people more virtuous is through religion. To name just one reason why this is so, religion reconciles the human heart with God, providence and eternity; by doing so, the people learn the virtue of contentment. This virtue placates us all with seemingly unfair providence and the infinite number of galling circumstances that would otherwise lead to discontent. Religion promotes faith and faith, obedience. And a republic depends, more than anything else, upon rule of law.
"Now in a well-ordered republic it should never be necessary to resort to extra-constitutional measures...." (Machiavelli, Discourses, Book I, Chapter XXXIV)
This is where the teaching of John Amos Comenius comes in useful. Comenius held that the root of the world's problems is disunity, and that is worsened by a sense of pride and superiority, especially among our best and brightest. As a result, the three learned fields of activity, politics, religion and science, which should be pillars upholding a republic, are continually at war with one another.
"The third plague which I mentioned as disturbing the peacefulness of human society consists of disagreements arising from ill-feeling between one group and another. In some instances politicians claim to be superior to the other orders; in others, churchmen have claimed superiority over the political order; and even philosophers at times choose to regard themselves as superior to any monarchy.
"Then even within the same order men climb over one another, spurred by ambition to seek the heights from which to look down upon their fellows, who take offence at this and refuse to look up to them, as they would much prefer to cast them down.
"This results in various forms of unrest, hatred, and strife, and there is no limit to it. Therefore in a reformed state of affairs there must be a complete change in our administration. I shall deal first with the question of agreement between the three orders."
(Panorthosia II, Ch. 10, para 29, p. 163)
Next Wednesday, November 25th at 8:00 p.m. in the Garfield Disher room of Dunnville’s Library, Betty Frost will present a talk "Is Peace Possible?" Many people think that war is inevitable, but from the background of the Baha’i teachings, a different understanding of this worrisome problem will be presented. All are welcome.As a follow-up to the many stories and television presentations on the subject of war these past few weeks and the debt we owe the many veterans who have sacrificed so much over the years to keep us safe, we thought that a talk on the subject "Is Peace Possible?" would be timely.
Betty Frost adds:
To give you some idea of the content of this talk, here are a few of the questions which will be discussed. Initially the concept of peace itself will be explored since "peace" is not simply a cessation of hostilities. Then, citing some of the numerous wars which have been fought and are still in process, the basic question will be raised "Is Peace Possible?" In a remarkable document "The Promise of World Peace" written by the chief administrative body of the Baha’i Faith, it states that many people who long for peace and harmony cling to the belief that "human beings are incorrigibly selfish and aggressive and thus incapable of erecting a social system...giving free play to individual creativity and initiative but based on cooperation and reciprocity."
The document states that the assertion "human beings are incorrigibly selfish and aggressive" is a "distortion of the human spirit". The truth of this insight into the true meaning of human nature will be explored. Statements in the above-noted document (and other sources) will be cited. An example: "Acceptance of the oneness of mankind is the first fundamental prerequisite for reorganization and administration of the world as one country, the home of humankind."
It is interesting to note that at least one of the world leaders (President Barack Obama) had the courage and wisdom to echo this quite clearly in his inaugural address "We cannot help buts believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."
There will be an opportunity for questions and comments. The meeting will conclude, as usual, with a social hour including light refreshments. All are welcome.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
By John Taylor; 2009 Nov 11, Qudrat 08, 166 BE
The goad that got me going on the book I am writing -- people without borders -- is rage at what I regard as one of if not _the_ greatest humanitarian disaster in history, the banishment of over a billion people in endless slums and favelas without benefit of sanitation, roads or other infrastructure. Yet there are those who see good even in this. Two of them who had their say at the TED fora are Robert Neuwirth and Steward Brand. Here are the blurbs for their talks.
"Robert Neuwirth, author of Shadow Cities, finds the worlds squatter sites -- where a billion people now make their homes -- to be thriving centers of ingenuity and innovation. He takes us on a tour. Robert Neuwirth spent two years living in squatter cities on four continents to research his amazing book...
I listened to this talk in a moment of relaxation and for the next three days I did one of my longest double takes I recall ever having. After the third day, at about the time I normally would have forgotten about the experience completely, I was suddenly filled with indignation. Surely this fellow has to be joking! Or maybe he is being ironic. I listened again to the talk, and I swear he is serious.
One memorable anecdote that this apparatchik for capitalist anti-planning fundamentalism tells of his years in the favela is about when a young boy who climbed a mountain of trash near his home. Will he start playing "king of the castle" with his friends, the apparatchik asks? No, instead he defecates on the peak. There are, you see, no toilets at his home. This disgusting act becomes a sort of conversion experience for him. He realizes that there must be great creativity and innovation going on in these places... He shows some pictures of shacks that have been turned into sub-standard houses. The fact that there is some slight improvement in some hovels is proof that there must be something great in the works here.
The great act of creativity here is the idea that you can openly justify the atrocities of an ideology at the same time that they dwarf the evils of Nazism and Communism combined. You can almost understand a neo-Nazi denying that the holocaust never took place. He has an investment in the nobility of his cause, and at least denial is mute recognition of the horror of killing millions in death camps. Besides, the Nazi camps and Soviet Gulags were shut down decades ago. They are part of the past.
