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Local mobile applications are the ones that therefore are used from there and are saved for your cell phones. They’re usually coded in a particular programming language for example Java for Objective and Androids C for iOS.
They’re recognized to offer a large level of stability along with higher efficiency.
They may be created to create usage of the numerous functions of the telephone for example GPS camera and addressbook. Nonetheless they are usually costly because they are associated with just one technology to build up as well as the designers have to recode for other systems.
While there’s a significant news about internet and cross applications for cellular devices, local applications continue to be those that offer clients the best person experiences. Mobile customers expect much more from their cell phones than texting and basic calling. This really is where indigenous mobile software development makes image. This really is what you’ll need if user experience is of main concern.
Less bugs – These applications feel the app-store testing and therefore are thus constructed with careful programming. They’re examined numerous times before they’re uploaded.Thus they’re usually bug-free and supply customers using the balance to work well with instead of buggy versions that accident!
Performance – this is actually the approach to take if performance of the company software is just a requirements. Web-apps have some other dependencies like data rates of the cellular carriers or the pace of the web connection.
Use of the features of the device
Local applications are far more effective because they could make usage of the telephone’s functions for example GPS camera and addressbook. They could even be created when the use is attached to run-in sync and traditional mode. Web applications require you to be online to allow them to run. The tradeoff here’s that when the application must be recognized on various systems, the designers have to produce individual rules. This could certainly imply substantial time and a substantial improvement expense to promote.
Local applications have absolutely provided a brand new meaning to mobile software development and much more and much more businesses are implementing them because of their businesses.
Web applications are recognized because of their financial savings. These programs nevertheless don’t possess the luxury of utilizing the smartphone functions as well as the whole knowledge they offer is just a little inferior in contrast. The programming language is typical and therefore the development expenses will also be reduced. The consumer will even require a reliable web connection in order to make use of these programs efficiently. Companies prefer them since they’re usually present about the client’s telephone along with a person doesn’t need to remember a website to gain access to them. | <urn:uuid:7b082538-734c-4f44-aecb-814bfcf0fd0d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://programmingscala.com/the-native-mobile-app-development-craze | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571246.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811073058-20220811103058-00272.warc.gz | en | 0.955382 | 544 | 2.5625 | 3 |
The Whole Gospel to the Whole of our Lives- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. David Martin Lloyd-Jones was one of the most faithful and greatest preachers of the 20th century. Here is a quotation from his sermon on Romans 6. He is speaking concerning the failure to understand the fullness of the gospel to our lives.
Dr. Lloyd-Jones: “People are often unhappy in the Christian life because they have thought of Christianity, and the whole message of the gospel, in inadequate terms. Some think that it is merely a message of forgiveness. You ask them to tell you what Christianity is and they will reply: ‘If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ your sins are forgiven’, and they stop at that. That is all. They are unhappy about certain things in their past and they hear God in Christ will forgive them. They take their forgiveness and there they stop- – that is all their Christianity.
There are others who conceive of it as morality only. Their view of themselves is that they do not need forgiveness, but they desire an exalted way of life. They want to do good in this world, and Christianity to them is an ethical, moral program. Such people are bound to be unhappy.
….The gospel is not something partial or piecemeal: it takes in the whole life, the whole of history, the whole world.
It tells us about the creation and the final judgment and everything in between. It is a complete, whole view of life, and many are unhappy in the Christian life because they have never realized that this way of life caters for the whole of man’s life and covers every eventuality in his experience. There is no aspect of life but that the gospel has something to say about it. The whole of life must come under its influence because it is all-inclusive; the gospel is meant to control and govern everything in our lives…
…We must realize the greatness of the gospel, its vast eternal span. We must dwell more on the riches, and in the riches, of these great doctrinal absolutes. We must not always stay in the gospels. We must start there but we must go on; and then as we see it all worked out and put into its great context we shall realize what a mighty thing the gospel is, and how the whole of our life is meant to be governed by it.”
In Christ’s love, | <urn:uuid:feb5fd56-07b5-493c-ad3a-55d1da1e6c38> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ketoctin.org/uncategorized/the-whole-gospel-to-the-whole-of-our-lives | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570692.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20220807181008-20220807211008-00672.warc.gz | en | 0.96606 | 506 | 1.851563 | 2 |
No vacation on the Borneo Island is complete without a tour of two of the most famous places on the island: the extraordinary Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Springs! From snorkeling to scuba diving, from chasing butterflies to admiring orchids, this area combines nature and wilderness with modern facilities for a perfect tourist experience.
Highly appreciated by visitors of all profiles, Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Springs represent one of Borneo’s main attractions. Located in the Sabah County, the park covers approximately 750 square km, being by far the largest natural park in the area.
The estimated 289 species of plants, as well as the about 290 species of birds, animals and butterflies transform the park into a treat for the eye and the soul. The best way to watch them in their full splendor is from the suspended bridges hidden by exotic vegetation. Hanging 60 meters above the ground, these walkways offer a unique view of the park but they are recommended only to those who look for adrenaline and adventures.
No journey is complete without a visit at the water springs. One of nature’s most exciting gifts, the water springs are a delight for the health of the body and of the soul. Known for their medicinal properties, these waters have been properly set up for welcoming any tourist interested in trying such a treatment.
So you see, this tour addresses many of your wishes, from your thirst for adrenaline and the outdoors to your love for nature and its wonders, to your need to relax and take care of your health.
The world is barely discovering Borneo and its wonders. Book your vacation now and be among the first to enjoy the richness and purity of Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot Springs.
|Child (5-11 years old)||RM154.33|
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KNIME is an open source data analytics, reporting, and integration platform, which allows you to analyze a small or large amount of data without having to reach out to programming languages like R.
“KNIME Essentials” teaches you all you need to know to start processing your first data sets using KNIME. It covers topics like installation, data processing, and data visualization including the KNIME reporting features. Data processing forms a fundamental part of KNIME, and KNIME Essentials ensures that you are fully comfortable with this aspect of KNIME before showing you how to visualize this data and generate reports.
“KNIME Essentials” guides you through the process of the installation of KNIME through to the generation of reports based on data. The main parts between these two phases are the data processing and the visualization. The KNIME variants of data analysis concepts are introduced, and after the configuration and installation description comes the data processing which has many options to convert or extend it. Visualization makes it easier to get an overview for parts of the data, while reporting offers a way to summarize them in a nice way.
What you will learn from this book
- Install and configure KNIME
- Create KNIME workflows and report templates
- Import data to KNIME
- Transform data with KNIME workflows
- Enhance your data with data from other sources
- Visualize data using KNIME
- Generate reports from your data
“KNIME Essentials” is a practical guide aimed at getting the results you want, as quickly as possible.
Who this book is written for
“Knime Essentials” is written for data analysts looking to quickly get up to speed using the market leader in data processing tools, KNIME. No knowledge of KNIME is required, but we will assume that you have some background in data processing.
- Paperback: 148 pages
- Publisher: Packt Publishing (October 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1849699216
- ISBN-13: 978-1849699211 | <urn:uuid:af3c44a6-99d9-4030-a4f1-50fcd23e16e6> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.wowebook.pw/book/knime-essentials/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280825.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00199-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.899098 | 427 | 2.203125 | 2 |
New Somalia government offensive against Al Shabab
The weak, transitional Somalia government may finally bring President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed some badly needed legitimacy if newly trained forces can push back the militant Islamist group, Al Shabab.
Feisal Omar / Reuters
Johannesburg, South Africa
A long-awaited offensive by the weak, transitional Somali government may finally bring President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed some badly needed legitimacy, but it is almost certainly going to increase the hardship of tens of thousands of civilians who are being forced from their homes.
The conflict has the potential to spread outside of Somalia. The offensive is targeting the militant Islamist Al-Shabab rebel group who have threatened to launch a jihad, or holy struggle, against Kenya for its reported military support for President Sharif’s government.
The most recent bout of fighting began in January as thousands of Somali troops, newly trained in Djibouti, Burundi, and reportedly in Kenya, began to return to Somalia and take up positions on the front lines. Fighting in Belet Wayne, Dhuusamareeb, and the capital of Mogadishu has killed 258 in the past month, displaced some 82,000 others, and increased the number of Somali civilians who must rely on external food aid to survive, according to the United Nations.
“Kenya has prepared troops that comprise of Kenyans and Somalis, who are trained to attack and take over the regions,” Sheikh Hussen told Andalus radio on Sunday, referring to press reports that Kenya had trained some 2,500 Somali troops for the Sheikh Sharif government. “They are planning to attack us on the land, sea, and air. We are urging people to be ready and defend our land.”
A fresh chance for legitimacy – and stability
Somalia has been at near-constant war since the fall of its last functioning government, the dictatorship of President Siad Barre in 1991, so the current uptick in violence can be seen as just another sad chapter. But the Sharif government sees its current offensive as a chance to finally push back against the Al Shabab militia whose ties to Al Qaeda and use of suicide bombers make it an international menace. This might mean more hardship in the short term, experts on Somalia say, but it might mean more stability in the long term.
“Certainly in the short term, any concerted military offensive against Al Shabab is going to have humanitarian consequences, but the hope is that in the long term this can lead to a resolution of the conflict so that people can get on with their lives,” says E. J. Hogendoorn, director of the Horn of Africa Project at the International Crisis Group’s office in Nairobi. “This is a chance for the government to show the public, in places where they don’t control territory, that they can provide services and to show they are a functioning government.”
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), backed by some 4,000 Ugandan and Burundian troops, has largely kept the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia alive over the past two years, since the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops in December 2008. Training up a Somali army that can defend its territory makes sense, yet a long-standing UN arms embargo against Somalia makes that difficult. And Al Shabab’s increasing use of terrorist methods is making the international mission more costly in lives.
Diplomats in Kenya privately confirm the East African country has come under pressure to step up its support for the Sharif government, training 2,500 Somali troops. Kenya has also increased its armored patrols along the porous border with Somalia. But officially, Kenya denies reports that it has trained Somali troops. “That report is not true and should not be taken seriously,” Kenyan Internal Security Assistant Minister Orwa Ojodeh told the Daily Nation newspaper in Nairobi.
Fighting over the past month has led some human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, to condemn the reported training and arming of government troops. “International concern for the future of the Somali government has not been matched by an equal concern for the human rights of civilians,” said Michelle Kagari, Amnesty International Deputy Director for Africa, in late January.
Naming Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti and Uganda as training sites for Somali police and military, and the European Union, France, Germany and Italy as providers of that training, Ms. Kagari added: “Mortar attacks continue to claim lives – it is time for international donors to apply tighter controls to their support for the government.”
Frequent artillery battles, between Shabab and government forces, take a deadly toll on civilians. Yet Shabab has reportedly begun withdrawing arms and troops from a few of its strongholds, including Mogadishu’s main Bakara Market, a sign that the militia takes the current offensive seriously.
Fighting now serves two purposes: to give the government some breathing room in Mogadishu, where it currently controls the airport, seaport, and just a few blocks around the presidential palace; and it helps establish enough credibility to encourage moderates within Shabab and another allied Islamist militia, Hizbul Islam, to come to the negotiation table.
“We do feel that the solution has to be a political one, not a military one,” says Mr. Hogendoorn of the International Crisis Group. | <urn:uuid:9a64255a-cc7e-46d9-bc8c-b6b3c4250aa4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://m.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2010/0208/New-Somalia-government-offensive-against-Al-Shabab/(page)/2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283008.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00082-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955712 | 1,120 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The study of how computer networks are protected from theft or injury to their hardware, software, or digital information and loss of the services provided is known as cyber security. If you are an individual working in cyber security, you are trained how to control cyber-attacks and need to know how to prevent an attack in the first place and hit back against a cyber threat. When you are using social media and the number of cybercrimes, there will be more demand for cybercrime courses after the 12th standard, growing day by day. There is a need to fight cybercrime, which necessitates the use of professionals. Cyber security courses after 12th educate the students how to be familiar with computer security susceptibility, know cyber exploitation, and avoid damage such as data loss and financial loss caused by viruses. So, here are some of the cybercrime courses which are mentioned below.
BCA (Hons) Cyber Security:
The Bachelor of Computer Applications in Cyber Security is one of the particular cyber security courses after 12th, mainly providing the students with all the skills essential to become capable cyber security professionals. These courses make it clear that they relate to computers and information technology. This course covers the latest cyber security technology and ensures that computer systems are well-protected against illegal access and fraud. This term is more popular worldwide, and it means the protection of important information and valuable data from hackers. Students who are fulfilling the eligibility can apply for admission. If you are well-versed and qualified, graduates of the cyber security course are largely hired by private or government organizations. The professional courses can equip the students with essential techniques to become competent cyber security experts.
BTech CSE Cyber Security:
The cyber security courses after 12th science are reasonable in terms of theoretical and sensible aspects, technical, creative methodologies, academic research and industry practices. The courses can be only offered to the students who completed the 12th with a minimum percentage, and it is a four-year undergraduate program. Students will learn about the required theoretical basis, idea clarity, and insights into the technical dimensions of cyber security. The program will be delivered using project-based learning, which leads to internships and career opportunities for beginners. Cyber security courses provide you with a certificate, and they can combine the power of technology with the spirit of entrepreneurship to the right track at the correct age. These courses also help you understand analytical methodologies and industrial practices in the sector through such cybercrime courses after the 12th. You will have a great future when you know about particular cyber security courses.
BSc Cyber Security:
The cyber security courses after 12th science get ready for students to professions in cyber security by providing you with the essential knowledge. Suppose any organization or company doesn’t have any secure information system where data could get into the wrong person hands with lead to possibly dangerous results. So, the cyber security course is mainly intended for future professionals who can join the fundamental concept and principle of new technologies and solutions. In these courses, you can gain practical knowledge of the key issue associated with the design, analysis and implementation of current IT security systems. These cybercrime courses after 12th cover topics such as cyber security supervision, incident management, and security threat assessment, requiring students to be knowledge makers and process inventors rather than just users of information. And the courses can be offered in a particular location with all facilities.
Diploma in Cyber Security:
When you decide to choose these courses, students can learn more about the process for protecting desktops, data centres, mobile platforms, and data from targeted hackers. These diploma courses can be conducted for both the full-time and online programs based on the student’s eligibility. Courses can help you lead to employment opportunities in the cyber security function in various sectors. The diploma in cyber security course is fully a hand program with practical knowledge, including hundreds of offensive and defensive tools. One will systematically understand and prepare to safeguard computer operating systems and data records from cyber intimidation. By practising the practical skills, you can bring yourself up with speed to uncover the security threats in the organization. There will be a great demand for cyber security professionals, and ICSS will offer you job opportunities that can assist through its network for the leading company.
Certificate in Cyber Security (CCS):
The Certificate in Cyber Security courses after 12th arts, discipline, or commerce will mainly help students understand the steps that help you protect the organization from cyber-attacks. Their vast courses can help you develop cyber security skills and offer you top industry-recognized certification. It also provided specific courses targeting specific skills. The training covers everything from the requirement of passwords to more technological improvement strategies like encryption and two-factor authentication. After that, the training will go on to other aspects of cyber security, including dangers related to social media online and mobile devices. These cyber security courses after 12th arts science are designed to represent a broad clutch of the pressure that businesses face in today’s technology world. It is an ongoing challenge for the future business and for new threats emergency which can need a practical approach towards identifying possible risks and vulnerabilities.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH):
The CEH certification is one of the most wide-ranging certifications. This is one of the most promising cyber security courses online or In-Person available at Hacker School. The advent of the internet will make the accessibility of information abundant and easily reachable. Moreover, it will uncover the most important details about their lives. In such a situation, you need to help an ethical hacker counter your problems. This particular cyber security certification speaks of professionals, and it will help in assuring your employer that your ethics are connected to the security field. So, a CEH certificate will not require any precondition, and you will know the networking fundamentals with additional advantages to understand the concepts easily. This course will teach the students about hacking from a completely practical standpoint, following the principle of Learning by Doing.
Cyber Security Professional (CSP):
When considering the importance of Cyber Security in the digital period, Hacker School has introduced a Cyber Security Professional course. Many people wish to deep jump into the self-motivated and talented course that helps you land into Cyber Security Domain. The field is of growing importance, which helps you increase reliance on a computer system, the internet, and wireless networks such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. With the help of cyber security certifications online or In-Person, you will increase the aptitude to prove knowledge of the position you apply for and stand out as proof that you are certified in the cyber security courses. Due to its difficulties, both in politics and technology, it is one of the major challenges in this modern world.
Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI):
Through this certification, students will learn about the skills to be identified, impeach, and the path down the cybercriminal. These EC council courses are perfect for experts from the banking, legal work, insurance and e-business security sector. CHFI will offer its attendees a firm clutch of digital forensics, presenting detailed and methodological approaches to digital evidence. The tool and technique can cover the program in these courses, which helps prepare the beginner for conducting a digital investigation using group-breaking digital technologies. With the help of cyber security certifications online, you will gain the capability to prove knowledge of the position and help the application in digital knowledge in digital forensics, incident responders, information technology auditor, malware analysts, security consultants and chief security officers.
Certified Penetration Testing Professional (CPENT):
CPENT is one of the best cyber security courses available online, which help you to improve the saturation testing skills of their students. By learning these courses, they can easily choose an advanced diffusion testing course provided by EC-Council. It helps you perform in an enterprise the networking environment, including hacking, attacking, exploits, evading, and defending. It is used to build your tools, conduct advanced exploitation, double pivot to access hidden networks and customization the scripts and exploits to get into the innermost segments of the network. With the help of cyber security certifications online, you will learn more capabilities knowledge of the position you apply for and stand out as evidence that you are certified in the cyber security courses. And the live practice range will teach you to take your skills to the next level and write your exploits.
Certified SOC Analyst (CSA):
The CSA program is the first step to joining a security operation centre. The training and credential program helps the candidates acquire the trending and in-demand technical skills by institutions. These programs will mainly focus on the new career opportunities with extensive, meticulous knowledge and enhance the level of dynamical contributions. In this today’s advanced technology, the students can learn how to manage the SOC processes and collaboration with the CSIRT at the time of need. With the new threats emerging at rapid speed, Enterprises are battling Hackers and prearranged Cybercrimes every day. You need to monitor to avoid being a fatality. Security Operations fills the gap to offer you better metrics to understand and improve your organization’s Security System.
Thus, from the above, cyber security courses are important for beginners by using digital technology to avoid attacks, hacking etc. | <urn:uuid:49c1f87b-5b92-43e5-97c8-64ddc89ba98b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.coursesuggest.com/top-cybercrime-courses-after-12th/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571719.48/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812140019-20220812170019-00274.warc.gz | en | 0.935419 | 1,887 | 2.875 | 3 |
The campaign – launched with the release of the first in a series of videos and other informative tools on sourdough – is designed to enable the bakery sector capitalise on the growing resurgence of sourdough.
The fermentation process necessary to make this bread blends together several significant trends, including the skew towards healthier foods, the demand for natural products and a bigger focus on digestive health.
Fermentation naturally provides a clean label: it simply requires lactic acid bacteria, wild yeast and flour. The health benefits of fermentation are also widely accepted, with sourdough products packing a punch of enzymes, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics and vitamin B.
Sourdough is also highly digestible, helping consumers with yeast, wheat and gluten intolerances, and because it takes longer to digest, it helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
Not to be left out is its distinctive tangy, zesty flavour profile - particularly 'craved' by the younger generations - although variables like location, time, temperature and preferred technique can help bakers create a cornucopia of tastes.
Despite its trajectory growth – Mordor Intelligence projects the global market to register a 6.9% CAGR to 2020 – the concept is still widely misunderstood by consumers.
According to Fedima, a 2019 study carried out in nine European countries found 58% of the 5,000 respondents did not fully understand what sourdough is.
As such, the campaign aims to educate consumers on sourdough, providing information on how it is formed, its taste and history, and its value in baking traditions across Europe.
“This campaign will focus on informing consumers about sourdough in an engaging manner, providing details into many interesting characteristics of this ingredient. Our intention is to open up debate and encourage curiosity around sourdough throughout the coming months and years,” said Johan Sanders, president of Fedima.
Fedima represents more than 24,000 direct employees across 13 countries across Europe – representing approximately €1.5bn in annual turnover – working to support and grow the baked goods sector as a whole.
“Sourdough is an ingredient that has been part of European bread and baked goods traditions for thousands of years,” added Sanders.
“Through this campaign, Fedima hopes to highlight sourdough’s long and varied history, as well as its key characteristics and appeal to ensure this ingredient also has a bright future.” | <urn:uuid:63574818-6ffd-42b9-a76c-ffe21e6317f3> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Article/2020/10/15/Going-back-to-go-forward-Fedima-opens-debate-on-living-ancient-bread-leavening-technique | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571090.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809215803-20220810005803-00075.warc.gz | en | 0.937672 | 506 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Plans to ease Covid restrictions in England on 19 July are "looking good", the prime minister has said.
Boris Johnson said that was based on the efficacy of vaccines against identified variants.
But he warned there could be a "rough winter for all sorts of reasons", including a resurgence of flu.
It comes as the health secretary said he hoped to exempt fully vaccinated people from the requirement to isolate for 10 days when contact-traced.
Asked during on a visit to a laboratory in Hertfordshire whether he could rule out further lockdowns this winter, Mr Johnson said: "You can never exclude that there will be some new disease, some new horror that we simply haven't budgeted for, or accounted for.
"But looking at where we are, looking at the efficacy of the vaccines against all variants that we can currently see - so Alpha, Delta, the lot of them, Kappa - I think it's looking good for 19 July to be that terminus point."
His comments came after Prof Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the government's advisory committee on vaccination, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that flu "could be potentially a bigger problem this winter than Covid."
Flu immunity is likely to have dropped in the population as a result of low prevalence because of lockdowns, and it could come "back to bite us", he said.
Mr Johnson said the risk of a "rough winter" was "all the more reason to reduce the number of Covid cases now, give the NHS the breathing space it needs to get on with dealing with all those other pressures, and we are certainly going to be putting in the investment to make sure that they can".
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that he hoped to bring in a new approach to self-isolation to reflect the changing situation as the country opens up more and more.
For the past two months, a pilot study has been under way in which 40,000 people who have been named as contacts of someone who has tested positive for Covid have been allowed to take daily Covid tests and continue with their lives, rather than having to self-isolate.
"We're piloting that now to check that will be effective and it is something that we're working on," the health secretary said.
"We're not ready to be able to take that step yet. But it's something that I want to see and we will introduce, subject to clinical advice, as soon as it's reasonable to do so."
The trial is not expected to be completed until later in the summer.
Currently, anybody who has been told by NHS Test and Trace that they are a contact of somebody who has tested positive for the virus must self-isolate for 10 days.
This means not leaving home at all - even to buy food or medicines, or for exercise.
The rule applies to people regardless of whether they have received a coronavirus jab.
So far, nearly 60% of UK adults have had two doses of the vaccine, meaning they are fully vaccinated, and more than four in five adults have had their first dose.
More than one million jabs were booked on Friday and Saturday in England, after vaccinations opened to all over-18s.
There have been a further five deaths within 28 days of testing positive in the UK, according to the government's daily figures - and 10,633 new cases.
The prime minister said the government was also looking at using daily tests for travellers.
Asked whether ministers were considering allowing double-vaccinated travellers to be exempt from quarantine on their return to the UK if they took daily tests, Mr Johnson told reporters: "When it comes to travel, we'll certainly be looking at that.
"But I want to stress this is going to be, whatever happens, a difficult year for travel - there will be hassle, there will be delays, I'm afraid, because the priority has got to be to keep the country safe and to stop the virus coming back in."
Currently, people arriving in the UK from a country on the government's amber list must quarantine for 10 days - regardless of whether they have had a coronavirus jab.
However, in England an individual may be able to end their quarantine period early if they pay for an additional test under the test-to-release scheme.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he was "cautiously hopeful" about being able to lift some restrictions on international travel as a result of the vaccine programme.
He said the government had always committed to regularly review their international travel plan, with the next "checkpoint" taking place on 28 June.
He said that the checkpoints would look at whether the "science would support" relaxations including people who have received two vaccine doses no longer have to quarantine after returning from certain countries.
The original date the government had planned to remove all legal limits on social contact in England was 21 June - but this has been delayed to allow more people to be vaccinated.
However, some restrictions have still been eased.
The number of guests at a wedding is no longer limited to 30 (although there are capacity rules depending on a venue's size), visiting arrangements for care homes are changing, children can go on overnight trips in groups of 30, and pilots of large events like Euro 2020 games will continue.
And in Wales, rules are also being lifted slightly, including capacity restrictions for music and comedy and the limits on weddings changing in line with a venue's size.
- POSE: The ground-breaking drama shining a light on 1980s New York ball culture
- "I WAS JUST FALLING FURTHER AND FURTHER BEHIND": Heartfelt stories from people across the UK who struggle to read and write | <urn:uuid:c9fc43c8-4bf8-4323-8332-fb8babc2c91c> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57552793 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571222.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810222056-20220811012056-00677.warc.gz | en | 0.980889 | 1,181 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Website domain names are fairly cheap and easy to come by, allowing just about anyone with an interest to carve out their own piece of the Net. These domains must be renewed on a regular basis, however, otherwise you lose your claim to that particular address. Letting your domain expire, intentionally or not, can open you up to the dangers of identity theft or business loss.
No More Website
The most obvious consequence of letting your domain expire is that you will no longer have your website. While this may not be a big deal if you only used the domain for a hobby, it creates a much bigger problem if it was attached to your business website. Depending on your registrar -- the company you purchased your domain from -- you may have a limited period of time after the expiration date to re-register the domain. There may be additional fees attached to your renewal after it has expired, so check your registrar's terms of service or contact customer support for more information.
Lapsed domains become available for other people to purchase after a certain period of time. This could be a few weeks to a few months, depending on your registrar's terms. Once someone else has purchased your expired domain, you have no more right to it. You could theoretically take them to court to get the domain back, but this can be a costly process with unsure results.
A dangerous consequence from a lapsed domain deals with your other online accounts and personal information. If a ne'er-do-well purchases your domain name after you've let it expire, the new owner can use information from it to access other accounts online where you've used the domain's email. In other words, if you had an email address of John@ImSoAwesome.com that you've used on websites, such as Amazon or Google Apps, but let ImSoAwesome.com expire, the new owner of that domain could gain access to your other accounts. All he needs to do is create an identical email address and use the “Forgot Password” option to get in. Then he'll have access to your personal, and possibly financial, information.
If you truly want to let your domain name lapse, take a few precautions to ensure you aren't going to become a victim of identity theft later. Change the email address associated with all online accounts before your domain expires, and delete all sensitive and personal emails from the email's inbox. If you'd like to keep your domain, sign into your account on your registrar's website and check the expiration date. You can usually set it to renew automatically with a credit card, or you can manually renew it early. Renew the domain for a number of years instead of just one, so you don't have to worry about this issue every year. Don't ignore those “It's time to renew!” emails from your registrar, and make sure they're not getting trapped in the junk mail folder. | <urn:uuid:5a81ee80-eeff-418d-82c4-7153cd06216a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.ehow.com/info_12314421_happens-let-domain-lapse.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 | 0.945172 | 595 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Becoming an effective fighter depends upon a number of factors. Obviously, learning the skills required for mixed martial arts is key. Drilling them until they become second nature is essential. But many view that as the fun part, fine-tuning the execution of the moves we love – as almost an art. Possessing a body capable of lasting round after round, taking a beating while maintaining the energy and strength needed to execute moves precisely is essential as well – and often overlooked. This is because the amount of painful training your body needs to become a well-tuned machine capable of great amounts of speed, endurance and power is very high, and often painful. Most fighters dislike the training part. The best fighters embrace it. In order to maximize your potential in the sport, you’ll need maximum physical conditioning. Therefore your workout needs to demand all of these things – at a maximum level.
Your performance in the ring is directly related to your training protocol in the months leading up to any match. A trained eye can observe a fighter a month from his/her match, and fairly accurately predict how the match will go in a few weeks – based upon the training taking place in the present. Therefore it is essential to choose the right kind of training, and complete it effectively to a point of near-failure as well! Circuit training is highly popular among boxers, mixed martial arts fighters, and anyone who wants to fully develop their body’s capabilities in the shortest amount of time possible, for this exact reason. Let’s look at an effective training program you should be using to develop the greatest possible speed, endurance and power. You’ll be out of the gym in under an hour, having hit your power and boxing muscles, as well as have having targeted your endurance. You can’t beat that!
Start with one set of barbell squats (using a moderate weight for 12 repetitions). Keep your back straight, and head looking forward. Don’t drop down past parallel, as the emphasis for this movement would then leave your thighs and move to your knee joints once you break parallel. Follow your squats up with 3 minutes punching on the heavy bag. Finally, jump on the nearby treadmill and run .25 miles at 4.5 mph with a 3% grade incline. Repeat for 3 sets. Are you feeling the burn yet?
Round 2 is here! Begin with Deadlifts. This movement is about as simple as one can find – Pick up a heavy weight, then put it back down. Repeat! Choose a moderate weight and knock out 15 repetitions with safe and solid form. Move on to 3 minutes of speed punching using the heavy bag. Follow with a 40 yard sprint. Repeat for 3 sets. You should be feeling a tremendous muscle burn in your back and legs now, and your lungs should be working hard too!
It’s time to wrap things up for round 3. Begin with Bench Pressing. Again, select a moderately heavy weight that you can control, and complete one set of 10 to 12 repetitions. Check your ego at the door here – If you cannot control the weight on your own for at least ten repetitions, you should reduce the total weight being used. Jump to 3 minutes of shadow boxing. Your arms should be hurting a great deal now. Finally, wrap things up with 3 minutes of machine rowing set at low intensity. Feel the slow burn in both your back & arm muscles as well as in your lungs with this movement. Complete three sets of this rotation as well. Then you can safely collapse!
The most important thing to remember is that you once you’re hit, once you begin to get tired – you will perform in the ring exactly as you train before the match. If you want to become a powerlifter, you should train with very heavy weights for a few repetitions – and that is what you will be able to achieve in competition. If you want to become a bodybuilder, you train your muscles with plenty of sets, plenty of rest, and you train for a “pump” so you can have pumped up muscles. If you want to become a skilled MMA fighter with the endurance to execute moves as the rounds pass, then you need to train in this exact manner. As we previously stated – Just as you are what you eat, you perform as you train. Remember that! | <urn:uuid:3338c450-7b48-4f60-aeaa-49e513e9a88c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://clinchgear.com/blogs/news/three-tier-mma-circuit-training-for-speed-endurance-power | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280900.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00005-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960087 | 899 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Pronunciation: (sôr, sōr),[key] —v.i. 1. to fly upward, as a bird.
2. to fly at a great height, without visible movements of the pinions, as a bird.
3. to glide along at a height, as an airplane.
4. to rise or ascend to a height, as a mountain.
5. to rise or aspire to a higher or more exalted level: His hopes soared.
—n. 1. an act or instance of soaring.
2. the height attained in soaring. | <urn:uuid:8c1a7769-2151-4e2c-9d91-b73cf4deecaa> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://dictionary.factmonster.com/soar | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280292.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00338-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906879 | 123 | 2.734375 | 3 |
95 of the Most Common Medical School Interview Questions
August 29, 2017
95 of the Most Common Medical School Interview Questions
More so than any other application process, nailing the medical school interview is key to getting accepted. You can look through your schools' admissions sites for general tips. But overall, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of questions that might come up in any school's interview process, regardless of the types of medical school interview. Knowing exactly what to expect is a great place to start with your interview preparation. With that in mind, we have compiled a list of 95 of the most common medical school interview questions for you to look through. Good luck with your interviews!
Clarifying and understanding your career goals
- What are your career plans and what led you to these decisions?
- Why do you want to be a doctor?
- What do you feel is the purpose of Medical School?
- What do you hope to gain from this experience?
- What were your most memorable accomplishments of your college career?
- What does the word “success” mean to you?
- What are your specific goals in medicine?
- What stimulated your interest in medicine?
- Why do you think so many people want to be doctors?
- Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?
- If you want to help people, why not social work?
- Do you prefer basic research or working with people?
- Do you have an alternative career plan?
- What about medical school scares you the most?
- Why study medicine when you have so many talents?
Assessing your specific interest in their medical school
- Tell me about why you are interested in our program?
- Are there any specific features of our medical school that interest you?
- From what you understand of medical school, what part of the program will be most difficult for you?
- Tell us your opinion of the medical school curriculum.
Assessing your noncognitive and communication skills
- Describe your style of communicating and interacting with others.
- Give an example of a situation in which you had to utilize effective interpersonal skills.
- Describe a situation in which you were dependable or demonstrated initiative.
- Describe one in which you were not as dependable as you would have liked.
- How do you handle stress?
- Describe how you can effectively deal with someone in crisis.
- Tell me about a time when you demonstrated initiative.
- Tell me about a time when you faced a conflict or anger with another individual.
- How do you make important decisions?
- What do you do when you are not at work or school?
Assessing your cultural competence
- What experiences have you had working with diverse populations?
- Describe a situation in which you have worked with a diverse group of people -- What did you learn from the situation?
- Describe any travel you have done and your exposure to other cultures.
Assessing teamwork skills
- How would your teammates describe you?
- How would your professors describe you?
- What is your relationship like with your family?
- Tell me about a time you were disappointed in a teammate? How did you approach the situation?
Assessing your personality
- What books have you read recently?
- If you could invite 4 people to dinner who would they be?
- What do you do in your spare time?
- Who is your hero and why?
- How can you tell if someone is truly compassionate?
- If someone 15 years from now were to write a book about you, what would you want included in that book?
- What distinguishes you from other candidates?
Assessing coping skills
- When you need counseling for personal problems whom do you talk with?
- Describe your childhood.
- How do you handle blood and gore?
- What would you do if you got in everywhere?
- What would you do if you got in nowhere?
Determining what you will bring to medical school
- What was your favorite college course and why?
- What else do you want us to know about you before you leave today?
- If there are 1,000 applicants just like you, why should we pick you?
- What do you have to offer our school?
- What impact will you have on the medical profession?
- What extracurricular activities did you participate in during your undergraduate years?
- What are you passionate about?
- If I speak to the admissions committee tomorrow, why should I tell them to let you in?
- How would your best friend describe you?
- What is your “cause”?
Determining your grit
- Tell me about a time when you were criticized unfairly.
- Tell me about a time when you’ve been disappointed in a teammate or fellow group member. What happened, and how did you approach the situation?
- How do you handle change?
- If you could start your college career all over again, what would you do differently?
- If we contacted your references now, what do you think they would say about you?
- If you could change one aspect of your personality with a snap of your fingers, what would you change?
- In what course did you get the worst grades and why?
- What will you do if you don’t get into medical school?
- What aspects of your life experiences make you a good candidate for medical school?
- If your best friends were to describe you, what would they say?
- Tell me about a time you failed.
- How do you handle failure?
- What are some of the things you will have to give up as a doctor?
- How do you help people that don’t want to be helped?
- Have you had any negative job experiences, what did you learn?
Assessing your understanding of the current climate in medicine
- Who would you say has been the most influential person in the last hundred years?
- What do you think about HMOs and the changes taking place in medicine?
- What steps have you taken to acquaint yourself with what a physician does?
- What do you think is the most pressing issue in medicine today?
- If we adopted universal health care in the US, would you still want to be a doctor?
- Why is medicine rewarding?
- What qualities do you look for in a physician?
- Why do you think some doctors are unhappy practicing medicine?
Ethical dilemmas/critical thinking
- What do you think of euthanasia?
- Do you think a physician should tell a patient he/she has eight months to live?
- Would you practice in the inner city? What do you think happens to people who practice there?
- If there were an accident on the highway, would you stop and help the victims if it could lead to a malpractice claim against you?
- If you had a choice to give a transplant to a successful elderly man or a young drug addict, who would you chose?
- How would you deal with a terminally ill patient?
- If you discovered a classmate cheating, what would you do?
- Do you think there should be mandatory HIV testing for couples that want to be married?
- Do you prefer to provide less effective medicine to more people or more effective medicine to fewer people?
- If you had a magic pen, how would you fix healthcare in America?
- How can we minimize healthcare costs?
- Would you share your religious beliefs with your patients?
- In what field do you think the next major advancement in medicine will occur?
- What is the biggest problem facing medicine?
Now that you're aware of the most common medical school interview questions, make sure you prepare by doing mock interviews with your family and friends. You got this! | <urn:uuid:050e7d22-9747-49bf-b84d-5a1d6478fab6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ingeniusprep.com/blog/common-medical-school-interview-questions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571097.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810010059-20220810040059-00275.warc.gz | en | 0.971859 | 1,640 | 1.890625 | 2 |
Learn How To Hack The Stock Market from John Bell who comes from Cincinnati Ohio. Discover a stock market loophole that can make you $10,000 each and every month. With John Bell’s stock market loophole, even a green investor can start making $2,000-$3,000 per month using his specific stock trading strategy. Instead of looking for jackpot stocks, this specific stock trading strategy looks for consistent steady gains. John Bell copied this loophole from a book that is out of print now. This stock trading book was written by a person whose worth was over $100 million in his days. What John did was copy that loophole and master how to apply it in the stock market practically. Even if you read that book and discover that loophole, you won’t know how to apply it practically in the stock market. John Bell can teach you how to do it!
This is what John Bell says about his How To Hack The Stock Market Guide: “I’m offering you a detailed report which shows step-by-step how to make thousands of dollars from your laptop or PC. This is the same stock market loophole I still exploit to this day. Unlike most get-rich-quick forex or stock market products – I’m not going to overwhelm you with hundreds of pages of cookie-cutter mumbo jumbo, just to make my product look worthwhile. There are no motivational anecdotes or blank lined pages for you to make notes. My report is a no-fluff guide. In fact it’s just 62 pages long. Each chapter is straight to the point and specific about what you need to do to replicate my results & start making money. I even have screenshots showing exactly what to do on your computer!
What really sets my report apart from all those “get-rich-quick” type courses is that I have something specific to teach you. I made money exploiting this loophole long before I considered writing this report. I strongly believe you will be shocked at how logical and simple my loophole is.”
What’s included in the How To Hack The Stock Market Report:
Chapter 2: A Primer on the Stock Market
Although this chapter is called a “primer” – It is meant for both novice & advanced readers. Novices will be able to learn the real truths of the stock market rather than academic fluff. While advanced readers will need to unlearn a lot of what they think they know.
Chapter 3: So What is This Loophole?
How’s that for straight to the point. Chapter 3 explains everything about the loophole. Specifically what it is, why it works and why the loophole will probably never close.
The loophole revolves around buying shares at “giveaway” prices. Think of the loophole as a flaw in the system that very occasionally pushes the price of specific stocks to 80% lower than where they should be. (Note: It’s not natural market forces). Soon after the loophole will “let up” and the share price will jump back to its natural point (not every time but 90% of the time is enough).
Chapter 4: How to Calculate a Fair Price Per Share
Since you’re buying stock market bargains you need to know how to value any share of stock. Don’t worry, it isn’t as hard as you think. In this chapter I show you a “short-cut” which takes just a few minutes per stock. Unlike most investors you can be very bad at valuing stocks and this loophole will still work for you. Why? Because the stocks you’re buying are HUGE bargains. We’re talking 60%, 70% or higher discounts. You don’t need scales to tell you a 300lb man is overweight – And you don’t need to be a professor of finance to tell these “loophole stocks” are BUYS.
Chapter 5: Why You NEVER Pay a Fair Price
In Chapter 4 I teach you a short-cut trick to putting a ‘fair value’ on any stock. In this chapter I explain why you never pay even a fair price.
Chapter 6: Insider Trading that is Perfectly Legal
Martha Stewart went to jail for insider trading. She needn’t have if she’d read this chapter. Here I teach you how to “see” exactly what insiders are doing. When the stock market loophole takes effect most smart company insiders jump on the band wagon too. I cannot blame them it’s EASY money.
Chapter 7: Real Examples of Loophole Profits
You’ll never see this in an infomercial system. In this chapter I give specific and detailed “blow-by-blow” accounts of loophole profits. You’ll see my thinking, how the theory works in practice and how much profit I made.
Chapter 8: Putting it All Together. A Step-By-Step Guide
By this point you’ll have learnt almost everything and you’ll probably be anxious to get started. But this chapter sews it all together. I give explicit details and explain things in layman’s terms. This chapter even has screenshots showing me using the loophole strategy right on my laptop.
Chapter 9: When to Sell
There’s a reason this chapter is last. If you’ve bought a “loophole stock”, when to sell is not important. Unlike the other chapters I have no specific, methodical method of deciding when to take profit. If you followed my plan well, you made your profit almost immediately after you bought in – If you sell at the best point it’s just the cherry on the cake!
Bonus Chapter #1: Risk Free Profits via The 2nd Loophole
This chapter explains a second loophole I use to stuff my pockets with cash. But there’s good & bad news. The bad news is the profits are considerably smaller than with the 1st loophole. But the good news is these “small” profits are virtually risk-free. (One customer commented “it’s a little like looking for parking meters with some time left on them”.)
Bonus Chapter #2: How to Totally Automate the Whole Thing.”
Whatever, you can try How To Hack The Stock Market guide for $4.95 only for the next 31 days! If you can’t practically apply that stock market loophole and make money with it, you should simply ask for the refund of your $4.95. Good Luck with How To Hack The Stock Market! | <urn:uuid:ff8afbef-b154-42db-8b8d-86d617f33b69> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://tradingninja.com/2010/11/how-to-hack-the-stock-market/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279189.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00060-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934842 | 1,388 | 1.5 | 2 |
According to Greek mythology, Cassandra, daughter of the King of Troy, captured the attention of Apollo with her beauty. But, after rejecting his romantic advances, some versions of the legend say he cursed her with the gift of prophecy, with the caveat that she would never be able to convince others of her visions of the future. Eventually, she was driven insane by the curse.
Over the past decade, privacy advocates repeatedly have found themselves in similar situations. In 2003, I sat down for an interview with Reason Magazine regarding my continuing work on privacy issues. “The [Bush] administration seems to be pushing [the USA PATRIOT Act’s] application as broadly as it can in non-terrorism cases,” I explained to Reason; noting that “it has become much more problematic because it's part of a growing list of privacy-invasive government programs.” The programs obviously continued.
More than 10 years later, prophetic warnings of the consequences of unchecked federal authority remain the same. Only recently are people starting to realize the folly of ignoring the alarm bells for so long.
As I and other privacy watchdogs explained for years, the triumph of Big Brother would not happen overnight or with a single piece of legislation. While it may appear as if the Obama Administration is the culprit on which we can pin blame for the massive federal surveillance apparatus under which we labor today, it actually is the result of the slow mission creep of anti-terror initiatives dating back to the Clinton Administration.
It has not been only constitutional encroachment at the federal level that spawned today’s culture of civil-liberties abuse. Power grabs at all levels of government have served as the incubator for an unprecedented scope of personal privacy penetration. Foolishly, many citizens appear to have concluded that if it was their local sheriff or police chief calling for such increased security measures – in the name of fighting crime -- they could be trusted.
We see now just how misplaced that trust can be.
According to a request-for-proposal (“RFP”) posted to a federal contractor database, the Department of Homeland Security is seeking to develop a National License Plate Recognition Database, designed to “track vehicle license plate numbers that pass through cameras or are voluntarily entered into the system from a variety of sources,” such as federal, state and local law enforcement divisions. The RFP noted further that, “[o]fficers should be able to query the NLPR database with license plate numbers based on investigative leads to determine where and when the vehicle has traveled.”
It is common knowledge that many state and local agencies have active license plate scanner systems already in place; often purchased with federal “anti-terrorism” grants. With the development of the NLPRD, the other shoe will have dropped – just as the feds planned all along.
Not surprisingly, the RFP suggests the system will be used to facilitate the surveillance and prosecution of “criminals,” with enhanced safety for officers and reduced man-hours. Catching criminals while cutting government waste and protecting police? Sounds like a slam-dunk, right? Only if government can rewrite its history of civil rights abuse.
Knowing what we know about President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and the congressional leadership in both parties, it is clear Uncle Sam will stop at nothing, including high officials directly lying to the American public, to protect the Golden Calf that is federal power. Couple this with the disturbing trend of militarization in local police forces, and you have the perfect storm for building a surveillance system so entrenched in all levels of government, it becomes virtually impossible to dismantle.
If even moderately effective (bear in mind, the Obama Administration considers its rollout of ObamaCare to be a model of success), the NLPRD will become the paradigm for data-sharing among all branches and levels of government. It will be the prelude for a single national database that houses every shred of personal data on which the government can get its hands -- legally or otherwise.
Of course, Republicans like Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Peter King, and their liberal counterparts like Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, will claim once again that such suspicions are a symptom of the “wacko bird” Cassandra complex afflicting privacy advocates. Thankfully, many citizens are beginning to realize it is actually people like Graham and Pelosi who have lost touch with the reality here, and the true heroes in the government are people like Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Justin Amash -- two of the staunchest and most vocal privacy advocates in office.
The real question remaining is whether we have waited too long to finally reclaim the high ground of individual privacy. | <urn:uuid:1119c607-ff32-4019-9f40-3332675086aa> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://townhall.com/columnists/bobbarr/2014/02/19/privacy--can-we-yet-reclaim-the-high-ground-n1797259 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281424.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00339-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953066 | 970 | 1.585938 | 2 |
History of Tin Ceilings
Tin Ceilings throughout History
Tin ceilings were first manufactured and sold in North America in the mid 1800s, as a more affordable option to emulate the look and elegance of the ornate plasterwork that was popular in Europe at the time. Tin ceilings were primarily painted white to emulate the plaster ceilings in Europe, but more modern applications vary widely in the methods used to finish the tin ceiling tiles. The use of tin ceilings really developed in the mid-nineteenth century, when mass produced sheets of thin rolled tin plated steel became readily available in America and reached the zenith of their popularity in the late 1800s to early 1900s. As a result, many old buildings boast original antique tin ceilings, wall panels and wainscoting over 150 years after they were first installed.
Tin ceiling tiles were also introduced into Australia and South Africa in the late nineteenth century, they are virtually unknown in the rest of the world, and are only in more recent times becoming more popular as a design element in other countries. Tin ceilings gained popularity in the later 1800s and were often used in both commercial applications as well as residential. Popular commercial applications included churches, courthouses, schools, libraries, city halls, banks, train stations, hotels and other public venues.
Tin Ceiling Design
A classic tin ceiling design was primarily comprised of various pieces: Tin ceiling tiles, moldings, fillers and cornices. The tin ceilings were installed in a variety of intricate patterns which made each ceiling unique, as the possible combinations and finishes when painted were literally endless. Some applications varied from minimal installations, which served as decorative focal points and were installed as small accent pieces in the room, while others would be much more elaborate, with the incorporation of a variety of tin ceiling designs, with multiple transitions that would cover the full room, and would continue from the ceiling down the wall to the floor. Tin ceilings were manufactured in tin plate, and other metal sheets such as copper, steel, aluminum or stainless steel panels. The metal was then stamped with complex and sophisticated patterns, copied and developed from the finest carved and molded plasterwork. Such plasterwork had been fashionable in the wealthiest European households and tin ceilings were originally developed as a more practical substitute, which could easily be shipped anywhere across North America.
Tin ceilings in the mid 20th century
Although quite popular at the time, the use of tin ceilings as a decorative element lost popularity in the mid 1900s due to the hardships of the great depression, and the increased demand for metal that was used to manufacture weapons and vehicles for the second world war. They are only regaining popularity over the last 30 to 40 years as a modern design element that gives a historical look and feel to an otherwise often neglected element in the room, the ceiling. Although the popularity diminished, the tin ceiling installations from the previous century were built to last, and many of the original tin ceiling tiles are still in good condition today. The restoration of tin ceiling tiles, and the interest in nostalgia they have generated in recent years, has led to a rise in popularity around the world. Today tin ceilings are back in style, with new uses and a wider selection of creative designs, with many different creative paint effects to accent the intricate designs and add to the uniqueness of each separate ceiling. Tin ceilings are today being installed in all types of public, commercial and residential properties, and particularly in new developments where the add character and individuality to any building. One of the more modern popular effects, that is quite beautiful, is achieved by “pattern painting” or faux painting the panels. The effect is created by picking out the details in the panel’s pattern in different colours which highlights the embossed design.
Modern Adaptation of Tin Ceilings
Brian Greer’s Tin Ceilings is proud to be at the forefront of the tin ceiling resurgence and we offer historically correct tin ceiling tiles, moldings, fillers and cornices. Our high quality tin ceiling tiles offer superior definition and clarity of design, and we have been shipped all over the world for restoration jobs, as well as new applications in commercial and residential areas. Tin ceilings often outlast the hundred year old buildings that they are in. Tin ceiling tiles are lightweight, fireproof and more durable over long periods of time, offering a number of advantages over traditional plasterboard, drywall and suspended ceiling installations:
- Tin Ceiling Panels are artistic in design, are available in many different patterns.
- Tin Ceiling Panels are 2’ x 2’ for an easy installation by one person.
- Tin Ceiling Panels can be installed simply by nailing, screwing, stapling or by placing them in a t-bar.
- Tin Ceiling Panels can be finished in many different ways making each ceiling unique
- Tin Ceiling Panels are relatively lightweight, fireproof, durable and are very low maintenance. | <urn:uuid:f0ef965e-7861-4fc4-9bcd-fe1b7825a7b4> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.tinceiling.com/company/history-of-tin-ceilings/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572127.33/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815024523-20220815054523-00267.warc.gz | en | 0.970162 | 1,009 | 3.296875 | 3 |
An Ellesmere Port oil refinery has been given the lowest possible environmental compliance rating by the Environment Agency.
The Stanlow refinery complex, operated by Essar, was given the F-rating in 2019, posing ‘an unacceptable risk to human health, quality of life or the environment’, according to government guidance.
However, both Essar and local councillor Graham Heatley say changes have been made to ‘resolve’ the problem — and Cheshire West council says it has no concerns for the safety of residents nearby.
Cllr Heatley told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “You look at the figures and perhaps they are not where we would like them to be.
“Essar always work well with the community. They have been very, very good at contacting the community with an incident.
“It is strange that if there was information like that it would have been good to hear from the Environment Agency.
“It is disappointing but I know they are working to resolve it.”
The site’s poor performance means Essar will have had to have paid 300 per cent the usual fee to the Environment Agency — with environment policy magazine ENDS Report analysis estimating the company would have paid roughly £820,000 last spring.
Usually, sites with an environmental permit pay what is known as a ‘subsistence fee’ to the Environment Agency annually, but this figure increases if operators are found to have performed poorly with environmental permit compliance.
Essar’s Stanlow environmental compliance score was 208.3 for 2019 — far above the threshold for an F-rating of 150.
It was one of just 44 complexes to receive such a rating from the Environment Agency of more than 13,000 assessed.
The agency has not disclosed the reasons for Stanlow’s poor performance.
An Essar spokesperson said: “From an Environmental perspective, 2019 was a challenging year, which included the impacts of a national grid outage which led to the complete loss of the electrical supply at Stanlow.
“However, the changes put in place since have already delivered an improved performance in 2020 which we remain committed to building on going forward.”
Additionally, a spokesperson for Cheshire West and Council said: “The council prioritises the health and wellbeing of all our residents. We have no information on this matter that suggests that we should have concerns for residents living near Stanlow refinery in Ellesmere Port.
“The Environment Agency (EA) is the regulator responsible for the site and we, as a local authority, expect the EA to take appropriate measures if necessary to ensure there is no impact on the health of residents in the future.”
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Contract zoning is a zoning technique for land use reclassification with a private party, based upon conditions not imposed on others in the same classification. A particular area which is zoned for one type of development is rezoned to another classification based on an agreement between the government and that party who will be using the land.
Understanding Contract Zoning
The government and the private party who uses the land essentially enter into a contract regarding the land’s use and regulations placed upon it. The government, which is always one of the parties, both accepts and enforces the agreement, in addition to doing the necessary rezoning, which is restricted in the contract with the developer. Although the art of contract zoning can sometimes alleviate the problems of traditional zoning classification by allowing a developer in the area, but with restrictions on his land use, this technique has been argued to be used notoriously for private benefit and not often considered beneficial to the community or public at large. Contract zoning is not actually a specific type of zoning code or zoning regulation, but is a legal term a court may apply to such a zoning arrangement.
Examples of Contract Zoning
If an area is zoned for residential use, but a business wants its land use to be commercially zoned, it would be considered contract zoning if the government rezoned that particular area as commercial, based on an agreement by the business to restrict their use to avoid some type of operation that the government deemed to be objectionable to the public, such as emissions from a factory. Another instance of contract zoning is the restrictive agreement that in exchange for the land being given a commercially zoned classification, the business agrees not to build a large parking lot.
Although contract zoning may appeal to a particular landowner, it is not necessarily a possible arrangement. To have the best chance of entering into a private rezoning contract, it is advisable to work with a land use attorney. | <urn:uuid:32dc8c4c-095b-453d-937f-0ebbecfdfe6d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.freeadvice.com/legal/contract-zoning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570765.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808031623-20220808061623-00274.warc.gz | en | 0.954312 | 530 | 2.265625 | 2 |
MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is facing an investigation for another possible data breach after one of its computers in the town of Wao, Lanao del Sur, was stolen.
Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista confirmed to Rappler on Thursday, February 16, “Merong computer sa election office ng Wao, Lanao del Sur, na nanakaw.” (A computer in the election office of Wao, Lanao del Sur, was stolen.)
Bautista said this computer fell in the hands of thieves in January.
Rappler learned from an informed source that the stolen computer contains the sensitive personal information, including the biometrics, of the Philippines’ 55 million voters.
The incident comes after the National Privacy Commission (NPC) said Bautista is “criminally liable” for the leak of voter data in March 2016 – the biggest leak of private data in Philippine history.
Bautista said the Comelec’s data protection officer and executive director, Jose Tolentino, earlier reported the theft in Wao to the NPC.
Bautista then assured the public that the data in the stolen computers had been encrypted, making these less susceptible to a breach.
“Hindi naman nila basta basta makukuha ‘yung data (They cannot easily access the data),” the Comelec chairman said.
In a separate interview with Rappler on Thursday, NPC Deputy Commissioner Dondi Mapa said their commission is investigating this issue.
‘Ball in Comelec’s court’
Mapa said the NPC is exploring the possibility that the Comelec failed to comply with the Data Privacy Act of 2012.
Section 20 of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 states that the personal information controller – in this case, the Comelec – must safeguard personal information “against any accidental or unlawful destruction, alteration and disclosure, as well as against any other unlawful processing.”
The law also requires the personal information controller “to protect personal information against natural dangers such as accidental loss or destruction, and human dangers such as unlawful access, fraudulent misuse, unlawful destruction, alteration and contamination.”
“Persons who, due to negligence, provided access to personal information without being authorized” will have to pay a fine of P500,000 to P4 million ($10,000 to $80,100).
At the same time, the law says “accessing sensitive personal information due to negligence shall be penalized by imprisonment ranging from 3 years to 6 years.”
Mapa said the NPC is also checking if a criminal act is involved – if, for example, a Comelec employee committed the data breach.
“We’re cooperating with Comelec. Right now, the ball is in their court,” Mapa said.
Still, a Rappler source said the Comelec needs to answer a bigger question: every municipality in the Philippines reportedly holds the biometrics of all of the Philippines’ 55 million voters.
Bautista is referring us to Tolentino for confirmation as of posting time.
If indeed there was a breach, information technology expert Lito Averia told Rappler this would be negligence on the Comelec’s part.
Referring to the poll body, Averia said, “Nagkasala ka na, nagkasala ka na naman ulit.” (You made a mistake before, you made a mistake again.) – Rappler.com
$1 = P49.93 | <urn:uuid:b05c9a24-79ef-4d41-be41-eb8f686e302b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.rappler.com/nation/161700-comelec-stolen-computer-lanao-del-sur-data-data-breach/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572033.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814113403-20220814143403-00275.warc.gz | en | 0.929385 | 763 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Save the children: Stories reveal the real reasons why we have to do something new
Every child lost in any community is a reason to look harder at the world in which we live and the decisions we make as a society with regard to personal freedom and parental obligation.
A 6-month-old child could possibly have lost her life at the hands of her father -- and charges have also been filed against her mother. The courts will have to decide whether either is to be held responsible for their daughter's death. Passing judgment on that case or others like it is not why there is a discussion to be had.
This is not about one individual case and one child's death. It is about the hundreds of children across Wayne County who grow up in homes where there is little attention, little care and where parenting is considered a chore, not a joy -- and the thousands of children who face the same circumstances across North Carolina.
Pundits talk all the time about rights -- the rights of people to have as many children as they want regardless of whether or not they have the means to care for them, the rights of parents to keep custody of their children even after they have had them taken away once and the rights of privacy of parents who receive assistance from the government for their children, yet are not required to provide documentation that those children are being cared for properly.
We talk about supporting charitable organizations, but often stop short of discussing why we need them. Sometimes it is easier to give money to others to find solutions to social ills rather than really facing what is causing them.
But perhaps that is not enough anymore.
What we should talk about more are the rights of children to have homes where they have enough food, clothing and other necessities, where they are encouraged to pursue an education and supported in that pursuit, where they have loving parents who care for them and who make sure they have good examples to follow and that they are safe.
And maybe it is time, again, to think about what kind of country we want to live in as we move forward into yet another decade.
One fact is certain: It is time to hold more parents accountable for the responsibilities they shirk and to hold more adults responsible for the decisions they make.
Have as many children as you want, but if you do not care for them, you will be penalized in a manner that takes away your freedom and forces you to take care of your obligations.
And if you cannot make responsible decisions for yourself, we will help make the decisions for you.
We have to change the way the world is heading -- and soon. We cannot afford to continue the other way. There won't be enough people left doing the right thing to pay for those who are making different choices.
So, let's start small.
The next time you see someone "selling" food stamp money to get cash to use for items that are not on the approved list, turn them in immediately.
If you know someone who is not caring for a child, let child protective services know.
If you can help provide a tutor or a Big Brother or Big Sister for a child, volunteer.
If you see a child you know is hungry or who has tattered clothing, help out.
If you see something, do something.
Reinstituting the values that made this country great is going to take a movement.
But its first steps will be taken one at a time.
Published in Editorials on May 14, 2010 11:37 AM | <urn:uuid:be2fadf0-5a97-486e-b88d-06fadeffbb9f> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.newsargus.com/editorials/archives/2010/05/14/save_the_children_stories_reveal_the_real_reasons_why_we_have_to_do_something_new/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988718278.43/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183838-00239-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975988 | 717 | 1.828125 | 2 |
"He was commissioned by McDonough and then ordered to destroy a cache of masts and spars that were to be used by the British in fitting out their naval force. When McDonough asked Abbot if he were ready to die for his country, he received the reply "Certainly, sir; that is what I came into the service for." Dressed as a British officer and risking summary execution as a spy, Abbot destroyed the gear."
"Go along to get along" was not the credo of Joel Abbot of the United States Navy. Distinguished in combat, he risked his career to to what he thought was right, challenging one of the great naval heroes of the republic. His story proves that you might be down, but never out.
Taken from multiple sources, including Rogers, L.E, "The Biographical Cyclopedia of Representative Men of Rhode Island" (Providence: National biographical publishing Co., 1881), and Baranger, Walter R. “U.S.S. ABBOT DD 629.” USS Abbot (DD 629) Home, Walter R. Baranger, www.abbot.us/main/. Edited by Gary M. Bohannon.
If anyone could be described as having a career of extreme highs and lows, it is Commodore Joel Abbot. He started his career as a war hero, then was convicted and suspended by a naval court martial and finally resurrected his reputation off Africa and east Asia. He served 43½ years, rising to the rank that today is known as rear admiral.
Joel Abbot was born 18 January 1793 in Westford, Massachusetts, the son of Joel Abbot and Lydia Cummings. He eventually moved to Warren, Rhode Island.
In the early stages of the War of 1812, 15 June 1812, young Abbot received the appointment of Midshipman in the United States Navy. He was attached to the frigate President, commanded by Commodore John Rodgers, and later became Rodgers’ aide and signal officer. While in charge of a prize, Abbot was captured and made a prisoner of war; after being released, he was appointed to service on Lake Champlain under Commodore Thomas McDonough.
He was commissioned by McDonough and then ordered to destroy a cache of masts and spars that were to be used by the British in fitting out their naval force. When McDonough asked Abbot if he were ready to die for his country, he received the reply "Certainly, sir; that is what I came into the service for." Dressed as a British officer and risking summary execution as a spy, Abbot destroyed the gear. For his success in this dangerous exploit, and for his bravery in the engagement at Cumberland Head on 11 September 1814, the young officer received a sword of honor from Congress and was commissioned a lieutenant.
Beginning in 1818, he cruised the Mediterranean as an attaché to the frigate Guerriere. On 24 July 1818 Guerriere put to sea, carrying the American minister to Russia to his new post. After calls at Gibraltar, Isle of Wight and Copenhagen, Guerriere debarked the American minister and his family at Kronstadt, Russia, on 17 September 1818.
From 1820 to 1821 Abbot was stationed at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, where the schooner Alligator was being built. Alligator, a swift 12-gun schooner built in 1820, had a brief but remarkable career. It was one of two schooners built at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, and was the last known example of the five 12-gun schooners that were built to stop African slave traders and pirates. Abbot sailed the Alligator along the African coast, and successfully took to Boston a Portuguese pirate ship that had been captured.
However, while Lt. Abbot was assigned to Charlestown he came to believe that a purchasing agent of the Navy Department, one Lt. Col. Amos Binney, and the yard’s former clerk, Benjamin H. Fosdick, were engaged in skulduggery. Abbot investigated Binney’s irregularities and in January 1822 filed a formal accusation against Binney and the yard’s commandant, Captain Isaac Hull.
Abbot was tackling a legend. Captain Hull had been commanding officer of the heavy frigate Constitution during the War of 1812, and famously captured the British frigate H.M.S. Guerriere after a pitched battle that galvanized both nations. Hull was an unlikely criminal; among his many honors, he held a large gold medal awarded by Congress.
Abbot basically accused Hull of complicity in Binney’s rampant misappropriation of government property and of ignoring Fosdick’s ongoing payroll fraud. He also accused Hull of being an oppressive and vindictive commanding officer. Some of Abbot’s accusations against Binney dated as far back as July 1818, when Abbot had sailed aboard U.S.S. Guerriere and found poor and overpriced provisions that were bought by Binney. The case against Fosdick was more solid, and he had fled to New York under a cloud of suspicion.
Investigations followed. However, virtually every witness refuted Abbot’s testimony. They said that Captain Hull had been independently investigating Fosdick and was preparing fraud charges; in fact Hull’s aides had been instructed to arrest Fosdick at their first opportunity. The main accusations against Binney fizzled when most of the missing government property conveniently reappeared.
The trial and inquiries caused a sensation because many of the heroes of the War of 1812 were swept into the scandal or gave testimony. Friends and politicians wrote to Abbot, unsuccessfully imploring him to recant and perhaps admit that the evidence favored Hull. Even the former captain of H.M.S. Guerriere, the highly respected Royal Navy hero James Richard Dacres, begged Abbot to reconsider.
As widely predicted, Hull was exonerated by a court of inquiry in August 1822. In its conclusions, the court implied that Abbot, now 29 years old, had libeled Hull and committed perjury.
In a second bizarre twist to Abbot’s otherwise solid career, Captain David Porter accused him of making “numerous, scandalous and false insinuations against the official character of his superior officer, Capt. Isaac Hull.” Abbot was tried by a general court martial that convened aboard the ship-of-the-line Independence at Charlestown Navy Yard in late 1822. It was a battle of decorated heros of the War of 1812, and Abbot lost; he was convicted of defaming Hull and was suspended from the Navy for two years. Abbot’s relatively light sentence could be an acknowledgment that the death of his wife in 1821 had contributed to his lack of judgment, or it could have been simply in deference to his war record. It could also be that Binney and Fosdick were believed to have evaded justice.
In any case, the effects of the court martial slowly dissipated and Abbot later returned to duty. He married Laura Wheaton, daughter of Charles and Abigail (Miller) Wheaton, at Warren, Rhode Island, on 29 November 1825. They eventually had eight children and their descendents sponsored, christened and launched both U.S. Navy destroyers named after Abbot, DD 184 in 1918 and DD 629 in 1943.
In 1827 Abbot was stationed aboard sloop-of-war Warren. From 1830 to 1832 he was assigned to the Receiving Ship, Boston. In 1833 he was stationed aboard the sloop-of-war Vandalia. He was promoted to commander in 1838 and stationed aboard the brig Dolphin. From 1839 to 1842 he was executive officer of the Boston Navy Yard — perhaps a tacit admission by the Navy Department that the navy yard scandal of 1822 had some basis in fact.
In 1843 he took command of the sloop-of-war Decatur, one of Commodore Perry’s African squadron. While at Cape Palmas, he learned that Bishop John Payne was in imminent danger at Cavalla, and promptly sailing to his aid was instrumental in saving him from a force of 500 armed natives. His conduct on the African coast was warmly commended by Commodore Perry and the Secretary of the Navy. On 3 October, 1850, Abbot was promoted to captain.
In 1852, when Commodore Perry was entrusted with power to select the officers to accompany him on his famous Japan expedition, he placed Captain Abbot in command of the corvette Macedonian. The ship departed New York in April 1853, and Abbot was with Perry until the mission of the expedition — negotiating of a treaty that would open Japanese ports to the commerce of the United States — was accomplished. Captain Abbot’s son, Charles Wheaton Abbot, sailed as a master’s mate. Another son (and the ship’s clerk), Nathan Miller Wheaton Abbot, died en route to Japan and was buried on Principe Island off the west coast of Africa.
On Perry’s return home, Captain Abbot was appointed commodore of the United States naval force off the coasts of China and Japan, known as the East India Squadron.
Chinese pirates were preying upon American vessels, and United States merchants engaged in business in various Chinese ports urgently demanded protection. Commodore Abbot’s forceful strategy received the emphatic approval of the United States Government. As reported by the Secretary of the Navy in 1855:
Numerous hordes of pirates infest the Chinese waters and interfere seriously with commerce in that region. Commodore Abbot has at all times shown himself prompt and judicious in the discharge of the delicate duties imposed upon him. Several engagements have taken place between detachments from the American men-of-war on that station and the pirates, which have resulted most disastrously to the latter. Many of the piratical junks have been destroyed, their depots on shore burnt, and a number of the pirates killed.
Commodore Abbot accomplished his mission, but not without seriously compromising his health. He was strongly urged by his physicians to return home, but with a rare devotion to his duty, he declined to leave his post until his work was done. At length, his relief ship was ordered, and, having already been out of the United States three months, would have seasonably reached him had she not been unexpectedly detained. He died at Hong Kong, China, December 14, 1855, aged sixty-three years. Commodore Abbot was the twenty-sixth in the order of seniority on the navy list. | <urn:uuid:a08f07d9-13a2-4505-ad1b-9b63ee2cc9d7> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://theamericanprimer.com/index.php/categories/new-nation-1790-1828/165-joel-abbot | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.98804 | 2,240 | 2.171875 | 2 |
"Please could you tell me how many MW of electricity the trains will use when they are operational? Also, how much electricity will be used by the stations themselves, and what will happen when there are power outages?"Their reply was:
"We cannot say for sure what this will during operation as we’re still in the construction phase. This will also depend on various aspects that still need to be finalised from now until the operational phase."According to the information brochure dated 15 April 2007, page 4, there will be 24 trains of 4 cars each. No mention is made of the power requirements. In fact, the words "power" and "electricity" are entirely absent from the 23 page document. They are also absent from this and this document too. Considering that the Koeberg blackouts had lasted for several weeks a year before, and Eskom had already issued warnings about power shortages for years to come, these documents, coming a year later, are surprisingly short-sighted.
According to Wikipedia, the trains are of the Electrostar family. I found further information on these locomotives, including the following:
Bodywork is aluminium, with steel ends. There are two Adtranz 250kW three-phase traction motors on each motor coach, with IGBT control. The motor bogies are at the trailing end of the driving coaches and at the centre of the unit on the non-driving coach. Bogies are a development of the BREL P3 and T3 design used on class 465/0 and 465/1. Driving coaches have pick up shoes on both bogies. Classes 375 and 377 have a potential maximum speed of 160km/h, but do not normally operate at more than 140 km/h.Assuming a motor coach on each end, each train will use 1MW of power, so the entire system would consume 24MW, excluding lighting, power consumption at each station, and power loss due to normal transmission. Given the fact that the Kelvin power station produces a maximum of 600MW, this one project will use 4% of the power station's entire output, capacity it simply doesn't have. It already only provides less than a third of the city's power requirements.
Update 30 Jan 2008: I finally got an answer of sorts (see comment below). I under-estimated the power requirements (it's 28.8MW), and the only mention on the web site can be found here.
- The rail cars are known as Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) and will be powered from overhead electrification wires at a voltage of 25kVAC.
- An EMU allows distributed power along the train and in the case of the Gautrain, twelve of the sixteen axles of a four car train unit are provided with 200kW electric motors (a motorisation ratio of 75%), leading to a relative high power to weight ratio of approximately 11 kW per ton. This power to weight ratio ensures the high levels of acceleration and deceleration required to achieve the required maximum journey times specified of 42 minutes from Johannesburg Park station to Hatfield station.
- Having distributed power allows the train to climb gradients significantly steeper than on the national rail network. The direct alignment needed to achieve the shortest distance between the specified stations requires gradients of up to 4% which is significantly steeper than normal railway main line gradients which are normally restricted to 1,5% or occasionally 2% in special instances. The Gautrain has a motorisation ratio of 75% which could allow it to climb gradients in excess of 10%.
- The use of a high voltage alternating current (AC) system permits the entire Gautrain system to be fed from a single electrical traction substation which will be located at the Gautrain Midrand Depot. The traction substation will be provided with two independent supplies from Eskom to ensure reliability of electrical power supply.
- All train units will be provided with blended braking systems. Once it is decided to brake a train, the system first goes into regenerative braking mode, thus using its electric motors as brakes. The electrical power is then supplied back into the overhead lines and can then be used by other trains in the system that are accelerating or are otherwise in a power receptive (consuming) mode. Should there be no receptive trains, then the power will be fed back to Eskom supply, thus ensuring efficient electrical usage characteristics throughout the system. Should higher levels of braking be required this can be provided by the motors, the system then automatically applies the disc brakes. Disc brakes are provided on all wheels and the configuration is similar to advanced modern motor vehicle disc braking systems, being fitted with an Anti-skid Braking System (ABS). | <urn:uuid:93411c53-bb2b-4e24-824c-b89fc3aa6851> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://donnedwards.openaccess.co.za/2008/01/gautrain-doesnt-use-electricity-really.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280065.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00539-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93843 | 964 | 2.140625 | 2 |
I m new to this site, as all of you know that this is a nice place in internet to learn & improve english. I also want to improve my english. I want to ask a question how should we introduce ourself in any formal interview.
Looking for ESL work?: Try our EFL / TOEFL / ESL Jobs Section!
ok, if i want to know some one, and he dont want help!
how can i introduce my self?
we use the format for how to introduce urself
4) Family Background
What do you mean by a formal interview? Are you thinking of a job interview?
When you say 'introduce', are you thinking of the moment when you walk into the room and shake hands, or are you thinking of a point in the interview where the interviewer may say something like "Please tell us a little about yourself"'?
Bets wishes, Clive
email address is not allowed in the posting areas. You may register with the forums and include it in your profile.
People are waiting to help.
Related forum topics: | <urn:uuid:45fe6f2a-4517-4d60-9c22-1f16088966e9> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://www.englishforums.com/English/HowToIntroduceYourself/gczq/post.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719027.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00303-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.893429 | 222 | 1.65625 | 2 |
NASHVILLE - A state grant for a massive $266,000 "Volkswagen Chattanooga" sign and EPB's venture into cable and high-speed broadband Internet are among targets skewered in a "Tennessee Pork Report."
Issued today by the Beacon Center, a state-based government watchdog group that advocates free-market approaches to public policy, the report cites the two projects among dozens of examples of what they say is $468 million in wasteful spending across the state during the past year.
"The VW Chattanooga plant got $266,000 to put a sign on its roof to market to passengers flying in and out of the Chattanooga airport," Beacon CEO Justin Owen said at a news conference. "The only problem? There are about 600 people who fly in and out of that airport every day. This is a pathetic waste of taxpayer money."
The sign on the German auto manufacturer's Chattanooga plant came out of $2 million in state funds Tennessee committed to Volkswagen for marketing and public relations. It was as part of the state and local incentive package totaling more than $500 million officials used to lure VW to Southeast Tennessee.
"If 600 people in airplanes are not sufficient, there are 600 million more who will be able to watch on Google Earth and recognize that Chattanooga was attractive to one of the biggest car manufacturers worldwide to create more than 3,000 jobs there," said Guenther Scherelis, general manager of communication for Volkswagen in Chattanooga.
"This is a good marketing initiative for the city, the state and the company," he said.
Owen also took aim at the city's municipal electric service, EPB, for spending "ratepayer money and taxpayer money on ultra-high speed Internet."
"I think that Hong Kong is one of the only other places in the world that has that level of Internet," Owen said.
EPB offers Internet speeds of up to one gigabit per second.
For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press. | <urn:uuid:bbc20ac9-1816-4e86-83b8-da7f5b2fd4b9> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2012/jun/26/group-lambastes-public-spending-volkswagen-sign-ep/81174/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279189.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00056-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964177 | 403 | 1.65625 | 2 |
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A modernized version of the world's first bicycle could help some people with emphysema get around more easily, a small pilot study suggests.
The study, published in the journal Chest, looked at the effects of a walking aid dubbed the "modern draisine." The draisine, which was invented in 1817, was a pedal-free prototype for today's bicycle.
Some manufacturers are now making a draisine-like device as a walking aid for people with mobility problems: They sit on the seat and hold the handlebars while using their feet on the ground to propel themselves along.
There are already walking aids for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) -- a group of lung diseases that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
One of those is the "rollator" -- a four-wheeled frame with handles that people push in front of them as they walk. The frame also has a basket so COPD patients can carry their portable oxygen tanks.
But people can be self-conscious about using the rollator. One small study found that 48 percent of COPD patients using a rollator said they felt "embarrassed" while using the device.
So for the new study, researchers tested the draisine device against a rollator among 21 COPD patients who had difficulty getting around on their own.
They found that the patients did a bit better on an indoor walking test when they used the bike-like device. They covered an average of 466 meters (1,529 feet) in 6 minutes, compared with 383 meters (1,257 feet) while using the rollator.
The study participants also seemed less self-conscious about the draisine: 10 percent said they felt embarrassed using it, while 19 percent said the same about the rollator.
Because the draisine has a seat, it may take some of the "load" off COPD patients' legs, according to lead researcher Anouk W. Vaes of CIRO, a Horn, Netherlands-based center that specializes in treating chronic organ failure.
In an email, Vaes said the draisine also seems to give users a more "fixed center of gravity," and possibly a more effective walking pattern, than the rollator.
But whether the draisine will take over as COPD patients' walking aid of choice remains to be seen.
Even though patients in this study were less likely to say the bike-like device embarrassed them, they were actually more willing to use the rollator in their daily lives. Of the 21 patients, 16 said they would use the rollator day-to-day, but only eight said they would use the draisine.
One problem, Vaes said, was that some people felt less balanced and secure on the two-wheeled draisine versus the four-wheeled rollator.
"This may improve after patients have used it for a longer period," Vaes noted, "but that remains currently unknown."
Right now, the draisine is not widely used among COPD patients, according to Vaes. But there are several models of the walking aid available in the Netherlands.
A major downside of the device is its cost -- which is roughly five times that of a typical rollator, according to the researchers.
The draisine used in this study retails for 520 euros, or about $680.
Vaes said that larger studies are needed to confirm the better walk performance seen with the draisine. She and her colleagues are also testing the draisine against the rollator in outdoor settings, where people would actually use them in real life.
None of the researchers reports any financial interests in the work.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/vqrio8 Chest, online November 23, 2011. | <urn:uuid:60d6c880-3a3c-49e4-b1b7-116bb4a02e3e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.lifescript.com/health/centers/copd/news/2011/12/29/special_bike_helps_lung_disease_patients_get_around.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281746.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00281-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967581 | 782 | 2.84375 | 3 |
As the U.S. continues its implementation of EMV chip cards, it’s lucky to be able to look to other countries that have adopted the technology for best practices, lessons learned, and future benefits. As a Gemalto employee based in the U.S., I’ve been eagerly watching to see how our neighbor to the north, Canada, is benefiting from their EMV chip implementation, which started in earnest in 2007.
Interac Association recently gave updates on the reduction in debit card fraud losses due to EMV in Canada. Debit card fraud losses from skimming are at their lowest level since 2003. The losses have fallen to $38.5 million in 2012 from a high of $142 million in 2009. This large decline in skimming in Canada is owed to the country’s adoption of EMV chip cards. The secure chip inside of the card, which holds cardholder details, is impervious to access by skimmers or any other unauthorized parties. And, even if the information on the card could be accessed, it cannot be duplicated and used on another card: EMV transactions can only be conducted with the genuine card. This is because the card holds encryption keys that generate unique dynamic data that changes for every transaction, and that the bank verifies every time the card is used.
While we’ve seen similar reductions in card fraud losses in other countries that have adopted EMV, like the UK, these new stats from Interac show that the business benefits apply to North America as well.
Not surprisingly, as the rest of the world has migrated to EMV chip technology, some fraud has shifted over to the United States because of the ease with which fraudsters can duplicate magnetic stripe cards. As a result, the U.S. has carried a disproportionate percentage of global fraud losses – until now. Through our adoption of EMV chips, we’re anticipating a reduction in fraud loss like in Canada, the UK and the 80 other countries in various phases of migration.
Reduced fraud isn’t the only thing we have to look forward to in the U.S. with our EMV chip implementation. With point-of-sale terminals that are able to accept contactless EMV cards, consumers will begin to see an increase in mobile payments with NFC. Canada is, again, a great example. With Canadian telecommunications carrier TELUS, moving ahead with implementing EMV chip technology in secure NFC-enabled mobile devices, consumers will soon be able to make secure payments, participate in loyalty programs, validate their transit pass, and redeem coupons using the secure credentials stored on their SIM cards.
Heightened security and more convenient payments are just a few of the reasons why the U.S. has so much to gain from its migration to EMV. Do you have any questions about EMV migration in the U.S., or any thoughts on EMV in your country? Let us know in the comments section below. | <urn:uuid:9210ab63-9777-49bd-9207-07ad317d6d06> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://blog.gemalto.com/blog/2013/03/28/how-will-the-u-s-benefit-from-emv-migration-look-to-canada/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280364.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00027-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952754 | 606 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Published on 17.03.11 in Vol 13, No 1 (2011): Jan-Mar
Social Cognitive Determinants of Nutrition and Physical Activity Among Web-Health Users Enrolling in an Online Intervention: The Influence of Social Support, Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectations, and Self-Regulation
Background: The Internet is a trusted source of health information for growing majorities of Web users. The promise of online health interventions will be realized with the development of purely online theory-based programs for Web users that are evaluated for program effectiveness and the application of behavior change theory within the online environment. Little is known, however, about the demographic, behavioral, or psychosocial characteristics of Web-health users who represent potential participants in online health promotion research. Nor do we understand how Web users’ psychosocial characteristics relate to their health behavior—information essential to the development of effective, theory-based online behavior change interventions.
Objective: This study examines the demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial characteristics of Web-health users recruited for an online social cognitive theory (SCT)-based nutrition, physical activity, and weight gain prevention intervention, the Web-based Guide to Health (WB-GTH).
Methods: Directed to the WB-GTH site by advertisements through online social and professional networks and through print and online media, participants were screened, consented, and assessed with demographic, physical activity, psychosocial, and food frequency questionnaires online (taking a total of about 1.25 hours); they also kept a 7-day log of daily steps and minutes walked.
Results: From 4700 visits to the site, 963 Web users consented to enroll in the study: 83% (803) were female, participants’ mean age was 44.4 years (SD 11.03 years), 91% (873) were white, and 61% (589) were college graduates; participants’ median annual household income was approximately US $85,000. Participants’ daily step counts were in the low-active range (mean 6485.78, SD 2352.54) and overall dietary levels were poor (total fat g/day, mean 77.79, SD 41.96; percent kcal from fat, mean 36.51, SD 5.92; fiber g/day, mean 17.74, SD 7.35; and fruit and vegetable servings/day, mean 4.03, SD 2.33). The Web-health users had good self-efficacy and outcome expectations for health behavior change; however, they perceived little social support for making these changes and engaged in few self-regulatory behaviors. Consistent with SCT, theoretical models provided good fit to Web-users’ data (root mean square error of the approximation [RMSEA] < .05). Perceived social support and use of self-regulatory behaviors were strong predictors of physical activity and nutrition behavior. Web users’ self-efficacy was also a good predictor of healthier levels of physical activity and dietary fat but not of fiber, fruits, and vegetables. Social support and self-efficacy indirectly predicted behavior through self-regulation, and social support had indirect effects through self-efficacy.
Conclusions: Results suggest Web-health users visiting and ultimately participating in online health interventions may likely be middle-aged, well-educated, upper middle class women whose detrimental health behaviors put them at risk of obesity, heart disease, some cancers, and diabetes. The success of Internet physical activity and nutrition interventions may depend on the extent to which they lead users to develop self-efficacy for behavior change, but perhaps as important, the extent to which these interventions help them garner social-support for making changes. Success of these interventions may also depend on the extent to which they provide a platform for setting goals, planning, tracking, and providing feedback on targeted behaviors.
J Med Internet Res 2011;13(1):e28
- Internet users;
- dietary habits;
- physical activity;
- psychosocial aspects;
- social support;
A high proportion (83% ) of Internet users go to the Web for information on health topics [ - ] including exercise (38% in 2008, up from 21% in 2002) and weight loss (33% in 2008). Although community, health system, and workplace health programs have effectively utilized the Internet for a wide array of behavior-change interventions, the reach of the Internet will be realized through the development of theory-based, purely online interventions for Web-health users [ , ]. Much work remains in developing sound methodology for testing the efficacy of programs delivered online [ ].
Despite almost universal Internet access and adoption, researchers know little about Web-health users—the adults who go to the Web to find health behavior and behavior change information and who form the likely participant pool for online health promotion and disease prevention research. Overall, Internet users have been equally either male or female and have tended to be somewhat younger, better educated, and to have higher incomes than the general population [, ]. Web-health users may be more likely to be female than general Internet users, and those going to the Web for health programs may have poor to fair general health [ ]. To our knowledge there have been no studies examining the health behavior and related psychosocial characteristics of potential participants of entirely online health interventions.
Generally, attrition in Internet-based health programs is high at 43% to 50% , but these figures pertain to participants in programs that use the Internet to deliver programs as part of workplace, primary care, or other community-based interventions. Little is known about how participants interact with stand-alone Web-based health programs, that is, programs that recruit, assess, and intervene entirely online, although early studies have suggested that attrition from such studies may be higher [ ]. Similarly, Internet interventions in general tend to recruit many tentative users who attempt but quickly withdraw from programs, fewer short-term users who seem to drop out after using the program for a period, and few stable users who stick with a program over the long-term [ ]. With some early evidence that rates of recruitment among Web users making contact with online programs may be low (eg, 8% in a study by Murray et al [ ]), it is not clear how adoption or adherence patterns apply or if these patterns are related to participants’ demographic, behavioral, or psychosocial traits.
In addition to reflecting potential participants’ characteristics, Web-based health programs should be theory-based and evaluated to validate and refine the application of theory within the Web environment [- ]. Social cognitive theory (SCT) [ , ] is widely used as the theoretical basis for health behavior change interventions [ ] suggesting Internet health interventions must help individuals develop a sense of self-efficacy in specific behaviors (such as being physically active and eating nutritiously), which stems from physically and socially supportive environments and promotes individuals’ positive expectations for behavior change. Higher levels of self-efficacy and expectations of positive outcomes lead to the modification or differential use of self-regulatory skills (ie, planning, self-monitoring, problem solving, self-standards, goals, and self-incentives) essential to maintaining behavior change (see for a schematic representation of SCT). Estimating the initial psychosocial characteristics of users is, therefore, essential to developing effective programs.
In previous research, self-efficacy has been associated with healthy nutrition [, - ] and physical activity [ , , ] habits, as has social support from important others, such as family and friends [ , - ]. Although outcome expectation has been found to contribute beyond self-efficacy to healthy eating habits [ - ], it has not been a consistent predictor of physical activity [ ], with some studies suggesting strong support and others revealing a null effect [ , ]. Among people who desire a healthier lifestyle and who have access to healthy foods and infrastructure for physical activity, SCT suggests their success at maintaining behavior change will be determined largely by how well they set goals, plan, and monitor, that is, self-regulate such changes. Outside the obesity and weight-management literatures, self-regulation of nutrition has received scant attention and has often been poorly defined [ ]. Nevertheless, self-regulatory behavior has been associated with healthier eating [ , , , - ] and with promoting healthier activity levels in adults [ , , ].
The purpose of the present study was to examine the social cognitive determinants of nutrition and physical activity among Web-health users enrolling in a purely online SCT-based nutrition, physical activity, and weight-gain prevention intervention.
Recruitment and Participants
Web-health users were recruited entirely online for a clinical trial of the Web-based intervention called Guide to Health (WB-GTH) (clinical trials identifier NCT00128570). Advertisements in print and online newspapers in the major media markets of Virginia, Virginia Tech alumni publications, and online solicitations through employer and alumni-related listservs during 3 different time periods created 3 waves of recruitment: September 15, 2007 through January 23, 2008; May 8, 2008 through June 15, 2008; and July 9, 2008 through September 19, 2008. One month of Web-browser ads and 2 local direct mailings were used in wave 1 of the recruitment but yielded very few (ie, < 10) visits to the WB-GTH recruitment website. Print and online newspapers yielded some recruits, but the most effective recruitment strategy was through online alumni and employer publications and listservs. Advertisements and solicitations described the need for participants “18 to 63 years old, residing in the United States or Canada, within our weight guidelines, in good health, and not currently active” for an 18-month research project designed to test an Internet program for improving nutrition and physical activity and prevent weight gain. The Internet program was described as including a walking program “designed for you every step of the way,” a nutrition program “tailored to your needs and preferences,” and a “free pedometer and digital scale.” Preventing weight gain (not weight loss) was emphasized. Potential recruits were informed that involvement in the WB-GTH study would require them to log into the Internet program once a week for 18 months and to complete 3 two-hour assessments. Finally, recruitment materials advised potential participants that in order to be screened for study eligibility they would need to select a user id and password and provide an email address.
Approximately 4700 Internet users visited the WB-GTH site to review project information. About 15% (705) progressed no further than the GTH information page, but during the 3 recruitment waves, 3944 individuals registered for screening: 3024 during the first wave of recruitment, 364 during the second wave, and 556 during the third wave. Registering participants had a mean (SD) age of 42.54 years (12.05 years) and a mean (SD) body mass index of (BMI) of 30.81 (7.32) and were predominantly female (3311 or 84%). Based on self-report, of the 3944 individuals who registered, 88% (3454) were white, 6% (240) were African American; 4% (138) were Asian, and 3% (122) were other. In total, 3% (122/3944) reported Hispanic background.
Eligible Web Users
Of screened Web users, about one-third (1307) met eligibility requirements, that is, they were 18 to 63 years of age (or under 65 at the end of the trial), had high normal to obese BMI (ie, BMI 23 to 39, expanded from BMI 23 to 33 in wave 1, which was deemed unnecessarily stringent), were not currently active (ie, they did not exercise at least 20 minutes 3 times a week), but were otherwise healthy (see). The WB-GTH program included a fitness walking component that encouraged participants to gradually move into more vigorous levels of walking exertion; hence, individuals with diagnosed coronary, metabolic or pulmonary disease, or coronary artery disease risk factors as specified by the American College of Sports Medicine [ ] were excluded from the sample. Eligible participants had a mean (SD) age of 42.17 (11.17) and were predominantly female (1060 or 81%). Based on self-report, 90% (1177) of the 1307 eligible participants were white, 5% (71) were African American, 2% (21) were Asian, and 3% (38) were other. In total, 3% (34/1307) reported Hispanic background. Of the 1307 eligible Web users, 15% (203) were normal weight (BMI 23 to 24.99), 41% (532) were overweight (BMI 25 to 29.99), 33% (433) were mildly obese (BMI 30 to 34.99), and 11% (139) were obese (BMI 35 to 39.99).
Ineligible Web Users
Of Web users screened for the project, two-thirds (2637/3944) did not qualify. A small proportion had overlooked the age requirements listed on the information webpage and were either too old for the research project (n = 24) or declined to provide their ages (n = 3). Almost half of ineligible users did not meet the study’s weight requirements (1206/2637, 46%). The WB-GTH was designed for adults in the high normal to obese weight range so some screened participants were below the weight guidelines (BMI < 23, n = 464), but most who were ineligible were too heavy (n = 742). (As noted above, the BMI cutoff of > 32.9 was modified to BMI ≥ 39 during wave 1 recruitment). A total of 36% (1404/3944) of those who registered were excluded because of medical conditions (n = 922) or because they were too active (n = 482) (seefor details). The mean age of ineligible Web users was 42.75 years (SD 12.45 years), similar to eligible users (F1,3942 = 2.40, P = .12), but ineligible recruits were more likely to be female (85% vs 81%, χ21 = 11.88, P = .001) and of nonwhite race/ethnicity (13.6% vs 10%; χ25 = 26.05, P < .001). Although ineligible users were heavier than those who were eligible with a mean (SD) BMI of 31.36 (8.49) versus a mean (SD) BMI of 29.5 (4.13) (F1, 3915 = 62.87, P < .001), the entire range of weights were represented in the ineligible sample, that is, 18% (477) of the 2637 ineligible Web users had a BMI less than 23, 8% (200) had a BMI from 23 to 24.99, 22% (593) had a BMI from 25 to 29.99, 20% (527) had a BMI from 30 to 34.99, 15% (387) had a BMI from 35 to 39.99, and 17% (453) had a BMI ≥ 40.
Participants completed demographic information, physical activity, and psychosocial questionnaires on the WB-GTH website, requiring about 35 minutes. Next, participants were redirected from the WB-GTH site to the NutritionQuest website where they completed the Block 2005 Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), which required from 30 to 40 minutes. Following each participant’s completion of the FFQ, project staff sent the participant a digital bathroom scale and a pedometer for tracking daily steps taken for 1 week, as described below. Participants were sent 2 email reminders after each assessment component if they did not return to complete the next component within 7 days of the possible completion date.
Web-health users completed the Block 2005 FFQ (NutritionQuest, Berkeley, CA) online. FFQ estimates of intake of daily total fat, percent kcal from fat, daily total fiber, daily fiber grams from beans, daily fiber from fruits and vegetables, daily servings of fruits, daily servings of vegetables, and daily servings of fruits and vegetables combined were examined.
Web-health users used a pedometer (Yamax Digi-walker SW-200, San Antonio, TX) and completed a 7-day walking log provided by the project to record their daily steps taken and their daily minutes walked for exercise. They were to return to the WB-GTH website at the end of 10 days to allow for delivery time and to report at least 4 days of daily steps and minutes walked. The mean (SD) number of days at which participants returned was 15.90 days (6.98 days) excluding 6 participants who began their logs more than 60 days after the logs had been sent. The mean (SD) days of daily steps and minutes walked participants reported at this time was 6.09 days (1.20 days). Mean daily steps and mean daily minutes walked (total steps or total minutes/days recorded) were examined.
Social Cognitive Variables
The Health Beliefs Survey (HBS) [, ], administered online, measured baseline nutrition- and physical activity-related social support, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-regulation (see ).
|Variable Description and Subscale||Number of Items||Cronbach Alphaa|
|Food beliefs survey|
|Eating healthy foods||16||.91|
|Avoiding high fat and high sugar foods||6||.83|
|Planning and tracking intake||10||.96|
|Positive physical outcome expectations||7||.89|
|Negative social outcome expectations||5||.72|
|Negative self-evaluative outcome expectations||7||.66|
|Planning and tracking||11||.91|
|High fat and high sugar foods||13||.90|
|Healthy food choices||8||.90|
|Physical activity beliefs survey|
|Self-efficacy to face social, emotional, logistical barriers||22||.95|
|Positive physical outcome expectations||7||.89|
|Positive self-evaluative outcome expectations||10||.89|
|Negative social outcome expectations||6||.85|
|Set goals and plan physical activity||9||.91|
|Track physical activity||5||.85|
|Increase physical activity enjoyment||3||.77|
a Coefficient of internal consistency
Latent-variable structural equation modeling (SEM) with LISREL 8.8 (Scientific Software International, Inc, Lincolnwood, IL) assessed the extent to which SCT variables contributed to the nutrition and physical activity behavior of Web users interested in participating in a Web-based nutrition, physical activity, and weight gain prevention intervention. Model fit was evaluated with the Normed Fit Index (NFI) and Nonnormed Fit Index (NNFI) > .90, root mean square error of the approximation (RSMEA) < .05 (P close fit > .05). Chi-square was not used in deference to the large sample size. Latent variables were measured with scores from the FFQ, HBS, and the 7-day walk log. With few exceptions, the distributions of measure scores were skewed or displayed unacceptable kurtosis; measures were normalized using the Blom proportional estimate formula in SPSS version 17.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). Additional variables were similarly normalized to retain a consistent unit of measurement within latent variables.
Of 1307 Web users eligible to participate in the WB-GTH baseline assessment phase, 963 (74%) consented to become part of the study. Eligible Web users took an average of about 1 day (mean 1.38 SD 4.51) to enroll and to consent to become part of the study, but this ranged from 1 to 52 days.
Of the 1307 eligible users, 26% (344) either failed to complete consent procedures going no further in the online enrollment process (n = 297) or clicked and confirmed the box “I decline to be part of the study” that was available on all pages of the online consent form (n = 47). Participants who did not consent did not differ in age, racial/ethnic background, gender, or BMI from those who did consent to participate in the study (alpha = .05).
Enrolled Web-health participants had a mean (SD) age of 44.40 years (11.03 years), 83% (803/963) were female, and 91% (873/963) were white. The sample was well educated: participants had completed a mean (SD) of 17.08 (3.3) years of education. Participants also had a median annual household income of about US $85,000, 83% (803/963) were overweight or obese, and 69% (507/735) of those completing the 7-day walk log had step counts in the sedentary to inactive range (ie, < 7500 steps/day). The average (SD) number of steps per day among participants was 6480.31 (2350.86). Most participants lived in the United States, but a small number (42) were Canadian residents. Although 51% (488/963) of participants lived in Virginia, the research location, most states were represented in the study (no participants lived in South Dakota, Louisiana, Rhode Island, or Iowa).
Of the 963 Web users participating, 731 completed all components of the baseline assessment in 11 to 135 days. The average (SD) number of days to completion of the baseline assessment was 22.83 (12.62) days. Although the assessment was designed to be completed across 8 days (1.25 hours online, plus the 7-day walking log), only a small percentage followed the prescribed timeline; 95% (694) completed the assessment within 45 days of enrollment. There were no demographic, social cognitive, or nutritional differences between participants with all assessment components and those without, with one exception. Participants who dropped out of the study prior to completion appeared to have slightly lower self-efficacy for making changes in their nutrition behavior that those who completed. Among those who dropped out during the assessment, the mean (SD) self-efficacy score for avoiding high fat and high sugar foods was 67.83 (22.19) versus 71.97 (19.49) among those who did not drop out (F935,1 = 5.06, P = .03) and the mean (SD) self-efficacy score for tracking nutrition was 79.61 (22.63) among those who dropped out versus 82.87 (17.04) among those who did not (F935,1 = 6.79, P = .009).
Nutrition Characteristics of Web-Health Users
Fat, Fiber, Fruit, and Vegetable Consumption
contains the means and standard deviations of Web users’ consumption of fat, fiber, and fruit and vegetable servings. Overall, Web users’ dietary consumption was higher in fat and lower in fruits, vegetables, and dietary fiber than recommended. Most, 56% (494/884), consumed more than the generally recommended 65g of total fat/day, 36% (322/884) reported consuming more than 80g of total fat/day, and almost 20% (172/884) reported consuming more than 100g of total fat/day. Only 13% (115/884) of Web-health users consumed the recommended level of 30% or fewer calories from fat; 78% (690/884) reported getting more than half their calories from fat. Similarly, 13% (115/884) of users met recommended levels of fiber intake (ie, at least 25 g/day); 68% (601/884) reported consuming fewer than 20g of fiber/day. Web-users reported somewhat better levels of fruit and vegetable consumption compared with consumption of fiber and fat with 29% (256/884) of participants consuming the recommended level of at least 5 servings/day and almost half consuming at least 4 servings but the remaining users consuming 3 or fewer servings/day.
Nutrition-Related Social Cognitive Characteristics
Participant means and standard deviations on the Food Beliefs Survey section of the HBS are reported in. Web-health users’ responses to the nutrition social support items suggested that they perceived their family members and friends as being fairly neutral in their support of healthier food choices (ie, scores just under 3 on the 5-point Likert-type scale). Web-health users had positive, but not complete, confidence in their ability to eat healthier foods, avoid high fat and high sugar foods, and keep track of their food choices (ie, scoring 71 to 82 on the 100-point Self-efficacy scale). They seemed to agree that their physical health (eg, weight, blood pressure, and appearance) would improve with healthier food choices (ie, scoring on average 4.3 on a 5-point Positive Physical Outcome Expectations scale). Participants were less concerned (ie, scoring on average approximately 2.9 on each 5-point scale), however, that such changes would result in negative social and self-evaluative outcomes (eg, having less time and energy for others and other activities and dissatisfaction with healthier foods).
|Total fat per day||77.79||41.96||19.20 -249.82|
|Percent kcals from fat||36.51||5.92||17.13 - 60.71|
|Total fiber g/day||17.74||7.35||1.11 - 44.91|
|Fiber from beans g/day||2.36||2.04||0 - 18.34|
|Fiber from fruits and vegetables g/day||6.95||4.12||0.10 - 29.55|
|Vegetables servings/day||2.95||1.85||0.02 - 12.87|
|Fruit servings/day||1.08||0.80||0.01 - 4.73|
|Fruit and vegetables servings/day||4.03||2.33||0.04 – 12.47|
|Family social support||2.71||0.85||1 - 5|
|Friends social supports||2.85||0.79||1 - 5|
|Self efficacy: eating healthy foods||76.18||17.46||9.38 - 100|
|Self efficacy: tracking nutrition||82.16||18.46||0 - 100|
|Self efficacy: avoid high fat and high sugar foods||71.06||20.18||11.33 - 100|
|Positive physical outcome expectations||4.33||0.61||1 - 5|
|Negative self-evaluative outcome expectations||2.89||0.78||1 - 4|
|Negative social outcome expectations||2.93||0.84||1 - 4|
|Self-regulation of eating healthy food choices||2.72||0.83||1 - 5|
|Self-regulation of high fat and high sugar foods||2.97||0.81||1 - 5|
|Planning and tracking nutrition choices||1.99||0.86||1 - 5|
|Physical activity characteristics|
|Steps per day||6485.78||2352.54||605.40 - 18,629.43|
|Minutes walked for exercise per day||13.19||12.80||0 - 70|
|Family social support||2.43||1.04||1 - 5|
|Friends social support||2.80||0.96||1 - 5|
|Self efficacy in face of barriers||64.61||19.57||9 - 100|
|Positive self-evaluative outcome expectations||17.25||4.69||1 - 25|
|Positive physical outcome expectations||20.56||4.57||1 - 25|
|Negative social outcome expectations||10.51||4.93||1 - 25|
|Set goals and plan physical activity||2.01||0.80||1 - 5|
|Increase physical activity enjoyment||1.79||0.83||1 - 5|
|Track physical activity||1.53||0.70||1 - 5|
Finally, Web-health users indicated they had never-to-seldom (rated 1 and 2, respectively, on the Self-regulation scale) planned or tracked healthier food choices in the 3 months before the assessment (eg, keep track of high fat snacks or plan to eat fruit for breakfast). They reported that they occasionally (rated 3 on the scale) did things to reduce fat and sugar and increase healthier food choices (eg, drink water instead of sodas or eat fruit for dessert).
Physical Activity Characteristics of Web-Health Users
Daily Step Counts and Minutes Walked
The Web users in the study were selected based on self-reports of exercising less than 20 minutes 3 times a week in the month preceding the assessment.
Among the inactive participants, average steps logged over 7 days fell within the low active range (see ); 27% (198/735) of the Web-health users took fewer than 5000 steps/day, 42% (309/735) took 5000 to 7499 steps/day, 24% (228/735) took 7500 to10,000 steps/day, and 8% (56/735) took more than 10,000 steps/day.
Daily Minutes Walked for Exercise
Web-health users logged an average of less than a quarter of an hour in daily walking (see); 41% (299/735) logged virtually no walking (< 3 minutes/day). On the other hand, 22% of the sample logged 20 minutes or more/day in walking (169/735).
Physical Activity-Related Social Cognitive Characteristics
Participants’ means and standard deviations from the Physical Activity Beliefs Survey portion of HBS can be found in. Web users interested in a program to help them become more active generally did not perceive their friends and family members as taking steps to being physically active themselves (ie, social support scores of < 3.0 on the 5-point scale). Physical-activity self-efficacy scores indicated that Web-health users had some confidence in their ability to increase physical activity in the face of social, emotional, and logistical barriers (ie, the mean score was about 65 on a 100-point scale). Within the self-efficacy items on the Physical Activity Beliefs Survey, however, participants’ responses varied. Compared to Web-users’ higher mean (SD) score of 80.02 (19.75) on items regarding managing a walking routine (ie, keeping track of walking, making plans to exercise, and resuming walking after a break), their mean (SD) score of 54.75 (23.52) indicated they were less confident in their abilities to deal with the social aspects of becoming more active (ie, finding someone to walk with, exercising when family wanted more time, or socializing only after meeting exercise goals) (t936 = –40.38, P< .001).
Web-health users expected that increasing physical activity would result in health benefits (ie, their mean score was 21 on a 25-point Positive Physical Outcome Expectations scale) and would be good for their mental and physical state (ie, their mean score was 17 on a 25-point Positive Self-evaluative Outcome Expectations scale). Participants were more neutral in their expectations that being more active would interfere with the time they would have for others and other activities (ie, a mean score of 10 on the 25-point Negative Social Outcome Expectations scales).
Overall, Web-health users indicated they had never or seldom (rated 1 and 2 on the scale, respectively) implemented physical activity self-regulation strategies in the 3 months before the assessment (see). The Web-health users did not track their physical activity (ie, frequency, duration, or intensity of exercise) but were more likely to set goals and plan for being physically active (t936 = 26.66, P< .001)
Social Cognitive Determinants of Web Users’ Nutrition and Physical Activity Levels
Structural equation analyses evaluated behavioral and social cognitive variables simultaneously to determine how well the SCT models of fat (see) and of fiber, fruits, and vegetables (see ) fit the data collected from the Web-health users. Fit was good for each model; specifically, for the fat model, RMSEA = .045 (95% confidence interval [CI] .04 - .05), P (close fit) = .80, NFI = .97, and NNFI = .97. For the fiber, fruit and vegetables model fit indicators were RMSEA = .048 (95% CI .04 - .06), P (close fit) = .66, NFI = .97, and NNFI = .96. The SCT models differed in the amount of variance each explained, which was 14% of fat intake, 22% of fiber intake, and 36% of fruits and vegetables intake. The completely standardized parameter coefficients associated with direct effects of the latent variables in the models are illustrated in and . A variable’s direct effect is the portion of its total effect that is independent of other variables in the model; a variable’s indirect effect is the portion of its total effect that is dependent on other variables (covariance matrices and factor loadings associated with the analyses are available from author EA).
Social Support and Dietary Intake
Social support from friends and family made a strong contribution (ie, beta total > .20 ) to healthier nutrition: Web users who perceived that important others were attempting healthier eating had lower levels of fat (beta total = -.28, P < .001) and higher levels of fiber (beta total = .25, P< .001) and fruits and vegetables (beta total = .34, P< .001). The total effect of social support on Web-health users’ fat intake was largely indirect (beta indirect = -.17, P < .001, indirect/total ratio = .68) through social support’s effect on other model variables influencing fat levels (ie, self-efficacy, beta total = .20, P<.001 and self-regulation, beta total = .67, P < .001). On the other hand, the effect of social support on fiber and fruits and vegetables was entirely indirect (fiber, beta indirect = .34, P< .001, indirect/total ratio = 1.36 and fruits and vegetables, beta indirect = .42, P<.001, indirect/total ratio = 1.23) through self-efficacy (beta total = .17, P < .001) and self-regulation (beta total = .65, P < .001). The large positive indirect effects of social support counteracted small, insignificant negative direct effects on fiber, fruit, and vegetable consumption (see ).