But defending these hell holes even as they still continue, a billion souls left without property or citizen rights living under grossly unsanitary conditions that make a concentration camp look orderly and even enviable -- why would anybody ever want to defend such an atrocity? They have the temerity to go around saying openly that third world slums are the cities of the future ... surely there is something evil and perverse here that I am missing. Then I recalled listening to another talk on the TED site with a similar theme. After a search sure enough there it was,
Stewart Brand's 3-minute TEDTalk on cities
"Rural villages worldwide are being deserted, as billions of people flock to cities, to live in teeming squatter camps and slums. And Stewart Brand says this is a good thing. Why? It'll take you 3 minutes to find out."
Clearly, the organizer of these TED talks is moved, as I am, at this humanitarian quagmire, but as I say he goes even further than a holocaust denier, he puts on speakers who are willing to defend the thesis that favelas and slums are a good thing. They have 100 percent employment. There are some inspiring activists there trying to get rights that the other six billion already have and take for granted. A billion destitute are a sign of a bright future! I cannot believe what people will say when their ideology is being refuted by reality. Then I remembered what my 15 year old daughter does when she sees something that impresses her: she reads the comments. Here is one comment on this presentation by one Rahul Dewan.
"People migrate to cities to live in near-inhuman living conditions in slums (squatter cities!) to get out of abject poverty - absolutely correct. But the answer to get them out of this poverty is not in getting them to cities and claiming that it is a "good thing". On the contrary, the model of our "skewed economics" [is] city-centric, solely-profit-oriented (without values of maximizing human creativity, spreading love, compassion) needs to change."
Yes, it is an ideology at work here, an openly acknowledged policy of the World Bank. Allow corporations to bribe governments into driving country folk out of the village into the favela, and then forbid them from investing in infrastructure, as every normal city does. This is not the work of a magnet, as these speakers would have us believe, it is a pincer attack. It is highly inconvenient for corporations to have people living on land that they could be "developing." So get them out of there. Better and easier to drive them off and let free market forces have at them. The same commenter continues,
"Got the point about `diffusing the population time bomb'. Wealth creators? ahem! There is increasing discussion going on in the Planning Commission to have 85% of India's population in cities. Villages are so inefficient they say. To my mind, this sounds obnoxious. Villages are inefficient if you have to drag nuclear or thermal power over distances of 10,000 kms, but if you could allow and invest in villages investing in their own local power - through solar, wind, bio-gas, biofuels - that would change the demographics of the village."
It is Baha'u'llah's birthday tomorrow, and I must calm down for that. But I was thinking about the plight of the poor in the favelas so much last night that I woke with a thought. Baha'u'llah says: "This earth is but one country and mankind its citizens." He calls us citizens. He does not call us consumers or customers or clients or investors or workers, he calls the human race citizens. That, it seems to me is unique in religious history. A Manifestation of God talks about citizenship. And not ordinary citizenship but world citizenship.
What upsets me about the systematic exclusion of this bottom billion is that they have been disenfranchised. A large proportion of the human race does not have the basic rights of citizens. Ownership, for example. A squatter cannot own anything, and what they rent is not owned, it is extorted by criminals. In other words, the government does not depend upon their tax revenues for its own survival, it depends upon other revenue, such as corporate bribes. Why should governments respond to the needs of the dispossessed? They do not vote because they are not even documented. They are non-persons, non-citizens. Their very existence is under the radar.
The source of the problem then, is a lack of citizen's rights. Or to speak more exactly, in terms defined by Baha'u'llah, a lack of universal citizen's rights. A world election would have to start the process going to re-enfranchise the bottom billion. Baha'u'llah asserted a spiritual reality when He said we are citizens of one country, but this inner truth has yet to become official. It is undocumented. Not until all count and are counted as citizens of the world will it mean anything to call yourself a world citizen. Such universality is what Baha'u'llah emphasized in one of His most often cited statements, which comes from the Tablet of Maqsud,
"That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens." (Tablets, 167)
Abdu'l-Baha, in His Secret of Divine Civilization, pointed out that after the Manifestation and those closely associated with Him, the highest station in the world is that of a just king, one who whose prime concern is not his own profit but that of his subjects.
"Then comes the station of those just kings whose fame as protectors of the people and dispensers of Divine justice has filled the world, whose name as powerful champions of the people's rights has echoed through creation. These give no thought to amassing enormous fortunes for themselves; they believe, rather, that their own wealth lies in enriching their subjects. To them, if every individual citizen has affluence and ease, the royal coffers are full. They take no pride in gold and silver, but rather in their enlightenment and their determination to achieve the universal good." (Abdu'l-Baha, Secret, 20)
Shoghi Effendi made another point that reinforces this, that the realization of world citizenship will mark the ultimate stage of human evolution. Once an organism has reached maturity, it has no higher stages to traverse.
"The emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture -- all of which must synchronize with the initial stages in the unfoldment of the Golden Age of the Baha'i Era -- should, by their very nature, be regarded, as far as this planetary life is concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of human society, though man, as an individual, will, nay must indeed as a result of such a consummation, continue indefinitely to progress and develop." (Shoghi Effendi, World Order, p. 163)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Checking in at the ROO
By John Taylor; 2009 Nov 09, Qudrat 06, 166 BE
(this is a revised version of an essay called ROYOBB originally posted to the Badi' Blog on July 31, 2006)
Black Boxes in the UCS
Hillside housing, the architecture of the UCS, is inspired the Black Box, one of the best-known "livingry" -- as opposed to weaponry -- proposals made by Buckminster Fuller. Fuller envisioned a wholly mobile future where, instead of permanent, grounded dwellings, people would live in portable manufactured living units built of materials strong and light enough to be carried about to new locations by blimps or helicopters. These modular units, built to exacting, standard dimensions, would have at their heart a rented "Black Box" capable of producing everything necessary for survival, including energy, food and air.
A spin-off of the space program, the Black Box would also recycle water and other wastes, thus reducing what we now call the ecological footprint of dwellings virtually to nil. Once these high-technology Black Boxes are miniaturized and mass produced, economies of scale would reduce their cost to a point where having one in one's house could be declared a basic human right. Because they are so efficient, this might be considered the first human right that is simultaneously an environmental right.
Buckminster Fuller, like H.G. Wells, saw the home of the future as an independent, low-density, freehold structure, which we know now causes sprawl and social isolation. Hillside Housing in a UCS is a determinedly high-density, full service facility. The difference, therefore, between Fuller's mobile dwelling units and those in a Comenian development is that many functions of Black Boxes are intentionally offloaded to the household and neighbourhood levels. Instead of an entire home, then, the mobile dwelling module in the UCS consists only of a bedroom, bathroom, a small personal living space, and a study.
The functions of a laundry room, living room and kitchen are all performed either in the household compound or by specialist companies in the neighbourhood. At the same time, other specialized functions that are centralized now, are taken on at the most local level possible. For example, Comenius envisaged a small school, church and government being incorporated into every household. That way basic schooling, worship and consultation take place not only close to home, but actually in the home.
The UCS household, then, consists of a compound of several mobile bedroom units surrounding a common dining and living area. Since this is an agronomy, plants are everywhere, and a small kitchen and nursery garden are also part of every household. As for residency, it is a possibility, though hardly encouraged, for individuals to avoid household living and dwell alone in a small apartment. As a result, the institution of the household must compete for members not only with other households but also with no household at all.
Each personal dwelling module is the size of a standard shipping container, though parts of it may be detached and placed in various locations in the household at the user's convenience. What remains of the Black Box, then, after all these tasks have been offloaded? Basically it has a bed in a small bedroom, a shower and toilet, and maybe a small reception area. But its most important and technically advanced room is the study, which I call the "Room of One's Own," or ROO.
Virginia Wolfe in a famous lecture advised girls who aspire to becoming writers to somehow reserve a room in their house, a private space devoted to their career alone. A ROO should not be restricted to writing, however. This minimal space, it seems to me, is an essential for every creative person. No painter, for instance, can function without a studio, or an inventor without a workshop. Each and every worker in this information age must be a creative worker, and therefore have a personal, private space in which to seek refuge, even if it is compact. Everyone, no matter what their calling, would benefit from a small study in which to contemplate and communicate, if not carry on their entire daily work.
There is no such thing as a worker's constitution today, but there would be in a UCS. This constitution should declare this study a universal worker's right and obligation, every bit as sacred as physical rights like food, clothing, shelter, and rights of the soul, like freedom, dignity and equality.
Of course in order to use it well, a ROO would have to be introduced from our earliest years. The ROO could start as a play area next to a baby's crib. From there it would grow and evolve throughout life. The design of a child's ROO would be under the oversight of parents and teachers. Their power might fade into influence, perhaps reducing only to a veto during adolescence. Other influences might come from friends and faith groups. In early youth the room expands and develop into an open-standard educational space partly designed and controlled by teachers, partly by parents, partly by the creative urges of the child itself.
As a child grows into adolescence, the use of this station would fade from play into the experimentation of a student, and finally flower into a productive worker's studio. Thus, as we have seen, partial regulation of this semi-independent unit gradually passes from parents and teachers to one's chosen trade or professional body.
Although it is a private space, the design of an adult's ROO would still be carefully regulated and to some extent run by one's trade or profession. In a real sense, then, it is a Black Box, a mass-produced technological device connecting each worker with all other members of his or her specialty in a communally designed workspace.
The ROO is also a tool for easing the transition between employment and unemployment. Instead of a total dichotomy, as now, between working and out of work, the ROO system encourages workers to move through a gradation by moving their workspace around. It may be located entirely in the office or company where one works --in which case the ROO will be devoted to a serious hobby, sport or pastime (studies of Nobel Prize winners found that most of these highly creative discoverers are highly competent in a second area, apart from their speciality. This avocation is often related to music.) At another, creative or introspective stage in one's career, the ROO would move into a neighbourhood cooperative workshop, or into a garage or so-called "man space" within the household itself. At another time of cocooning or retirement, the ROO would be fitted back into its original location, next to the bedroom in one's mobile living unit.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Shirlee Smith spoke in October of her harrowing experiences as a descendant of escaped slaves living in Toronto, and of her eventual discovery of the Baha’i Faith. Our monthly meetings are always covered extensively in the local paper, but I do believe that this is the first time we have made the front page. In the photo, Shirlee is showing a photo of her when she won an essay for Black History Month (read it at: http://www.globaltoronto.com/search/Week+Contest+Winner/1310621/story.html) that made the front page of the Toronto Star, coincidentally on the same day that the first Black president also made history. You can read the full text of the report of Shirlee’s talk as it appears in the Dunnville Chronicle article, “From Slavery to Celebrity,” at:
Final notes on the Comenian Cure to Fundamentalism
By John Taylor; 2009 Nov 08, Qudrat 05, 166 BE
The threat of imminent climate dislocation demands a quick response from us all. Scientists are beginning to worry that their training is too specialized and theoretical to address the challenge of the present hour. Some suggest that there be "clinical economists" and "climate engineers," and that all disciplines put students through a final phase of practical or clinical training, especially in the social sciences. Just as medical schools go beyond physiology and anatomy and insist that young doctors undergo years of practice as interns, so every discipline should concentrate on practice and responsible application of knowledge.