Self-efficacy and Dietary Intake
Fat intake was also strongly associated with self-efficacy; Web-health users with higher confidence in their ability to make healthier food choices, plan and track food intake, and avoid high fat and high sugar foods reported lower levels of fat on the FFQ (beta total = -.21, P< .001). Self-efficacy did not influence Web users intake of fiber (beta total = .05, P = .27) and fruits and vegetables (beta total = .05, P = .23). Although self-efficacy influenced outcome expectations (negative outcome expectations, beta total = .13, P = .006; positive outcome expectations, beta total = .28, P< .001) and self-regulation (beta total = .16, P< .001) in the fat model, the effect of self-efficacy on fat intake was largely direct (ie, beta indirect = -.02, P = .25; indirect/total ratio = .10).
Outcome Expectations and Dietary Intake
Negative and positive outcome expectations did not exert total effects on the content of Web users’ food intake. This was true for fat (negative outcome expectations, beta total = -.04, P = .37; positive outcome expectations, beta total = .03, P = .47), fiber (negative outcome expectations, beta total = .01, P = .87; positive outcome expectations, beta total = .02, P = .59) and fruits and vegetable (negative outcome expectations, beta total = .02, P = .66; positive outcome expectations, beta total = .03, P = .60). Outcome expectations also did not influence self-regulation as hypothesized by the SCT model (seeand ).
Self-regulation and Dietary Intake
Enactment of self-regulatory behaviors was a moderate (ie, beta = .10 - .19) predictor of Web-health users’ fat intake and a strong predictor of fiber, fruits, and vegetable consumption. Planning and tracking and using strategies to increase healthy food choices and to avoid high fat and sugar foods led to lower levels of fat (beta total = -.19, P = .008), higher levels of fiber (beta total = .53, P < .001), and higher levels of fruits and vegetables (beta total = .65, P < .001) in Web-health users’ food intake.
Physical Activity Model
Structural equation analyses indicated good fit of the SCT model to physical activity data from Web-health users with fit indicators of RMSEA = .029 (95% CI .01 - .04), P (close fit) = .99, NFI = .98, and NNFI = .99. The SCT model explained 22% of the variance observed in physical activity levels. The completely standardized parameter coefficients associated with direct effects of the latent variables in the models are displayed in.
Social Support and Physical Activity
Social support from friends and family contributed substantially to Web-health users’ physical activity levels (beta total = .30, P < .001), an effect that was partly indirect through self-regulation (beta indirect = .10, P < .001, indirect/total ratio = .33). Although social support did not influence self-efficacy (beta total = .05, P = .37) or outcome expectations (negative outcome expectations, beta total = .04, P = .48; positive outcome expectations, beta total = .09, P = .10), social support was strongly predictive of whether Web users engaged in self-regulatory behavior (beta total = .45, P < .001). Participants who perceived support from their friends and families for physical activity were more likely to set goals, plan, and self-monitor their own activity levels. The effect of social support on self-regulation was largely direct (beta indirect = .02, P = .10, indirect/total ratio = .04)
Self-efficacy and Physical Activity
Web-health users with greater confidence in their abilities to manage the social, emotional, and logistical barriers to walking on a regular basis were more active; this strong effect was almost entirely direct (beta total = .25, P < .001; beta indirect = .02, P = .49; indirect/total ratio = .08). In addition to physical activity, self-efficacy moderately influenced self-regulation (beta total = .13, P < .001) and was a strong predictor of outcome expectations in the model (negative outcome expectations, beta total = -.40, P< .001; positive outcome expectations, beta total = .39, P < .001). Participants with confidence in their abilities to maintain an active lifestyle were more likely to expect to reap the benefits from becoming more active and were more likely to engage in self-regulatory behavior.
Outcome Expectations and Physical Activity
As in the nutrition models, outcome expectations did not exert total effects on Web users’ physical activity (negative outcome expectations, beta total = -.11, P = .09; positive outcome expectations, beta total = -.11, P = .10). Positive outcome expectations (physical and self-evaluative), however, did have a significant but negative direct effect on physical activity (beta direct = -.14, P = .02, which was somewhat counterbalanced by a small, positive indirect effect (beta indirect = .03, P = .06) through positive outcome expectations' effects on self-regulation (beta total = .11, P = .007).
Self-regulation and Physical Activity
Enactment of self-regulatory behaviors was a strong predictor of Web-health users’ physical activity. Setting activity goals and making plans, adjusting routines to make activity more enjoyable, and tracking daily activity led to higher levels of walking (beta total = .23, P = .003).
Web-health users visiting and ultimately enrolling in an entirely online nutrition, physical activity, and weight gain prevention intervention study (WB-GTH) were generally middle-aged, well-educated, upper middle class women whose poor diet and exercise habits put them at risk of obesity, heart disease, some cancers, and diabetes. Nutrition and physical activity behavior among the Web users when they enrolled was predicted by the support they perceived from others for healthier behavior, the extent to which they used self-regulatory strategies essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and, to a certain extent, their self-efficacy for making healthier choices.
Designed for inactive but otherwise healthy Web users, the WB-GTH website attracted almost 4700 participants over 12 months of recruitment. Participants were directed to the site by advertisements through print and online media and online social and professional networks. A high percentage of those visiting the site (3944 or 84%) registered to see if they were eligible for the study. As observed in a national sample of Web-health users , registered WB-GTH users were largely middle-aged, non-Hispanic white, and female. For the parent study, elderly, unhealthy, and morbidly obese adults were excluded from the sample; it appears exclusionary criteria may have disproportionately eliminated non-white participants, perhaps reflecting higher rates of obesity and disease in the African American population [ ]. Thus the long-term commitment, evaluation components of the research, and the eligibility criteria required for enrollment in the study limit the external validity of these findings.
The number of eligible registrants remaining in the sample shrank at each step of the enrollment and assessment process consistent with patterns described in earlier studies [, ]. Among 1307 registrants who met eligibility requirements, about one-quarter (344) declined to participate in the study. Although only minimal information was collected from participants prior to consent, those who did not consent did not differ in age, racial/ethnic background, gender, or BMI from those who did consent to participate in the study. Consistent with the pool of registered Web users, most of the 963 users consenting to participate in the WB-GTH trial and most of the 731 users who completed all assessment components were female and non-Hispanic white. They were also well educated with at least some college education and were upper-middle class with a median annual household income of about US $85,000, consistent with other Web-based nutrition trials [ ]. Reflecting the study’s inclusion criteria, the resulting sample was overweight or obese with step counts generally in the sedentary to inactive range (ie, < 7500 steps/day). Further, the vast majority did not meet guidelines for intake of fat, fiber, and fruit and vegetables.
In light of their detrimental nutrition and physical activity behaviors, Web-health users exhibited comparatively high levels of self-efficacy for making changes and of expectations that changes would have health benefits. The juxtaposition of high efficacy and expectations with low levels of healthy behavior is common. Bandura suggests that self-efficacy for behavior change can be unrealistically high among individuals who lack experience in the desired, healthier behavior. Similarly, Polivy and Herman [ ] have posited a false hope syndrome, which might suggest that recruits for a health-promotion intervention may be unrealistic about the benefits of behavior change (as suggested by the inverse direct relation of high positive expectations and physical activity here). Web users’ lower confidence in managing the social aspects of becoming more active, their lower levels of perceived social support for behavior change, more neutral social outcome expectations, and virtual lack of self-regulatory behaviors related to making healthy changes are more consistent with the inactivity and unhealthful diets observed in the sample. This suggests that for Web-health users who may typically have low levels of health-promoting behaviors, SCT-based interventions may temper users’ pre-intervention self-efficacy levels.
The SCT-based structural equation models testing the relations among SCT variables and behavior provided good fit to the Web-health users’ nutrition and physical activity data (RMSEA < .05). Consistent with other research, perceived social support and engaging in self-regulatory behaviors exerted strong influences on physical activity and nutrition behavior [, ]. Higher levels of self-efficacy also contributed to physical activity and lower dietary fat but not to higher levels of fiber, fruits, and vegetables among Web-health users. Outcome expectations did not exert a total effect on users’ nutrition behavior or physical activity. SCT interventions, then, may be more successful to the extent they help Web-health users garner support for making changes from significant others. Improved social support and subsequent increases in self-efficacy could lead directly to improvements in physical activity and nutrition behavior but would also be effective pathways for increasing the use of self-regulatory strategies essential to healthy levels of activity and food choices. Among Web-health users, even small increases in self-regulatory behaviors could be expected to have substantial impact on dietary and physical activity behaviors. Providing a platform for setting behavioral goals, planning, tracking, and providing feedback would be a considerable strength of automated, self-administered Internet-based health promotion programs.
This project was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (1R01CA106250-01A) to Virginia Tech (clinical trials identifier NCT00128570). We thank Ashley Dorough, MS, for her involvement in piloting and refining measurements and Sheila G Winett, Todd Bowden, and Shane Moore of Personal Computer Resources, Inc for programming and managing the Web-based components of the study.
Conflicts of Interest
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Edited by G Eysenbach; submitted 19.04.10; peer-reviewed by R Cook, A Suppini, D Apap; comments to author 23.06.10; revised version received 25.06.10; accepted 28.07.10; published 17.03.11
©Eileen Smith Anderson-Bill, Richard A. Winett, Janet R. Wojcik. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 17.03.2011.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on http://www.jmir.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included. | <urn:uuid:fd0a9d85-681b-406c-9fd7-d4ac0273aed9> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.jmir.org/2011/1/e28/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280221.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00236-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.924589 | 12,197 | 2.1875 | 2 |
The 2012 Winter Roundtable conference will be held on February 24 & 25
The 2011 Winter Roundtable was held on February 25 - 26
The theme of the 2011 conference was:
“Privileging Indigenous Voices: Hearing the Wisdom of Generations”
The Winter Roundtable is the longest running continuing professional education program in the United States devoted solely to cultural issues in psychology and education. The Winter Roundtable will continue its tradition of bringing together scholars, practitioners, researchers, social change agents and students interested in the intersections between race, ethnicity, social class, gender, sexual orientation, and religious affiliation in psychology and education. The theme of the 2011 conference, "Privileging Indigenous Voices: Hearing the Wisdom of Generations" underscored the Roundtable's commitment to recognizing the multiple and complex effects of culture and social location in psychological and educational matters.
The Winter Roundtable's legacy in honoring significant and promising research, practice, and training innovations in cultural psychology and education will be continued in the 2012 conference, with the inclusion of five highlighted conference features: The presentation of the 9th Annual Social Justice Action Award, the presentation of the 22nd Annual Janet E. Helms Award for Mentoring and Scholarship in Psychology and Education, the Student Scholarship Program, Pathways to Publication, and Pathways to Practice.
Details will follow soon.
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*(Or, copy and paste the following url into a new browser window: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2011WinterRoundtable) | <urn:uuid:750139c1-c002-47bb-95db-8f6414180758> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.tc.columbia.edu/centers/roundtable10/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280410.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00455-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907688 | 394 | 1.882813 | 2 |
CRS: AIRCRAFT HUSHKITS: NOISE AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE, May 8, 2000
Wikileaks release: February 2, 2009
Publisher: United States Congressional Research Service
Title: AIRCRAFT HUSHKITS: NOISE AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE
CRS report number: RL30547
Author(s): John W. Fischer, Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Date: May 8, 2000
- The European Union (EU) has adopted regulations that severely limit the introduction of "hushkit" equipped aircraft into the European aviation market. These regulations primarily affect U.S. aircraft and airlines, and are perceived to have caused U.S. interests significant economic harm. The United States has filed for relief from these regulations with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which serves as the world's aviation regulatory and standardization authority. This report discusses the EU regulation, the U.S. policy response, the congressional response, and identifies other issues that may play out as a result of the EU initiative. | <urn:uuid:94870f28-2451-4946-a5a5-446f89595ea7> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.wikileaks.org/wiki/CRS:_AIRCRAFT_HUSHKITS:_NOISE_AND_INTERNATIONAL_TRADE,_May_8,_2000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282926.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00391-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90256 | 218 | 1.796875 | 2 |
|Snow Storm: Hannibal Crossing the Alps by Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1812 (Wikipedia - public domain)|
“When a humble and much inferior combatant is matched against a celebrated and seemingly invincible athlete, the sympathy of the crowd is at once given to the inferior man.” — Polybius, 212 BC
We all love an underdog.
There’s something about seeing an individual or an entity that is against the ropes, struggling to survive, and giving it their all to make a comeback.
In America, the notion is nearly baked into the recipe of our origins: the scrappy Minutemen and ragtag bands of troops with bare feet who served under George Washington were able to defeat the most powerful military force in the world.
Here are a handful of examples of underdogs, past and present.
They Said It Couldn’t Be Done
In 216 BC, the Carthaginians and their allies, led by Hannibal (who had previously crossed the Alps with his army and elephants), seized control at Cannae. It was a strategic strike, as the grain depot there was a critical link in the Romans’ supply chain.
The Romans sent some 86,000 troops to meet with Hannibal’s force that was perhaps half that size. But the group assembled by Hannibal was of such a variety that there was no single method of fighting or of arms; the Romans were thrown into disarray.
The casualties on the Roman side were massive; estimates range from 50,000-60,000 killed, with another 4,000 taken prisoner. Only about 8,000 of Hannibal’s men were killed.
It was a stinging defeat for the Romans and is regarded as one of the greatest tactical feats in military history.
[No elephants were harmed in the making of this battle.]
|The Death of Aemilius Paulus at the Battle of Cannae by John Trumbull, 1773 (Wikipedia - public domain)|
Standing Up to Bullies
The war that Russia—a superpower—is waging against Ukraine is a perfect example. The world watched as Russian troops gathered and prepared for an attack on the country; it played out in slow motion and transparency (for those outside of Russia).
However, the fall of Kyiv, what most people assumed was a fait accompli, hasn’t happened, thanks to the pluck, grit, and fierceness of the Ukrainian people. Not to mention the courage, tenacity, and leadership of their president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
His communication is frequent and clear, and he has shown himself leading by example. He is out in the streets, he is welcoming world leaders, he is broadcasting from his office in Kyiv — not hiding in a bunker.
The entire world is rooting for this particular underdog.
The Most Astounding Two Minutes
Even people who are not horse racing aficionados heard about what was probably the greatest Kentucky Derby of all time: Rich Strike, the longest shot (at 80-1 odds) winning the 148th running, after being in 15th place at the one-mile mark and surpassing the favorite by three-quarters of a length at the finish line.
It was a story that couldn’t have been written any better. Watch the action if you haven’t yet seen it (or watch it again, because it’s that captivating):
But as with any moment of triumph or “overnight success,” there are lessons we can glean from how a winner got there.
5 Lessons from Underdogs
The entire team behind Rich Strike didn’t go in to the Kentucky Derby expecting to win. At 80-1, they were the long shot. Those kinds of odds almost forced humility upon them.
But they knew they were given a gift and they didn’t want to squander it.
Rider Sonny Leon immediately saw an opportunity out of the gates. The other horses were sprinting at a suicidal pace, with the leads making the quarter-mile and half-mile times among the top three in Kentucky Derby history.
Leon knew that he needed to bide his time and coax Rich Strike into action when the time was right. They were in 17th place at the quarter-mile and 18th at the half.
1. Leaders have a can-do spirit
After the race, Leon said, “People kept asking me if I was nervous to ride in my first Kentucky Derby. I said, ‘No, I wasn’t nervous. I was excited.’ I was on an 80-1 shot and nobody knew my horse — but I did. I didn’t know if we could win, but I had a good feeling with him.”
Bringing a sense of optimism, energy, and heliotropic leadership to your team can inspire everyone to want to win. It all starts with building relationships and trusting each other, and moving forward together.
2. Leaders have patience
Leon didn’t ask Rich Strike to bolt out of the gate or to try to make up for his position after the first mile markers. He waited until the time was right and then asked the horse to go.
At the top of the stretch, Leon moved Rich Strike to the rail; but it wasn’t a sure thing. “I waited,” Leon said, “and the rail opened up.”
Leaders know that timing is everything, and a poorly timed announcement or launch can doom a product. When you have a feel for the market, the competitors, and your team, you can be more confident in a win.
3. Leaders have courage
After riding the rail for a bit, Leon swung Rich Strike to the outside of Messier, then in third. That bit of confidence sent the horse soaring, as he came from behind to outflank Epicenter and Zandon at the finish line.
At those moments when everything is on the line, we have a decision to make: play it safe or take a risk to attempt something we’ve never done. It will always be a judgment call, and it takes courage.
4. Leaders learn from each other
Rich Strike’s trainer Eric Reed said of Leon: “He helped me train this horse. This rider has ridden him all along. [Rich Strike] learned the process and [Leon] taught him how to ride through horses and pass horses.”
A leader like Reed knows that even though he is the trainer, training is a collaborative effort. The trainer, the rider, and the horse all participate. Even someone as slight as the 110-pound rider could teach a large majestic horse how to navigate between other horses.
Every leader should listen to people on their team, regardless of their stature or title. They may be able to see things that are in your blind spot.
5. Leaders savor the moment
After this win—the most significant in his career—reporters asked Sonny Leon how it might affect his future. He replied, “I want to enjoy this moment. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
Leaders know that planning for what’s next is essential, but they also know that, particularly after significant wins, it’s healthy to enjoy your successes and to enjoy the journey.
There will always be more to do, but taking the time to appreciate each other and the fruits of our labor is essential to team morale and our own mental health.
Further Timeless & Timely Reading
There is no guarantee that underdogs will always win. That’s part of the excitement of rooting for them.
But win or lose, leaders know that humility, patience, courage, and collaboration can make a difference in overcoming obstacles.
You might also be interested in the latest episode of Timeless Leadership in which we talk with someone from a disaffected group of people — a group that some might refer to as underdogs.
Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.
👉 Premium Members receive a Saturday bonus newsletter from the Off the Clock, a quirky look at words and history. Exclusively for word nerds. | <urn:uuid:9fd245ae-ae6b-44a3-a90c-5a58b1f5cc16> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.scottmonty.com/2022/05/leadership-lessons-from-underdogs.html?m=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573533.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818215509-20220819005509-00272.warc.gz | en | 0.97257 | 1,704 | 2.875 | 3 |
UVM College of Medicine Receives Full 8-Year LCME Accreditation
- By Carole L. Whitaker
At their fall meeting, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) voted to continue accreditation of the University of Vermont College of Medicine for a full eight-year term.
LCME accreditation is a peer-review process of quality assurance that determines whether the program meets established standards. To achieve and maintain accreditation, a medical education program must meet LCME accreditation standards, which are reviewed by a team of site visitors every eight years. The College of Medicine hosted a site visit in April 2013, where site visitors assessed the College’s performance against more than 130 accreditation standards.
The site visitors noted a “remarkable level of collegiality, cooperation and transparency among administrators, faculty, staff and students,” as well as responsiveness to student feedback in improving clerkship experiences. In their final report, the LCME highlighted the support by the College of Medicine Technology Services team as an institutional strength.
“I could not be more proud of our faculty, staff and students, whose enthusiasm and commitment to our education program, to each other and to the College was evident throughout the entire process,” said Frederick C. Morin, MD, Dean of the College of Medicine.
The LCME is the nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to the MD degree in the United States and Canada, and is sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association. | <urn:uuid:394cfddb-8a46-402b-8027-07a518468a08> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.uvm.edu/medicine/mededucation/?Page=news&storyID=17173&category=comstude | 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 | 0.954836 | 316 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The “DBMS” part of MySQL is fine – storage engines (especially with new kids on the block), replication, etc, but it really sucks at executing SQL.
I won’t even get into complex SQL that has complex data dependencies, will start with very basic tasks.
SELECT * FROM table WHERE indexed = "A" LIMIT 1
If multiple indexes can satisfy the query, MySQL will hit each of them at least twice – looking up first “A” and last “A” records. It will do that while planning the SQL execution. Once it comes up with a plan, it will go and hit the index it picked again, this time once. So, if you have two candidate indexes, you will have 5 index accesses at 4 positions.
How would a direct cursor access work? Single index hit. Want to simulate that in SQL? You can add a ‘FORCE INDEX’ hint, then only one index will be considered, but still at two positions and you will have three index accesses. I wrote about this before.
SELECT * FROM table WHERE indexed IN (101, 201, 301) LIMIT 1
Would do six index dives during preparation as well (two for each IN position), plus another one during execution – seven dives when one would suffice.
What we learn from this is that whenever there’s an opportunity for lazy evaluation, MySQL will gladly miss it and do most work possible to run your query.
If you could express it yourself, you’d be lazy and you’d be efficient. It gets even worse if we start expecting something more advanced than a basic cursor positioning.
Whenever you’re doing a range scan on (a, b) indexed table:
SELECT * FROM table WHERE a BETWEEN 1 and 100 AND b=1234567 LIMIT 1
There’s an easy optimization given low-cardinality ‘a’ – you jump to each ‘a’ position and then you can do a dive for the ‘b’ value. In a way you can emulate this behavior with:
SELECT * FROM table JOIN ( SELECT DISTINCT a FROM table ) x USING (a) WHERE b=1234567 LIMIT 1
As I mentioned, MySQL will skip any opportunity to be lazy and in this case it will fully materialize all distinct ‘a’ values. If it were able to lazy evaluate, there’s a chance we can terminate the scan early.
We’re adding ability to skip-scan records in our builds (you can follow the work at https://reviews.facebook.net/D59877).
It is quite easy to describe whatever is needed in basic loop though – storage engines already provide with necessary hooks for these types of access methods.
Another basic single-table SELECT that fails with SQL is a standard “feed” query:
SELECT * FROM table WHERE category IN (5,6) ORDER BY time DESC LIMIT 5;
MySQL will have to pick between two alternatives, one would be just scanning ‘time’ index and searching for specified categories among found rows, another is read all entries for each category, sort them all and return top 5.
Efficient way to execute such query would involve having per-category cursors and merging their reads, something like:
( SELECT * FROM table WHERE category = 5 ORDER BY time DESC LIMIT 5 ) UNION ALL ( SELECT * FROM table WHERE category = 6 ORDER BY time DESC LIMIT 5 ) ORDER BY time DESC LIMIT 5
MySQL is unable to merge these two cursors without writing all the data into temporary file and sorting it – although we already are reading much smaller datasets than with alternative naive (and readable) query. Besides, each subselect will open a table handler with all the associated buffers and if you want to merge hundred cursors you’re looking at hundred open tables.
You can do this operation efficiently in bash (with ‘sort -m’), it isn’t that complicated algorithm in any scripting language, but having such access method in MySQL’s SQL doesn’t seem likely.
Even where MySQL is already doing efficient loose scan (like in indexed-based GROUP BY), there were basic bugs open for years where efficiency would go down the drain simply because a LIMIT is added.
There’re quite a few other limitations in access methods that are quite annoying to work around. For example a query like this one:
SELECT * FROM table ORDER BY priority DESC, time ASC
Would be unable to use a regular index on (priority, time) – it can only walk everything in one direction and cannot have mixed order scans that are trivial to implement in basic procedural algorithm (move cursor to lowest time of lower priority, read all records for that priority in ascending order before repositioning the cursor to even lower priority).
Of course, one can change the direction of an index, or even have multiple indexes on same columns just to get an ordered read efficient. But none of that is needed if there’s a proper access method that can be used by SQL execution.
Directional index hints may be needed just to specify common order (e.g. prefix compression in RocksDB makes one direction cheaper than the other, although both still much cheaper than full blown filesort).
Even basic single order traversal breaks if you’re joining two tables:
SELECT * FROM t1 JOIN t2 USING (b) ORDER BY t1.a, t1.b, t2.c
In some cases I (*shudder*) had to use ‘FORCE INDEX’ without an ORDER BY to pick a direction I needed. One could expect basic functionality like ordered JOIN traversal to be part of SQL package.
There’re various other issues related to JOINs – again, in the best tradition of MySQL, lazy evaluation of joins is not possible – it will gladly do more work than you’d ever need, reading from tables you did not ask for.
These things slowly slowly change with each version, and to get basic things right we have to yell a lot. Hurray, 5.7 may finally have fixes for issues we were working around back when 5.x series did not exist) – but that is just way too slow for an SQL layer to evolve.
MySQL employs many bright engineers many of whom are trying to make better cost decisions on same existing limited set of access methods they use, by spending more cycles and adding more and more overhead.
In order to execute various queries one has to either resort to network roundtrips after each row or over-fetch data all the time. You may suggest stored procedures, but their data access is limited to running SQL queries and returning them as multiple result sets (or buffer everything in temporary table). Amount of deferred work and lazy evaluation you can do in a stored procedure is quite limited and overhead of running many SQL statements within a procedure is high.
Ability to access data via lower level interfaces by high performance server-side language (Lua? JS?) would allow to circumvent many many many limitations and inefficiencies of existing SQL optimizer and execution layer while still allowing occasional SQL access, high performance storage engines, replication and all the tooling that has been built to support MySQL at scale.
What do we do today? We run lots of that conditional logic in our application and absorb lots of the cost with a cache layer in the middle. There’s a chance that we would be able to spend less CPU, less I/O, less memory and less network resources if we could ask smarter queries expressed as procedures instead of wrangling all the relational algebra on top of dumb executor.
In some cases we have different database systems.
P.S. Many of the hypothetical scenarios map to workloads where amounts of data and query volume warrants all the optimizations I discussed here.
P.P.S. Other databases may have other set of issues. | <urn:uuid:cf71b8da-18e2-444f-bb77-b6c8148676dd> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://dom.as/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988722459.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183842-00343-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917139 | 1,677 | 2.015625 | 2 |
Lockwood, Charles A., 1890-1967
- Existence: 1890-05-06 - 1967-06-07
Charles Andrews Lockwood was a vice-admiral and flag officer of the United States Navy. He is known in submarine history as the commander of Submarine Force Pacific Fleet during World War II.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Item — Box: 2017.046 OVRSZ
Scope and Contents Reproduction of the official Instrument of Surrender, translation, proclamation, and 4 offical Navy photographs of the Doolittle Raid and Surrender.
Dates: Event: 1942-04-18 - 1945-09-02 | <urn:uuid:c4eddeab-f35e-4f28-a942-732111f8ed70> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://utulsa.as.atlas-sys.com/agents/people/3184 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572221.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816060335-20220816090335-00076.warc.gz | en | 0.832587 | 149 | 2.078125 | 2 |
Most flying robots, but not all, are small, so they can access hard-to-reach places. Some designed to emulate insects can be as tiny as real insects. Most flying robots use a helicopter-style design (three to 12 or more rotors) or emulate the movements of birds. Some bird-like designs glide. Others incorporate the much more difficult-to-achieve locomotion of flapping.
Flying robots can serve a wide variety of purposes. Many work in swarms, cooperating with one another to accomplish their tasks. Surveillance, reconnaissance, and search and rescue in military and first responder situations are popular applications for aerial robots.
Yet not all these robots are considered unmanned aerial vehicles. Some have been used to assemble architectural structures or perform agricultural duties such as crop dusting or pollination. Many are autonomous. Some are remote-controlled, and some are autonomous robots with real-time communication from remote pilots.
Click the image below for a slideshow of examples of these robots.
The Nano Air Vehicle, a DARPA-funded hummingbird-like demonstrator robot made by AeroVironment, flaps its wings to fly in any direction. The remote-controlled Nano can hover with precision like the real bird, and it can fly clockwise and counterclockwise. It weighs 19gm (0.67oz), including batteries, video camera, motors, and communications systems, and it has a wingspan of 16cm (6.3 inches). Its size and weight are within the range of real hummingbirds, and, like them, it uses its wings for control and propulsion. The Nano can hover continuously on its own power source for eight minutes. It can shift from hovering to a forward flight speed of 17.7kph (11mph). While hovering, the Nano can tolerate side wind gusts of up to 8kph (5mph) without losing more than 1m (3.28 feet) of altitude. (Source: AeroVironment)
This is a great compilation of images of some of the most ingenious flying robots that have been invented so far. I especially love the ones modeled after dragonflies and hummingbirds. They're almost as elegant as the natural beings they emulate. The RoboBee is incredibly clever as well; I can imagine a swarm of those being quite effectively used!
I like the dragonflies and hummingbirds, too. The hummingbird actually comes without the realistic outer shell, which is an option. But I think many people prefer the realistic ones that mimic their original inspiration.
Yes, good to have choice, but probably realism is best. I seem to remember some really beautiful artful-like flying robot that you wrote about (I can't recall the name nor the post) and I was suprised not to see it in the slideshow. It was one of the loveliest (if I can use that word!) flying robots I'd ever seen. Do you remember, Ann? Or maybe someone else wrote about it...
Ann thanks for the slideshow. All of them are amazing and I personally like ebee, dragonfly and hummingbird robots. It would be an amazing experience if we can attach those robots on our back and fly like bird.
AnandY, interesting idea, but they've all been designed to be as light as possible, and couldn't carry our weight, That said, there are efforts by some of these folks to give humans flying suits. Check out the video here: http://raffaello.name/dynamic-works/actuated-wingsuits
Nadine, I agree--still slides of these machines don't tell the whole story. But if you go to YouTube and enter "Robo Raven", you'll find at least one recent video showing its moves, and also being attacked by a hawk.
Pubudu, I think you're asking if RoboBee weighs 80 mg including its camera and comm system, correct? It does seem insanely lightweight, but that's what the team's video and accompanying text posted here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=b9FDkJZCMuE#at=16 and here: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6132/603.abstract?sid=74040285-fcde-418a-9a07-b727380cc7e0
Pubudu, you're welcome. I wrote a previous article on RoboBee: the link is given in the Related posts list at the end of this article. That prior article states that the RoboBee is currently powered and communicated with via its tether. We also state that this is a prototype, and the next step will be to make it un-tethered.
To me, the 2013 penny feels like it's made out of a different, lighter material. The first time I held one, I thought it was a fake. I couldn't find anything online, however, that indicates it's made of different material.
FYI, autonomous vehicles are exactly that - they have the resources to carry out their assigned mission without any intervention from remotely-located pilots. Remotely-piloted vehicles are another class, altogether.
There are varying definitions of what makes a robot autonomous. Some flying or ground robots can carry out missions autonomously, according to yars' definition, but also have communication with a remote pilot. The point of that link is so the pilot can decide to tell the robot to do other things once the pilot has examined video sent back by the robot. This combination capability is often used in military applications.
As far as the FAA is concerned.. there are no differences (remote or autonomous).
Unmanned is the only category involved .. don't care if autonomous or remotely controlled per their latest rulings. Smallest RC aircraft to military drones are covered.
The only other condition they currently address: for profit or hobby.
Currently ANY commercial use of unmanned flying craft is illegal.. don't care about size, method of control, flight altitudes, etc.. .
Want to monitor your crops? illegal (except as a hobby)
Want an aerial photo of your home for purpose of selling the house? illegal.
At present, only hobbyist and researchers have some legal basis for use of unmanned flying craft. Not the police , not the military, not Hollywood film crews, etc.. are allowed unless by special permission via the FAA.
They (the FAA) have their hands full at the moment trying to develop some legal framework for reasonable uses and liabilities.
Thanks for all the info, Thinking_J. The FAA rules angle is an interesting one. Usually, when it comes to definitions we're talking robotics theory, not FAA flight rules. And--you are a Zappa fan! Yay! I came of age on Freak Out.
Great article and slides. The field of robotics has definitely progress into the realm of science fiction or maybe its the other way. LOL. Looking at these magnificient machines its hard to believe they can achieve flight. The question of FAA flight rules is very intriguing because of the airspace restrictions imposed by this air traffic governing agency. Just wondering what would the restrictions be imposed upon flying robots? Again, enjoy reading your robot articles!
mrdon, thank for the enthusiastic response. I think it's your second suggestion: those of us who've been reading science fiction for years while technology has been progressing to the point where we can actualize what we've been visualizing. I think this is true in robotics, in consumer electronics, and in film (Lord of the Rings, Avatar, e.g.).
Thanks for the slideshow Ann, these robots all seem pretty amazing, with quite different flight styles in almost all of them. As we discussed before, in the robobee article that in this robotics field the dynamics of the the flying body against different airy environments is pretty complex to control, specially in a flapping wing robot, it feels quite good to see such projects working and developing more.
taimoortariq, I agree that flying robots are tough to design properly. Robots that must swim are probably at least as tough to design, for somewhat different reasons, as commenters have pointed out in discussions on our nautical robot articles and slideshows.
Ann, on my vaction trip this year I had another idea as to a very good use for a video-sending hovering-type airborn robot. Many of our national parks put limitations on where you can walk to see all of the wonderful things that are there. Some of the best viewing spots are unsafe, some would be quickly damaged by pedestrian traffic. An airborn camera could allow one to see these places form some very interesting vantage points without doing any damage or being in any danger. Rental odf those devices for use in the parks could be a source of additional revenue. So there is another idea for another use of the "flying spying machines."
No doubt this is an excellent article, As we know technology is expanding at a very rapid rate robots are becomming common .Initially work was done on robotic technology on a very low level but now researchers and students of engineering universities are taking too much interest in robotic development . Nodoubt Robotic bee and Bionic opter is an example of human creativity i really liked the idea and this shows where human minds can go in terms of development .
I have heard that some researchers of Stanfford University have developed a Robot that jump and glides like a fish . Spring made of carbon fibres are created that are used during take off .This robot cant jump as high as other flying robots but its jump can cover a large horizontal distance . Initially it was created as an unmanned robot but there are certain issues which it is facing in its autonomy .
Mind controlled Robot is the new technology that is comming up .The question is how it can work ? people were asked to wear a cap consisting of 64 sensors and think they have to move towards right, left or straight thoughts that triggered neuons were captured and programmed in the robot in this way in future robots will be moving just with mind control other than moving your hands, body and so on .
Deberah, I agree that mind-controlled robots is an interesting development in robotics. There are different research efforts underway; we covered one of them here: http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=254726
I am absolutely amazed at the rapid pace of this technology. The devices themselves plus the ability to control and maneuver seem to improve every time I read a report. It's also becoming apparent there are more and more research facilities involved with development. You Ann have indicated over the recent months uses that make the developments relevant and newsworthy. Great post. I really appreciate you keeping us up to date.
Thanks for your feedback, bobjengr. It's comments like yours that inspire me to find even weirder, more talented robots :) No sarcasm implied, I really mean it. And yes, it's tough to keep up with all this: the pace of change is mind-boggling, and reminds me of several earlier, similar phases in Silicon Valley when enough brilliant minds and research dollars, plus the right levels of underlying enabling technologies converged to produce world-changing products. You know, like the iPhone and Web browsers.
Highly regarded engineer and physicist Ransom Stephens speaks with Design News about his extensive science and engineering background, the serious yet funny study of neuroscience, and how one primes their brain for innovation.
Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies.
You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived.
So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience. | <urn:uuid:ccbfa78d-4cd0-4d76-8b77-3b9963789f67> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1386&piddl_msgorder=thrd&doc_id=264353 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988717963.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183837-00374-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958784 | 2,440 | 3.828125 | 4 |
More than 100,000 are feared dead in the earthquake that struck Haiti yesterday. You can see the damage at the Boston Globe’s Big Picture.
The immediate generosity and speed of the response to the 7.0 earthquake is moving. The Red Cross alone raised more than $1 million in $10 increments in a campaign backed by the U.S. State Department.
As much as we need a swift and immediate response for the millions of people affected, a complete response will also help address the longer-term needs of the Haitian people.
This letter I received from Eric Kesseler and Bruce Boyd at Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors felt exceptionally thoughtful and helpful, so I’m sharing its content in full:
As you have no doubt heard, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday, just 10 miles from the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince. While we have already communicated with you recently, we thought that the crisis in Haiti warranted an additional, immediate email update.
Our resident disaster philanthropy expert, Regine Webster, has been tracking the latest news from Haiti since the crisis began. Here’s what we now know, and what you need to know as you consider your philanthropic response.
Up to 3 million people could be affected by this earthquake, the worst in 200 years. Phone lines are down, main roadways are impassable, and electricity is only sporadically available. Urgent needs include search and rescue teams, logistics and telecommunications support, primary care services, emergency health supplies, temporary shelter, and water purification. Haiti’s population is also particularly vulnerable to the manmade shocks that often follow natural disasters: severe hurricanes in December 2008, coupled with pre-existing poverty and political instability, had already weakened community resources.
Governments worldwide are responding to the current disaster by sending search and rescue teams, goods, and money. Relief organizations are likewise ramping up their efforts and sending out calls for support. Clients and contacts of ours have reached out to us to ask for the latest information and our recommendations. Here are some key considerations to bear in mind.
Recommendations for Philanthropists
- Support medium- to long-term recovery efforts that “Build it Better.” Most donors will see the stirring images from Haiti and react today, donating dollars that are allocated for emergency humanitarian relief. Relief activities are obviously critical, but they do not address the need for longer-term recovery, which will require even more dollars and receive far less attention. Donors should consider making longer-term investments. They should also consider making their investments more strategic by following the Hurricane Katrina response mantra, “Build it Better.” In Haiti, donors can provide financial support to improve the water and sanitation infrastructure, education system, housing stock, access to healthcare, and more.
- Support organizations with a long-standing history of development work in Haiti. Many international organizations have a decades-long presence in Haiti, providing development programs across a range of sectors. These organizations have well-established relationships with local communities and community-based organizations. Supporting these organizations maximizes existing expertise and response capacity and minimizes the learning curve associated with working in a complex disaster environment.
- Add disaster funding to an existing mission. Donors can most effectively leverage their resources for responding to the Haitian earthquake by tapping their in-house expertise. For example, a foundation whose mission is to support shelter can focus on rebuilding homes in earthquake-affected communities. Recovery needs in Haiti will span all sectors: environment, agriculture, shelter, water and sanitation, education, protection, health care, etc. You can help best where you know the most.
- Support disaster-risk reduction. Advance preparation and early warning systems help reduce the damage disasters cause. As Haitians work to rebuild their communities following this natural disaster, preparedness needs for future emergencies should be taken into account. This includes support for alert and communication systems, disaster-proof construction, agricultural planning, and operational contingency planning.
Potential Candidates for Support
Arabella Advisors rarely makes blanket endorsements of nonprofit organizations, but because of the pressing nature of this crisis, we are making a partial exception today. Among the many well-qualified local and international organizations focused on this crisis, the following organizations look well-positioned to help in Haiti, based on our initial research and past experience with disaster-recovery funding.
- CARE – With an active presence in Haiti since 1954, CARE’s work there focuses on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, maternal and child health, education, food security, and water and sanitation.
- Catholic Relief Services (CRS) – CRS has more than 50 years of experience in Haiti and currently serves some 200,000 of the poorest and most marginalized Haitians in the areas of health and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, HIV/AIDS, agriculture, peace building and migration.
- Oxfam – With a staff of 200, including a 15-member emergency response team, Oxfam International brings expertise in water, sanitation and public health in Haiti, as well as local knowledge and community networks established over the past decade.
- PLAN – Having worked in Haiti since 1973, PLAN currently implements child-centered community development programs featuring Health, Education for Girls and Boys, HIV/AIDS, and the Rights of the Child.
- Save the Children – Having worked in Haiti since 1985, primarily in Port-au-Prince and the Central Plateau region, Save the Children provides health, education, protection and food security programs to vulnerable children.
Our sense is that a vast amount of information will soon be available on the crisis in Haiti. Insofar as we discover further information that is useful to philanthropists and not readily available, we will be sure to share it with you. In the meantime, feel free to call or email us if you have questions. And please feel free to share this update with anyone who may find it helpful.
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Homelessness among LGBT youth has reached "epidemic" proportions, according to a new report by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and the National Coalition for the Homeless. Nationwide, approximately 575,000 to 1.6 million youths are believed to be homeless or runaways. Of those, some 42 percent are believed to lesbian, gay or transgender.
The study, "An Epidemic of Homelessness"—full pdf version here—says more than a quarter of the LGBT youth who came out to their parents or guardians were kicked out. Once on the street, homeless youth are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, drug abuse, prostitution and HIV/AIDS.
New York City has been applauded for its unprecedented funding and services for homeless LGBT youth. (Previous reporting here.) Of its $2.6 million budget for beds for at-risk, runaway and homeless youth, half of the funding targets LGBT homeless youth services. Authorities admit the exact population is unknown, but estimate there are at least 30,000 homeless youths in the city, of whom at least 8,400 are LGBT. Three or four shelters specifically target homeless LGBT youth with a total of about 65 beds—and there are often waiting lists. Openly gay homeless youth often report being mistreated, harassed or turned away from shelters, particularly faith-based ones.
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Wed Jul 10 2019
Death from any cause within 30 days of hospitalization for pneumonia
Pneumonia is a leading cause of death in the United States. Treatment with the right antibiotics may reduce deaths from pneumonia. While some patients have higher risks than others, and some die from causes unrelated to the pneumonia which brought them to the hospital, some complications leading to death within 30 days may be preventable. A lower rate may indicate that a hospital provides a higher level of patient care.
About this measure
Mortality rate is the statistical measure of the number of people who die within a period of time. The pneumonia mortality rate below is the percent of patients with pneumonia who died within 30 days of admission to the hospital.
In this case, a lower number is better. | <urn:uuid:5b5be657-0328-40c0-9d14-e4f9dc8453c2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.nm.org/about-us/quality/quality-measures/sites-of-care/valley-west-hospital/medical-care/pneumonia-care/death-from-any-cause-within-30-days-of-hospitalization-for-pneumonia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573104.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817183340-20220817213340-00469.warc.gz | en | 0.941808 | 160 | 2.9375 | 3 |
Diabetes is influenced by your vegan lifestyle by default, as many of the heart diseases associated with this affliction are prevented. However, following a specific diabetes vegan diet can help you to alleviate many diabetes symptoms, and sometimes you can even treat the problem only by using vegan foods.
Consume More Fruits and Vegetables
It is recommended to consume at least 5 fruits and vegetables each day. These can successfully replace any type of snacks, and due to the high amounts of soluble fibers, they can delay glucose assimilation from the intestines. Raw vegetables, carrots, apples, and bananas are suitable choices.
Follow a Low Glycemic, Cholesterol Free, Low Fat Vegan Diet
Limiting the amount of sugar that you consume is among the first measures that you must take after being diagnosed with diabetes. It is easy to achieve this by replacing normal sweets with fruits that contain high amounts of fructose, a type of sugar that is decomposed gradually by your body. Fructose turns to sucrose and glycogen, and thus sugar spikes are prevented. As these phenomena represent a danger to a diabetic’s health, preventing them is preferred and even recommended.
It is also wise to control the carbohydrates intake from your diet, as some of them can increase the blood sugar levels. In order to regulate the intake of carbs, you need to use a carb counter that provides precise information. Saturated fat intake also needs to be reduced, preferable to less than 30 percent of the daily calories. You can assure a healthy heart and a constant weight by doing so.
Consume More Starchy Food
Starch-saturated foods such as cereal, rice, pasta, beans, and bagels must be included in your diabetes vegan diet. Six servings per day supply your body with the starches that are required for good functioning. Breakfasts meals based on cereal, oatmeal, and whole-wheat cereal will provide the proteins that will get you through the day. Garbanzo beans salads and potatoes are recommended to be served at dinner.
Necessary Lifestyle Changes
Diabetes and obesity are tightly connected. If you perform physical exercises with regularity, you will observe certain improvements in the symptoms. By reducing the body weight, you determine the blood sugar levels to decrease. Also, physical exercises have been proved to aid in reducing cholesterol levels, fact which is also desirable. Hence, by being active, you manage to improve the symptoms of this affliction. It does not matter what type of exercises you perform, as long as they are done at moderate intensity and with regularity.
Smoking and alcohol drinking are two habits that must be avoided, especially if you have been diagnosed with diabetes. Once you talk to a health care provider, you will find out exactly how much alcohol you can consume. These diet and lifestyle changes are beneficial, and the results will become obvious in time. | <urn:uuid:6d44346a-860a-474b-8eeb-de4344292cfa> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.3fatchicks.com/reducing-diabetes-risks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560284411.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095124-00462-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960666 | 586 | 2.8125 | 3 |
December 18th was supposed to be OUR day. After the passing of Eid-ul-Fitr, Muslims across America then marked our calendars for the next big event: the PBS documentary “Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet”. Billboards were posted, flyers were passed out, e-mails were sent–all in the optimism that this groundbreaking film by Michael Wolfe would shed some light upon the religion of Islam and how its Prophet (peace be upon him) would be viewed in the west. I alone must have received at least 20-30 reminders that the program would air Wednesday night. None of these reminders, however, resonated in my mind throughout the day than the one from one of the most vocal enemies of the Muslim world, Dr. Daniel Pipes.
One would have assumed that December 18th would go without incident; that maybe the world could learn a lesson or two about a religion and its adherents who feel that they are greatly misunderstood. Maybe those who have heard the countless verbal assaults on prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would somehow tune in, and all these attacks would be finally laid to rest. Even though this program pays tribute to one of the most revered men throughout the history of humanity, it has once again become an opportunity for this particular blowhard to spew his political agenda across the news media. If for some reason one cannot recall Pipes, then they should rewind to the backlash that came after September 11th 2001, and even before that, to the beginning of the Palestinian uprising. Pipes has gained recognition for his “expertise” on the Middle East, heading a one-sided think-tank known as the “Middle East Forum”. It seems as though Pipes has dedicated his livelihood to poison the public’s view of Islam and Muslims appearing in countless news programs on television, in addition to the print media. In one nationally televised interview in 2001 this man actually claimed that it was the “goal of Muslims to make America an Islamic country.”
In the December 17th edition of the New York Post, Pipes sinks to an all-time low: attacking the integrity of the PBS Documentary, while trying to rouse the public into suing the network. Included in this senseless diatribe, this so-called “expert” claims that the network is wasting American tax dollars in an obvious attempt by the producers to convert the viewers to Islam. The dreadful rant continues, and takes the shape of something that more closely resembles that which would be published in a high-school newspaper rather than that of a nationally prominent tabloid. “Legacy of a Prophet” gives evidence as to why Muhammad (pbuh) was a champion for the rights of women. Pipes makes a futile attempt to contradict these examples with the isolated instances in today’s world that in actuality are cultural cases rather than Islamic teachings. He accuses the documentary of being a one-sided showcase, better fit for Islamic Sunday School rather than public television. Although Mr. Pipes claims that the goal of the television special is to proselytize people to Islam, it is interesting to note that there were many Non-Muslims who were featured in the documentary in addition to Muslims. Individuals such as Karen Armstrong, who have dedicated their entire lives acquiring knowledge and writing about the topic of Islam, only to be brushed off as “apologists” by the King of the Middle East Forum.
It is hard to believe that someone as full of angst and fear against Islam can be commissioned to produce work on such a subject. It is nearly as absurd as sending a man with a fear of heights to a skydiving convention. Fear and loathing such as this has not surfaced since the “Red Scare” of the McCarthy-era. Although many individuals agree that Pipes is a divisive force in American society, an equal number more than likely support his views. It is expected that he will continue on with a hardened heart towards Islam its followers, but then again there will always be the Abu Jahl’s – a staunch enemy of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) during the prophet’s life-time – and the Pharaoh’s of their respective eras.
As we sat down to watch “Legacy”, we could almost hear Daniel Pipes snicker with sarcasm in the background. Each time a person praised Muhammad (pbuh) throughout the show, we imagine that Pipes was sitting alone in his living room sneering angrily, and most likely adding fuel to his inner fire. This was a day that characters such as him were lamenting, while Muslims all over were rejoicing. Although the special was not perfect, it did not disappoint whatsoever. Two hours flew by, and left us wanting even more. Hopefully this was only the beginning, since the rich and enlightening life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) could easily have been covered in a larger format. But for now, we shall take what we can get. We are optimistic that the non-Muslim world was able to tune in and increase their knowledge about a man and his followers who until this point, have been gravely misunderstood. Even though Daniel Pipes tried his hardest to steal the evening of December 18th from us, he failed miserably.
IMRAAN SIDDIQI lives in Irving, TX and attends the University of Texas at Arlington. He writes in his spare time on a variety of issues concerning Islam and Muslims. He can be reached via e-mail at: UPBhavan@aol.com | <urn:uuid:334975d6-14b8-414c-9892-a61d3a39f58e> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.counterpunch.org/2002/12/21/the-day-that-daniel-pipes-tried-to-steal-from-the-muslims/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281162.88/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00528-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981436 | 1,141 | 1.648438 | 2 |
The mixed signals regarding the economy's health are taking a toll.
Americans are growing increasingly doubtful about direction of the US economy, according to the latestsurvey from business-advisory firm AlixPartners.
In fact, an increasing number, some 61 percent, say they don't expect to return to their respective pre-recession lifestyles until the spring of 2014, if ever.
What's worse, a full 10 percent said they expect they will never return to pre-recession spending.
That's a more pessimistic view than last year, when those surveyed expected that they could be back to pre-recession spending levelsby the middle of 2013.
"Americans continue to push their expectations for return to a pre-recession 'normal' further and further into the future—close enough for comfort, but far enough away to seem realistic," said Fred Crawford, CEO of AlixPartners. "But as that happens, more and more it seems normal is actually where we are right now."
The latest employment report, which showed that U.S. employers hired far few workers than expected in May, only serves to reinforce these attitudes.
"It's a vicious cycle," Crawford said. "Americans need to see a significant decrease in unemployment to feel confident in the economic recovery, but companies are waiting to see increased demand for their products and services before they begin hiring and making job-creating capital expenditures."
In the latest survey, some 63 percent of Americans said they feel "not good" or "bad" about the state of the US economy, representing a significant increase from May 2010 when only about 49 percent of those polled felt this gloomy.
The survey also found that Americans overwhelmingly expect to delay by at least 12 months major purchases and expenditures such as spending on new cars, home repairs and vacations.
There have already been signs of this in the latest retail sales reports that came out earlier this week from a handful of major retailers.
Overall, sales at stores open at least a year rose 5.0 percent in May, which is below the 5.4 percent increase that Wall Street expected, according to Thomson Reuters data.
While some analysts used a number of excuses, including high gasoline prices, poor weather, and lackluster merchandise, to explain away the disappointing results, the findings of the survey may suggest that consumers are hunkering down amid the uncertainty.
The view was expressed Thursday by Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel, who said that traffic at Target stores slowed in the second half of the month.
"Our guests continue to shop cautiously in light of higher energy costs and inflationary pressures on their household budgets," Steinhafel said, in the company's monthly sales press release.
AlixPartners is by no means the first organization to recognize this growing pessimism.
Goldman Sachs economist Jan Hatzius said the number of consumers who believe they have a chance to bring home more money one year from now is at its lowest level in 25 years, based on his analysis of the University of Michigan and Thomson Reuters consumer sentiment poll. | <urn:uuid:95208172-8791-45d9-a30a-05cd6de282eb> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.cnbc.com/id/43268037?__source=monitor%7Cjobnews%7C&par=monitor | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281226.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00382-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964814 | 626 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
|Title:||WASP-1b and WASP-2b: Two new transiting exoplanets detected with SuperWASP and SOPHIE|
Lister, T. A.
Triaud, A. H. M. J.
Wilson, D. M.
Lister, T. A.
Street, R. A.
Christian, D. J.
Keenan, F. P.
West, R. G.
Hodgkin, S. T.
Clarkson, W. I.
Haswell, C. A.
Norton, A. J.
Kane, S. R.
Wheatley, P. J.
Cameron, C. A.
|Publisher:||Royal Astronomical Society (RAS)|
|Citation:||Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2007, 375 (3), pp. 951-957|
|Abstract:||We have detected low-amplitude radial-velocity variations in two stars, USNO-B1.0 1219–0005465 (GSC 02265–00107 = WASP–1) and USNO-B1.0 0964–0543604 (GSC 00522–01199 = WASP–2). Both stars were identified as being likely host stars of transiting exoplanets in the 2004 SuperWASP wide-field transit survey. Using the newly commissioned radial-velocity spectrograph SOPHIE at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence, we found that both objects exhibit reflex orbital radial-velocity variations with amplitudes characteristic of planetary-mass companions and in-phase with the photometric orbits. Line-bisector studies rule out faint blended binaries as the cause of either the radial-velocity variations or the transits. We perform preliminary spectral analyses of the host stars, which together with their radial-velocity variations and fits to the transit light curves yield estimates of the planetary masses and radii. WASP-1b and WASP-2b have orbital periods of 2.52 and 2.15 d, respectively. Given mass estimates for their F7V and K1V primaries, we derive planet masses 0.80–0.98 and 0.81–0.95 times that of Jupiter, respectively. WASP-1b appears to have an inflated radius of at least 1.33 RJup, whereas WASP-2b has a radius in the range 0.65–1.26 RJup.|
|Rights:||This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2007 the authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Deposited with reference to the publisher’s archiving policy available on the SHERPA/RoMEO website.|
|Appears in Collections:||Published Articles, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy|
Files in This Item:
|MNRAS-2007-Cameron-951-7.pdf||Published (publisher PDF)||213.1 kB||Adobe PDF||View/Open|
Items in LRA are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. | <urn:uuid:dbd9511f-bef0-415d-8f85-0de2512ca2ba> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://lra.le.ac.uk/handle/2381/18825 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280761.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00089-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.753578 | 712 | 1.734375 | 2 |
This summer Europe has been split by climate. Above a line roughly running from the Pyrenees to Bulgaria, three humid months have been punctuated by violent storms and enormous cloudbursts; but to the south there has been a succession of heatwaves, each more intense than the last.