John Amos Comenius centuries ago made the same point about religion. Religion is not a mere set of beliefs, it is an entire lifestyle. Life, he said, should be reformed before doctrine, basing his authority on John 7:17, "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine," and, "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin, but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." (John 9:41) We should work on our lives before our beliefs not only because it is easier and simpler, but also because it has a better chance of reconciling us to God, whose ways are not our ways. This, he held, is the meaning of the myth of Adam and Eve in Eden,
"We must return from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to the tree of life. In his judgment Christ inquires not so much into our doctrine as into our deeds..." (Psalm 50, Matthew 25, Romans 2:16; Comenius, Panorthosia, Ch. 23, para 9, pp. 62-64)
By emphasizing what we do rather than what we believe, by valuing mercy and compassion before being right, we take the first step to extirpating nitpicking and fanaticism from spiritual life. We can do this with a simple lifestyle that encourages all to put first what Comenius calls the "cardinal points of wisdom and salvation,"
"Simplicity will reconcile us if we turn away from the rigmarole of disputations (whose trivialities are a never-ending cause of schism and disunity) and confine ourselves to more substantial considerations containing the cardinal points of wisdom and salvation." (Panorthosia II, Ch. 8, para 43, pp. 127-128)
Since the word "cardinal" comes from the Latin word for "heart," Baha'is will recognize "Fu'ad," or heart, a major theme in the Writings of Baha'u'llah. As long as we bear in mind that one of the most important "cardinal points" is simplicity, of mind as well as dress, clear essentials can stand as the basis of agreement. This makes it difficult for false power-mongers to turn faith into its opposite, to substitute hatred for love. Comenius continues,
"Since these [cardinal points] are few in number and consist of clear and substantial truth (for God poses no subtle questions when he invites us into Heaven, as Saint Hilary warns us) they will serve not to separate but rather to unite us. Then indeed if in seeking answers to our questions, we do not launch into a flood of subtlety but attend to the rule laid down by Christ, 'From the beginning it was not so' (Matt 24:8) and then follow his examples and practice, countless problems will suddenly be solved." (Ib.)
As long as simplicity is held up first, experts cannot obfuscate their way to power. Another stumbling-block is pride and vainglory. The cure to that is the injunction, "He who would live, let him give up his life..."
"For example, since he bids those who have fallen into the sin of pride to be converted and become as little children, (Matthew 18:3) that they may begin to hold themselves in better esteem, which means no esteem, why should this not apply likewise so that those who have fallen into false knowledge are converted to no knowledge, or those who have come into false power (tyranny) are converted to no power? What I mean to say is that the man of false knowledge should begin to learn better, and he who has not the power to rule himself should hand over the reins of power to others, as suggested by Christ in John 9:39,41." (Comenius, Panorthosia II, Ch. 8, para 43, p. 128)
By applying the most important lessons of faith, including renunciation of corrupt power, we will cure the arrogance and parochialism at the heart of fundamentalism. As soon as religion is subjected by firm public opinion to the reasonable demand that it be kept simple, active and humble, democracy will take its rightful place in matters of faith. This will allow the new philosophy, theology and politics of Comenian governance to filter out opinions that are violent, complex or biased before they can do harm. Then science and religion will stand together with political policy in facing climate change, ethnic reconciliation, and the many other challenges of the present hour. | <urn:uuid:6ad2a563-4c91-40b4-8db2-f5e84673277a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://badiblog.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279189.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00057-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960621 | 16,242 | 1.75 | 2 |
Silence Is Golden for Birds of the Boreal Forest
How science shows that birds benefit from undisturbed landscapes
The rusty blackbird migrates to locations throughout the boreal forest.
For millions of us who live in urban areas, one of the small but essential ways in which we connect to nature each day is by listening to the sound of songbirds. They provide welcome, therapeutic relief from the noise pollution that permeates modern city life, whether it’s an ambulance’s siren, the constant hum of traffic, or the loud whine of a neighbor’s leaf blower.
Persistent noise pollution may irritate us, but here’s an interesting question: Does it matter to those songbirds? New research shows that the answer is an emphatic “Yes!”
A study released in September 2015 used an innovative experimental design, with audio speakers placed in a roadless area in Idaho. The recorded sounds of passing cars were played in the previously quiet wilderness.
The researchers captured migrant birds in the area, and also at another nearby location where no sounds were broadcast, in mist nets. They found that not only was the total number of birds reduced in the area where the road sounds were played but that the physical condition of the birds that stayed in the noisy spot was worse.
The researchers wanted to learn why there were fewer birds—and stressed ones at that—in the louder area, so they conducted another experiment. They captured some migrant white-crowned sparrows and let them feed in a large, enclosed area, sometimes in silence and sometimes with traffic noise. They videotaped the sparrows’ behavior. Birds experiencing the noisy environment spent more time looking around vigilantly for possible danger, while those in quiet moved around and fed more vigorously. The researchers surmised that in the real world, birds near roads or in other noisy places must generally spend less time feeding and more time watching out for danger.
This study is just one of many that have shown that noise alone from roads or industrial installations can decrease the abundance of many bird species. In particular, a University of Alberta researcher, Erin Bayne, has demonstrated a decrease in the number of ovenbirds near industrial sounds at sites in northern Alberta’s boreal forest during the breeding season. At these times, singing birds face an added complication: It may be hard for potential mates to hear their songs over noise created by humans.
Migratory songbirds such as the olive-sided flycatcher thrive in the boreal forest.
Mammals also pay attention to human-generated noises. Woodland caribou, an indicator species in Canada’s boreal forest, are well-known to avoid areas with noisy industrial operations and busy roads.
These findings demonstrate the critical importance of maintaining very large areas that are free of roads so that birds—and other creatures—have breeding grounds where they can safely raise their young and feed during migration.
The boreal forest region in Canada is one of the increasingly rare areas where there are still excellent opportunities to conserve large tracts of intact, primary forest free of large-scale industrial noise pollution.
Working with partners such as the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Indigenous First Nations, The Pew Charitable Trusts is committed to ensuring the ecological integrity of the boreal through a balance of strict protection and sustainable development practices.
The work is paying big dividends: Millions of acres are being protected for a wide range of wildlife, boreal songbirds included.
In 2015, for example, almost 5 million acres of the boreal were committed to parks and protected areas in Quebec’s Broadback River Valley and with the creation of the Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve in Newfoundland and Labrador. Another 6.4 million acres in the Northwest Territories moved closer to permanent protection in the proposed Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve and adjacent territorial protected areas. These are all places where songbirds—such as the white-crowned sparrow, rusty blackbird, and olive-sided flycatcher—thrive in the relatively silent surroundings of an intact natural environment.
Conservation science has been clear that maintaining large areas free of roads and other industrial disturbances is essential for the long-term survival and health of animals and plants, and to ensure clean air and water for the planet.
This latest research shows that the impacts of industrial, human-generated sounds on birds are yet another reason why such areas are so important.
Jeff Wells is a science adviser to The Pew Charitable Trusts and science director at the Boreal Songbird Initiative. | <urn:uuid:908bb101-454a-430e-9cfb-a755bf206fa4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/analysis/2016/01/19/silence-is-golden-for-birds-of-the-boreal-forest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285289.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00146-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949347 | 945 | 3.8125 | 4 |
| | the floss test
I had heard that the test of whether a person has bad breath or not is to floss the teeth and then smell the floss. I have never had anyone complain about my breath, but I did the test anyway and every single tooth came out okay except one. On one side of one tooth, my floss consistently comes out with a putrid smell. I have good dental hygiene habits; I eat right, and the tooth feels and looks completely normal as well as the gum around it. So why am I getting this smell and how can I get rid of it? By the way, it is an upper molar tooth and a wisdom tooth is coming in next to it. Fortunately this one tooth has not effected my breath, but I know something is not right for this smell to be there and I certainly don't want it to spread! | <urn:uuid:a40ce022-b817-4e74-bdc3-a2e7420a98db> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.healthboards.com/boards/dental-health/35247-floss-test.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280221.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00234-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988155 | 178 | 2.453125 | 2 |
WiseGuyReports.com adds “China Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2016” report to its research database.
“China Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2016” is among the latest country specific policy reports from GlobalData, the industry analysis specialist that offers comprehensive information on major policies governing renewable energy market in the country.
The report provides the current and future renewable energy targets and plans along with the present policy framework, giving a fair idea of overall growth potential of the renewable energy industry. The report also provides major technology specific policies and incentives provided in the country.
The report is built using data and information sourced from industry associations, government websites and statutory bodies. The information is also sourced through other secondary research sources such as industry and trade magazines.
Complete report details @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/china-renewable-energy-policy-handbook-2016
- The report covers policy measures and incentives used by China to promote renewable energy.
- The report details promotional measures in China both for the overall renewable energy industry and for specific renewable energy technologies that have potential in the country.
Reasons to buy
The report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner. It will allow you to -
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- Be ahead of competition by keeping yourself abreast of all the latest policy changes.
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Table of Contents
1 Table of Contents 2
1.1 List of Tables 4
2 Introduction 5
2.1 Renewable Energy Policy 5
2.2 GlobalData Report Guidance 5
3 Renewable Energy Policy, China 6
3.1 Overview 6
3.2 Renewable Energy Law 7
3.2.1 Renewable Energy Targets 8
3.2.2 Feed-in Tariff 9
3.2.3 Taxation Measures 9
3.2.4 Grid Access 10
3.2.5 Interconnection Standards 10
3.2.6 Special Fund for Renewable Energy Development 10
3.2.7 Renewable Energy Law Amendments 10
3.3 International Science and Technology Co-operation Program for New and Renewable Energy 11
3.4 Shandong Province Village Renewable Energy Regulations 11
3.5 The 12th Five-Year Plan 12
3.6 New Carbon Intensity Target 12
3.7 China to Join International Renewable Energy Agency 12
3.8 Renewable Energy Tariff Surcharge Grant Funds Management Approach 12
3.9 Renewable Electricity Bonus 13
3.10 Carbon Tax and Carbon Pricing 13
3.11 Financial Incentives and Policy Support for Solar Power, China 13
3.11.1 Golden Sun Program 14
3.11.2 Building Integrated PV Subsidy Program 15
3.11.3 Feed-in Tariff for Solar Projects 16
3.11.4 Distributed PV Power Generation Project 17
3.11.5 Notice of the National Energy Administration and China Development Bank on Supporting the Financial Services to the Distributed Solar PV Power Generation 17
Sample Page of the Report @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/china-renewable-energy-policy-handbook-2016
Partner Relations & Marketing Manager
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M: +1 646 845 9349 | <urn:uuid:c329cc3a-4f69-4aba-9a67-25344939ab91> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.newsmaker.com.au/news/55712/china-renewable-energy-policy-handbook-2016 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280825.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00208-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.837894 | 803 | 1.695313 | 2 |
East Mids Mo Bros
30 November 2012, 19:23
Take a couple of taches, a few rugby lads, what have you got? Movember.