Tens of thousands of acres of forest are believed to have been destroyed by fire. In Hungary 500 people died from heatstroke and related problems, while in Romania 19,000 were hospitalised as temperatures reached 41C.
With wildfires raging from Italy to Albania and Bosnia to Romania, firefighters - aided by Russian water bomber planes - and soldiers have fought to bring them under control. Workers in several countries were ordered by government decree to down their tools. In Macedonia pregnant women were sent home on paid leave until further notice.
Meanwhile farmers across northern Europe are reporting difficulties getting crops such as broccoli, cabbages, lettuces, potatoes and sweetcorn out of fields.
This week they appealed to the EU to be allowed to grow food on land that has been taken out of production for environmental reasons. "It's been a disaster for livestock farmers who will not have winter feed for their animals and there has been a catastrophic loss of peas and some other vegetables. You can't even get combine harvesters into fields", said Paul Temple, NFU vice-president. "Some farmers have lost everything. Some crops are ruined. This weather is bound to have an effect on food inflation, although it's too early yet to say how severe that will be."
More than 60 days of almost non-stop rain followed by high humidity has devastated grape growers in France and Germany, according to the wine website decanter.com. A plague of mildew and rot has almost completely destroyed the Bordeaux harvest, and hailstorms and torrential rains have battered vineyards in Alsace and Burgundy. Problems have also been reported in Champagne, Beaujolais, the Loire and the Rhône valley.
In Bulgaria, which experienced its hottest temperatures in 200 years, yields of maize were 40% below average, while in Romania wheat yields were down a fifth.
In Poland apple harvests were reportedly down by half, and in Hungary a large part of the blueberry stock had perished according to local reports.
"There are severe shortages of fruit and veg building in northern France, UK, Belgium and Germany," said Simon Michel-Berger of Copa-Cogeca, the leading European farmers' organisation.
"Not only are crops being lost, but there is a risk that the quality will be low. Prices for all food and vegetable crops are going to increase significantly. In England there have been substantial losses."
A spokesman for the Met Office in London said: "Europe is completely split. It seems that the north Atlantic jet stream has shifted south bringing wet weather, and as a direct result hot air is being drawn up from the south in eastern Europe.
"They are having extremely hot weather and we are having very wet weather. This has been going on now for several months. Sometimes it is very difficult to get the pattern to change. It just gets stuck.
"Possibly a hurricane in the Atlantic will help redistribute the energy. That might cause a dramatic change for everyone." | <urn:uuid:16b53ff3-20a6-4788-8be3-6164c25fe319> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/jul/28/weather.world4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560282935.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095122-00245-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981607 | 675 | 2.34375 | 2 |
by Charles Hugh Smith
My esteemed colleague Gib at the Truthalyzer blog recommended that I include a practical guide to action in the next edition of Survival+. I have been mulling how to do this without making an already gargantuan text of 140,000 words into one of unreadable length.
My intent in Survival+ was to offer up the principles of practical action rather than add another checklist to the many good lists already out there.
Nonetheless, I understand the value of filling the gap between principles and practicalities, and so I'm assembling various ways to do so in a few thousand words.
Readers of this blog will get all the practicalities as I work them out.
Practical solutions flow from an integrated understanding. That is one of the principles of the Survival+ critique. If we haven't thought through the context of the problem(s), then our "solution" will not be very practical, even it may appear so at first blush.
So let's start with the "big context" of energy. Here is a chart depicting Peak Oil. Note that fossil fuels don't just suddenly drop to zero; they remain available but in ever-diminishing quantities.
Thus we can expect not a suddenly fossil-fuel-less context but one in which the oil available to be consumed in the U.S. daily drops from the current level of 19 million barrels a day to say, 9 million barrels a day (MBD).
Thus everyone consuming oil will have to get by on less. We can anticipate two consequences:
1. high costs for petroleum and everything made from petroleum
2. rationing, as high prices eliminate many citizenry from the potential pool of buyers.
Many people have quasi-religious views on "market prices" and rationing, and I find these aren't very helpful or practical. The market will respond to shortages by pushing prices beyond the comfort zone of most consumers--that is the only way to restrict consumption to available supply.
Politically, $10/gallon gasoline will create a "problem" for politicos currently in power, and thus we can safely predict that the Federal government will institute some sort of rationing system.
As noted above, many people have quasi-religious views on rationing, e.g. "it never works." As a counter-example, we should look at the massive rationing which operated at every level of the U.S. economy in the four years of World War Two. Despite the usual petty profiteering, hoarding, etc. which is to be expected in any rationing scheme, by and large the rationing system "worked" in the sense of distributing essentials in a somewhat equitable fashion.
If we can anticipate both high prices (because we will still live in a quasi-market economy) and rationing (because the high cost/limited availability of gasoline will be politically inconvenient), then we can see the outlines of some practical solutions.
We can anticipate that the Central Government will institute control of the nation's energy production and imports, with an eye on fueling the U.S. Armed Forces, maintaining civil order and maintaining the agricultural productivity of the nation.
As incompetent, corrupt and venal as our "leaders" of both parties are, the weight of reality will eventually overcome even crass stupidity and bribes and some sort of basic energy triage will be put in place just to ensure people are fed and civil order is maintained.
Thus we can anticipate that the civilian populace will bear the brunt of fuel shortages and/or rationing. So it makes sense to arrange one's living conditions to prepare for a future in which energy is both limited and costly.
Here are some "obvious" practical responses to such a future:
1. Live as close to work as possible. This would seem a simple step, but in a dynamic labor market beset by high structural unemployment, it may not always be possible. Nonetheless it should be on every "checklist" as a practical response to the coming shortages of transportation fuels.
One way to save on fuel required to commute is to get rid of the commute entirely. My grandparents lived above their paint manufacturing business for years. They "commuted" to work by walking down a flight of stairs. This was once a common way of living.
Hundreds of thousands of Americans are choosing to start land-based businesses (called small farms) which also cut commutes to zero: The latest five-year farm census in 2007 showed nearly 300,000 new farms started since 2002, most of them small.
If one can't move close to a job, then being self-employed removes the distant job from the equation--presuming one lives in an area where there is a concentration of potential customers, or one works mostly online so the physical locale of the web connection doesn't matter.
If one can't be close to work, then perhaps proximity to a job market (i.e. a city or town) is a close second-best choice.
The worst choice is to live in an exurb of McMansions far from any potential work and far from any social-capital centers (towns, farmers markets, libraries, churches, etc.)
2. Own and use low-energy transportation: bicycles, cross-country skiis, electric bikes, low-horsepower motorcycles, boats and snowmobiles, etc. One of my projects this summer is to rehab the household's numerous bikes which have been given to us or we've found abandoned: a small-frame Gary Fisher, a 30-year road bicycle, an old Schwinn, etc. At last count there are seven bicycles around. We usually use only two, but the others will be handy to loan to transportless friends/neighbors.
Bicycles are without doubt the most energy-efficient, amazing machines on the planet. They last almost forever with modest care and can also haul quite a bit of commerce.
Did I mention we ride bikes a lot?
As a good rule of thumb, let's assume that there will only be gasoline (at any price) for one trip a week into town for shopping/errands, etc. with the outside possibility that it will be more like once a month.
That suggests living some place within easy bicycle/cross-country skiing range of markets/social-capital centers (churches, town hall, neighborhood shopping district, etc.). Five miles each way on a bike is a relatively easy ride, once you work up to a reasonable level of fitness.
Your own calculations of optimal distance from customers/ markets/ social-capital centers will depend on the contexts of weather, age, disabilities, etc.
A six mile/10 kilometer radius is a good starting point for a discussion of low-energy transport.
Just as an aside, snowmobiles and mountain bikes work well on poorly maintained roads. On a bike, you can weave around giant potholes. A mountain bike works well on gravel roads or worse (just watch the turns going downhill on gravel roads).
As Jim Kunstler noted in a talk he gave awhile back, we can also anticipate a decline in well-maintained roads. So it makes sense to optimize our location/work and transport for this reality.
I recently carried the bumper of a 1998 Honda Civic across town on my bike. I imagine this caused some astonishment or curiosity in passersby, but in Third World countries then this would have been entirely normal. Bike transport makes sense when petrol is unavailable or extremely costly. Some sort of towed cart enables large loads to be transported great distances via bicycle.
3. Fitness and some maintenance skills will come in handy. I am 56 years old, and often ride 10 miles on a bicycle just to clear my head. I am not a marathon athlete or super-duper fitness nut. Yes, it does take some modest effort (see yesterday's entry Effort Shock, Future Shock and the Promise of Transformation).
Alternatively, one could start acquiring some working knowledge of small motorcycle, outboard and snowmobile engines and various aspects to their maintenance and repair. Learning how to make small engines 'flex-fuel' so they run on ethanol/petrol mixes might be a good idea, too (usually just swapping out the plastic fuel line with a stainless steel one).
4. Consider producing some of your own energy and adapting your transport to run on that energy.
I am always surprised to get "hate mail" when I promote the idea of owning your own solar array, be it photovoltaic, solar water heating or concentrated-heat systems which focus the sun's rays into generating steam.
Recently, a correspondent said I'd been reading too much science fiction, as panels are costly, require cleaning, etc. True enough. But when oil consumption is cut in half, all sorts of hairbrained schemes to gasify coal, etc. will be promoted, and they will all turn out to be very costly and limited in their scalability (i.e. tearing up half of Montana will yield one million barrels a day, max, replacing a mere 10% of what has been lost to global decline of production).
You can of course trust Big Oil and Big Government to "solve" the "energy crisis," or you can think about reducing your own consumption by half and perhaps investing in your own energy production. A couple of solar panels is enough to charge an electric bike, and when the liquid-fuel vehicles are all sitting around empty because the ration has already been consumed or the gas stations are dry, then an electric bike will be very welcome indeed.
Some commentators believe we can switch to natural gas, which is still relatively abundant in North America. While switching buses and other essential transport to natural gas may be feasible, I see no evidence that we as a nation can swap out 10 million barrels a day of oil consumption with natural gas. Yes, switching might add a million barrels a day, or some other similar number, and that will be welcome.
But the bottom line is there is no way to replace 10 million barrels a day with natural gas, nuclear power (where does all that waste get recycled? We're still waiting for "solutions" which are scientifically and politically feasible), shale oil, etc.
The fantasy that we can maintain our current levels of energy consumption via the magic of technology is bound to denial like hydrogen is to oxygen in the water molecule. It takes more energy to break that bond than there is in the released hydrogen.
So those bound up in denial and fantasy will be unprepared. That too is "obvious." Alternatively, we can choose not to indulge in fantasy and denial.
Just as a reminder of where the remaining oil is located:
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Thermoset injection molding uses a screw or a plunger to pass the polymer through a heated barrel (120-260°F) to reduce density and fit it into the heated earth (300-450 °F). Once the material fills the world, it’s held under pressure.
At this point, chemical cross-linking occurs, causing the polymer to harden. The complex (i.e., cured) product can be ejected from the earth while still hot, and it can not be remolded or remelted.
The injection molding outfit has a hydraulically driven ending device to close the earth and an injection device to convey the material. Utmost thermoset plastics are used in bullet or distance form and can be fed into the screw injection unit from a graveness hopper.
When recycling polyester monolithic molding composites (BMC), like” chuck dough,” a feed piston is used to press the material into a threaded groove.
The polymers reused using this process are (in order of operation); phenolic plastics, polyester monolithic molding compounds, melamine, library paste resins, urea-formaldehyde plastics, vinyl ester polymers, and diallyl phthalate( DAP).
Utmost thermoset plastics contain large quantities of paddings (up to 70 by weight) to reduce cost or ameliorate their low loss parcels and increase the strength of particular packages.
Common paddings include glass filaments, mineral filaments, complexion, wood filaments, and carbon dark. These paddings can be veritably abrasive and produce high density, which the processing outfit must overcome.
Both thermoplastics and thermosets will drop in density when hot. Still, the density thermosets increases with time and temperature due to the chemical cross-linking that occurs. The concerted result of these goods is a-shaped density wind with time and temperature.
The purpose of thermoset injection molding is to complete the stuffing of the earth in the region of the most negligible density when the pressure needed to rot the material into the earth shape is the smallest. This also helps to minimize damage to the filaments in the polymer.
The injection molding process uses a screw to flow the material through a heated barrel, circulated with water or canvas in a jacket around the barrel. The screw can be designed for each material type, compressed, slightly to remove air, and toast the material to gain a low density. Utmost thermosetting accouterments inflow relatively well then.
The operation to get the material into the earth is to stop the screw gyration and push the screw forward at high speed with hydraulic pressure to press the plasticized low-density material into the earth.
This rapid-fire inflow requires that the earth depression be filled in 0.5 seconds at a pressure of 193 MPa. Once the depression is filled, the high-speed inflow of the material generates lesser heat of mocha to accelerate the chemical response. Once the depression is filled, the injection pressure is reduced to a holding pressure of34.5-68.9 MPa.
This holding pressure is maintained on the material for 5 – 10 seconds, followed by depressurization, and also the coming cycle of plasticization begins.
The material is held in the hot earth until it hardens. Also, the earth-ending device is opened, and the product is ejected.
The product can be smoothly uncured and kindly soft when first ejected, and the final cure is completed within 1 or 2 twinkles after junking using the heat retained inside the product.
The entire production cycle of a thermoset product is 10 – 120 seconds, depending on the consistency of the product and the type of raw material.
Numerous different and technical ways are used to ameliorate the quality and reproducibility of the product. Given that some thermoset polymers induce gas when hot, there’s frequently a deflation operation after the earth is incompletely filled.
In this step, the earth is opened slightly to allow the gas to escape and closed snappily to refill the remaining material.
Injection molding provides advanced strength, better dimensional control, and bettered face condition( appearance) due to the use of earth with a retractable depression and core, which can be opened 1/ 8- l/ 2 in during the injection process and also snappily compressed as if the earth were closed.
Monolithic molding composites made of glass filaments, paddings, and polyester unsaturated resins can be injection moldered with the fresh technical outfit on the machine.
A piston confluent is attached to the barrel to force the feed, which can also be operated differently. One with a conventional reciprocating screw, which pushes the material forward while mixing and hotting. This requires a stop-over stopcock at the end of the screw.
This prevents the material from flowing back onto the screw vestments because of the material’s low density. Another way is to use a plunger or piston to press the material into the earth’s depression.
The plunger is frequently used for accouterments containing further than 22 by weight of glass filaments, as it’s lower dangerous to the filaments and gives advanced strength. | <urn:uuid:70cdf60e-9599-4c5a-8908-a2d49a758b67> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://minhuiglobal.com/thermosetting-plastics-injection-molded/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572581.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816211628-20220817001628-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.905819 | 1,108 | 3.046875 | 3 |
In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the University of North Carolina, every individual who has ever graduated from the flagship school of the state should have their head lowered in shame, knowing that for more than a decade primarily Black athletes (on both the football and basketball teams) have been involved in massive academic fraud:
Football and basketball players accounted for nearly four of every 10 students enrolled in 54 classes at the heart of an academic fraud investigation at UNC-Chapel Hill, according to figures released Monday.
Academic Fraud in the Afro-American History Department at UNC:
The classes were all within UNC’s Department of African and Afro-American studies. An internal probe released Friday produced evidence of unauthorized grade changes and little or no instruction by professors. Forty-five of the classes listed the department’s chairman, Julius Nyang’oro, as the professor. Investigators could not determine instructors for the remaining nine.
University officials say they found no evidence that the suspect classes were part of a plan between Nyang’oro and the athletic department to create classes that student-athletes could pass so they could maintain their eligibility. They said student-athletes were treated no differently in the classes than students who were not athletes.
But the high percentages of student-athletes in the classes suggest to some that academic advisers, tutors and others in the athletic department may have guided them to the classes.
There were 686 enrollments for the 54 suspect classes. Of those, football players accounted for 246 of the enrollments, or 36 percent, while basketball players accounted for 23 enrollments, or three percent, according to UNC. Together, football and basketball players accounted for 39 percent of the enrollments.
Football and basketball players account for less than one percent of the total undergraduate enrollment – about 120 of the more than 18,500 undergraduate students on campus. On the other hand, many of the suspect classes were held in the summer, a time when many football players are on campus.
It should be noted that of the enrollment of students at North Carolina, 3.4 percent are Black males. Much like the majority of the ideas touted as fact in the "Afrocentric" view of history, the UNC Department of African and Afro-American History is a 100 percent fraudulent entity with two purposes: award degrees to Black students who otherwise wouldn't qualify academically for real-majors and never, ever would have the opportunity to become a tenured professor of Afro-American History at another university or college; and two, keep Black athletes eligible to play for UNC football and basketball teams. Just ask the academic titan that is Julius Peppers:
On the football field, Julius Peppers was one of the most dominating players to ever wear a UNC uniform, an athlete dubbed a “freak of nature” so skilled that he helped take the university’s men’s basketball team to the Final Four in 2000.
But in the classroom, Peppers was a marginal student with a grade point average so low he was continually at risk of losing the opportunity to play, according to an academic transcript bearing his name. What kept bailing him out were several classes in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies, a relatively young academic unit led by department chair Julius Nyang’oro.
A transcript bearing Peppers’ name, found over the weekend in an odd portal on a UNC website, shows a subpar academic record: a 1.82 grade point average and 11 grades of D or F. It also suggests that the academic fraud already confirmed by the university in the African studies department goes much further back than it had previously been able to confirm.
Peppers’ transcript, and a second one that practically mirrors it, show he received grades of B or better in seven classes within the department, offerings found in later years to be academically suspect. Without those grades, it’s unlikely Peppers would have kept his GPA high enough to play sports. UNC records show Nyang’oro taught or supervised at least three of those classes.Translation: the UNC Afro-American History Department was an incubator for cooking the books on Black athletes grades. No big deal though, right? Nothing to see at UNC. Move along now.
Out west in California, Stanford University has put together a string of successful seasons in spite of having high academic standards that keep the recruitment of the poster-children for the "No Child Left Behind" Act an impossible proposition:
Everything in college football starts with recruiting.
Stanford administrators have estimated that only 400 of the 3,500 high school prospects who sign letters of intent each year meet their admissions standards. A year into the job, Harbaugh doubted that number.
"We're probably looking at a pool of 100 to 150 scholar-athletes," he said at the time. "It's a small pool. Smaller than anybody else has."
Consider that Stanford consistently ranks near the top of the NCAA's Academic Progress Rates and nearly half of the upperclassmen on the current roster are enrolled in engineering majors.
Many people believe that the academy integrity of elite institutions is important; many more believe that enrolling the type of athletes at the University of North Carolina who require enrollment in Afro-American classes (classes that teach more fiction than a Greek Mythology course) just to maintain eligibility is much more important, so that the football and basketball teams can stay competitive.
Nearly thirty years the coordinator of the English section of Georgia's Developmental Studies Program at the University of Georgia (UGA), Jan Kemp, was demoted to the post of remedial English teacher for speaking out against preferential academic treatment accorded athletes at the university. Nearly all of the athletes she dealt with were Black males who only attended UGA because of the perceived advantage their presence on the gridiron gave to the Bulldog team.
Sports Illustrated (This Case Was One For The Books
Jan Kemp won $2.58 million in a suit that bared academic abuses involving the athletes at Georgia, by William Nack, February 24, 1986) published this important story after Kemp successfully sued the university:
The size of the award provoked cries of anguish among some state officials. "Good God!" blurted Georgia House Speaker Tom Murphy on hearing the news. Gov. Joe Frank Harris, shaken, said simply, "It's a little excessive, unbelievable really."
By the time the jury had reached its verdict, however, the only things patently excessive were a) the ineptness of the university's presentation of its case, and b) the cynical attitude of some of its leading administrators toward what Kemp termed the university's "exploitation" of its athletes, particularly the black ones, in its use of the remedial learning program to get them into school and keep them eligible for sports.
Cynical is a barely adequate word to describe the comments of Ervin, the head of the remedial learning program and an assistant university vice-president. In the course of the trial, a transcript of a secretly taped meeting of school officials was introduced, revealing that Ervin, who is black, had made the following statement—out of "frustration," he says—regarding the poor educational backgrounds of some of the black athletes in the remedial program:
"Now, you talk about [how] these kids are not taught in high school. They aren't. We try to teach them here, but there is no way to do it. The majority of these kids are black that are coming in, and it kind of rips in at me at the insides, and I take it very, very personal. I know for a fact that these kids would not be here if it were not for their utility to the institution. There is no real sound academic reason for their being here other than to be utilized to produce income. They are used as a kind of raw material in the production of some goods to be sold...and they get nothing in return...."
Kemp, who has two children and whose husband Bill is a high school teacher, was hired by Georgia as the coordinator of the English section of the Developmental Studies Program in September 1978. The program is a well-intentioned outgrowth of affirmative action policies designed to make a university education available to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Athletes comprise 17% of the program's current enrollment of about 335 students. The courses, designed to teach basic skills such as reading and writing to sometimes functionally illiterate students, do not count for credits toward a degree. Students ordinarily have four chances to pass each remedial course. If they achieve a C or better and pass a basic skills test, they are allowed to enroll in regular university courses. If they fail after four attempts, they are supposed to be dismissed from the university...16 of 66 Black football players (this story was published in 1986) had graduated at UGA since integration: that's 24 percent. But "Thank God Earl Warren" right, or else UGA wouldn't have had the opportunity to win the 1980 National Championship behind the running of Hershel Walker (long rumored to be one of the players allowed to play, though he hadn't passed remedial classes). It should be noted that in 2000, 94 percent of the freshmen football players at UGA were "special admits" to the school (of that recruiting class, more than 90 percent were Black).
The conflict came to a head in December 1981 when Trotter, a former assistant secretary for education in the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, allowed nine football players to "exit" from the remedial learning program to the university curriculum, despite the fact that they had all failed their fourth and final quarter in English. The players went on to play in the 1982 Sugar Bowl, but in a position paper the athletic department said there was no wrongdoing. Trotter, a former home economics professor, admitted in court that athletes received preferential treatment at the university, but defended her action on promoting the nine students. "I felt they deserved an opportunity because of the work they had done," Trotter testified. "I felt they had made great progress."
[Then UGA head football coach Vince] Dooley, once the chairman of the American Football Coaches Association's Ethics Committee, admitted during the trial that, "Because of the similar approaches by other institutions, we were placed in a position of offering scholarship aid to student-athletes who were very, very poorly academically prepared. It became obvious that we had to take some numbers that were high risk." In other words everybody else was doing it so Georgia had to do it, too.
Georgia president Fred Davison similarly tried to justify the university's recruitment practices by saying, "We have to compete [with rival schools] on a level playing field." Referring to Georgia athletes, Davison also said: "If they leave us being able to read, write, communicate better, we simply have not done them any damage."
What do some other college sports officials think about the Georgia case? Gene Corrigan, the director of athletics at Notre Dame, said, "I just don't want to sound holier than thou. What I'm saying is that there might be 50 or 60 other schools that could make the same claim as Georgia." Doug Single, the AD at Northwestern, suggested that schools with high academic standards should schedule each other and not worry about playing schools with lower priorities.
Davison, who brought a number of coaches and educators together in 1982 to try to improve national academic standards for incoming athletes, also testified that Georgia supported tougher NCAA admissions policies that will begin to take effect in September, but that the school "would not unilaterally disarm.... One institution in our community can't drop out and survive." This from the president of a school that graduated only 16 of 66 black football players since the team integrated in 1971.
But it doesn't matter, does it? Most alumni of the big schools, especially in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and even the new Pac-12 (which Stanford belongs to) will gladly choose "heads" for Carolina, if it means victory on the football field or a trip to March Madness.
"Tails" for California (the methodology used by Stanford for recruiting athletes and maintaining high academic standards and integrity): a choice that few alumni of any major schools would choose. | <urn:uuid:d451373c-4f5f-4783-9634-741ddaab7543> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://stuffblackpeopledontlike.blogspot.com/2012/09/heads-carolina-tails-california.html | 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 | 0.97792 | 2,540 | 1.898438 | 2 |
maximize your microbiota Improve your digestion, ward off infections, and more with probiotics.
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your intestines. This helps to prevent the “bad” bugs from reproducing. Probiotics also produce bacteriocin— natural antibiotics that kill harmful microorganisms. The two most prevalent strains of beneficial bacteria are Lactobacillus, which is found in the small intestine, and Bifidobacterium , which lives in the colon. Not only do these two types of bacteria favorably alter the microflora balance in the intestines, they also promote good digestion and may help ease the symptoms of chronic digestive disorders. Low
levels of these beneficial bugs, on the other hand, have been linked to a number of common digestive disorders, including diarrhea, constipation, Crohn’s disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. Probiotics have also been shown to prevent, and even reverse, the adverse effects of pathogens on intestinal barrier function. This friendly flora produces organic compounds including lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and acetic acid that increase the acidity of the intestines, making it a very unwelcome environment for harmful pathogens.
11/29/16 9:54 AM | <urn:uuid:8b02330c-0572-450e-9b66-fe40b6a9d44d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://issuu.com/healthandhappiness/docs/hah_january_2017/12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280364.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00037-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91117 | 368 | 2.984375 | 3 |
[LCD TVs Teardown] Power Consumption Compared [Part 1]
Nikkei Electronics Teardown Squad decided to break down two types of LCD TVs. One is Sony Corp's 32-inch Bravia "KDL-32J5" featuring energy saving functions, and the other is Dynaconnective Co Ltd's 32-inch DVD player-equipped "DY-32SDDB," which attracted public attention with the price as low as ¥49,800 (approx US$517).
Bravia TV features much lower power consumption
Before tearing down the LCD TVs, we measured the power consumption of the Bravia TV, which Sony claims is an energy-saving model. According to the specifications of the TV, its power consumption is 84W when it is operated with the maximum screen luminance with an all-white signal and the maximum sound volume.
We measured the power consumption of the TV showing a terrestrial digital TV program in the "standard mode," considering the normal usage of a TV. Under this condition, the power consumption of the Bravia TV was 56.45W.
The power consumption of the Dynaconnective's TV, when measured under the same condition, was 138.51W, much higher than that of the Bravia TV.
Just as Sony claims, the power consumption of the Bravia TV seems low. In fact, it is much lower than the power consumptions of the company's previous products. For example, the first 32-inch Bravia TV released in October 2005 has a power consumption of 150W, and that of the 32-inch CRT TV launched in June 2000 is 220W.
To know what kind of efforts Sony made to reduce the power consumption, we examined the inside of the Bravia TV. | <urn:uuid:8ab2c26e-fdcd-459e-8c53-3c9bf2b4c137> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20090608/171424/?ST=english_PRINT | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283008.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00086-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959754 | 364 | 1.703125 | 2 |
It may be getting cooler outside, but that hasn't diminished the chance of a small grassfire growing into an out-of-control wildfire.
The Texas Forest Service said Saturday that strong winds and low humidity in the Texas forecast, combined with dry vegetation, continue a critically dangerous situation where wildfires continue to be a very real threat.
Most of the state, and all of North Texas, will be under a critical fire watch until 9 p.m. Monday.
Since the fire season began last November, the TFS and Texas fire departments have responded to more than 20,631 wildfires that have burned more than 3.5 million acres. Firefighters are currently fighting 12 large fires across the state, including the 6,600-acre 101 Ranch fire near Possum Kingdom Lake.
That fire, at last report, was 60 percent contained.
“The fire danger we are experiencing poses a severe threat to lives and property in the state of Texas,” said Mark Stanford, fire chief and associate director of Texas Forest Service. “Increased outdoor activities are expected due to the holiday weekend. These factors increase the probability for the development of large and destructive wildfires.”
The TFS is urging all Texans to obey burn bans (251-254 counties are under a ban) and use caution outdoors this weekend, especially when doing anything that can cause a spark.
Additionally, for information about how to protect your home from wildfire, visit the Texas Forest Service website. | <urn:uuid:fc4547d5-104c-4b2b-9122-3254050416a3> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.nbcdfw.com/weather/stories/Critical-Fire-Danger-This-Weekend-129188028.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281353.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00067-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945655 | 300 | 2.28125 | 2 |
The exploration of the Moon and Mars continues apace
Two craft probe beneath these bodies’ surfaces
THIS WEEK has seen the publication of results collected by probes to two heavenly bodies: Chang’e 4, a Chinese mission to the Moon, and InSight, an American mission to Mars. Chang’e 4 landed in January 2019; InSight arrived the previous November. The Chinese team, bowing to the realities of scientific publishing, have presented their results in Science Advances, an American journal. The Americans, however, have chosen Nature Geoscience, a British journal owned by German publishers.
Chang’e 4 is China’s second successful lunar lander, and the first from any country to touch down intact on the Moon’s far side—the part never visible from Earth. Its purpose, other than demonstrating China’s technological prowess, is to investigate the geology of Von Kármán crater in the Moon’s southern hemisphere. To that end it is fitted with a ground-penetrating radar which can peer many metres down.
This radar shows three distinct layers of rock, the top two each 12 metres thick and the lowest 16 metres thick. Below that, the signal is too fuzzy to see what is going on. The upper layer is composed of regolith—crushed rock that is the product of zillions of small meteorite impacts over the course of several billion years, and which covers most of the Moon’s surface. The other two, distinguishable by the coarseness of the grains within them, are probably discrete ejecta from separate nearby impacts early in the Moon’s history that were subsequently covered by the regolith.
InSight (pictured above as an artist’s impression) is intended to probe deeper than this. It is fitted with instruments designed to measure heat flow from Mars’s interior, any wobble in the planet’s axis of rotation (which would probably be caused by an iron core) and Marsquakes. The heat-flow instrument has so far been a washout. The “mole”, a device intended to dig into Mars’s surface, pulling this instrument with it, has refused to co-operate—to the point where the project’s directors are about to take the time-honoured step of hitting it with a hammer (or, rather, with the scoop on the probe’s robot arm) to persuade it to stay in the hole that it is supposed to be excavating. And the wobble detector, though working correctly, has insufficient data to report. So the release this week is mainly about the quakes.
InSight’s seismograph recorded 174 quakes between the craft’s landing and the end of September 2019. The strongest were between magnitudes three and four—just powerful enough, had they happened on Earth, for a human being to notice them. Quakes are a valuable source of information about a planet’s interior. A network of seismographs, as exists on Earth, allows their points of origin to be triangulated, their speed measured and their reflections from subsurface rock layers observed. From all this can be deduced those layers’ composition and depth. With but a single instrument, such deductions are trickier. InSight’s masters do, though, think that two of the quakes originated in Cerberus Fossae, a set of faults 1,600km from the landing site that are suspected of still being seismically active.■
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "Beneath the surface"
Science & technology February 27th 2020
- Digital twins of hearts could help diagnose and treat cardiac disease
- How to decide in advance who will pass advanced military training
- The exploration of the Moon and Mars continues apace
- As delivery drones multiply, they may need to protect themselves
- An Australian legend may be the world’s oldest datable story
From the February 27th 2020 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition
A neurometabolic account
Rather than forces within
But doing so will take patience and money | <urn:uuid:0703be27-d1a2-4827-8786-b9bbe213574d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/02/27/the-exploration-of-the-moon-and-mars-continues-apace | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572833.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817001643-20220817031643-00273.warc.gz | en | 0.950954 | 878 | 3.328125 | 3 |
This morning US futures are an unfamiliar shade of green, as the market is poised for its first red open in recent memory (then again the traditional EURJPY pre-open ramp is still to come). One of the reasons blamed for the lack of generic monetary euphoria is that China looked likely to buck the trend for more monetary policy support. New Premier Li Keqiang said in a speech published in full late on Monday that adding extra stimulus would be more difficult since printing new money would cause inflation. "His comments are different from what people were expecting. This is a shift from what he said earlier this year about bottom-line growth," said Hong Hao, chief strategist at Bank of Communications International. Asian shares struggled as a result slipping about 0.2 percent, though Japan's Nikkei stock average bounced off its lows and managed a 0.2 percent gain. However, in a world in which the monetary tsunami torch has to be passed every few months, this will hardly be seen as supportive of the "bad news is good news" paradigm we have seen for the past 5 years.
More from Reuters:
In one of the few occasions when a top official has specified the minimum level of growth needed for employment, Li said calculations show China's economy must grow 7.2 percent annually to create 10 million jobs a year. That would cap the urban unemployment rate at around 4 percent, he said.
"We want to stabilize economic growth because we need to guarantee employment essentially," Li was quoted by the Workers' Daily as saying on Monday. His remarks were made at a union meeting two weeks ago but were only published in full this week, just days before a pivotal Communist Party plenum to set policy opens.
Yet even as authorities keep an eye on growth, Li sounded a warning on easy credit supply, which he said had topped 100 trillion yuan ($16.4 trillion) in the world's second-biggest economy.
"Our outstanding M2 money supply has at the end of March exceeded 100 trillion yuan, and that is already twice the size of our gross domestic product (GDP)," Li was quoting as saying.
"In other words, there is already a lot of money in the 'pool'; to print more money may lead to inflation."
His comments echoed the government's hawkish stance on inflation, analysts said, and were separately affirmed on Tuesday by the central bank, which promised to keep policy prudent with appropriate fine-tuning as well as to "resolutely repress" property speculation.
Still, Li's remarks underscore the fine line China must walk to create economic growth and jobs for social stability, while guarding against excesses that may hurt itself in the long run.
In other news, the latest European "recovery" may be over before it started, if only in the minds of gullible pseudopundits, when the European Commission downgraded growth prospects for 2014 from 1.2% to 1.1%, on the heels of the recent shocking inflationary numbers, with Spain and France revised down the most. Not helping matters was the UK PMI which like the recent Chicago PMI, printed at a ridiculous 62.5, above 60.3 previously and well above the 59.8 expected - the highest print since 1997, making it increasingly less likely the BOE will inject liquidity in the short-run.
On today's US docket there are more central bank speakers including Asmussen from the ECB; and Williams and Lacker from the Fed. Elsewhere the European Commission releases its latest growth forecasts which as noted was merely the latest haircut. In terms of data, the US ISM nonmanufacturing is the main reports to look out for on this planet.
Main US events
- US ISM non-manufacturing, cons 54.0 (9:00 CST)
- US IBD/TIPP economic optimism, cons 41.8 (9:00 CST)
- API Inventory release (15:30 CST)
- Fed speakers: Lacker, Williams
Overnight news bulletin from Bloomberg and RanSquawk
- EU sees 2014 Euro-area economic growth at 1.1% vs. Prev. est. 1.2%, maintained 2013 forecast for Euro-area contraction of 0.4%.
- UK Services PMI (Oct) M/M 62.5 vs. Exp. 59.8 (Prev. 60.3) - highest since May 1997.
- Chinese HSBC Services PMI (Oct) M/M 52.6 (Prev. 52.4) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has reiterated the country's 7.5% GDP growth target for 2013 stays in tact, but weak export sales are a risk.
- Treasuries steady before ISM Services, speeches from Fed’s Lacker and Williams after Rosengren and Powell yesterday said policy should remain stimulative for “some time.”
- Market focused on Friday’s nonfarm payrolls (est. 120k from 148k, unemployment rate 7.3% from 7.2%
- The EU trimmed its forecast for euro-area growth next year to 1.1% from 1.2%, raised unemployment est. to 12.2% from 12.1%
- A gauge of U.K. services rose to 62.5 in Oct. from 60.3 in September, the fastest pace in 16 years as the economy showed signs of pulling away from the rest of Europe
- Reserve Bank of Australia left rates unchanged at its policy meeting; AUD fell after Governor Glenn Stevens said the currency is “uncomfortably high”
- Mizuho Securities Co. said Bank of Japan dominance has killed the JGB market, leaving it unable to reflect either the success of stimulus policies or fiscal risks
- Japan’s government needs to do more to shore up its books to stave off a bond crisis should inflation return, said former Ministry of Finance official Takatoshi Kato
- U.S. Senate Democrats are packing the calendar this month with bills appealing to the party’s base as they seek a distraction from Obamacare’s troubled start
- Sovereign yields mostly higher, EU peripheral spreads narrowing. Nikkei +0.2%, Shanghai gains 0.1%. closed for Japanese holiday; European stocks, U.S. equity-index futures fall. WTI crude, gold, copper lower
Market Recap from RanSquawk
Despite the cautious sentiment which resulted in stocks trading lower in Europe this morning, Bunds remained under pressure, which saw the 10y yield rise above 1.7% in the process, as market participants positioned for a raft of supply. Basic Materials and health care sectors outperformed, with Fresenius trading up over 2.5% following earnings and Shire up over 1% after the company announced positive top-line results for Vyvanse. Looking elsewhere, this morning also saw market participants digest the latest EU macroeconomic forecasts, which saw the European Commission downgrade growth projections for next year to 1.1% vs. Prev. est. of 1.2%, with GDP projections for France and Spain revised down the most. This together with the release of much better than expected UK services PMI reading which came in at its highest level since May saw EUR/GBP fall to its lowest since early October. The move lower was also exacerbated by touted leverage names selling, which in turn resulted in GBP/USD outperform EUR/USD. Going forward, market participants will get to digest the release of the latest ISM non-manufacturing report and the latest set of API data after the closing bell on Wall Street.
Chinese HSBC Services PMI (Oct) M/M 52.6 (Prev. 52.4)
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has reiterated the country's 7.5% GDP growth target for 2013 stays in tact, but weak export sales are a risk.
EU & UK Headlines
UK Services PMI (Oct) M/M 62.5 vs. Exp. 59.8 (Prev. 60.3) - highest since May 1997.
UK services PMI new business component 63.4 in October vs 60.6 in September, highest since series began in 1996.
NIESR raised its UK growth forecast to 1.4% for 2013 and said that the BoE unemployment target is subject to considerable uncertainty, adding that the knock-out related to financial stability risks will probably lead to a rate increase in H2 2015.
EU sees 2014 Euro-area economic growth at 1.1% vs. Prev. est. 1.2%, maintained 2013 forecast for Euro-area contraction of 0.4%. Raises 2014 jobless forecast to 12.2% from 12.1%.
- Keeps 2014 CPI forecast at 1.5%.
- Sees UK economy expanding 1.3% in 2013, 2.2% in 2014.
- Sees French economy expanding 0.2% in 2013, 0.9% in 2014.
- Sees German economy expanding 0.5% in 2013 and 1.7% in 2014.
EU's Rehn says sees increasing signs economy has reached turning point.
UK DMO sold GBP 1.25bln in 0.25% I/L 2052 Gilts, b/c 1.96 and avg. real yield 0.032%. While Austrian debt agency sold EUR 1.5bln worth of bonds vs. Exp. EUR 1.65bln.
Goldman's top economist Jan Hatzius says his baseline expectation is that at the March 2014 Fed meeting, the FOMC will lower the level at which it would start considering rate hikes.
Fed's Powell (Voter, Neutral) said US monetary policy is likely to remain highly accommodative for some time and timing of when the Fed will trim pace of bond buying is necessarily uncertain and depends on evolution of economy. At the same time, Fed's Rosengren (Voter, Dove) said the Fed can be patient on adjusting policy because taper in December versus April is not too significant to the balance sheet.
Risk averse sentiment dominated the price action in Europe this morning, as market participants positioned for a raft of key risk events due to take place later on in the week. As a result, health care sectors was among the best performing in Europe, also supported by solid earning by Fresenius and also Novartis, which advanced at the open following reports that the company has identified its animal-health business as a top candidate for a sale.
GBP/USD outperformed this morning, supported by the release of yet another encouraging macroeconomic data from the UK, with UK Services PMI for the month of October rising to its highest level since May 1997. In addition to that, NIESR said that the knock-out related to financial stability risks will probably lead to a rate increase in H2 2015.
The RBA kept rates unchanged, alongside expectations, at 2.50%. However, the RBA signalled concern over AUD stating that AUD is still uncomfortably high and that a lower AUD is likely needed to achieve balanced growth. The central bank added that the setting of monetary policy remained appropriate and that the full impact of past cuts are still to be felt.
China 2013 gold output may rise 6.7% Y/Y to reach a record high of around 430 tons, according to Deputy General Manager of China National Gold Group Corp. Du Haiqing.
State Dep. spokesman Harf said US Secretary of State Kerry asking Congress to halt movement on new sanctions adding that Iran progress on nukes could lead to limited relief. Harf said US not calling for existing sanctions.
Anadarko Petroleum are set to take over operations at Chevron's Coronado discovery in the US Gulf Of Mexico's Shenandoah mini-basin following the co. increasing its stake.
SocGen's Ken Broux summarizes the key overnight macro news
ECB president Draghi will offer concluding remarks today at 14:30 cet at a scheduled event in Frankfurt, but this comes only two days before the monthly ECB council meeting so it is unrealistic to expect him to make off-the-cuff comments on last week's inflation data and whether it changes the nature of the discussion at this Thursday's meeting. The autumn macroeconomic forecasts from the EC are due this morning and may give the market a heads up on the inflation (and growth) outlook in the euro area in 2014.
The currency and bond markets are waiting on tenterhooks not just for the ECB meeting but also for the advance estimate of US Q3 GDP, which coincides with the start of Draghi's press conference on Thursday, and for the US employment report on Friday. The UST 10y yield backed off 3bp yesterday, returning below 2.60%, but we are over 10bp above the low (2.469%) registered the day after the delayed September payrolls data was released. The non-manufacturing ISM and its employment component will be in the spotlight today as we look for anecdotal hiring data during and immediately after the government shutdown. Given the low 125k consensus estimate for payrolls on Friday, one could wonder why yields are not lower than they are. A greater degree of scepticism over the state of the US economy is evident in the currency markets, where the USD surrendered partial gains made over the last 24 hours and PLN, HUF, BRL and ZAR outperformed.
The RBA left rates unchanged as expected overnight. However RBA Governor Stevens' comment saying the Aussie is still “uncomfortably high” knocked AUD/USD back below 0.9500 after the pair traded a 0.9521 high earlier. For EUR/AUD, having dropped 1.9% already since last week, a test of 1.4128 now looks on the cards and could tempt tactical bears to push for a pullback below 1.40 depending on the ECB's signal on Thursday. It is a similar story for EUR/GBP, where a strong UK services PMI this morning could force a test of Fibo support at 0.8429. In EM, Romania's central bank was forecast to cut its benchmark rate by 25bp to 4.0% and USD/RON rallied back over 3.31 yesterday, its highest level since 30 September.
We conclude with DB's overnight recap by the comprehensive Jim Reid:
Yesterday we heard three Fed speeches, all from FOMC members, but perhaps the most interesting comments came from the St Louis Fed’s James Bullard in an interview on CNBC. Bullard who is considered a centrist on the dove-hawk scale, said that “preconditions for tapering” had been met but that he was willing to be patient because inflation remains low. He also said that he was in no hurry to taper because the Fed “had room on the balance sheet”. Pressed on this point, Bullard pointed that the size of Fed’s balance sheet relative to US GDP was in the low twenties (in percentage terms) and was behind Japan, Europe and the UK on that measurement. Bullard once again dismissed the notion that a low participation rate in the labour market was a signal of a weaker employment picture than the headline unemployment rate indicated. The Boston Fed’s Rosengren, who is usually dovish, compared two "hypothetical" approaches to QE: one in which the rate of buying is unchanged until April 2014; and another fairly aggressive approach in which the buying is reduced to $75 billion in December, $50 billion in January, $25 billion in March, and completed altogether by April. "Start dates differing by a quarter or two would generate only relatively small changes in the overall size of the Fed's balance sheet,"
Rosengren said, which led him to conclude that it was better to be patient before reducing the pace of QE. Jerome Powell described the timing of the Fed’s tapering as “necessarily uncertain” because it depends on the strength of the recovery. But then he went on to say that the Fed is likely to push on with stimulus for some time. So it seems from yesterday’s comments that the Fed is willing to err on the side of caution with respect to policy accommodation, which probably helped 10yr UST yields stabilise at 2.60% yesterday (-2bp) after ticking higher for three consecutive days.
While the markets debate the Fed and the ECB’s next moves, stocks continue their march higher. Indeed, after passing the 1700 mark just a little more than a month ago the S&P500 is now only 34 points away, or less than 2% from the 1800 mark. Indeed, the S&P500 has been on an impressive run since its most recent bottom on the 8th October. Since that day, the index is up almost 7% and there has only been four negative days out of the last 19. Reports continue to suggest strong inflows into the equity asset class, mostly at the expense of fixed income funds. Data from earlier in the week from TrimTabs showed that there were $54.2bn into all equity mutual funds/ETFs in October, the third-largest inflow on record. On the other hand, bond mutual funds and ETFs redeemed $13.5bn in October, almost triple the outflow of $4.9bn in September. Bond funds posted five consecutive monthly outflows for the first time since late 2003.
Looking at overnight markets, some of the underperformance in Asian EM yesterday has been reversed this morning, helped by the halt to the slide in US treasuries. After gapping wider yesterday, buyers of Indonesian paper are returning, and bonds are generally about half a point firmer while 5yr CDS is around 5bp tighter. EM currencies are generally trading with a firmer tone including the Korean Won (+1.1%) and Malaysian Ringgit (+0.1%). AUDUSD is trading 0.4% lower after the RBA described the AUD as “uncomfortably high” in its policy statement this morning. Chinese equities are the notable underperformer overnight (HS China Enterprises index -0.7%, CSI300 -0.7%) led by banking stocks (-1.2%). There have been a number of reports as to why Chinese banks are lagging. The first is that the Chinese government may issue the first batch of private bank licenses next year as part of financial sector reforms (Bloomberg). There are also reports that the PBOC is preparing to once again drain cash from onshore money markets to suppress inflation and prevent an oversupply of liquidity (SCMP).
Coming back to yesterday, though the S&P500 and Stoxx600 added 0.36% and 0.31% respectively, there was notable underperformance in financials on both sides of the Atlantic (European banks -0.2%, US banks -0.2%). Swiss banking groups UBS (-5.3%) and Credit Suisse (-6.7%), were the standout laggards after the country’s finance minister hinted that current leverage ratios of around 4% were too low. The prospect of higher capital levels perhaps explained some of the outperformance in the European senior and subordinated financial credit indices which tightened 3bp and 4bp respectively, against a 1bp tightening in the broader European iTraxx.
Looking at the day ahead, we have more central bank speakers on the cards including Asmussen from the ECB; and Williams and Lacker from the Fed. Elsewhere the European Commission releases its latest growth forecasts. In terms of data, Spanish unemployment, UK services PMIs and the US ISM nonmanufacturing are the main reports to look out for on this planet. Who knows what's going on elsewhere in the Milky Way. | <urn:uuid:ea649809-702c-41a3-87a8-21ae8da8235d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-05/futures-unamiliar-shade-green-china-hints-curbing-stimulus | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280761.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00089-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958884 | 4,081 | 1.59375 | 2 |
UN climate chief: No country is safe from global warming
The U.N.'s top climate official urged governments Monday to stop their “deferral and delay” tactics and instead embrace rapid, widespread measures to curb and adapt to global warming.
Amid a season of extreme weather and new temperature records, Patricia Espinosa warned that no nation is safe from the impacts of climate change. Greece on Monday created a new ministry to address the impact of climate change following the country’s worst heat wave in decades.
“There is not anymore a situation where we can say these are the vulnerable countries and these are the not vulnerable countries,” she said.
With less than three months to go before this year’s U.N. climate summit, Espinosa appealed for governments that have signed up to the 2015 Paris accord to back what she called “ambitious, rapid, widespread, transformative efforts” to limit global temperature rise and prepare for the inevitable impacts of a warming world.
“We need to see that parties move beyond politics of deferral and delay and widen the narrow scope of self-interest,” she said.
Espinosa’s comments came at the opening of a new floating office for the Global Center on Adaption in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the office “a perfect example of how we can adapt to the changing climate,” noting that the building is off-grid, carbon neutral, self-sufficient and ready to adapt to future rising sea levels.
Such high-tech facilities are beyond the reach of millions in poorer nations, whose leaders have demanded that developed countries pay some of the costs they face in adjusting to climate change.
The president of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, said he hoped the U.N. climate summit in November would see a commitment for rich nations to double their existing pledge of providing $100 billion a year to developing countries to combat the effects of climate change.
Frans Timmermans, the European Commission vice president, called upon the United States to help meet the $100 billion target — which itself is still $30 million short.
China, one of the world’s biggest polluters, should also increase its efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, said Timmermans, whose portfolio covers environmental issues.
Jordans reported from Berlin
Follow AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/Climate
Get U-T Business in your inbox on Mondays
Get ready for your week with the week’s top business stories from San Diego and California, in your inbox Monday mornings.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune. | <urn:uuid:c2e4c789-8b9d-40ef-b1b9-ff6c499ef8ac> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/nation/story/2021-09-06/un-climate-chief-no-country-is-safe-from-global-warming | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571147.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20220810040253-20220810070253-00479.warc.gz | en | 0.931605 | 573 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Around the turn of the 20th century, a 20-something Central City cornet player combined ragtime and blues in a new way that signaled a shift from what had come before. There was not a word for it then but that would change in a few years when someone hit upon calling the music what we know it as today: jazz.
The cornet player’s name was Buddy Bolden and for much of his career he lived with his mother and sister at 2309 First St. He played his last gig on Labor Day 110 years ago and spent the last 25 years of his life in a Louisiana mental hospital where he died in 1931.
The house on First Street is still there, but there is not even a plaque. It sits abandoned and boarded up, the victim, like so many other historical structures in the birthplace of jazz, of absentee owners. If they give a plug nickel about the building’s role in the history of American music, it is certainly not evident.
Central City is in the throes of gentrification and properties are being snapped up at record prices. But don’t hold your breath waiting to see 2309 First St. restored to glory. The owners for the past eight years have made it clear they have no plans to sell.
While the poor who have long occupied this neighborhood are forced out by encroaching “progress,” the Bolden house sits rotting.
No, it’s not a case of a homeowner who couldn’t afford to rebuild after the storm or a working class family forced out by rising property taxes. Rather, these owners are well-heeled and pay no taxes at all. So why is this landmark in the history of America’s most distinctive and original contribution to world culture dilapidated and unoccupied?
To answer that question a trip to church is in order. No, the answer won’t be delivered by divine revelation. It’s on the balance sheet of the Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church, once the largest congregation in the city.
The megachurch, run by and Bishop Paul Morton and his wife, Pastor Debra Morton, bought the building in 2008. It stands on a triangular portion of property which the Greater St. Stephen also owns adjacent to their burned out church at First and Liberty.
And there’s the irony.
People who heard Bolden said he combined the music of the “holy roller” churches of the area, mixed gospel with the sound of a wind band ensemble and, according to bandleader Kid Ory and other contemporaries, created jazz.
The influence of sacred music on Bolden’s breakthrough sound has been documented countless times, most notably in Donald M. Marquis’ groundbreaking 1978 book, “In Search of Buddy Bolden: First Man in Jazz.”
You might think Greater St. Stephen would be more respectful of this heritage. Bishop Morton made bank in the gospel music business and the congregation has been generous to him as well, making the church anything but a struggling institution. Further, Greater St. Stephen received over $5 million in federal block grants to create “affordable housing” according to a 2013 audit.
So why is Buddy Bolden’s house in the state it’s in?
When confronted by this paradox in 2014, a spokesperson for the church assured the New Orleans Advocate that action was at hand.“We don’t need anybody to save the day,” Angela Young said. “We’re going to pay homage to Buddy Bolden, an African American-musician, and we’re going to do it properly.”
“We want to bring the Bolden house back into commerce, and we are exploring how to document the influence of spiritual music and the music of Buddy Bolden’s day,” she said. “We want to honor it. And we’re going to do it by doing more than putting a plaque on the home.”