Researchers reckon 2 billion conversations have been started on Twitter and Facebook about cancer over the last 30 days because so many sportsmen have been growing moutasches for Movember.
Footballer Michael Owen and Leicester Tiger Toby Flood have both taken part and so have some of the Nottingham rugby lads like David 'Jacko' Jackson and Rupert Cooper.
MP's have even been taking part and talking about it at Westminster, with David Cameron praising people for getting onboard.
Movember: The Facts
- 360,000 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas signed up this year
- Sports teams, businesses, teachers and community groups have all been involved
- £13.9 Million has already been raised in the UK in 2012 Funds raised in the UK support men's health initiatives like raising awareness of prostate cancer | <urn:uuid:eb74de33-3317-4c83-918e-2f655ed43a37> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.capitalfm.com/eastmids/radio/news/local/movember-jacko-rupert-nottingham-rugby-tache/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988721555.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183841-00179-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949782 | 198 | 1.515625 | 2 |
National Snow and Ice - January 2007
NCEI added Alaska climate divisions to its nClimDiv dataset on Friday, March 6, 2015, coincident with the release of the February 2015 monthly monitoring report. For more information on this data, please visit the Alaska Climate Divisions FAQ.
The two satellite-derived animations above show the daily snow cover across the Northern Hemisphere (left map) and North America (right map) throughout January 2007. By clicking on the images, the change in sea-ice extent across parts of the Arctic (especially the Labrador Sea) can be seen through the month as well as several significant snowfall events across the U.S. and Europe.
More information on significant winter weather and other hazards can be found on NCDC's Hazards page.
The map to the left depicts the snow water equivalent (SWE) as a percent of normal for the western U.S. as of January 31st. Much of Washington and parts of Colorado reported more than 120% of normal SWE for this time of year. Smaller patches of above normal SWE were also reported in Arizona and New Mexico. In contrast, the absence of snow in the Intermountain Basin, the Oregon Cascades and the Sierras is also evident from the map. Additional information on January severe winter weather can also be found on NCDC's Hazards page. | <urn:uuid:e3d676cb-aa9d-431b-aa97-a271256d293f> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/snow/200701 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280763.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00517-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955191 | 281 | 2.484375 | 2 |
Canine Cancer — What You Can Do To Protect Your Dog
Cancer is an unfortunate reality that many people with dogs must face. The scary truth is, the disease is quite common in pups.
The Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University projects one in four dogs will experience the disease. Dog cancer is a serious issue facing all dog lovers.
In simple terms, cancer is a disease where some of the body’s cells divide without stopping and spread into the surrounding areas of the body. Cancers can form solid tumors, which are masses of tissue. The tumors are malignant and can invade nearby tissue, or spread throughout the body, traveling via blood. Cancer is equally life-threatening to both dogs and humans. That’s why it is important to learn about the disease and monitor your dog’s health.
Signs and Symptoms of Canine Cancers
The Flint Animal Cancer Center found that cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs, with as much as 50% of pups dying fro the disease. Similar to humans, early detection is important so treatment can get started before the cancer has a chance to spread throughout the body. Keep in mind possible signs of cancer don’t immediately indicate cancer, but they’re definitely a reason to get to the vet:
Common Types of Dog Cancer
Cancer is most prevalent in senior dogs. The American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation estimates one-third of dogs over seven will experience cancer in their life. Cancer comes in all types like carcinoma, sarcoma, melanoma, lymphoma, and leukemia. It can occur at any age, to purebreds or mixed breeds.
According to the American Animal Hospital Association, these are the six more common types of cancer in dogs:
As with any type of cancer, the best way to beat it is early detection. Be mindful of changes in your dog’s behavior. If you notice abnormalities, do not wait to call your vet. Unfortunately, there aren’t clinical trials or statistical studies that prove you can prevent cancer in at-risk dogs. Stacey Hershman, DVM, a holistic housecall veterinarian told
Whole Dog Journal, “But common sense and clinical experience make a strong case for avoiding anything that exposes an animal to known carcinogens or weakens the immune system.”
The best prevention is giving your dog a healthy lifestyle. Make sure your pup eats the right foods, gets enough exercise, breathes clean air, drinks clean water, and stays away from harmful substances. Poor oral hygiene has also been linked to some cancers, so be sure to keep your pup’s teeth clean.
Treatment and Costs
There are many different types of cancer treatments for dogs. Some of them are:
Researchers are also developing new drugs to heal dogs. For example, the Yale School of Medicine developed a new vaccine that may treat canine cancer. They are working with the Veterinary Cancer Center to test the vaccine on patients.
All those treatments sound expensive, right? There’s no way around it, treatment incurs a cost. We can’t provide you with a definite number, but here are some estimates provided by the National Canine Cancer Foundation. “An initial visit to confirm a cancer diagnosis can be upwards of $200. Major surgery….can start at $1,500. Chemotherapy treatments might range from $200 to $2,000. Radiation therapy can range from $2,000 to $6,000 or higher. You’ll also need to factor in additional medications that might be needed-such as pain relievers or antibiotics-which could cost another $30 to $50 per month for an indefinite period.”
Early Detection Is Key
The most important advice is this: know your dog’s regular behavior. If you notice changes or the symptoms mentioned above, it’s time to talk to the doctor. Do not delay.
Originally published at https://petshome1.blogspot.com. | <urn:uuid:aa51d84d-9593-42e5-83dc-5e555eed756f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cathypturner.medium.com/canine-cancer-what-you-can-do-to-protect-your-dog-8decc6cd919e?source=user_profile---------2---------------------------- | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573104.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817183340-20220817213340-00468.warc.gz | en | 0.930699 | 835 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Document.SolutionXMLElementCount Property (Visio)
Returns the number of SolutionXML elements in a document. Read-only.
A variable that represents a Document object.
The first element in the document has an index of 1.
The number of SolutionXML elements you can add to a document is limited only by the amount of available computer memory. | <urn:uuid:14e5eb5d-d15a-4371-8359-89073ecbec94> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff768544.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00245-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.702118 | 76 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Towards UNGASS 2016: Strengthening a public health approach when addressing the world drug problem
19 May 2015, 18.00, Palais des Nations, Salle VII
Ladies and gentlemen,
First of all I would like to thank the eleven governments who organized this meeting for inviting me to address you.
The preamble of the 1961 United Nations single convention on narcotic drugs states that the “health and welfare of mankind”, and I repeat “health and welfare of mankind”, is the main objective of that convention.
Unfortunately, current drug policies in many countries will not lead to the achievement of that objective.
To the contrary, those policies have resulted in what the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has called ‘unintended consequences’.
Those unintended consequences include the creation of a huge, international criminal black market that fuels corruption and spreads violence.
Misguided attempts in some countries to prevent the use of drugs by only punitive measures have not worked; instead they have resulted in mass incarceration.
And in other countries, the so called “war on drugs” has led to massive insecurity.
As I have said before and I repeat here tonight: I believe that drugs have destroyed many lives, but wrong government policies have destroyed many more.
A criminal record for a young person for a minor drug offence can be a far greater threat to their wellbeing than occasional drug use.
In many parts of the world, drug users are stigmatized, live under constant threat of arrest and are prevented from seeking treatment and support.
Even when policies aimed at drug cartels have been relatively successful, they often simply shift the problem elsewhere: reduction in one country leads to an increase in another.
We know too that when law enforcement suppresses the supply of one substance many users simply switch to another, sometimes a more harmful substance.
So I am convinced that ccurrent drug policies have to be reformed to ensure that they encourage prevention and treatment based on evidence of what works.
I am especially concerned about the situation in Africa.
In recent years, the Continent has become a hub for drug trafficking and the domestic consumption of drugs is also on the rise.
And yet there are very few or no prevention and treatment services available in most of the African countries.
At the same time, under current drug control policies, African access to essential medication for pain management is highly restricted.
We know that 90 percent of morphine is prescribed in North America and Europe. In many developing countries, patients with terminal cancer suffer needlessly because doctors cannot prescribe medication due to the misapplication or misunderstanding of the UN drug conventions.
The World Health Organisation “Access to Controlled Medicines Programme” is a step in the right direction.
But we must make sure that access to the essential medicines on the WHO model lists does not become a casualty of the “drug war”.
The recent attempt to schedule ketamine, a drug recommended by WHO “to ensure safe and affordable surgical care” and used widely in the poorest areas of the world, would have been a backwards step.
I hope that evidence-based decision making on drug policies will prevail.
Sadly, drug policy has never been an area where evidence and effectiveness of policies have led the way.
Obviously, we all want to protect our families from the potential harms of drugs.
But if they do develop a drug problem – that is a chronic relapsing illness as the WHO has defined it – they should be viewed as patients in need of treatment and not as criminals.
In what other areas of public health do we criminalise patients in need of help?
Surely it cannot be the job of the criminal justice system to prescribe remedies to deal with public health concerns.
This is the job of public health professionals.
And the UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov has said, “the conventions are not about waging a “war on drugs” but about protecting the “health and welfare of mankind”.
We should focus on that objective.
The current drug policies are not achieving that goal.
So the question is: what policies would enable governments and health authorities to counter and reduce the social and health harms that drug use can cause?
If I may, I would like to make three suggestions.
First, decriminalize drug use. Punitive measures do not work and put lots of people in prison where their drug use may actually get worse.
Second, strengthen treatment services, especially in middle and low-income countries.
The West Africa Commission on Drugs, which I convened, did not find a single treatment centre in that region which meets international minimum standards.
Fortunately Senegal and some other countries are now opening new facilities; donors should help to expand such facilities throughout the region.
Third, we need to learn how to live with drugs so they cause the least possible harm. Even though we would like a “drug-free world”, this is not a realistic ambition.
Tobacco is an example of how a dangerous and addictive product is being regulated because we know that it cannot simply be outlawed.
As a result, the number of people who are addicted to cigarettes and tobacco has gone down in a large number of countries.
And this happened without anyone being arrested or put in jail or sent to a “treatment program” by a prosecutor or a judge. It was achieved through higher taxes, restrictions on sale and use and effective anti-smoking campaigns.
It was Regulation and education that led to this result.
We need to regulate drugs because they are risky.
Drugs are infinitely more dangerous when produced and sold by criminals who do not worry about any safety measures.
Legal regulation protects health. Consumers need to be aware of what they are taking and have clear information on health risks and how to minimize them.
Governments need to be able to regulate vendors and outlets according to how much harm a drug can cause.
The most risky drugs should never be available “over the counter” but only via medical prescription for people registered as dependent users, as is already happening here in Switzerland.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,
For some time, the Global Commission on Drug Policy, of which I am a member – and I see other members in the room: Michel Katzachkine and of course the moderator Ruth Dreifuss, has been encouraging an open, forward looking discussion of these issues in the run up to the General Assembly Special Session in 2016.