That was two years ago. No renovations have taken place and, based on a call this week, nothing is planned in the immediate future. There’s still not even a plaque.
Greater St. Stephen, which began beefing up its Atlanta presence after Hurricane Katrina, leaving Debra Morton in charge of New Orleans operations, was cited in 2011 and again in 2014 for demolition by neglect of the Bolden home. They paid about $500 in fines. No, that’s not a typo. It’s a pittance.
Morton’s son, P.J. Morton of the Maroon Five pop rock band, is now listed as a cultural ambassador for the Bring Back the Eagle Saloon initiative which aims to save a building on South Rampart Street where Bolden regularly performed. Apparently it’s easier to see the speck in another’s eye than the plank in one’s own.
While Louis Armstrong’s birthplace now sits under our traffic court building and his childhood home under City Hall, further dithering on the Bolden home all but assures that this birthplace of jazz will one day be nothing more than a reserved spot for the mega-church leaders to park their fancy cars. Maybe they will see fit to set a plaque in the pavement.
John McCusker is a New Orleans native and retired photojournalist. He is the author of “Creole Trombone: Kid Ory and the Early Years of Jazz” and founder of the Cradle of Jazz History Tour. He can be reached at email@example.com | <urn:uuid:64c1d92b-534d-4419-91ad-fe2aacc89542> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://thelensnola.org/2016/10/09/calling-on-a-higher-power-to-save-a-jazz-landmark-buddy-boldens-home/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280410.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00449-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960945 | 1,170 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Over 100 incidents of racial abuse and hate crime have been reported since the British public voted for the UK to leave the European Union. Several incidents have involved perpetrators explicitly letting others know that they voted Leave, leading to concerns that the referendum verdict has caused a spike in open racism.
To document these shocking instances of racism and xenophobia, Sarah Childs started an album on Facebook, where she posted screenshots of racism found online. The album received such a significant response from friends, family and strangers that they started a Concerning Signs Facebook group, now over 11,900 members strong.
A quick glance over some of the group's most recent posts really does highlight how widespread of an issue post-Brexit racism is becoming. | <urn:uuid:9dc07355-7cf5-4e46-9b95-cf5538223aef> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.aol.co.uk/news/2016/06/28/thousands-of-people-are-sharing-stories-of-postbrexit-racial-abuse-online/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719547.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00395-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967715 | 144 | 2.046875 | 2 |
This series was written in December of 2003.
1. The Nature of True Republicanism
In a long and more personal post than he usually indulges in, David Neiwert of Orcinus lays out his journey from mainstream Idaho-conservatism to a sort of liberalism-by-default, convincingly pegging the change in his own attitudes to the changes in conservatism over the last quarter-century:
Working-class values, and my belief in blue-collar virtues — like integrity, decency, hard work, honesty, common sense, and fair play — all were quite deeply ingrained. When I was younger, I really believed that conservatism best embodied those values.
Over the years that morphed, especially as I worked as a newspaperman (beginning in about 1976, when I was just turning 20). I was confronted innumerable times with realities that conflicted with my old preconceptions. I came to know hard-working Democrats who had the highest integrity and greatest decency (people like Frank Church and Cecil Andrus). I got to know Republicans who were prolific liars of the lowest integrity (like George Hansen, Steve Symms and Helen Chenoweth). And, of course, I got to know scumbag Democrats and honest Republicans as well, people who jibed with my old worldview. But it was obvious that the old construct was not really valid.
What became especially clear was that — even though I had always believed, and still do, that upper-class and urban liberals are prone to a phony compassion that only extended to various victim classes, rather like a parlor game, often rationalized with a tortuous intellectualism — conservatives likewise were fond of wrapping themselves in my old-fashioned, working-class values (along with the American flag, of course) while utterly undermining the ability of ordinary, working-class people to make a decent living and obtain equal opportunity.
Conservatism, especially in the past 20 years, has come less to represent those old-fashioned values, and instead has become a watchword for rampant, unfettered corporatism. Republicans in Idaho particularly were fond of gutting my state’s heritage — letting “free enterprise” pollute our streams, wipe out fish runs and wildlife habitat, destroy the forests in which I used to hunt and fish — while proclaiming they were doing so in the name of “liberty.” They weren’t the party of the little people, despite their pose, which so many people I knew bought into. They were the party of the fat cats who bellied up to the public trough, trashed our lands, and walked away fatter and fancy free.
Mr Neiwert seems here to be blissfully unaware that what he is describing has been the GOP agenda since the days of the Robber Barons 130 years ago. Whenever the Republicans have been in control, they have encouraged the rape of resources (the Republicans who controlled Maine in the 19th century allowed logging interests to clearcut the entire state, for example) and the unfettering of business to the point where corruption, fraud, and even murder were condoned to a degree we would find hard to believe even now.
The rise of moderate Republicanism began after Teapot Dome when a reaction set in against the revelations of a naked corporate rapacity so arrogant, so unbridled, that it thought nothing of reaching into the White House itself and buying a President. What I will call the standard GOP agenda had to be brought under control and modified to blunt the animosity Teapot Dome had ignited among ordinary voters or the GOP wasn’t going to survive the backlash.
The election of FDR in ‘32 was a repudiation of Republican policies (which were widely seen as the prime cause of the Stock Market crash and the Depression which followed) that was to herald a sea-change in American politics. By the beginning of the Second World War, the GOP had lost not just the White House but the Congress as well, at least in part because they had fought Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease program, which aimed to help Britain defend itself from Hitler, by offering a platform of Isolationism and warm words for the German leader which were not remembered fondly when he declared war on us.
At that point, moderation was solidified as the only acceptable strategy – GOP isolationists and extremists were being thrown out of office after office. The election of Eisenhower – a moderate centrist – which regained them the Presidency served to confirm the strategy, but they never really forgot their roots. They compromised only because they had no choice.
To be personal for a moment, I grew up in conservative New Hampshire and well remember the burning hatred that surfaced among them whenever Roosevelt’s name was mentioned – and that was 20 years after his death. Nor was the hatred confined to the generation which had lived under him. Fathers passed their hatred of the New Deal and its creator to their sons like an heirloom. As the South has never forgotten or forgiven the Civil War, conservatives had clearly not forgotten or forgiven the man they blamed for “socializing” the US and destroying their party in the process. Even then they dreamed of reversing everything Roosevelt stood for: “socialized medicine”, Social Security, Welfare (called “Relief” in the Depression), unemployment insurance, all of it.
I was lectured over and over again about how these things were “anti-American”, Communist-inspired “perversions” (a word the John Birch Society was particularly partial to using about Roosevelt personally as well as his policies) of “their” Constitution, despicable “invasions of privacy” (which turned out to mean, when you questioned them, govt “interference” with business) that would destroy the fabric of America and the American promise.
Their hatred rarely seemed to have any bounds. They fantasized about military rebellion against what they interpreted as a “Communist takeover” of their govt by “Soviet-backed” liberals, seeing any move to weaken the Second Amendment as an obvious attempt at disarming them and preventing their ability to raise armies of opposition. They talked about seceding from the Union – not necessarily peacefully – if they didn’t get what they wanted. A common statement you might hear from any of them was, “We should have killed that son-of-a-bitch (FDR) when we had the chance.” And they meant it.
At first I dismissed them, as did everyone else, as a fringe group of whackos. But as I got to know more of them, I discovered that they were supported – quietly but steadily – by people who sounded, in public at least, like moderate centrists who would be appalled at the excesses of, say, the Birchers. The dichotomy between the public and private statements of “moderate” Republicans at that time was extreme, a gulf so vast it couldn’t be explained except by hypocrisy and political expediency. For a while (I was young) I became convinced that every moderate Republican was really a closet Bircher plotting in secret to overthrow the “Liberal/Communist Conspiracy”.
Of course that wasn’t true. Some moderate Republicans were legitimate moderates, not radicals; as time went on and the extremists were no closer to their goals, perhaps most of them were legitimate. But the strain of GOP radical idealism I noted then remained just under the surface all during the 60’s, given new life by the twin towers of Viet Nam and massive social change. By Nixon’s second term, plans were already afoot in the radical wing to win back the govt, and their goals had not changed one whit in the intervening 30 years: to reverse Roosevelt’s Communist Programs and Johnson’s Great Society extension of them, and to once again make corporations safe from democracy and democratic “interference”.
So where Neiwert sees a moderate GOP that “morphed” into a radical, intemperate beast–
I’ve become much more concerned about conservatism, largely because it has itself morphed from a style of thought, like liberalism, into a decidedly ideological movement. One never hears of a “liberal movement,” while the “conservative movement” proudly announces its presence at every turn. Conservatism has become highly dogmatic and rigid in its thinking, allowing hardly anything in the way of dissent — indeed, it is nowadays practically Stalinist itself, especially in the way it punishes anyone who strays from the official “conservative” line.
–I see a GOP that is simply returning to the core philosophy and goals it had to abandon for practical reasons of survival, jettisoning a “moderation” it never really embraced except as a tactic. The evidence for this can be shown by the periodic outbreaks of Republican attempts to come out of the closet: 1948, when they were beaten back by Truman’s relentless exposure of their greed and arrogance; the early 1950’s when Joe McCarthy and Richard Nixon tried to destroy the Democratic party – and liberals of any kind – by “proving” that they were Communists; and 1964 when they chose Barry Goldwater as their standard-bearer and for the first time since WWII declared their intentions in the wide open spaces of a national campaign. What Niewert rightly decries is not an abberation, however, but the re-emergence of the GOP’s long-stifled Prime Agenda.
The radical right-wing extremists have not “hijacked” the party, they’ve just come out of hiding and re-assumed their rightful place: in the open, as representatives and advocates of the true Republicanism that has been underground for 100 years. Like locusts, they may not have been visible but they were there all the time, waiting for the right time to emerge.
2. The Source of Polarization
Neiwert’s post goes on to argue that the intemperate language from the right-wing over the past 20 years has now reached a fever-pitch. He noticed the first signs of it not long after the SCOTUS selected Junior:
What I observed over time was that none of my conservative friends would seriously defend Bush v. Gore but would switch subjects or revert to a “get over it” kind of response. None would acknowledge that there were perfectly good, perhaps even patriotic, reasons not to get over it. None would acknowledge that, were the shoe on the other foot, they too would be seriously outraged — and I mean long-term outrage.
And so the feeling grew on my part that they neither were being honest nor being, at base, civil in its core sense. Maybe I was wrong to feel this way, I don’t know; but I felt it. I tried not to let it show, but it was there. And it was a wedge in our friendships.
He’s quite right: so blatant was the theft that there were only two possible responses for partisans: outrage that people they believed in would act this way, or denial. In overwhelming numbers, they chose denial. Why? Because, as Neiwert explains, the ground had been prepared in advance. They had been set up for that response.
For the past decade liberals have been increasingly subjected to a brand of conservative ridicule that has explicitly blamed them for every one of society’s ills, and it has come relentlessly and from every quarter of the increasingly politically dominant conservative sphere. Now that rhetoric is reaching a violent pitch — and if Oklahoma City should have taught us anything, it was the consequences of spreading this kind of hate. Much as conservatives like to argue that liberals are guilty of the same thing, there really is no parallel to this on the left, at least not since the early 1970s.
What relatively mild incivility that liberals now exhibit is comparatively minuscule in proportion and prominence. Liberals have in fact been, by comparison, the picture of civility, especially since Sept. 11. Remember all those Democratic votes for Bush’s war initiatives and the Patriot Act. Remember that there still has been no serious investigation of the causes of Sept. 11, in no small part because the White House has refused to cooperate — but also because neither Democrats nor moderate Republicans have collected the political will to get it done, and done right.
Too civil, perhaps. Neiwert’s argument is that 9/11 boosted right-wing rhetoric, already plenty nasty and getting nastier, to the level we see now:
It is in the last of these failures — painting dissent as treason — that the president, his administration and the accompanying pundits (or rather, the choir of sycophants) all have affected us all personally, and badly. Because that view has become the worldview of mainstream conservatives in all walks of life. It’s manifested itself not just in nationally prominent scenarios like the attacks on the Dixie Chicks and other entertainment folk, but in other smaller and lesser-known ways, too, like the way conservative officers are driving liberal soldiers out of the military. The clear message in these cases: Dissent is disloyalty.
Even conservatives who have dared dissent have been drummed out of “the movement.” The Stalinism inherent in this mindset was vividly on display, I thought, when longtime conservative Philip Gold of The Discovery Institute announced he was opposing an attack on Iraq — for reasons, I should note, that were almost identical to mine, and which I think have proven prescient — and he was promptly dropped from the Institute (which has, it must be noted, increasingly come under the influence of Christian Reconstructionist Howard Ahmanson in recent years). It should be noted, too, that Gold has been forced to reach the same conclusion as I: that “conservatism has grown, for lack of a better word, malign.”
Most of all, the prevalence of the “dissent is treason” meme has affected how ordinary people relate to each other, in profoundly negative ways.
I have heard all kinds of anecdotes about interpersonal alienation over Bush and his handling of the “war on terror.” Some of these involve family members, others longtime friendships. One can only imagine what scenes will erupt from the coming Thanksgiving and holiday seasons too. For myself, it is not profound, but noticeable: invitations to traditional camping and fishing trips not issued; letters ignored; cold and brusque treatment when we do get together. A decided lack of communication and a clear sense of rejection.
And it’s too plain why: I and my fellow “Saddam-loving” liberals are all traitors. They know, because Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter and everyone else out there has told them so. Indeed, these right-wing “transmitters” have been pounding it into their heads for years now, and it’s reaching fruition.
While laying out the behaviour and its consequences clearly and eloquently, Neiwert doesn’t identify the source of this campaign. Maybe he doesn’t know it. Maybe he doesn’t even know it was a deliberate campaign, but it was.
After Goldwater ignited the sleeping core of True Republicans, they tried to attach themselves to Richard Nixon, whose credentials as an anti-Communist crusader with few scruples and an instinct for punching below the belt they found attractive. But Nixon, who had played dirty in every campaign for every office he’d ever sought and basically gotten away with it, got caught in ‘72, though too late to prevent his winning re-election.
It’s important to remember and to understand what happened next because it is the fuel that feeds the fire under True Republicans and their determination to turn back the clock and destroy liberalism once and for all. But not just liberalism — moderate Republicanism as well, for it was not the liberals who nailed Nixon’s coffin lid down, it was Republican moderates who would not countenance his undemocratic, un-Constitutional actions, specifically and most crucially, Howard Baker.
Nixon’s use of the CIA to affect the break-ins of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office in an attempt to find damaging material they could use to stop his publication of the Pentagon Papers, and of the Watergate Hotel offices of the Democratic National Committee were meant to be covered, should they ever become known, by the twin moated-castle-keeps of National Security and Plausible Deniability. Both these protective mechanisms, however, broke down under intense scrutiny by the nation’s press, particularly the Washington Post. As the cover-up unraveled fed by daily revelations in the press that brought the story closer and closer to the very top, Nixonian partisans, most of them radical right-wing conservatives, grew increasingly angry at the furor over what they considered “trivial” incidents.
But that anger was as nothing compared to the anger they felt when moderate Republicans joined liberals in decrying Nixon’s Consitutional abuses. They felt betrayed, stabbed in the back by their own people. At first Baker’s repeated questions–”What did the President know? and when did he know it?”–promised cover, the protection of Plausible Deniability: if the President didn’t know what his aides were doing, he was off the hook. What they failed to see until it was too late was that the questions were a two-edged sword: if the President did know, then he was quite firmly on the hook–a hook Baker had fashioned, however unintentionally.
As the evidence mounted up that Nixon was directly involved (and involved early on), as Dean testified against his boss and the WH tapes were first discovered and then played on national television, the defection of the moderate Republicans that True Republicans had put in place, they thought, as a matter of expediency grew to epidemic proportions, a rout. Baker’s questions had become the criteria by which Nixon’s guilt had to be judged, and the verdict was becoming inescapable.
What liberals saw as the unmasking of a high crime, Nixonian conservatives saw as a vendetta by the “Eastern Liberal Establishment” that had never liked Nixon and was panting to take him down on any pretext. Where liberals saw a profoundly anti-democratic President willing to trash the Constitution for the petty purpose of furthering his own career, conservatives saw what they called the political “assassination” and “crucifixion” of a great statesman and towering presence in American history for a single, unacceptable reason: that he was a conservative anti-Communist. They never forgave Baker, or the Republican moderates who went to see Nixon and convinced him to resign, for joining the “liberal establishment” and betraying their President. They never took the charges against Nixon seriously and didn’t see how anyone else could, especially other Republicans, unless they were hellbent on finding an excuse to destroy a political adversary and didn’t much care how flimsy that excuse was.
Sound familiar? Liberals — and other ordinary folk — with no sense of their own history have been asking for a decade the question, “Why do conservatives have such a hatred of Bill Clinton?” It seemed way out of line, what with Clinton pushing a center-right agenda. Why should they hate somebody who was supporting some of their own policies and even making them law when conservatives had been unable to do so (in the same way that Nixon could go to Communist China when no liberal could)?
The answer is simple enough but it lies in the past: Clinton was their worst nightmare: a Rooseveltian coalition-builder who stole their issues and was threatening to forge a series of new Democratic alliances that could keep them out of power for another 50 years. He couldn’t be allowed to succeed. If he did, the progress True Republicans had made under the witless but attractive conservative icon Ronald Reagan would vanish like morning fog. But even better, taking Clinton down would avenge the “liberal witch-hunt” that had, in their view, destroyed Nixon. True Republicans like revenge for wrongs real or imagined. They never forgive and they never forget. Clinton was payback.
The destruction of the Clinton Presidency wasn’t by any means an improvised affair. After Nixon was forced to resign, hard-right True Republicans were determined to see that what happened to him could never happen again — at least, not to a Republican — and they began a series of meetings and conferences to devise a strategy. At the center of the plotting were conservative think-tanks like The Heritage Foundation and The American Enterprise Institute, whose ultra-conservative members had already begun to lay out the elements that would be needed for them to prevail.
Item 1 on the agenda was an attack on the “liberal” press that had been so instrumental in Nixon’s downfall. The press had to be neutralized, taken out of the equation. How to do it? Easy, said the lawyers of the HF: when a witness’ testimony can’t be disproved in court, you attack the witness directly. You cast doubt on his credibility, expose the dirty linen in his personal life, characterize his professional life as incompetent or corrupt, connect him to questionable activities and unappetizing associates, interpret everything he has ever done in the worst possible light and force him to defend himself against charges irrelevant to his testimony. Muddy the waters but keep the charges simple enough that the jury won’t have to think too much to understand them. And the beauty of it was that the witness wasn’t on trial so you didn’t have to prove any charge you made; all you had to do was “suggest” strongly enough to put doubts in the minds of the jury. Spiro Agnew had had some success — though it was brief — in keeping the press away from reporting his construction swindles using this tactic, famously labeling the press “nattering nabobs of negativism”. What they needed was to do that, only more, bigger.
But “How?” was the question. It would take forever to replace enough of the liberal reporters and editors in the nation’s newspapers to make a difference. Not necessarily, came the reply. The reporters and editors may be overwhelmingly liberal, but the owners are not. Forge alliances with them, convince them that their papers aren’t “fair” to conservatives, that they’re overbalanced with too many liberals, that conservative voices are stifled. Urge them to provide more “balance” by hiring conservative commentators. Let the liberal reporters report the news, but let the conservative commentators interpret it.
It was a good strategy but it needed a lot of repetition to succeed with the public. It needed a drumbeat that was always the same and never stopped. It needed constancy and consistency. It needed to be treated like Madison Avenue treated the selling of a product: ads all day every day, all playing variations on the same theme until it was part of the air the consumer breathed. And so the echo chamber of the Mighty Wurlitzer was born.
The first real test of this strategy came, oddly enough, not in the 1980 campaign but in the early years of Reagan’s presidency when he made statement after statement that was untrue, everything from the bogus anecdote of the “Welfare Queen” to the bogus science of “trees pollute”. When reporters called him on statements clearly disconnected from reality, conservative pundits responded that the “biased liberal press” was picking on him over simple, unimportant mis-statements, that the “biased liberal press” was unfair and out of control, that the “liberal press was biased” against any and all conservatives and that the “bias of the liberal press” made them untrustworthy.
By 1984, it seemed impossible to say the word “press” without prefacing it with the phrase “biased liberal”, and the tactic of the meme was born. Without proof — with the proof in fact going in the other direction — the echo chamber had, by simple but pervasive repetition, convinced the American public, a public that only 10 years before had been celebrating the press as the last bastion of truth and the only institution left that could keep politicians honest, that that press was actually full of prejudiced liars and liberal partisans twisting the truth to advance a hidden agenda. It wasn’t a fancy or complicated tactic. It was as simple as the most primitive kinds of brainwashing techniques, and it worked like a charm.
Confronted with the spectacle of Reagan’s appealing “everybody’s grandfather” character being “unfairly” bashed by a “biased liberal press” before he’d even done anything, the American public reacted by bashing the press. Letters poured in excoriating the papers who were “picking on” Reagan, there were boycotts, sales slumped, and talk radio emerged as the antidote for all that “biased liberal” poison. At first driven by a preponderance of conservative Libertarians (Alan Berg was an anomaly, almost unique in the business), talk radio was soon the almost exclusive province of far-right conservatives, for whom it was tailor-made. The more outraged — and outrageous — they were, the more fun they were to listen to.
When Rush Limbaugh first appeared in the late 80’s, even liberals listened to him, tuning in just to hear what crazy thing he’d say next. Nobody then took Rush very seriously; he was treated like the entertainer he always insisted he was. At the time, I was the only one I knew who thought Rush and his Dittoheads represented a real threat to the political discourse of this country, and even progressives who disliked Rush insisted that I was over-reacting.
But I had been watching, and I could see the elements of the overall strategy being put into place. The press had blinked at the fierce reaction to their reporting of Reagan’s constant gaffes and had stopped reporting them; newspapers were backing away from reporting any story critical of an extremely popular Presidential Image; more people were getting their “news” exclusively from television, soaking up pap carefully edited so as not to offend as if it were the real thing; talk radio was pounding away at the same conservative themes day after day after week after week, their screeners making sure that callers opposed to the conservative line never got on the air to express that opposition; and conservative media owners were enlarging their empires and exerting more control over the daily content of their news departments at the same time that they were cutting staffs and salaries to, in one fell swoop, increase their profits and decrease opposition to their new policies in the press room.
It wasn’t a pretty picture. It was frightening. I was watching the destruction of a diverse press and its replacement by a dumbed-down press corps chasing sexy but meaningless stories for the sake of the bottom line and endlessly parroting the views and beliefs of its owners without much regard for little things like truth or the public good or its role as a check-and-balance on political skulduggery. The Fourth Estate was being gutted, turned into a vat of irrelevant, toothless mush right before our eyes, and nobody seemed to notice, let alone care.
The travesties of the press orgies around OJ, Brittany Spears, Laci Peterson, et al didn’t happen by accident.
3. The Development of Polarization
With the “watchdog” press successfully muzzled (the inability of the press to get Iran-Contra onto the public’s plate proved it beyond all reasonable doubt), planners at HF, AEI, and the other conservative think-tanks were ready to move on to the next item on their agenda: the development of tactics targeted at marginalizing the impact of the left-wing and the dissemination of those tactics to the faithful and through them to the rest of the country. At the time, this looked like a much more formidable task than it actually proved to be.
Whatever their hopes or fantasies, conservative thinkers with even the slimmest of ties to political reality knew full well that Reagan’s success was predicated on his personal charm and the success of his everybody’s-Grandfather persona in pulling swing voters and center-right Democrats (the so-called “Reagan Democrats”) over the line to support him. They also knew that this support was thin, tentative, and probably temporary. The challenge was to find a way to lock in people not normally drawn to conservative causes like eliminating Social Security and corporate taxes or reversing the gains in environmental law and racial justice, the people who would otherwise desert the party when Reagan ended his second term.
In other words, they had to find a way to force the center to move to its right against its current will. Support for environmental controls on corporate activities, for example, was particularly strong, as they discovered when they had Reagan appoint James Watt as Interior Secretary. His violent restructuring of Interior policies to openly and brazenly favor corporate interests started a firestorm of protest that eventually drove Reagan to replace him and taught the extremists that they were going to have to move slower than they had hoped.
But conservatives–especially extremist conservatives–as a whole aren’t much given to changing their minds once they’re made up. They tend to characterize mind-changing in negative language, calling it “waffling”, disloyalty, betrayal, or a surrender of ideals. There was little chance, despite their setbacks, that they would ever consider altering their goals or compromising on their agenda except as a short-term tactic for the sake of appearances. To do that would be to show weakness to the enemy (defined even then as “anyone who disagrees with us”), or, as the conservative/corporate-speak of the day had it, to “show them your belly.”
And, true to form, they didn’t. Instead they set about laying off their more controversial stances (except abortion) and concentrated on identifying the conservative issues that played best with the non-conservative voters who had swung to Reagan. They found three: security, tax relief, and the economy, in that order.
Despite the fact that history couldn’t show a conclusive superiority in any of these areas on the part of either party–both had their ups and downs–voters believed for reasons of their own that on those three issues Republicans were better for the country than Democrats. Polls also showed that the conservative Achilles’ Heel was domestic policy. In that area, voters overwhelmingly preferred the Democratic agenda: protecting the environment, affirmative action, a woman’s right to choose, worker’s rights, and so on. The message was clear: get the voters focused on taxes and foreign policy; if they’re focused on Republican issues, then they’ll naturally focus on Republican solutions – and Republican candidates.
Again, the tactic worked. Reagan made his “evil empire” speeches and Republican strategists conceived the decade’s most brilliant red herring: Star Wars, an impossible scheme technically (and everybody involved knew it) but the kind of easy, superficially sensible pipe dream that the simple-minded Reagan would embrace whole-heartedly and that pervasive advertising techniques used since the 50’s had trained the American public to lap up with a spoon.
In the event, they didn’t exactly lap it up, but they took it seriously enough that it often drove domestic concerns off the front pages and served to keep public attention focused on a useless daydream for damn near 8 years while Republican domestic policies enriched Wall Street, began the dismantling of the Great Society, and allowed corporations to deliberately destroy the social contract that had held since the end of WWII, stealing pensions, blackmailing states into eliminating corporate taxes, adding millions to the unemployment rolls for the single purpose of raising the price of their stocks, breaking or minimizing the power of labor unions, and using the Federal govt as if it were their own private cash reserve. Heightening the tension of the Cold War and building up fear of a nuclear holocaust centered attention outside the domestic arena so effectively that social depredations at home went largely unnoticed by the general public until after Reagan left office.
Meanwhile, conservative efforts to hijack the media continued apace: the Mighty Wurlitzer and its echo chamber were growing, gaining in experience and expertise; conservative talk radio was becoming a political as well as a commercial force; a wave of mergers and consolidations were gradually putting all forms of media, from movies, tv and commercial radio to newspaper, magazine, and book publishing, under the control of a shrinking handful of right-wing tycoons like John Malone, Sumner Redstone. and Rupert Murdock; and direct pipelines from the media tycoons into the offices of conservative political figures like Newt Gingrich, Orrin Hatch, and Phil Gramm were solidifying a unity of purpose and message. They were all on the same page, and each thought they were using the other.
It was a perfect arrangement for all concerned–and a powerful one. A large chunk of the media became an arm of operations for a certain segment of the govt–that segment which agreed with the aims of the tycoons who owned the media–and would churn out information skewed to support the goals of that segment. In return, the segment would support the corporate aims of the tycoons, challenging, re-writing, or even eliminating laws and regulations that the tycoons found too restrictive.
The main question of this phase was, again, “How?” Now that control of the media was in their hands, how were they going to use it to best advantage to steer America in the direction they envisioned? The answer came in two parts: the 1988 campaign of Bush I, and Rush Limbaugh.
The 1988 Presidential campaign was in many ways a watershed for the conservative forces actively engaged in the effort to change America’s orientation. For one thing, they no longer had their Grandfather icon fronting for them. Instead, they had a patrician insider who was uncomfortable on television and had an unfortunate tendency to talk in clipped, unfinished sentences that were easy to ridicule and often hard to decipher. He had massive govt experience, including a disastrous stint as CIA Director the year after Nixon resigned, but little practical experience in anything but business. People, they found, liked him but couldn’t relate to him very well, nor could he reach across the Great Class Divide to them with any success.
Their new candidate was a long way from Reagan’s Granddad. Poppy Bush was more like the rich uncle you saw once a year at Christmas, the one who bought cheap presents and didn’t stay very long. He was OK, but you weren’t going to share your Christmas cookies with him, and you didn’t really notice when he left. Selling him was going to be a problem.
GOP strategists decided early on to use the same tactic against liberals that had been so successful in the attack against the press: George Sr would tar his opponents with the epithet “liberal”, using it as if it were a profanity he could barely stand to utter, and counter any criticism of his policies or statements not by defending or explaining them but by attacking his critics as “liberal elitists” and suggesting (without actually saying it) that their attitudes were un-American and/or idiotic. It was during that campaign that Poppy in fact turned “liberal” into a swear by refusing to say it: “liberal” became “the L-word”, and the “L-word” became a synonym for silly, impractical, devious, and un-American. Anyone who could take that claptrap seriously, Poppy seemed to be saying, couldn’t be trusted to run the country for that reason alone.
This time the tactic was only semi-successful. Poppy, after all, was a centrist, not a right-wing devotee of Reagan’s hardcore gospel, and when he tried to sound like one he came across looking like a robot lip-syncing previously prepared programming. But he undeniably struck a nerve, particularly with older white male voters disenchanted with the social changes of the last 20 years. They liked what he said even if they distrusted the way he said it, and if they didn’t exactly flock to his side, if their deepest desires weren’t set aflame with passion, if they didn’t show up at his rallies in overwhelming numbers, still they supported him and every single one of them would vote.
Poppy was helped immeasurably by the nomination of Michael Dukakis by the Democrats. The Duke, despite being the son of immigrant, working-class parents, came across looking and sounding more like a patrician elitist than patrician elitist Bush. His emphasis on his background cut so little ice with potential voters that Poppy could label him a “liberal elitist” and get away with it. In addition, the Duke was focusing his campaign on economic issues at a time when the false boom of the Reagan years had not yet begun to unravel (as it would between ‘88 and ‘90) and nobody was particularly feeling the need to change direction.
Duke’s concentration on the economy also left a yawning gap in Poppy’s strongest area: his expertise in foreign policy, including his pedigree as Reagan’s anti-Communist VP, Dutch’s right-hand-man in America’s on-going battle with the “evil empire”. Poppy’s media gurus figured they only needed one domestic issue if it was strong enough, and they settled on a natural: taxes. Massachusetts was called “Taxachusetts” by the rest of the nation, and though the perception was inaccurate even then (a dozen or so states had higher property and income taxes than Mass), it played well everywhere else.
So while newspapers reported on and Bush talked about other things, the campaign responsible for the ads and the Mighty Wurlitzer responsible for the spin pounded away at two simple themes: Dukakis was a member-in-good-standing of the Eastern Liberal Establishment (as if there was or had ever been such a thing); and Dukakis was a tax-and-spend liberal who wanted to do to the country what he had done to Massachusetts–tax it to death. This simple, two-pronged strategy was intended to marginalize Dukakis by getting voters to perceive him as marginal: an extreme figure outside the mainstream, somebody not sensible, not serious, not realistic–somebody “not like us.”
Politicians have used the “us vs. them” tactic from time immemorial. It knits followers together as a unit, bands them together to fight “outsiders” in an echo of human experience that goes back to the cave1. In a sense what Bush and his handlers were doing was just a slightly more sophisticated and extreme version of that oldest-trick-in-the-book. It was, that is, up until the Willie Horton episode.
The Willie Horton episode is enormously important in a way that went largely unnoticed at the time in the furor over its racial implications, for in hindsight its importance doesn’t lie in its viciousness (that was a natural extension of Republican campaign advertising tactics going back to Nixon and Roger Ailes) or its blatant playing of the race card (another natural extension of Republican campaign tactics that had evolved from Kevin Phillips’ “Southern Strategy”). Rather, its importance lies more in its subtle attempt to link a Democratic Presidential candidate with a convict.
The subliminal message in the Willie Horton ads was the identification of Dukakis with a murderer and rapist as if they were one and the same. Ostensibly an attack on the “liberal” philosophy of rehabilitating criminals by mainstreaming them back into society, the ads made every effort, both verbally and visually, to equate Horton and Dukakis as different sides of the same coin, fellow-travelers on the fringes of society. The undertones of the ads were less racial (though they were that, too) than they were anti-social. Who, after all, would release such a man unless he could identify with him? Normal people–you or I–would lock Horton up and throw away the key, but Dukakis freed him. The inevitable question in the viewers’ minds had to be: Why? Why would he do that? The answer embedded in the ads was, “Because they’re birds-of-a-feather. They’re both criminals.”
The fact that Horton was black mattered far less in this campaign than the fact that he was a murderer. It was the first time that any political ad of modern times had defined the “them” in “us vs them” in such an extreme manner that a political opponent could be described in terms formerly reserved for torturers and serial killers. It was a tactic designed not just to put Dukakis (and by extension, anyone who supported him) on the margins of society but to push him completely beyond the pale and into the Lands of the Outer Darkness, an ominous country no sane human being would visit voluntarily, a country with an eerie resemblance to the Biblical version of Hell.
The ads worked, and Dukakis’ poll numbers went into a nose-dive, especially in the South, from which they never recovered. Although the backlash created by the ads was significant, it was too late. The damage had already been done. GOP strategists took careful note: Don’t marginalize your opponents, shove them over the cliff. Make them Untouchables, characterize them as unclean, spawns of society’s lowest and most vicious dregs, agents of the Devil. Traitors.
It was breath-taking, the political equivalent of a gated community: a mile-high wall of barbed wire separating their political opponents from “ordinary people”, a wall that kept out the predatory animals of the Liberal Establishment and prevented them from eating you alive. And who did you have to thank for this protection? Why, the Saviors of the Right who saw the danger and built the wall, who else? So whose side do you want to be on?
But the backlash, while it came too late to help Dukakis, did accomplish one thing: it stopped the ads. They were pulled from circulation. That was a good thing for democracy but a bad thing for GOP strategists trying to get a handle on methods for turning the country around. They had a strategy–Divide and Conquer–but not the tactics to make the strategy work at a mass level.
Fortunately for them, there was Rush.
1. Mel Brooks put this age-old feeling into a nutshell as The 2000-Year-Old Man. Asked by Carl Reiner if they had national anthems back in the “old days”, Brooks replies:
B: We weren’t nations, we was caves. Every cave had its own national anthem.
R: Do you remember your cave’s anthem?
B: Of course! You don’t forget a national anthem in a minute.
R: Could you sing it for us?
B: Sure. (sings:)
“Let ‘em all go to hell,
Except Cave 76!”
4. The Destruction of a Presidency
In an odd kind of way, Bill Clinton was made to order for Rush Limbaugh. Rush, the one-man nemesis of the counter-culture, made his reputation attacking feminists, liberals, gays, college professors, immigrants, the NEA, and anyone else to the left of Genghis Khan, by accusing them of saying things they’d never said but that his core listeners believed they would have said in public if it was safe and probably did say in private. But an argument could be made that, at least in the beginning, Limbaugh’s core listeners were a realtively thin slice of his audience; that the bulk of that audience was made up of people who agreed with some of his positions but not others, people who listened for the “entertainment value”, and people who disagreed with him almost totally but found his outrageousness entertaining or wanted to keep track of what he was saying in the (accurate) belief that he was mirroring the often unspoken but true feelings of the right wing in American politics.
What Limbaugh called “entertainment”, however, was (and is) in reality a particularly virulent form of propaganda which grew over the years from a simplified echo of core right-wing beliefs to structured demagoguery with a very definite purpose. As Mr. Neiwert, in an essay titled Rush, Newspeak, and Fascism (well worth a read in its entirety, you can download a .pdf version of the whole thing here), puts it:
Through most of the first decade of his radio career, his primary schtick has been to rail against the government and its supposed takeover of our daily lives. This anti-government propaganda has served one main purpose: To drive a wedge between middle- and lower-class workers and the one entity that has the real (if sometimes abused or neglected) capability to protect them from the ravages of wealthy class warriors and swarms of corporate wolves.
To that extent, Rush has functioned as he was meant to function by the conservative planners who first saw talk radio’s possibilities in shaping the political landscape: as a propagandist hawking their world-view on a daily basis in language so startling in its muscular simplicity and so larded with easily-labeled “enemies” that the meanest intelligence could grasp the message without having to work at it very hard. Rush took propaganda techniques known since the Second World War and honed to a fair-thee-well during Stalin’s reign and applied them in the US for the first time since Father Coughlin in the 30’s, and it was an approach that worked exceptionally well:
[T]here can be little doubt as to the effectiveness of Limbaugh’s propaganda: In the intervening years, it has become an object of faith, particularly in rural America where Limbaugh’s broadcasts can often be heard multiple times throughout the day, that the government is in itself evil, a corrupt entity, something to be distrusted and feared, and certainly incapable of actually solving problems.
Mind you, in Limbaughland, there are still “evil” people in government — but they’re all liberals. Indeed, the demonization of all things liberal has always been a component of Limbaugh’s routine. But now it has become his focus. And it is in that shift, taking place in a context of rising extremism, that he has become openly divisive, and truly dangerous.
Probably, but let’s not pretend that Limbaugh is advocating some new ideas that he invented. His attitudes have been main themes for the ultraconservative, corporate-based core constituency of the Republican Party since the end of the Civil War. All Limbaugh did was give it a loud, persuasive, modern voice, helped along by the conservative owners who put it on their radio stations several times a day, disallowed the airing of opposition voices, and then claimed that the public had “demanded” it.
At root, the extremes in any political orientation or philosophy are a mass of contradictions, and ultraconservatism is no exception. They like to think of themselves as daring risk-takers able to face challenges weaker citizens shy away from, yet in practice they pull every imaginable string to minimize or eliminate risk altogether, no matter who else has to suffer in the process. They tend to detest most those who most closely resemble them; they tend to project their own weaknesses, especially personal weaknesses, on those with whom they disagree; attracted by strength, especially the raw exercise of power in support of policies they favor, they tend to back explicitly anti-democratic foreign leadership–dictators, military juntas, self-appointed autocrats–in the name of “realism” and then attack them later for being too strong; and so on.
Ultraconservatives have always needed enemies. Where moderate conservatives want to conserve–to go slower, to make sure we aren’t throwing the baby out with the bath water–ultraconservatives respond to fear: of outside threats, real or imagined, of change, of anything or anyone different, and that response is anger. Ultraconservatives always over-react because their fear makes them inherently weak, unable to countenance compromise of any sort for fear that it might endanger them in some way. Fear is a powerful motivator. The stronger the fear, the higher the motivation. Ultraconservatives seek power as the only drug capable of calming their fear. The more power they have, the less frightened they need to be.
What are they so scared of? Losing their privileges, mostly. Rich ultraconservatives hate Communism and populism because both threaten to take the privileges which money buys for the rich by taking away the money. Poor ultraconservatives hate immigrants and blacks because they threaten to take away the few measly privileges that being native-born and white affords to the otherwise impoverished. To assuage their fear, both groups need to feel more powerful than what they’re afraid of, and privileges, however meager, prove that power. Take them away and weakness is all that’s left.
This is true of all extremes. Progressive radicals who want outside agencies like government to solve or mitigate problems that arise from personal weaknesses or lack of talent and/or capability are also reacting from fear. Seeking power or the protection of power is the universal human response of frightened people, and both sets of extremes need enemies in order to rally the troops that will provide the power or protection they need.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Communism in Soviet Russia, ultraconservatives found themselves deprived of the enemy that had energized them and provided their entrée to power for 3/4 of a century. There were plenty of others, of course, from feminists to homosexuals to immigrants to Robert Mapplethorpe, and Rush found–and hammered–all of them. But they were lacking a Demon.
There was Fidel, but he was a spent force as Demons go. Since the October Missile Crisis, no frightened Republican, try as s/he might, had been able to whip up much enthusiasm in the public for hating him. As a tiger, his teeth had been pulled.
There was China, which would have pleased the religious right, but demonizing China presented a problem: the core Republican constituency–corporations–were doing a lot of business in and with China nowadays. They were leery of antagonizing the whole country. Individual leaders, yes, but individual Chinese leaders did the NRC no good. They could whip up a frenzy over Godless Communist China, but who knew who Ziang-chi-min was? Who could even spell his name?
No, genuine Demons you could get the public to rally round were thin on the ground, no two ways about it. Without a personified, Grade-A, #1 Gen-u-whine Demon, generalized attacks on generalized targets like feminazis and abortion doctors lacked a core, a center, a focus of evil, and energizing the troops was difficult if not impossible without one. What to do?
Their seemingly insoluble problem was solved with the election of Bill Clinton. They hated the son-of-a-bitch. He was everything they despised–a Southern cracker, the Governor of a joke state known as a heaven of shantytowns and trailer-trash, an unrepentant womanizer a la JFK who exuded sex appeal at a level no Republican had ever reached or ever would, and he had won by stealing their issues–THEIR issues! Welfare reform, balanced budgets, free trade, deregulation. He was a travesty, a perversion of themselves, a mirror-image with charm and a populist appeal. Shameful, maddening, evil.
But the worst was his astounding political skill and his ability to forge coalitions out of unlikely partners: radical feminists and Southern housewives; homosexuals and mainstream Protestant churches; Democratic Democrats and–Horrors!–their own Reagan Democrats. The man was threatening to become another FDR, welding a lot of small groups with differing agendas into a single group with one over-riding goal: to keep Republicans out of power for another 50 years. It couldn’t be allowed. He had to be stopped.
Almost as soon as he was sworn in, Republicans began the process of trying to destroy his Presidency, and the beauty of their plan was that it would use the same tool that Democrats had forged to destroy Nixon: the Independent Prosecutor. This struck them as true balance, an eye for an eye: precise, equal Judgment and exact Exacted Revenge. There was a pleasing symmetry to it, a what-goes-around-comes-around inevitability.
Of course, there was the minor issue of what it was the IP was supposed to investigate to be settled yet, but they figured there must be something. After all, every politician has a skeleton or two in the closet somewhere. It was just a matter of finding his and smearing them all over the tube. They had the media, they had the echo chamber of the Mighty Wurlitzer. They would leave him nowhere to hide.
They began, naturally enough, with rumors, and they had a lot to choose from. Clinton had fathered a bastard black child, had been involved in a murder, had stolen money, had sold his support for legislation, had been involved in a number of shady business deals, had raised money illegally for his Gubernatorial campaigns, and so on. None of them could be proved, of course, but they could be investigated, that was the point. Throw enough smoke around and a gullible public was sure to believe that there had to be a fire somewhere.
They started with White Water, a land development deal on which Clinton had actually lost money. The charges were vague, the evidence suspect when it wasn’t completely cooked, and nobody understood exactly what crime it was Bill was supposed to have committed. But none of that mattered as long as it was being “investigated”.
A good beginning, and the very vagueness of it fed the right-wing-whacko rumor mill like fertilizer feeds geraniums. On the nascent internet, right-wing websites were freed from facts by the almost complete lack of them and cheerfully invented a raft of conspiracy theories woven with any slime-laden gossip that happened to come their way. Their creators presented their personal beliefs as proven fact without bothering to support their assertions, and–like gossip–story built upon story, repeated and expanded so often that each began to take on the patina of an incontestable history, like Columbus discovering America or Washington crossing the Delaware.
Which is where Rush came in. He took the tactics he’d devised to smear the left,
added to them the free-wheeling disdain for “facts” that he’d learned on the internet, and combined them into a simple, powerful strategy: Lie, early and often. Apologize for nothing, retract nothing, repeat everything endlessly, and tie it all to Clinton’s back.
His approach was the verbal equivalent of a gangland street-sweeper – he didn’t have the interest or the patience for a sniper. He sprayed his targets from every angle with any ammunition available, rock salt to buckshot, indiscriminately and without let-up. There was never a devastating charge but there were lots and lots and LOTS of smaller charges, and their sheer numbers were overwhelming. Disprove one and ten more arose to take its place; allow a little time to pass for the public to forget the one that had been disproved and he could bring it up again as if the debunking had never happened.
The think-tanks were awed. The Limbaugh strategy was brilliant. The opposition was always off-balance, always on the defensive, forced to answer accusations of imaginary crimes as if they were real, not once but over and over again. But Rush didn’t stop there. He began to tell his stories in a way that put Bill Clinton at their center like a spider sitting in the middle of its web spinning traps for innocent but unwary flies. Rush gave the ultraconservatives the Demon they’d been lacking, and that Demon’s name was Bill.
Who often obligingly performed for them: the infamous “tarmac haircut”, first waffling on and then abandoning his appointment of Lani Guinere, the constant attempts at compromise when a child would have known that compromise wasn’t possible, and of course the women–acres of them, one story after the other: Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones et al. He didn’t seem capable of meeting a woman without trying to seduce her.
He fed into every ultraconservative stereotype of what liberals were, outdoing every previous contender for the title. Rush had a ready-made show almost every day. All he had to do was pick up a paper.
Maybe it was how easy it all was that led him–and the rest of the right wing–to keep upping the ante, raising the stakes. Clinton never fought back, just smiled and went around them. As Michael Feldman of PRI’s Wha’d’ya Know put it, “They’ve been dumping all this doo-doo on him and he just keeps smiling, smiling, smiling.” What does it take, they must have asked themselves, to get to this guy? And they set about finding out.
The nastiness of the rhetoric increased exponentially for the next eight years, fed by failure after failure to dent the armor of the Comeback Kid: Travelgate was nothing; Paula Jones went south after it was proved her testimony had been given to her by lawyers for the Conservative Law Foundation acting on orders from the CLF’s founder and funder, arch-conservative Richard Mellon Scaife; and the White Water investigation ate up 7 years and $$30 or 40MIL$$$ without ever proving a crime had been committed, let alone by Bill Clinton.
Despite these maddening failures, all during the ‘96 campaign right-wing pundits crowed that Clinton didn’t stand a chance of re-election. Fred Barnes said, “Bill Clinton will lose this election to any Republican who doesn’t drool onstage.” Unfortunately, the Republicans nominated ace hatchetman Bob Dole, an unlikeable hack who ran back to the Senate in the middle of his campaign so he could make a speech defending a corporate contributor who produced poison gas (look it up), and whose biggest contributors were tobacco companies. Clinton won. Handily.
In the end, ultraconservative Republicans were reduced to trying to impeach him over a sordid affair with an intern, and they failed spectacularly. But the failure did seem to inspire them to plumb new depths of degraded rhetoric. They called Clinton–the sitting President of the United States–”a douchebag”, “scum”, “slime”. Rush hinted often if he didn’t say it outright that Vince Foster had been murdered and that Clinton had ordered it, suggesting not-quite-under-his-breath that it wouldn’t be the first time if he had–a direct link to the Willie Horton meme. Democrats were liberals and liberals weren’t just wrong, they were murderers, traitors, the scum of the earth.
Between the extreme political attacks and the extreme and increasingly hostile rhetorical attacks, Clinton’s Presidency was crippled. A number of major initiatives, including proposed fixes for the health care and social security systems, were unceremoniously dumped and forgotten as the result of bitter right-wing opposition; the efforts in Somalia and Rwanda were cut short, leaving both countries in an uncomfortable limbo; environmental issues were ignored and some regulations weakened because Clinton couldn’t afford to fight about them; but most important of all, the coalition he had begun to put together during his first campaign never materialized and the Republicans–now solidly in the hands of extremist radicals like Tom DeLay, Newt Gingrich, and Trent Lott–won a majority in both houses of Congress.
Rush had shown them the way to spread the Gospel According to St Ronald and crush the opposition in the process. Their destiny was clear.
5. The Militarization of America
a. The Commander-in-Chief
The stage was set: the strategy had been decided, the tactics developed, the audience trained, the secondary players cast and in place. The only thing the ultraconservatives (now calling themselves “neo-conservatives”, or “neocons” for short, in an attempt to de-fang the poor images the word “ultraconservative” carried like the excess baggage on an overloaded pack mule) were missing was a star. The scenario they’d planned was toothless without one.
It hinged–as all such scenarios have from before the time of Carthage–on the investment of belief and power in a single individual who would represent them and their ancient agenda in a way that the populace would accept even as his radical actions belied every soothing word he spoke. Much as they would have liked one of their own on the throne, experience had taught them that someone who was overtly a neocon–James Watt, Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay, and so on and so on–alienated large segments of voters and drove them into the other camp.
A believer would be nice but more important was someone with a pleasant charm and nonthreatening manner, someone who could successfully project the image of The Guy Next Door, who embodied simplicity and certainty without looking too intelligent but who looked intelligent enough (Americans don’t like their candidates to be smarter than they are; look what happened to Adlai Stevenson), someone with the common touch, and–vitally important–someone easily swayed and not too inquisitive; someone who would, for example, refuse to read the newspapers for himself and be content with summaries prepared by neocon aides who could then make sure he never saw anything that might shake his faith in their agenda; someone who might announce his decision to launch America’s first pre-emptive war on the slimmest of pretexts by poking his head into a door and uttering those six immortal words, “Fuck it. We’re taking him out.” IOW, they needed a C-average John Wayne with an over-ripe sense of his own “destiny”.
I don’t have to tell you who they found.
He was perfect in more ways than one.
- Even before 9/11, he saw himself as the one chosen by God to lead in a crucial time. In fact, he’d felt that way since his conversion to fundamentalism shortly after he turned 40.
- He knew almost nothing about world affairs or international policy. Seeming bored by them, his attention would wander whenever the subjects came up.
- He’d had a stormy relationship with his father and the process of differentiating himself from Poppy had pushed him far to the right and into the fringes of the neocon camp before he’d ever held an office.
- When he did win office, it was as Governor in a state where the Governor was a figurehead whose duties consisted mainly of looking good on television and cutting ribbons to open highways and supermarkets.
- His experience in business, such as it was, led him to identify corporate values with American values as if they were one and the same, so he already saw the world through the eyes of the corporate powerhouses who would be his sponsors and donors.
He was perfect alright, but then he almost lost.Much has been written about the arrogance and ruthlessness with which the right fought Gore’s win in Florida, from the paid Republican cadres that chased Election Commissioners from their own building yelling epithets and threats, to the SCOTUS reversing its oft-stated states-rights policies in order to force the election to Bush. But what hasn’t been mentioned much is the underlying desperation that motivated that ruthlessness.
The question that needs to be asked is, “What made the Republicans so desperate to win that they were willing to pull out all the stops, cross all the lines, violate all the rules, even the ones they had always before then respected?” The answer up to now, when one has been offered at all, was the standard–and not inaccurate–liberal line: “The right wing believes in winning at any price.” Well, yes, but why did this specific election bring all that out? It wasn’t as if they hated Gore with the same virulent intensity which they lavished on the Clintons. Their tone with Gore tended to be that he was his own joke. They dismissed him as “The ‘Inventor’ of the Internet” and “Mr Woodman”.
And yet they had clearly been making plans from the beginning to steal the election if need be. Katherine Harris’ orders to screen out as many black voters from the rolls as possible and to put voting sites in black precincts in places as difficult to find as possible were repeated throughout much of the South; absentee ballots were mailed to servicemen stationed overseas much earlier and in much larger numbers than usual in many states; the RNC had legal teams in every battleground state ready to challenge the election results if the vote was even moderately close and what I can only call “harassment teams” on call, ready to be shipped anywhere in the country to provide “public support” for RNC challenges (most of the paid Republican “demonstrators” in Florida turned out to be from other states). And all this despite polls that suggested fairly strongly–until the last few weeks of the campaign–that GW had a comfortable lead. Clearly something was up. What?
The culmination of their plan was what, the plan they’d been working on for 25 solid years, step-by-step, inch-by-inch putting the pieces together. They had both Houses of Congress; they had determined, defined, and framed the issues before the country in ways that favored them; and if they didn’t have the support of all the people, they had enough on their side to buttress the next phase. All they needed now was the White House and they could force the policies they favored on the country before it woke up to what was happening.
A business-friendly govt was only the beginning. They were going to re-make the world, starting with the Middle East, then moving on to Asia, Africa and finally the Americas. Papers they wrote for the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) laid out much of their plan in some detail, and the very title of their “project” gave away their intent: they were going to make the 21st century the American Century in the way that the 19th had been the British Century. They were going to expand American influence all over the globe, and with the fall of Communist Russia, there was no power left that could stop them. They were going to replace what they saw as a namby-pamby US with a muscular US unafraid to use its overwhelming military might to rule the world economy just as the Brits had, and the Romans before them.
To do all that, though, they must have a compliant President who was at least sympathetic to their attitudes and long-term goals. They’d seen during the Clinton years how little they could accomplish, even with effective control of the Congress, when the WH was in Democratic hands. But beyond that, the plan called for a strong identification with the American military by the American public, and the crucial link that forged that connection was the person of the President. They needed someone who looked and acted like a civilian but at the same time was credible as a military leader. He didn’t have to be smart and he shouldn’t be overtly martial. He needed to be charming, unthreatening–a man who would give every appearance of having been forced to a decision he was reluctant to make–but also very sure of himself and stubborn as hell, a man who would “stay the course” and not back down as Bush I had done.
For all these reasons and in all these ways, George W was perfect, the exactly right man at the exactly right time. The hardline neocons, heirs to the far-right radicalism of True Republicans since before the Civil War, had waited, hoped, evolved and planned for this moment for 150 years, and there was no way they were going to let it slip through their fingers. From their pov, the security of the Western World, perhaps the whole world, was at stake.
They were the only ones who knew how to halt the long slide down the slope of Liberalism, secularism and “diversity” that could only end in the destruction of everything they valued, and they were the only ones with the will to do what was necessary to reverse that slide and take America back to being the “shining City on the Hill” they imagined it had once been. For there was one last consideration: they were absolutely certain that a challenge was coming, that they were standing on the cusp of enormous change, change so profound that it would result in either their total annihilation or their total victory.
They couldn’t have said if you asked them precisely what that change was, only that it was huge and very, very close. Some thought it was the Biblical Armageddon, the seeds of which they saw in the continuous unrest of the Middle East. Some, especially those connected to the Militias, thought that The Revolt was at hand because the “people” were finally ready to throw off the chains of a “liberal” govt unresponsive to their demands. Others thought The Rapture was right around the corner, when God would come with a fiery sword to smite the wicked and take the virtuous up to Heaven to sit at his Right Hand. Still others thought that conditions were ripe for turning America into the first Western theocracy, a govt run directly by God, his orders fed through them, his representatives, his “transmitters”. But whatever The Moment was, it was coming, and the neocon faithful fully intended to be in control when it did.
That’s why they fought so hard for W, why they were prepared to overturn any applecart that was in their way, even if it belonged to them, why no trick was too dirty, no scheme too low, no maneuver too illegal to try. They had to win. Western Civilization was at stake, and this would likely be their last chance for a long time, maybe their only chance. Who knew when, or even if, this particular alignment of circumstances, beliefs, and personalities could be manufactured again?
Better to seize the day, to take full advantage of what they had built, what they had longed for, what they had prayed for. Seen in that light, stealing an election was a small price to pay. They would have paid more.
b. Militarizing America
In the first few months of the Bush II Administration they seemed to be floundering, mostly pre-occupied with cutting off American participation in every international treaty. The dogmatic unilateralism that was to poison the Second Gulf War and its aftermath was already apparent, made crystal clear when they pulled out of the International Children’s Rights Treaty at the request of global corporations who used children in their overseas factories.
They were certain enough what they didn’t want to do, and certain of what they did want to do. They were less certain of how to do any of it. The Middle East situation was imploding under Sharon’s hardline tactics, but W wasn’t interested. He talked to Sharon when Ariel called him but would promise him nothing. When Arafat requested his intervention, or at least that he take a phone call to discuss the Palestinian view, W couldn’t be bothered–he was on vacation.
The only initiative in which anyone could interest him was cutting taxes for the oligarchy–a Republican core-value since the day the income tax was instituted. That, he was willing and even eager to work on. Taking advantage of the traditional honeymoon and Democratic reluctance to anger their corporate donors, Bush and the hardline Pubs in the Congress rammed through a $$$Trillion$$$$ tax give-away to the richest 1% in the name of “jump-starting” the economy.
It was their only accomplishment in those early months, and for a while it looked to be their last–W had gone back to sleep. He was waiting for The Moment that his god had promised him when he was born-again, The Moment when the door to his destiny would be opened unto him and he would step into the role he was sure God had assigned to him as the Republican FDR.
On September 11th, 2001, The Moment came.
I was far less impressed than many others by the way he handled that tragic event. His seminal speech to the nation was larded with cliches and stock phrases, and his no doubt Rove-inspired instant use of the rubble for photo ops and promises he had no intention of keeping (his promise of $20B in aid to the city was quickly cut by Congressional Pubs to $5B and he even fought that as “excessive”, and his promise of Federal money to help pay police and firefighters and update their equipment never materialized at all) showed breath-taking cynicism at a level even Richard Nixon never stooped to.
But the worst part, to me, was his automatically militaristic response. Rather than treat this terrorist incident as a police matter in the way that the rest of the world had learned, quite successfully, to do, Bush proposed a military invasion of Afghanistan. He seemed to have little real understanding of the realities of global terrorism, preferring instead to cast the event as if it were Pearl Harbor: a sneak attack by another organized state rather than by a clearly independent terrorist group with ties to a number of different governments.
This lack of sophistication and his comfortable identification with simplistic and inaccurate analyses of the global terrorist threat was a direct result of the influence of neocon thinkers like Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Lewis Libby, and Gary Schmitt who for years have defined the problem almost exclusively with terms like “state-sponsored terrorism”, insisting that terrorism couldn’t be effectively fought without eliminating the regimes they believed were supporting those terrorists–and eliminating them by military means, by far their favorite response.
Other options, as we now know, were never seriously considered by anyone in the Bush Admin except Powell, and his views were roundly defeated in the first day or two after the attack. Perle even insisted that no other viable option was available, and that even if Gore had been elected he would have been forced by circumstances to the same actions, though “it may have taken longer”.
This is not the place to make the case that other Western nations who have suffered terrorist attacks have been very successful in treating such attacks as a police matter, systematically capturing and eliminating one terrorist group after another during the past 30 years, or that global terrorism finds its financing far more often from rich, sympathetic individuals than from govts whose assistance has usually been more symbolic than real. Whatever the weaknesses or inaccuracies in the neocon vision may be, what’s important here is that Bush bought into their belief that terrorism could be successfully fought militarily, and that he did so because it dovetailed nicely with the ultraconservative goal of getting people to identify the President more as the Commander-in-Chief of the US military than as the people’s civilian representative.
The invasion of Afghanistan began the process of militarizing America by allowing conservatives to begin defining every issue, domestic or foreign, in terms of its effect on “the global war on terrorism” (GWOT, in bloggers’ shorthand). It also gave the army of ultra-right commentators an excuse to ratchet up their vitriol, labeling anyone who criticized the war as an “appeaser”, a “leftie kook”, or even a “traitor” (the word that would later be almost universally applied by the far-right to critics of the Second Gulf War and by wingnuts like Ann Coulter to centrist Democrats and anyone else who disagreed with her extreme beliefs).
Naturally, discussion of that “effect” more and more began to center around the activities and needs of the Afghan forces and the potential aftermath of the invasion. Given the swiftness of the initial military victory over the Taliban, it might have ended there but for the ultraconservative planners for whom this was only the first step. The Taliban had no sooner retreated than Admin neocons were openly advocating an invasion of Iraq using the since-disproved excuse that Hussein was a heavy Al Qaeda supporter (the WMD argument had not yet reached the prominence it would later occupy as a rationale for war).
Ignoring the well-documented animosity between the secular Hussein and the fanatically fundamentalist wahhabism of Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda, neocons harped on a fictional connection between the two as a way of extending American anger at Afghan terrorists and re-directing it toward the target after which they had been lusting since Bush I’s refusal to invade Iraq a decade before: the world’s second-biggest oil depository. Officials hinted for months that they had proof that Hussein was behind the 9/11 attack, laying the groundwork for a new invasion theater. They weren’t about to let “War” slip from its prominence as political rationale. It was their strongest weapon in the coming Congressional elections.
In an essay in last October’s Harper’s Magazine (not available online) titled, “We’re in the Army Now”, Kevin Baker pointed out that between March of 2001 and the off-year elections of 2002, Bush had spoken “either at a military facility or to a specifically military audience an astounding 45 times”, an early indication of where his ultraconservative handlers were heading. As Baker put it:
George Bush’s presidency has been from the beginning…a gung-ho, in-your-face approach to governance that has refused any hint of compromise and that has already brought about a seismic transformation of American politics. …[T]he swearing-in of the first truly Republican-controlled Congress to serve under a Republican president in almost 50 years [was] a stunning triumph achieved by an off-year election strategy that boldly repudiated the old notion that all politics are local and based its entire campaign on issues of national security–and on George Bush himself.
It was a strategy that depended in large part on deploying the military as a campaign prop. Bush stumped at military bases throughout the 2002 elections, blowing in dramatically on Air Force One to pump his latest tax cut or the Homeland Security plan… There was a tactical advantage to these venues–no American president over the last 70 years has been less comfortable with unscripted appearances before the general public, and by campaigning at military bases Bush’s handlers could assure that his crowds would always be restricted to jubilant, flag-waving supporters–but above all there was the opportunity for the commander in chief to interact personally with our men and women in uniform. He could throw his arms around their necks, shake their hands, hug them, dress up like them. Their physical presence and their…approval erased any remaining public memory of Bush’s own adroit dodge of the Vietnam War, or the fact that he may officially be a deserter to this day after going AWOL from the Air National Guard unit he managed to join during that war….
IOW, Bush had managed to successfully identify himself with “the most revered institution in the country”. Baker quotes a Gallup poll in which 76% of Americans claimed to have “a great deal of confidence” in the military as opposed to the next-highest category, religious leaders (45%), and way higher than their confidence in Congress (29%). “Americans,” Baker wrote, “now see the military as the last refuge of many democratic values in a society that seems ever more shallow and materialistic.” He’s right, and while the neocons can’t be entirely blamed for engineering that feeling, they are certainly guilty of exploiting it.
Why the emphasis on identifying with the military, aside from the obvious political reasons? Baker pointed, as I did earlier in this series, to the origins of the Republican Party:
For all their supposed conservatism, the Republicans have always been the true radical party in America. From its inception in 1854…the GOP [has been] a repository for all sorts of crackpot notions and secret societies–the Know-Nothings and the Sons of Sam and the anti-Masons, the Sabbatarians and the Prohibitionists. Their leading, shared characteristic, what brought them together as a movement in the first place, was their willingness to try to define for the first time just what a true American was–and to enforce that definition by the sword if necessary.From its inception, the GOP has been our party of blood and iron….
Explains a lot, doesn’t it? For 150 years the True Republicans have imagined themselves to be keepers of the True American flame, arbiters of what is or is not “American”, what does or does not constitute real “patriotism”, what will or will not be allowed to become part of the American landscape. Baker quotes Walter Karp from The Politics of War:
Republicans share a belief that their party is not a faction, not a group, not a wing, but a synonym for patriotism, another name for the nation.
Seen against this background, we can begin to understand that Ann Coulter’s insistent labeling of liberals and Democrats as “traitors” isn’t a mutation but the expression of a long-buried ancestral bloodline passed from John Brown to Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay like an inherited gene, characteristic of the breed. Moderate Republicans are despised almost as much as liberals, more in some circles, precisely because they are viewed as having betrayed the core values of faith in the Republican mission by accepting conflicting views as at least worthy of serious consideration–blasphemy, in the True Republican dogma.
Their identification with the military also now makes perfect sense, for it is the military they will need to use to enforce their world-view on unbelievers, to punish the un-American, and to pursue their objectives abroad. However, none of that would be feasible unless the great body of American citizens could be trained to see the military as their direct representative, the unambiguous expression of their own majority will, the protector of their interests and the ultimate personification of American pride. And the easiest and quickest way to train the public to that belief was to invest them in a single symbol: the President as primarily Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and only incidentally as the civilian leader of a democratic government. It was The Moment that made all that possible for the first time in American history.
For the first time, Republicans found themselves more or less in charge of the federal government at a moment when a stunning new foreign threat presented itself. They immediately embraced the crisis as their own, applying the sorts of radical remedies–both at home and abroad–they have often advocated in the past but have never been able to fully put into effect.
The famous flight to the carrier deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln was thus not merely an isolated photo opportunity seized for political advantage–though it was that, too–but a deliberate attempt to blur if not destroy the line between military and civilian rule that George Washington had established in the first years of the Republic by refusing to wear his uniform in public after he was elected. Washington was adamant in insisting that there be no confusion of roles–America was to be a democracy, not a de facto monarchy or a military state. As a student of Roman history, he was aware of the mischief, not to say destruction, that could be achieved when political figures also held military rank–or were perceived as such–and he rejected even the appearance of melding the two.
George W. Bush has instead embraced that melding, encouraged that confusion. And we have apparently gone along in the name of “supporting the President in a time of crisis.” With the passage of the PATRIOT Act, we are now well into the process of accepting the notion that the President can cancel the Constitution in the name of protecting us from external threats provided we trust him. It is our personal approval of Bush himself that has opened the door to True Republicans wanting to militarize American society, and reversing that trend will require discrediting Bush himself.
6. The Cult
The cult of personality is at least as old as Caesar but the roots go back even further to a time when people believed that the leader and the state were in fact as one, physically as well as metaphysically. The Egyptians believed that famine years were the result of some offense the Pharaoh had committed against the gods. In the Morte d’Arthur, King Arthur’s illness and despair causes droughts and crop failures; only when he recovers do flowers bloom again.
There is yet some ancient residue in all of us that still believes some version of this, or wants to, and there is some truth to it. Certainly a leader has more responsibility for the well-being — or lack of it — of his/her state than the average person since s/he is the one who makes many of the decisions that encourage one condition or the other. That we no longer believe in a physical link between the two doesn’t altogether destroy this conceit but only pushes it into a new form: identification. The leader represents the state, is its embodiment, encapsulates and personifies its philosophies, its people, and its hopes.
This is, of course, only slightly more true than the old belief in a physical link, but it remains a powerful fantasy with powerful attractions, not least of which is its simplicity. Follow the Leader is a much easier game to play than Figure It Out For Yourself. (In Radio On, Sarah Vowell reported Rush’s comment to his Dittoheads: “You can think about this or you can trust me. It’s easier just to trust me.”) Modern leaders from Stalin and Mao to Peron and Hafez Assad have used the shortcut of the Personality Cult either to remain in power or to extend their personal power. Hitler overtly attempted to bring back the ancient belief in its most raw form largely because he genuinely believed it to be true, and African dictators like Idi Amin and Robert Mugabe consciously played on old tribal mythologies around the power of chiefs and shamans to control their people. Even obviously democratic leaders like Lincoln and FDR had identification thrust on them when they weren’t deliberately seeking it. Charles DeGaulle put this belief most succinctly. “L’etat, c’est moi”: I am the State.
Through the years it has been a way for leaders to consolidate their forces and discourage their rivals. After all, it is much more difficult to attack one’s national identity than to attack a mere politician. Monarchies lasted centuries after they had outlived their usefulness in large part because the Royals were so integral to the political, religious, and economic fabric of their societies that most people could not envision the possibility that the country might be able to survive without them.
Nor could they — until the American Revolution — conceive of a social system which did not rest on the shoulders of a single, all-powerful leader: how could a nation be governed if there was more than one source of decision-making? It couldn’t, they thought. Take away the King and chaos was the only result you could expect. The Royals naturally did everything in their power to encourage that belief, and it finally took a colony 3000 miles and an ocean away from the Royal seat of power, a colony that had been basically governing itself for decades, to ask the question, “What do we need a King for, exactly?” Let alone to answer it with, “We don’t.”
But that was not the end of the line, only the beginning of the end, an end we haven’t yet reached. Democracy allows us to choose our leader but it doesn’t tell us what criteria to use when we make that choice. Unfortunately for the democratic system, the criteria of a “good leader” and the mental and emotional tools we use to decide what that means haven’t changed much in the last 1000 years.
We may no longer believe that a nation will wither and die if its leader gets sick, but we still vote viscerally — from the gut, not the head. Most of us admit, sheepishly or not, to going into the voting booth and pulling the lever based on sudden intuition or an overall impression that one or another candidate is “better” without any clear idea of what “better” means. In America 60-70+% of us don’t vote at all. Of the minority who do vote, fewer than a fifth do so on “the issues”, as many as half admitting that they still don’t know who they’re going to vote for as they’re walking into the booth.
Visceral voting relies on instinct for its conclusions in much the same way that our Cro-Magnon ancestors relied on instinct to tell them when a storm was coming or the game they hunted was going to move, and most instinct is the result of adding up subliminal environmental cues in order to reach a subconscious decision that we don’t fully understand. That works fine in nature but it’s a lousy way to pick a leader.
Instinctive visceral decision-making means we’re relying on external cues, mostly visual, that we’re not consciously aware of. Karl Rove knows this — his famous political dictum is that you set the stage for your candidate/politician “as if people will be watching the tv with the sound off.” Our ancient brain still insists on processing visual information as if it were real information that’s important to our survival when in fact we live in an age when visual cues are almost uniformly misleading and are often “managed” to present a consciously false picture.
Take, for example, that famous photo-op on the Abraham Lincoln.
- The ship, within easy helicopter flight of the shore, was turned around so that the cameras would be facing the open ocean, making it look as if Bush had flown the jet a significant distance. Why? Because it was a visual representation of the Leader as a competent military man. Why did we need that representation? Because he’s no such thing. He ducked the last two years of his military service and excused himself from the war he was trained to fight while other men died in his place.
- He allowed himself to be photographed on deck in a military flight suit even though tradition from the time of George Washington forbade Presidents, who were civilian leaders, from affecting military dress even in time of war. Why? For precisely the reason Washington rejected it: it undercut the civilian aspect of his office by confusing the two roles in exactly the way dictators like Hitler and Peron confused their roles by continually wearing military uniforms to which they were not entitled, and Castro is only seen in public in fatigues. By identifying himself with the nation’s military, he identified his person with the nation itself — a political move Washington thought harmful to both the office and the democratic values for which he had fought. Mr Bush patently does not share Washington’s unease. It should perhaps be noted that real military leaders who have later become President, like Washington, Jackson, Grant, Eisenhower, or even Bush I, never felt the need to play soldier while holding civilian power.
Each of these breaches of political etiquette is more significant than the “Mission Accomplished” banner that caused so much controversy later, for they suggest a deliberate attempt on Mr Bush’s part to conflate his role as C-in-C with his role as President in order to be able to argue that, like a General in battle, his orders are to be carried out without question and dissent is equivalent to treason. His supporters are already making that argument, as the earlier sections of this series made clear, and they have followed their words with actions whenever possible, even when it meant moving against other conservatives.
Building a cult of personality around a particular leader while at the same time promoting an endless war gives ultraconservatives the last two crucial pieces for their ultimate victory, the final goal for which they’ve been striving since the Civil War: one-party rule, a Soviet-style hierarchy constructed around a single authority-figure that admits of no opposition and stifles dissent. PATRIOT II (or Victory, as they’ve taken to calling it lately, another Orwellian title) steps up the process of making the Constitution irrelevant in the name of security and is one of the more obvious moves in that direction, but others continue to be developed. Only recently has come the revelation of FBI directives instructing their agents to be suspicious of anyone carrying an almanac: (via archy)
WASHINGTON — The FBI is warning police nationwide to be alert for people carrying almanacs, cautioning that the popular reference books covering everything from abbreviations to weather trends could be used for terrorist planning.
In a bulletin sent Christmas Eve to about 18,000 police organizations, the FBI said terrorists may use almanacs “to assist with target selection and pre-operational planning.”
It urged officers to watch during searches, traffic stops and other investigations for anyone carrying almanacs, especially if the books are annotated in suspicious ways.
For a security-mindset addicted to profiling, as all our law enforcement agencies are, conclusions this dumb are unavoidable and sure to grow more memos like this in the same way that oaks generate acorns or roses generate thorns — because it’s in their nature, they can’t help it. We are now about a quarter of the way down a road that leads to MKVD-style lists of acceptable books, acceptable pastimes, acceptable acquaintances. Why? Because the criteria of acceptability flows from the need to identify enemies of the leader and therefore of the state, and profiling is the tool they use to accomplish this end.
Thus the “Bush-haters” meme that has been making the rounds for months — a tactic developed by RNC campaign planners with the help of Heritage Foundation media experts — which is designed to even further distance voters from any criticism. All the arguments and violent language and threats in which the right-wing is increasingly engaged — critics are crazy, or irrational haters or traitorous liberals or unrealistic dreamers or much, much worse — has the divisive effect not just of creating an Us vs Them mentality, but of demonizing the “Them”. From the right-wing Free Republic website courtesy of South Knox Bubba:
***For the die hard and mentally diseased left wing maggots, I hold zero hope that they will ever wake up. They hate America and the rest of us as much as the al Qaeda thugs/terrorists. Many liberals and liberal organizations are funded by the Islamofascists. They are more closely linked to the Islamofascists than they are to the America we know and love.
***The left are terrorist helpers and they are the enemy within. The sooner they are stopped the safer we will all be. Start with the teachers.
***They are every bit as much are enemy as the communists!
***Part of the problem the ‘RATs [Freeper shorthand for Democrats–m] have, is that they have no credibility on defense, on security, on counter-terrorism. They’re wimps, they’re anti-American, so even if the attack on Bush works, it isn’t going to benefit the ‘RATs. The ‘RATs have put forward no solutions, like arming pilots, ending political correctness, so we can look at Muslims in this country or anything else that would be effective.
***They would be far better off if they worshipped and followed Christ instead on “Allah.” Now they are damned to hell.
***I think the U.S. could well be on the brink of a Christian renaissance that will rock the “Liberal” establishment to its decadent foundations and reverberate like an earthquake across the world.
***There is no separation of church and state in the Constitution. That concept is a Left wing contrivance to purge morality and Christianity from our country.
***The God-hating radicals wotk for Satan. They want no reference to God in America.
***Sure it’s been obvious that Demoncrats are traitors for a long time. The question now is how much longer can we keep telling ourselves that the reason Republicans don’t confront these enemies is that [we] are a) spineless, b) too civil, c) like to keep [ourselves] to a higher standard d) are too innocent and naive, c) believe that civility will win them the mainstream, and begin to ask ourselves the hard questions.
***The Rat party and it’s supporters are full of traitors.
***The Rat party and its bottom-feeding supporters are traitors by definition.
***They are traitors. They will do anything for political power, and the will weaken and destroy this country if we let them.
***And whenever a national socialist (liberal democrat) says, “Are you questioning my patriotism?”, the correct answer is, “No, because you are a traitor and a member of the party of treason, nothing less”.
***Republicans with guns will defend themselves and prevent the social masses who are city dwellers from leaving their tax boundaries and protect freedom. We can all dream.
***Finally, after years of suspicion and accusations, we not only found the smoking gun, we found the bullets, the target, the secret plans, and the conspirators plotting to politically assassinate a President who is guilty of protecting out nation from terrorists. Unmasked and caught red-handed, the modern Democrat is a traitor. They should be treated no differently than the Rosenbergs; tried in a court of law, convicted, and suffer the harshest punishment. Death by firing squad, preferably. On TV, if possible.
***Since treason is a capital offence, do you recommend execution of all democrats? Personally, I think we should keep a breeding pair around so we can show our children what nearly destroyed civilization.
***Time to bring back some old customs. Like hanging traitors. [ed. note: accompanied by a photo of a man swinging from the gallows with the U.S. Capitol building in the background]
***Whatever the reason, this should be the response for thier treasonous activity: Hanging [ed. note: followed by a long and graphic description of the hanging procedure from a correctional facility manual]
***The very public hanging of a select few would be a good place to start. [ed. note: accompanied by a picture of Tom Daschle and Al Gore with gallows in the background] (Note: “editor” [ed] is SNB–m)
And these are less than half the sample that SNB provided culled from pages and pages of comments. But that’s just the beginning. uggabugga offers this find:
Liberals – are you ready to defend yourselves? We found this message posted on Yahoo to be a good example of the thinking of a part of the electorate (and viewers of Fox News). It’s typical of the comments one hears from callers to right-wing radio programs, and while these people may be politically unreachable, their notions – or a diluted form of them -are definitely part of the zeitgeist. It makes one wonder if winning the Cold War was a good thing, because when the real threats have been dealt with, it’s inevitable that the search for enemies (that no longer exist) results in the creation of new enemies. That’s Manicheism for you. Anyway, here is the post. An excellent snapshot of the times.
by: pooplapants 01/01/04 10:05 pm
Msg: 626 of 852
Communist’s are Socialists.
Liberals in America can’t wait to implement the latest Socialist idea.
Communist’s used the education system to indoctrinate the young.
Liberals in America use our once-objective institutions of higher learning to force-feed Socialist and Communist ideas to a largely unwilling audience.
Communist’s used propaganda and the media to obtain and retain power.
89% of Journalists in America admit that they only for Liberals.
Communist’s over-regulated businesses until they simply took them over.
Liberals in America have suffocated large and small businesses alike under a mountain of regulations and lawsuits.
Communist’s utilized slave labor in most facets of their economy.
Liberals in America have established and maintained a dependent poverty class.
Communist’s strove to set up a state religion, and jailed religious leaders who would not comply.
Liberals in America ridicule and expunge to the best of their ability all things religious, yet speak from the pulpit in churches where compliant ministers submit to their morally vacant ideas.
Communist’s replaced the Bible with Marxism.
Liberals in America took Bibles out of the classroom long ago – about the same time that drug use, teen pregnancies, violent crime and sexually transmitted diseases started to skyrocket – and SAT scores plummeted.
Communist’s killed 20 million people in concentration camps.
Liberals in America are responsible for 35 million deaths since Roe vs. Wade. At the same time, they have allowed 35 million immigrants to enter the United States.
Communist’s tolerated homosexuals and other sexual deviants who swore allegiance Stalin.
Liberals in America tolerate every morally bankrupt sexual persuasion on the face of the earth-as long as they vote for Liberals. Communist’s obeyed every order from The Kremlin, believing he could never be wrong.
Liberals in America do not believe in the concept of right and wrong – only what feels” good to each person.
Communist’s would often beat up, expel, jail or execute party members who disagreed with the leadership.
Liberals have virtually taken over one political party in America by demoting, persecuting and alienating all but the most Liberal members.
Communist’s erected a huge and cumbersome national health care system.
Liberals in America have repeatedly proposed national health care bureaucracies with organization charts that look like the schematic diagram for an Intel computer chip.
Liberals in America, particularly Liberal judges, and change the U.S. Constitution at will by “Finding penumbras”, and ignores those who insist that such changes require an amendment.
Communist’s set national educational standards to ensure that everyone absorbed the requisite amount of propaganda.
Liberals in America fight home schooling with a vengeance and continue to push for national education standards.
Communist’s thought that communism would last forever.
Liberals in America think that Socialism will rule the world forever, even though has failed each and every time it has been tried.
(Both quotes thanx to Tom Tomorrow.)
As David Neiwert (Orcinus) has pointed out time and again, the language of the right-wing when referring to anyone who disagrees with them has become and continues to grow more and more violent, exclusionary, and even what Neiwert calls “eliminationist”: language built around the intention to eliminate all opposition (as in the calls above to “hang the traitors”). None of this would be thinkable without the triumvirate of govt control, massive media support, and — most important — public identification with the military and its leader, the C-in-C, in a time of perpetual war. Of the three, the personality on which the cult is based is the easiest to affect — vote him out, and the structure is crippled for at least the next 4 years.
It may not always be so. There is no one on the Republican horizon (except Arnold Shwarzenegger, and they’d need a Constitutional Amendment to run him for President) who can replace Bush as the focus of the cult, and ultraconservatives know that. That’s why balloons have been quietly floated by the right suggesting that the Amendment limiting a President to two terms ought to be repealed. If Bush is elected to a second term and Republicans maintain their control of Congress and a majority of Governorships, don’t be surprised if that repeal suddenly becomes “urgent”. If there is a second terrorist attack, I think we can assume that the Amendment will be history.
If things go as the Bush Cult wishes them to, he could be the last President many of us ever see. | <urn:uuid:5e404835-fead-4bd2-b79c-4c7d287bbca4> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://arran.wordpress.com/the-bush-cult/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560279489.14/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095119-00007-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977856 | 22,231 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Ainley thinks the ice was so extensive this year because the winter and spring winds were much calmer than normal. As a result, McMurdo Sound was not blown clear of sea ice, and open areas in the pack ice of the southern Ross Sea did not appear.
"A horrendous four-day storm in December broke up a lot of the fast ice," said Kooyman.
The unusual sea ice conditions were compounded by two giant icebergs, which scientists named B-15A and C-16.
B-15A, which is 20 miles wide by 100 miles long (37 kilometers by 161 kilometers), was originally part of an iceberg about the size of Connecticutthe largest iceberg ever recordedthat calved off the Ross Ice Shelf in March 2000.
Pushed by ocean winds, B-15A bumped along the edge of the continent. As it migrated westward, B-15A rammed into the jutting edge of the ice shelf and created a second large berg, named C-16, that extends ten miles by 30 miles (18.5 kilometers by 55 kilometers).
C-16 ran aground north of Ross Island in November 2000. Two months later, the drifting B-15A grounded itself alongside C-16.
Both of the icebergs are large enough to have upset the currents and winds of the Ross Sea, disrupting the movement of pack ice and the formation of fast ice, according to the U.S. National Ice Center.
"It looked like the berg might be acting as a dam almost, backing up circulation," said Kooyman.
As it was moving toward C-16, the iceberg B-15A bumped against Cape Crozier, pushing sea ice into piles at the shoreline. These piles of ice have made it difficult for the penguins to move between their colony and the ocean, said Ainley.
Penguin Colonies at Risk?
Two colonies at Cape Crozier, one of Adélie penguins and the other of Emperor penguins, have been seriously affected by the giant bergs and unusually abundant sea ice.
The colony of about 1,200 Emperor penguins at Cape Crozier failed to raise any chicks this year.
Emperor penguins don't use nests. Once the females have laid eggs, the males incubate them on their feet while the females return to the sea for the roughly 65 days it takes the eggs to hatch.
Kooyman thinks there were no chicks this year because the eggs failed to hatch. "By the time we got there, it was difficult to tell what happened," he said.
"What we saw was just the tip of the evidence because so much of the ice was destroyedjust ground up and crumbling away," he said. "It looks like the birds got there before the berg arrived, and then were caught by surprise."
"They're probably en route to the eastern Ross Sea now to molt," he added.
The Adélie penguin colony at Cape Crozierthe sixth largest Adélie colony in the worldis home to about 140,000 breeding pairs. Unlike Emperors, male and female Adélie penguins share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Breeding Emperor adults travel three to 50 miles (five to 80 kilometers) from their colonies to catch food for their chicks. The trips can extend from a few hours long to as much as four days.
"Normally an Adélie penguin colony is within a mile or less of open water," said Ainley. "The total migration for the Adélie penguins from their wintering area is on the order of several hundred miles, much of which they cover by swimming.
"Owing to extensive pack ice," he added, "migration was delayed for many individuals who arrived at colonies too late to breed. About 30 percent of the normal number of pairs laid eggs."
A smaller colony of Adélies at Cape Royds completely failed to reproduce this year because of the massive amount of fast ice in McMurdo Sound during the spring, said Ainley.
Looking to the Future
Ainley and his colleagues are now tracking Adélies that are wearing tiny radio transmitters, and are banding more penguins so researchers can identify them in future studies.
Ainley and Kooyman both said they have learned more about the life histories and migrating patterns of the birds.
Penguins can live up to 20 years, and the failure of one breeding season does not necessarily spell doom for the colonies affected by the ice this year. But whether the unusual icy conditions and the obstacles they pose are part of a trend that could have serious effects on Antarctic penguin populations in the future is unclear.
"We've never seen icebergs this big," said Kooyman, who believes the events may be associated with global warming. "The Ross Ice Shelf is developing cracks, and there's some evidence that the decay of the West Antarctica ice shelf could be very rapid.
"It gives you pause," he said, "to think about what we are witnessing."
SOURCES AND RELATED WEB SITES | <urn:uuid:7bdb13f6-fd5a-4e6e-95ee-104660c79ac9> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/01/0117_020117antarcticpenguins_2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560285289.45/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095125-00149-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97587 | 1,066 | 3.515625 | 4 |
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Description: Old Church of St Peter
Date Listed: 20 October 1954
English Heritage Building ID: 437937
OS Grid Reference: TQ6260442979
OS Grid Coordinates: 562604, 142979
Latitude/Longitude: 51.1630, 0.3242
Explore more of the area around Pembury, Kent at Explore Britain.
TQ 64 SW PEMBURY OLD CHURCH ROAD
5/394 Old Church of St Peter
Parish church. Norman nave and chancel, C14 tower, porch and nave roof,
chancel much rebuilt in 1867 by R. Wheeler of Brenchley. Nave and older
masonry of the chancel of sandstone rubble with ashlar quoins, rest is coursed
sandstone ashlar. Red tile roof and tower spire is shingled.
Plan: Nave with south porch. lower chancel with C19 lean-to vestry on the
north side. West tower.
Exterior: Relatively short single stage west tower with large diagonal
buttresses. Low spire surmounted by an old, possibly C18, weathercock.
Quatrefoil lights to the belfry. West doorway has a 2-centred arch with
moulded jambs and hoodmould. Above a 3-light window of ogee-arch headed
On the south side of the nave gabled porch to left. 2-centred outer arch with
double-chamfered arch ring and hoodmould. Triple lancet above and slit
windows in the side walls. C19 tile floor but roof of old collared common
rafter couples. South doorway is probably Norman, a plain round-headed arch
containing a C19 panelled door. To right the porch covers the lower part of a
Norman round-headed lancet. To right a restored quare-headed 3-light window
with Perpendicular tracery and a hoodmould. South side of chancel is 2 bays,
left one with 2 cinquefoil-headed lancets and the right one has a 2-light
window containing Y-tracery which once descended further down but the lower
part is cut by a small C19 arch-headed priests door. Buttresses on south side
and east end have diagonal buttresses, most enriched with carved armorial
bearings, some are replacements of the C14 originals. Arms of Hardreshull and
Colepeper families. East window C19 3-light window with decorated tracery and
hoodmould. North side of chancel has a similar 2-light window and a triple
lancet window. North side of the nave has a 3-light Perpendicular window
similar to that on the south side and the west bay has 2 tall lancets.
Interior: The glory of the church is the splendid C14 roof over the nave. 3
bays. Moulded tie-beams and arch braces with spandrels carved with open
trefoils and quatrefoils. Tall crown posts and collared common rafters with
soulaces. Chancel roof is C19; 4 bays of a boarded 6-sided arch with
chamfered ribs and purlins. Similar chancel and tower arches, probably C14
with chamfered double arch ring on moulded imposts. Plastered walls C19 tile
floor, mostly red and black tiles but encaustic tiles included in chancel.
Also in chancel 2 good graveslabs, one in memory of William Amhurst (d. 1663)
the other in memory of Richard Amhurst (d. 1664). C19 sedilia.
Furniture and Fittings: Main centre part of the C19 reredos has been removed
but flanking end parts remain combining symbols of the Evangelists. C19 brass
altar rail with tubular standards and leafy brackets. C19 plain pine stalls.
C19 oak drum pulpit on stone base, its sides open with Gothic arcades.
Contemporary brass eagle lectern and C19 plain pine benches. C19 stone font
in Perpendicular style.
Memorials: Oldest is a brass plaque in the north wall in memory of 7-year old
Elizabeth Rowe (d. 1607). A number of memorials have been reset in the tower;
best are those in memory of John Whitaker (d. 1802), Lord Spencer Churchill
(d. 1746) and Henry Woodgate (d. 1818). In nave large Gothic style monument
to Lydia Shaw-Woodgate (d. 1909) carved with praying angels.
Source John Newman. West Kent and the Weald, Penguin Buildings of England
series (1969), pp.450-1.
Listing NGR: TQ6268442960
This text is a legacy record and has not been updated since the building was originally listed. Details of the building may have changed in the intervening time. You should not rely on this listing as an accurate description of the building.
Source: English Heritage
Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence. | <urn:uuid:cbf0f4cc-cf84-4d39-9ede-06c9d676bb69> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-437937-old-church-of-st-peter-pembury-kent | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280221.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00230-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.907204 | 1,139 | 1.71875 | 2 |
pt.sansan – For those who are into the fashion business, make sure that you are already familiar with the term ‘Garment’. Yes, Garment refers to a factory that produces clothes in a mass quantity. Thus, Garment is widely used for its services on fashion, mainly if you order with a number of parties and want to have good qualities.
However, there are four things that you need to know before choosing a Garment Factory as your partnership. These things can help to run productivity smoothly.
The company’s name becomes an important determination and reference. A company, mainly in the textile industry, that has a good reputation will have the potential to be chosen by the clients more than a newly established company. This can be seen from the company’s performance and product quality.
A garment factory with large production scales usually has many clients, which represents the level of trust among people like PT Sansan Saudaratex Jaya. Established in 1987, PT Sansan Saudaratex Jaya has been trusted at national and international levels, along with certification.
It is not only quality, price is also determined before choosing the right garment factory. The price can specify people’s interest, whether they will be joining or not. If the company sets a high price for the market, most likely people won’t be willing to cooperate. However, the company will set a relatively cheaper price because product orders are on a large scale.
From this rule of price, you don’t have to draw any unexpected costs to procure raw materials, avoiding mistakes, So, overall the cost of making clothes in a garment factory is actually much more efficient than individual production.
The next important point to note from the garment factory is the quality of the product. You can observe and ask questions before ordering, for example, asking about what fabrics can be provided by the company, then you may request samples of their products.
A Garment factory with large production scales normally has standards that are adjusted according to the client’s demands, so they can complete orders with satisfactory quality. In PT Sansan Saudaratex Jaya all processes and tools have followed national and international quality standards.
The next thing that should not be missed is seeing the list of the garment company’s clients and partners. The more clients and partners from the company, the better the company’s performance, and it is trusted, especially if they have worked on fashion projects that match your needs.
The list also gives you information about what products they have worked on and handled, so that you can adjust them to your needs.
Those are four important points that must be considered before choosing a garment factory. Well, for those of you who are looking for a garment factory to produce clothes, including uniforms, in large quantities, PT Sansan Saudaratex is ready to help you.
PT Sansan Saudaratex has been trusted at the national level, even to foreign countries, in handling orders, tolling, or CMT according to your needs. We have also bagged standard certification in the production process.
The types of clothing that have been produced include women’s and men’s clothes, warm clothes, and children’s clothes.
Please kindly consult for your current needs, or you can contact this link for orders and further information. | <urn:uuid:0453ade0-4154-4ce0-a024-5467aa53eb1a> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.ptsansan.co.id/en/4-important-things-before-you-order-at-a-garment-factory/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573104.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817183340-20220817213340-00474.warc.gz | en | 0.958187 | 724 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Major General C. C. Washburn - La Crosse, WI
N 43° 51.541 W 091° 16.248
15T E 638965 N 4857667
Quick Description: This marker is located in the welcome center on I-90 on French Island in La Crosse, WI.
Location: Wisconsin, United States
Date Posted: 10/30/2008 7:55:19 PM
Waymark Code: WM52E0
The marker reads:
"MAJOR GENERAL C. C. Washburn
Cadwaller Colden Washburn was born in Maine in 1818. He settled in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, in 1839 and served in Congress before moving to La Crosse.
When the Civil War broke out, Washburn organized the Second Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry Regiment and became its colonel. Washburn's ability and political influence marked him for advancement. He served with distinction throughout the war. He commanded the Military District of Western Tennessee by 1865, and he was one of only two Wisconsinites to attain the rank of major general.
Washburn returned to Congress in 1866 and became governor in 1871. Washburn advocated moderate reforms such as government control of telegraphs, regulation of railroads, and support for libraries. Washburn retired from politics in 1874 to attend to his business and philanthropic interests. He donated an observatory to the University of Wisconsin, funded the establishment of a public library in La Crosse, and with his Madison residence ("Edgewood") endowed a Catholic girls'school. His flour-milling concern in Minneapolis eventually became General Mills. Washburn died in 1882 and is buried in La Crosse.
County: La Crosse
- A picture of the marker with your GPSr or you holding your GPSr. | <urn:uuid:5f686e97-f256-4364-b224-7b6fb838483c> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM52E0_Major_General_C_C_Washburn_La_Crosse_WI | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988722459.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183842-00343-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957065 | 375 | 2.1875 | 2 |
Long before the tip of the twentieth century, even German educators had abandoned Leibeserziehung (“physical education”) in favour of Sportunterricht (“instruction in sports”). For younger and for old, for better and for worse, sports activities are the world’s ardour. In the dramatic global diffusion of recent sports activities, the French have additionally played a major position. The first Paris–Rouen race happened in 1869; the Tour de France was inaugurated in 1903. The huge success of the latter impressed the Giro d’Italia and numerous different long-distance races.
- Sport NSW is an impartial member-based peak physique representing New South Wales sport and the lively recreation sector.
- LeBron James has been cleared to return to the Los Angeles Lakers after missing one game due to COVID-19 protocols.
- Created exclusively for ACSM members, The Sports Medicine Checkup digs into matters that are relevant to these working in the field of sports activities medication. | <urn:uuid:5dbbb68b-1be3-403b-a843-ce5352cbc9a8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://lowestquoteforinsurance.com/tag/activities | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570767.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808061828-20220808091828-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.92254 | 217 | 2.390625 | 2 |
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Provides indexing and abstracting for key library and information science journals, books, research reports and more. LISTA indexes more than 600 core journals and more than 80 selective journals. Coverage extends as far back as the mid-1960s. LISTA also includes author profiles and a robust thesaurus.
Literary Reference Center
A comprehensive database that provides users with a broad spectrum of information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines. | <urn:uuid:815f0da5-0590-48f4-ae2b-2726e693bf0e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://atlanticlibrary.org/databases?page=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571692.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20220812105810-20220812135810-00067.warc.gz | en | 0.890839 | 545 | 2.03125 | 2 |
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Google Translator Widget Google Translator widget is a free, powerful and easy-to-use multilingual translation interface that uses the Google translation engine and satisfies your translation needs on the go. | <urn:uuid:d142e28a-0615-49db-a7fe-2bc0a06d5b41> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.freeware-symbian.net/dictionary-translator-tag/oxford-beginner-s-chinese-download-9612.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280364.67/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00036-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.88079 | 314 | 2.078125 | 2 |
This year’s Cameron Bespolka Memorial Talk at Winchester College was about Peregrine Falcons and Red Kites.
Keith Betton, one of our Trustees, held over 350 children spellbound as he talked about these magnificent birds. We were thrilled that Sparsholt College, St Bede's School, St Faith's, St Swithun's Junior School, Pilgrim's as well as the Winchester Beaver Scouts all attended this really interesting talk. An added bonus was a special guest appearance by Scarlet, a beautiful Peregrine Falcon brought in by Dan, the Falconer. It was so heartening to hear about how the birds have come back from near extinction to be happily breeding again in UK.
In the evening, Keith repeated his speech to an older audience which consisted of Winchester College boys as well as our local community. We are so grateful to Keith for his wonderful talk and his beautiful photos and to Winchester College for very kindly hosting this event. | <urn:uuid:5fc93bfe-a34a-4580-8bf7-e955992b6ef8> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cameronbespolka.com/cameron-bespolka-memorial-talk | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573540.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20220819005802-20220819035802-00467.warc.gz | en | 0.986358 | 197 | 1.664063 | 2 |
More than 500 Rwandans are likely to lose their jobs in the coming months as some 53 companies in various sectors close shop after filing for bankruptcy, Rwanda Today has learnt.
While the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), which is charged with investment promotion, has not revealed the reasons for the companies’ action, industry experts point to lack of skills, technical knowledge and experience.
“Businesses are not required to give us reasons for closing; all that is required is that they give us notice of their intention to close,” Ms Louise Kanyonga, the Registrar of Companies at RDB, told Rwanda Today.
The list includes East African Steel Working Ltd, Ortadogu Energy Petroleum, Engineering, Construction and Trade, as well as Rwanda Polyvalent Construction and General Trading Ltd.
The companies will officially be closed when the public notice of objection lapses at the end of the month.
Removed from the register
The notice serves to ensure that anyone, especially creditors, with unfinished affairs with the business is given an opportunity to object to its closure before the winding down are concluded.
“This is crucial because, once the business is removed from the register, it ceases to exist as a legal entity and therefore one cannot bring any claims against it, “Ms Kanyonga explained.
She said anyone with an objection can prevent the business from closing legally until the ground of objection is removed, as provided for in the company law.
Opening new businesses
Although more companies get registered in Rwanda every year, not many celebrate their second birthday, stagnating the growth of local industries and their contribution to the economic growth of the country.
With more companies folding up, jobs are increasingly getting lost, with people finding it difficult to fend for their families. This has a negative impact on the economy.
With the high rate of closure, especially for local industries, the 14 per cent annual growth projection by 2020 for industrial sector could be difficult to achieve or be driven by foreign investors.
Under the circumstances of deregistration, a company gets removed from the register once it has submitted all required documentation for closure and the two-month non-objectionable period has lapsed without receipt of objections.
However, the law states that, after closure, it does not prevent the bankrupt companies from opening new businesses at a later stage.
Investment experts are not predicting a slowdown of the economy as a result of the closure of these companies since new firms will fill the gap.
“Although some people will lose their jobs, the number of people employed in the industrial sector is growing bigger because companies getting registered outnumber those being closed,” said Eric Rutabana, Chief Investment Officer at Business Partners International Rwanda Ltd.
Most of the closing companies were formed with a particular purpose, such as tenders to procure and supply items, and after the purpose or losing the tender they found themselves out of business, thus the need to close shop.
Not unique to Rwanda
However, many were formed to operate businesses but registered overwhelming losses which are forcing them out of operations.
Mr Rutabana however says that a high rate of businesses closing is not unique to Rwanda as it is common in Third World countries. He said the situation only improves with the level of the economy of a given country and Rwanda’s will improve since the economy is growing.
Rwanda is still looking for investors to rescue eight large but struggling, debt-ridden factories it sold off in 2012 that could be forced to shut down and send home more than 1,000 employees.
In 2012, the Ministry of Trade and Industry was in negotiations with investors to acquire stakes in Rubirizi Dairy, Utexrwa, Sopar, Rabi, Sotiru, New Rucep, Sonafruits and Ikirezi.
Rubirizi, one of the country’s largest milk processors, was one of the firms struggling two years ago.
The estimated demand for Kigali’s market for pasteurised milk products is 680,000 litres per day, with sales estimates of 83,000 litres daily and the investment required is Rwf250 million in new commercial loans as well as Rwf150 million in new equity. | <urn:uuid:be128c2a-0e94-415f-b989-6c4e8a8c0c3e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/Rwanda/Business/Hundreds-to-lose-jobs-as-Rwandan-firms-file-for-bankruptcy/1433224-2149864-5nfg06z/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573876.92/warc/CC-MAIN-20220820012448-20220820042448-00073.warc.gz | en | 0.965979 | 874 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Source: borrowed from library
Formats available: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook
Genres: classics, Fiction, science fiction, World War II
Published by Dial Press Trade Paperback on January 12th 1999
Purchasing Info: Author's Website, Publisher's Website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository
Kurt Vonnegut's absurdist classic Slaughterhouse-Five introduces us to Billy Pilgrim, a man who becomes unstuck in time after he is abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. In a plot-scrambling display of virtuosity, we follow Pilgrim simultaneously through all phases of his life, concentrating on his (and Vonnegut's) shattering experience as an American prisoner of war who witnesses the firebombing of Dresden.
Don't let the ease of reading fool you - Vonnegut's isn't a conventional, or simple, novel. He writes, "There are almost no characters in this story, and almost no dramatic confrontations, because most of the people in it are so sick, and so much the listless playthings of enormous forces. One of the main effects of war, after all, is that people are discouraged from being characters."
Slaughterhouse-Five is not only Vonnegut's most powerful book, it is also as important as any written since 1945. Like Catch- 22, it fashions the author's experiences in the Second World War into an eloquent and deeply funny plea against butchery in the service of authority. Slaughterhouse-Five boasts the same imagination, humanity, and gleeful appreciation of the absurd found in Vonnegut's other works, but the book's basis in rock-hard, tragic fact gives it a unique poignancy - and humor.
Although I’m sure I knew it before, i was still surprised to see that Slaughterhouse Five was nominated for the Hugo Award for best science fiction novel in 1970. Slaughterhouse Five isn’t what we now think of SF. There are no spaceships (well, maybe one spaceship) and a debatable amount of faster than light or other than light travel. Instead, Slaughterhouse Five represents science fiction as the literature of ideas, and in that area, as in so many others it is a classic.
The winner of the 1970 Hugo was The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin. Slaughterhouse Five was in excellent company.
The climax of Slaughterhouse Five is the bombing of Dresden at the end of World War II. The protagonist, Billy Pilgrim, was a witness to that bombing, an American POW on the ground, or nearly under it, as the bombing took place. As one of the few survivors, he participated in the horrific clean up afterwards.
Billy Pilgrim is, to a greater or lesser extent, telling the author’s story at this point. In real life, Kurt Vonnegut was a POW held in Dresden during this incident, when allied forces reduced this once beautiful city to a rubble strewn landscape as barren and deadly as the moon.
This story is told by the unnamed narrator from a perspective at the end of Billy Pilgrim’s life. And because it is told at the end, the reader is never quite sure whether Billy really was unstuck in time, or whether he is just remembering the important bits of his life out of sequential order. And it doesn’t really matter.
Neither does the question of whether or not Billy really was kidnapped by the alien Tralfamadorians, who introduced to him the concept, or philosophy if you will, that every moment is forever, and that only remembering the good bits is the best way to manage existence.
What is certain is the Billy has post-traumatic stress disorder after his experience in Dresden. And who wouldn’t? Dresden comes last in the story, because it is the focus of everything. It is a moment of man’s absolute inhumanity to man, and Billy still can’t process it. So he keeps returning to it over and over, and every event that led to it, in an attempt to tell his truth.
Escape Rating B: I am glad I read Slaughterhouse Five. I had never read any of Vonnegut’s work before, but now I have a tiny glimpse into what made his work both so beloved, and so controversial at the same time. This review is being posted as a part of Banned Books Week, because Slaughterhouse Five is one of the most frequently challenged or banned books of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
The bombing of Dresden was hidden from the American public for years after the war. It has been debated whether Dresden truly was a legitimate military target, or whether the entire purpose of the reduction of this formerly beautiful city to rubble was just to reduce what remained of German morale at the beginning of 1945. The bombing of Dresden caused as much of a loss of life as either Hiroshima or Nagasaki, minus the nuclear fallout. War is always hell.
Billy Pilgrim is a non-heroic hero. He is not brave in any way. He doesn’t serve with special distinction. But he survives, and manages the best he can, which in the end isn’t very well. He believes he’s done the best he can, coping with the uncope-able.
Having read the book, I’ll admit that I don’t understand the continuous attempts to ban it, particularly the most recent ones. There is profanity in this book. Many of Billy’s memories take place either among soldiers during wartime, or among POWs. I’d be more surprised if they didn’t cuss. There’s a little sex, and a lot of violence. Again, most humans manage to have a little sex, and talk about it a little more, over the course of a lifetime. And the terrible violence is part of an equally terrible war. The bombing of Dresden was nothing but violence. I will never understand the unwillingness of people to admit that what happened did in fact happen. Or those who believe that if we stop talking about the terrible past or the awful present, that it will somehow remove the worst events from history. A problem that has a great deal of resonance today.
It’s ironic that a story about the way that people in specific and humanity in general keep repeating the same mistakes over and over keeps getting banned and challenged, over and over. As that unnamed narrator says every time someone dies in the book, “And so it goes.” | <urn:uuid:90d95360-0736-4539-bf3c-c5b669944cab> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.readingreality.net/2016/09/review-slaughterhouse-five-by-kurt-vonnegut/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280242.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00082-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960255 | 1,361 | 1.71875 | 2 |
AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER: When the brain can’t hear
In the book “When the Brain Can’t Hear”, author Teri Bellis, Ph.D. provides a parent-friendly, detailed and responsible discussion of Auditory Processing Disorder. Auditory processing disorder (APD) refers to a deficiency in one or more of these auditory behaviors: Sound localization and lateralization, auditory discrimination, auditory pattern recognition, temporal aspects of audition, auditory performance with competing acoustic signals, auditory performance decrements with degraded acoustic signals.