I am happy to see so many of you hear to join the debate.
We believe that WHO, which is one of the four treaty bodies of the international drug conventions, should play a major role in that debate.
Drug policies should be grounded in scientific evidence and a deep concern for health and human rights.
That is why we strongly believe the time is right for a smarter, health-based approach to drug policy.
I fervently hope that UNGASS 2016 will focus on the real issues and take us in the direction that I think we ought to go. | <urn:uuid:4494ef50-9a38-4414-a8f9-d2b0cc21d3d5> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/speech-of-commissioner-kofi-annan-68th-world-health-assembly | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571222.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810222056-20220811012056-00667.warc.gz | en | 0.954789 | 1,473 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Hydrogen exists as three varieties or isotopes: protium, deuterium, and tritium. Heavy water, or deuterium oxide (D₂O) is the same compound as ordinary or tap water (H₂O) with one structure difference. Most of the hydrogen atoms in tap water have zero neutrons in their centers, or nuclei. On the other hand, every atom of deuterium contains precisely one neutron. We will not discuss tritium, with its one proton and two neutrons.
A Closer Inspection of Hydrogen Isotopes
The mass of an atom is determined by the nucleus. Since the weight of a proton and that of a neutron are nearly identical, deuterium atoms have a mass essentially double that of ordinary hydrogen. Hence one name for deuterium oxide is heavy water.
Heavy Water Laboratory Observations
Alan Soper of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory has found that the D-O bonds in heavy water are about 3% shorter than H-O bonds. A shorter bond is a stronger bond. This stronger direct D-O bonding in deuterium oxide logically decreases the strength of deuterium to oxygen intermolecular bonds (bonds between different molecules). They are about 4% longer than intermolecular H-O bonds.
Linearity – Going Straight
The D-O-D bond angle appears to be about 106° in the liquid phase. This makes heavy water a slightly more linear structure than ordinary water at 104.5°. The number of intermolecular hydrogen bonds for D₂O are somewhat fewer in number than for H₂O. Heavy water is denser than regular water. Finally, the freezing point of deuterium oxide is 4°C and it boils at 101°C.
Interestingly, intermolecular hydrogen bonding is a major factor in H₂O being a liquid rather than a gas at ordinary temperatures. Heavy water has fewer and weaker hydrogen bonds, so one might expect it to have a lower boiling point. However, the increased mass, coupled with influences from its other physical differences actually raises its boiling point a little higher than regular water.
A practical joke some find amusing is to put deuterium ice cubes in a glass of water. After asking those who are present if ice sinks or floats, and receiving the answer “it floats,” he or she then puts a heavy water ice cube in a glass and the cube plummets to the bottom of the glass.
Note: You might also enjoy “Three Hydrogen Isotopes: Protium, Deuterium, Tritium”
- Argonne National Laboratory: Quantum Physics Makes Water Different (August 2008)
- D-O-D Bond Angle: K. Ichikawa, Y. Kameda, T. Yamaguchi, H. Wakita and M. Misawa, Neutron-diffraction investigation of the intramolecular structure of a water molecule in the liquid-phase at high-temperatures, Mol. Phys. 73 (1991) 79-86. | <urn:uuid:97f09e5e-0dd1-428e-9771-fe5b2130c364> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.quirkyscience.com/heavy-water/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571745.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812170436-20220812200436-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.895667 | 651 | 3.90625 | 4 |
A place without a bin is just unimaginable. It is something in which all kinds of dump is thrown into be it remaining food, old newspapers or vegetable peels.
To use a bin is one thing and to use the correct size of the bin is another thing. Most of the times people end up buying the wrong types and then it adds to a lot of other problems. If you buy a wrong kind of bin, then it may lead to a further problems like-
It may send out a strong stench
Attract vermin's and pests
When you have to buy kitchen waste bins or some water tanks like loft tanks etc. you have to keep a few things in mind-
Kitchen waste bins or water tanks like loft tanks need to be large enough to accommodate all kinds of waste or water. Before buying the product, think how many people will be using it? How regularly one has to empty it and fill it again?
Remember height matters when things have to be stored or disposed. If the height is too low, then it may be piled on with the waste.
Keep the lid in mind
The lid must be well fitted and it must not be loose. If it is too tight fitting, then it may emit bad smell and will start stinking. It must be practical and easy to use. Some of them have a pedal so it becomes even easier to dump the waste.
Cleaning and emptying becomes easy
A bin must be practical enough, so avoid anything that cannot be cleaned easily. Some bins may be attractive, but it may not be very functional. It should be such that it can be emptied easily and may not tip over.
Every house or office must have a kitchen waste storage bins to make the place neat and clean. It goes without saying that we have to make efforts from our side to keep the place clean. By doing this we will help ourselves by avoiding ghastly sights and strong stench.
Functionality must rule over anything else. When a thing is functional enough then all else can take a back seat. Price can be adjusted and looks can be compromised but if the thing is not functional, then nothing can replace the loss.
Keep that in mind and move ahead to make some changes in your life.
Frontier Polymers is one of the most-respected loft tanks manufacturers in the India; it offers a truly mesmerizing range of Medical Waste Bins for domestic as well as commercial usage.
Use the right kind of kitchen bin and remain stress free | <urn:uuid:05d57a86-bc34-44fb-a1a4-19a8b4d992cc> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://copytaste.com/k3978 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282926.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00401-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946256 | 512 | 2.015625 | 2 |
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