In the U.S. 12,000 babies per year are born with hearing impairments (making hearing loss the number one birth defect). The problem is that the brain begins to develop language centers immediately after birth, and historically about 75% of children with hearing impairments did not have the losses detected until age 2 or later. In response, The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy paper stating, “Significant hearing loss is one of the most common major abnormalities present at birth and, if undetected, will impede speech, language and cognitive development.” Most states have legislated mandatory newborn hearing screenings and now over half of hearing impaired children have their losses detected at birth.
Prevalence of Auditory Processing Disorder among Pre-K and School-Age Children:
Auditory Processing Disorder occurs with about 2-3% of children, although some professionals believe these figures are an underestimate, due to high rates of “co-morbidity” (or overlap) with other issues, including Attention Deficit Disorder (DSM-IV reports 3 to 5% of kids), Learning Disabilities (DSM-IV reports 2 to 10% of kids), Reading Disorder (DSM-IV reports 4%).
Assessment of Auditory Processes:
There are many different specific tests that are conducted by Audiologists: The newborn audiological screening, the audiological evaluation conducted when there is language delay, and the most thorough assessment when there are concerns about Auditory Processing Disorder, including:
- “Dichotic Listening” involves perceiving two different sounds presented to each ear (a task that requires the right and left hemisphere to integrate and share information).
- “Binaural Integration” involves the ability to perceive and combine separate messages (e.g., when listening to two different speakers).
- “Binaural Separation” involves listening to a message (e.g., from the teacher) while ignoring competing information (e.g., background noise from other students, environmental sounds, etc.).
- “Monaural Speech Processing” refers to the ability to perceive speech signals that have been modified or distorted (e.g., frequency changes).
- “Phonemic Synthesis” involves perceiving blended speech sounds in the correct sequences in words.
- “Temporal Processing” involves perceiving the timing of words within a message.
What to do:
A multi-modal approach is considered most effective for the management of Auditory Processing Disorder, including:
- seat the child near the teacher
- physically improve the acoustics of the class (e.g., place carpets to absorb echo, place cut tennis balls on the legs of chairs, use smaller sound absorbing partitions)
- use sound enhancement devices (e.g., F.M. auditory trainer)
- heavily stress the use of visual demonstrations
- speak in concise sentences
- use repetition
- speak clearly
- slow down the rate of speech
- request verbal feedback from the child (rather than assuming the child fully understands your directions)
- provide speech therapy (focused on decoding, dichotic listening, memory, etc.)
- teach the child to compensate (by perceiving context, sustaining eye contact, etc.)
- teach the child to assertively and confidently request help as needed | <urn:uuid:936d0238-d70d-451a-adbd-f0010abcfbeb> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://upweegrow.com/specific-developmental-delays-and-disorders/auditory-processing-disordern-when-the-brain-cant-hear | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572221.38/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816060335-20220816090335-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.915908 | 809 | 3.875 | 4 |
Old-fashioned joints and techniques were used in old chairs. The doweling method and mortise and tenon joints were the most common ones.
step1: Dowel holes are drilled through both pieces to be joined, which can be a problem if one of them is thicker than the other. A drill bit with a stop collar must be used so that the holes are drilled at equal depth. If a doweling jig is not available, the piece can be held in place with a holdfast or Kreg Jig system, as long as there’s enough space for clamps.
Step 2: A drill bit with a stop collar is also used to drill dowel holes through the other piece, which must be at least as thick as the dowel.
Step 3: When the dowel holes are drilled, glue is applied to one of them, and a dowel pin is pressed into place with a hammer. A brad-pointed workpiece prevents possible splitting by allowing the handle of the hammer to exert pressure on all surfaces.
Step 4: The dowel pin is trimmed flush with the surface using a sharp chisel and sandpaper. Flushing the end of the dowel with sandpaper must be done before inserting it in order to prevent breakage while tapping it into place.
Step 5: A mortise hole is drilled in one piece, and a tenon is cut on the other. A doweling jig or a stop collar is used as a guide for drilling the hole to prevent it from going all the way through.
Step 6: The chisel’s blade should be at a 45-degree angle to size up the mortise. The width of the mortise should be a few thousandths of an inch larger than the tenon.
Step 7: A chisel with a round blade is used to clean out the corners, and then amortize router plane is used to smooth it out. The handle of this plane can also function as a depth gauge. When the piece is finished, it should slide into the mortise with little or no resistance.
A pin nail tenon is used for joining thick pieces together, where dowels are not practical. The exterior of this joint looks like a regular mortise and tenon joints, but it does not go all the way through to the other side.
Step 8: Pin nail tenons are used on pieces that are at least as thick as the nails. A spacer is placed between them, and they must be kept in place by hand or clamps.
Step 9: The workpiece with the pins is rotated 45 degrees so that the chisel can trim along one side of each pin to remove excess material. It is very important to keep the piece in place so that it does not shift while trimming.
Step 10: The chisel’s blade should be at a 45-degree angle when sizing up the tenons, and it must be held perpendicular to the surface when cutting. The length of this joint should be minimal. A router plane is used to clean up the tenons and bring them flush with one another. The handle of the plane can be used as a depth gauge, and its blade lowers or raises against the surface depending on which direction it is moved.
Once all of the woodworking joints have been completed, sanding must begin in order to bring the chair together. The surface of each piece must be smooth and even before the next step, which is veneering.
woodworking joints used in vintage chair construction.
2. Mortise and tenon joints
3. Pin nail tenons (This is a very difficult process) 4. Dovetail joints
(a) Mallet method: used when making dovetails in crooked or crotched wood; the mallet forces the pieces together for strong joinery.
(b) Pinned dovetail joint: is used in making drawers. This is a useful method for beginners because the pinning holds the pieces of wood together, allowing the joinery to be removed if there are mistakes in construction.
5. Dovetailed steel tenons (used in modern carpenters, since it’s impossible to hand saw a dovetail in steel)
6. Tongue and groove joint
For additional context: This article is a part of the larger “Vintage Chair” section on how common types of joints are used in the construction of various antique chairs.
There are many different types of woodworking joints that can be used between pieces of wood. Each type is useful in certain situations. Dowel joints are strong, easy to construct, and do not require any special equipment. Mortise and tenon joints are strong and durable but require the use of more modern tools such as router tables for creating mortises and a lathe for creating tenons. Pin nail tenon joints have the advantage of being strong but largely require hand tools for construction and are thus mainly used by beginners because it requires less equipment to accomplish accurately. Dovetail joints can make very strong glue connections, especially when glued dowels are used, but require more time to construct accurately. Tongue and groove joints are used for joining pieces of wood where one-piece has a tongue or protrusion on its width. Dovetailing steel tenons is difficult because it cannot be done by hand, but it can make very strong glue connections in steel construction. Each type of joint has pros and cons, but each is useful depending on the needs of the project.
What makes this article complex is the range of old world woodworking joints called for, which require more time and special tools to construct than modern techniques (i.e. dowel joinery vs. biscuits)
What makes this article useful is that it provides information on how to make various types of woodworking joints used in write a blog conclusion on How to make old-fashioned woodworking joints for vintage chairs. | <urn:uuid:97a4f7ba-c91c-41ea-b68a-e03213712ed2> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://ccvintagerentals.com/home-living/how-to-make-old-fashioned-woodworking-joints-for-vintage-chairs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572043.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814143522-20220814173522-00476.warc.gz | en | 0.954348 | 1,222 | 3.046875 | 3 |
Public Libraries Disappearing in Hyderabad City
Book lovers in the city are disappointed with the situation of the libraries in Hyderabad city. Many of the libraries in Hyderabad and its surroundings are vanishing. Nearly half of the libraries have been vanished in the past decade. While Hyderabad has taken great leaps in being part of the global economy in the last decade the state of public libraries has
Plight of public libraries in Hyderabad city
There are many reasons for the grave situation of libraries in Hyderabad city. Lack of funding and commitment from government and poor maintenance are considered as the primary reasons for the death of the libraries. The surviving ones however are in very pathetic conditions, without proper collection of books and in some cases not even proper bookshelves. Some won’t maintain even books catalog. Many books are being stolen due to negligence and improper maintenance of records.
To understand the poor maintenance of the libraries in the city, consider the 50-year-old City Central Library at Ashok Nagar. It is very popular among the civil services aspirants who form the major part of the visitors. Many people visit the library every day, but not a single new book has been added in the past few years. Similar case with the State Central Library. We had the pride of having such a good library with a huge collection of books and literature. It was well maintained till past few years. If the situation of these iconic libraries is like this, it is better not to mention about the local libraries.
Public libraries in the U.S. provide services matching to today’s needs
When you compare the libraries in US counties, districts as in India, ours are much backward. Apart from books and magazines, public libraries in the U.S. lend DVDs, movies, music, there are special programs for kids, conference rooms are available, computer with free Internet is provided and they also conduct activities like free communication and other professional skills training, resume writing, competitions, etc., with the help of volunteers. It acts on additional local centre of learning in addition to schools and colleges.
We are competing with buildings, but not with knowledge
Some people consider private libraries as a reason for de-growth of the public libraries in the city. But why would one want to move to expensive private libraries when cost efficient public libraries are well maintained. For a book reader, the collection of books is important, not the luxurious interiors or fancy buildings.
This is a knowledge society, when we are clear that wine shops should not be close to a school or temple, then why not consider having libraries in every neighbourhood. Look at your neighbourhood, do you find a well maintained public library around your neighbourhood? The answer for sure is, NO.
8% library cess on Hyderabad property tax
Did you know that 8 percent of your property tax goes towards library cess, for maintenance and development of libraries. The library cess amounts to about Rs 40-45 crore. This is a huge amount to maintain public libraries, but there is no clarity on how and where the amount is being used for. We are not even sure whether the taxes are actually being used.
Why is it that every time a kid asks for a comic book like Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle or any book that he/she wishes to read, we need to buy, why can’t we borrow. Buying a collection of books can be a burden for some parents. If libraries existed in every neighbourhood, kids will be occupied and at the same time they learn something new that would improve their literacy skills.
If we see consumption pattern of a book or comic. Once we read it, we don’t use it again. Instead of each family buying the comic and only 2-3 people reading. The same can be read by 200-300 people if it is in library.
Taking an example, let us say a two bedroom flat has a plinth area of 1000 sft, the annual tax of that particular flat will be Rs 70,000 and 8% of the annual tax will go to library cess, the amount that goes to library cess is Rs 5,600 (annually). Here the amount calculated is only of one flat, if an apartment has 16 flats (5,600*16) then the library cess collected is Rs. 89,600. The amount is big, in a neighbourhood there are many apartments, independent houses, commercial establishments, and all of them pay taxes and 8% of their taxes goes to library cess. So, why can’t we have a decent library in every neighbourhood.
It’s high time Hyderabad city restores the library culture
India, particularly Hyderabad being a major destination for IT, ITES and knowledge process outsourcing, generating billions of rupees does not have proper public libraries. Libraries, one of the most important knowledge centres are maintained very poorly. Though there are some libraries maintained by trusts or educational institutions, which are still working and maintaining good book collection, most of the others are neglected. The GHMC corporators and government servants should act as quickly as possible and restore the library culture in the city.
Library shape a positive influence on younger generation and also are places for working professionals to update their attitudes, skills and knowledge. | <urn:uuid:516aafa8-c061-4760-bf6b-b1f25dbe41db> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://hyderabad-india-online.com/2014/01/public-libraries-disappearing-in-city/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560283008.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095123-00081-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963223 | 1,074 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Helpful Tips for Crosswalk Safety
Crosswalks are among some of the most accident-prone traffic configurations on the roads. Intersections for foot and road traffic can make a dangerous situation if persons using them don’t fully understand proper safety procedures. We’ve compiled a list of some important tips for both pedestrians and drivers to remember each time they approach a crosswalk.
Tips for pedestrians
- Cross roads at marked walkways as jaywalking forfeits any and all right of way for pedestrians.
- Follow all signals for crosswalk etiquette and safety, always look both ways and ensure the road is clear from both directions before crossing, even if you have the walk signal.
- Make eye contact with approaching drivers to ensure they see and stop for you.
- Ensure all oncoming vehicles have stopped to allow you to cross. Even if one has stopped, other cars still may be coming.
Tips for drivers
- Always yield to pedestrians at crosswalks and intersections.
- Reduce speed and be prepared to stop in all areas with marked crosswalks.
- Come to a complete stop if pedestrians are crossing or preparing to cross the road.
- Never pass another vehicle that is stopped or slowing down at a crosswalk.
- Wait until pedestrians have crossed at least one lane past you to begin driving again.
By following these simple tips, you can help to prevent any number of needless accidents at crosswalks and ensure the safety of everyone in the intersection. If you or a loved one has been injured at a crosswalk or intersection due to someone else’s negligence, the attorneys at Hupy and Abraham are here to help in any way possible. Our offices can be reached at 800-800-5678 or via online chat 24/7 at hupy.com.
For more information visit www.hupy.com | <urn:uuid:98565507-dfcd-4b51-b71a-b0021def118b> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.cbs58.com/news/helpful-tips-for-crosswalk-safety | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572033.91/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814113403-20220814143403-00270.warc.gz | en | 0.918758 | 384 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Researchers are using powerful X-rays to look inside cannonballs found on the famous Tudor ship, the Mary Rose.
They are trying to find a way of preserving the shot, which will corrode if it is put on display.
There are 1,2000 of the cannonballs, found on Henry VIII's flagship, currently stored in low humidity containers away from public gaze.
The aim, according to Dr Eleanor Schofield, is to preserve them for generations to come.
"We have a lot of cannonballs in storage. If we could understand the process better we could develop new treatments and they could potentially have a longer life."
The Mary Rose sank in 1545 and was raised from the sea in 1982. The cannonballs on board are difficult to conserve because chlorine has got into them from being in the sea. The chemical has got in all the way to its core. This means that they start to corrode if they are exposed to the air.
Dr Schofield's team has tried to remove the chlorine by soaking some cannonballs in solution. But the researchers found that although they had extracted some they hadn't removed it all. They discovered this when the cannonballs began to disintegrate when they were put on display.
It was at this point that Dr Schofield set up a research project to understand what was going on inside the cannonballs.
She examined them using a powerful X-ray facility, called the Diamond Light Source in Didcot in Oxfordshire. Dr Schofield is using it to see how much iron is still left inside the cannonballs, how much chlorine is in them and where they have begun to corrode.
But in order to examine them, these precious objects had to be cut into small pieces.
After consulting with Mary Rose curators, the decision was made in 2016 to cut segments from six of the cannonballs, some of which were showing signs of damage, in order to save the rest.
In a newly-published paper, the results of the bright X-rays have revealed detailed maps of the elements involved in the corrosive process. This allows an unprecedented insight into conservation on a molecular scale.
Hayley Simon from University College and Diamond Light Source said that the results are a first step towards the development of new protective techniques.
"We are launching next a long duration experiment, which will observe changes in the corrosion product during long-term immersion in various conservation treatments to monitor their effects." | <urn:uuid:01740c05-428d-48e3-b00c-bba3cc4e714e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://editiononline.co.uk/index.php/2018/03/09/x-ray-probe-to-save-mary-rose-cannonballs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572581.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20220816211628-20220817001628-00068.warc.gz | en | 0.975237 | 501 | 3.640625 | 4 |
(The Real Agenda News) While voters reject further liberalisation via transnational treaties, the Democratic administration, under pressure from large corporations, aims to force the Transpacific Agreement on the fast track.
To understand why many voters in the United States -and not only those who support Trump- believe there is a corrupt nexus of interests between Washington and Wall Street, you should follow the history of the Transpacific Agreement (TPP), the liberalisation treaty led by multinationals in the US, Canada and Mexico with nine Asian countries as well as Australia and New Zealand.
This treaty, just as its twin, the TTIP, was negotiated behind closed doors by the powerful CEOs of multinational corporations and banks, international lawyers specialising in corporate law, and liberalisation of trade as well as experts of the various governments.
The heavyweight of the US team was Michael Froman, former president of the insurance division of international bank Citigroup -where he met with former Bill Clinton’s Treasury Secretary, Robert Rubin- who dismantled much of the financial regulation in the nineties and, now, the representative for trade in the Obama administration.
To date, to the great frustration of multinational lobbies in Washington, the TTP does not have enough support from the public or Congress to become law.
That’s not surprising. If you travel America during these moments of tension and rejection of globalisation, you will not find many voters who support the agreement.
Those white men, former blue-collar workers, who are distrustful of Mexican immigrants, reject the TPP as much as the Free Trade Agreement with Mexico. But Mexican workers settled in US -as well those who remain in Mexico- will not go to the streets in defense of TPP or NAFTA, either.
After all, since Bill Clinton signed the treaty with Mexico in 1994, Mexican wages in many industries have fallen below their Chinese counterparts.
Most economists support these treaties, even the Keynesians, Paul Krugman and Larry Summers.
Wall Street banks, the billionaires of the new “tech” oligarchy in Silicon Valley and other large corporate lobbies in Washington, see the treaties as essential for economic growth and job creation.
Multilateral institutions such as the IMF or the World Bank fear global growth stagnation if the agenda of cross-border liberalisation does not continue.
Journalists who cover the IMF meeting three weeks ago in Washington witnessed endless lamentations by the emergence of populism led by Trump in American politics and those embittered voters and nostalgics who “only know how to look inward”.
But the truth is that treaties are seen from the street in the US as a set of secret rules that go beyond national laws to facilitate an even greater internationalisation of transnational corporations and banks to boost their profits.
Like the TTIP, the TPP is not even an agreement to promote trade in goods such as cars or washing machines.
“Trade is liberalised between those countries; the TPP is for multinational companies,“ says Dean Baker of the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR).
Protect patents and intellectual property rights guarantee super profits and monopolies like Google or Microsoft, are not a priority issue for many voters whose wages are below 1975 levels in real terms.
Neither is of their interest to pave the way for mining companies to frack wherever they want. For years the agreed agenda by global elites does not convince the ordinary citizen but in times of Brexit, Trump and European demonstrations against the treaty, it becomes very difficult to win elections cleanly if the candidate defends these agreements in favor of corporate globalisation.
There is, however, a geopolitical component in an agreement cornering China, the biggest trading partner of all.
According to a hawk of the new cold war in the Pentagon, approving the TPP would serve to show support for countries like Japan, Vietnam and South Korea in their struggle with Beijing. But this does not translate into votes in the US outside of the oldest residents of Chinatown.
For all that, Donald Trump rejected the deal, knowing that it would allow him to gain support from people in states with a dying postindustrial “working class”.
Socialist, Bernie Sanders, almost beat the invincible apparatus of the Clinton machine in the Democratic primaries thanks to his supposed unconditional rejection of the Davos globalisation model, embodied in treaties such as the Transpacific agreement. As we now know, Sanders is one more of Clinton’s supporters.
In politics there is a “need to have a public position and private position,” said Hillary Clinton at a secret meeting with the international bank Goldman Sachs, a tireless lobbyist in favor of treaties such as the TPP and TTIP.
“Politics is like a sausage factory,” Clinton said according to a transcript of her speeches leaked by Wikileaks. And it is that a problem exists when responding to public opinion in the United States in these times of rebellion and breaking models.
In the Wall Street-controlled world, where major decisions are made by the corporate leaders at Apple, JP Morgan, General Electric, Facebook, Wal-Mart and others, it is necessary to dance with these corporations to get funding for election campaigns.
Everyone knew that Hillary had her public and private position. But perhaps the most shocking reality on this issue is the response from the Obama administration as it faced the rejection of the TPP by the public and some presidential candidates.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the president “is working hard to achieve a vote in favor of the agreement.” Only two months away but it is a matter of legacy for the president.
Obama is aware that a defeat of the TPP “would deprive him of an important legislative achievement,” says the Wall Street Journal.
Therefore, the administration “is doing everything possible to get it passed,” said Michael Froman. That includes all kinds of favors and incentives to congressmen who may be willing to vote in favor.
By the way, Froman, when working for Citibank on Wall Street, was a powerful operator of the revolving door that connects Wall Street to Washington. This can be checked by anyone looking into the email archives from the Democratic Party leaked by Wikileaks using “Froman” as a search word.
For example, three weeks before Obama’s victory in November 2008, Froman had already drawn up a list of candidates for senior positions in the new administration, some of them from Wall Street.
While emails were exchanged between Froman and some bigwigs of the Obama campaign, the “candidate of change” pronounced hard words against banks for their speculative excesses before the collapse of Lehman Brothers that had just shaken the world economy.
That right there is how the link between Washington and Wall Street works.
The post The Link Between Washington and Wall Street is More Alive than Ever Before appeared first on The Sleuth Journal. | <urn:uuid:2ecf844c-9054-4940-a875-d39fb36f17be> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2016/11/the-link-between-washington-and-wall-street-is-more-alive-than-ever-before-3436019.html | 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 | 0.951333 | 1,407 | 1.78125 | 2 |
In his story about the Constable Hook Cemetery, Bill Hastings makes an unfair criticism of the City of Bayonne. Mr. Hastings writes, “Many towns and cities take great pride in the upkeep of their old cemeteries, and some even claim historical status for them. The City of Bayonne seems to have done nothing for this cemetery.”
As the City of Bayonne’s staff person for our municipal Historic Preservation Commission, I would like to point out that the commission spent two years attempting to document the cemetery’s history and to achieve historic designation for it.
In order to have a legally proper process for historic designation, the City of Bayonne’s Historic Preservation Commission needed to give due notice to the property owners. The commission also needed to be able to specify the boundaries of the property. During the two-year process, the City of Bayonne’s Law Department went to great lengths attempting to clarify issues of ownership and property boundaries. Just as Mr. Hastings points out in his story, the sale of cemetery plots complicated the chain of title necessary for historic designation. Mr. Hastings states accurately, “It is not known who the legal owner of the cemetery is.” The City of Bayonne’s research unearthed conflicting boundary descriptions of the size of the cemetery. Various deeds had differing answers. Mr. Hastings also deals with the confusion over the size of the property by referencing a larger “original” area, a smaller area marked off by a white picket fence, and another cemetery area outside the fence.
After a two-year struggle with title issues, under legal advice, the Historic Preservation Commission concluded that it could not continue with the historic-designation process, because the issues of ownership and boundaries could not be resolved. Fortunately, the adjoining property owner, IMTT, has kept a watchful eye on the cemetery, and has been a very responsible neighbor and friend to the cemetery.
Preservation of the Constable Hook Cemetery is important, because the property offers a glimpse into Bayonne during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For example, some of the headstones are written in German. These markers are reminders of the German community on the Hook that had a newspaper and a Lutheran church.
As a result of refinery fires in the early 1900’s, Standard Oil decided that the village of Constable Hook could not coexist with the petro-chemical industry. Consequently, the Hook’s homes were either razed or moved westward. Industry expanded into the area where the village used to be. The cemetery is just about all that is left of the village of Constable Hook.
Preservationists must bear in mind that official historic designation of the property proved to be a legal dead end. However, the City of Bayonne has and will always maintain an interest in the preservation of the cemetery that is rich in the history of this city’s past.
JOSEPH E. RYAN
Bayonne Historic Preservation Commission
Public Information Director,
City of Bayonne | <urn:uuid:8afd6537-c167-4331-ad15-dcff138a6a34> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.hudsonreporter.com/pages/full_story/push?article-A+grave+issue%20&id=22732140&instance=news_special_coverage_right_column | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720972.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00252-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962287 | 626 | 2.296875 | 2 |
How do you connect a switch to a WiFi that needs a login?
Connecting a Nintendo Switch to the WiFi Network
- On the Nintendo Switch console, select Settings from the HOME Menu. …
- Select Internet, and then Internet Settings. …
- Select Welcome to SIUE and try to connect. …
- It will display a message saying “The network you are trying to connect to needs authentication” along some lines.
- Click “Next”.
How do I connect my Marriott WiFi switch?
To do so:
- Open your wireless utility or “Settings” app for Wi-Fi connections.
- Select the guest network listed for your hotel.
- Re-enter the upgrade link: internetupgrade.marriott.com.
Does the switch have Bluetooth?
The Nintendo Switch uses Bluetooth to communicate with the wireless controllers, and like other gaming consoles, it doesn’t allow Bluetooth headphones to connect directly to the system. The workaround provided in the 4.0. 0 patch allows wireless headsets that use a USB dongle to provide the wireless capability.
Can you browse the Internet on a switch?
We all know that the Nintendo Switch and the Switch Lite are fantastic little pieces of hardware. … The good news is that you actually can use a web browser on your Switch, and you don’t have to do anything as warranty breaking as hacking your gaming system.
How do I connect a switch to my laptop?
How to Connect Nintendo Switch to a Laptop
- Disconnect the Nintendo Switch’s HDMI cable from your TV.
- Plug the Nintendo Switch’s HDMI cable into the HDMI In port on your Elgato HD60 HDMI capture card. …
- On your laptop, open Game Capture HD.
How do I connect my school WiFi to a switch?
Connecting to the Network
- Place the Nintendo Switch within 10 feet of the wireless router to ensure a strong wireless signal.
- On the Nintendo Switch console, select “Settings” from the HOME Menu.
- Select “Internet,” and then “Internet Settings.”The Nintendo Switch will automatically search for near-by Wi-Fi signals.
Can you play Nintendo switch without WiFi?
No, the Nintendo Switch does not NEED WiFi except for in the beginning when you set it up and create/link a Nintendo account to the Nintendo Store.
Can switch connect to Hotspot?
Fortunately, it’s no different than connecting to any other wireless network: Select Settings from your Switch’s home screen. … Let the Switch search for networks. Select your hotspot from the Networks Found list.
Does switch have Netflix?
While the Switch doesn’t support Netflix, it does offer other video streaming services, both paid and free, through the Nintendo eShop. YouTube, with thousands of hours of video content, is available on the Nintendo Switch.
Can you use AirPods on switch?
You can’t pair Apple AirPods with a Nintendo Switch console directly, but you can pair your AirPods with a Switch-compatible Bluetooth dongle. This dongle will plug directly into your Switch, and allow you to use it with your AirPods. | <urn:uuid:d25a8546-a348-4575-8e90-be76b7694527> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | http://sixsensesresortpasay.com/interesting/how-to-connect-a-switch-to-hotel-wifi.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573029.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20220817153027-20220817183027-00270.warc.gz | en | 0.824797 | 678 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Why Population Aging Matters: A Global Perspective
Trend 8: Evolving Social Insurance Systems
In response to escalating pension expenditures, an increasing number of countries across the development spectrum are evaluating the sustainability of old-age social insurance systems.
Expenditures in today’s 25 EU countries consumed one-eighth of gross domestic product in 2003 (Figure 12). In the future, the economic well-being of older populations will depend on a combination of income sources—earnings from continuing to work, social insurance programs, occupational pensions, and private savings. Public policies affect each of these sources, and proposed policy reforms have both costs and benefits. More empirical research, including cross-national comparative research, is needed to inform the development of policy.
Many countries already have taken steps toward reforming their old-age social insurance programs (see box on “The Chinese Experience: Rethinking Social Security in an Emerging market Economy”). One common reform has been to raise the age at which workers are eligible for full public pension benefits. In 1983, the United States changed the age at which workers are eligible for full retirement benefits to increase incrementally beginning in 2003. Japan raised the pension age for men from 60 to 65 and for women from 57 to 65 in the past 15 years. The highest current statutory pensionable age is 67 for workers in Norway and Iceland. Increases in pensionable age have focused on women, who as recently as the early 1990s were entitled to draw pensions at a younger age than men in most countries. About 60 percent of countries now have the same pensionable age for both men and women. While the trend is to raise the pensionable age, nearly one-third of African countries that offer social insurance benefits to their older populations have a life expectancy less than the statutory pensionable age for men and, in most cases, also for women.
Another strategy for bolstering economic security for older people has been to increase the contribution or tax rate on workers. Twenty-four countries (two-thirds of which are in Europe) now have payroll tax rates that equal or exceed 20 percent of wages. While payroll taxes raise needed revenues, they have the potential to discourage work in the formal sector. Other measures to enhance income for older people include new financial instruments for private savings, tax incentives for individual retirement savings, and supplemental occupational pension plans. Eight countries already have chosen to make occupational pension plans mandatory.
Sixteen countries, primarily in Asia and the Pacific, have a Provident Fund, a compulsory savings program that is funded fully with investments typically managed by the government. Most existing Provident Funds were established in the 1950s; very few have been established since 1985. Instead, countries wishing to achieve a closer link between contributions and benefits have adopted some form of individual accounts. Chile, in the early 1980s, was the first to introduce individual accounts as part of a defined contribution plan. More than 20 other countries, mostly in Europe and South America, have since followed suit. In some countries, however, individual accounts are notional—in other words, no real accumulation of wealth exists because workers’ contributions fund existing pension obligations. Depending on their design, individual retirement accounts may be risky for account holders who make uninformed decisions about diversification.
A trend toward defined contribution plans (in which employees contribute a portion of earnings, sometimes with matching contributions from employers, into investment accounts that they control) rather than defined benefit plans (in which employers guarantee specified levels of pension payments in the future) is evident. Among private-sector workers covered by an occupational pension plan in the United States, 40 percent were in a defined benefit plan in 2000, down from 84 percent in 1980. In contrast, the number of workers in defined contribution plans increased nearly fivefold from 1975 to 1998. In the private sector, the popularity of defined contribution plans is not driven by population aging but by increased job mobility, global competition, and the growth in the number of smaller firms. An important question concerning this trend is whether defined contribution plans, which shift risk and decisionmaking to the employee, will provide adequate income security for the duration of retirement.
|Country||Percentage of GDP|
Note: Pensions include old-age, anticipated old-age, partial, and disability benefits, as well as early retirement benefits due to reduced capacity to work. Source: European Statistical System (EUROSTAT). Available at: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu. Accessed January 8, 2007.
The Chinese Experience: Rethinking Social Security in an Emerging Market Economy
Although China is rapidly urbanizing, it remains a predominately rural country. The majority of Chinese workers are not yet covered by any formal pension system. Among those who have been and are now covered, there has been a steady rise in the number receiving formal pensions during the past 25 years. Concurrently, there has been a sustained decline in the ratio of covered workers to pensioners in China, a trend that threatens the well-being of the Nation’s formal old-age security system (Figure 13).
Following a decade of experimentation, a new framework for old-age security emerged in the mid-1990s. The intent is twofold: (1) To replace cradle-to-grave support provided by State-owned enterprises with an expansion of coverage beyond the State sector and (2) to introduce pooled funding, which deflects risk. The new system includes a defined benefit pension providing a 20-percent replacement rate of the average wage and a defined contribution individual account. Owing to the unfunded liabilities of the former system, individual accounts have remained largely notional as today’s workers pay for today’s pensioners.
Social security reforms in China were brought about primarily because of the restructuring of State-owned enterprises and changes associated with the movement toward a market economy. However, new pressures have emerged in light of the rapid pace of population aging. Researchers are calling for a higher retirement age to counter the falling ratio of workers to pensioners. The Government is also considering converting to a system with a fully funded component, which raises questions about funding the transition to a new system. Another concern with this approach is where to invest funds that will accumulate in individual accounts, given that China’s capital markets are relatively immature.
|Year||Millions of pensioners||Ratio of pensioners to workers|
Source: China Ministry of Labor and Social Security and China National Bureau of Statistics. China Labor Statistics Yearbook. Beijing: China Statistics Press, various years; and China National Bureau of Statistics. China Statistical Abstract. Beijing: China Statistics Press, 2006.
Publication Date: September 2011
Page Last Updated: January 22, 2015 | <urn:uuid:72aed4d2-dcca-478c-9c09-fdb591290a6a> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://www.nia.nih.gov/publication/why-population-aging-matters-global-perspective/trend-8-evolving-social-insurance | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280065.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00542-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932882 | 1,368 | 2.375 | 2 |
Were the police videotapes that led to the suspension of around 20 San Francisco police officers this week an “egregious” example of racism, sexism, and homophobia, as Chief Heather Fong charged, or just good-spirited sophomoric humor? The San Francisco Chronicle surveyed experts and others, and found that no employer would want workers producing videos like those on work time, using company uniforms and equipment. “They are not unlawful, but they would likely violate any company’s policy against harassment,” said Garry Mathiason, a senior partner with the employment law firm of Littler Mendelson.
City officials say the videos were made illicitly during work hours using department uniforms and equipment. The videos include content that could be viewed by many people as sexual or racial slurs. Most large companies these days have anti-harassment policies that prohibit sexual and racial jokes, slurs, comments, and pictures. “When you are given a police uniform and a badge, you can’t be like everyone else and have this kind of politically incorrect humor,” said Joseph McNamara, former San Jose police chief and now a fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution. “When an entertainer like Chris Rock makes offensive comments, it’s in a very different context,” said Barry Chersky, an Oakland attorney. “We can like or dislike Chris Rock’s material, but he is not serving as the representative of a city charged with protecting all the citizens of the city.” In a paradox, workplaces have become increasingly restrictive about what is acceptable behavior, while society as a whole has become more permissive. | <urn:uuid:84fd2900-9ef8-4361-939f-dd41060c8f17> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://thecrimereport.org/2005/12/09/sf-cop-videos-would-violate-workplace-harassment-rules/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988722951.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183842-00209-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967782 | 343 | 1.648438 | 2 |
For over 15 years, Deen Intensive Foundation has brought together exceptional scholarship dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the core sacred sciences of Islam from traditional sources.
Programs are designed to teach the traditional sciences with exemplary teachers that uplift students and bring relevancy in modern times.
From interactive classes, comprehensive study material, and organized study circles, the Foundation continually works to establish optimum learning experiences for students of knowledge.
Programs, as their core objective, emphasize introspection and character development. We believe that positive change is based on sound knowledge and regular devotional practices that inculcate discipline and self-awareness.
Programs and Offerings
The Rihla Livestream
Can't attend the annual Rihla Summer Program? The Rihla Livestream service offers full-length, free streaming video throughout the entire program. Viewers have the opportunity to watch classes from the comfort of their own homes. Tune in to the stream from your computer or mobile device. Sign up for email updates to be notified when the program becomes available.
The Rihla Summer Program
A near-month long course that covers a significant portion of our curriculum. The Rihla program is generally hosted in a serene, secluded environment. Students are able to immerse themselves in the study of sacred knowledge for an extended period of time. This unique global program is designed to impart a transformative experience so students can return home with a drive to learn and pursue personal and moral betterment.
The Essentials Retreat
A weeklong program designed to teach students the most essential elements of our religion. The program offers students a moderate period of immersion in an environment conducive to serious study and worship. The Essential Retreats launched in Maryland, USA in May 2016. | <urn:uuid:dfaf6244-6683-413a-a7d9-7c3b33ff01d5> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.deenintensive.com/?wpsc_action=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281746.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00285-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922397 | 358 | 1.859375 | 2 |
Many people don’t understand how a short sale will affect their credit. The short sale itself does not harm one’s credit in any way. It is possible to complete a short sale without having a major impact on the person’s credit. We are going to go through several scenarios to explain short sale options and the ramifications of each scenario.
The largest impact to ones credit is the missed payments. If someone is 30, 60, 90, or 120 days late on a mortgage, it will significantly impact their credit. There is a misconception that one has to be late on the mortgage to be eligible for a short sale. This is not accurate. It is possible to negotiate a short sale without missing any payments on the mortgage. If someone does this and converts the remaining balance due at closing to a signature loan, their credit should not be impacted in any way. The credit report should show one of two following scenarios:
- The existing loan shows “paid in full” and a new loan shows up with the remaining balance.
- The existing loan balance is reduced and your payment is adjusted.
It is also possible to not miss a payment and have the bank write off the remaining balance. This will affect your credit and the account will show that some sort of settlement was reached on the account. Depending on the person’s credit score, they can expect a 50-100 point reduction in their credit score initially.
If one misses payments and reaches a settlement on the mortgage or mortgages then they are likely to see a much more substantial credit impact. There are several advantages to completing a short sale if one is having financial challenges. By relieving this debt, that person may put themselves in a position to keep other accounts in good standing. A short sale is also significantly easier to recover from than a foreclosure. One can bring their credit score back up in a relatively short period of time after they have started making all their remaining payments on time. This has a much smaller impact than the long term credit damages that a foreclosure or bankruptcy can create.Print Story | <urn:uuid:7898396b-6fae-46e5-a3a4-12e7e72710d6> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.pcbdaily.com/how-short-sales-effect-your-credit | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720026.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00456-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971574 | 421 | 1.617188 | 2 |
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A report released this week by Plug’n Drive, entitled “Electric Vehicles: Reducing Ontario’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions” shows that the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potential of electric vehicles (EVs) is considerable and EVs can play an important role in Ontario’s GHG reduction strategy.
The report comes at a time when Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change is looking for ways to help shape Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan calling for a 15% reduction in GHG emissions by 2022 and an 80% reduction by 2050.
According to StatCan, Ontario’s transportation sector burns more than 16 billion litres of gasoline and emits nearly 37 million tonnes of GHG each year. Through a lifecycle analysis of Ontario’s electricity grid, Plug’n Drive estimates that EVs can reduce these GHG emissions by as much as 67-95% per vehicle.
Plug’n Drive looked at five EV penetration scenarios and calculated the potential emission reductions and cost savings for each. If Ontario were to achieve a 25% increase in EV sales to 2022, the Province would have more than 100,000 EVs on the road by 2050, reducing Ontario’s GHG emissions by as much as 9.19 Mega-tonnes, or 6.5% of Ontario’s total reduction target for 2050. At the same time, EV owners would save a total of $4.4 Billion on fuel costs.
“With our low emitting grid”, said Cara Clairman, President and CEO of Plug’n Drive, “implementing policies that encourage EV adoption in Ontario is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways for Ontario to reach its GHG emissions reduction targets, while offering drivers significant savings on fuel.”
The report also puts forward a series of “EV Friendly” initiatives that, if implemented, would lead to higher EV uptake and, in turn, higher GHG emissions reductions. | <urn:uuid:19c639b0-2906-488d-b25b-ab491d067f37> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.architecturelab.net/electric-vehicles-reducing-ontarios-greenhouse-gas-emissions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571090.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809215803-20220810005803-00072.warc.gz | en | 0.938459 | 441 | 3.140625 | 3 |
There is a lot of misinformation online about personal finance, especially from all those amateur blogs. This is why you should read everything on the internet like you would drink a shot of tequila – with a pinch of salt. 😀 Today I will try to debunk some of the most common financial myths out there.
Myth #1. Credit cards are bad.
Credit cards can make you a lot of money. Fellow blogger Tawcan generates thousands of dollars in passive income through the use of his credit cards. My no annual fee Tangerine Mastercard gives me 2% cash back on most of my credit card purchases. Promotional credit card rates can be used to pay down higher interest debt. There are so many benefits to using credit cards. 🙂
Myth #2. Renting gives you more freedom than owning.
One argument renters use to justify their decision to not buy property is that they can move around more freely. But don’t be fooled by this appeal to popular opinion. Throughout human history, power and financial freedom actually went to those who owned the most resources and assets. Modern day real estate is no different.
Sure, a renter in Vancouver can move to Toronto. But as homeowner, so can I. A renter has to give notice before moving out. But I can move any time I want. I can choose between selling my existing property, or rent it out to make extra income. There are even professional property management services to help me find a suitable tenant. I received this ad in my mailbox the other day.
Everyone has to live somewhere. Being a homeowner simply gives you dominion and veto power over a real piece of land. This gives you more opportunities in life, not less. Anyone who can afford a security deposit can be a renter, including me. So a homeowner has all the same freedoms as a renter. But not vice versa.
Homeowners are generally more financially free. Most can use their properties to secure a low cost loan (HELOC) for major purchases or other liquidity needs. Over 90% of millionaires own their own homes. Meanwhile, not many renters have become millionaires by investing the difference they’ve saved over the years in the financial markets.
Myth #3. You need an emergency fund.
An emergency fund is like an insurance policy. It insures against unexpected financial emergencies. But like any other insurance plan, there’s a cost to having one. In this case it’s the opportunity cost of not doing something more productive with your pile of money. Unless you live in a third world country, consider the probability that you don’t actually need an emergency fund (EF.) I have never created an EF for myself, and I have never run into a financial emergency in my entire life. Most western societies already have generous social safety nets. Frankly, I can’t think of anything that could possibly happen to me right now that would require me to have 3 to 6 months of expenses saved up.
If we already have proper insurance for ourselves, and stress test our finances, then having a rainy day fund is nothing more than holding a redundant insurance policy. Oh, but wait. I actually do have something prepared for a rainy day!
It’s called an umbrella. 😄 | <urn:uuid:0521c4e0-7827-46d1-a667-b386da7aa5d8> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.freedomthirtyfiveblog.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280410.21/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00450-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955808 | 672 | 2.25 | 2 |
Bloggers are buzzing this morning about Google's most recent updates to Page Rank, the system that determines how much weight your site gets in its index. Many popular blogs have seen their rank (which is on a scale of 0-10) take dramatic hits, with some reportedly even falling from PR7 to PR4 (Andy Beard has a good list of those effected). This is a very big deal; many of these sites depend on search traffic and the credibility a high page rank brings to keep their business of selling ads afloat, and a drop in score can significantly lower the flow of visitors.
For Google’s part, the reason these sites are being slammed is because the company's policy tells web publishers to “avoid links to web spammers or "bad neighborhoods" on the web.” Do some of the effected blogs sell links to such sites? Perhaps; we’ll let these folks defend themselves and their practices. But the real story is the hypocrisy of Google enforcing this policy on third-party publishers, when within their own engine they profit immensely by selling ads to spammers and so-called “bad neighborhoods.”
Here’s an example of just how easy it is to find link spam in Google’s sponsored listings. First, do a search for "low cost airfare," and then follow this path:
1. Go to page 3 of results. Under “Sponsored Links” click the link for CheapAirfareWorld.com
2. Arrive at CheapAirfareWorld.com. Click “lowest airfare.”
3. If the resulting page isn’t a web spammer/bad neighborhood, I don’t know what is. The page is nothing but sponsored links.
The truth of the matter is that Google makes a good deal of money by allowing spammers to buy AdWords. These spammers in turn make money by creating pages with no value added content and instead using schemes to get people clicking paid links. Often, these paid links are AdSense, which puts even more money in Google’s pocket. If bloggers are selling links directly to such people, they are in turn taking money directly away from Google, which, as a $200 billion corporation, isn’t something Google is likely to be too happy about.
However, versus some of the companies Google allows to advertise in its search engine, many of those taking a Page Rank hit are producers of great content, and it’s a total shame that this policy might ultimately drive them out of business. As the buzz grows over this, it will be interesting to see what kind of response Google has to offer. | <urn:uuid:51223cf4-86e3-44c0-bddd-150e7f955ade> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://mashable.com/2007/10/24/google-page-rank/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280835.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00470-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955581 | 550 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Download Understanding Chinese Families A Comparative Study Of Taiwan And Southeast China 2010by Dannie 4
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DINGESS, W. Va. – The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is seeking comments regarding the rehabilitation of Dingess Tunnel. The project consists of rehabilitating the Dingess Tunnel by replacing the steel liner and replace or repoint loose or missing bricks. LED lighting with vandal shields will be installed inside the tunnel.
Drainage above the northern end of the tunnel will be intercepted by constructing a concrete gutter. Also, warning and guidance signs will be installed outside of the tunnel to warn motorists of the one-lane driving conditions inside the structure. County Routes 3/12 and 3/10 will be upgraded to serve as a detour over the tunnel to accommodate traffic during constriction.
Dingess Tunnel has been determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for improving access and transportation in the region and its engineering significance. FHWA and WVDOT will process this project using a Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966 Net Benefit finding on the use of a historic property. A Net Benefit is achieved when the transportation use, the measures to minimize harm, and the mitigation incorporated into the project results in an overall enhancement of the Section 4(f) property when compared to the No Build Alternative, Avoidance Alternatives, and present condition of the property.
Those wishing to file written comments may send them to R.J. Scites, P.E., Director Engineering Division, West Virginia Division of Highways, 1334 Smith Street, Charleston, W. Va. 25301 on or before Monday, September 19, 2016.
Visit the WVDOH Website at http://go.wv.gov/dotcomment for project information and the opportunity to comment on the project. | <urn:uuid:d13a4c28-ef31-483f-9457-b055226cf662> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://williamsondailynews.com/news/6445/dingess-tunnel-rehabilitation-project | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280504.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00136-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915162 | 371 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Back-to-school season may be right around the corner, but there’s still time to pack your summer days with maximum fun. We have a range of activity books for all ages to help spark your imagination with ideas! These books are a great way to unplug and have fun!
If you have a toddler, you know that they can be picky in what they choose to eat. Take an opportunity to explore new tastes and check out these fun stories about food!
The world is burning. Can an infected, pregnant nurse & a mysterious individual known as the Fireman make sense of the madness and save mankind?
Mo Willems’ tales of Elephant and Piggie come to an end with The Thank You Book, the 25th published adventure of Gerald, the thoughtful, worrying Elephant, and Piggie, his exuberant and optimistic best friend.
The Dark Tower, Stephen King's post apocalyptic epic, is filled with magical artifacts, singing roses and a rift in the space-time continuum, but who will help bring the vivid characters to screen?
Fans of Rebecca Skloot’s 2010 best-seller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks will soon see the story brought to life on HBO starring Oprah Winfrey.
In the midst of World War II, Marvel Comics debuted its most enduring character, Captain America.
Children are naturally curious about pretty much everything – the world around them, the lives of real people, and how things work. Yet the non-fiction section often gets overlooked because it has a bad rap for being boring. But with the right book, facts can FUN! | <urn:uuid:6cfe97d4-b12e-4f85-8a73-4e5e437de81d> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.bcls.lib.nj.us/pinelands-1?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281151.11/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00118-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928072 | 332 | 1.992188 | 2 |
Carrizal is a barrio in the municipality of Aguada, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 970.
Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became an unincorporated territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico finding that the combined population of Carrizal and Espinar (Espinal) barrios was 1,010.
Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions) in turn are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.The following sectors are in Carrizal barrio:Comunidad Las Flores,
Égida Hogar Emmanuel Community Home,
Parcelas Palmar Novoa Nuevas,
Sector El Mameyito,
Sector La Vía,
Sector Punta Boquerón,
Sector Tablonal, and
Urbanización Villa Camaly. | <urn:uuid:b66353b4-62f8-4496-9685-14de66dd95cf> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.dguideapp.com/guide/details/Carrizal,%20Aguada,%20Puerto%20Rico.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882573172.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220818063910-20220818093910-00273.warc.gz | en | 0.878107 | 273 | 2.515625 | 3 |
A Chevron Or means the gold chevron across the centre of the shield.
There seems to be little effort to shield the political leanings of many journalists and comedians anymore.
Arm people with a cloak of anonymity and a shield of non-accountability, and watch the cavalcade of crazy charge.
What emerges is a series vastly different than The shield but one that deals in the darkness of everyday life just the same.
My parents wanted to shield me from my history, to “spare me.”
It was idle; a magic seems to shield a captive's leap for life.
Without amplification, you couldn't control your shield properly.
His shield rests beside him, and on it are depicted the arms of Way.
The work of Regin's hands was a shield, a great shield of iron.
But what else can we expect, now, that you have lost your knightly guard, your shield and your arms!
Old English scield, scild "shield; protector, defense," literally "board," from Proto-Germanic *skelduz (cf. Old Norse skjöldr, Old Saxon skild, Middle Dutch scilt, Dutch schild, German Schild, Gothic skildus), from *skel- "divide, split, separate," from PIE root *(s)kel- (1) "to cut" (see scale (n.1)). Perhaps the notion is of a flat piece of wood made by splitting a log. Shield volcano (1911) translates German Schildvulkan (1910). Plate tectonics sense is from 1906, translating Suess (1888).
Old English gescildan, from the root of shield (n.). Related: Shielded; shielding. Cf. German scilden.
A protective device or structure, such as a lead sheet to protect an individual from x-rays.
A police officer's badge
used in defensive warfare, varying at different times and under different circumstances in size, form, and material (1 Sam. 17:7; 2 Sam. 1:21; 1 Kings 10:17; 1 Chr. 12:8, 24, 34; Isa. 22:6; Ezek. 39:9; Nahum 2:3). Used figuratively of God and of earthly princes as the defenders of their people (Gen. 15:1; Deut. 33:29; Ps. 33:20; 84:11). Faith is compared to a shield (Eph. 6:16). Shields were usually "anointed" (Isa. 21:5), in order to preserve them, and at the same time make the missiles of the enemy glide off them more easily. | <urn:uuid:bfa03fa4-1cba-4cf7-a150-4a28a2222780> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.dictionary.com/browse/shield | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280730.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00252-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.917239 | 564 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Why this might not seem so easy
Thanks to filmmakers such as Michael Haneke and Ulrich Seidl, we’ve come to expect from Austrian cinema a perverse delight in revealing the dark impulses underneath the veneer of civilised society. Viennese director and screenwriter Jessica Hausner certainly leans toward that tendency, but she is less interested in limit-transgressing provocation than in nudging audiences into a zone of radical uncertainty.
She has become one of the most inventive and surprising auteurs in Austria’s arthouse scene since first sparking attention at European festivals in the late 90s with her film-school short Flora (1995) and diploma film Inter-View (1999). It’s not so much what happens, but the impossibility of knowing with full confidence how to interpret it, that causes unease in her cinema. What is authentic essence and what merely social construction or self-deception when it comes to the nature of love or faith? With her, doubt reigns.
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Hausner’s are female-centred films of ideas and philosophical experimentation. They seek not to console but to shake normalised assumptions about the way the world works to the core. Their impeccable look is aided by her constant collaborators: cinematographer Martin Gschlacht (with whom, along with two others, she founded production company coop99), production designer Katharina Wöppermann and costume designer Tanja Hausner (her sister).
Any air of aloofness felt from the skepticism and cerebral rigour of Hausner’s films is offset by their deliciously irreverent wit, together with the sense of radical freedom that comes from their non-judgmental curiosity, aligned with outsiders.
The best place to start – Lourdes
Lourdes (2009), made in the French language, is perhaps Hausner’s most acclaimed feature. With it, she applies her obsession with plumbing authenticity to the practice of spiritual worship. Christine (Sylvie Testud), who has severe multiple sclerosis, is visiting Lourdes in the south of France, where Roman Catholics believe a teenager saw the Virgin Mary in the 19th century. She finds the town “touristy”, but she’s not particularly religious anyway, signing up for pilgrimages as a means to travel. The nun (Léa Seydoux) that has been assigned to care for her also seems less than devoted, and is distracted flirting with a male colleague. Nevertheless, Christine’s condition improves so markedly she can rise from her wheelchair and walk. Is this a miracle? It’s hard to be sure in this droll, understated mystery.
What to watch next
More arch than tragic, 2014’s Amour fou is based on the death of 19th-century German poet Heinrich von Kleist, who shot his lover and then himself. Suffering what he calls a “deep and incurable sadness”, Kleist (Christian Friedel) asks around for a woman willing to die with him. He convinces Henriette Vogel (Birte Schoeink), the demure wife of a government official, who is in the throes of a baffling illness. While Kleist’s bloated self-regard, fickleness and theatrical melancholy are lampooned, it is Henriette that remains the elusive question mark. Meticulous tableaux capture interiors inspired by Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer, in a film that denies any glamour to the notion of ‘mad love’, even while suggesting the phenomenon might just be real.
Hausner’s forays into psychological horror mine the genre’s suspense and creeping disquiet in service to her vision of an irreducibly inexplicable universe, in which strangeness makes incursions into the safety of familiarity, and nobody can ever be known fully. In Hotel (2004), Irene (Franziska Weisz) has taken a job as a desk clerk in a remote Alpine hotel, where her predecessor disappeared. A series of odd incidents oppress her with a sense of menace, amplified by her co-workers’ hostility. Touches of David Lynch can be felt in its nighttime highways, vanishings into pitch blackness that seem like images from a dream, and, not least, its disregard for logical resolution.
Little Joe (2019), which is shot in English, asks if there is any essential integrity to our emotions, beyond the purely transactional or chemical. Emily Beecham won best actress at Cannes for her role as Alice, an ambitious plant breeder at a high-tech lab facility, and single mother to Joe (Kit Connor). She breaks safety protocols to create a genetically modified plant that’s infertile and emits a scent to make those who nurture it happy. She’s beset by guilt upon detecting uncanny changes in her son, fearing it might be the pollen, or that she is too consumed by work to be what society considers a good mother. The cinematography is bold and pristine. Rows of blazing-red, exotic flowers stir in the austere greenhouse, signalling potent forces Alice may not be able to contain.
Where not to start
Shot on digital video with non-professionals, Hausner’s first feature Lovely Rita (2001) is more unpolished than her subsequent work, but its lo-fi rawness works to give its shock ending even more kick. Rita (Barbara Osika) is a listless, disaffected outcast among her Catholic school peers, with a rocky home life. Intent on gaining sexual experience, she makes awkward overtures to a younger male friend, before setting her sights on the bus driver in her small Austrian town. Bedroom-dancing and nightclub sequences soundtracked by Moby’s ‘Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?’ and Italian eurodance date the film to its era. This is Hausner not yet in full command of her highly idiosyncratic voice, but already in play is her wicked humour and will to entertain unconventional female rebellion.
The mid-length Toast (2006) might best be described as a filmic essay or conceptual installation. In a kitchen of cloying pastels, a blonde woman in an embossed tracksuit (Susanne Wuest) prepares and eats toast, over and over, with an array of toppings. She sporadically leaves the room (to vomit?). With each repetition, this simple domestic act becomes more compulsive, even as any projection of interiority is deflected. Her face blank, she fills herself up, but gives nothing away to the camera. This is Hausner’s realm of absurd, contextless uncertainty, as the security of everyday acts is punctured by the arrival – psychic haunting even – of transgressive anomaly. | <urn:uuid:1b0d6825-c381-4e06-ab4d-d308db768428> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/where-begin-with-jessica-hausner | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572063.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220814173832-20220814203832-00665.warc.gz | en | 0.946449 | 1,456 | 1.523438 | 2 |
To begin the game, each player places his 25 pieces
on the Soldier Stations and Headquarters spaces on his side
of the board. Pieces do not begin on the Camp circles. They
are placed so that each player can see the identities of his
own pieces, but not those of his opponents’.
the pieces is the first strategic consideration of the game.
Flag must be placed on one of the two Headquarters
Landmines must be placed somewhere in the two
rows closest to the player (i.e., the Headquarters row, or the
one next to that).
Grenades may not be placed on the front row
(but you probably wouldn’t want them there anyway).
Playing the Game
player begins by making a move, and then the two opponents take
turns, as in most strategy board games.
(all ranks, 1 through 9) and Grenades move
along a single Line, only as far as the very next playing space
(to any Soldier Station, Camp or Headquarters). But on the Railroad,
these pieces move as many spaces as they want, staying in one
straight line, and not passing over any other pieces.
Engineer has the special power of continuing
around corners on the Railroad. As long as his path is unobstructed,
his move may cover any number of Railroad linked spaces, turning
as many corners as he likes.
that the Landmines and Flag
do not move. They remain in place until attacked by an enemy
Among soldiers, it is the pieces of higher rank
that capture the pieces of lower rank (as if they went out onto
the battlefield and “out-ranked” each other). When
a soldier attacks by moving onto a space occupied by an opposing
piece, the piece of lower rank is removed, and the one of higher
rank remains. (Note “1” is the highest rank; “9”
is the lowest.) You may need to keep the diagram above on hand
as you play, until the ranks become familiar to you.
piece attacks another of equal rank, both pieces
If a Grenade attacks or is attacked by any
piece, both pieces are removed.
If any piece other than an Engineer attacks a Landmine,
both pieces are removed, but if an Engineer
attacks a Landmine, the Landmine is removed
and the Engineer remains.
pieces are safe and may not be attacked while on a Camp
When a piece attacks the opponent’s Flag,
he has won the game.
It is preferred that this game be played with
a referee. Whenever a piece is attacked, the referee determines
which piece (or pieces) are to be removed. The players never
see the opposing pieces and are never told their identities,
even when attacks are made and pieces are removed. This mystery
is the fun and intrigue of the game.
If no referee is available, the game proceeds
in the same way, but every time there is an attack the players
must temporarily show the identities of the two pieces, to determine
the outcome of the attack. A little less mystery.
Regional variations in these rules are not uncommon.
In the northern areas of China, for instance, the Landmine is
not removed when attacked by another piece — except by
the Engineer who defeats it entirely. If you meet someone who
knows this game from China, show some courtesy and cultural
interest by asking how he plays it at home.
This pamphlet was compiled with the greatly appreciated
assistance of Shuping Zhang , a long time native player of this
game and innovator in the design of playing pieces. He can be | <urn:uuid:3906fcb6-6a08-427d-a478-60b3ab694b2b> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://ancientchess.com/page/play-luzhanqi.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988722459.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183842-00345-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958708 | 770 | 2.015625 | 2 |
On View: Luce Visible Storage and Study Center, 5th Floor
5 1/8 x 4 x 4 in. (13 x 10.2 x 10.2 cm) (show scale)
Incised three times around sides on underside of base: in script, "Marion Louise Anderson"
Gift of Marion Anderson Noyes
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Marion Anderson Noyes (American, 1907-2002). Candlestick, ca. 1933. Pewter, 5 1/8 x 4 x 4 in. (13 x 10.2 x 10.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Marion Anderson Noyes, 1991.258.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1991.258.2.jpg)
overall, 1991.258.2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2004
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
Brushed pewter candlestick, one of pair. Hollow disk base with angled sides, rises up in center and tapers to form cylindrical support for candle socket; groove between base and socket. Socket is tubular in form, widens slightly toward top and has flared edge.
Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome
any additional information you might have. | <urn:uuid:54170018-d119-4f94-8073-71d279e41016> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/2065 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571502.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811194507-20220811224507-00069.warc.gz | en | 0.863062 | 613 | 1.726563 | 2 |
In an age when the existence of Angels is doubted and even denied by certain segments within the modern church, in an age when unbelieving clergy and "religious" are teaching that much of the Bible is a "fairy tale," and thence discard the scriptural account of the Annunciation as a myth; a reaffirmation of belief in these heavenly messengers -- God's holy Angels -- is needed to counterbalance the scales now heavily weighed down by the heretical Modernist spirit of skepticism and unbelief.
Is it not tragic that, at a time when the mighty power of the angelic Prince St. Michael is so needed by all of those engaged in the furious battle with the infernal powers of the anti-Christ, the public invocation of this mighty defender of the Church which Pope Leo XIII ordered to be recited after the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, has now been omitted?
Is it not a further sign of tragedy that the Angels of scriptural account -- among them, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael -- are now scoffingly dismissed as "figurative symbols" by some so-called modern Scripture "scholars"?
And what a loss to the devotional faith of God's children, who no longer esteem the Angel Guardian entrusted by God's love "to light and to guard, to rule and to guide" their bodies and souls.
In an age of such unbelief, let us focus the attention of our tribute to the Angels upon that angelic messenger of the last century, who taught us the beautiful prayers of faith and hope which are so badly needed to counteract the skeptical spirit of Modernism presently infecting so many minds and destroying numerous souls.
Just as the marvelous event of the Incarnation began with the visit of the Archangel Gabriel to the Queen of the Angels, so too was the visit of that Heavenly Queen in our own time preceded by the visit of an Angel -- the "Angel of Portugal."
How inspiring it is to recount and reflect upon the visits of this Angel to the three little children of Fatima -- Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia. And how understandable that he would appear to innocent souls, who would readily accept his heavenly messages with simple, unquestioning belief!
The first apparition of the Angel took place on the side of a hill called Lopa do Cabeo in the spring of 1916. Although the children had previously seen a nebulous figure of light, this was the first time they could definitely perceive the Angel and hear him speak.
According to Lucia's account, after the children had finished lunch, there appeared before them "a light whiter than snow, revealing the form of a young man, transparent and much brighter than crystal pierced by the rays of the sun." The Angel approached them, saying: "Fear not. I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me."
The Angel then knelt, bowing low with his head touching the ground. The three children, impelled by a supernatural impulse, did the same, and then repeated after him: "My God, I believe, I adore, I trust, and I love Thee. I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust, and do not love Thee." Having repeated this prayer three times, the Angel rose and said: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to your supplications."
Lucia later told Canon Galamba about this visit of the Angel: "The supernatural atmosphere which enveloped us was so intense that, for a long time, we were scarcely aware of our own existence, remaining in the same position and repeating the same prayers.
"So intimate and intense was the feeling of the presence of God, that we did not even attempt to speak to one another.
"The next day we could still feel the holy atmosphere. It began to disappear only very slowly. We said nothing about this apparition... it seemed to impose silence on us. It was of such an intimate nature that it was not easy to speak of it at all."
Let us pause here to reflect upon two important aspects of this apparition. First, the beautiful and simple prayer taught by the Angel is a magnificent expression of faith, hope, and charity. And how great a need is there today of these three indispensable virtues! Let us then repeat this prayer often throughout the day as a reaffirmation of our own faith, hope, and charity, while at the same time imploring God's mercy upon those who are lacking in these virtues, and for those also who are lost in doubt, despair, or coldness of heart.
Secondly, let us ponder the marvel of these three small children experiencing such an intimate union with the Divine! Such is the sweetness of union with God -- that sweetness which we can experience in the reception of the Most Adorable Sacrament of the Altar, IF we have made proper preparation through interior reflection and deep, prayerful contemplation of that great and holy mystery of the Divine Presence. And are we not compelled to utter silence as the Sacred Host touches our tongue, and we are swept up in the awesome act of physical union with our Creator, our Redeemer, our Beginning and our very End! Thus we feel so deeply the need for silent thanksgiving during this sacred time of intimate union with Divine Love. Is there any joy like unto this blessed moment? Let us treasure this brief foretaste of that eternal union with God which we shall experience in Heaven.
* * * * *
The next apparition of the Angel took place in the heat of midsummer, while the children were playing by a well not far from Lucia's home. Suddenly they saw the Angel descending towards them and heard him ask: "what are you doing? Pray! Pray a great deal! The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs upon you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High." "How are we to make sacrifices?" Lucia asked. The Angel replied: "Make everything you do a sacrifice, and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and as a petition for the conversion of poor sinners. Bring peace to our country in this way. I am its Angel Guardian, the Angel of Portugal. Especially accept and bear with submission the sufferings sent you by Our Lord."
"These words," commented Lucia, "made a deep impression on our minds, like a light making us understand Who God is, how He loves us and desires to be loved, as well as the value of sacrifice, how pleasing it is to Him, and how, on account of it, He grants the grace of conversion to sinners. For this reason, from that moment we began to offer such mortifications as daily befell us... and to remain for hours with our forehead touching the ground, repeating the prayer the Angel had taught us."
The experience of this second apparition again overwhelmed the children, and for days they remained silent and in a spirit of deep reflection. Jacinta said: "I can't speak, nor play, nor sing; I have no strength for anything." "Nor do I," replied Francisco, "But what does it matter? The Angel is more important than anything! Let us think about him."
Again, let us pause to reflect upon the significance of this apparition. Is it not an overwhelming thought to consider that the Angel admonished these little children, aged only nine, eight, and six, for spending their time in playing when the need for continual prayer and sacrifice was so great? Is that need any less today than it was then? To the contrary! And yet how many parents coddle and pamper their children, never teaching these little souls entrusted to them by God the importance of prayer and sacrifice.
How we underestimate the capacity of children for prayer and sacrifice! It has been our happy experience in our work with the Fatima Youth Cells, over a period of many years, to witness the generous response of the little ones to the explanation of the pleas of the Angel and of Our Blessed Mother for sacrifice and reparation. Very often the children's unreserved "offering of self" far surpasses the half-hearted offering of adults, who are overly imbued with self-love and attachment to material wealth, prestige, security, and comfortable living.
Let us also ponder the extraordinary understanding imparted to the children of the workings of grace. Many a modern, sophisticated "theologian" could well learn a lesson from these simple, little shepherds in this regard. For, with all of their intellectual treatises and emphasis on "ecumenical" dialogue, they cannot effect the conversion of even one soul without the grace earned by the prayers and sacrifices of humble souls. "Unless you become like little children you shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven." (Matt. 18:3-4).
In the early Autumn the Angel visited the children once more. As they were praying by the cave on the hill of the Cabeo, the Angel appeared, holding in his hands a Chalice surmounted by a Host, from which drops of Blood were falling into the chalice. Leaving the Host and Chalice suspended in mid-air, the Angel prostrated himself and repeated three times: "O most holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in tabernacles throughout the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners."
Rising, the Angel took the Host and Chalice, giving the Sacred Host to Lucia, and the Sacred Contents of the Chalice to Jacinta and Francisco, saying: "Take and eat the Body and drink the Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God." He then prostrated himself again, repeated the prayer three times to the Most Holy Trinity, and disappeared.
The children were again compelled by the supernatural force that surrounded them and prostrated themselves in imitation of the Angel, repeating the prayer to the Holy Trinity. Francisco told the other two, "I felt that God was in me, but I didn't understand in what way." Lucia commented in later years: "So intensely did we feel the presence of God that we were completely overwhelmed and absorbed by it. It seemed that, for a while, we were deprived of our bodily senses. For some days afterwards our physical actions were impelled by the supernatural. We felt a great inner peace and joy which left our souls entirely immersed in God. A great physical exhaustion seemed to overcome us."
We find in the account of this final apparition much to reflect upon. Once again, the simple, beautiful words of prayer used by the Angel provide us with an expression of profound theological truth which surpasses the most brilliant of intellectual treatises. For these words of belief in the Divine Presence are not written by mere mortals; they are words which emanate from Heaven -- from the very Essence of Truth -- God Himself.
In an age when the true Presence of God in the Blessed Sacrament is doubted, compromised, and openly denied by some, this prayer of the Angel brings forth with unquestioning clarity the absolute, undeniable, profound, and eternal truth that He -- the Lord God Almighty is Himself Present -- Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the Tabernacles of all true Catholic Churches throughout the world.
And we are further taught by this apparition the unmistakable manner in which the Divine Presence is to be adored. For it is our God who resides in the Tabernacle, our God who is worthy of no less than profound adoration.
As we reflect upon the words of the Angel which implore us to offer reparation to Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist for the insults, indifference, outrages, and sacrileges of ungrateful men, can we help but ponder the tragic evidence of these latter which surround us on every side?
Indeed, there is much for which to make reparation to the Holy Eucharist in our time -- the spreading influence of Secularism, Modernism, and Satanism, the increasing cult of the Black Mass in which the Sacred Host is profaned; empty churches in which adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is no longer offered; the irreverent "communions" of apathetic "Catholics", devoid of fervor and piety; and, most tragic of all, the increasing influence of humanistic liturgists, who scoff at adoration of the Divine Presence. The influence of these modern-day "reformers" has done much to destroy the realization of the faithful that it is their Lord and their God who is truly and physically present in the Most Holy Eucharist, and that He is deserving of profound adoration. The destructive influence of these unbelieving Modernists is readily evidenced in the removal of altar rails (which are meant to separate the Holy of Holies -- the throne of the Most High God -- from the mundane); in the shunting aside of the Tabernacle to a makeshift stand in the lower part of the sanctuary; in the insistence upon standing at sacred moments, such as the reception of Holy Communion, instead of kneeling in humble and profound adoration.
The innumerable present insults daily offered to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament should compel us to increase our Communions of reparation with deeper fervor and love, to offer more holy hours and all-night vigils of reparation.
This is the vital lesson of the Angel of Portugal for our time -- greater devotion to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, deeper faith and increased reparation. Let us learn that lesson well!
SWEET SACRAMENT, WE THEE ADORE!
Treasures of Our Holy Catholic Faith
THE MASS AND THE HOLY EUCHARIST | <urn:uuid:66d21db8-71fb-4f9d-bd15-78c7dba2d0d1> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | http://www.salvemariaregina.info/SalveMariaRegina/SMR-121.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988720026.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183840-00456-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95797 | 2,891 | 2.09375 | 2 |
The driver of No. 17 has a problem approaching the Church Street stop. The double-decker tram can’t pass the trees in front of the Queen Victoria Market.
The ‘traditional’ Australian solutions would be cutting the offending branches. Often big gum trees (eucalypts) are used along the streets even under power lines. Said trees will grow to more than 20 metres in height, which of course will interfere with the power lines. The solution is not planting lower trees, but cutting the main trunk. Instead you will have to major branches each to facing sides with the power lines passing through the middle of the tree, which to my opinion is not very attractive.
So the solution in Wombat Creek will not be cutting branches. Instead the trees will grow taller! | <urn:uuid:12167c91-1016-4cd3-a64a-7b9fea5a6ca6> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://wct.payne-ellef.dk/2022/03/07/low-hanging-branches/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572212.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815205848-20220815235848-00472.warc.gz | en | 0.944199 | 162 | 1.976563 | 2 |
Hyperthyroidism is a common disease seen in older cats caused by the over production of hormones by one or both Thyroid Glands. The average age of diagnosis is 12 years old and it is exceptionally rare in cats under 10 years old.
The most common sign you see is weight loss which is due to a greatly increased metabolism caused by the excessive amount of Thyroid Hormone in your cat’s system. Even though he is losing weight, your cat is likely to be eating well. In fact, many cats are ravenous and try to eat everything in sight. You may also see an increase in thirst and urination and your cat may begin to vomit. Less common findings are restlessness, cranky behavior, diarrhea and occasionally breathing problems.
There are two potentially serious complications if Hyperthyroidism is left undiagnosed and untreated. These complications are hypertension (high blood pressure) and a heart disease called thyrotoxic cardiomyopathy. Blood pressure can get high enough to cause retinal damage resulting in sudden blindness and the heart becomes inefficient because it is enlarged and thickened to compensate for the increased metabolic demands.
Your Veterinarian will be suspicious your cat has Hyperthyroidism if you report the common signs or if he does a physical examination. The Veterinarian will notice weight loss and he should be able to feel enlarged glands on one or both sides of your cat’s neck. Even though the gland(s) are enlarged, it is usually a benign change. Only a small number of cases, less than 2%, involve a malignant cancer of the Thyroid Gland. A blood test, T4 (thyroxine), can confirm Hyperthyroidism. This test should be part of the bloodwork recommended by your Veterinarian every year during your older cat’s annual examination. Occasionally, your cat will require ancillary blood tests to confirm Hyperthyroidism, but this is rarely necessary.
There are several options after your cat has been diagnosed, and treatment is usually very successful. First, your cat can be treated with an oral medication, Methimazole (Tapezole). This drug is given once to twice daily and his T4 and Kidney Values are monitored. Once he is regulated, he can continue with Tapezole for the rest of his life or you can choose another treatment option. The abnormal gland(s) can be removed surgically. Surgery in older pets has its inherent risks, but if he is otherwise healthy, surgery can be an excellent option. Radioiodine treatment is the best way to destroy the abnormal tissue without damaging the normal thyroid tissue. It will accumulate in the abnormal tissue, only, and destroy those cells. This procedure can only be performed at specific facilities, because your cat will literally be radioactive for a short period of time. This requires your cat to be hospitalized and cared for in a lead lined space for at least 4 to 7 days. Lastly, there is a relatively new option. A low iodine diet, which can restore thyroid health, is currently on the market. Other sources of food can provide iodine, so diet must be very strict. This food is a balanced diet and helps support kidney health as well.
There is no known way to prevent Hyperthyroidism, but diagnosis is relatively easy and treatment is generally very successful. Your cat will gain weight, eat normal amounts of food, his high blood pressure and heart disease will improve and other clinical signs of Hyperthyroidism will resolve. This is only one reason it is important to bring your cat to the Veterinarian for a Yearly Examination and Annual Blood Tests.
Established in 1981, Palm City Animal Medical Center is dedicated to providing the best possible care for your pets. With focuses on compassionate care in surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation, preventative medicine, extensive diagnostics, and emergency service, Palm City Animal Medical Center combines exceptional medical care with a caring philosophy for pets and their owners. For more information, call 772-283-0920, visit www.palmcityanimalmedicalcenter.com or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PalmCityAnimalClinic. | <urn:uuid:5c30910d-dc33-4f0c-9784-70cf1ffae67f> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://palmcityanimalclinic.com/feline-hyperthyroidism/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570765.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808031623-20220808061623-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.95277 | 853 | 3.109375 | 3 |
Selling Options Short versus Buying Options.
Selling options (uncovered options trading, selling
naked options) short is considered one of the more risky trading
strategies for investments. However this is one of the options trading
strategies that is usually used by institutional investors. As a rule
uncovered options trading
requires a trader to meet certain margin requirements and with a
majority of brokers this is available only with the highest brokerage
account level. No wonder that in the majority of situations the
uncovered options trading is simply not accessible to the retail
traders. The high margin level is set because the naked options trading
is considered the high risk investment where a trader has potential
profit limited to 100% and yet the potential loss is theoretically
So, the question is why do uncovered options attract
the institutional investors? Unlimited loss and limited profit do not
look very attractive in comparison to buying
options trading strategies
where a trader has unlimited potential profit and potential loss is
limited to the premium paid for the options.
By looking a little deeper into the nature of the
naked options you may find a simple answer. Just try to compare two
with the one difference being that system #1 buys options while system
#2 sells options. In other words you may take two traders that use the
same trading system:
- When the
system issues a long signal, the first trader buys calls and the
second trader sells puts
- When the
system issues the short signal, first trader buys puts and the
second trader sells calls.
By monitoring these two traders, you may notice that
the probability of making profitable trades is higher for the second
trader (uncovered options trader), plus, the second traders closes
positions with better results more often and fixes smaller losses. Of
course, if the system is a total failure and generates loss after loss
and does not use stop-loss where a second trader may report 500% losses
upon expiration versus 100% losses of the first trader, then the
uncovered options trading is extremely risky. But in this case we would
say that this trading system is not worthy of being used with any type
of trading at all.
The above example of two traders could be explained by
the nature of the options. The price of the options is affected by time
- options loose value with time. The longer you stay in the position the
cheaper options become. The closer options are to expiring, the cheaper
options become. The closer to the options expiration the faster the
options price drops.
You may very often see situation when the underlying
stock rises by 1% and the options on this stock rise by 20 %. Then after
some time the same stock declines by the same 1% and the options on this
stock may drop by 22%. Basically, the stock is on the same level however
the options on this stock become cheaper with time.
The time factor is an options seller's ally and plays
against an options buyer. Even if the underlying security moves somewhat
against the direction of the short position, the sale of short options
can still bring in a profit due to an option's time value erosion. On
the other hand as a general rule, the longer the first trader (an option
buyer) stays in a position, the greater the risk that the purchased
option will drop in value - even if the underlying security moves
slightly in favor of the position.
By summarizing the affect of the time factor we may
If the market moves in favor, then both the options
seller and options buyer will receive a profit. As a general rule
the option seller will report a higher profit especially if the
position was opened long enough. The only exception to an options
buyer reporting a bigger profit is when the profit exceeds 100%
(very rare situation).
If the market moves slightly to a favorable position,
an options buyer may suffer a loss if it was prolonged in time and
an option seller will still profit.
If the market moves flat (it moves flat most of the
time), the option buyer looses and options seller reports profits.
The longer the position is opened the bigger the loss will be on the
options buyer's account and the bigger profit will be received by an
If the market moves slightly against a position an
options buyer will suffer a loss and an option seller may suffer a
smaller loss or may even report a small profit depending on how long
the position was opened.
If the market moves against the position
substantially, both options seller and options buyer will suffer
losses. As a rule the options buyer will suffer bigger losses unless
the losses overcome the 100% level when the options seller is not
limited to a 100% loss.
By the affect of time factor (time erosion) on the
options price, it becomes clear that option sellers have more
opportunities to profit. Option sellers only lose money if the
underlying security moves substantially against their position (i.e.,
contrary to the predicted direction). An option buyer on the other hand
has the advantage when it comes to limiting potential losses. In this
case everything becomes dependent on personal trading style: how long a
trader stays in the position, what stop-loss level is used...
In summary: Option sellers have more
opportunities to profit, but they face a greater risk of larger
potential losses. In some situations, losses may be mitigated by the use
of a stop-loss strategy. The options selling could become very risky
with individual stocks. Index options are safer than individual equity
For Instant Access,
Sign up Now!
Just one winning trade
could pay for your membership for years to come! | <urn:uuid:dd717dea-9822-4296-9c58-d9e2c63ade36> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.qqq-options-trading.com/articles/uncovered_options.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571090.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20220809215803-20220810005803-00066.warc.gz | en | 0.898267 | 1,237 | 1.609375 | 2 |
China is such a fantastic travel destination.
Do you want to travel to China but do not know where to start, how to get around or are worried about language barriers?
China is such a unique country with so much to offer, from scenic sights to thrilling adventures. You need someone to take care of logistics for you. That is where Unique Scenic Travel comes in. We can advise you on where to find the best dim sum in the city to the ins and outs of visiting a yak farm.
China is so large it would take a lifetime to travel throughout this scenic country and enjoy all the unique experiences this country has to offer.
You can have any type of holiday in China. With wildlife, cultural diversity, exhilarating experiences, and incredible food there is something for everyone. The unique history, culture and striking scenic landscapes of China cannot be underestimated.
Famous for many icons, China is a country with diverse attractions. Some of China’s manmade structures include the great wall, the largest Buddha in the world and exhilarating glass elevators giving you dazzling views of scenic landscapes.
China’s Great Wall is fascinatingly unique. Walk, run, and climb your way up and down this magnificent structure, going back thousands of years. If you want to see the great wall without the tourist crowds, we can advise and organise that for you.
Travel about both day and night to see how cities transform. Around every corner is new scenery and unique travel experiences, from thousand year old statues to activities on a lake. The markets are something else, you can find anything and everything from baby ducks – to the latest technology. From Silk Street to street food, palaces to pearl markets, China has plenty of unique sightings to keep you busy.
China is fascinating, interesting, and as you travel around you will see numerous instances of legends that make up part of the culture. Even the cities are built around their national heritage of palaces and monuments. As you explore the hustle bustle of the cities you are guaranteed to find examples of unique quirkiness.
Amid the bustling, you will feel centuries of history all around you. The impressive and thought provoking imposing grandeurs such as the forbidden city, summer palace and Tiananmen Square, are all steeped in incredible history.
Often cited as one of the world’s most significant archaeological discoveries, Xian’s remarkable life-sized Terracotta Warriors are incredible to behold. They are arranged in battle formation, powerful, evocative, and utterly unique as no two faces are alike.
Among the well-known are many other unique widely untraveled and less famous sites which are a must-do and must see for those wanting a unique scenic holiday.
You can travel around diverse China by high-speed train. Spend your days exploring along ancient city walls by strolling or cycling and take in the atmosphere by night as well as channel your inner artist in creative villages.
Within a few hours from major cities you can be in a small, rarely visited, village. There you will meet children who will eagerly run up to you, wanting to meet the ‘foreigners’, to shy but welcoming adults who invite you into their home and show a strong willingness to show off their country.
Chinese festivals can be difficult to understand and comprehend but are still fascinating and will amaze you. China has a rich, complex, and fascinating history, which goes hand in hand with their captivating culture. From one day to the next you could be transported back 2000 years or beamed forward 5 decades into a possible future.
A massive country both in terms of size and activities is waiting for you. You can see how the local villagers live, perhaps do a homestay with a local family! You will be in awe as you walk down bustling streets, tasting delicious food from fresh seafood, to BBQ’s in farming provinces. During your travels indulge in the many different types of noodles and specialty dumplings on offer.
In China you will have many unique scenic adventures where tradition and legend meet today’s modern China. Whether you want to see the unique sights of floating mountains, camp on the side of a cliff or explore the stairs to heaven, travel here will open your eyes, your tastebuds and welcome you to a land of – If you can imagine it, you can do it. | <urn:uuid:a3389e01-cdfb-41a3-ad43-92bf4a01f84e> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://uniquescenictravel.com/holiday-locations/china/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571987.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220813202507-20220813232507-00268.warc.gz | en | 0.948133 | 898 | 1.625 | 2 |
Education & Dyslexia
We work closely with educational institutions and organisations providing experienced, psychologists to carry out comprehensive and cost-effective educational assessments. Our psychologists are registered with the Health & Care Professions Council and/or Chartered with the British Psychological Society and are governed by their ethical and professional codes of conduct. They are independent and are able to offer impartial Educational assessments, advice and support including but not limited to:
- Educational assessment of specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, dyspraxia and developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD)
- Educational reports in relation to access arrangements and special consideration
- Assessment of Asperger’s, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity * Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
- Assessment of behavioural and emotional difficulties
- Educational reports related to adaptive functioning
- Educational assessments of language and communication
- Cognitive assessments covering the learning of adults and children
- Advice and support on workplace development and reasonable adjustments
- Educational assessments to support disabled students
- Allowance applications (DSA)
Our psychologists can provide direct and/or indirect educational assessments in schools, colleges, workplace environments and at home. An educational assessment might include observation, psychometric testing and consultation with significant adults or professionals. A detailed and fully explained educational report, including conclusions and recommendations for ongoing support, will normally follow within two weeks unless otherwise agreed.
Whatever your requirement, through the proficiency and skill of our educational psychologists, we aim to provide clarity, understanding and guidance.
To help employees manage their difficulties, We deliver support training in order to create tailored interventions which can be used to help improve their skills, such as reading, writing and memory.
We provide advice and support training in the following areas:
- Writing & typing
- Organisation & prioritisation
- Note taking
- Time management
- Listening & concentrating
- Working environment
- Career goals
- Non verbal communication
Our support training is aimed at unlocking the potential of employees with a specific learning difficulty or neurological condition. Our support training enables employees to build the confidence and skills to achieve their potential, despite their difficulties. It is about looking forward and achieving goals!
Educational & LEAs
Our educational psychologists offer a variety of services to schools & local authorities which complement the work staff are already doing. We work with nurseries, schools, colleges, universities and independent specialist schools providing comprehensive and cost effective educational psychology services. All of our educational psychologists are registered with their appropriate governing bodies and offer a flexible service tailored to your needs.
We are often asked to provide educational psychologists and educational assessments for areas including:
- Educational assessments & reports including specific learning difficulties
- Educational psychology assistance with the statementing process
- Educational psychology consultations and support with parents
- Educational psychology training and information for staff
- Psychological assessments of children and adolescents with developmental, behavioural and emotional difficulties
- Psychological assessments of children and adolescents with attachment difficulties
- Behavioural intervention & training
- Facilitation of difficult meetings between staff and parents
- Staff development and training including managing difficult behaviour, raising attainment and individual education plans
Our aim is to develop a strong relationship between the educational psychologist, teachers, parents and pupils so that services are delivered seamlessly based on mutual trust and co-operation. Educational psychology services can be commissioned on either an ad hoc basis or, if your school needs regular input, through flexible contractual arrangements which can start from as little as one day per month. | <urn:uuid:825253ea-d726-441e-bbc6-010e389af247> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.psychologyforsuccess.co.uk/services/education-dyslexia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882572161.46/warc/CC-MAIN-20220815054743-20220815084743-00475.warc.gz | en | 0.94878 | 738 | 2.125 | 2 |
How to survive a gunshot wound - Bleeding
4. Assess and Treat Bleeding
As you treat the victim, bear in mind that almost 70% of gunshot victims survive. While victims who suffer gunshot wounds to the head or heart may succumb quickly, most will recover from wounds to other parts of the body.
Steps to stop bleeding
1. Remove clothing cover the wound so you can examine the source of blood -- i.e. exit and entry wounds.
2. Apply pressure directly to the wound with the heel of your hand using the cleanest available bandage, sterile gauze pad, or cloth compress.
3. Maintain pressure for a minimum of 10 minutes to allow several blood vessels to close by spasm and allow early blood clot formation. Do not peek at the wound as this will prolong bleeding.
4. If available, apply cold ice packs over the compress to aid the closure of damaged blood vessels.
5. If possible, get the victim to lie down and elevate the bleeding area above the level of the heart.
6. If direct pressure fails to stop bleeding, check to see that you are applying pressure in the correct location. You should be pressing directly on the bleeding point.
7. Try repositioning your pressure and hold again for another 10 minutes.
8. Once bleeding has subsided, apply a pressure dressing. Cover the wound with the cleanest available bandage, sterile gauze pad, or cloth compress and wrap firmly with rolled gauze or elastic bandage. Do not apply dressing so tightly as to compromise circulation where the victim loses feeling in fingertips or toes.
9. Watch dressing for blood soaking or dripping which could indicate continued bleeding.
10. Should bleeding continue ...
If direct pressure fails to control bleeding or the application of direct pressure is not possible, you may need to apply indirect pressure to the appropriate pressure point. This pressure point is a place where the main artery to the injured part lies near the skin surface and over a bone. Pressure applied at such a point -- using the fingers, thumb, or the heel of the hand -- can compress the artery against the bone and shut off the flow of blood from the heart to the wound. Important pressure points include:
Brachial pressure point -- Located on inner side of the upper arm. Press fingertips in between the muscles to compress the artery against the bone.
Femoral pressure point -- Lay the victim down with leg raised and knee bent to locate the groin fold on the forward-facing part of the upper leg. Press very firmly on the artery with thumbs.
The decision to use a tourniquet may be the decision to sacrifice a limb to save a life. A tourniquet should be applied to the limb between the bleeding site and the heart, as close to the injury as possible and tightened just to the point where the bleeding can be controlled with direct pressure over the wound.
Constructing a tourniquet -- Use a 2- to 4-inch wide bandage that will not cut the skin. Wrap the bandage around the limb several times then tie a knot, leaving loose ends long enough to tie another knot. Put a sturdy stick or rod over the knot then tie it in place with a knot formed with the loose ends. Twist the stick until the bandage is tight enough to stop the bleeding then secure it. Every 10-15 minutes briefly release the tourniquet to see if it is still needed to control the loss of blood. As soon as bleeding stops, remove the tourniquet.
Tips to Remember
- Arterial bleeding [from severed arteries] can be recognized by spurting and rapid outflow. Veinous bleeding is considerably slower and more moderate.
- External bleeding can almost always be stopped using pressure
- Ice can help close damaged blood vessels and slow blood loss
- A 25-30% loss on blood volume may result in shock
- Using a tourniquet may result in amputation of the affected limb
- Do not try to remove a deeply embedded object -- doing so may cause further bleeding.
- Internal bleeding is very serious and often the only effective treatment is surgery
- Signs of internal bleeding include firmness in the abdomen after injury, vomiting blood, blood in urine or feces, large bruises over the flank or abdomen, pale skin, cool and clammy skin, rapid heart rate, weakness, thirst, dizziness, shortness of breath.
- If victim has bones or internal organs protruding do not attempt to push these back inside the body. Cover the exposed tissue with moist sterile cloth pr bandages. Seek immediate medical attention.
[Secure | Immobilize | Breathing | Bleeding | Stabilize]
The information above does not constitute medical advice!! It is simply an informational resource. Following the procedures laid out below may result in injury or loss of life. By reading the content below, the user agrees to:
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The question that every author gets is, “Where do you get your ideas?”
Kurt was so incredibly detailed in his ideas, and they were so good, that of course I went with those.
You say you got ideas for ridding us of an “aesthetic effect” or of “style” and “movement.”
Wherever you stood on the ideological spectrum, you were drawn into one hundred years of events and ideas.
This warfare has little to do with ideas and policy - and everything to do with the bottom line.
Again, the influence of English ideas has affected their public worship.
I shall be interested in getting your ideas along this line.
So Margaret gained the acknowledgment of her right to follow her own ideas of duty.
Out of this relation come her ideas of her honor, duties, and virtue.
His ideas of social duty are different from those of the Englishman.
late 14c., "archetype of a thing in the mind of God; Platonic `idea,'" from Latin idea "idea," and in Platonic philosophy "archetype," from Greek idea "ideal prototype," literally "the look of a thing (as opposed to the reality); form; kind, sort, nature," from idein "to see," from PIE *wid-es-ya-, suffixed form of root *weid- "to see" (see vision). Sense of "result of thinking" first recorded 1640s.
Men of one idea, like a hen with one chicken, and that a duckling. [Thoreau, "Walden"]Idée fixe (1836) is from French, literally "fixed idea."
idea i·de·a (ī-dē'ə)
Something, such as a thought or conception, that potentially or actually exists in the mind as a product of mental activity. | <urn:uuid:39bc343f-8e88-4625-ae72-248f4e59455c> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ideas | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280872.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00309-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965729 | 403 | 2.53125 | 3 |
The analysis and calculation of the cutting edge length of hob is not important for the gear with medium and small modulus, so it covers up the essential problem that hob must have a certain cutting edge length; for some special cases, such as processing a large number of teeth or a large spiral angle gear, the cutting edge length of hob is required to be very long, especially for the large gear with super large displacement. As for the “particularity” of the hobbing of super large modified gears, some literatures have discussed it, but they have not analyzed it from the characteristics and structure of the hobbing process, so the formula of the actual length of the hob blade deduced is also approximate. The following discussion aims to give its accurate calculation formula.
The minimum theoretical length of gear hob should meet two basic requirements: it can completely envelope the tooth profile of gear; the edge tooth of hob should not be overloaded.
Because the meshing process of gear hobbing is essentially the meshing of cross axis, according to the geometric characteristics of involute helical gears meshing, the length of effective meshing lines on the left and right sides of hob in the direction of hob axis is 2lm, which is calculated as follows:
Where: α t is the end face pressure angle of hob involute basic worm, Tan α t = Tan α n / sin λ 0; Ra0 is the addendum circle radius of hob involute basic worm; β B0 is the base circle helix angle of hob involute basic worm, sin β B0 = cos λ 0cos α n; R0 is the base circle of hob involute basic worm. | <urn:uuid:44b2bd5b-4f4e-435b-b61f-a9e68bdcbd63> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://www.zhygear.com/theoretical-hob-length-for-enveloping-gear-profile/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882570765.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20220808031623-20220808061623-00271.warc.gz | en | 0.903745 | 344 | 2.421875 | 2 |
On the edge of a deep canyon above the sinuous river meander known as a gooseneck, this small park affords impressive views of one of the most striking examples of an entrenched river meander on the North American continent. The San Juan River twists and turns through the meander, flowing a distance of over six miles while advancing one and half miles west on its way to Lake Powell. Gaze at the results of 300 million years of geological activity, where the San Juan River winds and carves its way through the desert 1,000 feet below.
$5.00 dayuse fee per car with up to 8 people
$2.00 per person fee for bus tour groups
$10.00 per night per campsite. If no ranger on duty, pay at fee tube using self serve envelopes. Camping is in 8 designated sites along rim, where fire-ring and picnic tables are located. First come, first served site only. No reservations accepted. Conditions are primitive, bring your own fire wood and water. No services except vault toilets. | <urn:uuid:2b2e210b-fb0c-4216-843e-70d130a71180> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/goosenecks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560280891.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095120-00161-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926068 | 218 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Excellence is a Shared Path: Working Together for Justice and the Quality of Life
Khalea Robinson, '11; Pierre Fuller, 'G
Description: In their brief remarks honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., two students strike the theme of collaboration. They touch on the importance of humility and listening to one's inner voice while pursuing a shared vision of justice and equality.
When she first came to MIT, Khalea Robinson was set to become a builder of bridges and skyscrapers. "Their visibility and permanence appealed to me." But a talk she attended on some of the world's pressing problems shook her commitment to this path. Access to clean water, and other issues, should surely count more than her own private engineering goals, she imagined.
But after taking introductory courses in environmental and civil engineering, she realized that she "couldn't simply fall in line wherever there was a call, because there are so many calls, all of them worthy." Robinson felt that she should instead look for a field that would "bring forth my initiative, passion, drive, insight and courage," while also promoting justice and fairness. In a world "full of complex problems that need to be solved by many people," Robinson believes each of us "has a distinct voice that can and must be raised."
Pierre Fuller finds a model in Biblical scripture's Nehemiah, who called on his people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem one brick at a time, "each man contributing according to his ability." Fuller recounts that when acquaintances call him a "genius" because he studies at MIT, he points to the help he received during his childhood in Flint, Michigan: his grandmother, a hospital cleaner; a barber friend with a drug record; and his mother -- "who guided me with equal doses of love and tender encouragement, and a wooden paddle and a backhand that would rival Serena Williams."
Just as Fuller attributes his success to a collective that made unique contributions to his upbringing, he sees the project of building a better world as a function of individuals working together in humility, suppressing personal ambitions, and "replacing a savior mentality with a serving mentality." The technological innovations MIT sees as the foundation of the future are "only a brick, a small portion of the wall that is to sustain our community." The academic elite, says Fuller, must seek solutions for communities they serve. All of us "must humble our hearts" to work for "those who come after us, as we have been served by those who come before."
About the Speaker(s): A native of St. Kitts and Nevis, Khalea Robinson has been deeply involved with social policy issues. In 2008 she participated in MIT's Presidential Policies Initiative to raise awareness among national candidates of the greatest issues facing the U.S., including education and mortgage reform. Pierre Fuller earned a B.S. in civil engeering and in architecture from Lawrence Technological University, and his S.M. in civil engineering from MIT. His current research focuses on applying computing techniques to solve problems in building construction and operations. Fuller has served as a teaching assistant at MIT, and is involved with various youth outreach programs, including MIT's STEM science enrichment program for middle school children.
Host(s): Office of the President, MIT Annual Breakfast Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Europe > Nordic countries > Sweden > Svealand > Stockholm County > Stockholm archipelago
The Stockholm archipelago, Stockholms skärgård or skärgården, is a group of thousands of islands in the Svealand region, extending east of Stockholm in the Baltic Sea. While many of the islands are relatively small, two large ones, Värmdö and Vaxholm, stand out as major destinations.
Since the Ice Age ended, the land has been rising from the Baltic Sea, changing the sceneries over generation; see Nordic countries#Geography.
In modern times, the archipelago consists of at least 24,000 identified islands, islets, and skerries.
From the Middle Ages until the end of the Cold War, the Swedish military has had troops, ships and fortifications in the archipelago, to defend Stockholm. The only major enemy attack on Stockholm was committed by the Russian Empire, in 1719 to 1721. Today, most defense facilities are closed down. The local population relied on subsistence fishing and farming, isolated from Stockholm's tremendous progress in the 19th century, as tourists started to colonize the area. During the 20th century, many of the outer islands were de-populated, and transformed to summer resorts, with very small population during winter. Today, most island-dwellers commute to Stockholm for work, and enjoy maritime life as a hobby. In contrast, many of the inner islands have become suburbs of Stockholm.
Islands and settlements
- Ljusterö is the largest island in the archipelago without a bridge to the mainland. It is served by a ferry from Östanå.
- Värmdö (archaic spelling Wermdö) is the largest island in the archipelago, accessible by road. It contains suburban neighbourhoods as well as deep forests, lakes and beaches, similar to the Swedish mainland. Gustavsberg is the main town. Stavsnäs is a major ferry terminal for the southern archipelago.
- Vaxholm (archaic spelling Waxholm) is a quaint island-town connected to the mainland, with a historical fortress, a variety of boutiques, and a major ferry terminal to the northern archipelago.
- Sandhamn is the largest island in the outer archipelago, known for its summer nightlife.
- Grinda is a small rural island, near Stockholm and Vaxholm.
- Utö is an outer-archipelago idyllic island with a closed-down silver mine, and remnants from the mining industry. Do not confuse with Utö in Finland, across the sea.
- Öja is an elongated island, at the southern edge of the archipelago, off Nynäshamn.
- Saltsjöbaden is a waterfront suburb for the well-to-do, at the end of Saltsjöbanan, a rail line from central Stockholm. It was built up around 1900, and is famous for its observatory, the Grand Hotel, and the acclaimed sitcom series Solsidan.
- Furusund is an island where Astrid Lindgren, August Strindberg and many other writers and painters spent their summers. Also Norröra and Söderöra are in the same region, off Norrtälje.
- Lidingö is a suburban island near Stockholm, described in its own article, together with Fjäderholmarna.
This article also describes some mainland destinations associated with the archipelago.
- The entire Österåker municipality is included in this article, despite the fact that most of it is on the mainland. Österåker municipality's largest town is Åkersberga, where also the municipal seat is located.
- Saltsjöbaden is a suburb with its own rail line, Saltsjöbanan.
Most major islands can be reached on road (by car or bus), at some locations through free-ride car ferries.
Buses to the northern archipelago depart from Tekniska Högskolan (Östermalm). Buses to Värmdö depart from Slussen (Södermalm). Buses for the southern archipelago depart from Gullmarsplan. See Stockholm#Public transport and the official public transport website:
However, for a good view, take a boat from central Stockholm, see below.
The major shipping companies are the public-transport Waxholmsbolaget, and the private-owned Strömma, which runs Cinderellabåtarna. Waxholmsbolaget's regular boats depart from Strömkajen at the Grand Hotel. They stop at most docks, and tickets are comparably cheap.
Waxholmsbolaget also has two old-fashioned steamboats, mainly for slow dining cruises in the inner archipelago, or day-trips to Sandhamn.
Strömma is aimed at major tourist destinations, faster but costlier, often with a tour guide. Most of their boats depart from Nybrokajen at Nybroplan.
From April through September, numerous services operate directly from the city centre to various destinations, with Waxholmsbolaget departing from Strömkajen right downhill T Kungsträdgården, and Cinderellabåtarna departing from Nybrokajen, 400 m from T Östermalmstorg or T Kungsträdgården.
Other (and basically the only ones during winter) routes operate from suburban mainland jetties connected to central Stockholm by urban rail and bus, such as Vaxholm, reached by bus 670 from T Tekniska högskolan (Östermalm), Stavsnäs, reached by bus 433 or 434 from T-Slussen (Södermalm), and Gåshaga Brygga on Lidingö, reached by the Lidingöbanan rail line from T-Ropsten (Östermalm). Even during the summer, when many services operate from central Stockholm, transfer via a suburban jetty is usually both faster and cheaper. This is because even though the archipelago is within the metropolitan area, local transport tickets are not valid, and fares are based on distance. For multiple rides, you can buy a 5 or 30 day card (420 SEK and 750 SEK respectively), which belong to Waxholmsbolaget, but are also valid on Cinderellabåtarna.
Some destinations in the archipelago are Grinda, Svartsö, Finnhamn, Möja, Sandhamn, Ingmarsö, Runmarö, Nämdö and Utö. From April through September, most of these can be reached either from central Stockholm, or via suburban jetties. The islands offer a wide variety of nature, from the lush green of the inner archipelago to the bare cliffs of the more distant outposts. Some islands have restaurants, youth hostels and country stores, while others are entirely deserted islands.
A good destination for a day trip is Sandhamn, which is reached either by taking a direct ferry from the city centre (this takes 5 h) or by taking the 433 or 434 bus from the centrally located T Slussen to Stavsnäs and from there a connecting ferry bound for Sandhamn or Hagede (from T Slussen this takes 90-95 min during summer and 110-115 min during winter). Both Waxholmsbolaget and Cinderellabåtarna serve both routes, but again, Cinderellabåtarna service is shut down during winter.
Utö makes another good trip and is accessible from the city centre (takes 3.5 h) or by taking suburban train from Stockholm central station to Västerhaninge, then bus 846 to Årsta brygga and then a connecting ferry (from Stockholm C this takes 90 min during summer and 1 h 45 min during winter). Both routes are served solely by Waxholmsbolaget.
The Baltic Sea ferries offer an elevated, comfortable view of the archipelago, though without the opportunity to set foot on any of them.
Main article: Boating on the Baltic Sea
Cycling is a good option for some islands with proper roads.
While the major islands Värmdö, Ingarö and Ljusterö have rather mundane sceneries, similar to most of mainland Sweden, the more spectacular views are outside them, near the open sea; be sure to get out all the way. During summer, sailing boats add to the scenery.
- Vaxholm fortress (Vaxholm)
- 5 Bogesund Palace (Bogesunds slott).
- 6 Vaxholm Castle (Vaxholms kastell).
- 7 Ytterby. A mine on Resarö, with one unusual distinction: nine chemical elements of the periodic table were discovered here, four of them named by the settlement: yttrium, ytterbium, terbium and erbium.
- Rydboholm Palace
- 1 Saltsjöbaden observatory. Impressive from outside, though not usually open to the public.
- ÖTILLÖ. For hardcore swimmers, ÖTILLÖ (literally ISLAND TO ISLAND) is an all-day swim-run race where teams of two swim between and run across many islands in the Stockholm archipelago. The swimming portions total 10 km and the running portions total 65 km. ÖTILLÖ is considered one of the toughest endurance races in the world.
Most boats in regular traffic have a simple bar, offering regular beer and wine.
- 1 Nässlingen, ☎ , e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org. Restaurant and guest house located on the island Nässlingen, near Ljusterö
- Grinda Wärdshus.
- Waxholms Hotell.
- 2 Grand Hotel Saltsjöbaden. A Grand Old Hotel, remembered in Swedish history for the 1938 Saltsjöbaden Agreement, Saltsjöbadsavtalet, an agreement between employers and unions to ensure peace on the labour market.
- 3 Wermdö Golf & Country Club.
Ticks, fästingar, are common in grassy areas of the archipelago. Check your body and your pets every evening. | <urn:uuid:89284adb-84e5-447a-a237-d02ebfb9ba1e> | CC-MAIN-2016-44 | https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/%C3%96ster%C3%A5ker | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-44/segments/1476988719079.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20161020183839-00033-ip-10-171-6-4.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.906787 | 2,237 | 3.328125 | 3 |
Bhojpuri cinema is also watched in many parts of the world, where Indian diaspora has settled, including Brazil, Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, South Africa, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many colonizers faced labor shortages due to the abolition of slavery; thus, they imported many Indians, many from Bhojpuri-speaking regions. Today, some 200 million people in the West Indies, Oceania, and South America speak Bhojpuri as a native or second language and they also watch Bhojpuri films.
Bhojpuri cinema history begins in 1962 with the well-received film Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo , which was directed by Kundan Kumar. It was followed by Lagi Nahi Chhute Rama. Throughout the following decades, films were produced only in fits and starts. Films such as Bidesiya ( 1963, directed by S. N. Tripathi) and Ganga ( 1965, directed by Kundan Kumar) were profitable and popular, but in general Bhojpuri films were not commonly produced in the 1960s and 1970s.
There was a quantum leap in the production of Bhojpuri films since 2000/2001. Now almost 60/70 films are being produced in Bhojpuri language every year. 2011 will be notable year for me as I would be producing and directing my own Bhojpuri film, titled ” ABER “. It is scheduled to mount on sets on January 14, 2011 and apart from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Nepal, Kolkata, Mumbai, Punjab and Assam I am planning to release it world-wide. I intend to have world premier of ” ABER ” in Mauritius.
[ The information is taken from Wikipedia and some other sources from internet. I am hugely indebted. ]
- South African group to trace roots in India (topinews.com)
Filed under: Bhojpuri Cinema Tagged: | Acting Trainer, Bhojpuri language, Bollywood, Caribbean, Diction Trainer, Film, Hindi Teacher, India, Kamal Nayan Chaturvedi, Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin, North India, Terai, Trinidad and Tobago, Uttar Pradesh, Vidur, Vidur Chaturvedi, Vidur in News, Vidur on Twitter, Vidur's Blog, Vidur's News | <urn:uuid:eb3ec3ca-6677-4ed1-b2bc-353566409342> | CC-MAIN-2017-04 | https://mevidur.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/bhojpuri-cinema-random-facts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-04/segments/1484560281450.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20170116095121-00177-ip-10-171-10-70.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962393 | 514 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Sharing of information, invigorating or everyday, is quite possibly of our most loved action. Consistently, we share various updates on our interpersonal organizations. Gathering data from different sources, pursuing most recent directions these interest us the most. Be that as it may, this has a decent amount of problems and includes significant exertion. That is where Mobile News Apps come in as an aid!
What is a News App?
A news application is an OmniReader which gets news channel from numerous various classifications like Fitness, Food, Art, Hollywood, Bollywood, Photography, Politics, Art and comparable subjects of interest. The feed is by and large modified by the client’s topographical area, without a doubt a rewarding benefit for neighborhood computerized locals!
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Advanced locals like us like customizing our space on the web. A decent application will have a choice to tweak the perusing space as per your decision. On the off chance that you select your advantage regions, the news application will incorporate all articles connected with them from top distributers and make it accessible to you.. Additionally, it presents to you the total story and not pieces of it. Consistent with its motivation, it tends to be connected to all your informal communities like Facebook, Twitter and others for simple sharing of intriguing substance with loved ones!
A couple of premium applications don’t have the issue of making accounts and give a simple login include. Simply signing in through Facebook will get the job done. All servers are synchronized for simple access and perusing! | <urn:uuid:c77813bf-cfa7-4586-a4fd-bdbf31ce1b7d> | CC-MAIN-2022-33 | https://cypruswalks.co.uk/the-mobile-news-app.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-33/segments/1659882571472.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20220811133823-20220811163823-00676.warc.gz | en | 0.932943 | 465 | 1.835938 | 2 |
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